Substrate cartridge handling apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, and recording medium

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate cartridge handling apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium capable of improving accuracy of detecting correct orientation of a substrate. The present invention is provided with: a stage on which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates having an orientation determination unit is placed; a reflector which is provided at one end of a predetermined light path that is set so that light can pass through the substrate without irradiating the substrate when the orientation determining section of each of the plurality of substrates is oriented in a predetermined direction; a robot which is provided with a reflection-type optical sensor that irradiates light along an optical path and is configured so as to be capable of detecting the reflected light from the reflector, and which conveys the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the device; and a control unit configured so as to be able to control the robot such that the reflective optical sensor moves to a position corresponding to the optical path when confirming that the orientation determining units of the plurality of substrates on the stage coincide with the predetermined orientation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a substrate cassette operating device, a substrate processing device, a substrate processing method, a semiconductor device manufacturing method and a recording medium. Background Art

[0002] In a cassette receiving and accepting unit for placing wafer cassettes, edge alignment for aligning the edge indicating the crystal orientation of the wafer is performed. The cassette receiving and accepting unit has an edge confirmation sensor for detecting the alignment of the edge of a plurality of wafers mounted on a mounting table before the edge alignment operation (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-270675 Summary of the invention

[0006] In the cassette transfer unit, there are cases where substrates of different diameters and materials are required to be handled. However, since the size and light transmittance of the positioning edge etc. are different for each diameter or material of the substrate, the detection accuracy of the sensor that confirms the correct orientation of the substrate may be reduced.

[0007] The present invention provides a technology capable of improving the accuracy of detecting the correct orientation of a substrate.

[0008] According to one solution of the present invention, a technology is provided, comprising:

[0009] A stage, which carries a cassette containing a plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of substrates have an orientation determining portion;

[0010] a reflector disposed at one end of a prescribed optical path, wherein the prescribed optical path is set so that when the orientation determining portions of each of the plurality of substrates are in a prescribed orientation, light can pass through without being irradiated to the substrate;

[0011] a robot having a reflective optical sensor configured to irradiate light along the optical path and detect reflected light from the reflector, and transporting the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the device; and

[0012] The control unit is configured to control the robot so that the reflective optical sensor moves to a position corresponding to the optical path when confirming that the orientation determining units of the plurality of substrates on the stage are aligned with a predetermined orientation.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of detecting the correct orientation of a substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a figure for demonstrating the substrate processing apparatus in embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the cassette stage and the cassette transfer device in the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a diagram for explaining the confirmation of the positioning edge by the reflective optical sensor.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining a retro-reflective sensor.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a perspective view of the cassette transfer unit in the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view of the comb-tooth sensor and wafer posture adjustment device installed on the cassette carrier.

[0021] Fig. 7A It is a diagram showing a processing flow of a substrate processing method in the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7B It is a diagram showing a processing flow of a substrate processing method in the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining wafer mapping performed by a reflective optical sensor.

[0024] Fig. 9 It is a diagram showing a detailed processing flow of the positioning edge confirmation in a modified example.

[0025] Description of Reference Numerals

[0026] 1. Wafer (substrate)

[0027] 2. Box

[0028] 13···Cassette stage device

[0029] 15···Box rack

[0030] 17···Box transport robot

[0031] 18···Robot arm (movable part)

[0032] 101···Reflective optical sensor

[0033] 105···Reflector

[0034] 121···Controller (control unit) DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 While explaining one scheme of the present invention. In addition, the drawings used in the following description are all schematic drawings, and the dimensional relationship of the elements shown in the drawings, the proportion of the elements, etc. may not be consistent with the actual elements. In addition, the dimensional relationship of the elements, the proportion of the elements, etc. may not be consistent between multiple drawings. In addition, among multiple drawings, substantially the same elements are marked with the same figure numbers, and the elements are described in the drawings where the elements first appear, and the descriptions are omitted in subsequent drawings unless particularly necessary. Unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and multiple elements may exist.

[0036] (1) Substrate processing equipment

[0037] In the present embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a processing apparatus) is configured as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs a processing step in a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, as an example.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the processing device 10 of the embodiment includes a housing 11, and a cassette receiving and accepting unit 12 is provided on the front surface (X1 side) of the housing 11. The X1-X2 direction is the front-to-back direction of the processing device 10, the Y2-Y1 direction is the left-right direction, and the Z1-Z2 direction is the up-down direction. The cassette receiving and accepting unit 12 includes a cassette stage device (also referred to as a cassette loader) 13 capable of carrying two open cassettes (hereinafter referred to as cassettes) 2 as substrate containers, wherein the substrate container is a carrier for wafers 1 as substrates, and two sets of wafer posture adjustment devices 14 are provided below the cassette stage device 13. In other words, the cassette stage device 13 includes a plurality of stages, and each stage is configured so that the cassette 2 can be transferred to the outside of the device.

[0039] The cassette 2 transported by an external transport device (not shown) is placed on a stage 44 (described later) of the cassette stage device 13 in a vertical posture as a first posture (a state in which the wafers 1 stored in the cassette 2 are vertical, and a state in which the wafers 1 are stored in a horizontal arrangement). The wafer posture adjustment device 14 includes an orientation alignment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the wafers 1 in such a way that the cassette 2 is in a vertical posture and the notches or positioning edges as orientation determining portions of the wafers 1 stored in the cassette 2 are the same. The cassette stage device 13 includes a cassette inversion mechanism that rotates the stage 44 by 90 degrees to make the cassette 2 in a horizontal posture as a second posture (a state in which the wafers 1 are stored in a vertical arrangement). A cassette rack 15 is provided inside the housing 11 to face the cassette receiving and accepting unit 12, and a reserve cassette rack 16 is provided above the cassette receiving and accepting unit 12.

[0040] A cassette transfer robot 17 is provided between the cassette transfer unit 12 and the cassette rack 15. The cassette transfer robot 17 includes a robot arm 18, which includes a hand 173 that can move forward and backward in the front-back direction (X1-X2 direction), and the robot arm 18 itself is configured to be able to move horizontally and up and down. Through the lifting and down movement and horizontal movement of the robot arm 18 and the forward and backward (forward and backward) movement of the hand 173, the cassette 2 in a horizontal posture on the cassette carrier device 13 is picked up from below and transported and transferred to the cassette rack 15 or the reserve cassette rack 16. The cassette rack 15 and the reserve cassette rack 16 can also be regarded as a buffer rack for multiple cassettes 2. Since the cassette carrier device 13 includes a cassette inverting mechanism, both the orientation alignment based on the wafer posture adjustment device 14 and the cassette transfer based on the cassette transfer robot 17 can be performed.

[0041] A wafer transfer device (transfer machine) 19 is provided at the rear (X2 side) of the cassette rack 15 in a rotatable and elevating manner, and the wafer transfer device 19 can transfer the plurality of wafers 1 in the cassette 2 together or one by one to a substrate support (hereinafter referred to as a boat) 25. The wafer transfer device 19 includes a wafer holding portion 20 that can move forward and backward, and a plurality of wafer holding plates 21 are horizontally mounted on the wafer holding portion 20. A boat elevator 22 is provided at the rear (X2 side) of the wafer transfer device 19, and a sealing cover 24 that can rotatably hold the boat 25 is horizontally provided on an arm 23 of the boat elevator 22.

[0042] The processing device 10 has a transfer chamber 50 and a cassette holding chamber 60. The transfer chamber 50 is provided with a wafer transfer device 19, a wafer holding portion 20, a wafer holding plate 21, and a boat elevator 22. The cassette holding chamber 60 is provided with a cassette rack 15, a reserve cassette rack 16, and a cassette transfer robot 17. A wall portion 70 is provided between the transfer chamber 50 and the cassette holding chamber 60. The wafer transfer device (transfer machine) 19 transfers the wafer 1 from the cassette 2 in the cassette holding chamber 60 to the boat 25.

[0043] The processing device 10 includes a reaction tube (processing tube) 31 made of a highly heat-resistant material such as quartz glass and formed into a cylindrical shape with one end open and the other end blocked. The reaction tube 31 is longitudinally arranged and fixedly supported in a manner such that the center line is perpendicular. The hollow portion of the reaction tube 31 forms a processing chamber 32 for accommodating a plurality of wafers 1, and the lower end of the reaction tube 31 is opened to form a furnace port 33 for taking and placing the wafers 1. The furnace port 33 is open to the transfer chamber 50, and the processing chamber 32 and the transfer chamber 50 are connected.

[0044] The sealing cover 24 for sealing the furnace opening 33 abuts against the lower end surface of the reaction tube 31 from the vertical lower side. The sealing cover 24 is formed in a disc shape and is configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by the boat elevator 22 provided outside the reaction tube 31. In addition, a furnace opening gate 28 can be provided to seal the furnace opening 33 when the sealing cover 24 is moved to the lower end position.

[0045] A boat 25 for holding wafers 1 is supported vertically on the sealing cover 24. The boat 25 includes a pair of upper and lower end plates 26 and 27, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) holding members (columns) arranged vertically between the end plates 26 and 27, and each holding member is provided with a plurality of holding grooves arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction and opening opposite to each other. The outer peripheral edges of the wafers 1 are respectively inserted between the plurality of holding grooves of each holding member, so that the plurality of wafers 1 are held on the boat 25 in a horizontal manner and aligned with each other's centers.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the cassette transport robot 17 includes: a CZ drive axis 171 as a third axis for moving the robot arm 18 as a first axis in the vertical direction (Z1-Z2 direction), and a CS drive axis 172 as a second axis for moving the CZ drive axis 171 in the left-right direction (Y2-Y1 direction). In other words, the robot arm 18 is a movable part that can move horizontally and vertically. Thus, it can approach a cassette at any position.

[0047] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a reflective optical sensor 101 is provided at the base, for example, the lower end, of the robot arm 18. In other words, the reflective optical sensor 101 is provided at the movable part of the cassette transport robot 17. The reflective optical sensor 101 cannot be driven in the robot arm 18. Therefore, the reflective optical sensor 101 can also be moved horizontally and vertically.

[0048] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , on the cassette stage device 13, two (a pair) of reflectors 105 are provided for each cassette 2 on the side opposite to the reflective optical sensor 101 across the cassette 2. In other words, four (two pairs) of reflectors 105 are provided on the cassette stage device 13. The opening on the bottom side of the cassette 2 placed on the cassette stage device 13 is located at a position where the reflective optical sensor 101 and the reflector 105 are opposite to each other. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the reflective optical sensor 101 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the cassette 2. In addition, the wafer 1 stored in the cassette 2 mounted on the cassette stage device 13 is in a vertical state. Figure 2As shown, on the cassette stage device 13, a reflector 106 extending in the X1-X2 direction is provided next to each wafer alignment hole 53 described later.

[0049] Although the example of setting the reflector 105 on the cassette stage device 13 is described, it is not limited to this. When the reflector 105 becomes an obstacle when the cassette 2 is not put into the cassette stage device 13 from the top but from the front of the device, for example, the reflector 105 can also be set on the movable shutter of the cassette input port on the front panel of the device.

[0050] use Figure 4 The reflective optical sensor 101 and the reflector 105 are described. The reflective optical sensor 101 includes a light emitting unit 101a that emits outgoing light LO toward the wafer 1 accommodated in the cassette 2, and a light receiving unit 101b that receives reflected light LR after the outgoing light LO is reflected on the reflector 105. In the reflective optical sensor 101, for example, the light emitting unit 101a and the light receiving unit 101b are adjacently arranged and integrated to form a so-called reflective photoelectric sensor.

[0051] The reflective optical sensor 101 includes a polarizing filter 101c disposed on the light emitting unit 101a side and a polarizing filter 101d disposed on the light receiving unit 101b side. The polarizing filters 101c and 101d have different polarization directions, that is, orthogonal in this embodiment.

[0052] The outgoing light LO passes through the polarizing filter 101c, thereby becoming linear polarized light (e.g., wave in the Y1-Y2 direction) vibrating in one direction (the first direction), and also becomes beam-shaped parallel light and heads toward the reflector 105. Then, the outgoing light LO is retro-reflected on the reflector 105 and heads toward the light receiving part 101b as reflected light LR. The reflected light L2 becomes linear polarized light (e.g., wave in the Z1-Z2 direction) vibrating in a direction (the second direction) orthogonal to the outgoing light LO, and can pass through the polarizing filter 101d. In other words, the polarizing filter 101d is a polarizing filter that sets the first direction as the absorption axis. In addition, the reflective optical sensor 101 can correctly determine (detect) whether the positioning edge of the chip 1 is aligned based on the presence or absence of the reflected light LR.

[0053] In addition, the reflector 105 is configured to reflect light having a polarization direction different from that of the incident light (outgoing light LO) incident on the reflector 105 as reflected light LR back to the light receiving portion 242. For example, the reflecting surface 105a of the reflector 105 is composed of a plurality of regularly arranged corner cubes 105b. "Corner cubes" refer to tiny depressions that form a shape formed by combining three planes in a manner orthogonal to each other. In this way, the reflector 105 can be retroreflected. In addition, in Figure 4In the figure, one corner prism 105b is enlarged and represented. In addition, the reflector 105 may also include a transparent particle component. The reflector 105 is not limited to being composed of the corner prism 105b, as long as it is a reflector that reflects the incident light by greatly rotating the polarization direction compared to when it is reflected on the chip 1.

[0054] The reflector 105 is provided at one end of a prescribed optical path LP which is set so that the outgoing light L1 from the reflective optical sensor 101 can pass through the wafer 1 without irradiating the wafer 1 when the positioning edges of the plurality of wafers 1 are in a prescribed orientation (aligned to a prescribed position). The optical path LP is perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 1, and a plurality of optical paths LP are set relative to one cassette 2 on the cassette stage device 13. In the embodiment, two optical paths LP are set in the cassette 2 corresponding to the two ends of the positioning edges of the wafer 1 which are in the prescribed orientation, but the number of optical paths LP may be three or more. The controller 121 as a control unit moves the reflective optical sensor 101 to a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of optical paths LP in sequence, and confirms whether the positioning edges of the plurality of wafers 1 are in the prescribed orientation. In other words, the controller 121 uses the reflective optical sensor 101 in common for a plurality of cassettes by moving the reflective optical sensor 101 to the other end of the optical path set for the cassette to be confirmed.

[0055] When the positioning edges of all the chips 1 are aligned, in the two optical paths LP, the outgoing light L1 from the light emitting section 101a is irradiated to the reflector 105, and the reflected light L2 returns to the light receiving section 101b. On the other hand, when even one of the positioning edges of the chip 1 is not aligned (when the positioning edge is not horizontal), in one of the optical paths LP, the outgoing light L1 from the light emitting section 101a is blocked by the chip 1 and does not reach the reflector 105, and the reflected light L2 does not return to the light receiving section 101b. In addition, the outgoing light L1 is reflected on the chip 1, and its reflected light returns to the light receiving section 101b side, but since it cannot pass through the polarizing filter 101d, it will not be detected in the light receiving section 101b. In addition, the entry of the optical path LP into a light-transmitting chip 1 such as silicon carbide (SiC) is detected by a reduction in the light receiving level in the light receiving section 101b. In the reflective optical sensor 101 , the attenuation of the light receiving level due to the light-transmitting wafer 1 is twice that of the transmissive optical sensor 101 , and thus the detection accuracy is excellent.

[0056] Although the case where the wafer 1 has a positioning edge is described, the case where the wafer 1 has a notch formed by cutting a part of the circumference of the wafer into a V-shape can also be confirmed whether the notch is aligned. In this case, one optical path LP is set with respect to one cassette 2 on the cassette stage device 13. On the cassette stage device 13, one reflector 105 is provided for each cassette 2 on the side opposite to the reflective optical sensor 101 across the cassette 2. In other words, two reflectors 105 are provided on the cassette stage device 13.

[0057] The controller 121 controls the cassette transport robot 17 to move the reflective optical sensor 101 to the detection position of the positioning edge or notch corresponding to the size or material of the wafer. Figure 2 After confirming the alignment of the positioning edge, the reflective optical sensor 101 returns to the initial position. On the other hand, since the reflector 105 is formed to a size that can reflect the outgoing light on the optical path LP for all types of wafers to be processed, it does not need to be moved.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the output (current value) of the reflective optical sensor 101 is input to the controller 121 via the amplifier unit 102. The amplifier unit 102 performs a threshold determination. The threshold is set, for example, between the light receiving level when the positioning edges of all silicon carbide (SiC) wafers are aligned and the light receiving level when only one wafer (e.g. SiC) with the highest light transmittance among the wafers to be processed is misaligned. Here, when only one wafer is misaligned means when one wafer blocks the optical path of one or both of the projection and reception of the reflective optical sensor 101.

[0059] In addition to the above-mentioned example of making an absolute value judgment in a determined optical path, the reflective optical sensor 101 may be moved along the positioning edge in the Y2-Y1 direction or across the edge in the Z1-Z2 direction during the positioning edge confirmation process to make a judgment based on the intensity change (relative value judgment). In addition, since light is scattered at the edge of the wafer, a large change in the light receiving level can be obtained even in a wafer with a transmittance close to 100%.

[0060] use Figure 3The controller 121 is described. The controller 121 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d. The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are configured to be able to communicate with the CPU 121a via an internal bus. An input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel and an external storage device 123 are connected to the controller 121.

[0061] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. A control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing device, a process recipe recording the steps and conditions of the substrate processing described later, etc. are readable and stored in the storage device 121c. In addition, the recipe is combined in a manner that enables the controller 121 to execute each step in the substrate processing process described later and obtain a specified result, and is a high-level language compared to the control program. The control program and the recipe are collectively referred to as a program. The storage device 121c also sequentially stores log information that records the operation and status of the device. RAM121b is configured as a storage area (working area) that temporarily holds programs and data read by CPU121a.

[0062] The I / O port 121d is connected to the cassette receiving unit 12, the cassette stage device 13, the wafer posture adjusting device 14, the cassette transfer robot 17, the wafer transfer device 19, the rotating mechanism 40, the boat elevator 22, the amplifier unit 102, and the like.

[0063] The CPU 121a is configured to read out a control program from the storage device 121c and execute it, and to read out a recipe of a substrate from the storage device 121c in accordance with an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122. The CPU 121a is configured to control the posture adjustment operation of the cassette receiving unit 12, the rotation operation of the cassette stage device 13, the wafer posture adjustment device 14, the operation control of the robot arm 18 of the cassette transfer robot 17, the rotation and lifting control of the wafer transfer device 19, the lifting operation of the boat elevator 22, etc. in accordance with the contents of the read out recipe.

[0064] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program and recipe stored in an external storage device (eg, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 123 into a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as a computer-readable tangible recording medium.

[0065] Hereinafter, the recording medium is also referred to as a recording medium. In this specification, when the term recording medium is used, there may be a case where only the storage device 121c is included, a case where only the external storage device 123 is included, or a case where both are included. In addition, the program may be provided to the computer without using the external storage device 123 but using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line.

[0066] Reference Figure 5 The cassette accepting unit 12 will be described.

[0067] A front plate 41 on the X1 direction side and a rear plate (not shown) on the X2 direction side are fixed to the lower parts of the left plate 38 on the Y2 direction side and the right plate 39 on the Y1 direction side to form a frame 43, and the lower part of the frame 43 is in a square tube shape.

[0068] Two hinge members 35 are fixed vertically on the outer side of the right side plate 39 and the end of the front plate 41. Figure 1 Two hinge members 36 are fixed to the front surface side (X1 direction side) of the housing 11 shown, and connected to corresponding hinge members 35. The cassette stage device 13 is rotatably supported relative to the housing 11 by the hinge members 35 rotatable around the axis in the Z1-Z2 direction.

[0069] The rotating shaft 49 supports the stage 44 on the left plate 38 and the right plate 39 so that it can rotate around the CY axis. The stage 44 includes a pair of rotating plates 45a and 45b, an internal transfer stage 46 and an external transfer stage 47, and a lower plate 48. The rotating plates 45a and 45b are respectively fixed to the rotating shaft 49 on the CY axis, and they are rigidly connected by the lower plate 48. The stage 44 can rotate around the rotating shaft 49. The internal transfer stage 46 is fixed to the rotating plates 45a and 45b and / or the lower plate 48. The external transfer stage 47 is installed on the horizontal rotating plates 45a and 45b in a manner that it can move in the up and down direction when the cassette is in a vertical posture by means of a plurality of guides 51 that allow movement in only one direction. The cylinder 52 is provided between the internal transfer stage 46 and the external transfer stage 47, and drives the external transfer stage 47 up and down. In other words, the cassette stage device 13 includes an up and down moving mechanism. The external transfer stage 47 can also move in the front-rear direction (X1-X2 direction). Two cassettes 2 can be placed on the internal transfer stage 46 and the external transfer stage 47. In other words, the internal transfer stage 46 and the external transfer stage 47 are each composed of two stages.

[0070] Two wafer alignment holes 53 are provided at a predetermined interval on the external transfer stage 47. Below the wafer alignment holes 53, the wafer posture adjustment device 14 is provided on the lower plate 48.

[0071] A drive unit 65 for rotating the rotating shaft 49 is mounted on the outer surface of the right side plate 39. The drive unit 65 includes, for example, an AC servo motor, a worm gear box, a position sensor, etc., and is configured to rotate the cassette 2 on the mounting table 44 90 degrees between a horizontal posture and a vertical posture.

[0072] Through the up-and-down moving mechanism of the cassette stage device 13, the external transfer stage 47 can be moved in the up-and-down direction between an upper position where the cassette 2 in a vertical posture (upright state) can be rotated based on the cassette inversion mechanism and a lower position where it can be aligned through the azimuth alignment mechanism (wafer posture adjustment device 14).

[0073] When the external transfer stage 47 is in the upper position, the cassette 2 moved in the front-rear direction and introduced is pressed (docked) on the internal transfer stage 46 in the upright state, or is undocked (detached) from the internal transfer stage 46. In addition, when the external transfer stage 47 is in the upper position, an optical path LP is arranged in the space formed between the cassette 2 and the wafer posture adjustment device 14, so that the positioning edge confirmation can be performed.

[0074] use Figure 6 An example of the wafer posture adjusting device 14 will be described.

[0075] The wafer posture adjustment device 14 includes a support table 141, a pair of rollers 142a and 142b rotatably mounted horizontally on the support table 141, a rotation drive device 143, and a stopper 144 disposed adjacent to the roller 142b. The pair of rollers 142a and 142b extend along the alignment direction (X1-X2 direction) of the wafer group 1 stored in the cassette 2. The rotation drive device 143 causes the rollers 142a and 142b to rotate synchronously in the same direction. The wafer posture adjustment device 14 is configured to be able to rise and fall relative to the cassette 2 mounted on the mounting table 44. During the adjustment operation, the wafer posture adjustment device 14 is raised so that the plurality of wafers 1 mounted inside the cassette 2 of the cassette stage device 13 come into contact with the rollers 142a and 142b, and the wafers 1 are rotated in the same direction by the two rollers 142a and 142b, so that the positioning edges between the plurality of wafers 1 are aligned to the fixed position. In other words, the positioning edge alignment is mechanically performed by rotating the rollers 142a and 142b so that the wafer 1 rotates one or more times, and if the positioning edges are aligned, the rotation is restricted by the stopper 144 as a stopper so that the rollers 142a and 142b rotate idly. For the positioning edge alignment, it sometimes takes several minutes if the upper and lower parts of the external transfer stage 47 are also included. The notch alignment is also achieved by a similar mechanism.

[0076] In addition, a comb-tooth sensor 111 is provided on the wafer posture adjustment device 14 so as not to mechanically interfere with the cassette 2 placed on the cassette stage device 13. The comb-tooth sensor 111 detects whether there is a wafer 1 of a specified material in the cassette 2 before the wafer posture is adjusted (when the wafer 1 is in a vertical state). The comb-tooth sensor 111 is installed on the side of the support table 141 on the roller 142a side (Y2 side) so as to be able to rise and fall relative to the cassette 2. It can move between the detection position and the retreat position so as to detect wafers of all sizes included in the detection parameters described later. Thus, it can be used in common with respect to wafers of different diameters, and the versatility is improved. Wafer mapping based on the comb-tooth sensor 111 is performed in a posture different from that of the cassette 2 in the wafer mapping based on the reflective optical sensor 101 described later. Thus, the comb-tooth sensor 111 can be set at a position different from that of the reflective optical sensor 101.

[0077] The comb-tooth sensor 111 is a sensor group composed of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and is arranged in a comb-tooth shape in a plurality of groups corresponding to the number of wafers 1 that can be accommodated in the cassette 2 along the arrangement direction of the wafers 1. The light emitting surface of the light emitting unit is positioned so that the sensor group facing the light receiving surface of the light receiving unit detects the presence or absence of each wafer 1. The light emitting unit is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode, and the light receiving unit is composed of, for example, a phototransistor.

[0078] The light emitting unit is arranged in the arrangement area of ​​the wafer 1, in this example, arranged on one side of the storage area (groove) of each wafer 1 in the cassette 2. The light receiving unit is arranged on the incident optical path of the light from the light emitting unit in a manner opposite to the light emitting unit across the storage area of ​​the wafer 1. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged in a manner such that the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit is opposite to the first surface of the wafer 1, and the light receiving surface of the light receiving unit is opposite to the second surface of the wafer 1 on the opposite side of the first surface when the comb-tooth type sensor 111 is raised.

[0079] The comb-tooth sensor 111 is a transmission sensor that irradiates reference light to the wafer 1 and detects light transmitted from the wafer 1. In the case where the wafer 1 is an opaque wafer (e.g., a silicon wafer), the light receiving unit receives (detects) the light (reference light) from the light emitting unit when there is no wafer 1, and does not receive (detect) the light (reference light) from the light emitting unit when there is wafer 1. Thus, the presence or absence of the wafer 1 can be detected. The presence or absence of the wafer is actually determined by threshold processing of the amount of light received designed for silicon wafers. In addition, in the case where the wafer 1 is a transparent wafer (e.g., a quartz wafer), the amount of light received through transmission exceeds the threshold, so the presence or absence of the wafer cannot be determined. In addition, the detection of SiC wafers with a transmittance intermediate between silicon and quartz is not guaranteed. In addition, there is no space left at the opening at the bottom of the cassette for attaching a comb-tooth sensor designed for SiC wafers.

[0080] (2) Substrate processing steps

[0081] Next, refer to Fig. 7A and Figure 7B A substrate processing method using the reaction tube 31 of the processing apparatus 10 is described. In the substrate processing method described here, the reaction tube 31 of the processing apparatus 10 described above is used to describe a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device (element), for example, a film forming process of forming a film on a wafer 1. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the processing apparatus 10 is controlled by the controller 121.

[0082] (Cassette input: S20)

[0083] The cassette 2 is loaded with wafers 1 before processing, and the cassette 2 is moved to the front of the housing 11 by an external transport device (not shown), and the cassette 2 is placed on the cassette stage device 13 of the cassette transfer unit 12. The wafers 1 in the cassette 2 are in a vertical state. At this time, the external transfer stage 47 of the cassette stage device 13 is in the upper position.

[0084] (Positioning edge confirmation: S21)

[0085] First, when the external transfer stage 47 is in the initial position (upper position), the reflective optical sensor 101 performs positioning edge confirmation. The positioning edge confirmation is performed by moving the reflective optical sensor 101 to a position corresponding to the two optical paths LP. If the positioning edges are not aligned, the process proceeds to step S22. If the positioning edges of all wafers 1 are aligned, the positioning edge alignment (wafer alignment: S22) is skipped and the process proceeds to step S24.

[0086] (Chip alignment: S22)

[0087] After the external transfer stage 47 is lowered to the lower position by the air cylinder 52 , the wafer 1 is aligned using the positioning edge by the wafer posture adjustment device 14 .

[0088] (Positioning edge confirmation: S23)

[0089] After the external transfer stage 47 is raised to the upper position, the positioning edge is confirmed by the reflective optical sensor 101 in the same manner as step S21. When the positioning edges of all the wafers 1 are aligned, the process proceeds to step S24. When the positioning edges are not aligned, the process returns to step S22 and the wafers are realigned. However, when the number of rearrangements becomes greater than the specified number N, the process proceeds to step S38. In addition, before proceeding to step S38, the optical path of the reflective optical sensor 101 may be slightly moved downward (to reduce the accuracy of the positioning edge alignment) and then rearranged again.

[0090] (1st stage rotation: S24)

[0091] Next, the cassette stage device 13 rotates 90 degrees, and the cassette 2 rotates 90 degrees. The wafers 1 in the cassette 2 are in a horizontal state.

[0092] (Wafer Mapping: S25)

[0093] Then, if Figure 8 As shown, when the wafer 1 is in a horizontal state in the cassette stage device 13, the CZ drive shaft 171 and the CS drive shaft 172 are operated to move the reflective optical sensor 101 to a position behind (in the X2 direction) the reflector 106 of the cassette stage device 13. Then, the robot arm 18 is raised by the CZ drive shaft 171, and the reflective optical sensor 101 is scanned upward from below the cassette 2 (resolution is 0.05 mm). The reflector 106 has the same structure as the reflector 105, and is provided near the wafer alignment hole 53 of the external transfer stage 47 in a manner that is opposite to the opening of the bottom side of the cassette 2 facing the external transfer stage 47 and does not hinder the operation of the wafer posture adjustment device 14. In this way, the optical path between the reflective optical sensor 101 and the reflector 106 is ensured.

[0094] Since the reflective optical sensor 101 receives regressive reflection from the reflector 106, the light intensity (light amount) of the portion with the chip 1 decreases, while the light intensity of the portion without the chip 1 increases. The light intensity is acquired as scan data. In addition, since the slot width of the cassette 2 is larger than the thickness of the chip 1, there are portions where there is no chip 1 even in the slot. Threshold processing is performed on the scan data, and the interval in which the scan data is continuously below the threshold is extracted as detection data. The detection data corresponds to the thickness of the chip 1. The threshold used here (for mapping) is common to all combinations of substrate size and material, and may be the same as the threshold for confirming the positioning edge.

[0095] Based on the detection data of each groove, the presence (ON) / absence (OFF) / abnormality of each grooved wafer 1 is determined. If there is no detection data or the position or thickness in the ZI-Z2 direction is not within the allowable value range, it is determined to be abnormal groove.

[0096] (Abnormality judgment: S26)

[0097] If it is determined in step S25 that there is an abnormality, the process proceeds to step S38. If it is determined that there is no abnormality, the process proceeds to step S27.

[0098] (1st cassette movement: S27)

[0099] Next, the cassette 2 is held by the hand 173 of the robot arm 18 , and the cassette 2 is transferred to the cassette rack 15 or the reserve cassette rack 16 by the hand 173 of the robot arm 18 .

[0100] (Second cassette movement: S28)

[0101] Next, the cassette 2 is transferred from the cassette rack 15 or the reserve cassette rack 16 to the transfer rack located at a position of the cassette rack 15 opposite to the wafer transfer device 19 by the hand 173 of the robot arm 18. Figure 7B Step 29.

[0102] (1st wafer transfer: S29)

[0103] The wafers 1 in the cassette 2 are in a horizontal state, and the wafers 1 placed in the cassette 2 on the transfer rack are transferred to the boat 25 by the wafer transfer device 19 and loaded.

[0104] (Boat rises: S30)

[0105] Next, the boat 25 is loaded into the reaction tube 31 by the boat elevator 22 .

[0106] (Film forming process: S31)

[0107] After the boat 25 is loaded into the reaction tube 31, the gas environment in the processing chamber 32 is controlled so that the pressure in the processing chamber 32 is set to a predetermined value. In addition, the processing chamber 32 is controlled so that the temperature in the processing chamber 32 is set to a predetermined value by a heater, and a raw material gas and a reaction gas are supplied into the processing chamber 32 to form a film on the wafer 1.

[0108] (Boat descends: S32)

[0109] After the film forming process, the boat 25 is taken out (unloaded) from the reaction tube 31 by the boat elevator 22 .

[0110] (Second chip transfer: S33)

[0111] Next, the processed wafers 1 in the boat 25 are transferred to the cassette 2 of the transfer rack by the wafer transfer device 19 .

[0112] (Movement of the third cassette: S34)

[0113] Next, the cassette 2 of the transfer rack is transferred to the cassette rack 15 or the standby cassette rack 16 by the hand 173 of the robot arm 18 .

[0114] (4th cassette movement: S35)

[0115] When the cassette 2 is carried out of the processing apparatus 10 , the hand 173 of the robot arm 18 transfers the cassette 2 from the cassette shelf 15 or the spare cassette shelf 16 to the cassette stage device 13 of the cassette transfer unit 12 .

[0116] (Second stage rotation: S36)

[0117] Next, the cassette stage device 13 rotates the cassette 2 by 90 degrees, and the storage opening of the cassette 2 is rotated to face upward, so that the wafer 1 is in a vertical state.

[0118] (Cassette removal: S37)

[0119] Then, the cassette 2 is transported to the outside of the housing 11 by the external transport device.

[0120] (Alarm issued: S38)

[0121] When it is determined that an abnormality occurs in steps S23 and S26, an alarm is issued.

[0122] (Case removal: S39)

[0123] The alarm is released, and the cassette 2 is manually taken out from the cassette stage device 13 .

[0124] According to this aspect, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0125] (a) Since the reflective optical sensor 101 can be moved to a position corresponding to the optical path, detection in a plurality of optical paths can be performed using one sensor.

[0126] (b) Since the reflective optical sensor 101 can be moved to a position corresponding to the optical path, the positioning of a plurality of wafers stored in a cassette can be checked using one sensor.

[0127] (c) Since the position of the optical path can be changed according to the type of wafer by moving the reflective optical sensor 101, even if the dimensions of the positioning side etc. are different for each wafer diameter and material, detection can be performed with one sensor by moving the reflective optical sensor 101.

[0128] (d) Since the position of the optical path can be changed by moving the reflective optical sensor 101, the recall rate and the precision rate of the positioning edge detection can be set arbitrarily, thereby enabling high-precision detection.

[0129] (e) Since the positioning edge confirmation is performed before the positioning edge alignment, the positioning edge alignment operation can be skipped when the positioning edges are aligned, thereby shortening the cassette input time.

[0130] (f) Since high-precision detection can be performed to ensure the positioning edge position accuracy, the reliability of chip transfer is improved.

[0131] (g) Since the reflective optical sensor 101 and the reflector 105 are used for the positioning edge confirmation, the direction determining unit can be detected anywhere as long as the position is visible from the outside.

[0132] (h) Since the reflective optical sensor 101 and the reflector 105 are used for the positioning edge confirmation, the wiring is simpler than that of a transmission type sensor and it is easy to add to an existing device.

[0133] use Fig. 9 A substrate processing step of a processing apparatus according to another embodiment will be described.

[0134] (Cassette input: S40)

[0135] As in step S20 of the above method, the cassette 2 is loaded with wafers 1 before processing, and the cassette 2 is moved to the front of the housing 11 by an external transport device (not shown), and the cassette 2 is placed on the cassette stage device 13 of the cassette transfer unit 12. The wafers 1 in the cassette 2 are in a vertical state. At this time, the external transfer stage 47 of the cassette stage device 13 is in the initial position.

[0136] (Case positioning: S41)

[0137] The external transfer stage 47 docks and positions the cassette 2 that has been moved rearward (in the X2 direction) and introduced to the internal transfer stage 46 in the upright state.

[0138] (Positioning edge confirmation: S42)

[0139] The wafers 1 stored in the cassette 2 are checked for alignment by the reflective optical sensor 101. When the alignment edges of all the wafers 1 are aligned, the process proceeds to step S43a. When the alignment edges are not aligned, the process proceeds to step S43b.

[0140] (External transfer platform descends: S43a)

[0141] The external transfer stage 47 is lowered to the lower position.

[0142] (Wafer Mapping: S44a)

[0143] The comb-teeth sensor 111 performs wafer mapping to detect the presence or absence of the wafer 1 in the cassette 2 for each slot.

[0144] (External transfer platform rises: S46a)

[0145] The external transfer stage 47 is raised to the initial position. Figure 7B Step S24 of the above method is shown.

[0146] Furthermore, when it is determined as ON in step S25 (wafer mapping by the reflective optical sensor 101) following step S24 and it is determined as ON in the wafer mapping by the comb-tooth sensor 111, the material of the wafer 1 is determined as Si. When it is determined as ON in the wafer mapping by the reflective optical sensor 101 and it is determined as OFF in the wafer mapping by the comb-tooth sensor 111, the material of the wafer 1 is determined as SiC. When it is determined as OFF in the wafer mapping by the reflective optical sensor 101 and it is determined as OFF in the wafer mapping by the comb-tooth sensor 111, it is determined that there is no wafer 1.

[0147] (External transfer platform descends: S43b)

[0148] Similar to step S43a, the external transfer stage 47 is lowered to the lower position.

[0149] (Wafer Mapping: S44b)

[0150] Similar to step S43 a , wafer mapping is performed by the comb-teeth sensor 111 .

[0151] (Chip alignment: S45)

[0152] Similar to step S22 in the above-described method, the wafer 1 is aligned using the positioning edge by the wafer posture adjusting device 14 .

[0153] (External receiving and receiving platform rises: S46b)

[0154] Similar to step S46a, the external transfer stage 47 is raised to the initial position.

[0155] (Positioning edge confirmation: S47)

[0156] The alignment edge is confirmed by the reflective optical sensor 101. When the alignment edges of all wafers 1 are aligned, the wafers 1 are transferred to the Fig. 7A Step S24 of the above method shown in the figure. In the case where the positioning edge is not aligned, transfer to Fig. 7A Step S38 of the above method is shown. In addition, in the wafer mapping of S25, the material can be determined by integrating the detection results of the comb-tooth sensor 111 of S44a and S44b. That is, when the wafer is detected by both the comb-tooth sensor 111 and the reflective light sensor 101, it can be determined as an opaque wafer such as Si, and when the wafer is detected only by the reflective light sensor 101, it can be determined as a transparent wafer such as SiC.

[0157] In the above-mentioned several modes, examples of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing device that processes multiple substrates at a time are described. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned modes, and for example, it can also be applied to the case where a film is formed using a blade-type substrate processing device that processes one or more substrates at a time. In addition, in the above-mentioned modes, examples of forming a film using a substrate processing device having a hot wall type processing furnace are described. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned modes, and it can also be applied to the case where a film is formed using a substrate processing device having a cold wall type processing furnace.

[0158] Also when these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed under the same process steps and process conditions as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the same effects as those in the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

Claims

1. A substrate cassette operating device, characterized in that: have: A stage, which carries a cassette containing a plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of substrates have an orientation determining portion; a reflector disposed at one end of a prescribed optical path, wherein the prescribed optical path is set so that when the orientation determining portions of each of the plurality of substrates are in a prescribed orientation, light can pass through without being irradiated to the substrate; a robot having a reflective optical sensor configured to irradiate light along the optical path and detect reflected light from the reflector, and transporting the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the device; as well as The control unit is configured to control the robot so that the reflective optical sensor moves to a position corresponding to the optical path when confirming that the orientation determining units of the plurality of substrates on the stage are aligned with a predetermined orientation.

2. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the stages are provided, each of which is configured to be able to interface with the outside of the device with a cassette, and one or more pairs of the optical paths are set for each stage. The control unit moves the reflective optical sensor to the other end of the optical path set for the stage to be checked, thereby using the reflective optical sensor in common for a plurality of stages.

3. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is configured to be able to change the position of the optical path according to the type of the substrate.

4. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The carrier has: a cassette inverting mechanism that moves the cassette between a first posture in which the substrates are arranged horizontally and stored and a second posture in which the substrates are arranged vertically and stored; and The azimuth alignment mechanism rotates the substrate in the cassette to align the azimuth determination portion when the cassette is in the first posture.

5. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 4, wherein: The robot picks up the magazine in the second posture from below and transports it.

6. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The robot comprises: a hand for operating the cassette; a first axis for moving the hand in the front-rear direction of the device; a second axis for moving the hand in the left-right direction of the device; and a third axis for moving the hand in the up-down direction of the device. The reflective optical sensor is provided on a movable portion of the robot, and the movable portion can be driven by the second axis and the third axis but cannot be driven by the first axis.

7. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The optical path is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, and a plurality of optical paths are set relative to one of the cassettes on the stage. The control unit is configured to move the reflective optical sensor to a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of optical paths, and to check whether the orientation determining portions of the plurality of substrates are in a predetermined orientation.

8. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The reflector is formed of a corner cube prism, or is configured so that the reflected light is polarized at approximately 90 degrees relative to the incident light.

9. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The reflective optical sensor is configured to irradiate light polarized in a first direction and detect the reflected light via a polarizing filter having an absorption axis in the first direction.

10. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is configured to skip the operation of aligning the positioning edges when it is confirmed through the detection of the reflected light that the positioning edges of the plurality of substrates are in a predetermined orientation.

11. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 1, wherein: The carrier has: a cassette inversion mechanism that rotates the cassette between a first posture in which the substrates are arranged horizontally and stored and a second posture in which the substrates are arranged vertically and stored; an azimuth alignment mechanism, which rotates the substrate in the cassette to align the azimuth determination portion when the cassette is in the first posture; and The moving mechanism holds the cassette in the first posture so as to be movable between an upper position where the cassette can be rotated by the cassette inverting mechanism and a lower position where the cassette can be aligned by the orientation aligning mechanism.

12. The substrate cassette handling device according to claim 11, wherein: When the cassette is held at the upper position by the moving mechanism, the optical path is arranged in a space formed between the cassette and the alignment mechanism.

13. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: have: A stage, which carries a cassette containing a plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of substrates have an orientation determining portion; a reflector disposed at one end of a prescribed optical path, wherein the prescribed optical path is set so that when the orientation determining portions of each of the plurality of substrates are in a prescribed orientation, light can pass through without being irradiated to the substrate; a robot having a reflective optical sensor configured to irradiate light along the optical path and detect reflected light from the reflector, and transporting the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the device; as well as The control unit is configured to control the robot so that the reflective optical sensor moves to a position corresponding to the optical path when confirming that the orientation determining units of the plurality of substrates on the stage are aligned with a predetermined orientation.

14. A substrate processing method, characterized in that: It has the following processes: The step of placing a cassette containing a plurality of substrates on a stage, wherein the plurality of substrates have an orientation determining portion; a step of controlling the robot in such a manner as to transport the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the apparatus; A step of controlling the robot so that a reflective optical sensor provided on the robot is in a position corresponding to a prescribed optical path, wherein the prescribed optical path is set so that when the orientation determining portion of each of the plurality of substrates on the stage is in a prescribed orientation, light can pass through without being irradiated to the substrate; as well as The reflective optical sensor irradiates light along the predetermined optical path and detects reflected light from a reflector provided at one end of the predetermined optical path.

15. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that: The method comprises the substrate processing method as claimed in claim 14 and a step of processing the substrate in a processing chamber.

16. A recording medium, which is a computer-readable recording medium and has a program recorded thereon, characterized in that: The program causes the substrate processing device to execute the following steps through a computer: The step of placing a cassette containing a plurality of substrates on a stage, wherein the plurality of substrates have an orientation determining portion; The step of controlling the robot in such a manner as to transport the cassette between the stage and a rack provided in the apparatus; The step of controlling the robot in such a manner that a reflective optical sensor provided on the robot is in a position corresponding to a prescribed optical path, wherein the prescribed optical path is set so that when the orientation determining portion of each of the plurality of substrates on the stage is in a prescribed orientation, light can pass through without being irradiated to the substrate; as well as The reflective optical sensor irradiates light along the predetermined optical path and detects reflected light from a reflector provided at one end of the predetermined optical path.

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