Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: an apparatus front-end module for loading and unloading a wafer of a front-open wafer transfer cartridge; an aligner which is disposed at the rear of the equipment front-end module and arranges the wafers transmitted from the equipment front-end module; a load lock chamber provided behind the aligner and controlling a vacuum pressure when the wafer is transferred to a transfer module; the transfer module is arranged behind the load lock chamber and transfers the wafer transferred from the load lock chamber to a process chamber; and a cleaning chamber which is provided at the rear end of the device front-end module and performs a cleaning step of removing particles from the wafer. According to the present invention, the wafer extracted from the front open type wafer transfer cassette is subjected to all particle removal work, thereby preventing contamination of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment itself and contamination of the wafer generated when the process is executed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and more particularly, to semiconductor manufacturing equipment capable of removing particles attached to a wafer. Background Art

[0002] Generally, semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM), a Loadlock chamber, a Transfer module, and a Process chamber.

[0003] The above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) is a device constituting the front end portion of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and provides a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) load port. The wafer stored in the front opening unified pod is extracted from the front opening unified pod load port and carried into the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and the wafer that has completed the process is stored in the front opening unified pod again.

[0004] The above-mentioned Loadlock chamber is provided on the front side of the above-mentioned Transfer module, and is a vacuum control device that can carry the wafer in and out while maintaining the vacuum states of the above-mentioned Transfer module and the above-mentioned Process chamber.

[0005] The above-mentioned Transfer module is internally provided with a transfer robot to transfer the wafer transferred from the above-mentioned Loadlock chamber into the above-mentioned Process chamber in a vacuum state.

[0006] The above-mentioned Process chamber is a device for performing processes such as deposition or etching on the surface of the above-mentioned wafer in a vacuum state, and is connected to a reaction gas supply device, a pumping device, etc.

[0007] Through the above-mentioned device, the wafer that has performed the process in the above-mentioned Process chamber passes through the above-mentioned device in the reverse direction again to be transferred to the front opening unified pod load port of the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM), where it is inserted and stored in the above-mentioned front opening unified pod, and then moved to other processes.

[0008] On the other hand, there are usually 0 to 15 (below 110 nm) particles in the wafers stored in the above-mentioned front opening unified pod when entering the semiconductor production line. However, the wafers are put into the above-mentioned semiconductor manufacturing equipment to perform processing operations without performing a separate cleaning process.

[0009] As described above, in the past, the above-mentioned wafers were put into the semiconductor manufacturing equipment without removing particles. Therefore, in each of the devices constituting the equipment, that is, in each of the above-mentioned load lock chamber, the transfer module, and the process chamber, not only particles accumulate, but also there is a problem of cross-contamination between the devices.

[0010] In particular, since particles accumulate on the shower head and the inner wall of the above-mentioned process chamber, the possibility of reattachment to the above-mentioned wafers during the execution of the process increases, and thus there is a problem of deterioration in the quality of the above-mentioned wafers.

[0011] The prior art is technical information that the inventor has for deriving the present invention or has obtained during the process of deriving the present invention, and is not necessarily prior art publicly known to the general public before the application of the present invention.

[0012] Prior art documents

[0013] Patent documents

[0014] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0001641 (Publication Date: January 4, 2007) Summary of the Invention

[0015] Technical Problem

[0016] In the process of solving the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing equipment that can prevent contamination of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment itself and contamination of wafers generated during the execution of the process by performing all particle removal work on wafers extracted from a front-opening wafer cassette.

[0017] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can clearly understand other problems to be solved that are not mentioned from the following description.

[0018] Solution to the Problem

[0019] The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) that loads and unloads wafers from a front-opening wafer cassette; an aligner that is disposed behind the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) and aligns wafers transferred from the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM); a load lock chamber that is disposed behind the above-mentioned aligner and controls the vacuum pressure when transferring the above-mentioned wafers to a transfer module; the above-mentioned transfer module that is disposed behind the above-mentioned load lock chamber and transfers the above-mentioned wafers transferred from the above-mentioned load lock chamber to a process chamber; and a cleaning chamber that is disposed at the rear end of the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) and performs a cleaning process for removing particles from the above-mentioned wafers.

[0020] In addition, a load lock chamber through which the wafer passes when being unloaded may be provided between the transfer module and the cleaning chamber in the above semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0021] In addition, in the above semiconductor manufacturing equipment, after the wafer discharged from the above load lock chamber for unloading undergoes a cleaning process in the above cleaning chamber, it can be moved to the equipment front end module (EFEM).

[0022] In addition, in the above semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the wafer discharged from the above load lock chamber for unloading can be directly moved to the equipment front end module (EFEM) without passing through the above cleaning chamber.

[0023] In addition, in the above semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a rotating plate may be provided inside the above cleaning chamber. The rotating plate rotates with the wafer adsorbed on its upper surface. A cleaning liquid tank for supplying cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the rotating plate and a cleaning liquid pipeline connected thereto may be provided, and a cleaning gas tank for supplying cleaning gas to the upper surface of the rotating plate and a cleaning gas pipeline connected thereto may be provided.

[0024] In addition, a rotating shaft may be provided at the center of the lower surface of the above rotating plate, and the above rotating shaft may be connected to the rotating shaft of a motor provided outside the above cleaning chamber through a gearbox.

[0025] In addition, a vacuum space may be formed inside the above rotating plate, a central adsorption hole communicating with the above vacuum space may be formed at the center of the upper surface, and edge adsorption holes communicating with the above vacuum space may be formed around the upper surface.

[0026] In addition, the area of the above central adsorption hole of the above rotating plate may be larger than the area of the above edge adsorption holes.

[0027] In addition, in the above rotating plate, the above vacuum space may be connected to a vacuum flow path formed by penetrating one side of the upper end and the outer peripheral surface of the above rotating shaft, and the above vacuum flow path may be connected to a second pump to form a vacuum in the above vacuum space.

[0028] In addition, in the above rotating plate, a fixed housing for sealing the lower opening hole of the above vacuum flow path from the outside may be provided outside the above rotating shaft. An opening hole formed on one side of the circumferential surface of the above fixed housing may be connected to a vacuum pipeline, and the above vacuum pipeline may be connected to the above second pump.

[0029] In addition, the above fixed housing may be fixed to the inner wall of the above cleaning chamber by a fixing structure so that the above fixed housing cannot rotate.

[0030] Moreover, a sealing ring may be provided in the through holes on the upper and lower surfaces of the fixed housing through which the rotation axis passes.

[0031] Moreover, a plurality of vertical discharge pipelines may be connected to the lower surface of the cleaning chamber. The vertical discharge pipelines may be connected to a horizontal discharge pipeline, and the horizontal discharge pipeline may be connected to a first pump.

[0032] Effects of the Invention

[0033] As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to the present invention performs all particle removal work on the wafers extracted from the front-opening wafer cassette, thereby preventing contamination of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment itself and contamination of the wafers generated during the manufacturing process.

[0034] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects. Those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 It is a detailed configuration diagram of a cleaning chamber as a component of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 It is provided in Figure 2 A detailed structure diagram and a top view of the rotating plate in the cleaning chamber shown above.

[0038] (Description of Reference Numerals)

[0039] 10: Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 20: Cleaning Chamber

[0040] 21: Vertical Discharge Pipeline 22: Horizontal Discharge Pipeline

[0041] 30: Aligner 40, 40’: Load Lock Chamber

[0042] 50: Transfer Module 60: Process Chamber

[0043] 100: Rotating Plate 101: Vacuum Space

[0044] 101a: Central Suction Hole 101b: Edge Suction Hole

[0045] 102: Inner Mass Portion 103: Outer Mass Portion

[0046] 104: Connection Portion 110: Rotation Axis

[0047] 111: Vacuum flow path 120: Motor

[0048] 130: Gearbox 140: First pump

[0049] 150: Fixed housing 160: Vacuum pipeline

[0050] 170: Second pump 180: Sealing ring

[0051] 200: Cleaning liquid tank 210: Cleaning liquid pipeline

[0052] 300: Cleaning gas tank 310: Cleaning gas pipeline

[0053] P: Particle W: Wafer Detailed implementation mode

[0054] In the present invention, the accompanying drawings may be represented in an exaggerated manner for the sake of differentiability, clarity from the prior art, and technical understanding. Also, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention and may vary according to the intentions or conventions of users and operators. Therefore, these terms should be defined based on the technical content throughout this specification. On the other hand, the embodiments only belong to the exemplary matters of the structural elements proposed within the scope of the rights of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the rights of the present invention. The scope of rights should be interpreted based on the technical idea throughout the specification of the present invention.

[0055] Throughout the specification, when a structure "includes" another structure, unless there is a particularly contrary record, it means that other structures may also be included, without excluding the remaining other structures.

[0056] Also, when a structure is "connected to", "linked to", or "combined with" another structure, this means that there are cases of "directly connected to", "directly linked to", or "directly combined with", and there may also be cases of "connected in a state where other structures are interposed therebetween", "linked in a state where other structures are interposed therebetween", or "combined in a state where other structures are interposed therebetween". On the contrary, when a structure is "directly connected to", "directly linked to", or "directly combined with" another structure, it should be understood that there are no other structures in between.

[0057] Also, when directional terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "one end", "the other end", "both ends" are used, they are used exemplarily in relation to the directions of the disclosed figures and thus cannot be restrictively interpreted. When terms such as "first" and "second" are used, they are terms for distinguishing each structure and cannot be restrictively interpreted.

[0058] To more clearly illustrate the features of the embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of matters well-known to those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the following embodiments belong are omitted. Also, detailed descriptions of parts in the drawings that are not related to the description of the embodiments are omitted.

[0059] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a cleaning chamber which is a component of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a detailed structural diagram and a top view of a rotating plate provided in the above-mentioned cleaning chamber.

[0061] Referring to Figures 1 to 3 , a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10, a cleaning chamber 20, an aligner 30, a load lock chamber 40, a transfer module 50, and a process chamber 60.

[0062] The above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10 is a device that constitutes the front end part of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and is configured to load and unload wafers in a front-opening wafer cassette. The above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10 includes a plurality of front-opening wafer cassette (Foup) load ports. The above-mentioned wafers stored in the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette are extracted from the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette load ports and introduced into the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. After the process is completed, the above-mentioned wafers removed from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be stored in the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette again. That is, in the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette load ports of the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10, both the loading and unloading of the above-mentioned wafers can be achieved.

[0063] The above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 is provided at the rear end of the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10, receives the transfer of the above-mentioned wafers extracted from the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette, and can perform a cleaning process for removing particles P attached to the surface of the above-mentioned wafers. All the above-mentioned wafers introduced into the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus from the above-mentioned Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) 10 are cleaned through the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20.

[0064] The above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 will be described in detail hereinafter.

[0065] The above-mentioned aligner 30 is disposed behind the front-end module (EFEM) 10 of the above-mentioned equipment, and is configured to align the above-mentioned wafers transferred from the front-end module (EFEM) 10 of the above-mentioned equipment. That is, the above-mentioned aligner 30 is disposed between the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 and the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40, and is a device for aligning the position and orientation of the above-mentioned wafers before the above-mentioned wafers are inserted into the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40.

[0066] The above-mentioned aligner 30 first performs centering of the above-mentioned wafers, and then rotates the above-mentioned wafers and detects flat areas or grooves formed on their outer peripheries for alignment, so that the above-mentioned wafers face a predetermined direction.

[0067] Therefore, for the above-mentioned wafers aligned in the above-mentioned aligner 30, in a state facing a predetermined direction thereafter, they are supplied to the above-mentioned process chamber 60 through the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 and the above-mentioned transfer module 50, so that a processing process can be implemented.

[0068] The above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 is disposed behind the above-mentioned aligner 30, and is configured to control the vacuum pressure when transferring the above-mentioned wafers to the above-mentioned transfer module 50. That is, the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 is a vacuum control device, which is disposed between the above-mentioned aligner 30 and the above-mentioned transfer module 50, and can carry the above-mentioned wafers into and out of the above-mentioned process chamber 60 while maintaining the vacuum states of the above-mentioned transfer module 50 and the above-mentioned process chamber 60.

[0069] A gate that can block or connect the spaces on both sides is provided between the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 and the above-mentioned transfer module 50, and a pumping device may be provided in the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 to enable a vacuum to be formed in the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40.

[0070] Therefore, in a state where the above-mentioned gate is closed and the above-mentioned transfer module 50 is sealed, the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 is opened to insert the wafers into the interior of the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40. Then, the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 is sealed to form a vacuum, and then the gate provided between it and the above-mentioned transfer module 50 is opened, and the above-mentioned wafers can be transferred to the above-mentioned transfer module 50. By the method described above, the above-mentioned wafers can be inserted into or removed from the above-mentioned process chamber 60 without losing the vacuum pressure formed in the above-mentioned transfer module 50 and the above-mentioned process chamber 60. Compared with the case without the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40, the time consumed for exhausting and forming the vacuum pressure in the above-mentioned process chamber 60 can be greatly reduced.

[0071] When processing multiple wafers, in order to improve the efficiency of equipment operation, multiple load lock chambers 40 as described above can be provided. At this time, one load lock chamber 40 on one side can be used as a loading chamber for transferring wafers to the transfer module 50 side before the process, and the load lock chamber 40' on the other side can be used as an unloading chamber for unloading the wafers to the cleaning chamber 20 or the equipment front end module (EFEM) 10 after the process is completed after being discharged from the process chamber 60.

[0072] The transfer module 50 is provided behind the load lock chamber 40 and is configured to transfer the wafers transferred from the load lock chamber 40 to the process chamber 60. The transfer module 50 is a device in which a transfer robot is provided inside to transfer the wafers transferred from the load lock chamber 40 into or out of the process chamber 60 in a vacuum state. A gate for sealing and connecting the spaces on both sides can also be provided between the transfer module 50 and the process chamber 60.

[0073] The process chamber 60 is a device for performing processes such as deposition and etching on the surface of the wafers in a vacuum state, and can be connected to a reaction gas supply device, a pumping device, etc.

[0074] Multiple process chambers 60 can be provided so that various processes can be simultaneously performed on multiple wafers. The multiple process chambers 60 can be continuously provided around the transfer module 50.

[0075] Hereinafter, the cleaning chamber 20, which is a characteristic configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be further described in detail.

[0076] The cleaning chamber 20 forms a sealed space in which the wafers W are put inside for cleaning. Although not shown, it is natural that the cleaning chamber 20 also has an opening for the wafers W to enter and exit and a gate (or lead) for opening and closing the opening.

[0077] The cleaning chamber 20 can be provided with a rotating plate 100 inside. And, a cleaning liquid tank 200 for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper part of the rotating plate 100 and a cleaning gas tank 300 for spraying cleaning gas can be provided around the cleaning chamber 20.

[0078] The rotating plate 100 is a device for supporting and rotating the wafers W during cleaning, and can function as a wafer holder for stably holding the wafers during cleaning. That is, the rotating plate 100 can be configured to rotate with the wafers adsorbed on the upper surface.

[0079] The above-mentioned rotating plate 100 can be rotationally operated by a rotating shaft 110, a motor 120, and a gearbox 130.

[0080] The above-mentioned rotating plate 100 can be generally in a disc shape, and the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 can be provided at the center of the lower surface.

[0081] The above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 penetrates the central part of the bottom surface of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20, protrudes and extends to the outside of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20, and can be connected to the output shaft of the above-mentioned motor 120 through the above-mentioned gearbox 130. That is, the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 can be configured to be connected to the rotating shaft of the above-mentioned motor 120 provided outside the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 through the above-mentioned gearbox 130.

[0082] The above-mentioned gearbox 130 transmits the rotational force of the output shaft of the above-mentioned motor 120 to the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110, converts the transmission direction of the rotational force to vertically upward, and decelerates the rotational speed of the above-mentioned motor 120 to an appropriate level, so that the above-mentioned rotating plate 100 can rotate at an appropriate speed.

[0083] The above-mentioned cleaning liquid tank 200 is provided on one side outside the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20. One end of the cleaning liquid pipeline 210 is connected to the above-mentioned cleaning liquid tank 200, and the other end of the cleaning liquid pipeline 210 is inserted into the inside of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20, so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed onto one side part of the upper surface of the above-mentioned rotating plate 100. Preferably, a nozzle is provided at the other end of the cleaning liquid pipeline 210 so that the cleaning liquid can be sprayed smoothly with appropriate intensity.

[0084] And, the above-mentioned cleaning gas tank 300 is provided on the other side outside the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20. One end of the cleaning gas pipeline 310 is connected to the above-mentioned cleaning gas tank 300, and the other end of the cleaning gas pipeline 310 is inserted into the inside of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20, so that the cleaning gas can be sprayed onto the other side part of the upper surface of the above-mentioned rotating plate 100. Preferably, a nozzle is provided at the other end of the cleaning gas pipeline 310 so that the cleaning gas can be sprayed smoothly with appropriate intensity.

[0085] And, in order to control the spraying operations of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid and cleaning gas, valves for opening and closing the flow paths can be respectively provided in the above-mentioned cleaning liquid pipeline 210 and the above-mentioned cleaning gas pipeline 310. And, a pump for forming the spraying pressure of the cleaning liquid can be provided in the above-mentioned cleaning liquid pipeline 210, and a compressor can be provided in the above-mentioned cleaning gas tank 300 to maintain the filling pressure of the cleaning gas above a predetermined pressure required for spraying.

[0086] Through the electronic control unit of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the valves for opening and closing the cleaning liquid pipeline 210 and the cleaning gas pipeline 310 can be controlled to be in the on (open) state when the wafer W is carried into the cleaning chamber 20 and placed on the upper surface of the rotating plate 100. And after a set cleaning time, the electronic control unit can control the valves to be in the off (closed) state.

[0087] As the cleaning liquid, organic or inorganic cleaning liquids such as de-ionized water (DI-water) and acetone can be used. As the cleaning gas, inert gases such as nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), and helium (He) can be used.

[0088] The bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 20 can be connected to a plurality of vertical discharge pipelines 21, and the plurality of vertical discharge pipelines 21 can be connected to a single horizontal discharge pipeline 22. The horizontal discharge pipeline 22 can be connected to the first pump 140. The first pump 140 is a drainage pump for discharging the cleaning liquid and cleaning gas sprayed into the cleaning chamber 20 to the outside of the cleaning chamber 20 for cleaning.

[0089] The first pump 140 performs the function of discharging the cleaning liquid and cleaning gas inside the cleaning chamber 20 to the outside through the discharge pipelines 21 and 22 and operates continuously during the cleaning process. The first pump 140 can be controlled to operate by the electronic control unit.

[0090] On the other hand, as described above, the rotating plate 100 can function as a wafer holder, and the wafer holder can be realized by adsorption.

[0091] As Figure 3 shown, a vacuum space 101 in the shape of a disc-shaped empty space can be formed in the lower inner part of the rotating plate 100. A central adsorption hole 101a communicating with the vacuum space 101 can be formed in the center of the upper surface, and peripheral adsorption holes 101b communicating with the vacuum space 101 can be formed around the upper surface. That is, the central part and the outer peripheral part of the vacuum space 101 open upward, and the central adsorption hole 101a and the peripheral adsorption holes 101b can be formed respectively.

[0092] A plurality of connecting parts 104 can be formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the peripheral adsorption holes 101b. The connecting parts 104 are used to connect the inner mass part 102 and the outer mass part 103 on both sides in the radial direction with respect to the peripheral adsorption holes 101b. Although the central adsorption hole 101a and the peripheral adsorption holes 101b are formed, the connecting parts 104 are used to fix the inner mass part 102 above the vacuum space 101.

[0093] The above-mentioned vacuum space 101 can be connected to a vacuum flow path 111 formed by penetrating the inside of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110. One end of the above-mentioned vacuum flow path 111 can open to the upper end of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 and be connected to the above-mentioned vacuum space 101, and the other end thereof can open to the outer peripheral surface side of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110.

[0094] In the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110, a cylindrical fixed housing 150 that surrounds the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 at a predetermined interval from the outer peripheral surface of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 can be provided. A vacuum pipeline 160 can be connected to an opening hole formed in a side portion of the circumferential surface of the above-mentioned fixed housing 150. The other end of the above-mentioned vacuum pipeline 160 is connected to a second pump 170. The above-mentioned second pump 170 is a dry pump for forming a vacuum.

[0095] The lower opening hole of the above-mentioned vacuum flow path 111 can be located inside the above-mentioned fixed housing 150. That is, the above-mentioned fixed housing 150 can be provided outside the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 so as to be able to seal the lower opening hole of the above-mentioned vacuum flow path 111 from the outside.

[0096] The above-mentioned fixed housing 150 can be fixed to the inner wall of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 by a separate fixing structure (such as a bracket, a plate member, a rod member, etc.) not shown, so that the above-mentioned fixed housing 150 cannot rotate. That is, the above-mentioned fixed housing 150 maintains its set position without rotating while surrounding the outside of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110. In this regard, since the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 is not rotated by the above-mentioned motor 120, a sealing ring 180 is provided between the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 and the above-mentioned fixed housing 150. The above-mentioned sealing ring 180 can be provided in the through holes on the upper and lower surfaces of the above-mentioned fixed housing 150 through which the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 penetrates.

[0097] The above-mentioned sealing ring 180 can be made of materials such as rubber, plastic, metal, etc., and a mechanical seal can also be used.

[0098] The above-mentioned sealing ring 180 allows the rotation of the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 with respect to the above-mentioned fixed housing 150, and at the same time can perform the sealing function of the internal space of the above-mentioned fixed housing 150 with respect to the outside. Therefore, when the above-mentioned second pump 170 operates, air will not leak between the above-mentioned rotating shaft 110 and the above-mentioned fixed housing 150, so that a vacuum can be smoothly formed in the above-mentioned vacuum space 101 inside the above-mentioned rotating plate 100.

[0099] As described above, through the operation of the second pump 170, the air in the vacuum space 101 is discharged through the vacuum flow path 111 and the vacuum pipeline 160. Therefore, a vacuum is formed in the vacuum space 101. As a result, an adsorption force is generated at the inlets of the central adsorption hole 101a and the edge adsorption hole 101b, and through this adsorption force, the wafer W can be attached to the upper surface of the rotating plate 100.

[0100] On the other hand, preferably, the area of the central adsorption hole 101a is larger than the area of the edge adsorption hole 101b. Thus, the central portion of the wafer W can be adsorbed and fixed more strongly than the surrounding portion, and therefore the stability of the holding state of the wafer W is improved.

[0101] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention including the above-described configuration has the following functions and effects.

[0102] The front-opening wafer cassette for semiconductor production line is placed on the front-opening wafer cassette load port of the equipment front-end module (EFEM) 10 and opened.

[0103] The wafer W extracted from the front-opening wafer cassette is put into the cleaning chamber 20. When putting it in, the second pump 170 has already worked through the electronic control unit. Therefore, the wafer W is adsorbed on the upper surface of the rotating plate 100 and maintains a stable loading state.

[0104] When the motor 120 works, the rotational force is transmitted through the gearbox 130, and the rotating shaft 110 and the rotating plate 100 rotate integrally. Therefore, the wafer W adsorbed on the rotating plate 100 also rotates together.

[0105] The cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 200 can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the wafer W rotating in the above-described manner through the cleaning liquid pipeline 210.

[0106] And the cleaning gas in the cleaning gas tank 300 can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the wafer W through the cleaning gas pipeline 310.

[0107] As described above, the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the cleaning gas can be controlled by the electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the cleaning gas through the input of the user's operation instruction or the built-in program.

[0108] For example, in the state where the wafer W is adsorbed on the rotating plate 100, only the cleaning liquid spraying can be performed, or only the cleaning gas spraying can be performed.

[0109] And the cleaning liquid spraying can be performed first for a predetermined time, and then the cleaning gas spraying can be performed.

[0110] Furthermore, the cleaning gas injection can be first implemented, then the cleaning liquid injection, and finally the cleaning gas injection again.

[0111] As described above, the cleaning liquid and the cleaning gas can be injected in various ways. When both injections are implemented simultaneously, preferably, the cleaning gas injection is implemented last for drying to prevent the cleaning liquid from remaining on the upper surface of the wafer.

[0112] As described above, while rotating the above-mentioned wafer W, the cleaning liquid or the cleaning gas is injected, so that the particles P present on the surface of the above-mentioned wafer W can be removed from the above-mentioned wafer W.

[0113] The particles P removed from the above-mentioned wafer W are mixed with the cleaning gas and suspended in the internal space of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20, or mixed with the cleaning liquid and deposited at the bottom of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20. Therefore, the first pump 140 is operated to discharge the cleaning liquid and the cleaning gas to the outside of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 through the above-mentioned vertical discharge pipe 21 and the above-mentioned horizontal discharge pipe 22, so that the particles P can be discharged from the inside of the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 to the outside.

[0114] As described above, all the wafers carried in through the above-mentioned equipment front end module (E FEM) 10 are cleaned using the cleaning liquid and the cleaning gas, so that the above-mentioned wafer W in a clean state without particles P can be supplied to the above-mentioned aligner 30.

[0115] After the above-mentioned wafer W from which the particles P have been removed from the above-mentioned cleaning chamber 20 is aligned in the above-mentioned aligner 30, it passes through the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40 and is finally supplied to the above-mentioned process chamber 60 through the above-mentioned transfer module 50.

[0116] After a predetermined process is implemented in the above-mentioned process chamber 60, it is carried out in reverse through the above-mentioned transfer module 50 and the above-mentioned load lock chamber 40', and is inserted again into the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette load port of the above-mentioned equipment front end module (EF EM) 10 and stored inside the above-mentioned front-opening wafer cassette.

[0117] As described above, in a state where the particles P have been removed, the above-mentioned wafer W is carried into the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the process is implemented, and then it is carried out again, thereby eliminating the accumulation of particles P in each device constituting the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, that is, each of the above-mentioned aligner 30, the above-mentioned load lock chambers 40, 40', the above-mentioned transfer module 50, and the above-mentioned process chamber 60, or the cross-contamination phenomenon occurring between the devices.

[0118] In particular, the phenomenon that the particles P accumulate on the nozzle and the inner wall of the above-mentioned process chamber 60 and then adhere to the above-mentioned wafer W again during the process execution is prevented, so that the quality of the wafer W can be improved.

[0119] On the other hand, after the process performed in the process chamber 60 is discharged, the wafer W can selectively pass through the cleaning chamber 20. That is, the wafer W discharged from the loading lock chamber 40' for unloading is put into the cleaning chamber 20, and after performing the same cleaning process as when loading, it can be discharged to the equipment front end module (EFEM) 10. In this case, particles P that may adhere when the wafer W passes through each device of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment can be reliably removed again, so that the wafer W can be supplied to subsequent processes in a cleaner state.

[0120] Also, the wafer W discharged from the loading lock chamber 40' for unloading can be directly transferred to the equipment front end module (EFEM) 10 without passing through the cleaning chamber 20. In this case, compared with the case where the wafer W passes through the cleaning chamber 20 again, no re-cleaning is performed on the wafer W, thus having the advantages of reducing time consumption and reducing the overall cycle time.

[0121] As described above, when unloading the wafer W after the process, it can be selectively passed through or not passed through the cleaning chamber 20 as needed through the operation of the user and the control program input into the electronic control unit.

[0122] As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment of the present invention performs all particle removal work on the wafer extracted from the front-opening wafer cassette, thereby preventing contamination of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment itself and contamination of the wafer generated during the process execution.

[0123] As described above, the present invention is described with reference to the embodiments shown in the figures, but it should be understood that this is only exemplary and can be variously modified and other equivalent embodiments based on ordinary knowledge in the technical field. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention is based on the appended claims and should be determined based on the specific content of the above invention.

[0124] Industrial Applicability

[0125] The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment and can be used in industrial fields that require particle removal of components with a precision surface.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing device, wherein: include: Equipment front-end module, loading and unloading wafers from front-opening wafer pods; An aligner, which is disposed behind the front-end module of the device and aligns the wafers transferred from the front-end module of the device; A load lock chamber is disposed behind the aligner to control vacuum pressure when the wafer is transferred to the transfer module; The transfer module is disposed at the rear of the load lock chamber, and transfers the wafer transferred from the load lock chamber to a process chamber; and The cleaning chamber is arranged at the rear end of the front-end module of the equipment and performs a cleaning process for removing particles from the wafer.

2. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided with a load-lock chamber for carrying out, through which the wafer passes when being carried out, between the transfer module and the clean chamber.

3. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that In the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the wafer discharged from the unloading load-lock chamber is subjected to a cleaning process in the cleaning chamber and then moved to the equipment front end module.

4. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that In the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the wafer discharged from the unloading load-lock chamber is directly moved to the equipment front end module without passing through the clean chamber.

5. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that In the above-mentioned semiconductor manufacturing equipment, A rotating plate is provided inside the cleaning chamber, and the rotating plate rotates when the wafer is adsorbed on its upper surface. A cleaning liquid tank and a cleaning liquid pipeline connected thereto are provided for supplying cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the rotating plate. A clean gas tank for supplying clean gas to the upper surface of the rotating plate and a clean gas pipeline connected thereto are provided.

6. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that A rotating shaft is provided at the center of the lower surface of the rotating plate, and the rotating shaft is connected to a rotating shaft of a motor provided outside the cleaning chamber through a gear box.

7. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that A vacuum space is formed inside the rotating plate, a central adsorption hole communicating with the vacuum space is formed at the center of the upper surface, and edge adsorption holes communicating with the vacuum space are formed around the upper surface.

8. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The area of ​​the central adsorption hole of the rotating plate is larger than the area of ​​the edge adsorption hole.

9. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the rotating plate, the vacuum space is connected to a vacuum flow path formed by penetrating an upper end of the rotating shaft and a side portion of an outer peripheral surface, and the vacuum flow path is connected to a second pump to form a vacuum in the vacuum space.

10. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that In the above-mentioned rotating plate, a fixed shell is provided on the outer side of the above-mentioned rotating shaft to seal the lower opening hole of the above-mentioned vacuum flow path relative to the outside, and the opening hole formed on one side of the circumferential surface of the above-mentioned fixed shell is connected to the vacuum pipeline, and the above-mentioned vacuum pipeline is connected to the above-mentioned second pump.

11. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that The fixed shell is fixed to the inner wall of the cleaning chamber through a fixed structure, so that the fixed shell cannot rotate.

12. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that Seal rings are provided in through holes on the upper and lower surfaces of the stationary housing through which the rotating shaft passes.

13. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that A plurality of vertical discharge pipelines are connected to the lower surface of the cleaning chamber, the vertical discharge pipelines are connected to the horizontal discharge pipeline, and the horizontal discharge pipeline is connected to the first pump.

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