Semiconductor handling training device

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor handling training device that enables teaching work for each manufacturing process facility to be performed inexpensively and efficiently.SOLUTION: A semiconductor handling training device that enables training in wafer transportation in a semiconductor manufacturing process includes a plurality of pieces of wafer holding means for holding wafers, wafer transport means for transporting the wafers between the plurality of pieces of wafer holding means, and control means for controlling the movement of the wafers, including the transport of the wafers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor transport training device that enables training in wafer transport in the semiconductor manufacturing process. [Background technology]

[0002] Semiconductors are manufactured through multiple processes. The manufacturing process of semiconductors can be broadly divided into three steps: the "design process," the "front-end process," and the "back-end process." The "design process" is the process of constructing the circuits and patterns required for semiconductors. Effective patterns are verified through simulations, and after verification, a photomask, a transparent glass plate on which the circuit pattern is drawn, and a wafer, a semiconductor material substrate mainly made of silicon, are formed. The "front-end process" is the process up to forming electronic circuits on the surface of the wafer. Wafers are produced by thinly slicing ultra-high purity single crystal ingots, and hundreds of semiconductor chips are arranged in a lattice pattern on one wafer. The "back-end process" is the process of cutting semiconductors from the wafer and turning them into products. Integrated circuits are cut out one by one from the wafer, the semiconductor chips are fixed to metal, wiring is performed, and then hardened with resin for protection.

[0003] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the front-end process requires highly accurate processing technology and a controlled environment, and is said to be the core of semiconductor manufacturing. The front-end process, which is the process leading up to the formation of electronic circuits on the surface of the wafer, is further divided into several steps. The front-end process involves exposing the wafer to an oxidizing atmosphere in a high-temperature diffusion furnace (900-1100°C) to grow an oxide film on the surface (hereafter referred to as the "oxidation process"); forming a thin film on the wafer surface that will become the material for wiring and transistors (hereafter referred to as the "film formation process"); applying a liquid chemical agent, photoresist, whose properties change when exposed to light, mainly composed of polymers (high molecules), photosensitive agents, and solvents, in an extremely thin and uniform manner onto the wafer surface, irradiating the wafer surface with light through a photomask and reduction lens to print a circuit pattern (hereafter referred to as the "photo process"); and the back-end process involves printing the pattern formed by the photoresist. These include a process of scraping off the oxide film and thin film along the turns (hereafter referred to as the "etching process"); a process of removing the remaining photoresist and then immersing the wafer in a chemical solution to wash and remove the impurities remaining on the wafer (hereafter referred to as the "resist stripping and cleaning process"); a process of injecting impurity ions (dopants) into the wafer and activating them through heat treatment to change the electrical properties of the semiconductor (hereafter referred to as the "impurity diffusion process"); a process of polishing the wafer surface to flatten out any irregularities (hereafter referred to as the "flattening process"); and a process of embedding metal for electrode wiring into the wafer (hereafter referred to as the "electrode formation process").

[0004] In the front-end process of semiconductor manufacturing, different equipment is used for each process, so after one process is completed, the wafer needs to be transported to the equipment used in the next process in order to carry out the next process. Furthermore, semiconductor manufacturing is often carried out in a vacuum space because of the advantages of suppressing the inclusion of impurities, low-temperature processing due to lowering the boiling point, and facilitating plasma generation. Therefore, wafer transportation is generally performed automatically in terms of work efficiency and accuracy, and various proposals related to the automation of wafer transportation have been made.

[0005] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 59-50533 (Patent Document 1) proposes an invention relating to a semiconductor manufacturing management system applied to a semiconductor manufacturing line. In the semiconductor manufacturing management system described in Patent Document 1, a carrier transport vehicle (carrier transport device) transports semiconductor carriers, which are carriers that store semiconductors (wafers), to multiple wafer processing devices (semiconductor manufacturing devices), and the lot identification numbers of the semiconductors stored in the semiconductor carriers are transmitted between the wafer processing devices and the carrier transport vehicle.

[0006] In the semiconductor manufacturing management system described in Patent Document 1, a carrier transport vehicle moves between stations where wafer processing equipment and the like are placed to transport semiconductor carriers, so the entire system occupies a large space and takes time to transport the semiconductor carriers. In response to this, a multi-chamber device has been proposed that combines multiple different processes in the semiconductor manufacturing process and performs processing in a consistent atmosphere. A chamber refers to a sealed reaction vessel that causes chemical and physical reactions. A multi-chamber device is composed of multiple chambers, and since the multi-chamber device can perform consistent processing within the device, it is possible to reduce the device scale and shorten the time required for wafer transport.

[0007] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-151552 (Patent Document 2) proposes an invention relating to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that is a multi-chamber apparatus. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with an inspection chamber for inspecting wafers in addition to the process chamber and wafer transfer chamber that are equipped in conventional multi-chamber apparatus, and is capable of performing automatic integrated processing including the inspection process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-50533 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-151552 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] As described above, wafer transport in semiconductor manufacturing processes is automated, and in particular in a multi-chamber apparatus as described in Patent Document 2, automation of wafer transport is essential to efficiently execute a continuous process. In order to automate wafer transport, since the location and form of wafer placement differs in the apparatuses, chambers, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "manufacturing process equipment") used in each process of semiconductor manufacturing, it is necessary to adjust the operation of wafer transport in advance for each manufacturing process equipment before the actual operation of semiconductor manufacturing so that the apparatuses, chambers, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "wafer transport equipment") that perform wafer transport can transport wafers appropriately (hereinafter, the work of adjusting in advance is referred to as "teaching work"). For example, for parameters such as the travel distance and rotation angle of the wafer transport equipment composed of a robot with an arm, etc., appropriate values ​​(hereinafter, "appropriate values") are set for each manufacturing process equipment by advance adjustment.

[0010] The teaching work is usually performed by an operator in charge of semiconductor manufacturing using manufacturing process equipment and wafer transport equipment (hereinafter collectively referred to as "semiconductor manufacturing equipment") that are actually used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Therefore, the teaching work cannot be performed until a system equipped with the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is completed, and even after completion, if the components constituting the semiconductor manufacturing equipment are changed, the teaching work must be performed again using the actual semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In addition, since the actual semiconductor manufacturing equipment is used, if the equipment is damaged during the teaching work, the cost of repairing it may be high. Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not mention the teaching work, and it is presumed that the teaching work is performed using the actual semiconductor manufacturing management system and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, as described above. Therefore, the semiconductor manufacturing management system described in Patent Document 1 has the above problem and the problem of performing the teaching work at each station installed in a large space. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment described in Patent Document 2 allows the teaching work to be performed in one place, but the above problem remains.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor transport training device that can inexpensively and efficiently carry out teaching work for each piece of manufacturing process equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention relates to a semiconductor transport training device that enables training in wafer transport in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by providing a semiconductor transport training device that includes a plurality of wafer holding means for holding the wafers, a wafer transport means for transporting the wafers between the plurality of wafer holding means, and a control means for controlling the movement of the wafers, including the transport of the wafers.

[0013] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is more effectively achieved by being configured to execute only processes related to the movement of the wafer, or by the control means adjusting parameters used in the movement of the wafer, or by the control means adjusting parameters for controlling the operation of the wafer transport means and parameters for controlling the operation of the wafer holding means which are used in the movement of the wafer, or by the control means storing the parameters, or by providing a plurality of the wafer transport means. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the semiconductor transport training device of the present invention, by being equipped with wafer holding means, wafer transport means and control means that are different from the semiconductor manufacturing equipment used in the actual semiconductor manufacturing process, it is possible to practice wafer transport, so that teaching work can be carried out efficiently at the appropriate time and manufacturing, modification, etc. can be carried out at low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a configuration example (first embodiment) of a semiconductor transportation training device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of an example of a wafer holding means. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an example of a boat. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example (first embodiment) of a control means. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of an appropriate value stored in a parameter storage unit. [Figure 6] 11 is an image diagram showing an example of a series of wafer operations stored in an operation storage unit. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a control unit in a teaching process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a control unit in a movement process. [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a configuration example (second embodiment) of a semiconductor transport training device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The present invention is a semiconductor transport training device that includes a means different from the manufacturing process equipment used in each step of the semiconductor manufacturing process and the wafer transport equipment that performs wafer transport, in order to enable training in wafer transport in a semiconductor manufacturing process, i.e., training for an operator to become proficient in wafer transport in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Specifically, the present invention includes a plurality of wafer holding means, a wafer transport means that performs wafer transport between the wafer holding means, and a control means that controls wafer movement. The wafer movement controlled by the control means includes wafer transport between the wafer holding means as well as wafer movement performed in the wafer holding means. Thus, the operation of the wafer transport means and the wafer holding means is involved in the wafer movement.

[0017] The semiconductor transfer training device according to the present invention is intended for training wafer transfer, not for manufacturing semiconductors, and can be manufactured and modified at a lower cost than semiconductor manufacturing equipment actually used in the semiconductor manufacturing process by being configured to specialize in processes related to wafer transfer, such as wafer transfer processes, error processing during transfer, and setting information used during transfer. Also, unlike semiconductor manufacturing equipment, no vacuum space is required. Therefore, by using the semiconductor transfer training device according to the present invention, teaching work performed in advance to move wafers appropriately during semiconductor manufacturing can be performed at a lower cost than when using semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, by using the semiconductor transfer training device according to the present invention, teaching work can be performed efficiently at an appropriate time, such as before the completion of a system equipped with semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0018] In the teaching operation of the present invention, it is possible to adjust parameters used in moving the wafer, for example, parameters for controlling the operation of the wafer transport means and parameters for controlling the operation of the wafer holding means. The present invention is also capable of storing parameters adjusted in the teaching operation. Furthermore, the present invention can be provided with a plurality of wafer transport means.

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and the description may be omitted. In addition, the configurations and the like in the following description are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Furthermore, the following description focuses on the main configurations and operations for implementing the present invention, and the description of general-purpose processing required for implementing the present invention, such as data input / output processing, is simplified or omitted.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows an outline of a configuration example (first embodiment) of a semiconductor transfer training device according to the present invention. The semiconductor transfer training device 1 of this embodiment is used to practice wafer transfer in a front-end process of a semiconductor manufacturing process. The semiconductor transfer training device 1 includes four wafer holding means 10, 20, 30, and 40 for holding wafers, a wafer transfer means 50 for transferring wafers between the wafer holding means 10-40, and a control means 60 for controlling the movement of the wafers. The wafer holding means 10, 20, 30, and 40 and the wafer transfer means 50 each include a holding control unit 12, 22, 32, and 42 for controlling the operation of each means, and a transfer control unit 52. In FIG. 1, the wafer holding means 10-40 and the wafer transfer means 50 are shown as a plan view showing an outline when viewed from directly above. The control means 60 is shown as an image, and the size and the like are different from the actual one. The holding control units 12-42 and the transfer control unit 52 are shown as block diagrams.

[0021] Each of the wafer holding means 10 to 40 and the wafer transport means 50 has a pedestal portion, and the main body of each means is supported by the pedestal portion. For example, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of the wafer holding means 40 when viewed from the front, and the wafer holding means 40 has a pedestal portion 43, and the main body of the wafer holding means 40 is installed on the top of the pedestal portion 43. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the pedestal portion 43 is a structure having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a skeleton of rod-shaped members having a rectangular parallelepiped appearance. In addition, the pedestal portion 43 has legs 44, and the wafer holding means 40 is fixed by pressing the lower surface of the legs 44 against a floor surface or the like. The pedestal portions of the wafer holding means 10 to 30 and the wafer transport means 50 have the same structure as the pedestal portion 43. Note that the pedestal portion does not have to be rectangular parallelepiped in shape and does not have to have legs as long as it can support the main body and fix each means to a floor surface or the like. The members forming the framework of the base may also have other shapes.

[0022] The pedestal is formed to have a robustness such that the main bodies of the wafer holding means 10 to 40 and the wafer transport means 50 do not rock when the wafer is moved, and is formed from a material that realizes such robustness. For example, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. are used as the material for the pedestal.

[0023] The semiconductor transfer training device 1 is configured such that the wafer holding means 10-40 are arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the wafer transfer means 50 with the wafer transfer means 50 at the center. In order for the wafer transfer means 50 to automatically transfer the wafer between the wafer holding means 10-40, the positional relationship between the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 must not change, so the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 are fixed to each other by joining members 71, 72, 73 and 74 joined to the respective pedestals. Each of the joining members 71-74 is composed of four members having the same shape and material as the members that form the framework of the pedestal, and each member extends in the horizontal direction, and the four members are installed so as to be parallel to each other in the horizontal and vertical directions. The shape and material of the joining members 71-74 do not have to be the same as the members that form the framework of the pedestal, and the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 may be fixed to each other by members or structures other than the joining members 71-74.

[0024] Wafer holding means 10 to 40 are means for holding wafers, and each of these means is a jig (hereinafter referred to as a "wafer jig") for placing or storing a wafer in each pre-process of a semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0025] The processes performed in the front-end of semiconductor manufacturing include the oxidation process, which grows an oxide film on the wafer surface; the deposition process, which forms a thin film on the wafer surface; the photo process, which applies photoresist to the wafer surface and prints a circuit pattern on the surface by irradiating light; the etching process, which scrapes off the oxide film and thin film; the resist stripping and cleaning process, which strips off the remaining photoresist and cleans and removes impurities remaining on the wafer; the impurity diffusion process, which injects impurity ions into the wafer and activates it by heat treatment; the planarization process, which polishes and flattens the wafer surface; and the electrode formation process, which embeds metal for electrode wiring into the wafer. In the deposition process, a thin film is formed on the wafer surface by methods such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition). CVD is a method of forming a thin film of material on the wafer surface by chemical reaction between gaseous raw material and the wafer, or depositing a material generated by a chemical reaction in the gas phase on the wafer. PVD is a film formation method in which raw materials are evaporated and scattered by heating, sputtering, ion beam irradiation, etc., and then physically deposited on the surface of the wafer. In CVD, the film formation proceeds by dissociating the molecules by applying energy to the raw material gas, and the dissociation products are attached to the substrate. Depending on the method of supplying energy to the raw material gas, it is classified into thermal CVD, plasma CVD, and photo CVD. Thermal CVD is further classified into low pressure CVD (LP (Low Pressure)-CVD), which is performed under conditions where the pressure during growth is lower than atmospheric pressure, and atmospheric pressure CVD (AP (Atmospheric Pressure)-CVD), which is performed under atmospheric pressure. There are two main types of methods used in the etching process: wet etching and dry etching. Wet etching is a method in which a film is removed by chemical reaction using an etching solution of an acidic or alkaline solution, and exposed parts are removed. Dry etching is a method using high vacuum plasma, in which the workpiece is placed in a vacuum environment, the gas is turned into plasma, and ions are bombarded to remove unnecessary parts. In the impurity diffusion process, the electrical properties of the semiconductor are changed by thermal diffusion method or ion implantation method. The thermal diffusion method is a method in which an impurity gas is deposited on a wafer in a diffusion furnace heated to a high temperature, and at the same time, the impurity is diffused so as to be widely distributed throughout the wafer.In the ion implantation method, impurities such as phosphorus, arsenic, and boron are ionized in a vacuum using an ion implantation device, and then accelerated by a high electric field to be implanted into the surface of the wafer.

[0026] Wafer jigs used in each of the above processes include a boat (wafer boat), an XY stage (two-axis stage), a wafer stage, and the like.

[0027] The boat is a jig used when inserting and withdrawing wafers into and from a reaction tube, and is usually made by processing high-purity quartz or SiC (silicon carbide). It has a structure capable of holding a large number of wafers (e.g., 25 to 200 pieces), and there are horizontal boats that support the wafers by leaning them against the boat so that their planes are oriented in a substantially vertical direction, and vertical boats that hold the wafers horizontally. An example of a boat is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an outline of a boat 21, which is a vertical boat. The boat 21 is composed of an upper plate 211, which is a doughnut-shaped disk having a circular opening in the center, a lower plate 212, which is a disk-shaped plate having the same shape as the upper plate 211 but no opening, and a plurality of support rods 213, 214, 215, 216, and 217 (five in FIG. 3) that extend vertically and are joined to the upper plate 211 and the lower plate 212. The upper plate 211 and the lower plate 212 are arranged in parallel and concentrically when viewed from directly above. The support rods 213 to 217 are joined to the upper plate 211 and the lower plate 212 at right angles. The support rods 213, 214, and 215 have horizontally extending grooves arranged at the same height and at regular intervals in the vertical direction. The boat 21 holds the wafers by placing them in these grooves. The interval between the support rods 213 and 215 and the interval between the support rods 214 and 215 are approximately the same and are narrower than the interval between the support rods 213 and 214, and the wafers are put in and taken out of the boat 21 between the support rods 213 and 214. The boat is used in an oxidation process, a film formation process (particularly, low-pressure CVD), an impurity diffusion process, and the like.

[0028] The XY stage is a positioning stage (positionable platform) with two axes, an X axis for moving left and right and a Y axis for moving forward and backward, and positions the stage at any desired location by stacking the stages that move in each direction. Some XY stages include movements in the Z direction and tilt, but in this embodiment, an XY stage for positioning on the X axis and Y axis is used. The XY stage moves the stage in a predetermined direction (X axis, Y axis) using an actuator, for example, a stepping motor that rotates at a constant rotation angle. The XY stage also has a lift mechanism (not shown) that moves the wafer up and down to transport the wafer. The lift mechanism uses, for example, a pneumatic cylinder (air cylinder) to move up and down. The XY stage is used in photo processes, etc.

[0029] The wafer stage is a platform that holds a wafer. In a broad sense, an XY stage is also included in the wafer stage, but in this embodiment, a jig that does not move the stage in a predetermined direction is defined as the wafer stage. Like the XY stage, the wafer stage has a lift mechanism (not shown) that moves the wafer up and down to transport it, and the lift mechanism uses, for example, a pneumatic cylinder to perform the up and down movement. The wafer stage is used in film formation processes, etching processes, and the like.

[0030] Wafer jigs include jigs used in each process in the front-end process, as well as wafer carriers used as a destination for wafers when they are carried into semiconductor manufacturing equipment such as multi-chamber devices. Typically, wafers are transported from the wafer carrier to the jigs used in each process. Since semiconductor manufacturing equipment is typically used in a vacuum space, wafer carriers are used at the switching point between the atmosphere and vacuum. Wafer carriers have multiple slots (e.g., six stages), and wafers are placed in each slot.

[0031] The above-mentioned wafer jigs are provided in wafer holding means 10 to 40. Specifically, wafer holding means 10 includes a wafer carrier 11, wafer holding means 20 includes a boat 21, wafer holding means 30 includes an XY stage 31, and wafer holding means 40 includes a wafer stage 41.

[0032] The wafer holding means 10 has a movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the wafer carrier 11 up and down to insert and remove a wafer into and from a desired slot in the wafer carrier 11. The movement mechanism uses, for example, a stepping motor and a brake to perform the up and down movement. Although the wafer holding means 10 has one wafer carrier 11, it may have multiple (for example, two) wafer carriers.

[0033] Like the wafer holding means 10, the wafer holding means 20 has a movement mechanism (not shown) for moving the boat 21 up and down to load and unload the wafers to and from a desired position in the boat 21. The movement mechanism uses, for example, a stepping motor and a brake to perform the up and down movement.

[0034] The XY stage 31 of the wafer holding means 30 has a plurality of (for example, three) cylindrical protrusions 311 bonded to the top surface of the top stage, on which the wafer is placed. In addition, the top stage is moved up and down by a lift mechanism.

[0035] The wafer stage 41 provided on the wafer holding means 40 has multiple (e.g., three) through holes 411 drilled therein, and the lift mechanism moves the wafer up and down by protruding a rod-shaped member with a conical tip from the through hole 411.

[0036] The holding control units 12, 22, 32, and 42 of the wafer holding means 10, 20, 30, and 40, respectively, are connected to the control means 60, and control the operation of each wafer holding means based on data output from the control means 60. Specifically, the holding control unit 12 controls the operation of a moving mechanism (e.g., a stepping motor and a brake) that moves the wafer carrier 11 up and down. The holding control unit 22 controls the operation of a moving mechanism (e.g., a stepping motor and a brake) that moves the boat 21 up and down. The holding control unit 32 controls the operation of an actuator (e.g., a stepping motor) that moves each stage of the XY stage in the left-right direction or the front-back direction, and a lift mechanism (e.g., an air pressure cylinder) that moves the top stage up and down. The holding control unit 42 controls the operation of a lift mechanism (e.g., an air pressure cylinder) that moves the wafer up and down. The holding control units 12 to 42 are realized by either hardware or software, or by a combination of both. The holding control units 12 to 42 and the control means 60 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0037] The wafer holding means 10 to 40 may be provided with wafer jigs other than the above-mentioned wafer jigs. Also, the semiconductor transport training apparatus 1 may include a number of wafer holding means other than four, so long as the semiconductor transport training apparatus 1 includes a plurality of wafer holding means.

[0038] The wafer transport means 50 includes a transport robot 51, and transports wafers between the wafer holding means 10 to 40 using the transport robot 51. The transport robot 51 is a SCARA robot (horizontal articulated robot), which is an industrial robot with an arm that moves in the horizontal direction. In general, a SCARA robot includes three rotation axes that move in the horizontal direction and one axis that moves in the vertical direction, and has the features that it can quickly perform horizontal movements, has high mechanical rigidity in the vertical direction because all three rotation axes are arranged vertically, and is relatively inexpensive because its structure is not complicated. The tip of the transport robot 51 is a ceramic blade 511, and does not include or use the one axis that moves in the vertical direction. The tip of the blade 511 is forked, and the transport robot 51 transports the wafer by loading the wafer on the blade 511. Therefore, the wafer carrier 11 of the wafer holding means 10, the boat 21 of the wafer holding means 20, the XY stage 31 of the wafer holding means 30, and the wafer stage 41 of the wafer holding means 40 are arranged within the movable range of the transfer robot 51. The transfer robot 51 moves the blade 511 to a desired position in the horizontal direction by operation of the θ (rotation) axis and the R (extension) axis. The operation of the θ axis and the R axis is performed using an actuator (e.g., a stepping motor) and a brake. The blade 511 may be made of a material other than ceramics, and a robot other than a SCARA robot may be used as the transfer robot 51.

[0039] The transfer control unit 52 of the wafer transfer means 50 is connected to the control means 60, and controls the operation of the wafer transfer means 50 based on data output from the control means 60. Specifically, the transfer control unit 52 controls the operation of actuators and brakes that realize the θ-axis and R-axis operations of the transfer robot 51. Like the holding control units 12 to 42, the transfer control unit 52 is realized by either hardware or software, or a combination of both, and the transfer control unit 52 and the control means 60 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0040] The control means 60 cooperates with the transfer control section 52 and the holding control sections 12-42 to control the operation of the wafer transfer means 50 for transferring the wafer and the operation of the wafer holding means 10-40 for moving the wafer including transferring the wafer.

[0041] The control means 60 is configured as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and includes input means, output means, calculation means, storage means, etc., which are included in a normal PLC. A PLC is a control device that controls devices, equipment, etc., and performs sequence control (control in which each control stage proceeds sequentially according to a predetermined order or procedure) using a program. The control means 60 uses a program created using a ladder method (ladder program). Note that the program used by the control means 60 may be a program created using a method or programming language other than the ladder method, the control means 60 may be configured with a general-purpose computer other than a PLC, etc., and some or all of the control by the control means 60 may be realized by hardware.

[0042] The control means 60 includes a control unit 61 which performs a process of setting appropriate values ​​by teaching for parameters used to determine each operation of the wafer transport means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 (hereinafter referred to as the "teaching process"), a process of setting a series of operations for the wafer (hereinafter referred to as the "series of wafer operations") using the values ​​set in the teaching process (hereinafter referred to as the "operation setting process"), and a process of carrying out the series of wafer operations set in the operation setting process (hereinafter referred to as the "moving process").

[0043] An example of the configuration of the control unit 61 is shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 61 that is mainly composed of components realized by a program. The control unit 61 includes a teaching processing unit 611 that executes a teaching process, an operation setting processing unit 612 that executes an operation setting process, a movement processing unit 613 that executes a movement process, a parameter memory unit 614 that stores the values ​​of parameters set in the teaching process, and an operation memory unit 615 that stores a series of wafer operations set in the operation setting process.

[0044] In order to accurately execute the movement of the wafer, mainly the transfer of the wafer to the wafer holding means 10-40 by the wafer transfer means 50, the teaching processing unit 611 sets appropriate values ​​to parameters that determine each operation of the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 as a teaching process. In this embodiment, the accurate movement of the wafer is realized by stopping the wafer at an appropriate position and moving the wafer at an appropriate speed, and the teaching processing unit 611 obtains an appropriate position, speed, etc. in the movement of the wafer. For example, the values ​​assumed to be appropriate are set to the parameters (position, speed, etc.), the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40 are operated according to the parameters, and the operation results are visually confirmed. If there is a deviation from the appropriate operation, the set values ​​are adjusted, the adjusted values ​​are set to the parameters, and the operations are performed again. The appropriate values ​​are determined by repeating this trial and error process. The teaching processing unit 611 determines the appropriate value for each of the means, ie, the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 10 to 40, and further for each operation for means that perform a plurality of operations.

[0045] In order to carry out the above processing, the teaching processing unit 611 inputs the setting target Ts, the setting parameter information Ps, and the decision information Di, and outputs the parameter information Pi1 and the decided parameter information Pd1. The setting target Ts, the setting parameter information Ps, and the decision information Di are input to the control unit 61 in accordance with the operator's operation of the input means 62, such as a touch panel, connected to the control unit 61. The parameter information Pi1 is output to the wafer transfer means 50 or any of the wafer holding means 10 to 30 via the output means (not shown) connected to the control unit 61. The decided parameter information Pd1 is stored in the parameter storage unit 614.

[0046] The teaching processing unit 611 determines the target of the teaching process according to the setting target Ts. The targets of the teaching process are the θ axis for rotating the transport robot 51 in the wafer transport means 50 and the R axis for expanding and contracting, the moving mechanism of the wafer carrier 11 in the wafer holding means 10, the moving mechanism of the boat 21 in the wafer holding means 20, and the X axis for moving the XY stage 31 in the left-right direction and the Y axis for moving it in the front-back direction in the wafer holding means 30. The lift mechanism in the wafer holding means 30 and the lift mechanism in the wafer holding means 40 also move the wafer, so they can be the targets of the teaching process, but since these lift mechanisms only lift the wafer, in this embodiment, the teaching process is unnecessary and they are excluded from the targets of the teaching process. The teaching processing unit 611 checks the contents of the setting target Ts and determines the target of the teaching process. In the setting target Ts, for example, "θ axis", "R axis", "wafer carrier moving mechanism", "boat moving mechanism", "X axis", and "Y axis" are set in order as values ​​indicating the target of the teaching process.

[0047] The setting target Ts is input to the teaching processing unit 611 in accordance with an operator's operation of the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. For example, a touch panel is used as the input means 62, and buttons showing values ​​indicating the targets of the above-mentioned teaching process are displayed on the touch panel, and the setting target Ts is input to the teaching processing unit 611 by touching the buttons.

[0048] The teaching processing unit 611 predetermines parameters for setting values ​​for each teaching processing target, and the values ​​to be set for the determined parameters are input as setting parameter information Ps. The parameters for setting values ​​are appropriately determined according to the mechanism that operates the teaching processing target. For example, the transfer robot 51 in the wafer transfer means 50 uses a stepping motor for the θ-axis and R-axis operations, the operation of the moving mechanism of the wafer carrier 11 in the wafer holding means 10 and the moving mechanism of the boat 21 in the wafer holding means 20, and the X-axis and Y-axis operations of the XY stage 31 in the wafer holding means 30. As a parameter for each teaching processing target, the moving step amount and moving speed of the stepping motor are used. Therefore, the setting parameter information Ps is set with the respective values ​​of the moving step amount and moving speed. The acceleration (including deceleration) of the stepping motor may also be used as a parameter for setting a value in the setting parameter information Ps, but in cases where it is not necessary to change the acceleration, a predetermined value may be set for the acceleration.

[0049] The setting parameter information Ps is input to the teaching processing unit 611 in accordance with an operator's operation of the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. For example, a touch panel is used as the input means 62, and a field for inputting a value for each parameter is displayed on the touch panel, and by inputting a value in the field, the value is input as the setting parameter information Ps to the teaching processing unit 611. Alternatively, buttons for increasing or decreasing the parameter value within a certain range may be displayed on the touch panel, and the parameter value may be changed by touching the button, and the changed value may be input as the setting parameter information Ps to the teaching processing unit 611. A field for inputting a parameter value and a button for increasing or decreasing the parameter value may be used together.

[0050] The number of suitable values ​​of parameters for the teaching process target differs for each teaching process target. For example, the transport robot 51 puts and takes out wafers from each of the wafer holding means 10 to 40, so the teaching processing unit 611 determines suitable values ​​of parameters for the θ-axis and R-axis for each wafer holding means. The wafer carrier 11 of the wafer holding means 10 has a plurality of slots, so that the transport robot 51, which moves the wafer in the horizontal direction, can put and take out the wafer from the desired slot, the teaching processing unit 611 determines suitable values ​​of parameters for the movement mechanism in the wafer holding means 10 for each slot of the wafer carrier 11. The boat 21 of the wafer holding means 20 can hold a plurality of wafers, so that the transport robot 51 can put and take out the wafer from the desired position of the boat 21, as in the case of the wafer carrier 11, the teaching processing unit 611 determines suitable values ​​of parameters for the movement mechanism in the wafer holding means 20 for each position where the boat 21 holds the wafer. Since the XY stage of the wafer holding means 30 is positioned at a plurality of locations in a photo process or the like, the teaching processing unit 611 determines the optimum parameter values ​​for the X-axis and Y-axis for each location to which the wafer is positioned. As described above, when a stepping motor is used for the mechanism that operates the object of the teaching process, the optimum values ​​are the movement step amount and movement speed of the stepping motor to the point where the optimum parameter value is to be set (hereinafter referred to as the "target point").

[0051] The teaching processing unit 611 outputs the value set in the setting parameter information Ps as parameter information Pi1 for the teaching processing target determined by the setting target Ts. Specifically, the teaching processing unit 611 outputs the parameter information Pi1 to the transport control unit 52 of the wafer transport means 50 and the holding control units 12, 22, and 32 of the wafer holding means 10, 20, and 30, respectively. The transport control unit 52 and the holding control units 12 to 32 operate the control target based on the parameter information Pi1. Since the wafer transport means 50 and the wafer holding means 30 have a plurality of teaching processing targets, the transport control unit 52 and the holding control unit 32 are provided with an input port (e.g., a terminal, etc.) for the parameter information Pi1 for each teaching processing target, so that the wafer transport means 50 and the wafer holding means 30 specify the control target to be operated based on the parameter information Pi1. The teaching processing unit 611 may output the setting target Ts together with the parameter information Pi1 to the wafer transfer means 50 and the wafer holding means 30 to specify the control target.

[0052] The teaching processing unit 611 uses the determination information Di to determine the appropriate value of the parameter. That is, when the operator judges that the operation of the teaching processing target determined by the setting target Ts is appropriate as a result of operating the target of the teaching processing determined by the setting target Ts according to the value set in the setting parameter information Ps, the teaching processing unit 611 outputs the determination information Di to the teaching processing unit 611 using the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. When the teaching processing unit 611 inputs the determination information Di, the value set in the setting parameter information Ps at that time is set as the appropriate value of the parameter for the target of the teaching processing indicated by the setting target Ts. Since each teaching processing target has a plurality of target points, the teaching processing unit 611 determines the appropriate value of the parameter after setting the target point for determining the appropriate value. The setting of the target point is performed, for example, using the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61 and the determination information Di. That is, the target point is input by the input means 62, the input target point is stored in the determination information Di, and the teaching processing unit 611 sets the target point by checking the value of the determination information Di. The determined optimum value of the parameter is stored in the parameter storage unit 614 as determined parameter information Pd1.

[0053] The parameter storage unit 614 stores the optimum values ​​of the parameters determined by the teaching processing unit 611. An image of an example of the optimum values ​​stored in the parameter storage unit 614 is shown in FIG. 5. The parameter storage unit 614 stores the optimum values ​​of the movement step amount and the movement speed for each target of the teaching process and for each target point. In FIG. 5, "target" indicates the target of the teaching process, and the value set for the setting target Ts is used as the name of the target of the teaching process written in the "target" column. The "target point" column lists the name assigned to the target point set for each target of the teaching process.

[0054] The operation setting processing unit 612 sets a series of wafer operations. The series of wafer operations are set by pairing the teaching process target and the target point, and arranging the pairs in a time series. In order to specify the teaching process target and the target point, for example, names written in the parameter storage unit 614 shown in FIG. 5 are used. Using these names, for example, (θ axis, wafer holding means 10) and (R axis, wafer holding means 10) represent the operation of the transport robot 51 turning in the direction of the wafer holding means 10 and extending to the wafer carrier 11.

[0055] In order to set the above-mentioned operations, the operation setting processing unit 612 inputs the set operation information Ms and outputs the operation information Mi1.

[0056] The set operation information Ms is input to the operation setting processing unit 612 according to the operator's operation of the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. For example, a touch panel is used as the input means 62, and a screen in which fields for inputting the teaching process target and the target point as a pair are arranged in a certain direction (for example, vertically) is displayed on the touch panel, and the operator inputs the name of the teaching process target and the name of the target point in each field, and inputs the input name group to the operation setting processing unit 612 as the set operation information Ms. When inputting the name, a list of names may be displayed, or the name may be input in a selection format, in order to present the operator with names that can be input. The series of wafer operations also includes operations by the lift mechanism in the wafer holding means 30 and the wafer holding means 40. Therefore, these operations may be included in the set operation information Ms, or the operation by the lift mechanism may not be included in the set operation information Ms since it is executed in conjunction with other operations.

[0057] The operation setting processing unit 612 outputs the series of wafer operations set in the set operation information Ms as operation information Mi1, and the operation information Mi1 is stored in the operation storage unit 615. At this time, a name may be given to the series of wafer operations set, and the given name may be included in the operation information Mi1. In this case, the name is set by an operator's operation of the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. Instead of a name, automatically assigned consecutive numbers or the like may be given to the series of wafer operations.

[0058] The operation memory unit 615 stores a series of wafer operations set by the operation setting processing unit 612. An image of an example of a series of wafer operations stored in the operation memory unit 615 is shown in FIG. 6. The series of wafer operations set by the operation setting processing unit 612 are stored sequentially in the operation memory unit 615. The operation setting processing unit 612 gives names to the series of wafer operations, and the given names (operation 1, operation 2, operation 3 in FIG. 6) are stored in the "operation name" column. As in the case of the parameter memory unit 614, "target" indicates the target of the teaching process.

[0059] The movement processing unit 613 reads out a series of wafer operations stored in the operation memory unit 615, and executes the series of wafer operations. Since a plurality of series of wafer operations are stored in the operation memory unit 615, the movement processing unit 613 inputs a designated operation Am to select a series of wafer operations to be executed. The designated operation Am is input to the movement processing unit 613 according to an operator's operation on the input means 62 connected to the control unit 61. For example, a touch panel is used as the input means 62, and buttons showing operation names (operation 1, operation 2, operation 3, etc. in FIG. 6) are displayed on the touch panel, and the designated operation Am is input to the movement processing unit 613 by touching the button.

[0060] The movement processing unit 613 reads out a series of wafer operations corresponding to the specified operation Am from the operation storage unit 615 as operation information Mi2. For example, when the series of wafer operations shown in Fig. 6 are stored in the operation storage unit 615 and the specified operation Am is "operation 2", the series of wafer operations of (boat moving mechanism, stage 2), (θ axis, wafer holding means 20), and (R axis, wafer holding means 20) are read out as operation information Mi2. Note that the movement processing unit 613 may read out the operations constituting the series of wafer operations one by one, or may read out all the constituent operations at once.

[0061] The movement processing unit 613 reads out, as determined parameter information Pd2, from the parameter storage unit 614, the probable values ​​corresponding to the target and target point of the teaching process stored in the operation information Mi2 read out from the operation storage unit 615. For example, when the probable values ​​shown in Fig. 5 are stored in the parameter storage unit 614 and the target of the teaching process stored in the operation information Mi2 is the "θ axis" and the target point is the "wafer holding means 20", 200 is read out as the probable value of the movement step amount and 12 is read out as the determined parameter information Pd2.

[0062] The movement processing unit 613 outputs, as parameter information Pi2, the appropriate value stored in the determined parameter information Pd2 read from the parameter storage unit 614 to the teaching processing target stored in the operation information Mi2 read from the operation storage unit 615. Based on the parameter information Pi2, the teaching processing target operates under the control of the transport control unit 52 and the holding control units 12, 22, and 32, similarly to the case of the parameter information Pi1 output from the teaching processing unit 611. The lift mechanisms in the wafer holding means 30 and the wafer holding means 40 operate, for example, according to the information stored in the operation information Mi2, or in conjunction with the operation of another teaching processing target.

[0063] In such a configuration of the semiconductor transport training device 1, an example of the operation of the control unit 61 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figs. 7 and 8. As described above, the control unit 61 performs teaching processing, operation setting processing, and movement processing, and an example of the operation of the control unit 61 in the teaching processing and movement processing will be described. The example of the operation of the control unit 61 in the operation setting processing is as described above. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the teaching processing, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the movement processing. Note that a description of general operations such as the operation when an error occurs will be omitted.

[0064] In the teaching process, the teaching processing unit 611 inputs the setting target Ts (step S10) and then goes into a waiting state for input from the input means 62 (step S20).

[0065] When there is an input from the input means 62 (step S20), and the input is the setting parameter information Ps (step S30), the teaching processing unit 611 outputs the value set in the setting parameter information Ps as the parameter information Pi1 for the target of the teaching process indicated by the setting target Ts (step S40). Then, the teaching processing unit 611 returns to a waiting state for the input from the input means 62 (step S20). When the input from the input means 62 is the determination information Di (step S30), the teaching processing unit 611 sets the value set in the setting parameter information Ps input most recently as the appropriate value of the target point indicated by the determination information Di for the target of the teaching process indicated by the setting target Ts. Then, the teaching processing unit 611 outputs the appropriate value as the determination parameter information Pd1, and the determination parameter information Pd1 is stored in the parameter storage unit 614 (step S50).

[0066] In the teaching process, each time a setting target Ts is input to the control unit 61, the operations of steps S10 to S50 are executed.

[0067] In the movement process, when the movement processing unit 613 receives a designated operation Am (step S110), it reads out a series of wafer operations corresponding to the operation name indicated by the designated operation Am from the operation storage unit 615 as operation information Mi2 (step S120).

[0068] The movement processing unit 613 reads out the appropriate value corresponding to the target and the target point of the teaching process stored in the read operation information Mi2 from the parameter storage unit 614 as the determined parameter information Pd2 (step S130). Then, the movement processing unit 613 outputs the appropriate value stored in the determined parameter information Pd2 as the parameter information Pi2 for the target of the teaching process stored in the operation information Mi2 (step S140).

[0069] The movement processing unit 613 executes the operations of steps S130 and S140 until a series of wafer operations corresponding to the operation name indicated by the designated operation Am is completed (step S150).

[0070] In the above teaching process, each time the setting target Ts is input to the control unit 61, the teaching processing unit 611 adjusts the operation of the target of the teaching process using the setting parameter information and stores the determined parameter information Pd1 in the parameter storage unit 614. However, in the case of the target of the teaching process belonging to the same means such as the θ-axis and the R-axis (the wafer transport means 50 in the case of the θ-axis and the R-axis), the operation of the target of the teaching process may be adjusted using the setting parameter information, and then the determined parameter information Pd1 for the target of the teaching process may be stored in the parameter storage unit 614. For example, after adjusting the operation of the θ-axis and the R-axis simultaneously, the determined parameter information Pd1 for the θ-axis and the determined parameter information Pd1 for the R-axis may be stored in the parameter storage unit 614 in sequence. In addition, the teaching processing unit 611 may read out the determined parameter information Pd1 stored in the parameter storage unit 614, readjust the operation of the target of the teaching process, and store the determined parameter information Pd1 after the readjustment in the parameter storage unit 614.

[0071] In the above-mentioned semiconductor transport training device 1, the position (value) of the target of each teaching process at the start of activation (hereinafter referred to as the "start point") may be determined in advance, the start point may be added to the target point, and movement to the start point may be set in the series of wafer operations set by the operation setting processing unit 612. Also, the input means 62 may be provided with a button for returning the target of the teaching process to the start point, or the series of wafer operations may be executed by the movement processing unit 613, and the moved target of the teaching process may be returned to the start point after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0072] Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer storage pods such as FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) are often used to transport and carry wafers to semiconductor manufacturing equipment such as multi-chamber devices. By storing wafers in a completely sealed pod such as a FOUP and transporting the wafers to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, it is possible to lower the cleanliness level of the factory in which the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is installed below the cleanliness level of the wafer storage pod and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, thereby reducing the cost of capital investment for air purification in the factory.

[0073] A robot such as transfer robot 51 in wafer transfer means 50 is used to transfer wafers from the wafer storage pod into the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Generally in semiconductor manufacturing, a robot used in the position of transfer robot 51 is a vacuum robot that works in a vacuum space, but a robot used to transfer wafers into and out of the wafer storage pod (hereinafter referred to as the "carry-in / carry-out robot") is an atmospheric robot that works in an area with air.

[0074] In the present invention, in addition to training in wafer transportation in the front end process of the semiconductor manufacturing process, it is also possible to train in wafer loading and unloading using the above-mentioned wafer storage pod and loading and unloading robot. FIG. 9 shows a configuration example (second embodiment) of a semiconductor transport training device used for such training. Compared with the semiconductor transport training device 1 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor transport training device 2 in the second embodiment is provided with a wafer holding means 80 and a wafer transport means 90, and the control means 60 is changed to a control means 60A. In other words, the semiconductor transport training device 2 has five wafer holding means and two wafer transport means. The wafer transport means 90 has a transport control unit 92 that controls the operation of the wafer transport means 90.

[0075] Like other means, the wafer holding means 80 and the wafer transport means 90 have pedestals, and the respective bodies are supported by the pedestals. The wafer transport means 90 loads and unloads wafers into and from the wafer holding means 10, which is equipped with a wafer carrier 11, and is therefore disposed adjacent to the wafer holding means 10. The wafer holding means 80 is disposed adjacent to the wafer transport means 90. The wafer transport means 90 and the wafer holding means 10 and 80 are fixed to each other by bonding members 75 and 76 bonded to their respective pedestals, in the same manner as the wafer transport means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40, so that the relative positions of the wafer transport means 90 and the wafer holding means 10 and 80 do not change.

[0076] Wafer holding means 80 comprises two parallel wafer storage pods 81 and 82. Each of wafer storage pods 81 and 82 can store a plurality of wafers, and wafers are moved to and from desired positions by wafer transfer means 90. Wafer holding means 80 may comprise one wafer storage pod or three or more wafer storage pods.

[0077] The wafer transport means 90 includes a carry-in / out robot 91, which is used to transport wafers between the wafer holding means 10 and 80. The carry-in / out robot 91 is a SCARA robot, like the transport robot 51, but in addition to moving horizontally by the θ-axis and R-axis movements, it also moves vertically by the Z (up and down) axis movements. By adding the Z-axis movement, the wafer is put in and taken out of the desired positions of the wafer storage pods 81 and 82 of the wafer holding means 80. The θ-axis, R-axis, and Z-axis movements are performed using actuators (e.g., stepping motors) and brakes. The carry-in / out robot 91 is also movable in the direction in which the wafer storage pods 81 and 82 of the wafer holding means 80 are arranged side by side (left and right direction in FIG. 9), and has a movement mechanism (not shown) for moving in that direction. The movement mechanism uses, for example, a servo motor to perform the movement.

[0078] The transport control unit 92 of the wafer transport means 90, like the transport control unit 52, is connected to the control means 60A, and controls the operation of the θ-axis, R-axis, and Z-axis of the loading / unloading robot 91 and the movement mechanism based on the data output from the control means 60A.

[0079] The control means 60A controls the operation of the wafer transport means 50 and the wafer holding means 10-40, as well as the operation of the wafer transport means 90. Specifically, like the control means 60, it performs teaching processing, operation setting processing, and movement processing. The configuration of the control means 60A is similar to that of the control means 60, except that a connection with a transport control unit 92 is added. Also, the operation of the control means 60A is similar to that of the control means 60, except that the transport control unit 92 is added to the objects to be controlled. And the operation of the control means 60A with respect to the transport control unit 92 is similar to that with respect to the transport control unit 52, except that the Z-axis and the movement mechanism are added to the objects to be taught.

[0080] Although the semiconductor transport training device 2 is provided with two wafer transport means, it may be provided with three or more wafer transport means.

[0081] In the teaching work in the above embodiment, the parameters for controlling the operation of the wafer transport means and the operation of the wafer holding means are adjusted, but it is also possible to adjust the hardware constituting the wafer transport means and the wafer holding means. For example, it is also possible to adjust the structure of the transport robot 51 in the wafer transport means 50 and the carry-in / out robot 91 in the wafer transport means 90.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the transfer robot 51 is configured to perform only horizontal movement by the operation of the θ-axis and the R-axis, but may also be configured to perform vertical movement by the operation of the Z-axis, similar to the transfer robot 91. In this case, the Z-axis may be the subject of teaching processing. Also, the transfer robot 91 is configured to perform horizontal and vertical movement by the operation of the θ-axis, the R-axis, and the Z-axis, but may also be configured to perform only horizontal movement by the operation of the θ-axis and the R-axis, similar to the transfer robot 51. In this case, the wafers may be inserted and removed from the desired positions in the wafer storage pods 81 and 82 by providing a moving mechanism in the wafer holding means 80 that moves the wafer storage pods 81 and 82 up and down, respectively.

[0083] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, matters not explicitly disclosed in the above embodiment, such as the sizes of the transfer robot, wafer carrier, boat, etc., do not depart from the range of ordinary practice by a person skilled in the art, and values ​​that can be easily assumed by a person skilled in the art can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1, 2 Semiconductor handling training device 10, 20, 30, 40, 80 Wafer holding means 11 Wafer Carrier 12, 22, 32, 42 Retention control section 21 Boat 31 XY Stage 41 Wafer stage 43 Pedestal 44 Legs 50, 90 Wafer transport means 51 Transport Robot 52, 92 Transport control section 60 Control Means 61 Control section 62 Input Method 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 Joining members 81, 82 Wafer storage pod 91 Loading and unloading robot 211 Upper Plate 212 Lower Plate 213, 214, 215, 216, 217 Support rod 311 Protrusion 411 Through hole 511 Blade 611 Teaching Processing Section 612 Operation setting processing section 613 Movement Processing Unit 614 Parameter storage section 615 Operation Memory Unit

Claims

1. A semiconductor transport training device that enables training in wafer transport in a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising: A plurality of wafer holding means for holding the wafer; a wafer transfer means for transferring the wafer between the plurality of wafer holding means; and a control means for controlling the movement of the wafer, including the transportation of the wafer.

2. 2. The semiconductor transfer trainer of claim 1 configured to perform only processes related to moving said wafer.

3. 2. The semiconductor transfer trainer of claim 1, wherein said control means adjusts parameters used in moving said wafer.

4. 2. The semiconductor transfer training apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means adjusts parameters for controlling the operation of said wafer transport means and parameters for controlling the operation of said wafer holding means used in moving said wafer.

5. 5. A semiconductor transfer training apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means stores said parameters.

6. 5. A semiconductor transport training apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said wafer transport means.

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