Wafer holding device

Abstract

The present invention provides a wafer holding device with a compact and simple configuration that can transfer wafers, contained in a lidded container, into a wafer holder. [Solution] A wafer holding device 200 comprising a wafer holder 30 and a wafer loading mechanism 100 for loading wafer transport bodies 90 from a storage container 80 into the wafer holder 30, wherein the wafer loading mechanism 100 comprises a loading arm 50 positioned above the wafer holder 30 for loading wafer transport bodies 90 from the storage container 80, a lid attachment / detachment unit 40 positioned below the wafer holder 30 or above the loading arm 50 for attaching and detaching the lid 82 of the storage container, a load port 60 positioned in front of the wafer holder 30 on which the storage container 80 is placed, and a lifting mechanism 70 for moving the load port 60 vertically between a first position where the storage container 80 faces the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 and a second position where the storage container 80 faces the loading arm 50.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure of a wafer holding device including a wafer holder and a wafer carrying-in mechanism that carries wafers into the wafer holder from a storage container. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 relates to a wafer ring supply apparatus. Patent Document 1 discloses a wafer ring supply apparatus that vertically moves a wafer cassette storing wafer rings, pulls out a wafer ring stored in the wafer cassette at a wafer extractor unit, and places the wafer ring onto a wafer ring holder.

[0003] Patent Document 2 relates to a semiconductor production method, and discloses a transport carriage including a push-up mechanism that pushes up a carrier cassette loaded with wafers onto a loader of a processing apparatus.

[0004] Patent Document 3 relates to a substrate processing apparatus. Patent Document 3 discloses a substrate processing apparatus including: a storage container that stores substrates; a load port on which the storage container is placed; an attaching / detaching device that attaches and detaches a lid of the storage container; a first placement unit that moves the storage container toward and away from the attaching / detaching device; a second placement unit that supports a peripheral edge of a bottom surface of the storage container; and an elevating device that elevates and lowers the second placement unit. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0005] [[Patent Document 1]] Patent No. 5847408 Specification [[Patent Document 2]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-145243 [[Patent Document 3]] Patent No. 4275184 Specification [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0006] Incidentally, in recent years, containers with removable lids that house wafers have been used. The conventional devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are difficult to apply to removing wafers housed in such containers with lids. The device described in Patent Document 3 can be applied to loading wafers housed in containers with lids into the device, but its structure is complex and the device becomes large.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a wafer holding device that is small and simple in configuration and can load wafers housed in a container with a lid into a wafer holder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The wafer holding device of this disclosure is a wafer holding device comprising a wafer holder and a wafer loading mechanism for loading wafers from a storage container for storing wafers into the wafer holder, wherein the wafer loading mechanism comprises a loading arm disposed above the wafer holder for loading wafers from the storage container into the wafer holder, a lid attachment / detachment unit disposed below the wafer holder or above the loading arm for attaching and detaching a lid that closes the opening of the storage container for loading and unloading wafers, a load port disposed in front of the wafer holder on which the storage container is placed, and a lifting mechanism for moving the load port vertically between a first position where the storage container faces the lid attachment / detachment unit and a second position where the storage container faces the loading arm.

[0009] This allows for wafer loading with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the lid attachment / detachment unit is positioned below the wafer holder or above the loading arm, the wafer holding device can be made more compact.

[0010] The wafer holding apparatus of the present disclosure includes a frame that supports the wafer holder and the wafer loading mechanism, wherein the wafer holder is mounted inside the frame, the load port is mounted in front of the frame and supports the storage container in front of the frame, the loading arm is mounted inside the frame above the wafer holder and loads the wafer into the wafer holder from the front of the frame, and the lid attachment / detachment unit may be mounted in front of the inside of the frame below the wafer holder, or in front of the upper part of the frame above the loading arm.

[0011] This allows for a smaller wafer holding device.

[0012] In the wafer holding device of this disclosure, the lid attachment / detachment unit comprises a suction arm that moves forward and backward toward the storage container and holds the lid by suction, and the suction arm may store the lid held by suction below the wafer holder or above the loading arm.

[0013] This allows for a simple configuration, as the lid can be attached and detached by moving the suction arm back and forth in the forward and backward directions without moving the container itself. Furthermore, since the lid is retracted below the wafer holder or above the loading arm for storage, the wafer holding device can be made more compact.

[0014] In the wafer holding device of the present disclosure, the wafer loading mechanism may include a control unit that controls the operation of the lid attachment / detachment unit, the loading arm, and the lifting mechanism, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the height of the load port to the first position using the lifting mechanism, remove the lid using the lid attachment / detachment unit after adjusting the height of the load port, raise or lower the load port to the second position using the lifting mechanism, and after raising or lowering the load port, remove the wafer from the storage container using the loading arm and place it on the wafer holder.

[0015] Accordingly, a wafer accommodated in a storage container can be taken out by a simple method.

[0016] In the wafer holding device of the present disclosure, the lid attachment / detachment unit includes a suction arm that advances and retracts toward the storage container and suction-holds the lid, and the control unit controls the operation of the suction arm, advances the suction arm toward the storage container to suction-hold the lid, retracts the suction arm from the storage container to remove the lid, and may pull the suction-held lid to a position below the wafer holder or above the carry-in arm for storage.

[0017] Accordingly, the lid of the storage container can be removed and held by a simple method. Effects of the Invention

[0018] The present disclosure can provide a wafer holding device that has a small and simple configuration and is capable of carrying a wafer accommodated in a lidded storage container into a wafer holder. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is an elevational view showing the wafer holding device of the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing the wafer holding device of the embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing the wafer holding device of the embodiment, which is the A-A cross-section shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a system diagram showing a control system of the wafer transfer mechanism and a control system of the wafer holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] It is an elevational view of the storage container as viewed from the lid side. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer transfer body. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the wafer holding device of the embodiment. [Figure 8]It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to the embodiment, and is a partial vertical sectional view showing a state where a lid is sucked by the suction pad of the suction arm. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to the embodiment, and is a partial vertical sectional view showing a state where the lid is pulled under the wafer holder by the suction arm. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to the embodiment, and is a vertical sectional view showing a state where the load port is raised by the lifting mechanism. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to the embodiment, and is a vertical sectional view showing a state where the carry-in arm is extended forward to pick up the wafer carrier. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to the embodiment, and is a vertical sectional view showing a state where the wafer carrier is carried onto the expand ring by the carry-in arm. [Figure 13] It is a B-B cross-section shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the wafer holding device, and is a vertical sectional view showing a state where the clamper is lowered to fix the wafer carrier onto the expand ring. [Figure 15] It is a C-C cross-section shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is an elevational view showing a wafer holding device according to another embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a flow chart showing the operation of the wafer holding device according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The wafer holding device 200 of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the side into which the wafer transporter 90 is loaded into the wafer holding device 200 will be referred to as the front side of the wafer holding device 200, and the opposite side as the rear side. Therefore, the wafer transporter 90 is loaded into the wafer holding device 200 from the front to the rear. In the drawings, FR, UP, and LH indicate the front, top, and left sides of the wafer holding device 200, respectively. The opposite directions of FR, UP, and LH indicate the rear, bottom, and right sides. When the directions front / back, left / right, and up / down are used in the following description, unless otherwise specified, they refer to the front / back, left / right, and up / down of the wafer holding device 200.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the wafer holding device 200 includes a frame 10, a wafer holder 30, and a wafer loading mechanism 100. The wafer transporter 90 shown in Figure 6 is loaded into the wafer holder 30 and held by the wafer holder 30. As shown in Figure 6, the wafer transporter 90 consists of a diced wafer 91, a wafer sheet 92 attached to the lower surface of the wafer 91, and a ring 93 attached to the outer periphery of the wafer sheet 92. The diced wafer 91 contains a plurality of semiconductor chips 95.

[0022] The wafer holding device 200 includes a pickup module for picking up semiconductor chips 95 from a diced wafer 91, a flip-chip module for inverting the picked-up semiconductor chips 95, and a bonding module for bonding the inverted semiconductor chips 95 onto a substrate or other semiconductor chips. The wafer holding device 200 is a device that holds the wafer transporter 90 in a predetermined position within the pickup module.

[0023] First, the frame 10 of the wafer holding device 200 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The frame 10 comprises a base 11, left and right front pillars 12, left and right rear pillars 13, left and right middle pillars 14, left and right lower posts 15, left and right lower secondary beams 16, left and right middle beams 17, left and right upper posts 18 and 19, left and right upper secondary beams 20, left and right upper beams 21, cross beams 22 and 23, and a middle cross beam 24.

[0024] The upper beam 21 connects the upper end of the front column 12 and the upper end of the rear column 13 in the front-to-back direction. The middle column 14 is positioned between the front column 12 and the rear column 13. The middle beam 17 connects the upper end of the middle column 14 and the vertical middle section of the rear column 13 in the front-to-back direction. The lower post 15 is positioned behind the front column 12 and adjacent to it. The lower secondary beam 16 connects the upper end of the lower post 15 and the middle column 14 in the front-to-back direction. The upper post 18 is positioned at the front end of the middle beam 17, and the upper post 19 is positioned at the rear end of the middle beam 17. The upper secondary beam 20 connects the upper ends of the upper posts 18 and 19. The cross beams 22 and 23 connect the upper ends and vertical central sections of the left and right rear columns 13 in the left-to-right direction. The middle cross beam 24 connects the upper ends of the left and right middle columns 14 in the left-to-right direction.

[0025] The wafer holder 30 is mounted inside the frame 10 at the top of the central crossbeams 24 and 17. The wafer holder 30 comprises a base 31, a casing 32, an expand ring 33, left and right clampers 34, and a wafer holder control unit 210 (see Figure 4). The left and right front ends of the base 31 are connected to the left and right front pillars 12 via brackets 31A, and the rear end is connected to the central crossbeams 24 and 17. As shown in Figure 3, the expand ring 33 is a cylindrical member with a curved outer surface at the upper end. The left and right clampers 34 are semi-annular plate members as shown in Figure 2, and as shown in Figure 3, a slit 35 extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the inner circumference. The slit 35 is shaped to grip and hold the ring 93 of the wafer transport body 90, which will be described later. The left and right clampers 34 move vertically by a clamper drive unit 34A (see Figure 4). As the left and right clampers 34 descend, the wafer sheet 92 of the wafer transporter 90 is pressed against the upper end of the expand ring 33, fixing the wafer transporter 90 to the expand ring 33. A push-up unit 38 is positioned at the bottom of the expand ring 33 to push up the semiconductor chip 95 of the wafer transporter 90 from below.

[0026] The wafer loading mechanism 100 includes a lid attachment / detachment unit 40, a loading arm 50, a load port 60, a lifting mechanism 70, and a control unit 110.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is located inside the front of the frame 10, below the wafer holder 30. The lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is mounted on the lower beam 16 below the wafer holder 30, with its front part located just behind the front column 12. The lid attachment / detachment unit 40 has two suction arms 41 inside. Each suction arm 41 includes a suction pad 43, a shaft 44 to which the suction pad 43 is attached, and a drive motor 42 that moves the shaft 44 back and forth. Since the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is mounted inside the front of the frame 10, the suction arms 41 can be advanced toward the storage container 80 to hold the lid 82 with the suction pad 43, and the suction arms 41 can be retracted from the storage container 80 to remove the lid 82. The suction arms 41 can also pull the held lid 82 into the inside front of the frame 10 below the wafer holder 30 for storage.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the loading arm 50 is positioned inside the frame 10 above the wafer holder 30. The loading arm 50 is attached to an upper beam 20 positioned above the wafer holder 30. The loading arm 50 loads the wafer transporter 90 into the wafer holder 30 from the front of the frame 10.

[0029] The loading arm 50 comprises a guide rail 51, a slide arm 52, an opening / closing claw 53, a claw drive unit 54, and an arm drive motor 55. The guide rail 51 is a longitudinal member attached to the upper beam 20 and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide rail 51 has a guide section on its lower surface that supports the slide arm 52 and guides it in the front-rear direction. The slide arm 52 is a longitudinal member that slides in the front-rear direction, guided by the guide rail 51. The opening / closing claw 53 is attached to the front end of the slide arm 52 and comprises an upper claw and a lower claw. By driving the lower claw in the vertical direction, it grips and releases the ring 93 (see Figure 6) of the wafer transport body 90. The claw drive unit 54 supplies air to the opening / closing claw 53 to drive the lower claw. The arm drive motor 55 drives the slide arm 52 in the front-rear direction. The opening / closing claws 53 extend forward to the front of the front pillar 12 of the frame 10, grip the ring 93 of the wafer transporter 90 in front of the frame 10, and pull the wafer transporter 90 up to the upper surface of the wafer holder 30.

[0030] The load port 60 is positioned in front of the wafer holder 30 and supports the container 80 in front of the frame 10. The load port 60 comprises a mounting plate 61, left and right vertical sliders 62, and left and right connecting members 63. The vertical sliders 62 slide vertically, guided by rails provided on the front surface of the front column 12. The mounting plate 61 is attached to the top of the left and right vertical sliders 62 by the left and right connecting members 63. The mounting plate 61 is a plate-shaped member that extends forward from the front column 12 of the frame 10 and on which the container 80 is placed. The left and right vertical sliders 62 are connected to a lifting mechanism 70, which will be described later, and move vertically by the lifting mechanism 70. When the left and right vertical sliders 62 move vertically, the mounting plate 61 moves vertically, and the container 80 placed on the mounting plate 61 moves vertically.

[0031] The lifting mechanism 70 moves the load port 60 up and down between a first position where the container 80 faces the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 and a second position where the container 80 faces the loading arm 50. The lifting mechanism 70 comprises a drive unit 71, pulleys 72 and 73, and a wire 74. The wire 74 connects the drive unit 71 and the up / down slider 62 via the pulleys 72 and 73. When the drive unit 71 winds up the wire 74, the up / down slider 62 rises and the mounting plate 61 rises, and when the drive unit 71 unwinds the wire 74, the up / down slider 62 lowers and the mounting plate 61 lowers.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40, the loading arm 50, and the lifting mechanism 70 of the wafer loading mechanism 100 are connected to the control unit 110 and operate according to commands from the control unit 110. The control unit 110 includes a CPU 111, which is a processor that performs information processing, and a memory 112 that stores control programs and control data. The operation of the control unit 110 is realized by the CPU 111 executing a program stored in the memory 112. In addition, the clamper drive unit 34A of the wafer holder 30 operates according to commands from the wafer holder control unit 210. The wafer holder control unit 210 includes a CPU 211, which is a processor that performs information processing, and a memory 212 that stores control programs and control data. The operation of the wafer holder control unit 210 is realized by the CPU 211 executing a program stored in the memory 212.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the containment container 80 comprises a casing 81 and a lid 82, and houses a plurality of wafer transporters 90 inside. The casing 81 is roughly rectangular in shape and has an opening 85 on one side for inserting and removing the wafer transporters 90. The lid 82 closes the opening 85. The lid 82 has two holes 83 into which the tips of the shafts 44 of the suction arms 41 fit. As shown in Figure 1, the containment container 80 is placed on the mounting plate 61 of the load port 60 such that the lid 82 faces the rear of the wafer holding device 200.

[0034] Next, the operation of the wafer holding device 200 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 15. As shown in Figure 1, a storage container 80 is placed on the load port 60 of the wafer holding device 200, and the lid 82 of the storage container 80 faces the rear of the wafer holding device 200. In this case, the storage container 80 is located in front of the frame 10. In addition, multiple wafer transporters 90 are housed inside the storage container 80.

[0035] In step S101 of Figure 7, as shown in Figure 1, the control unit 110 of the wafer loading mechanism 100 adjusts the height of the load port 60 to a first position using the lifting mechanism 70 so that the containment container 80 placed on the load port 60 faces the lid attachment / detachment unit 40. More specifically, the control unit 110 uses the lifting mechanism 70 to adjust the height of the load port 60 to a position where the position of the hole 83 in the lid 82 of the containment container 80 and the height of the shaft 44 of the suction arm 41 are at the same height.

[0036] Once the height of the load port 60 has been adjusted, the control unit 110 proceeds to step S102 in Figure 7, and as shown in Figure 8, the drive motor 42 of the suction arm 41 moves the shaft 44 forward, causing the suction pad 43 to advance toward the lid 82. Then, the front end of the shaft 44 enters the hole 83, and the suction pad 43 is pressed against the surface of the lid 82 to hold the lid 82 in place by suction.

[0037] Next, the control unit 110, as shown in step S103 of Figure 7 and Figure 9, uses the drive motor 42 to retract the shaft 44 and remove the cover 82 from the casing 81. Once the cover 82 is removed, the opening 85 is revealed.

[0038] Next, in step S104 of Figure 7, the control unit 110 uses the drive motor 42 to further retract the shaft 44, pulling the lid 82 into the front of the frame 10 below the wafer holder 30 for storage.

[0039] Next, as shown in step S105 of Figure 7 and Figure 10, the control unit 110 uses the lifting mechanism 70 to raise the load port 60 to a second position so that the opening 85 of the containment container 80, which is placed on the load port 60, faces the loading arm 50. More specifically, the control unit 110 uses the lifting mechanism 70 to adjust the height of the load port 60 to a position where the height of the wafer transport body 90 contained in the containment container 80 is the same as the height of the opening and closing claws 53 of the loading arm 50.

[0040] Next, as shown in step S106 of Figure 7 and Figure 11, the control unit 110 uses the arm drive motor 55 to advance the slide arm 52 to the front of the frame 10 so that the ring 93 of the wafer transport body 90 enters the opening / closing claw 53. Then, the control unit 110 uses the claw drive unit 54 to drive the opening / closing claw 53 to grip the ring 93 of the wafer transport body 90.

[0041] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the control unit 110 uses the arm drive motor 55 to slide the slide arm 52 backward, pulling the wafer transport body 90 out of the storage container 80 towards the rear. Then, as shown in Figure 13, the control unit 110 holds the ring 93 of the wafer transport body 90 in the slit 35 of the clamper 34. Once the wafer transport body 90 has been transported to a predetermined position, the control unit 110 outputs a signal to the wafer holder control unit 210 indicating that the loading of the wafer transport body 90 has been completed.

[0042] When the wafer holder control unit 210 receives the above signal, it lowers the clamper 34 as shown in step S107 of Figure 7 and Figure 14. When the clamper 34 has lowered to a predetermined height, the wafer sheet 92 is pressed against the upper end of the expand ring 33, as shown in Figure 15, and the wafer transporter 90 is fixed to the expand ring 33.

[0043] Subsequently, a pickup control unit (not shown) pushes up the semiconductor chip 95 with a push-up unit 38 and picks up the semiconductor chip 95 with a collet (not shown). The semiconductor chip 95 is transported to a flip-chip module by a transport device (not shown). Once all the semiconductor chips 95 have been picked up from the wafer transporter 90, the wafer holder control unit 210 raises the clamper 34 to a predetermined height. Then, the control unit 110 of the wafer loading mechanism 100 returns the picked-up wafer transporter 90 to the storage container 80 with the loading arm 50 and adjusts the height of the load port 60 to the height of the next wafer transporter 90 with the lifting mechanism 70. Then, the control unit 110 loads the next wafer transporter 90 into the wafer holder 30 with the loading arm 50.

[0044] Then, once all semiconductor chips 95 have been picked up from the wafer transporters 90, the wafer loading mechanism 100 lowers the load port 60 back to its original first position using the lifting mechanism 70, extends the suction arm 41 of the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 into the container 80, and attaches the lid 82 to the opening 85. The container 80 with the lid 82 attached is sent to the next process, and a new container 80 is placed on the load port 60.

[0045] The wafer holding device 200 described above has a simple configuration and can load a wafer transporter 90, which is housed in a container 80 with a lid 82, into the wafer holder 30. Furthermore, since the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is located below the wafer holder 30, the wafer holding device 200 can be made compact.

[0046] Furthermore, since the wafer holding device 200 attaches and detaches the lid 82 by moving the suction arm 41 back and forth in the front-to-back direction without moving the storage container 80 in the front-to-back direction, the wafer loading mechanism 100 can be made simpler in configuration. In addition, since the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 pulls the lid 82 under the wafer holder 30 for storage, the wafer holding device 200 can be made smaller.

[0047] In the above description, the wafer 91 is described as being housed in the storage container 80 as a wafer transporter 90 and handled by the loading arm 50, but this is not limited to this. For example, an undiced wafer 91 may be housed in the storage container 80 and the undiced wafer 91 may be handled by the loading arm 50.

[0048] Furthermore, although the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 has been described as removing the lid 82 by moving the suction arm 41 located inside it back and forth against the container 80, it is not limited to this. For example, the lid 82 may be attached or detached by engaging an engaging claw or the like with the lid 82.

[0049] Furthermore, although the lifting mechanism 70 was described as moving the load port 60 vertically by winding up the wire 74 with the drive unit 71, it is not limited to this. For example, the vertical slider 62 may be driven vertically by rotating a screw with a motor.

[0050] Next, another embodiment of the wafer holding device 400 will be described with reference to Figure 16. Parts identical to those of the wafer holding device 200 described earlier with reference to Figures 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The wafer holding device 400 includes a wafer loading mechanism 300.

[0051] As shown in Figure 16, the wafer loading mechanism 300 has a lid attachment / detachment unit 40 positioned above the loading arm 50.

[0052] As shown in Figure 16, the frame 10 of the wafer holder 400 has a frame 16A in front of the frame 10, above the upper beam 21. The lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is mounted on this frame 16A. Thus, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is mounted in front of the upper part of the frame 10.

[0053] Next, the operation of the wafer loading mechanism 300 will be described with reference to Figure 17. Operations identical to those of the wafer loading mechanism 100, which were described earlier with reference to Figure 7, will be briefly explained using the same reference numerals.

[0054] In the wafer loading mechanism 300, in the initial state, the height of the load port 60 is slightly higher than the upper beam 21 of the frame 10. The storage container 80 is placed on the mounting plate 61 of the load port 60 from above the wafer holding device 400. In this case, for example, the storage container 80 may be transported by an overhead transport device located on the ceiling of the building where the wafer holding device 400 is installed and placed on the mounting plate 61.

[0055] As shown in step S101 of Figure 17, the control unit 110 adjusts the height of the load port 60 using the lifting mechanism 70 so that the storage container 80 faces the lid attachment / detachment unit 40. Then, as shown in steps S102 and S103 of Figure 17, the control unit 110 removes the lid 82 with the suction arm 41, and as shown in step S204 of Figure 17, pulls the suction-held lid 82 above the loading arm 50 or on top of the frame 10 for storage.

[0056] As shown in step S205 of Figure 17, the control unit 110 lowers the load port 60 using the lifting mechanism 70 so that the storage container 80 faces the loading arm 50. Then, as shown in steps S106 and S107 of Figure 17, the wafer transporter 90 is removed from the storage container 80 and the ring 93 is held by the clamper 34. After that, the clamper 34 is lowered to press the wafer sheet 92 against the expand ring 33, fixing the wafer transporter 90 to the expand ring 33.

[0057] As explained earlier, once the semiconductor chip 95 is picked up from the wafer transporter 90, the wafer loading mechanism 300 raises the load port 60 back to its original first position using the lifting mechanism 70, extends the suction arm 41 of the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 into the container 80, and attaches the lid 82 to the opening 85. The container 80 with the lid 82 attached is sent to the next process, and a new container 80 is placed on the load port 60.

[0058] The wafer holding device 400 described above, like the wafer holding device 200, has a simple configuration and can load the wafer transport body 90, which is housed in a container 80 with a lid 82, into the wafer holder 30. Furthermore, since the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 is positioned above the loading arm 50, the wafer holding device 400 can be made more compact.

[0059] In the above description, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 was described as being mounted on a frame 10 provided on the upper part of the upper beam 21. However, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 may be mounted on the upper part inside the frame 10, as long as it is positioned above the loading arm 50. For example, the lid attachment / detachment unit 40 may be mounted on the lower side of the upper beam 21. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10 Frame, 11, 31 Base, 12 Front Column, 13 Rear Column, 14 Middle Column, 15 Lower Post, 16 Lower Beam, 16A Bracket, 17 Middle Beam, 18, 19 Upper Post, 20 Upper Beam, 21 Upper Beam, 22, 23 Crossbeam, 24 Middle Crossbeam, 30 Wafer Holder, 31A Bracket, 32, 81 Casing, 33 Expanding Ring, 34 Clamper, 34A Clamper Drive Unit, 35 Slit, 38 Push-Up Unit, 40 Lid Attachment / Detachment Unit, 41 Suction Arm, 42 Drive Motor, 43 Suction Pad, 44 Shaft, 50 Loading Arm, 51 Guide Rail, 52 Slide Arm, 53 Opening / Closing Claw, 54 Claw Drive Unit, 55 Arm Drive Motor, 60 Load Port, 61 Mounting Plate, 62 Up / Down Slider, 63 70 Connecting member, 70 Lifting mechanism, 71 Drive unit, 72, 73 Pulley, 74 Wire, 80 Storage container, 82 Lid, 83 Hole, 85 Opening, 90 Wafer transporter, 91 Wafer, 92 Wafer sheet, 93 Ring, 95 Semiconductor chip, 100, 300 Wafer loading mechanism, 110 Control unit, 111, 211 CPU, 112, 212 Memory, 200, 400 Wafer holding device, 210 Wafer holder control unit.

Claims

1. Wafer holder and, A wafer holding device comprising a wafer loading mechanism for loading wafers from a storage container for wafers into a wafer holder, The wafer loading mechanism is as follows: A loading arm positioned above the wafer holder is used to load the wafer from the storage container into the wafer holder. A lid attachment / detachment unit is positioned below the wafer holder or above the loading arm, and is used to attach and detach a lid that closes the opening of the storage container through which the wafers are inserted and removed. A load port is positioned in front of the wafer holder, on which the storage container is placed on its upper surface, The storage container is provided with a lifting mechanism that moves the load port vertically between a first position where the storage container faces the lid attachment / detachment unit and a second position where the storage container faces the loading arm. A wafer holding device characterized by the following.

2. A wafer holding device according to claim 1, The frame includes the wafer holder and the wafer loading mechanism, The wafer holder is mounted inside the frame, The load port is mounted at the front of the frame and supports the container at the front of the frame, The loading arm is mounted inside the frame above the wafer holder and loads the wafer into the wafer holder from the front of the frame. The lid attachment / detachment unit is mounted below the wafer holder and in the front of the inside of the frame, or above the loading arm and in the front of the upper part of the frame. A wafer holding device characterized by the following.

3. A wafer holding device according to claim 1 or 2, The lid attachment / detachment unit includes a suction arm that moves forward and backward toward the container and holds the lid by suction, The suction arm stores the lid it holds by suction below the wafer holder or above the loading arm. A wafer holding device characterized by the following.

4. A wafer holding device according to claim 1 or 2, The wafer loading mechanism is as follows: The control unit includes the lid attachment / detachment unit, the loading arm, and the lifting mechanism, and controls the operation of the lid attachment / detachment unit, The control unit, The height of the load port is adjusted to the first position by the lifting mechanism, After adjusting the height of the load port, the lid is removed using the lid removal unit. After removing the cover, the lifting mechanism raises or lowers the load port to the second position. The system is configured such that, after the load port is raised or lowered, the wafer is removed from the storage container by the loading arm and placed on the wafer holder. A wafer holding device characterized by the following.

5. A wafer holding device according to claim 4, The lid attachment / detachment unit includes a suction arm that moves forward and backward toward the container and holds the lid by suction, The control unit controls the movement of the suction arm, The suction arm is extended toward the containment container to hold the lid by suction, the suction arm is retracted from the containment container to remove the lid, and the held lid is pulled in below the wafer holder or above the loading arm for storage. A wafer holding device characterized by the following.

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