Load port for correcting mounting position of FOUP and method for correcting mounting position of foup

Abstract

The present invention relates to a load port for correcting a mounting position of a FOUP and a method for correcting a mounting position of a FOUP, the load port comprising: a base member having a door; a frame member provided in a direction perpendicular to the base member; a mounting part which is provided on the frame member and on which the FOUP is mounted; a first sensing member which is provided on the frame member and senses a mounting state of the FOUP; a second sensing member which is provided in front of the frame member and senses an obstacle approaching the frame member; a moving member for moving the mounting part forward and backward; a rotating member for rotating the mounting part; and a control module for controlling driving of the moving member and the rotating member according to mounting state information of the FOUP sensed by the first sensing member and obstacle information sensed by the second sensing member, thereby correcting a mounting position of the FOUP to a normal mounting position.

Description

Load port for FOUP seating position correction and FOUP seating position correction method

[0001] The present invention relates to a load port and a method for correcting the seating position of a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) that is transported from an Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) or an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) as a wafer receiving container in a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage, and more specifically, to a load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP and a method for correcting the seating position of a FOUP that detects normal seating and / or abnormal seating of a FOUP at a load port of a system that measures wafer defects at high speed using a twin stage, and corrects the position of an abnormally seated FOUP to process it as a normally seated FOUP.

[0002] Generally, semiconductor devices are manufactured by performing various unit processes on a silicon wafer used as a semiconductor wafer to form an electrical circuit containing electrical components on the silicon wafer. That is, the manufacturing process of a semiconductor chip requires many surface treatment or inspection processes, and in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, a number of dedicated processing devices are arranged to perform various surface treatments or inspections on the wafer surface, and the semiconductor wafer is placed in a load port via an OHT while being contained in a sealed container called a FOUP between each processing device.

[0003] The above load port can form a substrate transport system together with a transport means, a transport room, and an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), which is a transport device.

[0004] The above EFEM can receive a FOUP transported by an inter-process transport device called an OHT or AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), and then retrieve a wafer from inside the FOUP and return it to a processing device.

[0005] In the above EFEM, the load port can operate as an opening and closing device for loading FOUPs and opening and closing the FOUP cover, and the wafer that has finished processing by the processing device is returned to a different FOUP from the FOUP that contained the wafer before processing. After processing is finished, when the number of wafers returned from the processing device reaches a predetermined number, the FOUP cover is closed and the FOUP is transported to the next process by an OHT or AGV.

[0006] The above-mentioned FOUP is loaded into the load port with the cover installed on the side and the door installed in the load port to open and close the cover facing forward; however, there are cases where the container is not loaded in that direction. That is, since the OHT and corresponding equipment are aligned during the semiconductor factory layout design, it is not common for the FOUP cover direction to be loaded in the opposite direction; however, if equipment is added to empty spaces after the factory is completed, the FOUP cover direction may be loaded in the opposite direction. For example, if the stocker storing the FOUP within the factory is not equipped with a rotation mechanism to rotate the FOUP, the FOUP may be loaded into the load port in a direction opposite to the usual one. In such cases, the FOUP must be rotated so that the cover faces the door forward. Additionally, there may be cases where the FOUP is rotated according to the transport path to the processing unit.

[0007] An example of such technology is disclosed in the following patent documents 1 to 3, etc.

[0008] For example, Patent Document 1 (Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-0880462, registered on January 19, 2009) discloses an inspection device comprising a prober chamber for performing inspection of a workpiece and a loader chamber arranged along the side of the prober chamber, wherein the loader chamber is equipped with a cassette for accommodating a plurality of workpieces and also comprises two load ports spaced apart from each other along the side of the prober chamber and a conveying mechanism arranged between these load ports and conveying the workpiece between these load ports and the prober chamber, wherein each load port is arranged along a conveying path in which an automatic conveying device that loads the cassette onto each load port or receives it from the load port moves.

[0009] In addition, Patent Document 2 (Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1654247, registered on August 30, 2016) discloses a processing device having a loader chamber disposed on the side of a processing chamber, wherein the loader chamber is equipped with a cassette for storing a plurality of works to be processed and also has two load ports disposed spaced apart from each other along the side, a conveying device disposed between these load ports and also conveying the works to be processed between these load ports and the processing chamber, and a positioning mechanism provided below at least one of the two load ports and also performing positioning of the works to be processed, wherein the load port has a direction changing mechanism for changing the direction of the cassette and an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the cover of the cassette facing the conveying device through the direction changing mechanism.

[0010] Meanwhile, Patent Document 3 (Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2414029, registered on June 23, 2022) discloses a substrate transport system comprising a loading section in which a container for receiving a substrate is loaded, a load port for transferring the container between the loading section and a transport means for transporting the container when the loading section travels along a pre-installed track and is in a transfer position where the container can be transferred between the loading section and the transport means, a base having a door that is installed in an upright position and has a door, a door section installed on the base and opening and closing the door, a frame that supports the loading section and is installed protruding forward from the base in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the base, a rotation mechanism for rotating the loading section around a vertical axis, a moving mechanism configured to allow at least one of the door section and the loading section to move away from the other, and a control section.

[0011] Patent Document 1, as described above, discloses two load ports and a conveying mechanism positioned between these load ports so as to realize space saving and increase inspection efficiency, and Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a turntable rotates 90° forward and reverse through a rotary drive mechanism and the cassette's loading / unloading port faces the prober room side and the wafer conveying device side, but the problem of the FOUP's cover direction being loaded in the opposite direction is not disclosed.

[0012] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned patent document 3 discloses a load port equipped with a rotating mechanism for rotating a container that accommodates a substrate, but does not disclose a configuration for detecting normal seating and / or abnormal seating of a FOUP in the load port.

[0013] The objective of the present invention is to solve the problems described above by providing a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and a method for correcting the FOUP seating position, which detect normal seating and / or abnormal seating of a FOUP at a load port and correct the FOUP to a normal seating position when the FOUP is abnormally seated.

[0014] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and a method for correcting the FOUP seating position that can prevent damage to the load port by preventing simultaneous rotation of adjacent first load port and second load port.

[0015] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and a method for correcting the FOUP seating position that can utilize leftover space within the FAB and secure flexibility in the equipment seating direction.

[0016] To achieve the above objective, the load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP according to the present invention is a load port capable of correcting the seating position of a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) transported from an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) or AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) in a system for measuring wafer defects at high speed using a twin stage, and is characterized by comprising: a base member having a door; a frame member provided in a direction orthogonal to the base member; a seating portion provided on the frame member on which the FOUP is seated; a first sensing member provided on the frame member and detecting the seating state of the FOUP; a second sensing member provided in front of the frame member and detecting an obstacle approaching the frame member; a moving member that moves the seating portion forward and backward; a rotating member that rotates the seating portion; and a control module that controls the driving of the moving member and the rotating member according to the seating state information of the FOUP detected by the first sensing member and the obstacle information detected by the second sensing member.

[0017] In addition, the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention further includes a third sensing member for detecting the movement and rotation state of the FOUP, the load port includes a first load port and a second load port, and the control module drives a rotation member of the first load port or the second load port according to the sensing information from the third sensing member.

[0018] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the FOUP is provided with a barcode, the first sensing member includes a barcode reader, and the control module determines the seating state of the FOUP according to the barcode information recognized by the barcode reader.

[0019] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the first sensing member includes a camera, and the control module determines the seating state of the FOUP based on an image of the FOUP captured by the camera.

[0020] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the second sensing member is mounted along the longitudinal direction on a protective member provided on both sides of the first load port and the second load port, and is characterized by being formed as a light curtain.

[0021] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the third sensing member is provided as a receiving and emitting light sensor at a first position and a second position inside the protective member, respectively, and the control module drives the rotating member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

[0022] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the third sensing member is configured as a sensor that detects the seating position of the first FOUP and the second FOUP by being respectively placed on the forward and backward transfer paths of the first FOUP and the second FOUP at the first position and the second position, and the control module is characterized by driving the rotation member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

[0023] In addition, in the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the control module controls the first FOUP to rotate after confirming that the second FOUP is located at the first position when the first FOUP is rotated at the second position, and the control module controls the second FOUP to rotate after confirming that the first FOUP is located at the first position when the second FOUP is rotated at the second position.

[0024] In addition, to achieve the above objective, the FOUP mounting position correction method according to the present invention is a method for correcting the mounting position of a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) that is transported from an Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) or an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) and mounted on a load port in a system for measuring wafer defects at high speed using a twin stage, comprising: (a) detecting the mounting position of the FOUP mounted on a mounting portion provided on a frame member by the OHT or AGV using a first sensing member; (b) if the mounting position of the FOUP detected in step (a) is an abnormal position, driving a rotating member to rotate the FOUP so that the front of the FOUP faces the door of a base member; (c) after the rotation of the FOUP in step (b), driving a moving member to move the FOUP forward toward the door and opening the door to process the wafer contained in the FOUP; and (d) if the processing of the wafer in step (c) is completed, closing the door and moving The method is characterized by including the steps of: driving a member to retract the FOUP; (e) driving a rotating member to rotate the FOUP so that the rear surface of the FOUP retracted in step (d) faces the door of the base member; and (f) pulling out the FOUP rotated in step (e) by the OHT or AGV.

[0025] In addition, in the FOUP mounting position correction method according to the present invention, the detection in step (a) is characterized by being performed by a barcode reader or a camera.

[0026] In addition, in the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the position of the FOUP is detected by a receiving and emitting light sensor provided at a first position and a second position, respectively, inside a protective member, and the rotation in step (b) or (e) is performed only at the second position.

[0027] In addition, in the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the positions of the first FOUP and the second FOUP of the FOUP are detected by a third sensing member, and the third sensing member is composed of a sensor that detects the seating position of the first FOUP and the second FOUP by being respectively placed on the forward and backward transfer path of the first FOUP and the second FOUP at the first position and the second position, and the control module is characterized by driving the rotation member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

[0028] In addition, in the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the control module controls the first FOUP to rotate after confirming that the second FOUP is located at the first position when the first FOUP is rotated at the second position, and the control module controls the second FOUP to rotate after confirming that the first FOUP is located at the first position when the second FOUP is rotated at the second position.

[0029] As described above, according to the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, by providing a first sensing member that detects the seating state of the FOUP, the normal seating and / or abnormal seating of the FOUP is detected, and the seating position of the FOUP can be corrected to a normal seating position.

[0030] In addition, according to the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, by adding a rotating member to the load port itself, the leftover space within the FAB can be utilized and the flexibility of the equipment seating direction can be secured.

[0031] In addition, according to the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, a third sensing member is provided to detect the movement and rotation state of the FOUP, thereby preventing simultaneous rotation of adjacent first load port and second load port.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage applied to the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first wafer defect measuring device and a second wafer defect measuring device as a twin stage applied to the present invention,

[0034] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a first wafer defect measuring device and a second wafer defect measuring device as a twin stage applied to the present invention,

[0035] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the first wafer defect measuring device shown in FIG. 2,

[0036] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the first wafer defect measuring device shown in FIG. 2,

[0037] FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a high-speed wafer defect measurement system using a twin stage with a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the control relationship in a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the first sensing member illustrated in FIG. 7,

[0041] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing the normal seating and abnormal seating states of a FOUP.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a second sensing member illustrated in FIG. 6,

[0043] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of a rotating member applied to the present invention,

[0044] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the process of correcting the seating position of a FOUP according to the present invention,

[0045] FIGS. 14 to 23 are drawings for explaining the movement process of a FOUP in a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention.

[0046] The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the description in this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0047] In the description of the invention, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0048] Additionally, the terms “part,” “module,” or “part” used herein may perform at least one function or operation and may be implemented as hardware or software consisting of mechanical or electrical / electronic configurations, or as a combination of hardware and software; and, excluding the “part,” “module,” or “part” that need to be implemented in specific hardware, the plurality of “parts,” “modules,” or “parts” may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by at least one processor.

[0049] Additionally, as used herein, "left-right direction and front-back direction" refers to the X-axis and Y-axis directions as directions parallel to the surface on which the wafer applied to the present invention is mounted, and "up-down direction" refers to the Z-axis direction as a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction formed by the X-axis and Y-axis; as used herein, "wafer defect" may include defects such as cracks, defects, or damage in the edge region of the wafer, defects on the surface of the wafer, etc., and "wafer defect measurement" may include inspection of the wafer edge region, detection of the wafer surface and detection of defect depth, measurement of the type of defect, size of the defect, depth of the defect, and defect image.

[0050] Meanwhile, due to the characteristics of semiconductor equipment, it is important to have a small foot print. When converting a single device into a twin device, at least 1.5 times the space is basically required, but in the present invention, by optimizing the unit shape and arrangement, a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage could be applied with approximately 1.16 times the space.

[0051] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each component shown in the description and drawings of the present invention are depicted arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, and therefore the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is illustrated.

[0052] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0053] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage applied to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first wafer defect measurement device and a second wafer defect measurement device as a twin stage applied to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a first wafer defect measurement device and a second wafer defect measurement device as a twin stage applied to the present invention.

[0054] The high-speed wafer defect measurement system (10) illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may include a first wafer defect measurement device (200) and a second wafer defect measurement device (200'), a wafer load port provided for inspection and storage of wafers, a wafer transfer module (300) for transferring a wafer (W) of the wafer load module with a single robot arm, a wafer edge area inspection module (400) for inspecting the edge area of ​​the wafer (W) transferred by the single robot arm, and a control device for controlling the operation of each device and module of the high-speed wafer defect measurement system.

[0055] Accordingly, the high-speed wafer defect measurement system described above can sequentially perform inspection of the edge region of the wafer (W), detection of the wafer surface and detection of the defect depth, and measurement of the type of defect, size of the defect, depth of the defect, and defect image.

[0056] The first wafer defect measuring device (200) and the second wafer defect measuring device (200'), the wafer load port, and the wafer edge area inspection module (400) may be located within the stroke area of ​​a single robot arm of the wafer transfer module (300). That is, the main body of the wafer transfer module (300) is fixed within the system, and the single robot arm provided on the main body may be movable up and down on the main body and may be movable left, right, forward, and backward within the stroke area.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first wafer defect measuring device (200) and the second wafer defect measuring device (200') can simultaneously or sequentially measure defects in the first wafer (1) and the second wafer (1') as substrates transported by a single robot arm.

[0058] Meanwhile, the expressions ‘first’ and ‘second’ may be used for the respective identical components of the first wafer defect measuring device (200) and the second wafer defect measuring device (200’). That is, the first wafer defect measuring device (200) may include a first main body (201) and a first gantry (202) as a structure for installing a measuring device such as a camera on the first main body (201), and the second wafer defect measuring device (200’) may include a second main body (201’) and a second gantry (202’) as a structure on the second main body (201’).

[0059] Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first wafer defect measuring device (200) may include a first surface detection module (210) for detecting the surface condition of the first wafer (1) and a first defect depth detection module (220) for detecting the defect depth of the first wafer (1), and the second wafer defect measuring device (200') may include a second surface detection module (210') for detecting the surface condition of the second wafer (1') and a second defect depth detection module (220') for detecting the defect depth of the second wafer (1').

[0060] The first body (201) and the second body (201') may be provided with, for example, an aluminum plate and may be provided to be in contact with each other on the same plane as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. That is, the first body (201) and the second body (201') may be provided as twin stages.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first gantry (202) and the second gantry (202') are provided in the shape of first and second support plates on each of the respective sides of the first main body (201) and the second main body (201'), and can be formed as an upper plate connecting the upper portions of the first and second support plates. That is, the first gantry (202) and the second gantry (202') can be provided in a roughly "C" shape when viewed in a planar view from above.

[0062] A square-shaped first line camera bracket (203) is coupled to the interior of the upper plate of the first gantry (202), and a first Z-axis drive camera bracket (204) is coupled to the side of the first line camera bracket (203). A first surface detection module (210) for detecting the surface condition of the first wafer (1) is mounted inside the first line camera bracket (203), and a first defect depth detection module (220) for detecting the defect depth of the first wafer (1) can be mounted on the first Z-axis drive camera bracket (204).

[0063] Additionally, a square-shaped bracket (203') for a second line camera is coupled to the interior of the upper plate of the second gantry (202'), and a bracket (204') for a second Z-axis drive camera is coupled to the side of the bracket (203') for the second line camera. A second surface detection module (210') for detecting the surface condition of the second wafer (1') is mounted inside the bracket (203') for the second line camera, and a second defect depth detection module (220') for detecting the defect depth of the second wafer (1') can be mounted on the bracket (204') for the second Z-axis drive camera. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first gantry (202) and the second gantry (202') can be arranged to be in contact with each other.

[0064] As described above, in a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage to which the present invention is applied, a surface detection module (110, 110') for detecting the surface condition of a wafer (W, 1, 1') and a defect depth detection module (220, 220') for detecting the defect depth of a wafer (1, 1') are arranged parallel to each other along the X-axis as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thereby enabling the reduction of the footprint, which is the space occupied by the equipment of the twin stage.

[0065] The specific structures of the first wafer defect measuring device (200) and the second wafer defect measuring device (200') described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the first wafer defect measuring device shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the first wafer defect measuring device shown in FIG. 2.

[0067] In addition, since the first wafer defect measuring device (200) and the second wafer defect measuring device (200') are configured identically, for the convenience of explanation, only the configuration of the first wafer defect measuring device (200) is described, but the same configuration can be applied to the second wafer defect measuring device (200').

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a first gantry (202) in the shape of a 'C' is provided in the first body (201) of the first wafer defect measuring device (200), a first main table (230) movable along the Y-axis is provided on the upper part of the first body (201), and a first sub table (240) movable along the X-axis is provided on the upper part of the first main table (230).

[0069] Additionally, the first sub-table (240) is equipped with a first screen plate (250) formed in a roughly circular shape to block light that may be applied from the outside of the first wafer (1) during inspection of the first wafer (1), and a plurality of first wafer supports (260) that support the first wafer (1) along the periphery of the first screen plate (250) may be equipped.

[0070] On both sides of the first main body (201), a first linear servo (270) and a first LM guide (271) are provided in a structure that supports the first main table (230) inside the space between the first and second support plates of the first gantry (202) so that the first main table (230) can be moved along the Y-axis. That is, the first linear servo (270) is provided to drive the first main table (230) along the Y-axis, and the first LM guide (271) is provided to support the first main table (230) that can be moved along the Y-axis. That is, a first linear servo (270) and a first LM guide (271) are mounted on both sides of the first main body (201), and a first main table (230) is mounted on the upper part of the first linear servo (270) and the first LM guide (271) so as to be movable along the Y-axis, and a second linear servo (270') and a second LM guide (271') are mounted on both sides of the second main body (201'), and a second main table (230') is mounted on the upper part of the second linear servo (270) and the second LM guide (271') so as to be movable along the Y-axis.

[0071] As described above, in a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage applied to the present invention, the first main table (230) is supported by a first linear servo (270) and a first LM guide (271) at the bottom of the first main table (230) so that the first main table (230) can move along the Y-axis inside the first gantry (202), and the second main table (230') is supported by a second linear servo (270') and a second LM guide (271') at the bottom of the second main table (230') so that the second main table (230') can move along the Y-axis inside the second gantry (202'), thereby allowing the size of the first wafer defect measurement device (200) and the second wafer defect measurement device (200') to be reduced.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the first sub-table (40) is configured to be movable along the X-axis by being driven by a first servo actuator (280), and the first servo actuator (280) can be operated by being coupled to a first clean cable carrier (281) which is used as a pneumatic tube and wire passage.

[0073] The first screen plate (250) may be configured to be movable up and down on the first sub-table (240) by means of a first up-down cylinder (290) that can be operated by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, the first screen plate (250) may be configured to be movable up and down inside a plurality of first wafer supports (260) to block light that may be applied from the outside during the inspection process of the first wafer (1). To this end, a cutout for the movement of the first screen plate (250) may be provided inside the plurality of first wafer supports (260).

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of first wafer supports (260) are arranged in a structure with three of them spaced at 120-degree intervals, but are not limited thereto and may be arranged in four or more depending on the type of wafer.

[0075] The first surface detection module (210) is provided for surface inspection to check the size, position, dimensions of the wafer and whether there are microcracks, pinholes, stains (foreign substances), etc. on the surface or back of the wafer, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it may include a first line camera control unit (211), three first line scan cameras (212), a first lens (213) for the line scan cameras, a first line camera illumination unit (214), and a line illumination unit (215) composed of near-infrared (NIR) light.

[0076] That is, the first surface detection module (210) can detect defects such as foreign substances, cracks, scratches, and pinholes present on the surface or inside of the first wafer (1) by using transmitted light that passes through the first wafer (1), for example, infrared light of 1050 nm to 1100 nm, to acquire an image through three first line scan cameras (212) in which imaging elements are arranged in a strip shape, and can inspect the through-hole of the first wafer (1) by irradiating visible light that does not pass through the wafer, for example, visible light in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm, toward the first wafer (1), acquiring an image of the first wafer (1) using a through-hole camera on the other side of the first wafer (1), and determining whether light is transmitted, and can re-determine whether there is a defect by re-acquiring an image of the defect through a review camera at the defect location detected through the first line scan camera (212). In addition, the size of the line lighting unit (215) can be reduced by applying a halogen lamp or an LED lamp to the first surface detection module (210).

[0077] The first defect depth detection module (220) includes a depth detection camera and a first depth measurement lighting unit (221) for detecting the location of a defect (hereinafter referred to as "depth") relative to the thickness of the wafer detected through the first surface detection module (210). The depth detection camera is designed to have a focal depth relatively smaller than the thickness of the wafer, so as to accurately measure defects of size 1㎛ to 3000㎛ present in the wafer. That is, the first defect depth detection module (220) can automatically locate the surface of the wafer (1) and detect the location of the defect on the wafer (1) by taking 30 shots at intervals of 25㎛ in the depth direction, for example.

[0078] As described above, the first surface detection module (210) and the first defect depth detection module (220) of the first wafer defect measuring device (200) applied to the present invention are arranged parallel along the X-axis inside the first gantry (202), and the first defect depth detection module (220) is provided within the width direction area of ​​the first surface detection module (210) behind the first surface detection module (210). Additionally, the second surface detection module (210') and the second defect depth detection module (220') of the second wafer defect measuring device (200') are arranged parallel along the X-axis inside the second gantry (202'), and the second defect depth detection module (220') is provided within the width direction area of ​​the second surface detection module (210') behind the second surface detection module (210'), thereby minimizing the inspection area of ​​the camera inspection.

[0079] Additionally, a first linear servo (270) and a first LM guide (271) are provided inside between the first and second support plates of the first gantry (202), and a second linear servo (270') and a second LM guide (271') are provided inside between the first and second support plates of the second gantry (202'). Since the first linear servo (270) and the first LM guide (271) are mounted on the lower part of the first main table (230) to support the first main table (230), and the second linear servo (270') and the second LM guide (271') are mounted on the lower part of the second main table (230') to support the second main table (230'), the reduction of the footprint can be realized in a high-speed wafer defect measurement system equipped with a twin stage.

[0080] Next, the configuration of the load port according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a high-speed wafer defect measurement system using a twin stage to which a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship in a load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention. Meanwhile, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a state in which the FOUP is abnormally seated.

[0082] The load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention is a load port capable of correcting the seating position of a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) transported from an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) or AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), and is mounted on a high-speed measurement system (10) for wafer defects using a twin stage as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The load port may be provided with a first load port (100) and a second load port (100'), and the FOUP may be provided with a first FOUP (20) and a second FOUP (20'). Meanwhile, the distance between the first load port (100) and the second load port (100') may be provided to be 505 mm or more.

[0083] Additionally, the first load port (100) may be provided as an inspection load port, and the second load port (100') may be provided as a storage load port. That is, the first load port (100) may be equipped with an inspection FOUP on which a plurality of wafers, for example, 25 wafers (W), to be inspected in the high-speed wafer defect measurement system applied to the present invention are mounted, and the second load port (100') may be equipped with a storage FOUP on which a plurality of wafers, for example, 25 wafers, on which the inspection of the wafers (W) has been completed according to the present invention are mounted.

[0084] In addition, the high-speed measurement system (10) for wafer defects using the twin stage described above may include a wafer defect measurement device that processes a substrate such as a wafer as described above, and an EFEM that transmits the substrate between the wafer defect measurement device and the EFEM, and the EFEM may withdraw and transfer a first FOUP (20) and a second FOUP (20') that receive the wafer to a first load port (100) and a second load port (100') by means of an OHT, etc. That is, a wafer to be processed within the system (10) may be received in the first FOUP (20) that is placed in the first load port (100), and a wafer processed within the system (10) may be received in the second FOUP (20') that is placed in the second load port (100').

[0085] As shown in FIG. 6, a protective member (30) may be provided on both sides of the first load port (100) and the second load port (100') to prevent foreign substances and obstacles from approaching the first load port (100) and the second load port (100'). The protective member (30) may be provided in the shape of a partition that is open at the top and fixed to the main body of the system.

[0086] Meanwhile, in the following description, since the first load port (100) and the second load port (100') may be provided with the same structure, for the convenience of explanation, the configuration of the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention is described based on the first load port (100). In addition, the configuration of the FOUP may also be described based on the first FOUP (20).

[0087] Each of the load ports for correcting the seating position of a FOUP according to the present invention comprises, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, a base member (110) having a door (111), a frame member (120) provided in a direction orthogonal to the base member (110), a seating portion (130) provided on the frame member (120) on which the first FOUP (20) is seated, a first sensing member (140) provided on the frame member (120) and detecting the seating state of the first FOUP (20), a second sensing member (150) provided in front of the frame member (120) and detecting an obstacle approaching the frame member (120), a third sensing member (160) detecting the movement and rotation state of the first FOUP (20), a moving member (170) for advancing and retracting the seating portion (130), a rotating member (180) for rotating the seating portion (130), and the first It may include a control module (190) that controls the driving of the moving member (170) and the rotating member (180) according to the seating status information of the first FOUP (20) detected by the sensing member (140), the obstacle information detected by the second sensing member (150), and the detection information from the third sensing member (160).

[0088] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the base member (110) is provided in a roughly rectangular plate shape and can be installed to form the front part of the main body of the high-speed measurement system (10) for wafer defects using a twin stage. Additionally, a rectangular door (111) is formed on the upper side of the base member (110), and the door (111) has a size such that a cover installed on the front (21) of the FOUP (20) can pass through it back and forth. The door (111) can be opened and closed by a door arm and may be equipped with a suction part that adsorbs the cover of the FOUP (30) and a latch key that opens and closes the lock of the cover. That is, the door (111) can be provided to be able to open and close the cover installed on the front (21) of the FOUP (20).

[0089] As shown in FIG. 7, the frame member (120) is installed protruding forward from the base member (110), has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed in a plane, and has an area larger than that of the first FOUP (20). In addition, the frame member (120) may be formed integrally with the base member (110).

[0090] As shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned seating portion (130) is formed in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from a planar perspective and may have an area on which the first FOUP (20) can be stably seated. The above-mentioned seating portion (130) can be moved in the forward and backward directions by the moving member (170) and can be mounted to be rotatable 180 degrees by the rotating member (180).

[0091] Meanwhile, on the surface of the above-mentioned mounting portion (130), a protrusion may be provided that fits into a hole installed on the bottom surface of the FOUP (300) when, for example, the first FOUP (20) is mounted thereon, and at least two such holes and protrusions may be provided. That is, the first FOUP (20) can be fixedly positioned on the mounting portion (130). In addition, a nozzle through hole may be provided in the above-mentioned mounting portion (130) to maintain a clean state inside the first FOUP (20).

[0092] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the first sensing member (140) is provided in front of the frame member (120) so as not to interfere with the rotation of the seating portion (130) and the movement of the moving member (170), and can detect the seating state of the first FOUP (20) seated on the seating portion (130). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the first sensing member (140) shown in FIG. 7.

[0093] The first sensing member (140) may include, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a barcode reader (141), a support member (142) that supports the barcode reader (141) toward the upper part of the frame member (120), a fixing member (143) that fixes the support member (142) to the frame member (120), and a protective member (144) that is mounted on the fixing member (143) and arranged to surround the barcode reader (141).

[0094] The above barcode reader (141) is provided to recognize a unique ID barcode provided on the first FOUP (20). Generally, as shown in FIG. 10, a barcode (23) for recognizing information about the FOUP is provided on the FOUP, and the barcode (23) may be provided on the back side (22) of the FOUP. FIG. 10 is a drawing showing the normal and abnormal seating states of the FOUP.

[0095] Accordingly, by the barcode reader (141) recognizing the barcode (23) provided on the back side (22) of the FOUP, it is possible to recognize whether the FOUP is abnormally seated or normally seated on the seating portion (130). As illustrated in FIG. 10, the abnormal seating of the FOUP described above refers to the case where the back side (22') of the second FOUP (20') is seated toward the door (111) side of the base member (110), and the normal seating of the FOUP refers to the case where the front side (21) of the first FOUP (20) is seated toward the door (111) side of the base member (110).

[0096] The support member (142) supports the barcode reader (141) so that it is maintained at an angle toward the upper part of the frame member (120), as shown in FIG. 9, in order to accurately recognize the barcode provided on the front (21) of the FOUP, and the support angle in the support member (142) can be varied according to the attachment position of the barcode provided on the front (21) of the FOUP.

[0097] As described above, the location information for the barcode of the FOUP recognized by the barcode reader (141) is transmitted to the control module (190), and the control module (190) can control the driving of the moving member (170) and the rotating member (180) according to this barcode location information.

[0098] Meanwhile, although the above description describes a structure in which a barcode is provided on the back side (22) of the FOUP, it is not limited to this and may also be applied to a structure in which a barcode is provided on the front side (21) of the FOUP. Additionally, although the above description describes a structure in which a barcode reader (141) recognizes a barcode provided on the FOUP, a structure may be applied in which a camera is installed instead of a barcode reader (141), the camera photographs the front side (21) or back side (22) of the FOUP (20), and the control module (190) determines whether the FOUP is properly seated or abnormally seated by comparing the front side (21) or back side (22) of the FOUP (20) with a pre-set cover part of the FOUP (20) according to the image of the FOUP photographed by the camera.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 6 and FIGS. 11, the second sensing member (150) is mounted along the longitudinal direction on a protective member (30) provided on both sides of the first load port (100) and the second load port (100'), and can detect intrusion of a worker or other structure into the load port area. FIGS. 11 is a drawing showing an example of the second sensing member (150) shown in FIGS. 6.

[0100] The second sensing member (150) may be formed as a light curtain, each provided on the inner side of a protective member (30) that is provided in a partition shape as shown in FIG. 11. When an intrusion by a worker or other structure is detected by the second sensing member (150), the sensing information is transmitted to the control module (190), and the control module (190) may stop the operation of the moving member (170) and the rotating member (180) according to this sensing information.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the third sensing member (160) may be provided as a receiving and emitting sensor at a first position and a second position, respectively, inside a protective member (30) provided in a partition shape. That is, the third sensing member (160) is provided to prevent the first FOUP (20) and the second FOUP (20') from moving and rotating simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 10, the first position may be provided close to the base member (110), and the second position may be provided at a position where the FOUP is moved by the moving member (170).

[0102] Meanwhile, although the above description shows the third sensing member (160) as having a structure provided as a light-emitting sensor inside the protective member (30), it is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 10, it may be configured as a sensor that detects the forward and backward seating positions of the first FOUP (20) and the second FOUP (20') by being placed on the forward and backward transfer paths of the first FOUP (20) and the second FOUP (20') respectively at the first and second positions. That is, the third sensing member (160) may be provided as a position sensing sensor instead of a light-emitting sensor.

[0103] Information regarding the first position and the second position confirmed by the third sensing member (160) is also transmitted to the control module (190), and the control module (190) can stop the operation of the moving member (170) and the rotating member (180) according to this position information. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the third sensing member (160) is composed of a sensor that detects the seating position of the first FOUP (20) and the second FOUP (20') by being placed on the forward and backward transfer path of the first FOUP (20) and the second FOUP (20') at the first position and the second position, respectively, and the control module (190) can control the operation of the rotating member (180) of the first load port (100) or the second load port (100') only at the second position. For example, the control module (190) can rotate the first FOUP (20) after confirming that the second FOUP (20') is located at the first position when the first FOUP (20) is rotated at the second position shown in FIG. 10, and the control module (190) can control the second FOUP (20') to rotate the second FOUP after confirming that the first FOUP (20) is located at the first position when the second FOUP (20') is rotated at the second position.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 7, the moving member (170) is formed in a roughly rectangular shape on the frame member (120) and may have an area on which the seating portion (130) can be stably mounted. Additionally, guide rails may be formed on the lower sides of the moving member (170) to allow movement in the forward and backward directions, and guide grooves corresponding to the guide rails may be provided in the frame member (120).

[0105] Meanwhile, the moving member (170) may be moved by a ball screw member. The ball screw member may be provided between guide rails formed on the lower part of the moving member (170) to enable the moving member (170) to move in the forward and backward directions, and may include a motor, a ball screw shaft driven by the motor, a motor bracket fixed to the upper part of the frame member (120) and provided at one end of the ball screw shaft, an end bracket fixed to the upper part of the frame member (120) and provided at the other end of the ball screw shaft to support the ball screw shaft, and a nut bracket coupled to the lower part of the moving member (170) and screw-coupled to the ball screw shaft.

[0106] Accordingly, the moving member (170) can be mounted so as to be movable in the forward and backward directions on the frame member (120) by the forward and reverse rotation of the ball screw member as described above.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating member (180) can be mounted on the moving member (170) and coupled to the lower part of the approximately central portion of the seating portion (130). As the rotating member (180), a pneumatic rotary cylinder as shown in FIG. 12 can be applied. FIG. 12 is a drawing showing an example of a rotating member applied to the present invention. That is, the rotating member (180) is coupled between the seating portion (130) and the moving member (170), and the FOUP can be rotated by the rotating member (180) rotating the seating portion (130).

[0108] The control module (190) may include a microprocessor and a memory member, and may be connected wirelessly or via wired connection to the first sensing member (140), the second sensing member (150), the third sensing member (160), the moving member (170), and the rotating member (180), and may control the driving of the moving member (170) and the rotating member (180) according to the sensing information from the first sensing member (140), the second sensing member (150), and the third sensing member (160).

[0109] Next, a method for correcting the seating position of a FOUP in a load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP as described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 13 to 23.

[0110] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the process of correcting the seating position of a FOUP according to the present invention, and FIGS. 14 to 23 are drawings for explaining the process of moving a FOUP in a load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP according to the present invention. In addition, in the following description, a structure in which a barcode is provided on the back surface (22) of a FOUP and recognized by a barcode reader (141) is applied, but is not limited thereto.

[0111] First, the first FOUP (20), which is transported from an OHT or AGV and seated in a load port as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 14, is detected by the first sensing member (140) at the seating portion (130) provided in the frame member (120) (S10). Meanwhile, the second sensing member (150), as shown in FIG. 11, can detect the intrusion of a worker or other structure into the load port area from the process of step S10.

[0112] In step S10 above, when a state as shown in FIG. 14, that is, when a barcode (23) for recognizing information about the first FOUP (20) is recognized by the first sensing member (140), the control module (190) determines that the first FOUP (20) is in a normal position (S20), and drives the moving member (170) so that the front (21) of the first FOUP (20) moves forward toward the door (111) of the base member (110) as shown in FIG. 15, and controls the door (111) to open (S30).

[0113] Next, the wafer stored in the first FOUP (20) is withdrawn and a predetermined processing is performed in the high-speed wafer defect measurement system (10) using a twin stage (S40), and the wafer processed in the high-speed wafer defect measurement system (10) using a twin stage is stored in the first FOUP (20). When the processing of the wafer is completed in step S40, the door (111) is closed and the first FOUP (20) is retracted using the moving member (170), as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16 (S50).

[0114] The first FOUP (20) that was retracted in step S50 can be withdrawn by an OHT or AGV, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 17, and proceed to the next process (S110).

[0115] Meanwhile, in step S20 above, as shown in FIG. 18, if the barcode (23) provided on the back of the first FOUP (20) is not recognized by the first sensing member (140), the control module (190) determines that the first FOUP (20) is in an abnormal position and drives the rotating member (180) so that the front (21) of the first FOUP (20) rotates toward the door (111) of the base member (110) as shown in FIG. 19 (S60).

[0116] Next, as shown in FIG. 20, the moving member (170) is driven so that the front (21) of the first FOUP (20) moves forward toward the door (111) of the base member (110), and the door (111) is controlled to open (S70).

[0117]

[0118] Next, the wafer stored in the first FOUP (20) is withdrawn and a predetermined process is performed in the high-speed measurement system (10) for wafer defects using a twin stage (S80), and, for example, the processed wafer is stored in the first FOUP (20). When the processing of the wafer is completed in step S80, the door (111) is closed and the first FOUP (20) is retracted using the moving member (170), as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 21 (S90).

[0119] Subsequently, the control module (190) drives the rotating member (180) so that the back surface (22) of the first FOUP (20) rotates toward the door (111) of the base member (110) as shown in FIG. 22 (S100).

[0120] Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the back surface (22) of the first FOUP (20) is rotated so as to face the door (111) of the base member (110), and can be withdrawn by an OHT or AGV to proceed to the next process (S110).

[0121] Meanwhile, in the steps S60 and S100 described above, the rotation of the FOUP can be performed only at the second position by the control module (190) according to the information regarding the first position and the second position confirmed by the third sensing member (160).

[0122] Although the invention made by the inventors has been specifically described according to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.

[0123] By using the load port for correcting the FOUP seating position and the method for correcting the FOUP seating position according to the present invention, the seating position of the FOUP can be corrected to a normal seating position.

Claims

1. As a load port capable of correcting the seating position of a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) transported from an Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) or Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) in a system for measuring wafer defects at high speed using a twin stage, Base member equipped with a door, A frame member provided in a direction orthogonal to the above base member, A seating portion provided on the above-mentioned frame member and on which the above-mentioned FOUP is seated, A first sensing member provided on the frame member and detecting the seating state of the FOUP, A second sensing member provided in front of the frame member and detecting an obstacle approaching the frame member, A moving member that moves the above-mentioned seating portion forward and backward, A rotating member that rotates the above-mentioned seating portion, A load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP, characterized by including a control module that controls the driving of the moving member and the rotating member according to the seating state information of the FOUP detected by the first sensing member and the fault information detected by the second sensing member.

2. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a third sensing member that detects the movement and rotational state of the above FOUP, and The above load port includes a first load port and a second load port, and A load port for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized in that the control module drives the rotation member of the first load port or the second load port according to the detection information from the third detection member.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above FOUP is provided with a barcode, and The first sensing member includes a barcode reader, and A load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP, characterized in that the control module determines the seating state of the FOUP according to barcode information recognized by the barcode reader.

4. In Paragraph 2, The first sensing member includes a camera, and A load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP, characterized in that the control module determines the seating state of the FOUP based on an image of the FOUP captured by the camera.

5. In Paragraph 2, A load port for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized in that the second sensing member is mounted along the longitudinal direction on protective members provided on both sides of the first load port and the second load port, and is formed as a light curtain.

6. In Paragraph 5, The third sensing member is provided as a receiving and emitting sensor at a first position and a second position inside the protective member, respectively, and A load port for correcting a FOUP seating position, characterized in that the control module drives the rotating member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

7. In Paragraph 2, The third sensing member is configured as a sensor that detects the seating position of the first FOUP and the second FOUP, each positioned on the forward and backward transfer paths of the first FOUP and the second FOUP at the first and second positions, respectively. A load port for correcting a FOUP seating position, characterized in that the control module drives the rotating member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

8. In Paragraph 7, The control module controls the rotation of the first FOUP after confirming that the second FOUP is located at the first position when the first FOUP is rotated at the second position, and A load port for correcting the seating position of a FOUP, characterized in that the control module controls the rotation of the second FOUP after confirming that the first FOUP is located at the first position when the second FOUP is rotated at the second position.

9. A method for correcting the seating position of a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) that is transported from an Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) or an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) and seated in a load port in a system for measuring wafer defects at high speed using a twin stage, (a) A step of detecting the seating position of the FOUP seated on a seating portion provided on a frame member by the above OHT or AGV using a first sensing member, (b) If the seating position of the FOUP detected in step (a) is an abnormal position, the step of driving a rotating member to rotate the FOUP so that the front of the FOUP faces the door of the base member, (c) After the rotation of the FOUP in step (b) above, driving a moving member to move the FOUP toward the door, and opening the door to process the wafer contained in the FOUP, (d) When the processing of the wafer in step (c) is completed, the step of closing the door and driving the moving member to retract the FOUP, (e) A step of rotating the FOUP by driving a rotating member so that the rear surface of the FOUP facing the door of the base member with respect to the FOUP retracted in step (d) above, (f) A method for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized by including the step of withdrawing the FOUP rotated in step (e) by the OHT or AGV.

10. In Paragraph 9, A method for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized in that the detection in step (a) above is performed by a barcode reader or a camera.

11. In Paragraph 9, The position of the above FOUP is detected by a receiving and emitting sensor provided at a first position and a second position, respectively, inside the protective member, and A method for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized in that the rotation in step (b) or (e) above is performed only at the second position.

12. In Paragraph 9, The positions of the first FOUP and the second FOUP of the above FOUP are detected by a third sensing member, and The third sensing member is configured as a sensor that detects the seating position of the first FOUP and the second FOUP, each positioned on the forward and backward transfer paths of the first FOUP and the second FOUP at the first and second positions, respectively. A method for correcting the FOUP seating position, characterized in that the control module drives the rotating member of the first load port or the second load port only at the second position.

13. In Paragraph 12, The control module controls the rotation of the first FOUP after confirming that the second FOUP is located at the first position when the first FOUP is rotated at the second position, and A method for correcting the seating position of a FOUP, characterized in that the control module controls the rotation of the second FOUP after confirming that the first FOUP is located at the first position when the second FOUP is rotated at the second position.

Images