JPH0638448B2 - Orientation flat alignment method and device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an orientation flat aligning method and an apparatus therefor used in a semiconductor processing step. More specifically, the orientation flat aligning for aligning a wafer orientation flat to an arbitrary position is provided. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art During a wafer processing process, an operation of aligning wafer orientation flats (orientation flats), that is, so-called orientation flat alignment is performed.

Conventionally, for this orientation flat alignment, an orientation flat alignment device provided with two parallel driving rollers and means for moving the rollers up and down is used.

Then, in the case of aligning the orientation flat with this apparatus, after setting the cassette containing the wafer on the cassette table, the drive roller is raised and brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the wafer to rotate and rotate the wafer. This aligns the orientation flats.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional orientation flat aligning device, since the two drive rollers are provided with separate drive sources respectively, the device becomes complicated,
Further, dust that the wafer dislikes is likely to occur.

Furthermore, since the orientation flat of the wafer cannot be aligned at an arbitrary position, it is impossible to meet the desire to align the orientation flat with the top, the side, or the like.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an orientation flat aligning device having a simple structure and less dust.

Another object is to align the orientation flat at an arbitrary position.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention relates to a step of abutting a single movable movable roller vertically and horizontally on a peripheral edge of a wafer and rotating the roller to align the orientation flat portion downward; Lowering and separating from the orientation flat portion and moving the drive roller in the horizontal direction to face the peripheral edge of the wafer; and raising the drive roller to abut the peripheral edge of the wafer; And a step of driving the driving roller to rotate the wafer and collectively moving the aligned orientation flat portions to a predetermined position.

Action Set the cassette containing the wafer on the cassette stand,
The drive roller is raised and brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the wafer.

Next, when the drive roller is rotated, the wafer aligns the orientation flat portion while rotating in the opposite direction of the roller.

After the orientation flat portion is aligned, the drive roller is separated from the orientation flat portion, and in that state, the driving roller is moved in the horizontal direction, and at the same time, the roller is moved upward and brought into contact with the peripheral portion to rotate to maintain the orientation flat alignment state. While rotating the wafer,
Move the orientation flat to the specified position.

Embodiments One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals have the same names and functions.

Stepping motor 2 and drive roller 3 provided on the support base 1.
Are connected via a timing belt 4, and the support base 1 is placed on a base 5. An air cylinder 6 for vertical movement is provided on the lower surface of the base 5, and an air cylinder 7 for horizontal movement connected to the base 5 is provided on the upper surface thereof.

The drive roller 3 is cantilevered, and as shown in FIG. 2, a shaft 8 to which a pulley is connected and a hollow cylindrical body 9 fitted to the shaft 8.
It consists of and.

The hollow cylindrical body 9 is fixed to the shaft 8 by a pin 10, and the hollow cylindrical body 9 is fixed by attaching and detaching the pin 10.
Is easily attached and detached.

When the cassette 12 containing the wafer W is set in the cassette eleventh, a sensor (not shown) is activated to drive the vertical movement air cylinder 6 to raise the driving roller 3 from the position 3a in FIG. It is moved to the position of 3b and brought into contact with the peripheral edge Wa of the wafer W.

At this time, since the drive roller 3 is lifting the wafer W, the peripheral edge Wa does not contact the lower end of the wafer groove 13 of the cassette 12.

Drive the stepping motor 2 and move the drive roller 3 to the arrow A.
When the wafer W is rotated in the 3b direction, the wafer W is rotated in the arrow AW direction by the frictional force, and the state shown in FIG.
b is aligned.

In this state, the peripheral edge Wa is in contact with and supported by the lower end of the wafer groove 13, so that the drive roller 3 idles.

When the orientation flat portion Wb is aligned, the vertical movement air cylinder 6 is driven to lower the drive roller 3 to return it to the original position 3a.

When the driving roller 3 returns to the original position 3a, the air cylinder 6 is stopped and the air cylinder 7 is driven to move the driving roller 3 to the position 3C as shown in FIG.

When the drive roller 3 reaches the position of 3C, the air cylinder 7 stops and the air cylinder 6 is driven to move the roller 3 to the position of 3d and bring it into contact with the peripheral edge portion Wa.

When the roller 3 moves to the position of 3d, the stepping motor 2 is driven to rotate the driving roller 3 in the direction of arrow A3d to rotate the wafer W in which the orientation flat portion Wb is aligned in the direction of arrow AW. As shown in the figure, when the alignment is performed, that is, when the orientation flat portion Wb is located above the wafer, the motor 2
And stop the drive roller 3 in the reverse order of the above.
Return to position a.

The rotation time of the stepping motor 2 and the operation time of the air cylinders 6 and 7 are all controlled by a timer (not shown).

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above,
By changing the rotation time of the drive roller 3 located at the position 3d in FIG. 5, the orientation flat portion Wb is aligned at an arbitrary position, for example, as shown in FIG. , That is, on the side of the wafer.

When the surface of the hollow cylindrical body 9 is knurled, the frictional force with the peripheral edge of the wafer increases and the wafer rotates reliably as calculated, so that more complete orientation flat alignment can be performed.

When the hollow cylindrical body 9 is replaced for cleaning the drive roller 3 or the like, the pin 10 is pulled out as shown in FIG. 2, the hollow cylindrical body 9 is pulled out in the direction of arrow A9, and a new hollow cylindrical body 9 is removed. Since it is enough to fit on the shaft 8 and stop with the pin 10,
The replacement work is extremely easy.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to surely align the orientation flat with an arbitrary position.

Further, since a single drive roller is used, the structure is simpler and the amount of dust is reduced as compared with the conventional example, so that it is the most suitable as an orientation flat aligning device used for wafer processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 6 are views showing a usage state, a view showing a relationship between a drive roller and a wafer, and FIG. 7 is another embodiment. It is a figure which shows the orientation flat bottom alignment in the figure which shows. 3 ... Driving roller 6, 7 ... Air cylinder Wa ... Wafer peripheral portion Wb ... Wafer orientation flat portion

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A step of bringing a single driving roller movable vertically and horizontally into contact with a peripheral edge of a wafer and rotating the driving roller to align the orientation flat portion downward; and lowering the driving roller, the orientation flat portion. And a step of moving the drive roller in the horizontal direction so as to face the peripheral edge of the wafer; a step of raising the drive roller to abut the peripheral edge of the wafer; and driving the drive roller. And a step of rotating the wafer to move the aligned orientation flat portions to a predetermined position collectively. 2. An orientation flat aligning device comprising a single cantilever drive roller for aligning the orientation flat portion of a wafer and then displacing the orientation flat portion to a predetermined position at a time. An orientation flat aligning device comprising: a vertical moving mechanism for moving the roller toward and away from the peripheral edge; and a horizontal moving mechanism for moving the roller in the horizontal direction in a state of being separated from the wafer.