JPH0851136A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Modified) [Object] The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which process equipment for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged in a lower portion of an enclosure, and dust is provided below a ceiling portion of a carrier transfer space. The object of the present invention is to significantly reduce the possibility that the stagnation will occur compared to the conventional case. [Structure] A process device 33 for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged in a lower portion of an enclosure 31, and a filter 35 for purifying air and flowing purified air toward the process device is provided in an upper portion of the enclosure 31.
And further projecting to the side of the enclosure 31 to form a carrier transfer space 37 for transferring the wafer carrier 47 from the outside to the process equipment. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a carrier loading section 41 for loading the wafer carrier 47 into the enclosure,
The ceiling portion of the carrier transfer space 37 is formed so as to be inclined so that the outside thereof is lowered.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which process equipment for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged under an enclosure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in manufacturing semiconductors, a clean semiconductor manufacturing environment is required in order to prevent reduction in device yield due to adhesion of particles.

In recent years, many semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are provided with an interface space so as not to be affected by the surrounding environment when the wafers are transferred. -2
Those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 20945, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-222625 and the like are known.

FIG. 5 shows a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of this type. In this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an enclosure 11 is used.
A process device 13 for manufacturing a semiconductor, such as an etching device, a sputtering device, a CVD device, etc., is disposed below the substrate.

A filter 15, which is, for example, a HEPA filter, which purifies air and causes the purified air to flow toward the process equipment 13, is arranged above the enclosure 11.

On both sides of the lower part of the enclosure 11,
A carrier transfer space 17 for transferring the wafer carrier 16 from the outside to the process equipment 13 is formed so as to project laterally from the enclosure 11.

The wafer carrier 16 is mounted on the ceiling portion 19 of the carrier transfer space 17 in the enclosure 1.
A carrier carry-in section 21 for carrying in the carrier 1 is formed.
In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described above, the wafer which has completed one process is stored in the wafer carrier 16 and transported to the next process by the carrier transport box 23.

The carrier transport box 23 transported to the next step is mounted on the carrier loading section 21 formed in the ceiling portion 19 of the carrier transport space 17, and the wafer carrier 16 in the carrier transport box 23 is mounted on the wafer carrier elevator. As 25 moves up and down, it is moved into the carrier transfer space 17.

The wafer carrier 16 moved into the carrier transfer space 17 is transferred to the vicinity of the carry-in section 29 into the process equipment 13 by a wafer carrier moving arm (not shown), and the wafer in the wafer carrier 16 is transferred to the robot hand (not shown). Are carried to and processed in the process equipment 13.

[0010]

However, in such a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the carrier transfer space 17 is used.
Since the ceiling portion 19 of the is formed at a right angle to the side wall 11a of the enclosure 11, as shown in FIG.
Below the ceiling portion 19, there is a problem that the air flow is disturbed and a vortex is generated, dust is accumulated in this portion, and the accumulated dust may be brought into the process equipment 13 side together with the wafer carrier. .

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of significantly reducing the possibility that dust may accumulate below the ceiling of the carrier transfer space. It is the one we are trying to provide.

[0012]

In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, a process equipment for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged in a lower part of an enclosure, and air is purified and purified in the upper part of the enclosure. Is disposed toward the process equipment, and further projects laterally of the enclosure to form a carrier transfer space for transferring a wafer carrier from the outside to the process equipment. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a carrier carrying-in section for carrying the wafer carrier into an enclosure, the ceiling section of the carrier carrying space is inclined so that the outer side is lowered.

[0013]

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the ceiling of the carrier transfer space is inclined so that the outer side is lowered, so that the airflow is allowed to flow along the ceiling, and the airflow is extremely low below the ceiling. It will not be disturbed.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 31 indicates, for example, a box-shaped enclosure installed in a clean room.

Below the enclosure 31, process equipment 33 such as an etching apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, a CVD apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged. In the upper part of the enclosure 31, the air is purified, and the purified air is flowed toward the process equipment 33, for example, HE
A filter 35 including a PA filter is arranged.

On both sides of the lower part of the enclosure 31,
A carrier transfer space 37 is formed projecting to the side of the enclosure 31 for transferring a wafer carrier from the outside to the process equipment 33.

A carrier loading section 41 for loading the wafer carrier into the enclosure 31 is formed on the ceiling section 39 of the carrier transfer space 37. Thus, in this embodiment, the ceiling portion 39 of the carrier transfer space 37 is inclined so that the outer side is lowered.

The side wall 31a of the enclosure 31
The angle θ formed by the ceiling portion 39 and the ceiling portion 39 is desirably 135 degrees or more, and this makes it possible to reduce the change in the area of the cross section of the flow path with respect to the flow of the upstream air flow.

As shown in FIG. 2, a rectangular opening 43 is formed in the carrier loading section 41 of the ceiling section 39. The opening 43 is shielded by the carrier transfer member 45.

A carrier transport box 49 for transporting the wafer carrier 47 can be detachably fixed to the opening 43. On the side wall 37a side in the carrier transfer space 37, a carrier elevator 51 is arranged vertically along the side wall 37a.

An elevator screw 55 for moving the nut 53 up and down is arranged in the carrier elevator 51,
The lower end of the carrier conveying member 45 is connected to the nut 53 via a rotating mechanism 57.

In the figure, reference numeral 61 designates a wafer carrier 47 which is conveyed downward by the carrier conveying member 45.
The moving mechanism for moving to the vicinity of the carry-in part 63 to the process equipment 33 is shown, and in this moving mechanism 61, the rotating shaft 65 bridged between the brackets 63 arranged at a predetermined interval is provided. , One end of the arm 67 is fixed.

The center of the holding member 69 is rotatably supported on the other end of the arm 67, and the claw portion 71 of the holding member 69 holds the wafer carrier 47.
In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described above, the wafer which has completed one process is stored in the wafer carrier 47 and transported to the next process by the carrier transport box 49.

The carrier carrying box 49 carried to the next step is attached to the carrier carrying-in section 41 formed in the ceiling 39 of the carrier carrying space 37, and the wafer carrier 47 in the carrier carrying box 49 is rotated by a rotating mechanism. By rotating the carrier transfer member 45 by 57, the carrier transfer member 45 is moved into the carrier transfer space 37, and thereafter, is moved downward by the carrier elevator 51, and then the transfer mechanism 61 moves the carry-in portion 63 of the carry-in portion 63 into the process equipment 33. Transported to the vicinity,
The wafer in the wafer carrier 47 is transferred into the process equipment 33 and processed by a robot hand (not shown).

Therefore, in the above-mentioned semiconductor manufacturing apparatus,
Since the ceiling portion 39 of the carrier transfer space 37 is inclined so that the outer side is lowered, as shown in FIG. 3, the airflow indicated by the arrows is allowed to flow along the ceiling portion 39, and below the ceiling portion 39, The airflow will not be extremely disturbed.

Therefore, the ceiling portion 3 of the carrier transfer space 37
The dust does not stay below 9 and the stayed dust together with the wafer carrier 47 becomes the process equipment 33.
It is possible to eliminate the risk of being brought to the side.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the carrier elevator. In this example, a first screw shaft 73 is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the carrier transport box 49, and the first screw shaft 73 is arranged. The second screw shaft 7 is directed downward from the lower end position of 73.
5 are arranged.

In this carrier elevator, the first screw shaft 7
By rotating 3 the carrier transport member 45 is moved in the axial direction of the carrier transport box 49 via the nut 77, after which the angle of the carrier transport member 45 is changed and the carrier transport member 45 is moved to the second position. It is lowered along the screw shaft 75.

In this carrier elevator, it is possible to reliably prevent the wafer carrier 47 from colliding with the carrier transfer box 49.

[0030]

As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, since the ceiling of the carrier transfer space is inclined so that the outer side is lowered, the air flow is allowed to flow along the ceiling, and the ceiling is There is an advantage in that the air flow is not extremely disturbed below, and as a result, the possibility that dust may stay below the ceiling of the carrier transfer space can be greatly reduced compared to the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing details of a carrier transport space in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of airflow in the enclosure of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the carrier elevator.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the flow of airflow in the enclosure of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 31 Enclosure 33 Process Equipment 35 Filter 37 Carrier Carrying Space 39 Ceiling 41 Carrier Carrying In 47 Wafer Carrier

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Yuji Wakabayashi 8-21-1, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Stock company Takenaka Corporation Tokyo Main Store (72) Inventor Takeshi Ishiguro 1 Otsuka, Inzai-cho, Inba-gun, Chiba Prefecture No. 5 In the Takenaka Corporation Technical Research Institute (72) Inventor Mikio Takahashi 1-5 Otsuka, Inzai-cho, Inba-gun, Chiba Prefecture In the Takenaka Engineering Technical Research Institute (72) Inventor Masahiro Fukui Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture 4-1-1 Honmachi Takenaka Corporation Osaka Main Store (72) Inventor Kazuhiko Tsuji 3-15 Yakumo Nakamachi, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center (72) Inventor Hisashi Funakoshi Osaka Moriguchi 3-chome, Yakumonchu-cho, Yokohama-shi Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center (72) Inventor Yoshitaka Warsui Yakumon-cho, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Chome 15 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center (72) Inventor Nobuo Aoi 3 Yakumo Nakacho, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Chome 15 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center (72) Hiroko Sakai 3 Yakumo Nakamachi, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Chome 15 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center (72) Inventor Riko Kawasaki 3-15 Yakumo Nakamachi, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Semiconductor Research Center

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A process equipment for manufacturing a semiconductor is arranged in a lower portion of an enclosure, and a filter for purifying air and flowing purified air toward the process equipment is arranged in an upper portion of the enclosure. Further, it projects laterally of the enclosure to form a carrier transfer space for transferring a wafer carrier from the outside to the process equipment, and the wafer carrier is carried into the enclosure at the ceiling of the carrier transfer space. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a carrier carrying-in section, wherein the ceiling of the carrier transfer space is inclined so that the outer side is lowered.