Apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor wafer

• US 6,578,589 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Silicon Crystal Research Institute Corp.
• Original Assignee: Super Silicon Crystal Research Institute Corp.
• Inventors: Imai, Masato, Nakahara, Shinji, Inoue, Kazutoshi, Gima, Shintoshi, Mayusumi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US09/937,525
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 134/902, 134/61, 134/64.R, 134/66, 134/71
• US Class Current: 134/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67034 for drying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6704 for wet cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

Disclosed is a compact apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor wafers, which is aimed at complete removing of moisture from the wafers after final cleaning while reducing the manufacturing time. The apparatus includes a cleaning chamber (1) for final cleaning, a storage chamber (3) for storing wafers, a transfer chamber (2) communicating with the both cleaning and storage chambers (1, 3), and formed in its upper wall with a heat-conducting window (7), a robot hand (5) and a robot arm (4) for transporting the wafer (W) from the cleaning chamber (1) to the storage chamber (3) within the transfer chamber, infrared lamps (6) arranged to face the window (7) outside the transfer chamber (2) so as to heat the wafer (W) in the course of transportation within the transfer chamber, gas supply ports (8) for producing a laminar flow of inert gas from the storage chamber (3) to the cleaning chamber (1) to expose wafers (W) with the gas, and exhaust ports (9) for exhausting the moisture removed from wafers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

a cleaning equipment for performing a final cleaning processing preceding a heat processing on a semiconductor wafer substrate cut from a semiconductor single crystal;

chamber means adapted to receive said wafer substrate after the completion of said final cleaning processing, for the purpose of waiting for or performing said heat processing on said wafer substrate;

a transfer chamber communicating with said cleaning equipment and said chamber means, respectively;

transfer means for transporting said wafer substrate after the completion of said final cleaning processing from said cleaning equipment to said chamber means within said transfer chamber;

heating means for heating said wafer substrate in course of transfer within said transfer chamber to a predetermined temperature; and

gas supply means for injecting an inert gas in the form of a laminar flow onto said wafer substrate in course of transportation within said transfer chamber in a direction tending toward said cleaning equipment side from said chamber means side of said transfer chamber.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transfer chamber includes at least one quartz window adapted for conducting heat externally, and wherein said heating means includes at least one heat source arranged at a position corresponding to said window on the outside of said transfer chamber.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising exhaust means for exhausting moisture removed from said semiconductor wafer substrate.