Semiconductor device producing apparatus and producing method of semiconductor device

• US 20040052618A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yanagawa, Hidehiro, Matsushima, Masaki, Matsunaga, Tatsuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,198,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67757 vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/137 including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A semiconductor device producing apparatus comprises a carrier-holding stage at which a carrier is to be placed which accommodates a substrate or substrates; a processing chamber in which the substrate or the substrates are processed; a first stage which is to hold first and second boats one at a time which are respectively to hold the substrate or the substrates and which first stage is to move the first and second boats one at a time into and out from the processing chamber; a second stage which is to hold the first and second boats one at a time; a third stage which is to hold the first and second boats one at a time; a boat transfer mechanism which transfers the first and second boats between the first, second and third stages; a substrate transfer mechanism which transfers the substrate or substrates from the carrier placed at the carrier-holding stage to either one of the first and second boats which is held by the first stage; and a controller which controls the first stage; the boat transfer mechanism and the substrate transfer mechanism such that the boat transfer mechanism transfers one of the first and second boats from the second stage to the first stage, the wafer transfer mechanism thereafter transfers the substrate or the substrates from the carrier held at the carrier-holding stage to the one of the first and second boats held by the first stage, and the first stage thereafter moves the one of the first and second boats into the processing chamber to process the substrate or the substrates in the processing chamber.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device producing apparatus, comprising:

a carrier-holding stage at which a carrier is to be placed which accommodates a substrate or substrates;

a processing chamber in which the substrate or the substrates are processed;

a first stage which is to hold first and second boats one at a time which are respectively to hold the substrate or the substrates and which first stage is to move the first and second boats one at a time into and out from said processing chamber;

a second stage which is to hold the first and second boats one at a time;

a third stage which is to hold the first and second boats one at a time;

a boat transfer mechanism which transfers the first and second boats between said first, second and third stages;

a substrate transfer mechanism which transfers the substrate or substrates from the carrier placed at said carrier-holding stage to either one of the first and second boats which is held by said first stage; and

a controller which controls said first stage, said boat transfer mechanism and said substrate transfer mechanism such that said boat transfer mechanism transfers one of the first and second boats from said second stage to said first stage, said wafer transfer mechanism thereafter transfers the substrate or the substrates from the carrier held at said carrier-holding stage to said one of the first and second boats held by said first stage, and said first stage thereafter moves said one of the first and second boats into said processing chamber to process the substrate or the substrates in said processing chamber.

2. A semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

said controller controls said first stage, said boat transfer mechanism and said substrate transfer mechanism such that before the transfer of said one of the first and second boats from said second stage to said first stage, said boat transfer mechanism transfers the other of the first and second boats from said first stage to said third stage.

3. A semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein

said controller controls said first stage, said boat transfer mechanism and said substrate transfer mechanism such that before the transfer of the other of the first and second boats from said first stage to said third stage, said first stage moves the other of the first and second boats out from said processing chamber.

4. A semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein

said first stage is located directly below said processing chamber, and said first stage moves vertically to move the first and second boats one at a time into and out from said processing chamber.

5. A semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrates are processed in said processing chamber and the first and second boats are respectively to hold the substrates.

6. A semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device producing apparatus is a batch-type semiconductor device producing apparatus.

7. A producing method of a semiconductor device, comprising processing a substrate or the substrates using the semiconductor device producing apparatus as recited in claim 1.

8. A producing method of a semiconductor device, comprising:

processing a first substrate or first substrates held by a first boat in a processing chamber;

moving, after processing the first substrate or the first substrates, said first boat holding said first substrate or the substrates out from said processing chamber by said first stage;

transferring said first boat holding said first substrate or the substrates from said first stage to a second stage;

transferring a second boat to said first stage;

charging a second substrate or second substrates to said second boat at said first stage;

moving said second boat charged with the second substrate or the second substrates into said processing chamber by said first stage; and

processing the second substrate or the second substrates held by said second boat in said processing chamber.

9. A producing method of a semiconductor device as recited in claim 8, wherein said first stage is located directly below said processing chamber.

10. A producing method of a semiconductor device as recited in claim 8, wherein said second boat is transferred from said second stage to a third stage before said first boat is transferred from said first stage to said second stage.

11. A producing method of a semiconductor device as recited in claim 10, further comprising discharging the first substrate or the first substrates from said first boat placed at said third stage.