Semiconductor manufacturing system and wafer holder for semiconductor manufacturing system

• US 20050158164A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terasemicon Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Terasemicon Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Byung-Il
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/791.400
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67303 Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67309 characterized by the substrate support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67346 characterized by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing system and wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing system which prevents a semiconductor wafer from being exposed to a process reaction and which includes a reaction tube for providing a sealed process space and a dual boat and which prevents the backside deposition by the wafer holder. The wafer holder includes a holder body to hide the backside of the semiconductor wafer during a process in the reaction tube and a wafer lifter having a portion that can be disengaged from and coupled to the holder body so that a lower portion of the semiconductor wafer is supported by the dual boat and so that the semiconductor wafer can be lifted up from the wafer body when the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded. A separation boundary between the holder body and the wafer lifter includes a gas inflow interception surface to hinder reaction gas from flowing through the separation boundary.

Claims

1. A wafer holder for a semiconductor manufacturing system that comprises a reaction tube and a dual boat, the reaction tube providing a semiconductor wafer with a sealed space to perform a process, the dual boat being arranged in the process space provided by the reaction tube and loading at least one semiconductor wafer, the dual boat including first and second wafer loading boats, the first and second wafer loading boats spaced from each other and moving up and down with respect to each other, the wafer holder being mounted on the dual boat, the semiconductor wafer being arranged on the wafer holder, a backside of the semiconductor wafer being hidden during a process, the wafer holder comprising:

a holder body adapted to hide the backside of the semiconductor wafer during a process in the reaction tube and including a wafer lifter having a portion that can be disengaged from and coupled to the holder body so that a lower portion of the semiconductor wafer is supported by the dual boat and so that the semiconductor wafer can be lifted up from the wafer body when the semiconductor wafer is loaded or unloaded; and

a separation boundary arranged between the holder body and the wafer lifter and including a gas inflow interception surface adapted to hinder reaction gas from flowing through the separation boundary.

2. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein the gas inflow interception surface comprises tapered surfaces facing each other.

3. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein the gas inflow interception surface comprises bent and stepped surfaces that are continually bent.

4. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein the wafer lifter comprises support poles adapted to support at least three points of the semiconductor wafer in a side guard of the holder body;

wherein the holder body includes through holes adapted to inset the support poles into and remove the support poles therefrom; and

wherein at least one of the support poles has a lifting rod arranged a lower portion thereof, the lifting rod being adapted to be operated by a second wafer loading boat of the dual boat.

5. The wafer holder of claim 4, wherein the lifting rod has an insertion groove arranged at a lower portion thereof such that an end portion of the wafer support of the second wafer loading boat is adapted to be inserted into and coupled to the insertion groove.

6. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein the wafer lifter comprises support poles adapted to support at least three points of the semiconductor wafer in a side guard of the holder body;

wherein the holder body includes through holes adapted to inset the support poles into and remove the support poles therefrom; and

wherein at least one of the support poles has a lifting rod arranged a lower portion thereof, the lifting rod being adapted to be operated by a robot arm, the robot arm including a lifting rod adapted to lift up the support pole.

7. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein wafer lifter comprises:

an upper holder body portion operated by the second wafer loading boat and adapted to lift up at least the semiconductor wafer; and

a lower holder body portion arranged on the first wafer loading boat;

wherein the upper holder body portion has a cutaway portion adapted to provide an insertion area to a robot arm for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer; and

wherein the lower holder body includes a projecting latch engaged with the cutaway portion and an opener formed at an edge thereof, the opener adapted to allow the second wafer loading boat to lift up the upper holder body.

8. The wafer holder of claim 1, wherein the wafer lifter comprises a wafer lifting support adapted to be coupled to the second wafer loading boat of the dual boat, the wafer lifting support extending to inside of the wafer side guard such that at least an edge of the semiconductor wafer is placed on the wafer lifting support and wherein the first wafer loading boat is arranged adjacent to the opener provided by separation of the wafer lifting support to allow the holder body to be placed thereon.

9. The wafer holder of claim 8, wherein a wafer lifter body is adapted to be coupled to the second wafer loading boat and wherein a coupling hole is arranged on one of a lower portion of the wafer lifter body and the support of the second wafer loading boat and wherein a coupling pin, adapted to be inserted into the coupling hole, is arranged on the other one of the lower portion of the wafer lifter body and the support of the second wafer loading boat.

10. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:

a reaction tube and a dual boat, the reaction tube providing a semiconductor wafer with a sealed space to perform a process, the dual boat being arranged in the process space provided by the reaction tube and loading at least one semiconductor wafer, the dual boat including first and second wafer loading boats, the first and second wafer loading boats spaced from each other and moving up and down with respect to each other;

a wafer holder mounted on the dual boat, the semiconductor wafer being arranged on the wafer holder, a backside of the semiconductor wafer being hidden during a process, the wafer holder comprising;

a holder body adapted to hide the backside of the semiconductor wafer during a process in the reaction tube and including a wafer lifter having a portion that can be disengaged from and coupled to the holder body so that a lower portion of the semiconductor wafer is supported by the dual boat and so that the semiconductor wafer can be lifted up from the wafer body when the semiconductor wafer is loaded or unloaded; and

a separation boundary arranged between the holder body and the wafer lifter and including a gas inflow interception surface adapted to hinder reaction gas from flowing through the separation boundary.

11. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the gas inflow interception surface comprises tapered surfaces facing each other.

12. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the gas inflow interception surface comprises bent and stepped surfaces that are continually bent.

13. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the wafer lifter comprises support poles adapted to support at least three points of the semiconductor wafer in a side guard of the holder body;

wherein the holder body includes through holes adapted to inset the support poles into and remove the support poles therefrom; and

wherein at least one of the support poles has a lifting rod arranged a lower portion thereof, the lifting rod being adapted to be operated by a second wafer loading boat of the dual boat.

14. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein the lifting rod has an insertion groove arranged at a lower portion thereof such that an end portion of the wafer support of the second wafer loading boat is adapted to be inserted into and coupled to the insertion groove.

15. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the wafer lifter comprises support poles adapted to support at least three points of the semiconductor wafer in a side guard of the holder body;

wherein the holder body includes through holes adapted to inset the support poles into and remove the support poles therefrom; and

wherein at least one of the support poles has a lifting rod arranged a lower portion thereof, the lifting rod being adapted to be operated by a robot arm, the robot arm including a lifting rod adapted to lift up the support pole.

16. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein wafer lifter comprises:

an upper holder body portion operated by the second wafer loading boat and adapted to lift up at least the semiconductor wafer; and

a lower holder body portion arranged on the first wafer loading boat;

wherein the upper holder body portion has a cutaway portion adapted to provide an insertion area to a robot arm for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer; and

wherein the lower holder body includes a projecting latch engaged with the cutaway portion and an opener formed at an edge thereof, the opener adapted to allow the second wafer loading boat to lift up the upper holder body.

17. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the wafer lifter comprises a wafer lifting support adapted to be coupled to the second wafer loading boat of the dual boat, the wafer lifting support extending to inside of the wafer side guard such that at least an edge of the semiconductor wafer is placed on the wafer lifting support and wherein the first wafer loading boat is arranged adjacent to the opener provided by separation of the wafer lifting support to allow the holder body to be placed thereon.

18. The semiconductor manufacturing system of claim 17, wherein a wafer lifter body is adapted to be coupled to the second wafer loading boat and wherein a coupling hole is arranged on one of a lower portion of the wafer lifter body and the support of the second wafer loading boat and wherein a coupling pin, adapted to be inserted into the coupling hole, is arranged on the other one of the lower portion of the wafer lifter body and the support of the second wafer loading boat.