KR102816279B1 - Side storage with dehumidification mode and mode of removing fume - Google Patents

Abstract

A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode includes a wafer chamber for accommodating a wafer, a dehumidification air supply module for supplying dehumidified air into the interior of the wafer chamber to create a dehumidified environment inside the wafer chamber, and a purge gas supply module for supplying purge gas into the interior of the wafer chamber to perform a fume removal operation on the wafer.

Description

{SIDE STORAGE WITH DEHUMIDIFICATION MODE AND MODE OF REMOVING FUME}

The present invention relates to a side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, and more specifically, to a side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode for creating a low-humidity environment inside a wafer chamber through the dehumidification mode and removing fume from wafers accommodated in the wafer chamber through the fume removal mode.

Typically, semiconductor devices are manufactured by sequentially repeating various unit processes such as deposition, photolithography, etching, and ion implantation, and each unit process is performed using various source gases in a high vacuum condition.

Substrates whose unit processes have been completed are transferred to the equipment front end module (EFEM) and stored in various substrate carriers, such as front opening unified pods (FOUPs), so that they can be transferred to the next process.

At this time, if the residual gas of the unit process performed in a high vacuum state flows into the substrate transfer module maintained at normal pressure together with the substrate, it combines with moisture or foreign substances in the air to form contaminants (hereinafter, fume), and the fume attaches to the surface of the substrate, causing various defects such as bridging defects between patterns and acting as a cause of reduced yield.

To prevent this, conventional substrate transfer modules remove fume and residual gas from the substrate before transferring the substrate, which has undergone a process, to the substrate carrier by leaving the substrate in side storage for a certain period of time to remove fume and residual gas formed on the substrate (see Korean Patent No. 10-2080015).

However, in order to effectively remove fume from the wafer, it is necessary to create an environment inside the wafer chamber that is not suitable for fume generation.

In addition, a technology is required to more easily secure the purge gas used for removing fumes.

To solve these problems, there is a growing need for a side storage equipped with a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode that can create an environment inside the wafer chamber that is not suitable for fume generation and can more easily secure the purge gas used to remove the fume.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a side storage equipped with a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode that supplies dehumidified air generated in a desiccant rotor into a wafer chamber to create a low-humidity environment inside the wafer chamber, and obtains nitrogen, a purge gas, from compressed air using a membrane module.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem, a side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode includes a wafer chamber for accommodating a wafer, a dehumidification air providing module for supplying dehumidified air into the interior of the wafer chamber to create a dehumidified environment within the interior of the wafer chamber, and a purge gas providing module for supplying purge gas into the interior of the wafer chamber to perform a fume removal operation on the wafer.

According to the present invention, a side storage equipped with a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode can be provided, which can effectively remove fume within the wafer chamber by supplying dehumidified air generated in a desiccant rotor under a dehumidification mode into a wafer chamber to create a low-humidity environment inside the wafer chamber to prevent the generation of fume, and by allowing nitrogen gas generated in a membrane module under a fume removal mode to remove fume from the wafer.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a side storage according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a side storage according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a drawing showing the rear of the wafer chamber and the side of the chamber support frame open.
Figure 4 is a drawing showing the wafer chamber and chamber support frame separated.
Figure 5 is a drawing showing the process of a desiccant rotor operating to generate dehumidified air.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode being performed alternately when the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode are performed together.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and to fully inform a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs of the scope of the invention.

In this specification, the singular includes the plural unless the context specifically dictates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, or operations.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a side storage according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a side storage according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the rear of the wafer chamber and the side of the chamber support frame open. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the wafer chamber and the chamber support frame separated. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the process of a desiccant rotor operating to generate dehumidified air. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode alternately performed when the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode are performed together.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, a side storage (10) having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a wafer chamber (20), a chamber support frame (60), a dehumidification air providing module (70), a purge gas providing module, and a control module.

A wafer chamber (20) is a chamber in which a wafer on which a specific semiconductor process has been performed is accommodated within a receiving space while work is performed to remove contaminants (or fumes) on the wafer.

When a wafer on which a semiconductor unit process has been performed is fed into a substrate transfer module (EFEM; Equipment Front End Module), residual gas generated during the semiconductor unit process may flow into the substrate transfer module together with the wafer, and this residual gas may combine with moisture or foreign substances in the air to form contaminants (or fumes).

Since such fumes can be attached to the surface of the wafer and cause various defects such as bridging defects between patterns and can be a cause of reduced yield, a fume removal operation can be performed on the wafer (45) accommodated in the wafer chamber (20) to prevent this.

For this fume removal operation, the purge gas supply module described later can supply purge gas used for fume removal into the wafer chamber (20), and the supplied purge gas can be sprayed onto the wafer (45) through the purge gas injection unit (47).

Additionally, a wafer support member (30) may be installed inside the wafer chamber (20), and the wafer support member (30) may support a wafer (45) introduced into the wafer chamber (20).

Since the wafer support member (30) supports the wafer (45), the wafer (45) can be accommodated in the wafer chamber (20), and a fume removal operation for the wafer (45) can be performed.

In addition, a fume exhaust section (40) may be formed inside the wafer chamber (20), and the product exhausted by the purge gas may be discharged from the wafer chamber (20) through the fume exhaust section (40).

These fume exhaust units (40) can be formed on both sides and below the front of the wafer chamber (20), but the installation location and shape of the fume exhaust units (40) can vary.

Additionally, a dehumidifying air introduction unit (50, 55) for introducing dehumidifying air provided from a dehumidifying air supply module (70) described later may be formed on both sides of the wafer chamber (20).

That is, the dehumidified air introduction unit (50, 55) and the dehumidified air supply module (70) can be connected, and thus, the dehumidified air can be introduced into the interior of the wafer chamber (20) through the dehumidified air introduction unit (50, 55).

The chamber support frame (60) is a frame that supports the wafer chamber (20) by forming the lower part of the side storage (10) and placing the wafer chamber (20) on the upper surface.

A dehumidifying air supply module (70), a purge gas supply module, and an exhaust unit can be installed inside the chamber support frame (60).

The dehumidifying air supply module (70) is a module that supplies dehumidifying air into the interior of the wafer chamber (20) to create a low-humidity environment inside the wafer chamber (20).

As described above, since moisture can react with residual gas generated during the process and contaminate the wafer, the interior of the wafer chamber (20) that accommodates the wafer (45) needs to be in a low humidity state. Considering this, the present invention can supply dehumidified air to the interior of the wafer chamber (20) through a dehumidified air supply module (70) so that the interior of the wafer chamber (20) becomes a low humidity state.

This dehumidifying air supply module (70) may include an outside air inlet (65), a desiccant rotor (71), and a dehumidifying air supply line.

The outside air inlet (65) is an opening formed in the chamber support frame (60) to introduce air.

Outside air (OA) introduced through the outside air inlet (65) can move to the desiccant rotor (71) described later and become dehumidified air (DA).

The desiccant rotor (71) is a dehumidifying rotor that dehumidifies air to create dehumidified air (DA).

The desiccant rotor (71) may include an adsorbent, and as the air passes through the desiccant rotor (71), moisture contained in the air is adsorbed to the adsorbent, so the air can become dehumidified air (DA).

This adsorption phenomenon is caused by a force greater than the attractive force that occurs between molecules during condensation, which acts on the surface of the adsorbent and generates heat greater than the heat of condensation. This is called the heat of adsorption and is approximately 1.5 to 2 times the heat of condensation.

Therefore, the dehumidified air (DA) exiting the desiccant rotor (71) is heated by the heat of adsorption and can have a high temperature of 50°C or higher.

Meanwhile, adsorbents include, but are not limited to, silica gel or zeolite.

In addition, the desiccant rotor (71) can be rotated by a driving motor, and by this rotation, the adsorption portion of the desiccant rotor (71) that has adsorbed moisture in the air can move from the dehumidification zone to the regeneration zone, where the moisture can be removed by the regeneration air (RA), and the adsorption portion that has been regenerated through the rotation can move to the dehumidification zone.

The dehumidifying air supply line is a line that supplies dehumidifying air (DA) generated in the desiccant rotor (71) to the interior of the wafer chamber (20).

This dehumidifying air supply line can be connected to the aforementioned dehumidifying air introduction unit (50, 55), and accordingly, the dehumidifying air (DA) can be introduced into the interior of the wafer chamber (20) through the dehumidifying air supply line and the dehumidifying air introduction unit (50, 55), thereby forming the interior of the wafer chamber (20) into a low-humidity atmosphere (environment).

The dehumidifying air supply line can be connected as a single line to the dehumidifying air introduction unit (50, 55).

Alternatively, the dehumidifying air supply line may include a dehumidifying air supply port (80, 85) connected to a dehumidifying air supply port (75), a dehumidifying air flow portion (not shown), and a dehumidifying air introduction portion (50, 55).

That is, the dehumidified air (DA) generated in the desiccant rotor (71) can be introduced into the interior of the wafer chamber (20) through the dehumidified air supply port (75), the dehumidified air flow portion, the dehumidified air supply port (80, 85), and the dehumidified air introduction portion (50, 55).

Additionally, in some cases, the dehumidifying air providing module (70) may further include a regenerative heater (73).

The regeneration heater (73) heats the outside air or the like to generate regeneration air (RA), and the generated regeneration air (RA) can be discharged to the outside of the chamber support frame (60) after removing moisture absorbed by the desiccant rotor (71).

The purge gas supply module is a module that supplies purge gas into the interior of the wafer chamber (20) to perform a fume removal operation on the wafer.

These purge gas supply modules can be configured to receive compressed air from outside in one form, or to generate compressed air on their own after drawing in outside air in another form.

First, looking at the form of the work, the purge gas supply module may include a compressed air inlet (90), a membrane module (100), and a nitrogen supply line.

The compressed air inlet (90) is an opening formed in the chamber support frame (60) for introducing compressed air.

The membrane module (100) is a nitrogen supply module (a type of gas separation membrane) that removes oxygen from the air and supplies nitrogen.

In one form of a membrane module (100), the membrane module (100) can be filled with polymer fibers, and compressed air introduced through the compressed air inlet (90) passes through the polymer fibers, causing oxygen, water, argon, etc. in the air to escape, leaving only nitrogen. Accordingly, the membrane module (100) can supply the remaining nitrogen.

The nitrogen supply line is a line that supplies nitrogen generated in the membrane module (100) to the interior of the wafer chamber (20).

These nitrogen supply lines may be connected to the membrane module (100) and include a nitrogen flow line (110) that supplies nitrogen to the wafer chamber (20) and a nitrogen purging line (not shown) that delivers nitrogen supplied from the nitrogen flow line (110) to the wafer chamber (20).

The aforementioned purge gas injection unit (47) can receive purge gas from a nitrogen purging line and inject it onto a wafer (45) in the wafer chamber (20).

Next, looking at another form, the purge gas providing module may include an outside air inlet, a compressed air generating unit and a nitrogen supply line.

The outside air inlet is an opening formed in the chamber support frame (60) to introduce outside air.

A compressed air generation unit is a unit that generates compressed air by compressing outside air taken in through an outside air inlet, and includes an air compressor, etc.

The nitrogen supply line is a line that supplies nitrogen generated as compressed air in the membrane module (100) to the interior of the wafer chamber (20).

These nitrogen supply lines may be connected to the membrane module (100) and include a nitrogen flow line (110) that supplies nitrogen to the wafer chamber (20) and a nitrogen purge line that delivers nitrogen supplied from the nitrogen flow line (110) to the wafer chamber (20).

The aforementioned purge gas injection unit (47) can receive purge gas from a nitrogen purging line and inject it onto a wafer (45) in the wafer chamber (20).

The exhaust unit is a unit that receives contaminants and purge gas exhausted from the wafer chamber (20) to the chamber support frame (60) and exhausts them to the outside while being installed inside the chamber support frame (60).

As described above, a fume removal operation can be performed within the wafer chamber (20), and during this process, contaminants and purge gas can be exhausted into the interior of the chamber support frame (60) through a fume exhaust unit (40) installed in the wafer chamber (20).

At this time, the exhaust unit can remove contaminants and purge gas from the side storage (10) by receiving contaminants and purge gas exhausted to the chamber support frame (60) and then discharging them to the outside.

Such exhaust units may include exhaust pumps capable of regulating the amount and rate of exhaust of contaminants and purge gases exhausted to the outside.

The control module is a module that controls the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode of the side storage (10).

As described above, the present invention is a side storage (10) having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode.

Here, the dehumidification mode is a mode in which the interior of the wafer chamber (20) is created as a low-humidity environment by supplying dehumidified air (DA) into the wafer chamber (20) by operating the dehumidification air supply module (70).

Fume removal mode (or purging mode) is a mode in which the purge gas supply module is operated to supply purge gas into the wafer chamber (20) to remove contaminants and fumes from the wafer (45).

The control module can perform dehumidification mode and fume removal mode separately.

Alternatively, the control module may cause the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode to be performed alternately, if the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode are performed together.

By doing this, the dehumidification mode and fume removal mode can achieve their intended purpose without interfering with each other.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive.

10: Side storage 20: Wafer chamber
30: Wafer support 40: Fume exhaust
47: Purge gas injection part 50, 55: Dehumidifying air introduction part
60: Chamber support frame 65: Outside air inlet
70: Dehumidified air supply module 75: Dehumidified air supply port
80, 85: Dehumidified air supply port 90: Compressed air inlet
100: Membrane module 110: Nitrogen flow line

Claims (8)

A wafer chamber for receiving a wafer;
A dehumidifying air supply module that supplies dehumidifying air into the interior of the wafer chamber to create a dehumidifying environment inside the wafer chamber; and
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, including a purge gas supply module for supplying a purge gas into the interior of the wafer chamber to perform a fume removal operation on the wafer. In paragraph 1,
The above dehumidifying air providing module,
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, the side storage comprising a desiccant rotor for dehumidifying air to produce dehumidified air. In the second paragraph,
Further comprising a chamber support frame supporting the above wafer chamber,
The above dehumidifying air providing module,
An outside air inlet formed in the chamber support frame for introducing the air; and
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, further comprising a dehumidification air supply line for supplying the dehumidified air generated in the desiccant rotor accommodated in the chamber support frame to the interior of the wafer chamber. In the second paragraph,
The above purge gas providing module,
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, further comprising a membrane module for removing oxygen from the air and supplying nitrogen. In paragraph 4,
Further comprising a chamber support frame supporting the above wafer chamber,
The above purge gas providing module,
A compressed air inlet formed in the above chamber support frame for introducing compressed air; and
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, further comprising a nitrogen supply line for supplying the nitrogen generated in the membrane module accommodated in the chamber support frame to the interior of the wafer chamber. In paragraph 4,
Further comprising a chamber support frame supporting the above wafer chamber,
The above purge gas providing module,
An outside air inlet formed in the above chamber support frame to introduce outside air;
A compressed air generating unit that generates compressed air from the outside air that is introduced; and
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, further comprising a nitrogen supply line for supplying the nitrogen generated by the compressed air in the membrane module accommodated in the chamber support frame into the interior of the wafer chamber. In clause 5 or 6,
The above nitrogen supply line,
A nitrogen flow line connected to the membrane module and supplying the nitrogen to the wafer chamber; and
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, the side storage including a nitrogen purging line for delivering the nitrogen supplied from the nitrogen flow line to the wafer chamber. In paragraph 1,
A side storage having a dehumidification mode and a fume removal mode, further comprising a control module that alternately performs the dehumidification mode and the fume removal mode when the dehumidification mode for supplying the dehumidified air into the interior of the wafer chamber and the fume removal mode for supplying the purge gas into the interior of the wafer chamber are performed together.

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