[go: up one dir, main page]

US20070170090A1 - Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring processing environment - Google Patents

Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring processing environment Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20070170090A1
US20070170090A1 US11/401,835 US40183506A US2007170090A1 US 20070170090 A1 US20070170090 A1 US 20070170090A1 US 40183506 A US40183506 A US 40183506A US 2007170090 A1 US2007170090 A1 US 2007170090A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
wafer
pod
transferring
sampling mechanism
transferring pod
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US11/401,835
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Ya Po
Ting Wang
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Promos Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Promos Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Promos Technologies Inc filed Critical Promos Technologies Inc
Assigned to PROMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. reassignment PROMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PO, YA LING, WANG, TING SING
Publication of US20070170090A1 publication Critical patent/US20070170090A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H10P72/1926—
    • H10P72/0402—

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring the processing environment, and more particularly, to a wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring the processing environment as a wafer is experiencing the processing.
  • the fabrication of an integrated circuit device on a wafer needs a plurality of processing apparatuses having a reaction chamber, and the wafer is transferred between these processing apparatuses by a wafer-transferring system.
  • integrated circuit manufacturing companies locate the wafer in a wafer-transferring pod, and use a robot to move the wafer from the pod to the reaction chamber where the reaction process actually occurs. Consequently, it only needs to control the grade of clarity in a smaller internal space of the pod, rather than a larger space of the entire clean room, which can dramatically lower the cost on controlling the grade of clarity.
  • the internal space of the pod possesses a higher grade of clarity; however, opening or closing the pod on transferring the wafer between the pod and the processing apparatus is likely to introduce some contaminations from the clean room having a lower grade of clarity into the pod having a higher grade of clarity and the reaction chamber of the processing apparatus, which is one of the pollution sources of the reaction chamber and the wafer in the pod.
  • the prior art uses a sampling accessory capable of sucking air from some dubious areas such as the reaction chamber of the processing apparatus, the internal space of the pod or a transferring interface between the processing apparatus and the pod.
  • An adsorbent in the sampling accessory is then used in some chemical analysis procedures to characterize the composition of the sampled air so as to infer the pollution source based on the outcome of the chemical analysis.
  • the prior art needs to open a front cover of the pod before using the sampling accessory to suck air from the internal space of the pod, but opening the front cover of the pod itself generates some contaminations.
  • using the sampling accessory to suck air in the open pod also pollutes the internal space of the pod. Consequently, there are several pollution sources, and it is quite difficult to discover the actual one.
  • the prior art does is a post-sampling, i.e., the prior art performs the sampling from the processing environment after the pollution occurs, and then infers reversely the generation mechanism of the pollution based on the result of the chemical analysis. Since the environment in which post-sampling is performed may be different from that in which the pollution actually occurs, the prior art analysis technique itself possesses a certain inaccuracy.
  • the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a wafer-transferring pod, which is capable of monitoring the process environment as a wafer is experiencing the fabrication process and preventing the wafer from being polluted by inserting a sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod or by opening the wafer-transferring pod.
  • a wafer-transferring pod that comprises a body capable of receiving a plurality of wafers and a sampling mechanism positioned on the body.
  • the sampling mechanism can be positioned on a top surface, a back surface or one of two side surfaces of the body for adsorbing contaminations.
  • One embodiment of the sampling mechanism comprises an inner chamber filled with adsorbent such as glass wool and a plurality of openings positioned on the sidewalls of the inner chamber.
  • the sampling mechanism may comprise a movable door and an opening positioned on the body for a user to absorb air from the body via the opening without opening a front cover of the wafer-transferring pod.
  • the sampling mechanism may comprise an inner member positioned on the body and a outer member buckled into the inner member, wherein the inner member and the outer member have an opening through which the user can absorb the air from the body without opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod.
  • the prior art needs to perform actions such as opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod or inserting the sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod; however, these actions generate contaminations to cause pollution.
  • the present invention disposes a sampling mechanism on the wafer-transferring pod, and the sampling of air in the wafer-transferring pod is performed via the sampling mechanism without inserting a sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod or opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod. Consequently, the present invention can prevent the wafer in the wafer-transferring pod from being polluted by inserting a sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod or opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod.
  • the present invention allows the performing of the sampling during the fabrication process, i.e., achieves an on-line sampling instead of the post-sampling.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a wafer-transferring pod according to one embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a wafer-transferring pod according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate a wafer-transferring pod according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a wafer-transferring pod 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the wafer-transferring pod 10 comprises a body 20 capable of receiving a plurality of wafers 12 and a sampling mechanism 30 positioned on the body 20 .
  • the sampling mechanism 30 can be positioned on a back surface 24 , a bottom surface 26 , a top surface 28 or one of two side surfaces 32 A, 32 B of the body 20 for adsorbing contaminations, and the wafer 12 is transferred into and out of the wafer-transferring pod 10 through an opening sealed up by a front cover 22 .
  • the sampling mechanism 30 comprises an inner chamber 42 positioned below the top surface 28 , an adsorbent 44 such as glass wool in the inner chamber 42 and a top cover 48 .
  • There are several openings 46 positioned on the sidewalls of the inner chamber 42 and pollutions in air can be adsorbed by the adsorbent 44 in the inner chamber 42 as air flows though the sampling mechanism 30 via these opening 46 .
  • the adsorbent 44 can adsorb contaminations from air in the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 as the wafer 12 is transferred from the reaction chamber back to the wafer-transferring pod 10 , i.e., sampling in an on-line manner.
  • the contaminations in the wafer-transferring pod 10 are discharged from the wafer 12 into air in the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 as the wafer 12 is transferred back to the wafer-transferring pod 10 after the fabrication process is completed in the reaction chamber. Subsequently, one can open the top cover 48 of the sampling mechanism 40 and take out the adsorbent 44 from the inner chamber 42 to identify the contamination by a certain chemical analysis technique.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a wafer-transferring pod 60 having a sampling mechanism 30 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the sampling mechanism 30 ′ of the wafer-transferring pod 60 comprises a guiding frame 62 positioned on the back surface 24 , a movable door 64 and an opening 66 .
  • the guiding frame 62 and the movable door 64 are made of polyetherimide to avoid the generation of the contamination on opening or closing the movable door 64 .
  • Pulling up the movable door 64 exposes the opening 66 on the back surface 24 , and the size of the opening 66 is substantially the same as that of a sampling head 56 of a sampling accessory 54 .
  • the movable door 64 is pulled down to shadow the opening 66 so as to prevent communication of air between the exterior and the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 via the opening 66 .
  • the movable door 64 is pulled up and the sampling head 56 engages with the opening 66 to suck air from the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 .
  • FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate a wafer-transferring pod 80 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the wafer-transferring pod 80 comprises a sampling mechanism 70 including an inner member 72 positioned on the top surface 28 of the body 20 and an outer member 74 buckled into the inner member 72 , wherein the inner member 72 have an opening 73 and the outer member 74 have an opening 75 communicating the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 with the external environment.
  • a plug 78 is used to seal up the opening 75 .
  • the plug 78 is removed and the sampling head 56 engages with the opening 75 to suck air from the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 without opening the front cover 22 of the wafer-transferring pod 10 .
  • the sample mechanism 70 may further comprise an adsorbent sheet 76 made of glass wool positioned between the inner member 72 and the outer member 74 to adsorb contaminations from the interior of the wafer-transferring pod 10 .
  • the prior art needs to perform actions such as opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod or inserting the sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod; however, these actions generate contaminations to cause pollution.
  • the present invention disposes a sampling mechanism on the wafer-transferring pod, and the sampling of air in the wafer-transferring pod is performed via the sampling mechanism without inserting a sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod or opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod. Consequently, the present invention can prevent the wafer in the wafer-transferring pod from being polluted by inserting a sampling accessory into the wafer-transferring pod or opening the front cover of the wafer-transferring pod.
  • the present invention allows the performing of the sampling during the fabrication process, i.e., achieves an on-line sampling instead of the post-sampling.

Landscapes

  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
US11/401,835 2006-01-25 2006-04-12 Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring processing environment Abandoned US20070170090A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
TW095102791A TWI298185B (en) 2006-01-25 2006-01-25 Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring process environment
TW095102791 2006-01-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20070170090A1 true US20070170090A1 (en) 2007-07-26

Family

ID=38284474

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US11/401,835 Abandoned US20070170090A1 (en) 2006-01-25 2006-04-12 Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring processing environment

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US20070170090A1 (zh)
TW (1) TWI298185B (zh)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100113811A1 (en) * 2003-11-12 2010-05-06 E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company Delta-15 desaturases genes suitable for increasing levels of omega-3 fatty acids
WO2019055543A1 (en) * 2017-09-12 2019-03-21 Bedford Systems Llc SECONDARY INSERTION ELEMENT FOR ASSEMBLED PACKAGING
US20230030188A1 (en) * 2021-07-22 2023-02-02 Entegris, Inc. Adsorbents and methods for reducing contamination in wafer container microenvironments
US20240162069A1 (en) * 2021-03-29 2024-05-16 Miraial Co. Ltd. Substrate storing container

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5047348A (en) * 1989-04-10 1991-09-10 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Apparatus for housing radioactive items during incubation
US5066597A (en) * 1989-04-10 1991-11-19 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Apparatus for infectious radioactive waste
US5346518A (en) * 1993-03-23 1994-09-13 International Business Machines Corporation Vapor drain system
US5469963A (en) * 1992-04-08 1995-11-28 Asyst Technologies, Inc. Sealable transportable container having improved liner
US5810062A (en) * 1996-07-12 1998-09-22 Asyst Technologies, Inc. Two stage valve for charging and/or vacuum relief of pods
US6105781A (en) * 1995-11-16 2000-08-22 Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. Thin-plate supporting container with unitary porous gasket
US6187182B1 (en) * 1998-07-31 2001-02-13 Semifab Incorporated Filter cartridge assembly for a gas purging system
US20040103625A1 (en) * 2002-11-29 2004-06-03 Agilent Technologies, Inc. Air blower apparatus for use in inspection apparatus and inspection apparatus housing with the air blower apparatus
US20080121560A1 (en) * 2004-04-18 2008-05-29 Entegris, Inc. Substrate container with fluid-sealing flow passageway
US20080149528A1 (en) * 2002-10-25 2008-06-26 Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. Substrate storage container

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5047348A (en) * 1989-04-10 1991-09-10 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Apparatus for housing radioactive items during incubation
US5066597A (en) * 1989-04-10 1991-11-19 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Apparatus for infectious radioactive waste
US5469963A (en) * 1992-04-08 1995-11-28 Asyst Technologies, Inc. Sealable transportable container having improved liner
US5346518A (en) * 1993-03-23 1994-09-13 International Business Machines Corporation Vapor drain system
US6105781A (en) * 1995-11-16 2000-08-22 Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. Thin-plate supporting container with unitary porous gasket
US5810062A (en) * 1996-07-12 1998-09-22 Asyst Technologies, Inc. Two stage valve for charging and/or vacuum relief of pods
US6187182B1 (en) * 1998-07-31 2001-02-13 Semifab Incorporated Filter cartridge assembly for a gas purging system
US20080149528A1 (en) * 2002-10-25 2008-06-26 Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd. Substrate storage container
US20040103625A1 (en) * 2002-11-29 2004-06-03 Agilent Technologies, Inc. Air blower apparatus for use in inspection apparatus and inspection apparatus housing with the air blower apparatus
US20080121560A1 (en) * 2004-04-18 2008-05-29 Entegris, Inc. Substrate container with fluid-sealing flow passageway

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100113811A1 (en) * 2003-11-12 2010-05-06 E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company Delta-15 desaturases genes suitable for increasing levels of omega-3 fatty acids
WO2019055543A1 (en) * 2017-09-12 2019-03-21 Bedford Systems Llc SECONDARY INSERTION ELEMENT FOR ASSEMBLED PACKAGING
US10988280B2 (en) 2017-09-12 2021-04-27 Bedford Systems Llc Secondary insertion feature for assembled package
US20240162069A1 (en) * 2021-03-29 2024-05-16 Miraial Co. Ltd. Substrate storing container
US12424472B2 (en) * 2021-03-29 2025-09-23 Miraial Co., Ltd. Substrate storing container
US20230030188A1 (en) * 2021-07-22 2023-02-02 Entegris, Inc. Adsorbents and methods for reducing contamination in wafer container microenvironments
JP2024527838A (ja) * 2021-07-22 2024-07-26 インテグリス・インコーポレーテッド ウエハ容器微環境内の汚染を低減する吸着剤および方法
JP7733210B2 (ja) 2021-07-22 2025-09-02 インテグリス・インコーポレーテッド ウエハ容器微環境内の汚染を低減する吸着剤および方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TWI298185B (en) 2008-06-21
TW200729381A (en) 2007-08-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN110383452B (zh) 电子装置制造设备、系统和方法中的装载端口操作
TWI684231B (zh) 加載埠及設備前端模組
JP5925474B2 (ja) ウエハ処理装置
TWI681915B (zh) 裝載埠
CN100543468C (zh) 监控对衬底晶片的污染的方法和设备
KR102218117B1 (ko) 기판 처리 장치
CN108352345B (zh) 测量用于基片的气氛输送和存储的运输箱的污染物的方法和系统
CN109906501A (zh) 用于改良型装载端口的系统、装置和方法
CN110379753B (zh) 基板传输系统、存储介质以及基板传输方法
US20070170090A1 (en) Wafer-transferring pod capable of monitoring processing environment
JP5479321B2 (ja) トランスポートポッドインターフェースおよび分析装置
JP2011159834A (ja) ガス置換装置を備えた基板搬送装置、基板搬送システム、置換方法
JP2002164335A (ja) 半導体製造装置の洗浄方法及び半導体製造装置
JP2006228808A (ja) 基板搬送装置、基板搬送方法及び半導体製造装置
KR101674107B1 (ko) 기판용기 커버 개폐장치
JP2007317909A (ja) シャッター付きブレスフィルター装置
WO2021157553A1 (ja) ロボット及びそれを備えた基板搬送システム
JP4372901B2 (ja) ケース開閉装置
US10279311B2 (en) System and method for operating chemical mechanical polishing process
JP2007273697A (ja) 基板搬送容器および基板搬送容器内空間のガス置換方法
JP4512505B2 (ja) 基板搬送容器内空間の汚染状態の評価方法
KR200451853Y1 (ko) 챔버의 유해가스 제거장치
JP2010041015A (ja) 半導体ウエハ収納容器用保管棚
CN100393430C (zh) 用于清洁基板的系统
US20080213069A1 (en) Apparatus for fabricating semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices using the same

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: PROMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC., TAIWAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:PO, YA LING;WANG, TING SING;REEL/FRAME:017749/0942

Effective date: 20060317

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION