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US-12622216-B2 - Wafer hand, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

US12622216B2US 12622216 B2US12622216 B2US 12622216B2US-12622216-B2

Abstract

In a wafer hand, two carry portions are arranged in line in a first direction, the two carry portions are connected via a joint portion, each of the two carry portions extends from the joint portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, an interval between inner side surfaces of the two carry portions is 170 mm or more, an interval between outer side surfaces of the two carry portions is 280 mm or less, and when a distance between inner side surfaces of the two carry portions is A (mm), and a length of the inner side surfaces of the two carry portions in the second direction is L (mm), a relationship of L≥(300 2 −A 2 ) 0.5 is satisfied.

Inventors

  • Naoyuki Takeda
  • Hiroshi Tanaka

Assignees

  • MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20220303
Priority Date
20210512

Claims (17)

  1. 1 . A wafer hand comprising: a first carry portion, a second carry portion, and a joint portion, wherein the first and second carry portions are arranged in line in a first direction, the first and second carry portions are connected via the joint portion, each of the first and second carry portions extends from the joint portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, an interval between a first inner side surface of the first carry portion and a second inner side surface of the second carry portion, the first and second inner side surfaces facing each other, is 170 mm or more, an interval between a first outer side surface of the first carry portion and a second outer side surface of the second carry portion, the first and second outer side surfaces facing opposite sides to each other, is 280 mm or less, a length of the first inner side surface of the first carry portion is greater than a length of the first outer side surface of the first carry portion, and a length of the second inner side surface of the second carry portion is greater than a length of the second outer side surface of the second carry portion, when a distance between the first inner side surface of the first carry portion and the second inner side surface of the second carry portion is A (mm), and a length of each of the first and second inner side surfaces in the second direction is L (mm), a relationship of L≥(300 2 −A 2 ) 0.5 is satisfied, a placement portion is provided at a first end portion along the second direction and at a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the second direction on each of the first carry portion and the second carry portion, in a plan view, an angle opening toward the first direction out of angles formed by a straight line connecting a center of the placement portion at the first end portion of the first carry portion and a center of the placement portion at the second end portion of the second carry portion, and a straight line connecting a center of the placement portion at the second end portion of the first carry portion and a center of the placement portion at the first end portion of the second carry portion, is 110° or less, a guide is provided at a first end portion along the second direction and at a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the second direction of each of the first carry portion and the second carry portion, the guide regulates a position in an in-plane direction of a wafer placed on the wafer hand, and the guide is provided at the placement portion.
  2. 2 . The wafer hand according to claim 1 , wherein the interval between the first and second outer side surfaces is 250 mm or less.
  3. 3 . The wafer hand according to claim 1 , wherein the angle is 67° or more.
  4. 4 . The wafer hand according to claim 1 , wherein a suction hole having a suction opening on an upper surface of the placement portion is provided, and the wafer hand suctions a wafer placed on the upper surface of the placement portion by suction from the suction opening.
  5. 5 . The wafer hand according to claim 4 , wherein the upper surface of the placement portion has a tilt of less than 3°.
  6. 6 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising the wafer hand according to claim 1 .
  7. 7 . A wafer hand comprising: a first carry portion, a second carry portion, and a joint portion, wherein the first and second carry portions are arranged in line in a first direction, the first and second carry portions are connected via the joint portion, each of the first and second carry portions extends from the joint portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a disk-shaped object to be placed having a diameter d of 295 mm or more can be placed in such a manner as to satisfy two conditions of (a) the object does not overlap with the first and second carry portions or the joint portion in a plan view in a region other than a region where a distance from a center of the object is 85×(d/300) mm or more and 140×(d/300) mm or less with respect to the first direction, and (b) in each of two regions where the distance from the center of the object is 85×(d/300) mm or more and 140×(d/300) mm or less with respect to the first direction, one of the first and second carry portions extends along the second direction to a side surface of the object.
  8. 8 . The wafer hand according to claim 7 , wherein the object can be placed in such a manner as to satisfy three conditions of (a), (b), and (c) a portion of each of the first and second carry portions on the side surface of the object falls within a region where the distance from the center of the object is 85×(d/300) mm or more and 125×(d/300) mm or less with respect to the first direction.
  9. 9 . The wafer hand according to claim 7 , wherein the object can be placed in such a manner as to satisfy, in place of (a) and (b), two conditions of (d) the object does not overlap with the first and second carry portions or the joint portion in a plan view in a region other than a region where the distance from the center of the object is 85×(d/300) mm or more and 125×(d/300) mm or less with respect to the first direction, and (e) in each of two regions where the distance from the center of the object is 85×(d/300) mm or more and 125×(d/300) mm or less with respect to the first direction, one of the first and second carry portions extends along the second direction to a side surface of the object.
  10. 10 . The wafer hand according to claim 7 , wherein a placement portion is provided at a first end portion along the second direction and at a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the second direction on each of the first carry portion and the second carry portion, and in a plan view, an angle opening toward the first direction out of angles formed by a straight line connecting a center of the placement portion at the first end portion of the first carry portion and a center of the placement portion at the second end portion of the second carry portion, and a straight line connecting a center of the placement portion at the second end portion of the first carry portion and a center of the placement portion at the first end portion of the second carry portion, is 110° or less.
  11. 11 . The wafer hand according to claim 10 , wherein the angle opening is 67° or more.
  12. 12 . The wafer hand according to claim 10 , wherein a suction hole having a suction opening on an upper surface of the placement portion is provided, and the wafer hand suctions a wafer placed on the upper surface of the placement portion by suction from the suction opening.
  13. 13 . The wafer hand according to claim 12 , wherein the upper surface of the placement portion has a tilt of less than 3°.
  14. 14 . The wafer hand according to claim 7 , wherein a guide is provided at a first end portion along the second direction and at a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the second direction of each of the first carry portion and the second carry portion, and the guide regulates a position in an in-plane direction of a wafer placed on the wafer hand.
  15. 15 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising the wafer hand according to claim 7 .
  16. 16 . A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device for carrying a semiconductor wafer using a wafer hand, the method comprising: a step of preparing the semiconductor wafer having a thickness smaller at a central portion than at an outer peripheral portion, wherein the semiconductor wafer has a diameter d (mm) of 295 mm or more, and the wafer hand includes two carry portions extending in a second direction, the method further comprising a step of placing and carrying the semiconductor wafer on the two carry portions in a state where the semiconductor wafer does not overlap with the wafer hand in plan view in a region other than a region of 85×(d/300) mm or more and 140×(d/300) mm or less from a center of the semiconductor wafer with respect to a first direction orthogonal to the second direction.
  17. 17 . The wafer hand according to claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the first carry portion is curved from the first inner side surface of the first carry portion to the first outer side surface of the first carry portion, and a distal end of the second carry portion is curved from the second inner side surface of the second carry portion to the second outer side surface of the second carry portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates to a wafer hand, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Description of the Background Art Wafer hands are used to transfer semiconductor wafers. A wafer hand is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-151035. In a carrier for storing a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is stored by supporting the semiconductor wafer by each of a plurality of grooves formed in the vertical direction on both left and right inner walls. Because the semiconductor wafer stored in the carrier is supported only at the outer peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer, a downward deflection occurs due to its own weight in an unsupported central portion. A large deflection occurs in a wafer having a thin wafer thickness such as a stepped wafer. To take out the semiconductor wafer stored in the carrier where multiple semiconductor wafers are stored, it is necessary to insert a wafer hand between the semiconductor wafers. However, when a gap for inserting the wafer hand becomes small due to the deflection of the semiconductor wafers, a problem occurs that the semiconductor wafers and the wafer hand comes into contact with each other at an unintended location. SUMMARY An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wafer hand capable of suppressing contact between a semiconductor wafer and the wafer hand at an unintended location when the semiconductor wafer is taken in and out of a carrier. A wafer hand according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes two carry portions and a joint portion. The two carry portions are arranged in line in a first direction. The two carry portions are connected via the joint portion. Each of the two carry portions extends from the joint portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. An interval between side surfaces of the two carry portions, the side surfaces facing a direction intersecting the second direction of each of the two carry portions and facing each other, is 170 mm or more. An interval between side surfaces of the two carry portions, the side surfaces facing the direction intersecting the second direction of each of the two carry portions and facing opposite sides to each other, is 280 mm or less. When a distance between inner side surfaces of the two carry portions is A (mm) and a length of the inner side surfaces of the two carry portions in the second direction is L (mm), a relationship of L≥(3002−A2)0.5 is satisfied. The present disclosure provides a wafer hand capable of suppressing contact between a semiconductor wafer and the wafer hand at an unintended location when the semiconductor wafer is taken in and out of a carrier. These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wafer hand of a first preferred embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α1-β1 in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a deflection of a stepped wafer stored in a carrier, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the wafer hand of the first preferred embodiment is inserted between the wafers stored in the carrier; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the deflection of the stepped wafer stored in the carrier; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the wafer is stored in the carrier, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α2-β2 in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a plan view of an example of a wafer hand according to a second preferred embodiment; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α3-β3 in FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between a position of a placement portion and a deflection of a stepped wafer; FIG. 11 is a plan view of another example of the wafer hand according to the second preferred embodiment; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α4-β4 in FIG. 11; FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to a third preferred embodiment; FIG. 14 is a plan view of a wafer hand of a comparative example; FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the wafer hand of the comparative example is inserted between wafers stored in a carrier, FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a semiconductor device manufactured according to the third preferred embodiment; and FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first preferred embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A. First Preferred Embodiment A-1. Configuration FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a wafer hand 21 of the present preferred embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer hand 21 taken along the α1-β1 line in FIG. 1. FIGS. 1 and 2 also