CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

SEALED STANDARD INTERFACE APPARATUS, Inventors: George Allen Maney, Andrew William O'Sullivan, W. George Faraco, Ser. No. 635,384, Filed: July 30, 1984.

INTELLIGENT WAFER CARRIER, Inventors: George Allen Maney, Anthony Charles Bonora, Mihir Parikh, Ser. No. 686,444, Filed: Dec. 24, 1984.

DOOR ACTIVATED RETAINER, Inventors: George Allen Maney, W. George Faraco, Mihir Parikh, Ser. No. 686,443, Filed: Dec. 24, 1984.

LONG ARM MANIPULATOR FOR STANDARD MECHANICAL INTERFACE APPARATUS, Inventors: Anthony Charles Bonora, Andrew William O'Sullivan, Ser. No. 769,709, Filed: Aug. 26, 1985.

SHORT ARM MANIPULATOR FOR STANDARD MECHANICAL INTERFACE APPARATUS, Inventors: Anthony Charles Bonora, Ser. No. 769,850, Filed: Aug. 26, 1985.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) systems for reducing particle contamination and more particularly to transportable containers apparatus employing disposable liners and suitable for use in semiconductorprocessing equipment.

A standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) has been proposed by the Hewlett-Packard Company as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,532,970 and 4,534,389. The purpose of the SMIF system is to reduce particle contamination by significantly reducingparticle fluxes onto wafers. This end is accomplished by mechanically ensuring that during transportation, storage and processing of the wafers, the gaseous media (such as air or nitrogen) surrounding the wafers is essentially stationary relative to thewafers and by ensuring that particles from the ambient environment do not enter the immediate wafer environment.

The proposed SMIF system consists of two parts: (1) a controlled environment including a clean process equipment canopy surrounding the wafer-handling mechanism of each processing machine, and (2) a small, clean box having a quiet internalenvironment for carrying wafers from processing machine to processing machine.

Systems of the above type are concerned with particle sizes which range from below 0.1 micrometers to above 200 micrometers. Particles with these sizes can be very damaging in semiconductor processing because of the small geometries employed infabricating semiconductor devices. Typical semiconductor processes today employ geometries which are 1 micrometer and under. Unwanted contamination particles which have geometries measuring greater than 0.1 micrometer substantially interfere with 1micrometer geometry semiconductor devices. The trend, of course, is to have smaller and smaller semiconductor processing geometries which today in research and development labs approach 0.1 micrometer and below. In the future, geometries will becomesmaller and smaller and hence smaller and smaller contamination particles become of interest.

In typical processing environments today, "clean rooms" are established in which through filtering and other techniques, attempts are made to remove particles having geometries greater than 0.03 micrometer and above. There is a need, however, toimprove the processing environment. In clean room wafers and other semiconductor processing articles are exposed to the full clean room environment. Since different people, different types of equipment and materials are also present in the clean roomenvironment, the clean room cannot be maintained as particle free as desired. It is virtually impossible to maintain clean rooms free of particles of a 0.1 micrometer size and below.

For this reason, systems such as the SMIF system have come under consideration. The proposed SMIF system, however, has some deficiencies. When SMIF boxes becomes contaminated, it is very difficult to remove small contaminant particles since theforce of attraction of small particles to surfaces of the equipment is very high. When small particles become attached to a surface such as a SMIF box, they are not effectively removed by filtration techniques. Circulating and filtering air or othergas within a box does not readily remove the contamination particles which are attracted and held in contact with surfaces. However, whenever an object such as a SMIF box is disturbed, by bumping for example, many small particles are freed from thesurface and find their way as contaminants onto any semiconductor or other article which is present in the bos. While scrubbing and washing techniques have been developed for removing small particles from equipment and surfaces, these processes tend tobe cumbersome and furthermore are not entirely effective.

In accordance with the above background, there is a need for an improved system which can be standardized and which is effective for reducing contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a transportable container which provides a clean environment for articles to be processed. The container is used particularly in connection with semiconductor processing equipment which also provides a clean environment. The container is also used to store the articles before and after processing. The container is adapted to receive a holder for holding one or more of the articles, such as semiconductor wafers, to be processed. A rigid base is provided for supportingthe holder. A disposable liner is adapted to surround the holder and the one or more articles to be processed. The rigid base and holder are retractable from the disposable liner into the clean environment of the processing equipment, for example undera processing equipment canopy, whereby the articles can be processed without contamination.

In a preferred embodiment, the transportable container includes a box defining an interior space for containing the articles. The box includes a box top and a rigid box base for supporting the box top. The box base includes a box door foropening and closing the box. The box base provides a region for supporting the holder which holds articles. The container includes a liner insertable into the box and surrounding the interior space above the base region. The box door is retractablefrom the box base to permit the articles in a holder to be removed from the box and processed in a controlled clean environment of the processing equipment. After processing, the articles can be reinserted from the clean environment of the processingequipment into the clean environment of the box. In this manner, the articles never are removed from a clean environment.

In a preferred embodiment, the liner comprises a top liner which is made of a semi-rigid material which maintains a concave shape and surrounds the holder independently of any mechanical support. The top liner is located between the box top andthe box base.

In another preferred embodiment, the liner includes a base liner which is adapted to fit on the surface of the box door. The base liner has a sealing lip around its perimeter for exerting a force between the base and the box door for encouraginga dust-tight seal therebetween. And the top liner includes a compression means for exerting a force between the box top and box base.

In an alternate embodiment, the liner is a thin, flexible plastic liner which requires mechanical support to be held in a tent shape.

The present invention achieves the objective of providing a removable, and discardable liner for a transportable container usable in conjunction with semi-conductor processing equipment to provide a clean environment for semi-conductor wafers andother materials.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth in detail in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) apparatus with processing equipment, utilizing the transportable container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic representation of a side view of the SMIF apparatus and processing equipment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the port assembly in conjunction with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the transportable container in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the transportable container of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the transportable container of FIG. 5 in the open position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front plan view of the tongue assembly.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tongue in the open position.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the box base and box door.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a transportable container in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 11 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the transportable container in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the alternate embodiment of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, a canopy 10 is an easily removable shield that covers the wafer-handling mechanisms of the processing equipment 15. Equipment 15 is a photoresist applicator, mask aligner, inspection station, or any similar processing equipment. Thecanopy 10 is constructed of transparent plastic, such as acrylic or Lexan to facilitate inspection and/or maintenance within the canopy 10. The canopy 10 encloses the handling mechanisms of the processing equipment 15 and a holer 80, such as a wafercassette holding wafers 82. A clean or otherwise controlled environment is maintained under canopy 10 by filters and other means (not shown) within processing equipment. Therefore the equipment 15 need not be installed in a clean room.

FIG. 2 shows further details of the FIG. 1 apparatus. A box top 90 is mounted on an horizontal surface 40 of the canopy 10 by means of a port plate 50. A port assembly 20 further includes a port door 60 and an elevator mechanism 70 thattransports the cassette 80, containing the integrated circuit wafers 82, from a container 200 into the processing equipment region beneath the canopy 10. In FIG. 2, a port door 60 and a box door 99 are shown both in the open position (solid lines) andin the closed position by broken lines.

A mover assembly 29 includes a platform 26, a shaft engagement means 72, and a drive motor 28. The platform 26, extending from the elevator assembly 70, carries the port door 60, the box door 99, and the cassette 80 in a vertical direction. Theplatform 26 is attached by engagement means 72 to a vertical guide 71 of elevator assembly 70. The mover assembly 29 and elevator assembly 70 operate to move the port door 60 and the box door 99 in the verticle direction, whereby the holder 80 isinserted into and retracted from the interior region of the container 200.

Typically, guide 71 includes a lead screw (not shown) and motor 28 drives a gear (not shown) which engages the lead screw for driving the platform 26 up and down. When platform 26 is driven to the closed position, the port door 60 closes theport opening in the canopy 10.

In a similar manner, a manipulator assembly 30 is fastened to a platform 27 which has an engagement means 73 for engaging the vertical shaft assembly 71. Manipulator 30 includes a manipulator arm 31 and an engagement head 32 adapted to engagethe cassette 80. By vertical operation of the platforms 26 and 27 and operation of the manipulator 30, the cassette 80 is moved from its position on the box door 99 (shown by solid lines) to a position on the equipment station 13 (shown by brokenlines).

With particular reference to FIG. 3, there is shown a schematic exploded perspective view of the transportable container 200 in accordance with this invention. The container 200 includes a box 90 including a box top 90 and a box base 210. Thebox top 90 defines an interior box space 270 for containing articles to be processed. The articles comprise wafers 82 which are held by a holder 80 in the form of a cassette. The box top 90 is supported by the rigid box base 210. The box base 210includes a box door 99 for opening and closing the container 200.

A box top liner 202 is insertable into the box top 99 and is positioned between the box base 210 and the box top 90. The top liner 202 sits on the base 210. The top liner 202 is made from a non-contaminating material such as a thermoplastic,examples of which are vinyl and acrylic. Thermoplastics can be made by well-known techniques into relatively thin transparent films of 1 mil or thinner or of relatively thick, more dimensionally stable, dimensions of for example 25 mils. In anyembodiment, such thermoplastic films are manufactured by processes which result in a low number of very small contaminant particles. Furthermore, the contaminants which do exist are thermoplastic contaminants which are a known entity.

The top liner 202 as well as the other liners which will be discussed more fully below, are all disposable liners. Typically, a liner is destroyed after several uses. It is expected that liner would last 1 week to 3 weeks under expectedprocessing conditions. Although the liner environment is as clean as possible, contaminants are present. The contaminants collect on the surface of the liner and eventually cause the liner to become dirty and not useful in the processing environment. By replacing the liner, container 200 is restored to its original "clean" state without the need to replace the entire container itself.

When the box top 90 is loaded prior to processing with the cassette 80 and new wafers 82, any old liner previously in the box may be discarded and a new liner is first inserted. Accordingly, any contaminants which may exist on the box top 90resulting from previous uses in many different process locations, are shielded from the wafers 82 and the cassette 80 by the top liner 202.

With respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the top liner 202 is made of a semi-rigid material which maintains a concave shape, a tent shape, surrounding the articles independent of any external mechanical support from the box top 90. The liner 202 fits snugly within box top 90 and is slideably removable therefrom. The liner 202 includes compression means 215 on the top surface 215'. The compression means is formed by a recessed bellows 216 surrounding a top compression nipple 217and two bottom nipples 219 and 221. When the container 200 is in the closed position, with cassette 80 inside the container 200, the compression means 215 and particularly, the nipple 217 contact a recessed portion 90-1 of the box top 90 at surface215'. The two bottom nipples 219 and 221 contact the cassette 80 with uniform pressure. The compression means 215 thus creates a uniform compressive force between the box top 90 and the base 210 which encourages a dust-tight seal between the box top 90and the base 210. By dust-tight seal, it is meant that particles of 0.1 micron are not permitted to enter the seal. Of course, a gas-tight seal would also work, but the cost of achieving same is prohibitive and the improvement in overall results usingthis invention would be minimal.

To enhance the slideable connection of the top liner 202 with a box top 90, each are provided with registration means 220 and 222, respectively as seen in FIG. 3. The registration means ensures proper fit of the tent liner 202 with the box top90. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-7, the registration means 220 and 222 comprise grooves made in each of the corners of the box top 90 and tent liner 202 which compatibly slide and mate with one another. In this way a proper fit of the top linerand box is always assured.

The base 210 is rigid and made from a metal such as anodized aluminum. As shown with particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 8, the base 210 supports the box top 90 and includes means 230 for securing the box top 90 to the base 210. The means 230comprises a rotatable head 232 which comprises a cam having a male locking member 234. The means 230 is removably secured to the base 210 by a mounting pin 236. As the head 232 is rotated to the lock position, the male locking member 234 engages afemale locking member 238 on the top liner 202.

As mentioned earlier, it is desirable for the box top 90, top liner 202 and base 210 to create a dust-tight seal therebetween. For this purpose, base 210 includes an inner and outer ridge, 250 and 255, respectively as shown with respect to FIGS.3 and 6. Between the ridges 250 and 255 is defined a floor 258. Adjacent to the inner ridge 250, the floor is sloped defining a sloped edge. The sloped edge extends around the perimeter of the ridge 250.

As can be seen more clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6, the box top 90 and top liner 202 are supported by the floor 258. The securing means 230 secures the box top 90 to the base 210; the compression means 215 exerts a force therebetween such that thesloped edge forms a dust-tight fit with the box top 90, top liner 202 and base 210.

The base 210 includes a means 260 for engaging the holder or cassette 80. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the means 260 comprises a tongue which is movable with respect to the base 210. The tongue 260 includes a tongue liner 262. Theoperation of the tongue 260 will be explained in further detail with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, a base liner 204 is located between the base 210 and the box door 99. The base liner 204 has a sealing lip 206 around its perimeter which exerts a force between the base 210 and the box door 99 in the closedposition for encouraging a dust-tight seal between the base 210 and box door 99. As shown in more detail with respect to FIG. 8, the sealing lip 206 fits snugly against a ridge 212 of the base 210. Since the base liner 204 is of a flexiblethermoplastic material, it conforms with the ridge 212 further encouraging a dust-tight seal.

In order to facilitate the cassette 80 to be retractable with the box door 99 and base liner 206, the base liner 206 is provided with cassette support means 223 and 224. The support means 223 and 224 are asymetrical. Therefore the base liner206 must fit precisely into box door 99. Registration means 225 and 226 on the base liner 206 are provided to mate with registration means 227 and 228 of the box door 99 and assure a proper fit. Thus, when the box door 99 and the base liner 206 areretracted, the cassette 80 continues to rest upon the support means 223 and 224.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the base 210 has a center opening 211. The center opening 211 is covered by a skirt liner 240. The skirt liner 240 is made of the same material as liners 202 and 204 and is similarly disposable. The skirtliner 240 extends around the perimeter of base liner 204. In combination with liners 202 and 204, the surfaces of the container 200 exposed to the cassette 80 are completely covered. Thus, in order to produce the original "clean" environment, the lines202, 204 and 240 are simply replaced.

In use the transportable container 200 is carried in the closed position with the articles inside a holder such as the cassette 80 which holds wafers 82. The transportable container 200 is provided with a handle 201 which is affixed to thecontainer 200 as shown in FIG. 5.

No contamination is allowed to enter the interior space 270 where the articles are contained. The combination of the compression means 215 and sealing lip 206 create a dust-tight seal which prevents contamination from entering the interior space270. Thus the transportable container can be carried in a non-clean environment to an appropriate processing station where it can then be processed in a controlled clean environment without contamination and without having to make the entire room clean.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the movement of the tongue 260. In the closed position, the tongue 260 having a tongue liner 262 rests upon the base liner 204 and box door 99. As shown in FIG. 8, when the box door 99 and base liner 204 are retracted,the tongue 260 tends to move in the same direction as the box door 99. This movement is enough to allow the cassette 80 with wafers 82 to be released from the tongue liner 262 and retracted with the box door 99.

FIG. 7 shows a front plan view of the tongue 260 and tongue liner 262. The tongue 260 is connected to the base 210 through legs 280 and 282. The legs have feet 284 and 286 (not shown), respectively. Each foot 284 and 286 includes a male member288 which fits into a compatible mounting slot 290 in the base 210. The tongue 260 is suspended by arms 292 and 294 which are connected to each of the legs 280 and 282. The arms 292 and 294 allow the tongue 260 to move relative to the base 210. Atongue liner 262 is fastened to the tongue 260 by fastening means 296. The tongue liner 262 includes engagement means 298 for engaging the cassette 80.

In the closed position of the container 200, the tongue 260 and tongue liner 262 rest on the box door 99 and base liner 204. When the box door 99 and base liner 204 are retracted, the tongue 260 tends to move with them and in the process, thecassette 80 is released from the engagement means 298 and is thereby retracted with the box door 99 as shown with respect to FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the box door 99 connected to the base 210. The base 210 includes latch means 213 and 214 which are spring loaded on a lever arms 300 and 302, respectively. The lever arms 300 and 302 are connected to the base 210by mounting screws 304 and 306 respectively. The lever arms 300 and 302 include heads 308 and 310, respectively. The heads 308 and 310 fit compatibly and are normally urged into detents 312 and 314 of the box door 99. When the container 200 is in theclosed position, the box door 99 is sealed against base liner 204 and base 210 with the heads 308 and 310 resting in detents 312 and 314, respectively. The heads 308 and 310 include slots 316 and 318, respectively.

In order to retract the box door 99, the lever arms 300 and 302 must out of their normal position. As shown in FIG. 3, the port door 60 is equipped with actuator pins 17 and 18 which align with the openings 316 and 318, respectively and whenappropriate the pins 17 and 18 move the lever arms 300 and 302 aside. The sealing lip compressive force also aids in retracting the box door 99. When the spring loaded latch means 213 and 214 are moved out of their normal position, the compressiveforce of the sealing lip encourages release of the box door 99.

In order to facilitate alignment of the pins 17 and 18 with the openings 316 and 318, respectively, the port door 60 includes alignment means 320, 322, and 324 which align with alignment means 326, 328, and 330 on the box door 99.

FIG. 10 shows an alternate embodiment of the transportable container 200 in accordance with this invention as well as an alternate embodiment of the port assembly 20. The alternate embodiment includes a box top 90 for containing the articles. Arigid base 210 supports the box top 90 and includes a tongue 260 having a tongue liner 262 for engaging the cassette 80. A liner 348 includes a tent liner portion 350 which surrounds the cassette 80. The tent liner 350 sits on a base liner 352 which ispositioned beneath the cassette 80 and rigid base 210. As shown in FIG. 11, the tent liner 350 and the base liner 352 are engageable with each other for sealing to prevent the ingress of contamination into the interior space of the container 200.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show another alternate embodiment of a transportable container 200. The port assembly 20 is shown with the cassette 80 fully inserted into the box top 90. Within the box top 90 is a tent liner 400 which is internal to the boxtop 90 and is external to the cassette 80 and the wafers 82. The tent liner 400 sits upon a base liner 402 which is in turn positioned beneath the cassette 80 and the box base 210. The tent liner 400 and the base liner 402 are each made of anon-contaminating material such as a fluoroplastic. A fluoroplastic is a generic name for polytetrarfluorethylene and its copolymers. One such well known fluoroplastic is teflon. Such fluoroplastics can be made by well-known techniques to be thintransparent films of 1/10th mil or thinner or of relatively thick, more dimensionally stable, dimensions of for example 25 mil. In any embodiment, such fluoroplastic films are manufactured by processes which result in a low number of contaminantparticles which are very small. Furthermore, the contaminants which do exist are fluoroplastic contaminants which are a known entity. In general, fluoroplastic contaminants are inert in semiconductor processing except for any physical imperfection thatthey would cause. In general, fluoroplastic contaminants of a given size are more tolerable then other types of contaminants which result from equipment and semi-conductor materials.

Because the liner 400, and to some extent the liner 402 are soft flexible fluoroplastics, the operation of inserting and retracting the base 210 into and out of the box top 90 permits the plastic liner to shrink or expand in volume therebyminimizing the turbulence of any surrounding gas, such as air, resulting from the insertion and retraction into and out of the box top 90. Because liner 400 is of the thin film which give it the above function, it also means liner 400 requires aditionalmechanical support 64 to maintain its tent shape.

In one embodiment, the liners are a electret material which has the property of attracting and holding small charged particles. Such an electret is formed, for example, by the radiation of a fluoroplastic with an appropriate radiation source. Such radiation has the effect of separating positive and negative charges within the fluroplastic thereby forming the electret property to the fluoroplastic.

In another embodiment, the liner is formed of a conductive material. In one example, the fluroplastic liner as previously described is formed within a thin conductive mesh, for example a wire mesh, so as to provide a static shield around thecassette 80 and the wafers 82. For example, a conductive wire mesh having conductors formed of wires of 0.001 diameter gold on 0.005 spacing is satisfactory.

In another embodiment, the liner includes on its inner surface adhesive material. The adhesive surface tends to hold particles which strike the liner.

The liners when formed of a thin fluoroplastic tend to be transparent thereby facilitating observation of the wafers and cassettes through the liner. Of course, the fluroplastic or other material can be rendered translucent or opaque. In oneparticular embodiment, the liner is doped with a yellow pigment with a purpose of filtering out unwanted ultraviolet light.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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