Apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor devices wherein the apparatus includes a bonding module that has a vacuum chamber to provide bonding of wafers under pressure below atmospheric pressure; and a loadlock module connected to the bonding module and configured for wafer transfer to the bonding module. The loadlock module is also connected to a first vacuum pumping device configured to reduce the pressure in the loadlock module to below atmospheric pressure.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for bonding semiconductor wafers, which comprises:
 evacuating a vacuum chamber of a bonding module;   transferring at least a first wafer and a second wafer from an external environment to a loadlock module that is connected to the bonding module;   evacuating the loadlock module after transfer of at least the first and second wafers to the loadlock module;   transferring at least the first and second wafers from the evacuated loadlock module to the evacuated vacuum chamber of the bonding module;   positioning the first wafer and a second wafer on a first and a second bonding chuck, respectively; and   moving the first and the second wafer towards each other by movement of the first and/or second bonding chuck such that a main surface of the first wafer and a main surface of the second wafer locally come sufficiently close to each other to allow bonding to be initiated.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the first and the second wafers are positioned in a vertical position within less than 10° with respect to a horizontal plane on the first and the second bonding chuck, respectively, and moved into a vertical position sufficiently close to each another to allow bonding to be initiated. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , which further comprises adjusting the vacuum of the vacuum chamber after transfer of at least the first wafer. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the moving is conducted in the bonding module wherein the vacuum chamber provides bonding of wafers under a pressure below atmospheric pressure; and the loadlock is connected to a first vacuum pumping device configured to reduce the pressure in the loadlock module when closed to below atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the vacuum chamber further comprises a second vacuum pumping device connected via a control valve to the vacuum chamber of the bonding module and configured to reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber of the bonding module to below atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the loadlock module comprises a first gate that can be opened and closed for receipt of a wafer from an external environment and a second gate that can be opened and closed for transfer of a wafer from the loadlock module to the bonding module. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the loadlock module comprises a multi wafer storage system for storing multiple wafers to be transferred to the bonding module. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17 , which further comprises providing at least one additional loadlock module connected to the bonding module and configured and dimensioned to receive one or more bonded wafers from the bonding module. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the first and second bonding chucks are both moveable. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the first and second bonding chucks are configured to hold the first and the second wafer, respectively, in a vertical position within less than 10° with respect to a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the first or second bonding chucks or both are made of metal or ceramics that resists bending and bowing. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the first bonding chuck and second bonding chuck are configured and dimensioned to hold first and second wafers that are at least 300 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , which further comprises providing a control unit configured to control the first and the second bonding chucks to move towards each other, and to locate the first and the second wafers at a predetermined distance to each other, release the first and the second wafers at the predetermined distance, and to initiate local application of a force to at least one of the first and the second wafers such that they locally become that close to each other that bonding is initiated. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 22 , which further comprises providing a control unit configured to control the first and the second bonding chucks to move towards each other to locate the first and the second wafers at a predetermined distance to each other and, subsequently, locally decreasing the clamping force applied by the first and/or second bonding chucks in order to hold the first and second wafer, respectively, such that the first and the second wafers locally become that close to each other that bonding is initiated. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the control unit is configured to control gradual or non-gradual release of the first and/or second wafer, wherein the first and the second wafer become sufficiently close to each other at an initial location where bonding is initiated. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 17 , which is carried out in a manufacturing system comprising the bonding and loadlock modules; a load port module configured and dimensioned to introduce a wafer into the manufacturing system; a plasma module configured to perform a plasma treatment of a surface of the wafer introduced in the manufacturing system; a cleaning module configured to clean the surface of the wafer; and a moveable robot device configured and dimensioned to transport the wafer from one of either the load port module, plasma module, cleaning module, and loadlock module to any other one of these modules.