Method and device for handling an article in the course of semiconductor fabrication

1. A method for handling an article in semiconductor fabrication, the method comprising:

freezing a liquid with a gripper to form a frozen liquid;

gripping the article by the gripper, wherein the gripper remains completely separated from the article by the frozen liquid;

thawing the frozen liquid after the handling of the article; and

collecting a thawed frozen liquid by a collecting opening located spatially below the frozen liquid; and wherein a suction extraction opening, by which the thawed frozen liquid is extracted by suction, is used as the collecting opening.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the article is handled under clean-room conditions.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the article comprises an article selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor wafer, a wafer cassette, a mask or a mask cassette.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frozen liquid comprises high-purity water.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frozen liquid comprises a decontaminating liquid.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the decontaminating liquid comprises a dilute acid.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the dilute acid comprises HCl, HNO 3 and/or HF.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thawed frozen liquid is directed to the collecting opening by means of a groove.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, before freezing to form the frozen liquid, the liquid is introduced into the groove by means of a feeding device and frozen in it by a cooling device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid is frozen to form a frozen ring of liquid on an outer side of the gripper.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising applying a negative pressure within the frozen ring of liquid to keep the article on the gripper.

12. A method for gripping an article with a gripper, the method comprising:

freezing a liquid to form a frozen ring of liquid on an outer side of the gripper;

placing the frozen ring of liquid onto the article; and

applying a negative pressure between the article and the gripper, within the frozen ring of liquid to hold the article on the gripper.

13. A gripper for handling an article, comprising:

a cooling device for freezing a liquid to form a frozen ring of liquid on an outer side of the gripper; and

a suction take-in device for applying a negative pressure within the frozen ring of liquid, wherein the negative pressure is applied as soon as the frozen ring of liquid is placed onto an article to be handled;

wherein, during the gripping of the article, the gripper is completely separated from the article by the frozen ring of liquid.

14. The gripper as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the gripper has a collecting opening, located spatially below a gripping region formed by the frozen ring of liquid, wherein the collecting opening collects a thawed frozen liquid.

15. The gripper as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the collecting opening is formed by a suction extraction opening, which extracts the thawed frozen liquid by suction.

16. The gripper as claimed in one of claim 14 , wherein a groove is present in the gripping region.

17. The gripper as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising a feeding device for introducing the liquid into the groove and a cooling device for freezing the liquid.

18. The gripper as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the negative pressure is close to vacuum pressure.

19. A method for handling an article in semiconductor fabrication, the method comprising:

freezing a liquid with a gripper to form a frozen liquid;

gripping the article by the gripper, wherein the gripper remains completely separated from the article by the frozen liquid; and wherein the frozen liquid comprises a decontaminating liquid formed from a dilute acid.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the dilute acid comprises HCl, HNO 3 and/or HF.