Automated replacement of consumable parts using end effectors interfacing with plasma processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124492-B2
Application number	US-201615048940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A cluster tool assembly includes a vacuum transfer module, a process module having a first side connected to the vacuum transfer module. An isolation valve having a first side and a second side, the first side of the isolation valve coupled to a second side of the process module. A replacement station is coupled to the second side of the isolation valve. The replacement station includes an exchange handler and a part buffer. The part buffer includes a plurality of compartments to hold new or used consumable parts. The process module includes a lift mechanism to enable placement of a consumable part installed in the process module to a raised position. The raised position provides access to the exchange handler to enable removal of the consumable part from the process module and store in a compartment of the part buffer. The exchange handler of the replacement station is configured to provide a replacement for the consumable part from the part buffer back to the process module. The lift mechanism is configured to receive the consumable part provided for replacement by the exchange handler and lower the consumable part to an installed position. The replacement by the exchange handler and the process module is conducted while the process module and the replacement station are maintained in a vacuum state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An end-effector mechanism connectable to a robot, comprising:
a wrist plate;
a mounting armset connected to the wrist plate, the mounting armset having a top plate and a bottom plate;
a finger assembly clamped between the top plate and the bottom plate of the mounting armset, the finger assembly includes a pair of fingers extending outward from the mounting armset, the finger assembly having a proximal end adjacent to the mounting armset and a distal end at tips of the pair of fingers; and
a first pair of consumable contact pads disposed on a top surface of the finger assembly and located at the proximal end of the finger assembly;
a second pair of consumable contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly and located at the distal end of the finger assembly;
a third pair of substrate contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the first pair of consumable contact pads and between the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads; and
a fourth pair of substrate contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the second pair of consumable contact pads and between the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads,
wherein the finger assembly is configured for transporting both a consumable part using the first and second pairs of consumable contact pads and a substrate using the third and fourth pairs of substrate contact pads.

2. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads are disposed outside of a diameter of the substrate.

3. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the third pair and fourth pair of substrate contact pads are disposed inside of a diameter of the substrate.

4. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the finger assembly is defined from a ceramic material.

5. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is one of a 200 mm substrate, a 300 mm substrate or a 450 mm substrate.

6. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the consumable part is an edge ring usable in a process chamber, the edge ring has a diameter that is larger than the substrate.

7. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the top plate of the mounting armset is made of a stainless steel material.

8. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the bottom plate of the mounting armset is made of aluminum material.

9. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the robot with the end-effector mechanism is used in an atmospheric transfer module.

10. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the robot with the end-effector mechanism is used in a vacuum transfer module.

11. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , further includes a fifth pair of consumable contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the first pair of consumable contact pads and between the first pair of consumable contact pads and the third pair of substrate contact pads; and
a sixth pair of consumable contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the second pair of consumable contact pads and between the second pair of consumable contact pads and the fourth pair of substrate contact pads.

12. The end-effector mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the fifth pair and sixth pair of consumable contact pads are disposed outside of a diameter of the substrate.

13. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads, and the third pair and fourth pair of substrate contact pads are made of elastomeric material.

14. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the end-effector mechanism is used within an atmospheric transfer module.

15. The end-effector mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the end-effector mechanism is used within a vacuum transfer module.

16. An atmospheric transfer module in a cluster tool assembly, the atmospheric transfer module disposed between a replacement station and a loadlock chamber, such that the replacement station is interfaced to a first side of the atmospheric transfer module and the loadlock chamber is interfaced to a second side of the atmospheric transfer module, the atmospheric transfer module including:
a robot with an end-effector mechanism, the end-effector mechanism comprising,
a wrist plate;

a mounting armset connected to the wrist plate, the mounting armset having a top plate and a bottom plate;
a finger assembly clamped between the top plate and the bottom plate of the mounting armset, the finger assembly includes a pair of fingers extending outward from the mounting armset, the finger assembly having a proximal end proximal to the mounting armset and a distal end at tips of the pair of fingers;
a first pair of consumable contact pads disposed on a top surface of the finger assembly and located at the proximal end of the finger assembly;
a second pair of consumable contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly and located at the distal end of the finger assembly,
a third pair of substrate contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the first pair of consumable contact pads and between the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads; and
a fourth pair of substrate contact pads disposed on the top surface of the finger assembly adjacent to the second pair of consumable contact pads and between the first pair and second pair of consumable contact pads;
wherein the finger assembly is configured to transport both a consumable part using the first and the second pairs of consumable contact pads and a substrate using the third and the fourth pairs of substrate contact pads,
wherein the replacement station includes a part buffer with a plurality of compartments to store new or used consumable parts.

17. The atmospheric transfer module of claim 16 , further includes one or more load ports, the replacement station coupled to a load port in the atmospheric transfer module.

18. The atmospheric transfer module of claim 16 , further includes one or more wafer loaders interfaced with the first side of the atmospheric transfer module, wherein each wafer loader includes a part buffer with a plurality of compartments to store new or used substrates, the one or more wafer loaders coupled to one or more load ports defined on the first side of the atmospheric transfer module.

19. The atmospheric transfer module of claim 16 , wherein the first pair and the second pair of consumable contact pads of the finger assembly are disposed outside of a diameter of the substrate, and
wherein the third pair and the fourth pair of substrate contact pads of the finger assembly are disposed inside of a diameter of the substrate.

20. An atmospheric transfer module in a cluster tool assembly, the atmospheric transfer module disposed between a replacement station and a loadlock chamber, such that the replacement station is interfaced to a first side of the atmospheric transfer module, and a first side of the loadlock chamber is interfaced to a second side of the atmospheric transfer module, the atmospheric transfer module including:
a first robot having a first end-effector mechanism, the first end-effector mechanism of the first robot includes,
a wrist plate;
a mounting armset connected to the wrist plate;
a finger assembly mounted to the mounting armset and includes a pair of fingers extending outward from the mounting armset, the finger assembly having a proxi

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Genetti Damon Tyrone
• Mcchesney Jon
• Paterson Alex
• Witkowicki Derek John
• Ngo Austin

Classifications

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3302 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/1921

  characterised by substrate supports · CPC title

• H10P72/0466

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0464 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title