High throughput substrate handling endstation and sequence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10157763-B2
Application number	US-201314013693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2013
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating expeditious handling and processing of semiconductor substrates with a minimal number of handling devices. Such a system may include an entry load-lock configured to transfer substrates from an atmospheric environment to a vacuum chamber, an alignment station disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to adjust orientations of substrates, a first vacuum robot configured to move substrates from the entry load-lock to the alignment station, a process station disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to perform a designated process on substrates, first and second exit load-locks configured to transfer substrates from the vacuum chamber to the atmospheric environment, and a second vacuum robot configured to move substrates from the alignment station to the process station and further configured to move substrates from the process station to the first exit load-lock and to the second exit load-lock in an alternating fashion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing system comprising:
a vacuum chamber;
an entry load-lock coupled to the vacuum chamber, the entry load-lock configured for transferring substrates between an atmospheric environment and the vacuum chamber;
a rotatable alignment station disposed in the vacuum chamber, the alignment station configured to rotatably adjust alignments of said substrates;
a first vacuum robot disposed in the vacuum chamber, the first vacuum robot configured for moving said substrates from the entry load-lock to the alignment station;
a process station disposed in the vacuum chamber;
first and second exit load-locks coupled to the vacuum chamber, the first and second exit load-locks configured for transferring said substrates between the vacuum chamber and the atmospheric environment; and
a second vacuum robot disposed in the vacuum chamber, the second vacuum robot configured to move substrates from the alignment station to the process station and further configured to move substrates from the process station to the first exit load-lock and the second exit load-lock in an alternating fashion;
wherein the first vacuum robot is configured to perform no more than one pick and one place for a substrate or stack of substrates from a time when the substrate or stack of substrates enters the vacuum chamber to a time when the substrate or stack of substrates exits the vacuum chamber.

2. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a carrier disposed in the atmospheric environment, the carrier for transporting said plurality of substrates; and
an atmospheric robot disposed in the atmospheric environment and configured to move substrates from the carrier to the entry load-lock.

3. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the atmospheric robot is configured to move substrates from the first exit load-lock to the carrier.

4. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second vacuum robot comprises a first arm for moving substrates from the alignment station to the process station and a second arm for moving substrates from the process station to the first exit load-lock and to the second exit load-lock in an alternating fashion.

5. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the alignment station is configured to identify substrates.

6. A substrate processing system comprising:
an entry load-lock configured to transfer substrates from an atmospheric environment to a vacuum chamber;
a rotatable alignment station disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to rotatably adjust orientations of substrates;
a first vacuum robot configured to move substrates from the entry load-lock to the alignment station;
a process station disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to perform a designated process on substrates;
a buffer station configured to hold a plurality of substrates;
an exit load-lock configured to transfer a plurality of substrates from the vacuum chamber to the atmospheric environment; and
a second vacuum robot configured to sequentially move substrates from the alignment station to the process station and from the process station to the buffer station, and further configured to move an accumulated plurality of substrates from the buffer station to the exit load-lock;
wherein the first vacuum robot is configured to perform no more than one pick and one place for a substrate or stack of substrates from a time when the substrate or stack of substrates enters the vacuum chamber to a time when the substrate or stack of substrates exits the vacuum chamber.

7. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 6 , further comprising:
a carrier disposed in the atmospheric environment, the carrier for carrying said plurality of substrates; and
an atmospheric robot disposed in the atmospheric environment and configured to move substrates from the carrier to the entry load-lock.

8. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the atmospheric robot is configured to move substrates from the first exit load-lock to the carrier.

9. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the second vacuum robot comprises:
a first arm for sequentially moving substrates from the alignment station to the process station; and

a second arm for sequentially moving substrates from the process station to the buffer station and for moving an accumulated plurality of substrates from the buffer station to the exit load-lock.

10. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the alignment station is further configured to identify substrates.

Assignees

• Varian Semiconductor Equipment Ass Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell Robert J
• Hermanson Eric
• Riordon Benjamin B

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3304 Primary

  characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• H01L21/67742

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67745 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic