Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403523-B2
Application number	US-201615211538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 7, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a load-lock chamber; a transfer chamber connected to the load-lock chamber; and one or more processing chambers connected to the transfer chamber. The transfer chamber includes a transfer arm that transfers a substrate between the load-lock chamber and the one or more processing chambers, the load-lock chamber includes a plurality of load-lock stations for accommodating a plurality of substrates as a matrix of m×n. According to the substrate processing apparatus, a time taken to transfer substrates may be reduced greatly, and productivity may be improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substance processing apparatus comprising:
a load-lock chamber;
a transfer chamber positioned proximate to the load-lock chamber;
a transfer arm located within the transfer chamber; and
one or more processing chambers positioned proximate to the transfer chamber wherein each chamber of the load lock chamber and the one or more processing chambers includes:
a plurality of stations arranged in a matrix of m rows and n columns, wherein m and n are integers between 2 and 10; wherein the m rows include a first row located proximate an entrance to the chamber and a second row located rearwardly of the first row; and
a plurality of pins provided at each of the plurality of stations, said plurality of pins being movable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to an upper surface of the associated station; and, when in the extended position, the plurality of pins is adapted to hold a substance at a distance above the upper surface of the associated station; and wherein the plurality of pins in the plurality of stations in the second row are configured to hold the substance at a greater distance from the upper surface when in the extended position than are the plurality of pins in the plurality of stations in the first row; and

wherein the transfer arm is adapted to transfer the substance between the load-lock chamber and the one or more processing chambers.

2. The substance processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer arm comprises m transfer sub-arms having different heights from each other.

3. The substance processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the transfer sub-arms comprises n end effectors.

4. The substance processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the n end effectors are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the end effectors of each transfer sub-arm enter and exit from the load-lock chamber.

5. The substance processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the m transfer sub-arms are configured to sequentially unload substances from the load-lock chamber or to sequentially load substances into the load-lock chamber.

6. The substance processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least two transfer sub-arms are configured to simultaneously unload the substances from the load-lock chamber or to simultaneously load the substances into the load-lock chamber.

7. The substance processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer arm comprises n transfer sub-arms having different heights from each other.

8. The substance processing apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the transfer sub-arms comprises m end effectors.

9. The substance processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the m end effectors are arranged in parallel with a direction in which the end effectors of each transfer sub-arm enter and exit from the load-lock chamber.

10. The substance processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the n transfer sub-arms are configured to sequentially unload substances from the load-lock chamber or to sequentially load substances into the load-lock chamber.

11. The substance processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber does not include a processing chamber transfer arm for transferring the substances between the plurality of processing chamber stations.

12. The substance processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of load-lock stations are arranged on one rotation mechanism, and the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate in order to vary distances between the plurality of load-lock stations and the transfer arm.

13. A substance processing apparatus comprising:
a load-lock chamber;
a transfer chamber positioned proximate to the load-lock chamber;
one or more processing chambers positioned proximate to the transfer chamber; and
a transfer arm provided in the transfer chamber and being operable to move a plurality of substances between the load-lock chamber and the one or more processing chambers;
wherein the one or more processing chambers include a plurality of processing chamber stations arranged to accommodate the plurality of substances as a matrix of m×n, and the one or more processing chambers do not include a transfer arm for transferring the plurality of substances between the plurality of processing chamber stations; wherein m and n are integers between 2 and 10, m is a number of processing chamber stations in a direction in which a front end of the transfer arm extends through an entrance and into the processing chamber, and n is a number of processing chamber stations in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the front end of the transfer arm extends into the processing chamber; and
wherein the front end of the transfer arm is provided on a first section of the transfer arm and a length of the first section is oriented perpendicular to the entrance when the front end is inserted through the entrance; and
wherein the transfer arm includes a plurality of effectors that extend outwardly at right angles from the length of the first section; and each end effector is U-shaped and includes an opening that is oriented parallel to the entrance when the front end is inserted through the entrance.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Kim Soo Hyun
• Kim Dae Youn
• Arai Izumi

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/3311

  Horizontal transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0461

  characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0454 Primary

  surrounding a central transfer chamber · CPC title