Reduced capacity carrier, transport, load port, buffer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10679882-B2
Application number	US-201514976952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2005
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment a semiconductor workpiece processing system having at least one processing tool for processing semiconductor workpieces, a container for holding at least one semiconductor workpiece therein for transport to and from the at least one processing tool and a first transport section elongated and defining a travel direction. The first transport section has parts, that interface the container, supporting and transporting the container along the travel direction to and from the at least one processing tool. The container is in substantially continuous transport at a substantially constant rate in the travel direction, when supported by the first transport section. A second transport section is connected to the at least one process tool for transporting the container to and from the at least one processing tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor workpiece processing system comprising:
a transport section having parts, that interface with a substrate holding container, supporting and transporting the substrate holding container, the transport section
has an interface configured to interface separately with at least one substrate processing tool and at least one of an interbay transport section and an intrabay transport section,
the interface being overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, with the at least one of the interbay transport section and the intrabay transport section, and configured so that the transport section engages, via the interface, the substrate holding container held by the at least one of the interbay transport section and the intrabay transport overhead the at least one processing tool, where substrate holding container transfer between the transport section and the at least one of the interbay transport section and separate substrate holding container transfer between the transport section and the intrabay transport section is overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, and
the transport section being configured to transport the substrate holding container between the at least one of the interbay transport section and the intrabay transport section and the at least one substrate processing tool;
wherein the transport section includes at least one overhead gantry disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool and defining at least two independent intersecting and horizontally coplanar transport axes effecting transport of the substrate holding container with two degree of freedom motion in a horizontal plane of motion.

2. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 1 , where the at least one overhead gantry includes at least one overhead carrier having at least three degrees of freedom.

3. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 2 , where the substrate holding container has an access side and the at least one overhead carrier includes a rotational drive configured to rotate the substrate holding container carried by the at least one overhead carrier to change a direction in which the access side faces.

4. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one overhead storage station disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool, the transport section being configured to transport substrate holding containers to and from the at least one overhead storage station.

5. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gantry is configured to service opposingly arranged load ports of the at least one substrate processing tool.

6. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one overhead gantry includes at least one carrier configured to rotate a substrate holding container carried by the carrier so that an orientation of the substrate holding container corresponds to an orientation of a respective one of the opposingly arranged load ports.

7. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one carrier is configured for on the fly rotation of the substrate holding container.

8. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 1 , where the overhead gantry includes a translation platform and at least one overhead carrier movably supported on the translation platform, the translation platform being configured to translate the at least one overhead carrier in two degrees of freedom along a common plane.

9. A semiconductor workpiece processing system comprising:
an overhead gantry feeder shuttle that interfaces with and crosses the travel direction of at least one of an interbay transport section and an intrabay transport section for transporting substrate holding containers between the at least one of an interbay transport section and an intrabay transport section and at least one fixed substrate holding container storage, where the at least one fixed substrate holding container storage is disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool;
a transport section, distinct from the at least one of the interbay transport section and the intrabay transport section, configured to transport the substrate holding containers overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, the transport section
being configured to interface, overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, with at least the at least one fixed substrate holding container storage so that substrate holding container transfer between the transport section and the at least one substrate holding container storage is overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, and
being configured to transport the substrate holding containers between the at least one substrate holding container storage and the at least one substrate processing tool; and

wherein the transport section includes at least one overhead gantry disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool and defining at least two independent intersecting and horizontally coplanar transport axes effecting transport of the substrate holding container with two degree of freedom motion in a horizontal plane of motion, and the transport section is disposed above the overhead gantry feeder shuttle such that the transport section carrying a substrate holding container is capable of passing over the overhead gantry feeder shuttle.

10. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 9 , where the at least one overhead gantry includes at least one overhead carrier having at least three degrees of freedom.

11. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 10 , where the substrate holding container has an access side and the at least one overhead carrier includes a rotational drive configured to rotate a substrate holding container carried by the at least one overhead carrier to change a direction in which the access side faces.

12. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 9 , where the overhead gantry feeder shuttle includes a rotational drive configured to rotate a substrate holding container carried by the feeder shuttle.

13. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gantry is configured to service opposingly arranged load ports of the at least one substrate processing tool.

14. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one overhead gantry includes at least one carrier configured to rotate a substrate holding container carried by the carrier so that an orientation of the substrate holding container corresponds to an orientation of a respective one of the opposingly arranged load ports.

15. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one carrier is configured for on the fly rotation of the substrate holding container.

16. The semiconductor workpiece processing system of claim 9 , wherein the overhead gantry feeder shuttle has two independent degrees of freedom.

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Bufano Michael L
• Gilchrist Ulysses
• Fosnight William
• Hofmeister Christopher
• Babbs Daniel
• May Robert C

Classifications

• H01L21/67706

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67727

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67733 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/3202

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title