Semiconductor processing station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763140-B2
Application number	US-201816159709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2018
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A semiconductor processing station including a central transfer chamber, a load lock chamber disposed adjacent to the central transfer chamber, and a cooling stage disposed adjacent to the load lock chamber and the central transfer chamber is provided. The load lock chamber is adapted to contain a wafer carrier including a plurality of wafers. The central transfer chamber communicates between the cooling stage and the load lock chamber to transfer a wafer of the plurality of wafers between the cooling stage and the load lock chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor processing station comprising:
a central transfer chamber;
a load lock chamber disposed adjacent to the central transfer chamber, wherein the load lock chamber contains a wafer carrier comprising a plurality of wafers, and the load lock chamber comprises:
a sidewall;
a cooling pipe disposed inside the load lock chamber, and the cooling pipe comprising:
a first segment extending along the sidewall in a height direction of the load lock chamber;
a second segment having a first end and a second end, and the second segment extending along a width direction of the load lock chamber, wherein the first segment is disposed below the second segment and connected to the first end of the second segment; and

an external pipe extending from outside the load lock chamber to inside the load lock chamber, wherein the external pipe is connected to the second segment between the first end and the second end so as to provide a fluid to flow through the first segment and the second segment of the cooling pipe; and

a cooling stage disposed adjacent to the load lock chamber and the central transfer chamber, wherein the central transfer chamber communicates between the cooling stage and the load lock chamber to transfer a wafer of the plurality of wafers between the cooling stage and the load lock chamber.

2. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a platform disposed adjacent to the central transfer chamber, and the platform comprising a plurality of processing modules, wherein the central transfer chamber communicates between the platform and the load lock chamber.

3. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an equipment front end module comprising a load port and an interface module, wherein the interface module communicates between the load port and the load lock chamber.

4. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cooling stage is equipped with a cooling liquid flowing below the cooling stage.

5. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cooling pipe further comprises a third segment disposed below the second segment and connected to the second end of the second segment, wherein the third segment extends along the sidewall in the height direction of the load lock chamber, the first segment of the cooling pipe and the third segment of the cooling pipe are disposed adjacent to different sides of the load lock chamber.

6. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first segment of the cooling pipe and the third segment of the cooling pipe are disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the load lock chamber.

7. The semiconductor processing station as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a plurality of purge nozzles of the second segment of the cooling pipe and a plurality of purge nozzles of the third segment of the cooling pipe face inwards and away from the sidewall so that the fluid provided by the external pipe outputs from the plurality of purge nozzles of the second segment and the plurality of purge nozzles of the third segment away from the sidewall.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Chia-Wei
• Huang Hon-Lin
• Wang Hung-Chih

Classifications

• H10P72/0466

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

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/12

  Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements · CPC title

• H10P72/0464 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title