Load port module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031265-B2
Application number	US-201916692443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

Substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the loading device and processing apparatus, a cassette support for holding at least one substrate cassette container, and cassette support purge ports with purge port nozzle locations disposed on the cassette support, each nozzle location being configured so that a nozzle at the nozzle location couples to at least one purge port of the substrate cassette container, wherein each nozzle location defines an interchangeable purge port nozzle interface so that different interchangeable purge port nozzles are removably mounted to respective nozzle interfaces of the nozzle locations that correspond to the different nozzle configurations of the interchangeable purge port nozzle modules, in conformance with and effecting coupling to different ports of different substrate cassette containers having different purge port characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate loading device comprising:
a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the substrate loading device and the substrate processing apparatus;
a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container for transfer of substrates to and from the at least one substrate cassette container through the transport opening; and
cassette support purge ports with more than one purge port nozzle locations disposed on the cassette support, each of the more than one purge port nozzle locations being configured so that a purge port nozzle at the purge port nozzle location couples to at least one purge port of the at least one substrate cassette container;
wherein each purge port nozzle location defines an interchangeable purge port nozzle interface so that different interchangeable purge port nozzles, corresponding to different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules each having different predetermined purge nozzle configurations, are removably mounted to respective purge port nozzle interfaces of the more than one purge port nozzle locations that correspond to the different predetermined purge nozzle configurations of the interchangeable purge port nozzle modules, in conformance with and effecting coupling to different ports, of the at least one purge port, of different substrate cassette containers, of the at least one substrate cassette container, having different purge port characteristics.

2. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each of the interchangeable purge port nozzle interfaces is disposed so as to have a predetermined position relative to a predetermined datum of the cassette support so that each purge port nozzle interface is deterministically located with respect to a predetermined datum of each different substrate cassette container.

3. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each of the interchangeable purge port nozzle interfaces and the different predetermined purge nozzle configurations of each respective one of the different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules are configured so as to effect fast swap mounting of each respective one of the different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules with another one of the different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules.

4. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each of the interchangeable purge port nozzle interfaces defines a nozzle positioning datum deterministically representing each of the at least one purge port of the different substrate cassette containers having different purge port characteristics.

5. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each purge port nozzle is removably mounted to the interchangeable purge port nozzle interface as a unit independent from another purge port nozzle of the corresponding purge port nozzle module, and each independently mounted purge port nozzle, of the corresponding purge port nozzle module, is independently interchanged with a different purge port nozzle of a different corresponding purge port nozzle module so as to effect interchange of the corresponding purge port nozzle module with the different corresponding purge port nozzle module.

6. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each purge port nozzle is removably mounted to the purge port nozzle interface as a unit independent from another purge port nozzle of the corresponding purge port nozzle module, and the corresponding purge port nozzle module is interchanged nozzle by nozzle with a different purge port nozzle module with different corresponding purge port nozzles.

7. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each different purge port nozzle module corresponds to a different predetermined purge port characteristic of different ones of the at least one substrate cassette container.

8. The substrate loading device of claim 1 , wherein each different purge port nozzle module has a module frame with each corresponding purge port nozzle mounted to the module frame so that the module frame is common to each corresponding purge port nozzle, and the module frame defines a common removable mount coupling to the cassette support so that removably coupling the module frame to the cassette support effects mounting of each purge port nozzle to the respective purge port nozzle interface as a common module unit.

9. The substrate loading device of claim 8 , wherein the module frame of each different purge port nozzle module with the corresponding purge port nozzle thereon is interchangeable as a module unit with another module frame of each other different purge port nozzle module with the corresponding different purge port nozzle thereon.

10. A substrate loading device comprising:
a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the substrate loading device and the substrate processing apparatus;
a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container for transfer of substrates to and from the at least one substrate cassette container through the transport opening; and
selectably configurable cassette support purge ports with more than one purge port nozzle locations disposed on the cassette support, each of the more than one purge port nozzle locations being configured so that a purge port nozzle at the purge port nozzle location couples to at least one purge port of the at least one substrate cassette container;
wherein each purge port nozzle location defines an interchangeable purge port nozzle interface; and
an interchangeable purge port nozzle module, with at least one purge port nozzle, and being selectable from a number of different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules, each having different predetermined purge port nozzle configurations for modular mounting to the interchangeable purge port nozzle interface, so that selectable mounting of the interchangeable purge port nozzle module changes the configuration of the selectably configurable cassette support purge ports from a first configuration with the purge port nozzle at purge port nozzle locations conformal with and effecting coupling with a first of the at least one substrate cassette container having a first predetermined purge port characteristic, to a second configuration with the purge port nozzle at purge port nozzle locations conformal with and effecting coupling with a second of the at least one substrate cassette container having a second predetermined purge port characteristic different that the first predetermined purge port characteristic.

11. The substrate loading device of claim 10 , wherein the interchangeable purge port nozzle interface is disposed so as to have a predetermined position relative to a predetermined datum of the cassette support so that each purge port nozzle, of the different interchangeable purge port nozzle modules, mounted to the interchangeable purge nozzle interface is deterministically located with respect to a predetermined datum of each different substrate cassette container.

12. The substrate loading device of claim 10 , wherein the interchangeable purge port nozzle interface is disposed so as to have a predetermined position relative to a predetermined datum of the cassette support so that selectable mounting of the interchangeable purge port nozzle module effects, substantially coincident with mounting, deterministic positioning of each purge port nozzle, of the interchangeable purge port nozzle module, mo

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Sunugatov Radik
• Carlson Robert

Classifications

• H10P72/0466 Primary

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

• H10P72/3408 Primary

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/1918

  characterised by coupling elements, kinematic members, handles or elements to be externally gripped · CPC title