Substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087997-B2
Application number	US-201816176517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to substrate processing apparatus, with a first and second reactor, each reactor configured for processing a plurality of substrates; and, a substrate handling robot constructed and arranged to transfer substrates between a substrate cassette at a substrate transfer position and the first and second reactor. The apparatus is constructed and arranged with a maintenance area between the first and second reactors to allow maintenance of the reactors from the maintenance area to both the first and second reactor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a housing comprising a front wall and a back wall, with a first side wall and a second side wall extending over a full length of the housing between the front wall and the back wall;
a first and second reactor disposed within the housing, each reactor configured for processing a plurality of substrates; and
a substrate handling robot disposed within the housing, the substrate handling robot constructed and arranged to transfer substrates;
wherein the back wall of the housing of the substrate processing apparatus in top view is configured in a substantial U-shape with the first and second reactors respectively provided in legs defined between the U-shaped back wall and the respective side walls, with the substrate handling robot provided adjacent a bottom of the U-shape;
wherein no access doors are provided in either the first side wall or the second side wall to allow multiple apparatuses to be placed adjacent to each other;
wherein a maintenance area is defined between the legs of the U-shape; and
wherein between the maintenance area and each of the first reactor, the second reactor, and the substrate handling robot a respective access door is provided to allow a maintenance worker standing in the maintenance area maintenance access to the first reactor, the second reactor, and the substrate handling robot via the respective access door.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substantial U-shape of the back wall of the housing comprises a first reactor door, a second reactor door, and a handler door for allowing the maintenance access by the maintenance worker standing in the maintenance area to the first reactor, the second reactor, and the substrate handling robot, respectively.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second reactors is provided in a lower part of the legs of the U-shape.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a gas cabinet constructed and arranged to provide process gas to at least one of the first and the second reactors is provided in a higher part of the legs of the U-shape.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a gas exhaust pipe constructed and arranged to remove process gas from at least one of the first and the second reactors is provided in the legs of the U-shape.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a back door is provided in between the legs of the U-shape to close the maintenance area off.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate handling robot is constructed and arranged adjacent to a handler door that forms a section of the housing at the bottom of the U-shape, wherein the handler door is removable to allow maintenance of the substrate handling robot through the handler door by the maintenance worker standing on the maintenance area.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the handler door is removable and forms a wall section, at the bottom of the U-shape between the legs, between the maintenance area and the substrate handling robot.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the handler door comprises at least one of a gas inlet and a gas outlet.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first side wall and the second side wall are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to the front wall.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the housing is between 200 and 240 cm and the maintenance area has a width between 60 and 120 cm.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first reactor is provided with a first elevator to transfer a rack of substrates between a first lower region of the apparatus and the first reactor and the second reactor is provided with a second elevator to transfer a rack of substrates between a second lower region of the apparatus and the second reactor.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second elevator comprises a moveable rack support arm having a bearing surface configured to support the substrate rack.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second lower regions of the apparatus is provided with a rack conveyor comprising accommodations for racks and constructed and arranged to horizontally transfer racks between a plurality of rack positions in said at least one lower region.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the rack conveyor comprises a support platform having at least two cut-outs therein, the cut-outs being sized and shaped to allow a bearing surface of a rack support arm to translate vertically there through and to allow the platform to support a substrate rack.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is provided with a reactor door constructed and arranged to provide access from the maintenance area to at least one of the first reactor, second reactor, first lower region and the second lower region.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the substrate handling robot is constructed and arranged to transfer substrates between a substrate cassette at a substrate transfer position and the racks in the first and second lower regions.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a gate valve is provided between the substrate handler and at least one of the first and second lower regions to create a minienvironment therein.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the minienvironment comprises a gas inlet and a gas outlet which is fluidly connected to a pump to provide a gas flow through the minienvironment.

20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a cassette handler provided with a cassette handler arm configured to transfer cassettes between a substrate transfer position, a cassette in-out port, and/or a cassette storage and moveable up and down with an elevating mechanism.

21. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the cassette storage includes a plurality of platform stages for supporting cassettes each platform stage comprises at least one cut-out therein, the cut-out sized and shaped to allow the cassette handler arm to pass vertically there through and to allow the platform stage to support a cassette thereon.

22. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus comprises a wall separating the cassette handler and the substrate handling robot, the wall having a closable substrate access opening adjacent the substrate transfer position.

23. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate handling robot is constructed and arranged to transfer the substrate in a first direction towards the first reactor and in a second direction towards the second reactor, wherein the first and second direction form an angle of 90 to 180 degrees with each other.

24. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate handling robot is constructed and arranged to transfer the subst

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Oosterlaken Theodorus
• De Ridder Chris

Classifications

• H10P72/3404

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/3402 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title