Transfer chambers with an increased number of sides, semiconductor device manufacturing processing tools, and processing methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087998-B2
Application number	US-201916359561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2019
Priority date	Nov 4, 2013
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A transfer chamber configured to be used during semiconductor device manufacturing is described. Transfer chamber includes at least one first side of a first width configured to couple to one or more substrate transfer units (e.g., one or more load locks or one or more pass-through units), and at least a second set of sides of a second width that is different than the first width, the second set of sides configured to couple to one or more processing chambers. A total number of sides of the transfer chamber is at least seven. Transfers within the transfer chamber are serviceable by a single robot. Process tools and methods for processing substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing tool, comprising:
an interface unit coupled to an interface side, the interface unit comprising one or more load locks and at least one processing chamber;
a pass-through unit comprising an integral body having three pass-through locations located within the integral body;
a first transfer chamber coupled between the interface side and the pass-through unit, the first transfer chamber comprising:
at least four first sides to receive processing chambers; and
a first elongated side, which is elongated compared to the at least four first sides, coupled to the interface side of the interface unit; and

a second transfer chamber coupled to the pass-through unit and comprising:
at least six second sides to receive processing chambers; and
a second elongated side, which is elongated compared to the at least six second sides, coupled to the pass-through unit.

2. The processing tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one pass-through location of the three pass-through locations is adapted to perform substrate processing.

3. The processing tool of claim 1 , wherein the first transfer chamber comprises a third elongated side configured to couple to the pass-through unit and which is elongated compared to the at least four first sides.

4. The processing tool of claim 1 , wherein the one or more load locks comprise one or more batch load locks.

5. The processing tool of claim 1 , wherein the interface unit comprises rear interface openings that are configured to allow transfer of substrates between a factory interface and the interface unit.

6. The processing tool of claim 1 , wherein the interface unit comprises a front region configured to couple with the elongated side of the first transfer chamber.

7. The processing tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first single robot to service transfers within the first transfer chamber; and
a second single robot to service transfers within the second transfer chamber.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Rice Michael Robert
• Meyers Michael
• Mazzocco John J
• Hruzek Dean C
• Kuchar Michael
• Koshti Sushant S
• Kankanala Penchala N
• Englhardt Eric A

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0464 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0466

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

• H10P72/0454

  surrounding a central transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0461 Primary

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