Vertical batch furnace assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915960-B2
Application number	US-202016935288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A vertical batch furnace assembly for processing wafers comprising a cassette handling space, a wafer handling space, and an internal wall separating the cassette handling space and the wafer handling space. The cassette handling space is provided with a cassette storage configured to store a plurality of wafer cassettes. The cassette handling space is also provided with a cassette handler configured to transfer wafer cassettes between the cassette storage and a wafer transfer position. The wafer handling space is provided with a wafer handler configured to transfer wafers between a wafer cassette in the wafer transfer position and a wafer boat. The internal wall is provided with a wafer transfer opening adjacent the wafer transfer position for a wafer cassette from or to which wafers are to be transferred. The cassette storage comprises a cassette storage carousel with a diameter between 1.1 and 1.6 meter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vertical batch furnace assembly for processing wafers comprising:
a cassette handling space provided with a cassette storage configured to store a plurality of wafer cassettes provided with a plurality of wafers and a cassette handler configured to transfer wafer cassettes between the cassette storage and a wafer transfer position;
a wafer handling space comprising a substantially rectangular shape and provided with a wafer handler configured to transfer wafers between a wafer cassette in the wafer transfer position and a wafer boat in a wafer boat transfer position; and
an internal wall separating the cassette handling space and the wafer handling space and provided with a wafer transfer opening adjacent the wafer transfer position for a wafer cassette from or to which wafers are to be transferred, wherein the cassette storage comprises a cassette storage carousel with a diameter between 1.1 and 1.6 meter;
a first process chamber for processing wafers accommodated in a wafer boat;
a second process chamber for processing wafers accommodated in a wafer boat; and
a single wafer boat handling device comprising one rotatable table having a plurality of wafer boat support surfaces each configured for supporting a wafer boat, wherein the rotatable table is rotatable by an actuator around a central substantially vertical axis to transfer each wafer boat support surface to:
a first wafer boat load/receive position in which the wafer boat handling device is configured to load a wafer boat vertically from the rotatable table into the first process chamber and to receive the wafer boat from the first process chamber onto the rotatable table; and
a second wafer boat load/receive position in which the wafer boat handling device is configured to load the wafer boat vertically from the rotatable table into the second process chamber and to receive the wafer boat from the second process chamber onto the rotatable table,

wherein the cassette storage carousel comprises a platform stage configured to accommodate 5 or more wafer cassettes,
wherein the vertical batch furnace assembly is provided with a substantially rectangular footprint having two opposite short sides defining a width of the vertical batch furnace assembly and having two opposite long sides defining a length of the vertical batch furnace assembly, wherein the width of the vertical batch furnace assembly is 1.65 meter or less, and
wherein the cassette handler is provided with a pivotable cassette handler arm and an elevator mechanism, the pivotable arm configured to reach wafer cassettes at different vertical heights within the cassette storage, and
wherein the cassette storage carousel is disposed between the elevator mechanism and the internal wall and there is no overlap of the elevator mechanism and the cassette storage carousel in a direction spanning between the two opposite short sides.

2. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette storage carousel comprises a plurality of platform stages of which one platform stage is the platform stage, and wherein each platform stage of the plurality of platform stages has a storing capacity of between 5 to 8 wafer cassettes per platform stage.

3. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cassette storage carousel has a diameter of about 1.1 to 1.2 meter and a storing capacity of 5 wafer cassettes per platform stage.

4. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cassette storage carousel has a diameter of about 1.3 to 1.5 meter and a storing capacity of 6 wafer cassettes per platform stage.

5. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cassette storage carousel has a diameter of about 1.4 to 1.6 meter and a storing capacity of about 8 wafer cassettes per platform stage.

6. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer boat handling device comprises a first wafer boat lift assembly configured to transfer a wafer boat between the first wafer boat load/receive position and the first process chamber.

7. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer boat handling device comprises a second wafer boat lift assembly configured to transfer a wafer boat between the second wafer boat load/receive position and the second process chamber.

8. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable table is rotatable to transfer each wafer boat support surface also to:
a cooldown position in which the wafer boat handling device is configured to cool down the wafer boat.

9. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable table is rotatable to transfer each wafer boat support surface also to an intermediate wafer boat position, wherein the vertical batch furnace assembly additionally comprises a boat transfer mechanism configured to transfer a wafer boat which is on a wafer boat support surface which is in the intermediate position to the boat transfer position and vice versa.

10. The vertical batch furnace assembly according claim 1 , further comprising at least one cassette in-out port provided in a wall bounding the cassette handling space, wherein the cassette handler is configured to transfer wafer cassettes between the cassette storage, the wafer transfer position and the at least one cassette in-out port.

11. The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter is substantially a width of the substantially rectangular shape.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Fluit Jeroen

Classifications

• 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

• H10P72/3312 Primary

  Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces · CPC title

• H10P72/3402

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3412

  Batch transfer of wafers · CPC title