Vacuum processing apparatus and vacuum processing method using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12288709-B2
Application number	US-202217685298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus including: a plurality of transport chambers arranged in order along a first direction; a plurality of process chambers connected to the transport chambers along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; and a position conversion chamber connected to a first transport chamber among the transport chambers. The transport chambers include a rotational movement stage that rotates about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and moves along a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of transport chambers arranged in order along a first direction;
a plurality of process chambers connected to the transport chambers along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and
a position conversion chamber connected to a first transport chamber of the transport chambers,
wherein the transport chambers include a rotational movement stage that rotates about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and moves along a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction
wherein:
the transport chambers are connected to each other through a first connection passage and a second connection passage that are spaced along the second direction; and
the position conversion chamber includes a first position conversion chamber connected to the first transport chamber through a third connection passage that is aligned with the first connection passage along the first direction, and a second position conversion chamber connected to the first transport chamber through a fourth connection passage that is aligned with the second connection passage along the first direction.

2. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a starting position positioned in the first position conversion chamber; and
an end position positioned within the second position conversion chamber.

3. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a carrier on which a substrate is mounted sequentially passes through the transport chambers along the first direction from the starting position positioned in the first position conversion chamber, then passes through the transport chambers in reverse order along a direction that is opposite to the first direction, and then is transported to the end position positioned in the second position conversion chamber.

4. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the transport chambers include a first main transport path and a second main transport path, which are positioned on the rotational movement stage and are spaced apart from each other;
the first main transport path includes a first main transport track and a second main transport track that are separated from each other; and
the second main transport path includes a third main transport track and a fourth main transport track that are spaced apart from each other.

5. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the process chambers include a first process chamber and a second process chamber that are separated from each other along the second direction and connected to the first transport chamber;
the first process chamber and the second process chamber each include a first subtransport path and a second subtransport path; and
by first rotation of the rotational movement stage, the second subtransport path of the first process chamber is aligned with the first main transport track in the second direction, and the first subtransport path of the second process chamber is aligned with the third main transport track of the first transport chamber in the second direction.

6. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, by movement of the rotational movement stage, the second subtransport path of the first process chamber is aligned with the second main transport track in the second direction, and the first subtransport path of the second process chamber is aligned with the fourth main transport track of the first transport chamber in the second direction.

7. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the position conversion chamber includes a first position conversion chamber and a second position conversion chamber;
the vacuum processing apparatus further includes a first load lock chamber connected to the first position conversion chamber and a carrier transport chamber connected to the first position conversion chamber;
a carrier is transported from the carrier transport chamber to the first position conversion chamber in a first position state with a surface facing the first direction or the second direction, and then the carrier is changed from the first position state to a second position state in which the surface faces a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction in the first position conversion chamber,
a substrate to be processed is carried into the first load lock chamber in the second position state in which a treatment surface of the substrate faces a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction, and then is transported to the first position conversion chamber, and
the substrate is mounted on the carrier in the first position conversion chamber.

8. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the substrate and the carrier are changed from the second position state to the first position state in the first position conversion chamber.

9. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the transport chambers and the process chambers include paths in which the substrate and the carrier are moved while maintaining the first position state.

10. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a second load lock chamber connected to the second position conversion chamber,
wherein:
the substrate and the carrier are transported to the second position conversion chamber through the first transport chamber to change from the second position state to the first position state within the second position conversion chamber; and
the substrate and the carrier, which have been repositioned to the first position state, are separated, to transport the substrate to the second load lock chamber and the carrier to the carrier transport chamber.

11. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of mask storage chambers connected to the process chambers; and
a mask return path arranged between the process chambers and the mask storage chambers.

12. The vacuum processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a turnback chamber connected to a second transport chamber that is most spaced apart from the first transport chamber along the first direction among the transport chambers,
wherein the turnback chamber includes a rotation stage and a turnback transport path arranged on the rotation stage.

13. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of transport chambers arranged in order along a first direction;
a plurality of process chambers connected to the transport chambers along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and
a position conversion chamber connected to a first transport chamber of the transport chambers,
wherein the transport chambers include a rotational movement stage that rotates about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and moves along a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction,
the transport chambers include a first main transport path and a second main transport path, which are positioned on the rotational movement stage and are spaced apart from each other,
the first main transport path includes a first main transport track and a second main transport track that are separated from each other, and
the second main transport path includes a third main transport track and a fourth main transport track that are spaced apart from each other.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd
• Ulvac Inc

Inventors

• Chung Kyung Hoon
• Nishiguchi Masao
• Iwase Daisuke
• Roh Ki Jun
• Jang Man Soo

Classifications

• H10P72/3206

  the substrate being handled substantially vertically · CPC title

• H10P72/0461

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

• H10P72/0456

  in-line arrangement · CPC title

• H10P72/3208 Primary

  Changing the direction of the conveying path · CPC title

• H10P72/3411

  involving loading and unloading of wafers · CPC title