Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12424423-B2
Application number	US-202117356997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Jun 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first chamber having an inner space and an opening, a substrate support disposed in the inner space of the first chamber, an actuator configured to move the substrate support between a first position and a second position, a second chamber that is disposed in the inner space of the first chamber and defines a substrate processing space together with the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first position, and at least one fixing mechanism configured to detachably fix the second chamber to the first chamber in the inner space of the first chamber. The second chamber is transferred between the inner space of the first chamber and an outside of the first chamber through the opening when the substrate support is located at the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for substrate processing comprising:
a first chamber having an inner space and an opening;
a substrate support disposed in the inner space of the first chamber;
an actuator configured to move the substrate support between a first position and a second position along a first direction;
a second chamber that is disposed in the inner space of the first chamber, wherein the second chamber includes
a ceiling portion,
a baffle, and
one or more ring members, wherein
the baffle is disposed to surround the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first position, and
said one or more ring members are arranged to surround a substrate placed on the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first position, and, together with the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first position, defines an enclosed substrate processing space, the second chamber being transferred between the inner space of the first chamber and an outside of the first chamber through the opening when the substrate support is located at the second position; and

at least one fixing mechanism configured to detachably fix the second chamber to the first chamber in the inner space of the first chamber, wherein
said at least one fixing mechanism is configured to detachably fix the ceiling portion of the second chamber to a ceiling portion of the first chamber in the inner space of the first chamber, and
the second chamber is moved as a unit including the ceiling portion of the second chamber, the baffle, and the one or more ring members through the opening along a second direction, different from the first direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fixing mechanism includes:
an engaging member configured to be engaged with the ceiling portion of the second chamber, and
a biasing member configured to bias the engaging member upward in a state where the engaging member is engaged with the ceiling portion of the second chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a release mechanism configured to release the second chamber from the first chamber by moving said at least one fixing mechanism along the first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the release mechanism includes an air supply device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one fixing mechanism includes:
an engaging member configured to be engaged with the ceiling portion of the second chamber, and
a cam mechanism configured to move the engaging member engaged with the ceiling portion of the second chamber upward to bring the ceiling portion of the second chamber in contact with the ceiling portion of the first chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first chamber has a substrate transfer port,
the second chamber has a movable shutter that faces the substrate transfer port when the second chamber is fixed to the first chamber in the inner space of the first chamber, and
the substrate processing apparatus further comprises:
an additional actuator configured to drive the movable shutter between an open position and a closed position.

7. An apparatus for substrate processing comprising:
a first chamber having a first inner space and a first opening;
a substrate support disposed in the first inner space;
a second chamber disposed in the first inner space and having a second inner space and a second opening;
at least one actuator configured to relatively move at least one of the substrate support and the second chamber in the first inner space between a first state in which the second opening is closed by the substrate support and a second state in which the substrate support is separated from the second opening along a first direction, wherein the second chamber includes
a ceiling portion,
a baffle, and
one or more ring members, wherein
the baffle is disposed to surround the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first state, and

said one or more ring members are arranged to surround a substrate placed on the substrate support when the substrate support is located at the first state, and, together with the substrate support when the at least one actuator is in the first state, defines an enclosed substrate processing space; and
at least one fixing mechanism configured to detachably fix the second chamber to the first chamber in the first inner space, wherein the second chamber is transferred between the first inner space and an outside of the first chamber through the first opening when the fixing of the second chamber to the first chamber by said at least one fixing mechanism is released, wherein
said at least one fixing mechanism is configured to detachably fix the ceiling portion of the second chamber to a ceiling portion of the first chamber in the inner space of the first chamber, and
the second chamber is moved as a unit including the ceiling portion of the second chamber, the baffle, and the one or more ring members through the first opening along a second direction, different from the first direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second chamber is transferred between the first inner space and the outside of the first chamber through the first opening when the fixing of the second chamber to the first chamber by said at least one fixing mechanism is released in the second state.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said at least one actuator includes a first actuator configured to move the substrate support between a first upper position and a first lower position in the first inner space, and
the substrate support is located at the first upper position in the first state and located at the first lower position in the second state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said at least one actuator includes a release mechanism configured to move the second chamber between a second upper position and a second lower position in the first inner space, and
the second chamber is located at the second upper position in the first state and located at the second lower position in the second state.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the at least one fixing mechanism includes a support portion that extends from the first chamber toward the second chamber and an engaging member that extends along the second direction further than the support portion,
the second chamber includes a recess including an opening facing the first chamber and having an extension portion under the opening that extends further in the second direction than the opening, and
the second chamber is engaged and disengaged with the first chamber by moving the second chamber along the first direction and along the second direction relative to the first chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said at least one fixing mechanism includes a biasing member configured to bias the engaging member upward in a state where the engaging member is engaged with the second chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said at least one fixing mechanism includes a cam mechanism configured to move the engaging member engaged with the second chamber upward to bring the ceiling portion of the second chamber in contact with the ceiling portion of the first chamber.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the opening is in a sidewall of the first chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the movable shutter is releasably coupled to the additional actuator.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a release mechanism configured to release the second

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Sawachi Atsushi
• Hirose Jun
• Nishijima Takuya
• Sone Ichiro
• Sato Suguru

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0461 Primary

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

• C23C16/4585

  Devices at or outside the perimeter of the substrate support, e.g. clamping rings, shrouds · CPC title