Substrate processing apparatus and maintenance method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9613837-B2
Application number	US-201314395584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2013
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a first processing chamber; a second processing chamber; a transfer chamber; a frame structure; and an elevating part. Each of the first and the second processing chamber has a main body part and a lid part. The transfer chamber is connected to the first and the second processing chamber and accommodates a transfer unit for transferring the substrate. The frame structure has a pair of column parts and a beam part supported at top portions of the column parts. The elevating part is coupled to the beam part to be moved in a horizontal direction and moves the lid part in the vertical direction. The beam part extends above the first and the second processing chamber and the transfer chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a first processing chamber including a main body part, a lid part and a processing space formed in the first processing chamber;
a second processing chamber including a main body part, a lid part and a processing space formed in the second processing chamber;
a transfer chamber that is connected to the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber and has therein a transfer unit configured to transfer a substrate accommodated in the first processing chamber or the second processing chamber;
a frame structure including a pair of column parts and a beam part supported at top portions of the column parts; and
at least one elevating part that is coupled to the beam part to be movable in a horizontal direction along the beam part and wherein the at least one elevating part is configured to move the lid part of the first processing chamber or the second processing chamber in a vertical direction,
wherein a first working space for performing maintenance of the first processing chamber is provided adjacent to the first processing chamber in an arrangement direction of the first processing chamber and the transfer chamber,
wherein a second working space for performing maintenance of the second processing chamber is provided adjacent to the second processing chamber in an arrangement direction of the second processing chamber and the transfer chamber, and
wherein the beam part extends across and above the first working space, the first processing chamber, the transfer chamber, the second processing chamber and the second working space.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first working space has an area, when seen from the vertical direction, to the extent that at least the lid part of the first processing chamber is accommodated therein, and the second working space has an area, when seen from the vertical direction, to the extent that at least the lid part of the second processing chamber is accommodated therein.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elevating part is coupled to the beam part to be movable above the transfer chamber and at least one of the first working space and the second working space.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber are arranged opposite to each other with the transfer chamber interposed therebetween.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elevating part includes a plurality of elevating parts coupled to the beam part.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary elevating part which is coupled to the beam part to be movable in the horizontal direction along the beam part and is configured to move a component of the first processing chamber or the second processing chamber in the vertical direction.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elevating part has a connection member to be connected to the lid part and an elevation mechanism for lifting the connection member.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elevating part has an elevation mechanism which is fixed to the lid part to lift the lid part.

9. A maintenance method of a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus including:
a first processing chamber including a main body part, a lid part and a processing space formed in the first processing chamber;
a second processing chamber including a main body part, a lid part and a processing space formed in the second processing chamber;
a transfer chamber that is connected to the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber and has therein a transfer unit configured to transfer a substrate accommodated in the first processing chamber or the second processing chamber;
a frame structure including a pair of column parts and a beam part supported at top portions of the column parts; and
a first elevating part and a second elevating part that are coupled to the beam part to be movable in a horizontal direction along the beam part, and the first elevating part and the second elevating part are configured to move the lid part of the first processing chamber or the second processing chamber in a vertical direction,
wherein a first working space for performing maintenance of the first processing chamber is provided adjacent to the first processing chamber in an arrangement direction of the first processing chamber and the transfer chamber,
wherein a second working space for performing maintenance of the second processing chamber is provided adjacent to the second processing chamber in an arrangement direction of the second processing chamber and the transfer chamber, and
wherein the beam part extends across above the first working space, the first processing chamber, the transfer chamber, the second processing chamber, and the second working space, the method comprising:
lifting the lid part of the first processing chamber by the first elevating part upon the maintenance of the first processing chamber;
moving the lid part of the first processing chamber to an upper position in the first working space by the first elevating part;
lifting a component positioned at the second working space by the second elevating part; and
moving the component to a region above the first processing chamber by the second elevating part.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processing chamber, the transfer chamber and the second processing chamber are positioned directly below the beam part, and
wherein the at least one elevating part is allowed to move directly above the first processing chamber, the transfer chamber, and the second processing chamber when moving in the horizontal direction.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame structure further includes an additional beam part connected to the beam part through a connection portion, and
wherein the at least one elevating part is allowed to change a moving direction at the connection portion from an extension direction of the beam part to an extension direction of the additional beam part.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional processing chambers,
wherein the first processing chamber, the second processing chamber and the additional processing chambers are arranged circumferentially around the transfer chamber.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first working space, the first processing chamber, the transfer chamber, the second processing chamber and the second working space are arranged in that order between the column parts.

14. The maintenance method of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
lifting the lid part of the second processing chamber by the second elevating part upon the maintenance of the second processing chamber; and
moving the lid part of the second processing chamber to an upper position in the second working space by the second elevating part.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam part has a straight shape.

16. The maintenance method of claim 9 , wherein the frame structure further includes an additional beam part connected to the beam part through a connection portion, and
the first and the second elevating part are allowed to change a moving direction at the connection portion from an extension direction of the beam part

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Senzaki Shigeru
• Saito Michishige
• Satoh Daiki
• Horiuchi Ken
• Ando Koji
• Koiwa Shingo

Classifications

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3221

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

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