US 10,832,926 B2Granted

High throughput serial wafer handling end station

AssigneeAxcelis Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJoseph Ferrara, Robert J. Mitchell

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Abstract

An ion implantation apparatus, system, and method are provided for transferring a plurality of workpieces between vacuum and atmospheric pressures, wherein an alignment mechanism is operable to align a plurality of workpieces for generally simultaneous transportation to a dual-workpiece load lock chamber. The alignment mechanism comprises a characterization device, an elevator, and two vertically-aligned workpiece supports for supporting two workpieces. First and second atmospheric robots are configured to generally simultaneously transfer two workpieces at a time between load lock modules, the alignment mechanism, and a FOUP. Third and fourth vacuum robots are configured to transfer one workpiece at a time between the load lock modules and a process module.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for handling a plurality of workpieces in an ion implantation system, the method comprising:

concurrently removing a first workpiece and a second workpiece from a workpiece transport container via a first robot in an atmospheric environment;
concurrently placing the first and second workpieces on respective first and second workpiece supports of an alignment mechanism;
raising the first workpiece from the first workpiece support via an elevator device and translating the first workpiece to a characterization position, wherein the characterization position is defined at a single location in space associated with a single characterization device;
characterizing the first workpiece with the single characterization device;
removing the first workpiece from the first workpiece support via a second robot;
raising the second workpiece from the second workpiece support via the elevator device and translating the second workpiece to the characterization position;
characterizing the second workpiece with the single characterization device;
removing the second workpiece from the second workpiece support via the second robot;
simultaneously inserting the first and second workpieces into a first load lock chamber;
and
evacuating the first load lock chamber.

8 more elements

A method for handling a plurality of workpieces in an ion implantation system, the method comprising:

(a) removing a first workpiece and a second workpiece in parallel from a first workpiece transport container via a first robot;
(b) placing the first workpiece and second workpiece in parallel on an alignment mechanism comprising a first workpiece support and a second workpiece support via the first robot;
(c) translating the first workpiece to a characterization position via an elevator device of the alignment mechanism and characterizing the first workpiece via a single characterization device, wherein the characterization position is defined at a single location in space associated with the single characterization device;
(d) removing the first workpiece from the alignment mechanism via a second robot;
(e) translating the second workpiece to the characterization position via the elevator device of the alignment mechanism and characterizing the second workpiece via the single characterization device;
(f) removing the second workpiece from the alignment mechanism via the second robot;
(g) placing the first workpiece and second workpiece in parallel in a first load lock chamber via the second robot;
(h) evacuating the first load lock chamber;
(i) removing the first workpiece from the first load lock chamber and placing the first workpiece in a process chamber via a third robot;
(j) implanting ions into the first workpiece;
(k) removing the first workpiece from the process chamber and placing the first workpiece in a second load lock chamber via a fourth robot while removing the second workpiece from the first load lock chamber and placing the second workpiece in the process chamber via the third robot;
(l) implanting ions into the second workpiece;
(m) removing the second workpiece from the process chamber and placing the second workpiece in the second load lock chamber via the fourth robot;
(n) venting the second load lock chamber to atmospheric pressure;
(o) removing the first workpiece and second workpiece in parallel from the second load lock chamber via the first robot;
and
(p) placing the first workpiece and second workpiece in parallel in a second workpiece transport container.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/391,086Filed 27 Dec 2016 · continuation
Priority: 6 Dec 2006
Published: US 2017/0178933 A122 Jun 2017
Granted: 10 Nov 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H10P 72/0471
Comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process: comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber
C23C 14/48
Characterised by the process of coating: ion implantation
H10P 72/0466
Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations: characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber
H10P 72/0608
Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection: of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like