US 10,892,155 B2Granted

Semiconductor cleaner systems and methods

AssigneeBrooks Automation (Germany) GmbH

InventorLutz Rebstock

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses a EUV cleaner system and process for cleaning a EUV carrier. The euv cleaner system comprises separate dirty and cleaned environments, separate cleaning chambers for different components of the double container carrier, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for picking and placing different components using a same robot handler, gripper arms for holding different components at different locations, horizontal spin cleaning and drying for outer container, hot water and hot air (70 C) cleaning process, vertical nozzles and rasterizing megasonic nozzles for cleaning inner container with hot air nozzles for drying, separate vacuum decontamination chambers for outgassing different components, for example, one for inner and one for outer container with high vacuum (e.g., <10−6 Torr) with purge gas, heaters and RGA sensors inside the vacuum chamber, purge gas assembling station, and purge gas loading and unloading station.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A bot handler for handling a workpiece comprising a first component and a second component connectable to each other in accordance with a predetermined cleanliness relationship between the first component and the second component, the bot handler comprising:

a moving mechanism;
and
a gripper connected to the moving mechanism, the gripper being configured to grip and handle the workpiece, wherein the gripper is arranged corresponding to the predetermined cleanliness relationship to grip and handle both the first component and the second component, with the second component disconnected from a connection to the first component, so as to effect the grip and handle of the workpiece with the gripper,
wherein the gripper forms a first component handling portion disposed so as to have, upon handling the workpiece, a predetermined level of cleanliness and forms a second component handling portion separate and distinct from the first component handling portion and at a different location on the gripper than the first component handling portion so as to grip and handle the second component independent of grip and handle of the first component with the first component handling portion, wherein the second component handling portion is disposed so as to have, upon handling the workpiece, a second predetermined level of cleanliness different than the predetermined level of cleanliness of the first component handling portion and is sized and shaped conformal to the second component different than the first component.

1 more element

A bot handler for transferring a workpiece having a first component and a second component connectable to each other in accordance with a predetermined cleanliness relationship between the first component and the second component, the bot handler comprising:

a moving mechanism;
and
a gripper configured to grip and handle the workpiece and including a first component handling portion disposed so as to have, upon handling the workpiece, a predetermined level of cleanliness and a second component handling portion separate and distinct from the first component handling portion at a different location on the gripper than the first component handling portion and disposed so as to have, upon handling the workpiece, another predetermined level of cleanliness different than the predetermined level of cleanliness of the first component handling portion and is sized and shaped conformal to the second component different than the first component,
wherein the gripper is arranged corresponding to the predetermined cleanliness relationship and configured to engage and grasp the first component of the workpiece at the first component handling portion, with the second component disconnected from a connection to the first component, and engage and grasp the second component of the workpiece at the second component handling portion, with the second component disconnected from a connection to the first component, so as to effect the grip and handle of the workpiece with the gripper.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/036,828Filed 16 Jul 2018 · continuation
Priority: 23 Jun 2011
Published: US 2018/0330940 A115 Nov 2018
Granted: 12 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

H10P 70/00
Cleaning of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
B08B 3/08
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect
B08B 3/12
With additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration: by sonic or ultrasonic…
B08B 9/093
Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks: by the force of jets or sprays

Family

Application61/500,608Us provisional application · filed 23 Jun 2011
Application13/531,502Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jun 2012
Application14/251,564Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Apr 2014
US 8,696,042 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Apr 2014
Application14/682,059Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Apr 2015
US 9,004,561 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Apr 2015
Application15/219,029Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jul 2016
US 9,401,270 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2016
US 2018/0330940 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Nov 2018
US 10,026,604 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0328403 A1Published application
US 2014/0219750 A1Published application
US 2015/0294855 A1Published application
US 2017/0025288 A1Published application
US 10,892,155 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.