Processing module and processing method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsKiyoshi Mori, Takayuki Yamagishi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A processing module includes: a processing container including therein processing spaces in which stages are disposed, respectively, wherein a center of each of the processing spaces is located on a same circumference; a rotation arm including holders configured to hold wafers, which are placed on the stages of the processing spaces, respectively, wherein the rotation arm is rotatable around a center of the circumference as a rotation axis; and a sensor located between adjacent processing spaces and configured to detect positions of the wafers held by the rotation arm during rotational operation of the rotation arm.
Claims9
A processing module comprising:
- a processing container including therein processing spaces in which stages are disposed, respectively, wherein a center of each of the processing spaces is located on a same circumference in the processing container in a plan view;
- a rotation arm including holders configured to hold wafers, which are placed on the stages of the processing spaces, respectively, wherein the rotation arm is rotatable around a center of the circumference as a rotation axis;
- a sensor located between adjacent processing spaces among the processing spaces and configured to detect positions of the wafers held by the rotation arm during rotational operation of the rotation arm;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism configured to move the stages depending on positional deviation amounts of the wafers, wherein the positional deviation amounts are calculated from the positions of the wafers detected by the sensor.
A processing method comprising:
- placing a wafer located in a first processing space on a rotation arm;
- detecting a positional deviation amount of the wafer from a reference position while the wafer is transferred from the first processing space to a second process space by rotating the rotation arm;
- moving a stage disposed in the second processing space according to the positional deviation amount to adjust a position of the stage;
- delivering the wafer from the rotation arm to the adjusted stage;
- moving a position of the stage to a center position of the second processing space as the reference position;
- and
- performing a wafer processing in the second processing space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.