Assembled grid tray
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsShinobu Abe, Chang Hee Shin, Shinichi Kurita, Masahiko Kowaka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assembled grid tray is disclosed, comprising a frame for holding multiple substrate trays to form a larger tray for use in a semiconductor processing tool. The frame may be comprised of two outer frame members that hold one or more of the trays, each with a magnet rail use with a maglev system. The frame may be further comprised of an inner frame member positioned between the outer frame members, which may also include a magnet rail, with the frame members being held in position by one or more outer beam members. The frame members may be fabricated of a material having a similar thermal expansion to trays to be placed in the frame.
Claims20
An assembled grid tray for semiconductor processing, comprising:
- a first frame component, configured to retain one or more of a plurality of processing trays, each processing tray capable of holding a plurality of substrates for processing, the first frame component comprising a first frame component transport extending along a length of the first frame component, configured to enable the first frame component to move within a semiconductor processing tool;
- a second frame component configured to retain one or more of the plurality of processing trays and comprising a second frame component transport configured to enable the second frame component to move within the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a magnetic levitation system configured to movably couple the assembled grid tray to the semiconductor processing tool via magnetic levitation, the magnetic levitation system comprising:
- a magnetic rail disposed within one or more of the first frame component transport or the second frame component transport and comprising one or more frame magnets;
- one or more lifting arms disposed in a susceptor of the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a plurality of arm magnets disposed on the one or more lifting arms, wherein the plurality of arm magnets provide an upward force on the one or more frame magnets to lift the assembled grid tray.
A system for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a semiconductor processing tool comprising a robot;
- and
- an assembled grid tray configured to hold a plurality of trays, each of the plurality of trays comprising a plurality of pockets, each pocket configured to hold a substrate, the assembled grid tray configured to be coupled to the robot for moving the assembled grid tray within the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a magnetic levitation system configured to movably couple the assembled grid tray to the semiconductor processing tool via magnetic levitation, the magnetic levitation system comprising:
- a magnetic rail disposed within assembled grid tray and comprising one or more frame magnets;
- one or more lifting arms disposed in a susceptor of the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a plurality of arm magnets disposed on the one or more lifting arms, wherein the plurality of arm magnets provide an upward force on the one or more frame magnets to lift the assembled grid tray.
A system for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a semiconductor processing tool;
- an assembled grid tray configured to hold a plurality of trays, each of the plurality of trays comprising a plurality of pockets for holding a substrate;
- and
- a magnetic levitation system configured to movably couple the assembled grid tray to the semiconductor processing tool via magnetic levitation, the magnetic levitation system comprising:
- a magnetic rail disposed within the assembled grid tray and comprising one or more frame magnets;
- one or more lifting arms disposed in a susceptor of the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a plurality of arm magnets disposed on the one or more lifting arms, wherein the plurality of arm magnets provide an upward force on the one or more frame magnets to lift the assembled grid tray;
- and
- a controller comprising a processor configured to process semiconductor substrates using the assembled grid tray by moving the assembled grid tray containing the plurality of trays within the semiconductor processing tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.