Substrate transfer apparatus and substrate transfer method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorWataru Matsumoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber is provided. The apparatus includes: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor provided with a first magnet and a sidewall connected to the substrate processing chamber and having an opening through which a substrate is loaded into and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber; a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and a second magnet having a repulsive force against the first magnet, and configured to move in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force; and a heating device configured to heat the substrate transfer module to release contaminants adhered to a surface of the substrate transfer module.
Claims17
An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber for processing a substrate, comprising:
- a substrate transfer chamber having a floor provided with a first magnet and a sidewall connected to the substrate processing chamber and having an opening through which a substrate is loaded into and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber;
- a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and a second magnet having a repulsive force against the first magnet, and configured to move in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force;
- and
- a heating device configured to heat the substrate transfer module to release contaminants adhered to a surface of the substrate transfer module.
A method for transferring a substrate in a substrate processing chamber, comprising:
- transferring a substrate using a substrate transfer module accommodated in a substrate transfer chamber, the substrate transfer chamber having a floor provided with a first magnet and a sidewall connected to the substrate processing chamber and having an opening through which the substrate is loaded into and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber, the substrate transfer module including a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and a second magnet having a repulsive force against the first magnet, the substrate transfer module being configured to move in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force;
- and
- heating the substrate transfer module to release contaminants adhered to a surface of the substrate transfer module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.