Back to results
US 2019/0378736 A1Published application
Semiconductor Apparatus With Inner Wafer Carrier Buffer and Method
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsJason Shen, Wen-Yu Huang, Li-Jen Ko, Hsiang Yin Shen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a semiconductor processing apparatus. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a load lock designed to receive a wafer carrier; an inner wafer carrier buffer configured to hold the wafer carrier received from the load lock and to perform a nitrogen purge to the wafer carrier; and a processing module designed to perform a semiconductor process to wafers from the wafer.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- receiving a wafer carrier into a load lock, wherein the wafer carrier includes a semiconductor wafer;
- moving the wafer carrier from the load lock to an inner wafer carrier buffer (IWCB) using a first transfer unit, wherein the first transfer unit is disposed outside the IWCB;
- performing a nitrogen purge to the wafer carrier in the IWCB;
- thereafter, moving the semiconductor wafer from the IWCB to a processing module using the first transfer unit and a second transfer unit different from the first transfer unit, wherein the second transfer unit is disposed outside both the IWCB and the processing module;
- and
- performing a fabrication process to the semiconductor wafer in the processing module.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- loading a wafer carrier that includes a semiconductor wafer into a load lock from outside an apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes the load lock, an inner wafer carrier buffer (IWCB) configured to hold the wafer carrier, an outer transfer unit, an inner transfer unit, and a processing module configured to treat the semiconductor wafer;
- transferring the wafer carrier from the load lock to the IWCB using the outer transfer unit;
- performing a first treatment to the wafer carrier in the IWCB;
- thereafter, transferring the semiconductor wafer from the IWCB to the processing module using the outer transfer unit and the inner transfer unit;
- and
- performing a second treatment to the semiconductor wafer in the processing module, wherein the second treatment is different from the first treatment.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing an apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers, wherein the apparatus includes:
- a load lock configured to receive a wafer carrier from outside the apparatus, wherein the wafer carrier includes a plurality of semiconductor wafers;
- an inner wafer carrier buffer (IWCB) configured to hold the wafer carrier and to perform a gas treatment to the wafer carrier;
- a processing module configured to perform a thermal treatment to the semiconductor wafers;
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the wafer carrier from the load lock to the IWCB and from the IWCB to a door disposed between the IWCB and the processing module;
- and
- a second transfer unit configured to transfer semiconductor wafers from the wafer carrier to the processing module through the door;
- loading the wafer carrier into the load lock;
- sending the wafer carrier from the load lock to the IWCB;
- performing the gas treatment to the wafer carrier in the IWCB, thereby treating the semiconductor wafers in the wafer carrier;
- moving the treated semiconductor wafers from the IWCB to the processing module;
- and
- performing the thermal treatment to the treated semiconductor wafers in the processing module.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.