# US 2021/0343554 A1 · Fast foup swapping with a foup handler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0343554 A1 - Document ID: US20210343554A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/242,519 - Filed: 2021-04-28 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-01 - Assignees: ASM IP Holding B.V. - Applicants: ASM IP Holding B.V. - Inventors: Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken; Jeroen Fluit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210343554A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/3218: {Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers} - H10P 72/3404: {Storage means} - H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts} - H10P 72/3312: {Vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces} - H10P 72/3402: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A vertical batch furnace assembly for processing wafers having a cassette handling space, a wafer handling space, and a first wall and separating the cassette handling space from the wafer handling space. The first wall has at least one wafer transfer opening in front of which, at a side of the first wall which is directed to the cassette handling space, a wafer transfer position for a wafer cassette is provided. The cassette handling space comprises a cassette storage having a plurality of cassette storage positions and a cassette handler configured to transfer wafer cassettes between the cassette storage positions and the wafer transfer position. The cassette handler has a first cassette handler arm and a second cassette handler arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vertical batch furnace assembly for processing wafers comprising: a cassette handling space; a wafer handling space; and a first wall and separating the cassette handling space from the wafer handling space and having at least one wafer transfer opening in front of which, at a side of the first wall which is directed to the cassette handling space, a wafer transfer position for a wafer cassette is provided; wherein the cassette handling space comprises a cassette storage having a plurality of cassette storage positions each configured to store a wafer cassette provided with a plurality of wafers; and a cassette handler configured to transfer wafer cassettes between the cassette storage positions and the wafer transfer position, wherein the cassette handler comprises: a first cassette handler arm; and a second cassette handler arm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cassette handler further comprises a movable carriage which is movable in a first direction, wherein both the first cassette handler arm and the second cassette handler arm are each with a respective first end connected to the movable carriage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first cassette handler arm and the second cassette handler arm each have a respective second end, wherein each respective arm is configured to move its second end away from and towards its first end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vertical batch furnace assembly according claim 3, wherein both the first and second cassette handler arms at or near the first end thereof are pivotably connected to the movable carriage of the cassette handler, and wherein the respective cassette handler arm at or near a second end thereof comprises a cassette gripper configured to grip a wafer cassette. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 4, wherein the cassette gripper of the first cassette handler arm is pivotably connected to the first cassette handler arm, and wherein the cassette gripper of the second cassette handler arm is pivotably connected to the second cassette handler arm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first direction is substantially vertical, wherein the cassette handler further comprises an elevator mechanism configured to transfer the movable carriage upwardly and downwardly so that the first and second cassette handler arms are able to reach wafer cassettes placed on cassette storage positions at different vertical levels within the cassette handling space. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2, wherein the elevator mechanism comprises at least one first direction guide extending in the first direction, wherein the movable carriage is moveably mounted on the at least one first direction guide and is moveable along the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2, wherein the movable carriage is additionally movable in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 6, wherein the elevator mechanism comprises at least one first direction guide extending in the first direction and a transverse guide extending in the second direction, wherein the movable carriage is moveably mounted on the transverse guide and is moveable along the second direction, wherein the transverse guide is movably mounted on the at least one first direction guide and is moveable along the first direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one first direction guide comprises a first guide and a second guide, wherein the transverse guide is mounted between said first guide and said second guide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cassette storage positions are located at equal distances from a line of movement along which the movable carriage is moveable in the first direction, wherein the wafer transfer position is positioned at substantially the same distance from the line of movement as the cassette storage positions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 8, wherein the cassette storage positions are located at equal distances from a plane of movement of the movable carriage which plane is parallel to the first and the second directions, wherein the cassette storage position are at a first side of the plane and/or at a second side of the plane opposite the first side, wherein the wafer transfer position is positioned at either the first or the second side of the plane at substantially the same distance of the plane as the cassette storage position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein both the first cassette handler arm and the second cassette handler arm comprise a first and a second arm part and a pivot joint pivotably connecting said first and second arm parts wherein the first arm part is pivotably connected to the movable carriage along a pivot joint, and wherein the second arm part is pivotably connected to a cassette gripper along a pivot joint. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wafer cassettes are embodied as Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUP's). ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first cassette handler arm and the second cassette handler arm are arranged horizontally next to each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first cassette handler arm and the second cassette handler arm are arranged vertically above each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one cassette in-out port provided in a wall bounding the cassette handling space, wherein the cassette handler is configured to additionally transfer wafer cassettes to and from the at least one cassette in-out port. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 17, wherein the at least one cassette in-out-port is provided in a second wall bounding the cassette handling space, opposite the first wall. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein for each wafer transfer opening the vertical batch furnace assembly comprises: a cassette door opener device configured to open a cassette door of a wafer cassette which has been placed in the wafer transfer position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The vertical batch furnace assembly according to claim 1, wherein the vertical batch furnace assembly further comprises: a wafer handler positioned in the wafer handling space and configured to transfer wafers between a wafer cassette in the wafer transfer position and a wafer boat; a process chamber configured to process wafers accommodated in the wafer boat; and a wafer boat handling device positioned under the process chamber and adjacent the wafer handling space, wherein the wafer boat handling device is provided with the wafer boat in a wafer boat transfer position, and is configured to transport the wafer boat between the wafer boat transfer position and the process chamber.