# US 2023/0054584 A1 · Factory interface with redundancy

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- Number: US 2023/0054584 A1
- Document ID: US20230054584A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/884,088
- Filed: 2022-08-09
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-18
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Paul Benjamin Reuter; Kristen Ikeda; Sushant S. Koshti; Jeffrey C. Hudgens
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054584A1

## CPC

- B25J 21/005: {Clean rooms}
- F24F 3/167: Clean rooms, i.e. enclosed spaces in which a uniform flow of filtered air is distributed (air distribution by perforated walls F24F7/10)
- H05K 13/0061: {Tools for holding the circuit boards during processing; handling transport of printed circuit boards}
- H10P 72/0451: {Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations}
- H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber}
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate processing system for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a factory interface forming an interior volume, and a partition disposed in the factory interface. The partition can divide the interior volume into a first factory interface chamber forming a second interior volume, and a second factory interface chamber forming a third interior volume. The partition can be configured to provide a first sealed environment in the first factory interface chamber and a second sealed environment in the second factory interface chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing system, comprising:
a factory interface forming an interior volume;
a partition disposed in the factory interface, wherein the partition divides the interior volume into a first factory interface chamber forming a second interior volume, and a second factory interface chamber forming a third interior volume, wherein the partition is configured to provide a first sealed environment in the first factory interface chamber and a second sealed environment in the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the partition comprises an opening, and further comprising:
a first door disposed in the first factory interface chamber, wherein the first door is configured to cover the opening while closed to separate the second interior volume from the third interior volume and to provide at least one of the first sealed environment in the first factory interface chamber or the second sealed environment in the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substrate processing system of claim 2, further comprising:
a second door disposed in the second factory interface chamber, wherein the second door is configured to cover the opening while closed to separate the second interior volume from the third interior volume and to provide at least one of the first sealed environment in the first factory interface chamber or the second sealed environment in the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The substrate processing system of claim 2, wherein the first door comprises a substrate pass-through station for passing substrates between the first factory interface chamber and the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to at least one of place a substrate onto the substrate pass-through station or retrieve the substrate from the substrate pass-through station

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein a substrate pass-through station is positioned between the first and second door.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The substrate processing system of claim 2, wherein the first door is an L-shaped door capable of vertical and horizontal movement.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first factory interface robot disposed within the second interior volume of the first factory interface chamber; and
a second factory interface robot disposed within the third interior volume of the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The substrate processing system of claim 8, further comprising:
a first load lock coupled to a rear wall of the first factory interface chamber, wherein the first load lock is accessible by the first factory interface robot; and
a second load lock coupled to a rear wall of the second factory interface chamber, wherein the second load lock is accessible by the second factory interface robot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The substrate processing system of claim 8, further comprising:
a first set of load ports coupled to the first factory interface chamber for receiving a first set of substrate carriers, wherein the first set of load ports are positioned to be accessible by the first transfer chamber robot; and
a second set of load ports coupled to the second factory interface chamber for receiving a second set of substrate carriers, wherein the second set of load ports are positioned to be accessible by the second transfer chamber robot.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first compartment housing electronic systems associated with the first factory interface chamber; and
a second compartment housing electronic systems associated with the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The substrate processing system of claim 8, further comprising:
a substrate pass-through station situated in at least one of the first factory interface chamber or the second factory interface chamber for passing substrates between the first factory interface chamber and the second factory interface chamber, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to at least one of place a substrate onto the substrate pass-through station or retrieve the substrate from the substrate pass-through station.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The substrate processing system of claim 12, wherein the substrate pass-through station comprises at least one substrate platform and an elevation component.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first alignment pedestal disposed within the second interior volume of the first factory interface chamber; and
a second alignment pedestal disposed within the third interior volume of the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first recirculation system for recirculating gases within the second interior volume of the first factory interface chamber; and
a second recirculation system for recirculating gases within the third interior volume of the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 16

An electronic device manufacturing system, comprising:
a first factory interface subsystem;
a second factory interface subsystem;
a partition positioned so as to be between the first factory interface subsystem and the second factory interface subsystem, wherein the partition comprises an opening;
a first load lock coupled to a backside of the first factory interface subsystem;
a second load lock coupled to a backside of the second factory interface subsystem;
a first factory interface robot disposed within an interior volume of the first factory interface subsystem; and
a second factory interface robot disposed within an interior volume of the second factory interface subsystem, wherein:
the first factory interface robot is configured to transfer a substrate to the second factory interface robot via the opening in the partition.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 16, wherein the partition is configured to provide a first sealed environment in the first factory interface subsystem and a second sealed environment in the second factory interface subsystem.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 16, further comprising:
a first door situated within the first factory interface subsystem and configured to cover the opening to provide a first sealed environment in the first factory interface subsystem and a second sealed environment in the second factory interface subsystem; and
a second door situated within the second factory interface subsystem and configured to cover the opening to provide the first sealed environment in the first factory interface subsystem and the second sealed environment in the second factory interface subsystem.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 16, further comprising:
a substrate pass-through station situated in the first factory interface subsystem, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to at least one of place a substrate onto substrate pass-through station or retrieve the substrate from the substrate pass-through station.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 16, wherein the first door comprises a substrate pass-through station for passing substrates between the first factory interface chamber and the second factory interface chamber.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The electronic device manufacturing system of claim 16, wherein the first factory interface subsystem is configured to perform operations in view of at least one of a failure to a component of the second factory interface subsystem or a shutdown of the second factory interface subsystem.

### Claim 22

A method for transporting substrates from a first factory interface robot to a second factory interface robot, comprising:
retrieving, by a first end effector of the first factory interface robot, a substrate from a substrate carrier;
positioning the substrate on a substrate pass-through station;
retrieving, by a second end effector of the second factory interface robot, the substrate from the substrate pass-through station, wherein the second factory interface robot retrieves the substrate by passing the end effector through an opening in a partition separating the first factory interface robot and the second factory interface robot.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein one or more doors are configured to cover the opening to provide a first sealed environment for the first factory interface robot and a second sealed environment for the second factory interface robot.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more doors comprise a pass-through station.