Modular mainframe layout for supporting multiple semiconductor process modules or chambers

A multi-chamber processing tool for processing a substrate, comprising:

• an equipment front end module (EFEM) having one or more first loadports for receiving a first type of substrate, one or more second loadports for receiving a second type of substrate having a plurality of chiplets, and a EFEM robot configured to transfer the first type of substrate and the second type of substrate;
• and
• a plurality of automation modules coupled to each other and having a first automation module coupled to the EFEM, wherein each of the plurality of automation modules include a transfer chamber and a one or more process chambers comprising at least one of a wet clean chamber, a plasma chamber, a degas chamber, or a bonder chamber, coupled to the transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a buffer configured to hold one or more of the first type of substrates and one or more of the second type of substrates, and wherein the transfer chamber includes a transfer robot configured to transfer the first type of substrate and the second type of substrate between the buffer, the one or more process chambers, and a buffer disposed in an adjacent automation module of the plurality of automation modules;
• and
• wherein the one or more process chambers of a first automation module of the plurality of automation modules includes at least one of a plasma chamber or a degas chamber and includes a wet clean chamber, a second automation module of the plurality of automation modules coupled to the first automation module includes at least one of a plasma chamber or a degas chamber, and a third automation module of the plurality of automation modules coupled to the second automation module includes one or more bonder chambers configured to remove the plurality of chiplets from the second type of substrate and bond the plurality of chiplets onto the first type of substrate.

A method of bonding a plurality of chiplets onto a substrate, comprising:

• loading a first type of substrate onto a first loadport of an equipment front end module (EFEM) of a multi-chamber processing tool having a plurality of automation modules;
• using an EFEM robot to transfer the first type of substrate to a first buffer disposed in a first automation module coupled to the EFEM;
• serially transferring the first type of substrate from the first buffer to a first wet clean chamber to perform a cleaning process, to a first degas chamber to perform a degas process to dry the first type of substrate, to a first plasma chamber to perform a plasma etch process to remove unwanted material form the first type of substrate, and to a bonder chamber;
• using the EFEM robot to transfer a second type of substrate, having a plurality of chiplets, to the first buffer;
• serially transferring the second type of substrate from the first buffer to a second wet clean chamber to perform a cleaning process, to a second degas chamber to perform a degas process to dry the second type of substrate, to a second plasma chamber to perform a plasma etch process to remove unwanted material from the second type of substrate, and to the bonder chamber;
• transferring at least some of the plurality of chiplets from the second type of substrate to the first type of substrate in the bonder chamber;
• and
• bonding the at least some of the plurality of chiplets to the first type of substrate in the bonder chamber.