Swapper for a cluster tool
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsUpendra UMMETHALA, Praveen CHORAGUDI, Kaushik ALAYAVALLI, Bhawesh AGRAWAL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A swapper assembly of a cluster tool includes a housing, at least two swappers, and a motor assembly. The at least two swappers are at least partially disposed within and rotatable relative to the housing. Each swapper includes a body, a first arm, and a second arm. The first arm and second arm are rotatable relative to the body. The motor assembly includes at least one motor, and the motor assembly is configured to operate the at least two swappers simultaneously to change the position of the first arm and second arm.
Claims20
A swapper assembly, comprising:
- a housing comprising an internal region;
- at least two swappers at least partially disposed within the internal region of the housing, each swapper including a body, a first arm, a second arm, and wherein
- the body is rotatable relative to the housing, and
- the first arm and second arm are rotatable relative to the body;
- and
- a motor assembly coupled to the at least two swappers, wherein actuation of one or more motors within the motor assembly causes the position of the first arm and second arm of each of the at least two swappers to simultaneously change.
A method of operating a cluster tool, comprising:
- placing a first substrate on a first arm of a first swapper, the first arm being positioned in a first load lock;
- placing a second substrate on a second arm of the first swapper, the second arm being positioned within a first processing chamber;
- placing a third substrate on a third arm of a second swapper, the third arm being located in a second load lock;
- placing a fourth substrate on a fourth arm of the second swapper, the fourth arm being positioned within a second processing chamber;
- and
- actuating the first swapper and the second swapper simultaneously to move the first substrate on the first arm into the first processing chamber, the second substrate on the second arm into the first load lock, the third substrate on the third arm into the second processing chamber, and the fourth substrate on the fourth arm into the second load lock.
A cluster tool, comprising:
- a first load lock and a second load lock;
- a first processing chamber and second processing chamber;
- a swapper assembly disposed between the first load lock and the first processing chamber and between the second load lock and the second processing chamber, the swapper assembly including:
- a housing;
- first swapper at least partially disposed within the housing and rotatable relative to the housing, the first swapper including a first arm and a second arm, wherein the first arm is moveable to convey a first substrate disposed thereon along a first trajectory from the first load lock to the first processing chamber, and the second arm is moveable to convey a second substrate disposed thereon along a second trajectory from the first processing chamber to the first load lock;
- a second swapper at least partially disposed within the housing and rotatable relative to the housing, the second swapper including a third arm and a fourth arm, wherein the third arm is moveable to convey a third substrate disposed thereon along a third trajectory from the second load lock to the second processing chamber, and the fourth arm is moveable to convey a fourth substrate disposed thereon along a fourth trajectory from the second processing chamber to the second load lock;
- and
- a motor assembly configured to operate the first swapper and second swapper simultaneously to move the first arm and second arm of the first swapper and the third arm and fourth arm of the second swapper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.