US 4,951,601 AGranted

Multi-chamber integrated process system

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsDan Maydan, Sasson Somekh, David N. Wang, David Cheng, Masato Toshima, Isaac Harari, Peter D. Hoppe

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An integrated modular multiple chamber vacuum processing system is disclosed. The system includes a load lock, may include an external cassette elevator, and an internal load lock wafer elevator, and also includes stations about the periphery of the load lock for connecting one, two or several vacuum process chambers to the load lock chamber. A robot is mounted within the load lock and utilizes a concentric shaft drive system connected to an end effector via a dual four-bar link mechanism for imparting selected R-.theta. movement to the blade to load and unload wafers at the external elevator, internal elevator and individual process chambers. The system is uniquely adapted for enabling various types of IC processing including etch, deposition, sputtering and rapid thermal annealing chambers, thereby providing the opportunity for multiple step, sequential processing using different processes.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An integrated vacuum processing system for workpieces such as semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a vacuum load lock chamber, having a closable entrance;
at least one vacuum processing chamber mounted to said load lock chamber and communicating therewith via openings in the adjacent chambers;
each of said processing chambers including a wafer support means and being adapted for performing a process selected from at least one of gas chemistry etching, gas chemistry deposition, physical sputtering and rapid annealing on at least one wafer positioned on the support and, further including means for reversibly moving a wafer along an axis from a selected internal position adjacent the wafer support means to and onto the wafer support means;
and
a wafer handling robot mounted within the load lock chamber, comprising:
a wafer support blade;
a foldable dual four-bar link mechanism mounting the blade at a first, output end thereof and having a second, opposite actuator end comprising an input link rotatably mounted at a selected location with the chamber for moving the four-bar link mechanism between a folded configuration with the output end on one side of the selected mounting position and selected extended orientations with the output end on the opposite side of the selected mounting position, including an extended configuration with the wafer support blade at said selected internal position;
means for rotating the input link to extend and retract the foldable dual four-bar link mechanism and support blade;
and means for rotating the dual four-bar link mechanism and wafer support blade.

6 more elements

The integrated processing system of claim 17, further comprising a second integrated process system mounted to the load lock chamber, said second integrated process system comprising:

a second vacuum load lock chamber, having a closable entrance;
and
at least one second vacuum processing chamber mounted to said second load lock chamber and communicating therewith via openings in the adjacent chambers;
each of said second processing chambers including a wafer support means and being adapted for performing a process sequence selected from at least one of gas chemistry etching, gas chemistry deposition, physical sputtering and rapid annealing on a wafer positioned on the support and, further including means for reversibly moving a wafer along an axis from a selected internal position adjacent the wafer support means thereof to and onto the wafer support means thereof;
an internal elevator mounted within the load lock chamber, said internal elevator having a number of wafer mounting positions and being adapted for selectively moving wafers to an internal position adjacent the second load lock chamber entrance;
and
said second integrated processing system comprising a wafer handling robot mounted within the load lock chamber comprising a wafer support blade;
a foldable dual four-bar link mechanism mounting the blade at a first, output end thereof and having a second, opposite actuator end comprising an input link rotatably mounted at a selected location within the chamber for moving the dual four-bar link mechanism between a folded configuration with the output end on one side of the selected mounting position and selected extended orientations with the output end on the opposite side of the selected mounting position, including an extended configuration with the wafer support blade at said selected internal position;
means for rotating the input link for extending and retracting the foldable dual four-bar link mechanism and mounted support blade;
and means for rotating the dual four-bar link mechanism and wafer support blade.

7 more elements

An integrated vacuum processing system comprising:

a load lock chamber having a closable entrance;
at least a pair of vacuum processing chambers mounted to said load lock chamber and communicating therewith via openings in the adjoining chambers;
each of said vacuum processing chambers including a wafer support and robot means for reversibly moving a wafer from a selected internal position adjacent the chamber opening to and onto the wafer support;
a first elevator mounted externally to the load lock chamber, said first elevator having a number of wafer mounting positions and being adapted for selectively moving said wafer mounting positions to a position adjacent the load lock chamber entrance;
a second elevator mounted within the load lock chamber, said second elevator having a number of wafer mounting positions and being adapted for selectively moving wafers to a position adjacent the load lock chamber entrance;
a blade assembly mounted within said load lock chamber, comprising:
a wafer support blade and a dual four-bar link pivot mechanism, each of said two four-bar link thereof comprising first and second side links pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof to connecting end links, said two four-bar links being joined to a common middle link and being joined to opposite first and second end links, the first end link being mounted to the wafer support blade and the second end link mounting the associated first and second side links at respective first and second shafts;
and
means for imparting R and .theta. movement to the wafer support blade via the dual four-bar link mechanism for selectively positioning the blade, comprising:
(a) a hollow rotatable drive shaft having a collar at the upper end thereof, said first pivot shaft extending within the hollow shaft for co-axial independent rotation, and said second shaft being mounted to said collar, spaced from said first shaft;
(b) means for rotating the hollow drive shaft to rotate the blade assembly about the first shaft;
and (c) means for rotating the first shaft to extend and retract the blade along a generally straight axis through the opposite end links.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/371,700Filed 23 Jun 1989 · continuation
Priority: 19 Dec 1986
Granted: 28 Aug 1990
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H10P 72/0454
Characterised by the layout of the process chambers: surrounding a central transfer chamber
H10P 72/0461
Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations: characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers
H10P 72/0466
Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations: characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber
H10P 72/3302
Into and out of processing chamber: mechanical parts of transfer devices