Dual track handling and processing system
AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorsJohn L. Hughes, Thomas E. Shula, Carlos E. Rodriguez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual track substrate handling and processing system includes an entrance load lock station, an exit load lock station and a plurality of substrate processing stations, all positioned above a transfer vacuum chamber. The load lock station and each processing station are configured to hold two vertically oriented workpieces. A transport system conveys workpieces two at a time from parallel input cassettes to the entrance load lock station. The transport system includes a transport assembly that simultaneously advances two workpieces from each station to the next station; thus workpieces are processed two at a time in the same environment in each processing station and system throughput is correspondingly increased.
Claims10
A system for handling and processing thin workpieces, said workpieces being vertically oriented during said handling and processing, said system comprising:
- a transfer chamber;
- an entrance load lock station;
- a plurality of processing stations;
- an exit load lock station, each of said stations being positioned above said transfer chamber, each of said stations being adapted to receive the same number N of vertically oriented workpieces, where N is an integer greater than 1;
- vertical transport means for lowering workpieces from each of said stations into said transfer chamber and for raising workpieces from said transfer chamber into said stations, said vertical transport means comprising N lift blades for each of said stations, each of said lift blades being configured to support a vertically oriented workpiece;
- horizontal transport means in said transfer chamber for transferring workpieces horizontally in said transfer chamber, said horizontal transport means including workpiece support means for supporting vertically oriented workpieces, said horizontal transport means cooperating with said vertical transport means to transfer workpieces from said vertical transport means to said horizontal transport means and from said horizontal transport means to said vertical transport means, said horizontal transport means comprising at least an input side transport assembly carrying a first portion of said workpiece support means, said input side transport assembly being linearly translatable in a first horizontal direction for effecting a simultaneous 1-station shift of workpieces, so that N workpieces positioned on said workpiece support means on said input side transport assembly below said entrance load lock station are shifted to positions below a first one of said processing stations and N workpieces positioned on said workpiece support means on said input said transport assembly below each of said processing stations are simultaneously shifted to positions associated with a successive station so that simultaneous one-station shifts of all of the workpieces on said input side transport assembly are effected, said shifts being directed toward said exit load lock station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.