Semiconductor processing platform architecture having processing module isolation capabilities

A method of operating a cluster tool architecture for use in semiconductor processing, the architecture comprising a transport module mechanically interfacing with at least one process module, the transport module being adapted to transport a semiconductor wafer to the at least one process module, the at least one process module being adapted to perform at least one semiconductor processing operation, wherein the mechanical interfacing is provided by a valve having a first door adjacent to the at least one process module and a second door adjacent to the transport module, the method comprising the operations of:

• verifying that the valve is at vacuum and opening the first door;
• indicating that the at least one process module is ready to perform a next processing operation;
• conditioning the at least one process module and the transport module for transferring a semiconductor wafer between the modules, the conditioning including the operation of verifying that the pressure in the transport module is vacuum, and opening the second door;
• transferring the semiconductor wafer between the modules;
• and
• performing a post-wafer transfer sequence of operations, the sequence of operations comprising closing the first and second doors.

A method of placing a first portion of a cluster tool architecture in a maintenance state while allowing second portions of the architecture to operate normally for semiconductor processing, the second portions of the architecture comprising a transport module mechanically interfacing with a plurality of process modules, the first portion of the architecture comprising another process module that requires maintenance during the normal operations of one or more elements of the second portions of the architecture, the transport module also mechanically interfacing with the process module that is the first portion of the architecture, each of the process modules being adapted to perform at least one semiconductor processing operation and to perform under power operations for problem diagnosis and cleaning and testing, wherein the mechanical interfacing is provided by a dual slot valve having a valve body, a first door in the valve body adjacent to the processing module that is the first portion and a second door in the valve body adjacent to the transport module, the method comprising the operations of:

• maintaining the second door closed during the following operations so as to continue the normal operations;
• selecting the first portion as the process module to be placed in the maintenance state;
• removing the selected first portion from a set of modules useable with the transport module for the normal operations during the maintenance state of the selected first portion;
• issuing a pressure command for the selected first portion;
• determining whether the pressure in the valve body is atmospheric or vacuum;
• and
• if the pressure in the valve body is vacuum, opening the first door and venting the selected first portion and the valve body.

An interlocked control system for use in a semiconductor process cluster architecture arrangement in which a transport module mechanically interfaces with at least one process module, the transport module being adapted to transfer a semiconductor wafer to the at least one process module, the at least one process module being adapted to perform at least one semiconductor processing operation upon completion of a wafer transfer operation, the interlocked control system comprising:

• the mechanical interface being provided by a dual slot valve having a housing having a first side and a second side, the housing having a first slot at the first side and a second slot at the second side for passing a wafer between the at least one process module and the transport module, the at least one process module being attached to the first side of the housing and the transport module being attached to the second side of the housing;
• a first door being movably mounted within the housing to close the first slot;
• a second door being movably mounted within the housing to close the second slot;
• a first controller for the at least one process module, the first door being controlled by the first controller to facilitate a sequence of the wafer transfer operation for transferring a wafer between the at least one process module and the transport module;
• a second controller for the transport module, the second door being controlled by the second controller to facilitate the sequence of the wafer transfer operation for transferring a wafer between the at least one process module and the transport module, the second controller being further programmed to sequence the wafer between the transport module and the at least one process module;
• a first sensor for detecting whether the first door is open or closed and generating a first control signal indicating that the first door is open;
• a second sensor for detecting whether the second door is open or closed and generating a second control signal indicating that the second door is open;
• and
• a control interface between the first and second controllers for coordinating flow of the first and second control signals between the at least one process module and the transport module so that in response to either or both of the first and second control signals the sequence of the wafer transfer operation is interrupted.