Back to results
US 6,484,414 B2Granted
Vacuum processing apparatus
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsShigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus wherein the conveyor structure is provided with a robot disposed in the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader. The robot includes an arm which is extendible into the lock chambers which are connected to the conveyor structure.
Claims20
A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:
- a vacuum loader provided with a conveyor structure in a conveyor chamber and at least three vacuum processing chamber;
- and
- two lock chambers, connected to the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader through a gate valve located at outlets of two lock chambers, repectively,
- wherein the conveyor structure is provided with a robot,
- wherein the robot is the sole robot disposed in a conveyor chamber and having an arm accessing inlets to the at least three vacuum processing chambers and the two lock chambers, and
- wherein the two lock chambers are each provided with both an inlet and an outlet located in a horizontal line.
3 more elements
A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first conveyor structure for horizontally transferring a wafer from a cassette held on a cassette mount table;
- a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure;
- and
- at least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure,
- wherein:
- the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure are respectively provided with a first robot and a second robot, and the vacuum loader is provided with a conveyor chamber connected to at least five chambers which comprise at least three vacuum processing chambers and the at least one lock chamber, and
- the second robot is provided with an arm extendable into the at least one lock chamber and the at least three vacuum processing chambers.
4 more elements
A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:
- a vacuum loader provided with a conveyor structure and a vacuum processing chamber in which a wafer is horizontally processed;
- and
- a plurality of lock chambers connected to the vacuum loader,
- wherein:
- the conveyor structure has a robot, and the robot has an arm accessing any of the plurality of lock chambers and the vacuum processing chamber, to carry the wafer and a processed wafer, and
- the robot is disposed in a conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader, and the arm is extendable into the plurality of lock chambers and the vacuum processing chamber.
3 more elements
A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:
- a vacuum loader provided with a conveyor chamber and a conveyor structure installed in the conveyor chamber, the conveyor structure including a robot,
- wherein:
- the vacuum loader is provided with at least three different vacuum processing chambers which at least includes an etching chamber, a post-processing chamber and a film-formation chamber, and
- a lock chamber is provided, having both an inlet and an outlet located in a horizontal line and an interior space sufficient to store only one wafer, and the robot is disposed in the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader and provided with an arm extendable into the at least three different vacuum processing chambers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.