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US 6,663,333 B2Granted
Wafer transport apparatus
AssigneeAxcelis Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid William Kinnard, Daniel Richardson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A loadlock chamber assembly includes a loadlock chamber, a sub-chamber removably attached to the loadlock chamber and a first robot arm having a primary pivot axis within the sub-chamber, wherein the first robot arm can move a substrate from a position approximately in a center of the loadlock chamber to a position outside the loadlock chamber.
Claims33
A loadlock chamber assembly comprising:
- a loadlock chamber;
- and
- a sub-chamber having a single opening in communication with the load lock chamber, wherein the sub-chamber is free of an independent wafer support and comprises a first robot arm having a primary pivot axis within the sub-chamber, wherein the first robot arm can extend through the single opening between the loadlock chamber and sub-chamber to move a substrate from a position approximately in a center of the loadlock chamber to a position outside the loadlock chamber and the sub-chamber.
A wafer transport apparatus for transporting substrates between two regions having different pressures without substantially affecting the pressure of either region, the wafer transport apparatus comprising:
- an airtight process chamber including a means for supporting a wafer to be processed;
- and
- a loadlock chamber assembly coupled to the process chamber, wherein the loadlock chamber assembly comprises a loadlock chamber and a sub-chamber coupled to the loadlock chamber, wherein the sub-chamber is free of an independent wafer support, has a single opening in communication with the load lock chamber, and comprises a first robot arm and a second robot arm having a primary pivot axis within the sub-chamber, wherein the first robot arm or the second robot arm can extend through the single opening between the loadlock chamber and sub-chamber to move a substrate from a position approximately in a center of the loadlock chamber to the process chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.