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US 7,458,763 B2Granted
Mid-entry load lock for semiconductor handling system
AssigneeBlueShift Technologies, Inc.
InventorPeter van der Meulen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a system having a number of semiconductor processing modules sharing a common vacuum environment, a mid-entry load lock is provided to permit insertion and removal of wafers into the vacuum environment at a point between various other robotic handlers, process modules, and load locks. This arrangement permits increased flexibility in scheduling when multiple wafers are processed concurrently.
Claims22
A method for processing a workpiece comprising:
- arranging a plurality of processing modules in a sequence to sequentially operate on a workpiece in a vacuum environment, each one of the plurality of processing modules coupled to the vacuum environment and positioned along an edge of the vacuum environment;
- providing at least two load locks for exchanging the workpiece between the vacuum environment and an external environment, the at least two load locks positioned at opposite ends of the sequence of processing modules;
- positioning a mid-entry load lock in the sequence such that the mid-entry load lock is separated along the edge of the vacuum environment from one of the at least two load locks on each side of the mid-entry load lock by at least one of the plurality of processing modules;
- and
- adding a workpiece to the sequence from the external environment at the mid-entry load lock.
2 more elements
A method for processing a workpiece comprising:
- arranging a plurality of processing modules in a sequence to sequentially operate on a workpiece in a vacuum environment, each one of the plurality of processing modules coupled to the vacuum environment and positioned along an edge of the vacuum environment;
- providing at least two load locks for exchanging the workpiece between the vacuum environment and an external environment, the at least two load locks positioned at opposite ends of the sequence of processing modules;
- positioning a mid-entry load lock in the sequence such that the mid-entry load lock is separated along the edge of the vacuum environment from one of the at least two load locks on each side of the mid-entry load lock by at least one of the plurality of processing modules;
- and
- removing a workpiece from the sequence at the mid-entry load lock.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.