US 8,019,467 B2Granted

Scheduling method for processing equipment

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsSteve S. Hongkham, Eric A. Englhardt, Michael R. Rice, Helen R. Armer, Chongyang Chris Wang

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput and repeatable wafer processing history are provided. In one embodiment a first substrate is transferred from a first position to a second position and then the first substrate is transferred from the second position to a third position using a first robot. A second substrate is transferred from a first position to a second position and then the second substrate is transferred from the second position to a third position using a second robot. The movement of the first and second robots is synchronized so that the movement from the first position to the second position by the first and second robot is performed within a first time interval.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of transferring a substrate one or more substrates in a cluster tool, comprising:

providing a cluster tool comprising:
a first processing rack containing vertical stacks of substrate processing chambers;
a second processing rack containing vertical stacks of substrate processing chambers;
a first robot assembly disposed adjacent to the first processing rack, comprising:
at least one horizontal motion assembly;
a vertical motion assembly;
a robot hardware assembly;
and
a robot blade coupled with the robot hardware assembly, wherein the first robot assembly is adapted to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack;
a second robot assembly disposed adjacent to the first robot assembly between the first processing rack and the second processing rack, comprising:
at least one horizontal motion assembly;
a vertical motion assembly;
a robot hardware assembly;
and
a robot blade coupled with the robot hardware assembly, wherein the second robot assembly is adapted to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack and/or the second processing rack;
and
wherein a side of the first processing rack and a side of the second processing rack are both aligned along a direction parallel to the horizontal motion assemblies of the first and second robot assemblies;
and
transferring a first substrate using the first robot assembly, wherein transferring the first substrate comprises:
removing the first substrate from a first processing chamber positioned in the side of the first processing rack;
moving the first robot assembly from a position adjacent to the first processing chamber to a position adjacent to a second processing chamber positioned in the side of the first processing rack;
and
placing the first substrate in the second processing chamber;
transferring a second substrate using a second robot assembly, wherein transferring the second substrate comprises:
removing the second substrate from a third processing chamber positioned in either the side of the first processing rack or the side of the second processing rack:
moving the second robot assembly from a position adjacent to the third processing chamber to a position adjacent to a fourth processing chamber positioned in either the side of the first processing rack or the side of the second processing rack;
and
placing the second substrate in the fourth processing chamber;
and
synchronizing the removing the first substrate with the removing the second substrate, the moving the second robot assembly, or the placing the second substrate;
and
synchronizing the placing the first substrate with the removing the second substrate, the moving the second substrate, or the placing the second substrate, wherein the transferring the first substrate and transferring the second substrate are completed within a first period of time.

29 more elements

A cluster tool for processing one or more substrates, comprising:

a first processing rack containing vertical stacks of substrate processing chambers;
a second processing rack containing vertical stacks of substrate processing chambers;
a first robot assembly disposed adjacent to the first processing rack, comprising:
at least one horizontal motion assembly;
a vertical motion assembly;
a robot hardware assembly;
and
a robot blade coupled with the robot hardware assembly, wherein the first robot assembly is adapted to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack;
a second robot assembly disposed adjacent to the first robot assembly between the first processing rack and the second processing rack, comprising:
at least one horizontal motion assembly;
a vertical motion assembly;
a robot hardware assembly;
and
a robot blade coupled with the robot hardware assembly, wherein the second robot assembly is adapted to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack and/or the second processing rack;
and
wherein a side of the first processing rack and a side of the second processing rack are both aligned along a direction parallel to the horizontal motion assemblies of the first and second robot assemblies;
and
a controller configured for:
defining a process sequence containing a plurality of substrate transfer steps, wherein the plurality of substrate transfer steps are adapted to aid in the movement of one or more substrates through the substrate processing chambers contained in the cluster tool;
distributing at least one of the substrate transfer steps contained in the process sequence to the first robot assembly and at least one of the substrate transfer steps contained in the process sequence to the second robot assembly;
synchronizing the movement of the first robot assembly and the second robot assembly so that each substrate transfer step performed by the first robot assembly and each of the substrate transfer steps performed by the second robot assembly that overlap in time both are performed within a first time interval, wherein the next substrate transfer step performed by the first robot assembly and the second robot assembly will not start until the after the first time interval is completed and the next substrate transfer step is performed within a second time interval;
and
executing the transfer steps.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/775,355Filed 10 Jul 2007 · us provisional application
Priority: 10 Jul 2006
Published: US 2008/0014058 A117 Jan 2008
Granted: 13 Sep 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H10P 72/3304
Into and out of processing chamber: characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
H10P 72/0456
Characterised by the layout of the process chambers: in-line arrangement
H10P 72/0458
Characterised by the layout of the process chambers: vertical arrangement
H10P 72/0612
Apparatus for monitoring, sorting, marking, testing or measuring: production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput