US 8,181,596 B2Granted

Cluster tool architecture for processing a substrate

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsTetsuya Ishikawa, Rick J. Roberts, Helen R. Armer, Leon Volfovski, Jay D. Pinson, Michael Rice, David H. Quach, Mohsen S. Salek, Robert Lowrance, John A. Backer, William Tyler Weaver, Charles Carlson, Chongyang Wang, Jeffrey Hudgens, Harald Herchen, Brian Lu

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Abstract

An apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, a smaller system footprint, and a more repeatable wafer history. Embodiments provide for a cluster tool comprising first and second processing racks, each having two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, a first robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a first side, a second robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a second side and the second processing rack from a first side, a third robot assembly able to access the second processing rack from a second side, and a fourth robot assembly able to access the first and second processing racks and to load substrates in a cassette.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cluster tool for processing a substrate, comprising:

a first processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the first processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a second processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the second processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a first robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the first side;
a second robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the second side and each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the first side;
a third robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the second side;
a cassette that is sized to retain two or more substrates;
and
a fourth robot assembly positioned to load a substrate in one of the processing chambers in the first processing rack, load a substrate in one of the processing chambers in the second processing rack, and load a substrate in the cassette.

5 more elements

A cluster tool for processing a substrate, comprising:

a first processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the first processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a second processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the second processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a first robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the first side;
a second robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the second side and each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the first side;
and
a third robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the second side;
wherein the first robot assembly, the second robot assembly, or the third robot assembly each further comprise a horizontal motion assembly that comprises:
one or more walls that form an interior region in which a motor is enclosed;
a filter;
and
one or more fan assemblies that are in fluid communication with the interior region, wherein the one or more fan assemblies are positioned to create a subatmospheric pressure in the interior region by at least drawing air from the internal region through the filter.

8 more elements

A cluster tool for processing a substrate, comprising:

a first processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the first processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a second processing rack that comprises two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, wherein the second processing rack has a first side and a second side;
a first robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the first side;
a second robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack from the second side and each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the first side;
and
a third robot assembly positioned to access each of the two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers in the second processing rack from the second side;
wherein the first robot assembly, the second robot assembly, or the third robot assembly further comprise a horizontal motion assembly that comprises:
one or more walls that form an interior region in which a motor is enclosed;
one or more fan assemblies that are in fluid communication with the interior region, wherein the one or more fan assemblies are positioned to create a subatmospheric pressure in the interior region;
and
a slide assembly that is disposed in the interior region.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/254,750Filed 20 Oct 2008 · division
Priority: 22 Dec 2004
Published: US 2009/0064928 A112 Mar 2009
Granted: 22 May 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification37 codes

H10P 72/0474
Comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process: comprising at least one lithography chamber
G03B 27/32
Photographic printing apparatus: projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera
G03D 13/006
Processing apparatus or accessories therefor, not covered by groups G11B3/00 - G11B11/00: temperature control of the developer
G03F 7/40
Processing photosensitive materials; Apparatus therefor: treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking

Family

Application60/639,109Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2004
Application11/112,281Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Apr 2005
Application11/458,664Parent of this division · filed 19 Jul 2006
US 2009/0064928 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Mar 2009
US 7,694,647 B2Parent of this division · filed 13 Apr 2010
US 7,357,842 B2Parent of this continuation
Application11/458,664Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0130750 A1Published application
US 2006/0278165 A1Published application
US 8,181,596 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.