Reduction of particle contamination produced by moving mechanisms in a process tool

A system to reduce particle contamination on substrates, the system comprising:

• a housing to couple a substrate production tool to a fan filter unit, the fan filter unit to provide filtered air to the housing;
• a facility connection to couple the substrate production tool to a reduced pressure exhaust mechanism;
• a substrate transfer section coupled below the housing and in airflow communication with the facility connection, the substrate transfer section partially containing a clock-arm substrate carrier mechanism having a plurality of carrier arms each having a midpoint and a respective drive between opposing ends and arranged to rotate about the midpoint in planes parallel to one another, the respective drive coupled to each of the plurality of carrier arms to move respective ones of the plurality of carrier arms in at least a 360 degree arc in either direction simultaneously, the substrate transfer section further having a linear substrate traverser mechanism having a plurality of linear substrate carriers mounted thereon, each of the plurality of linear substrate carriers being configured to transport the substrates in a plane substantially parallel to the planes of the plurality of carrier arms with each of the plurality of linear substrate carriers being in a different plane from one another;
• a substrate process area coupled to the substrate transfer section by one or more substrate transport slots, the clock-arm substrate carrier mechanism being arranged to transport the substrates between the substrate process area and the substrate transfer section via the one or more substrate transport slots;
• and
• a chamber substantially containing the substrate transfer section and the substrate process area, the chamber being coupled to the housing to receive the filtered air and coupled to the facility connection to provide an exhaust for excess gas flow, the chamber being configured to maintain a low pressure in the substrate process area relative to the substrate transfer section.

A system to reduce particle contamination on wafers in a wafer process tool, the system comprising:

• a fan filter unit to provide filtered air to the wafer process tool;
• a facility connection to couple the wafer process tool to a reduced pressure exhaust mechanism of a wafer fabrication facility;
• a wafer transfer section coupled below the fan filter unit and in airflow communication with the facility connection, the wafer transfer section partially containing a clock-arm wafer carrier mechanism having a plurality of carrier arms each having a midpoint and a respective drive between opposing ends and arranged to rotate about the midpoint in planes parallel to one another, the respective drive coupled to each of the plurality of carrier arms to move respective ones of the plurality of carrier arms in at least a 360 degree arc in either direction simultaneously, the wafer transfer section further having a linear wafer traverser mechanism having a plurality of linear wafer carriers mounted thereon, each of the plurality of linear wafer carriers being configured to transport the wafers in a plane substantially parallel to the planes of the plurality of carrier arms with each of the plurality of linear wafer carriers being in a different plane from one another;
• a wafer process area coupled to the wafer transfer section by one or more wafer transport slots, the clock-arm wafer carrier mechanism being arranged to transport the wafers between the wafer process area and the wafer transfer section via the one or more wafer transport slots;
• and
• a process chamber substantially containing the wafer transfer section and the wafer process area, the process chamber being coupled to the fan filter unit to receive the filtered air and coupled to the facility connection to provide an exhaust for excess gas flow, the process chamber being configured to maintain a low pressure in the wafer process area relative to the wafer transfer section.

A method of reducing particle contamination on substrates, the method comprising:

• providing a housing to couple a substrate production tool to a fan filter unit, the fan filter unit providing filtered air to the substrate production tool;
• providing a facility connection to couple the substrate production tool to a reduced pressure exhaust mechanism, the reduced pressure exhaust mechanism providing an exhaust for excess gas flow within the substrate production tool;
• providing a substrate transfer section coupled below the housing and in airflow communication with the facility connection, the substrate transfer section partially containing a clock-arm substrate carrier mechanism having a plurality of carrier arms each having a midpoint and a respective drive between opposing ends and arranged to rotate about the midpoint in planes parallel to one another, the respective drive coupled to each of the plurality of carrier arms to move respective ones of the plurality of carrier arms in at least a 360 degree arc in either direction simultaneously, the substrate transfer section further having a linear substrate traverser mechanism having a plurality of linear substrate carriers mounted thereon, each of the plurality of linear substrate carriers being configured to transport the substrates in a plane substantially parallel to the planes of the plurality of carrier arms with each of the plurality of linear substrate carriers being in a different plane from one another;
• maintaining a substrate process area of the substrate production tool at a lower pressure than a pressure of the substrate transfer section of the substrate production tool;
• maintaining the substrate process area at a higher pressure than a pressure of the reduced pressure exhaust mechanism;
• and
• maintaining the substrate transfer section at a higher pressure than the pressure of the reduced pressure exhaust mechanism.