Semiconductor manufacturing systems
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorPeter van der Meulen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Linear semiconductor handling systems provide more balanced processing capacity using various techniques to provide increased processing capacity to relatively slow processes. This may include use of hexagonal vacuum chambers to provide additional facets for slow process modules, use of circulating process modules to provide more processing capacity at a single facet of a vacuum chamber, or the use of wide process modules having multiple processing sites. This approach may be used, for example, to balance processing capacity in a typical process that includes plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition steps and bevel etch steps.
Claims10
An apparatus comprising:
- an equipment front end module that physically handles workpieces in atmosphere;
- a load lock coupled to the equipment front end module and positioned to receive workpieces therefrom, the load lock providing for transfer of workpieces between atmosphere and a vacuum environment;
- a first vacuum chamber containing a robot, the first vacuum chamber having four facets, one of the four facets selectively coupled to the load lock by an isolation valve;
- two process modules that provide a first process, the two process modules coupled in a vacuum-sealed engagement to two opposing ones of the four facets in a vacuum-sealed engagement;
- four process modules that provide a second process, the four process modules each having an entrance, and each providing a second process;
- and
- a second vacuum chamber containing a second robot, the second vacuum chamber having six facets, the second vacuum chamber coupled in a vacuum-sealed engagement to one of the four facets of the first vacuum chamber, and four of the six facets coupled in a vacuum-sealed engagement to each of the four process modules respectively, the second robot positioned to transfer workpieces among the four process modules;
- wherein workpieces can be transferred among the load lock, the two process modules, and the four process modules in vacuum by the robots of the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, and wherein a processing speed of the two process modules is substantially balanced with the processing speed of the four process modules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.