Integrated apparatus to assure wafer quality and manufacturability
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShao-Yen Ku, Chi-Ming Yang, Ming-Tsao Chiang, Yu-Fen Tzeng, Chin-Hsiang Lin
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a system and method for processing a semiconductor substrate wherein a substrate is received at a load lock interface. The substrate is transferred from the load lock interface to a process module using a first module configured for unprocessed substrates. A manufacturing process is performed on the substrate within the process module. Thereafter, the substrate is transferred from the process module to the load lock interface using a second module configured for processed substrates.
Claims5
A system comprising:
- a central transfer chamber;
- a plurality of process modules disposed proximate to the central transfer chamber wherein each of the plurality of process modules is operable to perform a semiconductor device fabrication process;
- a load lock chamber connected to the central transfer chamber, wherein a first end of the load lock chamber is connected to the central transfer chamber;
- and
- a load lock interface connected to the load lock chamber, wherein the load lock interface is connected to the load lock chamber at a second end, the second end opposing the first end, and wherein the load lock interface includes:
- an equipment front end module (EFEM) chamber, wherein the EFEM chamber includes a load lock transfer mechanism operable to transfer the substrate from a load port to the load lock chamber;
- the load port connected to the EFEM chamber;
- a transport carrier docked in the load port;
- a measurement instrument operable to measure a level of contaminants in the transport carrier;
- a gas delivery apparatus disposed in the load lock interface, wherein the gas delivery apparatus has a gas inlet nozzle on disposed on a first edge of a substrate upon which the semiconductor device fabrication process is performed and a gas outlet nozzle disposed on a second, opposing edge of the substrate, the first and second edge being separated by a diameter of the substrate;
- and a load lock module connected to the EFEM chamber and having a physical barrier separating the load lock module and the EFEM chamber, wherein the load lock module includes the gas delivery apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.