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US 8,796,589 B2Granted
Processing system with the dual end-effector handling
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsEfrain Quiles, Mehran Behdjat, Robert B. Lowrance, Michael Robert Rice, Brent Vopat
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a first aspect, a first substrate processing system is provided that includes (1) a chamber having a plurality of opening through which a substrate may be transported; (2) a substrate carrier opener coupled to a first one of the plurality of openings; (3) a thermal processing chamber coupled to a second one of the plurality of openings; and (4) a wafer handler contained within the chamber, having a substrate clamping blade and a blade adapted to transport high temperature substrates.
Claims28
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a chamber having a plurality of openings through which a substrate is transported;
- a substrate carrier opener coupled to a first one of the plurality of openings;
- a thermal processing chamber coupled to a second one of the plurality of openings;
- and
- a wafer handler within the chamber, comprising a first arm having a substrate clamping blade including a clamping mechanism configured to transport only non-high temperature substrates and a second arm having a non-clamping blade having no clamping mechanism and configured to transport only high temperature substrates, wherein the clamping blade and non-clamping blade are adapted to be used concurrently,
- wherein the first arm having the substrate clamping blade transports wafers at a first speed and the second arm having the non-clamping blade transports wafers at a second speed, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.
3 more elements
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a chamber having a plurality of openings through which a substrate may be transported;
- and
- a wafer handler contained within the chamber comprising a first arm having a substrate clamping blade including a clamping mechanism and configured to transport only non-high temperature substrates and a second arm having a non-clamping blade having no clamping mechanism and configured to transport only high temperature substrates, wherein the clamping blade and non-clamping blade are adapted to be used concurrently
- wherein the first arm having the substrate clamping blade transports wafers at a first speed and the second arm having the non-clamping blade transports wafers at a second speed, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.
1 more element
A substrate handler comprising:
- a first arm comprising a substrate clamping blade including a clamping mechanism and configured to transport only non-high temperature substrates;
- and
- a second arm comprising a non-clamping blade having no clamping mechanism and configured to transport only high temperature substrates,
- wherein the clamping blade and non-clamping blade are adapted to be used concurrently,
- further wherein the first arm having the substrate clamping blade transports wafers at a first speed and the second arm having the non-clamping blade transports wafers at a second speed, and the first speed is greater than the second speed.
2 more elements
A method of transporting a substrate, comprising:
- providing a substrate handler having a clamping blade and a non-clamping blade, wherein the clamping blade and non-clamping blade are adapted to be used concurrently;
- picking up a first substrate with the clamping blade of the substrate handler, the clamping blade including a clamping mechanism;
- clamping the first substrate via the clamping blade;
- transporting the first substrate to a thermal processing chamber via the clamping blade, wherein transporting the first substrate occurs at a first speed;
- processing the first substrate within the thermal processing chamber to thereby heat the first substrate;
- extracting the heated first substrate from the thermal processing chamber via the non-clamping blade of the substrate handler that is configured to transport a high temperature substrate, the non-clamping blade having no clamping mechanism;
- and
- transporting the heated first substrate via the non-clamping blade, wherein transporting the heated first substrate occurs at second speed, and the first speed is greater than the second speed;
- wherein the clamping blade is in contact with the first substrate only when the first substrate has a non-high temperature.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.