Back to results
US 8,944,738 B2Granted
Stacked process modules for a semiconductor handling system
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorPeter van der Meulen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a vacuum-based semiconductor handling system. The system may be a linear system with a four-link robotic SCARA arm for moving materials in the system. The system may include one or more vertically stacked load locks or vertically stacked process modules.
Claims19
A semiconductor manufacturing system adapted to handle a wafer, the semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:
- a plurality of vertically stacked loading stations;
- a shared vacuum environment coupled to the loading stations;
- a plurality of process modules arranged in a linear system and sharing the shared vacuum environment, wherein the shared vacuum environment has a loading end and an exit end disposed at opposite ends of the linear system, the plurality of process modules being vertically stacked process modules that are arranged in at least a two-level configuration having a top level and a bottom level;
- and
- at least two transfer chambers adjacently arranged in the linear system where the top and bottom level are joined by the adjacent transfer chambers, the top level of each transfer chamber including a pair of process modules rotated substantially forty-five degrees relative to the bottom level such that the pair of process modules on the top level of one of the transfer chambers has a substantially opposing arrangement to the pair of process modules on the top level of another one of the transfer chambers.
2 more elements
A semiconductor manufacturing system adapted to handle a wafer, the semiconductor system comprising:
- a loading station disposed at least at one end of a linear system;
- a shared vacuum environment coupled to at least one loading station, the shared vacuum environment forming a linearly elongated chamber of the linear system;
- at least one vertically stacked mid-entry station disposed between ends of the linear system and coupled to the shared vacuum environment;
- and
- a plurality of vertically stacked process modules coupled to the shared vacuum environment along the linearly elongated chamber.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.