US 8,945,308 B2 · Transfer chamber with vacuum extension for shutter disks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cluster tool for processing semiconductor substrates. One embodiment of the present invention provides a mainframe for a cluster tool comprising a transfer chamber having a substrate transferring robot disposed therein. The substrate transferring robot is configured to shuttle substrates among one or more processing chambers directly or indirectly connected to the transfer chamber. The mainframe further comprises a shutter disk shelf configured to store one or more shutter disks to be used by the one or more processing chambers, wherein the shutter disk shelf is accessible to the substrate transferring robot so that the substrate transferring robot can transfer the one or more shutter disks between the shutter disk shelf and the one or more processing chambers directly or indirectly connected to the transfer chamber.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A transfer chamber, comprising:

a main chamber body comprising a top, a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls defining a main volume, wherein each sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls has an opening formed therethrough;
an extension chamber body comprising a top, a bottom, and at least a first sidewall and a second sidewall defining an extension volume, wherein the extension chamber body is separately connected to the opening formed in one of the sidewalls of the main chamber body, and the main volume and the extension volume are directly connected through the opening in the one of the sidewalls;
a transfer robot mounted in the main chamber body, wherein rotation about a rotation centerline of the transfer robot in a fully retracted position defines a minimum radius from the rotation centerline to an end of the transfer robot that supports a substrate, wherein the minimum radius is greater than a distance from the rotation centerline to the opening formed through the plurality of sidewalls;
and
a vacuum pump mounted on the extension chamber body.

2 more elements

A cluster tool configured to process one or more substrates, comprising:

a first transfer chamber comprising:
a main chamber body comprising a top, a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls defining a main volume, wherein each of the sidewalls has an opening formed therethrough;
an extension chamber body comprising a top, a bottom, and at least a first sidewall and a second sidewall defining an extension volume, wherein the extension chamber body is separately connected to one of the sidewalls of the main chamber body, and the main volume and the extension volume are directly connected through the opening in the one of the sidewalls;
a transfer robot mounted in the main chamber body, wherein rotation about a rotation centerline of the transfer robot in a fully retracted position defines a minimum radius from the rotation centerline to an end of the transfer robot that supports the substrates, wherein the minimum radius is greater than a distance from the rotation centerline to each opening formed through the plurality of sidewalls;
and
a vacuum pump mounted on the extension chamber body;
one or more processing chambers connected to one or more sidewalls of the main chamber body of the first transfer chamber;
and
a load lock chamber connected to the extension chamber body of the first transfer chamber.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transfer chamber with vacuum extension for shutter disks

Life of this patent

Transfer chamber with vacuum extension for shutter disks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20