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US 9,312,153 B2Granted
Substrate processing system, transfer module, substrate processing method, and method for manufacturing semiconductor element
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorTsutomu Hiroki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate processing system is provided with: a first transfer unit, which extends from a loader module to a first processing chamber for processing substrates, to transfer the substrates; and a second transfer unit, which is provided below or above the first transfer unit and extends from the loader module to a second processing chamber for processing substrates, to transfer the substrates. The first processing chamber and the second processing chamber do not overlap in the vertical direction, and are disposed at positions separated from each other in a plan view. At the same time, at least a part of the first transfer unit and at least a part of the second transfer unit overlap each other in the vertical direction.
Claims35
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates, and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the first substrates between the loader module and at least one first processing chamber for processing the first substrates;
- and
- a second transfer unit which is provided at a height different from that of the first transfer unit and is configured to transfer the second substrates between the loader module and at least one second processing chamber for processing the second substrates,
- wherein the first transfer unit includes a first load-lock chamber, into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates, which have been loaded into the first load-lock chamber, into said at least one first processing chamber,
- wherein the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber, into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates, which have been loaded into the second load-lock chamber, into said at least one second processing chamber, and
- wherein said at least one first processing chamber and said at least one second processing chamber are not vertically overlapped and at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped,
- wherein at least a portion of the first load-lock chamber and a portion of the first transfer chamber are vertically overlapped with the loader module, and
- wherein, when the portion of the first transfer chamber is placed on the loader module, a support member supporting the first transfer chamber is provided to prevent a weight of the first transfer chamber from being applied to the loader module.
6 more elements
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- and
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the first substrates between the loader module and at least one first processing chamber for processing the first substrates,
- wherein the first transfer unit includes a first load-lock chamber, into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates, which have been loaded into the first load-lock chamber, into said at least one first processing chamber,
- the loader module is provided with a connection port configured to connect a second transfer unit, which is provided at a position having a height different from that of the first transfer unit and transfers the second substrates between the loader module and at least one second processing chamber for processing the second substrates,
- the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber, into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates, which have been loaded into the second load-lock chamber, into said at least one second processing chamber,
- at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped, and
- said at least one first processing chamber and said at least one second processing chamber are not vertically overlapped,
- wherein at least a portion of the first load-lock chamber and a portion of the first transfer chamber are vertically overlapped with the loader module, and
- wherein, when the portion of the first transfer chamber is placed on the loader module, a support member supporting the first transfer chamber is provided to prevent a weight of the first transfer chamber from being applied to the loader module.
7 more elements
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first load-lock chamber which is connected to the loader module and into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first transfer chamber which is provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates, which have been transferred into the first load-lock chamber, into at least one first processing chamber for executing a process,
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the first substrates between the loader module and said at least one first processing chamber for processing the first substrates;
- and
- a second transfer unit which is provided at a height different from that of the first transfer unit and is configured to transfer the second substrates between the loader module and at least one second processing chamber for processing the second substrates, and
- wherein the first transfer unit includes the first load-lock chamber into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and the first transfer chamber provided with the first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates, which have been loaded into the first load-lock chamber, into said at least one first processing chamber,
- the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates, which have been loaded into the second load-lock chamber, into said at least one second processing chamber,
- at least a portion of the first load-lock chamber or the first transfer chamber is vertically overlapped with the loader module,
- said at least one first processing chamber and said at least one second processing chamber are not vertically overlapped, and
- at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped.
8 more elements
A transfer module comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first transfer unit including a first load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber which is connected to the first load-lock chamber and is provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates transferred into the first load-lock chamber;
- and
- a second transfer unit including a second load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber which is connected to the second load-lock chamber and is provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates transferred into the second load-lock chamber,
- wherein the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit are provided at positions having different heights,
- at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped, and
- the second transfer chamber is arranged farther from the loader module than the first transfer chamber, and
- wherein the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber are configured to be connected to at least one first processing chamber and at least one second processing chamber, respectively, and
- wherein the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber are not vertically overlapped, so that, when connected to the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, each of said at least one first processing chamber is not vertically overlapped to any of said at least one second processing chamber.
6 more elements
A transfer module comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- and
- a first transfer unit including a first load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber which is connected to the first load-lock chamber and is provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates transferred into the first load-lock chamber,
- wherein the loader module is provided with a connection port configured to connect with a second transfer unit which is provided at a position having a height different from that of the first transfer unit and transfers the second substrates,
- the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot and a second transfer chamber which is connected to the second load-lock chamber and is provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates transferred into the second load-lock chamber,
- at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped,
- the second transfer chamber is arranged farther from the loader module than the first transfer chamber, and
- wherein the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber are configured to be connected to at least one first processing chamber and at least one second processing chamber, respectively, and
- wherein the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber are not vertically overlapped, so that, when connected to the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber, each of said at least one first processing chamber is not vertically overlapped to any of said at least one second processing chamber.
6 more elements
A transfer module comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first transfer unit including a first load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber which is connected to the first load-lock chamber and is provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates transferred into the first load-lock chamber;
- and
- a second transfer unit including a second load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber which is connected to the second load-lock chamber and is provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates transferred into the second load-lock chamber,
- wherein the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit are provided at positions having different heights,
- at least a portion of the first transfer chamber of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second load-lock chamber of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped, and
- the second transfer chamber is arranged farther from the loader module than the first transfer chamber.
4 more elements
A transfer module comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- and
- a first transfer unit including a first load-lock chamber, which is connected to the loader module and into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber which is provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates transferred into the first load-lock chamber,
- wherein at least a portion of the first load-lock chamber or the first transfer chamber are vertically overlapped with the loader module, and
- the loader module is provided with a connection port configured to connect with a second transfer unit which is provided at a position having a height different from that of the first transfer unit and transfers the second substrates;
- wherein the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber, into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber which is connected to the load-lock chamber and is provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates transferred into the second load-lock chamber under a vacuum,
- at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped, and
- the second transfer chamber is arranged farther from the loader module than the first transfer chamber.
5 more elements
A substrate processing system comprising:
- a loader module which is provided with a plurality of ports configured to receive a plurality of cassettes accommodating therein first substrates and second substrates, and an atmospheric transfer robot;
- a first transfer unit configured to transfer the first substrates between the loader module and at least one first processing chamber for processing the first substrates;
- and
- a second transfer unit which is provided at a height different from that of the first transfer unit and is configured to transfer the second substrates between the loader module and at least one second processing chamber for processing the second substrates,
- wherein the first transfer unit includes a first load-lock chamber, into which the first substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a first transfer chamber provided with a first vacuum transfer robot for transferring the first substrates, which have been loaded into the first load-lock chamber, into said at least one first processing chamber,
- wherein the second transfer unit includes a second load-lock chamber, into which the second substrates are transferred by the atmospheric transfer robot, and a second transfer chamber provided with a second vacuum transfer robot for transferring the second substrates, which have been loaded into the second load-lock chamber, into said at least one second processing chamber, and
- wherein said at least one first processing chamber and said at least one second processing chamber are not vertically overlapped and at least a portion of the first transfer unit and at least a portion of the second transfer unit are vertically overlapped,
- wherein at least a portion of the first load-lock chamber and a portion of the first transfer chamber are vertically overlapped with the loader module,
- wherein the first transfer chamber is connected with two first processing chambers,
- wherein the second transfer chamber is connected with two second processing chambers,
- wherein the two first processing chambers are arranged closer to the loader module than the two second processing chambers, and
- wherein the second transfer unit is arranged in a space between the two first processing chambers.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.