# US 9,751,698 B2 · Device and method for processing wafers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,698 B2 - Document ID: US9751698B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/878,570 - Filed: 2011-10-05 - Published: 2013-09-19 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-15 - Assignees: EV Group GmbH - Applicants: Friedrich Paul Lindner; Peter-Oliver Hangweier - Inventors: Friedrich Paul Lindner; Peter-Oliver Hangweier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751698B2 ## CPC - B65G 47/00: Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 90/00: Preparation of wafers not covered by a single main group of this subclass, e.g. wafer reinforcement - H10P 72/0466: {characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber} - Y10T 156/10: Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention relates to a device for processing of substrates, especially wafers, with at least one pretreatment module, at least one aftertreatment module and at least one primary treatment module, and the pretreatment module and the aftertreatment module can be switched as a lock for the primary treatment module, and a corresponding method for processing of substrates, especially wafers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for processing substrate pairs, wherein each substrate pair is comprised of first and second substrates, the device comprising, a first pretreatment module for pretreatment of the first substrate of the substrate pair before primary treatment in at least one primary treatment module, the first pretreatment module including a first pretreatment chamber which forms a first pretreatment space, and a first lock door moveable between an open state and a closed state, a second pretreatment module for pretreatment of the second substrate of the substrate pair before primary treatment in the at least one primary treatment module, the second pretreatment module including a second pretreatment chamber which forms a second pretreatment space, and a second lock door moveable between an open state and a closed state, said at least one primary treatment module for primary treatment of the substrate pair having a primary treatment chamber which forms a primary treatment space, wherein primary treatment of the substrate pair includes bringing the first and second substrates of the substrate pair into contact with each other and bonding the first and second substrates together while the first and second pretreatment modules are loaded with further substrates, said at least one primary treatment module including a heating apparatus for heating the primary treatment chamber to a temperature that is greater than 250° C. during bonding of the first and second substrates, a first primary lock door located between the first pretreatment chamber and the primary treatment chamber, said first primary lock door movable between an open state and a closed state and said first primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the first pretreatment chamber in the closed state, a second primary lock door located between the second pretreatment chamber and the primary treatment chamber, said second primary lock door moveable between an open state and a closed stated and said second primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the second pretreatment chamber in the closed state, at least one aftertreatment module for aftertreatment of the substrate pair, the at least one aftertreatment module having: an aftertreatment chamber which forms an aftertreatment space, and a third lock door movable between an open state and a closed state, a third primary lock door located between the primary treatment space and the aftertreatment space, said third primary lock door movable between an open state and a closed state and said third primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the aftertreatment chamber in the closed state, and a central control apparatus for controlling operation of one or more pressurization apparatus to independently control pressure in the first and second pretreatment spaces, the primary treatment space, and the aftertreatment space, and for controlling movement of the first lock door, the first primary lock door, the second lock door, the second primary lock door, the third lock door, and the third primary lock door, between the open state and the closed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third primary lock doors are transfer valves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device includes one or more additional pretreatment modules connected upstream to at least one of the first and second pretreatment modules as locks and/or one or more additional aftertreatment modules connected downstream of the at least one aftertreatment module as locks. ### Claim 4 A device for processing substrate pairs, wherein each substrate pair is comprised of first and second substrates, the device comprising, first and second pretreatment modules, the first pretreatment module for pretreatment of the first substrate of the substrate pair before primary treatment in a primary treatment module having a primary treatment chamber which forms a primary treatment space, and the second pretreatment module for pretreatment of the second substrate of the substrate pair before primary treatment in the primary treatment module, wherein the first and the second substrates are respectively loaded into the primary treatment chamber via separate first and second primary lock doors, said primary treatment module for primary treatment of the substrate pair that includes bringing the first and second substrates of the substrate pair into contact with each other and bonding the first and second substrates together while the first and second pretreatment modules are loaded with further substrates, said primary treatment module including a heating apparatus for heating the primary treatment chamber to a temperature that is greater than 250° C. during bonding of the first and second substrates, said first primary lock door located between the first pretreatment chamber and the primary treatment chamber, said first primary lock door movable between an open state and a closed state and said first primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the first pretreatment chamber in the closed state, said second primary lock door located between the second pretreatment chamber and the primary treatment chamber, said second primary lock door moveable between an open state and a closed stated and said second primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the second pretreatment chamber in the closed state, at least one aftertreatment module for aftertreatment of the substrate pair, the at least one aftertreatment module having: an aftertreatment chamber which forms an aftertreatment space, and a third lock door movable between an open state and a closed state, a third primary lock door located between the primary treatment space and the aftertreatment space, said third primary lock door movable between an open state and a closed state and said third primary lock door forming a vacuum-tight connection between the primary treatment chamber and the aftertreatment chamber in the closed state, and a central control apparatus for controlling operation of one or more pressurization apparatus to independently control pressure in the first and second pretreatment spaces, the primary treatment space, and the aftertreatment space, and for controlling movement of the first lock door, the first primary lock door, the second lock door, the second primary lock door, the third lock door, and the third primary lock door, between the open state and the closed state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises: a loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading of the first and second substrates into and out of the primary treatment chamber and/or the first pretreatment chamber and/or the second pretreatment chamber and/or the aftertreatment chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central control apparatus controls operation of a loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading the first and second substrates into and out of the pretreatment, primary treatment and aftertreatment chambers, wherein the primary treatment chamber is loaded from the first pretreatment chamber via the first primary lock door and the primary treatment chamber is unloaded into the aftertreatment chamber via the third primary lock door, at the same time and/or the first pretreatment chamber is loaded via the first lock door and the aftertreatment chamber is unloaded via the third lock door, at the same time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first, second, and third primary lock doors are inserted in a common channel located between the respectively adjacent pretreatment and aftertreatment chambers to form a seal therebetween. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the loading and unloading apparatus comprises at least one robot arm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device includes a first pressurization apparatus connected to the first pretreatment chamber for pressurizing the first pretreatment space, a second pressurization apparatus connected to the second pretreatment space for pressurizing the second pretreatment space, a third pressurization apparatus connected to the primary treatment chamber for pressurizing the primary treatment space, and a fourth pressurization apparatus connected to the aftertreatment chamber, for pressurizing the aftertreatment space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second substrates are wafers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first, second and third primary lock doors are transfer valves. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device includes one or more additional pretreatment modules connected upstream to at least one of the first and second pretreatment modules as locks and/or one or more additional aftertreatment modules connected downstream of the at least one aftertreatment module as locks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device further comprises: a loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading of the first and second substrates into and out of the primary treatment chamber and/or the first pretreatment chamber and/or the second pretreatment chamber and/or the aftertreatment chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central control apparatus controls operation of a loading and unloading apparatus for loading and unloading the first and second substrates into and out of the pretreatment, primary treatment and aftertreatment chambers, wherein the primary treatment chamber is loaded from the first pretreatment chamber via the first primary lock door and the primary treatment chamber is unloaded into the aftertreatment chamber via the third primary lock door, at the same time and/or the first pretreatment chamber is loaded via the first lock door and the aftertreatment chamber is unloaded via the third lock door, at the same time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third primary lock doors are inserted in a common channel located between the respectively adjacent pretreatment and aftertreatment chambers to form a seal therebetween. ### Claim 16 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the loading and unloading apparatus comprises at least one robot arm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said device includes a first pressurization apparatus connected to the first pretreatment chamber for pressurizing the first pretreatment space, a second pressurization apparatus connected to the second pretreatment space for pressurizing the second pretreatment space, a third pressurization apparatus connected to the primary treatment chamber for pressurizing the primary treatment space, and a fourth pressurization apparatus connected to the aftertreatment chamber, for pressurizing the aftertreatment space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second substrates are wafers.