JPWO2020172244A5

JPWO2020172244A5 -

Info

Publication number: JPWO2020172244A5
Application number: JP2021571641A
Authority: JP
Publication date: 2023-02-15

Description

図１１が、ＶＴＭロボット・エンド・エフェクタ１００６の斜視図である。上述したように、エンド・エフェクタ１００６が、ウエハ・ラック２００及び３００などの、複数の異なる搬送可能なウエハ・ラックに結合されるためのユニバーサルのエンド・エフェクタとして設計及び構成される。エンド・エフェクタ１００６が、ラックに結合されるための、ラック２００及び３００（図２及び３）のユニバーサル・インターフェース２０４に対して相補的な形状を有する凹部１１０２を有する。示される実例では、ロボット・アーム１００４が、ウエハ・ラックのベースに結合されるように、及びシステム全体にわたってロボット・アームによりウエハ・ラックを移動させるときにウエハ・ラックを持ち上げてウエハ・ラックを垂直位置で維持するように、構成される。凹部１１０２が、ラック２００又は３００（図２Ａ～３Ｂ）のユニバーサル・インターフェース２０４の第１の湾曲端部２０６及び第２の湾曲端部２０８並びに第１の平坦側面２１０又は第２の平坦側面２１２と対合するように構成される、第１及び第２の反対側の側面１１０４、１１０６、及び第３の側面１１０８を有する。エンド・エフェクタが、ラック２００又は３００のボトム・プレート２２２又は３２２の底部表面２２８又は３２８に接触するように構成される平坦な頂部表面１１１２ａ、１１１２ｂを各々有する対向するアーム１１１０ａ、１１１０ｂをさらに有する。他の実例では、ＶＴＭロボット・アームが、搬送可能なウエハ・ラックの頂部にさらに結合されるか又はウエハ・ラックの頂部のみに結合されるように構成され得、いくつかの実例では、ＶＴＭロボット・アームが、垂直の向きから水平の向きへウエハ・ラックを回転させるように構成され得る。
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of VTM robot end effector 1006 . As described above, end effector 1006 is designed and configured as a universal end effector for coupling to multiple different transportable wafer racks, such as wafer racks 200 and 300 . End effector 1006 has a recess 1102 having a complementary shape to universal interface 204 of racks 200 and 300 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for coupling to the rack. In the example shown, a robotic arm 1004 is coupled to the base of the wafer rack and lifts the wafer rack to vertically move the wafer rack as the wafer rack is moved by the robotic arm throughout the system. configured to remain in position. The recess 1102 is aligned with the first curved end 206 and the second curved end 208 and the first flat side 210 or the second flat side 212 of the universal interface 204 of the rack 200 or 300 (FIGS. 2A-3B). It has first and second opposite sides 1104, 1106 and a third side 1108 configured to mate. The end effector further has opposing arms 1110a, 1110b each having a flat top surface 1112a, 1112b configured to contact the bottom surface 228 or 328 of the bottom plate 222 or 322 of the rack 200 or 300. In other instances, the VTM robot arm may be configured to be further coupled to the top of the transportable wafer rack or only coupled to the top of the wafer rack; • An arm may be configured to rotate the wafer rack from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

Claims

A vacuum transfer module (VTM) for an automated thin film deposition system configured for batch processing of substrates, said VTM comprising:
a vacuum chamber having a plurality of openings configured to be coupled to a thin film deposition process module;
A robotic arm located within the vacuum chamber, the robotic arm having an end effector configured to be coupled to the transportable substrate rack, the transportable substrate rack. a robotic arm configured to hold a plurality of substrates;
The robotic arm selectively moves the transportable substrate rack through one or more of the openings to be loaded onto the transportable substrate rack. A vacuum transfer module configured to place the transportable substrate rack into a corresponding one of the thin film deposition process modules for processing a plurality of substrates. (VTM).

The robotic arm is coupled to the base of the transportable substrate rack and transports the transportable substrate rack in a vertical orientation into and out of the VTM vacuum chamber. 2. The VTM of claim 1, configured to.

The transportable substrate rack holds a column of substrates and the column of substrates as the transportable substrate rack is moved between the VTM and the thin film deposition process module. 3. The VTM of claim 2, wherein the VTM is adapted to be held in a vertical orientation.

A plurality of different sized transportable sub-substrates of the transportable substrate rack for the end effector to process multiple substrate sizes in parallel within a corresponding thin film deposition process module. 2. The VTM of claim 1, wherein the VTM is a universal end effector configured to be coupled to a straight rack.

A semiconductor processing system, the semiconductor processing system comprising:
a vacuum transfer module (VTM) having a vacuum chamber, a robot arm positioned within the vacuum chamber, and a plurality of openings;
a plurality of thin film deposition process modules having preheat chambers, reactors, load locks, and load stations;
at least one transportable wafer rack configured to hold a plurality of semiconductor wafers;
each of the preheat chamber, the reactor, and the load lock coupled to a respective opening of the plurality of openings; the load station coupled to the load lock; A robotic arm transports between the load lock, the preheat chamber, and the reactor for automated batch processing of multiple wafers loaded onto the transportable wafer rack. A semiconductor processing system configured to automatically and selectively transport possible wafer racks.

The load station is configured to transfer wafers from a wafer cassette to the transportable wafer rack when the transportable wafer rack is placed in the load lock. - A system according to claim 5, comprising an arm.

said load lock comprising a turntable designed and constructed to support said at least one transportable wafer rack, said load lock having a rotary drive for controlling the rotational position of said turntable; a system, wherein the at least one transportable wafer rack is positioned in a first rotational position for loading wafers onto the transportable wafer rack and the transportable by the VTM robotic arm; and a second rotational position for coupling the transportable wafer rack to the VTM robot arm for transporting the wafer rack from the load lock to the VTM vacuum chamber. Item 6. The system according to item 5.

wherein the at least one transportable wafer rack is configured to hold a first wafer size, a first transportable wafer rack configured to hold a first wafer size, and a second wafer size; 6. The system of claim 5, comprising a second transportable wafer rack that holds the wafer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second transportable wafer racks has a base with a universal interface configured to be coupled to said VTM robot arm.

The VTM robot arm has a universal end effector coupled to and configured to transport both the first transportable wafer rack and the second transportable wafer rack. 9. The system of claim 8.

The at least one transportable wafer rack has a plurality of transportable wafer racks each loaded with a plurality of wafers, and the system is configured to transfer a corresponding respective one of the plurality of thin film deposition process modules. configured to process the plurality of transportable wafer racks in parallel by simultaneously placing each of the plurality of transportable wafer racks into one thin film deposition process module of 6. The system of claim 5.

The VTM robotic arm is configured to continuously transfer the plurality of transportable wafer racks into and out of the plurality of thin film deposition process modules according to a thin film deposition manufacturing process. Item 12. The system according to Item 11.

The system separately and simultaneously performs a preheating phase, a thin film deposition phase, and a cooling phase of a wafer processing process on each corresponding transportable wafer rack of the plurality of transportable wafer racks. 12. The system of claim 11, configured to increase wafer processing throughput by:

Thin film deposition using a thin film deposition system comprising a vacuum transport module (VTM), a VTM robot located within said VTM, a load lock, a preheat chamber, a thin film deposition reactor, and at least one transportable wafer rack. A method of implementing a process, said method comprising:
performing a first transfer of said at least one transferable wafer rack from said load lock through said VTM to said preheat chamber using said VTM robot, said at least one transfer performing a first transfer in which a plurality of wafers are loaded in a possible wafer rack;
heating the at least one transportable wafer rack and the plurality of wafers in the preheat chamber;
performing a second transfer of the at least one transferable wafer rack and the plurality of wafers from the preheat chamber through the VTM to the reactor using the VTM robot;
performing a thin film deposition process on the plurality of wafers in the reactor;
using the VTM robot to perform a third transfer of the at least one transferable wafer rack and the plurality of wafers from the reactor through the VTM to the load lock;
and performing a controlled cooling process on the at least one transportable wafer rack and the plurality of wafers in the load lock.

the thin film deposition system further comprising a load station, the load station comprising a load port and a robotic arm, the method comprising:
When the at least one transportable wafer rack is positioned within the load lock, the load station robotic arm is used to load the wafer cassette positioned within the load port and the at least one wafer cassette positioned within the load port. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising continuously transferring said plurality of wafers to and from a transferable wafer rack.

wherein the load lock has a turntable configured to support the at least one transportable wafer rack, the method comprising:
positioning the turntable and the at least one transportable wafer rack in a first rotational position for the successive transporting step;
positioning the turntable and the at least one transportable wafer rack in a second rotational position for performing the first transfer and performing the third transfer; 16. The method of claim 15.

wherein the at least one transportable wafer rack has a plurality of transportable wafer racks, each of the plurality of transportable wafer racks being loaded with a corresponding plurality of wafers, the method comprising:
said heating step for a first transportable wafer rack of said plurality of transportable wafer racks loaded with a first plurality of wafers; said loading with a second plurality of wafers; said thin film deposition process to a second transportable wafer rack of a plurality of transportable wafer racks; and of said plurality of transportable wafer racks loaded with a third plurality of wafers. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing said controlled cooling process for a third of said transportable wafer racks in parallel.

at least one of the first, second and third plurality of wafers has a different size than another one of the first, second and third plurality of wafers; 18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

A transportable wafer rack, the transportable wafer rack comprising:
a base plate, a top plate, and a plurality of columns disposed between the base plate and the top plate, each of the plurality of columns extending between the base plate and the top plate; a base plate, a top plate, and a plurality of columns having a plurality of recesses for supporting a plurality of wafers slidably disposed therebetween;
an interface disposed on the base plate, the interface connecting the transportable wafer rack and the plurality of wafers disposed on the transportable wafer rack to a process of the wafers; and an interface configured and dimensioned to be coupled to an end effector of a robotic arm for transferring between a plurality of thin film deposition process modules.

A semiconductor processing system comprising:
a vacuum transfer module (VTM) having a vacuum chamber, a robotic arm positioned within the vacuum chamber, and a plurality of openings;
a plurality of thin film deposition process modules having reactors and load locks;
at least one transportable wafer rack configured to hold a plurality of semiconductor wafers;
with
each of the reactor and the load lock each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of openings;
The robotic arm automatically selectively moves the transportable wafer rack to the load lock and the plurality of wafers for automated batch processing of a plurality of wafers loaded in the transportable wafer rack. A semiconductor processing system configured for transport to and from one or more of the thin film deposition process modules.

The plurality of thin film deposition process modules includes a load station coupled to the load lock, the load station for loading wafers when the transportable wafer rack is placed in the load lock. 21. The semiconductor processing system of claim 20, comprising a robot arm configured to transfer wafers from a wafer cassette to said transportable wafer rack.

said load lock comprising a turntable designed and constructed to support said at least one transportable wafer rack, said load lock having a rotary drive for controlling the rotational position of said turntable; a system, wherein the at least one transportable wafer rack is positioned in a first rotational position for loading wafers onto the transportable wafer rack, and the transportable wafer by the VTM robot arm; between a second rotational position for coupling said transportable wafer rack to said VTM robot arm for the purpose of transporting the rack from said load lock to said VTM vacuum chamber; 21. The semiconductor processing system of claim 20.

wherein the at least one transportable wafer rack is configured to hold a first wafer size, a first transportable wafer rack configured to hold a first wafer size, and a second wafer size; 21. The semiconductor processing system of claim 20, comprising a second transportable wafer rack that

24. The semiconductor processing system of claim 23, wherein each of said first and second transportable wafer racks has a base with a universal interface configured to be coupled to said VTM robot arm.

The VTM robot arm has a universal end effector coupled to and configured to transport both the first transportable wafer rack and the second transportable wafer rack. 24. The semiconductor processing system of claim 23.

The at least one transportable wafer rack has a plurality of transportable wafer racks each loaded with a plurality of wafers, and the system is configured to transfer a corresponding respective one of the plurality of thin film deposition process modules. configured to process the plurality of transportable wafer racks in parallel by simultaneously placing each of the plurality of transportable wafer racks into one thin film deposition process module of 21. The semiconductor processing system of Claim 20.

The VTM robotic arm is configured to continuously transfer the plurality of transportable wafer racks into and out of the plurality of thin film deposition process modules according to a thin film deposition manufacturing process. Item 27. The semiconductor processing system of Item 26.

The system separately and simultaneously performs a preheating phase, a thin film deposition phase, and a cooling phase of a wafer processing process on each corresponding transportable wafer rack of the plurality of transportable wafer racks. 27. The semiconductor processing system of claim 26, configured to increase wafer processing throughput by: