US20050118002A1 - Load-lock technique - Google Patents

Load-lock technique Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20050118002A1
US20050118002A1 US10/994,360 US99436004A US2005118002A1 US 20050118002 A1 US20050118002 A1 US 20050118002A1 US 99436004 A US99436004 A US 99436004A US 2005118002 A1 US2005118002 A1 US 2005118002A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
chamber
load
valve
gas
substrate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/994,360
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Kazuyuki Kasumi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Canon Inc
Original Assignee
Canon Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA reassignment CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KASUMI, KAZUYUKI
Publication of US20050118002A1 publication Critical patent/US20050118002A1/en
Priority to US11/843,074 priority Critical patent/US8347915B2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67739Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H01L21/67748Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/8593Systems
    • Y10T137/87917Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Definitions

  • This invention relates to load-lock technique applicable to production of various microdevices such as, for example, semiconductor chips (e.g., IC or LSI), display devices (e.g., liquid crystal panel), detecting elements (e.g., magnetic head), and image pickup devices (e.g. CCD).
  • semiconductor chips e.g., IC or LSI
  • display devices e.g., liquid crystal panel
  • detecting elements e.g., magnetic head
  • image pickup devices e.g. CCD
  • VUV light vacuum ultraviolet light
  • KrF laser light wavelength 248 nm
  • ArF laser light wavelength 193 nm
  • F2 laser light wavelength 157 nm
  • the exposure light is attenuated in the atmosphere.
  • the exposure process is carried out in a vacuum ambience or a reduced pressure He ambience.
  • load-lock chambers are used when a substrate to be exposed is loaded into a vacuum ambience (exposure ambience).
  • Load-lock chamber (housing) 101 is provided at a side of a main chamber 102 in which an exposure process is to be carried out.
  • the vacuum side gate valve 103 , the exhaust valve 106 and the gas supply valve 109 are kept closed and, on the other hand, the atmosphere side gate valve 104 is opened. Then the substrate 110 is introduced into the load-lock chamber 101 . Subsequently, the atmosphere side gate valve 104 is closed, and the exhaust valve 106 is opened. Normally, the vacuum pump 107 is kept driven uninterruptedly.
  • the exhaust valve 106 generally, a butterfly valve is used. By opening the exhaust valve 106 , the atmospheric gas inside the load-lock chamber 101 is discharged outwardly. After the exhausting is completed, the exhaust valve 106 is closed and the vacuum side gate valve 103 is opened, and the substrate is introduced into the main chamber 102 . After the substrate is loaded, the vacuum side gate valve 103 is closed.
  • the load-loch chamber is exhausted and placed in vacuum state (all the valves and gate valves are kept closed), and thereafter the vacuum side gate valve 103 is opened. Then, the substrate 110 is unloaded and moved back into the load-lock chamber 110 . After this, the vacuum side gate valve 103 is closed and, subsequently, the gas supply valve 109 is opened.
  • the gas supply pipe 108 is communicated with the atmosphere, such that, by opening the gas supply valve 109 , the inside of the load-lock chamber 101 can be filled with atmosphere.
  • the atmosphere side gate valve 104 is opened, and the substrate 110 is moved outwardly.
  • Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application, Publication No. 2001-102281 discloses an example of load-lock chamber that can be applied to a semiconductor exposure apparatus or the like.
  • EUV exposure apparatuses those that are arranged to carry out the exposure process in a vacuum have already been used in practice such as electron beam direct drawing apparatus, for example.
  • Such apparatus have a very low throughput by nature, and the time necessary for loading and unloading a substrate by load-locking does not raise a problem.
  • EUV exposure apparatuses and the like are machines designed for mass production of MPUs or memories, for example, and a very high throughput of an order of 100 pieces per hour is required. If the load-lock structure is arranged for slow exhausting, although the inconveniences such as substrate contamination or temperature decrease could be avoided thereby, it needs a very long time for substrate loading and unloading. This is a serious factor for throughput decrease of the apparatus. Practically, therefore, the load-lock structure such as described above can not be applied to a machine such as EUV exposure apparatus in which a large throughput is required.
  • a load-lock system comprising: a chamber; an exhaust system for exhausting a gas from the inside of said chamber; a heater; a first valve for opening/closing an opening of said chamber; a supply system for supplying a gas into said chamber through said heater and said first valve; and a second valve for opening/closing an opening of said chamber provided for conveyance of an object: wherein said supply system supplies a the gas before the object is conveyed into said chamber and when said second valve is held opened, and wherein said exhaust system exhausts a gas supplied from said supply system, after the conveyance of the object.
  • a load-lock method comprising: a first step for supply a gas into a chamber through a heater and a first valve which opens/closes an opening formed in the chamber; a second step for closing the first valve after said first step; a third step for conveying an object into the chamber through a second valve that opens/closes an opening formed in the chamber; a fourth step for closing the second valve after said third step; and a fifth step for exhausting a gas inside the chamber, after said second step and also after said fourth step.
  • load-lock technique by which high-speed vacuum exhausting is enabled while reducing or suppressing contamination or temperature decrease of an object to be loaded and/or unloaded, can be provided.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining a load-lock system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2A is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a heated gas is blown, in the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2B is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a substrate is placed inside the load-look chamber, in the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2C is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a vacuum side gate valve is opened, in the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2D is a schematic view for explaining a state in which conveyance of the substrate has been completed, in the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic view for explaining a load-lock system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2A is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a heated gas is blown, in the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4A is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a heated gas is blown, in the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4B is a schematic view for explaining a state in which a substrate is being loaded, in the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4C is a schematic view for explaining a state in which vacuum evacuation is being carried out, in the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4D is a schematic view for explaining a state in which the substrate is being loaded into the main chamber, in the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a known type load-lock system.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic view, showing an example of exposure apparatus.
  • FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of device manufacturing processes.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a load-lock system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the first embodiment is applied to an EUV (extreme ultraviolet) exposure apparatus wherein exposure is carried out in a vacuum ambience.
  • Denoted at 1 is the load-lock system of the present invention
  • denoted at 2 is a main chamber which is used as an exposure chamber of the exposure apparatus.
  • the main chamber is filled with a vacuum ambience or a particular ambience such as reduced pressure He, for example.
  • the load-lock chamber 1 serves to enable loading a substrate 10 thereinto from the atmosphere without breaking the vacuum ambience or particular ambience, and also to assure unloading the substrate 10 , after being processed inside the main chamber 2 , outwardly.
  • the present invention is directed to a load-lock system, and it is not always necessary that the machine placed at the main chamber side of the load-lock system is an exposure apparatus. It may be an etching apparatus, for example.
  • the structure of the load-lock system 1 will be described below in greater detail.
  • Denoted at 16 is a load-lock chamber (housing) which is a major component of the load-lock system 1 , and it is a vacuum chamber.
  • Denoted at 3 is a vacuum side gate valve that functions as an interface between the main chamber 2 and the load-lock chamber 16 . As this gate valve 3 is open, an opening defined in the side wall of the load-lock chamber 16 through which a substrate can be conveyed. As the gate valve 3 is closed, the chamber can be gas-tightly closed.
  • Denoted at 4 is an atmosphere side gate valve, and it serves to define an opening for conveyance of a substrate 10 between the load-lock chamber 16 and the atmosphere (or an ambience different from that of the exposure apparatus).
  • the gate valve 4 When the gate valve 4 is open, an opening is defined in the side wall of the load-lock chamber 16 through which the substrate 10 can be conveyed. When it is closed, on the other hand, the load-locking wall surface is gas-tightly closed to prevent the atmosphere from entering into the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • Denoted at 5 is an exhaust pipe which is connected to a vacuum pump 7 through an exhaust valve 6 . Normally, the vacuum pump 7 is held in driven state. As the exhaust valve 6 is opened, the inside of the load-look chamber 16 is communicated with the vacuum pump 7 , whereby the gas inside the load-lock chamber 16 is exhausted outwardly.
  • Denoted at 8 is a gas supply pipe for supplying a gas into the load-lock chamber 16 . There is a gas supply valve 9 for supplying a gas and for stopping the gas supply. In this example, the tip end of the pipe 8 is open to the atmosphere, and the gas supplied into the load-lock chamber 16 is an air.
  • the pipe 8 may be connected to a gas supply line so that any desired gases appropriate to the working condition, such as dry air or dry nitrogen, for example, may be used.
  • the pipe 8 serves to supply a gas (pressure) into the load-lock chamber 16 to turns the inside pressure back to the atmospheric pressure to thereby allow opening of the atmosphere side gate valve 4 .
  • Denoted at 11 is a substrate table mounted inside the load-lock chamber, and this is a table on which a substrate 10 is loaded, inside the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • the substrate table 11 has three pins. Since the contact to the substrate 10 is limited to these three points, contamination of the substrate due to adhesion of particles can be suppressed to a lowest level.
  • Denoted at 12 is a hot or heated gas intake valve which is provided at the ceiling of the load-lock chamber 16 . It functions to define an opening for supplying a heated atmosphere into the load-lock chamber 16 . When the heated gas supply is to be stopped, the intake valve 12 is closed, and the chamber is gas-tightly closed.
  • the opening of the intake valve 12 should be wide enough to prevent that it interferes with the flow of gas generated by a fan 14 .
  • the intake valve 12 should desirably have a similar structure as of the gate valve used for loading/unloading the substrate 10 .
  • a butterfly valve may be used therefor.
  • Disposed above the intake valve 12 is a filter 13 .
  • Above the filter 13 there are a fan 14 and a heater 15 .
  • the top of the heater 15 is open to the atmosphere.
  • an atmospheric air is introduced from the outside in response to the operation of the fan 14 , and it is heated by the heater 15 .
  • the heated air flows through the filter 13 , and it flows into the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • the filter 13 is provided to prevent any particles from entering into the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • FIG. 2A illustrates a state in which the atmosphere side gate valve of the load-lock system is open.
  • the load-lock system stands by to loading of the substrate from the atmosphere side.
  • the heated gas intake valve 12 is held opened, and the fan 14 is being driven.
  • the heater 15 is being energized, such that an atmospheric air heated to a high temperature by the heater 15 is flowing into the load-lock chamber 16 from the ceiling of the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • the heated atmospheric air flows outwardly through the opening of the atmosphere side gate valve 4 .
  • the fan 14 and the heater 15 are stopped and the heated gas intake valve 12 is closed as well.
  • the substrate 10 is loaded into the load-lock chamber 16 and is placed on the substrate table 11 .
  • FIG. 2B illustrates this stage.
  • the atmosphere side gate valve 4 is closed and, subsequently, the exhaust valve 6 is opened, whereby the inside of the load-lock chamber 16 is evacuated.
  • the fan 14 , the heater 15 and/or the heated gas intake valve 12 may be controlled so that the substrate temperature is maintained at a temperature suited for the process to be carried out inside the exposure apparatus (exposure chamber 2 ).
  • the sequence for unloading the substrate 10 from the main chamber 2 may be essentially the same that in conventional load-lock systems, and description thereof will be omitted here.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a load-lock system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the second embodiment is applied to an exposure apparatus such as EUV (extreme ultraviolet) exposure apparatus wherein exposure is carried out in a vacuum ambience or a particular ambience such as reduced pressure He.
  • FIG. 3 is a plan view of the exposure apparatus, as seen from the above.
  • Structural components having similar functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by corresponding reference numerals.
  • Denoted in the drawing at 1 is the load-lock system, and denoted at 2 is a main chamber that defines a place where the exposure process is to be carried out.
  • Denoted at 16 is a load-lock chamber which is a major component of the load-lock system 1 .
  • Denoted at 3 is a vacuum side gate valve, and denoted at 4 is an atmosphere side gate valve. These valves function to define an opening for passage of a substrate 10 between the load-lock chamber 16 and the main chamber 2 or between the atmosphere and the load-lock chamber 12 , or to gas-tightly close the chamber.
  • Denoted at 5 is an exhaust pipe, and denoted at 7 is a vacuum pump 7 , for exhausting the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • Denoted at 8 is a gas supply pipe, and denoted at 9 is a gas supply valve.
  • the pipe 8 and the valve 9 serve to turn the inside pressure of the load-lock chamber 16 back to the atmospheric pressure, from the vacuum level.
  • the supplied gas supplied is an air.
  • the gas supplying pipe 8 may be connected to a gas supply line so that dry air or dry nitrogen, for example, may be supplied.
  • Denoted in the drawing at 10 is a substrate which is a subject to be conveyed into the main chamber 12 and to be exposed there.
  • Denoted at 17 are pins provided at three locations in the load-lock system 1 , and a substrate is placed on these pins. Such pin structure is used to decrease the contact area with the substrate to thereby reduce adhesion of particles to the bottom face of the substrate.
  • Denoted at 20 is a hot air generator which operates to intake an outside gas (air) and to blow it outwardly after heating the same. As will be described later, this hot air generator serves to blow an air heated to high temperature toward the load-lock system 1 . Inside the generator 20 , there are a fan 14 , a heater 15 and a filter 13 .
  • blower outlet port of the generator 20 is set at such angle that the heated air can be blown into the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • Denoted at 21 is a conveyance robot in the atmosphere, and it functions to convey a substrate to the load-lock system from outside the apparatus.
  • the sequence for loading a substrate into the main chamber 2 is as follows.
  • FIG. 3 shows the initial state. While the inside of the load-lock chamber 16 is kept at the atmospheric pressure, the atmosphere side gate valve 4 is opened. At the same time as the gate valve 4 is opened, the hot air generator 20 is energized to generate and blow a hot air toward the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • FIG. 4A shows this state.
  • the hot air generated from the generator 20 flows into the load-lock chamber 16 through the opening of the atmosphere side gate valve 4 . Then, after being turned back inside the chamber, it flows outwardly of the chamber. Arrows in FIG. 4A illustrate the flow of heated air.
  • the hot air pushes the air originally contained in the chamber 16 , such that the inside of the chamber is replaced by a high-temperature air.
  • the hot air generator 20 includes a filter 13 as described above and, therefore, the amount of particles entering into the chamber is low.
  • the substrate 10 is picked up from a substrate cassette or the like by means of the conveyance robot 21 , and it is conveyed to the load-lock chamber 16 .
  • the operation of the hot air generator 20 is interrupted to stop the flow of hot air.
  • the conveyance robot 21 places the substrate 10 on the pins 17 inside the load-lock chamber 6 ( FIG. 4B ). Then, the hand of the conveyance robot 21 is retracted and, thereafter, the atmosphere side gate valve 4 is closed.
  • the hot air generator 20 airs heated to a high temperature are supplied continuously while the load-lock chamber 16 is kept opened to the atmosphere, the gas (air) originally contained inside the chamber is replaced by the high-temperature gas and because the temperature of the chamber inner wall is raised by the heated air, such that, even by rapid vacuum evacuation, the gas temperature does not decrease to the temperature that causes freeze of moisture content and, additionally, a decrease of the substrate temperature is suppressed.
  • the fan 14 and/or the heater 15 may be controlled so that the substrate temperature is maintained at a temperature suited for the process to be carried out inside the exposure apparatus (exposure chamber 2 ).
  • the sequence for unloading the substrate 10 from the main chamber 2 may be essentially the same that in conventional load-lock systems.
  • a hot air generator 20 is added outside the load-lock system, by which load-lock technique that enables high-speed exhausting while reducing moisture content freezing and substrate temperature decrease is accomplished.
  • FIG. 6 shows an exposure apparatus for device manufacture, to which a load-lock system substrate as described hereinbefore can be applied.
  • This exposure apparatus is to be used for manufacture of microdevices having a fine pattern formed thereon, such as semiconductor devices (semiconductor integrated circuits, for example), micromachines, or thin-film magnetic heads, for example.
  • exposure light which may include visible light, ultraviolet light, EUV light, X-ray, electron beam, and charged particle beam, for example
  • a light source 161 illuminates a reticle R (original), and light from the reticle R is projected onto a semiconductor wafer W (substrate) through a projection system having a projection lens 162 (which may include refractive lens, reflective lens, catadioptric lens system, and charged particle lens, for example), whereby a desired pattern is produced on the substrate.
  • projection lens 162 which may include refractive lens, reflective lens, catadioptric lens system, and charged particle lens, for example
  • the exposure apparatus includes a base table 151 having a guide 152 and a linear motor stator 121 fixed thereto.
  • the linear motor stator 121 has a multiple-phase electromagnetic coil, while a linear motor movable element 111 includes a permanent magnet group.
  • the linear motor movable portion 111 is connected as a movable portion 153 to a movable guide 154 (stage), and through the drive of the linear motor M 1 , the movable guide 154 can be moved in a direction of a normal to the sheet of the drawing.
  • the movable portion 153 is supported by a static bearing 155 , taking the upper surface of the base table 151 as a reference, and also by a static bearing 156 , taking the side surface of the guide 152 as a reference.
  • a movable stage 157 which is a stage member disposed to straddle the movable guide 154 is supported by a static bearing 158 .
  • This movable stage 157 is driven by a similar linear motor M 2 , so that the movable stage 157 moves leftwardly and rightwardly as viewed in the drawing, while taking the movable guide 154 as a reference.
  • the motion of the movable stage 157 is measured by means of an interferometer 160 and a mirror 159 which is fixed to the movable stage 159 .
  • a wafer (substrate) W is held on a chuck which is mounted on the movable stage 157 , and a pattern of the reticle R is transferred in a reduced scale onto different regions on the wafer W by means of the light source 161 and the projection optical system 162 , in accordance with a step-and-repeat method or a step-and-scan method.
  • load-lock system of the present invention can be similarly applied also to an exposure apparatus in which, without using a mask, a circuit pattern is directly drawn on a semiconductor wafer to expose a resist thereon.
  • FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the overall procedure for semiconductor manufacture.
  • Step 1 is a design process for designing a circuit of a semiconductor device.
  • Step 2 is a process for making a mask on the basis of the circuit pattern design.
  • Step 3 is a process for preparing a wafer by using a material such as silicon.
  • Step 4 is a wafer process which is called a pre-process wherein, by using the thus prepared mask and wafer, a circuit is formed on the wafer in practice, in accordance with lithography.
  • Step 5 subsequent to this is an assembling step which is called a post-process wherein the wafer having been processed at step 4 is formed into semiconductor chips. This step includes an assembling (dicing and bonding) process and a packaging (chip sealing) process.
  • Step 6 is an inspection step wherein an operation check, a durability check an so on, for the semiconductor devices produced by step 5 , are carried out. With these processes, semiconductor devices are produced, and they are shipped (step 7 ).
  • the wafer process at step 4 described above includes: (1) an oxidation process for oxidizing the surface of a wafer; (ii) a CVD process for forming an insulating film on the wafer surface; (iii) an electrode forming process for forming electrodes upon the wafer by vapor deposition: (iv) an ion implanting process for implanting ions to the wafer; (v) a resist process for applying a resist (photosensitive material) to the wafer; (vi) an exposure process for printing, by exposure, the circuit pattern of the mask on the wafer through the exposure apparatus described above; (vii) a developing process for developing the exposed wafer; (viii) an etching process for removing portions other than the developed resist image; and (ix) a resist separation process for separating the resist material remaining on the wafer after being subjected to the etching process. By repeating these processes, circuit patterns are superposedly formed on the wafer.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
  • Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
  • Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
  • Electron Beam Exposure (AREA)
  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
US10/994,360 2003-11-25 2004-11-23 Load-lock technique Abandoned US20050118002A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11/843,074 US8347915B2 (en) 2003-11-25 2007-08-22 Load-lock technique

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2003393670A JP2005158926A (ja) 2003-11-25 2003-11-25 ロードロック装置および方法
JP393670/2003(PAT.) 2003-11-25

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US11/843,074 Division US8347915B2 (en) 2003-11-25 2007-08-22 Load-lock technique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20050118002A1 true US20050118002A1 (en) 2005-06-02

Family

ID=34616486

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/994,360 Abandoned US20050118002A1 (en) 2003-11-25 2004-11-23 Load-lock technique
US11/843,074 Expired - Fee Related US8347915B2 (en) 2003-11-25 2007-08-22 Load-lock technique

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US11/843,074 Expired - Fee Related US8347915B2 (en) 2003-11-25 2007-08-22 Load-lock technique

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (2) US20050118002A1 (enExample)
JP (1) JP2005158926A (enExample)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050183823A1 (en) * 2003-12-26 2005-08-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
US20070264105A1 (en) * 2006-05-12 2007-11-15 Axcelis Technologies Inc. Combination load lock for handling workpieces
US20080003081A1 (en) * 2003-11-25 2008-01-03 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Load-lock technique
US7411655B2 (en) 2003-12-02 2008-08-12 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Load-lock technique
US20130240113A1 (en) * 2010-10-15 2013-09-19 Ev Group Gmbh Device and method for processing wafers
US8693856B2 (en) 2010-09-03 2014-04-08 Kla-Tencor Corporation Apparatus and methods for vacuum-compatible substrate thermal management
US10989564B2 (en) * 2018-05-25 2021-04-27 Dmt Corporation Transfer equipment for a vacuum chamber

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2015074810A (ja) * 2013-10-10 2015-04-20 日東電工株式会社 スパッタ装置およびスパッタ装置のフィルムロールの交換方法
CN104385778B (zh) * 2014-10-27 2017-05-17 合肥京东方光电科技有限公司 一种取向膜印刷设备和取向膜印刷系统
DK178352B1 (da) * 2015-02-27 2016-01-04 Intelligent Systems As Transport- og lagersystem til servicering af et antal behandlings og plejeområder på et hospital, samt fremgangsmåde til drift heraf.
WO2017085874A1 (ja) * 2015-11-20 2017-05-26 クレイトス アナリティカル リミテッド 真空処理装置および質量分析装置
CN108506342B (zh) * 2018-03-20 2020-02-21 北京石油化工学院 一种主动悬浮的双驱动天车
JP7168430B2 (ja) * 2018-12-04 2022-11-09 株式会社アイシン福井 レーザ溶接装置
JP7239307B2 (ja) * 2018-12-04 2023-03-14 株式会社アイシン福井 レーザ溶接装置

Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4184448A (en) * 1978-03-21 1980-01-22 Leybold-Heraeus Gmbh Vacuum coating apparatus having a plurality of lock chambers
US5112277A (en) * 1990-03-07 1992-05-12 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Blowing door for ultra-clean confinement container
US5363872A (en) * 1993-03-16 1994-11-15 Applied Materials, Inc. Low particulate slit valve system and method for controlling same
US5455082A (en) * 1991-05-28 1995-10-03 Tokyo Electron Limited Reduced pressure processing system and reduced pressure processing method
US5572563A (en) * 1993-12-20 1996-11-05 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Mirror unit and an exposure apparatus using the unit
US5835560A (en) * 1994-05-24 1998-11-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus
US6048154A (en) * 1996-10-02 2000-04-11 Applied Materials, Inc. High vacuum dual stage load lock and method for loading and unloading wafers using a high vacuum dual stage load lock
US20020005168A1 (en) * 1999-11-30 2002-01-17 Applied Materials, Inc. Dual wafer load lock
US20040004701A1 (en) * 2002-07-08 2004-01-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Radiation generating apparatus, radiation generating method, exposure apparatus, and exposure method
US6714277B2 (en) * 2000-03-30 2004-03-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus, gas replacement method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, semiconductor manufacturing factory and exposure apparatus maintenance method
US6754303B2 (en) * 2001-08-14 2004-06-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and exposing method
US20040257550A1 (en) * 2003-06-19 2004-12-23 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, stage apparatus, and alignment method
US6916009B2 (en) * 2003-07-14 2005-07-12 Vat Holding Ag Load-lock device for introducing substrates into a vacuum chamber

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3238427B2 (ja) * 1991-07-25 2001-12-17 東京エレクトロン株式会社 イオン注入装置内に被処理体を搬入搬出するための気密容器の排気方法
JPH10173025A (ja) * 1996-12-16 1998-06-26 Kokusai Electric Co Ltd 半導体製造装置のロードロック室
JPH113867A (ja) * 1997-06-11 1999-01-06 Kokusai Electric Co Ltd 半導体製造装置
JP2001102281A (ja) * 1999-09-28 2001-04-13 Canon Inc ロードロック室、チャンバ、半導体製造装置およびデバイス製造方法
JP3851154B2 (ja) * 2001-11-30 2006-11-29 株式会社日本製鋼所 ロードロック装置の基板搬送方法及びその装置
JP2005158926A (ja) 2003-11-25 2005-06-16 Canon Inc ロードロック装置および方法

Patent Citations (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4184448A (en) * 1978-03-21 1980-01-22 Leybold-Heraeus Gmbh Vacuum coating apparatus having a plurality of lock chambers
US5112277A (en) * 1990-03-07 1992-05-12 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Blowing door for ultra-clean confinement container
US5455082A (en) * 1991-05-28 1995-10-03 Tokyo Electron Limited Reduced pressure processing system and reduced pressure processing method
US5363872A (en) * 1993-03-16 1994-11-15 Applied Materials, Inc. Low particulate slit valve system and method for controlling same
US5572563A (en) * 1993-12-20 1996-11-05 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Mirror unit and an exposure apparatus using the unit
US5835560A (en) * 1994-05-24 1998-11-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus
US6048154A (en) * 1996-10-02 2000-04-11 Applied Materials, Inc. High vacuum dual stage load lock and method for loading and unloading wafers using a high vacuum dual stage load lock
US20020005168A1 (en) * 1999-11-30 2002-01-17 Applied Materials, Inc. Dual wafer load lock
US6558509B2 (en) * 1999-11-30 2003-05-06 Applied Materials, Inc. Dual wafer load lock
US6841200B2 (en) * 1999-11-30 2005-01-11 Applied Materials, Inc. Dual wafer load lock
US6714277B2 (en) * 2000-03-30 2004-03-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus, gas replacement method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, semiconductor manufacturing factory and exposure apparatus maintenance method
US6754303B2 (en) * 2001-08-14 2004-06-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and exposing method
US20040004701A1 (en) * 2002-07-08 2004-01-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Radiation generating apparatus, radiation generating method, exposure apparatus, and exposure method
US20040257550A1 (en) * 2003-06-19 2004-12-23 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, stage apparatus, and alignment method
US6916009B2 (en) * 2003-07-14 2005-07-12 Vat Holding Ag Load-lock device for introducing substrates into a vacuum chamber

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8347915B2 (en) 2003-11-25 2013-01-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Load-lock technique
US20080003081A1 (en) * 2003-11-25 2008-01-03 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Load-lock technique
US7411655B2 (en) 2003-12-02 2008-08-12 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Load-lock technique
US20050183823A1 (en) * 2003-12-26 2005-08-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
US7193682B2 (en) * 2003-12-26 2007-03-20 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
US20070127004A1 (en) * 2003-12-26 2007-06-07 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
US7828504B2 (en) * 2006-05-12 2010-11-09 Axcellis Technologies, Inc. Combination load lock for handling workpieces
US20070264105A1 (en) * 2006-05-12 2007-11-15 Axcelis Technologies Inc. Combination load lock for handling workpieces
US8693856B2 (en) 2010-09-03 2014-04-08 Kla-Tencor Corporation Apparatus and methods for vacuum-compatible substrate thermal management
US20130240113A1 (en) * 2010-10-15 2013-09-19 Ev Group Gmbh Device and method for processing wafers
US9751698B2 (en) * 2010-10-15 2017-09-05 Ev Group Gmbh Device and method for processing wafers
US9771223B2 (en) 2010-10-15 2017-09-26 Ev Group Gmbh Device and method for processing of wafers
US10989564B2 (en) * 2018-05-25 2021-04-27 Dmt Corporation Transfer equipment for a vacuum chamber

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2005158926A (ja) 2005-06-16
US20080003081A1 (en) 2008-01-03
US8347915B2 (en) 2013-01-08

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US8347915B2 (en) Load-lock technique
US7411655B2 (en) Load-lock technique
US7466531B2 (en) Substrate holding system and exposure apparatus using the same
JP4030452B2 (ja) マスクまたは基板の移送方法、そのような方法での使用に適合した保管ボックス、デバイスまたは装置、およびそのような方法を含むデバイス製造方法
US7394520B2 (en) Temperature conditioned load lock, lithographic apparatus comprising such a load lock and method of manufacturing a substrate with such a load lock
JP3513437B2 (ja) 基板管理方法及び半導体露光装置
EP1278231A2 (en) Substrate processing apparatus, substrate precessing method, and exposure apparatus
WO2008069305A1 (ja) 露光装置及び搬送装置
JP2005116627A (ja) ステージ装置、露光装置並びにデバイス製造方法
US7705964B2 (en) Exposure system and exposure method
JP2007134575A (ja) レチクルカセットおよびそれを用いた露光装置
JP2006245257A (ja) 処理装置、当該処理装置を有する露光装置、保護機構
JP2009094368A (ja) 原版搬送装置、露光装置およびデバイス製造方法
JP2006147638A (ja) 露光装置、及びデバイスの製造方法
JP2009076579A (ja) 物体処理システム、物体処理方法、露光装置、露光方法、塗布現像装置、塗布現像方法及びデバイス製造方法
JP4784860B2 (ja) 処理装置及び処理方法、並びに露光装置
EP1457830A2 (en) Lithographic apparatus comprising a temperature conditioned load lock
JP2001189258A (ja) 露光装置
JP2007116017A (ja) プロセス処理装置
JP2007165778A (ja) 露光装置
JP2009076578A (ja) 物体処理システム、物体処理方法、露光装置、露光方法、塗布現像装置、塗布現像方法及びデバイス製造方法
JP2009076580A (ja) 物体処理システム、物体処理方法、処理装置、基板処理方法及びデバイス製造方法
JP2007207890A (ja) 処理装置及び露光装置、並びに処理方法
JP2007142019A (ja) 露光装置
JP2011155230A (ja) 基板処理装置及び基板処理装置の温調方法及びデバイスの製造方法

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:KASUMI, KAZUYUKI;REEL/FRAME:016213/0187

Effective date: 20050121

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION