Double dual slot load lock for process equipment

• US 20020034886A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurita, Shinichi, Blonigan, Wendell T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,105,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/800
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

Provided herein is a substrate processing system, which comprises a cassette load station; a load lock chamber; a centrally located transfer chamber; and one or more process chambers located about the periphery of the transfer chamber. The load lock chamber comprises double dual slot load locks constructed at same location. Such system may be used for processing substrates for semiconductor manufacturing.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, comprising:

a cassette load station;

a load lock chamber, wherein said load lock chamber comprises double dual slot load lock constructed at same location;

a transfer chamber, wherein said transfer chamber is centrally located; and

one or more process chambers, wherein said process chambers are located about the periphery of said transfer chamber.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein said substrate is a wafer or a glass substrate.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vacuum robot, wherein said vacuum robot is located in said transfer chamber and load/unload the substrate between said load lock chamber and said transfer chamber.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a flip type door, wherein said door is located between the cassette load station and the load lock chamber.

17. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

filter diffusers, wherein said filter diffusers are located in the double dual slot load locks to prevent particle generation in said load locks.

18. A method of processing substrates in the system of claim 1 for semiconductor manufacturing, comprising the steps of:

moving pre-processed substrates from the cassette load station to the transfer chamber through the load lock chamber;

transferring said substrates from said transfer chamber to the process chambers;

processing said substrates in said process chambers; and

unloading the processed substrates from said process chambers to said cassette load station through said load lock chamber;

wherein first dual slot load lock in said load lock chamber is in a vacuum condition for unloading pre-processed substrates from said load lock chamber to said transfer chamber, whereas at the same time second dual slot load lock in said load lock chamber is in an atmospheric condition for unloading processed substrates from said load lock chamber to said cassette load station.

3. The substrate processing system of claim wherein said dual slot load lock has a heating plate and a cooling, plate, wherein said heating plate and cooling plate are located in different slots.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein said heating plate is a stationary plate or a moving, plate.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the moving heating plate is operated by Z-drive.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein said heating plate heats up to a temperature of about 400°

C.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein said cooling plate is a stationary plate or moving plate.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 7, wherein the moving cooling plate is operated by Z-drive.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein said cooling plate cools the temperature down from about 350°

C. to about 80°

C.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 9, wherein said cooling is done by water or by nitrogen gas.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein said nitrogen gas is mixed with helium .

13. The substrate processing system of claim 12, wherein said vacuum robot is operated by Z-drive.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 11, further comprising:

flip type slit valves, wherein said valves are located between the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber.

16. The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein said valves are closed from atmospheric side and operated below substrate transferring plane.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said substrate is a wafer or glass substrate.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the moving step further comprising the step of:

heating said pre-processed substrates in said first dual slot load lock to a temperature of up to about 400°

C.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the transferring step is performed by a vacuum robot driven by Z-drive.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the unloading step further comprising the step of:

cooling said processed substrates in said second dual slot load lock from about 350°

C. to about 80°

C.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said cooling is done through venting using small amount of helium gas mixed with nitrogen gas.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said cooling is done by water.