Reduced footprint tool for automated processing of microelectronic substrates

• US 20030091410A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FSI International, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Original Assignee: FSI International, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Larson, Robert E., Simondet, Sean D., Maciej, Todd K., Matthys, Quirin W., Zimmerman, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,979,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67178 vertical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67781 Batch transfer of wafers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/138 Wafers positioned vertically within cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/141 includes means for gripping wafer

Abstract

The present invention provides tools and methods of processing microelectronic substrates in which the tools maintain high throughput yet have dramatically lower footprint than conventional tools. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides novel tool designs in which multiple tool functions are overlapped in the x, y, and/or z axes of the tool in novel ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing microelectronic substrates, the apparatus comprising:

first and second wafer handling zones;

a first overlap region of the first zone that overlaps with a second overlap region of the second zone in a y-axis dimension of the apparatus;

a partition at least partially separating the first zone from the second zone;

a passage between the first zone and the second zone formed at least partially in the partition and capable of passing one or more substrates between the first zone and the second zone; and

at least one substrate handling robot positioned at least partially within the overlap region of the second zone such that the robot is capable of transporting one or more substrates between the first zone and the second zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first zone further comprises at least one portal through which one or more substrates can be transferred between outside of the apparatus and the first zone.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising at least one substrate handling robot positioned within the first zone and capable of transporting one or more substrates between outside of the apparatus and the first zone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one processing zone adjacent the second zone and including at least one substrate processing station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises a wafer transfer system capable of transferring one or more substrates from the second zone to the processing zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the wafer transfer system is operatively positioned within the second zone and at least a portion of the wafer transfer system is operatively positioned within the processing zone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one partition separates the first zone from the second zone such that an environment in the first zone can be separately controlled from an environment in the second zone.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one passage between the first zone and the second zone comprises a pod door opener.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passage between the first zone and the second zone comprises a passage between the overlap region of the first zone and the overlap region of the second zone.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passage between the first zone and the second zone comprises a passage between the first zone and the overlap region of the second zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passage between the first zone and the second zone comprises a passage between the second zone and the overlap region of the first zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional passage between the first zone and the second zone.

13. A wafer transfer system, the wafer transfer system comprising:

a batching station at which one or more substrates from one or more storage devices can be transferred to and from a storage device having plural substrate storage positions to form a batch, said substrates being stored substantially vertically in the storage device; and

a translatable elevator operative to position the substrates in the storage device, said elevator being moveable to multiple positions to convey the substrates to and from a corresponding substrate holding position of the storage device.

14. The wafer transfer system of claim 13, wherein the elevator further comprises a substrate detecting sensor.

15. The wafer transfer system of claim 14, wherein the sensor detects the substrates in the batch from a direction that is below the batch.

16. The wafer transfer system of claim 13, further comprising at least one additional elevator.

17. A method for positioning a plurality of substrates into a storage device having plural substrate storage positions, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first substrate on an elevator mechanism;

positioning the elevator mechanism with respect to a desired storage position of a storage device;

moving the elevator with respect to the storage device so that the first substrate is transferred to the desired storage position of the storage device; and

repeating the positioning and providing steps with at least one additional substrate.

18. A tool for processing microelectronic substrates, the tool comprising:

first and second substantially opposed portals providing egress between a first zone and a second zone;

at least one wafer handling robot disposed at least partially between the portals and having a range of motion such that the robot is capable of transporting substrates between the first and second zones.

19. A tool for processing microelectronic substrates, the tool comprising:

first and second portals providing egress between a first zone and a second zone, said portals being disposed at a non-linear angle with respect to each other, and each portal comprising a FOUP loading side and a wafer unloading side; and

at least one wafer handling robot positioned in the second zone at least partially between the portals and overlapping the portals in a y-dimension of the tool and having a range of motion such that the wafer handling robot is capable of transporting substrates to and from at least one of the portals.

20. A tool useful in the manufacture of microelectronic devices, the tool comprising:

a processing zone comprising at least one process station in which at least one in-process microelectronic device is subjected to a process treatment;

a buffer zone comprising at least one portal through which one or more inprocess microelectronic devices can be transferred into and taken from the tool; and

a wafer transfer system comprising at least a portion of one or more pathways along which one or more in-process microelectronic devices can be transferred from the buffer zone to the processing zone, wherein the wafer transfer system comprises a portion that overlaps a portion of the buffer zone in a y-axis dimension.

21. The tool of claim 20, wherein the wafer transfer system further comprises first and second, opposed sidewalls extend at least partially in a y-direction and from respective barriers between the overlapping portions of the buffer zone and the wafer transfer zone, and wherein at least one of the sidewalls comprises at least one portal through which one or more in-process microelectronic devices can be transported between the buffer zone and the wafer transfer zone.

22. A method of conveying a supply of substrates into a carrier, the method comprising the steps of:

using an elevator mechanism to help lower one or more substrates into corresponding substrate holding positions of the carrier;

moving the elevator mechanism to a predetermined substrate holding position; and

using the moved elevator mechanism to help lower one or more additional substrates into corresponding holding positions of the carrier.

23. A system for holding processable microelectronic substrates, the system comprising:

a carrier comprising a plurality of substrate storage positions capable of holding a plurality of substrates;

a holding device capable of at least partially supporting the carrier; and

a coupling mechanism by which the carrier releasably engages the holding device wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a tapered post positioned on one of the carrier or holding device that releasably engages a corresponding aperture of the other.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the tapered post and aperture releasably engage in a nonrotatable manner.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the holding device is a shelf.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the shelf is located in a wafer transfer system comprising multiple levels in a z-axis direction.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the holding device is an end effector attached to a robot.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising a second holding device and a second coupling mechanism by which the second holding device releasably engages the carrier.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises an upward projecting post provided on the holding device and a bracket attached to the carrier comprising a plurality of aligned apertures capable of receiving the post, said post and bracket comprising cooperating structure that at least partially prevents rotation of the post in the bracket.

30. A method of processing a plurality of batches of processable microelectronic substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

partially batching a first supply of the substrates in a first carrier;

interrupting the batching of the first supply before the batching is completed; and

at least partially batching or unbatching a second supply of the substrates in a second carrier.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of storing the partially batched, first supply of substrates and resuming batching of the first supply of the substrates in the first carrier after the second supply is at least partially batched or unbatched.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the partially batched, first supply is stored in a wafer transfer system comprising buffer locations at multiple levels in the z-axis direction.

33. A method of processing a plurality of batches of processable microelectronic substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

partially unbatching a first supply of the substrates in a first carrier;

interrupting the unbatching of the first supply before the unbatching is completed; and

at least partially batching or unbatching a second supply of the substrates in a second carrier.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of storing the partially unbatched, first supply of substrates and resuming unbatching of the first supply of the substrates in the first carrier after the second supply is at least partially batched or unbatched.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the partially unbatched, first supply is stored in a wafer transfer system comprising buffer locations at multiple levels in the z-axis direction.

36. A method of processing a batch of microelectronic substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a carrier, said carrier comprising a plurality of substrate holding positions,

storing at least one filler substrate in a predetermined substrate holding position of the carrier;

preparing a batch of processable substrates in the carrier from one or more supplies of processable substrates;

integrating at least one filler substrate into the batch;

processing the batch of substrates; and

after processing the batch, unbatching the batch of substrates, said unbatching comprising the step of returning at least one filler substrate to a predetermined holding position on the carrier.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of unbatching comprises the step of returning at least one filler substrate to a predetermined storage position on a different carrier.

38. A wafer transfer station comprising a carrier, said carrier comprising a plurality of substrate holding positions, wherein at least one filler substrate is stored in a predetermined substrate holding position.

39. A method of processing microelectronic substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

storing at least one filler substrate on a carrier;

forming a batch of processable substrates on the carrier; and

integrating at least one of the filler substrates into the batch.

40. A method of processing microelectronic substrates, the method comprising the steps of:

processing a batch of the substrates, said batch comprising at least one filler substrate; and

after processing the batch, unbatching the batch from a carrier, said unbatching comprising a step of storing the at least one filler substrate on the carrier.