Vacuum pumping system, driving method thereof, apparatus having the same, and method of transferring substrate using the same

• US 20050196254A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jusung Engineering Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Jusung Engineering Company Limited
• Inventors: Hwang, Wook-Jung, Kim, Dong-Jin, Cha, Sung-Ho, Kim, Hong-Seub, Jung, Soon-Bin, Park, Hyun-Soo, Yoo, Jin-Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• 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: Y10T 137/86083 Vacuum pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86139 Serial

Abstract

An apparatus includes a transfer unit under an atmospheric condition and having a robot therein; and at least one process chamber connected to one side of the transfer unit with a slot valve there between, and being alternately under a vacuum condition and under an atmospheric condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transfer unit under an atmospheric condition and having a robot therein; and

at least one process chamber connected to one side of the transfer unit with a slot valve therebetween, and being alternately under a vacuum condition and under an atmospheric condition.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an exhaust line connected to the process chamber;

a booster pump and a dry pump sequentially equipped to the exhaust line; and

a bypass line detouring the booster pump, wherein one end of the bypass line is connected to the exhaust line between the booster pump and the dry pump, and the other end of the bypass line is connected to the exhaust line ahead of the booster pump.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a first three-way valve between the booster pump and the dry pump and a second three-way valve ahead of the booster pump, wherein the one end and the other end of the bypass line are connected to the first and second three-way valves, respectively.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a valve is disposed between the second three-way valve and the booster pump and a slow pumping line is connected to the second three-way valve and the bypass line, wherein the slow pumping line has a smaller diameter than the bypass line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a first valve for isolating the booster pump is equipped between a divergence point of the bypass line diverging from the exhaust line and the booster pump, and a second valve is set up in the bypass line.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one venting line connected to the process chamber and a venting gas storing unit;

and a first heating unit set up in the middle of the at least one venting line.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus includes more than two venting lines connected to the process chamber symmetrically with respect to a center of the process chamber.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a valve is set up in the at least one venting line between the first heating unit and the process chamber, and at least one expansion unit is equipped between the valve and the process chamber.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a second heating unit is connected to the at least one expansion unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one load port connected to another side of the transfer unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the robot performs at least one of a rotary motion and a linear motion.

12. A method of loading a substrate, comprising:

carrying the substrate into a transfer unit under an atmospheric condition by using a robot set up in the transfer unit;

transferring the substrate from the transfer unit into a process chamber under the atmospheric condition by using the robot; and

vacuum pumping an inside of the process chamber.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vacuum pumping includes first pumping using a dry pump and second pumping using the dry pump and a booster pump simultaneously, wherein the booster pump and the dry pump are sequentially connected to the process chamber.

14. A method of unloading a substrate from a process chamber, comprising:

venting the process chamber such that an inside of the process chamber is changed from a vacuum condition into an atmospheric condition;

transferring the substrate from the process chamber into a transfer unit under the atmospheric condition by using a robot in the transfer unit; and

taking the substrate out of the transfer unit by using the robot.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the venting includes heating a venting gas in the middle of a venting line for proving the venting gas and injecting the heated venting gas into the process chamber.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising expanding the venting gas by using an expansion unit after heating the venting gas.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising reheating the venting gas after expanding the venting gas.

18. A vacuum pumping system comprising:

an exhaust line connected to a chamber;

a booster pump and a dry pump sequentially connected to the exhaust line; and

a bypass line detouring the booster pump, wherein one end of the bypass line is connected to the exhaust line between the booster pump and the dry pump, and the other end of the bypass line is connected to the exhaust line ahead of the booster pump.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a first three-way valve between the booster pump and the dry pump and a second three-way valve ahead of the booster pump, wherein the one end and the other end of the bypass line are connected to the first and second three-way valves, respectively.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein a valve is disposed between the second three-way valve and the booster pump and a slow pumping line is connected to the second three-way valve and the bypass line, wherein the slow pumping line has a smaller diameter than the bypass line.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein a first valve for isolating the booster pump is equipped between a divergence point of the bypass line diverging from the exhaust line and the booster pump, and a second valve is set up in the bypass line.

22. A method of vacuum pumping an inside of a chamber using a booster pump and a dry pump sequentially set up in an exhaust line, the method comprising:

first pumping using the dry pump; and

second pumping using the dry pump and the booster pump simultaneously.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the second pumping is performed when an inside pressure of the chamber becomes about 100 Torr to about 300 Torr.