SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER HANDLING AND TRANSPORT

• US 20080187418A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: van der Meulen, Peter, Pannese, Patrick D., Kiley, Christopher C., Ritter, Raymond S., Schaefer, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/222.02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 25/02 the carrier or impeller having different forward and return paths of movement, e.g. walking beam conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/00 Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68792 characterised by the construction of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for moving a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process that includes a tunnel having a vacuum environment, a plurality of ports, and a track for guiding cart motion within the tunnel, each one of the plurality of ports having an isolation valve that opens and closes the port and a robotic arm operable to reach through the port from outside the tunnel, the method comprising:

retrieving a wafer with a robotic arm;

position the wafer outside a port of the tunnel;

positioning a cart inside the port of the tunnel;

opening the port;

inserting the robotic arm into the tunnel and placing the wafer on the cart;

withdrawing the robotic arm from the tunnel; and

closing the port.