Multi-chamber wafer process equipment having plural, physically communicating transfer means

• US 5,286,296 A
• Filed: 01/09/1992
• Issued: 02/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Hiroshi, Sato, Junichi, Hasegawa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graybill, David E.
• Application Number:
  US07/818,535
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 204/298.25, 204/298.26, 204/298.35, 118/719, 118/729, 118/730, 118/503, 414/217, 414/225, 437/925
• US Class Current: 118/719
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67184 characterized by the presence of more than one transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices

Abstract

In a multi-chamber process equipment in which a plurality of process chambers for processing a single wafer are connected with a wafer transfer chamber in parallel through respective gate valves, and a wafer transfer means is provided for carrying the wafer between the wafer transfer chamber and each process chamber through one of the gate valves, there are further provided a plurality of vacuum pumps in order to prevent cross contamination among processes, improve throughput and prevent condensation in the process chambers. The vacuum pumps are connected with the wafer transfer chamber, and designed to reduce the pressure in the wafer transfer chamber to different vacuum levels. Therefore, the degree of vacuum in the wafer transfer chamber can be set at a desired value according to the process chamber to be opened, by operating the vacuum pumps properly, so that cross contamination between the wafer transfer chamber and the process chambers is prevented effectively.

Claims

1. A multi-chamber process equipment comprising:

a wafer transfer chamber for wafer transfer;

a plurality of process chambers for processing a wafer;

a plurality of gate valves each of which connects a unique one of said process chambers with said wafer transfer chamber so that said process chambers are connected with said wafer transfer chamber in parallel to one another; and

a plurality of wafer transfer means for transferring the wafer between said wafer transfer chamber and one of said process chambers through one of said gate valves, each of said wafer transfer means being placed in said wafer transfer chamber, each of said wafer transfer means being provided for a unique one of said process chambers so that each of said wafer transfer means is assigned to a unique one of said process chambers;

whereby each of said transfer means is capable of transferring a wafer directly to any other of said transfer means.

2. A multi-chamber process equipment comprising:

a wafer transfer chamber for wafer transfer;

a plurality of process chambers for processing a wafer;

a plurality of gate valves each of which connects a unique one of said process chambers with said wafer transfer chamber so that said process chambers are connected with said wafer transfer chamber in parallel to one another; and

a wafer transfer means for transferring the wafer between said wafer transfer chamber and each of said process chambers through one of said gate valves;

wherein said wafer transfer means comprises a plurality of wafer support portions which are arranged so that one of said support portions can be selected from said support portions for each of different processes;

whereby each of said transfer means is capable of transferring a wafer directly to any other of said transfer means.