Multi-chamber integrated process system

• US 5,288,379 A
• Filed: 11/20/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Namiki, Minoru, Takahashi, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM X
• Application Number:
  US07/979,255
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.32, 204/298.25, 204/298.35, 118/719, 118/729, 414/217
• US Class Current: 204/192.12
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/0481 with lifting means locating at the bath area
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/566 using a load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus capable of quickly replacing a substrate without opening the two gate valves simultaneously by using two waiting stages and a single transferring robot. The transferring robot is designed to transfer a substrate in a straight-line direction, and those two holding stages are set up in front of and behind the center of rotation of the baseplate of the transferring robot. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system is provided including a plurality of processing chambers capable of being vacuum evacuated, a substrate transferring chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated, at least one load-lock chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated, a substrate transferring robot assembly for transferring a substrate between the at least one load-lock chamber and the processing chamber disposed within the substrate transferring chamber. The substrate transferring robot assembly comprises a baseplate rotatable with respect to the substrate transferring chamber, two waiting stages integrated on the baseplate to store the substrate temporarily, and a substrate transferring robot mounted on the baseplate for transferring the substrate.

Claims

1. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system comprising:

a plurality of processing chambers capable of being vacuum evacuated;

a substrate transferring chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated;

at least one load-lock chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated;

a substrate transferring robot assembly for transferring a substrate between the at least one load-lock chamber and the processing chamber disposed within the substrate transferring chamber;

the substrate transferring robot assembly comprising;

a baseplate rotatable with respect to the substrate transferring chamber;

two waiting stages integrated on the baseplate to store the substrate temporarily; and

a substrate transferring robot mounted on the baseplate for transferring the substrate.

2. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transferring robot comprises a substrate mechanical hand moveable along a straight line between the center of rotation of the baseplate and the processing chamber, and the two waiting stages are integrated at a position nearer the processing chamber than the center of rotation of the baseplate, and at a position farther away from the processing chamber on the straight line.

3. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 2, wherein the substrate transferring robot comprises a pair of first arms rotatable with respect to the baseplate, a pair of second arms rotatably coupled to a fore-end of each of the first arms, and a substrate mechanical hand coupled to fore-ends of the second arms, and wherein the length of the first arm is equal to the length of the second arm, and the ratio of the angle of rotation of the first arm with respect to the baseplate to the angle of rotation of the second arm with respect to the first arm is 1 to 2.

4. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 3, further comprising pawls disposed on one surface of the substrate mechanical hand which advance and retract by the operation of an electromagnetic actuator.

5. An integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 4, wherein the substrate transferring robot is a frog-leg type articulated robot.

6. In an integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system including a plurality of processing chambers capable of being vacuum evacuated, a substrate transferring chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated, at least one load-lock chamber capable of being vacuum evacuated, a substrate transferring robot assembly for transferring a substrate between the at least one load-lock chamber and the processing chamber, the substrate transferring robot assembly comprising:

a baseplate rotatable with respect to the substrate transferring chamber;

two waiting stages integrated on the baseplate to store the substrate temporarily; and

a substrate transferring robot mounted on the baseplate for transferring the substrate.

7. In the integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 6, the substrate transferring robot assembly being disposed within the substrate transferring chamber and further comprising a substrate mechanical hand moveable along a straight line between the center of rotation of the baseplate and the processing chamber, and the two waiting stages are integrated at a position nearer the processing chamber than the center of rotation of the baseplate, and at a position farther away from the processing chamber on the straight line.

8. In the integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 7, the substrate transferring robot assembly being disposed within the substrate transferring chamber and further comprising a pair of first arms rotatable with respect to the baseplate, a pair of second arms rotatably coupled to a fore-end of each of the first arms, and a substrate mechanical hand coupled to fore-ends of the second arms, and wherein the length of the first arm is equal to the length of the second arm, and the ratio of the angle of rotation of the first arm with respect to the baseplate to the angle of rotation of the second arm with respect to the first arm is 1 to 2.

9. In the integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system according to claim 8, the substrate mechanical hand comprising pawls disposed on one surface which advance and retract by the operation of an electromagnetic actuator.

10. In an integrated module multi-chamber vacuum processing system for processing substrates, the system comprising a plurality of processing chambers, a substrate transferring chamber, at least one load-lock chamber and a substrate transferring robot assembly, a method of exchanging a processed substrate with an unprocessed substrate comprising the steps of:

after a thin film deposition process is completed, opening a gate valve of a processing chamber;

removing a processed substrate from the processing chamber by the use of a substrate mechanical hand of the substrate transferring robot assembly;

placing the removed substrate on a first waiting stage of the substrate transferring robot assembly;

grasping, using the substrate mechanical hand, an unprocessed substrate placed on a second waiting stage of the substrate transferring robot assembly;

transferring the unprocessed substrate into the processing chamber; and

closing the gate valve of the processing chamber.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of removing the processed substrate comprises the steps of:

grasping the processed substrate with the substrate mechanical hand; and

moving the substrate mechanical hand in a straight line from the processing chamber to the waiting stage.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of transferring the unprocessed substrate comprises the step of moving the unprocessed substrate along a straight line from the second waiting stage to the processing chamber.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

while film is being deposited in the processing chamber, moving a baseplate of the substrate transferring robot assembly so that a carrying robot of the substrate transferring robot assembly is directed toward a load-lock chamber;

opening a gate valve of the load-lock chamber;

transferring the processed substrate placed on the second waiting stage to the load-lock chamber;

removing an unprocessed substrate from the load-lock chamber to place it on the first waiting stage;

closing the gate valve of the load-lock chamber; and

rotating the baseplate toward the processing chamber into a stand-by state.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of transferring the processed substrate to the load-lock chamber comprises moving the substrate mechanical hand along a straight line from the second waiting stage to the load-lock chamber.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of removing an unprocessed substrate from the load-lock chamber to the first waiting stage comprises moving the substrate mechanical hand along a straight line from the load-lock chamber to the first holding stage.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of placing an unprocessed substrate on the another waiting stage comprises the steps of:

after one of the load-lock chambers is exposed to the atmosphere, opening a gate valve of the load-lock chamber to transfer to a substrate into the load-lock chamber;

closing the gate valve to evacuate the load-lock chamber;

rotating a baseplate of the substrate transferring robot assembly so that the substrate transferring robot assembly within the substrate transferring chamber faces the load-lock chamber;

opening a second gate valve of the load-lock chamber;

removing the substrate from the load-lock chamber by the substrate mechanical hand and placing the substrate on the another second waiting stage;

closing the second gate valve;

rotating the baseplate so that the substrate transferring robot assembly is directed toward one of the processing chambers.