Vacuum process apparatus and vacuum processing method

• US 5,611,655 A
• Filed: 01/04/1996
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo Electron Yamanashi Ltd. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Koji, Tozawa, Takashi, Ishihara, Yasumasa, Aoyagi, Minoru, Kajihara, Mahito, Fukasawa, Yoshio, Nakagome, Tatsuya, Hosoda, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/582,805
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 414/217, 414/331, 414/403, 414/416, 414/743, 414/744.2, 414/744.4, 414/744.5, 414/744.6, 414/935, 414/937, 414/939, 414/941
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

A vacuum process apparatus includes a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed, at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to the convey chamber through a loading/unloading port, a plurality of vacuum process chambers connected to the convey chamber through the loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism, a plurality of gate valves for opening/closing the plurality of loading/unloading ports, and a multi-joint arm member, arranged in the convey chamber, for conveying the target object between the convey chamber and the vacuum process chambers, and between the convey chamber and the preliminary chamber. The convey chamber is evacuated through a bearing for a pivot shaft of the multi-joint arm member.

Claims

1. A vacuum process apparatus comprising:

a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed;

at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to said convey chamber through one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

a plurality of vacuum process chambers each connected to said convey chamber through a respective one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism;

a plurality of opening/closing means for opening/closing said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

convey means, arranged in said convey chamber and having a multi-joint arm member, for conveying the target object between said convey chamber and said vacuum process chambers, and between said convey chamber and said preliminary chamber;

a plurality of first support frames for independently supporting said plurality of vacuum process chambers;

a second support frame, arranged independently of said first support frames, for supporting said convey chamber; and

a base on which said first support frames and said second support frame are mounted.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said convey chamber has a rectangular cross-section.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said convey means includes a main pivot shaft and a bearing for the main pivot shaft, the apparatus further including drive means connected to the main pivot shaft for driving the convey means and evacuation means for evacuating said conveyed chamber through said bearing portion.

4. A vacuum process apparatus comprising:

a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed;

at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to said convey chamber through one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

a plurality of vacuum process chambers each connected to said convey chamber through a respective one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism;

a plurality of opening/closing means for opening/closing said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

convey means, arranged in said convey chamber and having a convey arm and a main pivot shaft for horizontally pivoting said convey arm and a bearing portion for the main pivot shaft, for conveying the target object between said convey chamber and said vacuum process chambers, between said convey chamber and said preliminary chamber;

a drive device, arranged outside said convey chamber and connected to the main pivot shaft, for driving said convey means;

evacuation means for evacuating said convey chamber through said bearing portion; and

wherein a labyrinth seal is arranged near said bearing portion for the main pivot shaft, and said evacuation means evacuates said convey chamber through a tortuous exhaust path formed by said labyrinth seal.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said convey camber has a rectangular shape, and at least two of said vacuum process chambers are arranged along one side of said convey chamber.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said preliminary vacuum chamber is a vessel placing chamber for placing a target object mounting vessel, has a lid portion for inserting the target object mounting vessel, and communicates with the atmospheric air through the lid portion.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of first support frames for independently supporting said plurality of vacuum process chambers;

a second support frame, arranged independently of said first support frames, for supporting said convey chamber; and

a base on which said first support frames and said second support frame are mounted.

8. A vacuum process apparatus comprising:

a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed;

at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to said convey chamber through one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

a plurality of vacuum process chambers each connected to said convey chamber through a respective one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism;

a plurality of opening/closing means for opening/closing said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

convey means, arranged in said convey chamber and having a convey arm and a main pivot shaft for horizontally pivoting said convey arm and a bearing portion for the main pivot shaft, for conveying the target object between said convey chamber and said vacuum process chambers, and between said convey chamber and said preliminary chamber;

a drive device, arranged outside said convey chamber and connected to the main pivot shaft, for driving said convey means;

evacuation means for evacuating said convey chamber through said bearing portion; and

a case which covers said drive unit, which is sealed from atmospheric air, and which communicates with said convey chamber through said bearing portion, and wherein said evacuation means evacuates said case.

9. An apparatus according to claim wherein said convey means comprises a multi-joint arm member having at least three arms, at least two pivot shafts for connecting the arms to each other, bearing portions for the pivot shafts, and a suction path which communicates with said case through interiors of said bearing portions, interiors of the arms, and interior of the main pivot shaft.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a labyrinth seal is arranged near said bearing portion for the main pivot shaft, and said evacuation means evacuating said convey chamber through a tortuous exhaust path formed by said labyrinth seal.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising inert gas supply means, arranged in said convey chamber, for supplying an inert gas into said convey chamber, so that the inert gas is supplied in at least a convey operation and sucked into said case through said suction path.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said convey chamber has a rectangular cross-section.

13. A vacuum process apparatus comprising:

a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed;

at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to said convey chamber through one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports;

a plurality of vacuum process chambers each connected to said convey chamber through a respective one of said plurality of loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism;

a plurality of opening/closing means for opening/closing said plurality of loading/unloading ports; and

convey means, arranged in said convey chamber, for conveying the target object between said convey chamber and said vacuum process chambers, and between said convey chamber and said preliminary chamber,

wherein said convey chamber has a pressure kept higher than that of each of said preliminary vacuum chamber and said vacuum process chambers; and

a plurality of first support frames for independently supporting said plurality of vacuum process chambers;

a second support frame, arranged independently of said first support frames, for supporting said convey chamber; and

a base on which said first support frames and said second support frame are mounted.