Vacuum processing apparatus for substate wafers

• US 5,784,799 A
• Filed: 06/26/1997
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Itou, Atsushi, Tsubone, Tsunehiko, Kato, Shigekazu, Nishihata, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/882,731
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 34/92, 34/406, 34/228, 34/229, 414/225, 414/226, 414/207, 414/217, 414/222, 414/331, 414/416, 414/939, 414/940
• US Class Current: 34/92
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 3/006 Processes utilising sub-atmospheric pressure; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/36 Print density control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/365 by compensation for variation in temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/564 Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67736 Loading to or unloading from a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/137 including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting

Abstract

This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple. Furthermore, the dummy substrates used for dry cleaning and the substrates to be processed do not coexist, contamination of the substrates to be processed due to dust and remaining gas can be prevented and the production yield can be high.

Claims

1. A conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

an atmospheric loader;

a vacuum loader; and

a lock chamber for connecting said atmospheric loader and said vacuum loader, such that a substrate to be processed is conveyed one by one,

wherein said vacuum loader has

(1) a convey chamber;

(2) a convey structure; and

(3) plural vacuum processing chamber installation portions.

2. A conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette mount unit for receiving plural substrates to be processed;

an atmospheric conveyor loader having a first conveyor unit for conveying a substrate to be processed;

a load lock chamber for receiving said substrate to be processed from said first conveyor unit;

opening portions for connecting plural vacuum processing chambers;

an unload lock chamber for delivering said substrate to be processed which has been processed, to said first conveyor unit; and

a vacuum conveyor load unit having a conveyor chamber comprising a second conveyor unit which conveys said substrate to be processed between said load lock chamber or said unload lock chamber and a vacuum chamber.

3. A conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said atmospheric conveyor loader is an atmospheric conveyor loader which is clean.

4. A conveyor system for a vacuum processing apparatus in which a substrate to be processed is processed one by one in plural vacuum processing chambers, comprising:

a receiver structure for receiving said substrate to be processed, installed exposed to the atmosphere;

a first conveying structure for conveying said substrate to be processed between said receiver structure and a load lock chamber or an unload lock chamber;

a second conveyor structure for conveying said substrate to be processed between said load lock chamber or said unload lock chamber and said vacuum processing chamber in a vacuum; and

a conveyor chamber, having said second conveyor structure provided at an interior thereof; and

opening portions for connecting said vacuum processing chamber to said conveyor chamber.

5. A conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

an atmospheric transfer robot arranged so as to access plural cassettes and plural load lock chambers;

a cassette table arranged to direct a wafer takeout port of said plural cassettes toward a side of said atmospheric transfer robot;

plural load lock chambers having gate valves directed toward said atmospheric transfer robot;

a transfer chamber having plural gate valves which are disposed to enable plural processing chambers to be connected at a surrounding portion with the plural load lock chambers; and

a vacuum transfer robot provided in said transfer chamber and arranged to access all of said plural load lock chambers and all of said plural gate valves.

6. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

at least one cassette holder for storing a wafer which is to be stored in a gas atmosphere;

wafer locking structure for holding the wafer in the gas atmosphere during a first time period and in a vacuum during a second time period;

evacuating structure for evacuating said wafer locking structure;

gas introduction structure for introducing a gas into said wafer locking structure;

a first transfer structure for transferring the wafer between said at least one cassette holder and said wafer locking structure, said first transfer structure being under a gas atmosphere;

a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for one by one treating the wafer, which is to be processed in a vacuum; and

a second transfer structure for transferring the wafer between said wafer locking structure, while the wafer is maintained in a vacuum, and each of said vacuum processing chambers.

7. A base frame for a vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

wafer locking structure for holding a wafer in a gas atmosphere during a first time period and in a vacuum during a second time period;

evacuating structure for evacuating said wafer locking structure;

gas introduction structure for introducing a gas into said wafer locking structure;

a first transfer structure for transferring the wafer between a cassette holder which is disposed in a gas atmosphere and said wafer locking structure while said wafer locking structure is under a gas atmosphere; and

a second transfer structure for transferring the wafer between said wafer locking structure, while said wafer locking structure is maintained in a vacuum, and each of vacuum processing chambers for one by one treating the wafer in a vacuum.

8. A base frame for a vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

wafer locking structure for holding a wafer in a gas atmosphere during a first time period and in a vacuum during a second time period;

a first transfer structure for transferring the wafer between a cassette holder which is disposed in a gas atmosphere and said wafer locking structure while said wafer locking structure is under a gas atmosphere; and

a second transfer structure for transferring the wafer between said wafer locking structure, while said wafer locking structure is maintained in a vacuum, and each of vacuum processing chambers for one by one treating the wafer in a vacuum.