Load-lock mechanism and processing apparatus

• US 6,338,626 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Saeki, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US09/508,269
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 432/239, 432/242, 432/243, 414/217, 414/938, 414/939, 118/50, 118/719
• US Class Current: 432/243
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67751 vertical transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

A load-lock mechanism according to the invention comprises a vacuum chamber 31 arranged between a vacuum first transferring chamber 20 and atmospheric second transferring chambers 40. The vacuum chamber 31 has a first opening 31A facing the first transferring chamber 20, a vertical pair of second openings 31B facing the second transferring chambers 40 and open-close mechanisms 34A, 34B to open and close each of the second opening 31B. One vertical pair of load-lock chambers 32, 33 are movably housed in the vacuum chamber 31. The supply-discharge passageways 31G, 31H are provided in the vacuum chamber 31 to supply and discharge air into and out of each of the load-lock chambers 32, 33. Each of the load-lock chamber 32, 33 has a first port 32A, 33A which can communicate with the first opening 31A, a second port 32B, 33B which can communicate with the corresponding second opening 31B. The inside of each of the load-lock chambers 32, 33 are shut off from the inside of the vacuum chamber 31 when the second port 32B, 33B communicates with the second opening 31B.

Claims

1. A load-lock mechanism comprising;

a vacuum chamber placed between a vacuum area and an atmospheric area, having a first opening facing the vacuum area, at least one pair of upper and lower second openings facing the atmospheric area, and open-close mechanisms to open and close each of the second openings;

at least one pair of load-lock chambers arranged vertically in the vacuum chamber, each of which is vertically movable in the vacuum chamber; and

a supply discharge mechanism to supply and discharge air into or out of each of the load-lock chambers;

wherein each of the load-lock chambers has a first port which can communicate with the first opening, a second port which can communicate with the corresponding second opening, and a closing mechanism to shut off an inside of the load-lock chamber from an inside of the vacuum chamber when the second port communicates with the second opening,

one of the pair of load-lock chambers arranged lower in the vacuum chamber has flanges as shutting means at peripheries of a lower surface thereof and an upper end thereof, respectively,

steps are formed at an inside surface of the vacuum chamber correspondingly to the flanges, respectively,

the flange at the lower surface has a diameter smaller than that of the flange at the upper end to pass through an inside of the step corresponding to the flange at the upper end,

the other of the pair of load-lock chambers arranged upper in the vacuum chamber has flanges as shutting means at peripheries of an upper surface thereof and a lower end thereof, respectively,

steps are formed at an inside surface of the vacuum chamber correspondingly to the flanges, respectively, and

the flange at the upper surface has a diameter smaller than that of the flange at the lower end to pass through an inside of the step corresponding to the flange at the lower end.

2. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

the first port and the second port are formed in a single horizontal plane.

3. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to connect with the first port when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

4. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

the load-lock chamber has a supply-discharge port, and the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to communicate with the supply-discharge opening when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

5. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

an elevating means is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for supporting and vertically elevating an object to be processed.

6. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

a cooler is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for cooling an object to be processed when the object to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber.

7. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

a heater is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for heating an object to be processed when the object to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber.

8. A load-lock unit comprising:

a vacuum transferring chamber as a vacuum area;

an atmospheric transferring chamber as an atmospheric area;

a vacuum chamber placed between the vacuum transferring chamber and the atmospheric transferring chamber, having a first opening facing the vacuum transferring chamber, at least one pair of upper and lower second openings facing the atmospheric transferring chamber, and open-close mechanisms to open and close each of the second openings;

at least one pair of load-lock chambers arranged vertically in the vacuum chamber, each of which is vertically movable in the vacuum chamber;

a supply-discharge mechanism to supply and discharge air into or out of each of the load-lock chambers;

wherein each of the load-lock chambers has a first port which can communicate with the first opening, a second port which can communicate with the corresponding second opening, and a closing mechanism to shut off an inside of the load-lock chamber from an inside of the vacuum chamber when the second port communicates with the second opening,

one of the pair of load-lock chambers arranged lower in the vacuum chamber has flanges as shutting means at peripheries of a lower surface thereof and an upper end thereof, respectively,

steps are formed at an inside surface of the vacuum chamber correspondingly to the flanges, respectively,

the flange at the lower surface has a diameter smaller than that of the flange at the upper end to pass through an inside of the step corresponding to the flange at the upper end,

the other of the pair of load-lock chambers arranged upper in the vacuum chamber has flanges as shutting means at peripheries in the vacuum chamber has flanges as shutting means at peripheries of an upper surface thereof and a lower end thereof, respectively, and

steps are formed at an inside surface of the vacuum chamber correspondingly to the flanges, respectively, and

the flange at the upper surface has a diameter smaller than that of the flange at the lower end.

9. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

the first port and the second port are formed in a single horizontal plane.

10. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to connect with the first port when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

11. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to communicate with the supply-discharge opening when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

12. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

an elevating means is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for supporting and vertically elevating an object to be processed.

13. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

a cooling means is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for cooling an object to be processed when the object to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber.

14. A load-lock unit according to claim 8, wherein:

a heater is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for heating an object to be processed when the object to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber, to pass through an inside of the step corresponding to the flange at the lower end.

15. A load-lock mechanism comprising;

a vacuum chamber placed between a vacuum area and an atmospheric area, having a first opening facing the vacuum area, at least one pair of upper and lower second openings facing the atmospheric area, and open-close mechanisms to open and close each of the second openings;

at least one pair of load-lock chambers arranged vertically in the vacuum chamber, each of which is vertically movable in the vacuum chamber; and

a supply-discharge mechanism to supply and discharge air into or out of each of the load-lock chambers;

wherein each of the load-lock chambers has a first port which can communicate with the first opening, a second port which can communicate with the corresponding second opening, and a closing mechanism to shut off an inside of the load-lock chamber from an inside of the vacuum chamber when the second port communicates with the second opening, and is adapted to house only one wafer.

16. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

an elevating means is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for supporting and vertically elevating an object to be processed.

17. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

the first port and the second port are formed in a single horizontal plane.

18. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to connect with the first port when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

19. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

the load-lock chamber has a supply-discharge port, and the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to communicate with the supply-discharge opening when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

20. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

a cooler is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber.

21. A load-lock mechanism according to claim 15, wherein:

a heater provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for heating an object to be processed when the object to be processed is housed in the inside of the load-lock chamber.

22. A processing unit comprising;

a vacuum transferring chamber as a vacuum area;

an atmospheric transferring chamber as an atmospheric area;

a vacuum chamber placed between the vacuum transferring chamber and the atmospheric transferring chamber, having a first opening facing the vacuum transferring chamber, at least one pair of upper and lower second openings facing the atmospheric transferring chamber, and open-close mechanisms to open and close each of the second openings;

at least one pair of load-lock chambers arranged vertically in the vacuum chamber, each of which is vertically movable in the vacuum chamber;

a supply-discharge mechanism to supply and discharge air into or out of each of the load-lock chambers;

wherein each of the load-lock chambers has a first port which can communicate with the first opening, a second port which can communicate with the corresponding second opening, and a closing mechanism to shut off an inside of the load-lock chamber from an inside of the vacuum chamber when the second port communicates with the second opening, and is adapted to house only one wafer.

23. A processing unit according to claim 22, wherein:

an elevating means is provided on a bottom surface of the load-lock chamber for supporting and vertically elevating an object to be processed.

24. A processing unit according to claim 22, wherein:

the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to connect with the first port when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.

25. A processing unit according to claim 22, wherein:

the load-lock chamber has a supply-discharge port, and the supply-discharge mechanism has a passage way provided in the vacuum chamber to communicate with the supply-discharge opening when the second port communicates with the corresponding second opening.