Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method therefor

• US 6,463,676 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Itou, Atsushi, Tsubone, Tsunehiko, Kato, Shigekazu, Nishihata, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O Malley, Kathryn S.
• Application Number:
  US09/780,427
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 344/06, 344/12, 34/60, 34/92, 342/18, 342/28, 342/29, 342/32, 414/939, 414/940, 414/217, 414/222.13, 134/84, 134/85, 134/902, 156/345, 156/345.C, 156/345.PC, 118/723.F, 118/723.I, 118/730, 118/719
• US Class Current: 34/412
• 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

A method and apparatus for transferring a substrate that includes a cassette table capable of holding a plurality of cassettes, wherein the cassettes are capable of receiving a plurality of substrates. An atmospheric loader is arranged between the plurality of cassettes and two lock chambers, and an atmospheric transferring device is provided for transferring one of the plurality of substrates to or from a substrate process.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a substrate, using an apparatus comprising:

a cassette table for mounting plural cassettes which receive plural substrates in an atmosphere; and

an atmospheric loader arranged between (1) said plural cassettes and (2) two lock chambers and having an atmospheric transferring device for transferring a substrate to be subjected to processing or a substrate which has been processed,

the substrate transferring method comprising the steps of;

carrying in, one by one, said substrate to one of said lock chambers by taking out, one by one, said substrate to be subjected to processing from a cassette, of the plural cassettes, which is mounted on said cassette table, by said atmospheric transferring device; and

receiving, one by one, said substrate which has been processed to a position of said cassette from which said substrate had been taken out for processing, by taking out, one by one, said substrate which has been processed from one of said two lock chambers.

2. A method of transferring a substrate, using an apparatus comprising:

a cassette table for mounting plural cassettes which receive plural substrates in an atmosphere; and

an atmospheric loader arranged between (1) said plural cassettes and (2) two lock chambers and having an atmospheric transferring device for transferring a substrate to be subjected to processing or a substrate which has been processed,

the substrate transferring method comprising the steps of;

carrying in, one by one, said substrate to one of said lock chambers by taking out, one by one, said substrate to be subjected to processing from one cassette, of said plural cassettes which are mounted oh said cassette table, by said atmospheric transferring device according to production information which is given to said one cassette; and

receiving, one by one, said substrate which has processed to a position of said cassette from which said substrate had been taken out for processing, by taking out, one by one, said substrate which has been processed from one of said two lock chambers.

3. Substrate transferring apparatus for transferring a substrate, comprising:

a cassette table for mounting plural cassettes which are adapted to receive plural substrates in an atmosphere;

two lock chambers, each of which is adapted to change from a first atmosphere to a vacuum; and

an atmospheric loader arranged between (1) said cassette table for mounting the plural cassettes and (2) said two lock chambers, and having an atmospheric transferring device for transferring a substrate to be subjected to processing or a substrate which has been processed, said atmospheric transferring device including structure for carrying in, one by one, said substrate to be subjected to processing from one of the plural cassettes to one of the two lock chambers, and for carrying out, one by one, said substrate which has been processed, from one of the two lock chambers to a position of the cassette from which said substrate had been taken out for processing.

4. Substrate transferring apparatus for transferring a substrate, comprising:

a cassette table for mounting plural cassettes which are adapted to receive plural substrates in an atmosphere;

two lock chambers, each of which is adapted to change from a first atmosphere to a vacuum; and

an atmospheric loader arranged between (1) said cassette table for mounting the plural cassettes and (2) said two lock chambers, and having an atmospheric transferring device for transferring a substrate to be subjected to processing or a substrate which has been processed, said atmospheric transferring device including structure for carrying in, one by one, said substrate to be subjected to processing from one of the plural cassettes to one of the two lock chambers, and for carrying out, one by one, said substrate which has been processed, from one of the two lock chambers to a position of the cassette from which said substrate had been taken out for processing,

wherein said structure for carrying in is responsive to production information which is given to said cassette.