Substrate changing-over mechanism in vacuum tank

• US 6,487,794 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• 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): Wilson, Pamela
• Application Number:
  US09/782,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 344/06, 344/09, 344/13, 344/17, 345/26, 345/27, 345/73, 34/61, 342/07, 342/09, 342/17, 342/36, 134/84, 134/85, 134/902, 118/723.R, 118/723.MW, 118/729, 118/730, 414/939, 414/940, 414/217, 156/345, 156/345.C, 156/345.PC, 438/906, 438/907
• US Class Current: 34/573
• 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 substrate changing-over mechanism in a vacuum processing apparatus which includes a substrate supporting means arranged within a vacuum tank which has at least two openings at a side wall of the tank, the openings being openable or closable by gate valves, the substrate supporting sections in upper and lower spaces and an ascending or descending driver section for driving the substrate supporting means; thereby allowing the supporting means to be stopped in a vertical direction at a plurality of predetermined positions.

Claims

1. A vacuum processing system, comprising:

a first conveyor structure, for transferring a cassette, provided with a first robot;

a cassette table for holding a cassette;

a second conveyor structure for transferring a wafer held in the cassette on the cassette table,

a vacuum loader provided with a conveyor chamber, a third conveyor structure, and at least one vacuum processing chamber;

at least one lock chamber for connecting the second conveyor structure and the vacuum loader;

a controller for controlling the second conveyor structure and the third conveyor structure, and for managing a replacement of a cassette on the cassette table; and

a host control apparatus for instructing the first robot to control the replacement of the cassette.

2. The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyor structure is provided with a cassette holder, and the first robot is adapted to transfer a cassette from the cassette holder to the cassette table.

3. The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second conveyor structure and the third conveyor structure are respectively provided with a second robot and a third robot, the second conveyor structure is disposed between the cassette table and the at least one lock chamber, and the third robot is disposed in the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader and faces to the at least one lock chamber.

4. The vacuum processing system according to claim 3, wherein each of the first, second and third robots has an arm which moves horizontally and rotationally.

5. The vacuum processing system according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second robots moves in up and down directions.

6. The vacuum processing system according to claim 3, wherein the first robot transfers a cassette, and the second robot and the third robot transfer respectively a wafer.