Vacuum processing apparatus

• US 6,505,415 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• 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:
  US09/781,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 34/60, 34/92, 342/18, 342/28, 342/29, 342/32, 342/36, 414/217, 414/222.13, 414/785, 414/937, 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

A vacuum processing apparatus which includes a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette, a conveying structure which includes a robot for conveying a wafer held on the cassette mount table, a vacuum loader which includes an additional robot, an additional conveying structure and a plurality of lock chambers.

Claims

1. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer from a cassette held on the cassette mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure and a vacuum processing chamber; and

at least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure and having the inlet and outlet thereof in a horizontal line;

wherein the first conveyor structure is disposed between the cassette mount table and the at least one lock chamber and in front of the at least one lock chamber, the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure are respectively provided with a first robot and a second robot, and the first robot is shiftable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the surface of an inlet of the at least one lock chamber; and

wherein first robot faces to a set of wafers disposed in the cassette and transfers the wafers one by one to one of the at least one lock chamber, and the second robot is disposed in a conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader so as to face the at least one lock chamber.

2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyor structure is provided with a transfer structure on which the first robot is installed.

3. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first robot is movable in up and down directions.

4. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second robots has an arm which moves in horizontal and rotational directions.

5. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first robot and the second robot transfer respectively the wafer one by one.

7. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second robot is disposed in a vacuum condition.

8. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second robot transfers a processed wafer from any of the at least three vacuum processing chambers through the conveyor chamber to any of the at least one lock chamber, and the first robot transfers the processed wafer from any of the at least one lock chamber to the cassette mount table.

9. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one lock chamber is provided with a gate valve at the inlet, and

wherein the first robot travels along a front surface of the gate valve.

10. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a set of two cassettes is disposed on the cassette mount table.

14. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein during at least a part of the period the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from the conveyor chamber to a lock chamber, the first robot is transferring the processed wafer from the first conveyor structure to the cassette mount table.

15. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the first conveyor structure to a lock chamber, the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from any of the vacuum processing chambers to the conveyor chamber.

6. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a first conveyor structure for horizontally transferring a wafer from a cassette held on a cassette mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure; and

at least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure;

wherein;

the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure are respectively provided with a first robot and a second robot, and the vacuum loader is provided with a conveyor chamber connected to at least five chambers which comprise at least three vacuum processing chambers and the at least one lock chamber; and

the second robot is provided with an arm extendable into the at least one lock chamber and the at least three vacuum processing chambers.

11. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a mount table for holding at least one wafer storing structure;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer from a wafer storing structure held on the mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure; and

at least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure,

wherein the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure are respectively provided with a first robot and a second robot, and the vacuum loader is provided with a conveyor chamber connected to at least five chambers which comprise at least three vacuum processing chambers and the at least one lock chamber, the wafer being processed while horizontal in said vacuum processing chamber and

wherein the first robot faces to a set of wafers disposed in the wafer storing structure and transfers the wafers one by one to a lock chamber of the at least one lock chamber, and the second robot is disposed in a conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader and transfers the wafer substantially horizontally.

12. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first robot transfers the wafer from the mount table to either of the lock chambers, and the second robot transfers the wafer from the either of the lock chambers through the conveyor chamber to any of the three vacuum processing chambers.

17. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first conveyor structure has a track, and wherein the first robot is a sole robot which travels on the track to transfer the wafer between the mount table and the first conveyor structure.

18. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one lock chamber includes a load lock chamber and an unload lock chamber, and wherein the first robot transfers the wafer between the first conveyor structure and the load lock chamber, and transfers a processed wafer between the unload lock chamber and the first conveyor structure.

19. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 18, which further comprises a control device which controls the movement of the robots, and wherein the first robot returns a processed wafer to a same position in the wafer storing structure from which the wafer had been taken out for a process treatment.

20. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during the at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the wafer storing structure on the mount table to the first conveyor structure, the second robot is transferring a wafer from a lock chamber to the vacuum loader.

21. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the wafer storing structure on the mount table to the first conveyor structure, the second robot is transferring a wafer from the conveyor chamber to a vacuum processing chamber.

22. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the wafer storing structure on the mount table to the first conveyor structure, the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from a vacuum processing chamber to the conveyor chamber.

23. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the wafer storing structure on the mount table to the first conveyor structure, the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from the conveyor chamber to a lock chamber.

24. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring the wafer from the first conveyor structure to a lock chamber, the second robot is transferring a wafer from the conveyor chamber to a vacuum processing chamber.

25. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the first robot is transferring a wafer from the first conveyor structure to a lock chamber, the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from a vacuum processing chamber to the conveyor chamber.

26. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein during at least a part of the period the second robot is transferring a processed wafer from the conveyor chamber to a lock chamber, the first robot is transferring a processed wafer from the first conveyor structure to the mount table.

27. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second robot is a sole robot which accesses the vacuum processing chambers.

28. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one lock chamber includes a load lock chamber and an unload lock chamber which are separate from each other, and wherein the second robot is a sole robot which accesses both the load lock chamber and the unload lock chamber.

29. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the second robot is the sole robot accessing the at least three vacuum processing chambers and the two lock chambers.

34. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the cassette mount table is exposed to the atmosphere, and wherein the first robot carries out a wafer from the cassette.

13. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a mount table for holding at least one wafer storing structure;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer from a wafer storing structure held on the mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure; and

at least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure;

wherein the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure are respectively provided with a first robot and a second robot, and the vacuum loader is provided with a conveyor chamber connected to at least five chambers which comprise at least three vacuum processing chambers and the at least one lock chamber, the wafer being processed while horizontal in said vacuum processing chamber; and

wherein the first robot faces to a set of wafers disposed in the wafer storing structure and transfers the wafers one by one to a lock chamber of the at least one lock chamber, and the second robot is disposed in a conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader and transfers the wafer substantially horizontally.

16. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one lock chamber comprises a load lock chamber and an unload lock chamber, which are separate from each other.

30. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer held in a cassette on the cassette mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure and a vacuum processing chamber; and

a least one lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure and having the inlet and outlet thereof in a horizontal line;

wherein;

the first conveyor structure has a track which is installed along an inlet of the at least one lock chamber;

the first conveyor structure is provided with a first robot which travels on the track;

the first robot is adapted to transfer the wafer from the cassette to one of the at least one lock chamber;

the first robot faces a set of wafers disposed in the cassette and transfers the wafers one by one to the one lock chamber; and

a second robot is disposed in a conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader so as to make a rotative movement and a horizontal movement of X and Y axes.

31. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the first robot is movable in horizontal and rotational directions.

32. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the sole transfer structure is formed in a rectangular shape.

33. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the sole transfer structure is exposed to the air.

35. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the cassette mount table, the first conveyor structure and the at least one lock chamber are arranged in horizontal tandem, wherein a set of two cassettes is put on the cassette mount table, and wherein the first robot accesses the set of two cassettes.

36. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the track is a set of rails.

37. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the at least one lock chamber includes a load lock chamber and an unload lock chamber which are respectively provided with gate valves.

38. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer from a cassette held on the cassette mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a second conveyor structure and three vacuum processing chambers; and

a plurality of lock chambers connected to the vacuum loader;

wherein;

the first conveyor structure includes a first robot, which is shiftable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of a inlet of any of the plurality of lock chambers; and

the second conveyor structure includes a second robot which has an arm accessing any of the plurality of lock chambers and the three vacuum processing chambers, to carry a wafer and a processed wafer.

39. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the second robot is a sole robot disposed in a vacuum conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader.

40. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the first robot has an arm accessing any of the plurality of lock chambers and the cassette.

41. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette;

a first conveyor structure for transferring a wafer from a cassette held on the cassette mount table;

a vacuum loader provided with a conveyor chamber and a second conveyor structure installed in the conveyor chamber; and

a lock chamber disposed between the first conveyor structure and the second conveyor structure;

wherein;

the vacuum loader is provided with at least three different vacuum processing chambers in which the wafer is processed while horizontal;

the first conveyor structure includes a first robot which faces a set of wafers disposed in the cassette and which transfers the wafers one by one to the lock chamber; and

the second conveyor structure includes a second robot which is disposed in the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader so as to face the lock chamber.

42. A vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the vacuum processing chambers include at least one of a dry etching chamber, a chemical vapor deposition chamber and a sputtering chamber.

43. A vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first conveyor structure is disposed in front of the lock chamber.

44. A vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the first robot is movable in Y and Z axes directions and a rotational direction.