Semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus and semiconductor substrate processing apparatus equipped with the same

• US 7,618,226 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Takizawa, Masahiro, Wada, Takashi, Suwada, Masaei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodríguez; Saúl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudawitz; Joshua I
• Application Number:
  US11/445,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 414/744.1, 414/416.08, 414/217.1, 414/411, 414/939, 414/940
• US Class Current: 414/416.08
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67265 of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67781 Batch transfer of wafers

Abstract

A semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus for transferring semiconductor substrates from a first container to a second container, includes: multiple end effectors; at least one robot arm with which the multiple end effectors are independently rotatably joined; and a controller storing software including instructions to judge which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on a distribution status of substrates stored in the first and second containers and to rotate the selected end effector(s) for unloading a substrate or substrates from the first container and loading the substrate or substrates to the second container.

Claims

1. A semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus for transferring semiconductor substrates from a first container to a second container, comprising:

multiple end effectors for unloading substrates from the first container and loading the substrates to the second container, one of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold at least one substrate, another of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold more substrates than the one of said multiple end effectors;

at least one robot arm for moving the multiple end effectors from the first container to the second container, wherein the at least one robot arm comprises a first arm and a second arm wherein the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors have a common axis disposed therein and are co-axially and rotatably joined at the common axis with the second arm which is rotatably joined with the first arm, and the first arm has a support axis rotatably fixed to a base and common to the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors, wherein the one of the multiple end effectors and the another of the multiple end effectors are independently rotatable at the common axis with respect to the second arm;

a controller for judging which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on a distribution status of substrates stored in the first and second containers and for rotating the selected end effector(s) for unloading a substrate or substrates from the first container and loading the substrate or substrates to the second container; and

a sensor device for sensing an occupancy status of slots of the first container, which is used as the distribution status by the controller, wherein the sensor device is installed in a door of the first container and is configured to sense the occupancy status of slots when the door opens.

2. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple end effectors are two end effectors.

3. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one of the multiple end effectors is configured to hold one substrate, and the other of the multiple end effectors is configured to hold two substrates.

4. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller instructs the selected end effector(s) to rotate for unloading a substrate or substrates from the first container and instruct the non-selected end effector(s), if any, to be retracted so as not to contact the substrate or substrates.

5. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distribution status includes an occupancy status of substrate slots of the first container and an empty status of substrate slots of the second container.

6. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller judges which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on the distribution status of substrates, wherein the end effector(s) is/are selected which can simultaneously hold a maximum number of substrates which is the same as or smaller than the number of consecutive empty slots of the second container and the number of consecutive occupied slots of the first container.

7. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, which is configured to be disposed between a front opening unified pod (FOUP) as the first container and an in-out chamber (IOC) as the second container.

8. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, which is configured to be disposed between an in-out chamber (JOC) as the first container and a front opening unified pod (FOUP) as the second container.

9. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum number of substrates which can be held simultaneously by the multiple end effectors is a factor of the number of slots provided in the first container and/or the second container.

10. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one of the multiple end effectors and the another of the multiple end effectors have the same shape as viewed above the multiple end effectors.

11. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device is installed on a top side of the door which is structured to move downward to open.

12. The semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensor device is rotatably fixed to the top side of the door wherein the sensor device is aligned along with the top side of the door as a home position and rotates to a sensing position for sensing the occupancy status of slots while the door is moving downward to open.

13. A semiconductor substrate transfer system comprising:

(a) at least one front opening unified pod (FOUP) for storing substrates;

(b) at least one in-out chamber (JOC) for storing substrates; and

(c) a semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus disposed between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, for transferring substrates between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, said semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus comprising;

multiple end effectors for unloading substrates from the front opening unified pod and loading the substrates to the in-out chamber and for unloading substrates from the in-out chamber and loading the substrates to the front opening unified pod, one of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold at least one substrate, another of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold more substrates than the one of said multiple end effectors;

at least one robot arm for moving the multiple end effectors between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, wherein the at least one robot arm comprises a first arm and a second arm wherein the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors have a common axis disposed therein and are co-axially and rotatably joined at the common axis with the second arm which is rotatably joined with the first arm, and the first arm has a support axis rotatably fixed to a base and common to the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors, wherein the one of the multiple end effectors and the another of the multiple end effectors are independently rotatable at the common axis with respect to the second arm;

a controller for judging which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on a distribution status of substrates stored in the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber and for rotating the selected end effector(s) for unloading a substrate or substrates from the front opening unified pod and loading the substrate or substrates to the in-out chamber or for unloading a substrate or substrates from the in-out chamber and loading the substrate or substrates to the front opening unified pod; and

a sensor device for sensing an occupancy status of slots of the front opening unified pod, which is used as the distribution status by the controller, wherein the sensor device is installed in a door of the front opening unified pod and is configured to sense the occupancy status of slots when the door opens.

14. The semiconductor substrate transfer system according to claim 13, wherein the multiple end effectors are two end effectors, and the one of the multiple end effectors is configured to hold one substrate, and the other of the multiple end effectors is configured to hold two substrates.

15. The semiconductor substrate transfer system according to claim 13, wherein the maximum number of substrates which can be held simultaneously by the multiple end effectors is a factor of the number of slots provided in the front opening unified pod and/or the in-out chamber.

16. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one front opening unified pod (FOUP) for storing substrates;

(b) at least one in-out chamber (IOC) for storing substrates;

(c) a semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus disposed between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, for transferring substrates between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, said semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus comprising;

multiple end effectors for unloading substrates from the front opening unified pod and loading the substrates to the in-out chamber and for unloading substrates from the in-out chamber and loading the substrates to the front opening unified pod, one of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold at least one substrate, another of said multiple end effectors being configured to hold more substrates than the one of said multiple end effectors;

at least one robot arm for moving the multiple end effectors between the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber, wherein the at least one robot arm comprises a first arm and a second arm wherein the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors have a common axis disposed therein and are co-axially and rotatably joined at the common axis with the second arm which is rotatably joined with the first arm, and the first arm has a support axis rotatably fixed to a base and common to the one of said multiple end effectors and the another of said multiple end effectors, wherein the one of the multiple end effectors and the another of the multiple end effectors are independently rotatable at the common axis with respect to the second arm;

a controller for judging which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on a distribution status of substrates stored in the front opening unified pod and the in-out chamber and for rotating the selected end effector(s) for unloading a substrate or substrates from the front opening unified pod and loading the substrate or substrates to the in-out chamber or for unloading a substrate or substrates from the in-out chamber and loading the substrate or substrates to the front opening unified pod; and

a sensor device for sensing an occupancy status of slots of the front opening unified pod, which is used as the distribution status by the controller, wherein the sensor device is installed in a door of the front opening unified pod and is configured to sense the occupancy status of slots when the door opens;

(d) at least one reaction chamber for processing substrates; and

(e) a vacuum robot disposed between the in-out chamber and the reaction chamber.

17. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the maximum number of substrates which can be held simultaneously by the multiple end effectors is a factor of the number of slots provided in the front opening unified pod and/or the in-out chamber.

18. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the maximum number of substrates which can be held simultaneously by the multiple end effectors is a factor of the number of slots provided in the in-out chamber and the number of the reaction chambers.