Substrate-processing apparatus with buffer mechanism and substrate-transferring apparatus

• US 7,690,881 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Akira, Kaneuchi, Kunihiro, Yamagishi, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Tamihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): KEENAN, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US11/512,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 414/744.2, 414/744.3, 414/941, 414/736
• US Class Current: 414/744.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 294/902 Gripping element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/141 includes means for gripping wafer

Abstract

A substrate transfer apparatus for loading and unloading substrates in a reaction chamber, includes: an arm having a distal end which is laterally movable in a straight line direction; and end-effectors for loading and unloading substrates in a reaction chamber, which include a lower end-effector and an upper end-effector. One of the lower end-effector or the upper end-effector is movably coupled to the arm at a distal end of the arm, and the other end-effector is fixed to the movably coupled end-effector. The fixed end-effector is fixed to the movably coupled end-effector.

Claims

1. A substrate transfer apparatus for loading and unloading substrates in a reaction chamber, comprising:

an arm having a distal end which is laterally movable in a straight line direction; and

end-effectors for loading and unloading substrates in a reaction chamber, which include a lower end-effector and an upper end-effector,

wherein one of the lower end-effector or the upper end-effector is movably coupled to the arm at the distal end of the arm, and the other of the lower end-effector or the upper end-effector is fixed to the movably coupled end-effector,

wherein the movably coupled end-effector has a front side, rear side, right side, and left side, and the fixed end-effector is comprised of multiple portions which are fixed to the movably coupled end-effector exclusively at the right and left sides.

2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movably coupled end-effector is the lower end-effector, and the fixed end-effector is the upper end-effector.

3. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the upper end-effector is comprised of two elongated portions which are disposed parallel to each other and fixed to the right and left sides of the lower end-effectors, respectively.

4. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each elongated portion of the upper end-effector has two substrate-contacting portions, and the lower end-effector has four substrate-contacting portions.

5. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front and rear sides of the movably coupled end-effector face a direction of lateral movement of the movably coupled end-effector.

6. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arm is configured to laterally and linearly move the end-effectors in a direction.

7. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the arm comprises a proximal link and a distal link movably coupled to each other with a joint, and the end-effectors are movably coupled to the distal link with a joint.

8. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a load-lock chamber wherein the arm and the end-effectors are disposed when the arm and the end-effectors are at a retracted position.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a load-lock chamber;

at least one reaction chamber connected to the load-lock chamber via a gate valve; and

the substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1 disposed in the load-lock chamber,

wherein the arm and the end-effectors are extendable to the reaction chamber through the gate valve when opened for loading and unloading substrates in the reaction chamber.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an atmospheric robot arm which is accessible to the load-lock chamber via a gate valve when opened for loading and unloading substrates in the load-lock chamber.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the reaction chamber is provided with a buffer mechanism for keeping a substrate standing by inside the reaction chamber.

12. A substrate transfer apparatus for loading and unloading substrates in a reaction chamber, comprising:

an arm having a distal end which is movable for transferring substrates to or from a reaction chamber; and

end-effectors for loading and unloading substrates in the reaction chamber, which include a lower end-effector and an upper end-effector,

wherein one of the lower end-effector or the upper end-effector is coupled to the arm at the distal end of the arm, and the other of the lower end-effector or the upper end-effector is fixed to the arm-coupled end-effector,

wherein the arm-coupled end-effector has a front side, rear side, right side, and left side, and the fixed end-effector is comprised of multiple portions which are fixed only to the arm-coupled end-effector at the right and left sides.

13. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the distal end of the arm is laterally movable in a straight line direction.

14. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the front and rear sides of the arm-coupled end-effector face a direction of lateral movement of the arm-coupled end-effector.

15. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the arm-coupled end-effector is the lower end-effector, and the fixed end-effector is the upper end-effector, wherein the upper end-effector is comprised of two elongated portions which are disposed parallel to each other and fixed only to the right and left sides of the lower end-effectors, respectively.