Linear substrate transport apparatus

• US 7,988,398 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2004
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hofmeister, Christopher, Caveney, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams; Gregory W
• Application Number:
  US10/962,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,488 Days
• Field of Search: 414/217, 414/749.2, 198/619, 104/282, 310/12
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67184 characterized by the presence of more than one transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/677 for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67709 using magnetic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67724 by means of a cart or a vehicule
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67727 using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

Substrate processing apparatus having a chamber, a generally linear array of process modules, a substrate transport, and a drive system. The chamber is capable of being isolated from the outside atmosphere. Each process module of the array is communicably connected to the chamber to allow a substrate to be transferred between the chamber and process module. The substrate transport is located in and is movably supported from the chamber. The transport is capable of moving along a linear path defined by the chamber for transporting the substrate between process modules. The drive system is connected to the chamber for driving and moving the transport along the linear path. The chamber comprises a selectable number of chamber modules serially abutted to defined the chamber. Each module has an integral portion of the drive system.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a sealable chamber capable of being sealed from outside atmosphere;

a generally linear array of process modules each communicably connected to the chamber to allow a substrate to be transferred between chamber and process module;

a substrate transport located in and movably supported from the chamber, the transport being capable of moving along a linear path defined by the chamber for transporting the substrate between process modules; and

a motor component connected to the chamber for driving and moving the transport along the linear path, the motor component comprising a linear motor drive isolated from an interior environment of the chamber;

wherein the chamber comprises a selectably variable number of chamber modules connected to each other to define the chamber, each module, when the chamber comprises more than one module, having an integral portion of the motor component so that each module with the integral portion of the motor component is connectable and removable as unit from the chamber.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber modules are interchangeable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the integral portion of the motor component of the chamber module cooperates with another motor component on the transport and drives the transport in the chamber module.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein integral portions of the motor component of adjacent chamber modules cooperate to cause the transport to move freely between adjacent chamber modules.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein adjacent chamber modules are capable of being sealed from each other, and wherein the transporter and motor component are configured to allow the transporter to move between adjacent chamber modules through a closable passage capable of sealing the adjacent chamber modules.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor component comprises an iron core linear motor drive.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor component comprises a coreless linear motor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport has a substrate transport arm for transferring the substrate between the chamber and process modules, and wherein the transport is a passive transport.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the chamber modules has a closable opening communicably connecting the chamber module to an adjoining chamber module, when the chamber comprises more than one chamber module, the closable opening, when closed, sealing the chamber module from the adjoining chamber module, and being configured to allow the transporter to move through the opening from the chamber module to the adjoining chamber module when open.

10. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a first end configured for loading a substrate into the apparatus;

an apparatus module, connected to the first end to allow the substrate to be moved between the first end and apparatus module, and capable of being sealed from outside atmosphere, the apparatus module having at least one process chamber and a substrate transport chamber module communicably connected to each other to allow the substrate to be transferred therebetween;

another apparatus module optionally connected to the apparatus module in series relative to the front end, the other module having another process chamber and another substrate transport chamber module, capable of being sealed from outside atmosphere, communicably connected to each other to allow the substrate to be transferred therebetween;

motor components connected to respective ones of the transport chamber module and the another transport chamber module, the motor components comprising a linear motor drive isolated from an interior environment of the respective transport chamber module and the another transport chamber module; and

a substrate transport vehicle located in and movably interfaced to the transport chamber module for moving the substrate between the transport chamber module and the other transport chamber module, wherein the substrate transport vehicle includes a drive motor portion configured to interact with the motor components, for driving and moving the substrate transport vehicle relative to the transport chamber module, the drive motor portion of the substrate transport vehicle being located inside the sealed transport chamber module.