Integral facet cryopump, water vapor pump, or high vacuum pump

• US 8,082,741 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Vacuum, LLC (Atlas Copco AB)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bartlett, Allen J., Kraus, Joseph A., Eacobacci, Michael J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US11/803,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 62/555, 62/507, 62/511, 118/719, 438/715, 438/737, 438/974
• US Class Current: 62/50.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers

Abstract

A cluster tool has a transfer chamber, and a load lock chamber. An adaptor is configured to be coupled between the transfer chamber and the load lock chamber. The adaptor has an adaptor housing with an interior space including an entrance with a first valve and an exit with a second valve. The adaptor housing forms a substrate path through the interior space. The first valve connects the interior space and the load lock chamber. The second valve connects the interior space and the transfer chamber. A cryogenic surface is associated with the adaptor. Other pumps can be associated with the adaptor, such as, for example, a turbo pump, or water vapor pump. The cryogenic surface is configured to selectively evacuate the interior space. A wafer is adapted to be moved through the first valve and through the adaptor housing along the path. The wafer is moved through the exit and into the transfer chamber once the second valve is opened. This adaptor can be applied to the process chamber as well as the load lock.

Claims

1. A multi-chamber tool comprising:

a first chamber;

a second chamber;

an adaptor configured to be coupled between the first chamber and the second chamber, the adaptor comprising;

an adaptor housing with an interior space including an entrance with a first valve and an exit with a second valve, the adaptor housing forming a path through the interior space;

the first valve connecting the interior space and the first chamber;

the second valve connecting the interior space and the second chamber; and

a cryogenic surface associated with the adaptor, the cryogenic surface configured to selectively evacuate the interior space, a substrate being adapted to be moveable through the first valve and through the adaptor housing along the path and configured to be moveable through the exit and into the second chamber once the second valve is opened.

2. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic vacuum pump.

3. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to evacuate both the second chamber and the adaptor housing.

4. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to evacuate the second chamber and prevent a pressure spike in the second chamber during transfer of the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber.

5. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic vacuum pump that is located outside of the adaptor housing.

6. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a vacuum pump, and wherein the adaptor housing and the vacuum pump can be taken offline from the multi-chamber tool for a regeneration operation, while a second adaptor including a second vacuum pump is operable to evacuate the second chamber for substantially continuous tool operation.

7. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor in the interior space.

8. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the first valve is a slit valve.

9. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, wherein the second valve is a slit valve.

10. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, further comprising a substrate holder.

11. The multi-chamber tool of claim 1, further comprising a second adaptor housing including a second interior space with a second entrance and a second exit and forming a second path through the second interior space, the first interior space communicating with the second interior space, wherein the first housing and the second housing share the cryogenic surface.

12. The multi-chamber tool of claim 11, wherein the second housing includes a third valve between the second housing and a third chamber and a fourth valve between the second housing and the second chamber.

13. The multi-chamber tool of claim 12, wherein at least one of the third and fourth valves is a slit valve.

14. The multi-chamber tool of claim 11, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic pump and a cryogenic refrigerator, the cryogenic pump being located in a shared compartment, the shared compartment being positioned between the first housing and the second housing.

15. An adaptor configured to be positioned between a first chamber and a second chamber, the adaptor comprising:

an adaptor housing including an interior space including an entrance and an exit and forming a path through the interior space;

a first valve to communicate with the interior space and configured to be coupled to the first chamber;

a second valve to communicate with the interior space and configured to be coupled to the second chamber; and

a cryogenic surface associated with the adaptor housing and communicating with the interior space, the cryogenic surface configured to evacuate the interior space.

16. The adaptor of claim 15, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic pump located outside of the adaptor housing.

17. The adaptor of claim 15, wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to evacuate the second chamber and prevent a pressure spike in the second chamber during transfer of the wafer from the first chamber to the second chamber.

18. The adaptor of claim 15, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a vacuum pump, and wherein the adaptor housing and the vacuum pump can be taken offline from a multi-chamber tool for a regeneration operation, and a second adaptor having a second vacuum pump is operable for substantially continuous operation of the multi-chamber tool.

19. The adaptor of claim 15, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic pump, and wherein the cryogenic pump evacuates both the adaptor housing and the second chamber.

20. An adaptor configured to be positioned between a process module and a transfer chamber, or a load lock chamber and a transfer chamber, the adaptor comprising:

an adaptor housing including an interior space with an entrance and an exit and forming a path through the interior space;

a first valve communicating with the interior space, and configured to be coupled to the process module or the load lock chamber;

a second valve communicating with the interior space, and configured to be coupled to the transfer chamber; and

a cryogenic surface associated with the adaptor housing, and communicating with the interior space, the cryogenic surface configured to evacuate the interior space.

21. The adaptor of claim 20, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic pump being located outside the adaptor housing.

22. The adaptor of claim 20, wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to pump either the transfer chamber, the process module, or the load lock chamber.

23. The adaptor of claim 20, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a vacuum pump, and wherein the adaptor housing and the vacuum pump can be taken offline from a multi-chamber tool for a regeneration operation, and further comprising a second adaptor with a second vacuum pump being operable for substantially continuous operation of the multi-chamber tool.

24. The adaptor of claim 20, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic pump, and wherein the cryogenic pump evacuates both the adaptor housing and the process module or both the adaptor housing and the load lock chamber.

25. A multi-chamber tool comprising:

a transfer chamber;

a process module;

an adaptor configured to be coupled between the transfer chamber, and the process module, the adaptor comprising;

an adaptor housing with an interior space including an entrance with a first valve, and an exit with a second valve, the adaptor housing forming a substrate path through the interior space;

the first valve connecting the interior space and the process module;

the second valve connecting the interior space and the transfer chamber;

a pump associated with the adaptor, and configured to selectively evacuate the interior space, the substrate being adapted to be moveable through the first valve and through the adaptor housing along the path, and moveable through the exit and into the process module,

wherein the pump is associated with a cryogenic surface, and wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to evacuate both the transfer chamber, and the adaptor housing.

26. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, wherein the cryogenic surface is configured to evacuate the transfer chamber, and prevent a pressure spike in the transfer chamber during transfer of the wafer from the transfer chamber to the process module.

27. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a cryogenic vacuum pump located outside of the adaptor housing.

28. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, wherein the cryogenic surface is associated with a vacuum pump and wherein the adaptor housing, and the vacuum pump can be taken offline from the multi-chamber tool for a regeneration operation, while a second adaptor with a second vacuum pump is operable to evacuate the transfer chamber for substantially continuous multi-chamber tool operation.

29. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, further comprising a pressure sensor in the interior space.

30. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first valve or the second valve, or both are slit valves.

31. The multi-chamber tool of claim 25, further comprising a substrate holder.