Semiconductor wafer handling and transport

• US 8,500,388 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: van der Meulen, Peter, Kiley, Christopher C, Pannese, Patrick D., Ritter, Raymond S., Schaefer, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KEENAN, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US12/025,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20080187418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,010 Days
• Field of Search: 414/805, 414/939
• US Class Current: 414/805
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 25/02 the carrier or impeller having different forward and return paths of movement, e.g. walking beam conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/00 Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68792 characterised by the construction of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.

Claims

1. A method for moving a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method comprising:

providing a front end module having a first robotic arm, a tunnel capable of being sealed for holding a sealed environment, a plurality of process ports, an exchange zone having at least one exchange zone port and at least one tunnel exchange zone port, and a track for guiding cart motion within the tunnel, each of the plurality of process ports, the at least one tunnel exchange zone port, and the at least one exchange zone port having an isolation valve that opens and closes the port;

providing a second robotic arm at each of the plurality of process ports and the at least one tunnel exchange zone port, each second robotic arm at each respective port being operable to reach through its respective port from outside the tunnel;

retrieving a wafer with the first robotic arm;

handing off the wafer through the exchange zone from the first robotic arm to the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port where both the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port reach into the exchange zone from outside the exchange zone, where the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port reaches through the at least one exchange zone port into the exchange zone;

with the isolation valve of the at least one exchange zone port closed, positioning the wafer outside the at least one tunnel exchange zone port with the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port;

positioning a cart inside of the tunnel adjacent the at least one tunnel exchange zone port;

opening the isolation valve of the at least one tunnel exchange zone port;

inserting the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port into the tunnel through the at least one tunnel exchange zone port and placing the wafer on the cart;

withdrawing the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port from the tunnel; and

closing the isolation valve of the at least one tunnel exchange zone port.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a process cell coupled to at least one of the plurality of process ports, the process cell including a process module and a transport module having the second robotic arm at one of the plurality of process ports;

with the one of the plurality of process ports closed, positioning the cart inside of the tunnel adjacent the one of the plurality of process ports;

opening the one of the plurality of process ports;

inserting the second robotic arm at the one of the plurality of process ports into the tunnel through the process port and transferring the wafer between the second robotic arm and the cart;

withdrawing the second robotic arm from the tunnel; and

closing the process port.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second robotic arm is located at the one of the plurality of process ports outside the tunnel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing at least one process on the wafer during transport of the wafer by the cart.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one process is wafer heating or wafer cooling.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the wafer in a substantially level orientation with a gimbaled workpiece holder of the cart during inclined travel of the cart.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the tunnel with a first and second end where the front end module, first robotic arm and the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port are located at the first end;

transferring the wafer to the cart with a third robotic arm;

providing a second front end module having a fourth robotic arm; and

transferring the wafer between a substrate holding location and the third robotic arm with the fourth robotic arm;

wherein the second front end module, third robotic arm and fourth robotic arm are located at the second end of the tunnel.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising forming a wafer transport loop with the tunnel, the second robotic arm at the at least one tunnel exchange zone port and the third robotic arm.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

positioning the second robotic arm at one of the plurality of process ports within a transfer chamber of a cluster tool; and

coupling the tunnel to a port of the transfer chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising passively holding the wafer on the cart with a substrate holder configured to receive the wafer from the second robotic arm.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the cart with a robotic arm for loading and unloading the wafer from the cart.

12. A method comprising:

providing a substrate transport system including at least one tunnel capable of being sealed for holding a sealed environment within the at least one tunnel, at least one substrate transport cart disposed within the at least one tunnel, a front end module having a first robotic arm, an exchange zone disposed between and connecting the front end module and the tunnel and having an exchange zone port, and a second robotic arm operable to reach into the at least one tunnel through a sealable port from outside the at least one tunnel;

transferring a substrate between a substrate holding location and the second robotic arm through the exchange zone with the first robotic arm where both the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm reach into the exchange zone from outside the exchange zone, where the second robotic arm reaches through the exchange zone port into the exchange zone;

with the exchange zone port and the sealable port sealed, positioning the substrate outside the sealable port with the second robotic arm;

positioning the at least one cart inside the at least one tunnel adjacent the sealable port;

opening the sealable port and transferring the substrate between the second robotic arm and the at least one cart; and

withdrawing the second robotic arm from the at least one tunnel and sealing the sealable port.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one tunnel includes a first and second end, the method further comprising:

transferring the substrate to and from the at least one cart at the second end with a third robotic arm; and

transferring the substrate at the second end between a substrate holding location and the third robotic arm.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one tunnel includes two tunnels, the method further comprising forming a substrate transport loop with the two tunnels, the second robotic arm and the third robotic arm.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

positioning a fourth robotic arm within a transfer chamber of a cluster tool; and

coupling the at least one tunnel to a port of the transfer chamber.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising passively holding the wafer on the at least one cart with a substrate holder configured to receive the substrate from the second robotic arm.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing the at least one cart with a robotic arm for loading and unloading the substrate from the cart.