Automated semiconductor processing system

• US 20030017034A1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary L. Curtis, Jeffrey A Davis
• Original Assignee: Gary L. Curtis, Jeffrey A Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Jeffrey A., Curtis, Gary L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,712,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/404
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67313 Horizontal boat type carrier whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67326 Horizontal carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67754 horizontal transfer of a batch of workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67775 Docking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67778 involving loading and unloading of wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67781 Batch transfer of wafers
• 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 134/902 Semiconductor wafer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/141 includes means for gripping wafer

Abstract

A semiconductor processing system for wafers or other semiconductor articles. The system uses an interface section at an end of the machine accessible from the clean room. A plurality of processing stations are arranged away from the clean room interface. A transfer subsystem removes wafers from supporting carriers, and positions both the wafers and carriers onto a carrousel which is used as an inventory storage. Wafers are shuttled between the inventory and processing stations by a robotic conveyor which is oriented to move toward and away from the interface end. The system processes the wafers without wafer carriers.

Claims

1. A processing system for semiconductor articles, comprising:

an interface section and a processing section with an enclosure with the interface section including;

a first carriage at a first vertical level and having a first location for receiving and holding a first carrier containing a first array of articles;

a first lift head supported on a first elevator and vertically movable through a first opening in the first carriage at the first location, with the first lift head having a plurality of grooves for engaging the first array of articles, and for lifting the array of articles up and out of the first carrier;

a second carriage at a second vertical level above the first level, with the second carriage linearly movable, in a first direction relative to the first elevator, and with the second carriage having at least a first article support formed by a first pair of spaced apart support arms, and with the support arms having a plurality of arm grooves;

with the array of articles movable from the first carrier to the first article support via vertical movement of the first elevator lifting the array of articles up and out of the first carrier, horizontal movement of the second carriage, in the first direction relative to the array of wafers supported on the first elevator, followed by vertical movement downwardly, to place the array of articles onto the first article support;

a processing section comprising at least one processing station having a rotor rotatably supported within a process chamber, the rotor having combs for holding the array of articles; and

a robotic conveyor movable, in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, between the at least one processing station and the article support, with the robotic conveyor having an articulated arm and an article transfer implement attached to an end of the articulated arm, and with the transfer implement having a pair of transfer implement arms spaced apart by a fixed distance, and with the transfer implement arms having grooves therein for receiving and holding the array of wafers with the transfer implement movable into and out of the rotor, to place articles in or remove articles out of the rotor.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure having a front wall and a back wall, with the first and second carriages and the first elevator within the enclosure, and with the second carriage moveable relative to the first carriage in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to the front wall and the back wall.

3. The system of claim 1 further including means for aligning the carrier around the opening in the first carriage.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second article support aligned with the first article support, and also formed by the first pair of spaced apart support arms having a plurality of arm grooves.

5. The system of claim 3 with each of the first and second article supports having a number of grooves matching the maunder of articles in the first carrier, when the e first carrier is fully loaded.

6. The system of claim 4 with the number of grooves in the transfer implement being at least equal to the number of grooves in the first and second article supports.

7. A system for processing articles comprising:

an interface section having a plurality of article supports each having grooves on a pair of spaced apart arms for holding an array of articles;

a process section adjacent to the interface section, with the process section including at least one processor including a rotor having combs for holding the array of articles; and

a robotic conveyor movable from the interface section to the process section, with the conveyor having an articulated arm and an article transfer implement at an end of the articulated arm, the article transfer implement having transfer implement grooves in a pair of spaced apart transfer implement arms;

the robotic conveyor conveying the array of articles from the article support into the rotor by engaging the array of articles into the transfer implement grooves, lifting the array of articles up off of the article support, moving in a first direction horizontally to the processor, and then moving in a second direction horizontally perpendicular to the first direction, and then moving vertically downwardly to place the articles into the combs of the rotor.

8. The system of claim 7 where the article supports are on a rotatable carousel within the interface section.

9. The system of claim 7 further including a first carriage and a second carriage in the interface section, with the first carriage below the second carriage and the first carriage moveable in the second direction relative to the first carriage, and an elevator in the interface section for lifting an array of articles from the first carriage to the second carriage.

10. A system for processing a batch of semiconductor wafers or similar articles, comprising:

an interface section;

a processing section adjoining the interface section;

a transfer device movable between the interface section and the processing section, with the transfer device having a plurality of grooves for holding a batch of artilces from below;

an inventory section within the interface section, the inventory section having multiple sets of holding spaces, and with each holding space having a plurality of grooves for holding the batch of articles from below; and

an article transfer substation having a lift head including a plurality of grooves for holding the articles from below.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a lateral drive connected to the transfer subsystem for moving the lift head in a lateral direction relative to the inventory section, and a vertical drive for raising and lowering the lift head relative to the inventory section, so that the transfer subsystem can move batches of articles vertically and laterally, into and out of the inventory section.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the inventory section comprises a carousel.