公开(公告)号：US20020031420A1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-14

申请号：US09161970

申请日：1998-09-28

Applicant: Applied Material Inc.

Inventor： TONY KROEKER

IPC: B65G049/07

CPC classification number: H01L21/67126 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67751 ,  Y10S414/139

Abstract: The present invention provides a load lock having a vertically movable lid, an internal robot, and a wafer lifting mechanism and further provides a method of transferring wafers through a load lock directly to a process chamber. An atmospheric transfer robot shuttles wafers to and from the lifting mechanism while the lid is raised and the lifting mechanism then transfers wafers to and from the internal robot. The load lock is directly attached to a process chamber and communicates therewith via a slit valve which is selectively opened and closed. The internal robot is extended and retracted through the slit valve aperture in order to transfer a wafer to and from the process chamber. In one embodiment the lifting mechanism is comprised of vertically movable lift pins disposed through the bottom of the load lock. In another embodiment the lifting mechanism includes two pairs of lift forks disposed through the cover of the load lock. Each pair of forks is capable of independent rotational and vertical movement and each pair is adapted to handle a single wafer.

Abstract translation: 本发明提供一种具有可垂直移动的盖子，内部机器人和晶片提升机构的装载锁定装置，并且还提供了一种通过装载锁定将晶片直接传送到处理室的方法。 大气传送机器人在盖子升起时将晶片运送到提升机构，并且提升机构然后将晶片传送到内部机器人和从内部机器人传送晶片。 负载锁直接连接到处理室，并通过选择性地打开和关闭的狭缝阀与其连通。 内部机器人通过狭缝阀孔延伸并缩回，以将晶片传送到处理室和从处理室传送晶片。 在一个实施例中，提升机构包括穿过负载锁的底部设置的可升降的升降销。 在另一个实施例中，提升机构包括穿过装载锁的盖布置的两对提升叉。 每对叉都能够独立的旋转和垂直运动，并且每对叉都适于处理单个晶片。