公开(公告)号：US06360132B2

公开(公告)日：2002-03-19

申请号：US09754403

申请日：2001-01-05

申请人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

发明人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/67276 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/138 ,  Y10S414/139 ,  Y10S414/14 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/41 ,  Y10T29/53087

摘要： An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.

公开(公告)号：US5975740A

公开(公告)日：1999-11-02

申请号：US654370

申请日：1996-05-28

申请人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

发明人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

IPC分类号： B65G49/07 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/677 ,  G06F19/00 ,  G06G7/66

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/67276 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/138 ,  Y10S414/139 ,  Y10S414/14 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/41 ,  Y10T29/53087

摘要： An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.

公开(公告)号：US06201998B1

公开(公告)日：2001-03-13

申请号：US09363930

申请日：1999-07-30

申请人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

发明人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/67276 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/138 ,  Y10S414/139 ,  Y10S414/14 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/41 ,  Y10T29/53087

摘要： An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种设备，方法和介质，用于提高在晶片处理设备中的晶片在不同处理室之间转移的效率。 多槽冷却室允许多个晶片被冷却，而其他晶片在其它室中经受加工步骤。 处理顺序中的每个晶片根据其处理阶段被分配优先级，并且该优先级用于对晶片在腔室之间的运动进行排序。 如果在高优先级晶片传输的调度之前发生这种传输，则先行特征防止发生低优先级晶片传输。

公开(公告)号：US06449520B1

公开(公告)日：2002-09-10

申请号：US09945794

申请日：2001-09-05

申请人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

发明人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/67276 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/138 ,  Y10S414/139 ,  Y10S414/14 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/41 ,  Y10T29/53087

摘要： An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种设备，方法和介质，用于提高在晶片处理设备中的晶片在不同处理室之间转移的效率。 多槽冷却室允许多个晶片被冷却，而其他晶片在其它室中经受加工步骤。 处理顺序中的每个晶片根据其处理阶段被分配优先级，并且该优先级用于对晶片在腔室之间的运动进行排序。 如果在高优先级晶片传输的调度之前发生这种传输，则先行特征防止发生低优先级晶片传输。

公开(公告)号：US06580955B2

公开(公告)日：2003-06-17

申请号：US10236962

申请日：2002-09-09

申请人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

发明人： Zhihong J. Lin ,  Chongyang Wang

IPC分类号： G06F1900

CPC分类号： H01L21/67167 ,  G06Q10/06 ,  H01L21/67276 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10S414/137 ,  Y10S414/138 ,  Y10S414/139 ,  Y10S414/14 ,  Y10S414/141 ,  Y10T29/41 ,  Y10T29/53087

摘要： An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.

公开(公告)号：US20090064929A1

公开(公告)日：2009-03-12

申请号：US12254784

申请日：2008-10-20

申请人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

发明人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

IPC分类号： B05C13/02

CPC分类号： H01L21/67225 ,  G03B27/32 ,  G03D13/006 ,  G03F7/40 ,  G05B19/41825 ,  G05B2219/40476 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  G05B2219/49137 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67161 ,  H01L21/67173 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67754 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L22/26 ,  Y02P90/087 ,  Y10S414/135 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10T29/53187 ,  Y10T29/5323

摘要： Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a substrate is coated with a photosensitive material, is then transferred to a stepper/scanner, which exposes the photosensitive material to some form of radiation to form a pattern in the photosensitive material, which is then removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool. In track lithography type cluster tools, since the chamber processing times tend to be rather short, and the number of processing steps required to complete a typical track system process is large, a significant portion of the time it takes to process a substrate is taken up by the processes of transferring the substrates in a cluster tool between the various processing chambers. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, the cost of ownership is reduced by grouping substrates together and transferring and processing the substrates in groups of two or more to improve system throughput, and reduces the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, thus reducing wear on the robot and increasing system reliability. In one aspect of the invention, the substrate processing sequence and cluster tool are designed so that the substrate transferring steps performed during the processing sequence are only made to chambers that will perform the next processing step in the processing sequence. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to improve the coater chamber, the developer chamber, the post exposure bake chamber, the chill chamber, and the bake chamber process results. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

公开(公告)号：US20090064928A1

公开(公告)日：2009-03-12

申请号：US12254750

申请日：2008-10-20

申请人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lue

发明人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lue

IPC分类号： B05C13/02

CPC分类号： H01L21/67225 ,  G03B27/32 ,  G03D13/006 ,  G03F7/40 ,  G05B19/41825 ,  G05B2219/40476 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  G05B2219/49137 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67161 ,  H01L21/67173 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67754 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L22/26 ,  Y02P90/087 ,  Y10S414/135 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10T29/53187 ,  Y10T29/5323

摘要： Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a substrate is coated with a photosensitive material, is then transferred to a stepper/scanner, which exposes the photosensitive material to some form of radiation to form a pattern in the photosensitive material, which is then removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool. In track lithography type cluster tools, since the chamber processing times tend to be rather short, and the number of processing steps required to complete a typical track system process is large, a significant portion of the time it takes to process a substrate is taken up by the processes of transferring the substrates in a cluster tool between the various processing chambers. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, the cost of ownership, is reduced by grouping substrates together and transferring and processing the substrates in groups of two or more to improve system throughput, and reduces the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, thus reducing wear on the robot and increasing system reliability. In one aspect of the invention, the substrate processing sequence and cluster tool are designed so that the substrate transferring steps performed during the processing sequence are only made to chambers that will perform the next processing step in the processing sequence. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to improve the coater chamber, the developer chamber, the post exposure bake chamber, the chill chamber, and the bake chamber process results. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

公开(公告)号：US20120320361A1

公开(公告)日：2012-12-20

申请号：US13524854

申请日：2012-06-15

申请人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchem ,  Brian Lue

发明人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchem ,  Brian Lue

IPC分类号： G03B27/58

CPC分类号： H01L21/67225 ,  G03B27/32 ,  G03D13/006 ,  G03F7/40 ,  G05B19/41825 ,  G05B2219/40476 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  G05B2219/49137 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67161 ,  H01L21/67173 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67754 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L22/26 ,  Y02P90/087 ,  Y10S414/135 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10T29/53187 ,  Y10T29/5323

摘要： Embodiments of the invention generally include a robot assembly comprising a robot operable to position a substrate at one or more points within a plane, and a motion assembly having a motor operable to position the robot in a direction generally parallel to a first direction. The motion assembly comprises a robot support interface having the robot coupled thereto, and one or more walls that form an interior region in which the motor is enclosed. The walls define an elongated opening through which the robot support interface travels, and the motor is operable to move the robot support interface laterally in the elongated opening. The motion assembly further comprises one or more fan assemblies that are in fluid communication with the interior region. The fan assemblies are operable to create a subatmospheric pressure in the interior region thereby causing gas to flow through the elongated opening into the interior region.

摘要翻译： 本发明的实施例通常包括机器人组件，其包括可操作以在平面内的一个或多个点处定位衬底的机器人，以及具有可操作以将机器人沿大致平行于第一方向的方向定位的电动机的运动组件。 运动组件包括机器人支撑接口，其具有耦合到其上的机器人，以及一个或多个壁，其形成电机被封闭的内部区域。 壁限定了机器人支撑接口行进的细长开口，电动机可操作以在细长的开口中横向移动机器人支撑界面。 运动组件还包括与内部区域流体连通的一个或多个风扇组件。 风扇组件可操作以在内部区域中产生低于大气压的压力，从而使气体通过细长的开口流入内部区域。

公开(公告)号：US08181596B2

公开(公告)日：2012-05-22

申请号：US12254750

申请日：2008-10-20

申请人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

发明人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

IPC分类号： B05C13/02 ,  C23C14/00 ,  H01L21/677

CPC分类号： H01L21/67225 ,  G03B27/32 ,  G03D13/006 ,  G03F7/40 ,  G05B19/41825 ,  G05B2219/40476 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  G05B2219/49137 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67161 ,  H01L21/67173 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67754 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L22/26 ,  Y02P90/087 ,  Y10S414/135 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10T29/53187 ,  Y10T29/5323

摘要： An apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, a smaller system footprint, and a more repeatable wafer history. Embodiments provide for a cluster tool comprising first and second processing racks, each having two or more vertically stacked substrate processing chambers, a first robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a first side, a second robot assembly able to access the first processing rack from a second side and the second processing rack from a first side, a third robot assembly able to access the second processing rack from a second side, and a fourth robot assembly able to access the first and second processing racks and to load substrates in a cassette.

摘要翻译： 一种使用具有增加的系统吞吐量，增加的系统可靠性，更小的系统占用面积和更可重复的晶片历史的多室处理系统（例如，集群工具）处理衬底的设备。 实施例提供了一种集群工具，其包括第一和第二处理机架，每个具有两个或更多个垂直堆叠的衬底处理室，能够从第一侧接近第一处理架的第一机器人组件，能够访问第一处理的第二机器人组件 从第二侧起第二机架和从第二侧起第二处理齿条的第三机器人组件，以及能够从第二侧进入第二处理齿条的第三机器人组件，以及能够接近第一和第二处理机架并将基板装入的第四机器人组件 一个盒子。

公开(公告)号：US08146530B2

公开(公告)日：2012-04-03

申请号：US12254778

申请日：2008-10-20

申请人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

发明人： Tetsuya Ishikawa ,  Rick J. Roberts ,  Helen R. Armer ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Jay D. Pinson ,  Michael Rice ,  David H. Quach ,  Mohsen S. Salek ,  Robert Lowrance ,  John A. Backer ,  William Tyler Weaver ,  Charles Carlson ,  Chongyang Wang ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Harald Herchen ,  Brian Lu

IPC分类号： B05C13/02 ,  C23C14/00 ,  H01L21/67

CPC分类号： H01L21/67225 ,  G03B27/32 ,  G03D13/006 ,  G03F7/40 ,  G05B19/41825 ,  G05B2219/40476 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  G05B2219/49137 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67161 ,  H01L21/67173 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/67748 ,  H01L21/67754 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L22/26 ,  Y02P90/087 ,  Y10S414/135 ,  Y10S414/136 ,  Y10T29/53187 ,  Y10T29/5323

摘要： Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to improve the coater chamber, the developer chamber, the post exposure bake chamber, the chill chamber, and the bake chamber process results. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.

摘要翻译： 实施例通常提供使用具有增加的系统吞吐量，增加的系统可靠性的多腔室处理系统（例如，集群工具）来处理衬底的装置和方法，在集群工具中处理的衬底具有更可重复的晶片历史，并且还 集群工具具有更小的系统占用空间。 实施例还提供了用于改进涂布室，显影室，曝光后烘烤室，冷却室和烘焙室处理结果的方法和装置。 实施例还提供了用于增加衬底转移过程以减少系统停机时间的可靠性的方法和装置。