Substrate processing apparatus with removable component module
View Patent ↗A substrate processing apparatus having a frame, a housing, an access system and at least a substrate transport apparatus or a substrate processing device. The housing is connected to the frame. The access system is connected to the frame and forms an access through which substrates are moved in and out of the housing. The substrate transport apparatus or substrate processing device are connected to the frame and are at least partially positioned in the housing. The frame comprises a movable portion. The movable portion is movable relative to the frame so that movement of the movable portion causes separation of the access system and at least one of the substrate transport apparatus or substrate processing device from an installed position. The substrate transport apparatus is selectable from a number of different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus. Each of the different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus has a predetermined reference datum and positioning features for positioning the substrate transport apparatus relative to the frame. The positioning features of each substrate transport apparatus are controllably located relative to its predetermined reference datum to be in a repeatable predetermined location with substantially no variance between the different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus.
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a housing connected to the frame;
an access system connected to the frame and forming an access through which substrates are moved in and out of the housing; and
at least one substrate processing device connected to the frame for processing substrates and being at least partially positioned in the housing, the at least one substrate processing device comprising a substrate transport apparatus;
wherein the frame comprises a movable portion, movable relative to the housing, to which the access system and substrate processing device are connected so that movement of the movable portion causes separation of the access system and the at least one substrate processing device as a unit from an installed position;
wherein the substrate transport apparatus is selectable from a number of different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus each having a predetermined reference datum and positioning features for positioning the substrate transport apparatus relative to the frame, the positioning features of each respective substrate transport apparatus being controllably located relative to its predetermined reference datum to be in a repeatable predetermined location with substantially no variance between the positioning features of the other ones of the different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus, wherein the substrate transport apparatus comprises an articulated arm with an end effector for holding and transporting substrates in the housing and wherein the predetermined reference datum of the substrate transport apparatus is a plane of the end effector or an axis of rotation of the articulated arm.
2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate processing tool connected to the housing for processing substrates transported into the housing via the access system.
3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transport apparatus further comprises a traverser, and wherein the articulated arm is mounted on the traverser.
4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning features are controllably located relative to the predetermined reference datum with an alignment fixture.
5. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a housing connected to the frame;
an access system connected to the frame and forming an access through which substrates are moved in and out of the housing; and
at least one substrate processing device connected to the frame for processing substrates and being at least partially positioned in the housing, the at least one substrate processing device comprising a substrate transport apparatus;
wherein the frame comprises a movable portion, movable relative to the housing, to which the access system and substrate processing device are connected so that movement of the movable portion causes separation of the access system and the at least one substrate processing device as a unit from an installed position;
wherein the substrate transport apparatus is selectable from a number of different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus each having a predetermined reference datum and positioning features for positioning the substrate transport apparatus relative to the frame, the positioning features of each respective substrate transport apparatus being controllably located relative to its predetermined reference datum to be in a repeatable predetermined location with substantially no variance between the positioning features of the other ones of the different interchangeable substrate transport apparatus, wherein the at least one substrate processing device comprises both the substrate transport apparatus and a substrate processing tool, the substrate transport apparatus and substrate processing tool both being mounted to the movable portion and defining a substrate automation engine, wherein movement of the movable portion relative to the housing moves the automation engine as a unit relative to the housing, wherein the substrate processing tool is selectable from a number of different interchangeable substrate processing tools each having a processing tool predetermined reference datum and processing tool positioning features for positioning the substrate processing tool relative to the frame, the processing tool positioning features of each substrate processing tool being controllably located relative to its processing tool predetermined reference datum to be in a rep eatable location with substantially no variance between the different interchangeable substrate processing tools.
6. The processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processing tool is a substrate aligner, and the processing tool predetermined reference datum is a substrate seating plane of the substrate aligner.
7. The processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the automation engine has a mounting interface for mounting the automation engine to the movable portion, and wherein the automation engine is selectable from a number of different interchangeable automation engines, each of the automation engines, when mounted to the movable portion, being in a repeatable predetermined location, relative to another predetermined reference datum, with substantially no adjustment to the mounting interface of the automation engine and independent of positioning of the movable portion structure interfacing with the mounting interface.
8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the mounting interface of the automation engine is defined at least in part by the positioning features of the substrate transport apparatus.
9. The processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the movable portion has a positioning feature disposed to locate the movable portion relative to the housing when the movable portion is in an installed position, and wherein the positioning feature of the movable portion defines the other predetermined reference datum.
10. The processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the positioning feature of the movable portion has a contact surface that interfaces with a mating portion for positioning the movable portion relative to the housing when the movable portion is in the installed position.