Method and apparatus for a cleanspace fabricator
A fab can be constructed as a round or rectangular annular tube with a primary cleanspace located in-between its inner and outer tubes. The fab can be encircled with levels upon which tools can be densely packed while preserving unidirectional air flow. If only tool ports are inside, and robotics are used, primary cleanspace size can be minimized. Highly simplified robotics can be used. Tools can be removed and repaired centrally. A secondary cleanspace can be added for tool bodies. Multilevel construction enhances use of prefabricated units for fab build or maintenance. Curves or folds, applied to a conventional planar cleanroom, can construct a wide range of fab geometries, including a tubular non-annular fab. A fab can also be constructed according to a curved or non-curved sectional cut of an annular tube. A novel fab, of a non-curved section, can include a nonsegmented cleanspace or have its tools vertically stacked.
1 . A fabricator comprising:
a primary cleanspace bounded in part by a first vertical wall and a second vertical wall, wherein said primary cleanspace is located between the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall;
an air source for providing air flow through the cleanspace in a predetermined unidirection from the first vertical wall to the second vertical wall;
two or more flanges, each sealed to a respective opening in at least one of the vertical walls, each said flange additionally sealable to a fabrication tool comprising a port and a body, wherein each seal facilitates the containment of air within the primary cleanspace while at least a portion of the tool port is within the primary cleanspace and at least a portion of the tool body is external to the primary cleanspace.
2 . The fabricator of claim 1 wherein the two or more flanges are positioned in a vertical dimension such that a first fabrication tool is sealable with a first flange beneath a second fabrication tool sealable with a second flange.
3 . The fabricator of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first fabrication tool and the second fabrication tool is sealable via a respective seal with at least a part of the port of the fabrication tool within the primary cleanspace and at least part of the body of the fabrication tool external to the primary cleanspace.
4 . The fabricator of claim 1 additionally comprising automation for transporting a material to be processed in at least a vertical dimension between the two or more fabrication tools.
5 . The fabricator of claim 1 additionally comprising a tertiary wall defining a secondary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace is of sufficient area to contain the body of a fabrication tool while at least a portion of the tool port is within the primary cleanspace.
6 . The fabricator of claim 5 further comprising a flange between the primary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace, wherein the flange seals airflow between the primary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace around the fabrication tool.
7 . The fabricator of claim 6 additionally comprising a first high efficiency particulate air filter system and a second high efficiency particulate air filter system, wherein an air source moves air through the primary cleanspace and the first high efficiency particulate air filter system in a unidirection and exits the air from the primary cleanspace into a second high efficiency particulate air filter system and through the secondary cleanspace in a unidirection.
8 . The fabricator of claim 1 wherein the fabrication tool comprises a machine to process an integrated circuit substrate.
9 . The fabricator of claim 1 wherein the fabrication tool comprises one or more of: reactive ion etching equipment; lithography equipment; metal deposition equipment; thermal reaction processing equipment, ion implantation equipment, chemical processing equipment and chemical/mechanical polishing equipment.
10 . The fabricator space of claim 1 additionally comprising a robot located within the primary cleanspace, said robot operative to transport material within the vertical cleanspace from a first tool port to a second tool port.
11 . A fabricator comprising:
a primary cleanspace bounded in part by a first horizontal boundary and a second horizontal boundary, wherein said primary cleanspace is located between the a first horizontal boundary and a second horizontal boundary;
an air source for providing air flow through the cleanspace in a predetermined unidirection from the first horizontal boundary to the second horizontal boundary;
two or more flanges, each sealed to a respective opening in at least one of the horizontal walls, each said flange additionally sealable to a fabrication tool comprising a port and a body, wherein each seal facilitates the containment of air within the primary cleanspace while at least a portion of the tool port is within the primary cleanspace and at least a portion of the tool body is external to the primary cleanspace.
12 . The fabricator of claim 11 wherein the fabrication tools are located beneath the lower horizontal boundary.
13 . The fabricator of claim 11 wherein the fabrication tools are located above the upper horizontal boundary.
14 . The fabricator of claim 10 wherein at least one of a first fabrication tool and a second fabrication tool is sealable via a respective seal with at least a part of the port of the fabrication tool within the primary cleanspace and at least part of the body of the fabrication tool external to the primary cleanspace.
15 . The fabricator of claim 14 additionally comprising automation for transporting a material to be processed in at least a horizontal dimension between the two or more fabrication tools.
16 . The fabricator of claim 10 additionally comprising a tertiary horizontal boundary defining a secondary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace is of sufficient dimension to contain the body of a fabrication tool while at least a portion of the tool port is within the primary cleanspace.
17 . The fabricator of claim 16 further comprising a flange between the primary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace, wherein the flange seals airflow between the primary cleanspace and the secondary cleanspace around the fabrication tool.
18 . The fabricator of claim 16 additionally comprising a first high efficiency particulate air filter system and a second high efficiency particulate air filter system, wherein an air source moves air through the primary cleanspace and the first high efficiency particulate air filter system in a unidirection and exits the air from the primary cleanspace into a second high efficiency particulate air filter system and through the secondary cleanspace in a unidirection.
19 . The fabricator of claim 10 wherein the fabrication tool comprises a machine to process an integrated circuit substrate.
20 . A method of fabricating a substrate, the method comprising:
placing the substrate in a cleanspace of the type described in claim 1 ;
transferring the substrate from a first fabrication tool to a second fabrication tool, wherein each of the first fabrication tool and the second fabrication tool comprises a port and a body, and one or more of the fabrication tool ports are located at least in part within the cleanspace and the respective one or more tool bodies, at least in part, are located exterior to the cleanspace; and
modifying the substrate with the first fabrication tool and the second fabrication tool.
21 . The method of claim 20 additionally comprising transferring the substrate from the first fabrication tool to the second fabrication tool with an automated robot.
22 . The method of claim 20 wherein the first fabrication tool is located at a first vertical level and the second fabrication tool is located at a second vertical level above the first vertical level.
23 . The method of claim 20 additionally comprising the step of providing an atmospheric flow between the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall.
24 . The method of claim 20 the step of transferring the substrate from the first fabrication tool to the second fabrication tool is accomplished with an automated robot.
25 . The fabricator of claim 1 wherein each of the first fabrication tool and the second fabrication tool may be removed from the cleanspace fabricator while the other fabrication tool remains sealed by its respective flange.