Stacked process modules for a semiconductor handling system
View Patent ↗Methods and systems are provided for a vacuum-based semiconductor handling system. The system may be a linear system with a four-link robotic SCARA arm for moving materials in the system. The system may include one or more vertically stacked load locks or vertically stacked process modules.
1. A semiconductor manufacturing system adapted to handle a wafer, the semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:
a plurality of vertically stacked loading stations;
a shared vacuum environment coupled to the loading stations;
one or more vertically stacked mid-entry stations coupled to the shared vacuum environment; and
a plurality of process modules arranged in a linear system and sharing the shared vacuum environment, wherein the shared vacuum environment has a loading end and an exit end at opposite ends of the linear system, the plurality of process modules being vertically stacked process modules that are arranged in a 2-level configuration having a top level and a bottom level, the top level rotated substantially 45-degrees relative to the bottom level.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a SCARA arm robotic component for passing materials between the process modules.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a four-link SCARA robotic arm.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the robotic arm passes materials from arm to arm among the process modules.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the robotic arm moves in the vertical direction to service at least one of vertically stacked process modules.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes dual, vertically opposed robotic arms.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the arms are four-link SCARA arms.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of vertically stacked loading stations feeds a manufacturing process that includes one or more of the plurality of vertically stacked processing modules.
9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a controller configured to effect loading a second one of the plurality of vertically stacked loading stations while the one of the plurality of vertically stacked loading stations feeds the manufacturing process.
10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller configured to coordinate loading of the plurality of vertically stacked loading modules to minimize wait time.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of vertically stacked processing modules are arranged to reduce a footprint for the system.
12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one robot can access any one of the vertically stacked load stations.
13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of vertically stacked exit stations.
14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one robotic component can access more than one vertically stacked process module.
15. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one robotic component can access more than one horizontally adjacent processing module.
16. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one holding station between two horizontally adjacent processing modules.
17. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one robotic component can access more than one vertically stacked mid-entry station.
18. The system of claim 1 wherein a workpiece can move through a plurality of different paths of adjacent processing modules.