Apparatus and methods for transporting and processing substrates
View Patent ↗There is described apparatus and methods for transporting and processing substrates including wafers as to efficiently produce at reasonable costs improved throughput as compared to systems in use today. A key element is the use of a transport chamber along the sides of processing chambers for feeding substrates into a controlled atmosphere through a load lock and then along a transport chamber as a way of reaching processing chambers and then out of the controlled atmosphere following processing in the processing chambers.
1. A substrate processing system, comprising:
an elongated substrate transfer chamber having an evacuated section and an atmospheric section;
a first linear track affixed to the transfer chamber within the evacuated section;
a second linear track affixed to the transfer chamber at the atmospheric section;
a first base linearly riding on the first linear track;
a second base linearly riding on the second linear track;
a speed reducer mounted onto the first base and having a magnetically-coupled follower as its input and providing a slower rotational speed at its output;
a rotary motor mounted onto the second base and rotating a magnetic driver, the magnetic driver imparting a rotational motion to the magnetically-coupled follower across a vacuum partition; and,
a robot arm coupled to the output of the speed reducer.
2. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a linear motor affixed to the second base.
3. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising a linear motion encoder coupled to the second base and a rotary encoder coupled to the rotary motor.
4. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 3 , further comprising magnetized wheels coupled to the second base.
5. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a third base linearly riding on the first linear track;
a fourth base linearly riding on the second linear track;
a second speed reducer mounted onto the third base and having a second magnetically-coupled follower as its input and providing a lower rotational speed at its output;
a second rotary motor mounted onto the fourth base and rotating a second magnetic driver, the second magnetic driver imparting a rotational motion to the second magnetically-coupled follower across a second vacuum partition; and,
a second robot arm coupled to the output of the second speed reducer.
6. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 5 , further comprising an arm extension coupled between the robot arm and the speed reducer so as to enable the axis of rotation of the robot arm and the axis of rotation of the second robot arm to coincide.
7. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first linear track comprises magnetic levitation assembly.
8. A substrate processing system, comprising:
an elongated substrate transfer chamber having an evacuated section and an atmospheric section;
a first linear track affixed to the transfer chamber within the evacuated section;
a second linear track affixed to the transfer chamber at the atmospheric section;
an unmotorized base freely riding on the first linear track;
a motorized base linearly riding on the second linear track;
a speed reducer mounted onto the unmotorized base and having a magnetically-coupled follower as its input and providing a slower rotational speed at its output;
a rotary motor mounted onto the motorized base and rotating a magnetic driver, the magnetic driver imparting a rotational motion to the magnetically-coupled follower across a vacuum partition; and,
a robot arm coupled to the output of the speed reducer.
9. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:
a load lock opening;
a plurality of processing chambers openings; and,
a controller programmed to actuate the motorized base and rotary motor in a combination of linear and rotational motions such that a substrate positioned on the robot arm moves in only straight lines between the load lock opening and the processing chambers openings.
10. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the motorized base comprises a linear motor.
11. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising a linear motion encoder coupled to the motorized base and a rotary encoder coupled to the rotary motor.
12. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the unmotorized base comprises magnetic levitation arrangement.
13. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:
a second unmotorized base linearly riding on the first linear track;
a second motorized base linearly riding on the second linear track;
a second speed reducer mounted onto the second unmotorized base and having a second magnetically-coupled follower as its input and providing a slower rotational speed at its output;
a second rotary motor mounted onto the second motorized base and rotating a second magnetic driver, the second magnetic driver imparting a rotational motion to the second magnetically-coupled follower across a second vacuum partition; and,
a second robot arm coupled to the output of the second speed reducer.
14. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the second robot arm is coupled to the second speed reducer such that it may linearly pass below the robot arm.
15. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein when the second robot arm is situated below the robot arm, the rotational axis of the robot arm and the second robot arm coincide.
16. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising an arm extension coupled between the second robot arm and the second speed reducer such that the second robot arm may linearly pass above the robot arm.
17. The substrate processing system in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the arm extension is fixed and not movable.