Reduced capacity carrier, transport, load port, buffer system
View Patent ↗A semiconductor workpiece processing system having at least one processing apparatus for processing workpieces, a primary transport system, a secondary transport system and one or more interfaces between first transport system and second transport system. The primary and secondary transport systems each have one or more sections of substantially constant velocity and in queue sections communicating with the constant velocity sections.
1. A semiconductor workpiece processing system comprising:
at least one processing tool for processing semiconductor workpieces and configured to hold a controlled atmosphere therein;
a tool interface connected to the at least one processing tool, the interface having an opening therein for loading and unloading semiconductor workpieces in and out of the controlled atmosphere of the at least one processing tool; and
a carrier arranged for holding an isolated atmosphere and carrying semiconductor workpieces therein, the carrier having a coupling interface for coupling the carrier to the tool interface at a predetermined repeatable location, the coupling interface having non-contact coupling features that include non-contact magnetic coupling features configured to interface with and couple the carrier to the tool interface at the predetermined location, with non-mechanical alignment between the coupling features and the tool interface, during substrate transfer from the carrier through the tool interface opening.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tool interface includes non-mechanical alignment features including at least one air bearing and the non-contact coupling features of the carrier further include non-contact support features that are arranged to cooperate with the at least one air bearing.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein when coupled to the tool interface, the carrier forms an interface section adjacent the opening, and wherein the tool interface has a purge for purging the interface section.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tool interface includes non-mechanical alignment features including at least one air bearing and the non-contact coupling features further include at least one non-contact lift area configured to interface with the at least one air bearing for non-mechanically aligning the carrier with the tool interface and provide a lifting of the carrier such that the resulting lift force is coincident with a center of mass of the carrier.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one non-contact lift area is configured to at least in part align the carrier with the load port module.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the non-contact coupling features are configured such that the carrier is couplable to the tool interface in but a single orientation.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling features are keyed to the tool interface for orienting the carrier to the tool interface.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the magnetic coupling features keyed to the tool interface orient the carrier in but a single orientation.
9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the magnetic coupling features are disposed symmetrically about a single axis of the carrier and are asymmetric with respect to all other axes of the carrier.
10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tool interface includes coupling magnets configured to interface with the magnetic coupling features of the carrier such that the resulting magnetic forces bias the carrier into an aligned position relative to the tool interface.
11. A semiconductor workpiece processing system comprising:
at least one processing tool for processing semiconductor workpieces and configured to hold a controlled atmosphere therein;
a load port module connected to the at least one processing tool, the load port module having a non-contact carrier interface and an opening therein for loading and unloading semiconductor workpieces in and out of the controlled atmosphere of the at least one processing tool; and
a carrier arranged for holding an isolated atmosphere and carrying semiconductor workpieces therein, the carrier having a non-contact tool interface including non-contact magnetic coupling features configured to interface with the non-contact carrier interface to effect non-contact coupling of the carrier to the load port module where an interface direction between the non-contact carrier interface and the non-contact tool interface is substantially non-mechanically aligned with a loading direction of the carrier onto the load port module.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the non-contact carrier interface further includes non-mechanical alignment features including at least one air bearing and the non-contact tool interface includes at least one non-contact lift area configured to interface with the at least one air bearing for non-mechanically aligning the carrier with the load port module and provide a lifting of the carrier such that the resulting lift force is coincident with a center of mass of the carrier.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one non-contact lift area is configured to at least in part align the carrier with the load port module.
14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the non-contact tool interface is configured such that the carrier is couplable to the load port module in but a single orientation for transferring semiconductor workpieces to and from the controlled atmosphere.
15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the non-contact magnetic coupling features of the tool interface are keyed to the non-contact carrier interface for orienting the carrier to the load port module for transferring semiconductor workpieces to and from the controlled atmosphere.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the magnetic coupling features are disposed symmetrically about a single axis of the carrier and are asymmetric with respect to all other axes of the carrier.
17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the non-contact carrier interface includes coupling magnets configured to interface with the magnetic coupling features of the carrier such that the resulting magnetic forces bias the carrier into an aligned position relative to the load port module.