Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method of vacuum processing apparatus

1. A vacuum processing apparatus which processes a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

an atmospheric transfer chamber having a plurality of cassette stands arranged on a front side thereof for transferring the wafer inside thereof, the wafer being stored in a cassette disposed on one of the plurality of cassette stands;

a lock chamber arranged on a rear side of the atmospheric transfer chamber, for storing in an interior thereof the wafer transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber;

a first vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the lock chamber, an inside of the first vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and through which the wafer from the lock chamber is transferred;

a transfer intermediate chamber connected to a rear side of the first vacuum transfer chamber;

a second vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the transfer intermediate chamber, an inside of the second vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and through which the wafer from the transfer intermediate chamber is transferred;

at least one vacuum processing chamber coupled to a lateral side of the first vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the first vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processed in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto;

two or more vacuum processing chambers coupled to a lateral side or a rear side of the second vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the second vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processed in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto;

a plurality of first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber which are respectively disposed between the first vacuum transfer chamber and each of the lock chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber, and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the first vacuum transfer chamber, the plurality of first gate valves opening and closing to open or close communications therebetween;

a plurality of second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber which are respectively disposed between the second vacuum transfer chamber and each of the transfer intermediate chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber, and the plurality of second gate valves opening and closing to open or close communications therebetween; and

a first transfer robot and a second transfer robot disposed in the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, respectively, each transfer robot including a plurality of arms for transferring wafers;

wherein the vacuum processing apparatus transfers the wafer transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber to the lock chamber to one of the vacuum processing chambers via a first path including the first vacuum transfer chamber or a second path including the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, and returns the processed wafer from one of the vacuum processing chambers to the lock chamber via the same path;

wherein the lock chamber, the plurality of vacuum processing chambers, the first vacuum, transfer chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber constitutes a vacuum block of the vacuum processing apparatus, and a plurality of chambers in the vacuum block are capable of being coupled to configure one vacuumed vessel inside of which is evacuated, and the vacuum processing apparatus further comprising a control unit which controls an operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber so as to open and close while the other first and second gate valves are maintained in a closed position, and

wherein the control unit which, in a state where communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber is closed:

controls an operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the first vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the first transfer robot,

controls an operation of one of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the second vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the second vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the second transfer robot, and

controls the transfers of the wafers in both the first and the second vacuum transfer chambers in parallel.

2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising

a first vacuum processing chamber connected to the first vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the first vacuum transfer chamber, and second and third vacuum processing chambers connected to the second vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the second vacuum transfer chamber, wherein

the number of vacuum processing chambers connected to the first vacuum transfer chamber is one, and the number of vacuum processing chambers connected to the second vacuum transfer chamber is two.

3. An operating method of a vacuum processing apparatus which processes a semiconductor wafer, wherein the vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

an atmospheric transfer chamber having a plurality of cassette stands arranged on a front side thereof for transferring the wafer inside thereof, the wafer being stored in a cassette disposed on one of the plurality of cassette stands;

a lock chamber arranged on a rear side of the atmospheric transfer chamber for storing in an interior thereof the wafer transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber;

a first vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the lock chamber, an inside of the first vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and to which the wafer from the lock chamber is transferred;

a transfer intermediate chamber connected to a rear side of the first vacuum transfer chamber;

a second vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the transfer intermediate chamber, an inside of the second vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and to which the wafer from the transfer intermediate chamber is transferred;

at least one vacuum processing chambers coupled to a lateral side of the first vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the first vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processing in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto;

two or more vacuum processing chambers coupled to a lateral side or a rear side of the second vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the second vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processed in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto;

a plurality of first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber which respectively are disposed between the first vacuum transfer chamber and each of the lock chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber, and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the first vacuum transfer chamber, the plurality of first gate valves opening and closing communications therebetween;

a plurality of second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber which are respectively disposed between the second vacuum transfer chamber and each of the transfer intermediate chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber, and the plurality of second gate valves opening and closing communications therebetween;

a first transfer robot and a second transfer robot disposed in the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, respectively, each transfer robot including a plurality of arms for transferring wafers;

the vacuum processing apparatus transfers the wafer, transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber to the lock chamber, to one of the vacuum processing chambers via a first path including the first vacuum transfer chamber or via a second path including the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, and returns the processed wafer from one of the vacuum processing chambers to the lock chamber via the same path, and the lock chamber, the plurality of vacuum processing chambers, the first vacuum transfer chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber constitutes a vacuum block of the vacuum processing apparatus, and a plurality of chambers in the vacuum block are capable of being coupled to configure one vacuumed vessel inside of which is evacuated;

the operation method of the vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

controlling an operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber so as to open and close while the other first and second gate valves are maintained in a closed position, and

in a state where communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber is closed,

controlling the operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the first vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the first transfer robot,

controlling the operation of one of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the second vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the second vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the second transfer robot, and

controlling the transfers of the wafers in both the first and the second vacuum transfer chamber in parallel.

4. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit controls the opening and closing thereafter of the gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled thereto, and the opening and closing thereafter of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber between the second vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled thereto, while the communication between the first and second vacuum transfer chambers is maintained to be closed.

5. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the control unit controls the operations of the each of the gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber and the operations of the each of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber so as to open and thereafter close exclusively in the each of the first and second vacuum transfer chambers.

6. The operating method of the vacuum processing chamber according to claim 3 ,

wherein the opening and closing thereafter of the gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled thereto, and the opening and closing thereafter of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber between the second vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled thereto, are carried out while the communication between the first and second vacuum transfer chambers is maintained in a closed position.

7. The operating method for the vacuum processing chamber according to claim 3 ,

wherein the opening and closing thereafter of the each of the gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber and the opening and closing thereafter of the each of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber, are carried out exclusively in the each of the first and second vacuum transfer chambers.