Semiconductor device manufacturing platform with single and twinned processing chambers
A transfer chamber for semiconductor device manufacturing includes (1) a plurality of sides that define a region configured to maintain a vacuum level and allow transport of substrates between processing chambers, the plurality of sides defining a first portion and a second portion of the transfer chamber and including (a) a first side that couples to two twinned processing chambers; and (b) a second side that couples to a single processing chamber; (2) a first substrate handler located in the first portion of the transfer chamber; (3) a second substrate handler located in the second portion of the transfer chamber; and (4) a hand-off location configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first portion and the second portion of the transfer chamber using the first and second substrate handlers. Method aspects are also provided.
1. A transfer chamber configured for use during semiconductor device manufacturing comprising:
a plurality of sides that define a single chamber region configured to maintain a vacuum level and allow transport of substrates between a plurality of processing chambers, the single chamber region defining a first portion of the transfer chamber and a second portion of the transfer chamber, the plurality of sides including:
a first side capable of coupling to a first set of twinned processing chambers, and
a second side capable of coupling to a single processing chamber;
a first substrate handler located in the first portion of the transfer chamber;
a second substrate handler located in the second portion of the transfer chamber, wherein the second substrate handler is capable of loading a second substrate into one of the chambers of the first set of twinned processing chambers simultaneously as the first substrate handler loads a first substrate into the other of the chambers of the first set of twinned processing chambers; and
a hand-off location in the single chamber region configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first portion of the transfer chamber and the second portion of the transfer chamber using the first substrate handler and the second substrate handler, wherein the hand-off location further comprises a processing region configured to perform a process on a substrate within the processing region, wherein the hand-off location is configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first and second portions of the transfer chamber at a first elevation and wherein the processing region of the hand-off location is located at a second elevation that is different than the first elevation.
2. The transfer chamber of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sides form a closed polygon shape.
3. The transfer chamber of claim 1 , further comprising a third side opposite the first side that is capable of coupling to a second set of twinned processing chambers.
4. The transfer chamber of claim 1 , wherein the second elevation is above the first elevation.
5. The transfer chamber of claim 1 , wherein the processing region of the hand-off location is configured to perform at least one of pre-processing for one or more processing chambers coupled to the transfer chamber and post-processing for one or more processing chambers coupled to the transfer chamber.
6. The transfer chamber of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional hand-off locations configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first portion of the transfer chamber and the second portion of the transfer chamber using the first substrate handler and the second substrate handler.
7. The transfer chamber of claim 6 , wherein each hand-off location includes a processing region configured to perform a process on a substrate within the processing region.