Indexable side storage pod apparatus, heated side storage pod apparatus, systems, and methods

1. A side storage pod of an equipment front end module, the side storage pod comprising:

an outer enclosure having a sealing surface configured to couple to the equipment front end module;

a side storage pod chamber having a body with a plurality of vertically-spaced storage members each configured to support a corresponding substrate; and

an indexer operable to vertically move the side storage pod chamber to provide access to different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members by a load-unload robot in the equipment front end module, wherein a load lock apparatus is to be disposed between the equipment front end module and a transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is to be coupled to one or more processing chambers, wherein heated, non-reactive gas is to be flowed through the side storage pod over the corresponding substrate stored therein to degas the corresponding substrate and remove volatile byproducts located on the corresponding substrate, and wherein the heated, non-reactive gas is heated by a heater coupled to an input port of the side storage pod chamber.

2. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises a removable door that allows the load-unload robot of the equipment front end module to access the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members responsive to the removable door being removed.

3. The side storage pod of claim 2 further comprising a side storage pod chamber door opener configured to remove the removable door of the side storage pod chamber to provide the load-unload robot of the equipment front end module access to the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members of the side storage pod chamber.

4. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises a purge gas supply inlet and an exhaust outlet.

5. The side storage pod of claim 4 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises a gas distribution system that allows the heated, non-reactive gas supplied to the purge gas supply inlet to travel across the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members prior to exiting the exhaust outlet.

6. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises at least 50 substrate storage members.

7. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises at least 75 substrate storage members.

8. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein each of the different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members comprises at least 25 substrate storage members.

9. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the outer enclosure comprises an access door that allows the side storage pod chamber to be removed and replaced by another side storage pod chamber.

10. The side storage pod of claim 1 , wherein the outer enclosure is configured to share an environment with the equipment front end module responsive to the outer enclosure being coupled to the equipment front end module.

11. An electronic device processing system comprising:

an equipment front end module comprising an equipment front end module chamber;

one or more load ports coupled to a front of the equipment front end module, wherein each of the one or more load ports is configured to support a corresponding substrate carrier;

a load lock apparatus disposed between the equipment front end module and a transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is coupled to one or more processing chambers; and

an indexable side storage pod coupled to a side of the equipment front end module, the indexable side storage pod comprising:

an outer enclosure having a sealing surface configured to couple to the equipment front end module;

a side storage pod chamber having a body with a plurality of vertically-spaced storage members each configured to support a corresponding substrate; and

an indexer operable to vertically move the side storage pod chamber to provide access to different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members by a load-unload robot in the equipment front end module, wherein heated, non-reactive gas is to be flowed through the indexable side storage pod over the corresponding substrate stored therein to degas the corresponding substrate and remove volatile byproducts located on the corresponding substrate, and wherein the heated, non-reactive gas is heated by a heater coupled to an input port of the side storage pod chamber.

12. The electronic device processing system of claim 11 comprising:

an environmental control system coupled to the equipment front end module chamber.

13. The electronic device processing system of claim 12 , wherein the outer enclosure of the indexable side storage pod is open to the equipment front end module chamber and the environmental control system controls a common environment in both the outer enclosure of the indexable side storage pod and the equipment front end module chamber.

14. The electronic device processing system of claim 11 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises a removable door that allows the load-unload robot of the equipment front end module to access the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members responsive to the removable door being removed.

15. The electronic device processing system of claim 11 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises a purge gas supply inlet, an exhaust outlet, and a gas distribution system that allows the heated, non-reactive gas supplied to the purge gas supply inlet to travel across the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members prior to exiting the exhaust outlet.

16. The electronic device processing system of claim 11 , wherein each of the different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members comprises at least 25 substrate storage members.

17. The electronic device processing system of claim 11 , wherein the outer enclosure comprises an access door that allows the side storage pod chamber to be removed and replaced by another side storage pod chamber.

18. A method of processing substrates within an electronic device processing system, the method comprising:

providing the electronic device processing system having:

an equipment front end module comprising an equipment front end module chamber;

one or more load ports coupled to a front of the equipment front end module, wherein each of the load ports is configured to support a corresponding substrate carrier, wherein a load lock apparatus is disposed between the equipment front end module and a transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is coupled to one or more processing chambers; and

an indexable side storage pod coupled to a side of the equipment front end module, the indexable side storage pod comprising:

an outer enclosure having a sealing surface configured to couple to the equipment front end module;

a side storage pod chamber having a body with a plurality of vertically-spaced storage members each configured to support a corresponding substrate; and

an indexer operable to vertically move the side storage pod chamber to provide access to different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members by a robot in the equipment front end module;

transferring, using the robot, a substrate to the side storage pod chamber; and

positioning, using the robot, the substrate on one of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members of the side storage pod chamber, wherein heated, non-reactive gas is to be flowed through the indexable side storage pod over the substrate stored therein to degas the substrate and remove volatile byproducts located on the substrate, and wherein the heated, non-reactive gas is heated by a heater coupled to an input port of the side storage pod chamber.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

removing a door of the side storage pod chamber to allow the robot to access the substrate within the side storage pod chamber; and

responsive to removing the substrate, returning the door to the side storage pod chamber to seal the side storage pod chamber.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members comprises at least 25 substrate storage members, and wherein the method further comprises using the indexer to vertically move the side storage pod chamber to provide access to the different subgroups of the plurality of vertically-spaced storage members by the robot of the equipment front end module chamber.

21. An electronic device processing system comprising:

an equipment front end module comprising an equipment front end module chamber;

one or more load ports coupled to a front of the equipment front end module, wherein each of the one or more load ports is configured to support a corresponding substrate carrier;

a load lock apparatus disposed between the equipment front end module and a transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is coupled to one or more processing chambers; and

a side storage pod coupled to a side of the equipment front end module, the side storage pod comprising:

a side storage pod chamber having a body comprising an input port and a plurality of vertically-spaced storage members each configured to support a corresponding substrate; and

a heater coupled to the input port of the side storage pod chamber, the heater configured to provide a gas flow of a heated, non-reactive gas through the side storage pod chamber and over a plurality of substrates stored therein to degas the plurality of substrates and remove volatile byproducts located on one or more of the plurality of substrates.

22. The electronic device processing system of claim 21 , wherein the heated, non-reactive gas is nitrogen.

23. The electronic device processing system of claim 21 , wherein the side storage pod chamber comprises an exhaust port configured to provide flow of the heated, non-reactive gas through the side storage pod chamber, over the plurality of substrates stored therein, and out of the side storage pod chamber.

24. A method of processing substrates within an electronic device processing system, comprising:

providing the electronic device processing system comprising:

an equipment front end module comprising an equipment front end module chamber;

one or more load ports coupled to a front of the equipment front end module, wherein each of the load ports is configured to support a corresponding substrate carrier;

a load lock apparatus disposed between the equipment front end module and a transfer chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is coupled to one or more processing chambers;

a side storage pod coupled to a side of the equipment front end module, the side storage pod comprising:

a side storage pod chamber having a body with a plurality of vertically-spaced storage members each configured to support a corresponding substrate; and

a heater coupled to an input port of the side storage pod chamber and configured to provide a heated, non-reactive gas to the side storage pod chamber; and

transferring, via a robot of the equipment front end module, a substrate to the side storage pod; and

flowing the heated, non-reactive gas through the side storage pod chamber and over the substrate stored therein to degas the substrate and remove volatile byproducts located on the corresponding substrate.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising flowing the heated, non-reactive gas and the volatile byproducts out of the side storage pod chamber.