CN100397558C - Method and apparatus for providing a substrate to a processing tool - Google Patents

Abstract

On one hand, an underlayer loading platform used by a processing tool includes a plurality of loading ports. Each port is manipulatively connected to the processing tool, and is provided with a mechanism used to open an underlayer loader. A loader handling device transfers the underlayer loader from a production exchanging position to a loading port, and does not place the loader on the supporting position of any loader except the loading port. The present invention also provides many other aspects.

Description

Method and apparatus for providing a substrate to a processing tool

This application claims priority to US Provisional Application No. 60/407336, filed August 31, 2002, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

technical field

The present invention relates generally to substrate processing, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for providing substrates to processing tools. Cross-references to related applications

This application is related to the following commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent applications, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety:

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407,451, filed August 31, 2002, entitled "System For Transporting WaferCarriers" (Attorney No. 6900/L);

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407,339, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Using Wafer Carrier Movement to Actuate Wafer Carrier Door Opening/Closing" (Attorney No. 6976/L), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407,474, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Unloading Wafer Carrier from Wafer Carrier Transport Systems" (Attorney No. 7024/L), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407,452, entitled "End Effector Having Mechanism For Reorienting A Wafer Carrier Between Vertical And Horizontal Orientations" (Attorney No. 7097/L), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407,337, entitled "Wafer Loading Station with DockingGrippers at Docking Station" (Attorney No. 7099/L), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/407340, entitled "Wafer Carrier having Door Latching and Wafer Clamping Mechanism" (Attorney No. 7156/L), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/443,087, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Transporting Wafer Carriers" (Attorney No. 7163/L), filed January 27, 2003;

U.S. Patent Application No. 60/407,463, entitled "Wafer Carrier Handler That Unloads Wafer Carriers Directly From a Moving Conveyor" (Attorney No. 7676/L1), filed August 31, 2002;

U.S. Patent Application No. 60/443004, entitled "Wafer Carrier Handler That Unloads Wafer Carriers Directly From a Moving Conveyor" (Attorney No. 7676/L2), filed January 27, 2003;

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/443,153, filed January 27, 2003, and entitled "Overhead Transfer Flange and Support for Suspending Wafer Carrier" (Attorney No. 8092/L);

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/443,001, entitled "System and Methods For Transferring Wafer Carriers Between Processing Tools," (Attorney No. 8201/L), filed January 27, 2003; and

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/443,115, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Storing and Loading Wafer Carriers" (Attorney No. 8202/L), filed January 27, 2003.

Background technique

Semiconductor devices are fabricated on substrates (such as silicon substrates, sheets of glass, or the like), commonly referred to as wafers, used in computers, monitors, and the like. These devices are formed through a series of fabrication steps such as thin film deposition, oxidation, etching, polishing, and thermal and photolithographic treatments. While multiple fabrication steps can be accomplished on one processing tool, at least for some fabrication steps it is often necessary to transfer the substrate between different processing tools.

Substrates are typically stored in carriers for transport between processing tools and other locations. To ensure that the processing tool does not idle, the tool should have an almost continuous supply of raw substrates. Therefore, loading and storage equipment is usually located in the vicinity of each processing tool. These loading and storage facilities typically include one or more docking stations (where substrate carriers are opened, individual substrates are removed from the carriers and transferred to a processing tool), and Consists of multiple storage racks located above the mooring dock, a production loading location for receiving carriers at the loading and storage facility, and a production loading location for transfer between the production loading location, the mooring dock and the storage racks Automatic machinery for the carrier. The robot may include an end effector attached to a support structure. In particular, the support structure includes a vertical rail and a horizontal rail configured to allow horizontal and vertical movement of the end effector between the mooring dock, multiple storage racks, and production loading positions.

Loading and storage equipment may be designed to be modular (e.g., having multiple components mounted on a rack that typically extends in front of a single processing tool) or may be designed to be non-modular (e.g., have multiple independently mounted components and typically have horizontal and/or vertical rails extending in front of multiple processing tools).

After receiving the carrier at the production loading location, the robot may move the carrier from the production loading location to a storage rack. Thereafter, the carrier can be moved from the storage rack to the mooring dock. After the substrate has been removed from the carrier, processed and returned to the carrier, the robot may move the carrier from the dock to a storage rack. Robots can then move the carriers from storage racks to production loading positions. The movement of substrate carriers between storage racks, production loading locations, and mooring docks can tax robotic machinery and can extend the period of time that substrates in the carriers are in a raw state in the factory. Therefore, it is desirable to make the transfer of substrate carriers more efficient.

Contents of the invention

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a first method of providing a substrate to a processing tool. The first method comprises the steps of: (1) providing a plurality of loadports, each having a mechanism adapted to open the substrate carrier; (2) providing a production exchange location, when the substrate carrier is in motion and when transferred by the substrate carrier transfer device, the substrate carriers are exchanged with the substrate carrier transfer device at the position; (3) providing a carrier handling device having a device adapted to contact the substrate carrier an end effector adapted to transfer a substrate carrier between a production exchange location and a plurality of load ports; and (4) at the production exchange location, receiving a first Batch substrate carrier. For each of the first batch of substrate carriers, the method further includes the steps of: (1) transferring the substrate carrier from the production exchange location directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of load ports; Docking and opening the substrate carrier at the corresponding load port; (3) undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the corresponding load port; (4) directly removing the substrate carrier from the corresponding load port transporting to a production exchange location; and (5) returning the substrate carrier to the substrate carrier transport.

In a second aspect of the invention, a second method of transporting a substrate carrier is provided. The second method includes the steps of: (1) conveying the substrate carrier on a substrate carrier conveyor located adjacent to the substrate loading station, the substrate loading station comprising a substrate suitable for conveying the substrate carrier to the processing tool (2) when the substrate carrier is in operation and conveyed by the substrate carrier conveyor, use the end effector of the substrate carrier handler of the substrate loading station to disengaging the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor; (3) transferring the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor directly to the loadport; (4) mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the loadport; ( 5) undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the load port; and (6) returning the substrate carrier directly to the substrate carrier conveyor.

In a third aspect of the invention, a third method of transferring a substrate carrier to a substrate load station is provided. A third method includes transferring the substrate carrier on a substrate carrier conveyor located adjacent to the substrate loading station. The substrate loading station includes a substrate carrier handling device adapted to transfer the substrate carrier to the first load port of the processing tool, the substrate carrier handling device includes: (1) a vertical rail; (2) connected to the vertical rail and (3) an end effector adapted to support the substrate carrier and to move vertically relative to the vertical rail and horizontally relative to the horizontal rail.

The third method further includes: (1) disengaging the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor using an end effector of a substrate carrier handler of the substrate loading station; (2) removing the substrate carrier from the substrate The carrier conveyor transfers directly to the first loadport; (3) mooring and opening the substrate carrier at the first loadport; (4) unmooring and closing the substrate carrier at the first loadport; and (5) Return the substrate carrier directly to the substrate carrier conveyor. Many other aspects are provided, as are systems and devices according to these and other aspects of the invention. The inventive method can similarly provide for the exchange of individual substrates (e.g., those not on or in a substrate carrier) by using a substrate handler with an end effector adapted to contact and transport individual substrates, Transmission and placement.

According to the inventive method and apparatus, the substrate/substrate carrier provided to the processing tool is transferred directly from the production exchange location to the load port. Transfer of a substrate/substrate carrier provided to a processing tool "directly" from a production exchange location to a load port means that the transfer is done without the handling device placing the substrate/substrate carrier on a support other than the load port Location.

The inventive method and apparatus provide for rational and efficient transport of substrates and/or substrate carriers into and out of process tool load ports. Thus, the overall time required to transfer and process the substrate can be reduced, as well as the cost and capital required for the substrate work-in-process, and the burden on the substrate carrier handling robot can be reduced.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a top view of a conventional arrangement of a processing tool and associated substrate carrier loading and storage equipment;

Figure 2 is a front view of the conventional loading and storage device of Figure 1;

3A and 3B are front views of two exemplary embodiments of substrate carrier loading apparatus provided in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic top view illustrating the footprint of the load port columns shown in Figures 3A and 3B;

Figure 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the substrate handler approaching the loadport shown in Figure 3A or Figure 3B;

Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the inventive substrate carrier loading apparatus and associated processing tools of Figures 3A and 3B.

Detailed ways

related terms

In this context, the term "mooring" refers to the act of entering a substrate or substrate carrier into a port for exchanging substrates, eg a port in a clean room wall. Similarly, "undocking" refers to the action of a substrate or substrate carrier leaving a port for exchanging substrates, such as a port in a clean room wall.

"Production exchange position" includes the process of removing a substrate or substrate carrier from or placing a substrate or substrate carrier on a substrate or substrate carrier conveyor One device handles all points in the space of a substrate or substrate carrier.

"Substrate or substrate carrier transfer device" includes a conveyor, automated guided vehicle (AVG), or other device that transfers a substrate or substrate carrier to or from a processing tool load location. Devices transported away from the loading position.

A "processing tool" includes one or more processing chambers and one or more substrate handlers for loading and unloading the processing chambers. The substrate handler may or may not be enclosed in its own cavity, such as a production interface cavity or a transfer cavity. The processing chamber can perform vacuum, atmospheric or other processing of the substrate, including, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etching, metrology, cleaning, polishing, and the like.

A "loadport" includes a location at which a substrate or substrate carrier is placed for transfer to and/or removal of a substrate from a processing tool.

System specification

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a conventional modular loading and storage facility 111 for storing carriers positioned adjacent a conventional processing tool 113 . FIG. 2 is a front view of the modular loading and storage facility 111 . Referring first to FIG. 1 , a front end robotic chamber 115 (or production interface) is shown positioned between the loading and storage facility 111 and the processing tool 113 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the loading and storage facility 111 is located near a first side of the clean room wall 117 and the front robotic chamber 115 is located near a second side of the clean room wall 117 . The front-end robot chamber 115 includes a robot 119 that is movable horizontally along rails (not shown) to remove substrates from the load and storage facility 111 and transfer them to the loadlock chamber of the processing tool 113 121. The loading and storage facility 111 comprises a pair of loading bays 123 (in this example the loading bays are mobile for mooring and are therefore referred to as mooring bays) and a plurality of A storage rack 201 (best shown in FIG. 2 ) at the height of the dock) where the substrate carrier is placed to facilitate removal of the substrate. The storage rack 201 is mounted on a support frame 203 . A substrate carrier handling robot 205 is also mounted on the support frame 203 . The robot 205 includes a vertical rail 207 on which an end effector 209 is mounted for vertical movement. The vertical rail 207 is mounted for horizontal movement along the horizontal rail 211 . A production loading location 213 for receiving substrate carriers is located between the moorings 123 .

By means of vertical rails 207 and horizontal rails 211 , end effector 209 of substrate carrier handling robot 205 is able to move substrate carriers between production loading position 213 , storage rack 201 and docking station 123 . However, as previously described, movement of substrate carriers back and forth from the production loading location 213 to the storage rack 201, then to the mooring dock 213, and back to the production loading location 213 (possibly via the storage rack 201) may result in 113 Providing the substrate can consume a lot of time, thereby increasing the amount of WIP.

Figure 3A is a schematic front view of an exemplary substrate loading station provided in accordance with the present invention. Reference numeral 301 generally denotes the inventive substrate loading table. Load station 301 includes a plurality of load ports 303 . Each loadport 303 preferably has a mooring mechanism (not shown), such as a motorized gripper or platform, adapted to support the substrate carrier and to move the substrate carrier to the substrate transfer station. opening or removed from the opening. In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the loadports 303 are arranged in two groups 305, 307 of three loadports each. Thus, there are a total of six loadports 303 in Figure 3A. Other numbers and/or configurations of load ports may also be used. Group 307 is adjacent to the sides of group 305 and spaced therefrom. Each loadport 303 may include a mechanism, indicated generally by reference numeral 309 , for opening a substrate carrier moored to the loadport 303 . In one embodiment of the invention, the loadport 303 is adapted to receive a single substrate carrier. The term "single substrate carrier" refers to a substrate carrier that is shaped and sized to receive only one substrate at a time. In general, the loadport 303 can receive any type of substrate carrier (e.g., single substrate carrier, multiple substrate carrier, front opening substrate carrier, front opening unified pod, or combinations thereof, etc.) . FIG. 3A illustrates a substrate carrier 311 moored to two loadports 303 .

In one embodiment, each loadport 303 is adapted to open the substrate carrier 311 while the substrate carrier is moored (eg, the carrier moves to the port of the clean room wall). This opening can be accomplished by, for example, a cam and follower arrangement. Loadports of this type are described in the above incorporated co-pending application filed on 31 August 2002 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Using Wafer Carrier Movement to Actuate Wafer Carrier Door Opening/Closing" (Attorney No. 6976/L) Disclosed in US Patent Application Serial No. 60/407339. Alternatively, conventional door openers (eg, to open the carrier after mooring) may be used. A door receiver typically used by such devices unlocks the carrier door and moves the door away from the carrier to allow removal of the substrate.

A substrate carrier transfer device, such as a conveyor (schematically indicated by 313 ), is designed to transfer substrate carriers to the inventive substrate loading station 301 and to transfer substrate carriers from the inventive substrate loading station 301 removed. A substrate carrier exchange device 315 is associated with the inventive substrate loading station 301 and is located adjacent to the conveyor 313 and is adapted to receive substrate carriers from the conveyor 313 and to transfer substrate carriers to the conveyor 313 . Thus, it can be seen that the substrate carrier exchange device 315 defines a production exchange position 317 at which substrate carriers are exchanged with the conveyor 313 . The substrate carrier exchange device 315 may be, for example, U.S. Patent Application No. 60/407,451, filed August 31, 2002, entitled "System For Transporting Wafer Carriers" (Attorney Docket No. 6900/L) Of the type shown in , this patent application discloses a rotating platform whose rotation can bring substrate carriers into contact with and connect or detach from the production conveyor system above.

Alternatively, the substrate carrier changer 315 may be of the type disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/755,394 (Attorney No. 5092), which discloses a lifting member that lifts The parts extend straight up to contact and connect or disconnect the substrate carrier to the production conveyor above (and this patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). As a further alternative, the substrate carrier exchange device 315 may be of the above-incorporated file on August 31, 2002, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Unloading Wafer Carrier from Wafer Carrier Transport Systems" (Attorney No. 7024/L) No. 60/407,474 of the type disclosed in US Patent Application No. 60/407474, which discloses a rotating arm, the rotation of which can make the substrate carrier contact and connect or disconnect with the production conveyor system above. In another option, the substrate carrier changer can be omitted, and the substrate handler can be in a production exchange position with the substrate transporter 313 (e.g., between the inventive load station and the substrate transporter). Any position used to swap substrates) to swap substrate carriers. This method is described in detail in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 60/407463 (Attorney No. 7676/L), filed August 31, 2002, and U.S. Patent No. 60/443004, filed January 27, 2003 Application (Attorney No. 7676/L2) is pending.

The substrate carrier changer 315 can be designed, for example, to remove substrate carriers from the conveyor 313 when the conveyor (or a carrier conveyed thereon) is in motion, and to remove substrate carriers when the conveyor (or a carrier conveyed thereon) is in motion. A substrate carrier transport along which it moves) transfers the substrate carriers to the conveyor 313 while in operation. Thus, it is practical to keep the conveyor 313 running continuously while the semiconductor fabrication facility is in operation, thus improving the transfer of substrates within the fabrication facility, reducing the amount of time required for each particular substrate to pass through the fabrication facility, thereby reducing Total number of substrates in work-in-progress form at any given time.

The inventive loading station 301 further comprises a carrier handling device 319 . The carrier handler 319 includes an end effector 321 adapted to contact the substrate carrier 311 . For example, the end effector 321 may be adapted to support the substrate carrier 311 from the bottom, or clamp the substrate carrier 311 from the top, etc.

The end effector 321 is adapted to move vertically along the vertical rail 323 . The vertical guide rail 323 is adapted to move horizontally along the horizontal guide rail 325 . Thus, end effector 321 is movable between production exchange position 317 and all loadports 303 . It should also be understood that the end effector 321 is vertically movable in the space 327 between the columns 305 , 307 of the loadport 303 . In one option, the vertical and horizontal rails can be repositioned as shown in FIG. 3B so that end effector 321 can be adapted to move horizontally along horizontal rail 325 and horizontal rail 325 can move vertically along vertical rail 323 . Although not shown in Figure 3A or Figure 3B, the inventive load station may include one or more storage racks for storing substrates and/or substrate carriers.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view illustrating the layout features of the inventive loading station 301 . In FIG. 4, reference numeral 117 denotes a clean room wall. Reference numeral 401 represents the footprint of column 305 of loadport 303 . Reference numeral 403 denotes the footprint of column 307 of loadport 303 . It is understood that the "footprint" of a part is the projection of the part on the floor of the facility. Reference numeral 405 denotes the area between footprints 401 and 403 . One means "envelope" of the inventive loading station is understood to mean the footprints 401 and 403 plus the area 405 between the footprints 401 and 403 . Reference numeral 407 denotes the tool envelope defined by columns 401 and 403 .

The carrier handler 319 may operate such that it only moves the substrate carrier 311 within the envelope defined by the footprints 401 , 403 of the loadport columns 305 , 307 . The controller C controls the operation of the carrier handling unit 319 and has been programmed so that the carrier handling unit operates in accordance with the present invention as described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 .

Referring again to FIGS. 3A and 3B , it can be observed that the production exchange location 317 is located at a height greater than the height of each load port 303 . It can also be observed that production swap locations 317 and column 305 of load ports 303 have substantially the same footprint. However, other arrangements of the inventive loading station 301 are also conceivable. For example, production swap location 317 may be located at or below the level of load port 303 . The footprint of the production swap position 317 may also coincide with the footprint 403 of the column 307 of the loadport 303 ( FIG. 4 ). Alternatively, the footprint of the production swap location 317 may not coincide with either of the footprints 401 , 403 of the columns 305 , 307 of the loadport 303 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the substrate handling apparatus associated with the conventional processing tool 113 and the arrayed load ports 303 of the inventive load station 301 ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ). Referring to FIG. 5, reference numeral 501 denotes a substrate handling apparatus provided according to the present invention. The inventive substrate handler 501 can optionally be located in a lower position (indicated by reference numeral 503 ) where it can be moved horizontally close to the lowest one of the columns of load ports 303 . The inventive substrate handler 501 can optionally be located at a higher position (indicated by reference numeral 505 ) where it can be moved horizontally close to the tallest one in the column of load ports 303 . It can be understood that the inventive substrate handling device 501 can also be selectively positioned at any intermediate position between the shown positions 503 and 505 (not specifically identified in FIG. 5 ), for example, the inventive substrate handling device 501 Can be located in a position where it can be moved horizontally close to a middle port in the column of load ports 303 .

Herein, a substrate handler is said to be "near" a loadport when the substrate handler extends into the region of the loadport (eg, to transfer a substrate).

It will be appreciated that the inventive substrate handler 501 transfers a substrate (not shown) from a substrate carrier 311 (FIG. 3A or 3B, not shown in FIG. 5), it may provide the substrate to the processing tool 113, or more specifically, to the load lock cavity 121 of the processing tool 113 (shown in FIG. 1, which is not shown in FIG. 5 shown separately).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a substrate loader designed in accordance with the present invention, such as the inventive substrate loader 301 of FIG. 3A or FIG. 3B . A controller C may be coupled to the substrate loading station and may be operable to perform one or more of the process steps of FIG. 6 .

According to a first step 601 in FIG. 6 , a substrate carrier 311 is received at a production exchange location 317 . For example, in the exemplary substrate loading station 301 of FIG. 3A or 3B , the carrier exchange device 315 removes the substrate carrier 311 from the conveyor 313 (eg, via the end effector 321 ). This may occur, for example, while the conveyor 313 is in motion.

Step 603 is followed by step 601 in FIG. 6 . At step 603 , the carrier handler 319 transfers the substrate carrier 311 from the production exchange location 317 to the one or more loadports 303 . According to the invention, a substrate carrier 311 is transferred directly from a production exchange location 317 to one of the load ports 303 . That is, after the substrate carrier 311 is removed from the production exchange position 317, but before the substrate carrier 311 is placed in one of the load ports 303, the carrier handling device 319 will not remove the substrate carrier 311 Placed on any carrier support location except one of the loadports 303.

In FIG. 6 , step 603 is followed by step 605 . At step 605 , the substrate carrier 311 is moored and unwrapped at one of the load ports 303 where the substrate carrier 311 has been placed by the carrier handling device 319 . As previously described, the retrofit loadport 303 may be adapted to allow the mooring and unwrapping of the substrate carrier 311 to occur simultaneously.

In FIG. 6 , step 605 is followed by step 607 . In step 607, the substrate handler 501 removes the substrate from the substrate carrier 311, which is moored and opened by one of the loadports 303 at this time. The substrate handler 501 then provides the removed substrate to the processing tool 113 , and substrate processing (step 609 ) takes place within the processing tool 113 .

When substrate processing in the processing tool 113 is complete, the substrate handler 501 returns the substrate to the substrate carrier 311 (step 611), which is now moored at one of the loadports 303 and has been opened. Then, the substrate carrier 311 into which the processed substrate has been inserted is closed and undocked from the loadport 303 (step 613). The undocking and closing of the substrate carrier 303 may occur simultaneously. In FIG. 6 , step 613 is followed by step 615 . At step 615 , the carrier handler 319 transfers the substrate carrier 311 from the loadport 303 to the production exchange location 317 . According to one aspect of the invention, the substrate carrier 311 may be transferred directly from the loadport 303 to the production exchange location 317 . That is, after the substrate carrier 311 is removed from the loadport 303 and before it is placed in the production exchange location 317, the substrate carrier 311 can be transferred from the loadport 303 to the production exchange location 317 without Place it on any carrier support location.

In FIG. 6 , step 615 is followed by step 617 . At step 617 , the carrier exchange device 315 returns the substrate carrier 311 to the conveyor 313 . In one embodiment of the invention, this can be done while the conveyor 313 is running. It should be noted that in systems where a single substrate is transported or in systems where mooring of substrates is not required, the step of mooring and/or opening the substrate carrier may be omitted. Therefore, steps 605 and 613 are optional. It will be appreciated that the inventive method may be performed on individual substrates rather than substrate carriers. To avoid repetition, additional figures of transporting individual substrates (rather than substrate carriers) between the carrier transport and the processing tools are not included herein.

The method and apparatus of the present invention are advantageous because the transfer efficiency of the substrate carrier to and from the load port is high, thereby reducing the overall transfer time of the substrate in the semiconductor fabrication facility. This in turn translates into fewer work in progress, lower capital expense, and lower manufacturing cost per substrate.

The foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention; various modifications of the above-described methods and apparatus which fall within the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the carrier handling apparatus described above with reference to Figures 3A or 3B includes a vertical rail that moves horizontally along a single horizontal rail. On the other hand, a carrier handling device of the type in which a vertical rail is slidably mounted between two parallel horizontal rails may be considered. Alternatively, a type of carrier handler in which a horizontal rail is slidably mounted to one or more vertical rails may be used. Of course, other types of carrier handling devices may be used, including those that do not use linear guides.

In addition to using two columns of three loadports as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , other configurations of loadports are also contemplated. For example, there may be only two load ports per column, or there may be four or more load ports per column. It is also not required that each loadport column provide an equal number of loadports. Alternatively, only one column of load ports may be provided, or three or more columns of load ports may be provided. Note also that while each column of loadports is shown occupying the same footprint, other configurations with partially overlapping or non-overlapping footprints may be used. In certain embodiments, a single loadport may be used, or two or more horizontally adjacent loadports may be used.

Note that the single substrate handler shown in Figure 5 is designed to service all loadports in a loadport column. As a possible option, a respective substrate handler may be provided to service each loadport respectively. It is also contemplated to use a single substrate handler to service all loadports of more than one loadport column. It can further be considered to provide corresponding substrate handling devices for each column of load ports.

In addition to the conveyor 313, a substrate carrier conveyor may be used to bring substrate carriers to or transport substrate carriers from a production exchange location. If a conveyor is used as the substrate carrier conveyor, the conveyor can optionally be run continuously while the semiconductor fabrication facility is in operation.

Although only one production exchange position is illustrated in relation to the inventive load station, it is contemplated that two or more production exchange positions may be provided in relation to the inventive substrate load station. For example, a first production exchange location may be used to bring in substrate carriers, while a second production exchange location may be used to output substrate carriers. It is also contemplated to use more than one substrate carrier transport to service one inventive substrate loading station.

Preferably, the present invention is used in a substrate loading station having vertical and horizontal rails attached to the frame. In this manner, the preferred substrate loading station is modular and can be quickly installed and calibrated. If the substrate loading station includes one or more storage racks, each storage rack may be mounted on the rack. By mounting the substrate carrier handler and the single or multiple storage racks on the frame, the substrate carrier handler and the storage racks have a predetermined position relative to each other. This further simplifies setup and alignment and is another advantage of using a modular substrate loader. Similarly, other mechanisms, such as those shown for loading substrate carriers onto and/or unloading substrate carriers from an overhead production conveyor system, may be conveniently mounted on the rack superior. Exemplary dedicated mechanisms may include rotating platforms or arms, etc., as previously incorporated U.S. Patent Application Nos. 60/407451, filed August 31, 2002 and 60/407474, filed August 31, 2002 described in U.S. Patent Applications (Attorney Nos. 6900 and 7024).

In one aspect, the frame can be mounted at a predetermined mounting location (eg, a pre-drilled bolt hole, etc.) on the chamber wall or on the front wall of a cavity (eg, a production interface cavity). Preferably, the wall also has predetermined mounting locations for mounting mooring fixtures or mooring platforms. Furthermore, the wall may have predetermined mounting locations for mounting the substrate carrier opening mechanism. When the frame, mooring mechanism, and substrate carrier opening mechanism are all mounted at predetermined positions on the same plane, not only their relative positions are predetermined, but also the installation and alignment of the substrate loading station is simplified .

The invention has been described in connection with a single substrate carrier. However, it is also conceivable to apply the invention to multiple substrate carriers holding more than one substrate, or to the transfer of individual substrates without the aid of carriers. It is obvious that the inventive device can differ considerably from the exemplary embodiments shown here. However, any apparatus that operates according to the method of FIG. 6, whether or not performing mooring and unwrapping operations, and whether or not using a substrate carrier (eg, a stand-alone substrate system) falls within the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, while the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it should be clear that other embodiments are within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A method of providing a substrate to a processing tool comprising: providing a plurality of loadports without local storage, each loadport having a mechanism adapted to open the substrate carrier; providing a production exchange location without local storage where the substrates are exchanged with the substrate carrier conveyor while the substrate carrier is in operation and being conveyed by the substrate carrier conveyor bottom carrier; providing a carrier handler having an end effector adapted to contact a substrate carrier, the carrier handler adapted to transfer a substrate carrier between the production exchange location and the plurality of load ports ; receiving a first batch of substrate carriers from the substrate carrier conveyor at the production exchange location; and For each of the first batch of substrate carriers: transferring the substrate carrier from the production exchange location directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of loadports that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the respective loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the respective loadport; transferring the substrate carrier from the respective loadport directly to the production exchange location that does not store the substrate carrier; and The substrate carrier is returned to the substrate carrier conveyor. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate carrier is a single substrate carrier. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a plurality of loadports includes providing two columns of loadports. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the carrier handler moves the substrate carrier only within an envelope defined by the footprint of the two columns of loadports. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mooring of each substrate carrier occurs simultaneously with the opening of the corresponding substrate carrier. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the production exchange location and the loadport have substantially the same footprint. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the production exchange location is at a higher elevation than the respective elevations of all of the loadports. 8. A substrate load station for a processing tool comprising: a first batch of loadports without a local reservoir, operatively connected to the processing tool, and each having a mechanism adapted to open a substrate carrier; a production exchange location without local storage at which the substrates are exchanged with the substrate carrier conveyor while the substrate carrier is in operation and being conveyed by the substrate carrier conveyor carrier; and a carrier handler having an end effector adapted to contact a substrate carrier, said carrier handler adapted to transfer a substrate carrier between said production exchange location and said first batch loadport ; Wherein the carrier loading and unloading device has a controller for performing the following steps: For each of the first batch of substrate carriers: transferring the substrate carrier from the production exchange location directly to a corresponding one of the plurality of loadports that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the respective loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the respective loadport; transferring the substrate carrier from the respective loadport directly to the production exchange location that does not store the substrate carrier; and returning the substrate carrier to the substrate carrier transport; 9. The substrate loading station of claim 8, wherein the substrate carrier conveyed by the carrier handling device is a single substrate carrier. 10. The substrate loading station of claim 8, further comprising: A second plurality of loadports adjacent to sides of the first plurality of loadports with a space therebetween. 11. The substrate load station of claim 10, wherein the carrier handler is adapted to move vertically within a space between the first plurality of load ports and the second plurality of load ports. 12. The substrate load station of claim 11 , wherein the carrier handler is adapted to move only within an envelope defined by the footprints of the first and second plurality of load ports Substrate carrier. 13. The substrate load station of claim 8, wherein each of the loadports is adapted to open a substrate carrier while the substrate carrier is moored to the loadport. 14. The substrate load station of claim 8, wherein the production exchange location and the load port have substantially the same footprint. 15. The substrate load station of claim 8, wherein the substrate carrier transport device is a conveyor. 16. The substrate load station of claim 8, wherein the production exchange location is at a height greater than the respective heights of all of the load ports. 17. An apparatus for providing a substrate to a processing tool comprising: a substrate carrier handler adapted to transfer a substrate carrier to a first load port of the processing tool, the substrate carrier handler comprising a end effectors; and a controller connected to the substrate carrier handling device and operable to control the substrate carrier handling device such that when the substrate carrier is in operation and is operated by the substrate carrier The end effector of the substrate carrier handler disengages the substrate carrier from a substrate carrier conveyor during conveyor transfer, the controller is further operative to perform the following steps: transferring the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor directly to the first loadport that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the first loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the first loadport; and The substrate carrier is returned directly to the substrate carrier conveyor that does not store the substrate carrier. 18. An apparatus for providing a substrate to a processing tool comprising: A substrate carrier handler adapted to transfer a substrate carrier to the first load port of the processing tool, the substrate carrier handler comprising: a vertical guide rail; a horizontal rail connected to said vertical rail; and an end effector adapted to support the substrate carrier and adapted to move vertically relative to the vertical rail and horizontally relative to the horizontal rail; and a controller connected to the substrate carrier handler and operable to control the substrate carrier handler such that the end effector of the substrate carrier handler causes the substrate the bottom carrier is disengaged from a substrate carrier conveyor located adjacent the substrate carrier handler, the controller is further operative to perform the following steps: transferring the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor directly to the first loadport that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the first loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the first loadport; and The substrate carrier is returned directly to the substrate carrier conveyor that does not store the substrate carrier. 19. A method of transferring a substrate carrier comprising: The substrate carriers are transported on a substrate carrier conveyor located adjacent to a substrate loading station comprising a substrate carrier handling device adapted to for transferring the substrate carrier to a load port of a processing tool; When the substrate carrier is in motion and being conveyed by the substrate carrier conveyor, the substrate is moved using an end effector of the substrate carrier handler of the substrate loading station a carrier is disengaged from the substrate carrier conveyor; transferring the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor directly to the loadport that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the loadport; and The substrate carrier is returned directly to the substrate carrier conveyor that does not store the substrate carrier. 20. A method of transferring a substrate to a substrate loading station, comprising: conveying the substrate carrier on a substrate carrier conveyor located adjacent to the substrate loading station, the substrate loading station comprising: A substrate carrier handler adapted to transfer the substrate carrier to a first loadport of a processing tool, the substrate carrier handler comprising: a vertical guide rail; a horizontal rail connected to said vertical rail; and an end effector adapted to support the substrate carrier and to move vertically relative to the vertical rail and horizontally relative to the horizontal rail; disengaging the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor using the end effector of the substrate carrier handler of the substrate loading station; transferring the substrate carrier from the substrate carrier conveyor directly to the first loadport that does not store the substrate carrier; mooring and unlocking the substrate carrier at the first loadport; undocking and closing the substrate carrier at the first loadport; and The substrate carrier is returned directly to the substrate carrier conveyor that does not store the substrate carrier.

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