Semiconductor processing tool platform configuration with reduced floor space

Abstract

A substrate processing system includes a factory interface and a transfer chamber having a controlled environment. The transfer chamber includes four first facets and three second facets, wherein each of the three second facets has a width narrower than the width of each of the four first facets. A first processing chamber is attached to one of the four first facets. A first auxiliary chamber is attached to a first one of the three second facets, wherein the first auxiliary chamber is smaller than the first processing chamber. A load lock is attached to a second one of the three second facets and the factory interface. A robot is attached to the bottom of the transfer chamber, and the robot is adapted to transfer substrates in and out of the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a semiconductor processing tool platform configuration with a reduced footprint. Background Art

[0002] The fabrication of semiconductor devices involves performing a series of procedures on a substrate or "wafer", such as a silicon substrate, a glass plate, and the like. These steps may include polishing, deposition, etching, lithography, heat treatment, etc. Many different processing steps are typically performed in a single processing system or "tool" that includes multiple processing chambers. Since there are a limited number of facets on each transfer chamber used to attach to the processing chambers, some tools involve multiple transfer chambers, and the processing chambers can be used to perform all steps within the same tool (e.g., including similar processing environments such as pressure, temperature, clean air level, vacuum level, etc.). Including multiple processing chambers within a processing tool can increase wafer processing throughput.

[0003] By way of example only, currently employed tools for epitaxial deposition (growth) of a film layer include two six-facet transfer chambers connected by a through-hole to facilitate the passage of a substrate therebetween. The first transfer chamber is connected to a front interface via a load lock (using two facets), attached to the through-hole using two additional facets, thus leaving two facets for attachment to two pre-cleaning chambers. The pre-cleaning chambers are used to prepare the surface of the wafer for deposition of an epitaxial growth layer within an epitaxial processing chamber. Thus, the first transfer chamber is used for the pre-cleaning chambers, and the four facets of the second transfer chamber are attached to four epitaxial processing chambers, using the remaining two facets to connect to the through-hole. In this way, the two transfer chambers are combined to perform pre-cleaning and epitaxial growth deposition within the same tool and maintain the ability to have four processing chambers. Due to the use of transfer chambers and through-holes, the footprint of such a processing tool is quite large, occupying valuable and increasingly expensive square footage in a manufacturing facility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some embodiments described herein encompass a system including a substrate processing system that includes a factory interface and a transfer chamber having a controlled environment. The transfer chamber includes four first facets and three second facets, wherein each of the three second facets has a width narrower than the width of each of the four first facets. A first processing chamber is attached to one of the four first facets. A first auxiliary chamber is attached to the first of the three second facets, wherein the first auxiliary chamber is smaller than the first processing chamber. A load lock is attached to the second of the three second facets and the factory interface. A robot is attached to the bottom of the transfer chamber, and the robot is adapted to transfer substrates in and out of the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock.

[0005] In related embodiments, described herein is a main frame for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the main frame including a transfer chamber. The transfer chamber includes

[0006] a bottom and four first facets attached to the bottom, wherein each of the first facets is adapted to be attached to a processing chamber. Two second facets are attached to the bottom, wherein each of the two second facets has a width narrower than the width of each of the four first facets and is adapted to be attached to an auxiliary chamber smaller than the processing chamber. A single third facet is attached to the bottom, wherein the single third facet is adapted to be connected to a load lock. A robot is attached to the bottom, the robot being adapted to transfer substrates in and out of the processing chamber, the auxiliary chamber, and the load lock.

[0007] In a further embodiment of a method for operating a substrate processing system, the substrate processing system includes the components described in the above system and a factory interface robot in a factory interface. The method includes the steps of: transferring a substrate from the factory interface to the load lock by the factory interface robot. The method further includes the steps of: transferring the substrate from the load lock to a first auxiliary chamber by the transfer chamber robot. The method further includes the steps of: transferring the substrate from the first auxiliary chamber to a first processing chamber by the transfer chamber robot. The method further includes the steps of: transferring the substrate from the first processing chamber to the load lock by the transfer chamber robot.

[0008] These and other embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure provide many other features. Other features and embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present disclosure is shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements. It should be noted that different references to "one" or "an" embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

[0010] Figure 1A - Figure 1B is a top schematic view of an example processing tool in accordance with various embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 is a top schematic view of another processing tool in accordance with an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 is a top plan view of a transfer chamber in accordance with an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4A - Figure 4B are top and side schematic views of a processing tool, respectively, showing multiple potential areas of the location of support components for an auxiliary chamber in accordance with various embodiments.

[0014] Figure 5A - Figure 5C are respectively a top view schematic diagram and a side perspective view of a processing tool according to an embodiment, wherein a support member for an auxiliary chamber is positioned at a specific location.

[0015] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method of operating a processing tool disclosed according to various embodiments. Detailed Description

[0016] The embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods for a semiconductor tool platform configuration having a reduced footprint. For example, to address the above-described deficiencies related to the large footprint of a processing tool including two transfer chambers, the present disclosure employs a single transfer chamber attached to two auxiliary chambers (e.g., which may be a pre-cleaning chamber, a post-cleaning chamber, a degassing chamber, a batch wafer storage, or a combination thereof) and connected to four processing chambers and a load lock. In some embodiments, the transfer chamber is designed to have seven facets, four of which are larger and adapted to be attached to the larger processing chambers, and three of which are smaller and designed to be attached to the smaller auxiliary chambers and the load lock. In one embodiment, the four larger facets are sequentially located at the rear end of the transfer chamber, and the three smaller facets are sequentially located at the front end of the processing chamber. In one embodiment, the load lock is attached to the central one of the three smaller facets. The term "facet" herein may be considered synonymous with the "side" of the transfer chamber.

[0017] In these and other embodiments, while the load lock may be a batch load lock attached to an atmospheric factory interface (FI), the load lock may also be attached to an FI including a controlled environment or atmosphere (e.g., sealed by an inert gas environment at above atmospheric pressure or controlled by an ultra-low humidity and / or ultra-low oxygen level). In one embodiment, an inert gas is circulated through the controlled environment to achieve an ultra-low humidity and ultra-low oxygen environment. In another embodiment, extra-clean dry air is circulated through the controlled environment to achieve an ultra-low humidity environment. In some embodiments, ultra-low humidity and ultra-low oxygen refer to 25% or less of the oxygen and humidity levels in ambient conditions (e.g., 1 / 4 or less of the oxygen or humidity level in ambient air). In other embodiments, ultra-low humidity and ultra-low oxygen refer to 35% or less of the oxygen and humidity levels in ambient conditions.

[0018] The use of a FI with a controlled environment allows for single - slot or dual - slot load locks. The single - slot load lock allows a single wafer to pass through in either direction at the same time, while the dual - slot load lock allows two wafers to pass through in opposite directions at the same time, e.g., an unprocessed wafer entering the transfer chamber and a processed wafer leaving the transfer chamber. In these embodiments, due to the FI with a controlled environment, batch load locks can be avoided, allowing processed and unprocessed wafers to pass freely and efficiently through the load lock without having to further pressurize the FI and prepare for transfer. Thus, processed and unprocessed wafers can be grouped in a front - opening unified pod (FOUP), and the FOUP can be attached and sealed to the FI.

[0019] In some embodiments, the square footage of the processing tool is reduced, such that it may be desirable to repackage some of the support components of the auxiliary chamber. These support components can include, for example, a gas panel that supplies gas to the auxiliary chamber, associated gas lines, an alternating current (AC) power box, associated cables, and an electrical control box and associated interfaces. Embodiments for positioning these support components will be discussed in more detail.

[0020] Advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure include (but are not limited to) increasing the productivity of the processing tool per square foot of space, simplifying the load lock to a lower profile (which also saves space), and generally increasing the wafers - per - hour - per - square - foot (WPPS) by about 50% or more. These and other advantages will be mentioned in the following disclosure and / or will be apparent to those skilled in the art of semiconductor device processing.

[0021] Figure 1A - Figure 1B is a top - down schematic view of an exemplary processing tool 100 (e.g., a semiconductor device processing system) according to various embodiments. In various embodiments, the processing tool 100 includes a single transfer chamber 105 having a plurality of facets, including at least seven facets attached between the bottom 107 and the top (not shown) of the transfer chamber 105.

[0022] In one embodiment, the transfer chamber 105 (at Figure 1B(shown optimally in) includes four first small planes 106 and three second small planes 108, each of the four first small planes 106 being adapted to be attached to a processing chamber, two of the three second small planes 108 being adapted to be attached to an assist, and one of the three second small planes 108 being adapted to be attached to a load lock. In one embodiment, the middle one of the three second small planes 108 is sized and adapted to be attached to the load lock. In various embodiments, each of the three second small planes 108 has a width narrower than the width of each of the four first small planes 106. In other words, in these embodiments, each first small plane has a width wider than each second small plane. In some embodiments, the four first small planes 106 are sequentially positioned along the rear end of the transfer chamber 105, and the three second small planes 108 are sequentially positioned along the front end of the transfer chamber 105.

[0023] The transfer chamber 105 may further include a transfer chamber robot 110 attached to the bottom 107 of the transfer chamber 105 approximately at the center of the bottom 107. The transfer chamber robot 110 may include one or more arms 110A, with a terminal effector 110B attached to each arm 110A. Each terminal effector may be adapted to hold at least one substrate or wafer. The transfer chamber 105 may further include a first substrate support 109A and a second substrate support 109B. Before being transferred out through the load lock, the transfer chamber robot 110 may place the processed wafer on either the first substrate support 109A or the second substrate support 109B for internal cooling within the transfer chamber 105.

[0024] In various embodiments, the processing tool 100 further includes one or more processing chambers 116A, 116B, 116C, 116D (also referred to as processing chambers) attached to the four first small planes 106 respectively. For example, the first processing chamber 116A may be attached to the first small plane 106A of the four first small planes 106, the second processing chamber 116B may be attached to the second small plane 106B of the four first small planes 106, the third processing chamber 116C may be attached to the third small plane 106C of the four first small planes 106, and the fourth processing chamber 116D may be attached to the fourth small plane 106D of the four first small planes 106. The processing chambers 116A, 116B, 116C, 116D may include etching chambers, deposition chambers (including atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, or their plasma-enhanced versions), annealing chambers, and the like. In one embodiment, each of the first, second, third, and fourth processing chambers is an epitaxial processing chamber.

[0025] In some embodiments, the processing tool 100 further includes a first auxiliary chamber 118A attached to a first facet 108A of the three second facets 108, a load lock 120 attached to a second facet 108B of the three second facets 108, and a second auxiliary chamber 118B attached to a third facet 108C of the three second facets 108. In various embodiments, each of the first auxiliary chamber 118A and the second auxiliary chamber 118B is a pre-cleaning chamber, a post-cleaning chamber, a degassing chamber, or a batch wafer storage.

[0026] In various embodiments, a pre-cleaning chamber can be employed to prepare the surface of a wafer for processing within one of the processing chambers. For example, prior to depositing an epitaxial growth layer in an epitaxial processing chamber, the film on the wafer can be etched into a specific pattern and surface, and otherwise particles can be removed in the pre-cleaning chamber. Additionally, post-cleaning can remove post-etch residues from the wafer after etching within one of the processing chambers. Additionally, a degassing chamber can be used to clean and dry the surface of the wafer prior to a plasma vapor deposition (PVD)-type process within one of the processing chambers. Additionally, wafers, whether processed or unprocessed, can be temporarily stored in a batch wafer storage prior to or after being processed within a processing chamber, or between processing steps. In this manner, the first auxiliary chamber 118A and the second auxiliary chamber 118B can be employed in a variety of ways in combination with these processes. Additionally, when referring to an "auxiliary" chamber herein, it can be inferred that the reference is to any pre-cleaning chamber, post-cleaning chamber, degassing chamber, batch wafer storage, or combination thereof.

[0027] In various embodiments, the processing tool 100 further includes a factory interface (FI) 122 attached between a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) 130 and the load lock 120. While the load lock 120 can be attached to any one of the three second facets 108, in one embodiment, the load lock 120 is attached to the second facet 108B of the three second facets 108, for example, between the first auxiliary chamber 118A and the second auxiliary chamber 118B. This can make the processing system 100 as compact as possible by angling the two auxiliary chambers larger than the load lock 120 away from the FI 122. In various embodiments, the FI 122 further includes a factory interface (FI) robot 125 adapted to transfer substrates (wafers) in and out of the FOUP 130 and the load lock 120. The wafers transferred to the load lock 120 can be unprocessed wafers, while the wafers transferred back to the FOUP 130 can be processed wafers. In one embodiment, the load lock 120 is a batch load lock capable of holding a number of wafers.

[0028] In an embodiment, the transfer chamber robot 110 is adapted to transfer substrates into and out of a processing chamber 116A... 116D, one of the auxiliary chambers 118A and 118B, and the load lock 120. For example, the transfer chamber robot 110 may include an arm 110A and an end effector 110B, the combined length of which is sufficient to reach the center of any attached processing chamber, including the first processing chamber 116A, also to reach the first auxiliary chamber 118A, and to reach the load lock 120.

[0029] In one embodiment, the FI 122 is an FI having a controlled environment (e.g., an inert gas environment or a combined environment of ultra-low humidity and / or ultra-low oxygen). In one embodiment, an inert gas is circulated through the controlled environment to achieve an ultra-low humidity and ultra-low oxygen environment. In another embodiment, additionally cleaned dry air is circulated in the controlled environment to achieve an ultra-low humidity environment. The use of the FI 122 may allow for the use of a single-slot or dual-slot load lock for the load lock 120. A single-slot load lock may allow a single wafer to pass through in either direction simultaneously, while a dual-slot load lock may allow two wafers to pass through in opposite directions simultaneously, e.g., an unprocessed wafer entering the transfer chamber 105 and a processed wafer leaving the transfer chamber 105. In these embodiments, due to the FI 122 having a controlled environment, the use of a larger-profile batch load lock can be avoided, thereby allowing processed and unprocessed wafers to pass freely and efficiently through the load lock 120 without having to pressurize the FI 122 and prepare for transfer. Thus, processed and unprocessed wafers can be assembled in the FOUP 130, and the FOUP 130 can be attached and sealed to the FI 122.

[0030] In some embodiments, to illustrate the small footprint and compact nature of the processing system 100, the distance (D) between the center of the robot 110 and the center of one of the auxiliary chambers 118A or 118B is within 20% of 35 inches. The distance between the center of the robot 110 and the center of the load lock 120 may also be within 20% of 35 inches. Additionally, the width (W) of the processing tool 100 (which may be the external distance between two opposing processing chambers (e.g., 116A and 116D)) may be within 20% of 140 inches. Additionally, the length of the processing tool 100 (which may be between the front surface of the FI 122 and the rear ends of adjacent processing chambers (e.g., 116B and 116C)) may be within 20% of 150 inches.

[0031] The controller 102 controls various aspects of the processing tool 100. The controller 102 can be and / or include a computing device such as a personal computer, a server computer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a microcontroller, etc. The controller 102 can include one or more processing devices, and the processing device can be a general-purpose processing device (such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit, or the like). More specifically, the processing device can be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets or a combination of instruction sets. The processing device can also be one or more dedicated processing devices, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, or the like. The controller 102 can include data storage devices (e.g., one or more disk drives and / or solid state drives), main memory, static memory, a network interface, and / or other components. The controller 102 can execute instructions to perform any one or more of the methods and / or embodiments described herein. The instructions can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable storage medium can include main memory, static memory, secondary memory, and / or the processing device (during instruction execution).

[0032] The controller 102 can receive signals from and send signals to the FI robot 125, the transfer chamber robot 110, one or more processing chambers 116A... 116D, and the first auxiliary chamber 118A and the second auxiliary chamber 118B. The controller 102 can thus cause the control of these components within the processing tool 100, as will be discussed in more detail with reference to Figure 6 as follows.

[0033] Figure 2 is a top view schematic of another processing tool 200 according to an embodiment. The processing tool 200 can be similar to Figure 1A - Figure 1B the processing tool 100, and thus not all components are labeled. For example, the processing tool 200 can include a transfer chamber 205 attached to a plurality of processing chambers 216A, 216B, 216C, and 216D and attached to the first auxiliary chamber 218A, the second auxiliary chamber 218B, and the load lock 220. Each of the first auxiliary chamber 218A and the second auxiliary chamber 218B can include a set of support components 219A and 219B located at and below the first auxiliary chamber 218A and the second auxiliary chamber 218B, respectively. Each set of support components 219A and 219B can include (e.g.) gas lines, AC power boxes, electrical control boxes, power and cables, and the like.

[0034] In one embodiment, the processing tool 200 further includes an extension 221 attached between the load lock 220 and the FI 222 (e.g., the FI 222 with a controlled environment). The extension 221 can help extend the attachment point slightly into the FI 222 to make room for the set of support members 219A and 219B for each of the first auxiliary chamber 218A and the second auxiliary chamber 218B. In this embodiment, the FI robot (not shown) can have an extended robotic arm and / or an end effector of the robotic arm sufficient to place and retrieve substrates from the center of the load lock 220. The FI 222 can be further attached to the FOUP 230. Additionally, as shown, the load lock 220 can be attached offset from the center of the FI 222, where the exact attachment location is not critical. In this way, the FI 222 can be positioned to avoid the support members 219A and 219B and help make the footprint of the processing tool 200 as compact as possible.

[0035] Figure 3 is a top plan view of the transfer chamber 305 according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, the transfer chambers 105 and 205 can be used Figure 3 replaced by the transfer chamber 305. In one embodiment, the transfer chamber 305 is made of, for example, a monolithic metal piece. The transfer chamber 305 can include four first facets 306, e.g., a first facet 306A, a second facet 306B, a third facet 306C, and a fourth facet 306D. Each of the four first facets 306 is adapted to be attached to a processing chamber.

[0036] In some embodiments, the transfer chamber 305 further includes a transfer interface unit 318, which is adapted to include three facet portions, e.g., a first facet portion 308A, a second facet portion 308B, and a third facet portion 308C. Each of the facet portions is adapted to be attached to an auxiliary chamber or a load lock. For example, the first facet portion 308A can include a first pair of cylindrical locks 311A located on either side of the first aperture 319A, the second facet portion 308B can include a second pair of cylindrical locks 311B located on either side of the second aperture 319B, and a third pair of cylindrical locks 311C located on either side of the third aperture 319C. In one embodiment, the transfer interface unit 318 is a solid monolithic piece of metal or other material. In another embodiment, the transfer interface unit is a set of three metal bars welded or otherwise attached together.

[0037] The transfer chamber 305 can further include a robot aperture 310A through which a transfer chamber robot (such as Figure 1Btransfer chamber robot 110). The transfer chamber 305 may further include a first substrate support 309A and a second substrate support 309B, on which the heat-treated wafers after being withdrawn from the processing chamber are placed. In the epitaxial processing chamber, the temperature can reach above 800 °C. Therefore, the first substrate support 309A and the second substrate support 309B can be used to temporarily hold (e.g., for up to 20 - 30 minutes) the processed wafers before transferring the processed wafers to the load lock.

[0038] Figure 4A - Figure 4B are a top view and a side view of a processing tool 400, respectively, which show a plurality of potential areas for the positions of the support components of the auxiliary chamber according to various embodiments, e.g., within a first area 101A, a second area 101B, a third area 101C, or a fourth area 101D. In some embodiments, the processing tool 400 is a processing tool Figure 1A - Figure 1B and Figure 2 the same as or similar to.

[0039] For example, in various embodiments, the processing tool 400 may include a transfer chamber 405, which is attached to a plurality of processing chambers 416A, 416B, 416C, and 416D, attached to a first auxiliary chamber 418A, attached to a load lock (not shown), and attached to a second auxiliary chamber 418B. The transfer chamber 405 may further include a top 414 attached to seven facets, e.g., which may be attached to the bottom (such as Figure 1A - Figure 1B the bottom 107 shown in). The processing tool 400 may further include an FI 422 attached to the load lock (not shown), and the load lock is further attached to the transfer chamber 405. In some embodiments, the FI 422 is an FI with a controlled environment, as described above, and is attached to a FOUP 430.

[0040] The support components located in one possible area may include, for example, a gas panel that supplies gas to the first auxiliary chamber 418A and the second auxiliary chamber 418B respectively, related gas pipelines, an alternating current (AC) power box, related cables, and an electrical control box and related interfaces. Embodiments of positioning these support components will be discussed in more detail. The gas panel 450 is shown by way of example as being located below the second auxiliary chamber 418B, but may be located in any of the first area 101A, the second area 101B, the third area 101C, or the fourth area 101D. The gas panel 450 may also be located near or above the corresponding auxiliary chamber, such as above or near the first auxiliary chamber 418A. The gas panel 450 may be adapted to supply a selected one or more gases (e.g., may be a mixture of gases) and supply the (multiple) processing gases to the first and second auxiliary chambers 418A and 418B.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first region 101A is located near a first side of the FI 422 and within an associated space between the FI 422 and the first processing chamber 416A. The second region 101B may be further located near a second side of the FI 422 and within an associated space between the FI 422 and the fourth processing chamber 416D. The third region 101C may be located below the first auxiliary chamber 418A and below the second auxiliary chamber 418B where the gas panel 450 is located. In addition to positioning support components, the third region 101C may also be adapted to include a maintenance access region for providing access to the transfer chamber 405 for maintenance of the transfer chamber 405. The maintenance access region, more specifically, may be located between at least one of the first auxiliary chamber 418A and the second auxiliary chamber 418B and the bottom plate. In some embodiments, the maintenance access region having the third region 101C passes between the first auxiliary chamber 418A and the second auxiliary chamber 418B and passes through a power distribution box for the transfer chamber 405 that is typically located below the load lock. The fourth region 101D may be an area attached to the upper back surface of the FI 422, such as, at least partially overhanging the load lock and one or both of the first auxiliary chamber 418A and the second auxiliary chamber 418B.

[0042] Figure 5A - Figure 5C Are respectively a top schematic view and a side perspective view of a processing tool 500 according to an embodiment, where support components for the auxiliary chambers are positioned at specific locations. For example, in various embodiments, the processing tool 500 may include a transfer chamber 505 attached to a plurality of processing chambers 516A, 516B, 516C, and 516D, attached to a first auxiliary chamber 518A, attached to a load lock 520, and attached to a second auxiliary chamber 518B. The transfer chamber 505 may further include a top 514 attached to seven facets, such as, which may be attached to a bottom (such as Figure 1A - Figure 1B the bottom 107 shown). The processing tool 500 may further include an FI 522 attached to the load lock 520, and the load lock 520 is further attached to the transfer chamber 505. In some embodiments, the FI is an FI with a controlled environment, as described above, and is attached to the FOUP 530.

[0043] In some embodiments, a gas panel (such as the first gas panel 550A) for the first auxiliary chamber 518A and the second auxiliary chamber 518B is located between one of the first auxiliary chamber 118A and the second auxiliary chamber 118B and the bottom plate of the processing tool 500. The processing tool 500 may further include gas pipelines (such as one or more first gas pipelines 521A) extending between the gas panel 550A and each of the first auxiliary chamber 518A and the second auxiliary chamber 518B. In one embodiment, the first gas panel 550A is located between the first auxiliary chamber 518A and the bottom plate, and one or more first gas pipelines 521A are connected between the first gas panel 550A and the first auxiliary chamber 518A to supply a processing gas from the first gas panel 550A to the first auxiliary chamber 518A. In a further embodiment, the second gas panel 550B is located between the second auxiliary chamber 518B and the bottom plate, and one or more second gas pipelines 521B are connected between the second gas panel 550B and the second auxiliary chamber 518B to supply a processing gas from the second gas panel 550B to the second auxiliary chamber 518B.

[0044] In addition, in one embodiment, the first auxiliary chamber 518A is attached to the transfer chamber 505 adjacent to the first side of the load lock 520. The processing tool 500 may further include an alternating current (AC) power box 560A to provide power to the first auxiliary chamber 518A. The AC power box 560A may be attached to the first side of the upper back surface of the factory interface (e.g., FI 522). The AC cable attached to the AC power box 560A extends along the outer side of the FI 522 and crosses over the first auxiliary chamber 518A. The processing tool 500 may further include an electrical control box 562A to control the functions of the first auxiliary chamber 518A. The electrical control box 562A may be attached to the first side of the upper back surface of the factory interface and adjacent to the AC power box 560A, e.g., below the AC power box 560A in one embodiment. In one embodiment, the AC power box 560A is at least partially suspended above the first auxiliary chamber 518A.

[0045] In an alternative embodiment, the AC power box 560A is optionally located near the first processing chamber 516A, e.g., on the bottom plate next to the first processing chamber 516A. The electrical control box 562A may then be attached to the AC power box 560A, e.g., on top of, below, or next to the electrical control box 562A. In addition, one or more first AC cables 564A may be attached to the AC power box 560A and run between the AC power box 560A and the first auxiliary chamber 518A. In some embodiments, one or more first AC cables 564A also include the cable(s) for the electrical control box 562A.

[0046] In addition, in one embodiment, a second auxiliary chamber 518A is attached to the transfer chamber 505, adjacent to the second side of the load lock 520. The processing tool 500 may further include an alternating current (AC) power box 560B to provide power to the second auxiliary chamber 518B. The AC power box 560B may be attached to the second side of the upper back surface of the factory interface (e.g., FI 522). The AC cable attached to the AC power box 560B extends along the outer side of the FI 522 and crosses over the second auxiliary chamber 518B. The processing tool 500 may further include an electrical control box 562B to control the functions of the second auxiliary chamber 518B. The electrical control box 562B may be attached to the second side of the upper back surface of the FI 522 and adjacent to the AC power box 560B, e.g., below the AC power box 560B in one embodiment. In one embodiment, the AC power box 560B is at least partially suspended above the second auxiliary chamber 518B.

[0047] In an alternative embodiment, the AC power box 560B is optionally located near the fourth processing chamber 516D, e.g., on the bottom plate next to the fourth processing chamber 516D. The electrical control box 562B may then be attached to the AC power box 560B, e.g., on top of, below, or next to the electrical control box 562B. In addition, one or more second AC cables 564B may be attached to the AC power box 560B and run between the AC power box 560B and the second auxiliary chamber 518B. In some embodiments, one or more second AC cables 564A also include cables for the electrical control box 562B.

[0048] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 for operating the disclosed processing tool according to various embodiments. The method 600 may be executed by processing logic that may include hardware (e.g., a processing device, circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, hardware of a device, an integrated circuit, etc.), software (e.g., instructions running or executing on a processing device), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method 600 is executed by the controller 102 (FIG. 1) or other computing system having a processing device and with reference to any of the processing tools described herein. Although shown in a particular order or sequence, unless otherwise stated, the order of the processing may be modified. Thus, the illustrated embodiments should be understood as examples, and the illustrated processing may be performed in a different order, and some processing may be performed in parallel. In addition, one or more of the processing may be omitted in various embodiments. Thus, not all processing is required in every embodiment. Other processing flows are possible.

[0049] At operation 610, the processing logic causes the factory interface robot to transfer a substrate from the factory interface to the load lock.

[0050] At operation 620, the processing logic causes the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the load lock to the first auxiliary chamber.

[0051] At operation 630, the processing logic causes the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the first auxiliary chamber to the first processing chamber.

[0052] At operation 640, the processing logic causes the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the first processing chamber to the load lock.

[0053] In Figure 6 an extension of the embodiment, the processing logic may further cause the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate to the substrate support of the transfer chamber for cooling before transferring the substrate to the load lock. The processing logic may further cause the factory interface robot to transfer the substrate from the load lock to the front-opening wafer cassette attached to the factory interface.

[0054] In Figure 6 an extension of the embodiment, the processing logic may further cause the substrate to be processed by the first auxiliary chamber to remove the pattern of the film pre-deposited on the substrate and clean the surface of the substrate. The processing logic may further cause the substrate to be processed by the first processing chamber to perform epitaxial growth of the crystal film deposited on the substrate.

[0055] To provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the present disclosure, the foregoing description sets forth numerous specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, etc. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods have not been described in detail or are presented in a simple block diagram format to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. A particular implementation may differ from these exemplary details and still be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] References to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" in the course of this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". When the term "about" or "approximately" is used herein, this is intended to mean that the stated nominal value is precisely within ±10%.

[0057] Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of operations of each method may be changed so that certain operations may be performed in the reverse order, and so that certain operations may be performed at least partially concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, the instructions or sub-operations of the different operations may be in an intermittent and / or alternating manner.

[0058] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, comprising: A factory interface with a controlled environment; A transfer chamber, comprising: Four first small planes; and Three second small planes, wherein each of the three second small planes has a width narrower than that of each of the four first small planes; A first processing chamber attached to one of the four first small planes; A first auxiliary chamber attached to the first of the three second small planes, wherein the first auxiliary chamber is smaller than the first processing chamber; A load lock attached to the second of the three second small planes and the factory interface; And A robot attached to the bottom of the transfer chamber, the robot being adapted to transfer a plurality of substrates in and out of the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock, wherein the distance between the center of the robot and the center of the first auxiliary chamber is within 20% of 35 inches.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processing chamber is an epitaxial processing chamber, and wherein the controlled environment is an environment comprising ultra-low oxygen and ultra-low humidity which is 25% or less of the oxygen and humidity levels in the environmental conditions.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the controlled environment is an inert gas environment.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: A gas panel located near or above the first auxiliary chamber; and One or more gas pipelines connected between the gas panel and the first auxiliary chamber to supply various processing gases from the gas panel to the first auxiliary chamber.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a second auxiliary chamber attached to the third of the three second small planes, wherein the load lock is attached to the transfer chamber between the first auxiliary chamber and the second auxiliary chamber.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first auxiliary chamber or the second auxiliary chamber comprises a pre-cleaning chamber, a post-cleaning chamber, a degassing chamber, or a batch wafer storage.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, further comprising a gas panel located between one of the first auxiliary chamber and the second auxiliary chamber and the bottom plate of the substrate processing system, the gas panel supplying various processing gases to the first auxiliary chamber and the second auxiliary chamber.

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the four first small planes are sequentially positioned along the rear end of the transfer chamber opposite to the front end where the load lock is attached, and further comprising: A second processing chamber attached to the second of the four first small planes; A third processing chamber attached to the third of the four first small planes; and A fourth processing chamber attached to the fourth of the four first small planes.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the load lock is one of a batch load lock, a single-slot load lock, or a dual-slot load lock.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, further comprising three additional processing chambers, three of which are attached to the four first facets, wherein the external distance between two opposite processing chambers is within 20% of 140 inches, and the length between the front surface of the factory interface and the rear end of the adjacent processing chamber is within 20% of 150 inches.

11. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the robot comprises an arm and an end effector, and the combined length is sufficient to reach the centers of the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock with the substrate.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first auxiliary chamber is attached to the transfer chamber adjacent to the first side of the load lock, and further comprises: An alternating current (AC) power box for providing power to the first auxiliary chamber, and the AC power box is located near the first processing chamber; An electrical control box for controlling the functions of the first auxiliary chamber, wherein the electrical control box is attached to the AC power box; and An AC cable attached to the AC power box and running between the AC power box and the first auxiliary chamber.

13. A main frame for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: A transfer chamber, comprising: A bottom; Four first facets attached to the bottom, wherein each of the four first facets is adapted to be attached to a processing chamber; Two second facets attached to the bottom, wherein each of the two second facets has a width narrower than that of each of the four first facets and is adapted to be attached to an auxiliary chamber smaller than the processing chamber; A single third facet attached to the bottom, wherein the single third facet is adapted to be connected to a load lock; And A robot attached to the bottom, the robot being adapted to transfer a plurality of substrates in and out of the processing chamber, the auxiliary chamber, and the load lock, wherein the distance between the center of the robot and the center of the auxiliary chamber is within 20% of 35 inches.

14. The main frame according to claim 13, wherein the single third facet is located between the two second facets and further has a width narrower than that of each of the four first facets.

15. The main frame according to claim 13, wherein the transfer chamber further comprises a top, and the four first facets are sequentially attached between the bottom and the top at the rear end of the transfer chamber opposite to the single third facet.

16. The main frame according to claim 13, wherein the robot comprises an arm and an end effector, and the combined length is sufficient to reach the centers of any attached processing chamber, the auxiliary chamber, or the load lock with the substrate.

17. A method for operating a substrate processing system, the substrate processing system comprising a factory interface having a controlled environment and a factory interface robot; a transfer chamber comprising four first facets and three second facets, wherein each of the three second facets has a width narrower than the width of each of the four first facets; a first processing chamber attached to the first of the four first facets; a first auxiliary chamber attached to the first of the three second facets; a load lock attached to the second of the three second facets and the factory interface; and a transfer chamber robot attached to the bottom of the transfer chamber, wherein the distance between the center of the transfer chamber robot and the center of the first auxiliary chamber is within 20% of 35 inches, the method comprising the steps of: causing the factory interface robot to transfer a substrate from the factory interface to the load lock; causing the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the load lock to the first auxiliary chamber; causing the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the first auxiliary chamber to the first processing chamber; and causing the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate from the first processing chamber to the load lock.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of: causing the transfer chamber robot to transfer the substrate to a substrate support in the transfer chamber for cooling before transferring the substrate to the load lock; and causing the factory interface robot to transfer the substrate from the load lock to a front opening wafer cassette attached to the factory interface.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of: causing the substrate to be processed by the first auxiliary chamber to remove a pattern of a film pre-deposited on the substrate and clean the surface of the substrate; and causing the substrate to be processed by the first processing chamber to perform epitaxial growth of a crystalline film deposited on the substrate.

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