Substrate processing system

Abstract

To improve the throughput and efficiency of a substrate processing system while minimizing the footprint of the system.SOLUTION: A substrate processing system 2 comprises a transfer vacuum chamber 4 for handling a substrate under vacuum conditions, the transfer vacuum chamber being in communication with at least two substrate modules connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 by respective connection slots 28. The at least two substrate modules can receive at least one substrate. At least one of the at least two substrate modules is a substrate processing module 6. The system also comprises at least two load lock chambers 10 in vacuum communication with the transfer vacuum chamber 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and also to a method of processing a substrate using the substrate processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In ultra-high vacuum (UHV) substrate processing equipment, such as thin film vacuum processing equipment, it is standard to perform multiple process steps in one process tool. The substrate, semiconductor wafer, glass panel, etc., being processed may require a variety of different steps that are performed in different parts of the process tool under reduced pressure. Vacuum compatible robots are often used to move the substates through the tool. A typical process sequence may require the substrate to be transferred from an atmospheric equipment front-end module (EFEM) through a load lock chamber into at least one transfer vacuum chamber into a vacuum environment, followed by a series of deposition or etching steps with various heating and cooling operations. Potential in-tool metrology stations may also be used to measure various physical properties of the film on the substrate or the substrate itself. Once the required process sequence is completed, the substrate is transferred back to the EFEM through the load lock chamber. Each of these process steps typically requires at least one dedicated module to perform the specific function and a transport mechanism to move the substrate through the process tool at the appropriate time. The cost of ownership (CoO) of a process tool in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process is largely determined by the productivity of the tool (wafers per hour), the cost of consumables (cost per wafer), the footprint (area) of the system, and the cost of the tool. In systems with several consecutive process steps, such as PVD systems, where the wafer is preheated and sputter cleaned, followed by two to three deposition steps in an ultra-high vacuum environment, the transport system can play a key role in determining the tool throughput. For an octagonal transport module with two load lock chambers and a single bi-symmetric robot, the system throughput can be limited by the number of process modules that can be accommodated by the transport chamber, in this case up to six process modules.In alternative systems, such as the industry standard AMAT Endura disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,186,718, two transfer chambers, each with a transfer robot and an internal transfer path through a load lock chamber between the transfer chambers, can provide up to nine process module locations, four on the front transfer chambers and five on the rear transfer chamber. Some of the module locations on the front transfer chamber are in close proximity to the EFEM, so can only accommodate relatively small modules. The number of process modules a transfer chamber can support depends on the module size, primarily width, as well as the module access requirements and type, e.g., physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma or chemical etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or atomic layer deposition (ALD). Different types of modules can have different vacuum requirements that need to be managed to avoid cross-contamination issues. This is typically managed by maintaining different levels of vacuum in the front and rear transfer chambers. However, the handling sequence in this twin transfer chamber system can limit productivity because the wafer processed in the first vacuum chamber needs to be placed and equilibrated in the load lock chamber before entering the second chamber, before being picked up by the second robot and moved to the next process station. When performing sequential processes with parallel process paths, the handling time can be a limiting factor in tool productivity. A further limitation is the width of the transfer chamber with the load lock chamber when using a bi-symmetric robot. Conventional twin transfer chamber systems use two load lock chambers to avoid the increased width of the chamber, increasing the chamber volume and thus the tool footprint. In high volume applications, having only two load lock chambers can be a limiting factor in tool productivity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 5,186,718 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 8,309,374 [Patent Document 3] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0071737 [Patent Document 4] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0075563 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention, in at least some of its embodiments, seeks to address some of the problems, desires and needs identified above. In particular, embodiments of the present invention seek to improve the throughput and efficiency of substrate processing systems while minimizing the system's footprint. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a substrate processing system comprising:

[0006] A transfer vacuum chamber for handling substrates under vacuum conditions, the transfer vacuum chamber in communication with at least two substrate modules connected to the transfer vacuum chamber by respective connection slots, the at least two substrate modules capable of receiving at least one substrate, at least one of the at least two substrate modules being a substrate processing module, the at least two load lock chambers in vacuum communication with the transfer vacuum chamber, the transfer vacuum chamber comprising at least two transfer robots arranged within the transfer vacuum chamber configured to transfer substrates under vacuum conditions between the at least two load lock chambers and the at least one substrate processing module, each of the at least two transfer robots being capable of translating or rotating along at least five independent axes, each of the at least two transfer robots being configured to place and retrieve substrates from at least one common substrate module of the at least two substrate modules.

[0007] By including at least two "five-axis" transfer robots in a single transfer vacuum chamber, together with at least two load lock chambers and at least one common substrate module connected to the transfer vacuum chamber, the inventors have found that a highly productive system with a relatively compact footprint can be produced, with throughput being primarily constrained by the handling time of the substrates in at least one substrate processing chamber, rather than the transport of the substrates. The at least one common substrate module accessible by each of the transfer robots also ensures that the transfer vacuum chamber itself is not present with any structures or modules that may impede the path or motion of any of the transfer robots, while preventing the need for additional transfer vacuum chambers or load lock chambers, or other means of transferring substrates between areas accessible to each transfer vacuum robot. This allows for reduced substrate transfer times and increased system throughput. In addition, by using a "five-axis" robot, the width of the chambers is primarily dictated by the size and number of the load lock chambers, which can be located closer together, since the "five-axis" robot is not limited to radial movement, unlike a bi-symmetric robot. This allows for the width, and therefore the footprint, of the substrate processing system to be reduced.

[0008] Each connection slot may comprise an opening in the transport vacuum chamber between an exterior and an interior of the transport vacuum chamber. Each connection slot may comprise a respective connection slot valve configured to isolate the interior of the transport vacuum chamber from the exterior of the transport vacuum chamber, thereby ensuring that a vacuum may be maintained inside the transport vacuum chamber and that substrate modules connected to the transport vacuum chamber by the connection slot valves may be isolated from the transport vacuum chamber. The transport vacuum chamber, in use, may accommodate 3×10 -7 Less than Torr, optionally 1×10 -7 Torr, and optionally approximately 9×10 -8The transfer vacuum chamber may be configured to maintain a vacuum having a pressure of up to 100 Torr. The vacuum in the transfer vacuum chamber may be maintained by any method known in the art, such as by a vacuum pump.

[0009] The at least two load lock chambers can be connected to an equipment front end module (EFEM) configured to allow substrates to be loaded and unloaded from the substrate processing system. The EFEM can include a third transfer robot configured to transfer substrates between the at least two load lock chambers and an exterior of the EFEM under atmospheric conditions.

[0010] The at least one substrate processing module may comprise a substrate module configured to perform a physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma or chemical etching or deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD) process on at least one substrate. At least one substrate module of the at least two substrate modules that is not a substrate processing module may be an auxiliary substrate module, such as a multi- or single-substrate cooling module, a multi- or single-substrate buffer module, a pre-heating module, and / or a metrology module.

[0011] The transfer vacuum chamber may comprise a plurality of facets, each facet comprising at least one connecting slot, and each of the at least two substrate modules and the at least two load lock chambers being connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at the facet by a respective connecting slot. Each of the at least two load lock chambers may be connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at a common load lock facet. The at least two load lock chambers may comprise three load lock chambers, each of the three load lock chambers being connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at a load lock facet. When the at least two load lock chambers are connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at a common load lock facet, the transfer vacuum chamber may comprise two facets adjacent to the load lock facet, each of the two facets being inclined towards the load lock facet. The two facets adjacent to the load lock facet may be inclined at an angle of up to 15° with respect to a normal to a plane including the load lock facet. This configuration of the facets has been found to maximize the space around the facets adjacent to the load lock facets, minimizing the footprint of the substrate processing system while allowing larger substrate modules to be mounted adjacent to the load lock chamber and, if present, adjacent the EFEM.

[0012] At least one facet may comprise an adjustable connection slot. Three facets may comprise respective adjustable connection slots. The adjustable connection slot may comprise at least one opening in a facet of the transport vacuum chamber and a blanking plate, the blanking plate comprising at least one opening, the blanking plate being removably fixed to the facet such that the at least one opening is positioned over the at least one opening. By providing a removable blanking plate in the adjustable connection slot, the functionality of the adjustable connection slot may be changed during the operation period of the substrate processing system by changing the removable blanking plate for an alternative removable blanking plate or by removing the removable blanking plate entirely, allowing different substrate modules to be connected to the adjustable connection slot. This allows the substrate processing system to be adjusted according to the specific operational requirements of the substrate processing to be performed, making the substrate processing system more flexible.

[0013] At least one of the at least two load lock chambers may comprise a temperature control means configured to heat or cool the substrate in the at least one load lock chamber. The temperature control means may include a heat lamp, such as a spiral lamp heater. The temperature control means may comprise a cooled substrate support, such as a substrate support cooled by passing a cooling fluid through tubes in the substrate support. By providing a temperature control means in at least one of the at least two load lock chambers, the substrate may be pre-heated or pre-cooled and further degassed before entering the transfer vacuum chamber, reducing substrate processing time in the transfer vacuum chamber and potentially preventing the need to separately heat or cool the substrate modules depending on the particular substrate process. In at least one of the load lock chambers that does not comprise a temperature control means, the at least one load lock chamber may comprise a vacuum cassette elevator (VCE) or other means for accommodating multiple wafers in the respective at least one load lock chamber.

[0014] At least one common substrate module may comprise a substrate processing module. At least one common substrate module may comprise a multi-substrate buffer station. At least one common substrate module may include at least two common substrate modules. By providing at least two common substrate modules accessible by both transfer robots, the time spent by the transfer robots waiting for a common substrate module to be available to store or retrieve one or more wafers may be reduced, increasing system throughput.

[0015] The at least two substrate modules can include at least nine substrate processing modules. In one configuration, the substrate processing system can include nine substrate processing modules, two common substrate modules, and three load lock chambers. The at least two substrate modules can include multiple substrate processing modules each configured to perform the same process on a substrate. For example, the at least two substrate modules can include multiple substrate processing modules configured to perform a PVD process on a substrate. By having multiple substrate processing modules capable of performing the same function, system throughput can be increased by processing multiple wafers simultaneously in parallel.

[0016] The substrate processing system may include at least one substrate alignment system. The at least one substrate alignment system may include a substrate alignment system associated with the EFEM. The at least one substrate alignment system may include a plurality of substrate alignment systems, each substrate alignment system associated with a respective connection slot. The at least one substrate alignment system may include at least two optical sensors configured to detect translational or rotational misalignment of the substrate.

[0017] The substrate processing system may include at least one controller configured to control operation of at least one component of the substrate processing system. The substrate processing system may include a controller configured to control at least one of the following: at least two substrate modules, at least two load lock chambers, at least two transfer robots, at least one connecting slot valve, an EFEM, at least one temperature control means, and at least one substrate alignment system.

[0018] The substrate processing system may include three load lock chambers, each load lock chamber having a respective inner surface, the transfer vacuum chamber may include a plurality of facets, each facet may include at least one connecting slot, each of the three load lock chambers may be connected to the transfer vacuum chamber adjacent to one another at a common load lock facet, and the transfer vacuum chamber may have a maximum internal width at its widest point, where a maximum distance between the inner surfaces of the load lock chambers furthest from one another may be less than 110% of the maximum internal width of the transfer vacuum chamber.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of processing a substrate using a substrate processing system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the method comprising:

[0020] A step of loading at least one substrate into one of at least two load lock chambers, a step of removing the substrate from one of the at least two load lock chambers into a transfer vacuum chamber using a first transfer robot in a load lock transfer step, a step of placing the substrate in a common substrate module in a common substrate module load step, a step of retrieving the substrate from the common substrate module using a second transfer robot and placing the substrate in a substrate processing module in a common substrate module unload step, and a step of processing the substrate in the substrate processing module in a processing step.

[0021] The loading step may include loading a substrate into one of the at least two load lock chambers. If the loading step includes loading a substrate into one of the at least two load lock chambers, after the loading step and before the load lock transfer step, the method may further include heating or cooling the substrate in the load lock chamber using a temperature control means.

[0022] The loading step can include loading a plurality of substrates into at least one of the at least two load lock chambers, and a load lock transfer step, a common substrate module load step, a common substrate module unload step and a processing step are performed for each of the plurality of substrates.

[0023] The common substrate module may be a substrate processing module, and after the load lock transfer step and the common substrate module load step, and before the common substrate module unload step, the substrate may be processed in the common substrate module in a common substrate module processing step.

[0024] The substrate processing system may comprise a plurality of substrate processing modules, and the method may include a further transfer step of transferring at least one substrate between the substrate processing modules, and a further processing step of processing at least one substrate in each substrate processing module. For example, the method may include at least one of the steps of placing the substrate in the substrate processing module using a first transfer robot after the load lock transfer step and before the common substrate module load step, processing the substrate in the substrate processing module, and then removing the substrate from the substrate processing module using the first transfer robot. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a first perspective view of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates a transfer vacuum chamber and EFEM of a substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of a transfer vacuum chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic diagram of a transfer vacuum chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 3 is a flow chart illustrating steps of a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The invention is described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, where the substrates to be processed are silicon wafers with a particular configuration of substrate modules, load lock chambers and transfer robots, however, the substrate processing system and method according to the invention are equally applicable to other forms of substrates and other configurations of substrate modules, load lock chambers and transfer robots.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a first isometric perspective view of a substrate processing system 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates a second cross-sectional perspective view of the substrate processing system 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing system 2 comprises a single transfer vacuum chamber 4 for handling at least one substrate under vacuum conditions. The transfer vacuum chamber 4 is configured to be maintained under vacuum and comprises an interior chamber 16 defined by walls 18, which may be formed from a single, unitary piece of material, such as an aluminum monoblock, to help maintain the integrity of the vacuum within the interior chamber 16. The interior chamber 16 may have a maximum interior width at the widest point of the interior chamber 16. The vacuum within the interior chamber 16 may be as large as 3×10 -7 Less than Torr, optionally 1×10 -7 Torr, and optionally approximately 9×10 -8The transfer vacuum chamber 4 is maintained by one or more vacuum pumps (not shown), such as cryopumps, capable of maintaining a vacuum having a pressure of 1000 Torr. The transfer vacuum chamber 4 communicates with the nine substrate processing modules 6 and the two auxiliary substrate modules 8, and is connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 by respective connection slots 28, and further includes two observation ports 14. One or more of the connection slots 28 may include slot valves 22 that may be selectively opened or closed to allow or prevent access to each attached module or the load lock chamber. This allows the substrate processing modules 6 and / or the auxiliary substrate modules 8 with the slot valves 22 to be isolated from the transfer vacuum chamber 4, and this allows the substrate modules 6, 8 to be maintained at a different pressure than the transfer vacuum chamber 4, for example by respective vacuum pumps (not shown). In one embodiment, each of the substrate processing modules 6 is connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 by respective connection slots 28 that include slot valves 22, and the substrate processing modules are often operated at a pressure substantially higher than the pressure maintained in the transfer vacuum chamber 4, for example 1000 times higher. Thus, each of the substrate processing modules 6 can be configured to receive the substrate from the transfer vacuum chamber 4 before the slot valve 22 is closed, bring the pressure in the substrate processing module to a target pressure, and perform a process on the substrate. Each substrate processing module 6 can then be configured to open the slot valve 22 and reduce the pressure in the substrate processing module 6 before allowing the substrate to be retrieved from the substrate processing module 6. If the pressure in the substrate processing module 6 is still higher than the pressure in the transfer vacuum chamber 4, the pressure in the transfer vacuum chamber 4 will rise upon opening of the slot valve 22, but can be reduced again by the operation of the vacuum pump associated with the transfer vacuum chamber 4. For the same reasons as the substrate processing modules 6, auxiliary modules 8 configured to perform some form of process on the substrate, such as multi- or single-substrate cooling modules or pre-heating modules, can also be connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 by respective connecting slots 28 including the slot valves 22.Auxiliary modules 8 that are not configured to perform a process on a substrate, such as a multi- or single-substrate buffer module, can be maintained at the same pressure as the transport vacuum chamber 4 and therefore do not require a slot valve 22 as part of their connection to the transport vacuum chamber 4.

[0028] Each of the nine substrate processing modules 6 and the two auxiliary substrate modules 8 can accept at least one substrate at a time. In the exemplary embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the nine substrate processing modules 6 are PVD modules each capable of accepting one substrate at a time, and the two auxiliary modules 8 include one multi-substrate buffer station 24 capable of accepting and storing multiple substrates at a time, and one dual substrate cooling module 26 with two fluid-cooled substrate supports configured to cool substrates between processing steps performed in the substrate processing modules 6. The buffer station 24 can accommodate multiple substrates, such as up to twelve 300 mm wafers, with or without connecting slot valves 22, and can improve the "scheduling" of substrates in the substrate processing system 2 by releasing the end effector of the robot 20 to move another substrate. The cooling module 26 is typically connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 by connecting slot valves 22, allows cooling of substrates between processing steps, and can include fluid-cooled wafer supports and dedicated substrate pumping with purge gas lines (not shown).

[0029] The substrate processing system 2 further comprises three load lock chambers 10 in vacuum communication with the transfer vacuum chamber 4 and connected to an EFEM 12 that allows substrates to be transferred from the atmosphere to the substrate processing system 2. The load lock chambers 10 are configured to reduce the atmospheric pressure in the load lock chambers 10 when a substrate is loaded from outside the substrate processing system 2, allowing the substrate to be transferred from the external environment at a first atmospheric pressure to a vacuum maintained in the transfer vacuum chamber 4. Although three load lock chambers 10 are shown in the exemplary embodiment, it should be appreciated that a different number of load lock chambers 10, such as two or four or more, may be provided depending on the particular requirements of the substrate processing system 2. Similarly, the substrate processing system 2 may be configured to operate only the subsystems of the load lock chambers 10 for substrate processing, for example, by using only two of the three load lock chambers 10 for a particular process.

[0030] At least one of the load lock chambers 10 comprises a temperature control means (not shown) configured to heat or cool the substrate in the at least one load lock chamber 10. The temperature control means may comprise heat lamps, such as spiral lamp heaters, which may be configured to increase the temperature of the substrate relative to the temperature of the substrate prior to loading into the load lock chamber 10. For example, a spiral lamp heater may uniformly heat a single 300 mm wafer from room temperature to 450° C. in less than 60 seconds. The temperature control means may additionally or alternatively comprise a cooled substrate support, such as a substrate support cooled by passing a coolant fluid through tubes in the substrate support, which may be configured to reduce the temperature of the substrate relative to the temperature of the substrate prior to loading into the load lock chamber 10.

[0031] The transfer vacuum chamber 4 includes a number of facets 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, as shown in FIG. 3. Each facet 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 may be unique in shape or configuration or may share its shape and / or configuration with at least one other facet to facilitate construction of the transfer vacuum chamber 4. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the transfer vacuum chamber includes a load lock facet 30 where each of the three load lock chambers 10 is connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 adjacent to each other, two protruding facets 32 adjacent to the load lock facet 30, and three facets with at least one adjustable connecting slot, side surface 34, and end surface 38. This is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, other numbers of facets, as well as arrangements and configurations of the facets, may be provided. When three load lock chambers 10 are connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 at a single load lock facet 30, the maximum distance between the inner surfaces of the load lock chambers furthest from each other may be less than 110% of the maximum internal width of the transfer vacuum chamber. This ensures that the overall width, and therefore the overall footprint, of the substrate processing system 2 is kept to a minimum.

[0032] Each facet 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 includes at least one connection slot 28 and can include multiple connection slots 28. The protruding facets 32 are provided on either side of the load lock facet 30 and protrude from the transfer vacuum chamber 4 at an angle such that the protruding facets are inclined towards the EFEM 12 and the load lock chamber 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the protruding facets 32 are inclined at an angle of 15° with respect to the normal of the plane containing the load lock facets 30. This configuration of the facets has been found to maximize the space around the protruding facets 32, allowing the option of mounting a larger substrate processing module 6 adjacent to the load lock chamber 10 while minimizing the footprint of the substrate processing system 2. Any of the facets 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 can be provided with a standard sized connection slot 28 for connecting a substrate processing module 6 or an auxiliary substrate module 8, such as the facet 36. For example, when handling 300 mm wafers, a standard PVD module is about 820 mm wide and is connected at a connection slot (about 400 mm wide) by a slot valve with an opening about 336 mm wide. However, the facet 34, 38 with at least one adjustable connection slot 40 can interchangeably accommodate a different substrate module, such as a substrate processing module 6 or an auxiliary substrate module 8, or a substrate module with a non-standard size connection. This is achieved by providing the facet 34, 38 with at least one opening 42 that is typically larger than the corresponding opening configured to receive the substrate processing module 6 or the auxiliary substrate module 8. The at least one opening 42 is then at least partially covered by a blanking plate 44 with at least one opening 46, which is removably fixed to the facet 34, 38 by removable fixing means 48, such as screws. The at least one opening 46 effectively provides an exchange opening in the facet 34, 38 to which the substrate module 6, 8 can be attached.For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the protruding facet 32 ​​and the facet 36 each include a connection slot 28 compatible with a substrate processing module 6 capable of accommodating a 300 mm wafer. The facet 34 includes one of these connection slots 28 and one opening 42 partially covered by a blanking plate 44 having a single opening 46. The single opening 46 is sized to accommodate the substrate processing module 6 to the left of the opening and an auxiliary substrate module with a larger connection size, such as a multi- or single-substrate cooling module 26, a multi- or single-substrate buffer module 24, or a metrology module. If the substrate module connected to the transfer vacuum chamber 4 needs to be replaced, for example if the substrate processing system 2 is intended to be replaced to perform a different process, the blanking plate 44 can be removed from the facets 34, 38 and replaced with an alternative blanking plate, or at least one opening 42 can be left exposed. This variation in the configuration of the facets 34,38 then allows different substrate modules 6,8, or a different number of substrate modules 6,8 to be attached to the facets 34,38.

[0033] The transfer vacuum chamber 4 comprises at least two transfer robots 20 disposed within the inner chamber 16. In one embodiment, the only component located within the inner chamber 16 is the transfer robot 20. This allows the transfer robot 20 to have a relatively unobstructed path of movement within the inner chamber 16, with only the other transfer robots 20 being potential sources of obstruction. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least two transfer robots 20 comprise a first transfer robot 20a located at a more proximal location of the three load lock chambers 10 and a second transfer robot 20b located at a more distal location of the three load lock chambers 10. The precise positioning of the transfer robots 20 is selected such that a first transfer robot, such as the first transfer robot 20a, can pick up and place at least one substrate from each of the load lock chambers 10 and at least one common substrate module, and a second transfer robot, such as the second transfer robot 20b, can pick up and place at least one substrate from at least one common substrate module and at least one other substrate module. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one common substrate module is two auxiliary substrate modules 8. However, in other embodiments, the at least one common substrate module can be a substrate processing module 6, or a combination of one or more substrate processing modules 6 and one or more auxiliary substrate modules 8. If the at least one common substrate module is a substrate processing module 6, at least one handling step by the transport robot 20 can be avoided and the throughput of the substrate processing system 2 can be improved.

[0034] Each transfer robot 20 is capable of translating or rotating along at least five independent axes and may be referred to as a "five-axis robot." Each robot 20 includes at least one end effector configured to engage and releasably secure a substrate, allowing the robot 20 to translate the substrate from one location to another. In one embodiment, each robot 20 includes two end effectors, each configured to engage and releasably secure a respective substrate, allowing the robot 20 to interact with up to two substrates at any time. By using a five-axis robot 20, any substrate handled by the robot may be maintained in a specific orientation, eliminating the need for a dedicated wafer orientation component.

[0035] The substrate processing system 2 may include at least one substrate alignment system (not shown). The at least one substrate alignment system may be located outside the transfer vacuum chamber 4, such as in the EFEM 12, or may be associated with one or more connection slots 28. Although different substrate alignment systems are known in the art, in the illustrated embodiment, the substrate alignment system includes two optical sensors (not shown) configured to image a substrate passing through an imaging area and detect a translational or rotational misalignment of the substrate, for example, by comparing the orientation of the imaged substrate to a predetermined "ideal" substrate orientation in the processor. The substrate alignment system may then affect the alignment of the substrate, for example, by informing a controller (not shown) of the misalignment, which controls the most proximal robot 18 to rotate about one or more axes and / or translate along one or more axes to realign the substrate when it engages the substrate. If present, the controller may be configured to control any of the other components of the substrate processing system, such as the other substrate modules 6, 8, the at least two load lock chambers 10, any other of the at least two transport robots 20, the at least one connecting slot valve 22, the EFEM 12, the at least one temperature control means, and any other substrate alignment systems.

[0036] A method 100 for processing a substrate using a substrate processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 6. The method 100 includes:

[0037] In a load step 110, at least one substrate is loaded into one of at least two load lock chambers.

[0038] In a load lock transfer step 120, a first transfer robot is used to remove the substrate from one of the at least two load lock chambers into a transfer vacuum chamber.

[0039] A common substrate module load step 130 places the substrate into the common substrate module.

[0040] A second transfer robot is used to remove the substrate from the common substrate module and place the substrate into a substrate processing module in a common substrate module unload step 140 .

[0041] In a processing step 150, the substrate is processed in a substrate processing module.

[0042] The loading step 110 may include loading a substrate into one of at least two load lock chambers. If the loading step 110 includes loading a substrate into one of at least two load lock chambers after the loading step 110 and before the load lock transfer step 120, the method may further include heating or cooling the substrate in the load lock chamber using a temperature control means.

[0043] A load step 110 can include loading a plurality of substrates into at least one of at least two load lock chambers, and a load lock transfer step 120, a common substrate module load step 130, a common substrate module unload step 140 and a processing step 150 are performed for each of the plurality of substrates.

[0044] The common substrate module may be a substrate processing module, and after the load lock transfer step 120 and the common substrate module load step 130 and before the common substrate module unload step 140, a substrate may be processed within the common substrate module in a common substrate module processing step 135.

[0045] The substrate processing system may comprise multiple substrate processing modules, and the method may include further transfer steps of transferring at least one substrate between the substrate processing modules, and further processing steps of processing at least one substrate in each substrate processing module, effectively repeating the load lock transfer step 120, the common substrate module load step 130, introducing a common substrate module unload step 140 and a processing step 150 and optionally a common substrate module processing step 135 and optionally additional processing and handling steps. For example, the method may include, after the load lock transfer step 120 and before the common substrate module load step 130, placing the substrate in the substrate processing module using a first transfer robot, processing the substrate in the substrate processing module, and then removing the substrate from the substrate processing module using the first transfer robot (step 125). This step 125 may be repeated multiple times, for example in different substrate processing modules, before the common substrate module load step 130 is performed. EXAMPLES

[0046] An example of the configuration of the substrate processing system 2 will now be described. The substrate processing system 2 is configured for AlCu deposition on silicon wafers to form 3 μm bond pads and is shown in FIG. 5. The AlCu deposition process involves pre-heating the wafer followed by soft sputter etching of the wafer, physical vapor deposition of TaN, and physical vapor deposition of AlCu. Such a deposition process requires four separate processing steps and therefore represents a process at or near the handling limit of a typical substrate processing system. To achieve this, the substrate processing system 2 includes three load lock chambers 10 (LL1, LL2, LL3), each with a temperature control means for pre-heating the wafer before loading it into the transfer vacuum chamber 4, and eight substrate processing module positions are used as shown in FIG. 5. In particular, soft sputter etching chambers (SE1, SE2) are provided at positions 4 and 6, and physical vapor deposition modules are provided at positions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, two of which are configured to perform PVD of TaN (PVD TaN1, PVD TaN2) and four of which are configured to perform PVD of AlCu (PVD AlCu1, PVD AlCu2, PVD AlCu3, PVD AlCu4). The at least one common substrate module in this case is provided by two auxiliary substrate modules, which are located between positions 2 and 3 and between positions 7 and 8, respectively. In this case, the two auxiliary modules are each buffer modules. The longest residence time of the wafer is during the PVD of AlCu, which is about 200 seconds in duration, and this therefore represents the main limitation to the throughput of the substrate processing system 2. By providing multiple AlCu PVD modules, multiple wafers can be subjected to PVD of AlCu simultaneously, which, along with the provision of at least two TaN PVD modules and at least two soft sputter etch chambers, allows at least two wafers to be processed at any time by the substrate processing system 2. This significantly increases the throughput of the substrate processing system 2, allowing the processing of up to 60 wafers per hour.A comparable octangle substrate processing system with a dual symmetric robot with two soft sputter etch chambers, two PVD TaN modules, two PVD AlCu modules, and two preheat load lock chambers could only achieve 32 wafers per hour. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 2 substrate processing systems, 4 transfer vacuum chambers, 6 substrate processing modules, 8 auxiliary substrate modules, 10 load lock chambers, 16 inner chambers, 22 slot valves, 28 connecting slots.

Claims

1. 1. A substrate processing system, comprising: A transfer vacuum chamber for handling substrates under vacuum conditions, said transfer vacuum chamber in communication with at least two substrate modules connected to said transfer vacuum chamber by respective connecting slots, said at least two substrate modules being capable of receiving at least one substrate, at least one of said at least two substrate modules being a substrate processing module. at least two load lock chambers in vacuum communication with the transfer vacuum chamber; Equipped with 11. A substrate processing system comprising: at least two transfer robots disposed within the transfer vacuum chamber configured to transfer the substrate between the at least two load lock chambers and at least one of the substrate processing modules under vacuum conditions, each of the at least two transfer robots being capable of translating or rotating along at least five independent axes, and each of the at least two transfer robots being configured to place and retrieve the substrate from at least one common substrate module of the at least two substrate modules.

2. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the at least two load lock chambers are connected to an equipment front end module (EFEM) configured to allow loading and unloading of the substrate into and from the substrate processing system.

3. 3. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the transfer vacuum chamber comprises a plurality of facets, each facet comprising at least one connecting slot, and each of the at least two substrate modules and the at least two load lock chambers are connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at the facet by a respective connecting slot.

4. 4. The substrate processing system of claim 3, wherein each of said at least two load lock chambers is connected to said transfer vacuum chamber at a common load lock facet.

5. 5. The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the at least two load lock chambers include three load lock chambers, each of the three load lock chambers being connected to the transfer vacuum chamber at the load lock facet.

6. 6. The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the transfer vacuum chamber comprises two facets adjacent to the load lock facet, each of the two facets being inclined toward the load lock facet.

7. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that at least one facet comprises an adjustable connecting slot.

8. 8. The substrate processing system of claim 7, wherein each of the three facets includes an adjustable connecting slot.

9. 9. The substrate processing system of claim 7 or 8, wherein the adjustable connecting slot comprises at least one opening in a facet of the transfer vacuum chamber and a blanking plate, the blanking plate comprising at least one opening, the blanking plate being removably fixed to the facet such that the at least one opening is positioned over the at least one opening.

10. 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two load lock chambers comprises a temperature control means configured to heat or cool the substrate in the at least one load lock chamber.

11. 11. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein the temperature control means includes a heat lamp.

12. 12. A substrate processing system according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the temperature control means comprises a cooled substrate support.

13. The substrate processing system of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one common substrate module includes a substrate processing module.

14. A substrate processing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one common substrate module comprises a multi-substrate buffer station.

15. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the at least one common substrate module includes at least two common substrate modules.

16. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the at least two substrate modules include at least nine substrate processing modules.

17. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the substrate processing system includes at least one substrate alignment system.

18. 20. The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the at least one substrate alignment system comprises a plurality of substrate alignment systems, each substrate alignment system associated with a respective connecting slot.

19. 19. The substrate processing system of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the at least one substrate alignment system comprises at least two optical sensors configured to detect translational or rotational misalignment of the substrate.

20. 20. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: three load lock chambers, each load lock chamber having a respective inner surface; the transfer vacuum chamber having a plurality of facets, each facet having at least one connecting slot; each of the three load lock chambers being connected to the transfer vacuum chamber adjacent to one another at a common load lock facet; the transfer vacuum chamber having a maximum internal width at a widest point of the transfer vacuum chamber; and a maximum distance between the inner surfaces of the load lock chambers furthest from one another is less than 110% of the maximum internal width of the transfer vacuum chamber.

21. A method for processing a substrate using the substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, comprising the steps of: loading at least one substrate into one of at least two load lock chambers; removing the substrate from one of the at least two load lock chambers into the transfer vacuum chamber using a first transfer robot in a load lock transfer step; placing the substrate within a common substrate module in a common substrate module loading step; removing the substrate from the common substrate module using a second transfer robot and placing the substrate into the substrate processing module in a common substrate module unloading step; processing a substrate in the substrate processing module; The method according to claim 1,

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the loading step includes loading a substrate into one of the at least two load lock chambers.

23. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of heating or cooling the substrate in the load lock chamber using a temperature control means after the loading step and before the load lock transfer step.

24. 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the loading step includes loading a plurality of substrates into at least one of the at least two load lock chambers, and the load lock transfer step, the common substrate module loading step, the common substrate module unloading step, and the processing step are performed for each of the plurality of substrates.

25. A method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the common substrate module is a substrate processing module, and the substrate is processed in the common substrate module in the processing step after the load lock transfer step and the common substrate module load step and before the common substrate module unload step.

26. 26. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the substrate processing system comprises a plurality of substrate processing modules, further comprising a transfer step of transferring at least one substrate between the substrate processing modules and a further processing step of processing at least one substrate in each substrate processing module.

27. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, after the load lock transfer step and before the common substrate module load step, at least one step of placing the substrate in the substrate processing module using a first transfer robot, processing the substrate in the substrate processing module, and then removing the substrate from the substrate processing module using the first transfer robot.

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