Substrate transfer system and method of using the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a transfer chamber for an electronic device processing system. The transfer chamber may include a first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation and a second magnetic levitation track spaced apart from the first magnetic levitation track and having a face-down orientation. The system may include substrate carriers moving along the first and second magnetic levitation tracks, each substrate carrier including a bottom magnet interacting with a first magnetic field and a top second magnet interacting with a second magnetic field. The system may also include at least one lift pin assembly for vertically moving the substrate carrier between the first and second magnetic levitation tracks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the field of robotics and substrate transfer systems for transporting substrates between chambers within an isolated environment. The substrate can be transported using a magnetic levitation platform within a transport enclosure. Also disclosed is a method of using such a magnetic levitation platform in a transfer chamber.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Semiconductor devices are fabricated on semiconductor substrates using a number of process steps within several process chambers. Each process chamber is used to complete one or more of various steps (e.g., etching, polishing, deposition) for forming a semiconductor device. A substrate transfer system is used to move substrates between each process chamber. The process chamber and the substrate transfer system can each be maintained under vacuum. As one arrangement used in a substrate transfer system, there is a linear arrangement in which process chambers are arranged in rows along both sides of a linear (rectangular) chamber.

[0003]

[0003] A substrate transfer system using a linear arrangement typically includes a conveyor having a rectangular upper surface with process chambers on one or opposite sides of the conveyor. The conveyor can be connected to a load lock to maintain the vacuum environment within the substrate transfer system when substrates are supplied to and removed from the substrate transfer system. One or more robots can be positioned near the process chambers to transfer substrates between the conveyor and the process chambers. Conventional substrate carriers can typically only move substrates in one direction. Thus, the movement options for moving substrates between process chambers and in and out of the load lock can be limited. Further, conventional substrate carriers may have a large ground footprint and internal area to accommodate one track moving in a first direction and a second horizontally offset track moving in the opposite second direction.

Summary of the Invention

[0004]

[0004] According to various embodiments, a transfer chamber for an electronic device processing system is disclosed herein. The transfer chamber for the electronic device processing system includes a first magnetic levitation track disposed at a first height within the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; a second magnetic levitation track disposed at a second height within the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the first magnetic levitation track; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to move along the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, each substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers including a first magnet at the bottom of the substrate carrier that interacts with the first magnetic field and a second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier that interacts with the second magnetic field; and at least one lift pin assembly configured to vertically move the plurality of substrate carriers between the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track.

[0005]

[0005] According to various embodiments, this specification further discloses an electronic device processing system. The electronic device processing system includes a transfer chamber having a first magnetic levitation track disposed at a first height within the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; a second magnetic levitation track disposed at a second height within the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the first magnetic levitation track; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to move along the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, each substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers including a first magnet at the bottom of the substrate carrier that interacts with the first magnetic field and a second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier that interacts with the second magnetic field; and at least one lift pin assembly configured to move the plurality of substrate carriers vertically between the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track. The transfer chamber further includes a plurality of process chambers connected to the transfer chamber along the length of the transfer chamber, and a first load lock connected to an end of the transfer chamber.

[0006]

[0006] Also, in various embodiments, the present specification discloses a method of moving one or more substrates in a transfer chamber. The method includes removing a first substrate from a load lock by a first substrate carrier engaged with a first magnetic levitation track positioned close to the bottom surface of the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; generating a first magnetic field by the first magnetic levitation track to move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the first magnetic levitation track in a first direction; lifting, by a first lift pin assembly, the first substrate carrier having the first substrate to a second magnetic levitation track positioned close to the upper surface of the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the first magnetic levitation track; detecting that the first substrate carrier is close to the second magnetic levitation track; and generating a second magnetic field to levitate the first substrate carrier below the second magnetic levitation track and move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the second magnetic levitation track in a second opposite direction.

[0007]

[0007] The present disclosure is not limited thereto, and by way of example, like reference numerals refer to like elements in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

[0009]

[0014] References throughout this specification to, for example, "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "one or more embodiments," or "embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one or more embodiments," "in certain embodiments," "in one embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0010]

[0015] As used in this specification, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a lift pin" includes not only a single lift pin but also a plurality of lift pins.

[0011]

[0016] As used in this specification, the term "about" in relation to a measured quantity means the normal variation in that measured quantity that a person of ordinary skill in the art would expect when making the measurement and exercising a level of care commensurate with the purpose of the measurement and the precision of the measuring equipment. In certain embodiments, the term "about" includes ±10% of the recited number, so that "about 10" includes from 9 to 11.

[0012]

[0017] The term "at least about" in relation to a measured quantity means the normal variation in the measured quantity that would be expected when a person skilled in the art makes a measurement and exercises a level of care commensurate with the purpose of the measurement and the accuracy of the measuring equipment, and any quantity greater than that. In certain embodiments, the term "at least about" includes, for example, "at least about 10" which includes 9 and above, a quantity obtained by subtracting 10% from the recited number, and any quantity greater than that. This term can also be expressed as "about 10 or more". Similarly, the term "about up to" usually includes, for example, "about up to 10" which includes 11 and below, a quantity obtained by adding 10% to the recited number, and any quantity less than that. This term can also be expressed as "about 10 or less".

[0013]

[0018] Unless otherwise indicated, all parts and percentages are by weight. Weight % (wt.%) is based on the entire composition without any volatiles, i.e., the dry solids, unless otherwise indicated.

[0014]

[0019] According to an embodiment, a transfer chamber having a two-way magnetic levitation platform for use in a semiconductor device manufacturing system is disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the two-way magnetic levitation platform has a linear configuration with a narrow (e.g., not much wider than the diameter of the wafer) internal width that can move a wafer in either direction without breaking the vacuum and can provide random access to a process chamber connected thereto. In an embodiment, the system includes two magnetic levitation platforms, one disposed facing the top of the transfer chamber and one disposed facing the bottom of the transfer chamber.

[0015]

[0020] The bidirectional vacuum magnetic levitation platform not only has a narrow and small installation area (i.e., about the width of the diameter of the wafer), but also enables a flexible wafer flow, eliminates the need to break the vacuum during wafer transportation, has a small vacuum area, and is relatively easy to maintain and inspect. According to an embodiment, the bidirectional magnetic levitation system described herein is, optionally, a single-region platform without a load lock. This system enables random chamber access in either the forward or return magnetic levitation track.

[0016]

[0021] In an embodiment, the transfer system (also referred to as a transfer chamber) has two magnetic levitation tracks. The upper track is disposed above the transfer chamber and is oriented upside down such that the surface providing motive power (e.g., the stator of a linear motor) faces downward within the inner region of the transfer chamber. The bottom track is disposed at the bottom of the transfer chamber and is oriented with its right side up such that the surface providing motive power (e.g., the stator of another linear motor) faces upward within the inner region of the transfer chamber. Each of the upper track and the bottom track may be or may include the stator of a linear motor. The substrate carrier has two sets of overlapping magnets (or two movers of a linear motor) arranged so as not to short-circuit each other's magnetic fields. One mover (e.g., one set of magnets) can be disposed on the top of each substrate carrier, and one mover (e.g., one set of magnets) can be disposed on the bottom of each substrate carrier. With this arrangement, the substrate carrier can be moved by the lower linear motor (e.g., ride on the bottom track) and can be moved by the upper linear motor (e.g., ride on the upper track). The transition between the tracks can be effected by a series of lift pin assemblies that can be isolated from the atmosphere using bellows. Each lift pin assembly has a set of lift pins that can lift a substrate carrier (which may include a wafer attached thereto, such as a wafer on an end effector of the substrate carrier) from the bottom track to the upper track and / or lower the substrate carrier from the upper track to the bottom track. When the substrate carrier with the wafer attached thereto reaches a proximity to the upper magnetic levitation track (e.g., sensed by a track sensing system), the upper track can activate a magnetic field in proximity to the substrate carrier to fix the substrate carrier to the upper track. The bottom track can be configured to move the substrate carrier in a first direction, and the upper track can be configured to move the substrate carrier in an opposite second direction. Thus, the substrate carrier and the supported substrate can move freely in both directions to a destination point while minimizing the inner region of the transfer chamber and the installation area of the transfer chamber without causing collisions between the substrate carriers.

[0017]

[0022] Since the bi-directional magnetic levitation system can include a plurality of lift pin assemblies, the substrate carrier can ride on and get off the upper track at multiple positions. Thereby, for example, the wafer can be moved in a first direction from the load lock through the bottom track to chamber #2, processed in chamber #2, transferred in the first direction to chamber #4 through the bottom track, processed in chamber #4, transferred in a second direction back to chamber #3 through the upper track, processed in chamber #3, and moved in the second direction back to the load lock through the upper track.

[0018]

[0023] According to an embodiment, this specification describes a transfer chamber for an electronic device processing system. The transfer chamber for the electronic device processing system includes a first magnetic levitation track disposed at a first height within the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; a second magnetic levitation track disposed at a second height within the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the second magnetic levitation track; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to move along the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, each substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers including a first magnet at the bottom of the substrate carrier that interacts with the first magnetic field and a second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier that interacts with the second magnetic field; and at least one lift pin assembly configured to vertically move the plurality of substrate carriers between the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track. According to an embodiment, the first magnet at the bottom surface of the substrate carrier may be, for example, a magnet system including a plurality of magnets arranged in a Halbach array so as not to affect the operation of other magnet systems. The first magnet (system) may be oriented with the right side up. The second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier may be, for example, a second magnet system including a plurality of magnets arranged in a Halbach array so as not to affect the operation of other magnet systems. The second magnet (system) may be oriented in an upside-down configuration.

[0019]

[0024] By arranging the first and second magnetic levitation tracks in a face-to-face configuration, not only the installation area of the transfer chamber but also the internal area of the transfer chamber that is pumped down to vacuum is reduced. Further, according to an embodiment, it is possible to position all of the electronic devices of the transfer chamber on the atmosphere side of the transfer chamber. According to an embodiment, the transfer chamber may not include an elevator. Rather, the transfer chamber may include a plurality of lift pin assemblies capable of moving a substrate carrier (and a supported substrate such as a wafer) between the first and second magnetic levitation tracks at various points along the transfer chamber. In a further embodiment, the substrate carrier includes two sets of magnets that allow the substrate carrier to move along the first and second tracks without flipping over.

[0020]

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1A, the transfer chamber 102 for the electronic device processing system 100 can have at least one port 103 configured to enable access to at least one process chamber 104. In an embodiment, the transfer chamber 102 can have a plurality of ports 103, 103A - 103K, each port being configured to enable access to one of a plurality of process chambers 104, 104A - 104K. Each port can include a slit valve sized to receive an end effector that holds a substrate (e.g., a wafer). In one embodiment, all of the ports 103, 103A - K and / or the slit valves are coplanar and share a common height. Alternatively, different ports and / or slit valves can be positioned at different heights and / or planes. Further, in one embodiment, all of the ports 103, 103A - K and / or the slit valves have a common opening pitch (the vertical dimension of the opening). The common opening pitch can be a single height pitch capable of receiving an end effector and substrate positioned at a specific height, or a plurality of height pitches capable of receiving end effectors and substrates positioned at a plurality of different heights (e.g., not only the end effector and substrate of a substrate carrier attached to a bottom track, but also the end effector and substrate of a substrate carrier attached to an upper track). Alternatively, different ports 103, 103A - K can have different opening pitches.

[0021]

[0026] According to an embodiment, the transfer chamber may have a length and a width, and a first dimension of the length may be several digits larger than a second dimension of the width. The plurality of ports 103, 103A - 103K may be arranged along the length of the transfer chamber 102. In an embodiment, the ports 103, 103A - K may be oriented substantially orthogonal to the length of the transfer chamber 102. In an embodiment, the length may be from about 5 feet to about 20 feet, or about 6 feet, or about 8 feet, or about 10 feet, or about 12 feet, or about 14 feet, or about 16 feet, or about 18 feet, or about 20 feet, etc. In an embodiment, the transfer chamber 102 may further include an additional port 106 (or a plurality of additional ports each configured to allow access to one or more load locks) configured to allow access to the load lock 107. The additional port 106 may be disposed at a first end of the transfer chamber 102 along the width of the transfer chamber 102. The load lock 107 may be connected to a factory interface 109 including one or more front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) 111. The factory interface includes a robot (not shown) that removes wafers from the FOUP 111 and places them on the load lock 107 for the substrate carriers 110, 110A - C to remove the wafers from the load lock 107.

[0022]

[0027] In some embodiments, the first port may be substantially orthogonal to the ports 103, 103A - K. In an embodiment, the width of the transfer chamber 100 may be substantially equal to the width of the load lock 107 or the width of the substrates 108, 108A - 108C. In an embodiment, the width of the transfer chamber 100 is about 2 mm to about 20 mm wider than the load lock 107 and / or the substrates 108, 108A - 108C.

[0023]

[0028] The transfer chamber system 100 includes at least one substrate carrier 110, 110A-110C configured to transfer substrates 108, 108A-108C between at least one process chamber 104, 104A-104K and the transfer chamber 102. According to an embodiment, the transfer chamber 102 may include a plurality of substrate carriers 110, 110A-110C, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, or from about 2 to about 10 substrate carriers.

[0024]

[0029] Each substrate carrier 110, 110A-110C is configured to move using a magnetic levitation conveyor system (e.g., one or more linear motors). For example, each substrate carrier 110, 110A-110C may move along at least one magnetic levitation track 112, 114 as shown in FIG. 1B. According to an embodiment, the transfer chamber 102 may include two magnetic levitation tracks 112, 114, a first magnetic levitation track 112 (e.g., the first stator of a linear motor) on the bottom inner surface 116 of the transfer chamber 102, and a second magnetic levitation track 114 (e.g., the second stator of another linear motor) on the opposite upper inner surface 118 of the transfer chamber 102. The first magnetic levitation track 112 may be configured to move the substrate carriers 110, 110A-C in the forward direction (away from the load lock), and the second magnetic levitation track 114 may be configured to move the substrate carriers 110, 110A-C in the opposite reverse direction. In an embodiment (not shown), the first magnetic levitation track 112 may be on the bottom inner surface 116, and the second magnetic levitation track 114 may be on the upper inner surface 118. The magnetic levitation tracks 112, 114 may be arranged in a face-to-face configuration as shown in FIG. 1B (e.g., the first magnetic levitation track 112 is in a face-up orientation and the second magnetic levitation track 114 is in a face-down orientation). In an embodiment, the first track 112 and the second track 114 may be spaced apart by a distance of from about 40 mm to about 300 mm, or from about 100 mm to about 250 mm, or from about 150 mm to about 200 mm.

[0025]

[0030] According to an embodiment, the first magnetic levitation track 112 can be configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers 110, 110A to 110C in a first direction along the length of the transfer chamber 102. The second magnetic levitation track 114 can be configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers 110, 110A to 110C in a second direction along the length of the transfer chamber 102, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction. For example, the first magnetic levitation track 112 can move the substrate carriers 110, 110A to 110C from the load lock 106 into the transfer chamber 102 and into the process chambers 104, 104A to 104K. Correspondingly, the upper magnetic levitation track 114 can move the substrate carriers 110, 110A to 110C from the process chambers 104, 104A to 104K through the transfer chamber 102 to the load lock 106. In an embodiment, the transfer chamber system can include at least one position sensor for monitoring the positions of the substrate carriers 110, 110A to 110C. In one embodiment, the first and second magnetic levitation tracks 112, 114 can include a position sensor function.

[0026]

[0031] FIG. 1C shows an embodiment of a substrate carrier 110 suitable for use in the transfer chamber system 100 according to an embodiment. The substrate carrier 110 may include an end effector 120 for receiving, lifting, and holding a substrate 108 such as a wafer, and / or an end effector 120 on which the substrate may be placed. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, any suitable end effector 120 for use in a semiconductor processing system may be used. According to an embodiment, one or more substrate carriers 110 may be robotic arms, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The substrate carrier 110 may include an upper magnetic portion 124 and a lower magnetic portion 126. The lower magnetic portion 126 may be, for example, a first mover of a first linear motor. The upper magnetic portion 124 may be, for example, a second mover of a second linear motor. Alternatively, the upper and lower magnetic portions may be the upper and lower halves of a single mover configured to engage a first stator below the substrate carrier 110 and a second stator above the substrate carrier 110. The upper magnetic portion 124 may include one or more magnets (e.g., permanent magnets), and the lower magnetic portion 126 may include one or more additional magnets. The upper and lower magnetic portions may be configured such that their magnetic fields do not interfere with each other. The magnetic levitation conveyor system includes one or more electromagnets (not shown) for controlling the movement of the substrate carrier and a linear motor (not shown) for moving the substrate carriers 110, 110A-110C.

[0027]

[0032] Referring again to FIGS. 1A - 1B, according to an embodiment, the plurality of ports 103, 103A - 103K can be, or can include, a plurality of slit valves. The first transfer surface of at least a first subset of the plurality of slit valves is accessible to a substrate carrier 110C engaged with a first magnetic levitation track 112. The second transfer surface of a second subset of the plurality of slit valves is accessible to substrate carriers 110A, 110B engaged with a second magnetic levitation track 114. To further improve throughput and enable substantially simultaneous exchange of substrates in process chambers 104, 104A - 104K or load locks 107, at least some of the plurality of slit valves have a first wafer transfer surface and a second wafer transfer surface above the first wafer transfer surface. The first wafer transfer surface is accessible to a substrate carrier 110C engaged with a first magnetic levitation track 112. The second wafer transfer surface can be accessible to substrate carriers 110A, 110B engaged with a second magnetic levitation track. For example, while a first substrate carrier 110C engaged with a first magnetic levitation track 112 can enter process chambers 104, 104A - 104K, second substrate carriers 110A, 110B engaged with a second magnetic levitation track 114 and holding substrates 108, 108A - 108C thereon can be positioned above the first substrate carrier 110C. When (or during) a first substrate is removed from a process chamber at the first transfer surface, a second substrate can be loaded into the same process chamber at the second transfer surface, completing the exchange of the first substrate (e.g., just finished being processed) and the second substrate (e.g., needing processing). In a further embodiment, the plurality of slit valves can have a common transfer surface accessible to substrate carriers 110, 110A - 110C engaged not only with a first magnetic levitation track 112 but also with a second magnetic levitation track 114. The slit valve openings can be sized according to the configuration of the transfer surface. The slit valve openings can be from about 1 inch to about 20 inches for a single transfer surface and from about 2 inches to about 20 inches if there are two transfer surfaces.For example, when there are two wafer transfer surfaces, the slit valve opening may be larger than when there is one wafer transfer surface.

[0028]

[0033] According to an embodiment, the system may include a first load lock 107 and a second load lock (not shown). The first load lock 107 is accessible to substrate carriers 110, 110C engaged with the first magnetic levitation track. The second load lock may be stacked above the first load lock 107 at an end of the transfer chamber 102. The second load lock may be accessible to substrate carriers 110A, 110B engaged with the second magnetic levitation track. In an embodiment, a first height of the transfer chamber 102 at an end near the first load lock 107 may be higher than a second height of the remaining portion of the transfer chamber 102. In a further embodiment, the first load lock 107 and the second load lock may be arranged in a side-by-side configuration at an angle (e.g., an angle of 30 degrees or 45 degrees) with respect to the length of the transfer chamber.

[0029]

[0034] According to an embodiment, the system includes at least one lift pin assembly 128, 128A - 128C configured to receive substrates 108, 108A - 108C and lift and / or lower the substrates between transfer surfaces and / or between magnetic levitation tracks 112, 114. The lift pin assemblies 128, 128A - 128C may include one or more lift pins, for example, a pair or trio of lift pins 130, 130A - 130C. The lift pins 130, 130A - 130C may be configured to pass through the bottom surface 116 of the transfer chamber 102 and may have a side facing the atmosphere and a side facing the vacuum. The side facing the atmosphere may be outside the bottom surface of the transfer chamber 102. The lift pins 130, 130A - 130C may be surrounded by bellows to maintain the vacuum environment of the transfer chamber. The lift pins 130, 130A - 130C may be configured such that the side facing the vacuum extends into the transfer chamber 102. In an embodiment, at least one lift pin assembly 128, 128A - 128C may be configured to vertically move a substrate carrier 110 positioned in front of the first load lock 107 to reach a transfer surface above the second height (described above) of the remainder of the transfer chamber 102. During operation, when the lift pins 130, 130A - 130C lift the substrate carriers 110, 110A - 110C to a certain proximity to the upper track 118, a magnetic field proximate to the substrate carriers may be activated. The magnetic field proximate to the substrate carriers 110, 110A - 110C may be deactivated when the lift pins 130, 130A - 130C engage the substrate carriers 110, 110A - 110C on the upper track 118 and move the substrate to the lower track 112 via the lift pins 130, 130A - 130C.

[0030]

[0035] This specification further describes a method of using a transfer chamber system according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2, method 200 may include, at block 202, moving a first substrate through a transfer chamber. Movement 202 may include, at block 204, receiving the first substrate by a first substrate carrier, which is associated with a first magnetic levitation track positioned on the bottom surface of the transfer chamber. In an embodiment, receiving 204 may include moving an end effector of the substrate carrier into a semiconductor process chamber associated with the transfer chamber and receiving the first substrate on the end effector.

[0031]

[0036] Movement 202 may further optionally include, at block 206, moving the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the first magnetic levitation track. Additionally or alternatively, movement 202 may further optionally include, at block 208, lifting, with a first lift pin assembly, the first substrate carrier having the first substrate to a second magnetic levitation track positioned on the upper surface of the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track being in a face-to-face arrangement with respect to the first magnetic levitation track. As described above, the transfer chambers according to various embodiments of this specification may be connected, for example, in a linear arrangement, to at least one semiconductor process chamber.

[0032]

[0037] According to an embodiment, method 200 may further optionally include, at block 210, moving a second substrate through the transfer chamber. Movement 210 may further optionally include, at block 212, receiving the second substrate by a second substrate carrier, which is associated with the first magnetic levitation track. Movement 210 may further include moving the second substrate carrier having the second substrate along the first magnetic levitation track. Additionally or alternatively, movement 210 may further include, at block 214, lifting, with a second lift pin assembly, the second substrate carrier having the second substrate to the second magnetic levitation track.

[0033]

[0038] According to an embodiment, the acceptor 212 may include removing a substrate from a semiconductor process chamber by a first substrate carrier. According to an embodiment, the method 200 may further include lifting, at 208, a first substrate carrier having a first substrate with a first lift pin assembly, and moving a second substrate carrier having a second substrate along a first magnetic levitation track, the second substrate carrier positioning the second substrate in a semiconductor process chamber. In an embodiment, the first substrate carrier may move in a first direction along a first track (e.g., a bottom track), and the second substrate carrier may move in a second direction along a second track (e.g., an upper track). The first and second substrate carriers may pass each other without colliding.

[0034]

[0039] According to various embodiments, referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, during operation, a substrate (e.g., a wafer) positioned in the load lock 107 can be removed from the load lock to the first transfer surface by the first substrate carrier 110. The first substrate carrier 110 having the substrate thereon can then move in a first direction along the first track 112 to the first process chamber 104F. If the first substrate carrier 110 is already at the transfer surface and the first process chamber 104F is ready to receive the substrate, the first substrate carrier 110 positions the substrate in the first process chamber 104F. If the first substrate carrier having the substrate thereon is not at the transfer surface, the first substrate carrier can be positioned above the first lift pin assembly 128 proximate to the first process chamber 104F. The first lift pin assembly 128 can lift the substrate carrier 110 having the substrate thereon into the transfer surface where the first substrate carrier places the substrate in the first process chamber 104F when the first process chamber 104F is ready to receive the substrate. The first substrate carrier 110 can at this point retrieve another substrate from the load lock 107 or from any one of the other process chambers 104, 104A - 104E, 104G - 104K.

[0035]

[0040] In an embodiment, the first substrate carrier 110 is lifted to the second track 114 by the first lift pin assembly 128 and can be returned in a second direction to the load lock 107, for example, to retrieve another substrate. Alternatively, the substrate carrier may be lowered to the first track 112 by the first lift pin assembly 128, unless the first substrate carrier 110 is already engaged with the first track 112, where the first substrate carrier 110 can move along the first track 112 to other process chambers 104A - 104E, 104G - 104K. In an embodiment, the substrate carrier 110 can wait in the first process chamber 104F until completion of the process step on the substrate. In an embodiment, the substrate can then be transferred to the second process chamber 104B using the first substrate carrier 110 or using the second substrate carriers 110A - 110C. The movement of the substrate between the process chamber and the load lock, between the tracks, and in and out of the transfer plane can be repeated as necessary to provide a continuous and efficient operation of the substrate processing. When the substrate is processed by all the necessary process steps in the corresponding process chamber, the substrate carrier having the substrate thereon can be lifted to the second track 114 and returned along the second direction to the vicinity of the load lock 107.

[0036]

[0041] In an embodiment, the load lock transfer plane may be below the second track 114, and the substrate carrier having the substrate thereon may be lowered to the transfer plane by the lift pin assembly 128, which in some embodiments may be at the same height as the first track 112. According to a particular embodiment, the transfer chamber 102 may be connected to a single load lock 107 or multiple load locks (not shown). For example, the transfer chamber may be connected to two vertically arranged load locks. In this configuration, the substrate carrier engaged with the upper track can be loaded into the upper load lock. In a particular embodiment, the load locks may be in a side - by - side arrangement, and the substrate carrier can be lifted or lowered to be aligned with the transfer plane.

[0037]

[0042] The present disclosure further relates to a method 300, which, as shown in FIG. 3, includes, at block 302, moving one or more substrates through a transfer chamber according to embodiments described herein. The moving 302 can include, at block 304, receiving a first substrate by a first substrate carrier, where the first substrate carrier is associated with a first magnetic levitation track according to embodiments herein.

[0038]

[0043] At block 306, method 300 can include receiving, by a first lift pin assembly, a first substrate carrier having a first substrate and moving the first substrate carrier having the first substrate to a second substrate transfer surface. Method 300 can further optionally include, at block 308, moving a second substrate on a second substrate carrier at the first substrate transfer surface. A magnetic field can be activated in a bottom track to fix the second substrate carrier to an upper track. At block 310, method 300 can further optionally include moving a second substrate on a second substrate carrier at the first substrate transfer surface.

[0039]

[0044] According to embodiments, the method herein can include detecting the position of each substrate carrier and transporting the substrate carrier along and between each of the first and second magnetic levitation tracks. As the substrate carrier moves along the magnetic levitation track, the lift pin assembly can lift or lower the carrier between tracks. This configuration enables flexible movement of substrates between process chambers and between a process chamber and at least one load lock. This flexibility, combined with the relatively small footprint of the transfer chamber, improves the throughput of wafers in an electronic device processing system.

[0040]

[0045] The present disclosure further relates to a method 400 of moving one or more substrates in a transfer chamber, as shown in FIG. 4. In block 402, it includes removing a first substrate from a load lock by a first substrate carrier engaged with a first magnetic levitation track positioned proximate to the bottom surface of the transfer chamber, where the first magnetic levitation track has a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track. In block 404, the method further includes generating, by the first magnetic levitation track, a first magnetic field to move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the first magnetic levitation track in a first direction. In block 406, the method further includes lifting, by a first lift pin assembly, the first substrate carrier having the first substrate to a second magnetic levitation track positioned proximate to the upper surface of the transfer chamber, where the second magnetic levitation track has a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the first magnetic levitation track. According to an embodiment, the method further includes, in block 408, detecting that the first substrate carrier is proximate to the second magnetic levitation track. In an embodiment, the method further includes floating the first substrate carrier below the second magnetic levitation track and generating a second magnetic field to move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the second magnetic levitation track in a second direction.

[0041]

[0046] In the foregoing description, numerous specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, etc., have been set forth in order to enhance understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in a simple block diagram format so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. Accordingly, the specific details described are merely exemplary. Specific implementations may differ from these exemplary details and still be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0042]

[0047] The steps of the methods of this specification have been shown and described in a particular order, but the order of each method step can be changed so that a particular step can be performed in the reverse order or so that a particular step can be performed at least partially simultaneously with other steps. In another embodiment, the instructions or sub-steps of separate steps may be in an intermittent and / or alternating format.

[0043]

[0048] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which those claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A transfer chamber for an electronic device processing system, a first magnetic levitation track disposed at a first height within the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track, a first magnetic levitation track; a second magnetic levitation track disposed at a second height within the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the second magnetic levitation track, a second magnetic levitation track; at least one lift pin assembly disposed along and below the first magnetic levitation track, the at least one lift pin assembly comprising a set of lift pins, the set of lift pins being configured to move in a vertical direction to move a plurality of substrate carriers in the vertical direction between the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, at least one lift pin assembly; A transfer chamber comprising.

2. Further comprising a plurality of substrate carriers configured to move along the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, each substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers including a first magnet at the bottom of the substrate carrier that interacts with the first magnetic field and a second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier that interacts with the second magnetic field, the transfer chamber according to claim 1.

3. Comprising a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of ports being configured to enable access to a process chamber, the transfer chamber according to claim 1.

4. Having a length and a width, a first dimension of the length being several orders of magnitude larger than a second dimension of the width, the plurality of ports being disposed along the length of the transfer chamber, the transfer chamber according to claim 3.

5. Further comprising an additional port configured to enable access to a load lock, the additional port being disposed at a first end of the transfer chamber along the width of the transfer chamber, the transfer chamber according to claim 4.

6. The width of the transfer chamber is greater than or equal to the width of the load lock or the width of the substrate, the transfer chamber according to claim 5.

7. The first magnetic levitation track is configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers in a first direction along the length of the transfer chamber, and the second magnetic levitation track is configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers in a second direction along the length of the transfer chamber, where the second direction is opposite to the first direction. The transfer chamber according to claim 1.

8. One of the plurality of substrate carriers includes an end effector for holding a substrate, and at least one of the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track is configured to rotate the substrate carrier to place the substrate in the process chamber. The transfer chamber according to claim 2.

9. The plurality of ports are a plurality of slit valves, and a first transfer surface of at least a first subset of the plurality of slit valves is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the first magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers. The transfer chamber according to claim 3.

10. A second transfer surface of a second subset of the plurality of slit valves is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the second magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers. The transfer chamber according to claim 9.

11. The plurality of ports are a plurality of slit valves, and at least some of the plurality of slit valves have a first wafer transfer surface and a second wafer transfer surface above the first wafer transfer surface. The first wafer transfer surface is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the first magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers, and the second wafer transfer surface is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the second magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers. The transfer chamber according to claim 3.

12. The plurality of ports are a plurality of slit valves, and a common transfer surface of at least some of the plurality of slit valves is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the first magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers and a substrate carrier engaged with the second magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers. The transfer chamber according to claim 3.

13. The transfer chamber according to claim 1, wherein the first track and the second track are arranged at a distance of about 40 mm to about 300 mm apart.

14. A transfer chamber, comprising: A first magnetic levitation track disposed at a first height within the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; A second magnetic levitation track disposed at a second height within the transfer chamber, the second magnetic levitation track having a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the second magnetic levitation track; A plurality of substrate carriers configured to move along the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track, each substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers including a first magnet at the bottom of the substrate carrier that interacts with the first magnetic field and a second magnet at the top of the substrate carrier that interacts with the second magnetic field; At least one lift pin assembly disposed along and below the first magnetic levitation track, the at least one lift pin assembly comprising a set of lift pins and being configured to move the plurality of substrate carriers in the vertical direction between the first magnetic levitation track and the second magnetic levitation track by moving the set of lift pins in the vertical direction; A transfer chamber including; A plurality of process chambers connected to the transfer chamber along the length of the transfer chamber; A first load lock connected to an end of the transfer chamber; An electronic device processing system comprising.

15. The first load lock is accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the first magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers; A second load lock stacked above the first load lock at the end of the transfer chamber, the second load lock being accessible to a substrate carrier engaged with the second magnetic levitation track among the plurality of substrate carriers; The electronic device processing system according to claim 14.

16. The first height of the transfer chamber at the end of the transfer chamber near the first load lock is higher than the second height of the remaining portion of the transfer chamber, and the transfer chamber further comprises a lift pin assembly configured to vertically move a substrate carrier positioned in front of the first load lock among the plurality of substrate carriers to reach a transfer surface above the second height The electronic device processing system according to claim 14, comprising.

17. The transfer chamber has a length and a width, the first dimension of the length is several digits larger than the second dimension of the width, and a plurality of ports are arranged along the length of the transfer chamber. Optionally, the width of the transfer chamber is substantially equal to the width of the load lock or the width of the substrate. The electronic device processing system according to claim 14.

18. The first magnetic levitation track is configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers in a first direction along the length of the transfer chamber, and the second magnetic levitation track is configured to move one or more of the plurality of substrate carriers in a second direction along the length of the transfer chamber, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction. The electronic device processing system according to claim 14.

19. A method of moving one or more substrates in a transfer chamber, comprising removing a first substrate from a load lock by a first substrate carrier engaged with a first magnetic levitation track positioned close to the bottom surface of the transfer chamber, the first magnetic levitation track having a face-up orientation configured to generate a first magnetic field above the first magnetic levitation track; generating the first magnetic field by the first magnetic levitation track to move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate in a first direction along the first magnetic levitation track; Raising a set of lift pins of a first lift pin assembly to lift a first substrate carrier having the first substrate to a second magnetic levitation track positioned proximate to an upper surface of the transfer chamber, wherein the second magnetic levitation track has a face-down orientation configured to generate a second magnetic field below the second magnetic levitation track, to the second magnetic levitation track, detecting that the first substrate carrier is proximate to the second magnetic levitation track; generating the second magnetic field to levitate the first substrate carrier below the second magnetic levitation track and move the first substrate carrier having the first substrate along the second magnetic levitation track in a second direction opposite to the first direction; A method comprising.

20. Raising a set of second lift pins of a second lift pin assembly to lift a second substrate carrier having a second substrate to the second magnetic levitation track; detecting that the second substrate carrier is proximate to the second magnetic levitation track; generating the second magnetic field to levitate the second substrate carrier below the second magnetic levitation track and move the second substrate carrier having the second substrate along the second magnetic levitation track in the second direction; The method according to claim 19, further comprising.

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