Systems and apparatus for processing 200 mm wafers in equipment configured for processing 300 mm wafers

Abstract

Semiconductor processing tools with dual 300mm and 200mm wafer processing capability, as well as systems for facilitating the processing of 200mm wafers using 300mm equipment are disclosed. Such systems may utilize an adapter ring that is sized to be 300mm in outer diameter and slightly under 200mm in inner diameter that may be interfaced with a 200mm wafer in order to produce a payload that is 300mm in diameter, thus mimicking a 300mm wafer.

Description

SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING 200 MM WAFERS IN EQUIPMENT CONFIGURED FOR PROCESSING 300 MM WAFERSRELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0000] A PCT Request Form is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed PCT Request Form is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0001] Semiconductor manufacturing processes often occur within a semiconductor process chamber in which a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor wafers of a particular size are supported by a wafer support, such as a pedestal, and exposed to one or more process gases and / or subjected to various environmental conditions that result in a particular semiconductor process, e.g., deposition, etching, etc., being performed.

[0002] Semiconductor wafers are generally only widely available in certain industry standard sizes. For example, in the 1960s, semiconductor wafers were typically quite small, e.g., 20mm in diameter. By the 1980s, the industry was seeing wide usage of 150mm diameter wafers, followed by 200mm diameter wafers in the early 1990's, and 300mm diameter wafers since the early 2000's. The vast bulk, e.g., on the order of 60% or more, of the wafers processed at this time are 300mm wafers. However, 200mm wafers still represent a sizable share, e.g., on the order of 25%, of all wafers processed.

[0003] Semiconductor processing tools, e.g., etch chambers, deposition chambers, etc., are typically designed to handle one specific size of semiconductor wafer. This is because semiconductor processing tools that are designed to process 300mm wafers must necessarily be larger than those that are designed to process 200mm wafers and therefor occupy more floor space than tools designed to process only 200mm wafers. Wafer manufacturers therefore typically design a wafer fabrication plant ("fab") so as to be configured to process either 200mm wafers or 300mm wafers and then attempt to maximize the number of tools for the selected wafer type that can be fit within the fab floor plan, thereby maximizing throughput of the selected wafer size.SUMMARY

[0004] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

[0005] In some implementations, an adapter ring may be provided that includes an annular portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an outer diameter of 300mm ± 1mm, and an inner diameter greater than 200mm and less than or equal to 206mm. The adapter ring may also include one or more wafer support features. The first side and the second side may define a thickness of the annular portion that is between 0.5mm and 1mm, each wafer support feature may extend radially inward from an inner perimeter of the annular portion defined by the inner diameter of the annular portion, at least a portion of each wafer support feature may extend into a 200mm diameter region centered on the annular portion, and the one or more wafer support features may be contiguous with the annular portion.

[0006] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the portion of each wafer support feature that extends into the 200mm diameter region centered on the annular portion may be recessed from the first side of the annular portion by between 0.25mm and 1.5mm.

[0007] In some implementations of the adapter ring, no part of the adapter ring may extend beyond a first reference plane coplanar with the first side and a second reference plane coplanar with the second side.

[0008] In some implementations of the adapter ring, no part of the adapter ring may extend beyond an outer perimeter of the annular portion defined by the outer diameter of the annular portion.

[0009] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the one or more wafer support features may include an annular ledge that has an inner perimeter with a diameter of less than 200mm and that is centered on the annular portion.

[0010] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the one or more wafer support features may include a plurality of tabs that extend radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular portion.

[0011] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the one or more wafer support features may further include an annular ledge that has an inner perimeter with a diameter of less than 200mm and is centered on the annular portion.

[0012] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the adapter ring may further include an annular ledge that is centered on the annular portion and has an inner perimeter with a diameter that is greater than 200mm and less than the inner diameter of the annular portion.

[0013] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the adapter ring may further include a notch shield extending radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular ledge.

[0014] In some implementations of the adapter ring, the one or more wafer support features and the annular portion may be made of quartz, glass, silicon, aluminum alloy, or alumina.

[0015] In some implementations, an apparatus may be provided that includes a semiconductor process chamber, a wafer support system configured to support a payload positioned within the semiconductor process chamber by contacting the payload at least at a plurality of locations positioned outside of a first cylindrical reference volume located within the semiconductor process chamber, and a first lift pin mechanism including a plurality of first lift pins and one or more first actuators. The one or more first actuators may be configured to be transitionable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the first lift pin mechanism may be configured to position tips of the first lift pins at a first height when caused to be in the first configuration and at a second height greater than the first height when caused to be in the second configuration, the tips of the first lift pins may be positioned within a second cylindrical reference volume, and the first cylindrical reference volume and the second cylindrical reference volume may both be 200mm in diameter.

[0016] In some implementations, the wafer support system may be a pedestal assembly having a) an upward-facing surface with a plurality of gas distribution ports distributed thereacross and b) a plurality of support columns extending upward to a reference plane disposed above, and offset vertically upward from, the upward-facing surface.

[0017] In some such implementations, at least portions of the support columns may be positioned within a process chamber cylindrical reference volume coaxial with the first cylindrical reference volume, and the process chamber cylindrical reference volume may be 300mm in diameter.

[0018] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include the payload, which may include a 200mm diameter wafer and a 300mm adapter ring having an annular portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an outer diameter of 300mm ± 1mm, and an inner diameter greater than 200mm and less than or equal to 206mm. The wafer may be centered within the annular portion and supported by the adapter ring.

[0019] In some implementations, the support columns may be positioned entirely outside of a process chamber cylindrical reference volume coaxial with the first cylindrical reference volume, the process chamber cylindrical reference volume may be 300mm in diameter, the payload may include a carrier ring, an adapter ring, and a wafer, the carrier ring may be configured to support the adapter ring, the adapter ring may be configured to support the wafer, and the support columns may be configured to support the carrier ring.

[0020] In some implementations, the first lift pin mechanism may be positioned such that the tips of the first lift pins are positioned within the semiconductor process chamber, and the first cylindrical reference volume and the second cylindrical reference volume may be coaxial with one another such that the tips of the first lift pins are also positioned within the first cylindrical reference volume.

[0021] In some implementations, the apparatus may include a second lift pin mechanism that includes a plurality of second lift pins and one or more second actuators. The one or more second actuators may be configured to be transitionable between a third configuration and a fourth configuration, the second lift pin mechanism may be configured to position tips of the second lift pins at a third height when caused to be in the third configuration and at a fourth height greater than the third height when caused to be in the fourth configuration, and the tips of the second lift pins may be positioned outside of the first cylindrical reference volume and within a radial distance of 50mm from the first cylindrical reference volume.

[0022] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a secondary chamber separate from the semiconductor process chamber. The first lift pin mechanism may be positioned such that the tips of the first lift pins are positioned within the secondary chamber.

[0023] In some implementations, the secondary chamber may include one or more sets of one or more payload support features. The one or more sets of one or more payload support features may include a first set of one or more payload support features, at least a portion of each payload support feature in the one or more sets of one or more payload support features may extend into a secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume located within the secondary chamber and coaxial with the second cylindrical reference volume, and the secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume may be 300mm in diameter.

[0024] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a first robot arm configured to be movable between a first state in which a first end effector of the first robot arm extends into the semiconductor process chamber and a second state in which the first end effector of the first robot arm extends into the secondary chamber. The first end effector mayhave contact features configured to contact and support the payload within an annular zone having an inner perimeter with a diameter of 200mm and an outer perimeter with a diameter of 300mm and may be further configured to not contact the payload within the inner perimeter of the annular zone.

[0025] In some such implementations, the apparatus may further include a second robot arm configured to be movable between a third state in which a second end effector of the second robot arm extends into the secondary chamber and a fourth state in which the second end effector of the second robot arm is retracted from the secondary chamber. The second end effector may have contact features configured to contact and support a wafer within a circular zone having an outer perimeter with a diameter of 200mm.

[0026] In some implementations, the secondary chamber may be a load lock and may include a first wafer transfer passage that the first end effector extends through when the first robot arm is in the second state and a second wafer transfer passage that the second end effector extends through when the second robot arm is in the third state. The first wafer transfer passage may be different from the second wafer transfer passage.

[0027] In some such implementations, the apparatus may further include a first slit valve and a second slit valve. The first slit valve may be configured to transition a first slit valve door between a first position and a second position responsive to receipt of one or more first signals, and the second slit valve may be configured to transition a second slit valve door between a third position and a fourth position responsive to receipt of one or more second signals. The first slit valve door, in the first position, may seal the first wafer transfer passage and, in the second position, may not seal the first wafer transfer passage. Similarly, the second slit valve door, in the third position, may seal the second wafer transfer passage and, in the fourth position, may not seal the second wafer transfer passage.

[0028] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a transfer chamber connected with both the semiconductor process chamber and the secondary chamber. The first robot arm may be located within the transfer chamber, and the second robot arm may be located outside of the transfer chamber.

[0029] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a transfer chamber connected with both the semiconductor process chamber and the secondary chamber, and the secondary chamber may be a buffer station.

[0030] In some implementations, the secondary chamber may not be separated from the transfer chamber by a valve or door.

[0031] In some implementations, the one or more sets of one or more payload support features may include a plurality of sets of one or more payload support features, and each set of one or more payload support features may be located at a different elevation in the secondary chamber.

[0032] In some implementations, at least the first set of one or more payload support features may include two ledge portions that are positioned adjacent to opposing internal sides of the secondary chamber and have innermost edges that are separated from one another by a gap of at least 100mm.

[0033] In some such implementations, no part of the first set of one or more payload support features may extend into a rectangular reference volume having a bottom surface that is perpendicular to a center axis of the second cylindrical reference volume. The rectangular reference volume may extend out of the secondary chamber along a first axis that is perpendicularto the center axis and may have a width along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and the center axis that is less than or equal to the gap.

[0034] In some implementations, the apparatus may further include a load lock connected with the transfer chamber. The load lock may include a set of one or more first contact features and a set of one or more second contact features, each first contact feature may be located within an annular zone having a 300mm outer diameter and a 200mm inner diameter, each second contact feature may be located within a circular zone centered on the annular zone and having a diameter of 200mm, and each first contact feature may have an uppermost portion that is higher than an uppermost portion of each second contact feature.

[0035] These and other implementations are discussed in more detail below.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Reference to the following Figures is made in the discussion below; the Figures are not intended to be limiting in scope and are simply provided to facilitate the discussion below.

[0037] FIGS. 1 through 3 depict various views of an example adapter ring.

[0038] FIGS. 4 through 6 depict various views of another example adapter ring.

[0039] FIGS. 7 through 9 depict various views of another example adapter ring.

[0040] FIG. 10 depicts a schematic of a process chamber configured for performing semiconductor processing operations on a top side of a wafer.

[0041] FIGS. 11 and 12 show the process chamber of FIG. 10 in different operational states.

[0042] FIG. 13 shows a variant of the example process chamber of FIG. 10.

[0043] FIG. 14 shows another variant of the example process chamber of FIG. 10.

[0044] FIGS. 15 through 19 depict schematics of example semiconductor process chambers in which adapter rings may be used and that are also configured for wafer backside processing operations.

[0045] FIGS. 20 through 30 depict an example semiconductor processing tool that is configured for processing both 200mm wafers and 300mm wafers.

[0046] FIG. 31a depicts a schematic of a semiconductor processing tool with two process chambers and two secondary chambers that are all connected with a transfer chamber.

[0047] FIGS. 31b through 31d depict schematics of the first secondary chamber of FIG. 31a in more detail.

[0048] FIGS. 31e and 31f depict views of the second secondary chamber of FIG. 31a in more detail.

[0049] FIG. 32 depicts an example robot arm.

[0050] FIGS. 33 and 34 depict another example robot arm.

[0051] The above-described Figures are provided to facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed in this disclosure and are intended to be illustrative of some implementations that fall within the scope of this disclosure but are not intended to be limiting— implementations consistent with this disclosure and which are not depicted in the Figures are still considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The present disclosure is directed at apparatuses and systems for facilitating the processing of 200mm wafers in semiconductor processing systems that are configured to process 300mm wafers. As discussed above, most fabs are designed to process a single specific wafer size, e.g., 200mm or 300mm, and thus contain equipment that is sized to handle only that specific wafer size. However, some 200mm wafer fab operators may wish to configure such a fab so as to be able to process both 200mm and 300mm wafers, thereby giving them the flexibility to, for example, process 200mm near the start of the fab's lifetime and switch to 300mm near the end of the fab's lifetime (perhaps due to a further shift in the industry away from 200mm wafers), or to be able to adapt to potential shortages of one wafer size or the other that may occur due to supply chain issues.

[0053] Such apparatuses and systems of the present disclosure may generally be classified into two different categories— a) adapters that allow a 200mm wafer to be "converted" into a payload that resembles a 300mm wafer and b) tooling that is specially configured so as to be able to handle such a payload (and which may include such adapters and the wafers supported by such adapters (e.g., the first category), if present). The first category is discussed below, followed by a later discussion of the second category.

[0054] The term "payload," as it is used herein, refers to either a single 300mm wafer or a 200mm wafer interfaced with a specialized adapter ring that has an outer diameter that is nominally the same size as a 300mm wafer. FIGS. 1 through 3 depict various views of such an adapter ring. FIG. 1 depicts a top view of such an adapter ring, while FIG. 2 depicts a side section view of the adapter ring of FIG. l and FIG. 3 depicts a detail view of the portion of the adapter ring enclosed in the rectangle indicated in FIG. 2.

[0055] As can be seen, the adapter ring 110 includes an annular portion 112 that has an outer perimeter 118a defined by an outer diameter 116a and an inner perimeter 118b defined by an inner diameter 116b. The outer diameter 116a will generally be 300mm, e.g., 300mm ± 1mm, so as to have the same nominal size as a 300mm diameter wafer (the ± 1mm allows for some minor variation in the size of the adapter ring; the specified amount is larger than the ± 0.2mm variance permitted in 300mm wafers and allows for reduced manufacturing costs for the adapter ring, but in some implementations, the adapter ring may have an outer diameter that is 300mm ± 0.2mm, which is the same as for 300mm wafers, thereby exactly mimicking the outer diameter of a 300mm wafer). This allows the adapter ring to be compatible with clearances and equipment designed to work with 300mm wafers, thereby allowing the use of the adapter ring (and 200mm wafers) with little or no need for additional modification of some equipment that is designed for handling and / or processing 300mm wafers. The inner diameter 116b will, in turn, be sized slightly larger than the outer diameter of a circle 122 defined by a 200mm wafer, e g., 200mm to about 206mm. Such a diameter allows a 200mm diameter wafer to be placed into the interior of the annular portion 112 with a small amount of clearance (to prevent binding, for example) while still providing for a relatively continuous expanse of material across the payload that is generated by placing a 200mm wafer into the adapter ring.

[0056] The annular portion 112 may have a first side 114a and a second side 114b that may define a thickness T of the annular portion, as well as first and second reference planes 124a and 124b (which may be co-planar with the first side 114a and the second side 114b, respectively). The thickness T may, for example, be sized to a value that is similar to thethickness of a typical 200mm wafer, a typical 300mm wafer, or a value in between the thickness of a typical 200mm wafer and a typical 300mm wafer. For example, the thickness T may be a value between about 0.7mm and 1mm or, in some implementations, between about 0.5mm and 1mm. The thickness T may, in some implementations, have a nonuniform thickness profile in the radial direction so as to accommodate configurations of other components of the system and / or to improve process uniformity.

[0057] The adapter ring 110 have also have one or more wafer support features 120 that extend radially inward from the inner perimeter 118b of the annular portion 112. At least a portion of each wafer support feature 120 may extend into a 200mm diameter region 122 that is centered on the annular portion 112, thereby providing a surface on which a portion of a 200mm wafer may rest when interfaced with the adapter ring 110, thereby allowing the adapter ring 110 to support the 200mm wafer from below. In the adapter ring 110, there is a single wafer support feature 120 that is in the form of an annular ledge 128 that extends around the entire inner perimeter 118b of the annular portion 112 and is centered on the annular portion 112. The annular ledge 128, it will be understood, may have an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of a 200mm wafer, e.g., less than 200mm wafer. The adapter ring 110 may also, in some implementations, include a notch shield 130, which may extend radially inward from the inner perimeter 118b to a greater extent than the wafer support feature(s) 120 and which may be aligned with a corresponding "notch" in the otherwise circular outer perimeter 118a of the wafer 102 that is interfaced with the adapter ring 110. The notch in the wafer may serve as a fiducial that may be used to determine wafer orientation, thereby allowing the wafer to be consistently oriented in a particular direction when placed into various semiconductor processing tools. The notch, however, may also provide a flow path for gas past the wafer edge that has a higher flow conductance than exists along the remainder of the wafer edge, which may cause localized flow non-uniformity in the vicinity of the notch and consequent non-uniformity in the processing, e.g., deposition or etching, performed on the wafer. The notch shield 130 may, by at least partially blocking gas flow through the notch, reduce the flow conductance differential that may exist between the gas flow through the notch and the gas flow past the wafer 102 along other regions of the wafer edge.

[0058] The adapter ring 110 is designed such that the wafer-supporting surface(s) of the wafer support feature(s) 120 is or are recessed from the first side 114a by a distance nominally equal to the thickness of the wafer 102 that will be interfaced with the adapter ring 110. Such aconfiguration results in a payload that has a generally planar top surface (inclusive of the first side 114a and the top side of the wafer). In some implementations, the thickness T of the annular portion 112 may be selected to be equivalent to a typical thickness of a 300mm wafer, e.g., 775um, and the distance between the first side 114a and the wafer-supporting surfaces of the wafer support feature(s) 120 may be selected to be equivalent to a typical thickness of a 200mm wafer, e.g., 725um (in such implementations, the wafer support feature(s) may have a thickness of 50um). Such an arrangement allows for a payload including a 200mm wafer and such an adapter ring 110 to meet all clearance specifications met by a payload that includes only a single 300mm wafer. Such an approach reduces the need to potentially modify the semiconductor processing tool in which the payloads will be processed and / or reduces the potential for a collision event to occur due to an out-of-specification payload thickness.

[0059] FIGS. 4 through 6 depict various views of another adapter ring. FIG. 4 depicts a top view of such an adapter ring, while FIG. 5 depicts a side section view of the adapter ring of FIG.4 and FIG. 6 depicts a detail view of the portion of the adapter ring enclosed in the rectangle indicated in FIG. 4. The adapter ring 410 of FIGS. 4 through 6 is generally the same as the adapter ring 110 of FIGS. 1 through 3, and elements with callouts that share the same last two digits in FIGS. 4 through 6 as in FIGS. 1 through 3 may be assumed to be the same as the equivalent elements in FIGS. 1 through 3 unless indicated otherwise below. Moreover, the descriptions of those elements with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 are also applicable to the equivalent elements in FIGS. 4 through 6.

[0060] The adapter ring 410 of FIGS. 4 through 6 differs from the adapter ring 110 in that the distance between the first side 414a and the wafer-supporting surface(s) of the wafer support feature(s) 420 is less than the thickness of the wafer 402. In this particular example, the thickness T of the annular portion 412 is selected to be the same as the thickness of the wafer 402, although in other implementations, the thickness T of the annular portion 412 may be selected to be equivalent to a 300mm wafer, e.g., 775um, and the distance between the first side 414a and the wafer-supporting surface(s) of the wafer support feature(s) 420 may be selected to be less than the thickness of a 200mm wafer, e.g., less than 725um. Such an adapter ring 410 may, as can be seen in FIG. 6, cause the wafer 402 supported thereby to protrude above the first side 414a by a small amount, but the wafer support feature(s) 420 may be thicker for an equivalent thickness annular portion 112 than they are in the adapter ring 110 and may thus be more robust.

[0061] In the above examples, the adapter rings 110 and 410 have both included a single wafer support feature 120 or 420, respectively, that is in the form of an annular ledge 128 or 428, respectively. Other implementations, such as that shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, may feature multiple wafer support features.

[0062] The adapter ring 710 of FIGS. 7 through 9 is generally the same as the adapter ring 110 of FIGS. 1 through 3 or the adapter ring 410 of FIGS. 4 through 6, and elements with callouts that share the same last two digits in FIGS. 4 through 6 as in FIGS. 1 through 6 may be assumed to be the same as the equivalent elements in FIGS. 1 through 5 unless indicated otherwise below. Moreover, the descriptions of those elements with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 are also applicable to the equivalent elements in FIGS. 7 through 9.

[0063] As can be best seen in FIG. 7, the adapter ring 710 in this example includes multiple, discrete wafer support features 720 that are positioned at spaced-apart locations around the inner perimeter 718b of the annular portion 712. In this example, there are six wafer support features 720, each in the form of a tab 726 that extends from the inner perimeter 718b of the annular portion 712 in a radially inward direction. The tabs 726 may, for example, be on the order of one or two millimeters in circumferential width in some instances. Other implementations may include more or fewer such wafer support features 720.

[0064] The wafer support features 120, 420, and 720 discussed above may, for example, have wafer support surfaces that may be recessed by between 0.25mm and 1.5mm from the first side 114a.

[0065] In some implementations, there may be both an annular ledge extending radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular portion as well as multiple wafer support features, e.g., tabs, that also extend radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular portion. As the tabs may provide the support to the wafer, the annular ledge may not serve a role in supporting the wafer but may instead be provided to help reduce the flow of gas through the radial gap between the annular portion and the wafer, e.g., by reducing or covering such a gap. In some such implementations, the annular ledge may actually be slightly larger in diameter than the 200mm wafer.

[0066] In some implementations, the adapter rings 110, 410, and / or 710 may be configured such that no part of the adapter rings 110, 410, or 710 extend beyond the first reference planes 124a, 424a, or 724a and / or the second reference planes 124b, 424b, or 724b and / or beyond the outer perimeter 118a, 418a, or 718a (it will be understood that while the outer perimeters 118a, 418a, and 718a and the inner perimeters 118b, 418b, and 718b are shown as being offsetslightly inward from the edges of the annular portions 112, 412, and 712, respectively, this is simply a drawing convention adopted to allow the lines indicating the respective perimeters to be more easily discerned by the reader).

[0067] Generally speaking, the adapter rings 110, 410, and / or 710 (or similar adapter rings) may be made as contiguous parts, i.e., as a single piece. The adapter rings 110, 410, and / or 710 may be made so as to mimic the properties and behavior of the wafers that they are combined with in order to produce a "payload" that, to a large extent, behaves similarly to a 300mm wafer. For example, the adapter rings may be made of silicon, e.g., quartz or glass, e.g., a material similar or identical to the material that the 200mm wafer is made of, such that the payload is generally a homogenous material that mimics a 300mm waferthat is also made of a homogenous material (this is with reference to the raw wafer material— as wafers are processed and various features deposited or etched into them, the composition of the wafers may change over time). In other implementations, the adapter rings may be made of a material dissimilar to that of the 200mm wafer, e.g., alumina or other ceramic material or an aluminum alloy, which may nonetheless introduce little variation in process conditions as compared to when a 300mm diameter wafer is used.

[0068] A relatively important feature of the adapter rings discussed above is that each adapter ring is ring-like in nature, with a large opening in the middle that is sized to be 200mm in diameter, slightly smaller than 200mm, or slightly larger than 200mm (but with tabs or other wafer support features extending radially inward so as to extend into a 200mm diameter region centered on the adapter ring center. This allows for a lift pin mechanism with lift pins that are located within the interior of a 200mm diameter circle (or within the innermost diameters of the adapter rings) to be used to lift 200mm wafers that are placed in the adapter rings clear of the adapter rings (or to lower such 200mm wafers into the adapter rings) during wafer unloading / loading operations.

[0069] Such lift pin mechanisms may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, in some implementations, a process chamber may include a lift pin mechanism that has lift pins located within a 200mm diameter region. Some such process chamber implementations may also include a second lift pin mechanism that has lift pins that are located in an annular zone with an inner diameter of 200mm and an outer diameter of 300mm. Such implementations may allow for 200mm wafers to be loaded onto / unloaded from adapter rings that stay resident within the process chamber but may also allow such adapter rings to be lifted in orderto allow the adapter rings to be loaded into / unloaded from the process chamber. In otherimplementations, the lift pin mechanism with lift pins within the 200mm diameter region may be located outside of the process chamber, e.g., in a load lock or in a buffer station. In such implementations, the process chamber may be equipped with a lift pin mechanism or wafer support system that contacts the adapter ring / 200mm wafer payload at locations outside of a 200mm diameter region and the adapter ring / 200mm wafer payload may be treated as a "unitary" wafer with respect to being introduced into, and retrieved from, the process chamber. This may allow, for example, a process chamber that is configured for use with 300mm wafers to be used with little or no modification in order to process 200mm wafers. Various examples of tools that are configured to process 200mm wafers carried by adapter rings as discussed above, as well as potentially 300mm wafers, are discussed below with respect to FIGS. 10 through 34.

[0070] FIG. 10 depicts a schematic of a process chamber configured for performing semiconductor processing operations on a top side of a wafer. In such a process chamber 1042, a payload 1040 may be supported by a wafer support system 1052 that is positioned beneath a showerhead 1038. The payload 1040 is, in this example, a 200mm wafer 1002 interfaced with an adapter ring 1010, similar to the examples discussed earlier. The showerhead 1038 may be connected with one or more process gas sources and may be configured to distribute one or more process gases from such sources across the payload 1040 when the payload 1040 is supported by the wafer support system 1052 during processing of the payload 1040. The showerhead 1038 may, for example, have one or more sets of gas distribution ports distributed across its underside; each set of gas distribution ports may be configured to distribute one or more process gases across the payload 1040 when such process gas(es) is or are flowed into an internal plenum of the showerhead 1038.

[0071] The wafer support system 1052, in this example, is a pedestal or chuck that has an upward-facing surface that is configured to receive, and support, the payload 1040. The payload 1040, in this example, is an adapter ring 1010 (similar to those discussed above) that has a wafer 1002 placed within it. The wafer support system 1052 may be configured to contact the payload 1040 at a plurality of locations positioned outside of a first cylindrical reference volume 1054a located within the process chamber 1042 when supporting the payload 1040. In the depicted instance, the wafer support system 1052 contacts the underside of the adapter ring 1010 across all of the underside of the adapter ring 1010, i.e., across a large number of locations distributed across the underside of the adapter ring 1010.

[0072] The process chamber 1042 in this example is also equipped with a first lift pin mechanism 1056a and a second lift pin mechanism 1056b. The first lift pin mechanism 1056a may include a set of first lift pins 1058a that are connected with a first actuator 1060a that is movable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration. The first lift pins 1058a may have tips, e.g., the uppermost portions of the first lift pins 1058a, that are positioned at a first height when the first actuator 1060a is in the first configuration and that are positioned at a second height, greater than the first height, when the first actuator 1060a is in the second configuration.

[0073] Similarly, the second lift pin mechanism 1056b may include a set of second lift pins 1058b that are connected with a second actuator 1060b that is movable between at least a third configuration and a fourth configuration. The second lift pins 1058b may have tips that are positioned at a third height when the second actuator 1060b is in the third configuration and that are positioned at a fourth height, greater than the third height, when the second actuator 1060b is in the fourth configuration.

[0074] As can be seen, the first lift pins 1058a, e.g., the tips of the first lift pins 1058a, are all located within a second cylindrical reference volume 1054b. The first cylindrical reference volume 1054a and the second cylindrical reference volume 1054b are both 200mm in diameter and, in this example, are coaxial / concentric with one another. The second lift pins 1058b, e.g., the tips of the second lift pins 1058b, may be positioned outside of the first cylindrical reference volume 1054a and the second cylindrical reference volume 1054b but within a 300mm diameter region centered on the first cylindrical reference volume 1054a and the second cylindrical reference volume 1054b, i.e., within 50mm of the first cylindrical reference volume 1054a.

[0075] FIG. 10 also depicts various other systems associated with the process chamber 1042, such as a robot arm 1046 that may have one or more end effectors 1048 that are configured to be inserted into, and then withdrawn from, the process chamber 1042 in order to facilitate loading or unloading of the wafer 1002 from the process chamber 1042. The robot arm 1046 may, for example, be a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) robot or other type of robot that may be usable for such purposes.

[0076] The process chamber 1042 may also be interfaced with a slit valve 1082 that may include a valve actuator 1086 that may be used to move a slit valve door 1084 between a first position, in which the slit valve door 1084 seals a wafer transfer passage that leads into the interior of the process chamber 1042, and a second position, in which the slit valve door 1084does not seal the wafer transfer passage and permits the end effector 1048 (or one of the end effectors 1048) to be inserted into the process chamber 1042.

[0077] FIG. 11 shows the process chamber 1042 of FIG. 10 with the slit valve door 1084 in the second position, thereby unblocking the wafer transfer passage and allowing the robot arm 1046 to be actuated so as to extend the end effector 1048 into the process chamber 1042. Prior to the robot arm 1046 being caused to insert the end effector 1048 into the process chamber, the first lift pin mechanism 1056a may be actuated so as to cause the first lift pins 1058a to move from the first configuration to the second configuration. In this example, the tips of the first lift pins 1058a are, when the first lift pin mechanism 1056a is in the first configuration, positioned lower than the upper surface of the wafer support system 1052 and are then positioned higher than the upper surface of the wafer support system 1052 when in the second configuration, thereby causing the tips of the first lift pins 1058a to contact the underside of the wafer 1002 and lift the wafer 1002 clear of the adapter ring 1010. The first lift pins 1058a may, when in the second configuration, have tips that are located at an elevation that is higher than the elevation that the end effector 1048 is at, thereby allowing the end effector 1048 to be inserted underneath the wafer 1002, as shown in FIG. 11. The first lift pins 1058a may then be caused to be retracted into the positions they are in in the first configuration, thereby lowering the wafer 1002 onto the end effector 1048 and allowing the robot arm 1046 to withdraw the end effector 1048 and the wafer 1002 supported thereby from the process chamber 1042. The same operations may also be carried out in reverse, e.g., with the robot arm 1046 being caused to extend the end effector 1048 and the wafer 1002 supported thereby into the process chamber 1042, the first lift pins 1058a then being caused to extend upwards to lift the wafer 1002 off of the end effector 1048, the robot arm 1046 then being caused to withdraw the end effector 1048 from the process chamber, and the first lift pins 1058a then being caused to retract into the positions they are in in the first configuration, thereby depositing the wafer 1002 onto the adapter ring 1010 that is positioned on the wafer support system 1052.

[0078] In FIG. 12, the second lift pin mechanism 1056b is shown having transitioned from the third configuration, in which the tips of the second lift pins 1058b are positioned beneath the upper surface of the wafer support system 1052, to the fourth configuration, in which the second lift pins 1058b are extended such that the tips of the second lift pins 1058b are positioned above the upper surface of the wafer support system 1052. In such a configuration, the payload 1040— including the adapter ring 1010 and the wafer 1002— may be lifted clear ofthe wafer support system 1052 such that the robot arm 1046 may be caused to move the end effector 1048 so as to be inserted beneath the payload 1040. The second lift pins 1058b may then be caused to retract, e.g., back to the positions they were in when in the third configuration, in order to lower the payload 1040 onto the end effector 1048. The robot arm 1046 may then be caused to retract the end effector 1048 and the payload 1040 from the process chamber 1042. The same operations may also be carried out in reverse in order to deliver the payload 1040 to the process chamber 1042 and place it onto the wafer support system 1052.

[0079] FIG. 13 depicts a variant of the process chamber 1042 in which the process chamber 1042 is equipped with a third lift pin mechanism 1056c having a third actuator 1060c and a set of lift pins 1058c. The third lift pin mechanism 1056c may be configured such that the third lift pins 1058c are all positioned outside of a 300mm diameter zone that is centered on the 200mm diameter region within which the first lift pins 1058a are positioned. Such an implementation may be used when the semiconductor processing operations performed in the process chamber 1042 make use of an edge ring or focus ring 1092. The edge ring or focus ring 1092 may be provided to tune gas flow and / or plasma effects in the vicinity of the edge of the wafer 1002. In some such implementations, the edge ring or focus ring 1092 may be annular and may be sized larger than 300mm and have an inner perimeter that may overlap the adapter ring 1010. The third lift pin mechanism 1056 may be used to lift the edge ring or focus ring 1092 clear of the payload 1040, as shown in FIG. 14. This may allow the second lift pin mechanism 1056b to be actuated in order to lift the payload 1040 clear of the wafer support system 1052, thereby allowing the end effector 1048 to be inserted beneath the payload 1040 and the payload 1040 to then be lowered onto the end effector 1048 for removal from the process chamber 1042. Similar operations performed in reverse may allow the payload 1040 to be introduced into the process chamber 1042 and placed on the wafer support system 1052.

[0080] The examples of FIGS. 10 through 14 have focused on process chambers in which the front or top side of the wafer 1002 is subjected to semiconductor processing operations but the back or bottom side of the wafer 1002 is generally shielded from such processing operations by the wafer support system 1052. The adapter rings discussed herein may, however, also be used in semiconductor processing systems that are configured to perform backside processing on wafers. In such systems, the wafer support system may be configured to support a wafer at an elevated location above a showerhead-pedestal that is positioned beneath the wafer. The underside of the wafer facing the showerhead-pedestal may thus be exposed to process gasesthat may be flowed out of the showerhead-pedestal and towards the wafer. FIGS. 15 through 19 depict examples of semiconductor process chambers in which adapter rings may be used and which are also configured for backside processing operations.

[0081] FIG. 15 depicts a schematic of a process chamber 1542 configured for performing semiconductor processing operations on a bottom side or underside of a wafer. In such a process chamber 1542, a payload 1540 may be supported by a wafer support system 1552 that is positioned beneath a showerhead 1538. The payload 1540 is, in this example, a 200mm wafer 1502 interfaced with an adapter ring 1510, similar to the examples discussed earlier.

[0082] The wafer support system 1552, in this example, is a pedestal assembly that incorporates a showerhead-pedestal having an upward-facing surface 1568 with a plurality of gas distribution ports 1566 distributed thereacross. One or more process gases may be flowed into an internal plenum of the showerhead-pedestal and then through the gas distribution ports 1566 and directed upward towards the underside of the payload 1540 (or, if the payload 1540 is a single 300mm wafer, the underside of the 300mm wafer), thereby subjecting the underside of the payload 1540 to semiconductor processing operations. The pedestal assembly may further include a plurality, e.g., three, of support columns 1570 that may be positioned at spaced-apart locations about the periphery of the shower-pedestal. At least a portion of each support column 1570 may, as shown in this example, extend radially inward so as to be located within a process chamber cylindrical reference volume 1574 (see FIG. 19) and to contact and support the underside of the payload 1540 at locations defining a reference plane 1572 that is disposed above, and offset vertically from, the upward-facing surface 1568. The portions of the support columns 1570 that are configured to contact and support the payload 1540 may be positioned outside of a first cylindrical reference volume 1554a that is 200mm in diameter. The payload 1540 may be supported above the upward-facing surface 1568 such that there is a sizable gap, e.g., on the order of a few to tens of millimeters, between the underside of the payload 1540 and the upward-facing surface 1568. In some implementations, the support columns 1570 may configured differently, e.g., they may be connected to structures other than a shower-pedestal. For example, the support columns 1570 (or equivalent features) may instead extend downward from the showerhead 1538. It will also be understood that features other than support columns may be used as support features to support the payload 1540 or a 300mm wafer. For example, a collar that extends around the entire outer perimeter of the payload 1540 and that is configured to support the payload 1540 at an elevated location relative to the upward-facing surface 1568 may be used instead.

[0083] The showerhead 1538 may, for example, have one or more sets of gas distribution ports distributed across its underside; each set of gas distribution ports may be configured to distribute one or more process gases across the payload 1540 when such process gas(es) is or are flowed into the showerhead 1538. The showerhead 1538 may be connected with one or more process gas sources and may be configured to distribute one or more process gases from such sources across the payload 1540 when the payload 1540 is supported by the wafer support system 1552 during processing of the payload 1540. For backside processing operations, the showerhead 1538 may be caused to flow process gases that are non-reactive with other process gases that may be flowed from the shower-pedestal and / or may be caused to flow inert gases. For example, the showerhead 1538 may be caused to flow nitrogen or argon during such backside processing operations. Such non-reactive gases may act to shield the top side of the payload 1540 from the process gases flowed from the shower-pedestal, thereby constraining processing operations, such as deposition or etching, to the back side of the payload 1540, while protecting the top side of the wafer from unintended processing operations.

[0084] The process chamber 1542 in this example is also equipped with a first lift pin mechanism 1556a and a second lift pin mechanism 1556b. The first lift pin mechanism 1556a may include a set of first lift pins 1558a that are connected with a first actuator 1560a that is movable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration. The first lift pins 1558a may have tips, e.g., the uppermost portions of the first lift pins 1558a, that are positioned at a first height when the first actuator 1560a is in the first configuration and that are positioned at a second height, greater than the first height, when the first actuator 1560a is in the second configuration.

[0085] Similarly, the second lift pin mechanism 1556b may include a set of second lift pins 1558b that are connected with a second actuator 1560b that is movable between at least a third configuration and a fourth configuration. The second lift pins 1558b may have tips that are positioned at a third height when the second actuator 1560b is in the third configuration and that are positioned at a fourth height, greater than the third height, when the second actuator 1560b is in the fourth configuration.

[0086] As can be seen, the first lift pins 1558a, e.g., the tips of the first lift pins 1558a, are all located within a second cylindrical reference volume 1554b. The first cylindrical reference volume 1554a and the second cylindrical reference volume 1554b are both 200mm in diameter and, in this example, are coaxial / concentric with one another and with the process chambercylindrical reference volume 1574. The second lift pins 1558b, e.g., the tips of the second lift pins 1558b, may be positioned outside of the first cylindrical reference volume 1554a and the second cylindrical reference volume 1554b but within the process chamber cylindrical reference volume 1574, i.e., within 50mm of the first cylindrical reference volume 1554a.

[0087] FIG. 15 also depicts various other systems associated with the process chamber 1542, such as a robot arm 1546 that may have one or more end effectors 1548 that are configured to be inserted into, and then withdrawn from, the process chamber 1542 in order to facilitate loading or unloading of the wafer 1502 from the process chamber 1542. The robot arm 1546 may, for example, be a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) robot or other type of robot that may be usable for such purposes.

[0088] The process chamber 1542 may also be interfaced with a slit valve 1582 that may include a valve actuator 1586 that may be used to move a slit valve door 1584 between a first position, in which the slit valve door 1584 seals a wafer transfer passage that leads into the interior of the process chamber 1542, and a second position, in which the slit valve door 1584 does not seal the wafer transfer passage and permits the end effector 1548 (or one of the end effectors 1548) to be inserted into the process chamber 1542.

[0089] FIG. 16 shows the process chamber 1542 of FIG. 15 with the slit valve door 1584 in the second position, thereby unblocking the wafer transfer passage and allowing the robot arm 1546 to be actuated so as to extend the end effector 1548 into the process chamber 1542. Prior to the robot arm 1546 being caused to insert the end effector 1548 into the process chamber, the first lift pin mechanism 1556a may be actuated so as to cause the first lift pins 1558a to move from the first configuration to the second configuration. In this example, the tips of the first lift pins 1558a are, when the first lift pin mechanism 1556a is in the first configuration, positioned lower than the reference plane 1572 of the wafer support system 1552, e.g., lower than the upward-facing surface 1568, and are then positioned higher than the reference plane 1572 of the wafer support system 1552 when in the second configuration, thereby causing the tips of the first lift pins 1558a to contact the underside of the wafer 1502 and lift the wafer 1502 clear of the adapter ring 1510. The adapter ring 1510 may remain supported by the support columns 1570, e.g., via contact between the portions of the support columns 1570 that extend into the process chamber cylindrical reference volume 1574. The first lift pins 1558a may, when in the second configuration, have tips that are located at an elevation that is higher than the elevation that the end effector 1548 is at, thereby allowing the end effector 1548 to be inserted underneath the wafer 1502, as shown in FIG. 16. The first liftpins 1558a may then be caused to be retracted into the positions they are in in the first configuration, thereby lowering the wafer 1502 onto the end effector 1548 and allowing the robot arm 1546 to withdraw the end effector 1548 and the wafer 1502 supported thereby from the process chamber 1542. The same operations may also be carried out in reverse, e.g., with the robot arm 1546 being caused to extend the end effector 1548 and the wafer 1502 supported thereby into the process chamber 1542, the first lift pins 1558a then being caused to extend upwards to lift the wafer 1502 off of the end effector 1548, the robot arm 1546 then being caused to withdraw the end effector 1548 from the process chamber, and the first lift pins 1558a then being caused to retract into the positions they are in in the first configuration, thereby depositing the wafer 1502 onto the adapter ring 1510 that is positioned on the wafer support system 1552.

[0090] FIGS. 17 and 18 show the same process chamber 1542 as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, but with the payload 1540 which was formerly a 200mm wafer 1502 interfaced with an adapter ring 1510 replaced with a single 300mm wafer 1502'. As can be seen, both 200mm and 300mm wafers may be processed in such a system with no change in the tool mechanisms except the use of an adapter ring 1510.

[0091] The adapter rings 1510 discussed above may also be used in systems that utilize a carrier ring sized to carry a 300mm diameter wafer. FIG. 19 depicts an example of a modified version of the process chamber 1542 discussed above, in which the support columns 1570 are, instead of having portions that extend underneath the adapter ring 1510, located entirely outside of a process chamber cylindrical reference volume 1574 that is coaxial with the first cylindrical reference volume 1554a and is 300mm in diameter. The payload 1540 in this example includes a carrier ring 1532, an adapter ring 1510, and a wafer 1502. The adapter ring 1510 may be 300mm in outer diameter, as in earlier examples discussed above, and may support a 200mm diameter wafer 1502. Alternatively, the payload 1540 may include the carrier ring 1532 and a 300mm diameter wafer 1502 and no adapter ring 1510. Regardless, the carrier ring 1532 may be the element of the payload 1540 that contacts the support columns 1570 and that is contacted by the second lift pins 1558 of the second lift pin mechanism 1556b and lifted clear of the support columns 1570 to facilitate transporting the carrier ring 1532 in and out of the process chamber 1542. In an alternative design, the second lift pin mechanism 1556b may have second lift pins 1558b that are located radially inward of the locations shown, e.g., so as to contact the underside of the adapter ring 1510 (in some such implementations, a third lift pin mechanism— similar to the third lift pin mechanism 1556c discussed earlier withrespect to FIGS. 13 and 14)— may be included in order to allow the adapter ring 1510 and the wafer 1502 to be lifted clear of the carrier ring and then moved out of the process chamber 1542 (or to be placed into the process chamber 1542 and then lowered onto the carrier ring 1532).

[0092] In the examples discussed above, the process chambers involved have been designed to include lift pin mechanisms that are able to provide lifting capabilities for both 200mm wafers and for payloads larger than 200mm, e.g., payloads that may require that lift pins contact them at locations that are in an annular zone between 200mm and 300mm in diameter. In other implementations, however, process chambers may simply be equipped with the latter sort of lift pin mechanisms, e.g., lift pin mechanisms that are configured to contact a payload at locations in an annular zone in between 200mm in diameter and 300mm in diameter, and may not include any lift pin mechanisms that are configured to contact the payload at locations within the 200mm inner diameter of the annular zone. In such implementations, the first lift pin mechanism that is configured to contact the payload at locations within the first cylindrical zone may instead be positioned somewhere other than in the process chamber.

[0093] FIGS. 20 through 30 depict schematics of a semiconductor processing tool that is configured to facilitate processing of 200mm wafers in a process chamber configured to process 300mm wafers.

[0094] As can be seen in FIG. 20, the semiconductor processing tool may include a process chamber 2042 that is connected to a secondary chamber 2044 via a transfer chamber 2090. The secondary chamber 2044, in this example, is a load lock 2088, i.e., a chamber that is used much like an air lock to allow wafers to be transitioned between a low-pressure environment (such as is commonly found within semiconductor process chambers) and a higher-pressure environment, such as an environment that is at standard atmospheric pressure. The secondary chamber 2044 and the transfer chamber 2090 may be linked by a first wafer transfer passage that passes through a first slit valve 2082a that is interposed between the secondary chamber 2044 and the transfer chamber 2090. A second wafer transfer passage may lead from the secondary chamber 2044 to a location that may be at atmospheric or near-atmospheric pressure, e.g., an equipment front-end module (EFEM). A second slit valve 2082b may be used to seal the wafer transfer passage leading from the secondary chamber 2044 to, for example, the EFEM. A third wafer transfer passage may connect the process chamber 2042 with the transfer chamber 2090 and may be sealed by a corresponding third slit valve 2082c. Each wafertransfer passage may be sized so as to allow a wafer to transit through the wafer transfer passage when being moved between chambers.

[0095] The first slit valve 2082a may be equipped with a first door 2084a that may be moved between a corresponding first position and a corresponding second position by a first actuator 2086a responsive to receipt of one or more control signals. The second slit valve 2082b may similarly be equipped with a second door 2084b that may be moved between a corresponding first position and a corresponding second position by a second actuator 2086b responsive to receipt of one or more control signals, and the third slit valve 2082c may also similarly be equipped with a third door 2084c that may be moved between a corresponding first position and a corresponding second position by a third actuator 2086c responsive to receipt of one or more control signals. Each slit valve 2082, when in its respective first position, may seal the respective wafer transfer passage that it is associated with and may not seal that wafer transfer passage (and allow a wafer to transit through that wafer transfer passage) when in the second position. It will be understood that, for clarity, the first and second positions of the door 2084 for a given slit valve 2082 may be referred to by different ordinal indicators, e.g., third and fourth positions, fifth and sixth positions, etc., to distinguish from the first and second positions of another slit valve 2082 if desired.

[0096] The process chamber 2042 may, for example, be a process chamber similar to those discussed earlier, e.g., configured for front-side wafer processing or back-side wafer processing. In this example, the process chamber 2042 that is shown is configured for back-side wafer processing operations and includes a wafer support system 2052 that is a pedestal assembly that includes a shower-pedestal with an internal plenum leading to a plurality of gas distribution ports arranged on an upward-facing surface of the shower-pedestal. The pedestal assembly may include a plurality of support columns that are configured to support a payload 2040 that includes an adapter ring 2010 and a wafer 2002, as discussed earlier. Portions of the support columns may extend into a process chamber cylindrical reference volume 2074a that is 300mm in diameter so as to be able to support the adapter ring 2010 of the payload 2040, which may also have a 300mm diameter. One or more process gases may be flowed through the internal plenum, out through the gas distribution ports of the shower-pedestal, and upwards towards the underside of the payload 2040 during wafer processing operations.

[0097] The process chamber 2042 may also include a showerhead 2038 that may be positioned above the wafer support system 2052. The showerhead 2038 may similarly include a plurality of gas distribution ports that may be used to distribute one or more process gasesacross the top side of the payload during wafer processing operations. For example, the one or more processing gases may, as noted earlier, be one or more gases that are non-reactive with the one or more process gases that are flowed through the gas distribution ports of the shower-pedestal. In some instances, one or more non-reactive gases may be flowed through the shower-pedestal while other process gases may be flowed from the showerhead 2038 across the top side of the payload 2040, e.g., gases that may cause deposition or etching to occur on the top side of the wafer 2002.

[0098] The tool of FIG. 20 may also include a first lift pin mechanism 2056a that includes a plurality of first lift pins 2058a and a first actuator 2060a. The first actuator 2060a may be configured to be transitionable between a corresponding first configuration and a corresponding second configuration responsive to receipt of one or more control signals. The tool of FIG. 20 may also include a second lift pin mechanism 2056b that includes a plurality of second lift pins 2058b and a second actuator 2060b. The second actuator 2060b may similarly be configured to be transitionable between a corresponding first configuration and a corresponding second configuration responsive to receipt of one or more control signals. It will be understood that, for clarity and similarly to the first and second positions of the slit valves 2082, the first and second configurations of a given one of the lift pin mechanisms 2056 may be referred to by different ordinal indicators, e.g., third and fourth positions, to distinguish from the first and second positions of the other lift pin mechanism 2056, if desired.

[0099] The tips of the second lift pins 2058b may be located outside of a first cylindrical reference volume 2054a but within the process chamber cylindrical reference volume 2074a, while the tips of the first lift pins 2058a may be located within a second cylindrical reference volume 2054b. The first cylindrical reference volume 2054a may be located within the process chamber 2042 and the second cylindrical reference volume 2054b may be located within the secondary chamber 2044. The first cylindrical reference volume 2054a and the second cylindrical reference volume 2054b may both be 200mm in diameter.

[0100] The secondary chamber 2044 may be equipped with one or more payload support features 2076 that may have portions that are located within a secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume 2074b that is 300mm in diameter, coaxial with the second cylindrical reference volume 2054b, and located within the secondary chamber 2044. The payload support features 2076 in this example are shelves or ledges that extend inward from the sidewalls of the secondary chamber 2044 such that the inward-facing edges of the shelves are located within the secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume 2074b. The payload 2040may be placed on the payload support features 2076 such that the outer periphery of the adapter ring 2010 may overlap with, and be supported by, the inward-facing edges of the payload support features 2076. The payload support features 2076 may take other forms as well, e.g., posts that extend upward from the floor of the secondary chamber 2044, another lift pin mechanism with lift pins located in between the secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume 2074b and the first cylindrical reference volume 2054a, etc.

[0101] The tool shown in FIG. 20 may also include a first robot arm 2046a that has a first end effector 2048a that is positioned within the transfer chamber 2090. The first robot arm 2046a may be configured to be movable, e.g., responsive to receipt of one or more control signals, between a corresponding first state in which the first end effector 2048a of the first robot arm 2046a extends through the third wafer transfer passage and into the process chamber 2042 and a corresponding second state in which the first end effector 2048a of the first robot arm 2046a instead extends through the first wafer transfer passage and into the secondary chamber 2044. The first end effector 2048a may have contact features configured to contact and support the payload 2040 within an annular zone having an inner perimeter with a diameter of 200mm and an outer perimeter with a diameter of 300mm; in at least some instances, the first end effector 2048a may also be further configured to not contact the payload 2040 within the inner perimeter of the annular zone. The first robot arm 2046a may thus be used to transfer the payload 2040 from the process chamber 2042 to the secondary chamber 2044 (or vice- versa) in the same manner that the first robot arm 2046a would transfer a 300mm diameter wafer between the process chamber 2042 and the secondary chamber 2044.

[0102] The tool may also include a second robot arm 2046b that has a second end effector 2048b. The second robot arm 2046b may also be configured to be movable, e.g., responsive to receipt of one or more control signals, between a corresponding first state in which the second end effector 2048b of the second robot arm 2046b extends through the second wafer transfer passage and into the secondary chamber 204b and a corresponding second state in which the second end effector 2048b of the second robot arm 2046b is withdrawn or retracted from the secondary chamber 2044. For example, the second robot arm 2046b may be located in an EFEM and may, in the second state, position the second end effector 2048b within the EFEM or at least partially within a buffer station attached to, or located within, the EFEM, or within a front-opening unified pod (FOUR) that may be docked at a load port of the EFEM, or at some other location outside of the secondary chamber 2044. The second end effector 2048b mayhave contact features that are configured to contact and support a wafer within a circular zone having an outer perimeter that is 200mm in diameter.

[0103] FIGS. 21 through 30 depict the tool of FIG. 20 in various operational states involved with wafer / payload transfer operations. For example, in FIG. 20, the payload 2040 is shown as being resident in the process chamber 2042, e.g., as it would be just before, during, or just after wafer processing operations that are to be performed on the wafer 2002 that is part of the payload 2040. The payload 2040 is, in FIG. 20, resting on the support columns of the wafer support system 2052, but it will be understood that the payload 2040 may be resting directly on an upward-facing surface of a pedestal in tools in which the process chamber is used for wafer front-side processing. Regardless, in preparation for removal of the payload 2040, the second lift pin mechanism 2056b may be actuated so as to transition from the first configuration, in which the second lift pins 2058b may, as shown in FIG. 20, be retracted into the showerheadpedestal of the wafer support system 2052 (or at least retracted such that the tips thereof are lower than the underside of the payload 2040), to the second configuration, in which the second lift pins 2058b are moved upward so as to contact the underside of the adapter ring 2010 of the payload 2040 and lift the payload 2040 clear of the support pillars. In this example, the showerhead 2038 has also been caused to move upwards to provide additional clearance to accommodate the upward movement of the payload 2040, but this may be optional depending on the specific configuration of the tool.

[0104] In FIG. 22, the third slit valve 2082c has been caused to transition to an open state by actuating the third actuator 2086c to cause the third door 2084c to move from the corresponding first position, where it seals the third wafer transfer passage, to the corresponding second position, where the third wafer transfer passage is relatively unobstructed, e.g., so as to allow the first robot arm 2046a to be actuated so as to cause the first end effector 2048a to be extended into the process chamber 2042, as shown in FIG. 22. The first end effector 2048a is, in this case, a blade-type end effector that has raised contact features (not visible) that contact the underside of the adapter ring 2010 when carrying the payload 2040, but other implementations may utilize other types of end effector, e.g., edgegrip end effectors that are configured to contact the bottom edges of the adapter ring 2010 but not contact, or contact only minimally, the underside of the adapter ring 2010. As can be seen, the first end effector 2048a has been inserted underneath the raised payload 2040, in between the raised second lift pins 2058b.

[0105] In FIG. 23, the second lift pin mechanism 2056b has been caused to be actuated again to cause the second actuator 2060b to move the second lift pins 2058b downward from the second configuration to the first configuration, thereby lowering the payload 2040 until the underside of the payload 2040— more specifically, the adapter ring 2010 of the payload 2040— comes to rest on the first end effector 2048a.

[0106] In FIG. 24, the first slit valve 2082a been caused to transition to an open state by actuating the first actuator 2086a to cause the first door 2084a to move from the corresponding first position, where it seals the first wafer transfer passage, to the corresponding second position, where the first wafer transfer passage is relatively unobstructed. The first robot arm 2046a has been caused to retract the first end effector 2048a from the process chamber 2042 and extend the first end effector 2048a through the first wafer transfer passage and into the secondary chamber 2044, thereby moving the payload 2040 supported by the first end effector 2048a from the process chamber 2042 to the secondary chamber 2044. The third slit valve 2082c has, after the first end effector 2048a has been withdrawn from the process chamber 2042, also been caused to transition from the open state back to the closed state, e.g., by actuating the third actuator 2086c so as to cause the third door 2084c to re-seal the process chamber 2042. In some implementations, however, the third slit valve 2082c may be left in the open state until a new (or updated) payload 2040 has been placed on the second lift pins 2058b in a subsequent operation.

[0107] In FIG. 25, the first robot arm 2046a has been caused to move the first end effector 2048a downward so as to lower the payload 2040 down onto the payload support features 2076, which may then lift the payload 2040 off of the first end effector 2048a as it continues to move downward.

[0108] In FIG. 26, the first robot arm 2046a has been caused to move the first end effector 2048a back out of the secondary chamber 2044 and into the transfer chamber 2090. Additionally, the first slit valve 2082a has been caused to revert back to the closed state from the open state, e.g., by causing the first actuator 2086a to move the first door 2084a from the corresponding second position back to the corresponding first position, thereby sealing the first wafer transfer passage. In the configuration shown, the wafer transfer passages leading into the secondary chamber 2044 are both completely sealed. In the event that the secondary chamber 2044 is a load-lock, e.g., that may be used to transition the wafer 2002 between a vacuum environment (such as may be present in the transfer chamber 2090) and an atmospheric environment (such as may be present within an EFEM), the pressure within theload-lock may be caused to be brought to equilibrium with the pressure of the environment that lies on the other side of second door 2084b of the second slit valve 2082b. For example, an inert or otherwise non-reactive gas, or potentially atmospheric gas or gas that is similar or identical in composition to the atmosphere that lies on the other side of the second door 2084b may be flowed into the secondary chamber 2044 through one or more gas lines (not shown) in order to increase the pressure.

[0109] In FIG. 27, the first lift pin mechanism 2056a has been caused to be actuated to cause the first actuator 2060a to move the first lift pins 2058a upward from the corresponding first configuration to the corresponding second configuration, thereby causing the tips of the first lift pins 2058a to contact an underside of the wafer 2002 and lift the wafer 2002 clear of the adapter ring 2010. The adapter ring 2010 may remain supported by the payload support features 2076 during the lifting of the wafer 2002 by the first lift pin mechanism 2056a.

[0110] In FIG. 28, the second slit valve 2082b been caused to transition to an open state by actuating the second actuator 2086b to cause the second door 2084b to move from the corresponding first position, where it seals the second wafer transfer passage, to the corresponding second position, where the second wafer transfer passage is relatively unobstructed. The second robot arm 2046b has been caused to extend the second end effector 2048b through the second wafer transfer passage and into the secondary chamber 2044, thereby inserting the second end effector 2048b into the gap that exists between the wafer 2002 and the adapter ring 2010.

[0111] In FIG. 29, the first lift pin mechanism has been caused to transition from the second configuration back to the first configuration, thereby causing the first lift pins 2058a to move downward and lower the wafer 2002 onto the second end effector 2048b.

[0112] In FIG. 30, the second robot arm 2046b has been caused to withdraw the second end effector 2048b from the secondary chamber 2044, thereby transporting the wafer 2002 carried by the second end effector 2048b through the second wafer transfer passage and out into the environment outside of the second door 2084b, e.g., into an EFEM. The second slit valve 2082b has been caused to revert back to the closed state from the open state, e.g., by causing the second actuator 2086b to move the second door 2084b from the corresponding second position back to the corresponding first position, after the second end effector 2048b is caused to be withdrawn from the secondary chamber 2044, thereby sealing the second wafer transfer passage.T1

[0113] The same process may be performed in reverse in order to load a 200mm wafer 2002 onto the adapter ring 2010 and then transfer the resulting payload 2040 into the process chamber 2042 for processing operations. It can be readily appreciated that such a system allows a 200mm wafer to be introduced into the depicted tool and then automatically interfaced with an adapter ring 2010 in order to make the 200mm wafer able to be treated as a 300mm wafer for the purposes of wafer handling operations within the process chamber 2042. It will also be appreciated that, in some cases, little or no modification may need to be made in order to make such a tool able to also process 300mm diameter wafers, thus making the depicted tool able to have dual-size wafer processing capabilities.

[0114] The secondary chamber discussed above takes the form of a load lock, but the functionality for loading / unloading 200mm wafers from an adapter ring may also be incorporated into other types of secondary chambers. For the purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that references to "secondary chambers" is inclusive of any chamber or compartment of a semiconductor processing tool other than a process chamber, i.e., other than a chamber in which wafers are subjected to deposition and / or etching operations. For example, in some semiconductor processing tools, the secondary chamber may be a buffer station, e.g., a chamber that is attached to the transfer chamber and used to store multiple wafers within a vacuum environment before, after, or in between being moved into a process chamber connected with the transfer chamber for the performance of one or more wafer processing operations. Buffer stations may, for example, serve as a "rest stop" in which processed wafers may reside for a period of time in order to allow the wafers to cool down and / or outgas prior to being transported to another process chamber for the performance of subsequent processing operations or prior to being removed from the tool and placed in a FOUP. Buffer stations may also, in some cases, be heated so as to preheat the wafers placed therein prior to introducing such wafers into a process chamber for wafer processing operations. Buffer stations may, in some cases, be able to be sealed off from the transfer chamber by a door that may be moved between an opened and a closed configuration (similar to the slit valves discussed earlier), although the door may be sized larger to allow access to wafers that are stored at different elevations within the buffer station. In other implementations, buffer stations may not have any door that separates them from the transfer chamber, in effect acting as an alcove of the transfer chamber. In some implementations, the buffer station may act as, or may instead be, a metrology station, e.g., a station in which wafers being processed within the tool may be placed in order to allow one or more measurementdevices to characterize one or more aspects of the wafers, e.g., to measure deposition thickness, wafer uniformity, etc. using one or more optical or other sensors.

[0115] It will also be understood that in some implementations, the loading and / or unloading of 200mm wafers into / from an adapter ring such as those described above in order to produce a payload may be performed in a completely separate tool from the tool(s) in which processing of such payloads occurs. In such implementations, the elements or components associated with such load i ng / un load ing operations may be located in that other, separate tool.

[0116] FIG. 31a depicts a schematic of a semiconductor processing tool with two process chambers and two secondary chambers that are all connected with a transfer chamber. As can be seen in FIG. 31a, a transfer chamber 3190 is connected with a first secondary chamber 3144a, a second secondary chamber 3144b, a first process chamber 3142a, and a second process chamber 3142b. The second secondary chamber 3144b may serve as a load lock and connect the transfer chamber 3190 with an EFEM 3135. A first slit valve 3182a is positioned so as to be able to selectively close off and seal, or open, a wafer transfer passage leading from the interior of the first secondary chamber 3144a to the interior of the transfer chamber 3190. A second slit valve 3182b may similarly be positioned so as to be able to selectively close off and seal, or open, another wafer transfer passage leading from the interior of the first secondary chamber 3144a to the interior of the EFEM 3136. The first process chamber 3142a and the second process chamber 3142b may similarly be interfaced with a third slit valve 3182c and a fourth slit valve 3182d, respectively, that may each be configured to be able to selectively close off and seal, or open, respective wafer transfer passages leading to the first process chamber 3142a and the second process chamber 3142b from the transfer chamber 3190.

[0117] The transfer chamber 3190 in this example includes a first robot arm 3146a that supports a first end effector 3148a; as can be seen from the dotted outlines of the first robot arm 3146a (which represent various configurations that the first robot arm 3146a may be caused to transition or move into), the first end effector 3148a is able to be extended into, and withdrawn from, the first secondary chamber 3144a, the second secondary chamber 3144b, the first process chamber 3142a, and the second process chamber 3142b in order to deliver payloads or wafers to, or retrieve payloads or wafers from, any of the first secondary chamber 3144a, the second secondary chamber 3144b, the first process chamber 3142a, and the second process chamber 3142b.

[0118] A second robot arm 3146b supporting a second end effector 3148b is located within the EFEM 3136; the second robot arm 3146b may be used to deliver wafers to, or retrievewafers from, the second secondary chamber 3144b. The second robot arm 3146b may, for example transfer wafers from the second secondary chamber 3144b to a FOUP (not shown) that may be docked with a load port (also not shown) of the EFEM 3136.

[0119] The first process chamber 3142a and the second process chamber 3142b may be equipped with a first wafer support system 3152a and a second wafer support system 3152b, respectively, that may be sized to support a 300mm wafer or, as shown, a payload, such as a first payload 3140a and a second payload 3140b, respectively. The first payload3140a may include a first adapter ring3110a and a first wafer 3102a, while the second payload3140b may include a second adapter ring3110b and a second wafer3102b. The first payload 3140a and the second payload 3140b may, for example, be payloads similar to the payloads discussed above with respect to earlier Figures.

[0120] The first process chamber 3142a and the second process chamber 3142b may also be equipped with respective lift pin mechanisms, e.g., such as a first lift pin mechanism that includes a plurality of first lift pins 3158a and is associated with the first process chamber3142a and a second lift pin mechanism that includes a plurality of second lift pi ns3158b and is associated with the second process chamber3142b. As can be seen, the first and second lift pin mechanisms are both configured to have their respective first lift pins 3158a and second lift pins 3158b positioned at locations within annular zones that correspond with the adapter rings 3110a and 3110b, respectively, thereby allowing the first and second lift pin mechanisms to lift the first adapter ring 3110a and the second adapter ring 3110b, respectively, off of the first wafer support system 3152a and the second wafer support system 3152b in order to allow the first end effector 3148a to be inserted underneath the first payload 3140a or the second payload 3140b to facilitate loading thereof onto the first end effector 3148a (or to lift the first payload 3140a or the second payload 3140b off of the first end effector 3148a).

[0121] The first process chamber 3142a and the second process chamber 3142b in this example may be used to process either 300mm wafers or payloads 3140 that include adapter rings 3110 that are 300mm in diameter and that support 200mm wafers 3102; the handling of the 300mm wafers and the payloads 3140 within the process chambers 3142 may generally be the same in terms of wafer placement, wafer retrieval, etc. Since attempts to support the payloads 3140 through contact with the underside of the payloads 3140 within the inner diameters of the adapter rings 3110 would likely result in the adapter rings 3110 falling away from the wafers 3102 or at least potentially becoming misaligned relative to the wafers 3102, the first end effector 3148a and the first and second lift pins 3158a and 3158b may beconfigured to only contact a 300mm wafer or a payload 3140 at locations within an annular zone 300mm in outer diameter and 200mm in inner diameter.

[0122] As an example, the first secondary chamber 3144a may be a buffer station 3196 and configured to facilitate loadi ng / u n loadi ng of 200mm wafers 3102 onto / from adapter rings 3110 in order to assembly / disassemble the payloads 3140. For example, the first secondary chamber 3144a may, as shown more fully in FIGS. 31b through 31d, include one or more sets of one or more payload support features 3176, e.g., 3176a, 3176b, 3176c, etc. At least a portion of each payload support feature 3176 may extend into a first secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume (represented by the larger dashed circle within the first secondary chamber 3144a) that is 300mm in diameter. Thus, when 300mm wafers or payloads 3140 are placed into the first secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume, the portions of the payload support features 3176 that extend into the first secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume may extend underneath portions of the outer edges of the 300mm wafers or the payloads 3140, thereby allowing the portions of the payload support features 3176 to contact the undersides of the 300mm wafers or the payloads 3140 and support them from below.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 31a, each set of one or more payload support features includes two opposing ledge portions that extend outward from sidewalls of the first secondary chamber 3144a (or from some other structure positioned on opposite sides of the first secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume), but in other implementations, each set of one or more payload support features 3176 may include a single payload support feature 3176, e.g., a continuous shelf that extends along portions of the two opposing sidewalls of the first secondary chamber 3144a from which the two depicted payload support features 3176 extend as well as along the back wall of the first secondary chamber 3144a (the back wall of the first secondary chamber 3144a in FIG. 31a is shown as being semicircular in profile, but it may also be flat or faceted in some implementations).

[0124] In the depicted example, as seen in FIGS. 31b through 3 Id, there are multiple sets, e.g., 15, 20, 25, 30, etc., of one or more payload support features 3176, with each of the sets of one or more payload support features 3176 positioned at a different elevation within the first secondary chamber 3144a.

[0125] In FIGS. 31b through 31d, there are eighteen sets of one or more payload support features 3176, with the bottom nine sets of one or more payload support features 3176j, 3176k, 31761, etc. shown supporting adapter rings 3 HOj, 3110k, 31101, etc. and the top nine sets of one or more payload support features 3176a, 3176b, 3176c, etc. shown supportingpayloads 3140a, 3140b, 3140c, etc. As depicted, the payloads 3140a through 31401 include adapter rings 3110a through 3110i, respectively, and 200mm wafers 3102a through 3102i, respectively, while the adapter rings 3 HOj through 3110r may be turned into corresponding payloads 3140 by loading corresponding 200mm wafers 3102 into them.

[0126] As can be seen in FIGS. 31b through 31d, the third lift pin mechanism 3156c includes a corresponding third actuator 3160c that may be actuated to move the third lift pins 3158c between various elevations in between, and inclusive of, an elevation above the top-most set of one or more payload support features 3176 and an elevation below the bottom-most set of one or more payload support features 3176. In FIG. 31b, the third actuator 3160c has been actuated to move the third lift pins 3158c to an elevation that leaves the tips of the third lift pins 3158c just below the payload 31401. In FIG. 31c, the third actuator 3160c has been actuated to move the third lift pins 3158c to a higher elevation that causes the tips of the third lift pins 3158c to contact the underside of the wafer 3102i and lift it clear of the adapter ring 3 HOi, thereby providing a gap between the wafer 3102i and the adapter ring 31 lOi that allows the first end effector 3148a to be inserted in between the wafer 3102i and the adapter ring 3 HOi, as shown in FIG. 31d. The first end effector 3148a may then be withdrawn from the first secondary chamber 3144a by the first robot arm 3146a while carrying the wafer 3102i and the first robot arm 3146a may then transport the wafer 31021 to the second secondary chamber 3144b in preparation for eventually being transferred to the second robot arm 3146b in the EFEM 3136.

[0127] The payload support features 3167, it will be noted, may have ledge portions on opposing sides that have innermost edges that are separated from one another by a gap of at least 100mm. For example, the payload support features 3176 may be designed such that no part of the payload support features 3176 extends into a rectangular reference volume 3134 having a bottom surface that is perpendicular to a center axis of the second cylindrical reference volume. The rectangular reference volume 3134 may also extend out of the first secondary chamber 3144a along a first axis that is perpendicular to the center axis and may have a width along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and the center axis that is less than or equal to the gap; the width of the rectangular reference volume 3134 may, for example, be 100mm or more in some implementations. The rectangular reference volume 3134, for example, may represent a region of the first secondary chamber 3144a that is reserved for transit of the first end effector 3148a as it is extended into, and retracted from, the firstsecondary chamber 3144a in order to retrieve and deliver wafers from and to the first secondary chamber 3144a.

[0128] The operations discussed above with respect to FIGS. 31b through 31d may, it will be appreciated, also be performed in reverse in order to load a wafer 3102 onto an adapter ring 3110 supported by one of the payload support features 3176 in order to facilitate assembly of a corresponding payload 3140. Such operations may also be performed for each of the different payloads 3140 and / or adapter rings 3110 shown in FIGS. 31b through 31d through appropriate positioning of the third lift pins 3158c, thereby allowing for a plurality of payloads 3140 to be assembled or disassembled in the first secondary chamber 3144a.

[0129] The second secondary chamber 3144b, as discussed earlier, may serve as a load lock 3188 in this example and may be equipped with wafer supports 3194. FIGS. 31e and 31f show top and side views of the interior of the second secondary chamber 3144b. The wafer supports 3194 in this example are fins or ledges that extend inward from opposing sidewalls of the second secondary chamber 3144b and have at least portions thereof that lie within a circular region that is the same diameter as the smallest wafer that is to be passed through the second secondary chamber 3144b. In this particular example, both 300mm and 200mm wafers may be passed through the second secondary chamber 3144b, depending on which wafers are being processed, and the wafer supports 3194 thus extend into a 200mm diameter region, thereby allowing the portions of the wafer supports 3194 that are closest to one another to extend underneath a wafer 3102 that is placed on the wafer supports 3194 within that circular region and support the wafer 3102 from below. The smaller dashed circle in the second secondary chamber 3144b represents a 200mm diameter wafer / circular region, while the larger dashed circle in the second secondary chamber 3144b represents a 300mm diameter wafer / circular region. The wafer supports 3194 in this example are thus able to support either size of wafer.

[0130] As can be seen in FIG. 31f, the wafer supports 3194 may, in some cases, have stepped profiles, e.g., such that the upward-facing surface or surfaces of each wafer support 3194 that are configured to support the 200mm diameter wafer is located at a lower elevation than the upward-facing surface or surfaces of that wafer support 3194 that are configured to support the 300mm diameter wafer. Such an arrangement may allow for either size of wafer to be supported along the wafer's edge on such a wafer support 3194, but may, for 300mm diameter wafers, avoid potential unnecessary contact between the wafer and the features that are used to support 200mm wafers. If the wafer supports 3194 are instead designed to contact the underside of the wafer at locations in the interiors of the wafers, then the wafer supports 3194may instead be designed to contact 200mm and 300mm wafers at the same points relative to the wafer centers.

[0131] The robot arms discussed in the above examples may be any of a variety of different types of robot arm that are used in semiconductor processing tools. The examples shown in the Figures are selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) robots, but other types of robot arm may be used, including those with additional degrees of motion, additional robot arms or robot arm links, and / or additional end effectors. The end effectors shown in the Figures are blade-type end effectors that may be inserted underneath a wafer and that have contact pads or other features that may contact the wafer underside in the interior of the wafer. However, it will be understood that other types of end effectors may be used in place of such end effectors, including, for example, end effectors that contact a wafer along the outer edge of the wafer (thereby minimizing contact between the underside of the wafer and the features that support the wafer relative to the end effector).

[0132] FIGS. 32 through 34 depict side views of a robot arm 3246 that may be used in the implementations discussed above. The robot arm 3246 may typically include a plurality of links that connected together so as to form a kinematic assembly that extends outward from a base that may house one or more motors that are used to provide motive force or torque to the links. The base may also incorporate, or be connected with, a vertical displacement mechanism, such as a linear screw drive, that may be actuated to allow the base, and thus the robot arm 3246, to be moved up and down in order to change the elevation that the end effector 3248 of the robot arm 3246 is positioned at.

[0133] The end effector 3248 may, as shown in FIG. 32, have a plurality of contact features 3250 that may be designed to contact the underside (or edges) of a wafer that is supported by the robot arm 3246. Such contact features 3250 have upper surfaces that are generally higher in elevation than the other surfaces of the end effector 3248 such that the only contact between a wafer 3202 and the end effector 3248 is via the tops of the contact features 3250 or, if the contact features are edge-grip features, other upward-facing surfaces of the contact features 3250. An end effector 3248 that is designed for use a dual-wafer-size system may, in some cases, be configured to carry either 200mm or 300mm diameter wafers, and may thus have such contact features 3250 located within a circular region that is as small or smaller than a 200mm diameter wafer.

[0134] In some cases, an end effector 3248 that is designed to handle both 200mm wafers and 300mm wafers may have contact features 3250 for supporting 300mm wafers that aredifferent from the contact features 3250 for supporting 200mm wafers. FIGS. 33 and 34 depict such an example end effector. As can be seen in FIGS. 33 and 34, a robot arm 3346 with an end effector 3348 is shown supporting a first wafer 3302a on a set of first contact features 3350a (see FIG. 33) and a second wafer 3302b on a set of second contact features 3350b. The first wafer 3302a is a 200mm diameter wafer in this example, while the second wafer 3302b is a 300mm diameter wafer. The first contact features 3350a, as can be seen, configured to have surfaces that are designed to contact the underside of the first wafer 3302a that are at a lower elevation than the surfaces of the second contact features 3350b that are designed to contact the underside of the second wafer 3302b, thereby avoiding the possibility that the first contact features 3350a might contact the underside of the second wafer 3302b when the second wafer 3302b is placed on the end effector 3348 instead. Such an end effector 3348 may also simply have a single set of contact features that are located within a 200mm diameter circle and which may thus contact and support either a 200mm diameter wafer (3302a) or a 300mm diameter wafer (3302b) from below, regardless of which type of wafer is being transported by the end effector 3348. For end effectors that provide edge grip features, the portions of the contact features for the second wafer 3302b that contact the wafer edge of the second wafer 3302b will need to be positioned at a higher elevation along a 300mm diameter circular perimeter than the corresponding portions of the contact features for the first wafer 3302a that contact the wafer edge of the first wafer 3302a along a 200mm diameter circular perimeter.

[0135] It will also be appreciated that while the above disclosure relates to adapter rings for use with 200mm diameter wafers in order to make them able to be handled like a 300mm diameter wafer in equipment designed to process 300mm wafers, the same concepts may also be applied to adapter rings that are similarly able to interface with 150mm diameter wafers, e.g., instead of having an annular portion with an inner diameter of greater than 200mm and less than or equal to 206mm, such adapter rings may instead have an annular portion with an inner diameter greater than 150mm and less than or equal to 156mm. Semiconductor processing tools for processing 150mm wafers interfaced with such adapter rings may be designed in a manner similar to those discussed above with respect to 200mm wafer processing, but instead of cylindrical reference volumes of 200mm in diameter, such cylindrical reference volumes (or the like) may be 150mm in diameter.

[0136] It will be appreciated that the example semiconductor processing tools discussed above may be equipped or connected with one or more controllers that may be configured to control various functionalities associated with such semiconductor processing tools, forexample, the raising and lowering of lift pins and / or the movement of robot arms and / or the actuation of slit valves, for example. The controller, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, such as processes for moving payloads between a process chamber and another chamber, loading / unloading wafers onto adapter rings, transporting payloads and / or wafers between one chamber and another, performing measurements on wafers placed in a metrology station, detecting one or more characteristics of a wafer using one or more sensors, etc.

[0137] Broadly speaking, the controller may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some examples, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0138] The controller, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" or all or a part of a fab host computer system, which can allow for remote access of the wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor current progress of fabrication operations, examine a history of past fabrication operations, examine trends or performance metrics from a plurality of fabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, to set processing steps to follow a current processing, or to start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g. a server) can provide process recipes to a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, thecontroller receives instructions in the form of data, which specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by comprising one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process on the chamber.

[0139] Without limitation, example tools according to the present disclosure may include semiconductor processing tools with a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0140] As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller might communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport that bring containers of wafers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

[0141] The use, if any, of ordinal indicators, e.g., (a), (b), (c)... or (1), (2), (3)... or the like, in this disclosure and claims is to be understood as not conveying any particular order or sequence, except to the extent that such an order or sequence is explicitly indicated. For example, if there are three steps labeled (i), (ii), and (iii), it is to be understood that these steps may be performed in any order (or even concurrently, if not otherwise contraindicated) unless indicated otherwise. For example, if step (ii) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (i), then step (ii) may be viewed as happening at some point after step (i). Similarly, if step (i) involves the handling of an element that is created in step (ii), the reverse is to beunderstood. It is also to be understood that use of the ordinal indicator "first" herein, e.g., "a first item," should not be read as suggesting, implicitly or inherently, that there is necessarily a "second" instance, e.g., "a second item."

[0142] It is to be understood that the phrases "for each <item> of the one or more <items>," "each <item> of the one or more <items>," or the like, if used herein, are inclusive of both a single-item group and multiple-item groups, i.e., the phrase "for ... each" is used in the sense that it is used in programming languages to refer to each item of whatever population of items is referenced. For example, if the population of items referenced is a single item, then "each" would refer to only that single item (despite the fact that dictionary definitions of "each" frequently define the term to refer to "every one of two or more things") and would not imply that there must be at least two of those items. Similarly, the term "set" or "subset" should not be viewed, in itself, as necessarily encompassing a plurality of items— it will be understood that a set or a subset can encompass only one member or multiple members (unless the context indicates otherwise).

[0143] The term "between," as used herein and when used with a range of values, is to be understood, unless otherwise indicated, as being inclusive of the start and end values of that range. For example, between 1 and 5 is to be understood to be inclusive of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not just the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

[0144] The term "operatively connected" is to be understood to refer to a state in which two components and / or systems are connected, either directly or indirectly, such that, for example, at least one component or system can control the other. For example, a controller may be described as being operatively connected with a resistive heating unit, which is inclusive of the controller being connected with a sub-controller of the resistive heating unit that is electrically connected with a relay that is configured to control la bly connect or disconnect the resistive heating unit with a power source that is capable of providing an amount of power that is able to power the resistive heating unit so as to generate a desired degree of heating. The controller itself likely cannot supply such power directly to the resistive heating unit due to the currents involved, but it will be understood that the controller is nonetheless operatively connected with the resistive heating unit.

[0145] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "fluidically connected" is used with respect to volumes, plenums, holes, etc., that may be connected with one another, either directly or via one or more intervening components or volumes, in order to form a fluidic connection, similar to how the term "electrically connected" is used with respect tocomponents that are connected together to form an electric connection. In the context of the first and second passage segments discussed in this application, however, it will be understood that when reference is made to such a passage segment fluidically connecting with other passage segments, such fluidic connections are to be understood to be direct couplings between such passage segments, e.g., the end of such a passage segment is directly connected to the ends of the other passage segments (as opposed to being connected with such other passage segments via one or more other intervening passage segments). The term "fluidically interposed," if used, may be used to refer to a component, volume, plenum, or hole that is fluidically connected with at least two other components, volumes, plenums, or holes such that fluid flowing from one of those other components, volumes, plenums, or holes to the other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, or holes would first flow through the "fluidically interposed" component before reaching that other or another of those components, volumes, plenums, or holes. For example, if a pump is fluidically interposed between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid that flowed from the reservoir to the outlet would first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. The term "fluidically adjacent," if used, refers to placement of a fluidic element relative to another fluidic element such that there are no potential structures fluidically interposed between the two elements that might potentially interrupt fluid flow between the two fluidic elements. For example, in a flow path having a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve placed sequentially therealong, the first valve would be fluidically adjacent to the second valve, the second valve fluidically adjacent to both the first and third valves, and the third valve fluidically adjacent to the second valve.

[0146] It is understood that the examples and implementations described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art. Although various details have been omitted for clarity's sake, various design alternatives may be implemented. Therefore, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein but may be modified within the scope of the disclosure.

[0147] It is to be understood that the above disclosure, while focusing on a particular example implementation or implementations, is not limited to only the discussed example, but may also apply to similar variants and mechanisms as well, and such similar variants and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising: a semiconductor process chamber; a wafer support system configured to support a payload positioned within the semiconductor process chamber by contacting the payload at least at a plurality of locations positioned outside of a first cylindrical reference volume located within the semiconductor process chamber; and a first lift pin mechanism including a plurality of first lift pins and one or more first actuators, wherein: the one or more first actuators are configured to be transitionable between a first configuration and a second configuration, the first lift pin mechanism is configured to position tips of the first lift pins at a first height when caused to be in the first configuration and at a second height greater than the first height when caused to be in the second configuration, the tips of the first lift pins are positioned within a second cylindrical reference volume, and the first cylindrical reference volume and the second cylindrical reference volume are both 200mm in diameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the wafer support system is a pedestal assembly having a) an upward-facing surface with a plurality of gas distribution ports distributed thereacross and b) a plurality of support columns extending upward to a reference plane disposed above, and offset vertically upward from, the upward-facing surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: at least portions of the support columns are positioned within a process chamber cylindrical reference volume coaxial with the first cylindrical reference volume, and the process chamber cylindrical reference volume is 300mm in diameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising the payload, wherein:the payload includes a 200mm diameter wafer and a 300mm adapter ring having an annular portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an outer diameter of 300mm + 1mm, and an inner diameter greater than 200mm and less than or equal to 206mm, and the wafer is centered within the annular portion and supported by the adapter ring.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the support columns are positioned entirely outside of a process chamber cylindrical reference volume coaxial with the first cylindrical reference volume, the process chamber cylindrical reference volume is 300mm in diameter, the payload includes a carrier ring, an adapter ring, and a wafer, the carrier ring is configured to support the adapter ring, the adapter ring is configured to support the wafer, and the support columns are configured to support the carrier ring.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein: the first lift pin mechanism is positioned such that the tips of the first lift pins are positioned within the semiconductor process chamber, and the first cylindrical reference volume and the second cylindrical reference volume are coaxial with one another such that the tips of the first lift pins are also positioned within the first cylindrical reference volume.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a second lift pin mechanism including a plurality of second lift pins and one or more second actuators, wherein: the one or more second actuators are configured to be transitionable between a third configuration and a fourth configuration, the second lift pin mechanism is configured to position tips of the second lift pins at a third height when caused to be in the third configuration and at a fourth height greater than the third height when caused to be in the fourth configuration, and the tips of the second lift pins are positioned outside of the first cylindrical reference volume and within a radial distance of 50mm from the first cylindrical reference volume.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 through 5, further comprising a secondary chamber separate from the semiconductor process chamber, wherein the first lift pin mechanism is positioned such that the tips of the first lift pins are positioned within the secondary chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: the secondary chamber includes one or more sets of one or more payload support features, wherein the one or more sets of one or more payload support features includes a first set of one or more payload support features, at least a portion of each payload support feature in the one or more sets of one or more payload support features extends into a secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume located within the secondary chamber and coaxial with the second cylindrical reference volume, and the secondary chamber cylindrical reference volume is 300mm in diameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a first robot arm, the first robot arm configured to be movable between a first state in which a first end effector of the first robot arm extends into the semiconductor process chamber and a second state in which the first end effector of the first robot arm extends into the secondary chamber, wherein the first end effector has contact features configured to contact and support the payload within an annular zone having an inner perimeter with a diameter of 200mm and an outer perimeter with a diameter of 300mm and is further configured to not contact the payload within the inner perimeter of the annular zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a second robot arm, the second robot arm configured to be movable between a third state in which a second end effector of the second robot arm extends into the secondary chamber and a fourth state in which the second end effector of the second robot arm is retracted from the secondary chamber, wherein the second end effector has contact features configured to contact and support a wafer within a circular zone having an outer perimeter with a diameter of 200mm.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the secondary chamber is a load lock and includes a first wafer transfer passage that the first end effector extends through when the first robot arm is in the second state and a second wafer transfer passage that the second end effector extends through when the second robot arm is in the third state, andthe first wafer transfer passage is different from the second wafer transfer passage.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a first slit valve and a second slit valve, wherein: the first slit valve is configured to transition a first slit valve door between a first position and a second position responsive to receipt of one or more first signals, the second slit valve is configured to transition a second slit valve door between a third position and a fourth position responsive to receipt of one or more second signals, the first slit valve door, in the first position, seals the first wafer transfer passage and, in the second position, does not seal the first wafer transfer passage, and the second slit valve door, in the third position, seals the second wafer transfer passage and, in the fourth position, does not seal the second wafer transfer passage.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transfer chamber, wherein: the transfer chamber is connected with both the semiconductor process chamber and the secondary chamber, the first robot arm is located within the transfer chamber, and the second robot arm is located outside of the transfer chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a transfer chamber, wherein: the transfer chamber is connected with both the semiconductor process chamber and the secondary chamber, and the secondary chamber is a buffer station.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the secondary chamber is not separated from the transfer chamber by a valve or door.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein: the one or more sets of one or more payload support features includes a plurality of sets of one or more payload support features, andeach set of one or more payload support features is located at a different elevation in the secondary chamber.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least the first set of one or more payload support features includes two ledge portions that are positioned adjacent to opposing internal sides of the secondary chamber and have innermost edges that are separated from one another by a gap of at least 100mm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein no part of the first set of one or more payload support features extends into a rectangular reference volume having a bottom surface that is perpendicular to a center axis of the second cylindrical reference volume, wherein the rectangular reference volume extends out of the secondary chamber along a first axis that is perpendicularto the center axis and has a width along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and the center axis that is less than or equal to the gap.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a load lock connected with the transfer chamber, wherein: the load lock includes a set of one or more first contact features and a set of one or more second contact features, each first contact feature is located within an annular zone having a 300mm outer diameter and a 200mm inner diameter, each second contact feature is located within a circular zone centered on the annular zone and having a diameter of 200mm, and each first contact feature has an uppermost portion that is higher than an uppermost portion of each second contact feature.

21. An adapter ring, the adapter ring comprising: an annular portion having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an outer diameter of 300mm ± 1mm, and an inner diameter greater than 200mm and less than or equal to 206mm; one or more wafer support features, wherein: the first side and the second side define a thickness of the annular portion that is between 0.5mm and 1mm,each wafer support feature extends radially inward from an inner perimeter of the annular portion defined by the inner diameter of the annular portion, at least a portion of each wafer support feature extends into a 200mm diameter region centered on the annular portion, and the one or more wafer support features are contiguous with the annular portion.

22. The adapter ring of claim 21, wherein the portion of each wafer support feature that extends into the 200mm diameter region centered on the annular portion is recessed from the first side of the annular portion by between 0.25mm and 1.5mm.

23. The adapter ring of claim 21, wherein no part of the adapter ring extends beyond a first reference plane coplanar with the first side and a second reference plane coplanar with the second side.

24. The adapter ring of claim 21, wherein no part of the adapter ring extends beyond an outer perimeter of the annular portion defined by the outer diameter of the annular portion.

25. The adapter ring any of claims 21 through 24, wherein the one or more wafer support features include an annular ledge that has an inner perimeter with a diameter of less than 200mm and that is centered on the annular portion.

26. The adapter ring of any of claims 21 through 24, wherein the one or more wafer support features includes a plurality of tabs that extend radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular portion.

27. The adapter ring of claim 26, wherein the one or more wafer support features further include an annular ledge that has an inner perimeter with a diameter of less than 200mm and is centered on the annular portion.

28. The adapter ring of claim 26, further comprising an annular ledge that is centered on the annular portion and has an inner perimeter with a diameter that is greater than 200mm and less than the inner diameter of the annular portion.

29. The adapter ring of claim 27, further comprising a notch shield extending radially inward from the inner perimeter of the annular ledge.

30. The adapter ring of any of claims 21 through 24, wherein the one or more wafer support features and the annular portion are made of quartz, glass, silicon, aluminum alloy, or alumina.

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