Moveable Carrier Docking Frame for Airtight Wafer Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor wafers are exposed to contaminants during transfer between a load port and a semiconductor processing tool, leading to defects and reduced manufacturing yield and quality.
Innovation Solution
A multiple transport carrier docking device is positioned between the load port and the interface tool, capable of forming an air-tight seal around a transport carrier, thereby preventing contaminants from reaching the semiconductor wafers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If semiconductor wafers are transferred between load port and processing tool, then manufacturing productivity is improved, but wafers are exposed to contaminants causing defects
Solution Approach 1:
A docking device is introduced as an intermediary component between the load port and processing tool. The docking device includes a chamber that receives the transport carrier and a seal that forms an air-tight barrier, mediating the transfer process to prevent contaminant exposure while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer system is segmented into distinct isolated zones: the load port, the docking device chamber, and the processing tool. The seal divides the chamber into a first side (connected to load port) and a second side (connected to processing tool), creating separate environments that prevent cross-contamination during wafer transfer.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a seal is formed around the transport carrier, then contaminant protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed as a moveable component that can dynamically adjust its position. The seal moves from an initial position to a final position to engage with the transport carrier and form the air-tight seal only when needed, rather than being a static complex structure throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is implemented as a flexible component that can deform and conform to the transport carrier geometry. This flexible seal structure simplifies the overall device design compared to rigid sealing mechanisms, while still achieving effective contaminant protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the seal is moved to engage the transport carrier, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the time required for transfer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport carrier is positioned within the chamber in advance before the seal engagement process begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the seal moves to engage the carrier, the alignment is already optimized, reducing the time required to achieve effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal engagement mechanism replaces complex multi-step mechanical positioning systems with a simpler moveable seal design. The seal moves along a predetermined path to engage the transport carrier, reducing mechanical complexity and transfer time while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A multiple transport carrier docking device may be capable of storing and/or staging a plurality of transport carriers in a chamber of the multiple transport carrier docking device, and may be capable of forming an air-tight seal around a transport carrier in the chamber. Semiconductor wafers in the transport carrier may be accessed by a wafer transport tool while the air-tight seal around the transport carrier prevents and/or reduces the likelihood that contaminants in the semiconductor fabrication facility will reach the semiconductor wafers. The air-tight seal around the transport carrier may reduce defects of the semiconductor wafers that might otherwise be caused by the contaminants, may increase manufacturing yield and quality in the semiconductor fabrication facility, and/or may permit the continued reduction in device and/or feature sizes of integrated circuits and/or semiconductor devices that are to be formed on semiconductor wafers.