Substrate Relay Apparatus Chassis Width Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The typical relay chamber in substrate processing apparatuses requires a wider chassis to accommodate the wafer, increasing the overall size and footprint of the apparatus, and additional space is needed for gate valves, resulting in increased footprint requirements.
Innovation Solution
A substrate relay apparatus with a chassis that surrounds the openings between transfer apparatuses, featuring a gate valve and support pins to straddle the substrate, allowing it to be supported externally, thus reducing the width requirement and conserving space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the relay chamber is configured to accommodate the whole wafer within its chassis, then the wafer can be temporarily placed on the stage for transfer, but the width of the chassis must be greater than the diameter of the wafer, which widens the space between transfer apparatuses and increases the overall footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial arrangement from horizontal accommodation (wafer entirely within chassis width) to vertical support (wafer suspended above chassis by support pins). The support pins extend upward from the chassis bottom to hold the wafer, allowing the chassis width to be smaller than the wafer diameter while still providing reliable temporary storage during transfer operations.
2Ease of operation
If gate valves are arranged between transfer apparatuses as disclosed in prior art, then substrate transfer between chambers is enabled, but additional space is required between transfer apparatuses for the gate valves, resulting in increased footprint requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the gate valve with the relay chamber structure, arranging the gate valve inside or integrated with the relay chamber rather than as a separate component between transfer apparatuses. This integration eliminates the need for additional space dedicated solely to gate valves, reducing the overall footprint while maintaining substrate transfer capability.
3Ease of operation
If a stage (buffer) is arranged inside the relay chamber chassis to facilitate wafer exchange, then wafer transfer between transfer arm mechanisms is enabled, but the chassis width must accommodate the entire wafer, increasing the space between transfer apparatuses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional horizontal stage buffer with vertical support pins that extend from the chassis bottom. This dimensional change allows the wafer to be supported in the vertical dimension rather than requiring horizontal space, enabling wafer exchange facilitation while keeping the chassis width smaller than the wafer diameter.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate relay apparatus (200) includes a chassis (202) that is arranged to surround openings (144) formed at side walls of adjacent transfer apparatuses and has a dimension in the width direction between the side walls of the transfer apparatuses that is smaller than the substrate size, a gate valve (201) that is arranged inside the chassis (202) between the side walls of the adjacent transfer apparatuses and is configured to open and close with respect to the openings (144), and support pins (250) that are arranged on both sides of the gate valve (201) and are configured to support a wafer (W) that straddles the gate valve (201).