Substrate Treating Apparatus with Dedicated Buffer Chamber
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor manufacturing facilities face inefficiencies in loading wafers into dry clean facilities due to the need for temperature adjustment, which is time-consuming given the limited number of Load Locks (LLs) relative to process modules (PMs).
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a substrate treating apparatus with individual Load Locks (LLs) configured for each process module (PM), including a buffer chamber for heating substrates before processing, and a transfer module with robots to efficiently transfer substrates between these chambers, maintaining a high-temperature environment to reduce wafer heating time and improve cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a small number of Load Locks are used to serve a large number of process modules, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to long wafer heating time
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the single Load Lock resource into multiple dedicated Load Locks, with each Load Lock assigned to specific process modules. This segmentation eliminates contention and waiting time, allowing each process module to have immediate access to a Load Lock, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing device complexity and maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer chamber pre-heats wafers before they enter the process chamber, performing the temperature adjustment action in advance. This preliminary heating action eliminates the need for time-consuming in-chamber heating during the actual processing, thereby improving productivity without requiring additional process modules.
2Reliability
If wafers are heated for a predetermined time before loading into dry clean facility, then cleaning quality is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer chamber performs wafer heating as a preliminary action before the wafer enters the process chamber. By completing the temperature adjustment in advance in a dedicated heating environment, the system ensures optimal cleaning quality while minimizing the time wafers spend in the main process chamber, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning quality and heating time.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer chamber acts as an intermediary between the Load Lock and the process chamber, providing a dedicated space for wafer temperature adjustment. This intermediary component isolates the heating function from the main processing flow, allowing wafers to be heated efficiently without occupying process chamber time, thereby resolving the time-quality contradiction.
3Device complexity
If multiple process modules share a common buffer chamber, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision decreases due to temperature control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system assigns dedicated buffer chambers to specific process modules or groups of process modules, rather than using a single shared buffer chamber. This segmentation allows each buffer chamber to be optimized for its specific process requirements, maintaining precise temperature control while avoiding the complexity of managing a single large shared resource.
Solution Approach 2:
Each buffer chamber is configured with temperature control parameters optimized for its specific process module's requirements. This local optimization ensures that each buffer chamber maintains the precise temperature needed for its associated process, rather than attempting to serve multiple different processes with a single generic buffer chamber.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces wafer heating time and enhances cleaning efficiency by maintaining substrates at a high temperature during processing and storage, improving the overall output per equipment hour (UPEH) and particle removal in radical dry cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
a buffer chamber for heating the substrate relayed by the transfer module
Implementation Method 2
the buffer chamber provides a purge gas to the substrate while the substrate is heated
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate treating apparatus configuring an individual LL for each PM and a semiconductor manufacturing facility including the same are provided. The semiconductor manufacturing facility comprises an index module including a first transfer robot and for carrying out and transferring a substrate mounted on a container using the first transfer robot, a transfer module including a second transfer robot and for relaying the substrate transferred by the index module using the second transfer robot, a buffer chamber for heating the substrate relayed by the transfer module, and a process chamber for treating the substrate heated by the buffer chamber, wherein the buffer chamber heats the substrate while the substrate waits before being loaded into the process chamber.