Vacuum Extension Chamber for Shutter Disk Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
State-of-the-art PVD chambers with built-in shutter disk storage and transfer mechanisms are complex and bulky, leading to increased footprint and cost in cluster tools, particularly when multiple chambers require shutter disks for processing steps.
Innovation Solution
A cluster tool design featuring an extension chamber with a shutter disk shelf accessible to a substrate transferring robot, allowing for efficient storage and transfer of shutter disks, reducing the complexity and volume of processing chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If shutter disk storage space and robotic arm are designed within the PVD chamber, then shutter disk transfer is enabled, but chamber complexity and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter disk storage space and robotic arm are extracted from the PVD chamber and relocated to the extension chamber. This separation removes the complexity of having both substrate processing and shutter disk storage mechanisms within the same chamber, while still enabling automatic shutter disk transfer through the extension chamber's robotic system.
2Ease of operation
If shutter disk storage space and robotic arm are designed within the PVD chamber, then shutter disk transfer is enabled, but chamber volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter disk storage space and robotic arm are extracted from the PVD chamber and relocated to the extension chamber. This separation removes the volume occupied by these components from the PVD chamber, reducing its size while the extension chamber accommodates the transferred shutter disk mechanism.
3Productivity
If multiple PVD chambers are equipped with built-in shutter disk storage, then each chamber can independently perform conditioning operations, but overall system footprint and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extension chamber is designed to serve multiple PVD chambers by providing a shared shutter disk storage space and robotic transfer mechanism. This multi-functional design allows multiple chambers to access the same shutter disk resources, reducing the need for duplicate storage systems in each chamber and thereby reducing overall system footprint and cost.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cluster tool for processing semiconductor substrates. One embodiment of the present invention provides a mainframe for a cluster tool comprising a transfer chamber having a substrate transferring robot disposed therein. The substrate transferring robot is configured to shuttle substrates among one or more processing chambers directly or indirectly connected to the transfer chamber. The mainframe further comprises a shutter disk shelf configured to store one or more shutter disks to be used by the one or more processing chambers, wherein the shutter disk shelf is accessible to the substrate transferring robot so that the substrate transferring robot can transfer the one or more shutter disks between the shutter disk shelf and the one or more processing chambers directly or indirectly connected to the transfer chamber.