Vacuum Transfer Intermediate Chamber for Wafer Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum processing apparatuses face productivity deterioration due to the time required for opening and closing valves between vacuum transfer chambers, leading to increased standby times and reduced production efficiency per installation area.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus maintains an open state for the gate valve connecting vacuum transfer chambers, allowing immediate transfer of wafers through the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber, and controls pressure to prevent contamination, ensuring efficient processing by maintaining a lower pressure in processing chambers compared to transfer chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If valves are closed to separate vacuum transfer chambers during wafer transfer, then contamination prevention is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to opening/closing time causing transfer standby
Solution Approach 1:
A vacuum transfer intermediate chamber is introduced as a mediator between the first and second vacuum transfer chambers. The intermediate chamber allows wafers to be transferred without requiring the closure of valves between the main transfer chambers, thus maintaining continuous vacuum connectivity while preventing contamination through the intermediate isolation stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum transfer system is segmented into multiple independent chambers (first transfer chamber, intermediate chamber, second transfer chamber) connected by valves. This segmentation allows selective isolation of specific chambers while maintaining connectivity in others, enabling continuous operation without full system shutdown for contamination prevention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple vacuum transfer chambers are connected through an intermediate vessel, then transfer flexibility is improved, but transfer standby time increases due to valve operations between chambers
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum transfer intermediate chamber enables continuous wafer transfer operations by maintaining open valve states between transfer chambers. Wafers can be moved through the intermediate chamber without interrupting the vacuum flow or requiring repeated valve operations, thus eliminating transfer standby time while preserving transfer flexibility.
3Reliability
If purge gas is supplied to vacuum transfer chambers during wafer transfer, then contamination prevention is improved, but processing time increases due to gas supply and exhaust operations
Solution Approach 1:
Purge gas is supplied to the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber in advance before wafer transfer operations begin. This preliminary purging ensures that the intermediate chamber is already free of contaminants when wafers arrive, eliminating the need for time-consuming purging operations during the transfer process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate chamber serves as a pre-purged buffer zone that receives wafers from the first transfer chamber and transfers them to the second transfer chamber. Since the intermediate chamber is already purged, wafers can be transferred without additional purging time, maintaining both contamination prevention and processing efficiency.
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 enables faster wafer processing and transfer, reducing standby times and improving productivity by allowing continuous operation of vacuum transfer robots without waiting for valve operations, thus enhancing the number of wafers processed per unit time.
Implementation Method 1
the inside of a transfer chamber of the vacuum transfer chamber which is the farthest from the lock chamber is decompressed/exhausted
Implementation Method 2
a purge gas is supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber connected to a lock chamber in the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers
Data Source
AI summary
An operating ratio is improved in a vacuum processing apparatus to which a plurality of vacuum transfer chambers are connected through a vacuum transfer intermediate chamber.In a method of operating the vacuum processing apparatus having the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers connected through the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber and a plurality of vacuum processing vessels connected to the vacuum transfer chambers, respectively, the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers are made to communicate through the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber, a purge gas is supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber connected to a lock chamber in the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, an inside of the transfer chamber of the vacuum transfer chamber which is far from the lock chamber is decompressed/exhausted, and pressures in all the transfer chambers of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers are raised to be higher than the pressure in the vacuum processing vessel.