Cluster tool architecture for processing a substrate

US7925377B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Tetsuya Ishikawa · Fuji, JP
• Rick J. Roberts · San Jose, US
• Helen R. Armer · Cupertino, US
• Leon Volfovski · Mountain View, US
• Jay D. Pinson, II · San Jose, US
• Michael R. Rice · Pleasanton, US
• David H. Quach · San Jose, US
• Mohsen Salek · Cupertino, US
• Robert B. Lowrance · Los Gatos, US
• William T. Weaver · Austin, US
• Charles T. Carlson · Cedar Park, US
• Chongyang Wang · Hejian, CN
• Jeffrey C. Hudgens · San Francisco, US
• Harald Herchen · Los Altos, US
• Brian Lue · Mountain View, US
• John A. Backer · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 19, 2006
• Grant date: Apr 12, 2011
• Expiry date: Feb 9, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/5323
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, grouping substrates together, and transferring and processing the substrates in groups of two or more, improves system throughput, and reduces the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, thus reducing wear on the robot and increasing system reliability. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.