Applied Materials, Inc.

Douglas Brian Baumgarten

Paul Benjamin Reuter

Dean C Hruzek

Nir Merry

John C Menk

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Devendra Channappa Holeyannavar

Helder T Lee

Ayan Majumdar

Sanjay Rajaram

Sangram Patil

James Christopher Hansen

Srinivas Poshatrahalli Gopalakrishna

David T Blahnik

Amitabh Puri

Luke W Bonecutter

Arunkumar Ramachandraiah

Narayanan Ramachandran

Russell Kaplan

Michael Robert Rice

Jacob Newman

Andrew J Constant

Shay Assaf

David Phillips

Lakshmikantha K Shirahatti

Babu Chinnasamy

The disclosure describes devices and systems for a seal, and methods for using said seal. A seal includes a base portion configured to couple to a groove formed by a first surface of a first component. The base portion includes a notch in a bottom side of the base portion configured to cause the base portion to laterally flex responsive to an installation force. The seal further includes a sealing portion extending from the base portion. The sealing portion is configured to create an airtight seal between the first component and a sealing surface of a second component responsive to an application of a threshold sealing force against the sealing portion.

Seal mechanism for load port doors

The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load port for receiving a substrate carrier. The load port can include a frame adapted for connecting the load port to a factory interface, the frame comprising a transport opening through which one or more substrates are capable of being transported between the substrate carrier and the factory interface. The load port can also include an actuator coupled to the frame, and a load port door coupled to the actuator and configured to seal the transport opening. The frame height can be greater than the height of the load port door, and less than 2.5 times the height of the load port door.

Shortened load port for factory interface

A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load lock disposed within the interior volume of a factory interface and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface. The factory interface robot can be configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock. The factory interface robot can comprise a vertical tower, a plurality of links, and an end effector.

Factory interface robots usable with integrated load locks

Disclosed are implementations for efficient purging of substrate carriers (and content held therein) and preventing external contaminants from entering a gas purge apparatus by coupling the gas purge apparatus to a substrate carrier, performing a first gas purging session of an environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a first signal of a first signal type, responsive to receiving the first signal, keeping the gas purge apparatus coupled to the substrate carrier, performing a second gas purging session of the environment of the substrate carrier, receiving a second signal of a second signal type, and, responsive to receiving the second signal, decoupling the purge apparatus from the substrate carrier.

Prevention of contamination of substrates during gas purging

The disclosure describes devices and systems for a seal, and methods for using said seal. A seal includes a base portion configured to couple to a groove formed by an edge surface of a first component. The seal further includes a sealing portion extending from the base portion. The sealing portion is configured to create an airtight seal between the first component and a sealing surface of a second component responsive to a threshold sealing force being applied against the sealing portion. The seal further includes a retaining portion substantially perpendicular to the base portion. A surface of the retaining portion is configured to push against the edge surface of the first component responsive to the threshold sealing force being applied against the sealing portion.

The disclosure describes devices and systems for a two-sided seal for a load port, and methods for using said seal. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load port for receiving a substrate carrier. The load port can include a frame adapted for connecting the load port to a factory interface, the frame comprising a transport opening. The load port can also include a seal coupled to the frame. The seal can include a first contact point configured to engage with a load port door when the load port door is in a first position, and configured to disengage with the load port door when the load port door is in a second position and a second contact point configured to engage with a front of a substrate carrier when the substrate carrier is docked on the load port.

Seal mechanisms for load ports

Electronic device processing systems including an equipment front end module (EFEM) with a side storage pod are described. The EFEM includes an EFEM chamber and a recirculation duct. The side storage pod is fluidly coupled to the recirculation duct. The side storage pod includes an interior chamber and a side storage container disposed within the interior chamber. The side storage container is configured to receive one or more substrates from the EFEM chamber. The electronic device processing system further includes an environmental control system. The environmental control system is configured to circulate a purge gas between the EFEM chamber and the side storage pod via the recirculation duct.

Side storage pods, equipment front end modules, and methods for operating EFEMs

Electronic device processing assemblies including an equipment front end module (EFEM) with at least one side storage pod attached thereto are described. The side storage pod has a side storage container. In some embodiments, an exhaust conduit extends between the chamber and a pod plenum that can contain a chemical filter proximate thereto. A supplemental fan may draw purge gas from the pod plenum through the chemical filter and route the gas through a return duct to an upper plenum of the EFEM. Methods and side storage pods in accordance with these and other embodiments are also disclosed.

Side storage pods, equipment front end modules, and methods for operating the same

Electronic device processing systems including environmental control of the factory interface are described. One electronic device processing system has a factory interface having a factory interface chamber, a load lock apparatus coupled to the factory interface, one or more substrate carriers coupled to the factory interface, and an environmental control system coupled to the factory interface and operational to monitor or control one of: relative humidity, temperature, an amount of oxygen, or an amount of inert gas within the factory interface chamber. In another aspect, purge of a carrier purge chamber within the factory interface chamber is provided. Methods for processing substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.

Substrate processing systems, apparatus, and methods with factory interface environmental controls

A factory interface for an electronic device processing system includes a factory interface chamber, an inert gas supply conduit, an exhaust conduit and an inert gas recirculation system. The inert gas supply conduit supplies an inert gas into the factory interface chamber. The exhaust conduit exhausts the inert gas from the factory interface chamber. The inert gas recirculation system recirculates the inert gas exhausted from the factory interface chamber back into the factory interface chamber.

A method is for sealing a backplane component of a load port system to an equipment front end module (EFEM). The method includes mounting a leveling block to the EFEM. A conical hole adjustment assembly is coupled between a first distal end of the leveling block and the backplane component. The method further includes rotating a first leveling adjustment bolt in the conical hole adjustment assembly to align the backplane component with the EFEM.

Systems, apparatus, and methods for an improved load port backplane

Electronic device processing systems including an equipment front end module with at least one side storage pod are described. The side storage pod has a side storage container and a container plenum. A fan draws purge gas from the equipment front end module chamber into the container plenum where the purge gas is directed into the side storage container to pass over substrates stored therein and is then exhausted back into the equipment front end module chamber. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

A carrier door opener includes one or more connector devices configured to interface with a door of a substrate carrier located at a load port. The carrier door opener further includes an outer surface forming a groove and a load port seal seated in the groove. The load port seal is configured to seal against a first portion of a planar surface of a panel of the load port around a panel opening formed by the panel. A second portion of the planar surface of the panel is configured to seal to a factory interface.

Electronic device manufacturing load port apparatus, systems, and methods

Electronic device manufacturing systems may include an equipment front end module (EFEM) having a load port assembly configured to receiving a substrate carrier, which may be a front opening unified pod (FOUP). The load port assembly may have a receiving plate upon which the substrate carrier may be received. The receiving plate may have a plurality of gas nozzles that can be coupled to purge ports in a bottom of the substrate carrier and to a purge apparatus of the load port assembly. The purge apparatus is configured to provide a gas to the substrate carrier at a selectable gas flow rate and, in some embodiments, to provide a gas to different portions of the substrate carrier each at a selectable gas flow rate. Methods of providing selectable gas flow rates for purging a substrate carrier coupled to a load port assembly are also provided, as are other aspects.

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Douglas Brian Baumgarten