Kokusai Electric Co., Ltd.

Hitachi-Kokusai Electric Inc.

Kazuhito Ikeda

Yukinori Aburatani

Hisashi Yoshida

Shinichiro Watahiki

Shuji Yonemitsu

Yuji Yoshida

Takeshi Sugimoto

Toshikazu Karino

Hideo Shimura

Tomoshi Taniyama

Eisuke Nishitani

Kazuhiro Nakagomi

Harunobu Sakuma

Hideki Kaihotsu

Yoshikatsu Kanamori

A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, a gas introducing portion, a gas discharge port, a substrate transfer gate, and a substrate moving member which moves the substrate between a substrate processing position where the substrate is processed in the chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in the chamber where the substrate transferred into the chamber from the substrate transfer gate is located and where the substrate is located when the substrate is transferred out from the chamber through the substrate transfer gate. The gas introducing portion, the substrate processing position, the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate are disposed in this order. A gas restraining member which restrains processing gas for processing the substrate from flowing toward the substrate transfer gate is provided between the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate.

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

A method and apparatus for conveying a treatment object whereby a drive unit for driving a treatment object conveyor robot is deployed inside a vacuum chamber. The robot comprises a conveyor arm and a drive unit. The conveyor arm is accommodated outside an airtight vessel and the drive unit is accommodated inside the airtight vessel to avoid damage to the drive unit. In order to raise and lower the robot inside the chamber, an elevator mechanism, deployed outside the chamber, advances and retracts a shaft that is inserted in an airtight manner into the chamber. The airtight structure is secured by O rings provided where a bellows surrounds the shaft and connects to the chamber and the elevator mechanism. The shaft, inserted inside the chamber, is linked to the airtight vessel that accommodates the drive unit of the robot. The airtight vessel communicates to the outside via a hollow portion in the shaft and the interior thereof is always kept at atmospheric pressure.

Treatment object conveyor apparatus, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and treatment object treatment method

A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate processing chamber disposed on a first side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; an intermediate substrate holding chamber disposed on a second side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; a first substrate holder disposed within the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a second substrate holder disposed within the substrate processing chamber; a first substrate transfer robot, disposed within the substrate transfer chamber, for transferring the substrate between the substrate processing chamber and the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a first gate valve disposed between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate transfer chamber; a second gate valve disposed between the substrate transfer chamber and the intermediate substrate holding chamber; an atmospheric pressure section located opposite to the substrate transfer chamber with respect to the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a third valve disposed between the intermediate substrate holding chamber and the atmospheric pressure section; a cassette holder disposed within the atmospheric pressure section; and a second substrate transfer robot disposed within the atmospheric pressure section, for transferring the substrate between a cassette held in the cassette holder and the intermediate substrate holding chamber.

Substrate transferring mechanism

Substrate processing apparatus with a processing chamber, transfer

A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate transfer chamber; a plurality of substrate processing chambers disposed on a first side wall of the substrate transfer chamber and stacked in the vertical direction; a plurality of first gate valves, each being disposed between each of the substrate processing chambers and the substrate transfer chamber; a substrate accommodating chamber disposed on a second side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer device, disposed within the substrate transfer chamber, for transferring the substrate under reduced pressure between the substrate processing chambers and the substrate accommodating chamber; an elevator disposed outside the substrate transfer chamber and comprising a stationary portion and an elevating portion which is vertically movable with respect to the stationary portion; a rigid connecting member capable of moving through a through-hole formed in a predetermined face of the substrate transfer chamber, the rigid connecting member mechanically connecting the elevating portion and the substrate transfer device through the through-hole; and a sealing member for establishing a hermetic vacuum seal between the predetermined surface and the connecting member which penetrates through the through-hole.

Substrate processing apparatus

A thermal treatment furnace for use with a semiconductor system is provided. The thermal treatment furnace includes a scavenger which sealingly encloses a lower end of a reaction tube so as to diminish gas leakage from the reaction tube.

Thermal treatment furnace in a system for manufacturing semiconductors

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kazuhito Ikeda