General Signal Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Mark W Miller

Joseph D Napoli

Arthur W Zafiropoulo

Joseph A Maher

E John Vowles

An integrated wafer processing system having a wafer queuing station and a plurality of plasma reactors connected to peripheral walls of a central vacuum chamber. Vacuum valves separate the central chamber from the queuing station and the plasma reactors. A wafer transfer arm capable of R-&THgr; motion can transfer wafers between the queuing station and any of the plasma reactors in either a single-step or a multi-step process.

Integrated processing system having multiple reactors connected to a central chamber

The present invention includes plural plasma processing vessels and a wafer queuing station arrayed with a wafer transfer arm in a controlled environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment one at a time selectably between the several plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other exposure so that possible contamination of the moved wafers is prevented. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes, and in either of the modes, the several plasma etching vessels are operable to provide a desirably high system throughput. In the preferred embodiment, the several plasma vessels and the queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with the wafer transfer arm disposed within the closed locus. The wafer transfer arm is movable in R and &THgr; between the several plasma etching vessels and the wafer queuing station, and selectably actuatable vacuum locks are provided between each of the plasma etching vessels and the R and &THgr; movable wafer transfer arm to both maintain an intended atmospheric condition and to allow wafer transport therethrough. The plasma vessels each include first and second water-cooled electrodes that are movable relatively to each other so as to provide a selectable gap dimension therebetween. One of the electrodes includes a selectively movable pedestal portion slidably mounted thereto that is cooperative with the R and &THgr; movable wafer transfer arm to load and unload wafers respectively into and out of the associated plasma vessel. The wafer transfer arm is operative to pick-up the wafers by back-side and peripheral wafer contact only, which therewith prevents possible front-side contact-induced contamination of the wafer surfaces. A sensor on the transfer arm is operative to provide a signal indication of proper wafer seating.

Vacuum substrate processing system having multiple processing chambers and a central load/unload chamber

A substrate processing system is provided that includes substrate processing vessels, a substrate queuing station, a substrate transfer device, and a processor. The processor, in communication with the processing vessels, the queuing station, and the transfer device, provides selectable single and multi-step processing of the substrates by accessing a process command for a given substrate corresponding to desired processing of the substrate.

System for processing substrates

The present invention includes plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station arrayed with a wafer transfer arm in a controlled environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment one at a time selectably between the several plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other exposure so that possible contamination of the moved wafers is prevented. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes, and in either of the modes, the several plasma etching vessels are operable to provide a desirably high system throughput. In the preferred embodiment, the several plasma vessels and the queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with the wafer transfer arm disposed within the closed locus. The wafer transfer arm is movable in R and TT between the several plasma etching vessels and the wafer queuing station, and selectably actuatable vacuum locks are provided between each of the plasma etching vessels and the R and TT movable wafer transfer arm to both maintain an intended atmospheric condition and to allow wafer transport therethrough. The plasma vessels each include first and second water-cooled electrodes that are movable relatively to each other so as to provide a selectable gap dimension therebetween. One of the electrodes includes a selectively movable pedestal portion slidably mounted thereto that is cooperative with the R and TT movable wafer transfer arm to load and unload wafers respectively into and out of the associated plasma vessel. The wafer transfer arm is operative to pick-up the wafers by back-side and peripheral wafer contact only, which therewith prevents possible front-side contact-induced contamination of the wafer surfaces. A sensor on the transfer arm is operative to provide a signal indication of proper wafer seating.

Multiple-processing and contamination-free plasma etching system

The present invention includes plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station arrayed with a wafer transfer arm in a controlled environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment one at a time selectably between the plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other possible contamination. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes. In the preferred embodiment, the plasma vessels and the queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with the wafer transfer arm disposed within the closed locus. The wafer transfer arm is movable between the plasma etching vessels and the wafer queuing station. Selectably actuable vacuum locks are provided between the plasma etching vessels and the wafer transfer arm to maintain an intended atmospheric condition and to allow wafer transport therethrough. The plasma vessels each include first and second water-cooled electrodes that are movable relatively to each other. The wafer transfer arm is operative to pick-up the wafers by back-side and peripheral wafer contact only. A sensor on the transfer arm provides an indication of proper wafer seating. Wafer processing in each vessel is regulated by a state controller for processing a plurality of wafers from a single cassette to provide an orderly and efficient throughput of wafers for diverse or similar processing in the plural vessels.

System providing multiple processing of substrates

Plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with a wafer transfer arm therewithin all in a controlled vacuum environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment between the several plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other exposure so that possible contamination of the moved wafers is prevented. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes, and in either of the modes, the several plasma etching vessels are operable to provide a desirably high system throughput. Wafer processing in each vessel is regulated by a state controller for processing a plurality of wafers from a single cassette, contained within the vacuum environment of the plural plasma etching vessels and wafer queuing station, to provide an orderly and efficient throughput of wafers for diverse or similar processing in the plural vessels. The wafer transfer arm is movable in R and .theta.. The plasma vessels each include first and second water-cooled electrodes that are movable relatively to each other so as to provide a selectable gap dimension therebetween. The wafer transfer arm is operative to pick-up the wafers by back-side contact only whereby front-side contact-induced contamination of the wafer surfaces is prevented. A sensor on the transfer arm is operative to provide a signal indication of proper wafer seating.

Method providing multiple-processing of substrates

The present invention includes plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station arrayed with a wafer transfer arm in a controlled environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment one at a time selectably between the several plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other exposure to that possible contamination of the moved wafers is prevented. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes, and in either of the modes, the several plasma etching vessels are operable to provide a desirably high system throughput. In the preferred embodiment, the several plasma vessels and the queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with the wafer transfer arm disposed within the closed locus. Wafer processing in each vessel is regulated by a state controller for processing a plurality of wafers from a single cassette, contained within the vacuum environment of the plural plasma etching vessels and wafer queuing station, to provide an orderly and efficient throughput of wafers for diverse or similar processing in the plural vessels. In this manner a wafer can be processed as soon as a vessel becomes available.

Quad processor

The present invention includes plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station arrayed with a wafer transfer arm in a controlled environment. Wafer processing in each vessel is regulated by a state controller for processing a plurality of wafers from a single cassette, contained within the vacuum environment of the plural plasma etching vessels and wafer queuing station, to provide an orderly and efficient throughput of wafers for diverse or similar processing in the plural vessels. In this manner a wafer can be processed as soon as a vessel becomes available.

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Burlington, MA, United States of America

Mark W Miller