Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Kabushiki Kaisha

Tel-Varian Limited

Varian Japan K.k.t

Masahito Ozawa

Masaki Narushima

Keiichi Tanaka

Masao Kubodera

Masaki Sohma

Shinsuke Asao

Sumi Tanaka

Tomihiro Yonenaga

Hiromi Kumagai

Masami Mizukami

Sunao Muraoka

Susumu Kato

Masanobu Kanazashi

Toshihiko Takasoe

An alignment processing mechanism according to the present invention includes: a conveying mechanism for conveying a substrate W to be processed, an alignment mechanism for aligning the substrate W conveyed by the conveying mechanism to a predetermined direction, and a buffer mechanism for relaying the substrate W from the conveying mechanism to the alignment mechanism . The buffer mechanism is adapted to temporarily hold the substrate W conveyed by the conveying mechanism , and to pass the temporarily holding substrate W to the alignment mechanism based on a state of the alignment mechanism . According to the present invention, the alignment mechanism can be used with greater efficiency in order to achieve a high speed of an alignment process.

Alignment processing mechanism and semiconductor processing device using it

A process system comprises cassette housing chambers A and B, each of which houses therein a cassette C having housed an object W to be processed, and process chambers A through D for carrying out a predetermined process for the object W. The cassette housing chambers A and B are connected to the process chambers A through D via a transfer chamber . In the transfer chamber , there are provided a first transfer unit for delivering the object W between the cassette housing chambers A and B and the transfer chambers A through D, and a second transfer unit for delivering the object W between the process chambers A through D and the transfer chamber . In the overlapping range of transfer ranges of the first and second transfer units and , an aligning unit for aligning the object W is arranged.

Process system with transfer unit for object to be processed

An auxiliary vacuum chamber,according to the invention comprises a container,having an opening,for taking an object to be processed W into and out of the container. A holder,is movably placed in the container,, which can hold the object W taken therein. The holder,can also form a hermetically closed space,with a portion of the container,when moved in the container,. The container,is provided with supplying means,for supplying a gas from the outside of the container,into the hermetically closed space,. The container,is also provided with exhaust means,for exhausting the gas from the hermetically closed space,to the outside of the container,. According to the invention, the auxiliary vacuum chamber,need not have gate-valves for being opened and shut to the other chambers,and

Auxiliary vacuum chamber and vacuum processing unit using same

A gas is supplied to a second chamber so that the pressure in the second chamber is raised to a predetermined level. A communication passage is provided for internally connecting the first and second chambers. When the pressure in the first chamber attains the predetermined level, the gas is allowed to flow from the second chamber into the first chamber through the communication passage. A gas flow can be checked when an open-close door is opened to connect the chambers. Thus, there is no substantial gas flow, so that particles can be prevented from being flung up.

Apparatus and method for regulating pressure in two chambers

A cassette carrier unit for carrying a cassette, in which a plurality of substrates are housed, into and out of cassette chambers of the multi-chamber system including a hand on which the cassette is mounted. A multi-joined arm for supports the swingable hand, and a base supports the multi-joined swingable arm. The multi-joined arm includes a first shaft member rotatably attached to the hand, a second shaft member rotatably attached to the base, a third shaft member rotated associating with the first shaft member but in a direction reverse to the direction in which the first shaft member is rotated, and a fourth shaft member rotatably attached to the base and to which rotation drive force is transmitted. A first arm is rotatably attached to the first shaft member at the front end thereof and to the second shaft member at the base end thereof. A second arm is arranged substantially parallel to the first arm and fixed to the third shaft member at the front end thereof and to the fourth shaft member at the base end thereof. When the first and second arms are swung, the hand is swung in a direction reverse to the direction in which the first and second arms are swung.

Multi-chamber system provided with carrier units

The present invention relates to a surface processing apparatus which performs heating processing of an object of heating which is mounted on a mounting device provided inside a process container, and which includes a plural number of lamps provided so as to oppose a rear surface of a processing surface of an object of processing, a rotating unit which has the plural number of lamps mounted to it in a ring shape, and a drive unit which drives the rotating unit. Also, the present invention relates to a processing apparatus for leading a process gas from a gas supply tube to a gas chamber partitioned inside a process container, and which blows process gas from an outlet of the gas chamber and onto an object of processing which is mounted on a mounting device provided inside the process container, and which includes a plural number of partition plates each provided with a plural number of through holes, being provided at required intervals in a direction of gas flow and inside the gas chamber.

Surface processing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Yamanashi-ken, Japan

Masahito Ozawa