US 11,948,816 B2
Transfer apparatus
Masahiro Dogome, Miyagi (JP); and Masatomo Kita, Miyagi (JP)
Assigned to TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/563,850.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-219040 (JP), filed on Dec. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0208574 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67196 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67742 (2013.01); H01L 21/68764 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transfer apparatus, comprising:
a first vacuum transfer module;
a first transfer robot disposed in the first vacuum transfer module and configured to simultaneously or separately transfer a wafer and at least one ring, the at least one ring having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer;
a second vacuum transfer module;
a second transfer robot disposed in the second vacuum transfer module and configured to simultaneously or separately transfer the wafer and the ring,
a tubular connecting module disposed between the first vacuum transfer module and the second vacuum transfer module, the first vacuum transfer module, the second vacuum transfer module and the tubular connecting module being arranged along a first direction, the tubular connecting module having a first length in the first direction, the first length being smaller than the diameter of the wafer;
a wafer support rotatably attached to the tubular connecting module and configured to support the wafer; and
at least three ring supporting members outwardly extending from the wafer support and configured to support the at least one ring,
wherein the at least three ring supporting members comprise a first ring supporting member and a second ring supporting member, the first ring supporting member extends into the first vacuum transfer module, and the second ring supporting member extends into the second vacuum transfer module.