US 12,272,583 B2
Reduced footprint wafer handling platform
Christopher W. Burkhart, Los Gatos, CA (US); Richard H. Gould, Fremont, CA (US); Candi Kristoffersen, San Jose, CA (US); Michael Nordin, San Jose, CA (US); Richard M. Blank, San Jose, CA (US); and Hironobu Yasuumi, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/253,601
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/037765
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 17, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/246122, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 26, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/686,555, filed on Jun. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0272832 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. H01L 21/677 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/683 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67742 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67259 (2013.01); H01L 21/67276 (2013.01); H01L 21/67766 (2013.01); H01L 21/6838 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a vacuum transfer module (VTM) configured to receive a plurality of wafers, the VTM comprising a VTM transfer robot;
a plurality of quad station process modules (QSMs) coupled to the VTM, the VTM transfer robot configured to transfer wafers between the VTM and the plurality of QSMs;
a system controller coupled to the VTM transfer robot, the system controller configured to control at least one of an operation of the VTM transfer robot or a rotation of respective mechanical indexers of the plurality of QSMs; and
a first atmospheric (ATM) transfer robot configured to transfer a batch of wafers across a first wafer plane extending horizontally from a load port of one or more elevated load ports above a second ATM transfer robot to a service door located adjacent to a top portion of a vertically-movable dual airlock vacuum cassette elevator (VCE),
the service door and a lower service door providing access to and from the VTM, the lower service door allowing movement of wafers under vacuum from the VCE to the VTM, and
the VTM transfer robot configured to transfer wafers within the VTM along a second wafer plane extending horizontally and separate from the first wafer plane.