US 11,996,307 B2
Semiconductor processing tool platform configuration with reduced footprint
Nir Merry, Mountain View, CA (US); Schubert S. Chu, San Francisco, CA (US); Sushant S. Koshti, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Michael C. Kuchar, Georgetown, TX (US); Nyi Oo Myo, San Jose, CA (US); and Songjae Lee, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on May 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/317,566.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/199,398, filed on Dec. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0199436 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67196 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67167 (2013.01); H01L 21/68707 (2013.01); H01L 21/67207 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing system comprising:
a factory interface having a controlled environment;
a transfer chamber of heptagonal shape and comprising:
four first facets; and
three second facets, wherein each of the three second facets has a width that is narrower than that of each of the four first facets;
a first processing chamber attached to one of the four first facets;
a first auxiliary chamber attached to a first of the three second facets, wherein the first auxiliary chamber is smaller than the first processing chamber;
a load lock attached to a second of the three second facets and to the factory interface; and
a robot attached to a bottom of the transfer chamber, the robot adapted to transfer substrates to and from the first processing chamber, the first auxiliary chamber, and the load lock, wherein a distance between a center of the robot and a center of one of the first auxiliary chamber is within 20% of 35 inches.