US 12,080,572 B2
Substrate processing 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. 17/563,906.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-219021 (JP), filed on Dec. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0208576 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/67 (2006.01); C23C 16/44 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67201 (2013.01) [C23C 16/4412 (2013.01); C23C 16/45519 (2013.01); H01L 21/67167 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
one or more substrate processing modules;
a vacuum transfer module connected to the one or more substrate processing modules;
a load-lock module including at least three load-lock chambers arranged along a first horizontal direction;
a tubular fitting module disposed between the vacuum transfer module and the load-lock module, the tubular fitting module having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being connected to the load-lock module, the second opening being connected to the vacuum transfer module, the first opening having a first length in the first horizontal direction, the second opening having a second length in the first horizontal direction, the first length being larger than the second length; and
a transfer mechanism disposed in the vacuum transfer module, the transfer mechanism being configured to transfer a substrate between the one or more substrate processing modules and the load-lock module through the tubular fitting module, wherein
the tubular fitting module includes
a gas supply port connected to an inert gas supply source, and
an exhaust port connected to an exhaust mechanism,
the exhaust mechanism includes a turbo molecular pump, and the turbo molecular pump is connected to the exhaust port through a connection line,
the tubular fitting module has a third length in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction,
a diameter of the connection line is smaller than the third length, and
a height dimension of the tubular fitting module is smaller than a height dimension of the vacuum transfer module, and a total length of the connection line is greater than a difference between the height dimension of the tubular fitting module and the height dimension of the vacuum transfer module.