초록 ▼

A substrate handling system supplies new wafers to a vacuum chamber containing a lithography system, and outputs processed semiconductor wafers to an environment with normal atmospheric pressure. New wafers on a transplate pass by way of an air film track to a transload which feeds them from a load

A substrate handling system supplies new wafers to a vacuum chamber containing a lithography system, and outputs processed semiconductor wafers to an environment with normal atmospheric pressure. New wafers on a transplate pass by way of an air film track to a transload which feeds them from a load platform to a vacuum lock elevator. The inner door of the vacuum lock elevator opens and a completed transplate is transferred to the top shelf of the vacuum lock elevator. Next the vacuum lock elevator lifts to its upper position and the subsequent transfer of a new transplate onto a worktable occurs. There follows the closing of an inner door, (venting of the vacuum lock), the opening of an outer door, and the insertion of a new transplate from the load platform to the bottom shelf of the elevator. Finally, the completed transplate is removed. In cases where negative photoresists are used, this last step is replaced by routing the transplate to the post cure chamber for a period of up to 30 minutes.

대표청구항 ▼

A substrate handling system, for use with a lithography system which is housed in a vacuum chamber, said substrate handling system receiving and supplying unprocessed substrates to said lithography system in said vacuum chamber, said substrate handling system receiving processed semiconductor wafers

A substrate handling system, for use with a lithography system which is housed in a vacuum chamber, said substrate handling system receiving and supplying unprocessed substrates to said lithography system in said vacuum chamber, said substrate handling system receiving processed semiconductor wafers from said lithography system and outputting them into an environment with normal atmospheric pressure, said substrate handling system comprising: a means for loading each of said unprocessed substrates onto a transfer plate, said loading means thereby outputting a first loaded transfer plate, which contains one of the processed semiconductor wafers, said loading means thereby outputting each of said processed semiconductor wafers at normal atmospheric pressure; an elevator body with a first and second level, said first lever sequentially receiving each of the first loaded transfer plates from the loading means and outputting them to the lithoggraphy system in the vacuum chamber, said second level sequentially receiving each of the second loaded transfer plates from the lithography system in the vacuum chamber, and outputting them to the loading means; a means for driving the elevator body so that its first and second levels align with said loading means and said lithography system so that the elevator body can receive and deliver the first and second loaded transfer plates as required; first and second vacuum doors which are attached to and provide a vacuum seal for said elevator body, said first vacuum door allowing access to said elevator body by said loading means, said second vacuum door allowing access to said elevator body by said lithography system in said vacuum chamber; and a means for depressurizing and venting said elevator body so that it may receive said first loaded transplates at atmospheric pressure and deliver them to a vacuum chamber.