초록 ▼

A wafer transport apparatus for an ion implantation apparatus includes means for successively transferring wafers from a wafer cassette, inserting the wafers into an auxiliary vacuum chamber, transferring the wafers into a specific position within a vacuum processing chamber, transferring a wafer fr

A wafer transport apparatus for an ion implantation apparatus includes means for successively transferring wafers from a wafer cassette, inserting the wafers into an auxiliary vacuum chamber, transferring the wafers into a specific position within a vacuum processing chamber, transferring a wafer from that position to a position for ion implanation processing while at the same time transferring a processed wafer to a second position within the vacuum processing chamber, with the wafers being held retained during this transfer, successively transferring the processed wafers into a second auxiliary vacuum chamber, and transporting the wafers from the second auxiliary vacuum chamber to be inserted into a cassette, e.g. the cassette from which the wafers were originally removed. The wafers are supported or held retained by the transfer and transport means during the entire process, so that problems resulting from gravity feed of wafers along inclined surfaces, which arise with prior art apparatus of this type, are eliminated.

대표청구항 ▼

An ion implantation apparatus, comprising: a vacuum processing chamber in which a wafer is subjected to ion implantation processing; first and second auxiliary vacuum chambers each of which is hermetically sealable from or connectable to the outer atmosphere and vacuum processing chamber, and each o

An ion implantation apparatus, comprising: a vacuum processing chamber in which a wafer is subjected to ion implantation processing; first and second auxiliary vacuum chambers each of which is hermetically sealable from or connectable to the outer atmosphere and vacuum processing chamber, and each of which is constructed to temporarily store the water; first wafer transfer means for transferring a wafer into the vacuum processing chamber from the first auxiliary vacuum chamber; second wafer transfer means for transferring the wafer to the second auxiliary vacuum chamber from the vacuum processing chamber; driving means for driving the first and second wafer transfer means in a mutually synchronized manner; wafer cassette supporting means for supporting a cassette containing a plurality of wafers; and wafer transport means for transporting the wafer into the first auxiliary vacuum chamber from the cassette one by one; said driving means being connected to the first and second wafer transfer means to move them at the same time so that two wafers are simultaneously transferred to the vacuum processing chamber and second auxiliary vacuum chamber from the first auxiliary vacuum chamber and vacuum processing chamber; wherein said first wafer transfer means includes first and second arms, said second wafer transfer means includes third and fourth arms, and said driving means includes a first retaining member connecting the first and third arms together, and a second retaining member connecting the second and fourth arms together.