Semiconductor wafer handling and transport

Abstract

Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.

1 . A method for moving a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process that includes a tunnel having a vacuum environment, a plurality of ports, and a track for guiding cart motion within the tunnel, each one of the plurality of ports having an isolation valve that opens and closes the port and a robotic arm operable to reach through the port from outside the tunnel, the method comprising: 
 retrieving a wafer with a robotic arm;    position the wafer outside a port of the tunnel;    positioning a cart inside the port of the tunnel;    opening the port;    inserting the robotic arm into the tunnel and placing the wafer on the cart;    withdrawing the robotic arm from the tunnel; and    closing the port.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising moving the cart to a second port of the tunnel.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the second port selectively couples the vacuum environment of the tunnel to a processing cell.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cart includes a work piece handling robot.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising processing the wafer while the wafer is on the cart.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the processing includes one or more of heating, cooling, metrology, testing, alignment, and marking.  
   
   
       7 - 65 . (canceled)  
   
   
       66 . A system comprising: 
 a tunnel including a plurality of ports, each one of the ports including an isolation valve for selective access to a vacuum environment of the tunnel through the port;    a passive cart operable to move within the vacuum environment of the tunnel among the plurality of ports; and    a plurality of robotic arms associated with the plurality of ports and outside the tunnel, each one of the plurality of robotic arms operable to move work pieces between the passive cart and at least one resource outside the tunnel.    
   
   
       67 . The system of  claim 66  wherein the at least one resource includes at least one of a processing module, a cluster tool, a metrology station, a storage system, an equipment front end module, a load lock, and an elevator.  
   
   
       68 . The system of  claim 66  wherein the cart is adapted to perform one or more of heating, cooling, metrology, testing, alignment, and marking.  
   
   
       69 . The system of  claim 66  wherein the cart includes a storage facility for a plurality of work pieces.  
   
   
       70 - 75 . (canceled)  
   
   
       76 . The system of  claim 66  further comprising a plurality of carts within the tunnel.  
   
   
       77 . The system of  claim 76  wherein the plurality of carts operate on parallel paths within the vacuum tunnel.  
   
   
       78 . The system of  claim 66  further comprising a plurality of operatively connected tunnels, each one of the plurality of tunnels including a plurality of carts.  
   
   
       79 . The system of  claim 78  wherein at least one of the plurality of tunnels is beneath a ground floor of a fabrication site.  
   
   
       80 . The system of  claim 78  wherein at least two of the plurality of tunnels are operatively connected through at least one of a processing cell, a shared metrology resource, a shared storage system, and a robot transfer station.  
   
   
       81 - 83 . (canceled)  
   
   
       84 . The system of  claim 78  where at least two of the plurality of tunnels are operatively connected by an elevator.  
   
   
       85 . The system of  claim 66  further comprising at least two equipment front end modules.  
   
   
       86 . The system of  claim 66  wherein the tunnel includes at least one incline coupling at least two ports having different heights.  
   
   
       87 . The system of  claim 86  wherein the cart is suspended from a cable, whereby the cart is maintained in a substantially level orientation while the cart traverses the incline.  
   
   
       88 . The system of  claim 86  wherein the cart includes a wafer holder on a gimbals, whereby the wafer holder is maintained in a substantially level orientation while the cart traverses the incline.  
   
   
       89 - 147 . (canceled)