Method and apparatus for semiconductor processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for semiconductor processing is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of transporting a wafer within a cluster tool, comprises placing the wafer into a first segment of a vacuum enclosure, the vacuum enclosure being attached to a processing chamber and a factory interface. The wafer is transported to a second segment of the vacuum enclosure using a vertical transport mechanism, wherein the second segment is above or below the first segment.

1 . A wafer transport mechanism, comprising:
 an enclosure, the enclosure having two openings for transferring wafers, the two openings defined by a first opening and a second opening;   a first gate valve coupled to the first opening, the first gate valve configured to be coupled to a vacuum chamber, and a second gate valve coupled to the second opening, the second gate valve configured to be coupled to a process chamber, wherein operation of the first and second gate valves facilitates operation of the enclosure under a vacuum;   a rotatable assembly disposed within the enclosure;   a first linear drive coupled to the rotatable assembly, the first linear drive configured to extend a first wafer support through one of the first or second openings when the first wafer support is rotated to a position proximate to the one of the first or second openings by the rotatable assembly;   a second linear drive coupled to the rotatable assembly, the second linear drive configured to extend a second wafer support through the opening opposite the one of the first or second openings when the first wafer support is rotated to the position proximate to the one of the first or second openings; and   wherein operation of the first and second linear drives enables independent placement of an unprocessed wafer into the process chamber or independent placement of a processed wafer into the vacuum chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The wafer transport mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable assembly is configured to rotate about a rotational axis orthogonal to an axis along which either of the first or second wafer supports is extended. 
     
     
         3 . The wafer transport mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the first linear drive and the second linear drive are configured to extend the first wafer support and the second wafer support, respectively, along a same linear axis. 
     
     
         4 . The wafer transport mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second linear drives includes a rolling guide coupled to a rail. 
     
     
         5 . The wafer transport mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second linear drives includes a piezoelectric motor. 
     
     
         6 . The wafer transport mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable assembly includes a backing plate coupled to a spindle, the first and second linear drives being coupled to the backing plate, the spindle configured be caused to rotate by the movement of one or more ring magnets external to the enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . A method for transporting wafers between a vacuum chamber and a process chamber, comprising,
 providing an enclosure having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being coupled to a first gate valve, the first gate valve coupled to the vacuum chamber, the second opening being coupled to a second gate valve, the second gate valve coupled to the process chamber;   retrieving an unprocessed wafer into the enclosure by extending a first wafer support through the first opening to receive an unprocessed wafer from the vacuum chamber and retracting the first wafer support, the first wafer support being coupled to a rotatable assembly;   retrieving a processed wafer into the enclosure by extending a second wafer support through the second opening to receive a processed wafer from the process chamber and retracting the second wafer support, the second wafer support being coupled to the rotatable assembly;   wherein the retrieval of the unprocessed wafer and the retrieval of the processed wafer into the enclosure are performed independently;   rotating the rotatable assembly so as to align the first wafer support with the second opening and the second wafer support with the first opening;   delivering the unprocessed wafer to the processing chamber by extending the first wafer support through the second opening;   delivering the processed wafer to the vacuum chamber by extending the second wafer support through the first opening; and   wherein the delivery of the unprocessed wafer to the processing chamber and the delivery of the processed wafer to the vacuum chamber are performed independently.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the rotatable assembly is configured to rotate about a rotational axis orthogonal to an axis along which either of the first or second wafer supports is extended. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first wafer support is coupled to a first linear drive, the first linear drive performing the extending and retracting of the first wafer support; and
 wherein the second wafer support is coupled to a second linear drive, the second linear drive performing the extending and retracting of the second wafer support.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second linear drives includes a rolling guide coupled to a rail. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second linear drives includes a piezoelectric motor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first wafer support and the second wafer support are configured to extend and retract along a same linear axis. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the rotatable assembly includes a backing plate coupled to a spindle, the first and second linear drives being coupled to the backing plate, the spindle configured be caused to rotate by the movement of one or more ring magnets external to the enclosure.