Method Of and Apparatus For Inline Deposition of Materials On A Non-Planar Surface

Abstract

In manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first chamber is provided. An opening couples the first chamber to a first environment through which at least one substrate can pass. A first seal environmentally isolates the first chamber from the first environment. A process chamber is coupled to the first chamber. Another seal environmental isolates the first and the process chambers. The substrate is placed within the first chamber, and the first chamber and the outside environment are isolated. The second opening is opened, and the substrate moves into the semiconductor process chamber. The first chamber is again environmentally isolated from the second volume. A semiconductor processing step is performed on the substrate within the processing chamber. While the substrate is processed, the substrate is rotated and translated through the processing chamber.

1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device on at least one substrate comprising, the method comprising:
 providing a first chamber, the first chamber defining a first volume, the first chamber having a first opening to a first environment, the first opening operable to allow passage of the at least one substrate;   providing a first sealing member operable to establish an environmental seal on the first opening between the first chamber and the first environment;   providing a semiconductor process chamber, the semiconductor process chamber defining a second volume having substantially a processing environment, the semiconductor process chamber coupled to the first chamber through a second opening, the second opening operable to allow passage of the at least one substrate;   providing a second sealing member operable to establish an environmental seal on the second opening between the first chamber and the semiconductor process chamber;   for a first time, environmentally isolating the first volume from the second volume;   placing the at least one substrate within first volume from the first environment;   environmentally isolating the first volume from the first environment; opening the second opening;   moving the at least one substrate into the semiconductor process chamber;   for a second time, environmentally isolating the first volume from the second volume;   performing a semiconductor processing step on the at least one substrate within the semiconductor processing chamber;   concurrently with the step of performing the semiconductor processing step:   rotating the at least one substrate during the semiconductor step;   translating the at least one substrate through the processing chamber.   
     
     
         2 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device on a substrate comprising:
 providing a first chamber, the first chamber defining a first volume, the first chamber having a first opening to a first environment, the first opening operable to allow passage of at least a first substrate;   providing a first sealing member operable to establish an environmental seal on the first opening between the first chamber and the first environment;   providing a semiconductor process chamber, the semiconductor process chamber defining a second volume having substantially a processing environment, the semiconductor process chamber coupled to the first chamber through a second opening, the second opening operable to allow passage of at least the first substrate;   providing a second sealing member operable to establish an environmental seal on the second opening between the first chamber and the semiconductor process chamber;   performing a semiconductor processing step on at least the first substrate within the semiconductor processing chamber;   at a first time, environmentally isolating the first volume from the first environment;   at a second time, opening the first volume to the second volume;   at a third time, moving at least the first substrate from the second volume to the first volume;   at a fourth time, environmentally isolating the first volume from the second volume;   at a fifth time, opening the first volume to the first environment;   concurrently with the step of performing the semiconductor processing step on at least the first substrate:   rotating at least the first substrate such that more than half of the total surface area of the first substrate is exposed to the semiconductor process; translating at least the first substrate through the processing chamber.   
     
     
         28 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, the apparatus comprising:
 a first chamber operable to accept a first substrate from among at least one substrate;   a first aperture, associated with the first chamber, that environmentally couples the first chamber to a first environment outside the first chamber;   a first sealing member operable to reside in at least an open position and a closed position, the first sealing member closing the first aperture and isolating the first chamber environment from the first environment when in the closed position, the first sealing member allowing the first environment into the first chamber when in the open position;   a processing chamber, operable to perform a semiconductor processing step on at least one substrate under a processing environment, the processing chamber comprising:   a first motion mechanism operable to move the at least one substrate in a translational manner through the processing chamber;   a second motion mechanism operable to provide a rotation to the at least one substrate;   the first motion mechanism operable to operate concurrently with second motion mechanism;   a second aperture that couples the first chamber and the processing chamber;   a second sealing member operable to reside in at least an open position and a closed position, the second sealing member shutting the second aperture and isolating the first chamber environment from the processing environment when in the closed position, the second sealing member allowing the first chamber environment into the processing chamber when in the open position.   
     
     
         34 - 58 . (canceled)