JP4306798B2 - Substrate carrier and load lock door drive device - Google Patents

Description

Background of the Invention
1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a standardized mechanism interface for reducing particle contamination, and more particularly to an apparatus for preventing particle contamination using a sealed container of a semiconductor processing apparatus. Furthermore, the present invention particularly relates to a system for efficiently transferring a semiconductor wafer between a load lock chamber capable of environmental control waiting for transfer to a processing facility such as a cluster apparatus and a transfer container or carrier. The present invention can greatly improve the throughput of the manufacturing process.
In the present disclosure, the term “wafer” is consistently used to refer to a planar substrate such as a silicon wafer or a flat glass panel, but is intended to have a broad meaning that applies to all substrates. Usually, such a substrate is circular and has a diameter of 200 mm and a thickness of about 0.760 mm, but recently has evolved to 300 mm with the same thickness.
2. Conventional technology
Control of particulate contamination is essential for VLSI circuit manufacturing in terms of cost, high yield, and high profitability. Smaller line and space design rules have been demanded, and there is an increasing need to control the number of particles and remove even smaller particles.
Contaminated particles can cause incomplete etching between lines and form unwanted bridges. In addition to such physical defects, there is particle contamination that causes electrical defects due to ions and trap centers in gate junctions and dielectrics.
The main sources of particle contamination are people, equipment and chemicals. Human-generated particles are transferred through the environment, physical contact, and migration to the wafer surface. For example, humans are a significant source of particles because peeled skin is easily ionized and produces defects.
Modern processing equipment is concerned with particles ranging from 0.01 microns or less to sizes of 200 microns. Particles of these sizes are very damaging in semiconductor processes. Today's normal semiconductor processes use sizes below 1 micron. Contaminating particles having a size of 0.1 microns or more actually impede the semiconductor device using 1 micron. Of course, as a trend, the size of the semiconductor process is getting smaller.
In recent years, “clean rooms” have been established by filters and other techniques, and attempts have been made to remove particles larger than 0.03 microns. But the process environment needs to be improved. The conventional “clean room” cannot maintain the desired particle-free state. In the conventional “clean room”, it is practically impossible to maintain a state of no particles of 0.01 μm or less. Dust-free garments reduce particle emissions, but cannot hold particles completely. Even a fully dressed worker is 0.028m per minute ^Three It is known that 6000 particles are released close to itself per cubic foot.
The industry trend to control contaminating particles is to build a more elaborate (and expensive) clean room with HEPA and ULPA air circulation systems. In order to obtain an acceptable level of cleanliness, the filter efficiency requires a complete air exchange of 99.999% or more per minute.
Particles in equipment and chemicals are called “process defects”. To minimize process defects, process equipment manufacturers must prevent generated particles from reaching the wafer, and gas and liquid chemical suppliers must provide cleaner products. . The most important is to effectively separate the wafer from the particles when the wafer is stored, transported and transferred to the process equipment.
A standard mechanical interface (SMIF) system has been devised and used to greatly reduce the amount of particles on the wafer and reduce particle contamination. During storage, transportation, and processing of the wafer, the gas medium (air, nitrogen, etc.) around the wafer is mechanically stationary with respect to the wafer so that particles do not immediately enter the wafer environment from the outside atmosphere. This purpose is achieved.
The SMIF concept is that the cleanest environment for a wafer is a small, stationary volume with no particles and no internal source of particles.
Typically, SMIF systems use (1) a dust-proof box or carrier with a minimum volume for storage and transportation, (2) a wafer cassette with a release shelf, and (3) the box or carrier door is designed to match the port of the process equipment Thus, the two doors can be opened at the same time, and the particles on the outer surface of the door are captured ("sandwiched") between the doors.
In a normal SMIF system, the box or carrier is placed at the interface port and at the location of the box door and a latch that opens the port door simultaneously. A mechanical elevator lowers the door and the cassette rides on the top. A manipulator picks up the cassette and places it on the cassette port / elevator of the device. The reverse operation is performed after the process.
The SMIF system has been experimented with inside and outside a clean room and has proven effective. This SMIF is a 10-fold improvement over the conventional method of handling a release cassette in a clean room.
By using the SMIF system, it has become common to hold wafers apart by a cassette and carry multiple wafers in boxes or carriers. In this technique, wafers are placed on a cassette, the cassettes are transported into boxes or cassettes, and then one by one removed from the cassette and placed in a receiving chamber or other process equipment of the cluster apparatus. Recently, cassettes have been replaced by more efficient and particle-free cassettes that can transport multiple wafers simultaneously.
From the foregoing prior art, the present invention is understood and put into practice. In particular, the present invention maintains a clean room environment and transports a large number of wafers at the same time, while inventorying equipment, that is, reducing initial costs, being simple and small, having low maintenance costs, and improving process throughput. . Much of the foregoing has been related to the SMIF system and control of the environment in which the wafer is handled, but it can be widely applied to aspects of handling materials, such as the environment to which the wafer of the present invention is exposed.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention is a system for batch loading semiconductor wafers onto a load lock from a portable carrier that separates and stacks a plurality of wafers and transports them to a particle-free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent to a load lock chamber having a particle free environment. The multi-stage end effector (effector) associated with the load lock chamber has a plurality of end effector sets, each set being arranged to align with a corresponding wafer in the carrier to hold the wafer. It has become. Wafers can be taken out as a group, held in the load lock chamber for the next transfer, sent to the next transfer chamber at a time, and supplied to a plurality of specific process devices in the cluster system . A separate housing or enclosure seals and separates the load lock chamber and carrier interior from the surrounding environment. After the plurality of wafers are transferred from the carrier to the load lock chamber, the carrier and the load lock chamber are sealed, and the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber are exhausted. Various mechanisms for moving the end effector set, ie, a lifting mechanism for entering and exiting the carrier and load lock chamber, closed and open positions with the carrier door and load lock door sealed, and the carrier and load lock chamber A mechanism for moving to a stop position away from the space is provided. Furthermore, a mechanism for moving the carrier door and the load lock door individually between the sealed closed position and the open position and moving them together to a stop position away from between the carrier and the load lock chamber is provided. .
The present invention provides an interface for sending a wafer carrier to a load lock while maintaining a clean environment for the substrate carrier. The present invention provides an efficient, fast operation, unified design that maximizes process throughput while protecting from the external environment during process step execution.
Since the load lock arm has a batch end effector functioning as a cassette, which is inherently structurally unconstrained, no elevator is required for wafer transfer. Gas contamination from the cassette (usually outgassing polymer) has also been removed, improving the quality of the wafer process. In addition, the arm assembly is mainly made of metal that emits a minimum amount of gas, and the degree of vacuum is improved in a short time.
The present invention provides a unified carrier and cassette structure that does not require unnecessary cassettes and their inventory. Like the conventional SMIF loader that lowers the cassette from the SMIF box and transports it to the load lock, it removes the danger of transporting the wafer in air and exposing it to particle contamination. In the example of the present invention, since the wafers are loaded in a batch configuration, the indirect time can be reduced and high throughput is obtained.
Further features, advantages, and benefits of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings. The foregoing summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention. Together with the detailed description, the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and form a part of the invention, serve to generally explain the principles of the invention. Similarly, numbers throughout this disclosure refer to similar parts.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing a state in which a cover is removed from a transfer chamber of a wafer processing system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing certain parts shown in FIG. 1 in detail, with some parts shown in cross-section for clarity.
FIG. 3 is a schematic detailed side elevational view, where some parts are shown in cross-section or omitted for clarity, and some parts of FIG. 2 will be described in detail, with the carrier door in a closed position. Show.
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating in detail a minute portion of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevational view showing a portion of FIG. 2 when the carrier door is in the open position.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating in detail the parts of FIG. 3 with certain parts shown in cross-section for clarity.
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view showing a portion of FIG. 2 in detail.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG.
8, 9, 10 and 11 are schematic side elevational views similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the continuous relative position of the parts.
FIG. 12 is a detailed perspective view illustrating the part of FIG. 2 in more detail.
FIG. 13 is a detailed top plan view of an enlarged section showing another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a more detailed top plan view illustrating in more detail components at other positions in FIG.
FIG. 15 is a detailed perspective view of FIG. 14, showing a cross-section with a portion cut away.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 first shows a process system 20 for processing a silicon planar substrate such as a wafer or planar panel. As mentioned above, the term “wafer” is used throughout this disclosure for such substrates, but is intended to have a broad meaning that applies to all substrates. The present invention is particularly useful for processing newer substrates.
The process system 20 includes a load lock 22 that first receives a wafer to be processed, and a plurality of single wafer processing devices 24 that perform wafer surface processing such as specular plasma etching. The process device 24 is arranged around a normally closed trajectory, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line 26. In order to transfer the wafer between the load lock 22 and the process apparatus before and after the process, the transfer chamber 28 is arranged at the same center of the load lock 22 and the process apparatus 24. A plurality of separation valves 30 are individually provided at the boundary between the process device 24 and the transfer chamber 28 and at the boundary between the load lock 22 and the transfer chamber 28.
As mentioned above, now transportable SMIF boxes or containers, here called “carriers”, are known to be used to keep semiconductor wafers and the like clean. The wafer is kept clean by taking it in and out of the process system 20 and keeping it substantially free of particles in the carrier. As described above, it is common to hold wafers separated by a cassette and carry a large number of wafers in a box or carrier. In this technique, a wafer is placed on a cassette, the cassette is transported into a box or cassette, and then one by one is removed from the cassette in the carrier and placed on the load lock 22, or the cassette with the wafer placed on the carrier , And transferred to a small clean environment part between the SMIF box and the wafer processing apparatus.
According to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a deformable portable carrier 32 is provided for holding and transporting a plurality of wafers 34 placed apart in an environment substantially free of particles. The carrier 32 has a plurality of sets of shelf members 36 to keep the wafers normally horizontal and separated normally.
The carrier 32 has a carrier port 38 so as to enter the inside 40 thereof. The carrier door 42 of the carrier can be moved between a closed position in contact with the carrier port (FIG. 3) and an open position away from the carrier port (FIG. 4). The carrier door 42 has a generally rectangular plate 44 and is depicted as having a continuous flange 46 extending around it. A suitable seal 48 is inserted between the flange 46 and the carrier port 38 to seal the carrier interior 40 from the ambient environment when the carrier door is in the closed position.
Extending from the flange 46 toward the carrier 32 is at least one pair of opposing locking tabs 50 with each locking tab having a hole 52 therein. Each of the locking tabs 50 is provided with a solenoid-like locking member 54 for operating the locking pin 56. With particular reference to FIG. 5, the locking member is suitably attached to the carrier 32. When the locking pin 56 engages with the corresponding hole 52, the carrier door 42 is firmly fixed to the flange 46 and the carrier port 38, and a particle-free state inside the carrier 40 is maintained by the seal 48 between the flange and the port. . When the locking pin 56 is withdrawn from the corresponding hole 52, the carrier door 42 can be freely removed from the carrier as described below.
In the present invention, a separation housing or mini-environment 58 (see particularly FIG. 2) is provided to hermetically separate the inside 40 of the carrier 32 and the load lock 22 from the surrounding environment. The carrier is carried in a suitable manner from a remote location and is placed on a platform 60 that is part of the enclosure 58 and protrudes away from the process system 20. A plurality of depressions 64 are formed on the upper surface 62 of the table 60 at appropriate intervals so as to receive the foot portions 66 extending from the bottom of the carrier. When the foot 66 is completely engaged with the recess 64, the front surface 68 of the carrier 32 is close to the outer surface 70 of the enclosure 58.
The enclosure usually has a window 72 that is aligned with, but spaced from, the load lock 22 so that when the carrier is placed on the platform 60, the carrier door 42 extends through the window into the interior of the enclosure. ing. A suitable seal 74 is provided between the carrier and the enclosure 58 when the carrier is secured to the pedestal, sealing the carrier port 38 and the enclosure window 72 to allow the carrier interior, enclosure interior and load lock to be enclosed in the ambient environment. Separate from. When the carrier 32 is placed on the platform 60 as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of clasps 300 (FIG. 3A) pivotally attached to the outer surface 70 of the small enclosure 58 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the carrier. It operates to selectively engage with the formed clasp recess 302. In each case, the clasp actuator 304 extends or retracts the actuation rod 306 pivotally attached to the clasp 300 at one end away from the portion that engages the recess 302. The clasp actuator 304 is operated by the signal so that the clasp 300 moves from a position where the clasp 300 is engaged with the concave portion 302 indicated by the solid line to a position deviated from the concave portion indicated by the broken line. When all the clasps 300 of the carrier 32 are in the solid line position, the seal 74 is tightly clamped between the carrier and the enclosure.
The load lock 22 defines a substantially particle-free chamber 76 and has a load lock port 78 leading to the load lock chamber. As described above, the load lock 22 is located between the carrier 32 and the transfer chamber 28. The load lock door 80 is suitably attached to the load lock so that it can move between a position that covers and closes the load lock port 78 and a position that opens away from it.
The load lock arm 82 in the load lock chamber 76 can move between a non-actuated position away from the carrier 32 (see FIG. 2) and an actuated position near the carrier (see FIG. 3). This load lock arm and its operating mechanism were filed on July 6, 1995 and assigned application number 08 / 498,835 and assigned to the same applicant as the present applicant, It may be of the construction disclosed in the patent application entitled "Arm" (Perman and Green Case No. 390-955938-NA). The entire patent application is cited here as a reference.
Referring to FIG. 6 in addition to FIGS. 3 and 4, a multistage end effector 84 is mounted on the load lock arm 82. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 6, the multi-stage end effector 84 is mounted on the load lock arm 82 and upward, in particular from one extension joint 88 of the articulations 88, 90 pivotally attached to the load lock arm. It has a mounting manifold 86 protruding upward. A plurality of end effector sets 92 spaced apart in the vertical direction is a composite with the mounting manifold, and protrudes outwardly from the manifold in the direction of the carrier to be in the form of equidistant parallel plates.
The spacing between the end effector sets 92 is substantially wider than the wafer thickness for reasons that will become apparent as this description proceeds. Each end effector set 92 has a pair of end effector fingers 94 (see FIG. 7) spaced laterally apart, and is suitable for holding a wafer in a horizontal plane. Each of the plurality of end effector sets 92 is aligned with the shelf member set 36, that is, the wafer 34 held by the carrier, when the transfer arm is in the operating position. As the multi-stage end effector 84 enters the carrier 32, the load lock door 80 and the carrier door 42 can be opened so that they can move as described below, and can be moved away as shown in FIG. There must be.
Thus, when the load lock arm 82 is in the operative position, the multi-stage end effector 84 collects the wafer from the retracted position away from the wafer into the interior 40 of the carrier 32 through the load lock port 78 and the carrier port 38. Can move to collect. The load lock arm 82 moves the multi-stage end effector 84 to the left (FIG. 9) and operates so that the end effector sets 92 do not engage the wafer below the wafer 34, respectively. When the multi-stage end effector 84 reaches the limit of leftward movement, the load lock arm moves up a sufficient distance together with the multi-stage end effector 84 and lifts the wafer from the set of shelf members as an aggregate. Thereafter, the load lock arm 82 operates again while being held in the raised position, and the group of wafers 34 is placed on the multi-stage end effector 84 until the multi-stage end effector 84 is pulled in the load lock chamber 76 to the right. Move on the move. See FIG.
After the group of wafers 34 is positioned on the multi-stage end effector 84 in the load lock chamber 76, the transfer arm 96 in the transfer chamber 28 takes the wafer 34 from the multi-stage end effector, Operates to feed one.
In order for the multi-stage end effector 84 to operate as described above, first, the opening of the carrier door 42 and the load lock door 80 must be adjusted. This adjustment operation will be described below. The carrier door is first opened, then the load lock door is opened, and then both doors move away from the area between the carrier interior and the load lock chamber.
The mechanism for moving the carrier door selectively engages the carrier door 42 and is separated from the carrier door in a first position adjacent to the load lock door 80 (FIG. 2) and away from the load lock door adjacent to the load lock door. It has a coupling device 98 that can be moved between two positions (FIG. 3). A first actuator 100 is mounted on the load lock door and serves to move the coupling device 98 between the first and second positions via the drive rod 102. The coupling device 98 includes a coupler frame 103 attached to the drive rod, and a pair of grip members 104 and 106 arranged on opposing shafts supported and guided by the coupler frame. The grip members 104 and 106 have grip rods 108 arranged on opposite shafts that are supported and guided by the coupler frame 103 and move between a grip position and a non-grip position. In particular, the grip members 104 and 106 have grip fingers 110 at both ends, and the grip fingers mesh with the peripheral rim (edge) 112 of the carrier door 42 when the grip members are in the grip position.
In this manner, the grip fingers can move between a non-grip position (FIG. 3) that is not engaged with the carrier door 42 and a grip position (FIG. 4) that is engaged with the peripheral rim 112. Such engagement of the carrier door by the grip members 104 and 106 occurs only when the coupling device 98 is in the first position. A second actuator 114 on the coupler frame 103 serves to cause the grip members 104, 106 to move between a grip position and a non-grip position via a grip rod 108 of appropriate pressure.
A series of actions to open the carrier door 42 is first initiated by the first actuator 100 moving the coupling device 98 to the left, very close to the carrier door, so that the grip fingers 110 are in the plane of the peripheral rim 112. The Thereafter, the second actuator 114 begins to move the gripping member radially until the gripping fingers are firmly engaged with the peripheral rim 112. The first actuator 100 then again operates to move the coupling device to the right so that the end 116 of the inwardly directed flange 46 disengages from the seal 48 previously sealed from the surrounding environment. The drive rod 102 moves the coupling device 98 and, with it, the carrier door 42 to the right adjacent to the load lock door 80.
With the carrier door 42 in a position adjacent to the load lock door 80, the load lock door drive mechanism 118 is a position where the load lock door and the portion including the coupling device 98 and the carrier door 42 are opened from the closed position. Operates to move to. In the closed position, the load lock door 80 is firmly held against an appropriate seal 120 that separates the load lock chamber 76 from the outside air (see FIGS. 2 and 12). This is achieved, for example, by spaced, opposed, normally vertical guide grooves 121 and load lock 22 and the opposite surface of load lock door 80.
The load lock door drive mechanism 118 has a drive actuator 122 attached to the bottom 124 of the enclosure 58. The drive actuator 122 is vertically disposed with the drive actuator shaft 123 in the middle of the carrier and the load lock chamber 76 so that the load lock door 80 moves between the closed position and the opened position. Appropriately attached to the door 80.
It will be appreciated that the multi-stage end effector 84 will not operate until the drive mechanism 118 is in the position where the load lock door, coupling device 98, and carrier door 42 are all lowered as shown in FIG.
An index drive mechanism 126 is provided for moving the load lock arm between a non-actuated position (FIG. 11) and an actuated position (FIG. 10). As described above, the load lock arm 82, its operating mechanism, and the index driving mechanism 126 may have the structure disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,588,789 issued on Dec. 31, 1996.
The index drive mechanism 126 may include an index actuator 128 of a type capable of extending a suitable index actuator shaft 130, and may move a long distance rapidly during coarse movement and perform incremental step movement during fine movement. Thus, the index actuator has one operating mode in which all end effector sets 92 are aligned with the set of shelf members 36 in the interior 40 of the carrier 42 (FIGS. 8-10). , Move the load lock arm between non-actuated positions (FIG. 11) where all end effector sets are not aligned with the shelf member sets. In the former, the clutch 132 is engaged, and in the latter, it is disengaged.
The arm drive mechanism 134 has a load actuator arm 82 and a suitable rotary actuator that moves the multi-stage end effector 84 with the load lock arm 82 between the retracted position and the advanced position. The arm drive mechanism 134 further includes engageable clutch elements 132a and 132b that engage only when the index drive mechanism moves the load lock arm and multi-stage end effector to the operating position. At that time, the end effector 84 can be advanced into the carrier as described above.
As described above, the transfer arm 96 of the transfer chamber 28 operates to take in the wafer 34 from the multi-stage end effector at a time and supply it to a specific one of the plurality of process devices 24. The index drive mechanism 126 may operate in incremental mode to match the height of a particular end effector set 92 and the robot end effector finger 138 attached to the transfer arm 96 in the transfer chamber 28. Thus, the clutch elements 132a and 132b are disengaged, and the transfer arm 96 driven by the transfer actuator 140 operates to take in the wafer from the multi-stage end effector 84 at a time and supply it to a specific one of the plurality of process devices 24. To do. The transfer arm 96 and associated transfer actuator 140 may be configured as disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,180,276 by Hendrickson. The entire patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
A suitable separation valve 30 is provided between the load lock chamber 76 and the transfer chamber 28 as described above. The isolation valve is large enough to pass the robot end effector fingers that support the wafer 34, prevent fluid flow between the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber, and allow for selective movement in some cases. is there. In addition, a suitable seal 142 is provided between the load lock 22 and the transfer chamber 28 to separate the load lock and transfer chamber from the surrounding environment when the separation valve is in a position that allows fluid to flow between the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber. It is sandwiched between.
A vacuum source 144 is provided to selectively evacuate the load lock chamber 76 and the transfer chamber 28. A conduit 146 extends between the vacuum source 144 and the load lock chamber, and a valve 148 capable of selective operation within the conduit 146 connects the vacuum source and the load lock chamber when the load lock door 80 is closed, Disconnect the vacuum source from the load lock chamber when the load lock door is open. Similarly, a conduit 150 extends between the vacuum source 144 and the transfer chamber. A valve 152 capable of selective operation within the conduit 150 interconnects the vacuum source and the transfer chamber when the transfer chamber is isolated from the surrounding environment.
13-15 for another preferred carrier door drive mechanism embodiment 160. In this case, the carrier 162 is the same as the carrier 32 described above that holds and transports a plurality of wafers 34 that are normally stacked at intervals. As before, the carrier 162 has a carrier port 164 so that it can enter its interior 166. There is also a small enclosure 168 that separates and seals the interior of the load lock chamber and the carrier from the surrounding environment. The carrier 162 further includes a carrier door 170 that is movable between a closed position that covers the carrier port 164 to seal the interior 166 from the ambient environment and an open position that is remote from the carrier port.
As described above, the load lock door 172 of the load lock can move between a closed position covering the load lock port to seal the load lock chamber from the surrounding environment and an open position away from it. The carrier door drive mechanism and its operation are also as described above.
The shroud 168 has a window 60 that is normally aligned and spaced apart from the load lock port, and has a platform 60 that supports the carrier 162 so that the carrier port 164 is in close proximity to the shroud window 174. A suitable seal 176 is provided between the enclosure and the carrier to separate the interior of the enclosure and the loadlock chamber from the surrounding environment when the carrier is supported on the platform and surrounds the carrier port and the enclosure window.
The carrier door drive mechanism 160 selectively engages with the carrier door 170 and is in a first position close to the load lock door and away from the carrier (shown by a broken line in FIG. 13) and a second position away from the load lock door and near the carrier. It has a coupling mechanism 178 that moves between positions (shown in solid lines in FIG. 13). The first actuator 180 is mounted on the load lock door 172 and has a drive rod 182 that moves the coupling mechanism 178 between first and second positions.
The carrier door 170 is hollow at 184 (FIGS. 14 and 15) and has a grip groove 186 therein. The coupling mechanism 178 is mounted on the drive rod 182 and when the coupling mechanism is in the second position described above. A window 174 in a small enclosure 168 When Engage (contained in window 174) A door grip plate 188 is provided. The door grip rod 190 attached to the door grip plate 188 has a pair of bent fingers 194 at its end that move between a grip position that engages the grip groove 186 in the carrier door 170 and a released release position. is doing.
In addition, a latch mechanism 196 is provided on the carrier door to selectively engage the carrier and secure the carrier door to the carrier. For this purpose, the carrier 162 has a latch recess 198 (FIG. 14) in the carrier port 164. Along with the latch recess 198, the latch mechanism 196 has a latch 200 pivotally attached at 201 to the carrier door 170 that moves between a latched position engaged with the latch recess and a non-latched position out of the latch recess. The holding pin 202 is pivotally connected to the latch at the first end 204 in the recess 184 and has a second bent end 206 on the opposite side of the first end. The bent end 206 is received in a groove 208 between a pair of bent fingers 194 and can engage the door grip bar 190.
The compression spring 210 surrounds the holding pin 202 and presses the latch 200 to the latch position within the recess 184. The spring stops at its left end (shown in FIGS. 14 and 15) with a shoulder 212 protruding from both opposing walls of the recess 198 in the carrier door 170. The right end of the spring 210 is pressed from the shoulder 212 by a C-shaped fastener 214 fixed to the holding pin 202 at an appropriate position. With this configuration, the holding pin and its second bent end 206 are pressed to the right as seen in FIGS. 13-15. Thus, the spring 210 is effective in holding the latch 200 in the normally closed position engaged with the latch recess 198. However, the movement of the door grip bar 190 that moves the pair of bent fingers 194 to a grip position that engages the grip groove 186 is also effective to move the latch to a position that is out of the latch recess. The carrier door 170 and the door grip plate 188 come together as a result of the continuous operation of the actuator 192 (all shown in FIG. 14) holding the bent fingers 194 engaging the grip grooves 186 and holding the latch 200 in the open position. The actuator 180 can be moved to an open position indicated by a broken line in FIG.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the specification and claims. I will.

Claims (8)

A transfer delivery assembly used in combination with a system for batch loading semiconductor wafers,
The system
In substantially no particle environment, and portable carrier we send transportable while supporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers stacked at intervals,
A load lock defining a load lock chamber having a substantially particle-free environment;
A separation housing that is provided between the load lock and the carrier and seals and separates the load lock chamber and the inside of the carrier from the surrounding environment;
The load lock has a load lock port leading to the load lock chamber;
The portable carrier has a carrier port allowing access to its interior;
The assembly is
A carrier door which is provided on the carrier and which can move between a carrier closed position which covers the carrier port and seals the inside of the carrier from the surrounding environment and a carrier open position spaced apart from the carrier port;
A load lock provided on the load lock and movable between a load lock closed position that covers the load lock port and seals the load lock chamber from the surrounding environment and a load lock open position spaced apart from the load lock port. Door,
A carrier door drive mechanism provided on the load lock door and moving the carrier door between the carrier closed position and the carrier open position;
The separation housing has a front window and a rear window, the rear window being aligned with a distance from the load lock port;
Before SL separation housing has a base which said carrier port supports the carrier so as to approach the front of the window, the semiconductor wafer can enter the separating housing through the front window from the carrier And the semiconductor wafer can enter the load lock from the rear window,
Before Symbol assembly further,
The separation housing and located between the carrier, before Symbol viewed including the internal and sealing means for sealing the interior of the separation housing of the carrier from the ambient environment when said carrier is supported on said platform,
The direction in which the load lock door moves from the load lock closed position to the load lock open position is orthogonal to the direction in which the semiconductor wafer moves from the carrier through the separation housing to the load lock. assembly. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the carrier door drive mechanism is
Engageable with the carrier door and moves between a first position away from the carrier door and adjacent to the load lock door and a second position adjacent to the carrier door and away from the load lock door. A coupling means capable of,
A first actuator provided on the load lock door and moving the coupling means between the first position and the second position;
It said coupling means, when the front Symbol coupling means is in said second position, the gripping member is movable between a gripping position engaging the non-gripping position not engaging the carrier door to the carrier door Have
The carrier door drive mechanism further comprises a second actuator for moving the grip member between the non-grip position and the grip position. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the carrier door has a peripheral rim;
The first actuator has a drive rod that moves the coupling means between the first and second positions;
The coupling means comprises a coupler frame attached to the drive rod;
The grip member has a grip rod oppositely disposed, the grip rod is held in axial alignment by the coupler frame, and is moved between the non-grip position and the grip position. Each of the gripping members has a lateral gripping finger at the end;
The assembly wherein the grip finger engages the peripheral rim when the grip finger is in a grip position. The assembly of claim 1, comprising:
An assembly comprising a load lock door drive mechanism for moving the load lock door between the load lock closed position and the load lock open position. The assembly of claim 3, comprising:
A load lock door drive mechanism for moving said load lock door between the Rodoro' click open position and the Rodoro' click closed position,
When prior Symbol load lock door is moved to the load lock open position, the load lock door drive mechanism assembly, characterized in that moving said coupling means and said carrier door the load lock door and integrally. The assembly of claim 2, comprising:
The carrier door has a grip groove ;
Wherein the first actuator includes a drive rod for moving said coupling means between said first position and the second position,
The coupling means includes a door grip plate and a door grip rod;
The door grip plate is attached to the drive rod and engages a front window of the separation housing when the coupling means is in the second position;
The door grip rod is attached to the second actuator and moves between a grip position engaging with the grip groove in the carrier door and a release position where the engagement is released, and has a pair of bending fingers at the end. An assembly featuring. The assembly of claim 6, comprising:
An assembly comprising: latch means on the carrier door for engaging the carrier and securing the carrier door to the carrier. The assembly according to claim 7, comprising:
The carrier has a latch recess in the carrier port;
The latch means;
A latch pivotally attached to the carrier door and moving between a latch position engaging the latch recess and a non-latching position disengaged from the latch recess;
The latch is pivotally connected, has a first end in the carrier door, has a second bent end on the opposite side of the first end, and the bent end is the pair of bent fingers. A retaining pin that engages between and engages the door grip bar;
Elastic means for pressing the latch against the latch position, and the movement of the door grip rod that moves the pair of bending fingers to the grip position to engage with the grip groove simultaneously releases the latch from the latch recess. The assembly is moved to the non-latching position.

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