System and method for handling multiple workpieces for matrix configuration processing

Abstract

A system for loading workpieces into a process chamber for processing in a matrix configuration includes a conveyor configured to transport multiple workpieces in a linear fashion. A workpiece hotel is configured to receive the multiple workpieces from the conveyor. The workpiece hotel comprises a matrix of cells arranged in N columns and M floors. A pick blade is configured to insert into the hotel and retract from the hotel in order to unload a plurality of substrates from a first floor into a single row of the pick blade, and to repeat the unloading operation to form a matrix comprising a plurality of rows of substrates disposed on the pick blade. In one example, the workpiece hotel has a staggered configuration that provides individual accessibility of each hotel cell.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for loading workpieces into a process chamber comprising:
 a workpiece hotel defined by a matrix of cells arranged in N columns and M floors, each of said cells configured to receive a workpiece; and   a pick blade configured to insert into the hotel and retract from the hotel, wherein the pick blade is operable to unload a plurality of workpieces from a first of said M floors onto the pick blade, and to repeat the unloading operation to form a matrix comprising a plurality of rows of workpieces disposed on the pick blade.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece hotel comprises a staggered structure in which a vertical level of each cell differs from a vertical level of a nearest cell in an adjacent hotel column by an amount greater than a sum of a thickness of the workpiece and pick blade thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each cell of the matrix of cells comprises a plurality of supports configured to support a workpiece along a peripheral portion of the workpiece, the plurality of supports including opposed supports defining an open portion having a width W therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the conveyor comprises a 1×X conveyor belt having a width T that is less than the open portion width W, and wherein the conveyor belt and workpiece hotel are mutually configured to provide a relative vertical motion of the conveyor with respect to the workpiece hotel. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece hotel comprises a 1×M×N matrix of cells in which M is a number of stacked cells in a hotel column that is greater than one, and N is a number of hotel columns that is greater than one. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the pick blade and workpiece hotel are mutually configured to provide a relative vertical motion of the pick blade with respect to the workpiece hotel, the pick blade further configured to insert into the hotel and retract from the hotel, wherein the workpiece hotel and pick blade are interoperable so as to allow placement of a workpiece received from the hotel at any position of a matrix of positions in the pick blade, when workpieces are present at other positions of the matrix of positions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the process chamber forms part of an ion implantation system that comprises:
 a substrate platen configured to receive a plurality of workpieces from the pick blade; and   an ion beam configured to impinge upon the substrate platen.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an unloading portion that comprises:
 an unloading pick blade configured to unload workpieces received from the process chamber into a two dimensional matrix on the pick blade;   an unloading workpiece hotel, wherein the unloading hotel is configured to load the two dimensional matrix of workpieces received from the unloading pick blade into a plurality of floors; and   an unloading conveyor configured to receive workpieces from the unloading workpiece hotel and to transport the workpieces in a linear fashion.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the workpiece hotel and the unloading workpiece hotel each comprise a staggered structure in which a vertical level of each cell differs from a vertical level of a nearest cell in an adjacent hotel column by an amount greater than a sum of thicknesses of the workpiece and pick blade thickness. 
     
     
         10 . A method of handling substrates, comprising:
 loading a first plurality of substrates into at least a first of a plurality of floors of a substrate hotel, wherein each floor comprises a plurality of cells and each cell is configured to support a substrate; and   unloading a second plurality of substrates from the substrate hotel in a floor-by-floor fashion onto a pick blade, wherein the unloaded substrates form a two dimensional matrix of substrates on the pick blade.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the unloading the plurality of substrates comprises:
 inserting the pick blade into the substrate hotel at a first horizontal position that lies underneath a first of said plurality of floors;   lowering the substrate hotel to a first vertical position, wherein substrates in the first floor come to rest on the pick blade in a first row;   moving the pick blade to a second horizontal position that lies beneath a second of said plurality of floors; and   lowering the substrate hotel to a second vertical position, wherein substrates in the second floor come to rest on the pick blade in a second row.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 transferring substrates on the pick blade to a two dimensional matrix on a substrate platen in an ion implanter;   exposing the set of substrates on the substrate platen to ion implantation; and   transferring the ion-implanted substrates from the ion implanter.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transferring the ion implanted substrates from the ion implanter comprises:
 transferring the ion implanted substrates from the ion implanter to an unloading pick blade in a two dimensional substrate matrix; and   transferring the two dimensional matrix of ion-implanted substrates from the unloading pick blade to a plurality of floors in an unloading substrate hotel.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the substrate hotel and unloading substrate hotel comprise a staggered configuration that includes a plurality of cells arranged in a stair-step fashion, wherein each matrix position of the two dimensional matrix of the pick blade corresponds to a given step in the hotel.