Semiconductor device manufacturing platform with single and twinned processing chambers

Abstract

A transfer chamber for semiconductor device manufacturing includes (1) a plurality of sides that define a region configured to maintain a vacuum level and allow transport of substrates between processing chambers, the plurality of sides defining a first portion and a second portion of the transfer chamber and including (a) a first side that couples to two twinned processing chambers; and (b) a second side that couples to a single processing chamber; (2) a first substrate handler located in the first portion of the transfer chamber; (3) a second substrate handler located in the second portion of the transfer chamber; and (4) a hand-off location configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first portion and the second portion of the transfer chamber using the first and second substrate handlers. Method aspects are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transfer chamber configured for use during semiconductor device manufacturing, comprising:
 a plurality of sides that define a region configured to maintain a vacuum level and allow transport of substrates between a plurality of processing chambers, the plurality of sides including:
 a first elongated side that couples to two twinned processing chambers; 
 a second side that couples to a single processing chamber; and 
 a third side that couples to a load lock chamber; 
   an extended-reach substrate handler located in the transfer chamber and configured to transport substrates between the load lock chamber, the two twinned processing chambers, and the single processing chamber; and   a hand-off location configured to provide one or more of a transfer location, substrate storage, chuck cover storage, cool-down, substrate heating, pre-processing, and post-processing.   
     
     
         2 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sides from a closed polygon shape. 
     
     
         3 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  wherein the hand-off location is configured to allow substrates to be passed between first and second portions of the transfer chamber at a first elevation and to provide one or more of the cool-down, substrate heating, pre-processing, and post-processing at a second elevation that is different than the first elevation. 
     
     
         4 . The transfer chamber of  claim 3  wherein the second elevation is above the first elevation. 
     
     
         5 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  wherein the extended-reach substrate handler comprises an off-axis handler. 
     
     
         6 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  wherein the extended-reach substrate handler comprises an extended boom. 
     
     
         7 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  wherein the extended-reach substrate handler comprises a dual blade robot operative to simultaneously transport two substrates. 
     
     
         8 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  further comprising a fourth elongated side that couples to two twinned processing chambers, the fourth elongated side opposite the first elongated side. 
     
     
         9 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  further comprising a fifth side that couples to a single processing chamber, the fifth side adjacent to the second side. 
     
     
         10 . The transfer chamber of  claim 1  further comprising a sixth side that couples to a load lock chamber, the sixth side adjacent to the third side. 
     
     
         11 . A semiconductor processing tool comprising the transfer chamber of  claim 1 , the semiconductor processing tool further comprising:
 the two twinned processing chambers coupled to the first elongated side of the transfer chamber, the two twinned processing chambers configured to share chemical or gas delivery resources;   the single processing chamber coupled to the second side of the transfer chamber;   the load lock chamber coupled to the third side of the transfer chamber;   a second set of twinned processing chambers coupled to a fourth elongated side of the transfer chamber, the second set of twinned processing chambers configured to share chemical or gas delivery resources; and   a second single processing chamber coupled to a fifth side of the transfer chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor processing tool of  claim 11 , further comprising a second load lock chamber coupled to a sixth side of the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor processing tool of  claim 11 , further comprising a controller that controls at least a portion of operations performed by the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 providing a transfer chamber having a plurality of sides that define a region configured to maintain a vacuum level and allow transport of substrates between a plurality of processing chambers, the plurality of sides defining a first portion of the transfer chamber and a second portion of the transfer chamber and including:
 a first side coupled to two twinned processing chambers configured to share chemical or gas delivery resources, and 
 a second side coupled to a single processing chamber; the transfer chamber further comprising: 
 a first substrate handler located in the region configured to maintain a vacuum level; and 
 a hand-off location configured to allow substrates to be passed between the first portion of the transfer chamber and the second portion of the transfer chamber; 
   loading a first substrate into the transfer chamber employing the first substrate handler;   transferring the first substrate to the hand-off location;   retrieving the first substrate from the hand-off location;   loading a second substrate into the transfer chamber; and   simultaneously loading the first and second substrates into the twinned processing chambers coupled to the first side of the transfer chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein at least a portion of (d) and (e) occur at the same time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first substrate handler is an extended-reach dual-blade substrate handler having a reach sufficient to transfer substrates between the first portion and the second portion and all chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, the first substrate handler configured to perform the simultaneously loading the first and second substrates into the twinned processing chambers coupled to the first side of the transfer chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising pre-processing the first substrate within the hand-off location prior to retrieving the first substrate from the hand-off location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising post-processing the first substrate within the hand-off location prior to transferring the first substrate to a single processing chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising post-processing the second substrate within the hand-off location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first substrate handler is located in the first portion of the transfer chamber, and the method further comprises providing the transfer chamber further including a second substrate handler located in the second portion of the transfer chamber, the first and second substrate handlers configured to perform the simultaneously loading the first and second substrates into the twinned processing chambers coupled to the first side of the transfer chamber.