Patent ID: 11908714
Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. An atmosphere-to-vacuum (ATV) transfer module for a substrate processing tool, the ATV transfer module comprising:
a first side configured to interface with at least one loading station disposed between the ATV transfer module and atmosphere;
a second side, opposite the first side, configured to interface with a plurality of load locks disposed between the ATV transfer module and a substrate transfer module;
a transfer robot assembly arranged within the ATV transfer module, wherein the transfer robot assembly is configured to transfer substrates between the at least one loading station and the plurality of load locks, wherein the transfer robot assembly is mounted adjacent to either the first side or the second side of the ATV transfer module; and
a transfer robot mounted on the transfer robot assembly,
wherein the transfer robot assembly is configured to (i) raise and lower the transfer robot to align the transfer robot with the plurality of load locks in a vertical direction and move the transfer robot in a horizontal direction to align the transfer robot with the plurality of load locks in the horizontal direction,
wherein the transfer robot includes at least one arm configured to fold into a folded configuration having a narrow profile, the at least one arm of the transfer robot comprising one or more arm segments and an end effector, and
wherein the transfer robot assembly and transfer robot occupy less than 50% of an overall depth of the ATV transfer module, and wherein the overall depth of the ATV transfer module corresponds to a depth in a direction extending between the first side and the second side of the ATV transfer module.