Patent ID: 11901206
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 15:
16. A system, comprising:
a workstation body maintained at a set pressure level;
first, second, third and fourth pressurized load ports each interfaced with the workstation body, wherein the workstation body comprises an internal material handling system configured to move a semiconductor workpiece within the workstation body between the first, second, third and fourth pressurized load ports at the set pressure level;
a first modular tool configured to process the semiconductor workpiece, the first modular tool having only a single chamber interfaced with the first and second pressurized load ports, wherein the first pressurized load port is used for a first application and the second pressurized load port is used for a second application different from the first application; and
a second modular tool configured to receive and process the semiconductor workpiece from the first modular tool, the second modular tool having only a single chamber interfaced with the third and fourth pressurized load ports, wherein the third pressurized load port is used for a third application and the fourth pressurized load port is used for a fourth application different from the third application, wherein:
the first pressurized load port is configured to receive the semiconductor workpiece from the processing tool, wherein an air pressure in the first pressurized load port is equalized with a set pressure level; and
the second pressurized load port is configured to receive the semiconductor workpiece from the first pressurized load port, wherein the second pressurized load port is set at the set pressure level when receiving the semiconductor workpiece from the first pressurized load port and thereafter set to an external air pressure.