Patent ID: 8562275
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor processing system, comprising: a transfer chamber having a first port and a second port for loading or unloading substrates to be processed, the first port being disposed on a first side surface of the transfer chamber, and the second port being disposed on a second side surface different from the first side surface of the transfer chamber; a first chamber and a second chamber connected to the first port and the second port, respectively, each of the first chamber and the second chamber being a processing chamber or a load lock chamber; a transfer device, disposed in the transfer chamber, for loading or unloading the substrates to be processed via the first port and the second port, the transfer device including: a first actuation mechanism and a second actuation mechanism having a first support section and a second support section, respectively, wherein the first support section and the second support section are movable in a common space on a first vertical plane and a second vertical plane, respectively, and the first vertical plane and the second vertical plane are parallel to each other; a first movable block and a second movable block respectively supported by the first support section and the second support section so as to be moved while being maintained horizontally in the common space by the first actuation mechanism and the second actuation mechanism, respectively, wherein the first movable block and the second movable block are extended from the first support section and the second support section toward the second vertical plane and the first vertical plane, respectively, and pass through a vertical plane at a center between the first vertical plane and the second vertical plane, and wherein a vertical distance between the first movable block and the second movable block is adjustable; a first handling mechanism and a second handling mechanism respectively disposed on the first movable block and the second movable block and capable of being extended and contracted to handle substrates to be processed; a first base and a second base respectively connected to the first actuation mechanism and the second actuation mechanism; and a controller configured to control the first actuation mechanism and the second actuation mechanism such that the first movable block and the second movable block are vertically adjusted with respect to each other so as to not interfere with each other in the common space, wherein the first base and the second base are configured to reciprocate in a horizontal direction parallel to the first and the second vertical plane independently with respect to each other, wherein the first movable block and the second movable block are configured to move up and down independently with respect to each other, wherein the controller is configured to control the first actuation mechanism or the second actuation mechanism to cause the first movable block to be positioned above or below the second movable block when the first base passes the second base, wherein each of the first handling mechanism and the second handling mechanism includes at least one handling arm adapted to be extended or contracted horizontally and includes at least one member adapted to rotate the at least one handling arm in a horizontal plane, wherein the handling arm of the first handling mechanism and the handling arm of the second handling mechanism are independently rotatable with respect to each other, and wherein when the first handling mechanism transfers a substrate to the first chamber via the first port, the second handling mechanism is configured to transfer another substrate to the second chamber via the second port.