Patent ID: 6190103
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A substrate handling apparatus comprising:a load lock chamber having a port for transferring substrates in and out of the load lock chamber;a transfer elevator disposed inside the load lock chamber, the transfer elevator having an upper station with an upper elevator spacing thereabove and a lower station disposed generally below the upper station, the lower station being spaced from the upper station by a lower elevator spacing, the transfer elevator being movable between an up position to generally align the lower station with the port of the load lock chamber and a down position to generally align the upper station with the port of the load lock chamber;a process station disposed inside the load lock chamber, the process station having a first portion and a second portion, at least one of the first portion and the second portion being movable relative to the other of the first portion and the second portion between an open position and a closed position, the first portion and the second portion being coupled with each other in the closed position and being separated from each other in the open position by a process station spacing; anda transfer device disposed inside the load lock chamber, the transfer device including a pair of transfer arms which define an open space therebetween and are movable between the transfer elevator at least partially through one of the upper and lower elevator spacings and the process station at least partially through the process station spacing, the transfer arms being rotatable relative to each other between a support position and a release position, the transfer arms moving toward each other in rotation to decrease the size of the open space therebetween in the support position to contact a substrate to support the substrate and moving apart from each other in rotation to increase the size of the open space therebetween in the release position to release the substrate,wherein the open space between the transfer arms is sufficiently large in the release position to allow movement of at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the process station between the open position and the closed position when the process station is disposed in the open space between the pair of transfer arms.