Patent ID: 9011065
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A vacuum processing apparatus which processes a semiconductor wafer, comprising: an atmospheric transfer chamber having a plurality of cassette stands arranged on a front side thereof for transferring the wafer inside thereof, the wafer being stored in a cassette disposed on one of the plurality of cassette stands; a lock chamber arranged on a rear side of the atmospheric transfer chamber, for storing in an interior thereof the wafer transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber; a first vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the lock chamber, an inside of the first vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and through which the wafer from the lock chamber is transferred; a transfer intermediate chamber connected to a rear side of the first vacuum transfer chamber; a second vacuum transfer chamber connected to a rear side of the transfer intermediate chamber, an inside of the second vacuum transfer chamber configured to be evacuated and through which the wafer from the transfer intermediate chamber is transferred; at least one vacuum processing chamber coupled to a lateral side of the first vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the first vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processed in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto; two or more vacuum processing chambers coupled to a lateral side or a rear side of the second vacuum transfer chamber for processing the wafer transferred thereto from the second vacuum transfer chamber, the wafer being processed in the vacuum processing chamber using gas supplied thereto; a plurality of first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber which are respectively disposed between the first vacuum transfer chamber and each of the lock chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber, and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the first vacuum transfer chamber, the plurality of first gate valves opening and closing to open or close communications therebetween; a plurality of second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber which are respectively disposed between the second vacuum transfer chamber and each of the transfer intermediate chamber and the vacuum processing chamber coupled to the second transfer chamber, and the plurality of second gate valves opening and closing to open or close communications therebetween; and a first transfer robot and a second transfer robot disposed in the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, respectively, each transfer robot including a plurality of arms for transferring wafers; wherein the vacuum processing apparatus transfers the wafer transferred from the atmospheric transfer chamber to the lock chamber to one of the vacuum processing chambers via a first path including the first vacuum transfer chamber or a second path including the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, and returns the processed wafer from one of the vacuum processing chambers to the lock chamber via the same path; wherein the lock chamber, the plurality of vacuum processing chambers, the first vacuum, transfer chamber, the transfer intermediate chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber constitutes a vacuum block of the vacuum processing apparatus, and a plurality of chambers in the vacuum block are capable of being coupled to configure one vacuumed vessel inside of which is evacuated, and the vacuum processing apparatus further comprising a control unit which controls an operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber so as to open and close while the other first and second gate valves are maintained in a closed position, and wherein the control unit which, in a state where communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber is closed: controls an operation of one of the first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the first vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other first gate valves for the first vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the first transfer robot, controls an operation of one of the second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber including the gate valve disposed on the second vacuum transfer chamber side of the transfer intermediate chamber, so as to open the communication between the second vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber while the other second gate valves for the second vacuum transfer chamber are maintained in a closed position, and to close the communication after the wafer is transferred via the second transfer robot, and controls the transfers of the wafers in both the first and the second vacuum transfer chambers in parallel.