Patent ID: 7841820
Filing Date: 2010-11-30
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A wafer transport system for moving semiconductor wafers to and from wafer processing chambers, comprising: a wafer carrier configured to travel along a path; a first wafer transfer chamber interfaced with a first wafer processing chamber, the first wafer transfer chamber disposed in the path of the wafer carrier, the first wafer transfer chamber having a first wafer transfer mechanism defined to transfer the semiconductor wafer to and from the first wafer processing chamber that is not disposed in the path but is adjacent to the path; a second wafer transfer chamber interfaced with a second wafer processing chamber, the second wafer transfer chamber disposed in the path of the wafer carrier, the second wafer transfer chamber having a second wafer transfer mechanism defined to enable a transfer of the semiconductor wafer to and from the second wafer processing chamber that is not disposed in the path but is adjacent to the path; and a wafer transfer enclosure disposed in the path to connect the first wafer transfer chamber with the second wafer transfer chamber, wherein each of the first wafer transfer chamber, the second wafer transfer chamber and the wafer transfer enclosure have path segments that couple together to define the path on which the wafer carrier moves in and along the wafer transfer enclosure, the first wafer transfer chamber and the second wafer transfer chamber; wherein each of the first and second wafer transfer chambers and the wafer transfer enclosure is configured to support two wafer carriers in a vertically stacked orientation, so as to facilitate independent movement of each of the two wafer carriers through each of the first and second wafer transfer chambers and the wafer transfer enclosure in an in-line fashion.