The present invention provides a multi-chamber plasma processing system. A load lock chamber having an atmospheric gate valve and a vacuum gate valve is operatively connected to a transport chamber through the vacuum gate valve. A process chamber is mounted on the load lock chamber wherein the process chamber has only one gate valve that is positioned between the transport chamber and the process chamber. The process chamber does not have an atmospheric gate valve. A substrate handling robot is mounted within the transport chamber and operatively communicates with the load lock chamber through the vacuum gate valve and operatively communicates with the process chamber through the only gate valve of the process chamber.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a multi-chamber system and, more particularly, to a multi-chamber plasma process system in which process chambers are vertical and horizontal to a load lock chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is well known in the semiconductor industry for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuitry or liquid crystal displays, a multi-chamber system is used to enhance productivity. The traditional multi-chamber system is a structure wherein a number of process chambers are arranged in a cluster type formation around a transfer chamber that is also connected to a load lock chamber. A robotic arm is positioned within the transfer chamber and is integral to the load lock chamber and each of the process chambers. The robotic arm transfers the substrate into and out of the process chambers and into and out of the load lock chambers. In the current semiconductor industry, there is a need to increase process chamber capacity on existing multi-chamber systems without increasing the use of the existing floor space.

The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber plasma processing system, comprising: a load lock chamber having a vacuum gate valve and an atmospheric gate valve; a first process chamber mounted on the load lock chamber, said first process chamber having a single gate valve; a transport chamber, said transport chamber operatively connected to the vacuum gate valve of the load lock chamber and operatively connected to the gate valve of the transport chamber; and a substrate handling robot mounted within the transport chamber.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber plasma processing system, comprising: a transport chamber; a load lock chamber operatively connected to the transport chamber, said load lock chamber having a vacuum gate valve and an atmospheric gate valve; a first process chamber mounted on the load lock chamber and operatively connected to the transport chamber, said first process chamber having only one gate valve, said gate valve positioned between the first process chamber and the transport chamber; and a substrate handling robot mounted within the transport chamber.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a method for processing a substrate in a multi-chamber plasma processing system, the method comprising: providing a transport chamber; providing a load lock chamber having an atmospheric gate valve and a vacuum gate valve, said vacuum gate valve operatively connecting the load lock chamber to the transport chamber; providing a first process chamber mounted on the load lock chamber, said first process chamber having a single gate valve, said gate valve positioned between the first process chamber and the transport chamber, said gate valve operatively connecting the first process chamber to the transport chamber; providing a substrate handling robot that is mounted within the transport chamber; moving the substrate from the load lock chamber though the vacuum gate valve of the load lock chamber into the transport chamber using the substrate handling robot; and moving the substrate from the transport chamber though the gate valve of the first process chamber into the first process chamber using the substrate handling robot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1is a schematic block diagram of a prior art system having two load lock chambers110stacked on top of each other. Each load lock chamber110has an atmospheric entry valve120on an entry side of the load lock chamber110. In addition, each load lock chamber110has a vacuum valve150on a transport chamber160side of the load lock chamber110. The prior art system has an atmospheric robot130for loading substrates into the respective load lock chamber110through the respective atmospheric entry valve120. The system has a transport chamber160under vacuum with a vacuum robot140under vacuum for transporting substrates to and from the load lock chambers110. Each load lock chamber110can receive a semiconductor substrate from atmosphere through the respective atmospheric entry valve120. The respective load lock chamber110is then brought under vacuum once the semiconductor substrate is loaded into the load lock chamber110. Then, the semiconductor substrate is transported into the transport chamber160via the vacuum robot160. From the transport chamber160, the semiconductor substrate is then transported to a process chamber (not shown) via the vacuum robot160.

In the prior art, whenever a module is mounted to a load lock module, it is always another load lock module in that it always has both an atmospheric entry gate valve and a vacuum valve. Whereas, a typical process module only has a vacuum gate valve and no atmospheric entry gate valve. The reason the typical process module has only a vacuum gate valve is because it is better for process repeatability not to open the process module to atmosphere every time a substrate is loaded. Thus, the reason for having a load lock chamber that has an atmospheric entry gate valve so that the process module is not exposed to atmosphere.

In the present invention, an improved multi-chamber processing system is presented wherein a typical process module (one that has only a vacuum valve) is mounted to the load lock module. As shown inFIG.2A, the improved multi-chamber processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention has a conventional process module180(a process module that has no atmospheric entry valve and only a vacuum valve) mounted to the bottom portion of a load lock chamber110. InFIG.2A, the load lock chamber110has an atmospheric entry valve120on an entry side of the load lock chamber110and a vacuum valve150on a transport chamber160side of the load lock chamber110. The process module180(mounted to the underside of the load lock module110) has only a vacuum valve150that is on the transport chamber side of the process module180. The system of the present invention has an atmospheric robot130for loading substrates into the load lock chamber110through the atmospheric entry valve120. The system of the present invention has a transport chamber160under vacuum with a vacuum robot140under vacuum for transporting substrates to and from the load lock chamber110and the process module180. The vacuum robot is capable of transporting substrates to/from the load lock chamber110to the process module180. Specifically, the load lock chamber110transfer a semiconductor substrate to/from atmosphere through the atmospheric entry valve120. The load lock chamber110is brought under vacuum once the semiconductor substrate is loaded into the load lock chamber110. Then, the semiconductor substrate is transported into the transport chamber160via the vacuum robot160through the vacuum valve150. From the transport chamber160, the semiconductor substrate can be transported to the process chamber180mounted to the bottom portion of the load lock chamber110or to any other process chamber (not shown) via the vacuum robot160.

In the present invention, an improved multi-chamber processing system is presented wherein a typical process module (one that has only a vacuum valve) is mounted to the load lock module. As shown inFIG.2B, the improved multi-chamber processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention has a conventional process module180(a process module that has no atmospheric entry valve and only a vacuum valve) mounted to the top portion of a load lock chamber110. InFIG.2B, the load lock chamber110has an atmospheric entry valve120on an entry side of the load lock chamber110and a vacuum valve150on a transport chamber160side of the load lock chamber110. The process module180(mounted to the topside of the load lock module110) has only a vacuum valve150that is on the transport chamber side of the process module180. The system of the present invention has an atmospheric robot130for loading substrates into the load lock chamber110through the atmospheric entry valve120. The system of the present invention has a transport chamber160under vacuum with a vacuum robot140under vacuum for transporting substrates to and from the load lock chamber110and the process module180. The vacuum robot is capable of transporting substrates to/from the load lock chamber110to the process module180. Specifically, the load lock chamber110transfer a semiconductor substrate to/from atmosphere through the atmospheric entry valve120. The load lock chamber110is brought under vacuum once the semiconductor substrate is loaded into the load lock chamber110. Then, the semiconductor substrate is transported into the transport chamber160via the vacuum robot160through the vacuum valve150. From the transport chamber160, the semiconductor substrate can be transported to the process chamber180mounted to the bottom portion of the load lock chamber110or to any other process chamber (not shown) via the vacuum robot160.