Metal working – Barrier layer or semiconductor device making
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2001-12-25
Graybill, David E. (Department: 2814)
Metal working
Barrier layer or semiconductor device making
C414S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332898
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a maintenance method therefor, and particularly to a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and a maintenance method therefor wherein a semiconductor wafer is handled as a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes, for example, a reaction furnace, a boat for holding a large number of wafers, a boat elevator for inserting and retrieving the boat into and from the reaction furnace, a cassette shelf for accommodating wafer cassettes in which the wafers are placed, a wafer transfer device for transferring the wafers between the boat and the cassette, a cassette stage for delivering and receiving the wafer cassettes to and from the outside of the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, and a cassette transfer device for transferring the cassettes between the cassette stage and the cassette shelf.
In the above described semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, the maintenance is performed from the three directions, i.e., from the front face, the back face and one of the side faces, and therefore a space for maintenance must be secured around the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, and a large space is required for installing the apparatus, and it is uneconomical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a main object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus which requires a small space for maintenance and a small space to be installed, and to provide a maintenance method therefor.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate processing chamber, a substrate transfer device and a substrate carrier holding unit, wherein
the substrate processing chamber, the substrate transfer device and the substrate carrier holding unit are disposed in this named order, and
the substrate carrier holding unit is movable between a first substrate processing time position and a first maintenance time position.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate processing chamber, a substrate carrier transfer device, a substrate carrier bringing in/out section and a housing for covering the substrate processing chamber, the substrate carrier transfer device and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section, wherein
the substrate processing chamber, the substrate carrier transfer device and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section are disposed in this named order, and
the substrate carrier bringing in/out section is capable of rotating forward of the housing, whereby at least a portion of a front face of the housing can be opened.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus which comprises a substrate processing chamber, a substrate transfer device and a substrate carrier holding unit, wherein the substrate processing chamber, the substrate transfer device and the substrate carrier holding unit are disposed in this named order, and the substrate carrier holding unit is movable between a first substrate processing time position and a first maintenance time position, comprising the steps of:
moving the substrate carrier holding unit from the first substrate processing time position to the first maintenance time position, and
thereafter performing a maintenance for the substrate transfer device.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus which comprises a substrate processing chamber, a substrate carrier transfer device, a substrate carrier bringing in/out section and a housing for covering the substrate processing chamber, the substrate carrier transfer device and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section, wherein the substrate processing chamber, the substrate carrier transfer device and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section are disposed in this named order, and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section is capable of rotating forward of the housing, whereby at least a portion of a front face of the housing can be opened, comprising the steps of:
rotating the substrate carrier bringing in/out section forward of the housing, whereby at least the portion of the front face of the housing is opened, and
performing a maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate carrier bringing in/out section.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus which comprises a substrate processing chamber, a substrate transfer device, a substrate carrier holding unit, a substrate carrier transfer device and a substrate carrier bringing in/out section in this named order, comprising the steps of:
moving the substrate carrier bringing in/out section to a maintenance position;
moving the substrate carrier transfer device to a maintenance position;
moving the substrate carrier holding unit to a maintenance position; and
performing a maintenance for the substrate transfer device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4816098 (1989-03-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5562383 (1996-10-01), Iwai et al.
Hirano Mitsuhiro
Marubayashi Tetsuya
Tometsuka Kouji
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Graybill David E.
Kokusai Electric Co. Ltd.
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