Material or article handling – Process – Of moving material between zones having different pressures...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-22
2004-03-16
Keenan, James W. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Process
Of moving material between zones having different pressures...
C414S217000, C414S416030, C414S811000, C414S937000, C414S939000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705828
ABSTRACT:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum processing apparatus which is capable of coping with larger diameter samples while keeping the manufacturing cost to a minimum.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum processing apparatus which is capable of coping with larger diameter samples and at the same time having a better maintainability.
A further object of the present invention is to provide semiconductor manufacturing line which is capable of coping with larger diameter samples while keeping manufacturing cost to a minimum by keeping the necessary number of vacuum processing apparatuses, through more economical use of space and at the same time not decreasing the maintainability.
In order to attain the above objects, the present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus composed of a cassette block and a vacuum processing block, and the cassette block has a cassette table for mounting a cassette containing a sample, and the vacuum processing block has a processing chamber for treating the sample and a vacuum transfer means for transferring the sample. In the vacuum processing apparatus, both of the plan views of the cassette block and the vacuum processing block are nearly rectangular and the relation W
1
−W
2
≧C
W
is satisfied, where W
1
is the width of the cassette block, W
2
is the width of the vacuum processing block, and C
W
is the width of one cassette.
Another characteristic of the present invention is that the width of the cassette block is designed to be larger than the width of the vacuum processing block, and the plan view of the vacuum processing apparatus is formed in an L-shape or a T-shape.
A further characteristic of the present invention is that a semiconductor manufacturing line comprising a plurality of bay areas having a plurality of vacuum processing apparatuses composed of a cassette block and a vacuum processing block are arranged in the order of the manufacturing process, and the cassette block has a cassette table for mounting a cassette containing a sample, and the vacuum processing block has a process chamber for performing vacuum processing on the sample and a vacuum transfer means for transferring the sample. In the semiconductor manufacturing line, at least one of the vacuum processing apparatuses is designed so that the cassette block is capable of containing a sample having a diameter not less than 300 mm, and the relation W
1
−W
2
≧C
W
is satisfied, where W
1
is the width of the cassette block, W
2
is the width of the vacuum processing block, and C
W
is the width of one cassette.
A still further characteristic of the present invention is that a method of constructing a semiconductor manufacturing line which comprises a plurality of vacuum processing apparatuses composed of a cassette block capable of containing a sample having a diameter not less than 300 mm, and a vacuum processing block for performing vacuum processing on said sample. In the method of constructing a semiconductor manufacturing line, at least one of the vacuum processing apparatuses is designed so that the width of the cassette block is larger than the width of the vacuum processing block; the plane view of the vacuum processing apparatus is formed in an L-shape or a T-shape; and a maintenance space is provided between the L-shaped or the T-shaped vacuum processing apparatuses and the adjacent vacuum processing apparatus.
According to the present invention, the plan view shapes of the cassette block and the vacuum processing block are rectangular, and the cassette block and the vacuum processing block are designed so that the relation W
1
>W
2
is satisfied, where W
1
is the width of the cassette block and W
2
is the width of the vacuum processing block. Thereby, the plan view of the whole of the vacuum processing apparatus becomes L-shaped or T-shaped. In a case of arranging many such vacuum processing apparatuses, a sufficient space can be provided between the vacuum processing blocks positioned adjacent to each other, even if the interval between the vacuum processing blocks is made small. For example, when W
1
is 1.5 m and W
2
is 0.8 m, a maintenance space of 0.7 m can be provided between the vacuum processing apparatuses located adjacent to each other.
Therefore, in spite of a larger diameter sample, the number of vacuum processing apparatuses installed in a clean room, having the same area as a conventional clean room, does not need to be reduced. Accordingly, the productivity of the semiconductor manufacturing line does not decrease. Thus, it is possible to provide a vacuum processing apparatus which can cope with a larger diameter sample and, at the same time, can suppress any increase in the manufacturing cost, and has better maintainability.
Further, by employing the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention in a semiconductor manufacturing line, it is possible to provide a semiconductor manufacturing line which can cope with a larger diameter sample while keeping manufacturing cost to a minimum by keeping the necessary number of vacuum processing apparatuses, through more economical use of space and, at the same time, without decreasing the maintainability.
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IBM Technical Disclsoure Bulletin, vol. 27, No. 12, May 31, 1985, pp. 6997-6998 XP002017023 “Generic Work Station”.
Kawasaki Yoshinao
Soraoka Minoru
Yoshioka Ken
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hitachi , Ltd.
Keenan James W.
LandOfFree
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