Claims
- 1. A semiconductor wafer planarization system for processing workpieces comprising:
a transfer corridor having a first end and a second end; one or more corridor robots disposed in the transfer corridor and positionable between the first end and the second end; one or more polishing modules, each polishing module having one or more polishing heads for holding workpieces during processing; and at least one loading device having at least one load cup, the loading device adapted to transfer workpieces between at least one of the one or more corridor robots and the one or more polishing heads.
- 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a first robot disposed adjacent the first end.
- 3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:
one or more wafer storage cassettes disposed adjacent the first robot, wherein the first robot is adapted to transfer workpieces between the cassettes and the first end of the transfer corridor.
- 4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:
a second robot disposed adjacent the second end and adapted to retrieve workpieces from the second end.
- 5. The system of claim 2 further comprising:
a cleaning module disposed adjacent the transfer corridor.
- 6. The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a cleaning module disposed adjacent the transfer corridor between the first robot and the second robot.
- 7. The system of claim 5 further comprising:
a metrology device disposed adjacent the transfer corridor and cleaning module.
- 8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more staging areas disposed between the first end and the second end of the transfer corridor.
- 9. The system of claim 8, wherein each staging area comprises one or more staging platforms.
- 10. The system of claim 9, wherein each staging platform comprises:
a body; a rim extending from the body having notches cut therein; and one or more nozzles adapted to maintain the workpiece disposed on the platform in a wet condition.
- 11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a first staging area disposed at the first end of the transfer corridor; a second staging area disposed at the second end; and a third staging area disposed between the first and second staging areas.
- 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more corridor robots comprises:
a first corridor robot; and a second corridor robot.
- 13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more corridor robots comprises:
a first gripper; and a second gripper.
- 14. The system of claim 13, wherein each gripper further comprises:
a first member; a second member movable relative to the first member; a plurality of posts extending the first member and second member; and a co-planar notch formed in each post.
- 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one loading device comprises a first load cup and a second load cup.
- 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one loading device comprises:
a yoke, a first load cup disposed on the yoke; a second load cup disposed on the yoke; a positioning mechanism for moving the yoke between a first position accessible by at least one of the one or more corridor robots and a second position accessible by one of the polishing modules.
- 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one loading device moves substantially perpendicular to a path of at least one corridor robot.
- 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one loading device comprises a first shuttle table and a second shuttle table.
- 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more polishing modules comprises a first polishing module and a second polishing module.
- 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more polishing modules comprise a first polishing head and a second polishing head.
- 21. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more polishing modules comprises:
a first polishing module and a second polishing module, and wherein the at least one loading device comprises: a first shuttle table adapted to transfer workpieces between the first polishing module and the at least one of the one or more corridor robots; and a second shuttle table adapted to transfer workpieces between the second polishing module and at least one of the one or more corridor robots.
- 22. The system of claim 21, wherein each polishing module comprises a first polishing head and a second polishing head.
- 23. A semiconductor wafer planarization system for processing workpieces comprising:
a transfer corridor having a first staging area, a second staging area and a third staging area, the first staging area disposed proximate a first end of the transfer corridor, the second staging area disposed proximate a second end of the transfer corridor, and the third staging area disposed between the first and second staging areas; a first corridor robot disposed in the transfer corridor and positionable between the first staging area and the third staging area; a second corridor robot disposed in the transfer corridor and positionable between the third staging area and the second staging area; one or more polishing modules, each polishing module having one or more polishing heads for holding workpieces during processing; at least one loading device having at least one load cup, the loading device adapted to transfer workpieces between the corridor robots and the one or more polishing heads.
- 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more polishing module comprises a first polishing module and a second polishing module, each polishing module further comprising a first polishing head and a second polishing head.
- 25. The system of claim 23, wherein each staging area comprises a first staging platform and a second staging platform.
- 26. A method for processing a workpiece comprising the steps of:
gripping one or more workpieces from a first staging area by a first robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the first robot to a first set of one or more load cups; transferring the one or more workpieces in the load cups into respective polishing heads of a first chemical mechanical polishing module; processing the one or more workpieces; transferring the one or more workpieces from the respective polishing heads into the first set load cups; gripping the one or more workpieces from the first set of load cups by the first robot; and transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the first robot to a second staging area.
- 27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:
gripping one or more workpieces from the second staging area by a second robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the second robot to a second set of one or more load cups; transferring the one or more workpieces in the second set of load cups into respective polishing heads of a second chemical mechanical polishing module; processing the one or more workpieces in the second chemical mechanical polishing module; transferring the one or more workpieces from the respective polishing heads of the second chemical mechanical polishing module into the second set of one or more load cups; gripping the one or more workpieces from the second set of one or more load cups by the second robot; and transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the second robot to a third staging area.
- 28. The method of claim 27 further comprising transferring the one or more workpieces from one or more wafer storage cassettes to the first staging area by a third robot.
- 29. The method of claim 28 further comprising transferring the one or more workpieces from the third staging area to a cleaning module by a fourth robot.
- 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more workpieces comprise two workpieces that are transferred simultaneously.
- 31. A method for processing a workpiece comprising the steps of:
gripping one or more workpieces from a first staging area by a first robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the first robot to a first set of one or more load cups; transferring the one or more workpieces in the load cups into respective polishing heads of a first chemical mechanical polishing module; processing the one or more workpieces; transferring the one or more workpieces from the respective polishing heads into the first set of load cups; gripping one or more workpieces from the first set of load cups by a second robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the second robot to a second staging area.
- 32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the steps of:
gripping the one or more workpieces from the second staging area by the first robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the first robot to a second set of one or more load cups; transferring the one or more workpieces in the second set of load cups into respective polishing heads of a second chemical mechanical polishing module; and processing the one or more workpieces on the second chemical mechanical polishing module.
- 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:
transferring the one or more workpieces from the respective polishing heads of the second chemical mechanical polishing module into the second set of one or more load cups; gripping one or more workpieces from the second set of one or more load cups by the second robot; transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the second robot to a third staging area.
- 34. The method of claim 32 further comprising simultaneously processing workpieces in the first and second polishing modules.
- 35. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of transferring the one or more workpieces gripped by the second robot to the second staging area further comprises:
passing the workpieces by the second staging area; and positioning the workpieces in a second set of load cups that load a second polishing module.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is related to U.S. patent application No. 09/718,552, filed Nov. 22, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application additionally claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/185,812, filed Feb. 29, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60185812 |
Feb 2000 |
US |