Transport and handing-over arrangement for disc-shaped substrates, vacuum treatment installation and method for manufacture treated substrates

Abstract

A method of manufacturing substrates using a transport and handing-over arrangement for disc shaped substrates, including a carrier and a take-over arrangement. A substrate carrier of magnetisable material has a peripheral protruding rim. An untreated substrate lies in the substrate carrier below the rim. The substrate carrier is taken-over from the take-over arrangement by controlling a distance between a permanent magnet and the substrate carrier and transported from to a treatment station. The controlled drive of the permanent magnets in the take-over arrangement is performed by means of pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangements.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing substrates treated in a treatment station, wherein untreated substrates are transported by a transport and handing-over arrangement, comprising: a carrier with a carrier surface; a take-over arrangement comprising a take-over surface opposite and spaced from the carrier surface, and at least one permanent magnet; and a tray-shaped substrate carrier held on the carrier surface due to its weight, said tray-shaped substrate carrier including at least one planar recess accommodation for a substrate, a peripheral protruding rim surrounding the at least one planar recess accommodation, and at least one part of magnetisable material, said method comprising the steps of: placing at least one of the untreated substrates in the at least one planar recess accommodation of the substrate carrier, such that the at least one of the untreated substrates lies below the peripheral protruding rim; controllably moving the substrate carrier and the take-over arrangement relative and parallel to each other, such that at least one part of the magnetisable material of the substrate carrier aligns with the at least one permanent magnet at the take-over surface and creates a magnetic force perpendicular to the substrate carrier during take-over of the substrate carrier by the take-over arrangement, thereby avoiding lateral shifting; controllably varying a distance between the at least one permanent magnet and the at least one part of magnetisable material into first and second predefined distance positions, such that in the first distance position the magnetic force acting on the substrate carrier is larger than the weight of the substrate carrier, and in the second distance position, the magnetic force acting on the substrate carrier is smaller than the weight of the substrate carrier; overcoming the weight of the substrate carrier by raising the magnetic force effective between the at least one part of magnetisable material and the at least one permanent magnet; taking over the substrate carrier with the at least one of the untreated substrates by the take-over arrangement; transporting the substrate carrier with the at least one of the untreated substrates towards the treatment station by the transport and handing-over arrangement; loading the substrate carrier with the at least one of the untreated substrates into the treatment station by the transport and handing-over arrangement; treating the at least one of the untreated substrates in the treatment station; unloading the treated substrates out of the treatment station; and transporting the treated substrates away from the treatment station.

2. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the step of treating the at least one of the untreated substrates in the treatment station comprises coating the at least one of the untreated substrates while the substrate lies in the tray-shaped substrate carrier below the peripheral protruding rim.

3. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the take-over arrangement comprises, in a pneumatic cylinder, at least one piston movable towards the carrier surface and therefrom, coupled with at least one permanent magnet.

4. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 3, wherein the permanent magnet is encapsulated with the piston in the pneumatic cylinder.

5. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the step of moving the take-over arrangement towards the carrier surface is performed by a drive.

6. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the at least one permanent magnet is covered by a material layer towards the carrier surface.

7. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein an elastic damper member is provided between the take-over surface and the substrate carrier and/or between the substrate carrier and the carrier surface, which damps an impact of the substrate carrier on the take-over surface or the carrier surface.

8. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 7, wherein the damper member comprises an elastic ring, which is arranged in the take-over surface and/or in the carrier surface, and/or in a surface of the substrate carrier, and which, in cross-section, protrudes above the surface, on which the elastic ring is arranged.

9. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 8, wherein the elastic ring is arranged on the peripheral protruding rim.

10. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the at least one planar recess accommodation has a similar shape to the substrate, said shape being rectangular, quadratic or circular.

11. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein lateral guides for the lateral position of the substrate carrier relative to the take-over arrangement are provided on the substrate carrier and/or on the take-over surface and/or on the carrier surface.

12. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein at least two take-over arrangements are provided, with respective transfer surfaces of the take-over arrangements along a common plane perpendicular to an axis, and configured to controllably pivot about the axis together.

13. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the substrates are disc-shaped.

14. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a wafer.

15. The method of manufacturing substrates according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral protruding rim prevents exposure of the substrate to the take-over surface of the take-over arrangement.

Description

(1) Examples of the invention will now be explained with reference to the figures:

(2) These show:

(3) FIG. 1 schematically and simplified, a first embodiment of a transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention, in a first working position;

(4) FIG. 2 the device according to FIG. 1 in the same representation in a second working position;

(5) FIG. 3 a further embodiment of the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention in schematic, simplified representation, analogous to those of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(6) FIG. 4 a further embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention, in simplified, schematic form;

(7) FIG. 5 a top-view of a substrate carrier according to the invention, as it can be applied on the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention in a variant embodiment;

(8) FIG. 6 schematically in the form of a functional/signal-flow diagram, the manufacturing of treated substrates according to the invention with the help of the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention;

(9) FIG. 7 schematically and simplified, the manufacturing of a treated substrate with a transport and handing-over arrangement to the invention.

(10) FIG. 1 illustrates, simplified and schematically, the basic principle of a transport and handing-over arrangement according to the present invention. The transport and handing-over arrangement 1 comprises a carrier 3 with a carrier surface 3.sub.o, which lies substantially horizontally. As schematically illustrated by means of rollers 5, the carrier 3 is movable forwards and/or backwards, controlled and driven by a schematically-illustrated drive 3.sub.A. Substrate carriers 7 lie on the carrier surface 3.sub.o, whose weight G is sufficient to hold them in position on the carrier surface 3.sub.o. If the carrier 3 is strongly accelerated, such as for instance by stepwise feeding in one of the directions B3, non-dynamically controlled retention means, such as protrusions or pins 9 are provided which prevent inertia-related sliding of the substrates carrier 7.

(11) FIG. 1 merely illustrates one of the substrate carriers 7. The substrate carrier 7 exhibits on its free surface 7.sub.o one or more recesses 11 as substrate accommodation. The recesses 11 are geometrically similar to the contour of a respective substrate (not illustrated) to be received therein, and thus surround the substrate with little play. The substrate carriers 7 are constructed in one or more pieces and comprise in each case a part of magnetisable material, such as of magnetisable stainless steel.

(12) In the illustration of FIG. 1, the substrate carrier 7 is single-piece and thereby consists of the aforementioned magnetisable material. It is however in any case possible to create the substrate carriers from multiple parts, for instance from parts consisting of aluminum and parts consisting of the aforementioned magnetisable material, screwing or welding these parts and/or to provide cut-outs and/or through openings on the substrate carrier. Thereby the weight G of the substrate carrier 7 is so optimised that on the one hand good retention with sufficient retention friction on the carrier surface 3.sub.o is ensured, and on the other hand not too great forces must be exerted during a yet-to-be-described take-over action.

(13) Also, several recesses 11 each for a substrate can be provided on the substrate carrier 7, formed as has already been described. If it is desired to be able to flexibly receive variously-formed substrates on one substrate carrier 7, the substrate carrier 7 can comprise replaceable inserts such as schematically illustrated with 12, each with substrate-shape-specific recesses 11. In this case the magnetisable material is not provided on such inserts 12, but is provided on the frame-like part of the substrate carrier 7 which receives such inserts 12.

(14) The disc-shaped substrates received in the recesses 11 are areally supported therein and substrates can be received therein ranging from flexible, thin, film-like substrates to thicker, rigid substrates.

(15) Furthermore, the transport and handing-over arrangement 1 comprises a schematically-illustrated take-over arrangement 15. This has a take-over surface 15.sub.o and is normally controllably movable in at least one of the illustrated directions continuously or in steps, as illustrated with the double arrow B15, by means of a controlled drive 15.sub.A. The carrier 3 and the take-over arrangement 15 are generally moveable relative to each other and substantially parallel to the surfaces 3.sub.o, 15.sub.o, by means of one or by means of two drives such that a substrate carrier 7 on the carrier surface 3.sub.o can be respectively brought into alignment with the take-over surface 15.sub.o.

(16) One or several permanent magnets 17 is/are provided in the take-over arrangement 15. According to the illustration of FIG. 1, the one or more than one permanent magnets 17 are controllably movably driven by means of pneumatically driven piston/cylinder arrangements 19 in the direction illustrated with the double arrow B17 towards the carrier surface 3.sub.o or away therefrom. In the schematic illustration according to FIG. 1, the respective magnet or each of the magnets 17 is/are actuated by means of a specifically allocated small piston/cylinder arrangement 19. If several of the magnets 17 are provided, which is usually the case, and are distributed along the take-over surface 15.sub.o, such that they substantially cover a peripheral area of an aligned substrate carrier 7, it is of course possible to drive two or more of the magnets 17 commonly by means of one pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the permanent magnets 17 are each coupled to pistons of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19.

(17) The arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1 functions as follows: By relative movement of the take-over arrangement 15 and of the carrier 3, a substrate carrier 7 lying on the carrier surface 3.sub.o is aligned with the take-over surface 15.sub.o and thereby with the one or more permanent magnets 17. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the one or several permanent magnets 17 are in the first distance position with respect to the carrier surface 3.sub.o and thus with respect to the substrate carrier 7, i.e. in the OFF position. The magnetic force of the magnets 17 in this OFF position is insufficient to overcome the weight G of the substrate carrier 7.

(18) Now, the permanent magnets 17 are lowered towards the carrier surface 3.sub.o into a second distance position, the ON position, by means of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19. There, the magnetic forces between the permanent magnets 17 and the magnetisable material on the substrate carrier 7 are sufficient to overcome the substrate carrier weight G, thus the substrate carrier 7, with or without a substrate in the recess 11, jumps onto the take-over surface 15.sub.o. The take-over arrangement 15 can now be moved together with the substrate carrier 7 and, if applicable, the substrate, to a particular target position (not illustrated), where the substrate carrier and, if applicable, the substrate are handled further, for instance are transferred to a further carrier or conveyor.

(19) FIG. 2 illustrates the arrangement according to FIG. 1 with magnets 17 positioned in the ON position, as well as with a substrate carrier 7 which has been taken-over onto the take-over arrangement 15. Following the explanations in respect of FIG. 1, further explanations in respect of FIG. 2 are not necessary for the skilled person. All parts explained in reference to FIG. 1 which are not necessary for explaining the take-over process have been left out in FIG. 2 for reasons of clearness.

(20) As is evident from FIG. 2, for returning a substrate carrier 7 with or without a substrate (not illustrated) present in the recess 11, the at least one or the several permanent magnets 17 are returned into the OFF position according to FIG. 1 by means of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19, upon which the substrate carrier 7 falls onto the carrier surface 3.sub.o by gravity.

(21) From the explanations of FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that on the one hand the substrate carrier 7 jumps towards the take-over surface 15.sub.o on take-over and, on the other hand, on handing-over, falls abruptly from the take-over arrangement 15 onto the carrier surface 3.sub.o. To carry out a gentle take-over of the substrate carrier 7 onto the take-over surface 15.sub.o, or a gentle handing-over of a substrate carrier 7 to the carrier surface 3.sub.o, the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, is further constructed according to FIG. 3. Departing from the simplified representation of FIG. 2, the embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs as follows:

(22) The take-over arrangement 15 is, on its part, controllably drivably movable in a direction according to double arrow V15 towards the carrier surface 3.sub.o or retractable from the carrier surface 3.sub.o, by means of a drive 21, which is for instance a pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement. In this embodiment of the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention, the take-over and handing-over of the substrate carrier 7 is effected as follows:

(23) With the substrate carrier 7 aligned with the take-over surface and aligned with the permanent magnets 17, lying on the carrier surface 3.sub.o under the force of gravity, the take-over arrangement 15 is lowered onto or immediately over the substrate carrier 7 by means of the drive 21, with the permanent magnets 17 in the OFF position. The magnetic force of the permanent magnets 17 is insufficient to overcome the weight of the substrate carrier 7.

(24) Now the permanent magnets 17 are advanced into the ON position as illustrated in FIG. 2, by means of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19, whereby the substrate carrier weight G is overcome. Without having changed position, the substrate carrier 7 now adheres to the take-over surface 15.sub.o. The take-over arrangement 15 is lifted together with the substrate carrier 7, with or without a substrate in the recess 11, from the carrier surface 3.sub.o, with the permanent magnets 17 remaining in the ON position. As previously described, the take-over arrangement 15 can now be moved with the substrate carrier to a destination position (not illustrated).

(25) For returning a substrate carrier 7 from the take-over surface 15.sub.o to the carrier surface 3.sub.o, the take-over arrangement 15 is lowered towards the carrier surface 3.sub.o by means of the drive 21 with the permanent magnet 17 in the ON position, until the substrate carrier 7 lies on the said carrier surface 3.sub.o. The permanent magnet or magnets 17 are only now withdrawn into the OFF position (according to FIG. 1) by means of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement 19, whereby the substrate carrier 7 lies with its weight G on the carrier surface 3.sub.o and remains there was the take-over arrangement 15 is again raised by means of the drive 21.

(26) In this manner, a gentle, shock-free take-over and/or handing-over of the substrate carrier 7 to the take-over surface 15.sub.o and/or to the carrier surface 3.sub.o is realised. It should be expressed at this point that the said return or handing-over does not necessarily have to take place on the same carrier 3 from which the substrate carrier 7 was taken-over. The return transfer can be, and often is, carried out on a further carrier (not illustrated) in the destination position of the take-over arrangement 15.

(27) FIG. 4 illustrates in a further embodiment, again simplified and schematically, a transport and handing-over arrangement according to the present invention. The illustration according to FIG. 4 departs in principle from the illustration according to FIG. 3 and the corresponding embodiment. It differs therefrom especially by a special construction of the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangement for driving the permanent magnets and the specific construction of the substrate carriers, and by the mutual effect of the substrate carrier and the respective abutment surfaces and its accommodations. All of these specific variants are not bound to the realisation according to FIG. 3, rather they can be each carried out individually or in combination in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 or 2.

(28) Components and parts of the transport and handing-over arrangement which have already been described are addressed with the same reference signs in FIG. 4 as have already been used and described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3.

(29) Concerning the Specific Construction of the Pneumatic Piston/Cylinder Arrangements 19:

(30) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangements 19.sub.4, which are controlled by compressed air lines 30 in the descending and retracting directions B17, are provided with pistons which directly form the permanent magnets 17.sub.4, or which carry these magnets (not illustrated) directly on their surfaces facing the carrier surface 3.sub.o. Thereby, the permanent magnets 17.sub.4 are encapsulated in the pneumatic cylinders 19.sub.4. Thereby, an extremely compact and robust construction of the moveable permanent magnets 17.sub.4 and of their drive in the take-over arrangement 15 is realised.

(31) The exemplified construction of pneumatic piston/cylinder arrangements and permanent magnets is, as addressed, also applicable to the embodiment of the transport and handing-over arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and 2 with the corresponding advantages.

(32) Concerning Substrate Carrier 7:

(33) According to FIG. 4, the substrate carrier 7.sub.4 comprises a peripheral protruding rim 25. Thereby it is ensured that substrates 12, also possibly with applied coatings, lying in the one or more recesses 11 never come into contact with the take-over surface 15.sub.o. It is equally ensured thereby that, on the substrate carrier 7.sub.4, in areas around the recesses, deposited coating material never comes into contact with the take-over surface, whereby the risk of forming particles is reduced. Furthermore, dampers are provided between the take-over surface 15.sub.o and the surface 7.sub.o of the substrate carrier 7.sub.4 facing theretowards and/or between the back-side substrate surface 7.sub.r of the substrate carrier 7.sub.4 and the carrier surface 3.sub.o, to dampen any possibly occurring shocks during take-over or handing-over of the substrate carrier 7.sub.4. To this end, as shown in FIG. 4, in a good embodiment of such a damper member, a ring 27, similar to a sealing ring, of elastic material is inletted on the take-over surface 15.sub.o and protrudes above the said surface 15.sub.o. It is however possible and possibly also advantageous to provide the damper member, particularly a surrounding ring of elastic material on the surface 7.sub.o of the substrate carrier 7.sub.4 facing the take-over surface 15.sub.o, particularly on its peripheral protruding rim 25, as illustrated in broken lines. As is further illustrated in FIG. 4 in broken lines, additionally or alternatively such a ring 27 can either be provided on the periphery of the rear surface 7.sub.r of the substrate carrier, and/or on the carrier surface 3.sub.o. The said elastic rings surround the one or several recesses 11 for the one or the several substrates 12, if they are arranged on the upper side 70 of the substrate carrier 7.sub.4 facing the take-over surface 150.

(34) Also the provision of a peripheral protruding rim 25 on the substrate carrier, and/or of one or several damper member particularly formed as elastic rings, is not limited to the embodiment according to FIG. 3, rather can also by all means be combined with those according to FIGS. 1 and/or 2.

(35) As is further apparent from FIG. 4, positioning organs 29 can be provided, with which substrate carriers 7 can be precisely positioned laterally on, and be prevented from sliding on, the take-over surface 15.sub.o as taken-over. Such positioning organs 29 can comprise protrusions, pins etc, with bevelled guiding surfaces, as is in any case known to the skilled person. Also, the provision of such positioning organs can be applied in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

(36) FIG. 5 shows in plan view a substrate carrier 7 or 7.sub.4 according to the invention, as it is preferably applied to the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention. It consists, for example, one-pieced of ferromagnetic stainless steel. On the plan view, film-like substrates 12 are clearly visible within recesses 11, as well as cut-outs 16, by which the weight of the substrate carrier 7 or 7.sub.4 is optimised to the necessary weight. Furthermore, the thin, peripheral protruding rim 25 can be seen.

(37) FIG. 6 illustrates, highly simplified and schematically, a further embodiment of the transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention. On a multi-armed transport and handing-over robot 32 (here constructed with two arms), a take-over arrangement 15 is provided on the end of each of the robot arms. The up-and-down movement according to V15 of FIG. 3 is carried out by the up-and-down movement of the two-armed robot 32 as a whole. It is controllably pivotably driven around axis A, which is perpendicular to the carrier surfaces.

(38) One of the take-over arrangements 15 is respectively pivoted over the carrier 3 so as to take-over a substrate carrier 7, with or without a substrate depending on the operating mode, or to deliver the same to the carrier 3. By pivoting the robot, as illustrated with , for instance the just-taken-over substrate carrier 7 is pivoted into destination position D, and is there, for instance handed, to a further carrier 3. At the same time, an unoccupied take-over arrangement 15 is pivoted into position over carrier 3 due to the multi-arm arrangement.

(39) In FIG. 7, the manufacturing of a treated substrate with a transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention as hereintofore described is illustrated, simplified, in the form of a function block/signal flow diagram. 3, 3B, 3C and 3D indicate carriers, or transport organs for substrate carriers 7. A transport and handing-over arrangement according to the present invention, illustrated schematically in FIG. 7 by a two-armed robot according to FIG. 6, is arranged before or after a treatment station 35 for substrates. A transport and handing-over arrangement according to the invention can be arranged before and after the treatment station 35, as is in fact shown in FIG. 7. The take-over and handing-over of the substrate carrier 7 between a substrate carrier 3 and a take-over arrangement 15 can be carried out very quickly due to the simple construction, for instance within 500 ms, which significantly raises the throughput of the whole treatment process, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 7, during manufacturing of treated substrates.