Wafer engine

Chip machine

[0001] This application is a divisional application for an invention patent application with an application number of "02819331.8", an application date of August 30, 2002, and an invention title of "chip machine".

[0002] Claimed priority

[0003] This application is required to be submitted on August 31, 2001, the application number is No. 60/316, 722, the name is ^uUNIVERSAL MODULAR PROCESSING INTERFACESYSTEM" is the priority of the provisional application, which is hereby incorporated for reference.

[0004] Cross-references to related applications

[0005] 1. Submitted on March 1, 2002 under the name ^uUNIFIED FRAME FORSEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

HANDLING SYSTEM" US Patent Application No. 10/087, 638; and

[0006] 2. United States Patent Application No. 10/087, 092, filed on March 1, 2002, entitled "SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALHANDLING SYSTEM"

[0007] Field of Invention

[0008] The present invention generally relates to a wafer transfer system. More specifically, the present invention includes a wafer engine for moving the wafer along the x-axis, z-axis, and radial axis and rotating the wafer about the θ-axis.

[0009] Background of the invention

[0010] A standard mechanical interface box (SMIF box) usually includes a box door that closely cooperates with the box shell to provide a sealed environment in which chips can be stored and transferred. One such type of box is a front-opening integrated box called FOUP10, in which the box door is located in a vertical plane, and the wafer is supported in a box or two shells installed in the box shell.

[00111 In the process of processing semiconductor wafers, the SMIF box is used to transfer workpieces between various tools in the wafer processing station. These tools include processing tools for forming integrated circuit patterns on wafers, metrology tools for inspecting wafers, sorters for sorting and rearranging wafers in one or more SMIF boxes, and sorters for Stacker for large storage of SMIF boxes. The tool is usually placed in one of two layouts in the wafer processing station. The two layouts are a bay and a chase configuration and a ballroom configuration._oIn the former arrangement, only the front end of the tool including the 1/0 port of the workpiece is maintained in a clean room environment of level one or higher. In the ballroom layout, the tools are arranged in series according to the operations performed by the tools, and all tools are maintained in a clean room environment of level one or higher.

[0012] The tool in the wafer processing station includes a front-end interface that accommodates components that facilitate the transfer of workpieces (ie, wafers) between the box and the tool and supervise such transfer. A traditional front-end unit or equipment front-end module (EFEM) 20 is shown in Figure 1-2. EFEM20 is usually manufactured in a tool manufacturing plant and then transported to a wafer processing station.

[0013] The EFEM 20 generally includes a housing 22 fixed in front of the tool and a workpiece manipulation manipulator 24 installed in the housing 22. The manipulator 24 can move along the x, r, θ, and z directions to carry equipment, tools, and Move workpieces between other front-end components. The manipulator 24 is usually installed with leveling screws to allow the planarity of the manipulator 24 to be adjusted once the EFEM 20 is erected and fixed on the tool.

[0014] In addition to the manipulator 24, the EFEM 20 usually includes one or more pre-calibrators 26 for performing wafer center recognition operations, notch positioning operations, and indocilemark reading operations. General use of leveling snails

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The one or more pre-aligners 26 are bolted into the housing 22 by nails, and the leveling screws allow the flatness of the one or more pre-aligners to be adjusted once the EFEM 20 is erected and fixed on a certain tool.

[0015] The EFEM 20 also includes one or more loading port assemblies 28 for receiving the workpiece carrier device, opening the carrier device, and providing the workpiece to the manipulator 24 so as to transfer the workpiece between the carrier device and other processing tools. For the processing of 300mm wafers, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International ("SEMI") has developed a vertical orientation rack commonly referred to as the box opener-loader tool standard interface (or "BOLTS" interface). The BOLTS interface is connected to the front end of the tool or as a part of the front end of the tool, and provides a standard installation point for installing the load port assembly on the tool. The name is^uUS Patent No. 6, 138, 721 of Tilt and Go Load Port Interface Alignment System discloses such a system for adjusting the load port assembly to an appropriate position near the BOLTS interface, and then fixing the load port assembly to the interface This U.S. patent has been assigned to the applicant and is hereby incorporated in its entirety for reference.

[0016] Once the manipulator 24, the pre-aligner 26, and the load port assembly 28 have been installed on the housing 22, the EFEM 20 is transported to the wafer processing station and fixed on the tool in the processing station. After being correctly fixed to the tool, level the EFEM assembly in the housing 22 via the leveling screw, and then inform the manipulator 24 to transfer the workpiece between the loading port assembly, the pre-aligner, and the tool to the capture and drop position that it needs to reach . In the United States Patent Application Serial No. 09/729,463 named "Self Teaching Robot", a system for notifying various capture and falling positions to the manipulator in the front end of the tool is disclosed. The application is hereby incorporated as a whole. for reference. Once the position of the manipulator has been notified, the side panel is mounted on the housing 22 to substantially seal the housing from the surrounding environment.

[0017] For example, a conventional EFEM includes a plurality of separate and independent workpiece handling components installed inside an assembled housing. The shell 22 has a structural frame which is bolted, erected or welded together, and a plurality of panels are fixed on the frame. After assembling the housing 22, the EFEM components are fixed to each panel. The disadvantage for the existing EFEM is that the total tolerance of the system is the sum of the connections of various rack parts, panels and components. As a result, it is difficult to calibrate the assembled EFEM components, and the EFEM components need to be adjusted to the correct position with each other. At the same time, the relative position of the components of the manipulator 24 must also be informed so that the EFEM components can cooperate with each other. This calibration and notification operation must be performed every time one or more EFEM components are adjusted.

[0018] Another disadvantage of the prior art is that EFEM components are usually made by different suppliers, and each component has its own controller and communication protocol. Measures must be taken for the EFEM assembly so that the controllers of each component can communicate with each other so that the components can cooperate with each other. The independent controller also complicates maintenance work and adds components and electrical connections provided inside EFEM. In addition, especially in the case of a ballroom layout, the traditional EFEM occupies a lot of space in the first-class clean room environment, and the first-class clean room environment space is very expensive.

[0019] The current 300mm semiconductor EFEM consists of several main subsystems including SEMI E15.1 compliant load port components (usually 2-4 per tool). For example, EFEM may include a wafer handling robot and fan filter unit mounted on a steel frame, and a panel to close the wafer handling area between the loading port and the processing tool. These components are combined with each other to provide a device for transferring wafers to and from the F0UP10 between the F0UP and the wafer docking station of the processing tool. Load F0UP10 manually by the operator, or automatically load FOUP10 via an automatic material handling system (AMHS) that can be transported and evacuated to the loading port. Industry standards have been developed to allow multiple vendors to provide loading integrated as a systemmouth, F0UP10 or other EFEM components.

[0020] The load port assembly provides a standard interface between the AMHS and the wafer handling robot in the EFEM. It provides a standardized location for placing F0UP10, docking F0UP10 to seal the front surface, and opening and closing the door to allow access to chips in F0UP10. The size of this component is specified in SEMI E15. 1.

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[0021] The loading port is fixed to the front end via a bolted interface, which is defined in SEMIE-63. This standard defines a surface and mounting hole on which the loading port is installed. It also limits the height of each loading port from the ground of the processing station to 1386mm and a width of about 505mm. As a result, the loading port completely isolates the processing tool from the operator aisle in the processing station. SEMI E-63 also defines the size of the loading port on the side of the tool to ensure the interchangeability of various manipulator manufacturers.

[0022] The main functions of the loading port include receiving FOUP10 from the processing station AMHS (Fab AMHS) and providing FOUP10 to the processing station AMHS, moving the FOUP10 to and away from the entrance/exit sealing surface (inbound/outbound), and opening and closing FOUP door. In addition, it must perform functions such as locking F0UP10 on the push plate, locking and opening the FOUP door, and various ID and communication functions. All these functions of each SEMI E15. 1 are contained in a monolithic component, which is usually attached to the front end of the tool as an integral unit or removed from the front end of the tool.

[0023] The loading port must be precisely aligned with the wafer manipulator. If there are multiple loading ports in the system, all wafers must be located in horizontal and parallel planes. Usually, the loading port is provided with several adjusting parts to make the wafer in the FOUP 10 parallel to the robot arm. When calibrating the manipulator with respect to the position of each of the 25 wafers in each FOUP10, in order to minimize the time consumed, specific tools and calibration fixtures are used to cooperate with all adjustments. If you replace the old one with a new one, the calibration process can be quite lengthy.

[0024] In addition to aligning the manipulator with respect to the wafer position, the door mechanism must be aligned with the door opening frame and the door sealing frame. Similarly, calibration fixtures and tools are usually used to perform the above-mentioned alignment operations at the front end of the tool or outside the machine.

[0025] The manipulator must also be flush and aligned with respect to one or more tool drop off points. This is usually done manually by informing the position of the manipulator and adjusting the flatness on the front end or the tool.

[0026] All these relationships between the tool, the manipulator and the FOUP 10 make the operation of the front end of the installation tool quite time-consuming. All components are usually installed on a lower precision frame, and adjustment parts are used to make up for this lower precision. The loading port is installed on the front surface, the manipulator is installed on the base, the fan/filter unit (FFU) is installed on the top, and the surface layers on all other exposed surfaces are sealed for small environments.

[0027] It is preferable to minimize the adjustments between the components and shorten the total time taken to align the loading port. The present invention has this advantage.

[0028] Summary of the invention

[0029] One aspect of the present invention is to provide an integrated structure or frame that precisely connects a plurality of key EFEM components. In one embodiment, the rack serves as the only reference for calibrating internal and external EFEM components. In another embodiment, the internal and external EFEM components are calibrated relative to each vertical pillar of the frame.

[0030] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an integrated structure or frame with a retractable size. In one embodiment, the integrated structure includes upright struts fixed to the upper support and the lower support. The number of the upright pillars and the length of the upper and lower supports depend on the number of I/O ports in the EFEM. Similarly, the size and spacing of the upright pillars and supports can be changed to accommodate 200mm wafers, 300mm wafers, and 400mm wafers.

[0031] Another aspect of the present invention is to accurately and precisely position the front loading components relative to each other. Preferably, this calibration process is completed with the least amount of adjustment parts. In one embodiment, all internal and external EFEM components are precisely connected to the integrated rack so that they share this common reference point.

[0032] Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide such an integrated rack that separates the loading door/carrying equipment door assembly from a plurality of internal EFEM assemblies. In one embodiment, the loading door/carrying equipment door assembly is lowered into a separate air flow/storage area in a small environment. This storage area is prevented from being generated by, for example, a wafer handling robot

Particles contaminate the component.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a wafer slider docking/interface board, which can be easily removed from the EFEM to enter the inside of the EFEM. In one embodiment of the present invention, the detachable plate is made of transparent material, so that the user can observe any problems/faults in the small environment.

[0034] Another aspect of the present invention is to reduce the footprint of the EFEM. In one embodiment, a rolling base is used to support the EFEM so that the bottom surface of the EFEM can be lifted off the ground of the wafer processing station. The area between the ground of the wafer processing station and the EFEM can be used as a maintenance port for access to the processing tools, or as an area for placing an auxiliary room.

[0035] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a wafer machine for transferring wafers. In one embodiment, the wafer machine can perform a large number of inspection, marking, and measurement functions, thereby avoiding the need for a separate processing station to achieve the above functions.

[0036] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a wafer machine that can transfer wafers in an EFEM with a reduced footprint. In one embodiment, the wafer engine includes a linear drive for moving the wafer along the X axis, a vertical drive for moving the wafer along the z axis, a radial drive for moving the wafer along the radial axis, and a linear drive for moving the wafer along the radial axis. The θ axis rotates the vertical drive and the rotary drive of the radial drive.

[0037] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide local filtering for various particle generating mechanisms on the wafer machine. In one embodiment, a fan/filter unit is mounted on a radial drive to capture particles generated by the radial drive. In another embodiment, an exhaust system generates air flow through a vertical drive to capture any particles generated by the vertical drive. These local fan/filter units attempt to control the particles generated by the wafer engine by discharging particles into a "dirty air" environment, or by filtering the air before it flows back into the "clean air" environment.

[0038] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a transputer with two-way exchange capability and the ability to perform calibration in the air. In one embodiment, the wafer machine has a rapidly exchangeable radial drive, or buffer capability, to store and transfer two wafers simultaneously. In another embodiment, while the upper end effector rotates and aligns the first wafer, the lower end effector can be used to store and/or transfer the second wafer.

[0039] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a wafer machine with a movable/interchangeable sliding body mechanism. In an embodiment, the sliding body mechanism includes an integrated processing tool, such as an OCR reader, a calibrator, an ID reader or a metrology tool. The movable sliding body mechanism allows the wafer processing station to use the same wafer machine from beginning to end, so that only one sliding body mechanism can be customized for each independent processing station.

[0040] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide such a transputer having a vertical driver located above the θ driver. This vertical drive is basically located in the F0UP10 area, so that the footprint of the wafer machine is reduced to a minimum. The present invention has all these advantages.

[0041] Brief description of the drawings

[0042] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional front end assembly according to the prior art;

[0043] FIG. 2 is a top view of the front end assembly shown in FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 3 is a side view of a conventional front end assembly according to the prior art;

[0045] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a spinal component according to the present invention;

[0046] FIG. 5 is a partial exploded schematic view of the spinal component shown in FIG. 4;

[0047] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a FOUP docking interface according to the present invention;

[0048] FIG. 7 is a partial exploded schematic view of an embodiment of a spinal component and a front-end loading assembly according to the present invention;

[0049] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a wafer engine mounted on a spine member in accordance with the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a wafer engine drive track installed on a spine member according to the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 10 is a side view of an embodiment of a front loading interface according to the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 11 is a partial exploded schematic view of another embodiment of an integrated small environment and components according to the present invention;

[0053] FIG. 12 is a side view of the integrated small environment and components shown in FIG. 11;

[0054] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of a skeleton member according to the present invention;

[0055] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another integrated small environment and components according to the present invention;

[0056] FIG. 15 is a side view of the integrated small environment and components shown in FIG. 14;

[0057] FIG. 16 is a partial exploded schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of an integrated rack that integrates a small environment and components shown in FIG. 15;

[0058] FIGS. 17A-17B; FIG. 17A is a top view of an embodiment of a conventional wafer handling robot in accordance with the prior art; FIG. 17B is a top view of the wafer handling robot shown in FIG. 17A with the end effector extended;

[0059] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a transputer for rapid wafer exchange according to the present invention;

[0060] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the wafer machine shown in FIG. 18, showing several components of the drive mechanism, vertical column and sliding body mechanism;

[0061] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a transputer according to the present invention;

[0062] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the wafer engine shown in FIG. 18, showing the air flow generated by the fan/filter unit;

[0063] FIGS. 22A-22D; FIG. 22A is a perspective view of another embodiment of a transputer according to the present invention, the sliding body mechanism of the transputer is equipped with a wheel aligner and an ID reader; FIG. 22B is FIG. 22A The top view of the transputer shown; FIG. 22C is a side view of the transputer shown in FIG. 22A; FIG. 22D is a rear view of the transputer shown in FIG. 22A;

[0064] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an upper end effector shown in FIG. 22A;

[0065] FIGS. 24A-24C; FIG. 24A is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a wheel aligner of an end effector, showing a wafer supported by a pad; FIG. 248 is a wheel type of the end effector shown in FIG. 24A A cross-sectional view of the aligner, showing the wafer that has been lifted off the pad and supported by the wheel; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel aligner of the end effector shown in Figure 24A, showing that it is being released by the wheel and placed back The chip on the pad;

[0066] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a transputer according to the present invention;

[0067] FIGS. 26A-26B; FIG. 26A is a perspective view of another embodiment of a radial drive; FIG. 26B is a perspective view of another embodiment of a radial drive;

[0068] FIGS. 27A-27B; FIG. 27A is a top view showing the advantages of the stroke and swing gap of the wafer machine of the present invention; FIG. 27B is a top view of a traditional linear moving manipulator, showing the minimum gap and maximum stroke required;

[0069] FIG. 28 shows an exemplary movement sequence of a quick exchange sliding body with an eccentric shaft according to the present invention;

[0070] FIGS. 29A-29D; FIG. 29A is a perspective view of a front-end loading interface according to the present invention; FIG. 29B is a front view of the integrated system shown in FIG. 29A; FIG. 29C is a side view of an embodiment of the front-end loading interface shown in FIG. 29A View; Figure 29D is a top view of the embodiment of the front loading interface shown in Figure 29A;

[0071] FIGS. 30A-30B; FIG. 30A is a perspective view of an embodiment of an integrated system installed on a processing tool; FIG. 30B is a side view of the integrated system shown in FIG. 30A; and

[0072] FIG. 31 is a side view of the integrated system shown in FIGS. 30A-30B, showing how the integrated system frees up space for the buffer automatic material handling system (AMHS);

[0073] FIG. 32 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wafer engine.

[0074] Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

[0075] The present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4-31, which generally relate to a wafer transfer system. this invention

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The preferred embodiment is used to process 300mm semiconductor wafers. The invention can also be used to process other workpieces besides semiconductor wafers, such as reticles, flat panel displays and magnetic storage disks. The present invention can also be used to process wafers larger or smaller than 300mm, such as 200mm and 150mm. In addition, although the present invention preferably works within a FOUP system, it should be recognized that the present invention can also work with other workpiece transfer systems including open wafer cassette systems.

[0076] Integrated spine component

[0077] The spine structure 100 is based on the idea that a single integrated frame or member serves as the base of the EFEM. The base can be repeatedly manufactured in the same way to reduce the system cost and simplify the calibration operation when installing the EFEM components on the rack. The component or rack 100 minimizes the amount of space required for front-end loading tools, minimizes calibration time, and greatly simplifies the operation of accessing components in the front-end tool to perform required maintenance procedures and/or services .

[0078] FIGS. 4-5 show a preferred embodiment of the integrated spinal component 100. The spine 100 includes a plurality of upright pillars 102 connected by an upper groove or upper support 104 and a lower groove or lower support 106. Each upright pillar 102 has an inner facing surface 108 and an outer facing surface 110. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, the cross section of each upright pillar 102 is preferably approximately rectangular. A rectangular cross-section is preferred so that the outward facing surface 110 of each upright post 102 can form a kind of seal with any EFEM components mounted on the upright post 102. The rectangular cross-section of each upright post 102 also ensures that when the upper and lower supports 104 and 106 are fixed to each upright post 102, the upper and lower supports 104 and 106 can be aligned with respect to the inwardly facing surface 108 and the outwardly facing surface 110. . Upright pillars 102 having other cross-sections such as, but not limited to, circular or elliptical shapes are also within the scope and essence of the present invention.

[0079] In this preferred embodiment, the spine component 100 is mainly composed of sheet metal parts, and also includes some machine parts to ensure accuracy. The use of metal plates can take advantage of the precision gained from certain aspects of this machining process. For example, the U-shaped long elbows formed in the upper and lower support members 104 and 106 provide a fairly straight reference for aligning the upright pillar 102. In a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower grooves 104 and 106 are punched with holes 120 and 122 to further ensure the precise alignment of the holes between each upright post 102 and the upper and lower grooves 104 and 106.

[0080] The metal plate also functions to provide the system with an outer surface layer or a mounting surface (to be described later), as well as a structural support function. In the current EFEM system, metal plates are usually reserved for non-structural panels that only provide cosmetic decoration and shells. By incorporating metal plates into several structural components, the material cost of EFEM can be greatly reduced.

[0081] The upper support 104 is fixed on the top 114 of each upright post 102, and the lower support 106 is fixed on the bottom 112 of each upright post 102. Thus, the spine 100 provides a member that is relatively straight and relatively rigid for torsion and flexion to construct a front-end loading system on the spine 100. In a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower support members 104 and 106 are made of a single piece of metal plate. The width of the top 114 of each upright post 102 is used to specify the width of the inner bend of the metal plate used to make the upper support 104, so that the width of the U-shaped upper support 104 is substantially equal to the width of the top 114 of each upright post 102. Similarly, the width of the U-shaped lower support 106 is substantially equal to the width of the bottom 112 of each upright post 102. Each support member 104 and 106 attempts to be flush with the inwardly facing surface 108 and the outwardly facing surface 110 of each upright post 102.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom 112 of each upright post 102 is wider than the top 114 of each upright post 102. As best shown in FIGS. 4-5, the spine members 100 are aligned in a vertical orientation Each upright post 102, so that each upright post 102 is substantially parallel to each other. The centers of each pillar are preferably separated by 505mm, which is the minimum allowable interval between adjacent loading ports in each SEMI E-15.1. The upright pillars 102 separated by various other pitches or unequal pitches are all

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Within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

[0083] In order to provide a rigid structure in both the torsion direction and the transverse direction, each upright pillar 102 is fixed on the upper and lower supports 104 and 106. As shown in FIG. 4, each upright post 102 is located between the upper and lower support members 104 and 106. As previously described, the mounting holes 120 and 122 in the upper and lower support members 104 and 106 are used to align each upright post 102. For example only, each upright pillar is fixed to the top 114 of the upright pillar 102 (for example, via the mounting hole 120) and at least one bolt or pin fixed to the front surface 110 or the rear surface 108. 102 is fixed to the upper support 104. It is also necessary to fix each upright post 102 to the lower support 106. For example only, a bolt or pin is fixed to the bottom 112 of each upright post 102 (for example, via the mounting hole 122), and at least one bolt or pin is fixed to the front surface 110 or the rear surface 108.

[0084] The U-shaped configuration of the upper and lower supports 104 and 106 can also prevent each upright post 102 from rotating in its proper position. Although the upper groove 104 and the lower groove 106 are made of a single metal plate as shown in FIGS. 4-5, the upper and lower support members 104 and 106 made of multiple metal plates are also within the scope and essence of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, as best shown in Figure 5, the upper and lower support members 104 and 106 have a perforated surface. This perforated surface of the upper and lower supports 104 and 106 allows air from the fan/filter unit 150 (FFU) to flow through (see FIG. 10).

[0085] After the lower support 106 is fixed to the upright post 102, a front mounting surface 118 and a rear mounting surface 116 are formed, and various EFEM components can be mounted on the front mounting surface 118 and the rear mounting surface 116 (see FIG. 6 -10) _ο Generally speaking, the spine 100 generates at least three parallel and collinear mounting surfaces: the front surface 110 of the upright post 102, the front mounting surface 118, and the rear mounting surface 116. As will be described later, the EFEM component is mounted on one of these three surfaces. The three surfaces have a known specific relationship, so that the components installed on these surfaces can be aligned with minimal calibration or no calibration at all.

[0086] The lower support 106 also generates an air flow area 121, which is located between the front mounting surface 118 and the rear mounting surface 116. The air flow area 121 is designed to accommodate a FOUP door opening/closing assembly 139, and guide the assembly 139 to leave the opened loading door and descend into the air flow area 121.

[0087] Separating the FOUP door opening/closing assembly 139 from the operating area of the transputer 300 has several advantages. For example, a single air stream generated by FFU150 can be divided into two independent air streams. One air stream is directed to the F0UP door opening/closing assembly 139, and a second independent air stream is directed to the wafer engine area. Compared with a single air flow that circulates both in the wafer engine area and in the F0UP door opening/closing assembly 139, two independent air flows can provide a clean room environment for the F0UP/inlet/outlet door assembly 139. If there is only a single air circulation path for the wafer engine 300 and the FOUP assembly 130, the particles generated by the wafer engine 300 may contaminate the FOUP/box door assembly 139.

[0088] The rear mounting surface 116 of the lower support 106 also serves as a protective screen between the FOUP door opening/closing assembly 139 and the transputer area. The rear mounting surface 116 prevents particles generated by the wafer engine 300 from entering the air flow area 121 where the FOUP door opening/closing assembly 139 is stored. The rear mounting surface 116 also enables the wafer engine 300 to have a local filtering and exhaust system, which exhausts the "dirty" gas containing particles under the wafer plate, so as not to contaminate the FOUP door opening/closing assembly 139 (as described later).

[0089] The spinal component 100 shown in FIGS. 4-5 is configured as an EFEM with four FOUP I/O ports. An EFEM with any number of I/O ports is within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, EFEM can have gaps or blank I/O ports between each I/O port used to transfer chips. As previously mentioned, the spinal member 100 is retractable. The number of upright pillars 102 and the length of the upper and lower supports 104 and 106 can be changed to match the I/O port structure required by EFEM.

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[0090] Each upright post 102 also has a cam guide 124 machined into the side surface. The cam guide 124 serves as a track or channel to guide the opening/closing of the FOUP door The assembly 139 leaves the FOUP 10 backwards and then enters the air flow area 121. A motor assembly (not shown) located in the processing station is used to control the movement of the entrance/container door assembly 139. Such motor assemblies are known in the prior art and need no further explanation. Mechanically guiding and moving the FOUP door 12 and the access door 140 into the storage area 121 are both within the scope and essence of the present invention.

[0091] The FOUP docking interface shown in FIGS. 6-7 shows several EFEM components installed on the spinal component 100. For example only, the assembly may include a transputer or robot 300, a FOUP support assembly 130, a FOUP docking/isolation plate 138, and an entrance and exit door 140. The FOUP support assembly 130 includes a FOUP advance support 132, a FOUP advancement assembly 133, and a FOUP support plate 134.

[0092] In order to send the workpiece from the FOUP 10 into the small environment (see Figure 10-"Level 1 area"), the FOUP 10 is manually or automatically loaded onto the entrance and exit propelling plate 134, so that the FOUP door faces the loading port door 140. The conventional loading port door 140 includes a pair of latch keys, which are received in a pair of corresponding slots in a door lock assembly, which is installed inside the FOUP door. An example of a door lock suitable for accommodating such a latch key and located in a FOUP door is disclosed in Rosenquiest et al., US Patent No. 6, 18 & 323 entitled "WAFER MAPPING SYSTEM", which is hereby incorporated in its entirety for reference. In addition to separating the FOUP door from the FOUP housing, turn the latch key at the same time so that the key enters their respective FOUP door slots. Usually there are two pairs of latch keys and slots, and the structure and operation of each pair are the same.

[0093] The box propulsion plate 134 usually has three power pins 135 or some other positioning components, which closely match the corresponding grooves on the bottom surface of the FOUP 10, so that the bottom surface of the FOUP 10 can be fixed and repeatedly placed on the propulsion plate 134 ±o Once it is detected that the FOUP 10 is located on the box pushing plate 134, the FOUP 10 is pushed toward the entrance and exit door 140 until the FOUP door touches the entrance and exit door 140 or is located near the entrance and exit door 140. It is ideal to make the front surfaces of each door contact each other to block particles and ensure that the latch key of the entrance and exit door fits tightly in the key slot of the FOUP door. The US patent application series No. 09/115,414 named "POD DOOR TO PORTDOOR RETENTION SYSTEM" filed by Rosenquist et al. and the US patent application series No. "POD TO PORT DOOR RETENT IONAND EVACUATION SYSTEM" filed by Fosnight et al. . 09/130, 254 disclosed a system to ensure a close and clean connection between the FOUP 10 and the entrance door. These applications have been assigned to the owner of the present invention, and these applications are hereby incorporated in their entirety for reference.

[0094] Once the FOUP 10 is connected to the entrance and exit door, the linear and/or rotary drive in the EFEM moves the FOUP 10 together with the entrance and exit door into the EFEM, and then leaves the open loading port, so that the workpiece can be subsequently Approach the wafer machine 300. As shown in FIG. 10, the entrance and exit door 140 is fixed to the FOUP door, and a controller drives the slide plate to move the carrying equipment and the entrance and exit door along the protrusion 124 in each upright pillar 102. The protrusion 124 guides the interlocked carrier equipment and the entrance and exit door vertically downward into the air flow area 121 of the lower support 106. As mentioned above, when stored in the air flow area 121, the entrance and exit door 140 and the FOUP door are isolated from the remaining first-level areas. Linear slides and rotary drive components (not shown) are known in the prior art and need no further explanation. The linear sliding plate can be composed of a linear bearing and a driving mechanism. For example only, the linear bearing may include a ball bearing or an air bearing. Similarly, the drive mechanism may include: a motor with a raised guide rod, a belt drive, or a linear motor. For example only, the rotary drive may include a gear motor, a direct drive, a belt drive, or other similar devices.

[0095] After the FOUP 10 and the entrance and exit door are moved away from the docking/isolation plate 138, the transputer or robot 300 can move the workpiece into the front end of the tool without being disturbed by the stored FOUP 10 and the entrance and exit door. Once the tool has a lot of work

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After the operation has been completed and the workpiece has returned to F0UP10, the controller again starts the driver and slide to move the door back to the I/O port, and then moves the F0UP door to fix it to F0UP10.

[0096] A docking/isolation plate 138 is installed on the front surface 110 of each upright post 102. The docking/isolation plate 138 isolates the internal area (primary or "clean" area) of the tool front end from the external environment or external area. The docking/isolating plate 138 also provides an interface to advance the FOUP 10 toward the interface, so that the FOUP 10 is closely and controllably close to the interface (for example, a 0-5 mm gap). The plate 138 forms an auxiliary seal with the FOUP 10 and the entrance and exit door 140. This auxiliary seal allows a gap between the plate 138 and the FOUP10, but still forms an air seal between the plate 138 and the FOUP10. The hermetic seal between the plate 138 and the FOUP 10 helps prevent the gas from leaking out of the primary area or helps maintain the inert environment of the load port interface.

[0097] The docking/isolation plate 138 is preferably made of a single piece of material, and the plate 138 has one or more FOUP holes machined therein. The docking/isolating plate 138 has positioning holes 144 to accurately place the plate 138 relative to each upright post 102. This provides a precise machined relationship between all F0UP10 holes in EFEM. The docking/isolating plate 138 may also be composed of independent multiple pieces of material, and the multiple pieces of material are installed on each of the upright pillars 102 using the same reference member. The plate 138 may be made of materials such as, but not limited to, plastic, metal, metal plate, or even glass.

[0098] In a preferred embodiment, the docking/isolating plate 138 is machined from a transparent material such as polycarbonate. An additional advantage of the docking/isolation plate 138 being machined from a transparent material is that while the tool is operating, the inside of the small environment or the first-level area can be seen. The current E15 loading port/SEMI E63 bolting interface does not have this feature. The docking/isolating plate 138 does not have any structural components, so it can be fixed to each upright post 102 ±o of the spine 100 with only a few bolts and/or pins. Thus, the docking/isolating plate 138 can be easily removed. In addition, since no EFEM components need to be aligned with the docking/isolation plate 138 as a reference, removing the docking/isolation plate 138 will not interfere with the EFEM components such as the entrance and exit door 140, the F0UP push plate 134 or the transputer 300. Installation or alignment operation. This provides an easy way to perform inspections, maintenance, or error corrections near the "clean" area of the EFEM (the first-level area in Figure 10).

[0099] FIG. 8 shows the wafer engine 300 mounted on the spine member 100. As can be seen from the figure, it clearly shows that the transputer 300 can move linearly to approach all the I/O ports of the EFEM. The wafer engine 300 moves along the rail assembly 302, and the rail assembly 302 is installed on the rear mounting surface 116 of the lower support 106. In this embodiment, the linear drive 302 shown is a belt conveyor. The linear drive 302 is composed of other drive systems such as, but not limited to, a direct drive, a linear motor, a rope drive, or a chain link drive, all within the scope and essence of the present invention. The components of the transputer 300 will be described later. This drive system is well known in the prior art, so no further explanation is required.

[0100] FIG. 9 shows in more detail the guide rail system 302 shown in FIG. 8 mounted on the spine member 100. The guide rail system 302 includes an upper X guide rail 310, a lower X guide rail 312 and a sliding seat guide 311, all of which are installed on the rear mounting surface 118 of the lower slot 106. In a preferred embodiment, the upper X rail 310 and the lower X rail 312 are both circular or tubular, and are substantially parallel to each other. An X sliding seat 304 is engaged with the upper X guide rail 310, the lower X guide rail 312 and the sliding seat guide 311. The upper and lower X guide rails 310 and 312 also serve as the main supports of the wafer engine 300.

[0101] FIG. 9 also shows a control box 147, which is preferably located below the FOUP propulsion assembly 130. EFEM requires multiple electronic control devices (for example, control circuits, PCBs, etc.). It would be advantageous if these devices were easily accessible for maintenance and overhaul. The control box 147 provides an area for installing these electronic devices. In a preferred embodiment, the control box 147 has a pivotable front cover, and the internal electronic components can be accessed by turning down the front cover. A large number of electronic components and control systems needed to start and control the EFEM components are placed in the control box. In order to easily access these electronic components for easy maintenance

CN 1996552 Β

The pivotable front cover of the control box 147 is fixed by several detachable bolts and/or pins, and the front cover is allowed to pivot downward toward the ground of the processing station.

[0102] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 30-31, the structure of the spine member 100 can minimize the footprint of the EFEM and seal the clean space of the system while still maintaining the accuracy of the entire system. The FFU 150 is installed on the upper groove 104 and the tool interface panel 154, and seals the upper groove 104 and the tool interface panel 154 to form the top of the EFEM. The front sealing is achieved by mounting a docking/isolating plate 138 to the front surface 110 of each upright post 102. A metal panel 152 with a preferably perforated surface is installed on the lower support 106 to form the bottom of the EFEM. The panel 152 also serves as an exhaust plate to allow the exhaust gas flow from the FFU 150 and the wafer engine 300 to be discharged into the atmosphere. The end plate 156 (see FIG. 30), the tool interface panel 154, the panel 152, and the FFU150 are used to seal each side of the EFEM. The end plate 156 is installed on the spine 100 and seals the spine 100. As shown in FIG. 10, from the FFU150 and the sliding body The clean air flow of the FFU 420 passes through the small environment or the first-level area, and then flows out through the bottom plate 152 and the lower tank 106. The air flow discharged from the Z-slot fan 354 (to be described later) contains particles generated by the vertical drive 380, and the air flow also flows through the bottom plate 152. The airflow from the Z-slot fan 354 will not enter the clean and small environment.

[0103] In general, the spine 100 generates a single reference system for calibrating and aligning EFEM components, such as the transputer 300 and the FOUP propulsion component 130. Instead of aligning and aligning the individual EFEM components, each individual EFEM component can be calibrated relative to a known and fixed position such as the upright post 102. Compared with the traditional steps currently prescribed, this calibration method greatly simplifies the calibration steps.

[0104] Spinal component with skeleton

[0105] FIG. 11T3 shows another embodiment of the spinal component. The main structural components of this embodiment include a horizontal beam 170, a positioning pillar 172, and a front mounting plate 174. As shown in FIG. 11, the horizontal beam 170 is preferably installed on the bottom of each positioning pillar 172 to form a rigid frame. The front mounting plate 174 is also mounted on each positioning post 172 to provide a surface for mounting external EFEM components (for example, the FOUP advancement component 130) to the spinal member. For example only, the horizontal beam 170 may be made of extruded aluminum products, steel pipes, a member made of bent metal plates, splints, laminated plates, or more likely a combination of the above. The horizontal beam 170 also provides a surface for mounting the linear actuator 306 to the spine member. Similar to the spinal component 100, this embodiment provides a single reference datum for installing and aligning the EFEM assembly.

[0106] FIG. 12 shows that the FOUP door 12 and the access door 140 are still preferably stored in an isolated area inside the first level area. Correspondingly, the distance between the beam 170 and the positioning pillar 172 must be large enough to fit the FOUP door 12 and the access door 140 between the beam 170 and the positioning pillar 172. As shown in FIG. 12, a partition 171 is placed between each positioning pillar 172 and the beam 170 to create a storage area. It is also within the scope and essence of the present invention to generate the storage area through other methods. The beam 170 also serves as a protective screen to prevent the particles generated by the wafer machine 300 from contaminating the FOUP door 12 or the entrance and exit door 140.

[0107] FIG. 13 shows that the support member or the beam 170 of the spine may have a CNC aluminum plate 176 mounted on the beam 170 to support the X-axis guides 310 and 312. A metal plate 175 with a U-shaped cross section is used to further strengthen this member. Similar to the upright post 102 in the previous embodiment, the upright positioning post 172 mounted on the metal plate 175 is aligned. As shown in FIG. 11, the front mounting plate 174 is mounted on the positioning pillar 172. EFEM components such as FOUP propulsion components 130 are mounted on the front mounting plate 174.

[0108] The beam 170 may be located between the wafer engine 300 and the box opener and below the working area of the wafer handling device. No matter how the beam 170 is constructed, the beam 170 has a structural common part that can accurately install the EFEM component on it,

CN 1996552 Β

To avoid the need for time-consuming adjustments when installing or replacing EFEM.

[0109] Separate rack/housing

[0110] FIGS. 14-16 show yet another embodiment of a spine member configured as a FOUP docking station. In this embodiment, the spine component on which the EFEM components are mounted is a single frame or housing 202. Similar to the spine member 100, the frame 202 provides a single reference datum for installing and aligning internal components (for example, the transputer 300) and external components (for example, the FOUP advancement assembly 130).

[0111] As shown in FIG. 14, the spine member 200 includes three load port assemblies 204 mounted on the frame 202. Each load port assembly 204 is similar to the load port assembly 130 disclosed in the previous embodiment. The load port door 206 that isolates the first-level area from the external atmosphere corresponds to each load port assembly 204, and the load port door 206 is used to engage with the FOUP door and make the FOUP door leave the FOUP housing. Rack 202 with more or less number of I/O ports is within the scope and essence of the present invention. Similarly, between the I/O ports for transferring chips, the rack 202 may have a filled-in or solid I/O port (a filled-in or solid I/O port).

[0112] The frame 202 is preferably formed of a single piece of material. For example only, the frame 202 is manufactured using a punching machine. The frame 202 can be made of many different materials. For example only, the frame 202 may be made of materials such as, but not limited to, metal plates, polypropylene, composite materials, or plastics. Anodized surface treatment can also be performed on the frame 202 to suppress or reduce outgassing. Whether the frame 202 is made of a single piece of material or independent multiple pieces of material, the frame 202 is stretchable. Thus, the rack 202 can be customized according to specifications to generate the required number of FOUP I/O ports for EFEM.

[0113] FIG. 15 shows several EFEM components mounted on the rack 202. In this embodiment, the frame 202 made of a single piece of stainless steel is bendable, which is only exemplary, and the frame 202 can also be made of aluminum plate. The rigidity of the EFEM must be large enough to provide accurate support and alignment points for the EFEM components. The additional support 210 is installed on the frame 202 to provide accurate support points for components such as the linear drive 254, the filter unit 220, the FOUP propulsion assembly 208, and the tool interface board.

[0114] In order to encourage air to flow through the loading port interface, the top surface 201 and the bottom surface 203 of the rack 202 may be perforated. A fan/filter unit 220 is installed on the top surface 201 of the frame 202 and forms a seal with the top surface 201 of the frame 202 to control the rate and quality of air flowing through the frame 202. Such fan/filter units are well known in the prior art, so no further explanation is needed. A single fan/filter unit 220 can achieve the required air flow rate. However, as the size of the rack 202 increases and thus its volume increases, the rack 202 may require multiple fans to maintain ideal environmental conditions. If the inside of the EFEM is not isolated from external atmospheric conditions (non-inert environment), the air will be drawn into a clean and small environment by the FFU 220, and then discharged through the perforations 212 in the bottom surface 203 of the rack 202.

[0115] If EFEM is an inert system, the airflow collection chamber 224 can be installed under the bottom surface 203 of the rack 202 and sealed to the bottom surface 203 of the rack 202, so that it can be fully contained and recirculated by the fan/filter unit 220 The generated air stream. The end cover 210 may also have an air flow return path that guides air to leave the collection chamber 224 and return to the fan/filter unit 220 to repeat the cycle.

[0116] Since the rack 202 generates a small enclosed space, from the aspect of air control, the present invention is a fairly effective system. A small environment that uses a smaller amount of air for control and filtration is easier to maintain the cleanliness of the air. Inert systems or systems that require a molecular filter also benefit from a small environment containing a smaller amount of gas, where the molecular filter will gradually degrade as more gas passes through the molecular filter. For example only, if a smaller amount or slower rate of gas flows through the filter, the filter is often required to become smaller.

[0117] Utilization of System Volume Space

CN 1996552 Β

[0118] A key difference of all the EFEMs described previously (for example, spinal components, skeletons, and frames) is the fundamental change in space utilization. The space utilization feature will now only be described with reference to the spine member 100, but this concept can be applied to all the embodiments disclosed in this application. In a traditional tool front end, the front end occupies the highest point from the front of the loading port (loading side plane) to the processing tool surface, from the processing station floor to the front end (the highest point is usually the top of the front FFU), and the The entire width of the front end.

[0119] An EFEM composed of the spine member 100 generates an important space below the loading port 130, and can send the clean wafer machine area back to a processing/measuring tool or used for other purposes. In addition, compared with traditional EFEM construction requirements, the total depth of enclosed areas or small environments can also be reduced. The front part of the wafer engine radial sliding body 400 can be turned into an area between the upright pillars 102 and the FOUP door mechanism is not normally used. This space enables processing tools and end users to reduce the footprint of the entire tool. The configuration of the wafer engine 300 takes advantage of these new constraints and smaller space constraints. For example, the radial sliding body 400 can further enter the processing tool instead of adopting a non-offset solution.

[0120] Since the envelope of the system is relatively small, it is quite light. If it is installed on an independent rolling frame, it can be rolled away from the processing tool to directly approach the tool. Since the system is also shorter than ordinary processing tools, the space above it can be used for other purposes, such as a local F0UP10 buffer station for the AMHS system. For the traditional AMHS system that lifts above the top, the local buffer station is required not to obstruct the path to the top of the loading port, so the local buffer station can only be located between the loading port or the tool. For the slide out shelf arrangement, the material can be stored in an unused area directly above the enclosed area of the integrated EFEM.

[0121] As shown in Figures 30-31, the system can be combined with processing tools in a variety of ways. The system is designed to be supported at four points. Two points in the front of the base of the two outer upright pillars provide connection and leveling points. Two points at the lower rear corner of each end plate provide rear support points. These support points can be provided by a rolling frame that can easily move the system away from the processing tool. The system can be supported on a frame that extends from the processing tool, such as a cantilever, or on the ground. It is also possible to combine the above two supporting methods, in which the rolling frame is used to lift the system away from the kinematic points provided by the processing tool frame.

[0122] Any of the previously described integrated small environments and components 100 or 200 are installed on the front of a tool related to semiconductor processing. As used herein, such tools include, but are not limited to: processing tools used to form integrated circuit patterns on semiconductor wafers, measurement tools used to detect various characteristics and workpieces, and stacks used to store workpieces in large quantities.Material machine. Material machine. As used here, the tool can simply be a kind of enclosure, so that the workpiece that has been transported to the back of the board can be transported in a closed space as will be described later. For example only, the component 100 according to the present invention includes a sorter to arrange and transport the workpieces using one or more carrier devices.

[0123] Optionally, the component 100 may include a sorter or an independent pre-calibrator. In the embodiment with both the sorter and the independent pre-calibrator, the EFEM installed on the component 100 is completely relied on to perform the workpiece operation. Based on the enclosure forming the primary area, the component 100 provides a closed, clean environment in which workpieces can be processed. In several embodiments of the present invention, the component 100 can be used as a part of the tool (see FIG. 3A). In other embodiments of the invention, the system can be fixed to the tool, but independent of the tool (see Figures 29A-29D) ο

[0124] As best represented in FIG. 10, a FOUP docking station is formed around the spine 100. The chassis 118 is fixed on the lower support 106 and forms a seal with the lower support 106. In a preferred embodiment, the chassis 118 has a perforated surface to allow air from the FFU 150 to flow through. The FFU 150 is fixed on the upper support 104 and forms a seal with the upper support 104. The wafer transfer board 122 is fixed on the chassis 118 and the FFU 150, and forms a seal with the chassis 118 and the FFU 150. The wafer transfer plate 122 may include a transfer window 121 that allows the wafer machine 300 to communicate with the processing tool in the first-level area.

CN 1996552 Β

Transfer wafers between.

[0125] The system forms a hermetic seal to maintain a primary environment. An air seal is formed between the spine 100 and the chassis 118, between the spine 100 and the FFU 150, between the wafer transfer plate 122 and the FFU 150, and between the wafer transfer plate 122 and the chassis 118. Generally, the pressure in the first-level area is maintained at a level higher than the atmospheric pressure surrounding the first-level area. This pressure difference prevents unfiltered air from entering the primary area. As a result, the airborne particles or pollutants can be blown out of the first-level area through the through holes in the chassis 118. Sometimes tools will operate in hazardous environments such as pure nitrogen. In this environment, the primary area needs to be completely isolated from the surrounding external environment. A high-pressure chamber can be fixed on the chassis 118 and seal the chassis 118, so that the small environment in the component 100 can be completely isolated from the atmospheric conditions. A high-pressure chamber 224 (see FIG. 14) can be installed on the chassis 118 to collect air and return the air to the fan/filter unit 150 installed on the spine 100.

[0126] Transputer

[0127] In general, with respect to the frequency of use and the criticality of the wafer transfer cycle, the wafer engine 300 shown in FIGS. 18-23 can reduce the mechanical inertia to a minimum. For example only, several advantages of this wafer machine 300 include: (1) Achieve shorter wafer exchange time, (2) Reduce the total weight of the system, and (3) A more compact and integrated assembly . The wafer engine 300 can work in any embodiment of the integrated spine 100 disclosed in the present application, or as an independent device.

[0128] A preferred embodiment of the wafer engine 300 is shown in FIGS. 18-19. The transputer 300 includes four main cooperating drivers to optimally transfer wafers within EFEM. The four drivers move the wafer along the X axis, theta axis, the z axis, and the radial axis or the r axis, respectively.

[0129] The transputer 300 has a linear driver 302 that moves the transputer 300 along the X axis. Moving along the x-axis allows the transputer 300 to approach each F0UP I/O port. The linear drive 302 includes an x-slide 304 and a guide rail system 306. The X sliding seat 304 is slidingly engaged with the upper X rail 310 and the lower X rail 312. The rail system 306 is installed on the rear mounting plate 116 and includes an upper X rail 310 and a lower X rail 312. The upper X rail 310 and the lower x rail 312 extend along the x axis and are substantially parallel to each other. The broken line through the rail system 306 in FIG. 18 indicates that the rail system 306 can have any length. The rail system 306 is retractable, so that the wafer engine 300 can move along the rail system 306 to access, for example, the wafers stored in each FOUP 10. The rotary drive 350 of the wafer engine 300 is also mounted on the X slide 304. Therefore, moving the X slide 304 drives the transputer 300 along the X axis.

[0130] The wafer engine 300 may also rotate around theta (theta) axis. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the rotary driver 350 includes a pillar 364 that extends along the θ-axis and is mounted on the z-axis support 370. The rotation driver 350 also includes a θ motor 362 to drive and rotate the pillar 364. The rotary driver 350 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise. The rotary drive 350 can also be directly installed on the vertical drive 380. Preferably, the θ axis does not pass through the center of the sliding body 400. The advantages of this eccentric configuration of the sliding body 400 will be discussed later.

[0131] The rotary drive 350 also includes an extended fan platform 352. In a preferred embodiment of the transputer 300, as shown in FIG. 20, a z slot fan 354 is installed on the underside of the fan platform 352. This configuration of the wafer engine 300 makes the z slot fan 354 close to the theta motor 362, and provides an exhaust hole to exhaust the air flowing through the z support 380 of the wafer engine 300. The air surging through the z pillar 380 flows downward and leaves any wafers being transported by the wafer engine 300 (see FIG. 21). Optionally, the air flow may be discharged through the rotary drive 350 and out of the bottom of the rotary drive 350.

[0132] The vertical drive pillar 380 is mounted on the support 370 and extends upward along the z axis. The driving pillar 380 moves the sliding body 400 of the wafer engine 300 (to be described later), thereby moving the wafer up and down along the z axis. In one embodiment, such as

CN 1996552 Β

As shown in FIG. 19, the driving pillar 380 is a slender pillar and extends approximately perpendicular to the support 370. A drive assembly located in the drive pillar 380 includes a z drive motor 382, a z cableway 384, a z guide rail 386, and a z ball screw 388. Such drives are well known in the prior art, so no further explanation is needed. The use of other devices to move the sliding body mechanism 400 is within the scope and essence of the present invention.

[0133] The sliding body 400 preferably includes an upper end effector 402 and a lower end effector 404, which are used to rapidly exchange a single wafer along the r-axis. The sliding body 400 supports the upper and lower end effectors 402 and 404 such that they are parallel to the wafers stored in each FOUP 10. As shown in FIG. 19, the upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404 move along the same linear path. The upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404 are separated by a certain distance, which is sufficient to allow the upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404 to store wafers at the same time. The sliding body 400 includes a radial drive motor 410 for linearly moving the upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404 along a radial axis or r-axis.

[0134] The upper end effector 402 is supported on the first support 406, and the lower end effector 404 is supported on the second support 408. Each of the upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404 slidably engages and moves within a radial guide rail 412, and the radial guide rail 412 extends substantially the entire length of the sliding body 400. Each radial drive motor 410 drives a radial belt 414. The first radial transmission belt 414 a is connected with the first support 406, and the second radial transmission belt 414 b is connected with the second support 408. The radial drive motor 410 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise to rotate the radial drive belt around the radial drive wheel 416 and the end idler 418, thereby extending and retracting each end effector. Such a driving mechanism is well-known in the prior art, so no further explanation is needed. It is within the scope and essence of the present invention to use other devices to move the wafer along the radial axis or the r-axis.

[0135] The transputer 300 has a plurality of moving parts. Moving parts are prone to particles. For example, frequent extension and retraction of upper end effector 402 and lower end effector 404 will produce particles in a small environment. To prevent particles from contaminating the wafer located on either end effector, a sliding body fan/filter unit (FFU) 420 is installed on the underside of the sliding body 400. The sliding body FFU 420 continuously introduces air and flows through the sliding groove 420 of the sliding body, passes the air through the sliding body 400, filters the air, and then discharges the air into the first-level area. This local filtering of the air flow greatly reduces the amount of particles entering the first-level area.

[0136] By convention, most small environments have a single fan/filter unit that circulates air in the small environment and filters the air flow only when the air flows into the EFEM. Any particles generated in the small environment downstream of the fan/filter unit will stay in the clean area until they are discharged from the EFEMo. Especially as the development direction of semiconductor manufacturing increasingly requires the reduction of the allowable limit of particle contamination on the wafer, It is desirable to minimize the number of particles in a small environment.

[0137] When any rotating or sliding mechanism on the wafer engine 300 generates particles, the local filtration of the wafer engine 300 is used to remove these particles. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figs. 19 and 21, a local fan/filter unit or fan system is arranged in the vicinity of the two linear drives of the z pillar 380 and the sliding body mechanism 400. As shown in Fig. 21, the fan/filter unit installed on the sliding body mechanism 400 discharges the filtered air into a clean and small environment, while the ζ-slot fan system of the vertical drive 380 is discharged through the bottom plate of EFEM without being filtered. air. The wafer engine 300 filters the air and discharges the air into the primary area of the EFEM. If the wafer engine 300 does not have a fan/filter installed on the sliding body mechanism 400, the particles generated by the sliding body mechanism 400 will pass through the primary area and contaminate the wafer supported by any end effector.

[0138] FIG. 20 shows another embodiment of the wafer engine 300. In this embodiment, the sliding body 400 is engaged with the z-pillar 380 so that the z-pillar 380 is approximately along the r-axis. Similar to the previous embodiment of the transputer 300, this embodiment

CN 1996552 Β

It includes a θ motor 362, a vertical drive pillar 380, and a radial sliding body 400. The θ motor rotates the wafer engine around the θ axis, the ζ pillar linearly moves the radial sliding body 400 along the ζ axis, and the radial sliding body 400 moves the end effector 401 along the radial axis or the r axis. Thus, the wafer engine and the wafer will rotate around the θ axis as the θ motor 362 rotates. Similar to the previous embodiment of the wafer engine 300, this embodiment also includes a fan/filter unit in the form of a v-groove fan mounted on the radial sliding body 400.

[0139] As mentioned previously, the sliding body 400 of the wafer engine 300 may include end effectors of different configurations. As shown in Figure 18T9, the upper and lower end effectors 402 and 404 may both have a passive edge support (passive edge support)_oThis configuration is known in the industry, and the gripper end effector on the driven side is used for 300mm wafers. Figure 22 shows that the upper end effector 402 may have a driving side gripper, and the lower end effector 404 may have a driven side support. Optionally, the end effectors 402 and 404 may have any combination of the following, for example, a vacuum gripper in contact with the back side, a reduced contact area, and a removable pad.

[0140] Similarly, the radial driver 400 may have different types of end effectors to process wafers at different stages. For example, one of the end effectors only processes "dirty" wafers, while the second end effector only processes "clean" wafers. Optionally, one of the end effectors can be designed to align the wafer and read the ID of the wafer before transferring the wafer to the processing tool, and the second end effector can have a high temperature for processing high temperature wafers after processing liner.

[0141] FIG. 32 shows another linear movement manipulator system that can work in EFEM. The manipulator 500 includes an x-axis linear bearing 506, a rotary driver 508 slidably engaged with the x-axis linear driver 506, a ζ pillar 510, a ζ driving mechanism 512, a first rotating arm 514, and a second rotating arm 516. The robot 500 uses the coordinated movement of these drives to take out and place wafers. The rotary driver 508 moves along the x-axis in the guide rail 507. The z-pillar 510 extends approximately perpendicular to the rotary drive 508. The z drive mechanism 512 moves along the z axis in the guide rail 511 of the z pillar 510. The first rotating arm 514 is installed on the top of the z drive mechanism 512. The first rotating arm 514 rotates around the 02 axis. The second rotating arm 516 is rotatably mounted on the first rotating arm 514. The coordinated movement of the first and second pivot arms 514 and 516 can linearly move the end effector 518 along the y-axis. Like the previous embodiment of the wafer engine 300, the z pillar 510 is installed on the side of the end effector 518.

[0142] Integrated Tool in Transputer

[0143] A conventional wafer handling robot transfers a single wafer from, for example, FOUP 10 to a single processing station. After the processing station inspects or adjusts the wafer, the wafer handling robot transfers the wafer to the next processing station. Generally, when operating at a processing station, the wafer handling robot must wait by the processing station or return to the F0UP 10 to transfer the second wafer. This operation reduces the system output.

[0144] In one embodiment, the wafer engine 300 has a sliding body 400 that can perform one or more of all the functions that are usually performed at a single processing station. Integrating one or more of these functions in the sliding body 400 can increase the system output and reduce the footprint of the EFEM.

[0145] FIGS. 22 and 23 show a transputer 300 equipped with a wheel aligner 440 and an ID reader 430, which are mounted on the sliding body 400. This embodiment is similar to the transputer 300 shown in FIGS. 18-19, except that a wheel aligner 440 mounted on the upper end effector 402 and an ID reader mounted on the sliding body 400 are added. 430. The case where the lower end effector 404 has a wheel aligner is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0146] The ID reader 430 can scan up and down to read the marks on the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the top or bottom of the wafer. It is also within the scope and essence of the present invention to install the ID reader 430 on the vertical drive 380 or other fixed positions of the transputer 300. In the preferred embodiment, it is advantageous to install a top-side ID reader on the sliding body 400

CN 1996552 Β

430, to read IDo quickly. If necessary, a second ID reader can be installed in another fixed position in EFEM to read the T7 mark on the bottom side to confirm or identify the IDo of the chip

[0147] If the ID needs to be read and the wafer positioning is not important, the aligner can be eliminated, and the ID reader 430 can scan the ID mark no matter where the wafer reaches the end effector. To achieve this operation, the ID reader or mirror assembly is rotated above the surface of the wafer to scan the ID mark. This avoids the need to rotate the wafer to read the ID, thereby improving cleanliness and yield.

[0148] Use, for example, a wheel or other aligners to control the rotation of the wafer around the axis. Figures 23-24 show an embodiment of an end effector with a wheel aligner 440. The wheel aligner 440 includes a drive system 449 and a paddle plate 442. The paddle 442 is the main support for the wafer. Two sets of driven top wheels 446 and two pads 448 are located at the front end of the paddle plate 442. The wheels 448 and pads 448 support the wafer at different times during the calibration process. While calibrating the wafer, the driving wheel 450 at the rear end of the paddle plate 442 supports the wafer along the third contact surface.

[0149] In one embodiment, the wheeled end effector 440 is slid under the wafer in the FOUP 10 until the wafer is supported on the pad 448, and then the end effector 440 is lifted. The gasket 448 preferably supports the wafer only along the bottom edge of the wafer. To calibrate the wafer, the drive wheel 450 is used to push the wafer forward and upward onto the wheel 446. The wafer is lifted away from the pad 448, and the driving wheel 450 and the top wheel 446 are fully utilized to support the wafer. At this time, the driving wheel 450 can be rotated to rotate the wafer in place. This operation is performed while the wafer machine 300 transfers the wafer. There is no need to keep the transputer 300 still in order to calibrate the wafer.

[0150] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 26B, the sliding body 400 may include a vacuum chuck aligner 411. The driving mechanism of the vacuum chuck aligner 411 is located inside the sliding body 400, and the vacuum chuck aligner 411 has a lifting rotating shaft. The sensor 409 is mounted on the end effector 403 to locate the edge of the wafer when the wafer stays on the end effector. The sensor 409 may also be installed on a member independent of the end effector 403. Generally, the sensor 409 can be located in various positions as long as the sensor 409 is configured to read the top surface of the wafer.

[0151] The edge position can be positioned relative to the corner to determine the center and orientation of the wafer. The sensor 409 serves as the first feedback device. At any time, the position of the sensor 409 relative to the wafer is known. Therefore, the sensor 409 can send an error signal indicating that the wafer is not aligned. Since the calibrator can receive additional error data from the sensor 409, a calibrator with such a sensor can improve the accuracy of calibration. Subsequently, the chuck 411 can be used to reposition the wafer, and the wafer machine 300 can be used to place the wafer on the center at the next drop off station.

[0152] The sensor 409 can be separately installed in the EFEM and as a component independent of the transputer 300. In this configuration, the wafer is placed on the rotatable chuck 411. The sensor 409 is installed on a mechanism with a position adjusting device and a measuring device (not shown), and the sensor 409 is moved close to the edge of the wafer until the sensor signal reaches the expected energy level. Then the wafer is rotated, while the sensor mechanism uses the signal from the sensor 409 to maintain the position of the sensor 409 at the expected energy level, thereby effectively maintaining the relative position of the sensor 409 to the edge of the wafer. As the wafer rotates, the position of the sensor is recorded relative to the angular position of the wafer. This data represents the change in the radial position of the wafer edge relative to the rotation position of the wafer. This data can be used to calculate the wafer center and reference orientation relative to the center of the wafer chuck. If the magnitude of the sensor signal is also recorded along the position of the sensor mechanism, additional edge position signals can be provided to improve the accuracy of the wafer center calculation or reference orientation.

[0153] The wheel aligner 440 of the end effector may include other components, such as, but not limited to, an optical notch sensor 452 for detecting notches along the edge of the wafer. For example, once the optical notch sensor 452 detects a notch along the edge of the wafer, the drive wheel 450 can rotate the wafer to a desired position and retract to allow the wafer to fall back down onto the pad 448.

Perform this operation when the end effector is in its proper position or while moving the end effector. This makes it possible to calibrate the wafer while transferring the wafer between several FOUP10 or between the FOUP10 and the processing tool, which greatly reduces or eliminates the amount of time that the end effector must be idle. In addition, if the wafer processor 300 can calibrate wafers "in the air," a separate processing station is not needed to calibrate wafers.

[0154] The sliding body 400 provides a stable installation platform for various auxiliary function components, measurement components, and sensors to acquire various wafer data. For example only, these components can be integrated with the sliding body 400 or mounted on the sliding body 400 to detect the edge of the wafer, detect the position of the notch on the wafer, read the OCR/barcode, and calculate the number of particles (back (Or front side), determine the film thickness/non-uniformity or the line width of circuit components, (via a probe or non-contact device) detect resistivity and wafer thickness. The sliding body 400 can also adopt other processes known in the prior art for inspecting and marking wafers.

[0155] To transfer the workpiece from the carrier device, the end effectors 402 and 404 move horizontally below the wafer to be transferred, and then move upward to lift the workpiece away from its resting position. The end effectors 402 and 404 may also have edge grips for supporting the edges of the workpiece. Optionally, the end effectors 402 and 404 may be blade type end effectors to support the bottom surface of the workpiece. In this embodiment, a vacuum source (not shown) for generating negative pressure can be fixed on or away from the paddle plate 442, and the negative pressure is led to the end via a flexible vacuum tube and a workpiece handling manipulator. Actuator blades. Once the vacuum source is activated, a negative pressure is formed at the surface of the end effector blade, thereby generating an attractive force that can hold the workpiece firmly on the surface. A vacuum sensor (not shown) of a known structure can be provided on the manipulator, and the vacuum sensor is connected to the vacuum system to detect when the workpiece is engaged with the end effector and restrict air from entering the vacuum tube. It should be realized that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned end effector, and various end effector designs can be used, as long as the end effector has the ability to pick up and drop workpieces.

[0156] The sliding body 400 is also suitable for processing wafers and isolating the wafers from the environment of the first-level area. For example only, the sliding body 400 may have processing tools for heating or cooling the surface of the wafer, or performing thermal surface treatment. In another embodiment, the sliding body 400 may have a housing (not shown). While the wafer machine 300 transfers the wafer to the processing tool and enters the first-level area, the wafer can be retracted and temporarily stored in the housing . This shell provides an inert or clean environment that is better than the first-level area environment. While transferring, the wafer surface of this system can have floating oxygen or inert gas.

[0157] Two-way exchange capability

[0158] The time between when the processed wafer is taken out from the processing station until the new wafer is placed in the processing station is known as the "exchange time". For most processing tools, output depends on processing time plus exchange time. Any reduction in processing time and exchange time will increase yield. The processing time belongs to the authority of the tool manufacturer, and the exchange time belongs to the authority of the main EFEM manufacturer.

[0159] For a traditional wafer handling manipulator with only a single end effector in the EFEM (see FIG. 17), depending on the station layout and the speed of the wafer handling manipulator, the exchange time can be 8 to 16 seconds. The following sequence of operations is commonly used by this robot for exchanging wafers at the processing station. Items that affect the exchange time are indicated in italics. Items other than the key steps to determine the output are shown in parentheses.

[0160] 1. Obtain wafers from processing station

[0161] 2. Move the processed wafer to the load port

[0162] 3. Obtain a calibrated wafer using the calibrator

[0163] 4. Move the calibrated wafer to the processing station

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[0164] [Start wafer processing]

[0165] 5. (While processing, the manipulator obtains new wafers from the loading port)

[0166] 6. (While processing, the robot moves the new wafer to the aligner)

[0167] 7. (While processing, the calibrator calibrates the wafer)

[0168] [Repeat]

[0169] A fast-exchangeable manipulator (for example, the transputer 300) has two end effectors, so by adopting the following simplified steps to perform the same functions as described above, the exchange time can be significantly shortened. The steps are:

[0170] [End of Processing]

1. Use the paddle plate 1 to obtain wafers from the processing station

[0172] 2. Use the paddle plate 2 to move the calibrated wafer to the processing station

[0173] [Processing Wafer]

[0174] 3. (While processing, obtain new wafers from the load port)

[0175] 4. (While processing, move the new wafer to the aligner)

[0176] 5. (While processing, the calibrator calibrates the wafer)

[0177] 6. (At the same time of processing, obtain the calibrated wafer from the calibrator)

[0178] [Repeat]

[0179] In this case, depending on the speed of the manipulator, the exchange time can be shortened to 3 to 6 seconds. The total time for the manipulator to complete all its movements will also be slightly reduced. For applications where the processing time is relatively short and the items in parentheses above will become a key step or will affect the output, the total movement time is the most important.

[0180] If the manipulator has the ability to perform calibration in the air and the ability to quickly exchange, for example, the transputer 300 with a wheel aligner 440 on the end effector can also increase the output and shorten the total movement time of the manipulator. Calibrating in the air cannot shorten the exchange time, but it can shorten the total movement time of the manipulator, thereby increasing the output when the processing time is short or the manipulator must serve multiple processing stations. At the same time, by reducing the number of manipulator movements and the number of wafer handovers, calibration in the air can extend the life of the manipulator and improve cleanliness.

[0181] For a fast-changing transputer that performs calibration in the air, the corresponding operation sequence is:

[0182] [End of Processing]

1. Use the paddle plate 1 to obtain wafers from the processing station

[0184] 2. Use the paddle plate 2 to move the calibrated wafer to the processing station

[0185] [Processing Wafer]

[0186] 3. (While processing, obtain new wafers from the load port)

[0187] 4. (While processing, calibrate the wafer and move to the position for the next quick exchange at the same time)

[0188] [Repeat]

[0189] Unrestricted Z-axis movement

[0190] The wafer engine 300 shown in FIG. 25 includes an eccentric sliding body 400 and an extended z-axis drive pillar 380^ζ The eccentric sliding body 400 has a wheel aligner 454 and an ID reader 430. This embodiment of the wafer engine includes an extended z-axis drive strut 380^z, For example, near a stacker, a loading port, or possibly a processing station above the F0UP I/O port. Basically, the height of the z-axis driving pillar 380 or 380 is unlimited. By moving the upper end effector 402 or the lower end effector 404 along the radial axis or the r-axis, the wafer engine 300 or 300^zCan be close to the chip located in FOUP10. Since it is often necessary to move the transputer 300 or 300 in most cases, the upper end effector 402 or the lower end effector

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The distance that the end effector 404 must travel into the FOUP 10 is designed to be short. The height of the vertical drive pillar 380 or 380 does not affect the distance that the upper end effector 402 or the lower end effector 404 must travel. Therefore, the height of the vertical drive pillar 380 or 380' will not affect the movement along the radial axis or the r-axis.

[0191] The traditional wafer handling manipulator must linearly move the z drive pillar toward the FOUP10, so that the end effector can approach the FOUP10 and take out the wafer in the FOUP10. Correspondingly, if such a wafer handling manipulator has a higher vertical drive pillar, a motor or belt conveyor is required to move the heavier vertical pillar. Moving this inert object will put a great burden on the wafer handling manipulator. The wafer machine disclosed in this application is an improvement of this wafer handling manipulator, because the axial movement along the radial axis or r axis is also the shortest distance, and in most cases it is usually along the radial axis or r axis. Axis travels.

[0192] FIG. 27A shows that a conventional linear sliding manipulator can enter a processing tool 250 mm to transfer wafers to the processing tool and receive wafers from the processing tool. akin. The traditional wafer handling manipulator requires a minimum spacing of 520mm in the EFEM working space, so that the wafer handling manipulator can be mobilized in the EFEM. Fig. 27B shows the achievable distance advantage and swing pitch advantage of the eccentric sliding body rotating around the θ axis. In a preferred embodiment, as shown by the θ axis in FIG. 19, the rotation axis of the eccentric rotating body is deviated by about 50 mm. Setting the rotating shaft of the wafer engine 300 off-center has two obvious advantages. First, the maximum reachable distance of the end effector (for example, the upper end effector 402 or the lower end effector 404) into the processing tool will be extended to 350 mm. Second, the minimum distance required in the EFEM work space is reduced to 420mm. The maximum achievable distance and minimum distance are only exemplary. Increasing the reachable distance of the end effector into the processing tool and reducing the minimum distance required for scheduling the wafer engine 300 in the EFEM will reduce the total area of the EFEM.

[0193] FIG. 28 shows an unusual movement sequence of the wafer engine 300, which has a quick exchange sliding body 400 with an eccentrically arranged rotating shaft. For example only, step one means that the wafer machine 300 lifts the wafer located at the load port one. Step 2 shows that the wafer engine 300 takes out the wafer in the loading port 1 along the radial axis. Step 3 shows that the wafer engine 300 rotates around the θ axis and moves back along the X axis to avoid collision with the load port 1. Step 4 represents that the wafer engine 300 moves along the X axis toward the I/O port of the processing station. Step 5 shows that the wafer engine 300 continues to rotate around the θ axis and moves along the X axis to position the wafer for entering the processing station. Step 6 indicates that the wafer engine 300 waits for the end of the processing. Step 7 shows that the wafer machine 300 exchanges processed wafers with new wafers that are ready to enter the processing station. Finally, step 8 indicates that the wafer machine 300 takes out the processed wafer along the radial axis, and moves along the X and θ axes at the same time to return the processed wafer to the load port one, two, or three.

[0194] The above-mentioned wafer machines 300 and 300 have many advantages compared with traditional wafer handling robots. For most wafer handling robot applications, the radial movement required to insert and remove wafers from the FOUP 10 or processing station has the longest duty cycle and the longest total travel distance. The wafer engine 300 moves the radial driver 400 as close as possible to the wafer before attempting to approach the wafer. This arrangement reduces the movement amount and movement time of the upper end effector 402 and the lower end effector 404, and reduces wear.

[0195] The ζ driving pillar 380 needs to occupy the same amount of space as the space swept by the wafer when the wafer engine 300 rotates. At the same time, the driving pillar 380 cannot extend below the working plane. The traditional wafer handling robot must use the area below the wafer plane to approach certain wafers in the FOUP10. Usually, the end effector is installed on the top of the pillar to move up and down along the z axis. The pillar occupies space that could have been used for other purposes. Similarly, when the pillar moves horizontally along the X axis, the area below the wafer plane must be substantially vacated so that the pillar does not collide with or damage any obstacles.

[0196] Various changes and/or modifications can be made to the transputer 300, while still having the unique components and advantages previously listed. It is merely exemplary, and for some applications, the X-axis driver 302 may be deleted. Similarly, a single radial axis is sufficient. In addition, for some applications (for example, sorters), no rotary drive is required. On the contrary, the ζ axis driver is 380 amp

Mounted on the X slide 308. For example, a sorter application may have loading ports installed in the same direction. If the calibrator and ID reader are integrated into the transputer 300, there is no need to rotate.

[0197] Figures 29-31 show several configurations of the overall system. Figure 29A shows the overall system mounted on the rolling frame. As mentioned earlier, the traditional EFEM extends down to the ground of the wafer processing station. The EFEM formed by the spinal component 100 or other embodiments disclosed in this application can save space, thereby greatly reducing the footprint of the overall system. As shown in Figure 29A, the overall system is installed on a rolling rack so that the load port assembly is still maintained at the SEMI standard height of 900mm. In a preferred embodiment, when the overall system is bolted to the front end of the processing tool, there is approximately 2 feet of free space between the overall system and the ground of the wafer processing station. This space was not available in previous wafer processing stations. This space allows semiconductor manufacturers to place other items such as electrical control boxes under the overall system.

[0198] Optionally, the processing tool may now have a maintenance path that can be reached by crawling under the overall system. The rolling frame can also improve the overall maintenance performance of processing tools bolted to the overall system. It is merely exemplary. If the processing tool needs to be maintained, the bolting of the overall system and the processing tool can be released, and the lock of the rolling frame wheel can be released, and then the overall system can be rolled away from the front end of the processing tool. The traditional EFEM bolted to the processing tool does not have wheels that can roll the EFEM out, and it is usually a heavy equipment that requires more than one maintenance person to lift the EFEM away from the processing tool. As mentioned earlier, the overall system of the present invention weighs only a few hundred pounds, so a single maintenance person can easily roll it off the front end of the processing tool.

[0199] FIG. 30 shows an overall system integrated with a processing tool. For example only, the system of the present invention is integrated with the processing tool and installed on the processing tool. One advantage of this system is that if each processing tool in the processing station has an overall system installed on it, the front-end loading system of the processing station can be constructed such that each processing tool needs to contain a similar environment, thereby reducing the storage of spare parts And the needs of training maintenance personnel.

[0200] Electrical Control System

[0201] Traditional EFEM must include such a power distribution that is compatible with the power supply requirements of various countries around the world. Therefore, the vast majority of EFEM can be adapted to 110V or 220V systems. Adapting to any of the above power systems requires EFEM to have power components such as step-down or step-up transformers and other power components. These power components must be installed inside EFEM, which increases the footprint of EFEM.

[0202] The EFEM of the present invention is designed so that all electrical components such as the FOUP propulsion board assembly, the transputer 300, and the fan/filter unit 150 work under the 48V system. In general, the EFEM of the present invention can be connected to a 110V or 220V system that will be stepped down to 48V to control all the above components. As a result, the EFEM electronic distribution system can be simplified, and multiple traditional power distribution components such as step-up transformers are no longer needed, thereby further reducing the footprint of the EFEM of the present invention.

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