Cluster tool for wafer processing having an electron beam exposure module

摘要

A wafer processing cluster tool, having one or more electron beam exposure modules receives wafers from the tool transport mechanism at the internal vacuum pressure of the machine. The loading, unloading, handling and processing of wafers in the machine can occur while other wafers are being treated. The cluster tool has a transport module enclosing an internal volume continuously maintainable under vacuum, a plurality of ports and a wafer transport mechanism for selectively transferring wafers among processing modules. The processing modules perform wafer processing therein under vacuum. At least one semiconductor wafer processing module is an electron beam radiation module. The tool further has a loading module and an unloading module attached to the transport module which are capable of inserting and removing wafers into and out of the transport module from an external environment.