Transport unit for parallel retraction or extension of substrate carriers, in parallel process tubes and method for simultaneous loading of parallel, horizontally spaced process tubes

摘要

A transport unit for parallel entry or exit of substrate carriers, in particular of wafer boats for semiconductor substrates, into or out of parallel process tubes, and a method for simultaneous loading of parallel, horizontally spaced-apart process tubes are disclosed. The transport unit has a horizontal guide that extends in a straight line in a first direction, which corresponds to a direction for retracting or extending substrate carriers, a vertical guide that is movably guided in the first direction along the horizontal guide, a fork carrier that runs along the vertical guide is movably guided up and down, and two elongated fork elements which are attached to the fork carrier and are movable therewith along the vertical guide, each fork element extending in the first direction and being configured to receive a substrate carrier, and the fork elements being so on Fork carriers are attached such that the fork elements can be moved horizontally in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, the transport unit has drive elements for controllably causing a movement of the vertical guide along the horizontal guide, a movement of the fork carriage along the vertical guide and a movement of the fork elements in the second direction. The method for simultaneous loading has the following steps: loading of two elongated, horizontally spaced fork elements, each extending parallel in the first direction, each with a substrate carrier; joint vertical alignment of the fork elements with the process tubes; horizontal alignment of the fork elements with substrate carrier to the process tubes by horizontal movement of at least one fork element in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; horizontal retraction of the fork elements with substrate carrier along the first direction in the process tubes such that in each case one fork element with substrate carrier moves into a corresponding one of the process tubes; joint deposition of the substrate carrier in the respective process tube; and extending the fork elements together from the process tubes.