Super clean substrate transport by extreme high vacuum integrated process with levitation transfer systems

The extreme high vacuum integrated process has been developed in order to t ransfer substrates among vacuum chambers without any contamination on the u ltraclean surface. The integrated process has five main line chambers, six sidetrack chambers, connector chambers and six vacuum instrument chambers f or surface analyses and film preparation. Magnetic levitation transports ar e installed into the line chambers because they have no sliding part to gen erate dust particles as well as outgassing, which may damage the ultraclean substrate surfaces and environment. The levitation transports can transfer a substrate among connected six chambers in the pressure change of less th an 10-(10) Pa. Auger analysis shows that the surface of copper and steel fi lm prepared in the film preparation chamber can be kept clean without oxyge n nor carbonate during the transportation from the film preparation chamber to the Auger analysis chamber. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.