Brooks Automation 4. Subsystems
Part Number: 605914 Rev. B System Overview
4. Subsystems
ThischapterprovidesanoverviewofallmajorsubsystemswithintheBrooksAutomationMarathon
ExpressClusterToolIntegrationPlatform.Thissystemhasbeendesignedasasetofmajorfield
replaceablemodules.ThesefieldreplaceablemodulesandothercomponentsoftheMXsystemare
describedinthissection.
System Overview
TheMarathonExpress(MX)providesacontrolled,ultra-cleanenvironmentformaterialtransfer
betweenthefactoryandtheprocessequipment.TheMXsystemiscomposedofBrooks
Automationcomponentsandadditionalsubsystemscreatingacompletesystem.Anoverviewofthe
entiresystemidentifyingeachsubsystem.Eachsubsystemisdiscussedinthischapter,manyof
thesesubsystemsareavailableasFRUs.ThesymmetryandarchitecturaldesignoftheMarathon
Expressfocusesoncommonalityofpartsandaccessibilitytoallserviceableitems.Thesubsystems
aremodularindesignanddesignedforeaseofuse,maintenance,andrepairminimizingMean
TimeToRepair(MTTR).
Dependingonsystemconfiguration(referto"Configuration"onpage14),somecomponents
discussedinthissectionmaynotbepresentonaparticularsystem.
NOTE: Thismanualisintendedtoprovideinformationaboutawidevarietyof
MarathonExpresssystemsandmaycontainreferencestoitemsnotinstalledona
specificsystem.
TheMarathonExpresssystemconsistsofanaluminumvacuumchamberwithintegratedLoad
Locks,material-handlingrobot,materialsensorsforeachstation,andenvironmentalcontrols.The
MXsystemisdesignedtotransfermaterialamongstandardSEMIMESCcompatiblematerial-
handlingorprocessingmodulesinanultracleanvacuumenvironment.Thesemodulesincludeall
Brooks-suppliedmodulesandalluser-suppliedProcessModules.Thevacuumenvironmentwithin
theClusterToolismaintainedbyacontrollerinconjunctionwiththeCassetteModule(s)andthe
user’sProcessModulesconnectedtothechamber.
MaterialtransferbetweenthesemodulesoccursacrossasinglehorizontalplanecalledtheWafer
TransportPlane(WTP).Therobotendeffectorandallaccessportsinthechamberwallsare
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