164 patents
Page 7 of 9
Utility
Load Port Module
27 May 20
Substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the loading device and processing apparatus, a cassette support for holding at least one substrate cassette container, and cassette support purge ports with purge port nozzle locations disposed on the cassette support, each nozzle location being configured so that a nozzle at the nozzle location couples to at least one purge port of the substrate cassette container, wherein each nozzle location defines an interchangeable purge port nozzle interface so that different interchangeable purge port nozzles are removably mounted to respective nozzle interfaces of the nozzle locations that correspond to the different nozzle configurations of the interchangeable purge port nozzle modules, in conformance with and effecting coupling to different ports of different substrate cassette containers having different purge port characteristics.
Radik Sunugatov, Robert Carlson
Filed: 21 Nov 19
Utility
Load Port Module
27 May 20
A substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported to the processing apparatus, a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container proximate the transport opening, the support configured so that a sealed internal atmosphere of the container is accessed from the support at predetermined access locations of the container, and the cassette support has a predetermined continuous steady state differential pressure plenum region, determined at least in part by boundaries of fluid flow generating differential pressure, so that the predetermined continuous steady state differential pressure plenum region defines a continuously steady state fluidic flow isolation barrier disposed on the support between the predetermined access locations of the container and another predetermined section of the support isolating the other predetermined section from the predetermined access locations.
Radik SUNUGATOV, Robert CARLSON, Mike KROLAK
Filed: 21 Nov 19
Utility
Automated cryogenic storage system
25 May 20
An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer.
Robert T. Caveney, Frank Hunt, Lingchen Sun, Julian D. Warhurst, Bruce S. Zandi, Anthony C. Bonora
Filed: 23 May 19
Utility
Substrate Transport Apparatus
20 May 20
A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.
Robert T. Caveney, Ulysses Gilchrist, Alexander Krupyshev
Filed: 19 Nov 18
Utility
Substrate Transport
20 May 20
A substrate transport system includes a carrier having a housing forming an interior environment having an opening for holding at least one substrate and a door for sealing the opening from an outside atmosphere where when sealed the interior environment is configured to maintain an interior atmosphere therein, the housing including a fluid reservoir exterior to the interior environment and configured to contain a fluid, forming a different atmosphere in the fluid reservoir than the interior atmosphere, to form a fluidic barrier seal that seals the interior environment from an environment exterior to the carrier.
Daniel Babbs, Robert T. Caveney, Robert C. May, Krysztof A. Majczak
Filed: 26 Aug 19
Utility
Method and apparatus for substrate transport apparatus position compensation
11 May 20
A substrate transport empiric arm droop mapping apparatus for a substrate transport system of a processing tool, the mapping apparatus including a frame, an interface disposed on the frame forming datum features representative of a substrate transport space in the processing tool defined by the substrate transport system, a substrate transport arm, that is articulated and has a substrate holder, mounted to the frame in a predetermined relation to at least one of the datum features, and a registration system disposed with respect to the substrate transport arm and at least one datum feature so that the registration system registers, in an arm droop distance register, empiric arm droop distance, due to arm droop changes, between a first arm position and a second arm position different than the first arm position and in which the substrate holder is moved in the transport space along at least one axis of motion.
Jairo T. Moura, Robert T. Caveney, Bing Yin, Nathan Spiker, Vincent W. Tsang
Filed: 24 Jan 18
Utility
Transport Apparatus with Linear Bearing and Method Therefor
6 May 20
A vacuum substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section having a drive axis, at least one arm, having an end effector for holding a substrate, having at least one degree of freedom axis effecting extension and retraction, and a bearing defining a guideway that defines the axis, the bearing including at least one rolling load bearing element disposed in a bearing case, interfacing between a bearing raceway and bearing rail to support arm loads, and effecting sliding of the case along the rail, and at least one rolling, substantially non-load bearing, spacer element disposed in the case, intervening between each of the load bearing elements, wherein the spacer element is a sacrificial buffer material compatible with sustained substantially unrestricted service commensurate with a predetermined service duty of the apparatus in a vacuum environment at temperatures over 260° C. for a specified predetermined service period.
Daniel BABBS, Robert Chris May, Robert T. Caveney
Filed: 29 Oct 19
Utility
Removable compartments for workpiece stocker
4 May 20
The present invention discloses apparatuses and method for configuring a compartmentable equipment to accommodate emergency responses.
Lutz Rebstock
Filed: 15 Jun 14
Utility
Substrate Processing Apparatus
22 Apr 20
A substrate processing apparatus including a frame, a SCARA arm mounted to the frame at a shoulder joint having two links with at least one end effector dependent therefrom, the links defining an upper arm and a forearm, each end effector pivotally joined to the forearm at a wrist to rotate about a wrist axis, and a drive section with at least one degree of freedom operably coupled to the arm to rotate the arm about a shoulder axis articulating extension and retraction, wherein the end effector is coupled to a wrist joint pulley so that extension and retraction effects rotation of the pulley and end effector as a unit about the wrist axis, and wherein a height of the end effector is within a stack height profile of the wrist joint so that a total stack height is sized to conform with and pass through a pass-through of a slot valve.
Vincent W. Tsang, Robert T. Caveney
Filed: 2 Oct 19
Utility
Load Lock Fast Pump Vent
22 Apr 20
A semiconductor processing tool is disclosed, the tool having a frame forming at least one chamber with an opening and having a sealing surface around a periphery of the opening, a door configured to interact with the sealing surface for sealing the opening, the door having sides perpendicular to the door sealing surface and perpendicular to a transfer plane of a substrate, and at least one drive located on the frame to a side of at least one of the sides that are substantially perpendicular to the door sealing surface and substantially perpendicular to the transfer plane of the substrate, the drive having actuators located at least partially in front of the sealing surface and the actuators being coupled to one of the sides of the door for moving the door from a sealed position.
Christopher HOFMEISTER, Martin R. ELLIOTT, Alexander KRUPYSHEV, Joseph HALLISEY, Joseph A. KRAUS, William FOSNIGHT, Craig J. CARBONE, Jeffrey C. BLAHNIK, Ho Yin Owen FONG
Filed: 19 Dec 19
Utility
Substrate handling system for aligning and orienting substrates during a transfer operation
6 Apr 20
A system for sensing, orienting, and transporting wafers in an automated wafer handling process that reduces the generation of particles and contamination so that the wafer yield is increased.
Matthew W Coady
Filed: 26 Jun 17
Utility
Sample Storage and Retrieval System
1 Apr 20
A sample storage including a frame and an array of sample container holding areas disposed within the frame where a spacing between adjacent sample container holding areas is independent of a gripping area for sample containers held by the sample storage.
Etienne CROQUETTE, Rhett AFFLECK, Robin GRIMWOOD
Filed: 1 Dec 19
Utility
Compact Direct Drive Spindle
1 Apr 20
A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, at least one arm link rotatably connected to the frame and a shaftless drive section.
Robert T. CAVENEY
Filed: 2 Dec 19
Utility
Substrate processing apparatus
30 Mar 20
A substrate processing apparatus including a frame and at least one substrate transport arm having at least one end effector, each end effector having a base portion, a first and second substrate support tines mounted to and dependent from the base portion where at least one of the first and second substrate support tines is movable relative to the base portion, each of the first and second substrate support tines having respective substrate contacts configured to contact and support a substrate held by the end effector between the respective contacts of the first and second substrate support tines at a substrate support seat dimension span between the substrate contacts of the first and second substrate support tines, and an end effector drive section configured to vary a distance between the first and second substrate support tines relative to each other on the fly.
Jeffrey A. Cavins, Leigh F. Sharrock, Kyle M. Letourneau, Stacey McKinney, Dave Jarzynka
Filed: 31 Aug 17
Utility
Substrate processing apparatus
23 Mar 20
A substrate processing apparatus including a frame, a first SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a first radial axis; a second SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a second radial axis, the SCARA arms having a common shoulder axis of rotation; and a drive section coupled to the SCARA arms is configured to independently extend each SCARA arm along a respective radial axis and rotate each SCARA arm about the common shoulder axis of rotation where the first radial axis is angled relative to the second radial axis and the end effector of a respective arm is aligned with a respective radial axis, wherein each end effector is configured to hold at least one substrate and the end effectors are located on a common transfer plane.
Robert T. Caveney, Jayaraman Krishnasamy, Ulysses Gilchrist, Mitchell Drew, Jairo T. Moura
Filed: 17 Jun 19
Utility
Automated Sample Storage System Having Storage Consumable with Sub-optimal Storage Density
18 Mar 20
An automated sample specimen storage system including a tube holding microplate including a plate frame, a predetermined array of tube holding receptacles formed in the plate frame, the receptacles having a SBS standard pitch corresponding to the predetermined array, and being configured for holding therein sample store and transport tubes, each disposed so as to contain sample specimen in a sample storage of the storage system and to effect, with the sample tube, delivery from the sample storage to a workstation, the predetermined array of receptacles defining a volume capacity of the tube holding microplate, and each of the receptacles being shaped to conformally engage walls of the sample tubes and hold a respective one of the sample store and transport tubes, wherein the receptacles are arranged so that the tube holding microplate volume capacity defined by the predetermined array is an under optimum volume capacity.
Etienne CROQUETTE, Robin GRIMWOOD, David Andrew HARDING, Chris WALSH
Filed: 18 Nov 19
Utility
Inspection system
16 Mar 20
The invention relates to an inspection system adapted for determining a state and/or content of a wafer or reticle container or at least a part of a wafer or reticle container, comprising a detection device or a multitude of detection devices (102, 104, 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, 164) adapted to receive detection data from a surface and/or interior of the wafer or reticle container or the part of a wafer or reticle container indicative of the state and/or content of the wafer or reticle container or the part of a wafer or reticle container.
Lutz Rebstock
Filed: 1 Mar 16
Utility
Integrated systems for interfacing with substrate container storage systems
16 Mar 20
A storage system and methods for operating a storage system are disclosed.
Anthony C. Bonora, Richard H. Gould, Michael Krolak
Filed: 16 Nov 17
Utility
Vacuum substrate storage
9 Mar 20
A two piece shell is employed for intermediate and long term storage of substrates.
Peter van der Meulen
Filed: 29 May 08
Utility
Cryogenic Freezer
26 Feb 20
A configurable cryogenic storage device has a freezer and a rack carrier positioned inside of the freezer.
Robert T. Caveney, Frank Hunt, Lingchen Sun, Julian D. Warhurst, Bruce S. Zandi, Jeffrey S. Brooks
Filed: 22 Sep 19