Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7930061 | Methods and apparatus for loading and unloading substrate carriers on moving conveyors using feedback The present invention provides systems and methods for loading and unloading substrate carriers onto and off of a transport system. The invention includes a substrate carrier handler adapted to transfer a substrate carrier between a docking station and a transport s... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7927062 | Methods and apparatus for transferring substrates during electronic device manufacturing In one aspect, a first apparatus is provided that is adapted to transfer a substrate between a transfer chamber and a processing chamber. The first apparatus includes a robot having a first blade, a second blade spaced from the first blade, and a central hub coupled... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7914248 | Methods and apparatus for repositioning support for a substrate carrier In a first aspect, a first method is provided repositioning support provided by an end effector. The first method includes the steps of (1) employing the end effector to support a substrate carrier by a bottom of the substrate carrier; (2) transferring the substrate... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7914246 | Actuatable loadport system A system adapted to exchange wafer carriers between an overhead transport mechanism and a platform is provided. The system employs a wafer carrier having at least one handle extending therefrom, an overhead transfer mechanism, a transporter coupled to the overhead t... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7913645 | Methods and apparatus for incorporating nitrogen in oxide films In a first aspect, a first method is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) preconditioning a process chamber with an aggressive plasma; (2) loading a substrate into the process chamber; and (3) performing plasma nitridation on the substrate within the... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7912576 | Calibration of high speed loader to substrate transport system In one aspect, a system is disclosed having a substrate carrier loader adapted to load substrate carriers onto a moving conveyor; and a controller coupled to the substrate carrier loader, the controller adapted to assist in at least one of alignment of the substrate... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7900311 | Wafer edge cleaning In a first aspect, an apparatus for cleaning a thin disk is provided. The apparatus includes a support roller for supporting a rotating wafer within a wafer cleaner. The support roller comprises a guide portion, for receiving an edge of a wafer, having an inclined s... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7894923 | Methods and apparatus for sensing substrates in carriers In some aspects, a method is provided for mapping contents of a substrate carrier. The method includes (1) moving a carrier to a sensor; and (2) determining, with the sensor, a presence or an absence of a substrate in the carrier based upon a position of a substrate... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7857570 | Method and apparatus for supplying substrates to a processing tool In one aspect, a substrate loading station for a processing tool includes plural load ports. Each load port is operatively coupled to the processing tool and has a mechanism for opening a substrate carrier. A carrier handler transports substrate carriers from a fact... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7817289 | Methods and apparatus for measuring thickness of etching residues on a substrate A method of determining a thickness of a residue layer on a substrate includes: (1) taking a first set of optical scatterometry measurements on the substrate after an etching procedure; (2) taking a second set of optical scatterometry measurements on the substrate a... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7798309 | Stabilizing substrate carriers during overhead transport In a first aspect, a first apparatus is provided for inter-station overhead transport of a substrate carrier. The first apparatus includes (1) an overhead transport mechanism; (2) a substrate carrier support suspended from the overhead transport mechanism and adapte... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7794195 | Datum plate for use in installations of substrate handling systems A datum plate is provided for use in installations of substrate handling systems. The datum plate has a set of predetermined attachment locations adapted to couple the datum plate to a chamber; a set of predetermined attachment locations adapted to couple one or mor... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7792608 | Substrate carrier handler that unloads substrate carriers directly from a moving conveyor In a first aspect, a substrate loading station is served by a conveyor which continuously transports substrate carriers. A substrate carrier handler that is part of the substrate loading station operates to exchange substrate carriers with the conveyor while the con... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7779527 | Methods and apparatus for installing a scrubber brush on a mandrel In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided for forming a scrubber brush assembly. The apparatus includes a mandrel adapted to be inserted into a scrubber brush so as to form a scrubber brush assembly, the mandrel having: a first end; a second end; and one or more p... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7778721 | Small lot size lithography bays In a first aspect, a small lot size lithography bay is provided. The small lot size lithography bay includes (1) a plurality of lithography tools; and (2) a small lot size transport system adapted to transport small lot size substrate carriers to the lithography too... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7774887 | Scrubber box and methods for using the same A scrubber box is provided that includes a tank adapted to receive a substrate for cleaning, supports outside of the tank and adapted to couple to ends of scrubber brushes disposed within the tank, a motor mounted to each of the supports and adapted to rotate the sc... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7720655 | Extended mainframe designs for semiconductor device manufacturing equipment In a first aspect, a first mainframe is provided for use during semiconductor device manufacturing. The first mainframe includes (1) a sidewall that defines a central transfer region adapted to house a robot; (2) a plurality of facets formed on the sidewall, each ad... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7720558 | Methods and apparatus for mapping carrier contents In a first aspect, a first method of mapping contents of a substrate carrier is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) coupling a sensor to the substrate carrier or a loadport adapted to receive the substrate carrier; and (2) determining a presence or ... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7720557 | Methods and apparatus for enhanced operation of substrate carrier handlers Systems, tools, and methods are provided in which a first signal is transmitted from a tool to a Fab indicating that all substrates to be processed have been removed from a specific carrier and that the specific carrier may be temporarily unloaded from a loadport of... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7718011 | Apparatus for cleaning and drying substrates A method and apparatus for cleaning, rinsing and Marangoni drying substrates is provided. The invention includes spraying a line of fluid to a substrate, thereby creating an air/fluid interface line on the substrate; supplying a line of drying vapors to the air/flui... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7711445 | Systems and methods for transferring small lot size substrate carriers between processing tools In a first aspect, a method of managing work in progress within a small lot size semiconductor device manufacturing facility is provided. The first method includes providing a small lot size semiconductor device manufacturing facility having (1) a plurality of proce... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7673735 | System for transporting substrate carriers In a semiconductor fabrication facility, a conveyor transports substrate carriers. The substrate carriers are unloaded from the conveyor and loaded onto the conveyor without stopping the conveyor. A load and/or unload mechanism lifts the substrate carriers from the ... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7659599 | Patterned silicon-on-insulator layers and methods for forming the same In an aspect, a method is provided for forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a silicon substrate; (2) selectively implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using a low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patte... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7637707 | Apparatus for storing and moving a cassette A cassette stocker includes a plurality of cassette storage shelves positioned adjacent a cleanroom wall above a cassette docking station, and a cassette mover to carry a cassette between the shelves and the docking station. An interstation transfer apparatus includ... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7623450 | Methods and apparatus for improving security while transmitting a data packet In a first aspect, a first method of transmitting a data packet is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) for each connection from which a data packet may be transmitted, storing header data corresponding to the connection; (2) employing a user applica... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7613870 | Efficient memory usage in systems including volatile and high-density memories A first method for efficient memory usage includes (1) determining whether data retrieved from a first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily read; and (2) if data retrieved from the first storage device is characterized as data that is primarily ... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7603196 | Methods and apparatus for material control system interface Methods and apparatus are provided for managing movement of small lots between processing tools within an electronic device manufacturing facility. In some embodiments, a number of priority lots to be processed is determined and an equivalent number of carrier stora... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7597183 | Kinematic pin with shear member and substrate carrier for use therewith A kinematic pin and a substrate carrier adapted to deter dislodgment of the substrate carrier from the kinematic pin are provided. A shear member on the kinematic pin interacts with a shear feature of the substrate carrier to deter lateral movement of the substrate ... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7577487 | Methods and apparatus for a band to band transfer module A band to band transfer module according to the present invention may be used with a substrate carrier transport system, or other systems, to transfer substrate carriers (e.g., small lot substrate carriers) from one conveyor to another conveyor or between two points... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7552816 | Break-away positioning conveyor mount for accommodating conveyor belt bends A break-away mounting system for a continuous-motion, high-speed position conveyor system is disclosed. A support cradle may be suspended from a conveyor belt such that the support cradle maintains a fixed position and orientation relative to at least one point on t... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7540371 | Break-away positioning conveyor mount for accommodating conveyor belt bends A break-away mounting system for a continuous-motion, high-speed position conveyor system is disclosed. A support cradle may be suspended from a conveyor belt such that the support cradle maintains a fixed position and orientation relative to at least one point on t... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7537108 | Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers According to a first aspect, a first conveyor system is provided that is adapted to deliver substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility. The first conveyor system includes a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the ... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7531423 | Reduced-resistance finFETs by sidewall silicidation and methods of manufacturing the same In a first aspect, a first method of manufacturing a finFET is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a substrate; and (2) forming at least one source/drain diffusion region of the finFET on the substrate. Each source/drain diffusion region i... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7525121 | Coplanar silicon-on-insulator (SOI) regions of different crystal orientations and methods of making the same In a first aspect, a first method is provided for semiconductor device manufacturing. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a substrate; and (2) forming a first silicon-on-insulator (SOI) region having a first crystal orientation, a second SOI region ... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7519752 | Apparatus for using information and a count in reissuing commands requiring access to a bus and methods of using the same In a first aspect, a first method of reissuing a command involving bus access is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) storing information associated with commands that are to be reissued, wherein the commands are each associated with respective input... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7513062 | Single wafer dryer and drying methods In a first aspect, a first method of drying a substrate is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) lifting a substrate through an air/fluid interface at a first rate; (2) directing a drying vapor at the air/fluid interface during lifting of the substrat... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7507296 | Methods and apparatus for determining scrubber brush pressure In a scrubber adapted to clean a semiconductor wafer, the torque of a brush rotation motor is monitored while a scrubber brush is in contact with the wafer and is being rotated by the motor. The position of the brush relative to the wafer may be adjusted based on th... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7506752 | Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers According to a first aspect, a first conveyor system is provided that is adapted to deliver substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility. The first conveyor system includes a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the ... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7506747 | Break-away positioning conveyor mount for accommodating conveyor belt bends A break-away mounting system for a continuous-motion, high-speed position conveyor system is disclosed. A support cradle may be suspended from a conveyor belt such that the support cradle maintains a fixed position and orientation relative to at least one point on t... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7506746 | System for transporting substrate carriers In a semiconductor fabrication facility, a conveyor transports substrate carriers. The substrate carriers are unloaded from the conveyor and loaded onto the conveyor without stopping the conveyor. A load and/or unload mechanism lifts the substrate carriers from the ... | 03/24/2009 |
