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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8167522 | Substrate transport apparatus with active edge gripper A substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive mechanism, a movable arm assembly, and an end effector with an active edge gripper. The apparatus is configured to avoid the need to provide cables to the end effector for power or communication. In one aspect, the ... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8129984 | Multiple dimension position sensor An apparatus including a controller, a workpiece transport in communication with the controller having a movable portion and a transport path, and a multi-dimensional position measurement device including at least one field generating platen attached to the movable ... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8125652 | Wafer center finding with charge-coupled devices A device for handling a substantially circular wafer is provided. The device includes an interior accessible through a plurality of entrances, and a plurality of sensors consisting of two sensors for each one of the plurality of entrances, each sensor capable of det... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8112171 | Substrate apparatus calibration and synchronization procedure A method for positioning substrates in a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate alignment device, a first substrate transport apparatus and a second substrate transport apparatus, includes calibrating the substrate alignment device with a motion of the fi... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8083994 | System and method for selectively extracting individual vials from an array of vials within a rack An automated storage system for storing large quantities of samples in trays includes a storage compartment, a tray shuttle compartment abutting the storage compartment on one side and a plurality of independent modules on the other side. The modules perform process... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8029226 | Semiconductor manufacturing systems Linear semiconductor handling systems provide more balanced processing capacity using various techniques to provide increased processing capacity to relatively slow processes. This may include use of hexagonal vacuum chambers to provide additional facets for slow pr... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8029225 | Stacked process modules for a semiconductor handling system Methods and systems are provided for a vacuum-based semiconductor handling system. The system may be a linear system with a four-link robotic SCARA arm for moving materials in the system. The system may include one or more vertically stacked load locks or vertically... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8016541 | Substrate handling system for aligning and orienting substrates during a transfer operation A system is provided 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. The system includes a robotic arm for moving a wafer from one... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8008884 | Substrate processing apparatus with motors integral to chamber walls A substrate transport apparatus including a peripheral wall having an inner surface that defines a substrate transport chamber capable of holding an isolated atmosphere, at least one substantially ring shaped motor having at least one stator module located within th... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7988399 | Mid-entry load lock for semiconductor handling system In a system having a number of semiconductor processing modules sharing a common vacuum environment, a mid-entry load lock is provided to permit insertion and removal of wafers into the vacuum environment at a point between various other robotic handlers, process mo... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7988398 | Linear substrate transport apparatus Substrate processing apparatus having a chamber, a generally linear array of process modules, a substrate transport, and a drive system. The chamber is capable of being isolated from the outside atmosphere. Each process module of the array is communicably connected ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7959403 | Linear semiconductor processing facilities Methods and systems are provided for handling materials, including materials used in semiconductor manufacturing systems. The methods and systems include linear semiconductor processing facilities for vacuum-based semiconductor processing and handling, as well as li... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7959395 | Substrate processing apparatus Substrate processing apparatus having a transport chamber, a linear array of substrate holding modules alongside the transport chamber, and a substrate transport located in the chamber. The chamber can hold an isolated atmosphere, and defines more than one substanti... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7946800 | Substrate transport apparatus with multiple independently movable articulated arms A substrate transport apparatus including a drive section having at least one drive shaft and at least two scara arms operably coupled to the at least one drive shaft, the at least one drive shaft being a common drive shaft for the at least two scara arms effecting ... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7945348 | Methods and systems for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These featu... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7925378 | Process apparatus with on-the-fly workpiece centering A substrate processing apparatus having a transport apparatus, at least one sensor connected to the transport apparatus and a controller. The transport apparatus is adapted for transporting the substrate between processing stations of the processing apparatus. The s... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7904182 | Scalable motion control system A control system includes a clustered architecture having a master controller, a central control section including one or more first remote controllers under direct control of the master controller, and a distributed control section including a cluster controller co... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7899562 | Methods and systems for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These featu... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7894657 | Wafer center finding A number of wafer center finding methods and systems are disclosed herein that improve upon existing techniques used in semiconductor manufacturing. ... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7891936 | High speed substrate aligner apparatus A substrate aligner providing minimal substrate transporter extend and retract motions to quickly align substrate without back side damage while increasing the throughput of substrate processing. In one embodiment, the aligner having an inverted chuck connected to a... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7891935 | Dual arm robot A dual arm robot assembly has two arms each having a set of joint/link pairs that, in conjunction with an actuator assembly, define at least three degrees of freedom to provide independent horizontal translation and rotation of a distalmost link. A vertical motion m... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7890194 | Robotics programming interface A programming interface for a hardware system includes an embedded layer for programmatic access to a physical realization of hardware, a simulation system for simulation of the hardware, and a diagnostics engine that analyzes and compares feedback data from the sim... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7880155 | Substrate alignment apparatus comprising a controller to measure alignment during transport A substrate processing apparatus has a substrate transport apparatus for transporting substrates, a sensor, and a control system. The processing apparatus is adapted to effect relative movement between the substrate and the sensor. The processing apparatus is furthe... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7859685 | Wafer center finding with charge-coupled devices A device having a robotic arm within a robot chamber. The robotic arm includes an end effector adapted to handle a wafer. A linear array of charge-coupled devices are provided within the interior of the robot chamber, the linear array positioned to acquire image dat... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7834618 | Position sensor system A sensing mechanism includes a magnetic source, a magnetic flux sensor, a sensor backing on which the magnetic source and flux sensor are mounted, and a ferromagnetic target, where the magnetic source, magnetic flux sensor, and ferromagnetic target are positioned to... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7806643 | Elevator-based tool loading and buffering system A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing, a low port interface and a carrier holding station. The casing has processing devices within for processing substrates. The load port interface is connected to the casing for loading substrate... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7798758 | Reduced capacity carrier, transport, load port, buffer system A semiconductor workpiece processing system having at least one processing apparatus for processing workpieces, a primary transport system, a secondary transport system and one or more interfaces between first transport system and second transport system. The primar... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7792350 | Wafer center finding A number of wafer center finding methods and systems are disclosed herein that improve upon existing techniques used in semiconductor manufacturing. ... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7769482 | Methods and systems for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These featu... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7762755 | Equipment storage for substrate processing apparatus A substrate processing apparatus has a frame and a load port connected to the frame and adapted to mate a substrate transport container to the frame. The apparatus has transportable storage that is adapted to be removably connected to the frame and fit beneath the l... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7712808 | End effector with centering grip A flat workpiece transport apparatus having a movable arm and an end effector. The end effector is connected to the arm. The end effector has a movable grip for holding a flat workpiece on the end effector. The end effector has a grip actuator operably connected to ... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7699573 | Reticle manipulating device A reticle manipulating device with an at least substantially closed housing for maintaining clean-room conditions inside the housing, an input/output station for introducing and discharging reticles in and out of the housing, and at least one functional unit arrange... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7607879 | Substrate processing apparatus with removable component module A substrate processing apparatus having a frame, a housing, an access system and at least a substrate transport apparatus or a substrate processing device. The housing is connected to the frame. The access system is connected to the frame and forms an access through... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7578649 | Dual arm substrate transport apparatus A substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive section, an upper arm, a first forearm, and a second forearm. The upper arm is rotatably connected to the drive section at a first end of the upper arm. The upper arm is rotatably connected to the drive section for ... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7575406 | Substrate processing apparatus A semiconductor workpiece processing apparatus having a first chamber, a transport vehicle, and another chamber. The first chamber is capable of being isolated from an outside atmosphere. The transport vehicle is located in the first chamber and is movably supported... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7572092 | Substrate alignment system A system for aligning an end effector with a substrate in a substrate transport apparatus. The system comprises a first sensor connected to the end effector and a controller for moving the substrate transport apparatus. The sensor has a sensing path pointed in an ou... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7522267 | Substrate transport apparatus with automated alignment A substrate processing apparatus is provided with a substrate transport apparatus. The transport apparatus is used for automating alignment of the processing apparatus. In one aspect, a through-beam sensor on the transport apparatus is used to level parts of the pro... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7478454 | Manipulating device for photomasks that provides possibilities for cleaning and inspection of photomasks A detection/cleaning device for reticles employed in the production of electronic components, wherein the detection/cleaning device has a cleaning unit, in which a cleaning chamber is constructed. At least one gas feed for introducing a pressurized fluid cleaning me... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7374386 | Fast swap dual substrate transport for load lock A load lock is provided for a semiconductor substrate processing system having a transport robot mounted therein. The load lock transport supplies substrates directly to a processing chamber without the need for a central transport robot. The load lock transport is ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7255524 | Substrate cassette mapper A mechanism for mapping the contents of a cassette which is used for delivering substrates to a system for processing semiconductor and similar materials which is independent of load port or loading robot movement. The mapping mechanism includes a U-shaped probe hav... | 08/14/2007 |
