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Class 414/936 - Including wafer orienting means


Subclass of Class 414 - Material or article handling
Definition: A collection of art including means the sole function of
No. of patents: 357
Last issue date: 09/27/2011


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NumberTitleIssue Date
8025475Wafer transfer apparatus, wafer transfer method and storage medium
One sensor constituted of a light emission element and a light-receiving element is provided in a path through which a wafer is transferred. The sensor is positioned so that the wafer passes through an area between the light emission element and the light-receiving ...
09/27/2011
7422411Gripping mechanisms, apparatus and methods
The present invention provides grasping mechanisms, gripper apparatus/systems, and related methods. Grasping mechanisms that include stops, support surfaces, and height adjusting surfaces to determine three translational axis positions of a grasped object are provid...
09/09/2008
7384228Insertion device, lithographic apparatus with said insertion device and device manufacturing method
A robot arm is configured to insert and remove an object from a conditioned environment using a carrier connected to the robot arm. The robot arm is positioned in a conditionable vessel, a wall of which vessel may deform when the interior is conditioned. Since the t...
06/10/2008
7357842Cluster tool architecture for processing a substrate
A cluster tool for processing a substrate includes a cassette and a processing module including a first processing chamber that is configured to perform a chill process on a substrate, a second processing chamber that is configured to perform a bake process on the s...
04/15/2008
7354335CMP apparatus and load cup mechanism
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a load cup mechanism is provided for loading and unloading apparatus such as a CMP apparatus. The load cup mechanism, configured to load a work piece into and to unload a work piece from the apparatus, comprises a ...
04/08/2008
7346415Semiconductor wafer positioning method, and apparatus using the same
The intensity of light of a predetermined wavelength corresponding to the type of a protective tape joined to the surface of a semiconductor wafer is adjusted by a controller, and a holding stage for holding the semiconductor wafer is scanned rotationally. At this t...
03/18/2008
7329079Semiconductor wafer processing machine
A semiconductor wafer processing machine comprising a cassette-placing mechanism having a cassette-placing table for placing a cassette storing a semiconductor wafer, a workpiece take-in/take-out mechanism for taking out the semiconductor wafer stored in the cassett...
02/12/2008
7329299Plate-shaped work piece transporting apparatus
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plate-shaped work piece transporting apparatus that has a fan, a dust-removal filter disposed above this fan, and a plate-shape porous member disposed above the dust-removal filter. By forming a chamber in which ...
02/12/2008
7322787Devices and methods for reversing, transporting, and processing substrates
A substrate is supported on a plurality of substrate supporting pins mounted to a second movable member. Next, so as to bring the plurality of substrate supporting pins close to a plurality of substrate supporting pins mounted to a first movable member, the first mo...
01/29/2008
7314344Substrate-transporting device
The present invention relates to a substrate-transporting device, including a base, a substrate carrier unit and a shaft unit mounted between the base and the substrate carrier unit. The shaft unit has a supporting shaft and a shaft base to support and control rotat...
01/01/2008
7295314Metrology/inspection positioning system
A metrology/inspection system moves the imaging and/or measuring equipment of the system relative to a wafer. Accordingly, measurement or inspection of the wafer does not require that the wafer be mounted on a precision stage. This allows the wafer to be at rest on ...
11/13/2007
7292909Substrate processing apparatus and management method
A variety of maintenance work is performed for each of operation units in a substrate processing apparatus. Doors are provided at given positions on sides of an apparatus space, each of which is provided with an interlock switch. An interlock release unit is provide...
11/06/2007
7289215Image control in a metrology/inspection positioning system
A metrology system includes a positioning system that produces linear and rotational motion between an imaging system and the wafer. The imaging system produces signals representing the image of the wafer in the field of view of the imaging system. A control system ...
10/30/2007
7287951Device and method for the harmonized positioning of wafer disks
A device for aligning a plurality of vertically arranged (upright) disks (20), especially wafer disks during the fabrication of semiconductor chips. Two mounting or bearing elements (30, 32) respectively have individually mounted guide rollers (34
10/30/2007
7250084Downward mechanism for support pins
A downward mechanism for support pins is applicable to a reactor of removable type. Support pins are located on the base of the reactor, and each support pin has a base thereunder. The downward mechanism has an elevator mechanism and a board fixed thereto. The board...
07/31/2007
7240580Single degree of freedom axis positioner
A single degree of freedom positioner resistant to axial and rotational motion on two axes, and to rotation around a third axis, but permitting axial movement along the third axis. The axes are orthogonally related. The positioner is characterized by support of a st...
07/10/2007
7214283Working range setting method for bonding device for fabricating liquid crystal display devices
A working range setting method of a bonding device includes identifying a model of a first substrate, extracting a set value corresponding to a working range of working elements according to the identified model, and setting the working range of the corresponding wo...
05/08/2007
7179334System and method for performing semiconductor processing on substrate being processed
A semiconductor process system (10) includes a measuring section (40), an information processing section (51), and a control section (52). The measuring section (40) measures a characteristic of a test target film formed on a targe...
02/20/2007
7181314Industrial robot with controlled flexibility and simulated force for automated assembly
An industrial robot that has uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location an...
02/20/2007
7158857Method and apparatus for aligning a cassette
An alignment tool, method and system are provided for aligning a cassette handler to a robot blade in a workpiece handling system, in which the tool comprises a frame or fixture adapted to be supported by the cassette handler support surface, in which the frame has ...
01/02/2007
7153087Centering mechanism, centering unit, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and centering method
A centering unit comprises a plate, centering mechanism, link mechanism, and cylinder mechanism. The plate vertically divides the interior of a frame. The support table is located substantially on the center of the plate. The centering mechanism can center each wafe...
12/26/2006
7153088Method and apparatus for transferring a semiconductor substrate
A method and apparatus for transferring a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for transferring a substrate includes at least one end effector. A disk is rotatably coupled to the end effector. The disk is adapted to rotate the substrate relative to...
12/26/2006
7151981Methods and apparatus for positioning a substrate relative to a support stage
In a first aspect, a substrate positioning system includes a plurality of pushers arranged in a spaced relation about a stage adapted to support a substrate. Each pusher is adapted to assume a retracted position so as to permit the substrate to be loaded onto and un...
12/19/2006
7140655Precision soft-touch gripping mechanism for flat objects
A precision soft-touch gripping mechanism has a mounting plate attached to a robot arm. The plate supports a stepper motor. The output shaft of the stepper motor is connected through a spring to an elongated finger that slides in a central longitudinal slot of the p...
11/28/2006
7139638Substrate processing unit, method for detecting the position of a substrate and substrate processing apparatus
A thermal processing unit is connected to a substrate position detector, which is in turn connected to a bake unit controller. The thermal processing unit includes a temperature control plate and a lifting device. The temperature control plate and lifting device are...
11/21/2006
7121414Semiconductor cassette reducer
A semiconductor cassette reducer has a first substantially U-shaped plate and a second substantially U-shaped plate. A number of wafer supports connect the first substantially U-shaped plate to the second substantially U-shaped plate. Several retention springs are a...
10/17/2006
7108476Method and device for changing a semiconductor wafer position
A mechanical apparatus and method are disclosed for orienting and positioning semiconductor wafers while avoiding contamination of elements on the faces thereof, by only contacting the peripheries thereof. The apparatus may include a frame for wafer supports and a s...
09/19/2006
7097410Methods and apparatus for controlled-angle wafer positioning
The orientation of a wafer with respect to the surface of an electrolyte is controlled during an electroplating process. The wafer is delivered to an electrolyte bath along a trajectory normal to the surface of the electrolyte. Along this trajectory, the wafer is an...
08/29/2006
7089677Method for calibrating alignment mark positions on substrates
A novel method for determining whether substrates are correctly positioned on a substrate support in a semiconductor substrate processing or measuring tool for optimum processing or measuring of the substrates. The method includes providing a control substrate; prov...
08/15/2006
7052229Alignment of semiconductor wafers and other articles
A wafer or some other article is aligned while being held by an end-effector. ...
05/30/2006
7052919Recipe cascading in a wafer processing system
The invention allows a cluster tool to change from a first recipe to a second recipe, while preserving periodicity and ensuring that there are no delays at critical points. This procedure is referred to as recipe cascading. Cascading involves emptying a first lot of...
05/30/2006
7044703Automatic guided vehicle, automatic guided vehicle system and wafer carrying method
Improvement of the workability in an automatic guided vehicle which carries and transfers a semiconductor wafer between stations in a semiconductor manufacturing plant etc. An automatic guided vehicle 1 is moved to an objective station after storing a ...
05/16/2006
7039501Method for determining a position of a robot
Generally, a method of determining a position of a robot is provided. In one embodiment, a method of determining a position of a robot comprises acquiring a first set of positional metrics, acquiring a second set of positional metrics and resolving the position of t...
05/02/2006
7008802Method and apparatus to correct water drift
A method and apparatus is provided for determining workpiece drift from its nominal or intended position. The apparatus includes two proportionate sensors, each of which gives an output reading that depends upon how much of the sensor beam is blocked by an edge of t...
03/07/2006
7008884Transfer robot and inspection method for thin substrate
A transfer robot (5) for thin substrate capable of efficiently detecting the stored state of thin substrates and an inspection method for thin substrate capable of accurately detecting the stored state of thin substrates; the robot (5), comprising an i...
03/07/2006
7004716Device and method for aligning disk-shaped substrates
The invention relates to a simple and cost-effective method for aligning substrates. In order to achieve this, the invention provides a device for aligning disc-shaped substrates, in particular semiconductor wafers, comprising an alignment detection unit, at least o...
02/28/2006
6986636Device for positioning disk-shaped objects
A device for positioning disk-shaped objects (1) to inspect the front and rear sides of disk-shaped objects and to reduce the negative effect of large-area contact between the holder and the disk-shaped object. The device comprises a rotatable table (24
01/17/2006
6973370Substrate processing apparatus and method for adjusting a substrate transfer position
A substrate processing apparatus can align a substrate with a high precision and a high speed by monitoring a mark formed on a surface of the substrate; operating an amount of misalignment between the center of the substrate and a rotation center of a substrate supp...
12/06/2005
6961639Apparatus and process for identification of characters inscribed on a semiconductor wafer containing an orientation mark
A device and process are provided for identifying characters inscribed on a semiconductor wafer containing an orientation mark. A semiconductor wafer having characters inscribed on a surface near its periphery is supported about its periphery between three rotary su...
11/01/2005
6952622Robot pre-positioning in a wafer processing system
A wafer cluster tool is described which operates in a regular, periodic fashion. Embodiments of the invention have a periodicity of one sending period. The invention enables the determination of pick-up times for process chambers in the cluster tool, and embodiments...
10/04/2005
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