Quotables
"There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom."
Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in physics
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8087708 | Handling device and handling method for wafers The invention relates to a handling device and to a handling method for wafers, in particular for wafers with a thickness of less than 100 μm. According to the invention it is provided that an adhesive membrane is arranged so as to delimit at least one workspace, t... | 01/03/2012 |
| 7422411 | Gripping 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 |
| 7401828 | Substrate conveyance device for fabrication of liquid crystal display device A substrate conveyance device for fabricating a liquid crystal display device is provided. The substrate conveyance device conveys substrates and aligns substrates without using an additional aligning apparatus. The substrate conveyance device includes an arm that f... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7400158 | Test fixture and method for testing a semi-finished chip package A test fixture has a base, a positioning board, multiple probes, a cushion board, multiple springs and multiple inner bolts. The base has a recess defined in the base. The positioning board is mounted in the recess. The probe is mounted on the positioning board and ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7396199 | Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate while transferring the substrate among a plurality of units with which the substrate is to be processed or on which the substrate is to be placed. This apparatus is provided with: a first unit group dispose... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7384083 | O-ring locking mount An end effecter (201) is provided herein which comprises a blade (203) having a depression (213) formed in the surface (210) thereof, an elastomeric pad (209) disposed in the depression and a fastener (215) for releasably se... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7380850 | Holding structure for holding an object A holding structure, such as a manipulator, includes a plurality fingers. At least one of the fingers is movable such that an object can be held or released by a closing or opening motion of the movable finger. At least one contact surface of the fingers, which is c... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7371287 | Substrate handling system A substrate handling system and method in which an air chuck produces a film of air between the substrate and the air chuck, a magnetic chuck attracts the substrate to the air chuck, and an actuator subsystem moves the magnetic chuck closer to and away from the air ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7354335 | CMP 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 |
| 7334826 | End-effectors for handling microelectronic wafers End-effectors may be used to grasp microelectronic workpieces for handling by automated transport devices. One such end-effector includes a plurality of abutments and a detector adapted to detect engagement of the edge of the workpiece by at least one of the abutmen... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7335090 | Substrate processing apparatus and substrate handling method A substrate processing apparatus includes: a carrier holding unit for holding a carrier which houses a substrate; a substrate holding mechanism for holding a substrate when a predetermined process is executed on the substrate; and a substrate transfer mechanism for ... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7326021 | Device for loading and unloading silicon wafers in an oven from a multiple-cassette station Device for automatically loading and unloading a feed to be treated in a heat treatment unit (1) such as a diffusion oven, comprising at least a cantilever (2) designed to receive the whole feed and to introduce the feed in the oven. The feed can consi... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7300082 | Active edge gripping and effector The present invention generally relates to an end effector that utilizes a gripping mechanism to grip a peripheral edge of the wafer and secure the wafer to the end effector. In one embodiment, the gripping mechanism includes a pair of gripper arms that pivot betwee... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7293811 | Ultra low contact area end effector The present invention comprises a vacuum end effector having workpiece supports that work in conjunction with distorted workpiece surfaces. In one embodiment, each workpiece support has the ability to gimbal and conform the workpiece surface in contact with an outer... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7290813 | Active edge grip rest pad The present invention comprises a distal rest pad for supporting a portion of a wafer seated on an end effector. In one embodiment, the rest pad includes a bottom support pad and an edge stop. Each element is mounted separately to the distal end of a support plate. ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7278203 | Random-period chip transfer apparatus A chip transfer apparatus includes a first carrier for feeding chips and a second carrier for carrying works on it. The transfer apparatus also includes a transfer engine including two or more coaxial revolvers, which can revolve coaxially with each other. Each of t... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7270510 | Device and method for transporting wafer-shaped articles An apparatus for treating wafer-shaped articles includes at least one linear arranged array of a plurality of at least two process units wherein in each such process unit one single wafer-shaped article can be treated, a cassette-holding unit for holding at least on... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7250084 | Downward 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 |
| 7241099 | Center ball O-ring A self-retaining O-ring having at least two radial struts connectively extending from inside surfaces to a central sphere-shaped retainer. The top surfaces of the radial struts are formed below the top surfaces of the O-ring. The central sphere-shaped retainer is co... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234913 | Fast swapping station for wafer transport An apparatus for accepting and transferring at least one disk-like member is provided. The apparatus includes a pick- and place-mechanism including gripping means. In effect, the mechanism is adapted to provide pick- and/or place-cycles, which during operation provi... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7232286 | Seal device and method for operating the same and substrate processing apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber The present invention provides a seal device comprising a sealing passage which allows communication between a first space and a second space, and evacuation lines individually connected to the first space and the sealing passage. A gas feed line for feeding dry gas... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7226269 | Substrate edge grip apparatus In one embodiment, the invention is a substrate edge gripper assembly for positioning a semiconductor substrate upon a transfer robot. In one embodiment, a modular assembly comprises spring loaded jaws that are mounted on either side of a robot end effector. The jaw... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7226512 | Load lock system for supercritical fluid cleaning A substrate is transferred from an environment at about vacuum into a load lock through a first door. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is raised to a high pressure above vacuum. A second door coupling the load lock... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7179044 | Method of removing substrates from a storage site and a multiple substrate batch loader A substrate handling robot includes an arm drive mechanism. A first arm is connected to the arm drive mechanism. A multiple substrate batch loader is connected to the first arm. A second arm is also connected to the arm drive mechanism. A single plane end effector i... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7175214 | Wafer gripping fingers to minimize distortion An apparatus for measuring semiconductor wafer shape that minimizes wafer distortion. The apparatus includes a plurality of wafer gripping fingers for holding a wafer in a predetermined position during wafer measurement. Each finger includes a groove that contacts t... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7156602 | Mechanism for exchanging chip-carrier plates for use in a hybrid chip-bonding machine A mechanism for exchanging chip-carrier plates in a hybrid chip-bonding machine having a plurality of chip-carrier plates, a magazine to store the plurality of chip-carrier plates, and a transport arrangement having a first and second clamping device that are dispos... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7153087 | Centering 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 |
| 7151981 | Methods 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 |
| 7144056 | Detection and handling of semiconductor wafers and wafers-like objects An end-effector includes multiple vortex chucks for supporting a wafer. Vortex chucks are located along the periphery of the end-effector to help prevent a flexible wafer from curling. The end-effector has limiters to restrict the lateral movement of a supported waf... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7140655 | Precision 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 |
| 7134827 | Reduced footprint tool for automated processing of microelectronic substrates The present invention provides tools and methods of processing microelectronic substrates in which the tools maintain high throughput yet have dramatically lower footprint than conventional tools. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides novel tool desig... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7108899 | Chip tray with tacky surface A tray for handling and retaining a plurality of components, wherein the tray has a rigid body portion and an elastomeric contact layer. The contact layer has a planar upper surface for contacting and retaining the components, and may be formed from a thermoplastic ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7108470 | Buffer device for semiconductor processing apparatus The invention provides a buffer device for a processing apparatus for semiconductor components. The apparatus comprises a transportation track for conveying semiconductor components between processing machines, and a transfer mechanism for transferring semiconductor... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104579 | Detection and handling of semiconductor wafers and wafer-like objects An end effector has one or more vortex chucks to support a wafer, and at least two detectors for detecting different portions of the wafer before the wafer is picked up. If one of the detectors detects a wafer and the other one does not, an alarm is generated to ale... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7104578 | Two level end effector An end effector alternately (or simultaneously) transports susceptors and wafers. Separate contact surfaces are provided for wafer transport and for susceptor transport. In one embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced above the susceptor contact surface, and ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7073834 | Multiple section end effector assembly Embodiments of an end effector assembly for a substrate robot are provided herein. In one embodiment, the end effector assembly includes a wrist and a first and a second end effector coupled to the wrist in a spaced apart relationship. The first end effector include... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7064512 | Positioning apparatus, exposure apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method A positioning apparatus includes an X stage, a linear motor (X-axis) which drives the X stage along the X-axis, a linear motor (Y-axis) which drives a Y stage along the Y-axis, a laser interferometer which detects position information of the stages along the X and Y... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7048316 | Compound angled pad end-effector This invention provides a method and a support device for a wafer transfer process which has a first vertical, second horizontal and third compound angled surfaces, as well as a pair of sidewalls all contiguously connected to one another. The third surface has at le... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7044521 | Chuck and suction board for plates An apparatus for transferring a plate member such as a wafer by supporting the plate member with a plurality of support pins, and vacuum-sucking the plate member with a suction disk without allowing the suction disk to make contact with the plate member. Vacuum gene... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7033126 | Method and apparatus for loading a batch of wafers into a wafer boat A receiver frame loads and unloads a batch of semiconductor wafers onto wafer holders in a wafer boat. The wafer holders extends continuously about the perimeter of an overlying wafer. The receiver frame is provided with a plurality of supporting arms which are immo... | 04/25/2006 |
