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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8175738 | Device manufacturing apparatus and device manufacturing method An apparatus for manufacturing a device comprises a processing unit configured to perform a process for manufacturing the device, a conveying unit configured to convey an article to the processing unit, and a controller configured to control the conveying unit based... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8160736 | Methods and apparatus for white space reduction in a production facility Efficient manufacturing automation system and methods are described. The automation system controls movement of materials for processing by tools in a manufacturing facility. The system and methods include pre-emptive dispatching for transferring of materials. With ... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8145339 | Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transfer method adopted therein As an interrupt start button is depressed while control, under which product wafers Wp and dummy wafers Wd are transferred in an order defined in a normal transfer pattern, is repeatedly executed, a decision is made based upon wafer transfer history as to whether or... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8078304 | Dual-mode robot systems and methods for electronic device manufacturing Electronic device manufacturing systems and methods are provided. In some aspects, a system having a dual-mode robot is provided which is disposed within a system component (e.g., a factory interface or transfer chamber) and adapted to operate in a first mode and a ... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8055373 | Automatic wafer storage system and a method for controlling the system An automatic wafer storage system and a method of controlling the system are disclosed. The automatic wafer storage system includes an analysis module and a storage unit. The analysis module estimates the locations between an idle equipment, a transport tool, and th... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8046095 | Substrate processing system and substrate transfer method A substrate processing system (100) includes a main transfer line (20) configured to transfer wafers (W) over the entire system, and an auxiliary transfer line (30) configured to transfer wafers (W) inside a photolithography process section (... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8027746 | Atomic layer deposition apparatus A method and apparatus for atomic layer deposition (ALD) is described. The apparatus comprises a deposition chamber and a wafer support. The deposition chamber is divided into two or more deposition regions that are integrally connected one to another. The wafer sup... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8010219 | Computer automated test and processing system of RFID tags An automated system for the processing of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The automated system allows for the simultaneous processing of multiple individual tags through the use of multiple processing stations. A table is provided that is capable of movi... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7974726 | Method and system for removing empty carriers from process tools by controlling an association between control jobs and carrier By providing an under-specified specification for designating a destination carrier in a respective control job or control message, a high degree of flexibility in determining the destination of processed substrates may be obtained, thereby also allowing the removal... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7966090 | Automated material handling system and method An automated material handling system (AMHS) includes a plurality of first stockers for material storage and a plurality of second stockers for material storage, wherein the second stockers are smaller than the first stockers. A method of operating an AMHS, wherein ... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7925368 | Automatic transfer apparatus for liquid crystal display device and method for sensing obstacle using the same An automatic transfer apparatus for a liquid crystal display device comprising a mounting unit for placing a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are received, a moving unit disposed at a lower surface of the mounting unit and moving within a designated inter... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7899568 | Substrate processing method, substrate processing system, and computer-readable storage medium A substrate processing system of the present invention includes a transfer-in/out section for transferring-in/out a substrate and a processing section for performing a plurality of processing and treatments on the substrate, in which a throughput of substrate proces... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7890202 | Method for creating wafer batches in an automated batch process tool A method of batching substrates in an automated processing tool, the automated process tool and a system for batching substrates in the automated process tool. The method includes selecting a first container containing a first group of substrates; simultaneously tra... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7873431 | Workpiece transfer apparatus, control method for workpiece transfer apparatus, and press line By adopting a workpiece transfer apparatus, which grips a workpiece by use of a predetermined grip device and transfers the workpiece between press apparatuses each of which drives a die, including a transfer control device for controlling a position of the grip dev... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7860597 | Atomic layer deposition apparatus A method and apparatus for atomic layer deposition (ALD) is described. The apparatus comprises a deposition chamber and a wafer support. The deposition chamber is divided into two or more deposition regions that are integrally connected one to another. The wafer sup... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7844358 | Method for material handling, materials handling cell and electric motor therefor The invention relates to a method for materials handling via a number of materials handling cells by passing on materials handling containers, in which each materials handling cell includes a first electric motor and a first control unit, in which each materials han... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7840299 | Substrate collection method and substrate treatment apparatus When a trouble occurs in a substrate treatment apparatus, the substrate existing in the substrate treatment apparatus is quickly collected without exerting adverse effects on the subsequent substrate treatment to resume the substrate treatment early. At the time of ... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7840300 | Full spectrum lapidary 3D image scanner and method The subject invention pertains to an apparatus and method for collecting 2-D data slices of a specimen. Embodiments can incorporate a lapidary platen and an image recording system to image a specimen. The lapidary wheel platen can provide an imaging plane such that ... | 11/23/2010 |
| 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 |
| 7761181 | Line replaceable systems and methods In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a manufacturing system includes a factory system and a field system. The factory system includes a first mount configured to receive, support, and precisely locate a removable line replaceable unit... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7751922 | Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing of a semiconductor device A processing furnace for performing prescribed heat treatment on plural substrates, a boat for carrying the plural substrates that are laid one over another in the boat into and out of the processing furnace, a substrate detecting sensor for detecting the plural sub... | 07/06/2010 |
| 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 |
| 7711446 | Transport apparatus The transport apparatus is provided with a path that extends past a plurality of article transferring locations, a plurality of article transporting vehicles that run on the path, a travel driving means provided on each of the article transporting vehicles for contr... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7684888 | Extendable MES for Cross-AMHS Transportation In one aspect a factory automation system for a wafer fab is provided. The factory automation system is adapted to facilitate cross-AMHS transfers of wafer lots within a semiconductor foundry. The factory automation system may include a first MCS and an associated f... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7672748 | Automated manufacturing systems and methods An efficient manufacturing automation system and method is described. The system and method include bays, with each bay having a group of tools. Temporary storage locations are provided. A transport system facilitates movement of materials from the tools. The system... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7640071 | Method of achieving high productivity fault tolerant photovoltaic factory with batch array transfer robots The present invention generally comprises a method for achieving fault tolerance in a PV FAB. A plurality of processing tools may be coupled together along a processing line, and a plurality of substantially identical processing lines may be arranged within the FAB.... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7603195 | Methods and apparatus for integrating large and small lot electronic device fabrication facilities In at least one aspect, the invention provides an electronic device fabrication facility (Fab) that uses small lot carriers that may be transparently integrated into an existing Fab that uses large lot carriers. A manufacturing execution system (MES) may interact wi... | 10/13/2009 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 7574280 | Automatic material handling system, production system for semiconductor device, and production management method for semiconductor device It is an object to provide an AGV that enables preventing a substrate and a manufacturing system from being contaminated due to another substrate with an adhering contaminant generated in a manufacturing process, and also a production system for a semiconductor devi... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7522969 | 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... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7496423 | Method of achieving high productivity fault tolerant photovoltaic factory with batch array transfer robots The present invention generally comprises a method for achieving fault tolerance in a PV FAB. A plurality of processing tools may be coupled together along a processing line, and a plurality of substantially identical processing lines may be arranged within the FAB.... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7487002 | Method and system for determining utilization of process tools in a manufacturing environment based on characteristics of an automated material handling system By determining a metric for tool utilization in a manufacturing environment on the basis of tool-specific characteristics and a probability distribution for the transport capability of an automated material handling system, the influence of the transport system on t... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7474934 | Methods and apparatus for enhancing electronic device manufacturing throughput Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided that include determining a number of storage locations corresponding to busy chambers of an electronic device manufacturing tool; based on the number of storage locations corresponding to busy chambers, determining whethe... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7467024 | Method and apparatus for an elevator system for a multilevel cleanspace fabricator The present invention provides methods and apparatus capable of routine placement and replacement of fabricator tools in a designated tool location. The tool location can be selected from multiple tool locations arranged in a matrix with horizontal and vertical desi... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7457680 | Conveyance method for transporting objects The present invention relates to conveyance method for transporting a plurality of unprocessed/processed objects between an automatic transporting device (AGV) and a semiconductor manufacturing device (prober). The prober has a load port to/from which the objects ar... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7426421 | Methods and systems for transport system (TS) integration A method for transport system (TS) integration. A request comprising information regarding a manufacturing object is received. A TS server is determined among multiple TS servers contingent upon information regarding which TS server governs the manufacturing object.... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7406360 | Method for detecting transfer shift of transfer mechanism and semiconductor processing equipment A dummy substrate (17) differs from a substrate to be processed in having a first guide (G1) for assisting centering, however, it can be handled as a substitute of the substrate to be processed. In a process chamber (2), a second guide (G2 | 07/29/2008 |
| 7403882 | Material handling system enabling enhanced data consistency and method thereof Material handling systems that enable enhanced data consistency, and methods thereof, are disclosed. Behavior and life cycle of a semiconductor product for a material handling system are modeled in a set of finite states and trigger paths. A trigger event correspond... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7398850 | Transport apparatus A transport apparatus including: a travel route having a plurality of retrieval locations continuous with the route; a plurality of article transporting vehicles that move along the route; control means for managing the vehicles; connecting means that can connect on... | 07/15/2008 |
