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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7374391 | Substrate gripper for a substrate handling robot A method and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system, or cluster tool, that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer ... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7300084 | Apparatus for conveying liquid crystal display panel An apparatus for convening a liquid crystal display panel for moving various size unit liquid crystal display panels. The present invention includes a horizontal driving unit controlling a revolution of a motor, a plurality of screw shafts protruding out of the hori... | 11/27/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7286890 | Transfer apparatus for target object A processing system includes a transfer chamber, a plurality of chambers connected to the transfer chamber, a transfer apparatus disposed in the transfer chamber, and a control section configured to control the transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus includes a b... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7281741 | End-effectors for handling microelectronic workpieces End-effectors may be used to grasp microelectronic workpieces for handling by automated transport devices. One such end-effector includes a plurality of end-effectors and a detector adapted to detect engagement of the edge of the workpiece by at least one of the abu... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7258224 | Arrangement for conveying a plate-like product from one position to another An arrangement for conveying an anode plate from one location to another, whereby said arrangement comprises gripping elements attached to a conveyor for gripping a plate-like piece. Elements are attached to the gripping element connection for the correction, at lea... | 08/21/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7186297 | Wafer holding apparatus The invention provides a wafer holding apparatus which enables ascertainment of gripping and presence/absence of a wafer through use of single detection means. The apparatus has drive means (2) having a pressing element (8) which advances or rec... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7146718 | Apparatus for mounting semiconductors When mounting semiconductor chips, the semiconductor chips are presented on a wafer table where they are picked one after the other by a pick and place system, transported and placed onto a substrate that rests on a supporting surface of a substrate table. The wafer... | 12/12/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7108688 | Remote center positioner The invention is directed to a remote center positioner used to support an instrument and provide a center of spherical rotation, remote from any bearings or mechanical supports, at a desired location of the instrument. The remote center positioner is particularly u... | 09/19/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7077973 | Methods for substrate orientation Method and apparatus for etching a metal layer disposed on a substrate, such as a photolithographic reticle, are provided. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a photolithographic reticle including positioning the reticle in a first orientation on a re... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7063499 | Conveyor system A conveyor system able to safety convey a workpiece having a thickness of less than 100 μm and easily position the workpiece, provided with a plate-shaped member provided movably and swivelably and a moving and swiveling means moving and swiveling the plate-shaped ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7021687 | Clamp assembly An actuated workpiece clamp is provided. The clamp of this disclosure illustratively has an actuator, a linkage, a cam member, a cam pin, and at least one jaw member. ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7018504 | Loadlock with integrated pre-clean chamber A wafer carrier adapted to hold a plurality of wafers and is positioned on an elevator plate in a load lock. The elevator plate is adapted to move between a first position with the carrier in a first chamber of the load lock and a second position with the carrier in... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6991420 | Tool for handling wafers and epitaxial growth station A tool (7) for handling a semiconductor material wafer (100) is designed to be used in an epitaxial growth station; the tool (7) comprises a disk (20) having an upper side (21) and a lower side (22), the lower side (22 | 01/31/2006 |
| 6968938 | Convey device for a plate-like workpiece A conveying device for a plate-like workpiece, comprising a suction-holding device for suction-holding the plate-like workpiece and a moving device for moving the suction-holding device between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position, wher... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6948898 | Alignment of semiconductor wafers and other articles A wafer or some other article is aligned while being held by an end-effector. ... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6935830 | Alignment of semiconductor wafers and other articles A wafer or some other article is aligned while being held by an end-effector. ... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6923767 | Scanning system along an arciform trajectory with a variable bending radius The scanning system of the invention includes a structure driven in rotation around a first axis, a structuremounted rotating on the structure around an axis parallel to the first axis, a structure for supporting an echographic probe mounted rotating on the structur... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6918735 | Holding device for wafers The invention relates to a holding device for wafers in an arrangement for wafer inspection, comprising two grippers (11, 12), each of which, in the closed state of the holding device (8), encloses a subsection of the wafer circumference and which are ... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6913302 | Robot arm edge gripping device for handling substrates An edge gripping device grips and ungrips a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. A blade extends in a distal direction from a base of the device. At least one distal contact member is provided at the tip of the blade. Two proximal lever arms are pivotally coupl... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6910847 | Precision polar coordinate stage A polar coordinate stage that may be used in a chamber includes a rotating chuck that moves in a linear direction and has the motors that drive the motion of the chuck outside the chamber. The stage can include a linkage of arms to support and drive the linear motio... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6746195 | Semiconductor transfer and manufacturing apparatus A transfer apparatus has a transfer robot for transferring wafers between a process chamber and a pre-pressurizing chamber. The process chamber and pre-pressurizing chamber are arranged in a circle. The transfer robot has multiple arms, arranged hierarchically, for ... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6737826 | Substrate transport apparatus with multiple independent end effectors A substrate processing apparatus comprising a frame, a drive section, an articulated arm, and at least one pair of end effectors. The drive section is connected to the frame. The articulated arm is connected to the drive section. The articulated arm has a shoulder a... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6679675 | Method and apparatus for processing wafers An apparatus for processing wafers one at a time. The apparatus has a vacuum chamber 1 into which wafers are loaded through a pair of loadlocks 3, 4 which are spaced one above the other. A robot within the vacuum chamber 1 has a pair of gripper arms 22, 2... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6623235 | Robot arm edge gripping device for handling substrates using two four-bar linkages An edge gripping device for a robot arm grips and ungrips substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. A base is fixed to an end of the robot arm. A blade, having a distal contact location thereon, and a pusher bar, having preferably two proximal contact loc... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6453543 | Transport and transfer device Disclosed is a workpiece conveyor and delivery device for a vacuum processing plant. Workpieces are delivered from one device to another, both devices being located opposite each other and moving in relation to each other. A controllable magnet arrangemen... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6322119 | Robots for microelectronic workpiece handling An improved conveyor system for transporting a microelectronic workpiece within a processing tool is set forth. The conveyor system includes a transport unit slidably guided on a conveyor rail for transporting and manipulating the workpieces. The transpor... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6053983 | Wafer for carrying semiconductor wafers and method detecting wafers on carrier A plurality of projections 21 is disposed on a inner surface of a lid 20 which is detachably attached to a carrier body 10. Each projection 21 has a tapered end part 22 with inclined surfaces 23, 24. The surfaces 23, 24 are in the form of semitransparent ... | 04/25/2000 |
| 5911557 | Process and device for taking an object up and transferring it from a first station to a second The invention relates to a process and device for taking up stacked or flat objects and subsequently transferring them from a collecting point forming a first station to a second station at which the objects are further processed or handled. The gripping ... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5882171 | Transport and transfer apparatus A transport and transfer arrangement for a workpiece in a vacuum treatment apparatus has a first transport member with at least one first workpiece holder and a second transport member with at least one second workpiece holder. The first and second transp... | 03/16/1999 |
| 5807063 | Circuit board loading assembly A printed circuit board loading assembly for loading a printed circuit board from a queueing station to an electronic test analyzer having an adjustable extrusion arm and a gripper assembly located at an end of the extrusion arm for engaging at least one ... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5672044 | Free-traveling manipulator with powered tools An automatic, controlled manipulator includes a power supply controlling motion of a tool head and providing power to a removeable powered tool supported at the end of the arm. The manipulator may be moveable in multiple or all directions. A storage for r... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5452981 | Automatic tool changer A production line which includes a shuttle conveyor extending between two work stations. A first transfer device for transferring a workpiece from one of the work stations to the conveyor and a second transfer device for transferring the workpiece to the ... | 09/26/1995 |
| 5386318 | Apparatus for handling biological specimens Apparatus for handling biological specimens for a diagnostic device and an apparatus to load the diagnostic device, the diagnostic device including a transport system and a carousel bearing several cassettes containing biological specimens. By means of th... | 01/31/1995 |
| 5281079 | Automatic manipulator with reservoir and methods An automatic, moveable manipulator includes an arm supported on a carriage and holding at least one tool. Both the arm and the carriage can be moved under the control of signals transmitted from a remote location, such as a central controller, which signa... | 01/25/1994 |
| 5269644 | Load balancing manipulator A load balancing manipulator is disclosed which allows the user great flexibility in moving heavy objects from place to place. The invention is supported on a base having an upstanding post to which is attached a pivoting arm having a second pivoting arm ... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5259716 | Container conveyor for conveying a container to an inspecting station The invention relates to a container conveyor for conveying a container to a container inspecting station. The container has a flanged portion surrounding its opening. The conveyor includes a rotary disc having a plurality of holders arranged around its c... | 11/09/1993 |
