公开(公告)号：US12027397B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-02

申请号：US17206036

申请日：2021-03-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Aaron Green ,  Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  John C. Menk

IPC: H01L21/673

CPC classification number: H01L21/67383

Abstract: A set of one or more shelves is configured to be disposed within an enclosure system of a substrate processing system. The set of one or more shelves includes first upper surfaces disposed substantially in a first plane, carrier alignment features configured to align a carrier on the first upper surfaces, second upper surfaces disposed substantially in a second plane that is above the first plane, and process kit ring alignment features configured to align a process kit ring on the carrier above the second upper surfaces.

公开(公告)号：US20240021458A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-18

申请号：US18476223

申请日：2023-09-27

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Sanggyum Kim ,  Damon Cox ,  Paul Wirth

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  B25J11/00 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/67 ,  B25J9/16

CPC classification number: H01L21/681 ,  B25J11/0095 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67259 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  B25J9/1692

Abstract: A calibration object is transferred from a processing chamber to an aligner station by one or more robot arms. The calibration object has a first processing chamber orientation in the processing chamber and a second orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with a transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner is determined based on the first processing chamber orientation and the second orientation of the calibration object at the aligner station. In response to detecting an object at the aligner station to be transferred to the processing chamber along the transfer path, the object is aligned by the aligner station to be placed in the processing chamber according to a target processing chamber orientation based on a target aligner orientation as adjusted by the first characteristic error value determined for the transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner station.

公开(公告)号：US20230364794A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-16

申请号：US18355355

申请日：2023-07-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Damon K. Cox ,  Alexander Berger

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687 ,  B65G47/90 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J11/00

CPC classification number: B25J9/1692 ,  H01L21/67745 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/68707 ,  H01L21/67259 ,  H01L21/67706 ,  B65G47/905 ,  H01L21/67167 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J9/1697 ,  B25J11/0095

Abstract: A first robot arm places a calibration object into a load lock that separates a factory interface from a transfer chamber using a first taught position. A second robot arm retrieves the calibration object from the load lock using a second taught position. A controller determines, using a sensor, a first offset amount between a calibration object center of the calibration object and a pocket center of the second robot arm. The controller determines a characteristic error value that represents a misalignment between the first taught position of the first robot arm and the second taught position of the second robot arm based on the first offset amount. The first robot arm or the second robot arm uses the first characteristic error value to compensate for the misalignment for objects transferred between the first robot arm and the second robot arm via the load lock.

公开(公告)号：US11610796B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-21

申请号：US17396873

申请日：2021-08-09

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz

IPC: H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A system includes an equipment front end module chamber, alignment pedestals housed within the equipment front end module chamber, and a load/unload robot at least partially housed within the equipment front end module chamber. The alignment pedestals include a first alignment pedestal having a first support surface and a second alignment pedestal having a second support surface, and the first support surface has a vertical offset and an overlap region having at least a partial overlap relative to the second support surface. The load/unload robot includes an arm, and vertically arranged blades attached to the arm. The vertically arranged blades include an upper blade configured to transfer a first substrate to the first alignment pedestal and a lower blade configured to transfer a second substrate to the second alignment pedestal.

公开(公告)号：US20210366753A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-25

申请号：US17396873

申请日：2021-08-09

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz

IPC: H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A system includes an equipment front end module chamber, alignment pedestals housed within the equipment front end module chamber, and a load/unload robot at least partially housed within the equipment front end module chamber. The alignment pedestals include a first alignment pedestal having a first support surface and a second alignment pedestal having a second support surface, and the first support surface has a vertical offset and an overlap region having at least a partial overlap relative to the second support surface. The load/unload robot includes an arm, and vertically arranged blades attached to the arm. The vertically arranged blades include an upper blade configured to transfer a first substrate to the first alignment pedestal and a lower blade configured to transfer a second substrate to the second alignment pedestal.

公开(公告)号：US11139190B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-05

申请号：US16849969

申请日：2020-04-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz

IPC: H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68 ,  B65G47/90 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: An equipment front end module may include an equipment front end module body forming an equipment front end module chamber. The equipment front end module body may include plurality of walls. One or more load locks or process chambers may be coupled to one or more first walls. One or more load ports may be provided in one or more second walls, wherein each of the one or more load ports are configured to dock a substrate carrier. A plurality of alignment pedestals may be housed within the equipment front end module chamber. A load/unload robot may be at least partially housed within the equipment front end module chamber, wherein the load/unload robot may include a plurality of blades. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20210291375A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-23

申请号：US16861000

申请日：2020-04-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Damon K. Cox ,  Alexander Berger

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: A first robot arm places a calibration object into a load lock that separates a factory interface from a transfer chamber using a first taught position. A second robot arm retrieves the calibration object from the load lock using a second taught position. A controller determines, using a sensor, a first offset amount between a calibration object center of the calibration object and a pocket center of the second robot arm. The controller determines a characteristic error value that represents a misalignment between the first taught position of the first robot arm and the second taught position of the second robot arm based on the first offset amount. The first robot arm or the second robot arm uses the first characteristic error value to compensate for the misalignment for objects transferred between the first robot arm and the second robot arm via the load lock.

公开(公告)号：US20200343119A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-29

申请号：US16849969

申请日：2020-04-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz

IPC: H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/687 ,  B65G47/90

Abstract: An equipment front end module may include an equipment front end module body forming an equipment front end module chamber. The equipment front end module body may include plurality of walls. One or more load locks or process chambers may be coupled to one or more first walls. One or more load ports may be provided in one or more second walls, wherein each of the one or more load ports are configured to dock a substrate carrier. A plurality of alignment pedestals may be housed within the equipment front end module chamber. A load/unload robot may be at least partially housed within the equipment front end module chamber, wherein the load/unload robot may include a plurality of blades. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20200324410A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-15

申请号：US16844765

申请日：2020-04-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Ali Utku Pehlivan

IPC: B25J9/16

Abstract: A method includes positioning a robot in a plurality of postures in a substrate processing system relative to a fixed location in the substrate processing system and generating sensor data identifying a fixed location relative to the robot in the plurality of postures. The method further includes determining, based on the sensor data, a plurality of error values corresponding to one or more components of the substrate processing system and causing, based on the plurality of error values, performance of one or more corrective actions associated with the one or more components of the substrate processing system.