Substrate mapping apparatus and method therefor

    公开(公告)号:US12002696B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-06-04

    申请号:US17362599

    申请日:2021-06-29

    摘要: A semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus comprising a frame forming a wafer load opening communicating with a load station for a substrate carrier disposed to hold more than one wafers vertically distributed in the substrate carrier for loading through the wafer load opening, a movable arm movably mounted to the frame so as to move relative to the wafer load opening and having at least one end effector movably mounted to the movable arm to load wafers from the substrate carrier through the wafer load opening, an image acquisition system including an array of cameras arranged on a common support and each camera fixed with respect to the common support that is static with respect to each camera of the array of cameras, wherein each respective camera is positioned with a field of view disposed to view through the wafer load opening with the common support positioned by the movable arm.

    On the fly automatic wafer centering method and apparatus

    公开(公告)号:US11776834B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-10-03

    申请号:US17229495

    申请日:2021-04-13

    CPC分类号: H01L21/68 H01L21/68707

    摘要: Substrate processing apparatus including a wafer transport apparatus with a transport arm including an end effector, an arm pose deterministic feature integral to the substrate transport apparatus and disposed so that a static detection sensor of the substrate processing apparatus detects at least one edge of the at least one arm pose deterministic feature on the fly with radial motion of the transport arm, and a controller configured so that detection of the edge effects a determination of a proportion factor identifying at least a thermal expansion variance of the transport arm on the fly and includes a kinematic effects resolver configured to determine, from the detection of the edge on the fly, a discrete relation between the determined proportion factor and each different discrete variance respective to each different link of the transport arm determining at least the thermal expansion variance of the transport arm on the fly.

    Dual arm robot
    5.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11613002B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-28

    申请号:US16990775

    申请日:2020-08-11

    IPC分类号: B25J9/04

    摘要: A substrate processing apparatus including a frame, a first arm coupled to the frame at a shoulder axis having a first upper arm, a first forearm and at least one substrate holder serially and rotatably coupled to each other, a second arm coupled to the frame at the shoulder axis where shoulder axes of rotation of the arms are substantially coincident, the second arm having a second upper arm, a second forearm and at least one substrate holder serially and rotatably coupled to each other, and a drive section connected to the frame and coupled to the arms, the drive section being configured to independently extend and rotate each arm where an axis of extension of the first arm is angled relative to an axis of extension of the second arm substantially at each angular position of at least one of the first arm or the second arm.

    Load port module
    6.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11610793B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-21

    申请号:US17341638

    申请日:2021-06-08

    IPC分类号: H01L21/67 B65G49/06

    摘要: Substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the substrate loading device and the substrate processing apparatus, a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container for transfer of substrates to and from the at least one substrate cassette container through the transport opening, and selectably variable cassette support purge ports with a variable purge port nozzle outlet, variable between more than one selectable predetermined purge port nozzle characteristics, disposed on the cassette support, each of the more than one purge port nozzle characteristics being configured so that the purge port nozzle outlet with each selected predetermined purge port nozzle characteristic complements and couples to at least one purge port of the at least one substrate cassette container.

    Load lock fast pump vent
    7.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11610787B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-21

    申请号:US17108473

    申请日:2020-12-01

    IPC分类号: H01L21/67 F27B17/00

    摘要: A semiconductor processing tool is disclosed, the tool having a frame forming at least one chamber with an opening and having a sealing surface around a periphery of the opening, a door configured to interact with the sealing surface for sealing the opening, the door having sides perpendicular to the door sealing surface and perpendicular to a transfer plane of a substrate, and at least one drive located on the frame to a side of at least one of the sides that are substantially perpendicular to the door sealing surface and substantially perpendicular to the transfer plane of the substrate, the drive having actuators located at least partially in front of the sealing surface and the actuators being coupled to one of the sides of the door for moving the door from a sealed position. The at least one drive is located outside of a substrate transfer zone.

    Substrate processing apparatus
    8.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11569111B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-01-31

    申请号:US17108530

    申请日:2020-12-01

    IPC分类号: H01L21/677

    摘要: A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section and at least one articulated multi-link arm having an upper arm joined at one end to the drive section and a forearm joined to the upper arm. The upper arm being a substantially rigid unarticulated link. Dual end effector links that are separate and distinct from each other are each rotatably and separately joined to a common end of the forearm about a common axis of rotation. Each end effector link has at least one holding station. The holding station of at least one end effector link includes one holding station at opposite ends of the at least one end effector link that is substantially rigid and unarticulated between the opposite ends, and the holding station at one of the opposite ends is substantially coplanar with the holding station of each other end effector link.

    High speed substrate aligner apparatus

    公开(公告)号:US11508597B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-11-22

    申请号:US15465326

    申请日:2017-03-21

    摘要: A substrate aligner providing minimal substrate transporter extend and retract motions to quickly align substrate without back side damage while increasing the throughput of substrate processing. In one embodiment, the aligner having an inverted chuck connected to a frame with a substrate transfer system capable of transferring substrate from chuck to transporter without rotationally repositioning substrate. The inverted chuck eliminates aligner obstruction of substrate fiducials and along with the transfer system, allows transporter to remain within the frame during alignment. In another embodiment, the aligner has a rotatable sensor head connected to a frame and a substrate support with transparent rest pads for supporting the substrate during alignment so transporter can remain within the frame during alignment. Substrate alignment is performed independent of fiducial placement on support pads. In other embodiments the substrate support employs a buffer system for buffering substrate inside the apparatus allowing for fast swapping of substrates.