公开(公告)号：US20230058606A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-23

申请号：US18045119

申请日：2022-10-07

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Doug McAllister ,  Helder Lee

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/673

Abstract: A system includes a factory interface, a load port connected to the factory interface, a container connected to the load port, and a controller connected to a robot arm of the factory interface. The controller determines that the container is configured to store replacement parts for a process chamber of the system and causes the robot arm to move according to a first mapping pattern to identify, using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, positions in the container. Regions of the container that do not contain replacement parts are determined and the robot arm is moved according to a second mapping pattern to identify a position in the container of a wafer and/or an empty carrier for a replacement part. A mapping of positions of replacement parts and positions of the wafer and/or empty carrier is recorded in a storage medium.

公开(公告)号：US20240304478A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-12

申请号：US18666686

申请日：2024-05-16

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Doug McAllister ,  Helder Lee

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/673

CPC classification number: H01L21/67265 ,  H01L21/67356

Abstract: A system includes a factory interface, a load port connected to the factory interface, and a system controller. The system controller is to, responsive to detecting that a container is received at the load port, determine a type of parts for storage at the container. One or more mapping patterns associated with the determined type of parts is identified. A detection system of robot arm(s) of the factory interface is moved according to the identified mapping pattern(s) to detect one or more parts stored by the container. A mapping of the container is determined based on the movement of the robot arm(s). The mapping indicates regions of the container that stores detected parts and a position of each of the detected parts. Based on the mapping, the robot arm(s) either remove a detected part form the container or place an additional part in the container.

公开(公告)号：US20210057246A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-25

申请号：US16994413

申请日：2020-08-14

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Doug McAllister ,  Helder Lee

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/673

Abstract: A method for detecting positions of replacement parts, wafers, or empty carriers for a replacement part stored at a replacement parts storage container is provided. A container is received at a at a load port of a factory interface of an electronics processing system. The container is configured to store replacement parts for a process chamber of the electronics processing system. A robot arm is moved according to a first mapping pattern to identify, using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, positions of one or more replacement parts in the container. Regions of the container that do not contain replacement parts are determined. The robot arm is moved according to a second mapping pattern to identify, within the regions of the container that do not contain replacement parts, using the detection system, a position in the container of at least one of a wafer or an empty carrier for a replacement part. A mapping of positions of the one or more replacement parts and of positions of at least one of the empty carrier or the wafer in the container is recorded in a storage medium.

公开(公告)号：US20200373190A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-26

申请号：US16417348

申请日：2019-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Helder Lee ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath ,  Steven Babayan

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: A process kit enclosure system includes surfaces to enclose an interior volume, a first support structure including first fins, a second support structure including second fins, and a front interface to interface the process kit enclosure system with a load port of a wafer processing system. The first and second fins are sized and spaced to hold process kit ring carriers and process kit rings in the interior volume. Each of the process kit rings is secured to one of the process kit ring carriers. The process kit enclosure system enables first automated transfer of a first process kit ring carrier securing a first process kit ring from the process kit enclosure system into the wafer processing system and second automated transfer of a second process kit ring carrier securing a second process kit ring from the wafer processing system into the process kit enclosure system.

公开(公告)号：US20250087524A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-13

申请号：US18958317

申请日：2024-11-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Helder Lee ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath ,  Steven Babayan

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68

Abstract: A process kit enclosure system includes walls and a retention device structure. The retention device structure includes a retention device post and a retention device fin. The retention device fin in a first position is disposed above and secures a process kit ring supported in the interior volume of the process kit enclosure system. The retention device fin is rotated from the first position to be in a second position to be outside a boundary of the process kit ring. The retention device post is aligned with and inserts into a recess formed by a top cover of the process kit enclosure system responsive to the retention device post being in the first position. The retention device post is misaligned with and blocked from inserting into the recess formed by the top cover responsive to the retention device post of the retention device structure being in the second position.

公开(公告)号：US12165905B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US16417348

申请日：2019-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Helder Lee ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Leon Volfovski ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath ,  Steven Babayan

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/673 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/68

Abstract: A process kit enclosure system includes surfaces to enclose an interior volume, a first support structure including first fins, a second support structure including second fins, and a front interface to interface the process kit enclosure system with a load port of a wafer processing system. The first and second fins are sized and spaced to hold process kit ring carriers and process kit rings in the interior volume. Each of the process kit rings is secured to one of the process kit ring carriers. The process kit enclosure system enables first automated transfer of a first process kit ring carrier securing a first process kit ring from the process kit enclosure system into the wafer processing system and second automated transfer of a second process kit ring carrier securing a second process kit ring from the wafer processing system into the process kit enclosure system.

公开(公告)号：US20200373194A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-26

申请号：US16417369

申请日：2019-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leon Volfovski ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Denis Martin Koosau ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Steven Babayan ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Helder Lee ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Damon K. Cox

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/68

Abstract: A process kit ring adaptor includes a rigid carrier. The rigid carrier includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface includes a first distal portion and a second distal portion to support a process kit ring. The lower surface includes a first region to interface with an end effector configured to support wafers and a solid planar central region to interface with a vacuum chuck.

公开(公告)号：US20230271321A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-31

申请号：US17683137

申请日：2022-02-28

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Khai T. Ngo ,  Michelle A. Wong ,  Helder Lee

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B25J15/06 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J11/00 ,  H01L21/687

CPC classification number: B25J9/1651 ,  B25J15/0683 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B25J11/0095 ,  H01L21/68707

Abstract: Systems and methods for grip-based transport speeds for objects transported at a manufacturing system is provided. A controller can detect an object placed on an end effector of a robot arm. The controller can apply vacuum pressure to secure the object to the end effector via vacuum grip pads. The controller can obtain a vacuum pressure measurement indicating the amount of vacuum pressure between the object and the end effector and determine whether the obtained vacuum pressure measurement satisfies a vacuum pressure criterion. The controller can determine a transport speed setting for transporting the object using the robot arm based on whether the obtained vacuum pressure measurement satisfies the vacuum pressure criterion. The controller can cause the robot arm to move the object according to the transport speed setting.

公开(公告)号：US10964584B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-30

申请号：US16417369

申请日：2019-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leon Volfovski ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Denis Martin Koosau ,  Nicholas Michael Kopec ,  Steven Babayan ,  Douglas R. McAllister ,  Helder Lee ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Damon K. Cox

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: A process kit ring adaptor includes a rigid carrier. The rigid carrier includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface includes a first distal portion and a second distal portion to support a process kit ring. The lower surface includes a first region to interface with an end effector configured to support wafers and a solid planar central region to interface with a vacuum chuck.

公开(公告)号：US12014944B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-18

申请号：US18045119

申请日：2022-10-07

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Nicholas Michael Bergantz ,  Jeffrey Hudgens ,  Doug McAllister ,  Helder Lee

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/673

CPC classification number: H01L21/67265 ,  H01L21/67356

Abstract: A system includes a factory interface, a load port connected to the factory interface, a container connected to the load port, and a controller connected to a robot arm of the factory interface. The controller determines that the container is configured to store replacement parts for a process chamber of the system and causes the robot arm to move according to a first mapping pattern to identify, using a detection system at a distal end of an end effector of the robot arm, positions in the container. Regions of the container that do not contain replacement parts are determined and the robot arm is moved according to a second mapping pattern to identify a position in the container of a wafer and/or an empty carrier for a replacement part. A mapping of positions of replacement parts and positions of the wafer and/or empty carrier is recorded in a storage medium.