Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
414805000 | Of moving material between zones having different pressures and inhibiting change in pressure gradient therebetween | 34 |
20080213082 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS INSPECTION METHOD AND METHOD FOR REDUCING QUANTITY OF PARTICLES ON SUBSTRATE - It is intended to prevent an increase in the quantity of particles on a test-piece substrate having undergone processing executed at a low temperature equal to or lower than 0° C. In an inspection method adopted when inspecting the state inside a processing chamber by measuring the quantity of particles on a test-piece substrate, i.e., a test-piece wafer, the test-piece wafer W having undergone a specific type of test processing inside the processing chamber is carried out into a transfer chamber via a loadlock chamber after holding it in the loadlock chamber over a predetermined length of time while delivering a dried inert gas into the loadlock chamber. The predetermined length of time is set to a value at which the increase in the quantity of particles on the test-piece wafer can be kept down at least within an acceptable range. | 09-04-2008 |
20080232947 | SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER HANDLING AND TRANSPORT - Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency. | 09-25-2008 |
20080232948 | SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER HANDLING AND TRANSPORT - Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency. | 09-25-2008 |
20080304952 | Transfer/Alignment Method in Vacuum Processing Apparatus, Vacuum Processing Apparatus and Computer Storage Medium - In a vacuum transfer chamber | 12-11-2008 |
20090053034 | Method of controlling pressure in a wafer transfer system - A wafer transfer system, and method of controlling pressure in the system, includes a loadport for receiving a wafer container, a housing operably connected to the loadport, a wafer transfer mechanism for transferring a wafer between the wafer container and the housing, a wafer container sensor for detecting a presence of the wafer container on the loadport, a variable speed fan disposed in a first portion of the housing, a variable exhaust unit disposed in a second portion of the housing facing the first portion, the variable exhaust unit being capable of varying an exhaust rate of air from the housing, and a controller for variably operating the variable speed fan and the variable exhaust unit in response to a signal from the wafer container sensor. | 02-26-2009 |
20090060702 | METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING OBJECT TO BE PROCESSED IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING APPARATUS - In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a processing chamber, means for supplying gas to the processing chamber, evacuating means for decompressing the processing chamber, a transport chamber, means for supplying gas to the transport chamber, and evacuating means for decompressing the transport chamber, the pressure in the processing chamber is 10 to 50 Pa, the pressure in the transport chamber is set to positive pressure to the processing chamber, the differential pressure between the processing chamber and the transport chamber is 10 Pa or less, and the flow rate of the gas supplied to the processing chamber is twice or more the flow rate of gas supplied to the transport chamber. | 03-05-2009 |
20090067977 | Seal device and method for operating the same and substrate processing apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber - The present invention provides a seal device comprising a sealing passage which allows communication between a first space and a second space, and evacuation lines individually connected to the first space and the sealing passage. A gas feed line for feeding dry gas is connected to the sealing passage. | 03-12-2009 |
20090252591 | IN-LINE APPARATUS - An in-line apparatus includes a loader chamber loading and unloading a substrate, a plurality of process chambers coupled in series to the loader chamber, and respectively and sequentially performing predetermined processes for the substrate, and at least one buffer chamber disposed in parallel to the process chambers, wherein the buffer chamber replaces at least one process chamber to transfer the substrate therethrough. | 10-08-2009 |
20100054905 | LOAD LOCK CHAMBER FOR LARGE AREA SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM - The present invention generally includes a load lock chamber for transferring large area substrates into a vacuum processing chamber. The load lock chamber may have one or more separate, environmentally isolated environments. Each processing environment may have a plurality exhaust ports for drawing a vacuum. The exhaust ports may be located at the corners of the processing environment. When a substrate is inserted into the load lock chamber from the factory interface, the environment may need to be evacuated. Due to the exhaust ports located at the corners of the environment, any particles or contaminants that may be present may be pulled to the closest corner and out of the load lock chamber without being pulled across the substrate. Thus, substrate contamination may be reduced. | 03-04-2010 |
20100119351 | Method and system for venting load lock chamber to a desired pressure - A system and method for reducing particulate contamination during the loading and unloading of semiconductor substrates into a load lock chamber of a semiconductor processing tool provides one or more pressure sensors that measure the actual ambient pressure in the fabrication facility or within a discrete environment within the fabrication facility and determine a crossover pressure to be used to open a load lock chamber door after the load lock is vented. The crossover pressure is determined by an input indicating a relationship between the desired crossover pressure and a detected ambient pressure. The crossover pressure may be identical to, greater than, or less than the measured ambient pressure. The ambient pressure may be measured on an ongoing or real-time basis. | 05-13-2010 |
20100290888 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING SAME - Adjacent to an opening portion in an FISM system is provided an enclosure that encloses the operation space of a door and has a second opening portion opposed to the opening portion. A curtain nozzle is provided above the upper edge of the opening portion in the upper portion in the enclosure. A purge gas is supplied from the curtain nozzle along a direction from the upper edge to the lower edge of the opening portion. In addition, a gas outlet through which the purge gas flows from the interior of the enclosure out into the exterior is provided on the wall of the enclosure to which the purge gas flowing in the above described direction is directed, whereby an increase in the partial pressure of oxidizing gases in the interior of the FOUP is prevented. | 11-18-2010 |
20110020104 | RAPID EXCHANGE DEVICE FOR LITHOGRAPHY RETICLES - Provided is a method and apparatus for moving and exchanging reticles within a vacuum lithographic system with minimum particle generation and outgassing. In an example of the method, a first arm of a rotational exchange device (RED) receives a first baseplate holding a first reticle. A second arm of the RED supports and buffers a second baseplate. The first and second baseplates are located substantially equidistant from an axis of rotation of the RED. | 01-27-2011 |
20110194924 | METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING OBJECT TO BE PROCESSED IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING APPARATUS - In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a processing chamber, means for supplying gas to the processing chamber, evacuating means for decompressing the processing chamber, a transport chamber, means for supplying gas to the transport chamber, and evacuating means for decompressing the transport chamber, the pressure in the processing chamber is 10 to 50 Pa, the pressure in the transport chamber is set to positive pressure to the processing chamber, the differential pressure between the processing chamber and the transport chamber is 10 Pa or less, and the flow rate of the gas supplied to the processing chamber is twice or more the flow rate of gas supplied to the transport chamber. | 08-11-2011 |
20110236175 | PROCESSING METHOD AND FABRICATION METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - There are obtained a processing method that allows adherence of foreign particles to an object to be processed in a load lock chamber to be suppressed, and a fabrication method of a semiconductor device using the processing method. The processing method includes the step of receiving a substrate that is the object to be processed at a load lock chamber (substrate load lock chamber) to load the substrate into a processing chamber where processing is to be applied to the substrate, and reducing internal pressure from a substrate load lock chamber | 09-29-2011 |
20110236176 | Removable compartments for workpiece stocker - The present invention discloses apparatuses and method for configuring a compartmentable equipment to accommodate emergency responses. An exemplary equipment comprises a plurality of removable compartments for storing workpieces so that in emergency events, such as power failure or equipment failure, the workpieces can be removed from the equipment for continuing processing without disrupting the flow of the fabrication facility. The compartmentable equipment can comprise emergency access ports, including mating interface to a portable workpiece removal equipment to allow accessing the individual compartments without compromising the quality, defects and yield of the workpieces stored in the stocker. | 09-29-2011 |
20110255950 | System and Method for Sealing a Vapor Deposition Source - A system and method for movably sealing a vapor deposition source is described. One embodiment includes a system for coating a substrate, the system comprising a deposition chamber; a vapor pocket located within the deposition chamber; and an at least one movable seal, wherein the at least one movable seal is configured to form a first seal with a first portion of a substrate, and wherein the first seal is configured to prevent a vapor from leaking past the first portion of the substrate out of the vapor pocket. In some embodiments, the movable seal may comprise a first flange, wherein the first flange forms a wall of the vapor pocket; and a second flange, wherein the second flange is configured to be movably disposed within a first groove of the source block. | 10-20-2011 |
20120288355 | Method for storing wafers - A method for storing wafers is disclosed. A plurality of wafers are placed into the wafer cassette box. The wafer cassette box is hermetically sealed and pumped down to vacuum for the wafer storage. Alternatively, the wafers carried by a holder conveyed on a wafer conveyor are placed into a pump-down chamber enclosing a section of the wafer conveyor. The pump-down chamber is hermetic sealed and pumped down to vacuum for the wafer storage on the wafer conveyor. | 11-15-2012 |
20120321434 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO A ROBOT - Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for allowing electrical connection to a robot apparatus. In one aspect, an electrical coupling is adapted to provide electrical power to the robot apparatus in the vacuum chamber. The electrical coupling may include engaging electrical contacts. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts may be suspended relative to a spring such that the engaging contacts do not rotate relative to each other during arm rotation of the robot. In other embodiments, inductively coupled coils are included. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 12-20-2012 |
20130004288 | METHOD FOR MINIMIZING CONTAMINATION IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER - A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a loading chamber, a movable support, a drive mechanism, and a control system. The reaction chamber includes a baseplate. The baseplate includes an opening. The movable support is configured to hold a workpiece. The drive mechanism is configured to move a workpiece held on the support towards the opening of the baseplate into a processing position. The control system is configured to create a positive pressure gradient between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber while the workpiece support is in motion. Purge gases flow from the reaction chamber into the loading chamber while the workpiece support is in motion. The control system is configured to create a negative pressure gradient between the reaction chamber and the loading chamber while the workpiece is being processed. Purge gases can flow from the loading chamber into the reaction chamber while the workpiece support is in the processing position, unless the reaction chamber is sealed from the loading chamber in the processing position. | 01-03-2013 |
20130034421 | Method of processing a substrate in a lithography system - A method of processing substrates in a lithography system unit, the lithography system unit comprising at least two substrate preparation units, a load lock unit comprising at least first and second substrate positions, and a substrate handling robot for transferring substrates between the substrate preparation units and the load lock unit. The method comprises providing a sequence of substrates to be exposed to the robot, including an Nth substrate, an N−1th substrate, and an N+1th substrate; transferring the Nth substrate to a first one of the substrate preparation units; clamping the Nth substrate on a first substrate support structure in the first substrate preparation unit to form a clamped Nth substrate; transferring the clamped Nth substrate from the first substrate preparation unit to an unoccupied one of the first and second positions in the load lock unit; and exposing the clamped Nth substrate in the lithography system unit. | 02-07-2013 |
20130243560 | LOCKING GATE DEVICE - A locking gate device suitable for selectively blocking the flow of fluid and/or articles through a pair of openings defined by two spaced-apart members is provided. The spaced-apart members may be opposing walls or flanges of two adjacent processing chambers or vessels in a pressurized heating system. The locking gate device includes a gate assembly that is movable within a gate-receiving space defined between opposed sealing surfaces of the spaced-apart members. The gate assembly comprises a pair of sealing plates and a drive member shiftable relative to the sealing plates. As the drive member is shifted between a retracted position and an extended position, a pair of bearings disposed between the sealing plates and the drive member forces the sealing plates outwardly to contact the sealing surfaces of the spaced-apart members. This substantially blocks the flow-through openings defined by one or both sealing surfaces and restricts flow therethrough. | 09-19-2013 |
20140072397 | METHOD AND SYSTEM RELATED TO SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING EQUIPMENT - Semiconductor processing equipment. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems including: a front end robot configured to pull individual wafers from at least one wafer carrier; a linear robot in operational relationship to the front end robot, the linear robot configured to move wafers along an extended length path; and a first processing cluster in operational relationship to the linear robot. The first processing cluster may include: a first processing chamber; a second processing chamber; and a first cluster robot disposed between the first and second processing chambers. The first cluster robot is configured to transfer wafers from the linear robot to the processing chambers, and configured to transfer wafers from the processing chambers to the linear robot. | 03-13-2014 |
20140086720 | SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING STATION AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER - A semiconductor processing station is provided. The semiconductor processing station includes a first platform, a second platform and a vacuum tunnel, wherein the first platform has a first load lock and a first plurality of chambers, and the second platform has a second load lock and a second plurality of chambers, and the vacuum tunnel connects the first and the second load locks. | 03-27-2014 |
20140241848 | ELECTRIC SWITCHABLE MAGNET SLITVALVE - A slitvalve that uses magnetic energy to move a door in a direction normal to the plane of the wall is disclosed. An electrically switchable magnet is used to draw the door toward the wall to seal an aperture in the wall. Compressed Dry Air or other mechanisms may be employed to move the door between a first open position and a second closed position. A method of passing a workpiece between two different environments utilizing this magnetic slitvalve is also disclosed. | 08-28-2014 |
20140271097 | PROCESSING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HALIDE SCAVENGING - Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling process defects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provide configurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuum or controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations to provide additional processing capabilities in combination chamber designs. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, and correction of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etching processes performed by system tools. | 09-18-2014 |
20140294555 | OPERATION METHOD FOR VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS - A method for operating a vacuum processing apparatus, the vacuum processing apparatus including: a plurality of cassette stands on which a cassette capable of housing a plurality of wafers therein can be placed; a plurality of vacuum processing vessels each having a processing chamber arranged therein, wherein the wafer is arranged and processed in the processing chamber; and at least one transport robot transporting the wafer on a transport path between either one of the plurality of cassettes and the plurality of vacuum processing vessels, the vacuum processing apparatus sequentially transporting in a predetermined transport order the plurality of wafers from either one of the plurality of cassettes to a predetermined one of the plurality of vacuum processing vessels and processing the plurality of wafers. The method includes a number determining step, a remaining-time determining step and a transport order skip step. | 10-02-2014 |
20140341700 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR QUICK-SWAP OF MULTIPLE SUBSTRATES - A system and method are disclosed for substrate handling. The system can include a robot adapter configured to connect to a robot, and first and second end effectors connected to the robot adapter. The robot adapter is configured to move the first and second end effectors from a first, retracted, position to a second, extended, position. In the extended position, the first or second end effector is disposed within a top entry load lock for picking or dropping a plurality of substrates therein. The first and second end effectors can be selectively and independently movable. The robot adapter can be rotatable so as to selectively position one of the end effectors over the top entry load lock. Methods for quickly swapping processed and unprocessed substrates in the top entry load lock are also disclosed and claimed. | 11-20-2014 |
20150016941 | SEALED SUBSTRATE CARRIERS AND SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES - An electronic device manufacturing system is disclosed. The system includes a processing tool having one or more processing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturing process on one or more substrates; a substrate carrier adapted to couple to the system and carry one or more substrates; and a component adapted to create a sealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment with an environment within the substrate carrier. Methods of the invention are described as are numerous other aspects. | 01-15-2015 |
20150044014 | High Pressure Feeder and Method of Operating to Feed Granular or Fine Materials - A coal feed system to feed pulverized low rank coals containing up to 25 wt % moisture to gasifiers operating up to 1000 psig pressure is described. The system includes gas distributor and collector gas permeable pipes imbedded in the lock vessel. Different methods of operation of the feed system are disclosed to minimize feed problems associated with bridging and packing of the pulverized coal. The method of maintaining the feed system and feeder device exit pressures using gas addition or extraction with the pressure control device is also described. | 02-12-2015 |
20150098790 | SUBSTRATE TRANSFER METHOD - A substrate transfer method is performed by a transfer unit including a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm which are separately movable and are overlapped with each other. A moving speed of each of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm that is not transferring a substrate is set to be higher than a moving speed of each of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm that is transferring a substrate. | 04-09-2015 |
20150132100 | Temperature Controlled Loadlock Chamber - A temperature controlled loadlock chamber for use in semiconductor processing is provided. The temperature controlled loadlock chamber may include one or more of an adjustable fluid pump, mass flow controller, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The adjustable fluid pump provides fluid having a predetermined temperature to a temperature-controlled plate. The mass flow controller provides gas flow into the chamber that may also aid in maintaining a desired temperature. Additionally, one or more temperature sensors may be combined with the adjustable fluid pump and/or the mass flow controller to provide feedback and to provide a greater control over the temperature. A controller may be added to control the adjustable fluid pump and the mass flow controller based upon temperature readings from the one or more temperature sensors. | 05-14-2015 |
20160133490 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING A SUBSTRATE - Embodiments method and apparatus for transferring a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate cassette includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion defining an interior volume when the upper portion is coupled to the lower portion; a locking mechanism moveable between a locked position, in which the upper and lower portions are coupled, and an unlocked position, in which the lower portion can be separated from the upper portion; and a load distribution plate coupled to an upper surface of the upper portion along an edge of the upper portion to distribute a load applied to the load distribution plate. | 05-12-2016 |
20160133491 | MULTI-CASSETTE CARRYING CASE - Embodiments of multi-cassette carrying cases are provided herein. In some embodiments a multi-cassette carrying case includes: a body having an inner volume; a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume; and a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes. In some embodiments, a method of transferring substrates includes: placing a substrate in a substrate cassette, wherein an inner volume of the substrate cassette is sealed from an environment outside of the substrate cassette; and placing the substrate cassette in a multi-cassette carrying case. | 05-12-2016 |
20160189991 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING DEVICE, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM - A second control device of a second substrate processing apparatus determines whether the processing-start expected time for a substrate is equal to or earlier than a processing-start time limit. If the processing-start expected time is equal to or earlier than the processing-start time limit, the second control device allows the second substrate processing apparatus to execute a first schedule and a second schedule that are initial schedules. On the other hand, if the processing-start expected time is later than the processing-start time limit, the second control device changes the initial first schedule and the initial second schedule so that the processing-start expected time becomes equal to or earlier than the processing-start time limit, and the second control device allows the second substrate processing apparatus to execute the first schedule and the second schedule that have been changed. | 06-30-2016 |