# US 10,483,141 B2 · Semiconductor process equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,141 B2 - Document ID: US10483141B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/697,492 - Filed: 2017-09-07 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-12 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman; Hari K. Ponnekanti; Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483141B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/3204: {using magnetic elements} - B65G 54/02: electrostatic, electric, or magnetic - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0458: {vertical arrangement} - H10P 72/3314: {Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers} - B65G 2201/0261: Puck as article support - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A substrate transport system is disclosed and includes a chamber having an interior wall, a planar motor disposed on the interior wall, and a substrate carrier magnetically coupled to the planar motor. The substrate carrier comprises a base and a substrate supporting surface coupled to a support member extending from the base in a cantilevered orientation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate transport system, comprising: a chamber having an interior wall; a planar motor disposed on the interior wall; a substrate carrier magnetically coupled to the planar motor, the substrate carrier comprising: a base; a substrate supporting surface coupled to a support member extending from the base in a cantilevered orientation; and an electrically conductive plate to apply radio frequency power to the chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a plurality of process chambers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a linear process region having a plurality of deposition sources. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is operably coupled to an elevator having an interior wall, and a planar motor is disposed on the interior wall of the elevator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the elevator is operably coupled to a return chamber having an interior wall, and a planar motor is disposed on the interior wall of the return chamber. ### Claim 6 A system for processing a substrate, comprising: a process chamber positioned at a first level and extending between a pair of elevators; a return chamber coupled to the pair of elevators at a second level different than the first level; and a plurality of substrate carriers configured to magnetically couple to an interior wall of each of the process chamber, the elevators and the return chamber, and adapted to move into and out of the process chamber, wherein the interior wall comprises a plurality of electromagnetic coils, wherein each of the plurality of substrate carriers comprise: a base; a substrate supporting surface coupled to a support member extending from the base in a cantilevered manner; and a radio frequency electrode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the process chamber comprises a plurality of process chambers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein each of the process chambers are selectively separated by transfer ports for moving the substrate carrier therebetween. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the process chamber comprises a process region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the process region is separated by one or more gas curtains. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the interior wall of each of the process chamber, the elevators and the return chamber comprise a planar motor that interacts with one or more of the plurality of electromagnetic coils. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the base contains one or more magnets. ### Claim 13 A system for processing a substrate, comprising: a plurality of elevators extending in a first direction; a first processing rack extending in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction; and a second processing rack extending in the second direction and substantially parallel to the first processing rack, wherein a service space is provided between the first processing rack and the second processing rack, and wherein each of the processing racks comprise: one or more process chambers operably coupled to the plurality of elevators; a return chamber operably coupled to the plurality of elevators; and a plurality of substrate carriers configured to magnetically couple to an interior wall of each of the process chambers, the elevators and the return chamber and adapted to move into and out of the process chambers, wherein each of the plurality of substrate carriers comprise: a base; and a substrate supporting surface coupled to a support member extending from the base in a cantilevered manner; and an electrically conductive plate to apply radio frequency power to one of the one or more process chambers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising: a radio frequency applicator associated with the one of the one or more process chambers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the radio frequency applicator is actuated by a motor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the interior wall of each of the process chambers, the elevators and the return chamber comprise a planar motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more process chambers are selectively separated by transfer ports. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more process chambers comprise a process region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein each of the process regions are separated by one or more gas curtains.