# US 12,763,704 B2 · Magnetic levitation system, processing system, and method of transporting a carrier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,763,704 B2 - Document ID: US12763704B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/770,237 - Filed: 2019-11-27 - Published: 2022-12-08 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-27 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Henning Aust; Clemens Pihan; Timo Adler; Martin Aenis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763704B2 ## CPC - H02N 15/00: Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for (electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 {; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00}; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 {; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32}) - B65G 49/061: {Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames (suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066)} - B65G 54/02: electrostatic, electric, or magnetic - H02K 41/02: Linear motors; Sectional motors - B65G 2201/022: Flat - H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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) - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract A magnetic levitation system (100) for transporting a carrier (10) in a transport direction (T) is described. The magnetic levitation system includes at least one magnetic bearing (120) having a first actuator (121) with a U-shaped electromagnet for contactlessly holding the carrier (10) in a carrier transportation space (15), and a drive unit (130) having a second actuator (131) for moving the carrier (10) in the transport direction. The second actuator (131) or a projection of the second actuator along the transport direction (T) is partially surrounded by the U-shaped electromagnet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic levitation system for transporting a carrier in a transport direction through a vacuum chamber, comprising: a plurality of magnetic bearings having a first actuator with a U-shaped electromagnet for contactlessly holding the carrier in a carrier transportation space, the first actuator arranged above the carrier transportation space, and the carrier transportation space is within an inner volume of the vacuum chamber; and a plurality of drive units having a second actuator for moving the carrier in the transport direction, wherein the second actuator or a projection of the second actuator along the transport direction is partially surrounded by the U-shaped electromagnet comprising a U-shaped core with two legs, the two legs being directed toward the carrier transportation space and an end of each of the two legs providing two poles of the U-shaped electromagnet for exerting magnetic levitation forces on the carrier; and a contactless guiding arrangement for guiding the carrier in the transport direction arranged in a lower portion of the carrier transportation space, the contactless guiding arrangement including one or more passive magnetic bearings adapted for generating a static magnetic field, and wherein both the first actuator and the second actuator are centered above the carrier transportation space and are arranged in an atmospheric space, and wherein the second actuator is arranged offset relative to the first actuator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped electromagnet surrounds the second actuator or the projection of the second actuator on two opposite lateral sides and on one of a top side and a bottom side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the second actuator is a stator of a linear motor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The magnetic levitation system of claim 3, wherein the linear motor is a synchronous linear motor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of magnetic bearings are actively controllable magnetic bearings comprising the U-shaped electromagnet configured to be actively controlled for maintaining a specified distance between the first actuator and the carrier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the carrier transportation space is a vertical carrier transportation space having a height H extending in a vertical direction and a width W extending in a lateral direction, wherein an aspect ratio of H/W is H/W≥5. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, further comprising the carrier, wherein the carrier includes a magnetic counterpart with two surfaces extending parallel to each other along a top surface of the carrier for magnetically interacting with the first actuator and a drive counterpart for magnetically interacting with the second actuator, the drive counterpart extending between the two surfaces of the magnetic counterpart in the transport direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The magnetic levitation system of claim 7, wherein the magnetic counterpart includes a first guided zone and a second guided zone, wherein a recessed zone is arranged between the first guided zone and the second guided zone in the transport direction of the carrier, the recessed zone being recessed with respect to the first guided zone and the second guided zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The magnetic levitation system of claim 7, wherein the carrier transportation space extends from the top surface of the carrier including the magnetic counterpart for magnetically interacting with the first actuator to a further magnetic counterpart provided at a bottom of the carrier, the further magnetic counterpart facing the one or more passive magnetic bearings of the contactless guiding arrangement, and wherein the carrier transportation space does not overlap with the first actuator and the second actuator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein, during carrier transport, the first actuator and the second actuator are centrally arranged above a center of gravity of the carrier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the two legs are configured for magnetically interacting with a magnetic counterpart having two surfaces extending parallel to each other along a top or bottom surface of the carrier. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped electromagnet is configured to be actively controlled in a closed loop or feedback control for maintaining a specified distance between the first actuator and the carrier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the atmospheric space is outside the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged on or above an outside surface of an upper chamber wall of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The magnetic levitation system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged in receptions provided in an outside surface of an upper chamber wall of the vacuum chamber, wherein the receptions are configured for at least partially receiving the first actuator and the second actuator. ### Claim 16 A magnetic levitation system for transporting a carrier in a transport direction comprising: a plurality of magnetic bearings comprising: a first actuator with a U-shaped electromagnet for contactlessly holding the carrier in a carrier transportation space, the first actuator arranged above or below the carrier transportation space; and a plurality of drive units comprising: a second actuator for moving the carrier in the transport direction, the second actuator or a projection of the second actuator along the transport direction is partially surrounded by the U-shaped electromagnet; and wherein first actuators of the plurality of magnetic bearings and second actuators of the plurality of drive units are alternately arranged in the transport direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The magnetic levitation system of claim 16, wherein, during carrier transport, the two legs of the U-shaped electromagnet are directed toward two surfaces of a magnetic counterpart extending along a top part of the carrier in the transport direction, and the second actuator magnetically interacts with a drive counterpart arranged between the two surfaces. ### Claim 18 A processing system for vertically processing a substrate, comprising: at least one vacuum chamber comprising a processing device; and one or more magnetic levitation systems for transporting one or more carriers in a transport direction through the at least one vacuum chamber, the one or more magnetic levitation systems comprising: a plurality of magnetic bearings having a first actuator with a U-shaped electromagnet for contactlessly holding the carrier in a carrier transportation space, the first actuator arranged above the carrier transportation space, and the carrier transportation space is within an inner volume of the at least one vacuum chamber; and a plurality of drive units having a second actuator for moving the carrier in the transport direction, wherein the second actuator or a projection of the second actuator along the transport direction is partially surrounded by the U-shaped electromagnet comprising a U-shaped core with two legs, the two legs being directed toward the carrier transportation space and an end of each of the two legs providing two poles of the U-shaped electromagnet for exerting magnetic levitation forces on the carrier; and a contactless guiding arrangement for guiding the carrier in the transport direction arranged in a lower portion of the carrier transportation space, the contactless guiding arrangement including one or more passive magnetic bearings adapted for generating a static magnetic field, wherein both the first actuator and the second actuator are centered above the carrier transportation space and in an atmospheric space, and wherein the second actuator is arranged offset relative to the first actuator. ### Claim 19 A method of transporting a carrier in a transport direction through a vacuum chamber, comprising: contactlessly holding the carrier in a carrier transportation space using a plurality of magnetic bearings having a first actuator with a U-shaped electromagnet; transporting the carrier in the transport direction using a plurality of drive units having a second actuator, wherein the second actuator or a projection of the second actuator along the transport direction is partially surrounded by the U-shaped electromagnet comprising a U-shaped core with two legs, the two legs being directed toward the carrier transportation space and an end of each of the two legs providing two poles of the U-shaped electromagnet for exerting magnetic levitation forces on the carrier, wherein the second actuator is arranged offset relative to the first actuator, and wherein both the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged above a center of gravity and the center of gravity of the carrier, when the carrier moves below the first actuator and the second actuator, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged in an atmospheric space, and wherein the carrier transportation space is in an inner volume of the vacuum chamber; and contactlessly guiding the carrier in the transport direction by employing a contactless guiding arrangement arranged in a lower portion of the carrier transportation space, the contactless guiding arrangement including one or more passive magnetic bearings adapted for generating a static magnetic field. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein, during carrier transport, the two legs of the U-shaped electromagnet are directed toward two surfaces of a magnetic counterpart extending along a top part of the carrier in the transport direction, and the second actuator magnetically interacts with a drive counterpart arranged between the two surfaces.