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US 2001/0043849 A1Published application
Apparatus for storing and moving a cassette
OwnerIlya Perlov, Evgueni Gantvarg +1inventors
InventorsIlya Perlov, Evgueni Gantvarg, Victor Belitsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cassette stocker includes a plurality of cassette storage shelves positioned adjacent a cleanroom wall above a cassette docking station, and a cassette mover to carry a cassette between the shelves and the docking station. An interstation transfer apparatus includes an overhead support beam and a transfer arm adapted to carry a cassette between processing stations.
Claims18
An apparatus for storing cassettes, comprising:
- a plurality of cassette storage shelves;
- and
- a cassette mover to carry a cassette between the shelves and a docking station, the cassette mover including a support member positioned in front of the shelves and movable in a path adjacent to the shelves, and an end effector configured to engage the cassette, the end effector movably connected to the support member.
An apparatus for storing cassettes, comprising:
- a plurality of cassette storage shelves positioned adjacent a wall above a plurality of cassette docking stations;
- and
- a cassette mover to carry a cassette between the shelves and the docking stations, the cassette mover including a support member positioned in front of the shelves and movable in a plane parallel to the wall, and an end effector configured to engage the cassette, the end effector slidably connected to the support member.
A semiconductor processing station, comprising:
- a processing system to perform a fabrication step on a substrate;
- an interface wall separating the processing system from a cleanroom;
- a docking station located in the cleanroom to support a cassette;
- an opening in the interface wall;
- a wafer transfer robot to transfer the substrate through the opening between the docking station and the processing system;
- a loading platform located in the cleanroom adjacent the docking station;
- and
- a cassette stocker located in the cleanroom, the cassette stocker including,
- i) a plurality of shelves aligned in a vertical column above the docking station, and
- ii) a cassette mover to carry a cassette between the shelves, the loading platform, and the docking station, the cassette mover including a support member positioned in front of the shelves and movable in a path adjacent to the shelves, and an end effector slidably connected to the support member and configured to engage the cassette.
7 more elements
A method of operating a processing station, comprising:
- storing a plurality of cassettes on a plurality of cassette storage shelves adjacent a cleanroom wall above a docking station;
- carrying one of the cassettes to the docking station with a cassette mover;
- removing a substrate from the cassette;
- and
- returning the cassette to the cassette storage shelves with the cassette mover.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.