Method and apparatus for continuous substrate cassette loading
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsAsaf SCHLEZINGER, Markus J. STOPPER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for loading substrates in an inspection station is disclosed herein. In one embodiment a loading module is disclosed that includes a loading station for two or more substrate cassettes, a first lane comprising a first conveyor that is substantially aligned with one of the two or more substrate cassettes and a conveyor system, a second lane comprising a second conveyor that is substantially aligned with another of the two or more substrate cassettes and positioned in a spaced-apart relation relative to the first lane, and a lateral transfer module positioned between the first lane and the second lane that is adapted to move substrates from the second lane to the first lane.
Claims19
A loading module for a substrate inspection system, the loading module comprising:
- a loading station for two or more substrate cassette receivers;
- a first lane comprising a first conveyor that is substantially aligned with one of the two or more substrate cassette receivers and a conveyor system;
- a second lane comprising a second conveyor that is substantially aligned with another of the two or more substrate cassette receivers and positioned in a spaced-apart relation relative to the first lane;
- and
- a lateral transfer module positioned between the first lane and the second lane that is adapted to move substrates from the second lane to the first lane.
A substrate inspection system, comprising:
- a loading module, an inspection unit, and a sorting unit coupled to each other by a conveyor system for moving substrates through the system, wherein the loading module comprises:
- a loading station for two or more substrate cassette receivers;
- a first lane comprising a first conveyor that is substantially aligned with one of the two or more substrate cassette receivers and the conveyor system;
- a second lane comprising a second conveyor that is substantially aligned with another of the two or more substrate cassette receivers and positioned in a spaced-apart relation relative to the first lane;
- and
- a lateral transfer module positioned between the first lane and the second lane that is adapted to move substrates from the second lane to the first lane.
A substrate inspection system, comprising:
- a loading module, an inspection unit, and a sorting unit coupled to each other by a conveyor system for moving substrates through the system, wherein the loading module comprises:
- a loading station for two or more substrate cassettes;
- a first lane comprising a first conveyor disposed in a first direction that is substantially aligned with one of the two or more substrate cassettes and the conveyor system;
- a second lane comprising a second conveyor that is disposed in a second direction substantially aligned with another of the two or more substrate cassettes and positioned in a spaced-apart relation relative to the first direction;
- and
- a lateral transfer module positioned in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first and second directions between the first lane and the second lane, the lateral transfer module comprising a conveyor device that is that is adapted to move substrates from the second lane to the first lane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.