# US 2025/0375896 A1 · Process tool tending robots > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0375896 A1 - Document ID: US20250375896A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/947,477 - Filed: 2024-11-14 - Published: 2025-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2024-06-11 - Assignees: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company - Applicants: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company - Inventors: Jacob Hankland; Willie Ashe; Connor Baele; Jose Jesus Garcia; Kieran Horgan; Ian Ashe; Sushen Bhagavat Thumpudi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250375896A1 ## CPC - B25J 11/0095: {Manipulators transporting wafers} - B25J 15/08: having finger members (B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence) - B25J 5/00: Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; program-controlled manipulators B25J9/00) - B25J 9/0096: {co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table} - B25J 9/046: {Revolute coordinate type} - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B25J 19/021: {Optical sensing devices} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract Apparatus and methods for process tool tending in a semiconductor fab are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a robot includes a robotic arm and a turntable that rotates relative to the robotic arm. The turntable holds at least one lot box storing a wafer cassette of semiconductor wafers, and the robotic arm includes an end-effector operable to manipulate the lot box. Accordingly, the robot handles wafer lot boxes to improve semiconductor fab throughput by automating unloading and loading processes that are conventionally performed manually. For example, the robot can transport a wafer lot box to a point of use, remove the wafer cassette from the lot box, load the wafer cassette into a tool at the point of use, remove the wafer cassette from the tool after processing, reload the wafer cassette into the lot box, and transport the lot box to the next point of use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot for process tool tending in a semiconductor fab, the robot comprising: a pedestal; a robotic arm attached to the pedestal; and a turntable configured to rotate relative to the robotic arm and around the pedestal, wherein the turntable is configured to hold at least one lot box storing a wafer cassette of semiconductor wafers, wherein the robotic arm includes an end-effector configured to manipulate the at least one lot box. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm is a 6-axis articulated robotic arm with 6 axes of freedom, and the turntable is operable to rotate to provide a 7th axis of freedom. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the end-effector is fully passive, the robotic arm and the end-effector operable to move the at least one lot box and insert or remove the wafter cassette from the at least one lot box. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot of claim 3, wherein the end-effector includes a pair of arms configured to interface with the at least one lot box. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The robot of claim 4, wherein the pair of arms includes one or more unlatching fingers configured to unlock the at least one lot box. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The robot of claim 4, wherein the pair of arms are connected by a base, wherein the end-effector further includes one or more knuckles attached to the base and operable to interface with the wafer cassette. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The robot of claim 4, wherein the pair of arms are connected by a base, wherein the end-effector further includes an offset linkage connecting the base to an end of the robotic arm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the pedestal elevates the robotic arm over the turntable. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robot of claim 8, wherein the pedestal passes through a center of the turntable such that the robotic arm is centered about the turntable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising a box opener configured to open a lid of the at least one lot box. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot of claim 10, wherein the box opener includes a suction mechanism configured to apply a suction force to the lid and a box opener arm configured to actuate to open the lid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising a housing supporting the turntable and including one or more components configured to control a rotation of the turntable and a plurality of movements of the robotic arm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robot of claim 12, further comprising a mobile base supporting the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a time-of-flight sensor or a LIDAR sensor configured to detect one or more obstacles in an environment of the robot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising the at least one lot box storing the wafer cassette of semiconductor wafers and a plurality of lot box holders arranged on the turntable and holding the at least one lot box. ### Claim 16 A method of robotic process tool tending in a semiconductor fab, the method comprising: controlling a rotation of a turntable of a robot relative to a robotic arm of the robot, the robotic arm attached to a pedestal of the robot, the turntable rotating around the pedestal and holding at least one lot box storing a wafer cassette of semiconductor wafers; controlling a position of the robotic arm relative to the at least one lot box; and manipulating the at least one lot box using an end-effector of the robot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the end-effector is fully passive, the method further comprising interfacing the end-effector with the at least one lot box using a pair of arms of the end-effector. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising unlocking the at least one lot box using one or more latching fingers of the pair of arms. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising manipulating the wafer cassette using the end-effector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising opening a lid of the at least one lot box using a box opener of the robot.