Back to results
US 6,279,724 B1Granted
Automated semiconductor processing system
AssigneeSemitoll Inc.
InventorJeffry A. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated semiconductor processing system has an indexer bay perpendicularly aligned with a process bay within a clean air enclosure. An indexer in the indexer bay provides stocking or storage for work in progress semiconductor wafers. Process chambers are located in the process bay. A process robot moves between the indexer bay and process bay to carry semi-conductor wafers to and from the process chambers. The process robot has a robot arm vertically moveable along a lift rail. Semiconductor wafers are carried offset from the robot arm, to better avoid contamination. The automated system is compact and requires less clean room floor space.
Claims25
A machine for processing flat media articles, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- an indexer within the enclosure, the indexer comprising:
- an x-axis shift assembly;
- and
- a y-axis shift assembly including first and second pairs of belts having a plurality of teeth;
- a motor linked at least indirectly to the first and second pairs of belts, for driving the first and second pairs of belts simultaneously in opposite directions;
- and
- a plurality of pallets supported at least partially on the belts with a plurality of teeth projecting from a bottom surface of each pallet, for engaging the teeth on the first and second pair of belts.
5 more elements
A machine for processing flat media, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- at least one process chamber within the enclosure;
- an indexer frame within the enclosure;
- at least one toothed belt within the indexer frame;
- a motor linked to the at least one toothed belt;
- a pallet supported at least partially on the toothed belt, the pallet having a toothed rack meshed with the at least one toothed belt, and with the pallet having an opening through it;
- an elevator for raising and lowering a platform through the opening of the pallet;
- and
- a process robot within the enclosure for carrying flat media between the indexer frame and the at least one process chamber.
6 more elements
A machine for processing flat media, comprising:
- an indexer;
- a y-axis shift system in the indexer;
- a plurality of pallets supported on the y-axis shift system;
- a first prism pair on at least one of the pallets;
- and
- a first sensor pair aligned with the first prism pair.
3 more elements
A machine for storing and handling flat media held in cassettes supported on pallets, comprising:
- a first-axis shift system for moving the pallets in a first direction;
- a second-axis shift system for moving the pallets in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
- a plurality of pallet stations aligned with at least one of the first-axis and the second-axis shift systems;
- a pallet sensor at substantially each of the pallet stations;
- a cassette sensor at substantially each pallet station;
- a flat media sensor at substantially each pallet station;
- a pair of cassette sensor prisms on substantially each pallet;
- and
- a pair of flat media sensor prisms on substantially each pallet.
6 more elements
A method of handling flat media comprising the steps of:
- placing a cassette holding flat media onto a pallet;
- placing the pallet onto a specific location on a first belt in an indexer;
- indexing the first belt and incrementally moving the pallet in a first direction from a first pallet station to a second pallet station within the indexer, with the pallet continuously remaining on the first belt;
- lifting the pallet vertically off of the first belt;
- moving the pallet in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, into a position over a second belt;
- lowering the pallet onto a specific location on a second belt;
- and
- indexing the second belt and incrementally moving the pallet in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, with the pallet continuously remaining on the second belt.
5 more elements
A flat media processing system comprising:
- an enclosure;
- at least one process chamber within the enclosure;
- an indexer within the enclosure, the indexer comprising:
- an x-axis shift assembly;
- a y-axis shift assembly including a first pair and a second pair of belts;
- a motor linked at least indirectly to the first and second pairs of belts for driving the first and second pairs of belts simultaneously in opposite directions;
- a plurality of pallets supported at least partially on the first and second pairs of belts;
- and
- a process robot within the enclosure for carrying the semiconductor articles between the indexer and the at least one process chamber.
6 more elements
A flat media processing system comprising:
- an enclosure;
- at least one process chamber within the enclosure;
- an indexer within the enclosure;
- and
- a transfer robot for moving flat media from the indexer to the at least one process chamber;
- the indexer comprising:
- a y-axis shift assembly including first and second pairs of belts;
- a motor linked at least indirectly to the first and second pairs of belts for driving the first and second pairs of belts in opposite y-axis directions;
- a plurality of pallets supported at least partially on the first and second pairs of belts;
- an x-axis shift assembly including first and second pallet lifters, for lifting pallets up and off the first and second pairs of belts, respectively;
- and
- a lateral drive motor linked at least indirectly to the first and second pallet lifters for driving the first and second pallet lifters in directions perpendicular to the y-axis.
9 more elements
A machine for processing flat media comprising:
- a first shift assembly in the indexer for indexing pallets in a first direction;
- a second shift assembly in the indexer for indexing pallets in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction;
- a plurality of pallets supported on and indexable by the first shift assembly;
- a first transmitter and first detector attached to the indexer, and a first transmitter prism and a first detector prism on at least one of the pallets and aligned with each other in the second direction, the first transmitter prism on the pallet optically aligned with the first transmitter and the first detector prism on the pallet optically aligned with the first detector, wherein the pallet containing the first transmitter prism and the first detector prism is detected by the first transmitter and first detector, when the first transmitter prism and first detector prism are aligned with the first transmitter and first detector.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.