Apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece including a workpiece cassette inventory assembly

An apparatus for receiving a plurality of cassettes each having one or more slots for holding a microelectronic workpiece and for providing access to the slots and the microelectronic workpieces within the plurality of cassettes, the apparatus comprising:

• a workpiece cassette inventory assembly including a plurality of inventory cassette supports for receiving a plurality of cassettes and selectively indexing one or more of the plurality of cassettes by adjusting the positional alignment of the plurality of cassettes, wherein the workpiece cassette inventory assembly includes a cassette translator assembly comprising a cassette translator motor, a first threaded transmission rod coupled to the cassette translator motor, and a plurality of cassette translator guide blocks coupled to the first threaded transmission rod and each of the inventory cassette supports for adjusting the horizontal spacing of each of the plurality of cassettes with respect to the other cassettes as the threaded rod is rotated by the cassette translator motor;
• and
• a workpiece cassette staging assembly including one or more staging cassette supports for receiving the one or more indexed cassettes from the workpiece cassette inventory assembly and repositioning the one or more indexed cassettes, thereby providing access to the one or more microelectronic workpieces contained within the indexed cassettes, wherein one or more of the indexed cassettes are positionally aligned with one of the staging cassette supports.

An apparatus for processing microelectronic workpieces comprising:

• an input/output section for receiving a plurality of cassettes each adapted for holding one or more microelectronic workpieces, the input/output section including a workpiece cassette inventory assembly including a plurality of inventory cassette supports for receiving a plurality of cassettes and a drive mechanism coupled to the inventory cassette supports, the drive mechanism being configured to (a) adjust spacing between the inventory cassette supports by laterally moving at least two individual inventory cassette supports different distances and to (b) shift the inventory cassette supports by laterally moving the inventory cassette supports in tandem, wherein the drive mechanism selectively positions individual inventory cassette supports at a staging location, and a workpiece cassette staging assembly including at least one staging cassette support at the staging location, the staging cassette support being configured to move between (a) the staging location for receiving/delivering an individual cassette from/to an inventory cassette support positioned at the staging location and (b) a transfer location for providing access to microelectronic workpieces contained within the individual cassette;
• a processing section having one or more processing stations for processing the microelectronic workpieces;
• and
• a microelectronic workpiece transfer apparatus for accessing individual microelectronic workpieces within the cassette and transferring the individual microelectronic workpiece between the cassette and one or more of the processing stations.

A tool for processing microelectronic workpieces, comprising:

• a processing section having a load/unload location;
• a plurality of processing stations in the processing section;
• a transfer apparatus in the processing section for moving microelectronic workpieces between the load/unload location and the processing stations;
• and
• a cassette handling apparatus adjacent to the load/unload location, the cassette handling apparatus including an inventory assembly having a plurality of inventory cassette supports and a first drive mechanism coupled to the inventory cassette supports, the first drive mechanism being configured to move the inventory cassette supports laterally between an inventory location and a staging location;
• and a staging assembly having a staging cassette support and a second drive mechanism assembly coupled to the staging cassette support, the staging cassette support being moveable between (a) a staging position in which the staging cassette support is aligned with the load/unload location of the processing section and immediately adjacent to an inventory cassette support positioned at the staging location to directly engage an individual cassette held by the inventory cassette support at the staging location, and (b) the load/unload location in which the transfer apparatus can access workpieces in the individual cassette.