Applied Materials, Inc.

Avinash Avula

Srinivas D Nemani

Ellie Y Yieh

Arvind Sundarrajan

Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu

Eng Sheng Peh

Michael Robert Rice

Ginetto Addiego

Embodiments of substrate transfer apparatus are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for storing and transporting at least one substrate in a vacuum includes a carrying case for storing one or more substrates, wherein the carrying case includes a vacuum port and a plurality of holders to hold one or more substrates within an inner volume of the carrying case; and a vacuum source in fluid connection with the carrying case via the vacuum port.

Substrate vacuum transport and storage apparatus

Embodiments of multi-cassette carrying cases are provided herein. In some embodiments a multi-cassette carrying case includes: a body having an inner volume; a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume; and a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes. In some embodiments, a method of transferring substrates includes: placing a substrate in a substrate cassette, wherein an inner volume of the substrate cassette is sealed from an environment outside of the substrate cassette; and placing the substrate cassette in a multi-cassette carrying case.

Multi-cassette carrying case

Embodiments of substrate transfer chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate transfer chamber includes a body having an interior volume, wherein a bottom portion of the body includes a first opening; an adapter plate coupled to the bottom portion of the body to couple the substrate transfer chamber to a load lock chamber of a substrate processing system; wherein the adapter plate includes a second opening aligned with the first opening to fluidly couple the interior volume with an inner volume of the load lock chamber; a cassette support disposed in the interior volume to support a substrate cassette; and a lift actuator coupled to the cassette support to lower or raise the substrate cassette into or out of the load lock chamber.

Substrate transfer chamber

Embodiments method and apparatus for transferring a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate cassette includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion defining an interior volume when the upper portion is coupled to the lower portion; a locking mechanism moveable between a locked position, in which the upper and lower portions are coupled, and an unlocked position, in which the lower portion can be separated from the upper portion; and a load distribution plate coupled to an upper surface of the upper portion along an edge of the upper portion to distribute a load applied to the load distribution plate.

Growing community of inventors

Sacramento, CA, United States of America

Avinash Avula