Applied Materials, Inc.

Damon Keith Cox

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Rajkumar Thanu

Leon Volfovski

Andreas Schmid

Nicholas Michael Bergantz

Nicholas Michael Kopec

Alexander Berger

Karuppasamy Muthukamatchi

Chris Holt Pencis

Michael Robert Rice

Izya Kremerman

Jeffrey Allen Brodine

Marvin L Freeman

Jeff Hudgens

Martin R Elliott

Steven E Babayan

Douglas R McAllister

Denis M Koosau

Helder T Lee

Matvey Farber

Whitney B Kroetz

David A Van Gogh

Venugopal Menon

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Todd J Egan

Jason M Schaller

Paul Zachary Wirth

Vinay K Shah

William P Laceky

Suresh Kumaraswami

Paul L Korff

Sanggyum Kim

Domingo J Guerra

Dylan Arius Harootunian

Aaron Green

Raj Kumar Thanu

Balamurali Murugaraj

A carrier includes a rigid body forming a plurality of openings and a plurality of fasteners configured to removably attach to the rigid body via the plurality of openings. A first set of fingers is configured to be removably attached to the rigid body via the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of openings. The first set of fingers is configured to support first content during first transportation of the carrier within a substrate processing system. A second set of fingers is configured to be removably attached to the rigid body via the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of openings. The second set of fingers is configured to support second content during second transportation of the carrier within the substrate processing system.

Substrate processing system carrier

A calibration disc is inserted into a processing chamber using a robot arm. A first position of a center of the calibration disc is determined using one or more sensors positioned at a port of the processing chamber. The calibration disc is placed onto a substrate support within the processing chamber and features of the calibration disc cause the calibration disc to become centered on the substrate support. The calibration disc is removed from the substrate support and the processing chamber by the robot arm. A second position of the center of the calibration disc is determined using one or more sensors as the calibration is removed from the processing chamber. A difference is determined between the first and second position of the center of the calibration disc. An offset is determined to apply to the robot arm when placing wafers onto the substrate support based on the difference.

High temperature auto teach calibration disc

Disclosed herein are multi-turn drive assemblies, systems and methods of use thereof. The multi-turn drive assemblies enable a robot link member to have a maximum rotation of at least 360 degrees about an axis. The multi-turn drive assemblies can be incorporated into a robot arm for enabling 360 degrees rotation of one or more link members about an axis. The robot arm may be located in a transfer chamber of an electronic device processing system. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the multi-turn drive assemblies and related robots.

Multi-turn drive assembly and systems and methods of use thereof

A robot apparatus is configured to extend a first end effector into a first process chamber and extend a second end effector into a second process chamber. The first process chamber and the second process chamber are separated by a first pitch. The robot apparatus is further configured to retract the first end effector and the second end effector into a rectangular mainframe while maintaining a distance between the substrates bounded by the first pitch throughout a retraction process, and fold the first end effector and the second end effector inward within a sweep diameter defined by a width of the rectangular mainframe.

Operations of robot apparatuses within rectangular mainframes

A robotic object handling system comprises a robot arm, an image sensor, a first station, and a computing device. The computing device is to cause the robot arm to pick up an object on an end effector, cause the image sensor to generate sensor data of the object, determine at least one of (i) a rotational error of the object or (ii) a positional error of the object based on the sensor data, cause an adjustment to the robot arm to approximately remove at least one of the rotational error or the positional error, and cause the robot arm to place the object at the first station without at least one of the rotational error or the positional error.

Sensor-based correction of robot-held object

A first robot arm places a calibration object into a load lock that separates a factory interface from a transfer chamber using a first taught position. A second robot arm retrieves the calibration object from the load lock using a second taught position. A controller determines, using a sensor, a first offset amount between a calibration object center of the calibration object and a pocket center of the second robot arm. The controller determines a characteristic error value that represents a misalignment between the first taught position of the first robot arm and the second taught position of the second robot arm based on the first offset amount. The first robot arm or the second robot arm uses the first characteristic error value to compensate for the misalignment for objects transferred between the first robot arm and the second robot arm via the load lock.

Calibration of an electronics processing system

A robot may include a first arm assembly including a first upper arm rotatable about a first axis; a first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis; a first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a third axis; and a first end effector coupled to the first wrist member, wherein the first end effector is moveable along a first path. A second arm assembly may include a second upper arm rotatable about the first axis; a second forearm adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a fourth axis; a second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm; and a second end effector coupled to the second wrist member, wherein the second end effector is moveable along a second path that does not overlap the first path. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Dual robot including splayed end effectors and systems and methods including same

A process kit ring adaptor includes one or more upper surfaces and one or more lower surfaces. The one or more upper surfaces are configured to support a process kit ring. The one or more lower surfaces are configured to interface with an end effector. The process kit ring adaptor supporting the process kit ring is configured to be transported on the end effector within a processing system.

Process kit ring adaptor

A calibration object is retrieved, by a first robot arm of a transfer chamber, from a processing chamber connected to the transfer chamber and placed in a load lock connected to the transfer chamber. The calibration object is retrieved from the load lock by a second robot arm of a factory interface connected to the load lock and placed at an aligner station housed in or connected to the factory interface. The calibration object has a first orientation at the aligner station. A difference is determined between the first orientation and an initial target orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with the processing chamber is determined based on the determined difference. The first characteristic error value is recorded in a storage medium. The aligner station is to use the first characteristic error value for alignment of objects to be placed in the processing chamber.

Calibration of an aligner station of a processing system

A robot device includes a first link and a second link coupled to the first link via an elbow. One or more of the first link or the second link rotates about an axis of the elbow. The robot device further includes a generator disposed in the elbow. The generator is configured to generate electrical power based on relative angular mechanical movement associated with the elbow. The robot device further includes an end effector configured to transport a substrate within a substrate processing system. The end effector is disposed at a distal end of the second link. The end effector is to receive the electrical power generated by the generator.

Generating electric power for a robotic end effector

A calibration object is placed at a target orientation in a station of an electronics processing device by a first robot arm, and then retrieved from the station by the first robot arm. The calibration object is transferred to an aligner station using the first robot arm, a second robot arm and/or a load lock, wherein the calibration object has a first orientation at the aligner station. The first orientation at the aligner station is determined. A characteristic error value is determined based on the first orientation. The aligner station is to use the characteristic error value for alignment of objects to be placed in the first station.

A robotic object handling system comprises a robot arm, a non-contact sensor, a first station, and a computing device. The computing device is to cause the robot arm to pick up an object on an end effector, cause the robot arm to position the object within a detection area of the non-contact sensor, cause the non-contact sensor to generate sensor data of the object, determine at least one of a rotational error of the object relative to a target orientation or a positional error of the object relative to a target position based on the sensor data, cause an adjustment to the robot arm to approximately remove at least one of the rotational error or the positional error from the object, and cause the robot arm to place the object at the first station, wherein the placed object lacks at least one of the rotational error or the positional error.

Replaceable contact pads of end effectors are provided. The contact pads support substrates in electronic device manufacturing. The contact pad includes a contact pad head having a contact surface configured to contact a substrate, a shaft coupled to the contact pad head, the shaft including a shaft indent formed between an underside of the contact pad head and a shaft end, and a circular securing member received around the shaft and seated in the shaft indent and configured to secure the contact pad to the end effector body. End effectors including replaceable contact pads and maintenance methods are described, as are additional aspects.

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Damon Keith Cox