Applied Materials, Inc.

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc.

Gary C Ettinger

Bruce M Schena

Roman L Devengenzo

Nicola Diolaiti

Eugene F Duval

Daniel H Gomez

John M White

Joseph Yudovsky

Avi Tepman

Dan A Marohl

Sen-Hou Ko

Hui W Chen

Steve G Ghanayem

Ho Seon Shin

Alexander S Polyak

Younes Achkire

Kenneth Reese Reynolds

Haochuan Zhang

Liang-Yuh Chen

Kam S Law

Shou-Sung Chang

Quanyuan Shang

Paul D Butterfield

Wei-Yung Hsu

Donald J Olgado

Antoine P Manens

Amy E Kerdok

John W Zabinski

Justin Krom

Craig Gotsill

Humphrey W Chow

Zhenhua Zhang

Stefan Geiger

Ricardo Martinez

Arulkumar Shanmugasundrum

Greg Wiese

Erik C Wasinger

Eashwer Kollata

Michael E Khau

Daryl Oshatz

Russell Blanchard

Sarah Galvis

A sterile drape assembly may comprise a drape and a cable guide coupled or configured to be coupled to the drape. The drape may comprise a first portion configured to cover a medical device holder and a second portion configured to cover a portion of an arm that supports the medical device holder. The cable guide may comprise two opposing guidepost arms extending in a first direction and defining a first opening and a side arm extending laterally from one of the guidepost arms, the side arm defining a second opening. The first opening is configured to receive and route a first transmission line along a first path. The second opening is spaced from the first opening and is configured to receive and route a second transmission line along a second path spaced from the first path.

Devices, systems, and methods for maintaining a sterile surgical field

A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is angularly offset from the first axis by a non-zero angle other than 90 degrees.

Surgical instrument manipulator aspects

A surgical system includes a manipulator, a surgical tool and a control system. The manipulator includes a manipulator mounting base, a pitch mechanism, a roll mechanism and a redundant rotation mechanism. The surgical tool is supported by the manipulator and has a tool shaft axis. The pitch mechanism rotates the surgical tool around a pitch axis. The roll mechanism rotates the surgical tool around a roll axis transverse to the pitch axis. The redundant rotation mechanism rotates the surgical tool around a redundant rotation axis. Each of the tool shaft axis, the pitch axis and the roll axis intersect at a remote center. The control system is configured to electronically communicate with and control operation of the manipulator to articulate the surgical tool during surgery.

Redundant axis and degree of freedom for hardware-constrained remote center robotic manipulator

A manipulator for articulating a surgical tool during surgery includes an instrument holder, a parallelogram linkage assembly, an offset extension link, a yaw joint, and a mounting base. The instrument holder is configured to couple with the surgical tool. The parallelogram linkage assembly produces motion of the instrument holder that is limited to rotation about a pitch axis that intersects a remote center of manipulation. The offset extension link has an offset extension link distal end and an offset extension link proximal end. The yaw joint is connected to the offset extension link proximal end and produces motion of the instrument holder that is limited to rotation about a yaw axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The offset extension link distal end is offset from the yaw axis. The mounting base is coupled with the yaw joint.

A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is not coincident with the first axis. Third and fourth links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the fourth link to rotation about a third axis intersecting the remote center of manipulation. The third axis is not coincident with either of the first and second axes. Various combinations of hardware-constrained remote center of motion robotic manipulators with redundant mechanical degrees of freedom are disclosed.

In a first aspect, a method of drying at least a portion of a substrate located within a fluid is provided. The method includes contacting an edge of the substrate that is located within the fluid with a pusher pin. The pusher pin has (a) a shaft portion; and (b) a tip portion having a knife edge of a width of 0.42 inches or less, the tip portion adapted to contact and support the substrate with the knife edge. The method further includes lifting the substrate from the fluid with the pusher pin; and exposing the substrate to a drying vapor as the substrate is lifted from the fluid. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for drying a substrate

Apparatus and methods are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head adapted to retain a backing pad having a selected contour, wherein the polishing head is adapted to press the backing pad against an edge of a substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for removal of films and flakes from the edge of both sides of a substrate using backing pads

Apparatus and methods adapted to polish an edge of a substrate include a polishing film, a frame adapted to tension and load the polishing film so that at least a portion of the film is supported in a plane, and a substrate rotation driver adapted to rotate a substrate against the plane of the polishing film such that the polishing film is adapted to apply force to the substrate, contour to an edge of the substrate, the edge including at least an outer edge and a first bevel, and polish the outer edge and the first bevel as the substrate is rotated. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate

A scrubber box is provided that includes a tank adapted to receive a substrate for cleaning, supports outside of the tank and adapted to couple to ends of scrubber brushes disposed within the tank, a motor mounted to each of the supports and adapted to rotate the scrubber brushes, a base to which the supports are pivotally mounted via spherical bearings adapted to permit toe-in of the scrubber brushes, a brush gap actuator adapted, via a crank and rocker mechanism, to substantially simultaneously pivot the supports toward or away from each other so as to permit the scrubber brushes to substantially simultaneously achieve or break contact with the substrate, and a toe-in actuator adapted to move two of the spherical bearings toward or away from each other so as to adjust a toe-in angle between the scrubber brushes.

Scrubber box and methods for using the same

Scrubber box

Isolation valves for selectively sealing a first region from a second region. A gate valve can include a housing which defines a channel between the first and second regions. The valve includes a gate, located in the housing, and displaceable between a stowed position and a deployed position. When the gate is in the stowed position, communication is permitted between the first and second regions. When the gate is in the deployed position, the gate spans the channel and can be controlled to isolate the first and second regions. The valves can be used, for example, in connection with systems for processing large glass substrates. The valves are particularly useful for isolating long rectangular openings, such as the openings in substrate processing chambers. Isolating processing chambers or load lock chambers from one another, for example, in a linear system, is facilitated.

Isolation valves

A polishing pad is adhered to a platen by a heat activated adhesive. Means are provided to heat the adhesive to a temperature sufficient to soften the adhesive, thereby facilitating removal of the polishing pad from the platen. Embodiments include employing a heat softenable adhesive that preferentially adheres to the polishing pad upon removal of the polishing pad from the platen.

Heat activated detachable polishing pad

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Gary C Ettinger