Brooks Automation Gmbh

Tec-sem Ag

Staeubli Ag

Brooks-pri Automation, Inc.

Brooks Ccs Rs Ag

Jakob Blattner

Rudy Federici

William John Fosnight

Christian Balg

Bernhard Strasser

Hans Schmid

Harald Richter

Clint Harris

Clint Haris

Rodolfo Federici

Reto Stibi

Rolf Bachmann

A reticle manipulating device comprising a housing capable of having a controlled environment wherein at least one processing module is connected to the housing and capable of processing a reticle. A transport apparatus is connected to the housing for transporting the reticle between the at least one module to another portion of the housing. At least one module is removably connectable to the housing and at least one module has an interface adapted for removably coupling the module to the housing. One module being selectable for connection to the housing from a number of different interchangeable module each having a different predetermined characteristic and being capable of connection to the housing.

Reticle manipulation device

A reticle manipulating device with an at least substantially closed housing for maintaining clean-room conditions inside the housing, an input/output station for introducing and discharging reticles in and out of the housing, and at least one functional unit arranged in the housing for impressing a predetermined function on the reticles. The device has a manipulating device also arranged inside the housing, for manipulating the reticles in the housing.

Reticle manipulating device

To make possible a tightly packed, essentially horizontal storage of wafers (), in which a simplified access to each of these wafers () is possible, a device is provided having a plurality of superimposed storage elements (). The storage elements () have device features () for depositing the wafers (). The storage elements () have projections () for lifting, whereby a specific storage element () as well as all storage elements () arranged above this specific storage element () can be lifted by a predetermined first height for producing a contact gap. The projections () can also be used to lift the storage element () arranged below the said storage element () by a predetermined second height for producing a freedom of access.

Device for storing and/or transporting plate-shaped substrates in the manufacture of electronic components

A detection/cleaning device for reticles employed in the production of electronic components, wherein the detection/cleaning device has a cleaning unit, in which a cleaning chamber is constructed. At least one gas feed for introducing a pressurized fluid cleaning medium opens into the cleaning chamber, and at least one suction means, by means of which the gas can be discharged from the cleaning chamber, leads from the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber has at least one first opening for introducing and removing a reticle. A detection unit for detecting contaminants on articles used in semiconductor production is provided. The detection unit has a detection means, into which a reticle can be introduced from one feed side of the detection unit. The first opening of the cleaning chamber and the feed side lie opposite each other. A feeding device is provided for exchanging a reticle between the cleaning unit and the detection unit.

Manipulating device for photomasks that provides possibilities for cleaning and inspection of photomasks

A device for aligning a plurality of vertically arranged (upright) disks (), especially wafer disks during the fabrication of semiconductor chips. Two mounting or bearing elements () respectively have individually mounted guide rollers () positioned next to each other for each disk position. A drive device () is for rotating the disks in relation to their azimuthal positions. A device () is provided for detecting the azimuthal positions of notches or indentations () arranged in the outer circumference in the disks (). A device is provided for controlling the drive with the signals of the detection device () for detecting the azimuthal positions of the notches (). The drive for rotating the disks in relation to their azimuthal positions has an individually driven drive roller element () for each disk () mounted on the stationary axis. In one embodiment, the drive roller elements, via a plurality of transmission rollers, can be selectively coupled to a driven roller () with the aid of the actuator elements. In a second embodiment, the first drive roller is individually driven by a plurality of individually controlled drive elements ().

Device and method for the harmonized positioning of wafer disks

A cleaning device for use in the production of semiconductor components comprises two feed devices with which a fluid medium is guided across a respective surface of an object to be cleaned so that different faces of the object are simultaneously cleaned. At least two gas feeding devices, having one means each for directing a gas flow onto the surface of the object to be cleaned, open into a cleaning chamber supplying a pressurized cleaning gas. At least two extraction means are connected to the outside of the cleaning chamber for discharging the gas fed to the cleaning chamber. The object can be introduced into the cleaning chamber through at least one gap. At least two ionization means are used to ionize the gas and the particles that are present in the cleaning chamber. One ionization means each is mounted between a direction means and an extraction means.

Device and method for cleaning articles used in the production of semiconductor components

A device for reading and identifying a plate, with a camera means () with an optical device ()) for digital image recording and an image processing device for the analysis of the image recorded by the camera means (). In one embodiment, identification codes can be imaged from both sides of the plate ()* by a mirror means () onto the optical device () of the camera. The device is designed in such a way that each plate () can be recorded with two camera images, wherein a camera image is produced through the arrangement of several mirrors () of the mirror means () in such a way that one image half represents the right edge and the other image half represents the left edge of the plate () over a predetermined length.

Device and process for reading out identification information on reticles

An apparatus and a method for handling individual wafers ( ) that are temporarily in an essentially horizontal position. The apparatus ( ) comprises at least one supporting part ( ) with supporting areas ( ), comprising at least three supporting points ( ), for supporting an edge region of the wafer, and at least one holding part ( ) with holding areas ( ), comprising at least two holding points ( ), for gripping the edge ( ) of this wafer ( ), with the holding points ( ) being moveable relative to the supporting points ( ) and, to grasp the wafer ( ), relative to one another. Moreover, at least one of these holding points ( ) is arranged on a rotatable rod ( ) designed, for reliable holding of the wafer, as a holding part ( ), with rod ( ) extending coaxially with an axis ( ) running through the wafer center ( ) and essentially parallel to the surface of the wafer ( ).

Device and method for handling individual wafers

In order to achieve a higher compaction ratio with a wafer transfer apparatus for transferring wafers stacked in an interspaced manner in a first holding device, e.g. a magazine, to a second holding device, which has a carrier device which is provided with two rollers which are arranged parallel to one another and can each be rotated about its longitudinal axis, the rollers can be arranged in a plurality of rotational positions, each roller is provided with a plurality of wafer receptacles extending over at least part of their circumference, some of the receptacles are arranged offset both in the longitudinal direction and in the circumferential direction of the roller and are arranged in segment portions of the circumference of the roller which extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective roller, the proposal according to the invention is that in at least three segment portions ( ) there are receptacles ( ) for wafers of in each case at least one wafer stack, at least a fourth segment portion ( ) is formed, in which there are receptacles for the simultaneous arrangement of wafers of at least three wafer stacks, receptacles of different segment portions of the respective roller ( ) being offset both in the longitudinal direction of the roller ( ) and in the circumferential direction of the roller, and there being, in the at least fourth segment portion ( ), receptacles which are essentially in alignment in the circumferential direction of the roller with receptacles ( ) of the first three segment portions.

Transfer device for semiconductor wafers

For removing and transporting several spaced, parallel wafers stored in a container, a gripping device is provided. The gripping device has a holding rake and several gripping heads which can be rotated with respect to the holding rake. In one swivel position, the gripping heads are moved through between the wafers and then swivelled into another swivel position. In this latter position, the gripping heads are brought to a stop against the edges of the wafers movement of the gripping device, and then the opposite edges of the wafer disks are brought to stop against the counterholder by displacement of the counterholder. All wafers contained in the container are thus simultaneously securely held and can be displaced out of the container. In order to then swivel the wafers, the holding rake which has slots for receiving the wafer edges is also stopped at the wafer edges, and the counterholder is then pushed back. The wafers are therefore securely swivelled. In the swivelled position, the vertically standing wafers are supplied to a processing carrier.

Wafer gripping device adapted to swivel wafers taken from a horizontal

A transfer device for wafers stacked in magazines has a vertically displaceable frame of a platform, with which the cover of the box surrounding the magazine in the closed condition. The magazine remains in the original position on the base of the box and is then supplied by a gripping device from this position to a processing system in which the wafers are removed from the magazine and are processed. A gripping device preferably has two extension arms arranged on both sides of the magazine as well as one stop element which can be caused to impact on the wafer edges. The stop element preferably has two lips consisting of an elastic material which lips can be caused to impact on the wafer edges. The device permits a very fast loading and unloading into or out of the processing system.

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Ermatingen, Switzerland

Jakob Blattner