Sputtered Films, Inc.

Applied Science & Technology, Inc.

Other

Shamrock Technology Corp.

Robert George Begin

Peter J Clarke

A robotic arm assembly in a transport module is expansible to have an effector at its end receive a substrate in a cassette module and is then contracted and rotated with the effector to have the effector face a process module. Planets on a turntable in the process module are rotatable on first parallel axes. The turntable is rotatable on a second axis parallel to the first axes to move successive planets to a position facing the effector. At this position, an alignment assembly is aligned with, but axially displaced from, one of the planets. This assembly is moved axially into coupled relationship with such planet and then rotated to a position aligning the substrate on the effector axially with such planet when the arm assembly is expanded. A lifter assembly aligned with, and initially displaced from, such planet is moved axially to lift the substrate from the effector. The arm assembly is then contracted, rotated with the effector and expanded to receive the next cassette module substrate. The lifter assembly is then moved axially to deposit the substrate on the planet. When the substrates have been deposited on the planets, the planets are individually rotated on the first axes by a stator rotatable on the second axis with the turntable. Guns having a particular disposition relative to the planets provide controlled depositions on the substrates during such planet rotations. The planets and the end effector hold the substrates at peripheral positions displaced from the controlled substrate depositions.

System for and method of providing a controlled deposition on wafers

System for and method of providing a controlled deposition of wafers

An end effector in a transport module includes a body and a web defined by a panel and first and second flanges at opposite panel ends. The first flange is attached to the body. The second flange is displaced from, and transverse to, the panel. Rods extending through the flanges into the body rigidify the web. Springs disposed in holes in the body and extending between the first flange and the body balance the web relative to the body. The second flange and a ledge on the body adjacent the first flange support the substrate opposite ends with the central portion of the substrate displaced from the body and the web. A robotic assembly formed from a plurality of arms is coupled to the body. The arms are pivotable relative to one another and to the body between contracted and expanded relationships. With the arms contracted, the body and the web are rotatable in the transport module between positions facing the cassette module or the process module. The cassette module includes a cassette holder with grooves for holding cassettes. When the expanded arms face the cassette module, the web abuts a substrate in the cassette holder. When the cassette is moved vertically, the substrate becomes free in the groove for transfer by the robotic assembly into the transport module. When the expanded arms face the process module, the substrate is transferrable into the process module to receive a deposition on the substrate central portion by members in the process module.

End effector assembly for inclusion in a system for producing uniform

An end effector in a transport module includes a body and a web defined by a panel and first and second flanges at opposite panel ends. The first flange is attached to the body. The second flange is displaced from, and transverse to, the panel. Rods extending through the flanges into the body rigidify the web. Springs disposed in holes in the body and extending between the first flange and the body balance the web relative to the body. The second flange and a ledge on the body adjacent the first flange support the substrate opposite ends with the central portion of the substrate displaced from the body and the web. A robotic assembly formed from a plurality of arms is coupled to the body. The arms are pivotable relative to one another and to the body between contracted and expanded relationships. With the arms contracted, the body and the web are rotatable in the transport module between positions facing the cassette module or the process module. The cassette module includes a cassette holder with grooves for holding cassettes. When the expanded arms face the cassette module, the web abuts a substrate in the cassette holder. When the cassette is roved vertically, the substrate becomes free in the groove for transfer by the robotic assembly into the transport module. When the expanded arms face the process module, the substrate is transferrable into the process module to receive a deposition on the substrate central portion by members in the process module.

An end effector in a transport module includes a body and a web defined by a panel and first and second flanges at opposite panel ends. The first flange is attached to the body. The second flange is displaced from, and transverse to, the panel. Rods extending through the flanges into the body rigidity the web. Springs disposed in holes in the body and extending between the first flange and the body balance the web relative to the body. The second flange and a ledge on the body adjacent the first flange support the substrate opposite ends with the central portion of the substrate displaced from the body and the web. A robotic assembly formed from a plurality of arms is coupled to the body. The arms are pivotable relative to one another and to the body between contracted and expanded relationships. With the arms contracted, the body and the web are rotatable in the transport module between positions facing the cassette module or the process module. The cassette module includes a cassette holder with grooves for holding cassettes. When the expanded arms face the cassette module, the web abuts a substrate in the cassette holder. When the cassette is moved vertically, the substrate becomes free in the groove for transfer by the robotic assembly into the transport module. When the expanded arms face the process module, the substrate is transferrable into the process module to receive a deposition on the substrate central portion by members in the process module.

This invention relates to apparatus for, and methods of, providing controlled depositions on substrates. The substrates are particularly adapted to provide die for use as the spacers in magnetic heads to dispose the magnetic heads in almost abutting relationship to a memory medium such as a disc and to protect the heads against damage by the disc if the disc should contact the heads while the disc is rotating at a high speed. This invention is particularly concerned with an end effector apparatus disposed in a transport module between a cassette module on one side of the transport module and a process module on the other side of the transport module. The end effector apparatus provides a controlled transfer of substrates between a cassette holder in the cassette module and apparatus disposed in the process module for producing a controlled deposition on the substrate.

System for providing a controlled deposition on wafers

First and second pairs of arms are respectively disposed at opposite ends of a support structure. A constrainable member (e.g., a spring) is supported at its opposite ends by corresponding ones of the arms in the pairs. This is the only constrainable member in the page clamping device. When the spring is unconstrained, the arms in each pair are normally closed. The arms in each pair are pivotable independently of the arms in the other pair. The arms in each pair have at first positions camming peripheries which cause one of such arms to pivot when the other of such arms is pivoted. The arms in each pair have at second positions camming peripheries which provide a stable relationship between the arms when the arms are in an open position. The arms in each pair are disposed on the opposite sides of a book from the arms in the other pair. With the arms in the open relationship, the pages can be easily turned. When the arms in each pair are pivoted from the open relationship, the arms in such pair become pivoted toward the closed relationship as a result of the constraint on the spring. This causes the arms to clamp the pages on the same side of the book as such arms. Fingers made from a soft non-skid material (e.g., vinyl) may extend from the arms in a transverse direction for disposition on the pages to prevent damage to the pages when the pages are clamped.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Robert George Begin