Asyst Technologies, Inc.

Robert R Netsch

Anthony C Bonora

William John Fosnight

Richard Howard Gould

Joshua T Oen

Raymond S Martin

Joshua W Shenk

Edward J Cortez

Edwin Noma

Patrick Sullivan

Terry Mosier

J Mark DiPaola

A storage, delivery and retrieval system having a rear wall to which is affixed a plurality of shelves capable of supporting one or more wafer-carrying pods. The structure further includes a pair of vertical rails lying in a plane spaced from and substantially parallel to the shelf-supporting wall. The horizontal rail extends between and is translationally mounted to the vertical rails, which horizontal rail supports a gripper capable of movement along the horizontal rail. The movement of the horizontal rail along the vertical rails, and the movement of the gripper along the horizontal rail, allows the gripper to be positioned at any location within an X-Z plane including the storage shelves. The system includes a two-dimensional transport system. That is, all transport of the pods by the system occurs without the pods ever leaving the X-Z plane of the shelves. This feature contributes to the overall small footprint of the system. Additionally, the gripper moves around in the same plane as the pods, and the rails have a small profile and operate directly adjacent the storage shelves. These features further contribute to the storage, delivery and retrieval system according to the present invention.

SMIF pod storage, delivery and retrieval system

A wafer transport mechanism is disclosed capable of transferring workpiece cassettes between lot boxes and SMIF pods. The transport mechanism includes a frame having a first support platform on a first side of the frame for supporting a SMIF pod, and a second support platform on a second side of the frame for supporting a lot box. The frame further includes a carrier transfer mechanism which resides completely within the frame when in a home position. The transfer mechanism includes an arm and a gripper pivotally mounted to the arm. Once a SMIF pod and lot box are seated on their respective support platforms, the transfer mechanism transfers a cassette between the two containers.

Wafer transport system

An ergonomic loading assembly for an I/O port onto which a bare cassette may be easily loaded and unloaded. The loading assembly further provides isolation between the operator and the I/O port after loading of a cassette to minimize safety risks and to minimize the amount of particulates and contaminants around the workpieces while on the port. In a preferred embodiment, the loading assembly includes a cover assembly having a stationary cover section around the port plate, and two pivoting cover sections which open and close like jaws to allow a cassette to positioned within the cover assembly when opened and which enclose the cassette within the cover assembly when closed. The loading assembly further includes a pivoting deck onto which the cassette is loaded when the pivoting cover sections are open. The deck receives the cassette with the workpieces oriented at or near vertical. Thereafter, as the pivoting cover sections are closed, the pivoting deck rotates the cassette and seats the cassette on the port door of the port with the workpieces positioned in a horizontal orientation. Thereafter, the port plate, pivoting deck and cassette may be transferred away from the port plate so that processing of the workpieces in the cassette by the processing tool may take place.

SMIF-compatible open cassette enclosure

A universal interface and transfer apparatus is disclosed which may be configured either as an indexer or a load port opener. In each configuration, the universal interface and transfer apparatus includes a port plate having a central opening, and a port door fitting within and sealing the central opening when no pod is present on the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a base and a frame mounted on and extending up from a front of the base. A modular drive assembly is mounted within an exterior side of the frame, which drive assembly includes a linear drive screw, and a motor and torque transmission mechanism for rotating the linear drive screw. A carriage is mounted on the linear drive screw such that rotation of the linear drive screw results in vertical translation of the carriage. In a first configuration, the port plate is mounted to the carriage via a bracket extending between the port plate and carriage so that rotation of the linear drive screw will vertically translate the port plate while the port door remains stationary. In a second configuration, the port door is mounted to the carriage via an arm extending between the port door and carriage, while the port plate is stationarily mounted to the frame so that rotation of the linear drive screw will vertically translate the port door while the port plate remains stationary.

Universal tool interface and/or workpiece transfer apparatus for SMIF

Growing community of inventors

Piedmont, CA, United States of America

Robert R Netsch