Fsi International, Inc.

Tel Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.

Todd K Maciej

Robert E Larson

David C Zimmerman

Sean D Simondet

Quirin W Matthys

Thomas J Wagener

Kevin L Siefering

Tracy A Gast

William P Inhofer

Sean Moore

Tim W Herbst

The present invention provides lift pin strategies with a reduced risk of causing contamination due to the up and down actuation of lift pins. The present invention provides a lift pin system that uses electromagnetic actuation strategies in order to raise and lower lift pins. The electromagnetic forces act remotely on the lift pins so that direct contact or coupling of the lift pins to actuation components is not required. This avoids contamination that otherwise would be associated with friction and associated lubricants used for mechanical actuation strategies.

Magnetic integrated lift pin system for a chemical processing chamber

The present invention provides tools and methods of processing microelectronic substrates in which the tools maintain high throughput yet have dramatically lower footprint than conventional tools. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides novel tool designs in which multiple tool functions are overlapped in the x, y, and/or z axes of the tool in novel ways.

Reduced footprint tool for automated processing of microelectronic substrates

A microelectronic substrate handling device comprising first and second support structures spaced from each other, the first support structure having a series of upper teeth defining a series of upper notches extending along a length of the first support structure and a series of lower teeth defining a series of lower notches extending along a length of the first support structure, each of the upper and lower notches opening toward the second support structure, wherein the upper and lower notches are offset from each other by a predetermined offset distance so that an edge of a microelectronic device will fit differently within the upper and lower notches of the first support structure when supported between the first and second support structures.

Edge gripping device for handling a set of semiconductor wafers in an immersion processing system

Growing community of inventors

Little Falls, MN, United States of America

Todd K Maciej