The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 19, 2005
Filed:
Aug. 05, 2004
Tooru Ueno, Kumage, JP;
Shigeru Nakamoto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Shoji Okiguchi, Kudamatsu, JP;
Hideki Yamasaki, Kudamatsu, JP;
Kouji Nishihata, Tokuyama, JP;
Tooru Ueno, Kumage, JP;
Shigeru Nakamoto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Shoji Okiguchi, Kudamatsu, JP;
Hideki Yamasaki, Kudamatsu, JP;
Kouji Nishihata, Tokuyama, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method of operating vacuum processing equipment that includes multiple sets of apparatus for performing a succession of different processes on individual wafers, an apparatus for transporting said wafers, and an apparatus for controlling said processing apparatus sets and said transport apparatus, and has at least two sets of wafer processing routes including multiple sets of said processing apparatus; wherein it is possible to judge whether each set of said processing apparatus for performing various processes is in a valid or invalid status for operation, to electrically disconnect only the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be invalid, to reconstruct said processing routes by using the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be valid, and to process said wafers by using only said processing apparatus which is valid for operation.