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:
Oct. 21, 2008
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2004
William A. Bagley, Tokyo, JP;
Paohuei Lee, San Jose, CA (US);
Kyung-tae Kim, Suwon, KR;
Sam-kyung Kim, Kumi, KR;
Toshio Kiyotake, Hyogo, JP;
Sam Kim, Fremont, CA (US);
Takayuki Matsumoto, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Jonathan Erik Larson, East Palo Alto, CA (US);
Makoto Inagawa, Palo Alto, CA (US);
James Hoffman, San Jose, CA (US);
Billy C. Leung, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
William A. Bagley, Tokyo, JP;
Paohuei Lee, San Jose, CA (US);
Kyung-Tae Kim, Suwon, KR;
Sam-Kyung Kim, Kumi, KR;
Toshio Kiyotake, Hyogo, JP;
Sam Kim, Fremont, CA (US);
Takayuki Matsumoto, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Jonathan Erik Larson, East Palo Alto, CA (US);
Makoto Inagawa, Palo Alto, CA (US);
James Hoffman, San Jose, CA (US);
Billy C. Leung, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method incorporating at least two sensors that detect the presence of substrate defects, such as breakage or misalignment, along the lengths of at least two parallel edges of a moving substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus for detecting substrate defects includes a sensor arrangement including at least two sensors that continuously sense a substrate near at least two parallel edges of the substrate as the substrate passes the sensors. In another embodiment, an apparatus for detecting substrate defects includes a robot having a substrate support surface, and a sensor arrangement including at least two sensors that continuously sense a substrate near at least two parallel edges of the substrate during substrate transfer on the substrate support surface. In another embodiment, a method of continuously detecting substrate defects includes positioning at least two sensors to continuously sense a substrate near at least two parallel edges of the substrate as the substrate passes the sensors, and transmitting a signal from each of the at least two sensors to a controller that continuously monitors the signals from the at least two sensors to detect the presence of a substrate defect.