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:
Mar. 09, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 14, 2007
Michael Robert Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Robert B. Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Martin R. Elliott, Round Rock, TX (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Eric A. Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael Robert Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Robert B. Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Martin R. Elliott, Round Rock, TX (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Eric A. Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
In a semiconductor fabrication facility, a conveyor transports substrate carriers. The substrate carriers are unloaded from the conveyor and loaded onto the conveyor without stopping the conveyor. A load and/or unload mechanism lifts the substrate carriers from the conveyor during unloading operations, while matching the horizontal speed of the conveyor. Similarly, during loading operations, the load/unload mechanism lowers a substrate carrier into engagement with the conveyor while matching the horizontal speed of the conveyor. Individual substrates, without carriers, may be similarly loaded and/or unloaded from a conveyor.