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:
Jun. 29, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 21, 2008
Tetsuya Ishikawa, Saratoga, CA (US);
Rick J. Roberts, San Jose, CA (US);
Helen R. Armer, Cupertino, CA (US);
Leon Volfovski, Mountain View, CA (US);
Jay D. Pinson, San Jose, CA (US);
Michael Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
David H. Quach, San Jose, CA (US);
Mohsen S. Salek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Robert Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John A. Backer, San Jose, CA (US);
William Tyler Weaver, Austin, TX (US);
Charles Carlson, Cedar Park, TX (US);
Chongyang Wang, San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffrey Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Harald Herchen, Los Altos, CA (US);
Brian Lue, Mountain View, CA (US);
Tetsuya Ishikawa, Saratoga, CA (US);
Rick J. Roberts, San Jose, CA (US);
Helen R. Armer, Cupertino, CA (US);
Leon Volfovski, Mountain View, CA (US);
Jay D. Pinson, San Jose, CA (US);
Michael Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
David H. Quach, San Jose, CA (US);
Mohsen S. Salek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Robert Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John A. Backer, San Jose, CA (US);
William Tyler Weaver, Austin, TX (US);
Charles Carlson, Cedar Park, TX (US);
Chongyang Wang, San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffrey Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Harald Herchen, Los Altos, CA (US);
Brian Lue, Mountain View, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool). In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a photosensitive material is applied to a substrate, patterned in a stepper/scanner, and then removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool. In one embodiment of the cluster tool, substrates are grouped together in groups of two or more for transfer or processing to improve system throughput, reduce the number of moves a robot has to make to transfer a batch of substrates between the processing chambers, and thus increase system reliability. Embodiments also provide for a method and apparatus that are used to increase the reliability of the substrate transfer process to reduce system down time.