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:
Sep. 07, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 13, 2007
Michael Robert Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Martin R. Elliott, Round Rock, TX (US);
Robert B. Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Eric Andrew Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael Robert Rice, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Martin R. Elliott, Round Rock, TX (US);
Robert B. Lowrance, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Jeffrey C. Hudgens, San Francisco, CA (US);
Eric Andrew Englhardt, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
In a first aspect, a substrate loading station is served by a conveyor which continuously transports substrate carriers. A substrate carrier handler that is part of the substrate loading station operates to exchange substrate carriers with the conveyor while the conveyor is in motion. A carrier exchange procedure may include moving an end effector of the substrate carrier handler at a velocity that substantially matches a velocity of the conveyor. Numerous other aspects are provided.