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. 10, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 20, 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 LU, 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 Lu, 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) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history, and also the cluster tool has a smaller system footprint. In one embodiment, a cluster tool for processing a substrate includes a first processing rack, a first robot assembly and a second robot assembly operable to transfer substrates to substrate processing chambers in the first processing rack, and a horizontal motion assembly. The horizontal motion assembly includes one or more walls that form an interior region in which a motor is enclosed. The one or more walls defining an elongated opening through which a robot support interface travels, the robot support interface supporting a robot of the horizontal motion assembly.