Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080219816 | SMALL LOT LOADPORT CONFIGURATIONS - A substrate handling apparatus and method include a small lot loadport configuration having a plurality of small lot loadports adapted to be coupled to an equipment front end module (EFEM) designed for use with a large lot substrate carrier and having a large lot loadport envelope, where the small lot loadport configuration has a combined envelope substantially similar to the large lot loadport envelope, and where each small lot loadport is adapted to dock with a small lot substrate carrier. A system also is provided that includes (1) the (EFEM) and (2) the small lot loadport configuration. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 09-11-2008 |
20080294282 | USE OF LOGICAL LOTS IN SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING - In some embodiments, a method of processing substrates is provided that includes (1) grouping substrates in a plurality of substrate carriers as a logical lot; (2) processing the logical lot as if the substrates were stored in a single substrate carrier; and (3) performing metrology on a representative subset of substrates in the logical lot. Numerous other embodiments are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20090101483 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATE CARRIERS - A conveyor apparatus adapted to transport and article is provided. The conveyor apparatus has a belt section including a plurality of slots and a plurality of T-shaped stiffeners extending in the slots. Respective belt sections may be spliced together using a plurality of T-shaped stiffeners extending through slots in diagonally-formed ends of each belt section. Methods of the invention are described as are numerous other aspects. | 04-23-2009 |
20090188103 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MOVING A SUBSTRATE CARRIER - Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for electronic device manufacturing. The invention includes removing a first substrate carrier and a second substrate carrier from a moving conveyor using an end effector assembly and concurrently transferring the first and second substrate carriers from the moving conveyor to a support location via the end effector assembly. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 07-30-2009 |
20090202336 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN EFFICIENT HANDSHAKE BETWEEN MATERIAL HANDLING AND MATERIAL PROCESSING DEVICES FOR SAFE MATERIAL TRANSFER - Methods and systems are provided. The invention includes performing a handshake directly between a load port associated with process equipment and material handling equipment; and transferring a carrier between the material handling equipment and the load port based on the handshake. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 08-13-2009 |
20100055901 | LASER MATERIAL REMOVAL METHODS AND APPARATUS - Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods and apparatus for material removal using lasers in the fabrication of solar cells. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided that precisely removes portions of a dielectric layer deposited on a solar cell substrate according to a desired pattern and deposits a conductive layer over the patterned dielectric layer. In one embodiment, the apparatus also removes portions of the conductive layer in a desired pattern. In certain embodiments, methods for removing a portion of a material via a laser without damaging the underlying substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the intensity profile of the beam is adjusted so that the difference between the maximum and minimum intensity within a spot formed on a substrate surface is reduced to an optimum range. In one example, the substrate is positioned such that the peak intensity at the center versus the periphery of the substrate is lowered. In one embodiment, the pulse energy is improved to provide thermal stress and physical lift-off of a desired portion of a dielectric layer. | 03-04-2010 |
20100087028 | ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR PROCESSING CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system, or cluster tool, for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration, the film stack formed on each of the substrates in the batch contains one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal layers that are deposited and further processed within the various chambers contained in the substrate processing system. The processing chambers may be, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chambers, hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) chambers, plasma nitridation (DPN) chambers, ion implant/doping chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, plasma etching chambers, annealing chambers, rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) chambers, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chambers, substrate reorientation chambers, laser annealing chambers, and/or plasma cleaning stations. In one embodiment, a batch of solar cell substrates is simultaneously transferred in a vacuum or inert environment to prevent contamination from affecting the solar cell formation process. | 04-08-2010 |
20100173495 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS USING A BATCH PROCESSING CHAMBER - Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus for processing a substrate using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) adapted to process substrates in one or more batch and/or single substrate processing chambers to increase the system throughput. In one embodiment, a system is configured to perform a substrate processing sequence that contains batch processing chambers only, or batch and single substrate processing chambers, to optimize throughput and minimize processing defects due to exposure to a contaminating environment. In one embodiment, a batch processing chamber is used to increase the system throughput by performing a process recipe step that is disproportionately long compared to other process recipe steps in the substrate processing sequence that are performed on the cluster tool. In another embodiment, two or more batch chambers are used to process multiple substrates using one or more of the disproportionately long processing steps in a processing sequence. Aspects of the invention also include an apparatus and method for delivering a precursor to a processing chamber so that a repeatable ALD or CVD deposition process can be performed. | 07-08-2010 |
20100179683 | METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR RAPID EXCHANGE OF WORK MATERIAL - Systems, apparatus and methods for the rapid exchange of work material in a facility processing substrates (e.g., LCD panels, solar panels, semiconductor wafers, or the like) are disclosed. The system may include load ports associated with a process tool, local storage units, and a work material exchange apparatus adapted to rapidly exchange work material at the ports, units, or other exchange locations. The work material exchange apparatus may include two or more end effectors coupled to one or more actuator members and which may be adapted to rapidly exchange two or more carriers containing work material at an exchange location. | 07-15-2010 |
20100296903 | END EFFECTOR FOR HANDLING SUBSTRATES - Embodiments of the present invention provide an end effector for a substrate handling robot. In one embodiment, the end effector comprises one or more Bernoulli chucks surrounded by a plurality of suction cup devices. In one embodiment, the suction cup devices are configured in the form of a bellows to provide both cushioning and lateral stability to the substrate. In one embodiment, the suction cup devices further include an air pressure device to provide light positive pressure to the substrate during release. Embodiments of the end effector described herein provide a small vacuum pressure over a large area of ultra-thin substrates to minimize damage during handling. | 11-25-2010 |
20110041764 | BATCH PROCESSING PLATFORM FOR ALD AND CVD - A batch processing platform used for ALD or CVD processing is configured for high throughput and minimal footprint. In one embodiment, the processing platform comprises an atmospheric transfer region, at least one batch processing chamber with a buffer chamber and staging platform, and a transfer robot disposed in the transfer region wherein the transfer robot has at least one substrate transfer arm that comprises multiple substrate handling blades. The platform may include two batch processing chambers configured with a service aisle disposed therebetween to provide necessary service access to the transfer robot and the deposition stations. In another embodiment, the processing platform comprises at least one batch processing chamber, a substrate transfer robot that is adapted to transfer substrates between a FOUP and a processing cassette, and a cassette transfer region containing a cassette handler robot. The cassette handler robot may be a linear actuator or a rotary table. | 02-24-2011 |
20110116900 | SUBSTRATE ALIGNMENT APPARATUS - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for accurately aligning a plurality of substrates arranged in a planar array for batch processing. In one embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus includes an array of oversized, recessed pockets for receiving the plurality of substrates. The substrate alignment apparatus may pick up the plurality of substrates from a location in which each substrate is not accurately positioned. Each pocket is configured at an angle from horizontal such that each substrate slides to a predefined corner of the pocket resulting in accurate alignment of each substrate. A vibration, tilting, directional brushes, or gas cushion may be provided to the substrate alignment apparatus to aid in low friction alignment of each substrate within its respective pocket. In one embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus is an end effector for use on a transfer robot for use in a cluster-type processing system. In another embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus is an alignment table for use in an in-line processing system. | 05-19-2011 |
20110162706 | PASSIVATED POLYSILICON EMITTER SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A method for manufacturing a polysilicon emitter solar cell with a passivating layer over its polysilicon emitter layer is disclosed. The method includes steps of preparing a substrate, forming a first polysilicon layer over the substrate, and forming a first passivating layer over the first polysilicon layer. Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a solar cell apparatus. The solar cell apparatus includes a substrate, a first polysilicon layer over the substrate, and a first passivating layer on first polysilicon layer. | 07-07-2011 |
20120060971 | METHODS AND LOADPORT APPARATUS FOR PURGING A SUBSTRATE CARRIER - In a first aspect, a loadport is provided. The loadport has a plate adapted to couple to a door of a substrate carrier to open the substrate carrier wherein the plate includes a first opening adapted to couple to a first port in the door of the substrate carrier on a first side of the plate and to couple to a gas source on a second side of the plate, and wherein the loadport is adapted to allow a flow of gas into the substrate carrier via the first opening in the plate. Methods of purging substrate carriers are provided, as are numerous other aspects. | 03-15-2012 |
20120210937 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS USING A BATCH PROCESSING CHAMBER - Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus for processing a substrate using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) adapted to process substrates in one or more batch and/or single substrate processing chambers to increase the system throughput. | 08-23-2012 |
20120295440 | LASER MATERIAL REMOVAL METHODS AND APPARATUS - Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods and apparatus for material removal using lasers in the fabrication of solar cells. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided that removes portions of a dielectric layer deposited on a solar cell substrate according to a desired pattern. In certain embodiments, methods for removing a portion of a material via a laser without damaging the underlying substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the intensity profile of the beam is adjusted so that the difference between the maximum and minimum intensity within a spot formed on a substrate surface is reduced to an optimum range. In one example, the substrate is positioned such that the peak intensity at the center versus the periphery of the substrate is lowered. In one embodiment, the pulse energy is improved to provide thermal stress and physical lift-off of a desired portion of a dielectric layer. | 11-22-2012 |
20120325328 | METHODS AND LOADPORT FOR PURGING A SUBSTRATE CARRIER - In a first aspect, a substrate carrier is provided that includes an enclosure adapted to be sealable and to house at least one substrate. The substrate carrier includes a first port leading into the enclosure and adapted to allow a flow of gas into the enclosure while the substrate carrier is closed. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 12-27-2012 |