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Christopher Hofmeister, Hampstead US

Christopher Hofmeister, Hampstead, NH US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080298944SUBSTRATE TRANSPORT APPARATUS - A substrate transport apparatus including a first shaftless rotary motor including a first stator and a first rotor, the first stator being linearly distributed and the first rotor being coupled to a first arm, a second shaftless rotary motor including a second stator and second rotor, the second stator being linearly distributed and the second rotor being coupled to a second arm, the second arm being connected to the first arm and a first substrate support being coupled to at least one of the first and second arms, wherein the first stator and second stator are configured so that the first and second arms and the first substrate support are inside the stators and a motor output at a connection between the first and second shaftless rotary motors and a respective one of the first and second arms is a resultant force disposed peripheral to the first and second arms.12-04-2008
20090001907COMMUTATION OF AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPULSION AND GUIDANCE SYSTEM - A method of commutating a motor includes calculating an adjustment electrical angle, and utilizing the adjustment electrical angle in a common set of commutation equations so that the common set of commutation equations is capable of producing both one and two dimensional forces in the motor.01-01-2009
20090001917REDUCED-COMPLEXITY SELF-BEARING BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR - A method of commutating a motor includes operatively interfacing a stator and actuated component of the motor, arranging at least two winding sets relative to the actuated component, and independently controlling the at least two winding sets so that with the at least two winding sets the actuated component is both driven and centered.01-01-2009
20090016855LOAD LOCK FAST PUMP VENT - A substrate processing tool including a frame forming at least one isolatable chamber configured to hold a controlled atmosphere, at least two substrate supports located within each of the at least one isolatable chamber, each of the at least two substrate supports being stacked one above the other and configured to hold a respective substrate and a cooling unit communicably coupled to the at least two substrate supports such that the at least two substrate supports and cooling unit effect simultaneous conductive cooling of each of the respective substrates located on the at least two substrate supports.01-15-2009
20090022571SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH MOTORS INTEGRAL TO CHAMBER WALLS - A substrate transport apparatus including a peripheral wall having an inner surface that defines a substrate transport chamber capable of holding an isolated atmosphere, at least one substantially ring shaped motor having at least one stator module located within the peripheral wall, between the inner surface and an adjacent outer surface of the peripheral wall and at least one rotor suspended substantially without contact within the transport chamber such that a surface of the peripheral wall encompassed by the ring shaped motor is configured for attachment thereto of a predetermined device and at least one substrate transport arm connected to the at least one rotor and having at least one end effector configured to hold at least one substrate.01-22-2009
20090033316SENSOR FOR POSITION AND GAP MEASUREMENT - An apparatus including a controller, a transport in communication with the controller having a movable portion and a transport path and a multi-dimensional position measurement device in communication with the controller, the multi-dimensional position measurement device including a plurality of transformers and at least one element attached to the movable portion, wherein the multi-dimensional position measurement device is configured so that a circuit is completed in at least one plurality of transformers as the at least one element passes proximate to the at least one of the plurality of transformers and the controller is configured to calculate a multi-dimensional position of the movable object based on an output of the at least one of the plurality of transformers, wherein the multi-dimensional position includes at least a gap between the movable portion and the plurality of transformers.02-05-2009
20090087288SUBSTRATE TRANSPORT APPARATUS WITH MULTIPLE MOVABLE ARMS UTILIZING A MECHANICAL SWITCH MECHANISM - A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section connected to the frame and including at least one independently controllable motor, at least two substrate transport arms connected to the frame and comprising arm links arranged for supporting and transporting substrates, and a mechanical motion switch coupled to the at least one independently controllable motor and the at least two substrate transport arms for effecting the extension and retraction of one of the at least two substrate transport arms while the other one of the at least two substrate transport arms remains in a substantially retracted configuration.04-02-2009
20090162179SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A drive system for a transport apparatus includes a plurality of permanent magnets connected to the transport apparatus, a plurality of stationary windings exposed to a field of at least one of the plurality of permanent magnets, a control system for energizing the stationary windings to provide magnetic force on the transport apparatus, and an arrangement of ferromagnetic components proximate at least one side of the transport apparatus for providing passive stabilization of lift, pitch, and roll of the transport apparatus.06-25-2009
20090243413ROBOT DRIVE WITH MAGNETIC SPINDLE BEARINGS - A drive section for a substrate transport arm including a frame, at least one stator mounted within the frame, the stator including a first motor section and at least one stator bearing section and a coaxial spindle magnetically supported substantially without contact by the at least one stator bearing section, where each drive shaft of the coaxial spindle includes a rotor, the rotor including a second motor section and at least one rotor bearing section configured to interface with the at least one stator bearing section, wherein the first motor section is configured to interface with the second motor section to effect rotation of the spindle about a predetermined axis and the at least one stator bearing section is configured to effect at least leveling of a substrate transport arm end effector connected to the coaxial spindle through an interaction with the at least one rotor bearing section.10-01-2009
20100054897REDUCED CAPACITY CARRIER, TRANSPORT, LOAD PORT, BUFFER SYSTEM - A semiconductor workpiece processing system having at least one processing apparatus for processing workpieces, a primary transport system, a secondary transport system and one or more interfaces between first transport system and second transport system. The primary and secondary transport systems each have one or more sections of substantially constant velocity and in queue sections communicating with the constant velocity sections.03-04-2010
20100147181Elevator-based tool loading and buffering system - An exemplary embodiment a substrate transport system is provided. The system has a guideway and at least one transport vehicle. The transport vehicle is adapted for holding at least one substrate and capable of being supported from and moving along the guideway. The guideway comprises at least one travel lane for the vehicle and at least one access lane offset from the travel lane allowing the vehicle selectable access on and off the travel lane.06-17-2010
20100158643ELEVATOR-BASED TOOL LOADING AND BUFFERING SYSTEM - A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing, a low port interface and a carrier holding station. The casing has processing devices within for processing substrates. The load port interface is connected to the casing for loading substrates into the processing device. The carrier holding station is connected to the casing. The carrier holding station is adapted for holding at least one substrate transport carrier at the load port interface. The carrier holding station is arranged to provide a fast swap section for replacement of the substrate transport carrier from the carrier holding station.06-24-2010
20110014016Equipment Storage for Substrate Processing Apparatus - A substrate processing apparatus has a frame and a load port connected to the frame and adapted to mate a substrate transport container to the frame. The apparatus has transportable storage that is adapted to be removably connected to the frame and fit beneath the load port. The storage may be an enclosure housing electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical devices of the substrate processing apparatus.01-20-2011
20110038692SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A semiconductor workpiece processing apparatus having a first chamber, a transport vehicle, and another chamber. The first chamber is capable of being isolated from an outside atmosphere. The transport vehicle is located in the first chamber and is movably supported from the first chamber for moving linearly relative to the first chamber. The transport vehicle includes a base, and an integral semiconductor workpiece transfer arm movably mounted to the base and capable of multi-access movement relative to the base. The other chamber is communicably connected to the first chamber via a closable opening of the first chamber. The opening is sized to allow the transport vehicle to transit between the first chamber and the other chamber through the opening.02-17-2011
20110118855SCALABLE MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM - A control system includes a clustered architecture having a master controller, a central control section including one or more first remote controllers under direct control of the master controller, and a distributed control section including a cluster controller controlled by the master controller. The cluster controller controls the activities of one or more second remote controllers. Each of the first and second remote controllers are utilized to drive one or more axes.05-19-2011
20110142575ELEVATOR-BASED TOOL LOADING AND BUFFERING SYSTEM - A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing, a low port interface and a carrier holding station. The casing has processing devices within for processing substrates. The load port interface is connected to the casing for loading substrates into the processing device. The carrier holding station is connected to the casing. The carrier holding station is adapted for holding at least one substrate transport carrier so the at least one substrate transport carrier is capable of being coupled to the load port interface without lifting the at least one substrate transport carrier off the carrier holding station. The carrier holding station is arranged to provide a substantially simultaneous swap section for substantially simultaneous replacement of the substrate transport carrier from the carrier holding station.06-16-2011

Patent applications by Christopher Hofmeister, Hampstead, NH US