Patents by Inventor Dean C. Hruzek

Dean C. Hruzek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method of retaining a substrate during a substrate transferring process
    Patent number: 7374393
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system, or cluster tool, that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. The various embodiments of the cluster tool may utilize two or more robots that are configured in a parallel processing configuration to transfer substrates between the various processing chambers retained in the processing racks so that a desired processing sequence can be performed on the substrates. In one aspect, the parallel processing configuration contains two or more robot assemblies that are adapted to move in a vertical and horizontal directions, to access the various processing chambers retained in generally adjacently positioned processing racks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Rice, Jeffrey Hudgens, Charles Carlson, William Tyler Weaver, Robert Lowrance, Eric Englhardt, Dean C. Hruzek, Mario David Silvetti, Michael Kuchar, Kirk Van Katwyk, Van Hoskins, Vinay Shah
  • Substrate gripper for a substrate handling robot
    Patent number: 7374391
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system, or cluster tool, that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. The various embodiments of the cluster tool may utilize two or more robots that are configured in a parallel processing configuration to transfer substrates between the various processing chambers retained in the processing racks so that a desired processing sequence can be performed on the substrates. In one aspect, the parallel processing configuration contains two or more robot assemblies that are adapted to move in a vertical and horizontal directions, to access the various processing chambers retained in generally adjacently positioned processing racks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Rice, Jeffrey Hudgens, Charles Carlson, William Tyler Weaver, Robert Lowrance, Eric Englhardt, Dean C. Hruzek, Mario David Silvetti, Michael Kuchar, Kirk Van Katwyk, Van Hoskins, Vinay Shah
  • SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SEQUENCE IN A CARTESIAN ROBOT CLUSTER TOOL
    Publication number: 20070147976
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system, or cluster tool, that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. The various embodiments of the cluster tool may utilize two or more robots that are configured in a parallel processing configuration to transfer substrates between the various processing chambers retained in the processing racks so that a desired processing sequence can be performed on the substrates. In one aspect, the parallel processing configuration contains two or more robot assemblies that are adapted to move in a vertical and horizontal directions, to access the various processing chambers retained in generally adjacently positioned processing racks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Mike Rice, Jeffrey Hudgens, Charles Carlson, William Tyler Weaver, Robert Lowrance, Eric Englhardt, Dean C. Hruzek, Dave Silvetti, Michael Kuchar, Kirk Van Katwyk, Van Hoskins, Vinay Shah