Patents by Inventor Yukio Mukaino

Yukio Mukaino 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).

  • Apparatus and method for automatically transferring wafers between wafer holders in a liquid environment
    Patent number: 6457929
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring wafers between wafer holders such as wafer cassettes, etching drums and the like includes a tank for containing a liquid transfer medium in which the wafers can be transferred. The apparatus includes a wafer transfer unit that can transfer a plurality of wafers such as semiconductor wafers between wafer holders, and maintain the wafers in a desired relative orientation during transfer. For example, the wafers can be maintained in a parallel relationship. The apparatus can be used to automatically transfer wafers to etching drums without cross-indexing of the wafers and without manual handling of the wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Seh America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michito Sato, Hiroaki Fukabori, Yukio Mukaino
  • Method for automatically transferring wafers between wafer holders in a liquid environment
    Patent number: 6354794
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring wafers between wafer holders such as wafer cassettes, etching drums and the like includes a tank for containing a liquid transfer medium in which the wafers can be transferred. The apparatus includes a wafer transfer unit that can transfer a plurality of wafers such as semiconductor wafers between wafer holders, and maintain the wafers in a desired relative orientation during transfer. For example, the wafers can be maintained in a parallel relationship. The apparatus can be used to automatically transfer wafers to etching drums without cross-indexing of the wafers and without manual handling of the wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: SEH America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michito Sato, Hiroaki Fukabori, Yukio Mukaino
  • APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRING WAFERS BETWEEN WAFER HOLDERS IN A LIQUID ENVIRONMENT
    Publication number: 20020006324
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring wafers between wafer holders such as wafer cassettes, etching drums and the like includes a tank for containing a liquid transfer medium in which the wafers can be transferred. The apparatus includes a wafer transfer unit that can transfer a plurality of wafers such as semiconductor wafers between wafer holders, and maintain the wafers in a desired relative orientation during transfer. For example, the wafers can be maintained in a parallel relationship. The apparatus can be used to automatically transfer wafers to etching drums without cross-indexing of the wafers and without manual handling of the wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: MICHITO SATO, HIROAKI FUKABORI, YUKIO MUKAINO
  • Method for automatically transferring wafers between wafer holders in a liquid environment
    Publication number: 20010021340
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring wafers between wafer holders such as wafer cassettes, etching drums and the like includes a tank for containing a liquid transfer medium in which the wafers can be transferred. The apparatus includes a wafer transfer unit that can transfer a plurality of wafers such as semiconductor wafers between wafer holders, and maintain the wafers in a desired relative orientation during transfer. For example, the wafers can be maintained in a parallel relationship. The apparatus can be used to automatically transfer wafers to etching drums without cross-indexing of the wafers and without manual handling of the wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Applicant: SEH America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michito Sato, Hiroaki Fukabori, Yukio Mukaino