Patents Assigned to Asyst Technologies
  • Patent number: 5547328
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring articles from a transportable container, for example, a SMIF pod, to a second container, for example, a processing station having a port which provides access to the interior region of the processing station. A non-contact seal or an isolation cover or skirt seals the port so that the interior region of the container can be purged of contaminants prior to exposing the interior environment of the processing station to the environment within the container. The purging of the container may be a multi-step process in which the container door is moved between several intermediate positions so that the container door itself is purged prior to the purging of the environment within the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Gilles Guerre, Mihir Parikh, Frederick T. Rosenquist, Jr., Sudhir Jain
  • Patent number: 5469963
    Abstract: A transportable, sealable container, which has an improved pod liner. The container includes a box, a box door, and a gasket which forms a seal between the box and the box door. The box door has a conductive liner and a conductive path from the conductive liner to ground potential for electrostatic discharge protection. A membrane for isolating the gasket from the interior region of the container is bonded to the gasket and the conductive liner. The membrane may be impervious to gasses to prevent outgassing of the gasket or impervious to particles but not gasses to prevent particulate matter generated by the gasket from entering the interior region of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Frederick T. Rosenquist, Sudhir Jain, Mark R. Davis
  • Patent number: 5370491
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring articles from a transportable container, for example, a SMIF pod, to a second container, for example, a processing station having a port which provides access to the interior region of the processing station. A non-contact seal or an isolation cover or skirt seals the port so that the interior region of the container can be purged of contaminants prior to exposing the interior environment of the processing station to the environment within the container. The purging of the container may be a multi-step process in which the container door is moved between several intermediate positions so that the container door itself is purged prior to the purging of the environment within the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Gilles Guerre, Mihir Parikh, Frederick T. Rosenquist, Jr., Sudhir Jain
  • Patent number: 5169272
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring articles from a transportable container, for example, a SMIF pod, to a second container, for example, a processing station having a port which provides access to the interior region of the processing station. A non-contact seal or an isolation cover or skirt seals the port so that the interior region of the container can be purged of contaminants prior to exposing the interior environment of the processing station to the environment within the container. The purging of the container may be a multi-step process in which the container door is moved between several intermediate positions so that the container door iself is purged prior to the purging of the environment within the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Gilles Guerre, Mihir Parikh, Frederick T. Rosenquist, Sudhir Jain
  • Patent number: 5166884
    Abstract: A system mounted with a transportable container for carrying articles such as semiconductor wafers which comprises a non-volatile memory used to store the identity, status and history of the articles in the container. Further, the system includes means for transmitting data from the memory to an information processor associated with a processing station which processes the articles in a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes data processing capability and both receives data from and transmits data to the processing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Maney, Anthony C. Bonora, Mihir Parikh, Michael D. Brain
  • Patent number: 5097421
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system mounted with a transportable container for carrying articles such as semiconductor wafers which comprises a non-volatile memory used to store the identity, status and history of the articles in the container. Further, the system includes means for transmitting data from the memory to an information processor associated with a processing station which processes the articles in a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes data processing capability and both receives data from and transmits data to the processing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Maney, Anthony C. Bonora, Mihir Parikh, Michael D. Brain
  • Patent number: 4995430
    Abstract: A transportable, sealable container, for example a SMIF pod, has a box and a box door. The box has a first sealing surface and the box door has a second sealing surface which forms a seal with the first sealing surface when the box door is moved in a sealing direction with respect to the box. A latch mechanism provided in the box door is operable in two stages. The first stage of operation moves latch members from a retracted position to an extended position, in the retracted position the latch members are contained in the box door to allow movement of the box door with respect to the box, and in the extended position the latch members are adjacent to latch surfaces of the box. Movement from the retracted to the extended position is performed without contact between the latch members and the latch surfaces to avoid any scraping or rubbing action which would create particles in the "clean" interior region of the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Frederick T. Rosenquist
  • Patent number: 4974166
    Abstract: A system for storing transporting and processing articles includes a plurality of transportable containers, each transportable container having an interior region adapted to receive a plurality of articles and data processing device provided on the transportable container for receiving, storing, transmitting and displaying information related to the articles received by the corresponding transportable container. A plurality of workstations are adapted to receive one of the transportable containers and to process selected ones of the articles. The workstation also verifies that at least one of the articles in the transportable container has arrived at the appropriate workstation and communicates with a central processing unit to receive and transmit status information and processing information, and to transmit information stored by the data processing device provided on the transportable container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Maney, Anthony C. Bonora, Mihir Parikh, Michael D. Brain
  • Patent number: 4859137
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transporting a holder for holding articles between a port opening providing access to the system and a loading and unloading station, the apparatus comprising: a first platform for supporting the holder in the course of transport of the holder between the port opening and the station; an elevator for moving the first platform between the port opening and the station; and an assembly for rotatably moving the first platform between a first position in which the first platform is oriented substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis and a second position in which the first platform is inclined relative to the vertical axis; and wherein the assembly moves the first platform between the first and second positions while the elevator moves the first platform between the port opening and the station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Fred T. Rosenquist
  • Patent number: 4815912
    Abstract: A transportable container for articles to be processed, for use with a passage elevator for passing the articles between locations, is provided which comprises: a box defining a box opening; a box door for being received by the box opening; a cassette for holding the articles, the cassette supported by the box door and sized for passage through the box opening, the passage elevator passing the cassette through the box opening; a retainer, extending adjacent to the cassette, for substantially retaining the articles held by the cassette, the retainer being movably coupled to the box such that the retainer can move in a direction substantially transverse to a direction of movement of the holder substantially during a passage of the cassette through the box opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Maney, W. George Faraco, Mihir Parikh
  • Patent number: 4802809
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for transferring a cassette holding articles to be processed to and from a container supported at a processing station where the processing station has a cassette port for receiving the cassette when the cassette moves along a central axis extending from outside the processing station through the cassette port, and into the processing station, said apparatus comprising: a platform device including a cassette platform transportable substantially along the central axis for transferring the cassette to and from the container substantially along the central axis; a manipulator device including a first member extending substantially orthogonal to the central axis, the first member including a first portion and a second portion; a pivoting arm including a pivoting portion and a coupling portion, the pivoting portion mounted pivotally adjacent to the second portion of the first member, the pivoting arm operable to pivot about a pivot axis extending substantially through th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Andrew W. O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 4739882
    Abstract: The present invention is a transportable container for storing articles and maintaining a clean article, such as semiconductor wafers, clean. The container provides a box which defines an interior space for containing the articles. The box includes a box top and box base which supports the box top and includes a box door for opening and closing the container. The box door provide a region for supporting the articles in the interior space. A liner is insertable into the interior space and surrounds the region. The box door is retractable from the box space. The articles in the region are retractable with the box door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventors: Mihir Parikh, Anthony C. Bonora, W. George Faraco, Barney H. Huang
  • Patent number: 4724874
    Abstract: A sealable transportable container for use with processing equipment having a port plate and port door sealably mating to the port plate, the transportable container including a box having an interior space for containing the articles. The box including a conduit for communicating between the interior space and the environment external the box. The conduit including a filter for filtering fluids passing through the conduit. The box including a box top having sealing surfaces and a box door sealably mating with the box top. The port plate also includes sealing surfaces and is sealably mated to the box top. The port door includes a sealing surface and is sealably mated to the port plate. The box door includes a latch for mechanically opening and closing of the box and the port door includes a device for activating the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventors: Mihir Parikh, Anthony C. Bonora
  • Patent number: 4676709
    Abstract: Disclosed is a manipulator for removing a cassette holding articles, such as semiconductor wafers, to be processed from a container supported on a processing station in a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) system. The container is supported on an interface port on the canopy of the processing station and has a removeable door on which the cassette is supportable. A first platform is transportable along a shaft below the interface port and is operable to mate with the interface port and receive the cassette from the container. The first platform is transported down the shaft, thereby removing the cassette from the container. A second platform mounted in the shaft includes a manipulator arm which swings to engage the cassette on the first platform and support the cassette off of the first platform. The manipulator arm then pivots to transport the cassette to a location in the processing station away from the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Andrew W. O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 4674936
    Abstract: Disclosed is a manipulator for removing a cassette holding articles, such as semiconductor wafers, to be processed from a container supported on a processing station in a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) system. The container is supported on an interface port on the canopy of the processing station. A first platform is transportable along a shaft below the interface port. The platform is operable to mate with the interface port and receive the cassette from the container. The first platform is transported down the shaft, thereby removing the cassette from the container. An arm orthogonal to the shaft and mounted in the shaft supports a pivoting arm which swings to engage the cassette on the first platform and support the cassette off of the first platform. The pivoting arm pivots to transport the cassette to a location away from the shaft. The first platform is then transported back up the shaft to the interface port to seal the container to prevent particulate contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Asyst Technologies
    Inventor: Anthony C. Bonora
  • Patent number: 4674939
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for maintaining articles, such as semiconductor wafers clean. The wafers or other articles to be processed are placed in a box having first and second regions for making first and second seals. A box door seals the articles into the box. The box has a second region for making the second seal and has a third region for making a third seal. The box is used to transport the wafers to a port in the canopy of the processing equipment. The port is adapted for receiving the box and box door and for transferring the box door and the contents of the box into a region beneath the canopy. The canopy has a first region for making the first seal with the box. Also, the canopy has a fourth region surrounding the port for making a fourth seal. A port door is provided for closing the canopy port when no box is present. The port door has a second region for making the second seal with the box and has a fourth region for making the fourth seal with the canopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: ASYST Technologies
    Inventors: George A. Maney, Andrew W. O'Sullivan, W. George Faraco