Patents Assigned to Brooks Automation
  • Sealed robot drive
    Patent number: 9948155
    Abstract: A transport apparatus including a housing, a drive mounted to the housing, and at least one transport arm connected to the drive where the drive includes at least one rotor having at least one salient pole of magnetic permeable material and disposed in an isolated environment, at least one stator having at least one salient pole with corresponding coil units and disposed outside the isolated environment, where the at least one salient pole of the at least one stator and the at least one salient pole of the rotor form a closed magnetic flux circuit between the at least one rotor and the at least one stator, and at least one seal configured to isolate the isolated environment where the at least one seal is integral to the at least one stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Jairo T. Moura, Ulysses Gilchrist, Robert T. Caveney
  • Cryopump
    Patent number: 9926919
    Abstract: A cryopump has a simple-to-manufacture frontal baffle plate with improved gas distribution and has a large-area second-stage array plate to capture Type II gases. The cryopump has a first-stage frontal baffle plate having orifices and flaps bent from and attached to the orifices. The cryopump has a second-stage top plate that is larger in area than cooling baffles of the second stage array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergei Syssoev, Allen J. Bartlett, John J. Casello, Jeffrey A. Wells, Michael J. Eacobacci, Jr.
  • Buffer station for stocker system
    Patent number: 9919871
    Abstract: A buffer station provides potential improvement for the operation of a facility. By storing to-be accessed workpieces in the buffer stations of an equipment, the operation of the facility is not interrupted when the equipment is down. The workpieces can be retrieved through emergency access port of the buffer station, thus ensure the continuous supply of workpieces for the workpiece flow of the facility. Algorithm for getting the needed workpieces to the buffer station is also provided through a controller or a computer mechanism. The buffer station can be incorporated in a stocker, such as wafer stocker or reticle stocker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation (Germany) GmbH
    Inventor: Lutz Rebstock
  • Device and method for removing a peelable seal
    Patent number: 9895695
    Abstract: A container or array of containers that is are sealed with a peelable seal is transported via a conveyor along a processing path toward a desealing station at which an adhesive surface having a width substantially the same as or greater than the width of the seal is pressed against the upper surface of the peelable seal. A collection rod applies a downward pressure on the adhesive surface, pressing it against the seal and keeping the container or container array in position on the conveyor as the plate moves with the conveyor. As the leading edge of the seal passes the collection rod, the adhesive surface is rolled upward, away from the plane of the seal, pulling up on the leading edge of the seal to separate it from the container or container array while the container or container array is held down by the roller. The removed seal is then discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert K. Neeper, Rhett L. Affleck, Roger Howard
  • Redundantable robot assembly for workpiece transfer
    Patent number: 9889558
    Abstract: A redundantable robotic mechanism is disclosed for improving reliability of tranport equipment. The redundantable robot assembly typically comprises independent robots with separate controls, motors, linkage arms, or power, thus providing the capability of operation even if parts of the assembly are not operational or when parts of the assembly are removed for repair. The redundantable robot assembly can be also designed to allow in-situ servicing, e.g. servicing one robot when the other is running. The disclosed redundantable robot assembly provides virtual uninterrupted process flow, and thus greatly increases the yield for the manufacturing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, GmbH
    Inventor: Lutz Rebstock
  • Semiconductor wafer handling transport
    Patent number: 9884726
    Abstract: Modular wafer transport and handling facilities are combined in a variety of ways deliver greater levels of flexibility, utility, efficiency, and functionality in a vacuum semiconductor processing system. Various processing and other modules may be interconnected with tunnel-and-cart transportation systems to extend the distance and versatility of the vacuum environment. Other improvements such as bypass thermal adjusters, buffering aligners, batch processing, multifunction modules, low particle vents, cluster processing cells, and the like are incorporated to expand functionality and improve processing efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
  • Workpiece structures and apparatus for accessing same
    Patent number: 9878453
    Abstract: A workpiece container stores at least one workpiece having a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. In one embodiment, a workpiece support structure is located within the container enclosure, which forms multiple vertically stacked storage shelves within the enclosure. Each storage shelf includes, in one embodiment, a first tine and a second tine for supporting the workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation. The bottom surface and peripheral edge of a workpiece seated on a storage shelf extends beyond the outer edge of both the first tine and the second tine. An end effector may engage these extended portions or “grip zones” of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony C. Bonora
  • Reduced capacity carrier and method of use
    Patent number: 9881825
    Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing and a door. The casing is adapted to form a controlled environment therein. The casing has supports therein for holding at least one substrate in the casing. The casing defines a substrate transfer opening through which a substrate transport system accesses the substrate in the casing. The door is connected to the casing for closing the substrate transfer opening in the casing. The casing has structure forming a fast swap element allowing replacement of the substrate from the apparatus with another substrate without retraction of the substrate transport system and independent of substrate loading in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulysses Gilchrist, Michael L. Bufano, William Fosnight, Christopher Hofmeister, Gerarld M. Friedman
  • Tool compiler
    Patent number: 9880817
    Abstract: Automatic generation of documentation and software for an equipment or tool, together with an automatic synchronization between the corresponding documentation and software can be preformed with a tool model representation. The tool model can include a textual, graphical, symbolic, and program representation of the tool. Default components, derived components, and standard components can be added to the tool model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Tanguy, Andreas Decker
  • Recirculation substrate container purging systems
    Patent number: 9868140
    Abstract: Methods and systems to reduce the consumption of purge gas for semiconductor substrate containers. The recirculation purging system recycles purge gas back to substrate containers by filtering and purifying gas flow from substrate containers, receiving gas flow from load port, or including a recirculation tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Lutz Rebstock
  • Semiconductor wafer handling and transport
    Patent number: 9862554
    Abstract: A substrate processing system including at least two vertically stacked transport chambers, each of the vertically stacked transport chambers including a plurality of openings arranged to form vertical stacks of openings configured for coupling to vertically stacked process modules, at least one of the vertically stacked transport chambers includes at least one transport chamber module arranged for coupling to another transport chamber module to form a linear transport chamber and another of the at least two stacked transport chambers including at least one transport chamber module arranged for coupling to another transport chamber module to form another linear transport chamber, and a transport robot disposed in each of the transport chamber modules, where a joint of the transport robot is locationally fixed along a linear path formed by the respective linear transport chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert T. Caveney
  • Fast swap dual substrate transport for load lock
    Patent number: 9859140
    Abstract: A load lock is provided for a semiconductor substrate processing system having a transport robot mounted therein. The load lock transport supplies substrates directly to a processing chamber without the need for a central transport robot. The load lock transport is a dual element robot designed for minimum clearance and space and operates within a matching load lock chamber of minimum volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Talmer
  • Substrate processing apparatus
    Patent number: 9852935
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus including a frame, a first SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a first radial axis; a second SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a second radial axis, the SCARA arms having a common shoulder axis of rotation; and a drive section coupled to the SCARA arms is configured to independently extend each SCARA arm along a respective radial axis and rotate each SCARA arm about the common shoulder axis of rotation where the first radial axis is angled relative to the second radial axis and the end effector of a respective arm is aligned with a respective radial axis, wherein each end effector is configured to hold at least one substrate and the end effectors are located on a common transfer plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Caveney, Jayaraman Krishnasamy, Ulysses Gilchrist, Mitchell Drew, Jairo T. Moura
  • Integrated systems for interfacing with substrate container storage systems
    Patent number: 9842756
    Abstract: A storage system and methods for operating a storage system are disclosed. The storage system includes a plurality of storage shelves, and each of storage shelves has a shelf plate for supporting a container. Each of the storage shelves is coupled to a chain to enable horizontal movement and each is further coupled to a rail to enable guiding to one or more positions. A motor is coupled to a drive sprocket for moving the chain. The rail has some sections that are linear and some sections that are nonlinear. The sections are arranged in a loop. Example configurations of the storage system include one or more of stationary shelves, extended horizontal tracks for a hoist, a conveyor at a level of the storage system, and a manual loading station. The hoist, with an extended horizontal track interfaces with the manual loading station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Richard H. Gould, Michael Krolak
  • Loader and buffer for reduced lot size
    Patent number: 9834378
    Abstract: A system comprising a load port and a transfer module. In one embodiment, the load port includes a plate having a first opening and a second opening, a first workpiece access port, a second workpiece access port and at least one storage location. The storage location(s) may be located either beneath the second workpiece access port or above the first workpiece access port. The transfer mosule, which is located adjacent the load port, includes a load arm for moving the workpiece containers between the first workpiece access port, the second workpiece access port, any of the storage shelves and a material transport system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Roger G. Hine, Theodore W. Rogers
  • Load station
    Patent number: 9812343
    Abstract: A substrate loading station including a frame forming a chamber configured to hold a controlled environment, a transfer robot connected to the frame and one or more substrate cassette holding locations each capable of having a substrate cassette holder disposed within the frame. Each of the one or more substrate cassette holding locations being configured to removably support a respective substrate cassette in a predetermined position for communication with the transfer robot to effect substrate transfer between a respective cassette and the transfer robot where the one or more substrate cassette holding locations are configured to effect the interchangeability of one or more substrate cassette holders with other substrate cassette holders for changing a substrate cassette holding capacity of the substrate loading station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Leigh F. Sharrock, Tsepa Bayul, Christopher J. Dancewicz, Wayne A. Lasante
  • Method and device for compensation for dimensional variations in low temperature sample group holders
    Patent number: 9791466
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a pick head configured to transfer sample containers to and from a sample group holder, at least one sensor connected to the pick head and configured to detect at least one predetermined feature of the sample group holder, and a controller configured to receive a detection signal from the at least one sensor corresponding to detection of the at least one predetermined feature, determine a change in a predetermined characteristic of the sample group holder based on a detected position of the at least one predetermined feature, and determine a location of one or more samples in the sample group holder to allow for the transfer of the one or more sample containers to and from the sample group holder based on the edge detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert K. Neeper
  • Substrate transport apparatus
    Patent number: 9761478
    Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, an upper arm rotatably mounted to the frame about a shoulder axis, a forearm rotatably mounted to the upper arm about an elbow axis where the forearm includes stacked forearm sections dependent from the upper arm through a common joint, and independent stacked end effectors rotatably mounted to the forearm, the forearm being common to the independent stacked end effectors, wherein at least one end effector is mounted to the stacked forearm sections at a wrist axis, where the forearm is configured such that spacing between the independent stacked end effectors mounted to the stacked forearm sections is decoupled from a height build up between end effectors accommodating pass through instrumentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Caveney, Ulysses Gilchrist
  • Reduced-complexity self-bearing brushless DC motor
    Patent number: 9752615
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Hosek, Jairo Terra Moura, Christopher Hofmeister
  • Compact direct drive spindle
    Patent number: 9751209
    Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, at least one arm link rotatably connected to the frame and a shaftless drive section. The shaftless drive section including stacked drive motors for rotating the at least one arm link relative to the frame through a shaftless interface, each of the stacked drive motors including a stator having stator coils disposed on a fixed post fixed relative to the frame and a rotor substantially peripherally surrounding the stator such that the rotor is connected to a respective one of the at least one arm link for rotating the one of the at least one arm link relative to the frame causing an extension or retraction of the one of the at least one arm link, where the stacked drive motors are disposed in the at least one arm link so that part of each stator is within a common arm link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert T. Caveney