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.

Abstract: A two piece shell is employed for intermediate and long term storage of substrates. The shell is formed of two halves that can be juxtaposed in vacuum and externally vented, with the internal vacuum retaining the halves in vacuum-sealed engagement. One of the halves also provides a vacuum-sealing perimeter for selectively sealing to a process chamber during loading and/or unloading of the shell with a substrate. A vacuum monitor or the like may be employed to monitor pressure during storage and provide alerts if the vacuum within the sealed shell is compromised.

Abstract: A variable reluctance motor load mapping apparatus includes a frame, an interface disposed on the frame configured for mounting a variable reluctance motor, a static load cell mounted to the frame and coupled to the variable reluctance motor, and a controller communicably coupled to the static load cell and the variable reluctance motor, the controller being configured to select at least one motor phase of the variable reluctance motor, energize the at least one motor phase, and receive motor operational data from at least the static load cell for mapping and generating an array of motor operational data look up tables.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus for transporting substrates, the substrate transport apparatus including a frame, at least one transfer arm connected to the frame, at least one end effector mounted to the at least one transfer arm and at least one substrate support pad disposed on the at least one end effector, the at least one substrate support pad has a configuration that effects increased friction force, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing tool is disclosed, the tool having a frame forming at least one chamber with an opening and having a sealing surface around a periphery of the opening, a door configured to interact with the sealing surface for sealing the opening, the door having sides perpendicular to the door sealing surface and perpendicular to a transfer plane of a substrate, and at least one drive located on the frame to a side of at least one of the sides that are substantially perpendicular to the door sealing surface and substantially perpendicular to the transfer plane of the substrate, the drive having actuators located at least partially in front of the sealing surface and the actuators being coupled to one of the sides of the door for moving the door from a sealed position. The at least one drive is located outside of a substrate transfer zone.

Abstract: An access arbitration module includes a plurality of active component communication ports for communicating with a plurality of active components, and includes a passive component communication port for communicating with a passive component. The access arbitration module also includes switching logic defined to control transmission of access communication protocol signals between each of the plurality of active component communication ports and the passive component communication port, such that an authorized one of the plurality of active component communication ports is connected in communication with the passive component communication port at a given time, and such that non-authorized ones of the plurality of active component communication ports are prevented from communication with the passive component communication port at the given time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods to store and transfer objects, and more particularly to workpiece stocker configurations such as stocker for semiconductor wafers, reticles or carrier boxes.

Abstract: A sample storage including a frame and an array of sample container holding areas disposed within the frame where a spacing between adjacent sample container holding areas is independent of a gripping area for sample containers held by the sample storage.

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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An automated sample specimen storage system including a tube holding microplate including a plate frame, a predetermined array of tube holding receptacles formed in the plate frame, the receptacles having a SBS standard pitch corresponding to the predetermined array, and being configured for holding therein sample store and transport tubes, each disposed so as to contain sample specimen in a sample storage of the storage system and to effect, with the sample tube, delivery from the sample storage to a workstation, the predetermined array of receptacles defining a volume capacity of the tube holding microplate, and each of the receptacles being shaped to conformally engage walls of the sample tubes and hold a respective one of the sample store and transport tubes, wherein the receptacles are arranged so that the tube holding microplate volume capacity defined by the predetermined array is an under optimum volume capacity.

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.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention discloses cleaned storage processes and systems for high level cleanliness articles, such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle carriers. A decontamination chamber can be used to clean the stored workpieces. A purge gas system can be used to prevent contamination of the articles stored within the workpieces. A robot can be used to detect the condition of the storage compartment before delivering the workpiece. A monitor device can be used to monitor the conditions of the stocker.

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.

Abstract: Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These features may be employed alone or in combination to offer improved usability and computational efficiency for real time control and monitoring of a semiconductor manufacturing process. More generally, these techniques may be usefully employed in a variety of real time control systems, particularly systems requiring complex scheduling decisions or heterogeneous systems constructed of hardware from numerous independent vendors.

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.

Abstract: A configurable cryogenic storage device has a freezer and a rack carrier positioned inside of the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to the rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor assembly. The rack carrier rests on the bearing in a manual rotation configuration and hangs from the drive shaft when the motor is connected. Coupling the drive shaft to the motor assembly lifts the rack carrier and decouples the bearing and enables automated rotation of the rack carrier by the motor. The rack carrier includes rack-mounting features holding a plurality of sample storage racks. The sample storage racks hang from the rack carrier and the rack-mounting features precisely position the end of each sample storage rack.

Abstract: A workpiece handling module including a first housing member and a second housing member pivotally movable relative to the first member forming a housing having an access side and a second side opposite the access side and side walls, a first portion of the side walls is carried by the first member and a second portion of the side walls is carried by the second member, and at least one of the first and second housing members includes at least one sealable opening for allowing ingress and egress of workpieces to and from an interior chamber formed by the first and second housing members in a closed configuration, and the second portion of the side walls adjacent the access side and carried by the second member is greater than the first portion of the side walls adjacent the access side and carried by the first member.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive section, a controller, an upper arm, forearm and substrate holder. A proximate end of the upper arm being rotatably mounted to the drive section at a shoulder joint. A proximate end of the forearm being rotatably mounted to a distal end of the upper arm at an elbow joint. The substrate holder being rotatably mounted to a distal end of the forearm at a wrist joint. The upper arm and the forearm being unequal in length from joint center to joint center. The substrate transport arm is adapted to transport substrate to and from at least two substrate holding areas with the drive section of the transport apparatus remaining in a fixed position relative to the holding areas. Each of the upper arm, forearm and substrate holder being independently rotatable with respect to each other.

Abstract: A substrate transport system includes a carrier having a housing forming an interior environment having an opening for holding at least one substrate and a door for sealing the opening from an outside atmosphere where when sealed the interior environment is configured to maintain an interior atmosphere therein, the housing including a fluid reservoir exterior to the interior environment and configured to contain a fluid, forming a different atmosphere in the fluid reservoir than the interior atmosphere, to form a fluidic barrier seal that seals the interior environment from an environment exterior to the carrier.