Patents by Inventor Andrew J. Constant

Andrew J. Constant 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).

  • Patent number: 11894251
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Newman, Ulrich Oldendorf, Martin Aenis, Andrew J. Constant, Shay Assaf, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Alexander Berger, William Tyler Weaver
  • Patent number: 11817332
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to load lock chambers and methods of using load lock chambers. The load lock chambers include a middle section, an upper section connected to the middle section and a lower section connected to the middle section. A slit valve in a facet on the outside of the middle section provides an opening to access the middle volume from outside the load lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: William T. Weaver, Andrew J. Constant, Shay Assaf, Jacob Newman
  • Publication number: 20230187239
    Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a set of substrate carriers and the load lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Jacob Newman, Andrew J. Constant, Michael R. Rice, Paul B. Reuter, Shay Assaf, Sushant S. Koshti
  • Patent number: 11637004
    Abstract: An alignment module for housing and cleaning masks. The alignment module comprises a mask stocker, a cleaning chamber, an alignment chamber, an alignment stage a transfer robot. The mask stocker is configured to house a mask cassette configured to store a plurality of masks. The cleaning chamber is configured to clean the plurality of masks by providing one or more cleaning gases into a chamber after a mask is inserted into the cleaning chamber. The alignment stage is configured to support a carrier and a substrate. The transfer robot is configured to transfer a mask from one or more of the alignment stage and the mask stocker to the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Lerner, Michael P. Karazim, Andrew J. Constant, Jeffrey A. Brodine, Kim Ramkumar Vellore, Kevin Moraes, Roey Shaviv
  • Publication number: 20230113673
    Abstract: A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load lock disposed within the interior volume of a factory interface and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface. The factory interface robot can be configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock. The factory interface robot can comprise a vertical tower, a plurality of links, and an end effector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Sushant S. Koshti, Paul B. Reuter, David Phillips, Jacob Newman, Andrew J. Constant, Michael R. Rice, Shay Assaf, Srinivas Poshatrahalli Gopalakrishna, Devendra Channappa Holeyannavar, Douglas B. Baumgarten, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Narayanan Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 11581203
    Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a first load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a first factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Newman, Andrew J. Constant, Michael R. Rice, Paul B. Reuter, Shay Assaf, Sushant S. Koshti
  • Patent number: 11538706
    Abstract: An alignment module for positioning a mask on a substrate comprises a mask stocker, an alignment stage, and a transfer robot. The mask stocker houses a mask cassette that stores a plurality of masks. The alignment stage is configured to support a carrier and a substrate. The transfer robot is configured to transfer one of the one or more masks from the mask stocker to the alignment stage and position the mask over the substrate. The alignment module may be part of an integrated platform having one or more transfer chambers, a factory interface having a substrate carrier chamber and one or more processing chambers. A carrier may be coupled to a substrate within the substrate carrier chamber and moved between the processing chambers to generate a semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Lerner, Michael P. Karazim, Andrew J. Constant, Jeffrey A. Brodine, Kim Ramkumar Vellore, Kevin Moraes, Roey Shaviv
  • Patent number: 11469124
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a substrate transfer device having a contactless latch and contactless coupling providing the ability to lock and unlock the substrate transfer device at atmospheric and vacuum pressure with without particle generation at a base of the substrate transfer device, the contactless latch, and the contactless coupling. The substrate transfer device includes a lid having one or more lid grooves, a base having one or more base grooves, and a rotation member rotatably coupled to the lid. Each flange of one or more flanges of the substrate transfer device is rotatable in aligned lid grooves and base grooves, and each flange of the one or more flanges has an arm with a ferromagnetic material coupled thereto. The base is coupled to the lid when the ferromagnetic material of the arm is aligned and spaced from a magnetic material of a slot of the one or more base grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shreyas Patil Shanthaveeraswamy, Ribhu Gautam, Kumaresan Nagarajan, Vijay Singh, Andrew J. Constant, Michael P. Karazim, Kim Ramkumar Vellore
  • Patent number: 11414740
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a processing system for forming one or more layers of a photodiode. In one embodiment, the processing system includes a transfer chamber, a plurality of processing chambers, and a controller configured to cause a process to be performed in the processing system. The process includes performing a pre-clean process on a substrate, aligning and placing a first mask on the substrate, depositing a first layer on the substrate, and depositing a second layer on the substrate. The processing system can form layers of a photodiode in a low defect, cost effective, and high utilization manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Lerner, Roey Shaviv, Michael P. Karazim, Kevin Vincent Moraes, Steven V. Sansoni, Andrew J. Constant, Jeffrey Allen Brodine, Kim Ramkumar Vellore, Amikam Sade, Niranjan Kumar
  • Publication number: 20220130700
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Jacob NEWMAN, Ulrich OLDENDORF, Martin AENIS, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Shay ASSAF, Jeffrey C. HUDGENS, Alexander BERGER, William Tyler WEAVER
  • Publication number: 20220068677
    Abstract: The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a first load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a first factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the first factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Jacob Newman, Andrew J. Constant, Michael R. Rice, Paul B. Reuter, Shay Assaf, Sushant S. Koshti
  • Patent number: 11232965
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jacob Newman, Ulrich Oldendorf, Martin Aenis, Andrew J. Constant, Shay Assaf, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Alexander Berger, William Tyler Weaver
  • Publication number: 20210090917
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to load lock chambers and methods of using load lock chambers. The load lock chambers include a middle section, an upper section connected to the middle section and a lower section connected to the middle section. A slit valve in a facet on the outside of the middle section provides an opening to access the middle volume from outside the load lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William T. Weaver, Andrew J. Constant, Shay Assaf, Jacob Newman
  • Publication number: 20200385851
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a processing system for forming one or more layers of a photodiode. In one embodiment, the processing system includes a transfer chamber, a plurality of processing chambers, and a controller configured to cause a process to be performed in the processing system. The process includes performing a pre-clean process on a substrate, aligning and placing a first mask on the substrate, depositing a first layer on the substrate, and depositing a second layer on the substrate. The processing system can form layers of a photodiode in a low defect, cost effective, and high utilization manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander N. LERNER, Roey SHAVIV, Michael P. KARAZIM, Kevin Vincent MORAES, Steven V. SANSONI, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Jeffrey Allen BRODINE, Kim Ramkumar VELLORE, Amikam SADE, Niranjan KUMAR
  • Publication number: 20200373183
    Abstract: An alignment module for positioning a mask on a substrate comprises a mask stocker, an alignment stage, and a transfer robot. The mask stocker houses a mask cassette that stores a plurality of masks. The alignment stage is configured to support a carrier and a substrate. The transfer robot is configured to transfer one of the one or more masks from the mask stocker to the alignment stage and position the mask over the substrate. The alignment module may be part of an integrated platform having one or more transfer chambers, a factory interface having a substrate carrier chamber and one or more processing chambers. A carrier may be coupled to a substrate within the substrate carrier chamber and moved between the processing chambers to generate a semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander N. LERNER, Michael P. KARAZIM, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Jeffrey A. BRODINE, Kim Ramkumar VELLORE, Kevin MORAES, Roey SHAVIV
  • Publication number: 20200373134
    Abstract: An alignment module for housing and cleaning masks. The alignment module comprises a mask stocker, a cleaning chamber, an alignment chamber, an alignment stage a transfer robot. The mask stocker is configured to house a mask cassette configured to store a plurality of masks. The cleaning chamber is configured to clean the plurality of masks by providing one or more cleaning gases into a chamber after a mask is inserted into the cleaning chamber. The alignment stage is configured to support a carrier and a substrate. The transfer robot is configured to transfer a mask from one or more of the alignment stage and the mask stocker to the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander N. LERNER, Michael P. KARAZIM, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Jeffrey A. BRODINE, Kim Ramkumar VELLORE, Kevin MORAES, Roey SHAVIV
  • Publication number: 20200286760
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a substrate transfer device having a contactless latch and contactless coupling providing the ability to lock and unlock the substrate transfer device at atmospheric and vacuum pressure with without particle generation at a base of the substrate transfer device, the contactless latch, and the contactless coupling. The substrate transfer device includes a lid having one or more lid grooves, a base having one or more base grooves, and a rotation member rotatably coupled to the lid. Each flange of one or more flanges of the substrate transfer device is rotatable in aligned lid grooves and base grooves, and each flange of the one or more flanges has an arm with a ferromagnetic material coupled thereto. The base is coupled to the lid when the ferromagnetic material of the arm is aligned and spaced from a magnetic material of a slot of the one or more base grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Shreyas PATIL SHANTHAVEERASWAMY, Ribhu GAUTAM, Kumaresan NAGARAJAN, Vijay SINGH, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Michael P. KARAZIM, Kim Ramkumar VELLORE
  • Publication number: 20200111692
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Jacob NEWMAN, Ulrich OLDENDORF, Martin AENIS, Andrew J. CONSTANT, Shay ASSAF, Jeffrey C. HUDGENS, Alexander BERGER, William Tyler WEAVER
  • Publication number: 20190375105
    Abstract: Electronic device processing systems may include a mainframe housing having a transfer chamber, a first carousel assembly, a second carousel assembly, a first load lock, a second load lock, and a robot adapted to operate in the transfer chamber to exchange substrates between the first and second carousels and the first and second load locks. The robot may include first and second end effectors operable to extend and/or retract simultaneously or sequentially along substantially co-parallel lines of action. Methods and multi-axis robots for transporting substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: William T. Weaver, Malcolm N. Daniel, JR., Robert B. Vopat, Jason M. Schaller, Jacob Newman, Dinesh Kanawade, Andrew J. Constant, Stephen C. Hickerson, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Marvin L. Freeman
  • Patent number: 10427303
    Abstract: Electronic device processing systems may include a mainframe housing having a transfer chamber, a first carousel assembly, a second carousel assembly, a first load lock, a second load lock, and a robot adapted to operate in the transfer chamber to exchange substrates between the first and second carousels and the first and second load locks. The robot may include first and second end effectors operable to extend and/or retract simultaneously or sequentially along substantially co-parallel lines of action. Methods and multi-axis robots for transporting substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William T. Weaver, Malcolm N. Daniel, Jr., Robert B. Vopat, Jason M. Schaller, Jacob Newman, Dinesh Kanawade, Andrew J. Constant, Stephen C. Hickerson, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Marvin L. Freeman