Patents by Inventor Christopher C. Kiley

Christopher C. Kiley 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: 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
  • Patent number: 8934706
    Abstract: A device is provided having a robotic arm for handling a wafer, the robotic arm including one or more encoders that provide encoder data identifying a position of one or more components of the robotic arm. The device also having a processor adapted to apply an extended Kalman Filter to the encoder data to estimate a position of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher C. Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Patent number: 8870514
    Abstract: A semiconductor handling system including a vacuum workpiece handling system having a vacuum environment therein, the vacuum workpiece handling system including at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities, a mid-entry station positioned between the at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities, the mid-entry station including vertically stacked load locks, where the at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities are configured to transfer workpieces between the vertically stacked load locks, at least one workpiece loading station connected to the vacuum handling system, and a workpiece delivery system having an internal environment different from the vacuum environment, the workpiece delivery system being configured to transport the workpieces between each of the vertically stacked load locks of the mid-entry station and the at least one workpiece loading station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Patent number: 8812150
    Abstract: A method is provided. The method includes disposing a plurality of robotic facilities to form a semiconductor handling system, controlling the semiconductor handling system with a controller to handoff a workpiece between neighboring robotic facilities, and providing a software interface for the controller, wherein the software interface permits a user to view alternate configurations of the handling system in order to optimize a characteristic of the handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Publication number: 20140207284
    Abstract: A device is provided having a robotic arm for handling a wafer, the robotic arm including one or more encoders that provide encoder data identifying a position of one or more components of the robotic arm. The device also having a processor adapted to apply an extended Kalman Filter to the encoder data to estimate a position of the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Inventors: Christopher C. Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Publication number: 20140199138
    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: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8696298
    Abstract: A variety of process modules are described for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Patent number: 8672605
    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: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8634633
    Abstract: A device is provided having a robotic arm for handling a wafer, the robotic arm including one or more encoders that provide encoder data identifying a position of one or more components of the robotic arm. The device also having a processor adapted to apply an extended Kalman Filter to the encoder data to estimate a position of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher C Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Patent number: 8602716
    Abstract: A method is provided where the method includes configuring a plurality of robots so that a wafer can be handed off between neighboring robots, and disposing a plurality of sensors so that a robotic arm-relative position of a wafer that is transported by a robot is determined from sensor outputs by moving the wafer through a retract, rotate, and extend path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Patent number: 8500388
    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: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20130121792
    Abstract: A semiconductor handling system including a vacuum workpiece handling system having a vacuum environment therein, the vacuum workpiece handling system including at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities, a mid-entry station positioned between the at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities, the mid-entry station including vertically stacked load locks, where the at least two workpiece handling robotic facilities are configured to transfer workpieces between the vertically stacked load locks, at least one workpiece loading station connected to the vacuum handling system, and a workpiece delivery system having an internal environment different from the vacuum environment, the workpiece delivery system being configured to transport the workpieces between each of the vertically stacked load locks of the mid-entry station and the at least one workpiece loading station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C. Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Publication number: 20130085595
    Abstract: A device is provided having a robotic arm for handling a wafer, the robotic arm including one or more encoders that provide encoder data identifying a position of one or more components of the robotic arm. The device also having a processor adapted to apply an extended Kalman Filter to the encoder data to estimate a position of the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher C. Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Patent number: 8313277
    Abstract: A variety of process modules are described for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Patent number: 8270702
    Abstract: A device is provided having a robotic arm for handling a wafer, the robotic arm including one or more encoders that provide encoder data identifying a position of one or more components of the robotic arm. The device also having a processor adapted to apply an extended Kalman Filter to the encoder data to estimate a position of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher C Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Patent number: 8267632
    Abstract: A system for processing semiconductor wafers including a plurality of robotic facilities serially joined to each other to form a substantially linear transport chamber through which wafers can be transferred from each facility, wherein the substantially linear transport chamber is sealed to hold a controlled atmosphere and each of the plurality of robotic facilities includes at least one scara robot having three arm links serially coupled to one another and having a substrate holder rotatably coupled at a distal end of the three arm links, the plurality of robot facilities being configured to effect the transfer of wafers through the substantially linear transport chamber via handoff a wafer between neighboring scara robots, and a multi-entry process module coupled to at least one of the plurality of robotic facilities, where each entry of the multi-entry process module is accessed by the at least one of the at least one scara robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese
  • Patent number: 8253948
    Abstract: A device for handling a substantially circular wafer is provided. The device includes an interior accessible through a plurality of entrances, and a plurality of sensors consisting of two sensors for each one of the plurality of entrances, each sensor capable of detecting a presence of the substantially circular wafer, at a predetermined location within the interior, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged so that at least two of the plurality of sensors detect the wafer for any position of the wafer entirely within the interior, wherein a first one of the two sensors is positioned to detect the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances, and a second one of the two sensors is positioned immediately outside a diameter of the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher C. Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Publication number: 20120154822
    Abstract: A device for handling a substantially circular wafer is provided. The device includes an interior accessible through a plurality of entrances, and a plurality of sensors consisting of two sensors for each one of the plurality of entrances, each sensor capable of detecting a presence of the substantially circular wafer, at a predetermined location within the interior, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged so that at least two of the plurality of sensors detect the wafer for any position of the wafer entirely within the interior, wherein a first one of the two sensors is positioned to detect the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances, and a second one of the two sensors is positioned immediately outside a diameter of the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher C. Kiley, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Paul E. Fogel
  • Patent number: 8197177
    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: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter van der Meulen, Christopher C Kiley, Patrick D. Pannese, Raymond S. Ritter, Thomas A. Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8125652
    Abstract: A device for handling a substantially circular wafer is provided. The device includes an interior accessible through a plurality of entrances, and a plurality of sensors consisting of two sensors for each one of the plurality of entrances, each sensor capable of detecting a presence of the substantially circular wafer, at a predetermined location within the interior, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged so that at least two of the plurality of sensors detect the wafer for any position of the wafer entirely within the interior, wherein a first one of the two sensors is positioned to detect the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances, and a second one of the two sensors is positioned immediately outside a diameter of the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Fogel, Peter van der Meulen, Forrest T. Buzan, Christopher C. Kiley