Patents by Inventor Ki-sang Kim

Ki-sang Kim 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).

  • Publication number: 20050111936
    Abstract: A multi-chamber system includes an index station at which one or more substrate cassettes are placed, a transfer passageway having one end adjacent the index station, at least one process chamber disposed alongside the transfer passageway, and at least one substrate transfer robot disposed in the transfer passageway for receiving a substrate from the index station and by which the substrate is transferred to each process chamber. The multi-chamber system has a minimal footprint. Furthermore, the system can be easily expanded. In addition, the substrate transfer robot(s) may have a blade including two substrate supports so that the time required for moving a substrate through the system is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Ki-Sang Kim, Seung-Ki Chae, In-Ho Lee
  • Publication number: 20050095111
    Abstract: A wafer transfer apparatus can transfer wafers to and from at least one process chamber quickly and in a small amount of space. The wafer transfer includes an arm unit, and a multi-blade connected to said arm unit so as to be rotatable relative to the arm unit. The multi-blade has at least two wafer supports configured to respectively support wafers as all lying in a horizontal plane. The arm unit includes a first arm mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane, and a second arm carried by the first arm and rotatable relative to the first arm in a horizontal plane. The multi-blade is carried by the second arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Ki-Sang Kim, Seung-Ki Chae, In-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 6755221
    Abstract: A load port of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a plurality of kinematic coupling pins and a plurality of sensors integrated with the pins. The contacts of the sensors have upper portions that protrude from the pins. Thus, when a cassette is place on the load port, the sensors can reliably sense whether the cassette is resting properly and/or can determine whether the cassette contains wafers. Once such determinations are made in the positive, a command signal is issued that serves to load the wafers into a chamber of the manufacturing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gyu-Chan Jeong, Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20040091338
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a container stored with a workpiece (for example, a semiconductor wafer container) between manufacturing stations includes: a manufacturing station that includes a generally horizontal support platform; one or more guides for guiding a vehicle; a vehicle configured to travel on one or more guides to a position below support platform; and a vertical translation unit attached to one of the manufacturing station and the vehicle that vertically translates the container between a lowered position beneath the support platform and a raised position above the support platform. In this configuration, the apparatus can provide a relatively narrow work bay while still allowing sufficient room for a worker. Also, because the vehicle can operate below the level of the manufacturing stations, there is no need for special mounting on the ceiling of the factory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20040072376
    Abstract: A load port of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a plurality of kinematic coupling pins and a plurality of sensors integrated with the pins. The contacts of the sensors have upper portions that protrude from the pins. Thus, when a cassette is place on the load port, the sensors can reliably sense whether the cassette is resting properly and/or can determine whether the cassette contains wafers. Once such determinations are made in the positive, a command signal is issued that serves to load the wafers into a chamber of the manufacturing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Gyu-Chan Jeong, Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20030073323
    Abstract: A multi-chamber system of an etching facility for manufacturing semiconductor devices occupies a minimum amount of floor space in a cleanroom by installing a plurality of processing chambers in multi-layers and in parallel along a transfer path situated between the processing chambers. The multi-layers number 2 to 5, and the transfer path can be rectangular in shape and need only be slightly wider than the diameter of a wafer. The total width of the multi-chamber system is the sum of the width of one processing chamber plus the width of the transfer path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventors: Ki-Sang Kim, Gyu-Chan Jeoung, Gyu-Hwan Kwag
  • Patent number: 6503365
    Abstract: A multi-chamber system of an etching facility for manufacturing semiconductor devices occupies a minimum amount of floor space in a cleanroom by installing a plurality of processing chambers in multi-layers and in parallel along a transfer path situated between the processing chambers. The multi-layers number 2 to 5, and the transfer path can be rectangular in shape and need only be slightly wider than the diameter of a wafer. The total width of the multi-chamber system is the sum of the width of one processing chamber plus the width of the transfer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-sang Kim, Gyu-chan Jeoung, Gyu-hwan Kwag
  • Publication number: 20020182790
    Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication apparatus, located in an apparatus installation area, includes a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) index, a plate, a first transfer device, a second transfer device, and an engineering FOUP index and multiple processing chambers. The FOUP index can be located in a line, vertically, horizontally, on top, and on bottom. The engineering FOUP index is used for manually locating the FOUP thereon in case of processing irregular single wafers that are not stored in a lot. As the FOUP index is located in the semiconductor fabrication apparatus installed in the apparatus installation area, dead space between the apparatus and air eddies generated above and below the FOUP index can be eliminated to increase the efficiency of working area and improve the environment in fabrication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20020150456
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus for a wafer, in which the wafer may be transferred in a narrow space by reducing a transfer device footprint. The transfer device has a base, a lower arm, an upper arm and a hand. The lower arm is configured to be vertically adjustable and rotatable on a vertical axis. The upper arm is pivotably coupled to the lower arm, and the hand is horizontally coupled to the upper arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20020114684
    Abstract: A load port of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a plurality of kinematic coupling pins and a plurality of sensors integrated with the pins. The contacts of the sensors have upper portions that protrude from the pins. Thus, when a cassette is place on the load port, the sensors can reliably sense whether the cassette is resting properly and/or can determine whether the cassette contains wafers. Once such determinations are made in the positive, a command signal is issued that serves to load the wafers into a chamber of the manufacturing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Gyu-Chan Jeong, Ki-Sang Kim
  • Publication number: 20020025244
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a container stored with a workpiece (for example, a semiconductor wafer container) between manufacturing stations includes: a manufacturing station that includes a generally horizontal support platform; one or more guides for guiding a vehicle; a vehicle configured to travel on one or more guides to a position below support platform; and a vertical translation unit attached to one of the manufacturing station and the vehicle that vertically translates the container between a lowered position beneath the support platform and a raised position above the support platform. In this configuration, the apparatus can provide a relatively narrow work bay while still allowing sufficient room for a worker. Also, because the vehicle can operate below the level of the manufacturing stations, there is no need for special mounting on the ceiling of the factory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventor: Ki-Sang Kim