Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Schmutz

Wolfgang Schmutz 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: 8047761
    Abstract: A device for separation of damp silicon wafers from a wafer stack, whereby the damp wafers may be removed individually from the stack, transferred to a subsequent conveyor device and the damp thin fragile wafers held in the stack can be rapidly separated and isolated even in large format. The device comprises separation rollers on which the wafer stack may be placed. On rotation of the separation rollers, the lowest wafer is displaced under a doctor strip through a wafer-thin gap between the roller plane and doctor strip and withdrawn from the wafer stack by elastic pressure by a pair of superimposed delivery rollers driven at the same speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: ACI ecoTec GmbH
    Inventors: Felix Jaeger, Wolfgang Schmutz, Michael Kieninger
  • Publication number: 20080135186
    Abstract: A device for separation of damp silicon wafers from a wafer stack, whereby the damp wafers may be removed individually from the stack, transferred to a subsequent conveyor device and the damp thin fragile wafers held in the stack can be rapidly separated and isolated even in large format. The device comprises separation rollers on which the wafer stack may be placed. On rotation of the separation rollers, the lowest wafer is displaced under a doctor strip through a wafer-thin gap between the roller plane and doctor strip and withdrawn from the wafer stack by elastic pressure by a pair of superimposed delivery rollers driven at the same speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: ACI-ecotec GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Felix Jaeger, Wolfgang Schmutz, Michael Kieninger
  • Patent number: 7232284
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for loading substrates into and unloading them from a clean room, comprising a lock device onto which a transport box for receiving the substrates can be placed and which is fitted with a hermetically sealing lock opening, and a process unit adjacent to the lock opening. To allow for a valid adjustment of the lock device in relation to the process unit even when the lock device is exchanged, the invention provides for an adapter device to be positioned between the process unit and the lock device to which the lock device can be removably fixed and which is maintained at the level of the process unit and can be adjustably aligned in relation to same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmutz, Josef Gentischer
  • Patent number: 7134825
    Abstract: A device (10) for handling substrates (11) inside and outside a clean room (15) is provided with a locking transfer device (17), by which means a substrate cassette (12) that is accommodated in a box (13) in clean-room conditions can be removed from or placed in said box (13); and with a first handling device (51), by which means the substrates (11) can be placed in or removed from the cassette (12). According to the invention, a storage area (20) for a plurality of cassette boxes (13) is positioned on or above the clean room (15) and the locking transfer device (17) is provided between the storage area (20) and the clean room (15), so that various work and production steps can be combined in such a way as to save space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmutz, Joseph Gentischer
  • Patent number: 6494952
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying a thin film of a liquid coating medium onto a curved surface of an article includes a receptacle for the article, a rotatably drivable turntable on which the receptacle is held and a nonrotatable process pot surrounding the receptacle and the turntable. A spray ring surrounds the surface to be coated and is retained at the open end of the process pot. It defines a central inflow opening. Several annular gaps are defined and the receptacle is provided with a suction cone. A laminar flow is aimed at the spray ring at the top of the process pot and the bottom of the process pot is joined to a suction flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: ACR Automation in Cleanroom GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Mann, Wolfgang Schmutz, Josef Gentischer
  • Patent number: 6164448
    Abstract: A magazine for the fixation of small components such as those used in micro system technology and light engineering. The magazine includes a magazine base carrier with holders for the small components. The magazine has recipients to form the holders, each recipient being situated at defined and known locations and containing releasable fixing units, each of which is provided with securing structure for securing a small component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schmutz, Guenter Ernst, Udo Berg, Klaus-Peter Kaemper, Klaus Renner, Ulrich Rothmaier, Juergen Rudischhauser, Ralf Grimme, Dirk Schlenker, Achim Stock, Wolfgang Schaefer, Klaus Irion
  • Patent number: 5452905
    Abstract: A spinning plate for substrates has on the surface of its spinning disk a continuous seal that is pressed from below against the edge of the substrate. The substrate can thus be retained by suction on the spinning disk. In order to center the substrate, a pressing element is moved under suction against the edge of the substrate and presses the same against centering stops of supporting blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gudrun Bohmer, Josef Gentischer, Rolf Lehner, Dieter Modjesch, Wolfgang Schmutz
  • Patent number: 5377476
    Abstract: Arrangement for storing and transporting substrates under clean room conditions and for loading the substrates into a clean room. The substrates are individually accommodated in cassettes which are positively stackable. By means of a lifting means, the cassettes are positioned external to a loading slot of the clean room. A lateral sealing flap in the cassette is opened and the substrate is moved into the loading slot in a substrate drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gudrun Bohmer, Josef Gentischer, Rolf Lehner, Dieter Modjesch, Wolfgang Schmutz
  • Patent number: 5083364
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing substrates, in particular wafers, glass masks, and channels, having individual process stations for treating and/or processing the various substrates in a clean environment. A plurality of interchangeable and aligned process modules are provided which are connected and disconnected from a media bus in which inflow and outflow lines are situated. These lines serve to supply the process modules through the noted connection with chemicals, gases, liquids, data and energy as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Convac GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Olbrich, Joseph Gentischer, Wolfgang Fruhauf, Johann Dorner, Gunther Breitschwerdt, Horst Kunze-Concewitz, Wolfgang Schmutz, Roland Mann
  • Patent number: 4591140
    Abstract: An arrangement for separating and transporting uppermost sheets of a stack of sheets or sheet-like objects has a movable suction mouthpiece in which negative pressure acting for adhering the sheet simultaneously controls the movement of the suction mouthpiece in a longitudinal direction in a guide, the movable suction mouthpiece is connected with a valveless pump which produces in a connecting conduit between the suction mouthpiece and the pump periodically alternating negative pressure and positive pressure phases, and the guide of the movable suction piece is arranged so that a movement direction provided by the guide is inclined relative to the direction of the force of gravity at such an angle that the resultant of a lifting movement of the sheet produced during the lower pressure phase of the movable suction mouthpiece and the falling movement produced during the positive pressure phase has a component acting in a desired transporting direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Egon Illig, Josef Gentischer, Wolfgang Schmutz