Patents by Inventor Zhihong J. Lin

Zhihong J. Lin 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: 6580955
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Publication number: 20030009251
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Patent number: 6449520
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Publication number: 20020055799
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Patent number: 6360132
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Publication number: 20010001839
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 24, 2001
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Patent number: 6201998
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang
  • Patent number: 5975740
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and medium is provided for increasing the efficiency with which wafers are transferred among different processing chambers in a wafer processing facility. A multi-slot cooling chamber allows multiple wafers to be cooled while other wafers are subjected to processing steps in other chambers. Each wafer in the processing sequence is assigned a priority level depending on its processing stage, and this priority level is used to sequence the movement of wafers between chambers. A look-ahead feature prevents low-priority wafer transfers from occurring if such transfers would occur just prior to the scheduling of a high-priority wafer transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong J. Lin, Chongyang Wang