Abstract: The present invention provides a load lock having a vertically movable lid, an internal robot, and a wafer lifting mechanism and further provides a method of transferring wafers through a load lock directly to a process chamber. An atmospheric transfer robot shuttles wafers to and from the lifting mechanism while the lid is raised and the lifting mechanism then transfers wafers to and from the internal robot. The load lock is directly attached to a process chamber and communicates therewith via a slit valve which is selectively opened and closed. The internal robot is extended and retracted through the slit valve aperture in order to transfer a wafer to and from the process chamber. In one embodiment the lifting mechanism is comprised of vertically movable lift pins disposed through the bottom of the load lock. In another embodiment the lifting mechanism includes two pairs of lift forks disposed through the cover of the load lock.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for handling a structural member. The apparatus includes a beam that extends from a first end to a second end and a shuttle in translational communication with the beam in a direction extending between the first and second ends. A fork actuator is connected to the shuttle and capable of hydraulically raising and lowering a fork. The fork can include a cooling system to maintain a temperature of the fork, even when used in a heated environment.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a wafer support mechanism for a sample stage that does not require a special drive source for attaching and detaching a wafer to be provided within a sample chamber so as to eliminate problems with lining up drive portions occurring as a result of the drive source being provided outside so as to provide a stable and reliable mechanism that is not restricted by problems regarding environment.

Abstract: A robotic self-feeding device uses a multiplicity of dishes, utensils and control methods to handle a wide variety of food, including sandwiches. Its operating sequence has a hover mode in which a utensil is automatically steered over a food holder and is constrained from moving away from the food holder. The user points to the desired food with the utensil and triggers pickup which is automatically accomplished. Its gripper can operate tong utensils to grasp food. It can cut food. The process of eating is thus easy and intuitive for people who may have a wide variety of severe paralysis disabilities.

Abstract: A wafer transferring robot capable of restraining the vibration of wafers during the transfer. The robot comprises a rotating base (2) rotatable on a base (1), two horizontally extensible robot arms (3A, 3B) arranged laterally symmetrically to each other on the rotating base (2) and comprising first arms (32A, 32B), second arms (33A, 33B), and third arms (34A, 34B), respectively, and chucks (4A, 4B), fixed to the third arms (34A, 34B), respectively; wherein the lower surface of the second arm (33B) of one robot arm (3B) is higher than the upper surface of the wafer (WA) held over the third arm (34A) of the other robot arm (3A) via the chuck. Accordingly, the rigidity of transferring parts can be so enhanced that the vibration of wafers (WA, WB) can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus provided with a turn driving device rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the plane of a pallet and also movable in the direction of the axis, a sliding device disposed on only the lower side of the pallet, and a push-up device having a first guide portion for causing the pallet normally separate from the sliding device to abut against the sliding device and further, guiding the direction of movement of the pallet, wherein during pallet exchange, the turn driving device turns the pallet on the sliding device and exchanges the pallet.

Abstract: The apparatus serves for pushing at least one of two hollow glass articles from a dead plate of a glass forming machine onto a conveyor belt. A pusher serves for this purpose, and includes a base portion and, for each glass article which is to be pushed, at least one thrust finger extending transversely to the base portion. Each thrust finger defines with the base portion a pocket for receiving the glass article. A nozzle is arranged in the region of a corner of the associated pocket. From each nozzle compressed air can be blown such that a pressure below atmospheric pressure which draws the glass article into the pocket is created between the pusher and the glass article. The compressed air is blown from the corner out between the base portion and the glass article.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.

Abstract: Disclosed is a workpiece conveyor and delivery device for a vacuum processing plant. Workpieces are delivered from one device to another, both devices being located opposite each other and moving in relation to each other. A controllable magnet arrangement is provided on one of the devices. A moveable armature element acts as a holding device for the workpiece on one of the two devices which move in relation to each other, namely the device provided with the magnet arrangement. Magnet arrangement is driven to activate the holding device which can be deactivated for delivery of workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a material handling device and method for transferring material from one location to another. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for placing material onto a pallet and/or removing material from a pallet. The device has a pedestal with a working arm pivotally connected to the pedestal. The working arm is driven by a horizontal motion actuator. Connected to the working arm and horizontal motion actuator is a cam follower that is received in a cam track on a cam track plate. The cam track plate can be easily removed and replaced with another plate with the cam tracks in a different arrangement. The horizontal motion actuator moves the cam follower along the cam track, resulting in movement of the working arm along a pre-selected path. At the end of the working arm is a material holder used for grasping and releasing the material to be transferred.

Abstract: A handling robot control method is disclosed for a handling robot disposed in a transfer chamber (1) having a plurality of process chamber stations (2e) arranged around it in communication therewith via respective gates (6), the robot having a first and a second carrier tables (8a, 8b) that are deviated in turning angular position from one to the other about a center of turning, the robot performing an operation to move the first and second carrier tables to turn jointly in the transfer chamber and also an operation to move the first and second carrier tables individually either to project through a said gate into a said process chamber station or to retract into the transfer chamber. The method comprises: overlapping the operation to move the carrier tables to project and to retract with the operation to move the first and second carrier tables to turn jointly.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveyance of a semiconductor chip. The apparatus includes an arm for conveying a semiconductor chip, a pickup on the arm for holding the semiconductor chip. A first transmission mechanism is provided for producing power acting in a first direction. The first transmission mechanism includes pulleys and a wire. An interconnection mechanism is provided for interconnecting the wire and the arm for causing movement of the arm in the first direction. A second transmission mechanism is connected to the arm for moving the arm in a second direction which is substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The interconnection mechanism is configured to permit movement of the arm with respect to the first transmission mechanism in the second direction and to transmit the power from the first transmission mechanism to the arm.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing wafers one at a time. The apparatus has a vacuum chamber 1 into which wafers are loaded through a pair of loadlocks 3, 4 which are spaced one above the other. A robot within the vacuum chamber 1 has a pair of gripper arms 22, 29 which are moveable along and rotatable about a vertical axis 23 so as to be moveable between the loadlocks 3, 4 and a wafer processing position. Each of the loadlocks 3, 4 has a vertically moveable portion 8, 26 which is moveable away from the remainder of the loadlock to provide access in a horizontal plane for one of the gripper arms 22, 29.

Abstract: A self-teaching robot arm positioning method that compensates for support structure component alignment offset entails the use of a component emulating fixture preferably having mounting features that are matable to support structure mounting elements. Robot arm mechanism motor angular position data measured relative to component emulating fixture features are substituted into stored mathematical expressions representing robot arm vector motion to provide robot arm position output information. This information indicates whether the actual relative alignment between the robot arm mechanism and a semiconductor wafer carrier is offset from a nominal relative alignment. For manual correction, robot arm mechanism position output information provides the angular offset between the actual and nominal radial distances between the robot arm mechanism shoulder axis and two locating features of the component emulating fixture.

Abstract: A pushout mechanism is disclosed for transferring bottles from a deadplate of an I.S. machine section to a conveyor. The pushout mechanism has a finger assembly including inner and outer pockets and is pivotally displaced, when the finger assembly is at an advanced position, from the deadplate and to a conveyor. Each of the inner and outer pockets includes an air directing structure such as a jet for directing air to hold a bottle located within the pocket against the pocket. A first pressurized air supply which includes a first control valve supplies pressurized air to the air directing structure of the inner pocket and a second pressurized air supply means including a second control valve for supplies pressurized air to the air directing structure of the outer pocket.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section, two independently movable arm assemblies connected to the drive section on a common axis of rotation, and substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies. The drive section includes three coaxial drive shafts with a pulley connected to one of the shafts. The arm assemblies are connected to respective ones of the two other shafts.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.

Abstract: An assembly tool for attaching components such as connector plugs or receptacles to a printed circuit board includes a printed circuit board support plate and a sliding member. The sliding member is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the support plate. A holder is pivotally connected to the sliding member and carries a component to be attached to the printed circuit board. A first actuator is connected to a sliding member and moves the sliding member between the first and second positions. A second actuator is connected to the holder and pivots the holder between a receiving position and a mounting position. A component is brought into proximity with the holder and checked for alignment and polarity. Once checked, the component is placed on the holder.

Abstract: A material handling device comprising first and second upper arm members having respective proximal and distal end portions and first and second forearm members having respective proximal and distal end portions. The proximal end portions of the first and second forearm members are pivotally coupled to the distal end portions of the respective first and second upper arm members by respective first and first and second pivot assemblies. The distal end portions of the first and second forearm members are attached together. A material handler is carried by the distal end portions of the first and second forearm members. The first and second forearm members have a retracted position in which the first and second forearm members extend linearly along an imaginary line passing through the first and second pivot assemblies with the distal end portions of the first and second forearm members being disposed approximately midway between the first and second pivot assemblies.

Abstract: A system for providing the reliable and numerically efficient generation of time-optimum trajectories with easy-to-track or continuous acceleration profiles for simple and blended moves of single- and multi-arm robotic manipulators, such as an extension and retraction move along a straight line or a rotary move following a circular arc, with velocity, acceleration, jerk, and jerk rate constraints. A time-optimum trajectory is the set of the position, velocity, and acceleration profiles which describe the move of a selected end effector along a given path in the shortest time possible without violating given constraints, with a special case being an optimum abort trajectory, which brings the moving arm into complete rest in the shortest time. The invention involves firstly identifying the set of fundamental trajectory shapes which cover all possible combinations of constraints for a given category of moves, e.g.