Christopher C Kiley

US Patent:

8125652, Feb 28, 2012

Filed:

Dec 23, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/977514

Inventors:

Paul E. Fogel - Somerville MA, US
Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Forrest T. Buzan - Dunstable MA, US
Christopher C. Kiley - Carlisle MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

G01B 11/14

US Classification:

356614, 25055907, 250234, 3562371, 356399

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.

US Patent:

8197177, Jun 12, 2012

Filed:

Feb 4, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/025541

Inventors:

Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Patrick D. Pannese - Lynnfield MA, US
Raymond S. Ritter - Boxborough MA, US
Thomas A. Schaefer - Groveland MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

H01L 21/306

US Classification:

414805, 414939

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.

US Patent:

8253948, Aug 28, 2012

Filed:

Feb 27, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/406252

Inventors:

Christopher C. Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Forrest T. Buzan - Dunstable MA, US
Paul E. Fogel - Somerville MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

G01B 11/14

US Classification:

356614, 25055907, 250234, 3562371, 356399

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.

US Patent:

8267632, Sep 18, 2012

Filed:

Oct 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/876876

Inventors:

Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Patrick D. Pannese - Lynnfield MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

H01L 21/677

US Classification:

414217, 414805, 414937

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.

US Patent:

8270702, Sep 18, 2012

Filed:

Sep 3, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/875462

Inventors:

Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Forrest T Buzan - Dunstable MA, US
Paul E. Fogel - Somerville MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

G06K 9/00
G06K 9/40

US Classification:

382141, 382260

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.

US Patent:

8313277, Nov 20, 2012

Filed:

Oct 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/876915

Inventors:

Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Patrick D. Pannese - Lynnfield MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

B65G 49/07

US Classification:

414217, 414805, 414939

Abstract:

A variety of process modules are described for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

US Patent:

8500388, Aug 6, 2013

Filed:

Feb 4, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/025516

Inventors:

Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Patrick D. Pannese - Lynnfield MA, US
Raymond S. Ritter - Boxborough MA, US
Thomas A. Schaefer - Groveland MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

B65G 49/07

US Classification:

414805, 414939

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.

US Patent:

8602716, Dec 10, 2013

Filed:

Oct 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/876896

Inventors:

Peter van der Meulen - Newburyport MA, US
Christopher C Kiley - Carlisle MA, US
Patrick D. Pannese - Lynnfield MA, US

Assignee:

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

International Classification:

B65G 1/00

US Classification:

414805, 414937

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.