IP Library Granted Patent US 10,566,226
Granted Patent B2
US 10,566,226 · App. 14/933,651 · Granted Feb 18, 2020

Multi-cassette carrying case

Inventors: Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu (Singapore, SG); Eng Sheng Peh (Singapore, SG); Srinivas D. Nemani (Sunnyvale, CA); Arvind Sundarrajan (Singapore, SG); Avinash Avula (Sacramento, CA); Ellie Y. Yieh (San Jose, CA); Michael Rice (Pleasanton, CA); Ginetto Addiego (Hillsborough, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01L21/67389B25J11/0095
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,566,226
App. No.
14/933,651
Granted
Feb 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of multi-cassette carrying cases are provided herein. In some embodiments a multi-cassette carrying case includes: a body having an inner volume; a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume; and a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes. In some embodiments, a method of transferring substrates includes: placing a substrate in a substrate cassette, wherein an inner volume of the substrate cassette is sealed from an environment outside of the substrate cassette; and placing the substrate cassette in a multi-cassette carrying case.

Claims (61)

1. A multi-cassette carrying case, comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a vacuum port to couple a vacuum source to the multi-cassette carrying case to evacuate the inner volume;

a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes; and

a cassette protector to protect exterior surfaces of a substrate cassette when disposed in one of the plurality of cassette holders.

2. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one handle disposed on an outer surface of the body to facilitate carrying of the multi-cassette carrying case.

3. A multi-cassette carrying case, comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes, wherein the plurality of cassette holders comprise:

a plurality of ledges disposed on opposite sides of the inner volume; and

a plurality of snap locks disposed in a rear portion of the inner volume, wherein the plurality of ledges and the plurality of snap locks cooperate to hold substrate cassettes when disposed in respective ones of the plurality of cassette holders; and

a cassette protector to protect exterior surfaces of a substrate cassette when disposed in one of the plurality of cassette holders.

4. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 3 , further comprising:

a plurality of cassette protectors to protect substrate cassettes when disposed in respective ones of the plurality of cassette holders.

5. A multi-cassette carrying case, comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a pressure monitoring device to monitor and display a pressure of the inner volume;

a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes; and

a cassette protector to protect exterior surfaces of a substrate cassette when disposed in one of the plurality of cassette holders.

6. A multi-cassette carrying case of claim 1 , further comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes; and

a plurality of cassette protectors to protect exterior surfaces of substrate cassettes when disposed in the plurality of cassette holders, wherein each cassette protector comprises:

a plate having a plurality of arms each having an upwardly projecting edge;

a bumper disposed on an inner surface of the upwardly projecting edge to protect a substrate cassette;

a plurality of latch plates coupled to an upper portion of the substrate cassette; and

a latching apparatus disposed on an outer surface of the upwardly projecting edge to couple the plate to the substrate cassette.

7. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 6 , wherein the latching apparatus includes a latch configured to latch onto one of the plurality of latch plates.

8. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 6 , wherein a distance from a first bumper to a second bumper disposed across from the first bumper is equal to a diameter of the substrate cassette.

9. A multi-cassette carrying case comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a plurality of cassette holders disposed in the inner volume to hold one or more substrate cassettes;

a plurality of cassette protectors to protect substrate cassettes when disposed in respective ones of the plurality of cassette holders;

a vacuum port to couple a vacuum source to the multi-cassette carrying case to evacuate the inner volume;

a pressure monitoring device to monitor and display a pressure of the inner volume; and

at least one handle disposed on an outer surface of the body to facilitate carrying of the multi-cassette carrying case.

10. A multi-cassette carrying case; comprising:

a body having an inner volume;

a door coupled to the body to selectively seal off the inner volume;

a plurality of ledges disposed on opposite sides of the inner volume; and

a plurality of snap locks disposed in a rear portion of the inner volume, wherein the plurality of ledges and the plurality of snap locks are configured to hold one or more substrate cassettes.

11. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 10 , further comprising:

a vacuum port to couple a vacuum source to the multi-cassette carrying case to evacuate the inner volume.

12. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 10 , further comprising:

a pressure monitoring device to monitor and display a pressure of the inner volume.

13. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 10 , further comprising:

at least one handle disposed on an outer surface of the body to facilitate carrying of the multi-cassette carrying case.

14. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 10 , further comprising:

one or more cassette protectors, each of the one or more cassette protectors comprising:

a plate having a plurality of arms each having an upwardly projecting edge;

a bumper disposed on an inner surface of the upwardly projecting edge to protect a substrate cassette;

a plurality of latch plates coupled to an upper portion of the substrate cassette; and

a latching apparatus disposed on an outer surface of the upwardly projecting edge to couple the plate to the substrate cassette.

15. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 14 , wherein the latching apparatus includes a latch configured to latch onto one of the plurality of latch plates.

16. The multi-cassette carrying case of claim 14 , wherein a distance from a first bumper to a second bumper disposed across from the first bumper is equal to a diameter of the substrate cassette.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2016
From: NEMANI, SRINIVAS D.; YIEH, ELLIE Y.; RICE, MICHAEL; AVULA, AVINASH; ADDIEGO, GINETTO
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 038456/0051 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2016
From: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 037767/0193 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2016
From: THIRUNAVUKARASU, SRISKANTHARAJAH; PEH, ENG SHENG; SUNDARRAJAN, ARVIND
To: APPLIED MATERIALS SINGAPORE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 037740/0305 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62078401 · Nov 11, 2014
Related Publication 20160133491A1 · May 12, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 12,550,664