Patents
US 9373533 B2: Systems and methods for providing wafer access in a wafer processing system
- Granted
- 2016-06-21
- Filed
- 2013-12-27 application 14141812
- Type
- Utility · 20 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing wafer access in a wafer processing system are disclosed herein. The methods may include docking a first wafer cassette on the wafer processing system and removing a selected wafer from the first wafer cassette with the wafer processing system. The methods further may include performing a process operation on the selected wafer with the wafer processing system and undocking the first wafer cassette from the wafer processing system while performing the process operation. The methods also may include docking a second wafer cassette (which may be the same as or different from the first wafer cassette) on the wafer processing system, inventorying the second wafer cassette with the wafer processing system, and/or subsequently placing the selected wafer in the second wafer cassette. The systems may include wafer processing systems that include a controller that is programmed to perform at least a portion of the methods.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg160621.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Microtech, Inc. 96 patents | US company or organization | Beaverton, OR | CASCADE MICROTECH INC SEC filer EXACT medium confidence: identical full name, one of each nationally | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Fehrmann | Großenhain, DE | 7 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Botho Hirschfeld | Dresden, DE | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Stojan Kanev | Ortrand, DE | 36 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| H01L | Semiconductor devices not covered by class h10 | H01L21/67745 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| H10P | Generic processes or apparatus for the manufacture or treatment of devices covered by class h10 | H10P72/3304 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-07 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION signed 2025-08-06 | FORMFACTOR, INC. LIVERMORE, CA | 72853/1 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2025-07-29 | Security interest Security interest Security interest | FORMFACTOR, INC. signed 2025-07-29 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT SAN ANTONIO, TX | 72263/272 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-25 |
| 2021-09-01 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | FORMFACTOR BEAVERTON, INC. signed 2021-08-26 | FORMFACTOR, INC. LIVERMORE, CA | 57393/609 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2018-07-18 | Name change Change of name | CASCADE MICROTECH, INC. signed 2018-05-14 | FORMFACTOR BEAVERTON, INC. BEAVERTON, OR | 46573/664 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2016-07-12 | Security interest Security interest Security interest in united states patents and trademarks | FORMFACTOR, INC. signed 2016-06-24 ASTRIA SEMICONDUCTOR HOLDINGS, INC. signed 2016-06-24 CASCADE MICROTECH, INC. signed 2016-06-24 MICRO-PROBE INCORPORATED signed 2016-06-24 | HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 39184/280 | PASDL, file of 2026-10-15 |
| 2014-11-05 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | HIRSCHFELD, BOTHO signed 2013-12-16 FEHRMANN, FRANK signed 2013-12-18 KANEV, STOJAN signed 2013-12-24 | CASCADE MICROTECH, INC. BEAVERTON, OR | 34111/485 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.