Multi-piece substrate holder and alignment mechanism
AssigneeIntevac, Inc.
InventorsHoang Huy Vu, Babak Adibi, Terry Bluck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for transporting substrates and precisely align the substrates horizontally and vertically. The system decouples the functions of transporting the substrates, vertically aligning the substrates, and horizontally aligning the substrates. The transport system includes a carriage upon which plurality of chuck assemblies are loosely positioned, each of the chuck assemblies includes a base having vertical alignment wheels to place the substrate in precise vertical alignment. A pedestal is configured to freely slide on the base. The pedestal includes a set of horizontal alignment wheels that precisely align the pedestal in the horizontal direction. An electrostatic chuck is magnetically held to the pedestal.
Claims18
A system for transporting substrates in a processing system, comprising:
- a carriage configured for supporting and transporting a plurality of chuck assemblies;
- a plurality of chuck assemblies positioned on the carriage, each of the chuck assemblies comprising:
- a plurality of vertical height control rollers configured to control vertical position of the substrate;
- a plurality of horizontal alignment rollers configured to control horizontal position of the substrate;
- an electrostatic chuck configured to hold a substrate in alignment to the vertical control rollers and the horizontal alignment rollers;
- and,
- wherein each of the chuck assemblies comprises a base, a pedestal, and a plurality of conductive sliding pads positioned between the base and the pedestal.
A system for transporting substrates in a processing system, comprising a carriage upon which a plurality of chuck assemblies are positioned, wherein each of the chuck assemblies is configured to hold a single substrate and includes:
- a base having vertical alignment wheels configured to place the substrate in vertical alignment, a pedestal configured to slide on the base, conductive sliding pads positioned between the base and the pedestal, a set of horizontal alignment wheels attached to the pedestal and is configured to align the substrate in horizontal direction, and an electrostatic chuck position over the pedestal.
A system for transporting substrates in a processing system, comprising:
- a carriage upon which a plurality of chuck assemblies are positioned, the carriage configured for transporting the plurality of chuck assemblies in a processing system;
- wherein each of the chuck assemblies is configured to hold a single substrate and comprises:
- a base having vertical alignment wheels configured to engage vertical alignment straight edge to thereby place the base in vertical alignment to the vertical alignment straight edge;
- a pedestal slidably positioned on the base;
- a set of horizontal alignment wheels attached to the base and configured to engage a horizontal alignment straight edge to thereby align the pedestal in horizontal direction to the horizontal alignment straight edge;
- an electrostatic chuck removably positioned over the pedestal;
- and,
- a plurality of conductive sliding pads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.