Apparatuses and methods for handling optical devices
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsYaseer Arafath Ahamed, Neal Ricks, James D. Strassner, Kangkang Wang
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Abstract
An embodiment of an apparatus for retaining a substrate includes a base, a pair of arms positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of the base, the pair of arms including a first arm and a second arm, and an actuator coupled to the base and the pair of arms. The actuator is configured to move the pair of arms toward and away from one another along the bottom surface of the base. In addition, the apparatus includes a first plurality of retention pads positioned on the first arm in a first arrangement and a second plurality of retention pads positioned on the second arm in a second arrangement that is different from the first arrangement.
Claims20
An apparatus for retaining a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
- a pair of arms positioned adjacent to a bottom surface of the base, the pair of arms including a first arm and a second arm;
- an actuator coupled to the base and the pair of arms, wherein the actuator is configured to move the pair of arms toward and away from one another along the bottom surface of the base;
- a first plurality of retention pads positioned on the first arm in a first physical arrangement;
- and
- a second plurality of retention pads positioned on the second arm in a second physical arrangement that is different from the first physical arrangement.
An apparatus for retaining a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a first arm including a first body;
- a second arm including a second body, the first body being opposite to the first body about a longitudinal axis;
- an actuator that is coupled to the first arm and the second arm that is configured to adjust a radial distance between the first body and the second body about the longitudinal axis;
- a first plurality of retention pads arranged in a first physical arrangement on the first body;
- and
- a second plurality of retention pads arranged in a second physical arrangement on the second body, the second physical arrangement being different from the first physical arrangement.
A method comprising:
- positioning a substrate below a retaining device comprising a first arm having a first plurality of retention pads in a first physical arrangement, and a second arm having a second plurality of retention pads in a second physical arrangement, the second physical arrangement being different from the first physical arrangement;
- moving the retaining device to align the substrate between the first plurality of retention pads and the second plurality of retention pads;
- moving the first arm toward the second arm to contact an edge of the substrate with the first plurality of retention pads;
- and
- moving the second arm toward the first arm to contact the edge with the second plurality of retention pads and to apply a lateral force to the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.