Wafer handling system
AssigneeSemitool, Inc.
InventorsGordon R. Nelson, Jeffry A. Davis, Raymon F. Thompson, Eric J. Bergman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semiconductor wafer processing system has a carrier including wafer slots. A process robot engages the carrier and installs the carrier into a rotor within a process chamber. The rotor has a tapered or stepped inside surface matching a tapered or stepped outside surface of the carrier. Wafer retainers on the carrier pivot to better secure wafers within the carrier.
Claims23
A carrier for holding a batch of spaced apart flat workpieces, comprising:
- a front ring;
- a back ring;
- a plurality of ribs connecting the front and back rings;
- and
- a plurality of steps on an outer surface of one or more of the ribs.
A carrier for holding flat workpieces within a spin/spray process chamber, comprising:
- a carrier frame having a front ring, a back ring, and a plurality of parallel legs extending between the front and back rings;
- an array of workpiece slots in one or more of the legs;
- at least one gate on the carrier frame moveable between open and closed positions;
- a plurality of stepped outer surfaces on at least one of the legs.
A carrier for holding flat workpieces within an automated processing system including at least one spin/spray process chamber, comprising:
- a carrier frame having a front ring, a back ring, and a plurality of pairs of opposing parallel legs extending between the front and back rings;
- a leg support rod within each of the legs;
- an array of workpiece slots in two or more pairs of the legs;
- a pair of gates on the carrier frame moveable between open and closed positions;
- and
- a plurality of graduated steps on an outside surface of each of the legs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.