Substrate handler
AssigneeRudolph Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTroy Palm, Kevin J. Barr, Ralph P. Sowden, Matthew M. Laberge, Andrey MonJoseph, Brian Delsey, Emily Nordick, Richard Sobotka, Chetan Suresh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A loadport for handling film frames is disclosed. The loadport is modular and substantially compatible with applicable standards regarding modular equipment. In particular, the load port is substantially interchangeable with loadports not adapted for handling film frames. The loadport has a compact shuttle for moving film frames and flexible alignment mechanisms for aligning film frames and cassettes of different configurations.
Claims20
A semiconductor substrate handling mechanism comprising:
- an alignment plate having a first end and a second end;
- a control mechanism moveable between the first and second ends of the alignment plate, the control mechanism being addressed to a semiconductor substrate when positioned at the first end of the alignment plate and being located below an upper surface of the alignment plate when positioned at the second end of the alignment plate, the travel of the control mechanism between its first and second positions being greater than a dimension of the semiconductor substrate;
- an alignment mechanism extendable through the upper surface of the extractor plate between a first, extended position in which a semiconductor substrate resting on the extractor plate may be biased into contact with the alignment mechanism and a second, retracted position;
- and,
- a bias mechanism extendable through the upper surface of the extractor plate between a first, extended position and a second, retracted position, the bias mechanism moveable toward and away from the alignment mechanism when in its first position.
A modular loadport for supplying film frames to a wafer handling system comprising:
- a frame that may be secured to the wafer handling system at a port formed through a wall of the wafer handling system;
- an elevator coupled to the frame for vertical movement;
- a cassette support mounted on the elevator, the cassette support having at least one mounting device for securing a cassette thereto;
- a slide secured to the frame so as to pass at least partially through the port of the wafer handling system, the slide having an upper planar surface that is substantially planar parallel with at least one surface defined by a cassette mounted on the cassette support;
- a gripper positioned in a channel formed in the slide, the gripper being reciprocal between a first position in which the gripper is addressed to an edge of a film frame in a cassette secured to the cassette support and a second position in which the gripper is positioned away from the cassette, the gripper being actuated between its first and second positions by an actuator that does not extend beyond a distal end of the slide.
In a handler for moving wafers from a cassette to a wafer support handling semiconductor substrates an improvement comprising:
- a film frame loadport for handling film frame cassettes that is interchangeable with a loadport for handling standard wafer cassettes.
A loadport that is BOLTS-M compatible comprising:
- a retractable gripper moveable between first and second positions;
- a frame support extending from the load port, the frame support having a length such that the frame support extends at least partially into a handler when the loadport is coupled to the handler;
- and,
- a shuttle for moving the gripper between its first and second positions, the shuttle having a dimension that extends no farther than a distal end of the frame support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.