Semiconductor wafer baking and handling system

A semiconductor wafer baking system comprising:

• means for advancing semiconductor wafers along a predetermined path of travel including incoming and outgoing portions;
• wheel means including a plurality of radially extending slot means each for receiving and supporting a semiconductor wafer;
• means supporting the wheel means for rotation about an axis lying substantially in the plane of and extending substantially perpendicularly to the predetermined path of semiconductor wafer travel;
• means for rotating the wheel means about the axis to sequentially align the slot means with the incoming portion of the path of semiconductor wafer travel so that semiconductor wafers are received in the slot means from the incoming portion of the path, to rotate received semiconductor wafers through a predetermined arc, and to subsequently sequentially align each slot means with the outgoing portion of the path of semiconductor wafer travel so that the semiconductor wafers are removed from the slot means for travel along the outgoing portion of the path;
• and
• means for directing a heated fluid over the semiconductor wafers during the rotation thereof through the predetermined arc and thereby baking the semiconductor wafers.

A semiconductor wafer baking and handling system comprising:

• a pair of wheel assemblies positioned at spaced points along a predetermined path of wafer travel and each comprising a pair of spaced apart plates having aligned, opposed slots formed therein for receiving and supporting individual semiconductor wafers;
• means supporting the wheel assemblies for rotation about spaced apart axes lying in the plane of and extending perpendicularly to the path of wafer travel;
• air track means extending along the path of wafer travel for sequentially advancing semiconductor wafers therealong and including portions extending between the plates of both of the wheel assemblies on both sides of the axes of rotation;
• and
• means for rotating the wheel assemblies about the axes to sequentially align the slots of the wheel assemblies with the air track means so that semiconductor wafers are received therefrom in the slots, to rotate the received semiconductor wafers through predetermined arcs, and to subsequently align each of the slots with the air track means to effect removal of the semiconductor wafers from the slots.