Wafer boat transfer tool
AssigneeThermco Systems, Inc.
InventorWilliam R. Mello
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer boat transfer tool has an upper fork and a lower fork which may be differently configured for supporting wafer boats in different ways. The same tool may be used to transfer boats in one or more steps from locations where they are supported in one way to other locations where they are supported in the same or a different way. Also, the tool may be used to transfer more than one boat at a time without excessive travel in a direction parallel to the boat loader axis. A versatile wafer designed for use with two different forks of the tool may be utilized with different boat loaders and a common wafer transfer machine and in-process storage nests.
Claims10
A wafer boat transfer tool for use with an automated drive, said tool comprising:
- an upper fork means disposed in a generally horizontal plane;
- a lower fork means underlying said upper fork means in spaced parallel relation thereto,
- each of said fork means having a pair of tines adapted to support a boat, each pair of tines having a centerline extending in a direction fore-and-aft of the tool,
- a normally upright post rigidly interconnecting said upper and lower fork means,
- said post being laterally offset from said centerlines,
- drive coupling means on said post intermediate said upper and lower fork means for connecting said tool to said drive.
A wafer boat comprising an upwardly concaved shell having longitudinally disposed rails within the shell along each one of its upper edges, the shell having two spaced apart slots below one of said rails and one slot below the other rail longitudinally disposed between the slots of said one rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.