Holder mechanism for simultaneously tilting and rotating a wafer cassette

A mechanism for simultaneously tilting and rotating a wafer cassette, comprising:

• a cassette holder including first and second supports defining respective generally orthogonal first and second planes, said cassette holder having a pivot axis oblique to both said first and second planes;
• a motor coupled to said cassette holder so as to rotate said cassette holder about said pivot axis such that said cassette holder tilts through a tilt angle and rotates through a rotation angle;
• said mechanism causing a wafer-loaded wafer cassette placed in said cassette holder to be supported by at least one of said first and second supports and to be tilted through said tilt angle and to be rotated through said rotation angle;
• and
• a support member having a first portion and a second portion that together define an angle .PHI. therebetween, said first portion being fixedly attached to said first support and being coplanar with id first plane;
• said second portion having a distal region rigidly coupled to said rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;
• an intersection of said first portion and said second portion defining an angle .beta. relative to a longitudinal axis of said first plane;
• said tilt angle and said rotation angle being determined at least in part by a magnitude of said angle .PHI. and a magnitude of said angle .beta..

A mechanism for simultaneously tilting and rotating a wafer cassette, comprising:

• a cassette holder including first and second supports defining respective generally orthogonal first and second planes, said cassette holder having a pivot axis oblique to both said first and second planes;
• a motor coupled to said cassette holder so as to rotate said cassette holder about said pivot axis such that said cassette holder tilts through a tilt angle and rotates through a rotation angle;
• said mechanism causing a wafer-loaded wafer cassette placed in said cassette holder to be supported by at least one of said first and second supports and to be tilted through said tilt angle and to be rotated through said rotation angle;
• and
• a support member fixedly coupled between the first support and a rotatable shaft of said motor, said support member being shaped to cause said rotation angle to have a desired magnitude in response to a given amount of rotation of said rotatable shaft.

A mechanism for simultaneously tilting and rotating a wafer cassette, comprising:

• a cassette holder including first and second generally orthogonal supports;
• a motor coupled to said cassette holder so as to rotate said cassette holder such that said cassette holder tilts through a tilt angle and simultaneously rotates through a rotation angle;
• and
• means for translating rotation of a rotary shaft of said motor into a vertically-rotating component and into a horizontally-rotating component;
• said vertically-rotating component producing said rotation angle having a desired magnitude, and said horizontally-rotating component producing said tilt angle having a desired magnitude;
• and
• said mechanism causing a wafer-loaded wafer cassette placed in said cassette holder to be supported by at least one of said first and second supports and to be tilted through said tilt angle and to be rotated through said rotation angle.

A mechanism for simultaneously tilting and rotating a wafer cassette, comprising:

• a cassette holder including first and second generally orthogonal supports;
• a motor coupled to said cassette holder so as to rotate said cassette holder such that said cassette holder tilts through a tilt angle and simultaneously rotates through a rotation angle;
• a vertical shaft, spaced-apart from and parallel to said rotatable shaft of said motor;
• a first pulley and belt assembly, coupled between said rotatable shaft and said vertical shaft so as to rotate said vertical shaft in response to rotation of said rotatable shaft;
• a horizontal shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end being coupled to said cassette holder;
• a worm gear unit having an input coupled to said vertical shaft and having an output coupled to said second end of said horizontal shaft, said worm gear rotating said horizontal shaft in response to rotation of said rotatable shaft to produce said tilt angle having a desired magnitude;
• and
• a second pulley and belt assembly, including a pulley fixedly coupled to a housing enclosing said motor, coupled between said rotatable shaft and said vertical shaft such that rotation of said second pulley and belt assembly rotates said cassette holder through said rotation angle about said rotatable shaft;
• and
• said mechanism causing a wafer-loaded wafer cassette placed in said cassette holder to be supported by at least one of said first and second supports and to be tilted through said tilt angle and to be rotated through said rotation angle.

A semiconductor fabrication workstation including a robotic arm that removes a horizontally oriented semiconductor wafer from a wafer cassette, the workstation including:

• a workstation surface;
• at least one mechanism, mounted to said workstation, for simultaneously tilting and rotating said wafer cassette containing at least one semiconductor wafer, said mechanism including:
• a cassette holder including first and second supports;
• and
• a motor coupled to said cassette holder so as to rotate said cassette holder such that said cassette holder tilts through a tilt angle and rotates through a rotation angle;
• said mechanism causing a wafer-loaded wafer cassette placed in said cassette holder to be supported by at least one of said first and second supports and to be tilted said tilt angle and to be rotated said rotation angle to permit access by said robotic arm to at least one said semiconductor wafer.