Semiconductor processing apparatus having lift and tilt mechanism
AssigneeSemitool, Inc.
InventorsKyle Hanson, Mark Dix, Vlad Zila, Daniel J. Woodruff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lift/tilt assembly for use in a semiconductor wafer processing device is set forth. The lift/tilt assembly includes a linear guide comprising a fixed frame and a moveable frame. A nest for accepting a plurality of semiconductor wafers is rotatably connected to the moveable frame. The nest rotates between a wafer-horizontal orientation and a wafer-vertical orientation as it is driven with the movable frame by a motor that is coupled to the linear way. A lever connected to the nest provides an offset from true vertical for the nest when the nest is in the wafer-vertical orientation.
Claims17
A workpiece processing apparatus comprising:
- an input section including a carrier transfer apparatus disposed to accept at least one carrier that is adapted to carry a plurality of workpieces, the carrier transfer apparatus being automatically linearly movable between at least a carrier loading position in which the at least one carrier is received at a first vertical level with the workpieces in a first orientation with respect to horizontal, and a workpiece processing position in which the at least one carrier is re-oriented to present the workpieces disposed therein in a second orientation with respect to horizontal at a second vertical level;
- a processing section having a plurality of processing stations for processing the workpieces;
- and
- a workpiece transfer apparatus disposed in the processing section to accept the workpieces in the second orientation at the second vertical level and provide them to one or more of the processing stations in the processing section.
A workpiece processing apparatus comprising:
- an input section including a carrier transfer apparatus disposed to accept at least one carrier that is adapted to carry a plurality of workpieces, the carrier transfer apparatus being automatically movable between at least a carrier loading position in which the at least one carrier is received at a first vertical level with the workpieces in a first orientation with respect to horizontal, and a workpiece processing position in which the at least one carrier is re-oriented to present the workpieces disposed therein in a second orientation with respect to horizontal at a second vertical level;
- a processing section having a plurality of processing stations for processing the workpieces;
- and
- a workpiece transfer apparatus disposed in the processing section to accept the workpieces in the second orientation at the second vertical level and provide them to one or more of the processing stations in the processing section wherein the second level is higher than the first level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.