Device and method for the treatment of substrates in a fluid container
AssigneeSteag MicroTech GmbH
InventorMartin Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for the treatment of substrates has a fluid container and two substrate transport devices positionable above the fluid container. Each substrate transport device is a hood for receiving multiple substrates. Each substrate transport device has at least one substrate support device having a first position for locking the substrates and a second position for releasing the substrates. The substrate transport devices are rigidly connected to one another and linearly movable for alternatingly positioning one of the substrate transport devices above the fluid container.
Claims18
A device for the treatment of substrates (12), said device comprising:
- a fluid container (1);
- two substrate transport devices (6, 7) positionable above said fluid container (1);
- each one of said two substrate transport devices (6, 7) embodied as a hood for receiving multiple substrates by lifting said multiple substrates (12) into said substrate transport devices (6, 7) and for releasing said multiple substrates (12) by lowering said multiple substrates (12) out of said substrate transport devices (6, 7);
- each one of said two substrate transport devices (6, 7) having at least one substrate support device (20, 21), said substrate support device (20) having a first position for locking the substrates (12) and having a second position for releasing the substrates (12);
- said substrate transport devices (6, 7) rigidly connected to one another and linearly movable for alternatingly positioning one of said substrate transport devices (6, 7) above said fluid container (1).
A method for handling substrates (12), said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fluid container (1) having a first and a second substrate transport devices (6, 7) coordinated therewith, wherein the first and second substrate transport devices (6, 7) are hoods configured to accommodate multiple substrates;
- moving the first and second substrate transport devices (6, 7) alternatingly into a first position above the fluid container (1) and a second position above a loading/unloading station remote from the fluid container;
- loading or unloading substrates (12) by lifting said multiple substrates (12) into or by lowering said multiple substrates (12) from said first or second substrate transport device (6, 7) positioned in said first position while simultaneously loading or unloading substrates (12) into or from said first or second substrate device (6, 7) positioned in said second position.
A method for handling substrates (12), said method comprising the steps of:
- a) removing the substrates (12) by lifting from a fluid container (1) into a first substrate transport device (6), embodied as a hood and positioned above the fluid container, and simultaneously loading substrates (12) by lifting into a second substrate transport device (7), embodied as a hood and positioned above a second loading/unloading station;
- b) linearly transferring the two substrate transport devices (6, 7) into positions, in which the first substrate transport device (6) is positioned above a first loading/unloading stations and the second substrate transport device (7) is positioned above the fluid container (1);
- c) simultaneously unloading the substrates by lowering from the first substrate transport device (6) into a substrate carrier of the first loading/unloading stations (2) and the substrates (12) from the second substrate transport device (7) into the fluid container (1);
- d) linearly transferring the two substrate transport devices (6, 7) into a position, in which the first substrate transport device (6) is positioned above the fluid container (1) and the second substrate transport device (7) is positioned above a second loading and/or unloading device (3);
- e) repeating steps a) through d) as needed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.