Wafer shuttle system
US5947802A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 5, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 7, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24B37/04
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A shuttle system for transferring a semiconductor wafer from a receiving station to a horizontal-oriented head drive of a wafer polishing machine includes a linear horizontal rail extending from a first position to a second position; a wafer transfer assembly adjacent to the first position; a wafer conveying assembly movable along the rail from adjacent the first position to adjacent the second position; and wherein the wafer conveying assembly includes a vertically movable and radially movable gripper for gripping peripheral edges of a wafer to be transferred and conveyed from the transfer assembly to the head drive. The transfer assembly includes a transfer receiver for receiving an unpolished wafer from a cassette which receiver is movable to the second position where the gripper is movable to edge-grip the received unpolished wafer. The gripper includes a series of radially movable segments having edge-contacting fingers depending therefrom for gripping the wafer edges. A polished wafer is conveyed by the gripper along the rail to a rinsing bath including an unloading ring movable up and down in the bath.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.