Substrate clamping apparatus
US6155773A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 1997 |
| Grant date | Dec 5, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67742
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention generally provides a robot that can transfer two workpieces, such as silicon wafers, simultaneously and at increased speeds and accelerations and decelerations. More particularly, the present invention provides a robot wrist associated with the robot arm for mechanically clamping a workpiece to a workpiece handling member attached to the arm. The wafer clamp selectively applies sufficient force to hold the workpiece and prevent slippage and damage to the workpiece during rapid rotation and linear movement of the handling member. In one embodiment, a clamp for securing silicon wafers uses two clamp fingers connected to a single flexure member to position and hold the wafer with minimal particle generation and wafer damage. The clamp is designed so that wafers are normally clamped except near fall extension of the workpiece handling member to deliver or pick up a wafer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.