Patent · US Expired

Buffer system for a wafer handling system

US6212961A · kind A · utility

37Cited by
35References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 11, 1999
Grant dateApr 10, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 11, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/68707
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A processing unit for processing at least one semiconductor wafer includes a processing station for processing the wafer, a measuring station for measuring the at least one water, a robot for moving the wafer between the processing and measuring stations, a wafer handling system and a buffer station. The wafer handling system operates in conjunction with the measuring station and moves the wafer to and from a measuring location on the measuring unit. The buffer station is associated with the wafer handling system and receives measured and unmeasured wafers thereby to enable the robot to arrive at and leave the measuring station with at least one wafer thereon.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.