Wafer monitoring system
US6964276B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 3, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 15, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 3, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S134/902
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A wafer monitoring system including a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer, a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer, a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer, a first actuator operative to effect relative movement between at least two supporting elements of the top buffering unit, monitoring apparatus operative to perform processing steps on a wafer while the wafer is held fixed to the gripper, and an actuator operative to effect relative movement between the gripper and the top and bottom buffering units, the top and bottom buffering units being operative to buffer processed and unprocessed wafers thereby to enable a robot to arrive at and leave the monitoring apparatus with at least one wafer thereon.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.