Patent ID: 11869786
Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A wafer boat configured to support a plurality of wafers and to be placed on a pedestal of a vertical batch furnace, the pedestal having a substantially flat support surface, wherein the wafer boat defines a central wafer boat axis which, when the wafer boat is placed on the pedestal, extends substantially vertically, wherein the wafer boat comprises:
a support ring defining a bottom end surface of the wafer boat which is substantially flat, wherein the support ring is annular and has an inner radius and an outer radius; and
an alignment ring substantially concentric with the support ring, the alignment ring including a second inner radius that is less than the inner radius of the support ring, the alignment ring disposed above the support ring,
wherein either the support surface of the pedestal, or a bottom side of the alignment ring is provided with a plurality of alignment elements respectively protruding upwards from the support surface or downwards from the alignment ring, and wherein the other one of the support surface and the alignment ring is provided with a plurality of alignment openings configured to accommodate therein the plurality of alignment elements, and
wherein the support ring downwardly protrudes beyond the alignment ring in the direction of the central wafer boat axis so that, when the wafer boat is placed on the pedestal, the support ring is supported on the support surface while the alignment ring is spaced from the support surface of the pedestal.