Patent ID: 9673076
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A device for rotationally transferring articles between an atmospheric pressure environment and a vacuum environment, the device comprising: a transfer housing having an atmospheric transfer port, a pumping port, a vacuum transfer port, and a venting port disposed in a circumferentially-spaced relationship, wherein the vacuum transfer port is in communication with a vacuum environment and the atmospheric transfer port is in communication with an atmospheric pressure environment; a carrier disc rotatably disposed within the transfer housing, the carrier disc having a pocket formed in a sidewall thereof for holding an article; and a differential pumping region configured to draw gas out of a gap between the transfer housing and the carrier disk, the differential pumping region comprising a groove formed in an inner sidewall of the transfer housing, the groove surrounding the vacuum transfer port; wherein the pumping port is configured to facilitate removal of gas from the pocket and the venting port is configured to facilitate introduction of gas into the pocket.