Patent ID: 6578891
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: B25J,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A substrate holder for holding and transferring a thin substrate, comprising:a substrate support member having a recessed area for receiving a thin substrate therein, and substrate mount portions in said recessed area adjacent to a circumferential edge of said recessed area, said substrate mount portions being adapted to be engaged with an outer circumferential portion of a backside of the thin substrate when the thin substrate is received in said recessed area; and a substrate detector for detecting a presence or absence of the thin substrate in said recessed area, wherein said substrate detector comprises a first detection mechanism including: (i) a substrate detecting portion in said recessed area adjacent to the circumferential edge of said recessed area, said substrate detecting portion having a surface with which the outer circumferential portion of the backside of the thin substrate is to be engaged when the thin substrate is received in said recessed area; (ii) a gas passage provided in the substrate holder, said gas passage defining an opening in said surface of said substrate detecting portion; and (iii) a gas source in fluid communication with said gas passage, wherein said first detection mechanism is constructed and arranged to detect the presence or absence of the thin substrate in said recessed area by detecting a gas pressure in said opening.