Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7104578?dq=oakley+5,387,949&ei=4yI4T8nkLYa80QG0xqnWAg
Timestamp: 2014-03-10 22:41:31
Document Index: 781963893

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60']

Patent US7104578 - Two level end effector - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn end effector alternately (or simultaneously) transports susceptors and wafers. Separate contact surfaces are provided for wafer transport and for susceptor transport. In one embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced above the susceptor contact surface, and the susceptor is a plate with a recess...http://www.google.com/patents/US7104578?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7104578 - Two level end effectorAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7104578 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/361,480Publication dateSep 12, 2006Filing dateFeb 5, 2003Priority dateMar 15, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20030173790Publication number10361480, 361480, US 7104578 B2, US 7104578B2, US-B2-7104578, US7104578 B2, US7104578B2InventorsEdwin den HartogOriginal AssigneeAsm International N.V.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (72), Non-Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (3), Classifications (14), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetTwo level end effectorUS 7104578 B2Abstract An end effector alternately (or simultaneously) transports susceptors and wafers. Separate contact surfaces are provided for wafer transport and for susceptor transport. In one embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced above the susceptor contact surface, and the susceptor is a plate with a recess sized and deep enough to accommodate the wafer contact surface without touching it, while being supported upon the susceptor contact surface. The wafer contact surface is a complete or C-shaped ring having an annular opening connected to a vacuum pump. In another embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced below the susceptor contact surface, and both comprise peripheral edge support surfaces. The edge support surfaces can be formed from a single sloped surface for each contact pad, with a smaller wafer supported below the position of a larger susceptor plate. Alternatively, a stepped surface is provided for each pad, with the lower inner contact surfaces supporting a wafer and the upper outer contact surfaces supporting the susceptor.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. � 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/377,904, filed May 2, 2002. Additionally, this application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. � 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/365,122, filed Mar. 15, 2002 and U.S. Provisional application No. 60/379,885, filed May 10, 2002.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the transfer of articles, such as semiconductor wafers and more particularly to an improved end effector for handling and transferring of wafers.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For the batch processing of wafers in vertical furnaces at very high temperatures it is proposed in U.S. provisional application No. 60/365,122, filed Mar. 15, 2002 (incorporated herein by reference) to support wafers, accommodated in a wafer boat, by susceptor plates. A susceptor plate supports a wafer over its entire surface to prevent slip of the wafer during the high temperature processing. Loading/unloading of wafers into a wafer boat with susceptor plates can be carried out according to the loading/unloading procedure described in the above reference application. The '122 application proposes to have the susceptor plates removably accommodated in the wafer boat. In the loading procedure, a wafer is transported by a wafer handling robot to a transfer station where it is placed onto a susceptor plate. The susceptor plate, accommodating the wafer on its upper surface, is transported from the transfer station to the wafer boat by the wafer handling robot. The susceptor plates are contacted by the same generic end effector as the wafers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the tip of an end effector constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention, shown supporting a wafer.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional top view of a support plate FOUP of FIG. 10, shown with a support plate at the transfer station, taken along lines 11�11 of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional top view of the support plate FOUP of FIG. 10, shown in a closed position, taken along lines 12�12 of FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to preferred embodiments of the invention, an end effector is provided with a first contact surface to support a semiconductor wafer and a second contact surface, displaced relative to the first contact surface, to support a susceptor plate. The second contact surface can be laterally displaced relative to the first contact surface. Typically, the susceptor plate has a diameter slightly larger than the wafer. In this case, the wafer can be supported by a first contact surface being disposed within a peripheral edge of the wafer and the susceptor plate can be supported on a second contact surface, positioned outside a peripheral edge of the wafer but positioned within a peripheral edge of the susceptor plate. The second surface is also preferably positioned vertically displaced with respect to the first surface.
In FIG. 1 a cross-sectional side view of the tip of an end effector 1 is shown. The body 2 of the end effector 1 is made of stainless steel, alumina or any other suitable construction material. Inner annular rings 12 and 13 are disposed on the body 2. The top surfaces of the inner rings 12, 13 provide a first contact surface 5 at a first level to support a wafer. The inner rings 12 and 13 are preferable formed of a relatively soft material, such as TEFLON�, PEEK, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable material that does not flake and does not damage the wafer upon contact. An annular groove 30 is provided and connected to a vacuum channel 35 through connection channels 31 and 33. The vacuum channel 35, in turn, is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). By evacuating the groove 30, a wafer 3 is secured onto the end effector 1 so that movement of the wafer during transport is prevented. The top surfaces of a disc 23 and an outer ring 27 provide a second contact surface 7 to support a susceptor plate 4, as shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The second contact surface 7 is vertically displaced from the first contact surface 5 by a distance ΔH. Preferably, the second surface 7 is positioned below the first surface 5.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, in order to prevent these problems from occurring, the inner annular rings 12 and 13 and the annular groove 30 (FIGS. 1�4) are replaced by a C-shaped ring 14, disposed on the body 2 providing a first contact surface 15 at a first level to support a wafer 3. The top surface of the support pad 27 provides a second contact surface 17 to support a susceptor plate (not shown). Entirely enclosed by the first contact surface 15 of the C-shaped ring 14 is a C-shaped groove 34 which is connected to the vacuum channel 35 through the connection channels 31 and 33. The C-shaped ring 14 leaves open a passage 39 that connects a free volume 19 with the outer atmospheric environment, where the free volume 19 is defined by the wafer 3, the disc 23 and the ring 14.
FIGS. 10�12 illustrate the transfer station of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/365,122, filed Mar. 15, 2002. As described therein, a transfer station is positioned at the bottom of a cassette that is modified for storing susceptors. The transfer station is designed to allow loading and unloading of wafers onto and off of susceptor plates within the cassette-like structure. While not illustrated in FIGS. 10�12, the principles and advantages of the end effectors described herein are also applicable to susceptors that comprise support rings (see FIG. 9C) as described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/379,885, filed May 10, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
At the lower end of the FOUP 100, where two more slots are ordinarily found in standard cassettes designed for accommodating 25 wafers, a transshipment or transfer station is provided. The transfer station comprises three pins 150, each provided with a conical lower end 152, on which a susceptor or support plate 140 can be supported, and a cylindrical upper part, on top of which a wafer 160 can be supported. Preferably the material of the pins 150 is PEEK� or any other material that is not damaging the wafer, like Teflon� or polypropylene. Each support plate 140 is provided with three holes 142 to accommodate the cylindrical upper part of the pins 150.
As an alternative to use with the transfer station of FIGS. 10�12, the end effectors disclosed herein with respect to FIGS. 1�9 can be used in conventional wafer processing equipment whereby a need exists to transfer susceptors and wafers upon the same end effector.
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