Patent ID: 7695239

Claim:
A method for using an IC photolithography tool for establishing patterned photo-resist material on surfaces of silicon wafers, the method comprising the steps of: a. receiving a pod which carries a reticle on a base thereof into a pod opener that is located adjacent to the IC photolithography tool and opening the pod, the pod opener including: i. an arm that is moveable with respect to the pod's base when the base is received by the pod opener; and ii. an end effector attached to a distal end of the arm, the end effector including: a gripper-support bar secured to the distal end of the pod opener's arm for rotation with respect to the arm about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the gripper-support bar; a pair of gripper arms which respectively depend from opposite ends of the gripper-support bar and are moveable with respect to the gripper-support bar inward toward and outward from the axis about which the gripper-support bar is rotatable; a pair of U-shaped reticle-side grippers, each of the reticle-side grippers being located at nadirs respectively of each of the gripper arms, the U-shaped reticle-side grippers adapting the end effector for gripping a reticle near an edge thereof; b. moving the pod opener's arm to dispose the end effector's gripper-support bar over the reticle that is located on the pod's base; c. moving the gripper arms inward toward the axis about which the gripper-support bar is rotatable to grip with the reticle-side grippers opposite sides of a reticle near an edge thereof, the reticle being supported above a base of a pod received into the pod opener; and d. transferring the reticle between: i. the base of the pod; and ii. an adjacent IC photolithography tool wherein the reticle is used in establishing patterned photo-resist material on surfaces of silicon wafers, while transferring the reticle gripped near an edge thereof, the reticle being reorientable with respect to the pod opener's arm by rotating the gripper-support bar with respect to the pod opener's arm, the gripping of a reticle near an edge thereof further increasing displacement of a reticle to exceed that provided solely by movement of the pod opener's arm.