Patent ID: 7311302

Claim:
An apparatus for supporting a substrate comprising: a first plate having a plurality of recess positions formed in a predetermined pattern; an elastically compressible element positioned in at least some of said first plate recess positions; a second plate disposed above said first plate and having a plurality of uniform apertures in a pattern corresponding to said predetermined recess pattern; a third plate overlying said second plate and having a plurality of uniform apertures in a pattern corresponding to said second plate aperture pattern; a fourth plate overlying said third plate and having a plurality of uniform apertures in a pattern corresponding to said second plate aperture pattern; a plurality of deformable pins for insertion into at least some of said apertures in said second, third and fourth plates when said apertures are aligned, said pins having cross sections corresponding to said second, third and fourth plate apertures; an anchor block secured to said third plate; and means for moving said third plate between an aligned position in which said apertures in said second, third and fourth plates are aligned and a clamping position in which said third plate is not aligned with said second and fourth plate apertures, wherein said means for moving said third plate is configured to move said third plate to said clamping position by translating said anchor block in a horizontal direction.