Patent ID: 8500916

Claim:
A method for supporting a wafer within wafer processing equipment comprising: flowing a fluid under pressure from a central fluid passage through a plurality of angled fluid orifices, wherein a total cross sectional area of said plurality of angled fluid orifices is less than a total cross sectional area of said central fluid passage, reduction in said total cross sectional area from the central fluid passage to the total cross sectional area of the plurality of angled fluid orifices causing an increase in pressure of said fluid flowing through said plurality of angled fluid orifices such that a pressure-boosting device is not required for said angled fluid orifices; spraying a fluid spray from said plurality of angled fluid orifices wherein at least a first of said plurality of angled fluid orifices is angled at 30 degrees relative to a central axis of a wafer processing equipment and at least a second of said plurality of angled fluid orifices is angled at 60 degrees relative to the central axis of the wafer processing equipment; impinging said fluid spray against a surface of said wafer; supporting said wafer with said fluid spray; wherein said fluid spray comprises a flow component parallel to said surface of said wafer, said flow component directed away from said central axis of said wafer processing equipment and towards the edges of said wafer: and wherein a first force of said fluid spray exerted upon said wafer is greater than a weight of said wafer to raise said wafer out of a load station.