Patent ID: 7181132

Claim:
A method for loading a wafer into a wafer boat, comprising: providing the wafer in a wafer cassette; providing a wafer support in a wafer support holder; inserting a robot end effector into the wafer support holder to remove a wafer support, wherein the wafer support rests on the robot end effector; positioning the wafer support with the robot end effector below the wafer in the wafer cassette, wherein the wafer support is parallel to and co-axially aligned with the wafer; vertically moving the robot end effector relative to the wafer cassette to seat the wafer onto the wafer support or onto a surface of the end effector; transferring the robot end effector, while holding the wafer support and the wafer, to the wafer boat; and vertically moving the robot end effector relative to the wafer boat to place the wafer support on an accommodation of the wafer boat, wherein the wafer rests on the wafer support.