Patent ID: 7946303

Claim:
A carrier for supporting a substrate when being processed by passing the carrier through a meniscus formed by upper and lower proximity heads, the carrier comprising: a frame having a top frame surface, a bottom frame surface, and a frame opening formed to extend from the top frame surface to the bottom frame surface, the frame opening sized for receiving a substrate in an orientation in which a top substrate surface and a bottom substrate surface are substantially parallel to the top frame surface and bottom frame surface respectively; a plurality of support pins for supporting the substrate within the frame opening, each of the plurality of support pins defined to extend from the frame into the frame opening such that a substrate supporting surface area of each of the plurality of support pins is positioned between the top frame surface and the bottom frame surface, wherein the frame opening is sized such that an annular gap exists between a circular perimeter defined along outer locations of the substrate supporting surface areas of the plurality of support pins and the frame at a perimeter of the frame opening; and a cutout formed in the frame proximate to the frame opening in at least one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of the frame proximate to the frame opening so as to be in fluid communication with the annular gap, wherein the cutout is formed to extend through an entire thickness of the frame from the top frame surface to the bottom frame surface, and wherein the cutout is formed to extend into the frame from the frame opening, wherein the leading and trailing edges of the frame proximate to the frame opening are referenced relative to a linear direction of travel of the carrier through the meniscus.