Patent ID: 6918735

Claim:
A holding device for wafers in an arrangement for wafer inspection, comprising: two grippers ( 11 , 12 ), each of which, in the closed state of the holding device ( 8 ), encloses a subsection of the wafer circumference and which are connected to a drive device ( 27 ) and, when the latter is driven, the grippers ( 11 , 12 ) move away from each other for the purpose of opening the holding device ( 9 ) and move toward each other for the purpose of closing the holding device ( 8 ), and a holding arm ( 13 ), on which the two grippers ( 11 , 12 ) are pivotably mounted, wherein the holding arm ( 13 ) is mounted such that it can rotate about an axis (A) which lies substantially in the plane covered by the wafer (W), so that after a rotation through 180° about the axis (A), a wafer (W) held between the grippers ( 11 , 12 ) has been turned; and, wherein said holding arm ( 13 ) is mounted such that it pivots about an axis B, which runs substantially tangentially with respect to the wafer (W) circumference and intersects the axis A at least approximately at right angles and wherein said holding arm ( 13 ) is mounted such that it is displaced in a rectilinear guide, the displacement direction C intercepting the axes A and B substantially at right angles.