Cassette holder assembly for a substrate cassette and holding member for use in such assembly

• US 10,672,636 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2018
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: den Hartog Besselink, Edwin, Garssen, Adriaan, Dirkmaat, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thien F
• Application Number:
  US16/208,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20190115237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67353 specially adapted for a single substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67379 characterised by coupling elements, kinematic members, handles or elements to be externally gripped
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67775 Docking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/32 Holders for supporting the complete device in operation, i.e. detachable fixtures H01L23/40 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a cassette holder assembly for holding a cassette for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate in an interior space accessible from a front end of the cassette. The cassette holder assembly may have a base plate for receiving the cassette. Two holding members supported by the base plate may be positioning the cassette on the plate in the assembly. The holding members may be substantially identical to each other.

Claims

1. A cassette holder assembly for holding a cassette for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate in an interior space accessible from a front end of the cassette, the cassette holder assembly comprising:

a base plate for receiving the cassette; and

,

a right holding member and a left holding member supported by the base plate to position the cassette on a right and a left of the base plate, respectively, seen from a front of the cassette holder assembly;

wherein the right and left holding members are substantially identical to each other, wherein each of the holding members has at least two end surfaces to engage with the cassette to limit a position of the cassette in a front to a back direction substantially parallel to the base plate, the at least two end surfaces comprising at least one right end surface and at least one left end surface whereby the at least one right end surface is located at an outer right of the holding member and the at least one left end surface is located at an outer left of the holding member seen from the front of the cassette holder assembly.

2. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members are mirror symmetrical with respect to a line through a center of the holding member from a back to a front of the holding member.

3. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the right end surface of the right holding member and the left end surface of the left holding member are arranged for engagement with the cassette.

4. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the right end surface of the left holding member and the left end surface of the right holding member are not arranged for engagement with the cassette.

5. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members has at least four end surfaces to engage with the cassette to limit a position of the cassette in the front to the back direction substantially parallel to the base plate, a small cassette end surface and a large cassette end surface at each of a right and a left side of the cassette, whereby the small cassette end surface is located towards a front of the base plate with respect to the large cassette end surface to engage with cassettes with a relatively smaller size.

6. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members has a side surface to engage an outer surface of the holding members with the cassette and limit the position of the cassette in a right to left direction substantially parallel to the base plate and substantially perpendicular to the front to back direction.

7. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members comprises at least two side surfaces, comprising a right side surface and a left side surface wherein the right side surface is located at the outer right of the holding member and the left side surface is located at the outer left of the holding member seen from the front of the cassette holder assembly.

8. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 7, wherein the right side surface of the right holding member and the left side surface of the left holding member are arranged for engagement with an outer surface of the right holding member and the cassette and with an outer surface of the left holding member and the cassette.

9. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 8, wherein the right side surface of the left holding member and the left side surface of the right holding member are not arranged for engagement with the cassette.

10. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding members comprise at least two side surfaces located on the exterior of the holding members, the at least two side surfaces comprising a small cassette side surface and a large cassette side surface whereby the small cassette side surface is located towards the front of the base plate with respect to the large cassette side surface to engage with cassettes with a relatively smaller size.

11. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein both of the holding members have a side surface to engage an outer surface with the cassette and limit the position of the cassette in right to left opposite directions.

12. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the right and left holding members is detachably secured to the base plate by means of a fastener through a slotted hole and wherein the slotted hole has a direction perpendicular to a line from a front to a back of the at least one of the right and left holding members.

13. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the right holding member and the left holding member is provided with at least one elongated bar extending from a bottom surface of the holding member and constructed to fit in a slot provided to the base plate.

14. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one elongated bar is smaller than the slot in a direction perpendicular to a line from the front to the back direction, so as to allow the holding member to be adjustably secured in that direction.

15. The cassette holder assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one elongated bar is the same size as the slot in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line from the front to the back direction and is at least partially removable so as to allow the holding member to be adjustably secured in that direction.

16. A holding member to position a cassette for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate on a base plate in a cassette holder assembly, wherein the holding member has a front and a back and is substantially mirror symmetrical with respect to a line through a center of the holding member from the front to the back, wherein the holding member comprises:

at least two substantially parallel end surfaces whereby one end surface is a right end surface located at an outer right of the holding member and another end surface is a left end surface located at an outer left of the holding member seen from the front; and

,

at least two substantially parallel side surfaces whereby one side surface is a right side surface located at a right of the holding member and another side surface is a left side surface located at a left of the holding member seen from the front.

17. The holding member according to claim 16, wherein the side surfaces are perpendicular to the end surfaces and at least one of the side surfaces intersects with at least one of the end surfaces.

18. The holding member according to claim 16, wherein the holding member is provided with a slotted hole for a fastener and wherein the slotted hole has a direction perpendicular to a line from the front to the back of the holding member.

19. The holding member according to claim 16, wherein the holding member is provided with at least one elongated bar extending from a bottom surface of the holding member.

20. The holding member according to claim 16, wherein the holding member comprises an injection molded polymer material.