Method and apparatus for handling workpieces
First Claim
1. An apparatus for transferring workpieces between first and second stations including:
- a rotary arm;
said arm having workpiece gripping means disposed 180°
from each other;
index means to rotate said arm 180°
in a plane during each activation to always position each of said gripping means at one of the stations; and
each of said gripping means having means responsive to the station at which it is located to cause one of said gripping means to grasp one of the workpieces at only the first station and to release the grasped workpiece at only the second station and to cause the other of said gripping means to grasp one of the workpieces at only the second station and to release the grasped workpiece at only the first station.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor wafer, which has chips formed thereon, is moved from a class 100 environment into a vacuum chamber in which pattern writing is performed on the chips by an electron beam without significantly affecting the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. The wafer is initially disposed on an elevator, which is within the vacuum chamber, through an opening, which is vacuum sealed by the elevator at this time, in the top wall of the vacuum chamber. A lid is then placed over the opening from the exterior to cooperate with the elevator to form an ante chamber which the wafer disposed therein. The ante chamber, which is purged prior to the lid being placed over the opening, is then reduced to a vacuum of 5 × 10.sup.-2 torr. The elevator then lowers the wafer into a horizonal plane in which a transfer mechanism is located to transfer the wafer from the elevator to an X-Y table on which the wafer is mounted for pattern writing of the chips. The transfer mechanism includes an arm, which is indexed 180° during each antivation of an indexing means connected thereto, and gripping means at each end of the arm to simultaneously grasp and release wafers on the elevator and X-Y table to interchange the wafers between the elevator and the table.
193 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for transferring workpieces between first and second stations including:
-
a rotary arm; said arm having workpiece gripping means disposed 180°
from each other;index means to rotate said arm 180°
in a plane during each activation to always position each of said gripping means at one of the stations; andeach of said gripping means having means responsive to the station at which it is located to cause one of said gripping means to grasp one of the workpieces at only the first station and to release the grasped workpiece at only the second station and to cause the other of said gripping means to grasp one of the workpieces at only the second station and to release the grasped workpiece at only the first station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification