Robot loadable centrifugal semiconductor processor with extendible rotor
First Claim
1. A centrifugal processor for centrifugally processing at least one unit, such as semiconductor wafers, photomasks, optical disks, and magnetic disks, comprising:
- a frame;
a processing enclosure for containing and enclosing at least portions of a processing chamber;
said processing enclosure being mounted upon the frame and having at least one access opening through which said unit can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber;
a closure mounted for controlled motion to open and close the access opening in the processing enclosure;
said closure being controllably movable between at least a closed position wherein a substantially enclosed processing chamber is provided, and at least one open position wherein said access opening is substantially clear to allow ingress and egress of said unit into and from the processing chamber;
a rotor mounted for rotation relative to said frame;
said rotor having portions thereof within the processing chamber;
extendible unit support means mounted upon said rotor for holding said unit upon said rotor;
said extendible unit support means being mounted to said rotor to allow extension of at least portions of the extendible unit support means relative to the rotor at least partially through said access opening when said closure is in an open position to allow at least one unit to be loaded onto the extendible unit support means, and to allow retraction of the unit support means and any units supported thereon into the processing chamber for processing when the closure is in a closed position; and
rotor drive means operably connected to the rotor for spinning the rotor and extendible unit support means when the unit support means and any units supported thereon are retracted into the processing chamber.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A processor for centrifugal processing of semiconductor wafers and similar units. The processor is specially constructed to provide an automatically extendible and retractable rotor head to allow automated loading and unloading of wafers. The processor includes a novel shaft assembly construction which includes an axially extendible shaft controlled using pressurized fluid. The pressurized fluid is supplied to the shaft assembly by a pressure supply which is controllably extendable and retractable for engagement with the shaft assembly when rotation is stopped. The shaft assembly also preferably incorporates an axial locking mechanism which holds the axially movable components of the shaft assembly in fixed axial position during rotation, while allowing release when rotation is stopped so that movable portions of the shaft assembly can be axially extended.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A centrifugal processor for centrifugally processing at least one unit, such as semiconductor wafers, photomasks, optical disks, and magnetic disks, comprising:
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a frame; a processing enclosure for containing and enclosing at least portions of a processing chamber;
said processing enclosure being mounted upon the frame and having at least one access opening through which said unit can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber;a closure mounted for controlled motion to open and close the access opening in the processing enclosure;
said closure being controllably movable between at least a closed position wherein a substantially enclosed processing chamber is provided, and at least one open position wherein said access opening is substantially clear to allow ingress and egress of said unit into and from the processing chamber;a rotor mounted for rotation relative to said frame;
said rotor having portions thereof within the processing chamber;extendible unit support means mounted upon said rotor for holding said unit upon said rotor;
said extendible unit support means being mounted to said rotor to allow extension of at least portions of the extendible unit support means relative to the rotor at least partially through said access opening when said closure is in an open position to allow at least one unit to be loaded onto the extendible unit support means, and to allow retraction of the unit support means and any units supported thereon into the processing chamber for processing when the closure is in a closed position; androtor drive means operably connected to the rotor for spinning the rotor and extendible unit support means when the unit support means and any units supported thereon are retracted into the processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A centrifugal processor for centrifugally processing at least one unit, such as semiconductor wafers, photomasks, optical disks, and magnetic disks, comprising:
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a frame; a processing enclosure for containing and enclosing at least portions of a processing chamber;
said processing enclosure being mounted upon the frame and having at least one access opening through which said unit can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber;a closure mounted for controlled motion to open and close the access opening in the processing enclosure;
said closure being controllably movable between at least a closed position wherein a substantially enclosed processing chamber is provided, and at least one open position wherein said access opening is substantially clear to allow ingress and egress of said unit into and from the processing chamber;a rotor mounted for rotation relative to said frame;
said rotor having portions thereof within the processing chamber;extendible unit support means mounted upon said rotor for holding said unit upon said rotor;
said extendible unit support means being mounted to said rotor to allow extension of at least portions of the extendible unit support means at least partially through said access opening when said closure is in an open position to allow at least one unit to be loaded onto the extendible unit support means, and to allow retraction of the unit support means and any units supported thereon into the processing chamber for processing when the closure is in a closed position;wherein the extendible unit support means includes at least one unit support actuator for extending and retracting portions of the extendible unit support means;
said unit support actuator including at least an outer shaft mounted for rotation relative to the frame, and at least an inner shaft mounted within the outer shaft for axial extension and retraction relative to the outer shaft. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A centrifugal processor for centrifugally processing at least one unit, such as semiconductor wafers, photomasks, optical disks, and magnetic disks, comprising:
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a processing enclosure for containing and enclosing at least portions of a processing chamber;
said processing enclosure having at least one access opening through which said unit can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber;a closure which is movably mounted to open and close the access opening in the processing enclosure; a rotor mounted for rotation, said rotor having portions thereof within the processing chamber; extendible unit support means mounted upon said rotor for holding said unit upon said rotor;
said extendible unit support means being mounted to said rotor to allow extension of at least portions of the extendible unit support means relative to the rotor at least partially through said access opening when said closure is in an open position to allow at least one unit to be loaded onto the extendible unit support means, and to allow retraction of the unit support means and any units supported thereon into the processing chamber for processing when the closure is in a closed position; androtor drive means for spinning the rotor and extendible unit support means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A centrifugal processor for centrifugally processing at least one unit such as semiconductor wafers, photomasks, optical disks, and magnetic disks, comprising:
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a processing enclosure for containing and enclosing at least portions of a processing chamber, said processing enclosure having at least one access opening; a closure which is movable to open and close the access opening in the processing enclosure; a rotor assembly mounted for rotation and having extendible and non-extendible parts, at least portions of the extendible and non-extendible parts extending into the processing chamber;
said unit being supportable upon extendible parts of the rotor assembly, the extendible parts of the rotor assembly being controllable into retracted positions within the processing chamber and extended positions wherein the extendible parts extend at least partially through the access opening; anda rotor drive operably connected to rotate both extendible and non-extendible parts of the rotor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification