SMIF pod including independently supported wafer cassette
First Claim
1. A system for positioning a workpiece with respect to a support surface having kinematic pins protruding from the support surface, comprising:
- a pod, including a pod shell and a support plate, said support plate having kinematic grooves positioned to engage said kinematic pins; and
a cassette having a pair of support columns, each support column being concentric with a respective one of said kinematic pins.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A SMIF pod capable of supporting a cassette at points in the pod located directly over or near a kinematic coupling between the pod and a surface on which the pod is supported. Even if the pod shell warps or otherwise deforms, the three points of contact between the pod and the support surface at the kinematic couplings will always remain at a fixed, controllable and repeatable position. The present invention makes use of this fact by supporting the cassette at or near the three kinematic coupling points. Moreover, the support structure is not affixed to the top or sides of the pod shell. Thus, the position of the cassette, and wafers supported therein, will similarly remain at a fixed, controllable and repeatable position, substantially unaffected by any pod shell deformation which may occur.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A system for positioning a workpiece with respect to a support surface having kinematic pins protruding from the support surface, comprising:
-
a pod, including a pod shell and a support plate, said support plate having kinematic grooves positioned to engage said kinematic pins; and
a cassette having a pair of support columns, each support column being concentric with a respective one of said kinematic pins. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A system for positioning a semiconductor wafer within a container, comprising:
-
a pod including a pod shell and a pod door, said pod shell having a top surface, a bottom surface, sides between said top surface and bottom surface, and at least one fin extending from said pod shell; and
a cassette capable of supporting the semiconductor wafer, said cassette is affixed only with said pod door, and further having at least one fin extending from said cassette so that the movement of said fin extending from said cassette is restrained by said fin extending from said pod shell to limit movement of said cassette with respect to said pod shell. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
-
Specification