Semiconductor wafer holder
First Claim
1. The combination of a semiconductor wafer and a holder for holding the semiconductor wafer for treatment in wafer treating apparatus, said holder comprising a plurality of supports for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points on the wafer, each support bearing a fraction of weight of the wafer and made of material capable of withstanding high temperatures, each support being movable up and down on a fixed lower member and subject to force biasing it to move upward, the total of the forces exerted on the supports biasing them upward being adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A holder for holding a semiconductor wafer for treatment in wafer treating apparatus including a plurality of supports for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points on the wafer. Each support bears a fraction of weight of the wafer and is movable up and down and subject to force biasing it to move upward. The total of the forces exerted on the supports biasing them upward is adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer.
46 Citations
26 Claims
- 1. The combination of a semiconductor wafer and a holder for holding the semiconductor wafer for treatment in wafer treating apparatus, said holder comprising a plurality of supports for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points on the wafer, each support bearing a fraction of weight of the wafer and made of material capable of withstanding high temperatures, each support being movable up and down on a fixed lower member and subject to force biasing it to move upward, the total of the forces exerted on the supports biasing them upward being adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer.
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8. A holder for holding a semiconductor wafer for treatment in a wafer treating apparatus, said holder comprising:
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a plurality of wafer rests for the resting of the wafer thereon, each rest being extensible up and down and comprising;
a lower elongate member fixed in generally vertically extending position, and a generally vertically extending cylinder constituting a wafer-holding pin including a lower end receiving the lower elongate member and slidable up and down relative to said lower members and an upper closed end having a tapered tip for generally point engagement with a bottom surface of the wafer, the cylinders providing at their upper ends for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points distributed around the bottom of the wafer, each cylinder bearing a fraction of the weight of the wafer, and a system for flow of gas under pressure into and out of each cylinder for establishing an upwardly biasing force on each cylinder, the total of the forces exerted on the cylinder biasing them upward being adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
wherein said gas flow system includes, as to each wafer rest, an outlet for flow of gas out of the respective cylinder at the lower end of the cylinder.
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18. A holder for holding a semiconductor wafer for treatment in wafer treating apparatus, said holder comprising:
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a plurality of wafer rests for resting a wafer thereon, each rest being extensible up and down and comprising;
an upper member having an upper end for resting thereon of the wafer, each upper member being movable up and down on a fixed lower member, said upper members of said rests providing at their upper ends for generally point support of the wafer at a plurality of points, each upper member bearing a fraction of weight of the wafer, and being subject to force biasing it to move upward relative to the fixed lower member, the total of the forces exerted on the upper members biasing them upward being adapted to counterbalance the weight of the wafer, the rests being spaced apart and the space between adjacent rests being open. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification