US3675563A — Semiconductor processing apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 91 words

A machine for processing semiconductor wafers, said machine comprising: a table having a plurality of extensible wafer pickup heads arranged in sets; a plurality of sets of wafer process stations spaced from said table and each other; means to effect intermittent relative motion between said pickup heads and said process stations; means to align successively, from station to station, said process stations and said pickup heads whereby wafers held by one of the pickup heads of a set enter alternate ones of the process stations of the sets of process stations.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 91 words

A machine for processing semiconductor wafers, said machine comprising: a table having a plurality of extensible wafer pickup heads arranged in sets; a plurality of sets of wafer process stations spaced from said table and each other; means to effect intermittent relative motion between said pickup heads and said process stations; means to align successively, from station to station, said process stations and said pickup heads whereby wafers held by one of the pickup heads of a set enter alternate ones of the process stations of the sets of process stations.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

A machine in accordance with claim 1 including means in at least some of said sets of process stations to apply a spray of liquid to wafers supported by said pickup heads.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said sets of pickup heads includes means for extending said sets horizontally into and out of sets of process stations.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said sets of process stations includes a pair of chambers, said chambers including means to receive therein a pickup head of a set; and sealing means to seal a pickup head upon entry of the same into a chamber.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

A machine in accordance with claim 4 including liquid spray means for contacting a photoresist sensitized surface of said wafer.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 42 words

A machine in accordance with claim 5 including exhaust means for carrying away vapor from said liquid spray, and baffle means mounted in said chamber, said baffle means being positioned in said chamber to inhibit liquid overspray from entering said exhaust mEans.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said wafer pickup heads comprises a depending surface including means for applying a vacuum thereto, and means for shielding the side of said wafer held by said depending surface.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

A machine in accordance with claim 1 including a wafer pickup head load station and a wafer pickup head unload station.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 82 words

A machine in accordance with claim 8 wherein said wafer pickup head load station includes a first and second wafer receiving means for receiving wafers for pickup respectively by first and second wafer pickup heads of a set; and said wafer pickup head unload station includes a first and second wafer receiving means for receiving wafers from first and second wafer pickup heads of a set after said pickup heads have progressed through at least one of said sets of process stations.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 55 words

A machine in accordance with claim 9 including shunt conveying means connecting one of said wafer receiving means associated with said wafer unload station and one of said wafer receiving means associated with said wafer load station, to shunt wafers received at said one wafer receiving means at said unload station to said load station.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 67 words

A machine in accordance with claim 9 including shunt conveyor means connecting the first wafer receiving means at said load station and the second wafer receiving means at said unload station, said shunt conveyor means comprising an air slide; and elevator means at said first wafer receiving means for elevating wafers received from said air slide to a position adjacent to and underlying a wafer pickup head.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 49 words

A machine in accordance with claim 11 wherein said elevator means includes a platform movable between a first position adjacent the discharge end of said shunt conveyor and a second position underlying a pickup head, and reaction jet means for propelling said platform between said first and second positions.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 36 words

A machine in accordance with claim 12 wherein said platform includes means for receiving a wafer, and means for applying a film of air over said wafer receiving means to float said wafer on said film.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

A machine in accordance with claim 12 including first and second stop means for limiting the travel of said platform between said first and second positions.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

A machine in accordance with claim 8 including means for conveying wafers to said load station and means for conveying wafers from said unload station.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 38 words

A machine in accordance with claim 15 wherein said wafer pickup head load station includes first and second wafer receiving means, and means on said conveying means for supplying wafers serially to said first and second receiving means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 38 words

A machine in accordance with claim 16 wherein said means for conveying wafers to said load station comprises bifurcated air slide means, and gate means for alternate shunting of wafers to said first and second wafer receiving means.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 34 words

A machine in accordance with claim 15 wherein said pickup head unload station includes first and second wafer receiving means, and means on said conveying means for discharging wafers serially from said receiving means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 37 words

A machine in accordance with claim 18 wherein said means for conveying wafers from said unload station comprises bifurcated air slide means, and gate means for alternately discharging wafers from said first and second wafer receiving means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers, said apparatus comprising: a turntable and a plurality of radially reciprocable sets of pickup heads; a plurality of sets of process stations circumferentially spaced about said turntable; means for indexing said turntable and means for bringing at least some of said sets of pickup heads in some of said sets of process stations into registry during periods of dwell of said turntable, a wafer load station and means to introduce wafers into registration with said pickup heads at said wafer load station; an unload station, and means to receive wafers from said pickup heads at said unload station.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers, said apparatus comprising: a turntable and a plurality of radially reciprocable sets of pickup heads; a plurality of sets of process stations circumferentially spaced about said turntable; means for indexing said turntable and means for bringing at least some of said sets of pickup heads in some of said sets of process stations into registry during periods of dwell of said turntable, a wafer load station and means to introduce wafers into registration with said pickup heads at said wafer load station; an unload station, and means to receive wafers from said pickup heads at said unload station.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said process stations comprise a pair of chambers, each chamber including means for receiving therein of a set pickup head of a se of pickup heads, and means for sealing said chamber upon introduction of said head into said chamber.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 21 wherein at least one of said chambers includes means for dispensing a spray of liquid onto a wafer held by said pickup head.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 including exhaust means in said chamber for permitting discharge of vapor and fumes, and baffle means in said chamber, said baffle means being superimposed of the point of entry of said pickup head into said chamber to inhibit liquid spray leaving said chamber via said exhaust means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein said pickup means includes a vacuum chuck for gripping said wafer and means for protecting the side of said wafer held by said vacuum chuck at least upon said chuck entering said process stations.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 56 words

Apparatus in accordance with claim 24 wherein said vacuum chuck comprises a protruding depending face portion means for applying a vacuum to said face portion; a recess circumscribing said face portion, and means for applying a positive flow of gaseous medium into said recess to thereby protect the side of said wafer held by said vacuum.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 74 words

A machine for processing semiconductor wafers comprising; a plurality of sets of process stations; means for introducing one of said semiconductor wafers consecutively into one of the process stations of at least some of said sets; means for shifting said wafer introduced through said ones of the process stations of the sets so that said first mentioned means will consecutively introduce said wafer into a second station of at least some of said sets.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 74 words

A machine for processing semiconductor wafers comprising; a plurality of sets of process stations; means for introducing one of said semiconductor wafers consecutively into one of the process stations of at least some of said sets; means for shifting said wafer introduced through said ones of the process stations of the sets so that said first mentioned means will consecutively introduce said wafer into a second station of at least some of said sets.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 36 words

A machine for processing semiconductor wafers in accordance with claim 26 including a wafer load and wafer unload station, and shunt means for shunting some of said wafers from said unload station to said load station.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 55 words

A machine in accordance with claim 27 including elevator means at said load station, said elevator operable between a first and second position; said first position to receive a wafer from said shunt means and said second position to position said wafer for gripping by said means for introducing said semiconductor wafers into said stations.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-07-11	1976-01-10	1976-07-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-07-11	1980-01-10	1980-07-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-07-11	1984-01-10	1984-07-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Semiconductor processing apparatus

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