Diffusion furnace loader

Claim 2

A furnace-loading mechanism comprising a laterally flexible and longitudinally rigid, elongated means for moving a waferbearing boat member for advancement into or retraction from the furnace and a support means for said moving means, said support means comprising a housing containing a power driving means for the moving means, said support means also including a guideway for the moving means, said guideway being positioned in a horizontal plane on a top surface of said housing, said guideway first extending away from said furnace, curving laterally and then extending towards said furnace for compact storage of the moving means when retracted form the furnace and said guideway having an opening through which a portion of said driving means extends for driving said moving means.

Claim 3

A furnace-loading mechanism comprising a laterally flexible and longitudinally rigid, elongated means for moving a wafer-bearing boat member for advancement into or retraction from the furnace and a support means for said moving means, said support means comprising a housing containing a power driving means for the moving means, said support means also including a guideway for the moving means, said guideway being positioned in a horizontal plane on a top surface of said housing, said guideway first extending away from said furnace, curving laterally and then extending towards said furnace for compact storage of the moving means when retracted form the furnace and said guideway having an opening through which a portion of said driving means extends for driving said moving means.

Claim 4

A furnace-loading mechanism comprising a laterally flexible and longitudinally rigid, elongated means for moving a wafer-bearing boat member for advancement into or retraction from the furnace and a support means for said moving means, said support means comprising a housing containing a power driving means for the moving means, said support means also including a guideway for the moving means, said guideway being positioned in a horizontal plane on a top surface of said housing, said guideway first extending away from said furnace, curving laterally and then extending towards said furnace for compact storage of the moving means when retracted form the furnace and said guideway having an opening through which a portion of said driving means extends for driving said moving means.

Claim 5

A furnace-loading mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving means includes a control means adapted to advance the wafer-bearing boat to a preheat position within the furnace and thereafter automatically advance it to its dwell position therein.

Claim 6

A furnace-loading mechanism as claimed in claim 1, comprising manually operated means engaging said moving means for driving said moving means when the power means is not used.

Claim 7

A furnace-loading mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein both the power drive and the manually operated means are drivingly connected to a means for controlling the resistance of a potentiometer.

Claim 8

A furnace-loading mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving means includes a motor and a gear train between said motor and said moving means, and a movable idler means in the gear train for interrupting power transmission between said motor and said moving means.

Claim 9

A furnace loading mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guideway has a portion extending into the furnace.

Claim 10

A furnace loading mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said moving means includes articulated link members, a plurality of said link members having means interengaging with means on said boat member.

Claim 11

A furnace-loading mechanism comprising a conveyor adapted to move a wafer-bearing boat member for advancement into or retraction from the furnace and a conveyor support means including a driving means for the conveyor, said conveyor support means also including a horizontally positioned guideway for the conveyor having a reentrant bend for compact storage of the conveyor when retracted from the furnace, said conveyor including articulated link members, each link member further including a detent means which is complemental to means carried by an adjacent link member, said detent means arranged to cooperate with means on said boat member to advance the same into and retract it from the furnace.

Claim 12

A furnace-loading mechanism comprising a conveyor adapted to move a wafer-bearing boat member for advancement into or retraction from the furnace and a conveyor support means including a driving means for the conveyor, said conveyor support means also including a horizontally positioned guideway for the conveyor having a reentrant bend for compact storage of the conveyor when retracted from the furnace, said conveyor including articulated link members, each link member further including a detent means which is complemental to means carried by an adjacent link member, said detent means arranged to cooperate with means on said boat member to advance the same into and retract it from the furnace.