Abstract A semiconductor wafer carrier is described for use in a high wear environment. The constituent metal parts are preferably made of aluminum. The elements for holding a plurality of wafers are manufactured by extruding grooves in a pair of side members. An alignment notch is formed simultaneously with the wafer holding grooves. This carrier is of integral construction wherein the preferred embodiment has its members joined by staking. The lowcost feature of the carrier is of prime importance because of the high volume of such devices used. The wafer carrier is universal in nature insofar as it is compatible for use in a plurality of automatic wafer handling machines. This feature is important because it reduces, if not completely eliminates the operator training which is otherwise required for identifying the correct wafer carrier to be used with a corresponding piece of automatic wafer handling machinery.
A method for assembling a universal wafer carrier for use in automatic wafer handling machinery comprising the steps of: providing a length of aluminum stock material from which the side elements of the wafer carrier are to be formed; passing such aluminum stock through an extrusion die for forming wafer holding grooves simultaneously with the formation of a wafer orientation notch; dividing said extruded aluminum stock into at least two pieces; forming at least a single additional groove perpendicular to both the notch and grooves previously formed in each of the pieces; selecting a pair of individual pieces and placing them in an assembly fixture for aligning the orientation grooves in said pieces; and selecting a plurality of separator bars and placing them between the pieces and joining the plurality of separator bars to the pieces by staking.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
138 words
A method for assembling a universal wafer carrier for use in automatic wafer handling machinery comprising the steps of: providing a length of aluminum stock material from which the side elements of the wafer carrier are to be formed; passing such aluminum stock through an extrusion die for forming wafer holding grooves simultaneously with the formation of a wafer orientation notch; dividing said extruded aluminum stock into at least two pieces; forming at least a single additional groove perpendicular to both the notch and grooves previously formed in each of the pieces; selecting a pair of individual pieces and placing them in an assembly fixture for aligning the orientation grooves in said pieces; and selecting a plurality of separator bars and placing them between the pieces and joining the plurality of separator bars to the pieces by staking.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method as recited in claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: drilling a plurality of holes in the top surface of the pieces forming the side elements of the wafer carrier; placing a pair of pins for use as orientation pins in a pair of holes located in one of the pieces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as recited in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: press fitting a resilient member in each of the notches last formed in the lower portions of the wafer carrier sides.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method as recitEd in claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: drilling a plurality of holes in the top surface of the pieces forming the side elements of the wafer carrier; placing a pair of pins for use as orientation pins in a pair of holes located in one of the pieces; and press fitting a resilient member in each of the notches last formed in the lower portions of the wafer carrier sides.