Wafer holder

Claim 2

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame being uniformly stiff around the entire periphery thereof, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling peripheral faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the wafer cradling faces being predominantly unobstructed in the direction of the axis, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, the lugs at each side of said faces being widely spaced from each other and said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the frame being resiliently flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer.

Claim 3

The wafer holder according to claim 1 and the lugs being disposed in pairs and opposite each other to receive the wafer edge between the lugs of each of said pairs of lugs.

Claim 4

The wafer holder according to claim 1 and the frame having adjacent portions separable and divergently movable relative to each other, each of said adjacent portions being integral with a respective wafer-cradling side portion to facilitate displacement of such lugs for releasing the wafer.

Claim 5

The wafer holder according to claim 3 and including a latching means releasably retaining said separable adjacent portions of the frame together.

Claim 6

A HOLDER FOR CARRYING AND MANIPULATING SILICON WAFERS FOR PROCESSING COMPRISING: A PLASTIC FRAME OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID MATERIAL BUT FLEXIBLE UNDER SIGNIFICANT APPLIED FORCE, THE FRAME HAVING AN OPEN INTERIOR TO RECEIVE SUCH A WAFER, THE FRAME HAVING OPPOSITE WAFER-CRADLING SIDE PORTIONS AND LUGS THEREON PROJECTING INTO SAID OPEN INTERIOR TO CONFINE THE WAFER, THE SIDE PORTIONS BEING FORCIBLY DISPLACEABLE OUTWARDLY TO RELEASE

Claim 7

A HOLDER FOR CARRYING AND MANIPULATING SILICON WAFERS FOR PROCESSING COMPRISING: A PLASTIC FRAME OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID MATERIAL BUT FLEXIBLE UNDER SIGNIFICANT APPLIED FORCE, THE FRAME HAVING AN OPEN INTERIOR TO RECEIVE SUCH A WAFER, THE FRAME HAVING OPPOSITE WAFER-CRADLING SIDE PORTIONS AND LUGS THEREON PROJECTING INTO SAID OPEN INTERIOR TO CONFINE THE WAFER, THE SIDE PORTIONS BEING FORCIBLY DISPLACEABLE OUTWARDLY TO RELEASE

Claim 8

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the lugs being arranged singularly at each location on the periphery of the open interior and each lug being spaced along said periphery from the next adjacent lugs being spaced across the wafer-cradling face to confront opposite surfaces of the wafer, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer.

Claim 9

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the lugs being arranged singularly at each location on the periphery of the open interior and each lug being spaced along said periphery from the next adjacent lugs being spaced across the wafer-cradling face to confront opposite surfaces of the wafer, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer.

Claim 10

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame being endless and integral around the entire periphery of the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer.

Claim 11

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame being endless and integral around the entire periphery of the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer.

Claim 12

The wafer holder according to claim 7 and the stiff and flexibly yieldable endless frame having an inwardly displaceable portion at one peripheral location between said upright side portions whereby to produce outward displacement of said side portions and release of the lugs from the wafer as the inwardly displaceable portion is moved inwardly.

Claim 13

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open intErior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer, the frame being integrally molded and having upper and lower ends spaced above and below said wafer-cradling faces and being inwardly displaceable toward the open interior to cause outward displacement of the side portions and faces and lugs to release the wafer.

Claim 14

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having support means whereby to provide the frame with an upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open intErior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement, said lugs being spaced from the lowermost portions of the open interior to avoid interference with the free flow of liquid from the wafers, and the frame being flexible to permit displacement of said side portions outwardly away from the open interior and wafer therein to release the lugs from the edges of the wafer, the frame being integrally molded and having upper and lower ends spaced above and below said wafer-cradling faces and being inwardly displaceable toward the open interior to cause outward displacement of the side portions and faces and lugs to release the wafer.

Claim 15

The wafer holder according to claim 9 and the frame being endless and substantially oblong in shape, said support means being disposed at the top of the frame to suspend the frame in upright position.

Claim 16

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic integral and one piece enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having an oblong shape with an upright orientation and an apertured suspending web at the top of the enclosure frame to maintain the oblong frame in upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other and in spaced relation with each other and with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and cruved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement in a direction transversely to the wafer, the lugs being located only along said curved wafer-cradling faces to engage only the side edges of the wafer, said upright side portions extending upwardly and downwardly well beyond said curved faces and lugs and being joined together at the top and bottom of the oblong frame to be inwardly displaceable to produce outward displacement of the wafer-cradling faces and lugs to release the wafer.

Claim 17

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic integral and one piece enclosure frame to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having an oblong shape with an upright orientation and an apertured suspending web at the top of the enclosure frame to maintain the oblong frame in upright orientation, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other and in spaced relation with each other and with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and cruved concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having wafer-confining lugs on the frame side portions adjacent such faces and projecting inwardly toward said open interior for confining the edges of the wafer against movement in a direction transversely to the wafer, the lugs being located only along said curved wafer-cradling faces to engage only the side edges of the wafer, said upright side portions extending upwardly and downwardly well beyond said curved faces and lugs and being joined together at the top and bottom of the oblong frame to be inwardly displaceable to produce outward displacement of the wafer-cradling faces and lugs to release the wafer.

Claim 18

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction in both directions and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means rEleasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.

Claim 19

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction in both directions and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means rEleasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.

Claim 20

The wafer holder according to claim 12 and said lugs being elongate in a peripheral direction relative to the open interior and protruding from the frame side portions into the open interior as webs to engage and confine an elongate peripheral portion of the edge of the disc.

Claim 21

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, said lugs having the shape of pegs and being located in pairs opposite each other at various peripheral locations along said wafer-cradling faces to receive the edges of the wafer therein, and the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means releasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.

Claim 22

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, said lugs having the shape of pegs and being located in pairs opposite each other at various peripheral locations along said wafer-cradling faces to receive the edges of the wafer therein, and the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means releasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.

Claim 23

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, said lugs being elongate in a peripheral direction relative to the open interior and protruding from the frame side portions into the open interior as webs to engage and confine an elongate peripheral portion of the edge of the disc, each of said lugs being spaced from adjacent lugs in a direction around the periphery of the open interior, adjacent lugs being disposed at opposIte sides of the wafer-cradling face for confronting opposite surfaces of the silicon wafer, the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means releasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.

Claim 24

A holder for carrying and manipulating circular silicon wafers during processing of such wafers, comprising: a stiff but flexibly yieldable molded plastic enclosure frame in integrally molded and one piece construction to embrace such a wafer and having an open interior to receive the wafer therein, the frame having a suspension hook at the top thereof for suspending the frame in upright position, the frame having substantially upright side portions disposed opposite each other with said open interior therebetween, the frame side portions having inner wafer-cradling faces confronting said open interior and curved circularly and concavely about a horizontal axis extending through the open interior, the frame also having a lower portion interconnecting said side portions and also being circularly curved about such an axis, the frame having lugs protruding inwardly to the open interior at said side portions and adjacent said wafer-cradling faces, the lugs being disposed at opposite sides of the wafer-cradling faces to engage both of the flat faces of the wafer and confine the wafer in the holder, the lower portion of the frame being free of obstruction and thereby allowing complete and quick drainage of liquids from the wafer, said lugs being elongate in a peripheral direction relative to the open interior and protruding from the frame side portions into the open interior as webs to engage and confine an elongate peripheral portion of the edge of the disc, each of said lugs being spaced from adjacent lugs in a direction around the periphery of the open interior, adjacent lugs being disposed at opposIte sides of the wafer-cradling face for confronting opposite surfaces of the silicon wafer, the upper ends of said frame side portions extending upwardly to said hook, and one of said upper ends being formed integrally with the adjacent hook, the other of said upper side portions being separately and divergently movable away from the hook and the other side portion for flexing the entire enclosure frame and displacing the wafer-cradling faces and lugs outwardly from the wafer for releasing the wafer, and the frame having latching means releasably holding the upper ends of the side portions in fixed relation with each other.