Side lifting wafer boat assembly

Claim 2

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable, mutual engagement along the length of a boat to lift the boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat shaped to receive a plurality of wafer disks, disposed in spaced parallel relation perpendicular to the length of said boat, a first boat member extending along the length of said boat, and a second boat member extending along at least a portion of the height of said boat; and a tool adapted for detachable lateral engagement to said boat along the length thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting externally from the side of the boat upon engagement of tool to the boat, a first boat engaging member adapted to bear against one of said boat members to form a lift contact joint to support the weight of said boat, and a second boat engaging member adapted to be locatable to bear against the other of said boat members to form a rotation contact joint to impede rotation of said boat about said lift contact joint.

Claim 3

The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said first boat engaging member includes curved end portions adapted to engage and support said first boat member.

Claim 4

The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said first boat member is a tube.

Claim 5

The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said boat includes a boat supporting member to stabilize said boat, and said first boat member is a rod, said rod having at least one curved end portion adapted to abut against said boat supporting member, said end portion further being adapted to space the length of said first boat member from the boat supporting surface thereby facilitating engagement of said first boat member and said first boat engaging member.

Claim 6

The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said left contact joint and said rotation contact joint are disposed between lengthwise ends of said boat.

Claim 7

The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said tool further comprises a rod connected to said handle and disposed generally parallel to the length of said boat upon engagement to said tool, a pair of generally J-shaped tines connected to said rod at spaced locations along the length of said rod and extending generally vertically therefrom, said tines having curved lower end portions each being engageable with said first boat member to form one of said lift contact joints, said rod having end portions extending beyond the connections to said tines, each of said rod end portions being engageable with said second boat member to form a rotation contact joint.

Claim 8

The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said boat members is formed with slots adapted to receive said wafer disks.

Claim 9

The assembly recited in claim 7, wherein said slots are uniformly spaced and extend to the length of said boat so a plurality of boats may be disposed lengthwise along a boat carrier, with the space between proximate slots on adjacent boats being equal to the space between adjacent slots in each boat.

Claim 10

The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said first boat engaging member is adapted to slightly rotate about said first lift joint as the tool is inserted into the boat and the boat is lifted.

Claim 11

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable mutual engagement to lift a boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat comprising at least one cross member, each of said cross members comprising a plurality of upward extending side members joined by a base member, and a plurality of horizontal members connected to said cross members and extending transverse thereto; and a boat engaging tool adapted for lateral engagement to said boat along the length thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting laterally to the length of said boat upon engagement of said tool to said boat, a first boat engaging member adapted to bear against at least one of said boat horizontal members to form a lift contact joint, and a second boat engaging member adapted to bear against at least one of said side members to form a rotation contact joint to impede rotation of said boat about said lift contact joint.

Claim 12

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable mutual engagement to lift a boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat comprising at least one cross member, each of said cross members comprising a plurality of upward extending side members joined by a base member, and a plurality of horizontal members connected to said cross members and extending transverse thereto; and a boat engaging tool adapted for lateral engagement to said boat along the length thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting laterally to the length of said boat upon engagement of said tool to said boat, a first boat engaging member adapted to bear against at least one of said boat horizontal members to form a lift contact joint, and a second boat engaging member adapted to bear against at least one of said side members to form a rotation contact joint to impede rotation of said boat about said lift contact joint.

Claim 13

The assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said first boat engaging member is adapted to slightly rotate about at least one of said boat horizontal members as said handle is moved towards a horizontal position.

Claim 14

The assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said lift contact joint and said rotation contact joint are disposed along the length of said boat between said cross members.

Claim 15

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable mutual engagement along the length of a boat to lift the boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat comprising a plurality of cross members, each of said cross members comprising a plurality of upwardly extending side members joined by a base member, a plurality of horizontal wafer supporting members extending lengthwise between said cross members, each of said wafer supporting members having a plurality of wafer receiving slots disposed in spaced parallel relation and at least one horizontal tool engaging rod connected to an outside surface of a pair of lengthwise opposite side members; and a tool adapted for lateral engagement to said boat along the lengths thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting perpendicular to said boat horizontal members upon engagement of said boat with said tool, a tool rod connected to said handle and disposed generally parallel to said boat horizontal members upon engagement of said boat to said tool, a pair of tines connected to said tool rod at spaced locations along the length of said tool rod and extending generally vertically therefrom, said tines having curved, generally J-shaped lower end portions engageable with first boat horizontal member, said tool rod further including end portions beyond the connections to said tines, each of said tool rod end portions being engageable with an inside surface of one of said boat side members.

Claim 16

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable mutual engagement along the length of a boat to lift the boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat comprising a plurality of cross members, each of said cross members comprising a plurality of upwardly extending side members joined by a base member, a plurality of horizontal wafer supporting members extending lengthwise between said cross members, each of said wafer supporting members having a plurality of wafer receiving slots disposed in spaced parallel relation and at least one horizontal tool engaging rod connected to an outside surface of a pair of lengthwise opposite side members; and a tool adapted for lateral engagement to said boat along the lengths thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting perpendicular to said boat horizontal members upon engagement of said boat with said tool, a tool rod connected to said handle and disposed generally parallel to said boat horizontal members upon engagement of said boat to said tool, a pair of tines connected to said tool rod at spaced locations along the length of said tool rod and extending generally vertically therefrom, said tines having curved, generally J-shaped lower end portions engageable with first boat horizontal member, said tool rod further including end portions beyond the connections to said tines, each of said tool rod end portions being engageable with an inside surface of one of said boat side members.

Claim 17

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable, mutual engagement along the length of a boat to lift the boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat shaped to receive a plurality of wafer disks disposed in spaced parallel relation perpendicular to the length of said boat, first and second boat members forming a portion of a frame of said boat, said boat members being disposed along the length of said boat; and a tool adapted for detachable lateral engagement to said boat along the length thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting perpendicular to the length of said boat upon engagement of said boat to said tool, a first boat engaging member adapted to bear against one of said boat members to form a lift contact joint to support the weight of said boat, and a second boat engaging member adapted to be locatable to bear against the other of said boat members to form a rotation contact joint to impede rotation of said boat about said lift contact joint.

Claim 18

A side lifting wafer boat assembly adapted for detachable, mutual engagement along the length of a boat to lift the boat from a boat supporting surface, said assembly comprising: a boat shaped to receive a plurality of wafer disks disposed in spaced parallel relation perpendicular to the length of said boat, first and second boat members forming a portion of a frame of said boat, said boat members being disposed along the length of said boat; and a tool adapted for detachable lateral engagement to said boat along the length thereof, said tool comprising a handle projecting perpendicular to the length of said boat upon engagement of said boat to said tool, a first boat engaging member adapted to bear against one of said boat members to form a lift contact joint to support the weight of said boat, and a second boat engaging member adapted to be locatable to bear against the other of said boat members to form a rotation contact joint to impede rotation of said boat about said lift contact joint.

Claim 19

A side lifting wafer boat assembly comprising: a boat having a plurality of long elements for receiving a group of wafers in spaced relation, the elements being joined by a pair of spaced cross pieces positioned on the lower side of the elements, an upper end of each cross piece being formed with a downwardly opening hook; and a tool comprising a handle, a rod attached to the handle sized to fit within said hooks to form a lifting joint, and means attached to the rod to engage one of said boat elements and form a joint for limiting rotation of the boat when the boat is lifted by said tool.

Claim 20

A side lifting wafer boat assembly comprising: a boat having a plurality of long elements for receiving a group of wafers in spaced relation, the elements being joined by a pair of spaced cross pieces positioned on the lower side of the elements, an upper end of each cross piece being formed with a downwardly opening hook; and a tool comprising a handle, a rod attached to the handle sized to fit within said hooks to form a lifting joint, and means attached to the rod to engage one of said boat elements and form a joint for limiting rotation of the boat when the boat is lifted by said tool.