CVD boat loading mechanism having a separable, low profile cantilevered paddle assembly

Claim 1

A mechanism for loading and removing plural wafers into and out of a chemical vapor deposition diffusion furnace having an entrance vestibule, comprising: a boat loader; an enlongated member having ends mounted to said boat loader in cantilevered fashion such that one of said ends defines a supported end and the other of said ends defines a free end; a furnace door mounted in gas-tight relation to said elongated member at a point thereof adjacent said supported end and remote from said free end; a paddle for supporting a plurality of wafer loaded boats; said paddle consisting of a longitudinally extending semi-cylindrical member of a refractory material defining a low-profile when inside the diffusion furnace; a clamp fastened to said free end of said elongated member for releaseably retaining said paddle to said free end of said elongated support in cantilevered fastion; said clamp including a first ring-like member, a second ring-like member spaced apart from the first ring-like member along the free end of the elongated member, said first and second ring-like members individually being configured and together being aligned to slidably receive and to support said semi-cylindrical refractory member in canti-levered fashion.