Apparatus and method for loading and unloading wafers

Claim 1

Apparatus for transporting wafers between a temporary storage device and a processing machine comprising a support structure having associated with it a predetermined wafer engagement position at which wafers having flat surfaces can be engaged by said processing machine, a temporary storage device mounted on said support structure for temporarily storing a wafer in a known position for pick up, said flat surfaces of said wafer being parallel to an X-axis and perpendicular to a Z-axis, a first wafer engagement member for gripping, lifting and carrying a said wafer on said first engagement member between said temporary storage device and said engagement position, a first X-direction mover mounted on said support structure and operable to move said first engagement member parallel to said X-axis, a second wafer engagement member for gripping, lifting and carrying a said wafer on said second engagement member between said temporary storage device and said engagement position, a second X-direction mover mounted on said support structure and operable to move said second engagement member parallel to said X-axis independent of said first engagement member, a Z-direction mover mounted on said support structure and operable to move said first and second engagement members parallel to the Z-axis, an alignment station carried by said support structure for placing said wafer in desired position to be received at said processing station, a said wafer being transportable to said alignment station by a said wafer engagement member, and a controller to cause said first X-direction mover to move said first engagement member and an unprocessed wafer carried by it parallel to said X-axis toward said engagement position at the same time as or shortly after said second engagement member and a processed wafer carried by it moves parallel to said X-axis away from said engagement position, said controller also causing an unprocessed wafer to be carried to, aligned at and removed from said alignment station while another said wafer is being processed at said processing machine.

Claim 11

A method of transporting wafers between a temporary storage device and a processing machine comprising providing a temporary storage device for temporarily storing a wafer in position for pick up, the flat surfaces of the wafer being parallel to an X-axis and perpendicular to a Z-axis, first and second wafer engagement members, first and second X-direction movers for independently moving the first and second wafer engagement members parallel to the X-axis, a Z-direction mover for moving the first and second wafer engagement members parallel to the Z-axis, and an alignment station carried by said support structure for placing said wafer in desired position to be received at said processing station, picking up by gripping and lifting a first, unprocessed wafer at said storage device with said first wafer engagement member, causing said first unprocessed wafer to be carried to, aligned at and removed from said alignment station, said picking up and causing being carried out while another said wafer is being processed at said processing machine, moving said second wafer engagement member parallel to said X-axis to a wafer engagement position in said processing machine at which said another wafer is located, engaging by gripping and lifting said another wafer by said second wafer engagement member, said another wafer being a processed wafer, removing said second wafer engagement member and engaged processed wafer from said processing machine parallel to said X-axis, moving said first wafer engagement member and engaged unprocessed wafer parallel to said X-axis to said wafer engagement position, disengaging said unprocessed wafer from said first wafer engagement member, and removing said first wafer engagement member without said unprocessed wafer parallel to said X-axis.

Claim 12

A method of transporting wafers between a temporary storage device and a processing machine comprising providing a temporary storage device for temporarily storing a wafer in position for pick up, the flat surfaces of the wafer being parallel to an X-axis and perpendicular to a Z-axis, first and second wafer engagement members, first and second X-direction movers for independently moving the first and second wafer engagement members parallel to the X-axis, a Z-direction mover for moving the first and second wafer engagement members parallel to the Z-axis, and an alignment station carried by said support structure for placing said wafer in desired position to be received at said processing station, picking up by gripping and lifting a first, unprocessed wafer at said storage device with said first wafer engagement member, causing said first unprocessed wafer to be carried to, aligned at and removed from said alignment station, said picking up and causing being carried out while another said wafer is being processed at said processing machine, moving said second wafer engagement member parallel to said X-axis to a wafer engagement position in said processing machine at which said another wafer is located, engaging by gripping and lifting said another wafer by said second wafer engagement member, said another wafer being a processed wafer, removing said second wafer engagement member and engaged processed wafer from said processing machine parallel to said X-axis, moving said first wafer engagement member and engaged unprocessed wafer parallel to said X-axis to said wafer engagement position, disengaging said unprocessed wafer from said first wafer engagement member, and removing said first wafer engagement member without said unprocessed wafer parallel to said X-axis.