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US4778331A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Carrier system for silicon wafer

Assignee: Asyst Japan Inc
•
Filing: 1987-06-19
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Granted: 1988-10-18
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Expires: 2007-06-19
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Abstract

Abstract There is disclosed a carrier system for carrying a silicon wafer or a cassette accommodating the wafers to arbitrary positions by loading an arm with them. This carrier system is arranged such that: a screw shaft is perpendicularly provided in a rotationally drivable manner between an upper plate and a bottom plate which are vertically connected through a plurality of guide bars to each other; a movable plate is so disposed as to be vertically movable by the rotation of the screw shaft and is guided by the guide bars in a vertically slidable manner between the upper plate and the bottom plate; a cylindrical member is perpendicularly so provided on the movable plate as to be rotationally drivable and penetrate the upper plate and protrude upwards therefrom; a horizontal movement member is fixed to an upper end of the cylindrical member; a carriage provided with the rotary arm is disposed in a horizontally movable manner on the horizontal movement member; a driving wire spanned between pulleys axially supported within the horizontal movement member is secured to the carriage; and the rotary arm including a wafer arm and a cassette arm which are disposed in positions orthogonal to each other is pivotally so supported on the carriage as to vertically rotate through approximately 90°. In this constitution, the carrier system suffices for taking the silicon wafers in and out of the cassette and carrying the cassette itself.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kazuo Kimata
  • 👤 Susumu Ishikawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 13:03
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/135; Y10S414/136; Y10S414/137; Y10S414/138

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 202 words
A carrier system for a silicon wafer, comprising: (a) a bottom plate; (b) a plurality of guide bars vertically provided on said bottom plate; (c) an upper plate fixed to said guide bars; (d) a screw shaft perpendicularly provided in a rotatably drivable manner between said upper plate and said bottom plate; (e) a movable plate supported on said guide bars in a vertically slidable manner between said upper plate and said bottom plate, said movable plate being vertically driven by dint of rotation of said screw shaft; (f) a cylindrical member perpendicularly provided on said movable plate in a rotationally drivable manner, said cylindrical member penetrating said upper plate and protruding upwards; (g) a horizontal movement member fixed to an upper end of said cylindrical member; (h) a carriage linked to a driving wire spanned between pulleys which are axially supported within said horizontal movement member, said carriage being so disposed within said horizontal movement member as to be horizontally movable; and (i) a rotary arm pivotally so supported on said carriage as to be vertically rotatable through approximately 90°, said rotary arm including a wafer arm and a cassette arm which are disposed at a right angle to each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 202 words
A carrier system for a silicon wafer, comprising: (a) a bottom plate; (b) a plurality of guide bars vertically provided on said bottom plate; (c) an upper plate fixed to said guide bars; (d) a screw shaft perpendicularly provided in a rotatably drivable manner between said upper plate and said bottom plate; (e) a movable plate supported on said guide bars in a vertically slidable manner between said upper plate and said bottom plate, said movable plate being vertically driven by dint of rotation of said screw shaft; (f) a cylindrical member perpendicularly provided on said movable plate in a rotationally drivable manner, said cylindrical member penetrating said upper plate and protruding upwards; (g) a horizontal movement member fixed to an upper end of said cylindrical member; (h) a carriage linked to a driving wire spanned between pulleys which are axially supported within said horizontal movement member, said carriage being so disposed within said horizontal movement member as to be horizontally movable; and (i) a rotary arm pivotally so supported on said carriage as to be vertically rotatable through approximately 90°, said rotary arm including a wafer arm and a cassette arm which are disposed at a right angle to each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
A carrier system for a silicon wafer as set forth in claim 1, wherein an upper surface of said wafer arm of said rotary arm is formed with adsorbing holes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 37 words
A carrier system for a silicon wafer as set forth in claim 1, wherein a rotary shaft of said rotary arm is linked through a gear to a motor whereby said rotary arm rotates through approximately 90°.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-10-18 1992-04-18 1992-10-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-10-18 1996-04-18 1996-10-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-10-18 2000-04-18 2000-10-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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