Automatic wafer boat loading system and method

Details Automatic wafer boat loading system and method Automatic wafer boat loading system and method

1995-07-10

1998-06-16

Underwood, Donald W.

Material or article handling

Chamber of a type utilized for a heating function and...

Including driven device and/or inclined flow path to carry...

414198, 414938, 414940, B65G 2504

Patent

active

057659826

ABSTRACT:
A system for automatic loading of wafer boats onto a cantilever paddle for insertion of the wafer boats into a furnace tube includes an end effector carriage moving on a track and supporting an end effector having spaced, parallel pads to engage opposed outer side portions of a wafer boat. The end effector receives a wafer boat from a robotic arm of an elevator. The robotic arm moves transversely relative to the track to position the wafer boat over the track on which the paddle carriage moves. The end effector carriage moves the end effector pads under the wafer boat, lifts it from a pair of elevator tines, moves the wafer boat over a desired part of the paddle, and lowers the wafer boat onto the paddle. The end effector carriage then returns the end effector to an initial location. The elevator and end effector main the wafer boat at a slight tilt as it is shifted from a wafer boat queue to the cantilever paddle so as to prevent rattling of wafers held in slots of the wafer boat due to vibration of the system.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4543059 (1985-09-01), Whang et al.
patent: 4568234 (1986-02-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4744712 (1988-05-01), Mitchell
patent: 4767251 (1988-08-01), Whang
patent: 5374153 (1994-12-01), Nishi
Photo of prior wafer loading system marketed by Thermco (date not known).

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