The invention is a carrier comprising three support elements connected by an underlying frame. The periphery of a wafer rests upon the support elements. The invention also comprises a wafer handler with a plurality of arms. Spacers space the carrier above a base plate associated with a station in a wafer handling area. An arm slides beneath the frame and between the spacers, but the handler does not contact the wafer. A method of using the handler and carrier is provided where the handler lifts and rotates the carrier with the wafer through various stations in a wafer handling area. The handler is capable of moving a plurality of carriers and wafers simultaneously.
A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a robot configured to transfer an exchangeable object to and from a support region, the robot including an arm and an end effector, the end effector including a first and second carrier configured to carry respective exchangeable objects, and the end effector being rotatably connected to the arm of the robot around a rotation axis which extends substantially parallel to the support region.
Generally, an end effector assembly for a substrate transfer robot is provided. In one embodiment, an end effector assembly for a substrate transfer robot includes an end effector having a plurality of metallic pads disposed thereon. A polymer pad is disposed on each metallic pad wherein a ratio of an exposed portion of an upper surface of the metallic pad to a top surface of the polymer pad is at least about 3.5 to 1. In another embodiment, an end effector assembly for a substrate transfer robot includes an end effector having a plurality of polymer pads disposed thereon. Each polymer pad includes a fluoropolymer coating disposed on at least a top surface of the polymer pad. The metallic pad and/or the coating allows the polymer pad to be at least temporarily utilized in applications above its normal operating temperature.
A machine for manufacturing semiconductor devices has a processing chamber for processing the semiconductor wafer. A transfer chamber has at least two positions, one position to facilitate the transfer of a wafer to be processed into the transfer chamber and to facilitate the transfer of a processed wafer from the transfer chamber to the cassette from which the wafer originated. The second position facilitates the transfer of a wafer to and from the processing chamber. A transfer arm simultaneously transfers an unprocessed wafer from the first position to the second position with the transfer of a processed wafer from the second position to the first position.
The invention is a carrier comprising three support elements connected by an underlying frame. The periphery of a wafer rests upon the support elements. The invention also comprises a wafer handler with a plurality of arms. Spacers space the carrier above a base plate associated with a station in a wafer handling area. An arm slides beneath the frame and between the spacers, but the handler does not contact the wafer. A method of using the handler and carrier is provided where the handler lifts and rotates the carrier with the wafer through various stations in a wafer handling area. A control device reduces the handler speed only at critical points of the processing cycle. The handler is capable of moving a plurality of carriers and wafers simultaneously.
An end effector alternately (or simultaneously) transports susceptors and wafers. Separate contact surfaces are provided for wafer transport and for susceptor transport. In one embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced above the susceptor contact surface, and the susceptor is a plate with a recess sized and deep enough to accommodate the wafer contact surface without touching it, while being supported upon the susceptor contact surface. The wafer contact surface is a complete or C-shaped ring having an annular opening connected to a vacuum pump. In another embodiment, the wafer contact surface is spaced below the susceptor contact surface, and both comprise peripheral edge support surfaces. The edge support surfaces can be formed from a single sloped surface for each contact pad, with a smaller wafer supported below the position of a larger susceptor plate. Alternatively, a stepped surface is provided for each pad, with the lower inner contact surfaces supporting a wafer and the upper outer contact surfaces supporting the susceptor.
