Fujitsu Corporation

Akira Machida

Akira Abiru

A wafer transporter comprising a plurality of plane electrodes which are horizontally coplanar with each other. The plane electrodes face the wafer to be transported. A plurality of air nozzles are provided through the electrodes, and air is blown from the nozzles perpendicularly toward the wafer surface. A voltage is applied between the electrodes facing the wafer. The applied voltage is divided by the capacitances between the wafer which is electrically conductive, and the electrodes, thus the wafer is attracted vertically toward the electrode, and is maintained without friction by the balance of the repulsive force of the air blowing and the attractive electrostatic force. The divided voltages become unequal due to the difference of the wafer area facing respective electrodes. This voltage difference produces a horizontal force which moves the wafer in a horizontal direction. The wafer is forced to stay at a balancing point where the induced voltages are equal. This is used to prevent the wafer from deviating from the course. Successive switching of the applied voltage to a next electrode in the direction of the wafer's movement allows the wafer to travel along the row of the electrodes.

Apparatus for transporting an electrically conductive wafer

A compact wafer carrier for storing spaced semiconductor wafers in parallel with each other, is provided for fabrication processes of a semiconductor device requiring a high particulate contamination control. The wafer carrier has an air cleaning device, including a secondary battery as a power source, a motor fan, and a particulate air filter, and a storing chamber directly connected to the air cleaning device for storing the wafers. The storing chamber has a first opening for receiving the filtered air flow, and a second opening for loading and unloading the wafers, both openings facing each other. As a result, the major part of the filtered air flows in a laminated stream passing along the surfaces of the wafers stored with a fairy high speed, serving to protect the wafers from the intrusion of the particles contained in the environmental air, and removing the particles originally adhered to the surfaces of the wafers.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Akira Machida