Micron Technology Incorporated

Brian D Brown

John S Molebash

Timothy A Strodtbeck

Ernest C Nichols

Shelby K Moore

Kevin A Larsen

The invention provides a manually operated machine for radially aligning one or more semiconductor wafers. The machine includes an elongated first 'notch' roller for rotatably engaging the edge of the wafers, a gear train, and a hand crank for manually rotating the first roller in cooperation with the gear train. The wafers are aligned according to the notches as the wafers are engaged and rotated by the notch roller until the notch in each wafer falls over and is disengaged by that roller. The manual notch finder may also include an elongated second 'position' roller for rotatably engaging the edge of the wafers. The position roller is disposed laterally near the notch roller and sized and shaped to engage the edge of the wafers fully along the periphery of each wafer so that the aligned wafers can be positioned to any degree of radial orientation. The invention also provides a combination notch or flat finder machine integrated with a wafer transfer machine. The combination machine includes a base plate, a translatable transfer arm, and a notch finder machine such as that described above, or a flat finder machine.

Growing community of inventors

Nampa, ID, United States of America

Brian D Brown