Tetron, Inc.

Charles L Ramiller

Martin L Hammond

Rudolfo S Cardema

Michael J Wooding

A wafer transport system includes a mobile frame, a wafer cassette conveyor, a wafer support table, and a wafer transfer assembly. The wafer cassette conveyor carries a plurality of wafer cassettes and presents them successively to a transfer location. The wafer transport assembly, including a robotic arm and a vacuum pickup element, is then able to transport individual wafers from the cassettes to the support table. By rotating the support table, a plurality of wafers can be placed in a desired order. The wafer support table may then be moved to a location proximate a processing chamber, such as a chemical vapor deposition reactor, and processed and unprocessed wafers efficiently exchanged by the transport assembly.

Method and system for loading wafers

A basic cell for a carrier of semiconductor wafers to permit high-volume, cold wall chemical vapor deposition, including plasma-enhanced CVD. The basic cell has two surfaces, each bearing a wafer or wafers facing and tapering toward each other. Process gases are passed from the wider gap to the narrower gap between the surfaces. Basic cells may be arranged to form a circular carrier with process gases flowing inward to the center of the carrier for a high volume CVD reactor. The basic cell may also be used for plasma etching reactors.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Charles L Ramiller