Nanometrics Inc.

Dan M Colban

Blaine R Spady

Christopher W Blaufus

John D Heaton

Robert S Kearns

Douglas A Page

An actuated edge grip chuck includes tabs with raised portions that press against the side of a substrate as opposed clamping on the top or bottom surfaces. The edge grip chuck includes a solid-state actuator to move a moveable tab into an open position. The solid-state actuator may be, e.g., a piezoelectric actuator or a shape memory alloy. The tab may be biased into the closed position such that when a substrate is held by the edge by the moveable tab and one or more fixed tabs. If desired, more than one moveable tab may be used.

Edge grip chuck

A polar coordinate stage that may be used in a chamber includes a rotating chuck that moves in a linear direction and has the motors that drive the motion of the chuck outside the chamber. The stage can include a linkage of arms to support and drive the linear motion of the chuck. The chuck is coupled to a horizontal rail such that rotational motion of a first arm is translated into precise linear motion of the chuck along the horizontal rail through a second arm. In addition, a system of pulleys within the arms translates rotational (or linear) motion through the arms and rotates the chuck. Vertical motion may be provided by an actuator between the second arm and the chuck or by a motor under the stage. Because of the compact nature of the stage, it can be easily placed within a chamber.

Precision polar coordinate stage

A stage used, e.g., in semiconductor fabrication, includes a two substrate buffer station and a movable chuck. The buffer station, in one embodiment is fixed, i.e., non-movable relative to the stage. In another embodiment, the support elements of the buffer station may move in unison vertically or horizontally. In another embodiment, a pair of the support elements horizontally moves toward another pair of support elements to reduce the necessary horizontal motion of the chuck. For example, an unprocessed substrate is loaded onto the top supporting elements of the buffer station, while processed substrates are unloaded from the bottom supporting element of the buffer station. The movable chuck is used to remove the unprocessed substrates from the buffer station and to place the processed substrates on the buffer station.

Stage with two substrate buffer station

A compact stage includes a rotary driver and a vertical linear driver that are in the same horizontal plane, which advantageously reduces the height of the device. The stage may include a rotating shaft to which a chuck is mounted. A rotary drive, which may be an annular rotary drive, is coupled to and rotates the rotating shaft. A linear drive is also coupled to the rotating shaft and in one embodiment extends through the center of the annular rotary drive. The linear drive moves the rotating shaft along a vertical axis. The linear drive may be, e.g., a voice coil motor that uses a spring to bias the rotating shaft along the vertical axis.

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Tracy, CA, United States of America

Dan M Colban