Texas Instruments Corporation

Joe W Ayers

William David Autery

The distance between a semiconductor wafer and a bake/chill plate is determined by a feed back system using a flow meter. The wafer forms part of the feed back system by limiting the flow of air or gas between the wafer and bake/chill plate, the distance between the wafer and bake/chill plate determining the amount of flow of air or gas through the flow meter.

Wafer proximity sensor

A slice handling apparatus (10) is mounted on a robot arm (12) to provide automated processing of semiconductor slices (69). The slice handling apparatus (10) has three tines, a center tine (50) and two side tines (62). The side tines (62) are fixed to position, while the center tine (50) is moved in and out using a control field actuator (20). A Hall effect sensor (26) on the control field actuator (20) provides an electrical feedback to provide a firm gripping force with reduce damage to slice edges by sensitive control of the gripping force. The tines (50, 62) have locator pins (58) which hold the slice (69). The locator pins (58) have a tapered bottom portion (84) and a vertical holding portion (86). The tapered bottom portion (84) prevents the slice (69) from contacting the tines (50, 62) in the event that the slice handling apparatus (10) is not positioned at the exact vertical position desired.

Semiconductor slice holder

In semiconductor vacuum processing, it is desirable to minimize the material handling mechanisms that must be located in the evacuated process chamber. To accomplish this, a mechanism has been designed that locates the necessary power elements such as motors (12-16) outside the chamber (32). Power is transmitted to the mechanism via commercially available rotary vacuum feed-through devices (30) mounted in the chamber walls (28) and the separable, zero backlash couplings (44) located within the chamber. These couplings (44) allow easy removal and replacement of the handling mechanism without the need for physical access and tools.

Method of flexibly coupling a drive shaft

A bellows clamp actuator (10) is provided for holding a semiconductor slice cassette (14) within a container (12). The bellows clamp actuator (10) has a V-bar clamp (40), a hollow bellows (38) and a mounting device (56). The bellows clamp actuator (10) is mounted to the door (18) of the container (12). A hole (72) connects the chamber (67) with the atmosphere external the container (12). When a vacuum is drawn within the container (12), the pressure difference causes the bellows (38) to extend and the V-bar clamp (40) to contact and secure the cassette (14) against the vertical guide posts (36).

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Sherman, TX, United States of America

Joe W Ayers