Machine Technology, Inc.

Qualcomm Incorporated

Michael Devico

Vijayalakshmi Rajasundaram Raveendran

Gordon Kent Walker

Gary Hillman

Phani Bhushan Avadhanam

Shusheel Gautam

Ying Gao

Jian Zhang

Paul Richard Ellis

Viktor Filiba

Tong Tang

Rob Stacey

Apparatus is disclosed for automatically and simultaneously cleaning both sides of a plurality of workpieces. The workpieces are illustratively thin, fragile slices of brittle material, such as single-crystal silicon wafers. These workpieces are supplied to the cleaning apparatus within a cassette. The cleaning apparatus includes a cassette receiving station, a processing station and guide means extending from the cassette receiving station through the processing station. The guide means is adapted to receive edge portions of the workpieces. A transfer arm is extended from a retracted position through the cassette so that a first portion of the transfer arm pushes a workpiece along the guide means through the processing station. The transfer arm is then retracted and a second portion of the transfer arm pushes the workpiece along the guide means back through the processing station and into the cassette. The cassette is then moved so that the next workpiece to be processed is in position adjacent the guide means. The processing station extends on both sides of the guide means and includes a scrubbing station. In the region of the scrubbing station, the guide means is arranged so that the entire workpiece surface is exposed to the scrubbing station.

Automated two-sided cleaning apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Chatham, NJ, United States of America

Michael Devico