Other

Bjorne Enterprises, Inc.

Biorne Enterprises, Inc.

Rolf Moe

David J Correia

David J Corriea

John E Premeau

James J McMullen

Michael Downs

Nathaniel F Spieler

A drier for wafers or the like has a drier chamber shaped to receive the wafer, which is lowered into the open top of the drier chamber and withdrawn therefrom by a lifter, which may be motor actuated. Below the drier chamber is a heater chamber to vaporize alcohol or other liquid, which rises and condenses on the relatively cool wafer. A water jacket around the top of the drier chamber condenses vapor and thus reduces escape of vapor.

Vapor drier for semiconductor wafers and the like

A wafer retention arrangement is disclosed for use with wafer stripping machines and the like which include a housing and a turret rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a selected axis, the turret being formed with a plurality of pockets that are adapted to retain a wafer. The wafer retention arrangement for each pocket includes a plurality of clips disposed about the periphery of the pocket to support a retained wafer. A latching mechanism cooperates with the support means to hold the wafer within the pocket. The latching mechanism is pivotally mounted to the turret for rotation about an axis that is substantially parallel to the surface of a wafer held within its associated pocket. The pivot point about which the latch mechanism rotates is substantially adjacent the edge of the wafer but spaced apart from the wafer plane. The latch mechanism includes a cam follower portion for engaging the actuator, a wafer engaging portion for pressing against the side of a wafer carried by the associated pocket, and biasing means for urging the cam follower towards the engagement position. The clips and the latching mechanism cooperate to hold wafers of various sizes. An actuator mechanisms carried by the housing is arranged to independently pivot the latching arrangement from an engagement position suitable for contacting a wafer carried by its associated pocket to a disengaged position free from contacting the wafer.

Wafer retention device

Transfer mechanism to pick up an object such as a wafer used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips from one location, lift the object, transfer the same laterally, lower it and later deposit the same in another location. A horizontal feedscrew mounted in a stationary base controls horizontal reciprocation of a transverse housing. A vertical feedscrew mounted in the transverse housing controls vertical reciprocation of a second housing. Supported by the second housing are one or more lifts. Each lift has guide rods fixed relative to the second housing and a stop on its lower end. Parallel and adjacent the guide rods is a reciprocating rod carrying a gripper on its lower end. At the end of the vertical movement of the second housing the reciprocating rod moves the gripper away from the stop so that a wafer may rest on the guide rods. As the second housing moves up, the gripper clamps the wafer against the stop. Motors drive the feedscrews to lift the wafer, move it transversely and lower it. As it reaches the end of its lowering movement, the wafer is unclamped.

Wafer transfer apparatus

Apparatus for stripping photoresist and other coatings from integrated circuit wafers comprises a series of vertically positioned casings with rotary turrets within each casing each accommodating approximately 10 wafers. Wafers are received in conventional 'boats', lifted one at a time and inserted in a pocket in the first turret. The turret indexes intermittently, immersing the wafer in solvent until it travels almost a full 360.degree.; the wafer is then lifted from the first turret and inserted in a second turret which immerses the wafer during another almost 360.degree. travel in additional solvent. Toward the end of travel in the second turret a spray nozzle strips all remaining photoresist from the wafer. The wafer is then lifted from the second turret and inserted in a first pocket, optionally containing alcohol. The wafer is then lifted from the first pocket and inserted in a third turret which immerses the wafer in de-ionized water, such water being sprayed on the wafer to rinse away all stripper and/or alcohol. Next the wafer is inserted in a second pocket where an air or nitrogen spray dries the wafer. The wafer is then deposited in a second boat.

Machine for stripping wafers

Photoresist baked upon integrated circuit wafers is mechanically stripped therefrom. Wafers are unloaded from boats at the top of an elevator within a vertical housing filled with stripper solution, then deposited on a conveyor and carried through a horizontal housing also filled with stripper. The wafers are sprayed by high pressure stripper pumped through a nozzle at the end of their horizontal travel. The wafers are then transferred to another housing where they are rinsed, dried and, optionally, reloaded.

Growing community of inventors

Alameda, CA, United States of America

Rolf Moe