The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2022
Filed:
Jun. 19, 2019
Veeco Instruments Inc., Plainview, NY (US);
Kenji Michael Nulman, Plainview, NY (US);
Mark Yannuzzi, Plainview, NY (US);
Phillip Tyler, Plainview, NY (US);
Jonathan Fijal, Plainview, NY (US);
William Gilbert Breingan, Media, PA (US);
John Taddei, Jim Thorpe, PA (US);
Nicholas Baverov, Plainview, NY (US);
James Swallow, Plainview, NY (US);
Christopher Orlando, Media, PA (US);
Paul Vit, Plainview, NY (US);
Christopher Hofmeister, Plainview, NY (US);
Tremayne Diggs, Plainview, NY (US);
VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC., Plainview, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for supporting and maneuvering a wafer comprises a handle having a gas inlet adapted to couple to a gas supply, a supporting surface coupled to the handle section including a frame structure having edge segments connecting at vertices and spoke elements extending from a center of the frame structure to the vertices, a gas supply channel coupled to the gas inlet that extends from the handle and branches into channels that run through the spoke elements, and a plurality of nozzles positioned at the vertices on the supporting surface and coupled to the channels in the spoke elements. Gas provided to the plurality of nozzles exits the nozzles in a stream directed parallel to the supporting surface and the stream of gas generates forces that enable wafers to be securely supported in a floating manner over the supporting surface without coming into direct contact with the supporting surface.