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:
Jul. 28, 2026
Filed:
Oct. 11, 2022
Etel S.a., Môtiers, CH;
Eric Sivignon, Môtiers, CH;
ETEL S.A., Môtiers, CH;
Abstract
A Z-rotary wafer positioning stage includes a stationary unit, a Z-unit actuatable upwardly and downwardly relative to the stationary unit, a rotary unit having a wafer chuck rotatably mounted in the Z-unit, a rotary motor for rotating the rotary unit relative to the Z-unit, and a lift-pin mechanism including lift-pins aligned with through-holes extending through the wafer chuck. The lift-pin mechanism can be toggled between a first position, in which the distal ends of the lift-pins are below or at the level of the wafer chuck surface, and a second position, in which the distal ends of the lift-pins extend above the wafer chuck surface. The Z-rotary wafer positioning stage includes upper magnet(s) and lower magnet(s) to hold the lift-pin mechanism in the first position and second position, respectively, and electromagnet(s) configured to be energized to toggle the lift-pin mechanism between the first and second positions.