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:
Aug. 20, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 02, 1990
Eric L Mears, Rockport, MA (US);
Richard J Hertel, Boxford, MA (US);
Robert V Brick, Gloucester, MA (US);
Carl J Holt, Jr, Newburyport, MA (US);
Varian Associates, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A device for releaseably holding a workpiece includes a resilient collet which is attached to a base by an elastomeric member. Typically, the collet is an annular ring. Several fingers for holding the workpiece extend from the collet. The fingers are pivoted by actuating a member which elastically deforms the collet and causes the fingers to pivot from a position for engaging the workpiece to a position for releasing the workpiece and vice-versa. In one application, the base is a platen for supporting a wafer in a semiconductor processing system, and a plurality of the holding devices are arranged around the periphery of a rotating disk. A counterweight ring is attached to the collet to counterbalance the moment generated by the centrifugal force of the wafer pressing against the fingers as the disk is rotated.