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:
Dec. 15, 1992
Filed:
Jul. 29, 1991
William A Moffat, San Jose, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A semiconductor wafer processing station comprising a plasma etching unit, a wet processing spin-spray unit, a robotic wafer transfer arm, and a central control computer all contained in a single housing. The apparatus is designed to perform manufacturing tasks especially related to photoresist processing: photoresist developing, descumming, baking and hardening, and stripping. The apparatus follows preprogrammed instructions which allow the station to automatically perform wafer processing routines by removing wafers from a storage cassette, then transferring the wafers to the processing unit with the robotic arm. Custom processing procedures are programmable, allowing practical small-scale low volume wafer development. Wafer processing routines envisioned include photoresist application and developing, plasma etching and descumming, and procedures involving multiple processing steps utilizing both the plasma/oven unit and the wet chemical spin-spray unit. Such routines would perform precision etching or serve to remove contaminants produced in the photoresist processing procedures.