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. 13, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 24, 1997
Masayuki Toda, Yonezawa, JP;
Takashi Onoda, Yonezawa, JP;
Tadahiro Ohmi, Sendai, JP;
Masaru Umeda, Tokyo, JP;
Yoichi Kanno, Sendai, JP;
Kabushiki-Kaisha Watanabe Shoko, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A device is provided for carrying a thin plate-like substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and for controlling the position of the wafer by floating it with an inert gas of low impurity concentration. A transferring unit and a control unit are both respectively provided with gas nozzles for floating a wafer and with a gas exhausting and circulating system. A plurality of transferring and control units are sealingly interconnected. Each control unit has a vacuum suction hole at its control center, and is provided with nozzles for controlling the wafer in the radial and circumferential directions, respectively, and with nozzles for stopping the wafer and for transporting the wafer to the next unit. On the bottom of a control space defined by each control unit, grooves which extend from the vacuum suction hole are formed for improving the positional accuracy of stopping the wafer. The grooves have closed ends which are located inside the periphery of the wafer when the center of the wafer is positioned above and centered on the control center of the control unit.