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:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1998
Edmund L Ma, Alameda, CA (US);
Christopher O Lada, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Donald H Langhans, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
An end effector has a tower with non-stacked spatulas. Tolerance stacking is avoided by making grooves in the tower relative to a common reference surface, and mounting the spatulas in such grooves. The grooves are provided in separate planar walls of the tower. The walls intersect to enhance the structural properties of the tower. The tower has a dual-purpose clamp formed integrally with one wall for use in assembling the tower and the spatulas, and for mounting the completed end effector in a load lock. The spatula may carry a wafer during various operations, e.g., semiconductor processing, material deposition and etching systems, or in flat panel display processing systems. The carrying of the wafers is notwithstanding vibration of equipment for performing the manufacturing operations, which vibration is primarily in a range of frequencies. Each spatula is formed with a planar platform having an aperture formed therein such that the platform carrying the wafer has a resonant frequency dimensioned so that the resonant frequency while carrying the wafer is outside of the range of frequencies of the equipment vibration. Holes are provided around the aperture, and the spatula is provided with a pad for assembly with each of the holes. Each of the pads has a wafer support surface and a plurality of legs depending from the support surface. The legs are flexed to permit reception of the pad in one of the holes. Methods are disclosed for making the tower, the spatulas, and the end effector with these features.