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. 06, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1999
Kevin Thomas Ryan, Wilmington, MA (US);
Peter Lawrence Kellerman, Essex, MA (US);
Frank Sinclair, Quincy, MA (US);
Ernest Everett Allen, Rockport, MA (US);
Roger Bradford Fish, Bedford, MA (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
A wafer handling system for a wafer processing apparatus includes a wafer load lock chamber, a wafer processing chamber and a transfer chamber operatively coupled to the wafer load lock chamber and the wafer processing chamber. The transfer chamber includes a wafer transfer mechanism comprising a transfer arm pivotably coupled to a portion of the transfer chamber which forms an axis. The transfer arm is operable to rotate about the axis to transfer a wafer between the wafer load lock chamber and the process chamber in a single axis wafer movement. The invention also includes a method of transferring a wafer to a wafer processing apparatus. The method includes loading a wafer into a wafer load lock chamber and rotating a transfer arm into the wafer load lock chamber to retrieve the wafer therein. The method further includes rotating the transfer arm out of the wafer load lock chamber and into a process chamber to deposit the wafer therein, wherein the rotating of the transfer arm occurs in a single axis wafer movement.