Edge gripping specimen prealigner
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United States of America Patent
Stats
-
Mar 19, 2002
Grant Date -
Nov 22, 2001
app pub date -
May 14, 1999
filing date -
May 14, 1999
priority date (Note) -
Expired
status (Latency Note)
Importance
Abstract
Specimen edge-gripping prealigners (8, 80) grasp a wafer (10) by at least three edge-gripping capstans (12) that are equally spaced around a periphery (13) of the wafer. Each edge-gripping capstan is coupled by a continuous synchronous belt (14) to a drive hub (15, 84) that is rotated by a drive motor (18, 88). The belts are tensioned by idler pulleys (22, 92) that are rotated by a motive force (25, 96, 102). The edge-gripping capstans and the drive drums are mounted to hinged bearing housings (28, 112) that are spring biased to urge the capstans away from the drive hub. Deactivating the motive force rotates the idler plates into a belt tensioning position that draws the capstans inward to grip the periphery of the wafer. Once gripped, rotation of the drive hub is coupled through the tensioned belts to the capstans. Driving all the capstans provides positive grasping and rotation of the wafer without surface contact with the wafer and thereby reduces wafer damage and particle contamination.
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