Apparatus and a method for carrying wafers

Claim 1

A wafer processing apparatus, comprising: a heat treatment plate having a main surface, said apparatus being effective for carrying a wafer onto and off said main surface of said heat treatment plate for effecting a heat treatment of said wafer, said main surface having a plurality of spaced through-holes passing therethrough, but otherwise, said main surface thereof being flat and contiguous; wafer elevating means having a placing portion for supporting said wafer thereon, said wafer elevating means being mounted to selectively protrude above said main surface and retract into said main surface of said heat treatment plate through said plurality of through-holes, said wafer elevating means comprising a plurality of pins movable up and down through said through-holes and having pin tip ends maintained at the same height, said pin tip ends of said plurality of pins forming said placing portion; said wafer elevating means being effective to selectively lift said wafer above the main surface of said heat treatment plate and to selectively place said wafer on said main surface of said heat treatment plate upon retraction of said wafer elevating means below said heat treatment plate; and wafer holding means for selectively holding said wafer and for transferring and retrieving said wafer to and from said wafer elevating means, said wafer holding means comprising support arm means and a pair of spaced elongated members extending at opposite sides of and above said heat treatment plate and mounted to and stationarily relative to said support arm means, and means for moving said support arm means.

Claim 18

A method for placing a wafer onto and removing the wafer from a main surface of a heat treatment plate for a heat treatment thereof, said heat treatment plate having a plurality of through-holes passing therethrough and being otherwise flat and contiguous, said method comprising the steps of: providing a wafer elevating device capable of passing through said plurality of through-holes and projecting above said main surface; providing a wafer holding device having wafer supporting and horizontally extending elongated members that may be spaced apart at a first and second spacing, the first spacing being larger than said wafer and permitting said wafer to pass between said elongated members and the second spacing being narrower than said wafer, the elongated members being mounted on and stationarily relative to support arm means; setting said wafer holding device to said second spacing; placing said wafer on said wafer holding device; moving said wafer holding device to a location which places said wafer disposed on said wafer holding device above said heat treatment plate; moving said wafer elevating device through said through-holes and engaging and supporting said wafer; setting said wafer holding device to said first spacing; and retracting said wafer elevating device through said plurality of through-holes in a manner that enables said wafer to pass between said elongated members and to come to rest atop said main surface of said heat treatment plate.

Claim 19

A method for placing a wafer onto and removing the wafer from a main surface of a heat treatment plate for a heat treatment thereof, said heat treatment plate having a plurality of through-holes passing therethrough and being otherwise flat and contiguous, said method comprising the steps of: providing a wafer elevating device capable of passing through said plurality of through-holes and projecting above said main surface; providing a wafer holding device having wafer supporting and horizontally extending elongated members that may be spaced apart at a first and second spacing, the first spacing being larger than said wafer and permitting said wafer to pass between said elongated members and the second spacing being narrower than said wafer, the elongated members being mounted on and stationarily relative to support arm means; setting said wafer holding device to said second spacing; placing said wafer on said wafer holding device; moving said wafer holding device to a location which places said wafer disposed on said wafer holding device above said heat treatment plate; moving said wafer elevating device through said through-holes and engaging and supporting said wafer; setting said wafer holding device to said first spacing; and retracting said wafer elevating device through said plurality of through-holes in a manner that enables said wafer to pass between said elongated members and to come to rest atop said main surface of said heat treatment plate.