Patent US5445486A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5445486A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Substrate transferring apparatus
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd
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Filing: 1994-06-17
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Granted: 1995-08-29
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Expires: 2014-06-17
Abstract
Abstract According to the invention, there is provided a substrate transferring apparatus for transferring substrates from a substrate transport container containing a plurality of substrates to be treated to a substrate holder for holding a plurality of substrates to be treated or vice versa, the apparatus including arms for supporting substrate, a supporting member for supporting the arms, and a drive arrangement for driving the supporting member to operate. Each of the arms include a plate shaped arm main body having a connecting section for connecting the arm to the drive arrangement, supporting sections having a thickness greater than that of the arm main body for supporting corresponding peripheral areas of the substrate, and stoppers having a thickness greater than that of the supporting sections for abutting lateral sides of the substrate to rigidly hold the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Hirofumi Kitayama
- 👤 Hiroyuki Iwai
- 👤 Shinichi Wada
- 👤 Tetsu Oosawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:10
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/70; H10P72/76; H10P72/7602; H10P72/30; H10P72/34; H10P72/3411; H10P72/3412; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/135; Y10S414/137
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
A substrate transferring apparatus for transferring substrates from a substrate transport container containing a plurality of substrates to be treated to a substrate holder for holding a plurality of substrates to be treated or vice versa, said apparatus comprising: arms for supporting the substrates, each of said arms having a free end and a fixed end; and drive means for driving the arms; wherein each of said arms includes: a plate-shaped arm main body having a thin portion and a connecting section provided on the fixed end for connecting the arm to said drive means; supporting sections having a thickness greater than that of the thin portion of the arm main body for supporting corresponding peripheral areas of the substrate; and stoppers having a thickness greater than that of the supporting sections for abutting lateral sides of the substrate to hold the substrate; wherein each of said arm main bodies has a hole formed at a central area thereof such that an amount of electric charge on said arms is decreased, each of said arm main bodies also having a dividing section for dividing said hole.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
A substrate transferring apparatus for transferring substrates from a substrate transport container containing a plurality of substrates to be treated to a substrate holder for holding a plurality of substrates to be treated or vice versa, said apparatus comprising: arms for supporting the substrates, each of said arms having a free end and a fixed end; and drive means for driving the arms; wherein each of said arms includes: a plate-shaped arm main body having a thin portion and a connecting section provided on the fixed end for connecting the arm to said drive means; supporting sections having a thickness greater than that of the thin portion of the arm main body for supporting corresponding peripheral areas of the substrate; and stoppers having a thickness greater than that of the supporting sections for abutting lateral sides of the substrate to hold the substrate; wherein each of said arm main bodies has a hole formed at a central area thereof such that an amount of electric charge on said arms is decreased, each of said arm main bodies also having a dividing section for dividing said hole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said supporting sections has a thickness large enough to accommodate possible deformation of the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said stoppers has a thickness at least 60% of the thickness of the substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said supporting sections includes at least one of said stoppers fitted onto the plate-shaped arm main body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said supporting sections and said stoppers are blocks rigidly fitted to the corresponding arm main body by a method selected from the group consisting of adhesion and welding.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms has at least three blocks with said blocks providing said supporting sections and said stoppers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms is made of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, alumina and sapphire.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms is made of alumina coated with a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide and diamond.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms is provided with a recess having a plurality of steps, said steps forming a plurality of different supporting section.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-08-28 | 1999-02-27 | 1999-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-08-28 | 2003-02-27 | 2003-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-08-28 | 2007-02-27 | 2007-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |