초록 ▼

This specification deals with the stopping, positioning, orienting and redirecting a semiconductor wafer being transported along a track on an air film or bed of air. The stopping mechanism is an air jet located in a groove in the track, wafers passing over this air jet on an air film are sensed by

This specification deals with the stopping, positioning, orienting and redirecting a semiconductor wafer being transported along a track on an air film or bed of air. The stopping mechanism is an air jet located in a groove in the track, wafers passing over this air jet on an air film are sensed by a pneumatic sensor that turns on the air jet to set up an air stream under the transporting surface of the air film. This air stream sucks the fluid in the air film along with it in the groove causing a vacuum in the bed in the area of the nozzle of the air jet. The wafers are then stopped by the suction of the vacuum. Positioning, orienting and redirecting is done using the air jet and pneumatic sensor in combination with special air jet arrangements and operations.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for stopping an object such as a semiconductor wafer as it moves relative to the surface of a track on a fluid film comprising: strings of openings in the surface of the track along the axis of movement of the wafer across the track to supply fluid for the fluid film, an exhaust channel wh

Apparatus for stopping an object such as a semiconductor wafer as it moves relative to the surface of a track on a fluid film comprising: strings of openings in the surface of the track along the axis of movement of the wafer across the track to supply fluid for the fluid film, an exhaust channel which is many times longer than the length of the object being transported and is oriented parallel to the strings of openings in the surface of the track to allow excess fluid from the film to be removed from the track to establish a film for transporting the wafer, a nozzle emitting a fluid jet in at least one direction along the channel at a sufficient pressure so as to draw fluid from the film along with it into the channel to cause a perturbation in the film in the form of a vacuum around the nozzle that will stop the object on the track.