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A wafer monitoring system including a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer, a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer, a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer, a first actuator operative to e

A wafer monitoring system including a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer, a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer, a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer, a first actuator operative to effect relative movement between at least two supporting elements of the top buffering unit, monitoring apparatus operative to perform processing steps on a wafer while the wafer is held fixed to the gripper, and an actuator operative to effect relative movement between the gripper and the top and bottom buffering units, the top and bottom buffering units being operative to buffer processed and unprocessed wafers thereby to enable a robot to arrive at and leave the monitoring apparatus with at least one wafer thereon.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wafer monitoring system comprising:a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer; a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer; a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer; a first actuator operative

1. A wafer monitoring system comprising:a gripper operative to fixedly hold a wafer; a bottom buffering unit comprising at least one supporting element adapted to support a wafer; a top buffering unit comprising at least two supporting elements adapted to support a wafer; a first actuator operative to effect relative movement between at least two supporting elements of said top buffering unit; monitoring apparatus operative to perform processing steps on a wafer while the wafer is held fixed to said gripper; and an actuator operative to effect relative movement along a Z-axis between said gripper and said top and bottom buffering units, said top and bottom buffering units being operative to buffer processed and unprocessed wafers thereby to enable a robot to arrive at and leave said monitoring apparatus with at least one wafer thereon, wherein said supporting clement of the bottom buffering unit comprises at least three support sub-elements comprising a pin having a top inclined portion, a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the supporting element of said bottom buffering unit comprises at least four supporting sub-elements.3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of said at least three supporting sub-elements of said bottom buffering unit comprises a pin having a top inclined portion, a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion.4. The system according to claim 3, wherein top inclined portion is conical.5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one supporting element of said top buffering unit is movable inwards and outwards between an open position, which does not support a wafer, and a closed position which does support a wafer.6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said top buffering unit comprises at least three supporting elements.7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said top buffering unit comprises at least four supporting elements.8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said at least four supporting elements are rotatable.9. The system according to claim 8, wherein each of said at least four supporting elements of the top buffering unit comprises an inclined supporting surface and a substantially vertical guiding edge portion.10. The system according to claim 7, wherein each of said at least four supporting elements of the top buffering unit comprises an inclined supporting surface and a substantially vertical guiding edge portion.11. The system according to claim 6, wherein said at least three supporting elements are rotatable.12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of said at least three supporting elements of the top buffering unit comprises an inclined supporting surface and a substantially vertical guiding edge portion.13. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 11, further comprising buffer limits which stop the rotation of at least one supporting element of said top buffering unit at predetermined angular positions.14. The system according to claim 6, wherein each of said at least three supporting elements of the top buffering unit comprises an inclined supporting surface and a substantially vertical guiding edge portion.15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said top inclined portion is conical.16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said top and bottom buffering units are mounted on a common frame.17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operative to move said gripper with respect to said top and bottom buffering units.18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operative to move said top and bottom buffering units with respect to said gripper.19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operative to move said gripper and top and bottom buffering units.20. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said gripper is rotatable about a longitudinal axis.21. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said gripper is translatable along a longitudinal axis.22. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said gripper is rotatable and translatable along a longitudinal axis.23. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said bottom buffering unit is situated above said gripper.24. The wafer monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said top buffering unit is situated above said bottom buffering unit.