Appeal No. 2006-2344
Application No. 10/408,890
13a of the interface section 13, there is provided wafer transfer means (i.e., a wafer carriage)
32 that can move freely along a transfer path 31 laid in the direction of X. The wafer carriage
32 can not only rotate in the direction of θ by means of a shaft 32a as shown in FIG. 4 but
also access the extension machine (EXT) belonging to the fourth processing machine group
G4 in the processing station 11. The wafer carriage 32 can access a first table 34 and a
second table 35 obliquely, not face-to-face.
In the interface section 13, a substrate table unit 33 is provided in the front of the
base 13a and at its one end close to the exposure device 12. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and
5B, the substrate table unit 33 has a first wafer table 34 at the upper stage and a second wafer
table 35 at the lower stage. It can make an up-and-down movement by means of a suitable
driving mechanism (not shown) and stop at any height. The substrate table unit 33 is located
in a position where the transfer arm 12a, serving as the transfer means of the exposure
machine 12, can access the table unit. Specifically, the substrate table unit is located in such
a position as enables the transfer arm 12a to receive the wafer placed in the specific place of
the substrate table unit 33 or place the transferred wafer W in a specific place of the substrate
table unit 33.
The first wafer table 34 has basically the same structure as that of the second wafer
table 35. A detailed explanation of the first wafer table 34 will be given. The first wafer table
34 includes a support base 34a part of which is stuck to an up-and-down support means (i.e.,
an elevator post) 33a that moves up and down by means of the driving mechanism, a
plurality of periphery support members 34b that are provided on the support base 34a and
support the periphery of the wafer W, and a suitable number of support pins 34c provided in
the vicinity of the center of the support base 34a. As shown in FIG. 5B, the support pins 34c
support the wafer W in the vicinity of the wafer's center and the periphery support members
34b support the wafer's periphery. Being supported this way, the wafer is placed on the first
wafer table 34. Similarly, the second wafer table 35 includes a support table 35a, periphery
support members 35b, and support pins 35c.
3. At column 4, lines 5 through 35, Subramanian states:
Robot controller 42 is a programmable controller that controls the movement of robot
arm 40 such that suction device 44 may be placed at a die removal position. This die removal
position is a fixed position. Robot controller 42 may cause the die to be held by suction
device 44 while robot arm 40 moves the die to an appropriate location, such as a lead frame
(not explicitly shown). Robot controller 42 typically causes suction device 44 to be placed at
the same location relative to wafer table 50, such that the placement of dies for removal by
suction device 44 is accomplished by moving wafer table 50 in the "X" and "Y" directions
shown in FIG.1.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007