Method and apparatus for holding a plurality of substrates for processing

摘要

A substrate carrier includes a carrier plate, a cover plate and a plurality of substrate support slots. The carrier plate has recesses for receiving substrates. A sidewall of each recess includes protrusions for engaging the OD of a substrate. The cover plate is rotatable and has a cam on an undersurface. The cam is enagageable with a lateral slot in each of a plurality of substrate supports of the carrier plate. Rotating the cover plate causes the cam to move the substrate supports, one by one, so a substrate engaging end of the substrate support moves away from an associated substrate recess. A substrate is loaded into the recess, whereupon the cover plate is rotated further so the cam disengages from the lateral slot. The substrate supports are biased to engage the OD of the substrate to lock the substrate within the recess. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

主权项

1. A substrate carrier for carrying a substrate having an outside diameter (OD), and first and second substrate faces, comprising:
a carrier plate having a substrate recess, a cover plate recess and a substrate support slot, the substrate recess having a protrusion on a recess sidewall, the protrusion including an inset portion; a cover plate rotatably disposed in the cover plate recess; a substrate support slidably disposed in the substrate support slot, the substrate support having a substrate engaging end and an actuation end; and a spring disposed between the actuation end of the substrate support and an end wall of the substrate support slot to bias the substrate support toward the recess; wherein the substrate engaging end and the inset portion of the protrusion are configured to engage the OD of the substrate to lock the substrate within the recess.