APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CASSETTE-LESS TRANSFER OF WAFERS

摘要

The invention is a method and apparatus for transferring one or more wafers (20) through chemical processing so as to reduce the problem of chemical cross-contamination. The invention utilizes a separate wafer basket (21) for each chemical process tank and an apparatus comprising: a gripper (12, 13) having an open position and a closed position; a lifter (11) having a lowered and a raised position and means (18) to engage a wafer basket; means (16, 17) to open and close the gripper; means (15) to raise and lower the lifter; and wherein the lifter and gripper are arranged so that when a loaded wafer basket is engaged by the means to engage and the gripper is in the open position, and upon the gripper being closed to the closed position, the gripper grips and unloads the wafers from the loaded wafer basket upon the lifter being lowered.