Substrate carrier
A substrate carrier includes a substrate carrier plate having a front-sided substrate carrier surface on which at least one substrate receiving area is provided for receiving a respective substrate. The substrate carrier is intended to enable a secure support of the substrate and a simple, damage-free removal of the substrate from the substrate carrier when operating in a fast manner, preferably without impairment of the characteristics of the substrate or the substrate processing. Therefore, the substrate receiving area has an interior area and an exterior area running around the interior area. The exterior area has spaced plateaus which are raised compared to a surface of the interior area for the support of edge areas of the substrates. Ventilation channels are provided between the plateaus.
1. A substrate carrier, comprising:
a substrate carrier plate including a front-sided substrate carrier surface having at least one substrate receiving area for receiving a respective substrate;
said substrate receiving area including an interior area and an exterior area extending around said interior area, said interior area having a surface, said exterior area having mutually spaced-apart plateaus for supporting edge areas of the substrate, said plateaus being raised as compared to said surface of said interior area, said plateaus being formed as bars aligned in parallel or perpendicular to one another;
ventilation channels disposed between said plateaus, said ventilation channels each extending from said exterior area into said interior area, said ventilation channels being formed as grooves aligned parallel or perpendicular to one another, said ventilation channels and said interior area being at an identical height level, and said ventilation channels connecting said interior area fluidicly with a space above and around said substrate carrier plate;
said plateaus and said front-sided substrate carrier surface being disposed at an identical level, except for said surface of the interior area; and
said front-sided substrate carrier surface, except for said interior area and said ventilation channels, being disposed at a single height level.
2. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said ventilation channels are provided circumferentially around said substrate receiving area.
3. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said ventilation channels are milled into said front-sided substrate carrier surface.
4. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said plateaus are material coatings on said front-sided substrate carrier surface.
5. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one of a height of said plateaus or a depth of said ventilation channels being in a range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm.
6. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one of a distance between said plateaus or a width of said ventilation channels being in a range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm.
7. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate carrier plate is at least one of formed of or coated with at least one electrically conductive material.
8. The substrate carrier according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one projection projecting from said front-sided substrate carrier surface for a lateral limitation of a substrate support area on said substrate receiving area.
9. The substrate carrier according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one projection is a stud.
10. The substrate carrier according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one projection is formed of at least one electrical insulator.