Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A positioning assembly is presented for positioning a substantially disk-shaped workpiece in a registered position. The positioning assembly comprises spaced-apart guiding members defining a common support plane for supporting the workpiece, such that they engage the circumference of the workpiece at spaced-apart locations. Each guiding member is mounted for pivotal movement in the support plane between its two extreme positions. The movements of the guiding members transport the workpiece towards the registered position.