Cantilever Loader

a piece of equipment that suspends boats of wafers in the air for insertion into and removal from furnaces. The cantilever is a long stiff bar held at one end and the wafer boats are placed on the cantilever. The cantilever is inserted into the furnace by a computer controlled - motorized mechanism that rides along a track in front of the furnace. The end of the cantilever that is held, is held outside of the furnace and the rest of the cantilever is suspended in such a way that the cantilever does not touch the sides of the furnace. Cantilever loading reduces rubbing against the furnace walls and dramatically reduces particle generation versus older wheeled sleds.