Movable Injection Port for Tilted Wafer Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Poor wafer separation due to sludge causing tilt in the outermost wafer, leading to misalignment of fluid injection and hindering effective separation, which results in process stoppages and reduced production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A wafer separation apparatus with a movable injection port and a rolling element, integrated with a holder, allows for precise alignment and fluid injection between wafers, even when tilted, using a reciprocating mechanism to ensure reliable separation and conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed injection port is used for fluid injection, then the device structure is simple, but poor wafer separation occurs when the outermost wafer is tilted due to sludge
Solution Approach 1:
The injection port is made movable through a holder that can reciprocate in the stacking direction, allowing the injection port to dynamically adjust its position according to the actual location of the wafer end surface. This dynamic adjustment ensures reliable fluid injection even when wafers are tilted, resolving the contradiction between separation reliability and structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the injection port position is fixed, then the device is easy to operate, but misalignment occurs when wafers are tilted causing poor separation
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling element automatically detects the position of the wafer end surface and drives the holder to reciprocate, enabling the injection port to self-adjust its position without external intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains precise alignment while keeping the operation simple, as the system automatically compensates for wafer tilt variations.
3Productivity
If sludge accumulates between wafers, then the wafer stack is easier to handle, but the outermost wafer tilts causing separation failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the wafer end surface position using the rolling element before fluid injection occurs. By anticipating the tilted position caused by sludge accumulation and pre-adjusting the injection port position, the system prevents separation failure before it happens, maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents poor wafer separation, enhances production efficiency by ensuring consistent fluid flow and conveyance, reducing damage to wafers and minimizing process interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
a rolling element; and a holder configured to movably hold the rolling element in a rollable and integral manner
Implementation Method 2
separating the outermost wafer by injecting a fluid from the injection port moved by the moving of the injection port so that the fluid flows into between the outermost wafer and another wafer
Data Source
AI summary
It would be helpful to provide a wafer separation apparatus and method, and a method for manufacturing a silicon wafer in which poor wafer separation can be easily prevented. A wafer separation apparatus 1 includes an injection port 2 configured to inject a fluid, a rolling element 3, and a holder 4 configured to movably hold the rolling element 3 in a rollable and integral manner, to be reciprocatable and biased to one side in a reciprocating direction, and to be integrally connected to the injection port 2.