Wafer Overlapping Device Center Position Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing overlapping devices for aligning semiconductor wafers and support plates face precision issues due to variations in the size of the support plates, leading to potential misalignment and adverse effects on subsequent wafer treatment processes.

Innovation Solution

The overlapping device incorporates imaging units to detect the center positions of both the substrate and support, a holding mechanism to secure them, and a carrying unit to align and overlap these components accurately, ensuring precise alignment by adjusting their positions based on detected center positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the outer diameters of wafer and support plate are matched for overlapping, then the overlapping device can accommodate both components, but variation in support plate size causes variation in relative position and misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of wafer and support plateVSAvoidalignment precision between wafer and support plate

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical matching method (matching outer diameters) with an optical detection and computational positioning system. Imaging units capture images of the wafer and support plate, and a computer calculates precise positioning based on detected features, eliminating the need for mechanical size matching while achieving high alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses imaging units to create optical copies (images) of the wafer and support plate. These images are then processed by a computer to determine precise positions and orientations, allowing the system to work with varying sizes without requiring physical matching of dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Strength

If manual carrying method is used for thinned wafers, then the wafer strength can be maintained, but the handling becomes troublesome and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewafer strength after thinningVSAvoidhandling efficiency of wafers

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by bonding the support plate to the wafer before the thinning process. This pre-established support structure maintains wafer strength throughout subsequent handling and processing operations, enabling automatic carrying without manual intervention and thus improving productivity while preserving wafer integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9911637B2Overlapping device, and overlapping method

Publication Date: 2018.03.06 AIMECHATEC LTD

AI summary

An overlapping device which is configured to detect the center positions of a substrate and a support which are held in a center position detecting portion, carry the substrate and the support from the center position detecting portion to an overlapping portion, and overlap the substrate and the support such that the detected center positions of the substrate and the support are overlapped in the overlapping portion.