Wafer Separator Ring Design for Contamination-Free Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wafer transport processes suffer from yield losses due to solder bump corrosion and recognition failures caused by contamination from conventional wafer container interleaves, as well as 'wafer drop excursions' resulting from vacuum leakage and misinterpretation by tool cameras.
Innovation Solution
A wafer container design featuring a wafer separator ring with a ring shape and rigid material, spaced apart from wafers to prevent contamination, and an adhesive carrier layer to maintain wafer position, reducing contact and misinterpretation risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wafer container interleaves are used to separate wafers, then wafer separation is achieved, but contamination of solder bumps occurs causing yield loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful interleaf material from the wafer separation system and replaces it with a vacuum-held separation mechanism. Wafers are held separately by vacuum pressure differential rather than physical interleaf contact, eliminating the source of contamination while maintaining separation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vacuum pressure as an intermediary force to achieve wafer separation without direct physical contact between wafers and separator materials. The vacuum field acts as a mediator that holds wafers in position without requiring contaminating interleaf materials.
2Reliability
If conventional interleaves are used for wafer separation, then physical separation is achieved, but solder bump corrosion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the corrosive interleaf material from the system and replaces it with a vacuum-based holding mechanism. By extracting the physical separator, the source of corrosion is eliminated while wafer separation is maintained through vacuum pressure differential.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical interleaf separation system with a vacuum-based holding system. Instead of using physical materials that contact and potentially corrode solder bumps, the system uses vacuum pressure to hold and separate wafers, substituting mechanical contact with a field-based approach.
3Ease of operation
If conventional interleaves are used, then wafer stacking is achieved, but vacuum leakage occurs causing misinterpretation by tool cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the interleaf material that causes vacuum leakage and replaces it with a vacuum-held stacking system. Wafers are stacked and held in position by vacuum pressure rather than physical interleaf barriers, eliminating the source of vacuum leakage while maintaining stacking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical interleaf stacking system with a vacuum-based holding system. Instead of using physical separators that create vacuum leaks, the system uses vacuum pressure to hold wafers in the correct stacked position, ensuring proper recognition by tool cameras without information loss.
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
The solution effectively reduces yield losses by preventing contamination and misinterpretation-related defects, achieving a 3% improvement in yield loss reduction during wafer transport.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive carrier layer to maintain wafer position
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a wafer container including: a housing configured for transporting a plurality of wafers, wherein the plurality of wafers are stacked on a base of the housing in a first direction; a plurality of wafer separator rings; each of the wafer separator rings configured to encircle a wafer of the plurality of wafers in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, each of the wafer separator rings including a top surface and a bottom surface, defining a thickness there between extending in the first direction, which is about 0.3 mm-1.4 mm; and each of the wafer separator rings including an inner side wall and an outer side wall defined by an inner diameter and an outer diameter, respectively, in the second direction, wherein the inner diameter of the wafer separator ring is greater than 300 mm and configured to be spaced apart from the wafer it is encircling.