Wafer handling system and wafer handling method

US6767170B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies SC 300 GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Wolfram Kostler · Radeberg, DE
• Günther Hraschan · Dresden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 1, 2002
• Grant date: Jul 27, 2004
• Expiry date: Sep 6, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S414/141
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A wafer holder has a set of minimum contact wafer support members predefining support member contacting portions on a planar wafer surface of a wafer. The wafer chuck has a wafer support region for contacting the planar wafer surface. The wafer support region of the chuck includes recesses configured at predefined positions corresponding to support member contacting portions of the lower wafer surface. The wafer handling system further includes a wafer transport device including a rotational position adjusting device for adjusting the rotational position of a wafer that is transported between the wafer holder and the wafer chuck. Thereby, elevations on the lower wafer surface, like scratches or deposited material which are produced by the contact between the support members and the wafer, are encapsulated by the recesses of the wafer chuck. A method for moving a wafer between a wafer holder and a wafer chuck is also provided.