Patent · US Active

Method for positioning a wafer

US7706908B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
11References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 9, 2006
Grant dateApr 27, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/682
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for positioning a wafer (3) with a reference mark (6) in a vacuum processing unit with a transport chamber containing a transport device (2, 20, 21) for moving the wafers (3) in a plane to a process chamber arranged on said chamber and a single sensor (1), arranged within the transport chamber before the process chamber for recording the position of the wafer (3) by means of recording the edge thereof at a first detection point (4) and a second detection point (5), such that the actual position of the wafer (12) with a known wafer diameter can be determined with electronic analysis of both measured detection points (4, 5) and the transport device (2, 20, 21) guides the wafer (3) to a desired set position. The wafer (3) is aligned in a given position on the transport device (2, 20, 21) in relation to the reference marks (6) thereof and the projection of the reference marks (6) determines a non-permitted zone (22) along a direction of movement on the wafer (3) and hence defines a free zone on the remainder of the wafer (3). The sensor (1) is arranged in the transport chamber such as to guarantee that the non-permitted zone (22) is not scanned and the…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.