Wafer pin chuck fabrication and repair
US9941148B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 6, 2016 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 6, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/68757
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
In a wafer chuck design featuring pins or “mesas” making up the support surface, engineering the pins to have an annular shape, or to contain holes or pits, minimizes sticking of the wafer, and improves wafer settling. In another aspect of the invention is a tool and method for imparting or restoring flatness and roughness to a surface, such as the support surface of a wafer chuck. The tool is shaped such that the contact to the surface being treated is a circle or annulus. The treatment method may take place in a dedicated apparatus, or in-situ in semiconductor fabrication apparatus. The tool is smaller than the diameter of the wafer pin chuck, and may be approximate to the spatial frequency of the high spots to be lapped. The movement of the tool relative to the support surface is such that all areas of the support surface may be processed by the tool, or only those areas needing correction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.