Accommodating device for retaining wafers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11756818-B2
Application number	US-202217735239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2010
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A receiving means for receiving and mounting of wafers, comprised of a mounting surface, mounting means for mounting a wafer onto the mounting surface and compensation means for active, locally controllable, compensation of local and/or global distortions of the wafer.

First claim

Having described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. An apparatus for aligning a first wafer with a second wafer, comprising:
a device configured to detect local alignment errors that have occurred to strain and/or distortion of the first wafer relative to the second wafer using at least one of a first strain map and/or a first position map of the first wafer and a second strain map and/or a second position map of the second wafer;
at least one receiving device configured to receive and hold at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer on a holding surface thereof via holding means, the at least one receiving device comprising one or more compensation means, the one or more compensation means being hydraulic compensation means, pneumatic compensation means, or a combination thereof, the one or more compensation means being configured to locally pressurize a rear side of the holding surface and at least partially actively compensate local and/or global distortions of the at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer held on the at least one receiving device; and
alignment means for aligning the first wafer with the second wafer, the alignment means being configured to supplement the at least partial active compensation of the one or more compensation means based on the at least one of the first strain map and/or the first position map of the first wafer and the second strain map and/or the second position map of the second wafer,
wherein the device configured to determine local alignment errors is further configured to verify whether the aligning is successful.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more compensation means comprises one or more active control elements, said one or more active control elements being hydraulic active control elements, pneumatic active control elements, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more active control elements of the one or more compensation means is discretely activated to locally control a corresponding section of the at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more active control elements are embedded in the holding surface.

5. A method for aligning a first wafer with a second wafer, comprising:
detecting, via a detecting device, local alignment errors that have occurred due to strain and/or distortion of the first wafer relative to the second wafer using at least one of a first strain map and/or a first position map of the first wafer and a second strain map and/or a second position map of the second wafer;
receiving, on at least one receiving device, at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer;
holding, on a holding surface of the at least one receiving device via holding means thereof, the at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer;
locally pressurizing, via one or more compensation means of the at least one receiving device, a rear side of the holding surface, the one or more compensation means being hydraulic compensation means, pneumatic compensation means, or a combination thereof;
at least partially actively compensating, via the one or more compensation means, local and/or global distortions of the at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer held on the at least one receiving device;
aligning, via alignment means, the first wafer with the second wafer, the aligning comprising supplementing the at least partially actively compensating of the one or more compensation means based on the at least one of the first strain map and/or the first position map of the first wafer and the second strain map and/or the second position map of the second wafer; and
verifying, via the detecting device, whether the aligning is successful.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more compensation means comprises one or more active control elements, said one or more active control elements being hydraulic active control elements, pneumatic active control elements, or a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein each of the one or more active control elements of the one or more compensation means is discretely activated to locally control a corresponding section of the at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more active control elements are embedded in the holding surface.

Assignees

• Ev Group E Thallner Gmbh

Inventors

• Wimplinger Markus
• Wagenleitner Thomas
• Filbert Alexander

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/0616 Primary

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/50 Primary

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title