Vacuum chuck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9558985-B2
Application number	US-201214389192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2012
Priority date	Mar 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A vacuum chuck is disclosed for holding and positioning wafers more stably and securely. The vacuum chuck includes a supporting assembly having a receiving groove and at least one first vacuum aperture defined in the receiving groove. A seal unit includes a seal ring bulging to form a vacuum trough. The seal ring is fixed in the receiving groove of the supporting assembly and has at least one second vacuum aperture communicating with the first vacuum aperture. A chuck connector fastened with the supporting assembly has at least one vacuum port and at least one vacuum orifice communicating with the vacuum port. At least one vacuum hose connects the first vacuum aperture, the second vacuum aperture with the vacuum orifice and the vacuum port of the chuck connector for evacuating the air of the vacuum trough to hold and position the wafer on the seal ring and the supporting assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum chuck for holding and positioning wafers, comprising:
a supporting assembly having a receiving groove and at least one first vacuum aperture defined in the receiving groove,
a seal unit including a seal ring bulging to form a vacuum trough, the seal ring fixed in the receiving groove of the supporting assembly and having at least one second vacuum aperture communicating with the first vacuum aperture, the seal unit further comprising a pair of fixing rings, either of the fixing rings has at least one vacuum aperture corresponding to the second vacuum aperture of the seal ring, one of the fixing rings is disposed in the vacuum trough, the pair of fixing rings and the seal ring are fixed together, which is further fixed in the receiving groove of the supporting assembly, the seal ring is disposed between the pair of fixing rings,
a chuck connector fastened with the supporting assembly and having at least one vacuum port and at least one vacuum orifice communicating with the vacuum port, and
at least one vacuum hose connecting the first vacuum aperture, the second vacuum aperture with the vacuum orifice and the vacuum port of the chuck connector for evacuating the air in the vacuum trough to hold and position a wafer on the seal ring and the supporting assembly.

2. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting assembly includes a supporting body and a bottom pedestal, the supporting body has a body portion and a sidewall protruding from the edge of the body portion, the body portion and the sidewall define a receiving portion to receive the bottom pedestal, the body portion defines a mating hole wherein the chuck connector is fixed and at least one locating hole, a top surface of the body portion defines at least one holding trench, one end of the holding trench communicates with the locating hole, and the other end of the holding trench communicates with the mating hole, the receiving groove and the first vacuum aperture are defined on the bottom pedestal, the first vacuum aperture communicates with the locating hole, the vacuum hose is located in the holding trench.

3. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a hollow connecting head, one end of the connecting head located in the first vacuum aperture of the bottom pedestal, and the other end of the connecting head disposed in the locating hole or the supporting body to be inserted into the vacuum hose.

4. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the connecting head is substantially L-shaped, one end of the connecting head located in the first vacuum aperture of the bottom pedestal has screw threads, and the other end of the connecting head inserted into the vacuum hose is substantially cone-shaped.

5. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bottom pedestal defines a plurality of interconnected air slots encircled by the receiving groove.

6. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least one pressure releasing hole is defined in the air slots.

7. A vacuum chuck for holding and positioning wafers, comprising:
a supporting assembly having a first receiving groove and a second receiving groove, at least one first vacuum aperture defined in the first receiving groove, the supporting assembly having a vacuum passageway encircled by the second receiving groove,
a first seal unit and a second seal unit, the first seal unit including a first seal ring bulging to form a vacuum trough, the first seal ring fixed in the first receiving groove of the supporting assembly and having at least one second vacuum aperture communicating with the first vacuum aperture, the second seal unit including a second seal ring fixed in the second receiving groove,
a chuck connector fastened with the supporting assembly and having at least one vacuum port and at least one vacuum orifice communicating with the vacuum port, the chuck connector having a vacuum passageway communicating with the vacuum passageway of the supporting assembly for evacuating the air enclosed by the second seal ring and the wafer, and
at least one vacuum hose connecting the first vacuum aperture, the second vacuum aperture with the vacuum orifice and the vacuum port of the chuck connector for evacuating the air of the vacuum trough to hold and position the wafer on the seal rings and the supporting assembly.

8. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first seal unit further comprises a pair of first fixing rings, either of the first fixing ring has at least one vacuum aperture corresponding to the second vacuum aperture of the first seal ring, one of the first fixing rings is disposed in the vacuum trough, the pair of first fixing rings and the first seal ring are fixed together, which is further fixed in the first receiving groove of the supporting assembly, the first seal ring is disposed between the pair of first fixing rings.

9. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second seal unit further comprises a pair of second fixing rings located at both sides of the inner edge of the second seal ring, the pair of second fixing rings and the inner edge of the second seal ring are fixed together, which is further fixed in the second receiving groove of the supporting assembly, and the inner edge of the second seal ring is disposed between the pair of second fixing rings.

10. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the supporting assembly includes a supporting body and a bottom pedestal, the supporting body has a body portion and a sidewall protruding from the edge of the body portion, the body portion and the sidewall define a receiving portion to receive the bottom pedestal, the body portion defines a mating hole wherein the chuck connector is fixed and at least one locating hole, a top surface of the body portion defines at least one holding trench, one end of the holding trench communicates with the locating hole, and the other end of the holding trench communicates with the mating hole, the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove are defined on the bottom pedestal, the first vacuum aperture communicates with the locating hole, the vacuum hose is located in the holding trench.

11. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising a hollow connecting head, one end of the connecting head located in the first vacuum aperture, and the other end of the connecting head disposed in the locating hole of the supporting body to be inserted into the vacuum hose.

12. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the connecting head is substantially L-shaped, one end of the connecting head located in the first vacuum aperture has screw threads, and the other end of the connecting head inserted into the vacuum hose is substantially cone-shaped.

13. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bottom pedestal between the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove has a plurality of interconnected air slots.

14. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 13 , wherein at least one pressure releasing hole is defined in the air slots.

15. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bottom pedestal surrounded by the second receiving groove has a plurality of the air slots communicating with the vacuum passageway of the supporting assembly.

16. The vacuum chuck as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the supporting assembly further includes a middle plate disposed between the supporting body and the bottom pedestal and fixed with the chuck connector, the middle plate defines a first vacuum passageway, the bottom pedestal has a second vacuum passageway, the f

Assignees

• Wang Jian
• Jin Yinuo
• Shao Yong
• Wang Hui
• Acm Research Shanghai Inc

Inventors

• Wang Jian
• Jin Yinuo
• Shao Yong
• Wang Hui

Classifications

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/78 Primary

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H01L21/6838 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y10T279/11

  Vacuum · CPC title

• H01L2221/683

  Electricity · mapped topic