Abstract: A substrate illumination and inspection system provides for illuminating and inspecting a substrate particularly the substrate edge. The system uses a light diffuser with a plurality of lights disposed at its exterior or interior for providing uniform diffuse illumination of a substrate. An optic and imaging system exterior of the light diffuser are used to inspect the plurality of surfaces of the substrate including specular surfaces. An automatic defect characterization processor is provided.

Abstract: A substrate illumination and inspection system provides for illuminating and inspecting a substrate particularly the substrate edge. The system a image processor to automatically detect and characterize defects on the wafer's edge.

Abstract: A substrate illumination and inspection system provides for illuminating and inspecting a substrate particularly the substrate edge. The system uses a light diffuser with a plurality of lights disposed at its exterior or interior for providing uniform diffuse illumination of a substrate. An optic and imaging system exterior of the light diffuser are used to inspect the plurality of surfaces of the substrate including specular surfaces. The optic can be rotated radially relative to a center point of the substrate edge to allow for focused inspection of all surfaces of the substrate edge.

Abstract: An edge area of the substrate processing device is disclosed. The edge area being processed is isolated from the remainder of the substrate by directing a flow of an inert gas through a plenum near the area to be processed thus forming a barrier while directing a flow of reactive species at an angle relative to the top surface of the substrate towards the substrate edge area thus processing the substrate edge area. A flow of oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber together with a negative exhaust pressure may contribute to the biasing of reactive species and other gases away from the non-processing areas of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate illumination and inspection system provides for illuminating and inspecting a substrate particularly the substrate edge. The system uses a light diffuser with a plurality of lights disposed at its exterior or interior for providing uniform diffuse illumination of a substrate. An optic and imaging system exterior of the light diffuser are used to inspect the plurality of surfaces of the substrate including specular surfaces. The optic can be rotated radially relative to a center point of the substrate edge to allow for focused inspection of all surfaces of the substrate edge.

Abstract: An edge area of the substrate processing device is disclosed. The edge area being processed is isolated from the remainder of the substrate by directing a flow of an inert gas through a plenum near the area to be processed thus forming a barrier while directing a flow of reactive species at an angle relative to the top surface of the substrate towards the substrate edge area thus processing the substrate edge area. A flow of oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber together with a negative exhaust pressure may contribute to the biasing of reactive species and other gases away from the non-processing areas of the substrate. A clean ignition system is used to ignite the combustion flame.

Abstract: An edge area of the substrate processing device is disclosed. The edge area being processed is isolated from the remainder of the substrate by directing a flow of an inert gas through a plenum near the area to be processed thus forming a barrier while directing a flow of reactive species at an angle relative to the top surface of the substrate towards the substrate edge area thus processing the substrate edge area. A flow of oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber together with a negative exhaust pressure may contribute to the biasing of reactive species and other gases away from the non-processing areas of the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dry chemical processing a wafer at atmospheric pressure is disclosed. The edge area of a substrate is placed in isolation from the remainder of the substrate. According to the present teachings, a method for centering a wafer on a rotatable chuck is provided. The method includes the steps of positioning a wafer adjacent to a micrometer. The wafer is then rotated and a plurality of wafer edge locations and rotational increments are measured. A center offset value for the value of the wafer center with respect to a chuck is calculated. The wafer is then moved with respect to a center position of the chuck.

Abstract: An edge area of the substrate processing device is disclosed. The edge area being processed is isolated from the remainder of the substrate by directing a flow of an inert gas through a plenum near the area to be processed thus forming a barrier while directing a flow of reactive species at an angle relative to the top surface of the substrate towards the substrate edge area thus processing the substrate edge area. A flow of oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber together with a negative exhaust pressure may contribute to the biasing of reactive species and other gases away from the non-processing areas of the substrate. A seal arrangement is provided for the processing chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping and encapsulating near edge regions of a semiconductor wafer is described. A housing of the apparatus has a slot for receiving an edge of a wafer affixed on a rotatable chuck. At least one plasma source connected to the housing generates a flow of reactive gas towards the edge of the wafer. A channel in the housing directs a flow of diluent/quenching gas onto the wafer in close proximity to an exhaust channel for exhausting of the diluent/quenching gas and the reactive gas away from the wafer. The apparatus may also provide a plurality of plasma sources, for example, plasma sources for selectively etching of a polymer on the wafer, etching of silcon dioxide on the wafer and depositing an encapsulating silicon dioxide layer on the wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for polishing work pieces such as semiconductor wafers. The apparatus includes a variable number of independent heads 20, platens 32 and polishing units 18. This polishing apparatus belongs to a group of polishing machines with wafers attached to the same heads 20 through all polishing steps without undesirable reloading from one head 20 to another between polishing steps. Each independent head 20 is automatically coupled to and decoupled from any of the polishing units 18 to optimize throughput and provide flexibility in accommodating different polishing processes. A head transfer subsystem 22 provides an independent means of transfer for each head 20, thus an infinite number of contemporaneous or overlapping polishing cycles can be completed on multiple wafers resulting in maximum processing throughput.

Abstract: A polishing bar is provided with a plurality of backings that are carried via blocks of impact absorbent material on a bar of greater stiffness. Each backing is shaped with two surfaces at an angle to each other. A polishing tape is disposed over the angled surfaces of each backing. The portion of the polishing tape over the forward surface of the backing is employed to polish the angled edge of the top wafer of a rotating bonded wafer pair.

Abstract: The wafer edge processing unit may be a stand alone unit or may be incorporated in existing grinding machines. The processing unit employs a plurality of tapes which are coated with differing grades of grit to sequentially polish the edge of a rotating wafer or to remove an edge bead from a processed wafer or the other substrate. The tapes are mounted on a backing block which is rotated to move the tapes from a line contact with the top bevel of the wafer to a line contact with the bottom bevel of the wafer. Fresh surfaces of the tapes are presented to successive wafers by rotating the spools on which the tapes are mounted. The wafer may be moved in small increments along a Y-axis and/or an X-axis relative to a tape during polishing to improve the polishing operation.

Abstract: A wafer edge grinding or polishing machine is provided with a pair of chucks for engaging a wafer therebetween, a fixed reference surface and a sensor which is movable with a movable chuck. Measurements are made by the sensor relative to the fixed reference plane when the movable chuck is in engagement with the opposite chuck without a wafer therebetween in order to obtain a standard measurement value. With a wafer between the chucks, the sensor obtains an actual measurement value relative to the fixed reference surface. A calculator determines the difference between the standard and actual measurements values and displays the difference as the thickness of the wafer. Multiple sensors may be used to obtain multiples readings which are averaged by the calculator to obtain a thickness measurement.