Abstract: A debonder apparatus for debonding two via an adhesive layer temporary bonded wafers includes a top chuck assembly, a bottom chuck assembly, a static gantry supporting the top chuck assembly, an X-axis carriage drive supporting the bottom chuck assembly, and an X-axis drive control. The top chuck assembly includes a heater and a wafer holder. The X-axis drive control drives horizontally the bottom chuck assembly from a loading zone to a process zone under the top chuck assembly and from the process zone back to the loading zone. A wafer pair comprising a carrier wafer bonded to a device wafer via an adhesive layer is placed upon the bottom chuck assembly at the loading zone oriented so that the unbonded surface of the device wafer is in contact with the bottom assembly and is carried by the X-axis carriage drive to the process zone under the top chuck assembly and the unbonded surface of the carrier wafer is placed in contact with the top chuck assembly.

Abstract: A device for locating and engaging a notch on the perimeter of a circular wafer includes a notch locating component and a first plate. The notch locating component is configured to move linearly along a first axis and includes a front elongated component extending along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and having a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface and a first protrusion extending from the front surface of the elongated component. The first protrusion has a shape complementing the shape of a notch formed on the perimeter of a circular wafer. As the notch locating component is driven toward the perimeter of the circular wafer along the first axis, a distance between the back surface of the elongated component and a front surface of the first plate is measured and the value of the measured distance is used to determine engagement of the first protrusion with the notch.

Abstract: A device for centering circular wafers includes a support chuck for supporting a circular wafer to be centered upon its top surface, left, right and middle centering linkage rods and a cam plate synchronizing the rectilinear motion of the left, right and middle centering linkage rods. The left centering linkage rod includes a first rotating arm at a first end and rectilinear motion of the left centering linkage rod translates into rotational motion of the first rotating arm. The right centering linkage rod comprises a second rotating arm at a first end, and rectilinear motion of the right centering linkage rod translates into rotational motion of the second rotating arm. The first and second rotating arms are rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the top surface of the support chuck and comprise a curved edge surface configured to roll against the curved edge of the circular wafer. The middle centering linkage rod includes a third alignment arm at a first end.

Abstract: The present application describes a method and a device for keeping the mask dimensions of a mask (6) constant in the mask plane in lithography. The mask (6) is heated due to the exposure during lithography. By means of thermal and/or mechanical methods, the dimensions of the mask (6) are kept constant. It is possible to use additional methods or devices, e.g. an air cooler (17) or an air heater (17), in order to prevent a change in the mask dimensions in the mask plane.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing an adhesive layer from a wafer surface includes a chuck, a contact roller, a pick-up roller and a detaping tape. The chuck supports and holds a wafer that has an adhesive layer on its top surface. The contact roller rotates around a first axis and moves linearly along a direction perpendicular to the first axis over the chuck and the supported wafer. The pick-up roller rotates around a second axis, that is parallel to the first axis. The detaping tape rolls around the contact roller and the pick-up roller, and as it rolls it attaches to the adhesive layer, and then is removed together with the adhesive layer. The contact roller has a surface that has a footprint of a circle when rolled along a flat surface.

Abstract: A debonder apparatus for debonding a temporary bonded wafer pair. The clam shell reactor includes first and second isolated chambers. An upper chuck is contained within the first chamber and has a lower surface protruding into the second chamber. A lower chuck is contained within the second chamber and has an upper surface oriented parallel and opposite to the lower surface of the upper chuck. The debonder includes means for holding an unbounded surface of the first wafer onto the lower surface of the upper chuck. The first chamber pressurizing means applies pressure onto an upper surface of the upper chuck and thereby causes the lower surface of the upper chuck and the attached wafer pair to bow downward. The debonder apparatus also includes means for initiating a separation front at a point of the bonding interface of the temporary bonded wafer pair.

Abstract: A method for temporary bonding first and second wafers includes, applying a first adhesive layer upon a first surface of a first wafer and then curing the first adhesive layer. Next, applying a second adhesive layer upon a first surface of a second wafer. Next, inserting the first wafer into a bonder module and holding the first wafer by an upper chuck assembly so that its first surface with the cured first adhesive layer faces down. Next, inserting the second wafer into the bonder module and placing the second wafer upon a lower chuck assembly so that the second adhesive layer faces up and is opposite to the first adhesive layer. Next, moving the lower chuck assembly upwards and bringing the second adhesive layer in contact with the cured first adhesive layer, and then curing the second adhesive layer.

Abstract: An industrial-scale high throughput wafer bonding apparatus includes a wafer bonder chamber extending along a main axis and comprising a plurality of chamber zones, a plurality of heater/isolator plates, a guide rod system extending along the main axis, a pair of parallel track rods extending along the main axis, and first pressure means. The chamber zones are separated from each other and thermally isolated from each other by the heater/isolator plates. The heater/isolator plates are oriented perpendicular to the main axis, are movably supported and guided by the guide rod system and are configured to move along the direction of the main axis. Each of the chamber zones is dimensioned to accommodate an aligned wafer pair and the wafer pairs are configured to be supported by the parallel track rods. The first pressure means is configured to apply a first force perpendicular to a first end heater/isolator plate.

Abstract: A debonder apparatus includes a chuck assembly, a flex plate assembly, a contact roller and a resistance roller. The chuck assembly includes a chuck and a first wafer holder holding a first wafer of a bonded wafer pair in contact with the chuck. The flex plate assembly includes a flex plate and a second wafer holder holding a second wafer of the bonded wafer pair in contact with the flex plate. The flex plate is placed above the chuck. The contact roller is arranged adjacent to a first edge of the chuck and pushes and lifts up a first edge of the flex plate, while the resistance roller traverses horizontally over the flex plate and applies a downward force upon the flex plate and thereby the bonded wafer pair delaminates along a release layer and the first and second wafers are separated from each other.

Abstract: By means of the device for coating a substrate (2; 102) according to the present invention, a homogeneous coating of the substrate (2; 102) can be achieved. The device comprises a holding and rotating means for holding and rotating the substrate (2; 102) about an axis (A). A disk (3) is provided below the substrate (2; 102). Said disk (3) is arranged coaxially with respect to the substrate (2; 102), has at least the same diameter as the substrate (2; 102) and is able to rotate synchronously with the substrate (2; 102). By means of the disk (3), air swirls at the edge of and below the substrate (2; 102) are avoided during coating of the substrate (2; 102). Thus, it is possible to obtain a homogeneous coating. For being able to load and unload a substrate (2; 102) into and out of the device by means of a conventional gripper system (6), the distance between substrate (2; 102) and disk (3) is increased during loading and unloading.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for debonding temporary bonded wafers includes a debonder, a cleaning module and a taping module. A vacuum chuck is used in the debonder for holding the debonded thinned wafer and remains with the thinned debonded wafer during the follow up processes steps of cleaning and mounting onto a dicing tape. In one embodiment the debonded thinned wafer remains onto the vacuum chuck and is moved with the vacuum chuck into the cleaning module and then the taping module. In another embodiment the debonded thinned wafer remains onto the vacuum chuck and first the cleaning module moves over the thinned wafer to clean the wafer and then the taping module moves over the thinned wafer to mount a dicing tape onto the wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus for debonding two temporary bonded wafers includes a chuck assembly, a flex plate assembly and a contact roller. The chuck assembly includes a chuck and a first wafer holder to hold wafers in contact with the top surface of the chuck. The flex plate assembly includes a flex plate and a second wafer holder configured to hold wafers in contact with a first surface of the flex plate. The flex plate comprises a first edge arranged adjacent to a first edge of the chuck and connected to a hinge. The flex plate is configured to swing around the hinge and to be placed above the top surface of the chuck. The contact roller is arranged adjacent to a second edge of the chuck, which is diametrically opposite to its first edge. A debond drive motor moves the contact roller vertical to the plane of the chuck top surface.

Abstract: The present application describes a method and a device for keeping the mask dimensions of a mask (6) constant in the mask plane in lithography. The mask (6) is heated due to the exposure during lithography. By means of thermal and/or mechanical methods, the dimensions of the mask (6) are kept constant. It is possible to use additional methods or devices, e.g. an air cooler (17) or an air heater (17), in order to prevent a change in the mask dimensions in the mask plane. (FIG. 1).

Abstract: An improved apparatus for temporary wafer bonding includes a temporary bonder cluster and a debonder cluster. The temporary bonder cluster includes temporary bonder modules that perform electronic wafer bonding processes including adhesive layer bonding, combination of an adhesive layer with a release layer bonding and a combination of a UV-light curable adhesive layer with a laser absorbing release layer bonding. The debonder cluster includes a thermal slide debonder, a mechanical debonder and a radiation debonder.

Abstract: An industrial-scale high throughput wafer bonding apparatus includes a wafer bonder chamber extending along a main axis and comprising a plurality of chamber zones, a plurality of heater/isolator plates, a guide rod system extending along the main axis, a pair of parallel track rods extending along the main axis, and first pressure means. The chamber zones are separated from each other and thermally isolated from each other by the heater/isolator plates. The heater/isolator plates are oriented perpendicular to the main axis, are movably supported and guided by the guide rod system and are configured to move along the direction of the main axis. Each of the chamber zones is dimensioned to accommodate an aligned wafer pair and the wafer pairs are configured to be supported by the parallel track rods. The first pressure means is configured to apply a first force perpendicular to a first end heater/isolator plate.

Abstract: An improved wafer-to-wafer bonding method includes aligning an upper and a lower wafer and initiating a bond at a single point by applying pressure to a single point of the upper wafer via the flow of pressurized gas through a port terminating at the single point. The bond-front propagates radially across the aligned oppositely oriented wafer surfaces at a set radial velocity rate bringing the two wafer surfaces into full atomic contact by controlling the gas pressure and/or controlling the velocity of the motion of the lower wafer up toward the upper wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning semiconductor wafers includes equipment for positioning a first surface of a first semiconductor wafer directly opposite to a first surface of a second semiconductor wafer and equipment for aligning a first structure on the first semiconductor wafer with a second structure on the first surface of the second semiconductor wafer. The aligning equipment comprises at least one movable alignment device configured to be moved during alignment and to be inserted between the first surface of the first semiconductor wafer and the first surface of the second semiconductor wafer. The positioning equipment are vibrationally and mechanically isolated from the alignment device motion.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing an adhesive layer from a wafer surface includes a chuck, a contact roller, a pick-up roller and a detaping tape. The chuck is configured to support and hold a wafer that comprises an adhesive layer on its top surface. The contact roller comprises an elongated cylindrical body extending along a first axis passing through its center and is configured to rotate around the first axis and to move linearly along a direction perpendicular to the first axis over the chuck and the supported wafer. The pick-up roller comprises an elongated cylindrical body extending along a second axis passing through its center and is configured to rotate around the second axis. The second axis is parallel to the first axis and the pick-up roller is arranged at a first distance from the contact roller. The detaping tape rolls around the contact roller and the pick-up roller, and as it rolls it attaches to the adhesive layer, and then is removed together with the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A debonder apparatus for debonding a temporary bonded wafer pair includes a clam-shell type reactor, an upper chuck and a lower chuck. The reactor includes first and second isolated chambers. The upper chuck is contained within the first chamber and has a lower surface protruding into the second chamber and an edge configured to be held in fixed position via clamping means. The lower chuck is contained within the second chamber and has an upper surface oriented parallel and opposite to the lower surface of the upper chuck. The debonder apparatus also includes means for holding an unbonded surface of the first wafer of the temporary bonded wafer pair onto the lower surface of the upper chuck, and means for pressurizing the first chamber. The first chamber pressurizing means applies pressure onto an upper surface of the upper chuck while the upper chuck edge is held in fixed position via the clamping means, and thereby causes the lower surface of the upper chuck and the attached wafer pair to bow downward.

Abstract: A debonder apparatus for debonding a temporary bonded wafer pair includes a chuck assembly, a flex plate assembly, a contact roller and a resistance roller. The chuck assembly includes a chuck and a first wafer holder configured to hold a first wafer of the temporary bonded wafer pair in contact with a top surface of the chuck. The flex plate assembly includes a flex plate and a second wafer holder configured to hold a second wafer of the temporary bonded wafer pair in contact with a first surface of the flex plate. The flex plate is configured to be placed above the top surface of the chuck. The contact roller is arranged adjacent to a first edge of the chuck and includes means for pushing and lifting up a first edge of the flex plate. The resistance roller includes means for traversing horizontally over the flex plate and means for applying a downward force upon the flex plate.