Abstract: A workpiece (16), for example a magnetic bubble memory wafer, is held in place, and heat is removed from it by an expandable heat pipe (22) during a process performed in a vacuum as, for example, a sputter etch process. The expandable heat pipe (22) includes two plates (24, 26) joined by a bellows (28) to form a sealed chamber containing a vaporizable liquid such as water. During loading of the wafers the heat pipe (22) is compressed by atmospheric pressure and thereby facilitates easy assembly of the wafer (16) and heat pipe (22) into a holding fixture (10) which in turn is bolted to a cooling plate (30) situated inside a vacuum chamber. When the chamber is evacuated, the heat pipe (22) expands to hold the wafer (16) in place and form a good thermal path from the wafer (16) to the cooling plate (30).

Abstract: Removing dice (16) from a wafer (10) which has been attached to a tape layer (12, 14) and severed into individual die (16) leaving the tape layer (12, 14) in one piece is accomplished by attaching the tape layer (12, 14) to a length of adhesive tape (18). The adhesive tape (18) is passed across a surface (20) and through a slot (38) in the surface (20) causing the die (16) to pass across the slot (38) and away from the tape layer (12, 14) which remains attached to the adhesive tape (18).

Abstract: A workpiece (16), for example a magnetic bubble memory wafer, is held in place, and heat is removed from it by an expandable heat pipe (22) during a process performed in a vacuum as, for example, a sputter etch process. The expandable heat pipe (22) includes two plates (24, 26) joined by a bellows (28) to form a sealed chamber containing a vaporizable liquid such as water. During loading of the wafers the heat pipe (22) is compressed by atmospheric pressure and thereby facilitates easy assembly of the wafer (16) and heat pipe (22) into a holding fixture (10) which in turn is bolted to a cooling plate (30) situated inside a vacuum chamber. When the chamber is evacuated, the heat pipe (22) expands to hold the wafer (16) in place and form a good thermal path from the wafer (16) to the cooling plate (30).