US 10,847,490 B2 · Bonding alignment tool

Abstract

An apparatus includes an alignment module configured to align a first wafer and a second wafer based on alignment markers on the first wafer and corresponding alignment markers on the second wafer. The apparatus further includes a flag placement module configured to insert a plurality of flags between the first wafer and the second wafer, a flag-out mechanism configured to simultaneously move the plurality of flags to a flag-out position, and a controller configured to determine whether the wafers remain aligned within an alignment tolerance based on an amount of time for each flag of the plurality of flags to reach the flag-out position.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

an alignment module configured to align a first wafer and a second wafer based on alignment markings on the first wafer and corresponding alignment markings on the second wafer;
a flag placement module configured to insert a plurality of flags between the first wafer and the second wafer;
a flag-out mechanism configured to use sensors to detect the flags of the plurality of flags and to simultaneously move the flags of the plurality of flags to a flag-out position;
and
a controller configured to determine whether the wafers remain aligned within an alignment tolerance based on an amount of time for each flag of the plurality of flags to reach the flag-out position.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/546,861Filed 21 Aug 2019 · division

Priority

6 Oct 2011

Published

US 2019/0378813 A112 Dec 2019

Granted

24 Nov 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H10P 72/0428
Apparatus for manufacture or treatment: apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting
H10P 72/53
For positioning, orientation or alignment: using optical controlling means
H10W 46/00
Marks applied to devices
H10P 72/50
Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof: for positioning, orientation or alignment

Family

Application13/267,336Parent of this division · filed 6 Oct 2011

Application14/819,552Parent of this division · filed 6 Aug 2015

US 9,123,754 B2Parent of this division · filed 1 Sep 2015

US 2019/0378813 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Dec 2019

US 10,396,054 B2Parent of this division

US 2013/0086786 A1Published application

US 2015/0340337 A1Published application

US 10,847,490 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Bonding alignment tool

Life of this patent

Bonding alignment tool

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20