Vacuum wafer chuck for manufacturing semiconductor devices

A vacuum chuck for handling a warp substrate, comprising:

• at least one vacuum groove located on a top surface of the vacuum chuck, wherein the top surface is configured to face the warp substrate, wherein the at least one vacuum groove is associated with a first plurality of pin holes, wherein each of the first plurality of pin holes is vertically aligned with the at least one vacuum groove, and wherein a respective one of the first plurality of pin holes is configured to allow a respective one of a first plurality of pins to extend upwardly and retract through the respective one of the first plurality of pin holes to raise and lower the warp substrate on the vacuum chuck;
• a first flexible seal ring disposed on the vacuum chuck and extending outwardly from the top surface, wherein the first flexible seal ring is configured to directly contact a bottom surface of the warp substrate and is adjacent to the at least one vacuum groove so as to form a vacuum seal between the substrate and the vacuum chuck, wherein the first flexible seal ring is positioned to surround a second pin hole formed in the vacuum chuck, and wherein the second pin hole is configured to allow a second pin to extend upwardly and retract through the second pin hole to raise and lower the warp substrate on the vacuum chuck;
• and
• a second flexible seal ring that follows a contour of a peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck including a cutout region of the vacuum chuck, wherein the cutout region extends toward a center of the vacuum chuck so as to allow a mechanism to load and unload the substrate onto and from the vacuum chuck, and wherein the second flexible seal ring is configured to directly contact the bottom surface of the warp substrate and is adjacent to the at least one vacuum groove so as to form a vacuum seal between the warp substrate and the vacuum chuck.

A method for handling a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• placing the semiconductor substrate on a top surface of a vacuum chuck having at least one vacuum groove formed therein, and at least one flexible seal ring located adjacent to of the at least one vacuum groove and extending upwardly from the top surface, wherein the at least one flexible seal ring follows a contour of a peripheral edge of the vacuum chuck including a cutout region of the vacuum chuck, wherein the cutout region extends toward a center of the vacuum chuck so as to allow a mechanism to load and unload the substrate onto and from the vacuum chuck, wherein the at least one vacuum groove is associated with a first plurality of pin holes, wherein each of the first plurality of pin holes is vertically aligned with the at least one vacuum groove, and wherein a respective one of the first plurality of pin holes is configured to allow a respective one of a first plurality of pins to extend upwardly and retract through the respective one of the first plurality of pin holes to raise and lower the semiconductor substrate on the vacuum chuck;
• applying a vacuum suction via the at least one vacuum groove on the vacuum chuck so as to form a vacuum seal between the semiconductor substrate and the vacuum chuck within an interior space of the at least one flexible seal ring;
• performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• releasing the vacuum suction on the vacuum chuck.