# US 12,224,199 B2 · Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

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- Number: US 12,224,199 B2
- Document ID: US12224199B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/518,727
- Filed: 2021-11-04
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-29
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Takafumi Yamamoto; Takuya Nomoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224199B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks
- H10P 14/6328: {Deposition from the gas or vapour phase}
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a stage having a mounting region for a wafer on an upper surface, a plurality of sucking pipes extending from the mounting region to a back surface side of the stage through the stage, a vacuum pump that is connected to the plurality of sucking pipes and sucks the wafer onto the mounting region via the plurality of sucking pipes, a cup provided on the upper surface of the stage and covering the wafer, a gas supply line that pressurizes a space surrounded by the upper surface of the stage and the cup and a pressure sensor that detects pressure in the plurality of sucking pipes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a stage having a mounting region for a wafer on an upper surface;
a plurality of sucking pipes extending from the mounting region to a back surface side of the stage through the stage;
a vacuum pump that is connected to the plurality of sucking pipes and sucks the wafer onto the mounting region via the plurality of sucking pipes;
a cup provided on the upper surface of the stage and covering the wafer;
a gas supply line that pressurizes a space surrounded by the upper surface of the stage and the cup; and
a pressure sensor that detects pressure in the plurality of sucking pipes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector that detects presence or absence of a defect in a region of the wafer that each of the plurality of sucking pipes sucks, from the pressure measured by the pressure sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a densitometer that detects a concentration of gas supplied from the gas supply line in the plurality of sucking pipes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is provided in each of the plurality of sucking pipes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of valves provided respectively between the plurality of sucking pipes and the pressure sensor,
wherein the detector sequentially brings the plurality of valves into an open state and detects the presence or absence of the defect in a region of the wafer that the sucking pipe corresponding to the valve in the open state sucks, from the pressure in the sucking pipe corresponding to the valve in the open state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the detector detects the presence or absence of the defect in a center of the wafer after detecting the presence or absence of the defect in a peripheral portion of the wafer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein sucking ports of the plurality of sucking pipes are arranged in a grid form in the mounting region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supplied through the gas supply line is He or N2.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wafer is made with a wide bandgap semiconductor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor is silicon carbide, a gallium nitride-based material or diamond.