Compliant pad wafer chuck

A platform for supporting thin, substantially flat substrates during observation of characteristics of the substrates, including in combination:

• a rigid base member having a substantially planar top surface;
• and a resilient pad member supported on the base member, the pad member having a top surface, at least a portion of which has a pattern of raised areas thereon to provide selective deformation of the raised areas when a substrate is placed thereon.

A platform pad used in conjunction with supporting semiconductor wafers in a substantially horizontal position during evaluation of wafer characteristics wherein the pad is constructed of compliant materials selected to deform under the weight of a semiconductor wafer placed thereon, the resilience of the pad being selected such that the weight of a wafer thereon overcomes the restoring force of the compliant materials.

A platform pad used to support semiconductor wafers in a substantially horizontal position during evaluation of wafer characteristics, wherein the pad has a top surface which includes a plurality of islands separated by grooves.

A platform pad used for supporting semiconductor wafers in a substantially horizontal position wherein the pad surface includes means for preventing potentially distorting particles on the surface thereof from forming an image on the opposite side of a semiconductor wafer placed on the pad.

A method for forming a platform pad used to support semiconductor wafers in a substantially horizontal position during evaluation of wafer characteristics including:

• forming the pad of compliant material selected to deform under the weight of a semiconductor wafer placed thereon;
• securing the pad to the surface of a substantially flat chuck base member;
• and lapping the upper/exposed surface of the pad to create a flat planar surface thereon.