# US 2021/0242069 A1 · Wafer chuck > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242069 A1 - Document ID: US20210242069A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/029,402 - Filed: 2020-09-23 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Sungil CHOI; Hyeondong SONG; Myeongshik SHIM; Jonghyun HONG; Bonggyo SEO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242069A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks - H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile} - H10P 72/7614: {characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A wafer chuck includes a body portion; a vacuum barrier portion including a wall structure arranged at the same distance from a center point of the body portion; f protrusions arranged inside and outside the vacuum barrier portion, protruding from a top surface of the body portion and spaced apart from each other; and a vacuum portion including vacuum holes spaced apart from each other penetrating the body portion inside the vacuum barrier portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wafer chuck comprising: a body portion; a vacuum barrier portion including a wall structure arranged at the same distance from a center point of the body portion; protrusions inside and outside the vacuum barrier portion, protruding from a top surface of the body portion and spaced apart from each other; and a vacuum portion including vacuum holes spaced apart from each other penetrating the body portion inside the vacuum barrier portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the body portion has a disc shape and the body portion includes a ceramic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier portion and the protrusions have top surfaces of the same height. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein a height from the top surface of the body portion to a top surface of the vacuum barrier portion is greater than a height from the top surface of the body portion to top surfaces of the protrusions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier portion, the protrusions, and the body portion are configured as one body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier portion includes a circular structure spaced by a distance from a circumference of the body portion on the top surface of the body portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier portion includes a first vacuum barrier portion at a first distance from the center point of the body portion and a second vacuum barrier portion at a second distance different than the first distance from the center point of the body portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein the protrusions include a first sub-protrusion portion on the body portion and a second sub-protrusion portion on the first sub-protrusion portion, wherein a diameter of the second sub-protrusion portion is less than a diameter of the first sub-protrusion portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wafer chuck of claim 1, wherein, when the wafer is seated on the vacuum barrier portion and the protrusions on the body portion, an inner region of the vacuum barrier portion on the body portion includes one vacuum region through the vacuum holes in the vacuum portion. ### Claim 10 A wafer chuck comprising: a body portion; a vacuum barrier portion including a wall structure arranged at the same distance from a center point of the body portion; protrusions inside and outside the vacuum barrier portion, protruding from a top surface of the body portion and spaced apart from each other, wherein the protrusions are arranged along virtual circles, the virtual circles having a central point at the center point of the body portion, and two adjacent protrusions on one of the virtual circles and the closest adjacent protrusion on an adjacent virtual circle form a triangle, the triangle being an equidistant triangle; and a vacuum portion including vacuum holes spaced apart from each other penetrating the body portion inside the vacuum barrier portion, wherein the vacuum holes are at a center portion of the body portion and at an inner peripheral portion of the vacuum barrier portion. ### Claim 11 The wafer chuck of claim of 10, wherein the protrusions include first protrusions spaced apart from each other along a first virtual circle at a first distance from the center point of the body portion and second protrusions spaced apart from each other along a second virtual circle spaced apart from the first virtual circle by a radiation pitch, and one of the first protrusion and the second protrusions closest to the one of the first protrusion form the triangle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wafer chuck of claim 11, wherein the second virtual circle is at a second distance greater than the first distance from the center point of the body portion, or at a third distance that is less than the first distance from the center of the body portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wafer chuck of claim 11, wherein one of the second protrusions and the first protrusions closest to the one of the second protrusions form the triangle, or two second protrusions and one of the first protrusions closest to the two second protrusions form the triangle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The wafer chuck of claim 10, wherein a number of the protrusions is based on a safety factor, the safety factor being a ratio of fracture stress of the wafer to stress applied to the wafer, based on the stress applied to the wafer seated on the body portion by vacuum pressure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The wafer chuck of claim 10, wherein the body portion includes a paddle insertion portion having an insertion groove into which a wafer transfer paddle is configured to be inserted from a circumference to the center portion of the body portion, and the vacuum barrier portion includes a circular structure spaced apart by a distance from the circumference of the body portion on the top surface of the body portion, except for the paddle insertion portion. ### Claim 16 A wafer chuck comprising: a body portion; a paddle insertion portion including an insertion groove into which a wafer transfer paddle is configured to be inserted, on one side of the body portion; a vacuum barrier portion including a wall structure spaced apart from a center point of the body portion, on the body portion except for the paddle insertion portion, and at the same distance from the center point of the body portion; protrusions inside and outside the vacuum barrier portion, protruding from a top surface of the body portion and spaced apart from each other; a central vacuum portion in a vicinity of a center portion inside of the vacuum barrier portion and including a first vacuum hole penetrating the body portion; and a peripheral vacuum portion in a vicinity of a periphery portion inside of the vacuum barrier portion and including second vacuum holes spaced apart from each other penetrating the body portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The wafer chuck of claim 16, wherein the first vacuum hole includes sub-vacuum holes arranged apart from each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wafer chuck of claim 17, wherein the sub-vacuum holes include a hexagonal structure, and a separation distance between the sub-vacuum holes is the same. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The wafer chuck of claim 16, wherein the second vacuum holes are inside the vacuum barrier portion on both sides of the paddle insertion portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The wafer chuck of claim 16, wherein an inner region of the vacuum barrier portion on the body portion includes one vacuum region by the central vacuum portion and the peripheral vacuum portion.