Apparatus and method for separating wafer slices
AssigneeYield Engineering Systems, Inc.
InventorsAl Stone, Louis Navarro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus to separate a wafer from a pre-sliced boule of wafers may include a conveyor configured to move the pre-sliced boule of wafers from a first end to a second end. A lift yoke, positioned proximate the second end, may include a wafer slot configured to receive a first wafer of the pre-sliced boule therein when the pre-sliced boule is positioned at the second end. A pusher blade may be configured to raise the lift yoke along with the first wafer positioned in its wafer slot from a first position to a second position. The wafer slot may be vertically aligned with the conveyor at the first position and the wafer slot may be positioned above the conveyor in the second position.
Claims20
An apparatus to separate a wafer from a pre-sliced boule of wafers, comprising:
- a conveyor configured to move the pre-sliced boule of wafers from a first end to a second end, wherein one end of the pre-sliced boule includes a first wafer and a second wafer adjacent to the first wafer;
- a lift yoke positioned proximate the second end, wherein the lift yoke includes a wafer slot and configured to receive the first wafer therein when the pre-sliced boule of wafers is positioned at the second end;
- and
- a pusher blade configured to raise the lift yoke along with the first wafer positioned in the wafer slot from a first position to a second position, wherein the wafer slot is vertically aligned with the conveyor at the first position and the wafer slot is positioned above the conveyor in the second position.
An apparatus to separate a wafer from a pre-sliced boule of wafers, comprising:
- a conveyor configured to move the pre-sliced boule of wafers from a first end to a second end, wherein one end of the pre-sliced boule includes a first wafer and a second wafer adjacent to the first wafer;
- a fixed stop positioned proximate the second end of the conveyor and configured to stop the pre-sliced boule of wafers at the second end;
- a lift yoke positioned between the second end of the conveyor and the fixed stop, wherein the lift yoke includes an arc-shaped wafer slot configured to receive the first wafer therein when the pre-sliced boule of wafers is stopped by the fixed stop;
- and
- a pusher blade configured to (a) raise the lift yoke along with the first wafer positioned in the wafer slot from a first position to a second position, wherein the wafer slot is vertically aligned with the conveyor in the first position and the wafer slot is positioned above the conveyor in the second position, and (b) lower the lift yoke from the second position to the first position, wherein the second wafer is configured to received in the wafer slot when the lift yoke is back at the first position.
A method of removing of removing a wafer from a pre-sliced boule of wafers, comprising:
- moving the pre-sliced boule of wafers from a first end to a second end on a conveyor, wherein one end of the pre-sliced boule includes a first wafer and a second wafer adjacent to the first wafer;
- receiving the first wafer in a wafer slot of a lift yoke when the pre-sliced boule of wafers is positioned at the second end;
- and
- raising the lift yoke along with the first wafer positioned in the wafer slot from a first position to a second position, wherein the wafer slot is vertically aligned with the conveyor in the first position and the wafer slot is positioned above the conveyor in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.