System, method and apparatus for ultrasonic inspection

Abstract

A coupler and a chuck are described. The chuck is configured to secure an article while the wafer is undergoing an inspection process. The chuck has a plurality of vacuum areas, some of which hold the wafer in place while others suction couplant from the edge surface of the wafer. The coupler is used to inspect a surface and subsurface of the wafer for defects and includes a sensing device. One or more couplant inlet couplings are disposed on a second portion of the coupler and provide couplant to a portion of the wafer inspected by the sensing device. Vacuum inlet couplings is disposed on a third portion of the coupler. At least one vacuum inlet coupling provides suction through a recessed portion of a lower surface of the coupler to remove couplant that is outside the portion of the wafer being inspected by the sensing device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.