US 5,213,451 A · Apparatus and method of automatically separating stacked wafers

Abstract

The separation of thin disk-type workpieces from a stack has, as a rule, hitherto been carried out by hand. An apparatus and a corresponding method are now provided which make it possible to lift the wafer off the stack without mechanical contact, and also to convey the separated wafers to the tray and to introduce them in an automated way without damage. In this method, a stack of disk-type workpieces is introduced into a wafer magazine with a feed unit which brings the uppermost wafer of the wafer stack into the sphere of action of a fluid medium which emerges under pressure in a preferred direction from a nozzle system. A dam makes it possible to remove a single wafer. The apparatus and the method make possible separation without damage while increasing the yield. In conjunction with a conveying apparatus, an apparatus for tray filling processing lines can be built up for automatically treating disk-type workpieces without damage.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating semiconductor wafers from a wafer stack having two uppermost wafers and utilizing a liquid medium having a sphere of action, comprising:

a wafer magazine for receiving the wafer stack having a feed unit which brings the uppermost wafer of said wafer stack into the sphere of action of the liquid medium;
a separating nozzle system which is directed at a separating joint between two uppermost wafers of the wafer stack at edges of the two uppermost wafers of the wafer stack, said separating nozzle system releasing the liquid medium to lift off the uppermost wafer of the wafer stack;
a conveying nozzle system which is directed at an acute angle at the surface of the uppermost wafer of the wafer stack, said conveying nozzle system releasing the liquid medium to push the uppermost wafer in a forward direction for leaving out of the wafer magazine, said wafer leaving the magazine having a lower face;
and
a dam means having an upper edge substantially situated parallel to the lower face of the wafer leaving the magazine, said dam means acting as stripping edge which prevents more than one wafer at a time from leaving the wafer magazine.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method of automatically separating stacked wafers

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method of automatically separating stacked wafers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6