Spiral chuck

Abstract

A chuck is provided for holding a semiconductor wafer using a suction force. The chuck includes a chuck plate and may further include a manifold plate, and a seal plate to form a laminated chuck configuration. The chuck plate is disposed about a first axis and includes a first contact region disposed on a first side. The chuck plate further includes a first groove within the first contact region extending generally spirally outwardly from a first location proximate to the first axis to a second location within the first contact region. The chuck plate further includes a first plurality of vacuum holes extending from the first groove into the first side of the chuck plate. A method is provided for a probing a test pad on a semiconductor die disposed on a semiconductor wafer and removing an oxide layer disposed on the test pad. A probe needle contacts the test pad and is overdriven less than or equal to 1 micron into the test pad. The chuck holding the semiconductor wafer is moved in four substantially linear movements defining a substantially quadrangular area wherein each side of the quadrangular area is less than or equal to 1 micron in length, to remove the oxide layer from the test pad.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.