Machine for grinding-polishing of a water edge
AssigneeAccretech USA, Inc.
InventorRobert E. Steere, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The wafer edge processing unit may be a stand alone unit or may be incorporated in existing grinding machines. The processing unit employs a plurality of tapes which are coated with differing grades of grit to sequentially polish the edge of a rotating wafer or to remove an edge bead from a processed wafer or the other substrate. The tapes are mounted on a backing block which is rotated to move the tapes from a line contact with the top bevel of the wafer to a line contact with the bottom bevel of the wafer. Fresh surfaces of the tapes are presented to successive wafers by rotating the spools on which the tapes are mounted. The wafer may be moved in small increments along a Y-axis and/or an X-axis relative to a tape during polishing to improve the polishing operation.
Claims33
A wafer processing machine comprising
- a chuck for holding a wafer thereon for rotation about an axis of rotation passing transversely through said chuck;
- and
- a wafer edge processing unit for working a peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck during rotation of said chuck, said processing unit including a first means for positioning a working medium in a first position against the peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck and a second means for moving said first means in a plane perpendicular to said chuck during rotation of said chuck to move the working medium from against the peripheral edge of the wafer into contact with at least one side of the wafer on said chuck.
A wafer processing machine comprising
- a chuck for holding a wafer thereon for rotation about an axis of rotation passing transversely through said chuck;
- a wafer edge processing unit for working a peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck during rotation of said chuck, said processing unit including a first means for sequentially positioning a selected one of a plurality of working mediums against the peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck and a second means for moving the selected working medium in a plane perpendicular to said chuck during rotation of said chuck to place the working medium in contact with at least one side of the wafer on said chuck.
A wafer grinding and polishing machine comprising
- a grinding station for grinding a peripheral edge of a wafer;
- a polishing station for polishing the peripheral edge of a wafer ground in said grinding station, said polishing station including a rotatable chuck for receiving a wafer thereon for rotation about an axis of rotation passing perpendicularly of said chuck and a polishing unit for polishing a peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck during rotation of said chuck, said polishing unit including a first means for positioning a polishing medium in a first position against the peripheral edge of a wafer on said chuck and a second means for moving said first means in a plane perpendicular to said chuck during rotation of said chuck to move the polishing medium from against the peripheral edge of the wafer into contact with at least one side of the wafer on said chuck;
- and
- a conveyor for moving a wafer from said grinding station to said polishing station.
A processing unit for working an edge of a substrate, said working unit including
- a first means for positioning a working medium in a first position against an edge of a moving substrate;
- and
- a second means for moving said first means in a plane perpendicular to the substrate during movement of the substrate to move the working medium from against the edge of the moving substrate into contact with at least one side of the moving substrate.
A processing unit for working an edge of a wafer, said processing unit including
- a first means for positioning a working medium against an edge of a rotating wafer, said first means including a backing block facing the wafer, a facing plate movably mounted on said block and disposed in backing contact with a working medium, and sensing means for sensing movement of said facing plate towards said block in response to contact of the working medium with a wafer and emitting a responsive signal thereto as a measure of a contact force between the working medium and the wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.