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US 6,826,840 B1Granted
Semiconductor wafer scribing system
AssigneeMicro Processing Technology, Inc.
InventorsPaul C. Lindsey, Jeffery D. Atkinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for scribing a fixed, stationary semi-conductor wager wherein a multi-stage gantry is employed to move a scribe tool relative to the wafer. The force applied to the wafer by the scribe tool is controlled by an encoder detecting flexing of a scribe tool holder.
Claims25
Apparatus for scribing semiconductor wafers comprising, in combination:
- a wafer support for rigidly supporting a wafer and maintaining said wafer against movement;
- a scribe tool;
- a scribe tool holder holding said scribe tool;
- support structure supporting said scribe tool holder, said support structure operable to selectively bring said scribe tool into engagement with said wafer and to move said scribe tool relative to said wafer while in engagement therewith and while said wafer is rigidly supported by and maintained against movement by said wafer support to form a scribe line in said wafer, said scribe tool holder including at least one flexible scribe tool holder element located adjacent to said scribe tool and bendable responsive to pressure being exerted on a wafer fixedly held on said wafer support by said scribe tool.
1 more element
A method for scribing semiconductor wafers, said method comprising the steps of:
- rigidly supporting a wafer on a wafer support;
- maintaining said wafer support and wafer against movement;
- supporting a scribe tool holder holding a scribe tool from support structure disposed adjacent to said wafer support;
- employing said support structure to selectively move said scribe tool holder and selectively bring said scribe tool into engagement with said wafer;
- and
- while said scribe tool is in engagement with said wafer and while said wafer is rigidly supported on and maintained against movement by said wafer support, utilizing said support structure to move said scribe tool holder and scribe tool relative to said wafer to form a scribe line in said wafer, said scribe tool holder including at least one flexible scribe tool holder element adjacent to said scribe tool, said method including the step of bending said at least one flexible scribe tool holder element responsive to pressure being exerted on said wafer by said scribe tool.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.