Device and method for inspecting semiconductor wafers
AssigneeAltatech Semiconductor
InventorsPhilippe Gastaldo, François Berger, Cleonisse Serrecchia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Semiconductor wafer inspection device comprising a wager transport arm provided with at least one wafer support element, a wafer gripper, the gripper having two distant branches designed to take hold of the opposed edges of the wafer, the gripper being mounted so as to rotate on a shaft in order to be able to rotate the wafer between an approximately horizontal position and an approximately vertical position, and at least two inspection systems placed on one side of the wafer and on the other, in an approximately vertical position symmetrically with respect to the plane passing through the wafer.
Claims17
Device for inspecting semiconductor wafers comprising:
- a wafer transport arm which is provided with at least one wafer support element comprising a gripper for gripping wafers, the gripper comprising two remote limbs which are configured to hold opposing edges of the wafer, the gripper being rotatably mounted on a shaft so as to be able to rotate the wafer between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position, and
- at least two inspection systems which are arranged at one side and the other of the wafer in its substantially vertical position, symmetrically relative to the plane which extends through the wafer,
- wherein each inspection system comprises at least one light source and at least one camera, each camera being positioned in order to capture the light reflected by the surface of the wafer opposite it and each light source being positioned in order to transmit an incident light beam towards the surface,
- wherein each light source comprises a video screen arranged to illuminate a respective face of the wafer, and
- wherein, during use, the inspection systems are actuated when the wafer is immobile in a substantially vertical position.
Method for inspecting semiconductor wafers, comprising:
- conveying a semiconductor wafer to be inspected by at least one support element belonging to a transport arm, the support element comprising remote limbs, which are part of a gripper, wherein the gripper grips opposite edges of the wafer;
- rotating the gripper about a shaft which causes the wafer to move from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position;
- and
- while the gripper holds the wafer in a fixed substantially vertical position, actuating at least two inspection systems, which are arranged at one side and the other of the wafer in its substantially vertical position, symmetrically relative to the plane which extends through the wafer,
- wherein each inspection system comprises at least one light source and at least one camera, each camera being positioned in order to capture the light reflected by the surface of the wafer opposite it and each light source being positioned in order to transmit an incident light beam towards the surface;
- wherein each light source comprises a video screen arranged to illuminate a respective face of the wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.