Material or article handling – Article reorienting device – Orienter has article gripping means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-11
2001-06-05
Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Article reorienting device
Orienter has article gripping means
C414S936000, C414S941000, C414S816000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wafer inspecting apparatus and method which enable visual macroscopic inspection of a wafer.
A wafer inspecting apparatus has conventionally been put into practical use, which can pick up a desired wafer from a wafer holder holding a plurality of wafers and macroscopically inspect the picked wafer by visual observation. For example, according to one such apparatus, a desired wafer is picked up from a wafer holder holding a plurality of wafers by a wafer pickup/return arm, and is supplied onto a macro-table. The edge portion of the lower surface of the wafer supplied onto the macro-table is held by suction with a wafer holding arm, and the wafer is turned. After the lower surface of the wafer is observed, the wafer is returned onto the macro-table, and is returned to the original position in the wafer holder with the wafer pickup/return arm.
With this wafer inspecting apparatus, upon macroscopic inspection of the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer, the lower surface of the wafer is held by suction with the wafer holding arm. In the macroscopic inspection of the lower surface, the portion held by suction with the wafer holding arm cannot be seen. Therefore, observation of the entire surface of the wafer cannot be performed, and the precision of macroscopic inspection decreases.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a wafer inspecting apparatus and method which enable macroscopic inspection of the entire surface of the wafer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the first invention of the present invention, there is provided a wafer inspecting apparatus characterized by comprising wafer transfer means for picking up a desired wafer from a wafer holder holding a plurality of wafers, wafer support means thereon for supporting the wafer picked up by the wafer transfer means and rotating the supported wafer at least through a predetermined angle, wafer holding means, having a plurality of wafer holding portions extending toward a center of the wafer, for holding the wafer supported on the wafer support means by coming into contact with one surface thereof with the plurality of wafer holding portions, and turning the held wafer to observe one surface thereof, and control means for supporting the wafer on the wafer support means again, after the wafer is turned by the wafer holding means, and rotating the wafer through a predetermined angle with the wafer support means, and inverting the wafer holding means.
In this case, the plurality of wafer holding portions of the wafer holding means may hold the wafer by suction.
The control means rotates the wafer supported on the wafer support means through such a rotational angle that a moving amount larger than the width of the wafer holding portions can be obtained.
Upon observing one surface of the wafer, the control means may rotate the wafer supported on the wafer support means so that a region concealed by the plurality of wafer holding portions can be observed.
The wafer support means may be a center table of the wafer inspecting apparatus, and the control means may control the rotational angle of the center table.
According to the second invention of the present invention, there is provided a wafer inspecting method characterized by comprising picking up a desired wafer from a wafer holder holding a plurality of wafers, transporting the picked wafer onto a center table, holding the wafer transported to the center table by coming into contact with a lower surface thereof with a plurality of wafer holding portions, and turning the held wafer to observe the lower surface thereof, restoring the turned wafer to a state wherein an upper surface of the wafer faces up and then transporting the wafer to the center table so as to rotate the center table, thereby rotating the wafer transported to the center table through a predetermined angle, and holding the wafer, which has been rotated through the predetermined angle, by coming into contact with the lower surface thereof with the plurality of wafer holding portions, and turning the held wafer again to observe the lower surface thereof.
As a result, according to the present invention, after the surface of the wafer held by the wafer holding portions is observed, the wafer is supported on the wafer support means and is rotated through the predetermined angle. The wafer is held by suction with the wafer holding means again, and the surface of the wafer is observed again. Therefore, that surface of the wafer, which is unseen when the wafer is held by the wafer holding means for the first time, can be exposed when the wafer is held by the wafer holding means for the second time. As a result, the entire surface of the wafer can be thoroughly observed.
According to the present invention, since the non-inspected region concealed by the wafer holding means can be exposed again near the wafer holding means, it can be recognized easily and efficient observation can be performed.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4917556 (1990-04-01), Stark et al.
patent: 5547515 (1996-08-01), Kudo et al.
patent: 1-207942 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 6-160292 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 8-102479 (1996-04-01), None
Kato Tomoo
Nirei Tatsuo
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Krizek Janice L.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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