Low profile wafer carrier
View Patent ↗An apparatus for transporting semiconductor wafers between processing steps that can also be used to support the wafers during various processing steps. The apparatus minimizes the obstruction of fluid flow in the process tank, reduces the amount of devices that will fail due to edge exclusion, and reduces processing times. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a wafer carrier comprising a wire frame having three load supporting members, the load supporting members having a plurality of wafer engaging elements adapted to support a plurality of wafers.
1. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements for supporting at least one wafer in a substantially vertical orientation; and
the wafer carrier having a width that is smaller than the diameter of wafers being supported by the wafer carrier.
2. The wafer carrier of claim 1 wherein the wafer engaging elements are saw-toothed profiles, grooves, or slots.
3. The wafer carrier of claim 1 wherein the wafer engaging elements of the three load-supporting members arc parallelly aligned.
4. The wafer carrier of claim 1 wherein the wafer engaging elements are saw-toothed profiles having wafer contact edges.
5. The wafer carrier of claim 1 wherein the wire frame is chemically resistant and is adapted to withstand thermal cycling a temperatures of 1800° C. with no substantial creep deformation.
6. The wafer carrier of claim 5 wherein the wire frame is constructed of a fluoropolymer.
7. A method of processing wafers comprising loading wafers in the wafer carrier of claim 1 ; introducing the loaded wafer carrier into a process tank; treating the wafers in the carrier with a liquid; and drying the wafers.
8. A process tank which comprises the wafer carrier of claim 1 .
9. The process tank of claim 8 comprising a rinsing tank, a drying tank, or a chemical treatment tank.
10. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
wherein each load supporting member has an elliptical cross section having a major thickness and a minor thickness.
11. The wafer carrier of claim 10 wherein each load supporting member is oriented so that the major thickness of its elliptical cross section is aligned in the load bearing direction.
12. The wafer carrier of claim 10 wherein the minor thickness of each load-supporting member is no more than about 0.5 inches.
13. The wafer carrier of claim 10 wherein the three load supporting members consist of a bottom support member and two side support members.
14. The wafer carrier of claim 13 wherein the major thickness and minor thickness of the bottom support member are larger than the major thickness and minor thickness of the two side support members respectively.
15. The wafer carrier of claim 14 wherein the minor thickness of the bottom support member is no more than about 0.5 inches.
16. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
the wire fame constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating;
wherein the inner core is made of a fluoropolymer.
17. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
the wire fame constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating;
wherein the inner core is made of material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, polyetherketoneketones with carbon fiber, stainless steel, and polyetheretherketones.
18. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
the wire fame constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating;
wherein the outer coating is a fluoropolymer.
19. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
the wire fame constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating;
wherein the outer coating is either a suitable perfluoralkoxy or a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene.
20. A wafer carrier comprising:
a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; and
the wire frame constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating;
wherein the wafer engaging elements are molded into the outer coating.
21. A wafer carrier comprising a wire frame having three load-supporting members having wafer engaging elements; wherein the wafer engaging elements of the three load supporting members are a plurality of parallelly aligned saw-toothed profiles having wafer contact edges; each load supporting member has an elliptical cross section having a major thickness and a minor thickness; each load supporting member is oriented so that the major thickness of its elliptical cross section is aligned in the load bearing direction; the three load supporting members consist of a bottom support member and a two side support members; the major thickness and minor thickness of the bottom support member ire larger than the major thickness and minor thickness of the two side support members respectively; the minor thickness of the bottom support member is no more than about 0.5 inches; the width of the wafer carrier is less than the diameter of the wafers being supported by the wafer carrier, the wafer carrier is chemically resistant and is adapted to withstand thermal cycling at temperatures of 1800° C. with no substantial creep; the wire fame is constructed so as to have an inner core and an outer coating wherein the inner core is ceramic and the outer coating is a fluoropolymer; and the saw toothed profiles are molded into the outer coating.