IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,557,589
Granted Patent B2
US 12,557,589 · App. 18/098,156 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Wafer treatment apparatus capable of measuring warpage of wafer and method of measuring warpage of wafer

Inventor: Young Jun Son (Cheonan-si, KR)
Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
H01L21/67288H01L22/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,557,589
App. No.
18/098,156
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a wafer treatment apparatus capable of measuring warpage of a wafer, the wafer treatment apparatus including a support plate providing a surface on which the wafer is supported, a temperature control channel mounted in the support plate to provide a path through which a fluid flows, and a plurality of warpage measurers disposed on the support plate and having lower ends mounted to be vertically spaced apart from an upper portion of the temperature control channel.

Claims (67)

1 . A wafer treatment apparatus capable of measuring warpage of a wafer, the wafer treatment apparatus comprising:

a support plate providing a surface on which the wafer is supported;

a temperature control channel mounted in the support plate to provide a path through which a fluid flows; and

a plurality of warpage measurers disposed on the support plate and having lower ends mounted to be vertically spaced apart from an upper portion of the temperature control channel,

wherein, when the warpage measurers are pressed by a weight of the wafer, the lower ends of the warpage measurers come into contact with the fluid of the temperature control channel.

2 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of warpage measurers are mounted at positions corresponding to a plurality of portions of the wafer, and

wherein a certain warpage measurer corresponding to a portion positioned lower than a plane of the wafer due to warpage of the wafer is pressed first to contact the fluid of the temperature control channel.

3 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the warpage measurers are disposed in recesses provided on the support plate, and

wherein each warpage measurer comprises:

an upper contact capable of contacting the wafer;

a lower contact capable of contacting the fluid of the temperature control channel; and

an elastic supporter elastically supporting the upper and lower contacts in a corresponding recess of the recesses.

4 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 3 ,

wherein, when a weight is not applied onto the upper contact, the elastic supporter maintain a certain distance between the lower contact and the temperature control channel.

5 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 3 ,

wherein the lower contact comprises a conductive material.

6 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a dielectric between the upper and lower contacts.

7 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ground warpage measurer disposed on the support plate and mounted not to be vertically spaced apart from the temperature control channel.

8 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein a first electrode is connected to an end of the temperature control channel, and

wherein a second electrode is connected to another end of the temperature control channel.

9 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 8 ,

wherein, when at least one warpage measurer from among the plurality of warpage measurers is in contact with the fluid of the temperature control channel, contact currents are induced from the first and second electrodes to a contact point where the fluid of the temperature control channel contacts at least one warpage measurer among the plurality of warpage measurers.

10 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein a first ammeter is connected to the first electrode,

wherein a second ammeter is connected to the second electrode, and

wherein the wafer treatment apparatus further comprises a controller for obtaining values of currents measured by the first and second ammeters.

11 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 10 ,

wherein, when a length of the temperature control channel is denoted by L and a total current flowing through the temperature control channel is denoted by It, and when the warpage measurer is in contact with the fluid at a portion corresponding to αL from the end of the temperature control channel and (1−α) L from the other end of the temperature control channel, the controller obtains a contact position α as shown in:

(1−α)= I 1/ It ;  Equation (1)

and

α= I 2/ It,   Equation (2)

where I1 denotes a current value measured by the first ammeter, I2 denotes a current value measured by the second ammeter, and 0≤α≤1.

12 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the controller measures warpage of the wafer by obtaining at least two contact positions α.

13 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 10 ,

wherein, when a current value measured by the first ammeter is denoted by I1 and a current value measured by the second ammeter is denoted by I2, a sum of I1 and 12 is constant, and I1 and 12 have inversely proportional values based on a contact position between the fluid of the temperature control channel and the warpage measurer.

14 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a fluid supplier connected to an end of the temperature control channel to supply the fluid to the temperature control channel; and

a fluid discharger connected to another end of the temperature control channel to discharge the fluid from the temperature control channel.

15 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the temperature control channel controls a temperature of the wafer supported on the support plate, by providing coldness to the support plate.

16 . The wafer treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of suckers provided on the support plate to apply a suction pressure to a lower surface of the wafer supported on the support plate.

17 . A method of measuring warpage of a wafer by using a wafer treatment apparatus comprising a support plate providing a surface on which the wafer is supported, a temperature control channel mounted in the support plate to provide a path through which a fluid flows, and a plurality of warpage measurers disposed on the support plate and having lower ends mounted to be vertically spaced apart from an upper portion of the temperature control channel, the method comprising:

mounting the plurality of warpage measurers at positions corresponding to a plurality of portions of the wafer;

pressing a first warpage measurer, among the plurality of warpage measures, corresponding to a portion positioned lower than a plane of the wafer due to warpage of the wafer to contact the fluid of the temperature control channel, wherein contact currents are induced from the temperature control channel to a contact point between the first warpage measurer and the temperature control channel;

measuring a first current Hat an end of the temperature control channel and a second current, at another end of the temperature control channel, wherein current values of the first current and the second current are denoted by I1 and I2, respectively, and a sum of the first current and the second current is constant, and the first current and the second current have inversely proportional values based on a contact position between the fluid of the temperature control channel and the first warpage measurer; and

calculating a ratio of the first current to the second current to obtain the contact position.

18 . The method of claim 17 ,

wherein warpage of the wafer is measured by detecting at least two contact positions.

19 . A wafer treatment apparatus capable of measuring warpage of a wafer, the wafer treatment apparatus comprising:

a support plate providing a surface on which the wafer is supported;

a temperature control channel mounted in the support plate to provide a path through which a fluid flows;

a plurality of warpage measurers disposed on the support plate and having lower ends mounted to be vertically spaced apart from an upper portion of the temperature control channel;

a first electrode and first ammeter connected to an end of the temperature control channel; and

a second electrode and second ammeter connected to another end of the temperature control channel,

wherein the plurality of warpage measurers are mounted at positions corresponding to a plurality of portions of the wafer,

wherein a first warpage measurer, among the plurality of warpage measurers, corresponding to a portion positioned lower than a plane of the wafer due to warpage of the wafer is pressed first to contact the fluid of the temperature control channel,

wherein, when the first warpage measurer is in contact with the temperature control channel, contact currents are induced from the first and second electrodes to a contact point where the temperature control channel contacts the first warpage measurer, and a controller obtains values of currents measured by the first and second ammeters, and

wherein, when a length of the temperature control channel is denoted by L and a total current flowing through the temperature control channel is denoted by It, and when the first warpage measurer is in contact with the fluid at a portion corresponding to αL from the end of the temperature control channel and (1−α) L from the other end of the temperature control channel, the controller obtains a contact position α as shown in:

(1−α)= I 1/ It;   Equation (1)

and

α= I 2/ It,   Equation (2)

where I1 denotes the current measured by the first ammeter, I2 denotes the current measured by the second ammeter, and 0≤α≤1, and

measures warpage of the wafer by obtaining at least two contact positions α.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2023
From: SON, YOUNG JUN
To: SEMES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062404/0610 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0028956 · Mar 7, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230282501A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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