Method and apparatus for thermally processing plastic discs, in particular mould wafers

1. A method for thermally processing mould wafers comprising the steps of:

clamping a mould wafer at a first temperature on a first clamping device, the first temperature being below a hardening temperature of a plastic of the mould wafer, the mould wafer including silicon chips embedded in the plastic mould compound having a wafer shape;

heating the mould wafer clamped on the first clamping device to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature and is above the hardening temperature;

ending the clamping on the first clamping device and transporting the mould wafer heated to the second temperature from the first clamping device to a second clamping device substantially contactlessly;

clamping the heated mould wafer on the second clamping device;

cooling the mould wafer clamped on the second clamping device down to a third temperature, which is lower than the second temperature and is below the hardening temperature; and

ending the clamping on the second clamping device,

wherein the first and second clamping devices are configured to clamp the mould wafer against a surface of the corresponding clamping device to prevent bending of the mould wafer during heating and cooling of the mould wafer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , the substantially contactless transportation of the heated mould wafer being carried out by a gas-cushion transporting device.

3. The method according to claim 2 , the first clamping device, the second clamping device and the gas-cushion transporting device forming a common planar surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the substantially contactless transportation of the heated mould wafer being carried out by a Bernoulli clamping device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the first clamping device having blasting nozzles directed in the transporting direction, by which the transportation is initiated.

6. The method according to claim 2 , the first clamping device, the second clamping device and the gas-cushion transporting device being together tilted in the transporting direction, in order to initiate the transportation.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the mould wafer being bonded to a carrier substrate at the first temperature by a thermally detachable film, and the carrier substrate and the thermally detachable film being removed from the mould wafer at the second temperature.

8. The method according to claim 7 , the mould wafer being placed onto the first clamping device by means of a third clamping device and the removal of the carrier substrate being carried out by lifting off by the third clamping device after thermal detachment of the film at the second temperature.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the clamping on the first clamping device and the second clamping device is carried out by suction attachment by vacuum nozzles.

10. The method according to claim 1 , the reaching of a predetermined end position of the mould wafer on the second clamping device being sensed by a sensor device and the clamping of the heated mould wafer on the second clamping device being triggered by a corresponding output signal of the sensor device.

11. The method according to claim 1 , the mould wafer being connected to a transport plate and the mould wafer being clamped on the first clamping device and the second clamping device by the transport plate and the mould wafer being transported from the first clamping device to the second clamping device by the transport plate.