Apparatus and method for aligning and centering wafers

1. A device for centering circular wafers, comprising:

a support chuck for supporting a circular wafer to be centered upon its top surface;

a first rotationally movable alignment aim being rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the top surface of the support chuck and comprising a first mechanical jaw, said first mechanical jaw comprising a tapered curved edge surface conforming to the curved edge of the circular wafer;

a second rotationally movable alignment arm being rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the top surface of the support chuck and comprising a second mechanical jaw, said second mechanical jaw comprising a tapered curved edge surface conforming to the curved edge of the circular wafer;

a third linear moving alignment arm, being movable linearly along a first axis toward the center of the support chuck and comprising a tapered curved inner surface conforming to the curved edge of the circular wafer and a notch locating mechanism configured to locate a notch or a flat feature formed on the perimeter of the circular wafer, the notch locating mechanism comprising a notch locating component;

wherein said first, second and third alignment arms are arranged around the support chuck at an angle of 120 degrees from each other; and

wherein the circular wafer is placed on the support chuck and is centered and aligned by first rotating the first and second alignment arms toward the center of the support chuck so that the tapered curved edge surfaces of the first and second mechanical jaws contact the outer perimeter of the circular wafer at first and second perimeter areas, respectively, and then by linearly moving the third alignment arm along the first axis toward the center of the support chuck until the notch locating mechanism locates and engages the notch formed on the perimeter the circular wafer;

wherein the notch locating component is configured to move linearly along the first axis toward the center of the support chuck and comprises a front elongated component extending along a second axis being co-planar with the support chuck and perpendicular to the first axis and wherein the front elongated component comprises a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface and a first protrusion extending from the front surface of the elongated component and wherein the first protrusion comprises a shape complementing the shape of the notch formed on the perimeter of the circular wafer;

a first plate arranged at a first side of the front elongated component;

wherein as the notch locating component is driven toward the perimeter of the circular wafer along the first axis, a distance between the back surface of the elongated component and a front surface of the first plate is measured and the value of the measured distance is used to determine engagement of the first protrusion with the notch.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a position sensor;

a floating joint connection configured to connect a front surface of the position sensor to the back surface of the front elongated component; and

wherein the position sensor is configured to measure the distance between the back surface of the elongated component and the front surface of the first plate, as the notch locating component is driven toward the perimeter of the circular wafer along the first axis.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the position sensor comprises a linear potentiometer.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second plate arranged at a second side of the front elongated component, opposite to the first side; and

wherein the first and second plates support first and second rollers respectively, and wherein the first and second rollers are configured to roll around the perimeter of the circular wafer.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising second and third protrusions extending from the front surface of the front elongated component and being arranged left and right of the first protrusion, respectively, and wherein the second and third protrusions comprise a shape complementing the shape of the notch formed on the perimeter of the circular wafer.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the notch locating component is driven toward the perimeter of the circular wafer along the first axis via a piston or a motor.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the notch locating component comprises a triangular component and wherein the front elongated component forms partially the base of the triangular component.