EP0188045A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Deformable chuck
Assignee: HP Inc
•
Filing: 1985-01-17
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2005-01-17
Abstract
Abstract A deformable vacuum pin chuck includes a thin silicon chuck 17 for supporting a semiconductor wafer 1 during lithographic processing and a number of piezo-electric transducers 9 for selectively deforming the chuck. Chuck deformation caused by application of electric potentials to selected transducers may be used to correct flatness deviations in the wafer and, thereby, a desired degree of flatness of the semiconductor wafer may be obtained.
Inventors
- 👤 Graham J. Siddall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:55
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/70; H10P72/78; B; B23; B23Q; B23Q1/00; B23Q1/03; B23Q1/032; B23Q1/25; B23Q1/26; B23Q1/34; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/11
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
43 words
Apparatus for supporting a wafer comprising a rigid plate 11 and characterised by a deformable chuck and a plurality of displacement means 9 mounted on the rigid plate 11 and attached to the deformable chuck for selectively displacing portions of the deformable chuck.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus for supporting a wafer comprising a rigid plate 11 and characterised by a deformable chuck and a plurality of displacement means 9 mounted on the rigid plate 11 and attached to the deformable chuck for selectively displacing portions of the deformable chuck.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each displacement means comprises a piezoelectric transducer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the deformable chuck has a diameter to thickness ratio greater than or equal to 40:1.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the deformable chuck comprises a single piece of crystalline matter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the deformable chuck further comprises a plurality of peaks for supporting a workpiece, said peaks defining a plurality of valleys, and a manifold for application of a vacuum through the valleys to hold the workpiece onto the peaks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising flatness means, coupled to the deformabl-e chuck, for measuring the flatness thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the deformable chuck further comprises measurement means for measuring and recording the deformation thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus for supporting a wafer comprising a rigid plate (11), a deformable chuck (1) and a plurality of displacement means (9) mounted on the rigid plate (11) and attached to the deformable chuck for selectively displacing portions of the deformable chuck, characterized in that the deformable chuck (1) has a diameter to thickness ratio greater than or equal to 40:1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus for supporting a wafer comprising a rigid plate (11), a deformable chuck (1) and a plurality of displacement means (9) mounted on the rigid plate (11) and attached to the deformable chuck for selectively displacing portions of the deformable chuck, characterized in that the deformable chuck (1) has a diameter to thickness ratio greater than or equal to 40:1.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each displacement means comprises a piezoelectric transducer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the deformable chuck comprises a single piece of crystalline matter.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
49 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein the deformable chuck further comprises a plurality of peaks for supporting said wafer, said peaks defining a plurality of valleys, and a manifold for application of a vacuum through the valleys to hold the wafer onto the peaks.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, further comprising flatness means, coupled to the deformable chuck, for measuring the flatness thereof.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the deformable chuck further comprises measurement means for measuring and recording the deformation thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.