US3729206A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vacuum holding apparatus
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1971-10-21
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Granted: 1973-04-24
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Expires: 1991-10-21
Abstract
Abstract Automatically operated vacuum chuck apparatus employs fluidic logic selectively to retain semiconductor wafers or parts of broken wafers during processing. The chuck has vacuum connectors communicating with ports in a retaining surface that holds the wafer or part of the wafer. Individual fluidic logic circuits are connected in parallel to respective ones of these connectors and ports and in common to vacuum and pressure supplies. On apparatus actuation, those ports covered by the wafer or part thereof are sensed and vacuum is applied only to these ports under the control of the individual fluidic logic circuits.
Inventors
- 👤 R Cachon
- 👤 A Perlmann
- 👤 M Schorr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 11:36
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25B; B25B11/00; B25B11/005; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/11
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
Apparatus for automatically retaining a semiconductor structure while being processed, comprising means when activated for supplying a constant vacuum, a chuck having a surface for retaining said structure at least partially overlaying said surface, said chuck having a plurality of independent fluidic connectors from respective inputs to output ports in said surface, and fluidic control means coupled to the respective inputs for sensing which parts are covered by the structure for selectively coupling said constant vacuum means only to those output ports covered by said structure and for preventing coupling of said constant vacuum means to those output ports not covered by said structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus for automatically retaining a semiconductor structure while being processed, comprising means when activated for supplying a constant vacuum, a chuck having a surface for retaining said structure at least partially overlaying said surface, said chuck having a plurality of independent fluidic connectors from respective inputs to output ports in said surface, and fluidic control means coupled to the respective inputs for sensing which parts are covered by the structure for selectively coupling said constant vacuum means only to those output ports covered by said structure and for preventing coupling of said constant vacuum means to those output ports not covered by said structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluidic control means comprises a plurality of fluidic control circuits corresponding in number to the number of connectors in said chuck for independently sensing the presence of said structure covering its corresponding port and for selectively coupling said vacuum means to those ports covered by said structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
129 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said fluidic control circuits comprises circuit completion means responsive to the conditioning of a circuit for a fixed period of time whereby said circuit is switched from a first to second state of operation to sense the presence of said structure overlaying the corresponding port, and feedback means coupling the output of said circuit to said circuit completion means to retain said circuit in the second state after the fixed period when the presence of said structure has been sensed Whereby vacuum is applied to the corresponding output port and for causing said circuit to return to the first state of operation when the presence of said structure is not sensed whereby vacuum is not applied to the corresponding output port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said apparatus comprises a source of pressure coupled to all of said circuits and operable when activated to produce pressure in single pulses of said fixed period to condition said circuits in said first state of operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said apparatus comprises means for activating both said constant vacuum means and source of pressure, and release means for deactivating said constant vacuum means after processing said structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
139 words
In combination with a chuck for retaining a part of a broken semiconductor wafer, said chuck having a surface at least partially covered by said wafer, and a plurality of independent fluidic connectors from respective inputs to output ports in said surface, circuit means for selectively and automatically retaining said wafer to said surface while being processed, said circuit means comprising, a source of constant vacuum, a source of pressure pulses, fluidic control means coupled to the sources of vacuum and pressure and to the respective inputs for sensing which ports are covered by the wafer when conditioned by a pressure pulse from said pressure source and for selectively coupling said vacuum source only to those output ports covered by said wafer and for preventing coupling of said vacuum source to those output ports not covered by said wafer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
139 words
In combination with a chuck for retaining a part of a broken semiconductor wafer, said chuck having a surface at least partially covered by said wafer, and a plurality of independent fluidic connectors from respective inputs to output ports in said surface, circuit means for selectively and automatically retaining said wafer to said surface while being processed, said circuit means comprising, a source of constant vacuum, a source of pressure pulses, fluidic control means coupled to the sources of vacuum and pressure and to the respective inputs for sensing which ports are covered by the wafer when conditioned by a pressure pulse from said pressure source and for selectively coupling said vacuum source only to those output ports covered by said wafer and for preventing coupling of said vacuum source to those output ports not covered by said wafer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluidic control means comprises a plurality of fluidic control circuits corresponding in number to the number of connectors in said chuck for independently sensing the presence of said wafer covering its corresponding port and for selectively coupling said vacuum means to those ports covered by said wafer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-23 | 1976-10-23 | 1977-04-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-23 | 1980-10-23 | 1981-04-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-23 | 1984-10-23 | 1985-04-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |