Illumination assembly

Claim 2

An illumination device for illuminating a semiconductor slice to be aligned with a patterned mask through precision adjustments of a positioning machine, comprising: a housing comprising a substantially cylindrical disc-like enclosure with a hollow interior and an open upper surface, said housing including a lower surface portion adapted to be received by at least a portion of said positioning machine, a light transmitting element positioned over the opening in said housing, adapted to support said semiconductor slice and to permit egress of radiant energy from said enclosure through said semiconductor slice and said patterned mask, a first electrical contact made to said housing, and a second electrical contact in the same plane as said housing but electrically insulated from said housing, radiant energy means disposed in said hollow interior, said radiant energy means comprising at least one two terminal radiant energy element, one of said terminals connected to said first contact, and the other of said terminals connected to said second contact.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein: said housing comprises an annular wall having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; said first contact is centrally located in said enclosure; said second contact comprises an annular member surrounding and affixed to said housing, and including lead means for connecting said aNnular member to said radiant energy elements, said lead means passing through said apertures.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said window means comprises an infrared filter, which absorbs visible radiation.

Claim 5

For use in the alignment of a semiconductor slice to a patterned mask by means of an alignment machine having a movable chuck member, an illumination device comprising a disc-like, substantially cylindrical housing having a male lower surface portion complementary to, and adapted to be received by, a female upper surface portion of said chuck member, said housing further comprising an annular wall having a plurality of apertures extending radially therethrough and partially enclosing a hollow interior region which has an opening to the exterior of said housing in a direction away from said lower surface portion, an infrared filter window disposed over said opening and adapted to support said semiconductor slice, a contact post centrally located in said hollow interior region and extending through said lower surface portion to the exterior of said housing, an annular contact ring rigidly affixed to the outer surface of said annular wall, and a plurality of two-terminal infrared radiation sources rigidly secured within said interior region, said sources being positioned along separate radii extending from the center of said interior region, one of the terminals of each of said sources being electrically connected to said contact post and the other terminals of said sources being extended through separate ones of said apertures to electrical connection with said annular contact ring, said sources being turned on by the application of voltage between said contact post and said contact ring when said chuck member is in an alignment position, thereby to illuminate said semiconductor slice with infrared radiation.

Claim 6

For use in the alignment of a semiconductor slice to a patterned mask by means of an alignment machine having a movable chuck member, an illumination device comprising a disc-like, substantially cylindrical housing having a male lower surface portion complementary to, and adapted to be received by, a female upper surface portion of said chuck member, said housing further comprising an annular wall having a plurality of apertures extending radially therethrough and partially enclosing a hollow interior region which has an opening to the exterior of said housing in a direction away from said lower surface portion, an infrared filter window disposed over said opening and adapted to support said semiconductor slice, a contact post centrally located in said hollow interior region and extending through said lower surface portion to the exterior of said housing, an annular contact ring rigidly affixed to the outer surface of said annular wall, and a plurality of two-terminal infrared radiation sources rigidly secured within said interior region, said sources being positioned along separate radii extending from the center of said interior region, one of the terminals of each of said sources being electrically connected to said contact post and the other terminals of said sources being extended through separate ones of said apertures to electrical connection with said annular contact ring, said sources being turned on by the application of voltage between said contact post and said contact ring when said chuck member is in an alignment position, thereby to illuminate said semiconductor slice with infrared radiation.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 where said sources comprise infrared incandescent lamps.

Claim 8

The device of claim 14 wherein said sources comprise infrared light emitting diodes.