US3858978A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Chuck for use in out-of-contact optical alignment and exposure apparatus
Assignee: Kasper Instruments Inc
•
Filing: 1973-08-10
•
Granted: 1975-01-07
•
Expires: 1993-08-10
Abstract
Abstract A calibrator plate is retractably mounted between a mask holder and a wafer chuck, which is in turn pivotally mounted below the mask holder on a piston for axially moving the wafer chuck towards and away from the mask holder. The wafer chuck includes a peripheral portion and a central portion that may be axially depressed relative to the upper surface of the peripheral portion and that may thereafter be returned to its normal undepressed position. These portions of the wafer chuck and corresponding offset portions of the calibrator plate are employed to space the upper surface of a semiconductive wafer on the central portion of the wafer chuck a finite distance below the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the wafer chuck. The calibrator plate is then retracted from between the mask holder and the wafer chuck, which is thereupon driven upward to position the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the wafer chuck in abutment upon a marginal portion of the lower surface of a photomask held by the mask holder. This aligns the lower surface of the photomask and the upper surface of the semiconductive wafer in parallel planes spaced the finite distance apart without bringing the semiconductive wafer into contact with the photomask.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl-Heinz Johannsmeier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:32
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70691; H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/50; H10P72/57; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/11; Y10T279/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
Alignment apparatus for use in aligning a workpiece with respect to a mask, said alignment apparatus comprising: a holder for holding the mask; a chuck including an outer portion, a recessed central portion, and an inner portion for holding the workpiece, said inner portion of the chuck being supported within the recessed central portion of the chuck for axial movement therein between spaced positions relative to the outer portion of the chuck; drive means for moving the chuck towards and away from the holder, said chuck being pivotally supported on the drive means; and calibration means for spacing a first surface of the outer portion of the chuck and a first surface of the workpiece held by the inner portion of the chuck a finite distance apart in parallel planes with the first surface of the outer portion of the chuck being positioned closer than the first surface of the workpiece held by the inner portion of the chuck to a first surface of the mask held by the mask holder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
Alignment apparatus for use in aligning a workpiece with respect to a mask, said alignment apparatus comprising: a holder for holding the mask; a chuck including an outer portion, a recessed central portion, and an inner portion for holding the workpiece, said inner portion of the chuck being supported within the recessed central portion of the chuck for axial movement therein between spaced positions relative to the outer portion of the chuck; drive means for moving the chuck towards and away from the holder, said chuck being pivotally supported on the drive means; and calibration means for spacing a first surface of the outer portion of the chuck and a first surface of the workpiece held by the inner portion of the chuck a finite distance apart in parallel planes with the first surface of the outer portion of the chuck being positioned closer than the first surface of the workpiece held by the inner portion of the chuck to a first surface of the mask held by the mask holder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: said outer portion of the chuck includes a peripheral portion of a base member; said recessed central portion of the chuck includes a recessed central portion of the base member; and said inner portion of the chuck includes a chuck plate supported within the recessed central portion of the base member for vertical axial movement therein relative to the peripheral portion of the base member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said chuck includes restraining means for limiting the chuck plate to vertical axial movement within the recessed central portion of the base member and for maintaining the chuck plate in any position to which it is moved therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said chuck further includes: stop means for limiting upward vertical axial movement of the chuck plate to a workpiece loading and unloading position at which the upper surfaces of the chuck plate and the peripheral portion of the base member lie in the same plane; and return means for returning the chuck plate to the workpiece loading and unloading position from any lower position to which it is moved within the recessed central portion of the base member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 4 wherein: said restraining means comprises a spring member coaxially secured to the chuck plate and frictionally engaged With the base member; said stop means comprises a plurality of stop members secured to the chuck plate and slidably engaged with the base member; and said return means comprises a conduit communicating with a region enclosed between a lower surface of the chuck plate and an upper surface of the recessed central portion of the base member by a seal ring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
120 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said calibration means comprises a calibrator plate retractably supported between the chuck and the holder, said calibrator plate including a spacing structure and an offset reference surface arranged for face-to-face abutment with a marginal portion of the upper surface of the workpiece held by the chuck plate and with the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the base member, respectively, to space the two last-mentioned surfaces a finite distance apart in parallel planes with the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the base member being positioned closer than the upper surface of the workpiece held by the chuck plate to a lower surface of the mask held by the mask holder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A workpiece chuck comprising: a pivotally supported base member having a peripheral portion and a recessed central portion; and a chuck plate for holding a workpiece, said chuck plate being supported within the recessed central portion of the base member for vertical axial movement therein between spaced positions relative to the peripheral portion of the base member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
A workpiece chuck comprising: a pivotally supported base member having a peripheral portion and a recessed central portion; and a chuck plate for holding a workpiece, said chuck plate being supported within the recessed central portion of the base member for vertical axial movement therein between spaced positions relative to the peripheral portion of the base member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A workpiece chuck as in claim 7 wherein said chuck includes restraining means for limiting the chuck plate to vertical axial movement within the recessed central portion of the base member and for maintaining the chuck plate in any position to which it is moved therein.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said chuck further includes: stop means for limiting upward vertical axial movement of the chuck plate to a workpiece loading and unloading position at which the upper surfaces of the chuck plate and the peripheral portion of the base member lie in the same plane; and return means for returning the chuck plate to the workpiece loading and unloading position from any lower position to which it is moved within the recessed central portion of the base member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
Alignment apparatus as in claim 9 wherein: said restraining means comprises a spring member coaxially secured to the chuck plate and frictionally engaged with the base member; said stop means comprises a plurality of stop members secured to the chuck plate and slidably engaged with the base member; and said return means comprises a conduit communicating with a region enclosed betwen a lower surface of the chuck plate and an upper surface of the recessed central portion of the base member by a seal ring.
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) | 1978-01-06 | 1978-07-08 | 1979-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-06 | 1982-07-08 | 1983-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-06 | 1986-07-08 | 1987-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |