Method and apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers

Claim 2

In a method for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers, the steps of: loading the wafers onto a screw so that the edges of the wafers to be rounded ride in a groove of said screw; and turning said screw relative to said loaded wafers so as to rotate the wafer and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded rotating wafers causing same to be rounded.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said groove in said screw is of rounded cross section so as to cause the rounded edges of said loaded wafers to conform to the rounded contour of said groove.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 including the step of applying a force to the loaded wafers to force their edges into frictional engagement with the walls of said groove in said screw.

Claim 5

In a method for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers, the steps of: loading the wafers onto a screw so that the edges of the wafers to be rounded ride in a groove of said screw; turning said screw relative to said loaded wafers so as to rotate the wafer and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; and introducing an abrasive slurry into the groove of said screw to facilitate abrasion of the edges of the loaded wafers to be rounded.

Claim 6

In a method for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers, the steps of: loading the wafers onto a screw so that the edges of the wafers to be rounded ride in a groove of said screw; turning said screw relative to said loaded wafers so as to rotate the wafer and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; and introducing an abrasive slurry into the groove of said screw to facilitate abrasion of the edges of the loaded wafers to be rounded.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers: screw means having threads dimensioned to receive the marginal edge of essentially only individual ones of the wafers to be ground and which are free to rotate; means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate said wafer about an axis of rectilinear translation of the wafer and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw means including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means of left and right handed threads respectively; means for counter rotating said screw means so as to cause the loaded wafers to travel axially of said rotating screw means along said axis of rectilinear translation to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be rounded; and means for introducing an abrasive slurry into said thread of said screw means to facilitate abrasion of the edges of the loaded wafers.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers: screw means having threads dimensioned to receive the marginal edge of essentially only individual ones of the wafers to be ground and which are free to rotate; means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate said wafer about an axis of rectilinear translation of the wafer and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw means including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means of left and right handed threads respectively; means for counter rotating said screw means so as to cause the loaded wafers to travel axially of said rotating screw means along said axis of rectilinear translation to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be rounded; and means for introducing an abrasive slurry into said thread of said screw means to facilitate abrasion of the edges of the loaded wafers.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers; screw means having a thread groove to receive the marginal edges of the wafers to be rounded; means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate the wafer about an axis parallel to the axis of revolution of said screw means to produce frictional engagement between said thread groove and the peripheral edge of the wafer for driving said wafer in opposite rotational senses at spaced peripheral portions of the wafer to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw means including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means; said screw means having said thread groove arranged so as to cause the wafer to travel axially of said rotating screw means to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be ground; and pressure roller means having an axis of rotation generally parallel to that of said screw means for engaging the edges of the loaded wafers for forcing the edges of the loaded wafers into frictional engagement with the walls of said groove in said screw means.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers; screw means having a thread groove to receive the marginal edges of the wafers to be rounded; means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate the wafer about an axis parallel to the axis of revolution of said screw means to produce frictional engagement between said thread groove and the peripheral edge of the wafer for driving said wafer in opposite rotational senses at spaced peripheral portions of the wafer to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw means including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means; said screw means having said thread groove arranged so as to cause the wafer to travel axially of said rotating screw means to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be ground; and pressure roller means having an axis of rotation generally parallel to that of said screw means for engaging the edges of the loaded wafers for forcing the edges of the loaded wafers into frictional engagement with the walls of said groove in said screw means.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers: screw means having threads dimensioned to receive the marginal edges of essentially only individual ones of the wafers to be ground and which are free to rotate. means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate said wafer about an axis of rectilinear translation and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw meaens including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means of left and right handed threads respectively; and means for counter rotating said screw means so as to cause the loaded wafers to travel axially of said rotating screw means to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be rounded.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for rounding the edges of semiconductive wafers: screw means having threads dimensioned to receive the marginal edges of essentially only individual ones of the wafers to be ground and which are free to rotate. means for turning said screw means relative to said wafer so as to rotate said wafer about an axis of rectilinear translation and to substantially abrade the edges of the loaded wafers causing same to be rounded; said screw meaens including a pair of generally parallel rotating screw means of left and right handed threads respectively; and means for counter rotating said screw means so as to cause the loaded wafers to travel axially of said rotating screw means to facilitate batch processing of semiconductive wafers to be rounded.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said thread in said screw means is of a rounded cross section so as to cause the rounded edges of said loaded wafers to conform to the rounded contour of said thread.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 7 including means for applying a force to the loaded wafers to force the edges of the loaded wafers into frictional engagement with the walls of said thread in said screw means.