Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount, comprising the steps of: providing a bonding apparatus, wherein the boundary apparatus comprises a chuck, a first pressure chamber having a portion of the chuck as a vertical boundary and a second pressure chamber, the first and second pressure chambers having a submount support therebetween; providing a wafer, the wafer having a first major surface and a second major surface wherein the second major surface is coated with an adhesive material; placing the first major surface of the wafer on the chuck; providing a submount, the submount having a major surface; placing the major surface of the submount on the submount support so that the submount rests freely on the submount support and the major surface of the submount is spaced apart from the adhesive material; bowing the major surface of the submount and forming a curvature therein until the major surface of the submount contacts the adhesive material on the second major surface of the wafer; and modulating the curvature of the major surface of the submount after the submount has contacted the adhesive material, wherein the step of modulating the curvature includes moving at least a portion of the submount support.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
202 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount, comprising the steps of: providing a bonding apparatus, wherein the boundary apparatus comprises a chuck, a first pressure chamber having a portion of the chuck as a vertical boundary and a second pressure chamber, the first and second pressure chambers having a submount support therebetween; providing a wafer, the wafer having a first major surface and a second major surface wherein the second major surface is coated with an adhesive material; placing the first major surface of the wafer on the chuck; providing a submount, the submount having a major surface; placing the major surface of the submount on the submount support so that the submount rests freely on the submount support and the major surface of the submount is spaced apart from the adhesive material; bowing the major surface of the submount and forming a curvature therein until the major surface of the submount contacts the adhesive material on the second major surface of the wafer; and modulating the curvature of the major surface of the submount after the submount has contacted the adhesive material, wherein the step of modulating the curvature includes moving at least a portion of the submount support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steps of bowing the major surface of the submount and contacting the adhesive material includes generating a pressure differential between the first and the second pressure chambers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of contacting the major surface of the submount includes contacting a substantially central portion of the first major surface of the submount with the adhesive material over a substantially central portion of the second major surface of the wafer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of contacting a major surface includes spreading the contact radially to a periphery of the second major surface of the wafer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the submount support includes providing the submount support having a flexible projection.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the submount support includes providing means for moving the submount support.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method for mounting a wafer to a submount as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing a wafer includes providing a wafer comprising a semiconductor material.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer, comprising the steps of: providing a first cavity, the first cavity having a wafer mount; providing the first wafer wherein the first wafer has a first major surface and a second major surface, the second major surface covered by an adhesive material; placing the first major surface of the first wafer on the wafer mount; providing the second wafer wherein the second wafer has a major surface; providing means for supporting the second wafer; placing the major surface of the second wafer on the means for supporting the second wafer such that the second wafer rests freely on the means for supporting the second wafer; providing a second cavity wherein the second cavity encloses the means for supporting the second wafer and the second wafer; bowing the second wafer and forming a curvature therein until the major surface of the second wafer contacts the adhesive material covering the second major surface of the first wafer; and modulating the curvature of the major surface of the second wafer after the second wafer has contacted the adhesive material.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer, comprising the steps of: providing a first cavity, the first cavity having a wafer mount; providing the first wafer wherein the first wafer has a first major surface and a second major surface, the second major surface covered by an adhesive material; placing the first major surface of the first wafer on the wafer mount; providing the second wafer wherein the second wafer has a major surface; providing means for supporting the second wafer; placing the major surface of the second wafer on the means for supporting the second wafer such that the second wafer rests freely on the means for supporting the second wafer; providing a second cavity wherein the second cavity encloses the means for supporting the second wafer and the second wafer; bowing the second wafer and forming a curvature therein until the major surface of the second wafer contacts the adhesive material covering the second major surface of the first wafer; and modulating the curvature of the major surface of the second wafer after the second wafer has contacted the adhesive material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of controlling a curvature of the major surface of the second wafer includes terminating the step of bowing the second wafer when a tangent line of the curvature of the major surface of the second wafer at an edge of the first wafer has a slope of approximately zero.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of bowing the second wafer includes generating a pressure differential between the first cavity and the second cavity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of controlling a curvature of the major surface of the second wafer includes moving the means for supporting the second wafer in a direction toward a plane comprising the second major surface of the first wafer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of providing means for supporting the second wafer includes providing the means for supporting the second wafer having a flexible projection.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method for bonding a first wafer to a second wafer as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of bowing the second wafer includes contacting a central portion of the second wafer with a central portion of the first wafer with the contact spreading radially outward toward a periphery of the first wafer.