The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 05, 1994
Alan Strasbaugh, San Luis Obispo, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for acquiring, holding, and releasing a wafer includes a soft resilient membrane that covers a horizontal backing plate. The lower face of the backing plate includes a number of recessed areas to which a vacuum can selectively be applied. To acquire a wafer, the wafer is elevated carefully until the upper side of the wafer contacts the lower side of the membrane. Next, a vacuum is applied to the recessed areas which sucks the resilient membrane into the recessed areas so that each recessed area becomes a suction cup that draws the wafer against the membrane. When the vacuum is replaced by ambient pressure, the resiliency of the membrane restores it to its original taut condition thereby releasing the wafer. The same apparatus can be used for uniformly polishing the lower face of the wafer by applying a pressurized fluid to the recessed areas during polishing, which causes the membrane to exert a uniform downward pressure on the wafer.