Robot blade for handling of semiconductor substrate

Abstract

The amount of particulate contamination produced due to rubbing between a semiconductor substrate and the robotic substrate handling blade has been greatly reduced by the use of specialized materials either as the principal material of construction for the semiconductor substrate handling blade, or as a coating upon the surface of the wafer handling blade. In particular, the specialized material must exhibit the desired stiffness at temperatures in excess of about 450.degree. C.; the specialized material must also have an abrasion resistant surface which does not produce particulates when rubbed against the semiconductor substrate. The abrasion resistant surface needs to be very smooth, having a surface finish of less than 1.0 micro inch, and preferably less than 0.2 micro inch. In addition, the surface must be essentially void-free. In the most preferred embodiments, the upper, top surface of the substrate handling blade is constructed from a dielectric material being smooth, non-porous, and wear-resistant. A preferred material for construction of the substrate handling blade is single crystal sapphire. Other single crystal materials, such as single crystal silicon and single crystal silicon carbide should also perform well. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the substrate handling blade, a capacitance sensor is used to indicate the presence of a semiconductor substrate on the surface of the handling blade and a structure through which vacuum is applied may be used to hold (chuck) the semiconductor substrate to the surface of the handling blade.