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:
Nov. 18, 2008
Filed:
Apr. 23, 2004
Applicant:
Andrew M. Ray, Newburyport, MA (US);
Inventor:
Andrew M. Ray, Newburyport, MA (US);
Assignee:
Axcelis Technologies, Inc., Beverly, MA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 23/544 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
The present invention is directed to aligning wafers within semiconductor fabrication tools. More particularly, one or more aspects of the present invention pertain to quickly and efficiently finding an alignment marking, such as an alignment notch, on a wafer to allow the wafer to be appropriately oriented within an alignment tool. Unlike conventional systems, the notch is located without firmly holding and spinning or rotating the wafer. Exposure to considerable backside contaminants is thereby mitigated and the complexity and/or cost associated with aligning the wafer is thereby reduced.