US 11,728,200 B2
Wafer bonding apparatuses
Hoe Chul Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Seok Ho Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Tae Yeong Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Hoon Joo Na, Suwon-si (KR); and Hyung Jun Jeon, Suwon-si (KR)
Assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Gyeonggi-do (KR)
Filed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Dec. 4, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/703,062.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2019-0060541 (KR), filed on May 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0373186 A1, Nov. 26, 2020
Int. Cl. H01L 21/683 (2006.01); H01L 23/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/6836 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67757 (2013.01); H01L 24/94 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wafer bonding apparatus, comprising:
a lower support plate configured to structurally support a first wafer on an upper surface of the lower support plate;
a lower structure adjacent to the lower support plate, the lower structure movable in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower support plate, the lower structure configured to move in the vertical direction in relation to the lower support plate concurrently with the lower structure being vertically exposed from vertical overlap in the vertical direction by the first wafer supported on the upper surface of the lower support plate;
an upper support plate configured to structurally support a second wafer on a lower surface of the upper support plate; and
an upper structure adjacent to the upper support plate, the upper structure movable in the vertical direction, the upper structure configured to move in the vertical direction in relation to the upper support plate concurrently with the upper structure being vertically exposed from vertical overlap in the vertical direction by the second wafer supported on the lower surface of the upper support plate, wherein
the wafer bonding apparatus is configured to move the lower structure and the upper structure in the vertical direction while the lower support plate and the upper support plate remain at a fixed position in relation to each other to cause the first wafer and the second wafer to be maintained at a bonding position.