US 12,148,646 B2
Aligner apparatus
Haruhiko Tan, Kobe (JP); Avish Ashok Bharwani, Santa Clara, CA (US); George Chin, San Leandro, CA (US); and Simon Jeyapalan, Newark, CA (US)
Assigned to KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kobe (JP); and KAWASAKI ROBOTICS (USA), INC., Wixom, MI (US)
Filed by KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kobe (JP); and Kawasaki Robotics (USA), INC., Wixom, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/357,354.
Prior Publication US 2022/0415690 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/68 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 23/544 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/681 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1692 (2013.01); H01L 21/67288 (2013.01); H01L 23/544 (2013.01); H01L 2223/54433 (2013.01); H01L 2223/54493 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aligner system comprising:
a motor that generates a rotational drive force;
a rotating device that is rotated by the rotational drive force generated by the motor, while supporting a wafer;
a control device that controls rotation of the rotating device, and performs operations comprising:
concurrently, during a single rotation of the wafer, detecting a notch or orientation flat in the edge of the wafer indicating an alignment of the wafer, and detecting a defect in the edge of the wafer; and
setting a rotational phase of the wafer to a predetermined value based on the detected notch or orientation flat; and
a sensor that emits a plurality of light beams traveling in different directions toward an edge of the wafer, and receives the light beams to detect the notch or orientation flat, and the defect in the edge of the wafer.