Industry: Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Challenge: Develop an innovative wafer chuck that holds wafers from the top without contacting the top surface, while enabling spin and Z-axis movement, and ensuring the holding mechanism avoids collisions with the processing module through precise timing.
Solution: Vertex engineered a pneumatic wafer chuck with multiple fingers to securely hold the wafer from the bottom. The design incorporated a tracking system to monitor chuck position and leading edge, individually controlling each finger to retract at precise moments, preventing collisions while maintaining spin and Z-axis functionality.
Outcome: The non-contact wafer chuck delivered a groundbreaking, collision-free handling solution, enhancing semiconductor processing precision and efficiency, with reliable performance in high-precision manufacturing environments.
Non Contact Chuck