Development of non-contact handling system for semiconductor wafers

A wafer-handling device that keeps wafers clean during wafer handling in semiconductor (i.e. VLSI) production processes has been developed. Through the mutual action of air suction and blowout, the device raises, reverses, and transports wafers without making contact while maintaining a gap of 0.3 mm between the wafer and the handler. As the wafer is held without any contact, particle addition through contact or contaminants generated by shock are prevented. As a strong supporting force is applied, large and heavy wafers can also be easily handled. After using this device with atmospheric pressure CVD (chemical vapor deposition) equipment for transporting and transferring wafers, results showed that the number of particles added to wafers was reduced to 1/2-1/4 compared to results achieved with the latest conventional equipment. This wafer handler shows its strength in maintaining high cleanliness levels for semiconductor production processes and makes a major contribution to increasing efficiency and upgrading quality