New wafer alignment process using multiple vision method for industrial manufacturing

Abstract

In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer aligners have been widely used, such as the conventional alignment method using a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) transmission sensor to detect the notch or flat in a wafer. This paper presents a proposed vision aligner using a vision method that can be installed in the wafer and plate bonding machine for mass production. The vision system, which uses three cameras to perform wafer alignment of position and rotation, detects wafer face side and ultraviolet (UV) tape on the target wafer and plate. It can be utilized for the alignment process of wafers and ceramic plate bonding. Using the vision method, the aligner could reduce the process steps and time required for wafer bonding, as well as unexpected problems caused by the workers during manufacturing. The system was applied in the mass production field to verify its performance.