CHAD Industries announces automated wafer handling capability for inline process equipment

ANAHEIM, USA: CHAD Industries announced an automated wafer loading and unloading capability for inline wafer process equipment.

Inline process handling equipment presents unique challenges for semiconductor wafers. By nature, the inline wafer process equipment never stops, and must move each wafer through the process within a repeatable time frame for consistent process results.

This means that wafer handling to load and unload the process equipment must match the throughput of process equipment at all times, and ensure that wafer safety is never compromised. That is a difficult task to be performed manually with consistent results, and subjects the wafers to a high risk of damage.

To solve this problem CHAD has developed standard loader and unloader solutions for 125mm to 300mm wafers using its established line of WaferMate automated wafer handling workcells. The CHAD solutions are applicable for any inline wafer processing equipment, and are particularly suitable for wafer reflow ovens, and wafer cleaning equipment.

CHAD Industries offers a suite of mechanical and software options that enhance the capability of the loader and unloader systems. The non-standard wafer handling capability for thin wafer, warped wafers, glass wafer, and others has already been proven on the standard WaferMate products, and are also available on the loader and unloader systems.

The CHAD Wafer Conveyer is designed especially for loading and unloading onto conveyor processes. The conveyor uses variable speed control so that the wafers can be transitioned to and from the process equipment smoothly, and without scratching. The conveyor also allows the wafer handlers the flexibility to interface with any inline process equipment belt profile.

Scott Klimczak, president of CHAD Industries, said: “I am extremely pleased to see the WaferMate workcells being deployed to inline process applications. The CHAD WaferMate solutions already offer a high degree of wafer safety, and now ensure that inline process equipment can be serviced reliably for maximum wafer throughput.”