CHAD Industries can add automated wafer handling capabilities to existing wafer process equipment

ANAHEIM, USA: CHAD Industries announced the ability to easily add automated wafer handling capabilities to your existing wafer processing equipment using the WaferMate series of wafer handlers.

As a recent example, Nanium S.A. in Portugal purchased CHAD’s WaferMate™ 300-1 workcells to automate two of their existing inline wafer process tools (a wafer cleaner, and a wafer reflow oven). Both pieces of process equipment used a mesh belt to convey the wafers through the process tool. The application requirements included multiple wafer sizes and wafer thicknesses, FOUP wafer presentation, and CE marking.

In order to meet these requirements, CHAD integrated a pair of WaferMate™ loader and unloader wafer handling workcells into each process tool. The CHAD WaferMate workcells have flexible tooling and software so that they can handle a range of wafer sizes and thickness’s without any tooling change-over.

The WaferMate loader and unloader workcells also communicate directly with each other using software that was developed especially for inline process equipment to keep track all wafers in process. The software allows the CHAD workcells to monitor all wafer traffic, and to “look ahead” to avoid potential wafer crashes when wafer flow is restricted.

A built in wafer buffer in the unloader workcell provides capability to unload the processed wafer FOUP without interrupting the process tool. CHAD’s unique wafer conveyor design permits compatibility with any inline processing equipment, and features a ramped speed function to match the belt speed of the process tool. This ensures smooth and reliable transition of the wafer to and from the WaferMate handler.

“Nanium’s application is an excellent example of how CHAD’s standard equipment can be quickly and easily configured to meet our customer’s custom application requirements,” says Scott Klimczak, president of CHAD Industries. “We were able to respond immediately to Nanium’s request to meet their short lead-time, and could offer a full suite of options that provided Nanium with a value added solution.”

“Since the beginning of the project, CHAD demonstrated a sense of responsibility and knowledge that showed us that CHAD was the right partner. Integration of the CHAD wafer loader/unloader in our equipment went quite smooth and issues that popped up were solved in a very competent way. The end result was quite satisfying, definitely CHAD is a valuable partner,” says Jorge Teixeira, staff engineer at Nanium.