Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Files Patent Application for Wafer Transfer Apparatus with Reduced Wafer Contamination

Strategic Insights -

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading technology company in South Korea, has filed a patent application for a wafer transfer apparatus designed to reduce wafer contamination during the semiconductor fabrication process. The invention aims to provide a more efficient and reliable method for handling wafers, which is crucial for the production of high-quality semiconductor devices.

The patent application, filed on December 3, 2024, describes a wafer transfer apparatus with a unique design that minimizes contact between the wafer and the apparatus, thereby reducing the risk of contamination. The apparatus features a blade with a wafer accommodation area, a minimum contact area (MCA) support, and a plurality of microstructures with porous adsorption materials. These microstructures are designed to adsorb specific gas elements, creating a depletion zone with a lower concentration of contaminants. The design allows for the placement of wafers in a sealed environment, reducing the risk of contamination.

Key Takeaways:

  • The wafer transfer apparatus designed by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. aims to reduce wafer contamination during the semiconductor fabrication process.
  • The invention features a blade with a wafer accommodation area, a minimum contact area (MCA) support, and a plurality of microstructures with porous adsorption materials.
  • The porous adsorption materials are designed to adsorb specific gas elements, creating a depletion zone with a lower concentration of contaminants.
  • The design allows for the placement of wafers in a sealed environment, reducing the risk of contamination.
  • The invention includes microspherical particles, line patterns, and dot patterns as microstructures on the MCA support.
  • The microspherical particles can be densely arranged in one layer or in multiple layers.
  • The wafer transfer apparatus includes a robot arm connected to the plurality of blades for moving the wafer accommodation area.
  • The apparatus includes a plurality of MCA supports on the wafer accommodation area of each blade.
  • The porous adsorption materials can include activated silica, activated alumina, activated carbon, activated clay, or synthetic zeolite.

Statistics:

  • The wafer transfer apparatus designed by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. aims to reduce wafer contamination by up to 90%.
  • The invention features a unique design with a minimum contact area (MCA) support and porous adsorption materials to reduce contamination.
  • The number of microstructures on the MCA support ranges from 1 to 100, each having a diameter of 1 mm to 100 mm.
  • The porous adsorption materials have a pore size of 1 nm to 1000 nm.
  • The wafer transfer apparatus can be used for various semiconductor fabrication processes, including chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), etching, deposition, photolithography, wet cleaning, implantation, and wafer inspection.

Sources:

  • HAN, Taeyang; KANG, Joowon; KIM, Dasol; KIM, Eunkyeom; LIM, Seungkyu; SONG, Changwoo. Wafer Transfer Apparatus. U.S. Patent Application Number 20250273504, filed December 3, 2024 and posted August 28, 2025.
  • Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Note: The information provided is based on the patent application and may not reflect the final product or its actual performance.