A die bonding apparatus having: a carrier support unit having at least one support element defining a supporting plane and a carrier holder operable to support the carrier panel on a side of the supporting plane with the carrier panel being parallel to the supporting plane, a wafer feed unit having a wafer holder operable to hold a diced wafer in a manner so as to space the diced wafer apart from the supporting plane defined by the at least one support element of the carrier support unit and orient the diced wafer with an exposed surface of the diced wafer facing the side of the supporting plane to which the carrier panel is supported, and a die transfer module disposed between the carrier support unit and the wafer feed unit, the die transfer module operable to transfer a die from the diced wafer to the carrier panel.

A wafer inspection system includes a controller in communication with an electron-beam inspection tool. The controller includes circuitry to: acquire, via an optical imaging tool, coordinates of defects on a sample; set a Field of View (FoV) of the electron-beam inspection tool to a first size to locate a subset of the defects; determine a position of each defect of the subset of the defects based on inspection data generated by the electron-beam inspection tool during a scanning of the sample; adjust the coordinates of the defects based on the determined positions of the subset of the defects; and set the FoV of the electron-beam inspection tool to a second size to locate additional defects based on the adjusted coordinates.

A holding device for holding a carrier or a component in a vacuum chamber is described. The holding device includes one or more electric controllable holding elements, a housing for at least partially housing the one or more electric controllable holding elements, the housing having a reception for the one or more electric controllable holding elements, a sealing for providing an air-tight sealing between the housing and the one or more electric controllable holding elements being arranged in the reception; and an air-tight connection for an electric supply line for the one or more electric controllable holding elements. Further, a method of producing a holding device, an apparatus for handling a carrier in a vacuum chamber, and a vacuum deposition system are described.

A carrier for supporting a substrate or a mask in a vacuum chamber in or parallel to a first plane is provided. The carrier comprises a clamping device for fixing the carrier to an aligning device and a mechanical motion element connecting the clamping device to the carrier, the mechanical motion element allowing for relative movement of the clamping device and the carrier for at least one degree of freedom and providing a fixed connection between the clamping device and the carrier for at least another degree of freedom.

An apparatus for carrier alignment in a vacuum chamber is described. The apparatus includes a support extending in a first direction in the vacuum chamber, a magnetic levitation system configured to transport a first carrier in the first direction in the vacuum chamber, the magnetic levitation system comprising at least one magnet unit, and an alignment system for aligning the first carrier. The at least one magnet unit and the alignment system are rigidly fixed to the support. Further, a vacuum system and a method of aligning a carrier are described.

A measurement system used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices includes: a plurality of measurement devices in which each device performs measurement processing on a substrate; and a carrying system to perform delivery of a substrate with the plurality of measurement devices. The plurality of measurement devices includes a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate. Position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate can be acquired under a setting of a first predetermined condition in the first measurement device, and position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate can be acquired under a setting of a second predetermined condition different from the first predetermined condition in the second measurement device.

A measurement system to be used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices is provided independently from an exposure apparatus. The measurement system has measurement devices that each performs measurement processing on substrates (e.g., substrates that have gone through at least one processing but before being coated with a sensitive agent), and a carrying system for performing delivery of substrates to/from the measurement devices. The measurement devices include a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate under a setting of a first condition, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate (e.g., another substrate included in the same lot as the substrate on which acquiring position information is performed under the setting of the first condition in the first measurement device) under a setting of a first condition.

A method for bonding a first substrate and a second substrate includes: forming a protrusion at a partial region of the first substrate; measuring a position of the first substrate after the protrusion is formed in the first substrate; and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate by contacting the protrusion of the first substrate with a surface of the second substrate to form a contact region and enlarging the contact region.

The invention relates to a positioning device for positioning a substrate, in particular a wafer, comprising: a process chamber; a base body; a carrier element which comprises a support for supporting the substrate, the carrier element being arranged above the base body and formed movable in terms of distance from the base body; and a holder for an additional substrate, in particular an additional wafer or a mask, the holder being arranged opposite the carrier element; wherein there is, between the base body and the carrier element, a sealed-off cavity to which a pressure, in particular a negative pressure, can be applied so as to prevent undesired movement of the carrier element as a result of the action of an external force.

A wafer inspection system includes a controller in communication with an electron-beam inspection tool. The controller includes circuitry to: acquire, via an optical imaging tool, coordinates of defects on a sample; set a Field of View (FoV) of the electron-beam inspection tool to a first size to locate a subset of the defects; determine a position of each defect of the subset of the defects based on inspection data generated by the electron-beam inspection tool during a scanning of the sample; adjust the coordinates of the defects based on the determined positions of the subset of the defects; and set the FoV of the electron-beam inspection tool to a second size to locate additional defects based on the adjusted coordinates.