An industrial-scale system and method for handling precisely aligned and centered semiconductor substrate (e.g., wafer) pairs for substrate-to-substrate (e.g., wafer-to-wafer) aligning and bonding applications is provided. Some embodiments include an aligned substrate transport device having a frame member and a spacer assembly. The centered semiconductor substrate pairs may be positioned within a processing system using the aligned substrate transport device, optionally under robotic control. The centered semiconductor substrate pairs may be bonded together without the presence of the aligned substrate transport device in the bonding device. The bonding device may include a second spacer assembly which operates in concert with that of the aligned substrate transport device to perform a spacer hand-off between the substrates. A pin apparatus may be used to stake the substrates during the hand-off.

A method includes applying laser pulses along a direction to a side of a wafer to create first and second stealth damage regions at respective first and second depths in the wafer and to create cracks that extend in the wafer from the respective stealth damage regions and that are spaced apart from one another along the direction, applying a compressive and retractive cyclical force to the wafer along the third direction to propagate and join the cracks from the respective stealth damage regions together, and expanding the wafer to separate individual dies from the wafer.

A system for direct bonding can include a substrate support configured to hold a substrate for direct bonding and a die handling tool including an end effector configured to hold a die and bring the die into contact with the substrate supported on the substrate support, the end effector configured to initiate contact between the substrate and a bond initiation region of the die and to subsequently allow contact between the substrate and other regions of the die.

A method for aligning and bringing a first substrate into contact with a second substrate as well as a corresponding device with at least four detection units wherein: at least two first detection units can move at least in the X-direction and in the Y-direction, and at least two second detection units can move exclusively in the Z-direction.

A system to manufacture a plurality of dies may include an etching tool, an electrically-conductive-adhesive-composition, a heat-applying-extraction-tool and a porous substrate cooperating with an evacuation component. The etching tool uses an ion beam that is configured to singulate a plurality of dies on a wafer with an ion etching process. The electrically-conductive-adhesive-composition is located between the wafer and a porous substrate carrying the wafer during the ion etching process. The electrically-conductive-adhesive-composition adheres the wafer to the porous substrate to keep the dies in place during the ion etching process. The electrically-conductive-adhesive-composition also aids in conducting electrons away from the wafer as a drain during the ion etching process. The heat-applying-extraction-tool applies heat to an individual die during a handling process of the manufacturing process in order to melt the electrically-conductive-adhesive-composition through the porous substrate to an evacuation component in order to then pick up an individual die singulated from the wafer.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes loading a first wafer and a second wafer onto a bonding platform such that the second wafer overlies the first wafer. An alignment process is performed to align the second wafer over the first wafer by virtue of a plurality of wafer pins, where a plurality of first parameters are associated with the wafer pins during the alignment process. The second wafer is bonded to the first wafer. An overlay (OVL) measurement process is performed on the first wafer and the second wafer by virtue of the plurality of wafer pins, where a plurality of second parameters are associated with the wafer pins during the alignment process. An OVL shift is determined between the first wafer and the second wafer based on a comparison between the first parameters associated with the wafer pins during the alignment process and the second parameters associated with the wafer pins during the OVL measurement process.

A wafer supporting mechanism and a method for wafer dicing are provided. The wafer supporting mechanism includes a base portion and a support portion. The base portion includes a first gas channel and a first outlet connected to the first gas channel. The support portion is connected to the base portion and including a second gas channel connected to the first gas channel. An accommodation space is defined by the base portion and the support portion.

Provided is a transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus includes, in addition to a non-contact chuck that lifts and holds a workpiece in a non-contact manner, a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators that radiate ultrasonic waves. The plurality of ultrasonic vibrators are configured to radiate the ultrasonic waves to generate a standing wave that attracts the workpiece and are configured for the non-contact chuck to hold the workpiece at a position where forces attracting in a plurality of directions toward outside of the workpiece are balanced when viewed from a direction facing the workpiece.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece includes a chuck table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece thereon, a cutting unit having a spindle with a cutting blade mounted on a distal end thereof for cutting the workpiece held on the holding surface, an image capturing unit for capturing an image of an outer circumferential portion of the cutting blade mounted on the cutting unit, and a determining section for determining the orientation of the cutting blade. The outer circumferential portion of the cutting blade includes a plurality of protrusions each having a first surface for scraping swarf off from the workpiece when the cutting blade cuts the workpiece and a second surface connected to the first surface. The determining section determines the orientation of the cutting blade mounted on the cutting unit, according to an image captured of the protrusions by the image capturing unit.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a tool performing joining by ultrasonic vibration while applying a load to a metal terminal. The tool includes a plurality of protrusions arranged along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction on a pressing surface in a rectangular shape at a tip end portion facing the metal terminal. The intervals between the plurality of protrusions are equal in the X direction of the pressing surface, and are larger on the inner peripheral side than on the outer peripheral side in the Y-axis direction of the pressing surface.