Mark E Grey

US Patent:

6415843, Jul 9, 2002

Filed:

Jan 10, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/756849

Inventors:

Bhola De - Congers NY
Mark Spencer Grey - Somerset NJ

Assignee:

Anadigics, Inc. - Warren NJ

International Classification:

B32B 3500

US Classification:

156584, 156344, 1523601

Abstract:

A wafer removing spatula has a handle connected to a tray. A shaft of the handle is provided with a pair of support guides and the tray is provided with a wafer support surface which rests on a tray support surface. The support guides and the tray support surface are configured and dimensioned to ensure that the wafer support surface is substantially parallel to the upper surface of a base plate on which both the support guides and the tray support surface rest. A front edge of the wafer support surface is provided with a bevel to facilitate lifting a wafer from a wafer carrier surface. The height of the lowermost portion of the front edge is approximately the same as the height of a wafer carrier placed on the base plate. During operation, the spatula is moved on the base plate towards the carrier with the wafer mounted thereon. The front edge of the spatula eases just above the upper surface of the wafer carrier such that the beveled edge creates and then enters a separation gap between the wafer and the wafer carrier, thereby causing the wafer to separate from the wafer carrier and climb onto the wafer support surface.