An imaging system for viewing indicia on an object to be observed in which the indicia comprises a plurality of either hard and/or soft marks. The light supplied by a light source is collimated by at least one lens and supplied toward an object to be observed and the reflected light is then focussed at a focal plane. The focal plane is located adjacent or coincident with a light receiving entrance of a camera or other imaging device. When a soft mark is imaged, the light is supplied at an angle ...

A wafer employing a silicon carbide sintered body is provided. The density of the silicon carbide sintered body is 2.9 g/cm.sup.3 or more. The silicon carbide sintered body is obtained by sintering a mixture in which silicon carbide powder and a non-metal-based sintering additive are mixed uniformly. The non-metal-based sintering additive is formed of an organic compound which generates carbon upon heating or the like. As a result, a wafer with excellent heat resistance and acid resistance and w...

A method for separating pieces (dies) of a semiconductor wafer in which the wafer is attached to a vinyl film, scribed, broken, and the film stretched in all radial dimensions. A plunger-type device having a rounded chamfer in contact with the film and a teflon or nylon surface is used to stretch the film radially by deforming it axially. The film is heated for attaching the wafer and for the stretching process. A vacuum step may be employed to enhance wafer-film adherence.

Presented is a machine for breaking a semiconductor wafer that has been scribed into the individual dies described by the scribe lines.

A wafer breaker has a housing with upper and lower sections hinged together so that the upper section can swing down on top of the lower section. The lower section carries a removable platen having a rounded top surface on which a flat scribed wafer is placed. The top housing section contains a pressure chamber having a flexible and resilient wall which is positioned directly above the platen when the top section is in its closed position. Adjustment of a valve in the top section to a first oper...

A quartz-glass carrier frame for supporting a series of rows of silicon wafers made by clamping a single row of flat quartz-glass rods together with rows of shims having a thickness substantially equal to the wafer thickness, welding the rods together at spaced locations along their length, and welding lateral quartz-glass spacer rods to the longitudinal rods and to a flat bottom plate.

A silicon wafer holder of molded plastic in a unitary one piece integral construction having a suspending portion at the top of a deformable frame with an open interior in which the silicon wafer is received and held, the frame having side portions cradling the sides of the wafer at its edges, and inwardly projecting lugs at the side portions of the frame to retain the cradled wafer in stationary position, there being no inwardly projecting lugs or nibs at the bottom of the holder to avoid any o...

A wafer basket having slotted side walls to permit free circulation of liquids around wafers in the basket and drainage of the liquid from the basket. The slotted side walls have lower portions offset inwardly and defining wafer support surfaces contoured to the peripheral contour of the wafers and supporting the wafers over a substantial portion of their peripheries.

A wafer basket having parallel side walls between which may be held axially aligned wafers includes end supports configured to permit end-wise access to wafers axially from one end thereof and edge-wise from the other end thereof. Also disclosed is a handle adapted to grasp the end supports for carrying the basket.

A wafer support, comprising, a baseplate with an aperture therein and a hing ring rotatably positioned in the aperture. A platform is defined in the holding ring for supporting the peripheral edges of a wafer disposed therein and the holding ring includes a plurality of spaced slots extending parallel to the platform and spaced therefrom. A plurality of retaining rods are connected to the baseplate and extend into the slots to engage over the wafer positioned on the platform. A portion of the ho...