Patent ID: 6454635
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: B24B,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
A wafer carrier for retaining a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a processing apparatus during a processing operation which removes wafer material by at least one of abrading and chemical reaction, said processing apparatus being adapted for removing wafer material from a front surface and a back surface of each wafer simultaneously, the carrier comprising:a blank of material having an opening therein and mounting structure associated with the opening; and an insert disposed in the opening for receiving one of said wafers and engaging a peripheral edge of the wafer to hold the wafer as the carrier rotates so as to inhibit damage to the edge of the wafer during the processing operation, the insert being removably engageable with the carrier in the opening and releasably held in the opening such that said insert can be non-destructively removed and replaced with another insert for extending the useful life of the wafer carrier and to improve the flatness and parallelism of the front and back surfaces of said wafers processed using the wafer carrier, the insert having male elements integrally formed therein for engaging the mounting structure in the blank, the mounting structure comprising female elements sized and shaped to mate with the male elements.