Patent ID: 6896304

Claim:
An automatic sensing wafer blade for picking-up wafers comprising: a blade body of generally circular shape having a first thickness; a blade handle of elongated shape integral at one end with said blade body, said blade handle having a second thickness; a first plurality of stops formed on a top surface of said blade body circumferentially spaced-apart from each other adapted for contacting a bottom surface of a wafer; a seal ring circumferentially situated on said top surface of the blade body; a second plurality of vacuum holes in said top surface of the blade body situated within said seal ring; said second plurality of vacuum holes in fluid communication with a vacuum passageway in said blade body and said blade handle; at least one sensor mounted on said top surface of the blade body situated within said seal ring for sensing the presence of a wafer positioned on said top surface of the blade body; and a recording device for recording the status of detection of a wafer on top of said at least one sensor.