Measuring Wafer Position


Handling wafers is a precise task where even the slightest misalignment can cause issues during the lithography process, leading to longer changeovers and lower yields. Vision-guided inspections offer high-resolution imaging and precise measurements. Adding 3D sensing verifies the position, tilt, and orientation of wafers while in motion, helping robots avoid touching fragile surfaces. Automated, in-line controls enhance quality, speed up cycles, and improve yields.

Zebra Technologies integrates vision-guided inspections and 3D sensing to precisely measure wafer position, tilt, and orientation, ensuring delicate handling, enhanced efficiency, and improved yields in wafer processing.

Confidently measure wafer notch position using 2D imaging and 3D validation for faster lines and improved yield

A Zebra Iris GTX camera is inspecting a semiconductor wafer notch, using high-resolution imaging along with Aurora machine vision software to analyze geometric features, convert pixel distances to micrometers, and ensure precise alignment through user-defined tolerances.

Measure wafer notch position with precision

Zebra smart cameras capture high-resolution images of the wafer’s edges and notches. These images are analyzed using Aurora machine vision software. After calibrating the optics once, the software converts the pixel distances into micrometers. It then matches arcs, lines, and circle centers to the wafer’s edge to determine the notch’s angle and offset, checking these against user-defined tolerances. If there’s any misalignment, a correction to adjust the wafer can be made before the next step, ensuring it stays precisely aligned.

The Zebra AltiZ 4200 3D profile sensor captures detailed 3D point clouds of semiconductor wafer edges and notches as they move along a conveyor, enabling precise verification of wafer position, tilt, and bow by combining 2D and 3D measurements, all while efficiently managing glossy surfaces and maintaining accuracy even at high production speeds.

Add 3D validation for in‑motion accuracy

AltiZ 3D profile sensors capture three‑dimensional (3D) point clouds of the wafer edge and notch while conveyors move, verifying the wafer’s position, tilt, and bow without stopping the line.   The system cross-checks 2D measurements with 3D geometry to prevent errors from glare, automatically adjusting robot handling or raising alarms as needed. It effectively manages glossy surfaces and maintains alignment at typical production speeds.

Screenshot of the Aurora Imaging Library interface, showcasing precise wafer position measurements tagged with an ID, enabling automated out-of-spec flagging and detailed adjustment records for quality control and trend analysis.

Turn Inspection Data into Process Control and Traceability

The Zebra Aurora software platform makes it easy to share alignment results directly with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and statistical process control (SPC) dashboards. Aurora Imaging Library software captures precise measurements of wafer positions. Each measurement is carefully tagged with information like lot, tool, and recipe IDs, making audits traceable and allowing for strong trend analysis. This all-in-one solution ensures that wafers meet strict quality standards, automatically flags out-of-spec positions, and keeps a detailed record of any adjustments made.

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