Carrier apparatus and method for shaped sheet materials

Abstract

A carrier apparatus for holding a shaped sheet material includes a first frame structure with a first front surface including a first outer peripheral region and a first inner peripheral region separated by a first step. The apparatus further includes a second frame structure with a second front surface including a second outer peripheral region and a second inner peripheral region separated by a second step. The second front surface is configured to engage with the first front surface so that the second outer peripheral region is at least partially in contact with the first outer peripheral region and the second step circumferentially mates the first step with the second inner peripheral region opposing to the first inner peripheral region by a gap. The carrier apparatus further includes one or more locking mechanisms and a shaped wing structure extended from outer peripheral edge of the first frame structure.

1 . A carrier apparatus for holding a shaped sheet material, the apparatus comprising:
 a first frame structure having a first front surface including a first outer peripheral region and a first inner peripheral region separated by a first step, the first inner peripheral region being characterized by a width of a ledge extended circumferentially from the first step and one or more athwart dimensions from the first step at one side of the first inner peripheral region to the first step at an opposing side of the first inner peripheral region in one or more diagonal orientations;   a second frame structure having a second front surface including a second outer peripheral region and a second inner peripheral region separated by a second step, the second front surface being configured to engage with the first front surface at a close position so that the second outer peripheral region is at least partially in contact with the first outer peripheral region and the second step circumferentially mates the first step with the second inner peripheral region opposing to the first inner peripheral region by a gap;   one or more locking mechanisms to withhold the second frame structure engaged with the first frame structure; and   a shaped wing structure integrally extended from outer peripheral edge of the first frame structure.   
     
     
         2 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first step moves down from the first outer peripheral region to the first inner peripheral region as the first front surface faces up and the second step moves up from the second outer peripheral region to the second inner peripheral region as the second front surface faces up. 
     
     
         3 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the first step is associated with a first step height and the second step is associated with a second step height, the second step height is smaller than the first step height. 
     
     
         4 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 3  wherein a difference between the first step height and the second step height in the close position with the second inner peripheral region opposing the first inner peripheral region is substantially equal to the gap. 
     
     
         5 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the gap is bigger than a thickness of the shaped sheet material by a predetermined margin. 
     
     
         6 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the thickness of the shaped sheet material comprises a range from 10 μm to 200 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more athwart dimensions from the first step at one side of the first inner peripheral region to the first step at an opposing side of the first inner peripheral region in one or more diagonal orientations are configured to be substantially equal to or bigger than one or more lateral dimensions of the shaped sheet material so that the shaped sheet material can be circumferentially enclosed within the first step with at least one or more peripheral portions of the shaped sheet material being partially supported by the width of the ledge of the first inner peripheral region. 
     
     
         8 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the width of the ledge of the first inner peripheral region comprises a distance in certain orientation equal to about 5% of an athwart dimension in that orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the one or more athwart dimensions comprise about 50 millimeters or greater, or 100 millimeters or bigger, or about 125 millimeters or bigger, or about 156 millimeters or bigger. 
     
     
         10 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the one or more locking mechanisms comprise one or more screws at predetermined corner locations, or one or more clips at predetermined locations of the first outer peripheral region and the second outer peripheral region, or one or more combinations of hinges and latches at predetermined locations of the first outer peripheral region and the second outer peripheral region. 
     
     
         11 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the shaped wing structure integrally extended from a periphery of the first frame structure comprises a substantially rounded shape with a diameter ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches and a thickness of about 1 millimeter or smaller. 
     
     
         12 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first frame structure and the second frame structure are made of a material selected from Teflon, PVDF (Polyvinylidene Difluoride), PEEK (Polyetheretherketones), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyimide, quartz, and aluminum, molybdenum, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and metal alloy comprising nickel, molybdenum, chromium, cobalt, iron, copper, manganese, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, carbon, and tungsten. 
     
     
         13 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1 , and further comprises a first cover circumferentially coupled to the first inner peripheral region and a second cover circumferentially coupled to the second inner peripheral region. 
     
     
         14 . A carrier apparatus for holding a shaped sheet material, the apparatus comprising:
 a first C-like frame member including two first arm sections each with a first length from a first base to a first end integrally extended from a first middle section, the two first arm sections each including two side-ridges with substantially first half of the first length from the first end, a middle slot formed between the two side ridges, and a middle hole extended further from the middle slot with a same lateral dimension and substantially second half of the first length;   a second C-like frame member including two second arm sections each with a second length from a second base to a second end integrally extended from a second middle section, the two second arm sections each including a middle rod with substantially first half of the second length from the second end and two side slots further extended substantially second half the second length, the second length being substantially equal to the first length, the middle rod being configured to slidingly mate with the middle slot and further with the middle hole till a close position as the two side slots fully engage with the two side-ridges;   a first trench formed through a first inner side of the first C-like frame member with a predetermined depth, the first trench being offset the middle hole and two side ridges; and   a second trench formed through a second inner side of the second C-like frame member with substantially the same predetermined depth, the second trench and the first trench being connected at the close position.   
     
     
         15 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 14 , and further comprising a shaped wing structure extended from outer peripheral edges of both the first C-like frame member and the second C-like frame member. 
     
     
         16 . A carrier cassette for a plurality of carrier apparatus, the carrier cassette comprising:
 a length of a bulk structure with a U-like cross section including a bottom surface and an inner surface, the inner surface including a plurality of slots disposed perpendicular to the length of the bulk structure with a predetermined spacing between each other, each of the plurality of slots being configured to be inserted with a carrier apparatus, the carrier apparatus comprising:
 a first frame structure having a first front surface including a first outer peripheral region and a first inner peripheral region separated by a first step, the first inner peripheral region being characterized by a width of a ledge extended circumferentially from the first step and one or more athwart dimensions from the first step at one side of the first inner peripheral region to the first step at an opposing side of the first inner peripheral region in one or more diagonal orientations; 
 a second frame structure having a second front surface including a second outer peripheral region and a second inner peripheral region separated by a second step, the second front surface being configured to engage with the first front surface at a close position so that the second outer peripheral region is at least partially in contact with the first outer peripheral region and the second step circumferentially mates the first step with the second inner peripheral region opposing to the first inner peripheral region by a gap; 
 one or more locking mechanisms to secure the second frame structure engaged with the first frame structure; and 
 a shaped wing structure integrally extended from outer peripheral edge of the first frame structure; 
   one or more holes disposed at the bottom portion of each of the plurality of slots penetrating through the bottom surface.   
     
     
         17 . A method for handling a shaped sheet material, the method comprising:
 providing a shaped sheet material characterized by one or more lateral dimensions and a thickness;   providing a carrier apparatus adapted to the shaped sheet material based on at least information of the one or more lateral dimensions and the thickness, the carrier apparatus comprising:
 a first frame structure having a first front surface including a first outer peripheral region and a first inner peripheral region separated by a first step, the first inner peripheral region being characterized by a width of a ledge extended circumferentially from the first step and one or more athwart dimensions from the first step at one side of the first inner peripheral region to the first step at an opposing side of the first inner peripheral region in one or more diagonal orientations; p 2  a second frame structure having a second front surface including a second outer peripheral region and a second inner peripheral region separated by a second step, the second front surface being configured to engage with the first front surface at a close position so that the second outer peripheral region is at least partially in contact with the first outer peripheral region and the second step circumferentially mates the first step with the second inner peripheral region opposing to the first inner peripheral region by a gap; 
 one or more locking mechanisms to withhold the second frame structure engaged with the first frame structure; and 
 a shaped wing structure integrally extended from outer peripheral edge of the first frame structure; 
   exposing the first front surface;   loading the shaped sheet material onto the first inner peripheral region;   disposing the second frame structure to mate the first frame structure so that the second front surface engages with the first front surface at the close position of the carrier apparatus;   securing the engaged first frame structure and the second frame structure; and   transferring the carrier apparatus to process the shaped sheet material held therein.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the shaped sheet material comprises a deformable thin wafer produced by cleaving a bulk material including ingots of single-crystalline or polycrystalline silicon, or germanium, or III/V group compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the one or more lateral dimensions of the shaped deformable sheet material comprises about 50 mm or bigger, or 100 mm or bigger, or about 125 mm or bigger, or about 156 mm or bigger. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the thickness of the shaped deformable sheet material comprises a range from 10 μm to 200 μm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein providing a carrier apparatus for the shaped sheet material comprises determining the first frame structure and the second frame structure adaptive to the shaped sheet material based on at least the one or more lateral dimensions and the thickness. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein loading the shaped sheet material can be performed by an electrostatic chuck or a vacuum chuck. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein securing the engaged first frame structure and the second frame structure comprises utilizing the one or more locking mechanisms including one or more clips, or one or more screws, or one or more springs, or one or more latches. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17  wherein transferring the carrier apparatus to process the shaped sheet material held therein comprises loading a plurality of carrier apparatuses, each holding a shaped sheet material, respectively into a carrier cassette including a plurality of slots with a width matched the shaped wing structure and inter-slot spacing adapted to a total thickness of the carrier apparatus; transferring the carrier cassette including the plurality of carrier apparatuses into a processing system; and simultaneously processing both sides of each shaped sheet material held within each carrier. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein simultaneously processing both sides of each shaped sheet material held within each carrier comprises performing a wet cleaning process, or a chemical etching process, or a deposition process, or a thermal annealing process, or a material characterization process.