Motivation

Wafer warpage, a subtle bowing caused by thermal and material stresses during manufacturing, is a critical challenge in semiconductor back-end processing that leads to alignment errors, bonding failures, and ultimately, a decrease in production yield. Conventional chucking technologies that grip the entire wafer at once often exacerbate this problem by inducing localized stress concentrations, which can cause micro-cracks or even catastrophic wafer breakage. This project was motivated by the urgent need for a more delicate handling solution. We propose a soft adaptive chuck that integrates compliant bellows-suction cups with a sequential suction mechanism. By planarizing the wafer gradually from the center outwards, our technology minimizes stress concentration, prevents damage, and ensures the safe, reliable handling of even severely warped wafers, paving the way for improved yields in advanced semiconductor processing.