Method and jig for holding silicon wafer

Abstract

Provided are a method and a jig for holding a silicon wafer, which are applied to the production of the silicon wafer having {110} or {100} plane as its principal surface, in which the silicon wafer is held while a silicon wafer holding positions are properly defined at wafer edge regions relative to the reference direction as being from the center of the silicon wafer toward <110> in crystal orientation in parallel to the wafer surface. In handling the silicon wafer, generation of contact scratches is suppressed as little as possible, and a fracture which is caused by development of the crack initiating from easily generated contact scratches can be prevented in the silicon wafer, particularly in the silicon wafer having {110} plane as its principal surface.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A silicon wafer holding jig comprising:
 supporting members that support a silicon wafer having any of {110} planes as a principal surface thereof, the principal surface having at least first and second wafer edge regions, at the first wafer edge regions, the supporting members configured so that the second wafer edge regions of the silicon wafer are not supported by the support members, the unsupported second wafer edge regions each defined by the direction range: 20° to 40°; 140° to 160°; 200° to 220°; and 320° to 340° respectively, in terms of clockwise direction relative to a reference direction as being from the center of the silicon wafer toward <100> in crystal orientation in parallel to the wafer surface, wherein the holding jig supporting the silicon wafers in the first wafer edge regions and not supporting the second wafer edge regions prevents cracking along specific planes being susceptible to cleavage cracking.   
     
     
         8 . The silicon wafer holding jig according to  claim 7 , wherein the silicon wafer is supported by at least two first wafer edge regions, each of the at least two first wafer edge regions defined by the direction range: 55° to 80°; 100° to 125°; 235° to 260°; and 280° to 305° respectively, in terms of clockwise direction relative to the reference direction as being from the center of the silicon wafer toward <100> in crystal orientation in parallel to the wafer surface. 
     
     
         9 . A silicon wafer holding jig comprising:
 supporting members that support a silicon wafer having any of {100} planes as a principal surface thereof, the principal surface having at least first and second wafer edge regions, at the first wafer edge regions, the supporting members configured so that the second wafer edge regions are not supported by the support members, the unsupported second wafer edge regions each defined by the direction range: 0° to 10°; 80° to 100°; 170° to 190°; 260° to 280°; and 350° to 360° respectively, in terms of clockwise direction relative to the reference direction as being from the center of the silicon wafer toward <110> in crystal orientation in parallel to the wafer surface, wherein the holding jig supporting the silicon wafers in the first wafer edge regions and not supporting the second wafer edge regions prevents cracking along specific planes being susceptible to cleavage cracking.