A WAFER CARRIER HAVING A LOW TOLERANCE BUILD-UP

摘要

A low tolerance build-up wafer carrier (10) and method for assembling the same for supporting semiconductor wafer disks (12) and for interfacing with processing equipment (64). Press-fit fasteners (148) are used to assemble composite carriers and attach equipment interface portions (40) to the carrier (10). Each press-fit fastener comprising a first fastener portion (166) integral with a first element and a second fastener portion (200) integral with a second element. The first and second fastener portions interferingly engaging each other when pressed together thereby connecting first and second elements without significant tolerance build-up. A further embodiment of the invention is to provide a wafer carrier having interface contact portions (42) positioned to accept carrier contact portions (66), from processing equipment, through a guide plate or kinematic coupling (120). The interface contact portions acting to align the carrier and prevent tolerance build-up due to the flexing of the guide plate (120).