AN ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF HANDLING WAFERS

According to the present invention there is provided an assembly which comprises, at least a first and second wafer holder each of which can hold a wafer which comprises semiconductor components; a carrier which is selectively operable carry one of said wafer holders to move said wafer holder; an picking station wherein the picking station comprises means to pick semiconductor components from a wafer on the wafer holder; a loading station, wherein the loading station comprises means to load a wafer having semiconductor components onto a wafer holder; an intermediate rest station which comprises an area in which a wafer holder can be parked; a transfer means which is selectively operable to move a wafer holder from the intermediate rest station to the loading station; a controller which is configured to operate said carrier and the transfer means, so that, the carrier moves the second wafer holder from the loading station to the picking station, wherein at the picking station semiconductor components on a wafer held on the second wafer holder can be picked from the wafer; the transfer means moves the first wafer holder from the intermediate rest station to the loading station, after the carrier moves the second wafer holder from the loading station, so that a wafer comprising semiconductor components which are to be picked, is loaded onto the first wafer holder while the semiconductor components on a wafer held on the second wafer holder are picked from the wafer. There is further provided a corresponding method of handling semiconductor wafers. Selon la présente invention, il est proposé un ensemble qui comprend, au moins un premier et un second support de tranche, chacun d'entre eux pouvant contenir une tranche qui comprend des composants semi-conducteurs ; un support qui est sélectivement actionnable pour porter l'un desdits supports de tranche pour déplacer ledit support de tranche ; une station de prélèvement dans laquelle la station de prélèvement comprend des moyens pour prélever des composants semi-conducteurs à partir d'une tranche sur le support de tranche ; une station de chargement, la station de chargement comprenant des moyens pour charger une tranche ayant des composants semi-conducteurs sur un support de tranche ; une station de repos intermédiaire qui comprend une zone dans laquelle un support de tranche peut être stationné ; un moyen de transfert qui peut fonctionner de manière sélective pour déplacer un support de tranche de la station de