CN112992761A

CN112992761A - Sheet-like adhesive material peeling device

Info

Publication number: CN112992761A
Application number: CN202011450449.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 长谷幸敏
Original assignee: Ridong Precision Machine Co ltd; Nitto Denko Corp
Current assignee: Ridong Precision Machine Co ltd; Nitto Seiki Co Ltd; Nitto Denko Corp
Priority date: 2019-12-13
Filing date: 2020-12-09
Publication date: 2021-06-18
Also published as: TW202123361A; KR20210075864A; JP2021097068A

Abstract

The invention provides a sheet-like adhesive material peeling device capable of peeling off a sheet-like adhesive material stuck to a work without causing abnormality such as cracking of the work. A Protective Tape (PT) having an adhesive material (Tb) that has a reduced adhesive force when it comes into contact with a liquid (L) is bonded to a wafer (W), and first, a peeling start site (Ds) is formed by peeling a part of the outer peripheral portion of the Protective Tape (PT) from the wafer. Then, a liquid (L) is supplied to the peeling start site (Ds) by a liquid supply unit (17), and the entire Protective Tape (PT) is peeled from the wafer while maintaining the state in which the liquid (L) is in contact with the peeling site (Dp). The liquid (L) can come into contact with the adhesive material (Tb) by the formation of the peeling start site (Ds), and the adhesive force of the protective tape at the peeling start site is reduced by this contact. Therefore, the peeling force required for peeling the protective tape can be reduced, and therefore, the stress applied to the wafer can be reduced.

Description

Sheet-like adhesive material peeling device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus for peeling off a sheet-like adhesive material such as an adhesive tape attached to a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "wafer") or a substrate.

Background

After the circuit pattern forming process is performed on the front surface of the wafer, a back surface grinding process is performed to grind and thin the back surface of the wafer. Before this back grinding process, an adhesive tape (protective tape) for protection is stuck to the surface of the wafer in order to protect the circuit. After thinning the wafer, the wafer is placed at the center of the ring frame, and an adhesive tape (dicing tape) for supporting is attached across the ring frame and the back surface of the wafer. After the jig is made by attaching the dicing tape, the protective tape is peeled off to perform various processes such as a dicing process.

As a conventional method for separating a protective tape from a wafer, the following method is used: after the back surface grinding, a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape (release tape) for peeling is stuck to the surface of the protective tape, and the release tape is peeled off, thereby peeling the release tape and the protective tape together (see, for example, patent documents 1 and 2). Specifically, a plate-like edge member around which a release tape is wound is pressed against a protective tape to join the release tape to the protective tape, and the release tape is folded back and peeled by the edge member.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-318250

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-046436

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the conventional apparatus described above has the following problems.

In recent years, wafers have been further thinned for the purpose of high-density mounting, and, as an example, a back grinding process is performed to make the wafers as thin as about several tens μm. Since such thinning causes a decrease in the rigidity of the wafer, when an adhesive tape such as a protective tape is peeled from the wafer, an abnormality such as a crack or a chip occurs more frequently in the wafer. Further, the following problems are concerned: a part of the adhesive material contained in the adhesive tape remains on the surface of the wafer from which the adhesive tape has been peeled, and adversely affects the performance of the wafer.

As a method of strengthening a wafer, the following method is proposed: the wafer is processed into a thin shape with an annular convex portion along the outer periphery by performing back grinding while leaving the outer periphery of the wafer. By forming the annular convex portion, it is possible to suppress the deflection deformation of the wafer when a normal handling process is performed.

However, when the adhesive tape is peeled off from the wafer, it is difficult to suppress the occurrence of cracks and the like even in the wafer having the annular convex portion. That is, the adhesive tape is attached to the entire surface of the wafer. Therefore, when the adhesive tape is peeled from the wafer, the peeling force required for peeling the adhesive tape acts not only on the annular convex portion but also on the central thin portion (flat concave portion). The peeling force is required to be a large force exceeding the adhesive force of the adhesive tape, and acts in a direction of shearing the wafer. Therefore, even if a wafer having an annular convex portion is used, it is difficult to avoid the occurrence of cracks in the thin flat concave portion.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object thereof is to provide a sheet-like adhesive material peeling device capable of peeling a sheet-like adhesive material stuck to a work without causing an abnormality such as a crack in the work.

Means for solving the problems

The inventors of the present invention have studied to solve the above problems, and as a result, the reason why the above situation occurs is clarified as follows. That is, when the adhesive tape is peeled from the wafer, the peeling tape and the adhesive tape need to be wound up together with each other with a force exceeding the magnitude of the adhesive force of the adhesive tape to the wafer. The force (peeling force) applied to the wafer causes stress to be applied to the wafer, and this stress causes an abnormality such as a crack to occur in the wafer. Further, it is considered that since the release tape is wound up with a force against the adhesive force of the adhesive tape, the layer of the adhesive material is broken by the winding-up force, and as a result, a part of the adhesive material remains on the wafer surface.

In addition, in the conventional peeling apparatus, the rolling member that rolls up the peeling tape is moved from one end side of the wafer to the other end side, and the peeling tape is rolled up. That is, the adhesive tape attached to one end side of the wafer is peeled off first, and finally the adhesive tape on the other end side of the wafer is peeled off. Therefore, when the adhesive force with which the adhesive tape is adhered to the wafer varies depending on the position on the wafer due to the unevenness of the circuit pattern of the wafer, the material of the wafer, and the like, the magnitude of the stress applied to the wafer in the peeling step varies. The stick-slip phenomenon occurs due to the change in stress, and as a result, the frequency of occurrence of wafer breakage further increases.

In the conventional peeling apparatus, in order to increase the force against the adhesive force of the adhesive tape adhering to the wafer, the edge member is pressed against the adhesive tape, and the rolling member is moved from one end side of the wafer to the other end side. Since stress acting on the wafer is generated by pressing of the edge member, the frequency of occurrence of breakage of the wafer further increases. In the structure for pressing the edge member, the height and the parallelism of the edge member and the wafer need to be precisely set. Thus, a structure for fine adjustment of the position of the edge member and the wafer is required.

As a method for suppressing the occurrence of an abnormality in the wafer when the adhesive tape is peeled, a structure in which the adhesive force of the adhesive tape is reduced under a specific condition is conceivable. Examples thereof include a method using a heat-peelable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape having a reduced adhesive strength by heating, and an ultraviolet-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape having a reduced adhesive strength by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

However, when wafers having an extremely small thickness of about several tens of μm are used, the frequency of wafer breakage cannot be sufficiently suppressed even when a thermally releasable adhesive tape or an ultraviolet-curable adhesive tape is used. That is, the heat-peelable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or the ultraviolet-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape has a certain adhesive force even under heating or ultraviolet irradiation, and it is considered that the adhesive force causes stress to act on the wafer.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a sheet-like adhesive material peeling device for peeling a sheet-like adhesive material stuck to a work from the work,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus is characterized in that,

the sheet-like adhesive material has a moisture-sensitive adhesive-force-reducing adhesive layer that reduces adhesive force when brought into contact with a liquid,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device comprises:

a peeling start portion forming means for forming a peeling start portion which is a portion where peeling starts at an interface between the moisture-sensitive adhesive strength-decreasing adhesive layer and the work by peeling a part of an outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material from the work;

a liquid supply mechanism that supplies a liquid to at least a partial portion of the peeling start portion; and

and a peeling mechanism configured to peel the sheet-like adhesive material from the work by relatively moving the sheet-like adhesive material in a predetermined peeling direction with respect to the work while maintaining a state in which the liquid supplied to the peeling start portion or the additionally supplied liquid is in contact with at least a part of the peeling portion that moves as the sheet-like adhesive material peels.

According to this structure, a sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material having a moisture-sensitive pressure-sensitive adhesive-force-reducing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that reduces the pressure-sensitive adhesive force when brought into contact with a liquid is used. Then, a peeling start portion is formed by partially peeling off the sheet-like adhesive material stuck to the work, and a liquid is supplied to the peeling start portion. After the liquid is supplied, the state in which the liquid is in contact with the peeling portion is maintained, and the sheet-like adhesive material is peeled from the work.

The peeling start site is a site at which peeling starts at the interface between the adhesive layer having reduced moisture-sensitive adhesive strength and the work, and the peeling start site moves as a peeling site along with peeling of the sheet-like adhesive material. Further, by forming the peeling start portion, the liquid can come into contact with the adhesive layer having reduced wet-sensitive adhesive strength, and the adhesive strength of the sheet-like adhesive material is greatly reduced by the contact. Since the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material in a state in which the adhesive strength is greatly reduced by contact with a liquid is peeled from the work, the magnitude of the stress acting on the work can be greatly reduced at the time of peeling. Therefore, the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material attached to the work can be peeled off without causing an abnormality such as a crack in the work.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the peeling-start-portion forming means includes: a holding member that holds an end of the sheet-like adhesive material; and a holding member moving mechanism that moves the holding member in a direction away from the workpiece, and forms the peeling start portion by moving the holding member in the direction away from the workpiece in a state where the holding member holds the end portion of the sheet-like adhesive material.

According to this configuration, the peeling start portion is formed by moving the holding member in a direction away from the work while the holding member holds the end portion of the sheet-like adhesive material. Since the position of the sheet-like adhesive material can be stably controlled by holding the end portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, the peeling start portion can be reliably formed.

In the above invention, it is preferable that the peeling-start-portion forming means includes: a peeling member having a tip portion tapered at a tip; and a peeling member moving mechanism that moves the peeling member from an outer peripheral portion toward a central portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, the peeling member moving mechanism causing the tip end portion of the peeling member to enter from the outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, thereby forming the peeling start portion.

According to this configuration, the peeling start portion is formed by the tip end portion of the peeling member entering from the outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material. Since the distal end portion has a sharp shape, a part of the outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material can be reliably peeled from the workpiece by inserting the distal end portion. Therefore, the peeling start portion can be formed more easily and reliably.

In the above-described invention, it is preferable that the liquid supply mechanism is provided in the peeling member, the peeling member moving mechanism forms the peeling start portion by causing the distal end portion of the peeling member to enter from an outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, and the liquid supply mechanism supplies the liquid to the peeling start portion.

According to this configuration, since the peeling member is provided with the liquid supply mechanism, the peeling member can form the peeling start portion and supply the liquid to the peeling start portion. Thus, the device can be miniaturized and the peeling process can be shortened. Further, since the liquid can be supplied in a state where the peeling start portion is formed by the peeling member, the shape of the sheet-like adhesive material is restored by the retraction of the peeling member, and the occurrence of a supply error of the liquid to the peeling start portion can be prevented.

Further, in the above invention, it is preferable that the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device includes a drying mechanism that dries the work from which the sheet-like adhesive material has been peeled and the sheet-like adhesive material peeled from the work.

According to this configuration, after the sheet-like adhesive material is peeled from the work using a liquid, the sheet-like adhesive material and the work are dried. In this case, the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device can be prevented from being affected by the liquid remaining in the sheet-like adhesive material and the work.

Further, in the above invention, preferably, the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device includes: an adhesion sensor that detects an adhesion force at the peeling site of the sheet-like adhesive material; and a control unit that controls the liquid supply mechanism to supply the liquid to the peeling site when the adhesive force detected by the adhesive sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

According to this configuration, the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet has a pressure-sensitive adhesive sensor for detecting the pressure-sensitive adhesive force at the peeled portion of the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material. The control section controls the supply of the liquid to the peeling site when the adhesive force of the sheet-like adhesive material is a predetermined value or more. When the adhesive force of the sheet-like adhesive material is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it can be determined that the cause is that the contact between the liquid and the peeled portion is not performed. Therefore, when the adhesive force of the sheet-like adhesive material is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the liquid is resupplied to reduce the adhesive force, and the occurrence of a peeling error due to the liquid not contacting the peeling site can be reliably avoided.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material peeling apparatus of the present invention, a sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material having a moisture-sensitive pressure-sensitive adhesive force-reducing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that reduces the adhesive force when brought into contact with a liquid is used. Then, a peeling start portion is formed by partially peeling off the sheet-like adhesive material stuck to the work, and a liquid is supplied to the peeling start portion. After the liquid is supplied, the state in which the liquid is in contact with the peeling portion is maintained, and the sheet-like adhesive material is peeled from the work. By forming the peeling start portion, the liquid can come into contact with the adhesive layer having reduced wet-sensitive adhesive strength, and the adhesive strength of the sheet-like adhesive material is greatly reduced by the contact. Therefore, the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material attached to the work can be peeled off without causing an abnormality such as a crack in the work.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of a semiconductor wafer according to an embodiment. Fig. 1 (a) is a perspective view of the back side of the semiconductor wafer, and fig. 1 (b) is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the semiconductor wafer.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the protective tape of the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the entire configuration of a wafer mounting apparatus having the sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus of the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the wafer assembling apparatus of the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the pasting unit of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a left side view showing a main part of the sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first exfoliation member of the embodiment 1.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a main part of a sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus of the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a left side view of the drying unit of the embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a main part of the drying unit of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus for peeling off a sheet-like adhesive material according to the embodiment. Fig. 11 (a) is a flowchart of the entire operation, and fig. 11 (b) is a flowchart illustrating details of step S5.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of the jig according to the embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the step S2 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating the step S2 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating the step S2 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating the step S3 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating the step S4 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating the step S4 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-2 in the embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-2 in the embodiment. Fig. 20 (a) is a view showing a state where the 1 st peeling member just pierced into the side surface of the protective tape, and fig. 20 (b) is a view showing a state where the 1 st peeling member is further advanced to deform the protective tape into a curled shape.

Fig. 21 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-2 in the embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-2 in the embodiment. Fig. 22 (a) is a view showing a state in which the release tape is joined to the end portion of the protective tape, and fig. 22 (b) is a view showing a state in which the release tape is rolled up to form a release start portion.

Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-3 in the embodiment.

Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating an effect of a liquid on an adhesive material in the embodiment.

Fig. 25 is a diagram illustrating an effect of a liquid on an adhesive material in the embodiment.

Fig. 26 is a diagram illustrating an effect of a liquid on an adhesive material in the embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-4 in the embodiment.

Fig. 28 is a diagram illustrating the process of step S5-5 in the embodiment. Fig. 28 (a) is a diagram showing a state before the start of drying the protective tape, and fig. 28 (b) is a diagram showing a state after the start of drying the protective tape.

Fig. 29 is a diagram illustrating the step S5-5 in the embodiment. Fig. 29 (a) is a diagram showing a state before the start of drying the wafer, and fig. 29 (b) is a diagram showing a state after the start of drying the wafer.

Fig. 30 is a diagram comparing the conventional configuration and the configuration of the embodiment. Fig. 30 (a) is a view showing a break occurring when the conventional protective tape is peeled, fig. 30 (b) is a view showing a state of residual gum occurring when the conventional protective tape is peeled, fig. 30 (c) is a view showing a liquid layer occurring when the protective tape of the example is peeled, and fig. 30 (d) is a view showing a state where the protective tape of the example is peeled.

Fig. 31 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification. Fig. 31 (a) is a perspective view showing a 1 st peeling member having a liquid supply member according to a modification, fig. 31 (b) is a view explaining a step S5-2 of using the 1 st peeling member having a liquid supply member, and fig. 31 (c) is a view explaining a step S5-2 of using the 1 st peeling member having a liquid supply pipe.

Fig. 32 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification. Fig. 32 (a) is a view showing a state before the end portion of the protective tape is peeled off in the modification in which step S5-2 is performed using the suction pad, fig. 32 (b) is a view showing a state after the end portion of the protective tape is peeled off in the modification in which step S5-2 is performed using the suction pad, fig. 32 (c) is a plan view showing a wafer having a notch, fig. 32 (d) is a view showing a state before the end portion of the protective tape is peeled off in the modification in which step S5-2 is performed using the projection member, and fig. 32 (e) is a view showing a state after the end portion of the protective tape is peeled off in the modification in which step S5-2 is performed using the projection member.

Fig. 33 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modification. Fig. 33 (a) is a vertical sectional view showing a wafer on which convex portions are formed, fig. 33 (b) is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which a liquid is in contact with a peeling portion, fig. 33 (c) is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the liquid is stopped by the convex portions and the liquid is not in contact with the peeling portion, and fig. 33 (d) is a view showing a state in which the liquid is supplied to the peeling portion again.

Fig. 34 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of step S5-4 in the modification.

Fig. 35 is a diagram illustrating the process of step S5 in the modification. FIG. 35 (a) is a view showing a state where ultraviolet rays are irradiated in step S5-2, FIG. 35 (b) is a view showing a state where the protective tape is deformed at the end portion by the first peeling member after the ultraviolet rays are irradiated, and FIG. 35 (c) is a view showing a state where liquid is supplied in step S5-3.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A wafer assembling device; 2. a support tape application device; 3. a protective tape stripping device; 4. a wafer conveying mechanism; 5. a container; 6. a rack recovery unit; 7. an aligner; 8. a holding stage; 9. a rack supply section; 11. a stripping table; 13. a pasting unit; 14. a chamber; 14A, a lower shell; 14B, an upper shell; 16. a peeling unit; 17. a liquid supply unit; 18. a drying unit; 20. a wafer conveying device; 21. a rack transport device; 28. a holding arm; 32. an adsorption plate; 33. an adsorption pad; 35. a vacuum device; 38. a rack holding section; 41. a track; 49. a rotating shaft; 50. a rotary motor; 51. the 1 st stripping mechanism; 52. a 2 nd peeling mechanism; 59. a 1 st exfoliation member; 68. a liquid supply nozzle; 71. a support belt supply section; 72. a separator recovery unit; 73. a support tape attaching part; 74. a support belt recovery unit; 75. a separator peeling roller; 76. a liquid supply tube; 77. a liquid discharge pipe; 78. a liquid storage tank; 81. a tape sticking mechanism; 82. a tape cutting mechanism; 85. a pasting roller; 86. a grip roller; 95. a cutter; 103. a vacuum device; 106. a control unit; 119. a 2 nd stripping member; 131. a workpiece drying mechanism; 132. a belt drying mechanism; 133. a scatter prevention groove; 141. a vacuum device; 143. a liquid suction roller; 144. a liquid suction roller; w, a semiconductor wafer; f. an annular frame; DT, support belt; PT and a protective belt; HT, release tape; l, liquid; ta, a base material; tb, adhesive material; C. a liquid-philic material; vh, a polymeric binder; CS and a liquid layer.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a description will be given of a configuration in which the wafer mounting apparatus 1 is provided with the sheet-like adhesive material separating apparatus of the present invention, and the wafer mounting apparatus 1 mounts a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer W") having a protective tape PT attached to a circuit forming surface thereof on a ring frame via a supporting adhesive tape.

In the wafer mounter 1, a mounting frame MF is prepared by bonding an adhesive tape for supporting (a support tape DT) across the back surface of the wafer W and the ring frame f, and the protective tape PT is peeled off from the wafer W. In this embodiment, the protective tape PT corresponds to the sheet-like adhesive material of the present invention, and the wafer W corresponds to the work of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the wafer W is subjected to back grinding treatment in a state where a protective tape PT for protecting a circuit is stuck to the surface on which the circuit pattern is formed. The back surface of the wafer W is ground (back grinding) so that the outer peripheral portion is left by about 3mm in the radial direction. That is, a wafer processed in a shape in which a flat concave He is formed on the back surface and an annular convex r is left along the outer periphery thereof is used. For example, the depth d of the flat concave part He is several hundred μm, and the wafer thickness t of the ground region is several tens μm to several hundreds μm. Therefore, the annular convex portion r formed on the outer periphery of the back surface functions as an annular rib for improving the rigidity of the wafer W, and suppresses the flexural deformation of the wafer W in the handling process and other processing steps. The length of the width m of the annular projection r in the radial direction of the wafer W is preferably 5mm or less, and more preferably 1.5mm to 3 mm.

As shown in fig. 2, the protective tape PT used in the present example has a long structure in which a non-adhesive base material Ta and an adhesive material Tb having adhesive properties are laminated. The protective tape PT is bonded to the surface of the wafer W by the bonding material Tb. In a state where the entire protective tape PT is bonded to the wafer W, the outer peripheral portion of the protective tape PT prevents water, air, or the like from entering the adhesive Tb.

Examples of the material constituting the base Ta include polyolefin, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, polyimide, polyurethane, vinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene methacrylic acid copolymer, polypropylene, methacrylic acid terephthalate, polyamide imide, and polyurethane elastomer. Further, a combination of a plurality of the above materials may be used as the base Ta. The base Ta may be a single layer or a stacked structure of a plurality of layers.

The adhesive material Tb is made of a material having a function of securing adhesive force and maintaining the state in which the protective tape PT is adhered to the wafer W, and a property (moisture-sensitive adhesive force decreasing property) in which the adhesive force decreases by contact with a liquid L described later. As an example of the material constituting the adhesive Tb, a mixture of a lyophilic material C having a high affinity with the liquid L and a polymer adhesive Vh having adhesiveness can be given. It is desirable that the lyophilic material C is a material having a smaller molecular weight than that of the high molecular binder Vh.

Examples of the polymer binder Vh include an acrylate copolymer and the like. Examples of the lyophilic material C include polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (trade name: RHEODOL TW-L120, manufactured by Kao corporation, registered trademark). As the liquid L, an appropriate material can be used depending on the lyophilic material.

In this example, an adhesive material containing RHEODOL TW-L120 and an acrylate copolymer was used as the adhesive material Tb, and ultrapure water was used as the liquid L. Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate constituting the lyophilic material C is a hydrophilic surfactant having a very small molecular weight as compared with the acrylate copolymer constituting the high molecular binder material Vh. Therefore, the polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate moves between molecules of the acrylate copolymer, and can easily seep out on the surface of the adhesive material Tb (i.e., the interface between the adhesive material Tb and the wafer W). In this way, the lyophilic material C is exuded at the interface between the adhesive material Tb and the wafer W, and is dissolved or dispersed in the liquid L, whereby the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb can be reduced or eliminated. Therefore, the protective tape PT can be easily peeled from the wafer W with a smaller force.

Further, examples of the lyophilic material C include nonionic surfactants such as a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether-based material, a sorbitan fatty acid ester-based material, and a polyoxyethylene fatty acid ester (product of Kao corporation, EMANON 1112 (trade name), "EMANON" is a registered trademark). In this regard, the adhesive material Tb is preferably a material having high solubility with respect to ethyl acetate, as the lyophilic material C, in view of being suitable for dissolution or dispersion.

As an example of the polyoxyethylene alkyl ether-based material, EMULGEN 105 (trade name, "EMULGEN" is a registered trademark, manufactured by Kao corporation) can be given. Examples of the sorbitan fatty acid ester material include RHEODOL SP-L10 (trade name), RHEODOL SP-O10V (trade name), RHEODOL TW-L106 (trade name), and RHEODOL TW-O106V (trade name) (all manufactured by Kao corporation).

Here, the adhesive Tb of the present embodiment will be described in further detail. The adhesive material Tb was obtained by mixing RHEODOL TW-L120 with a solution of a polymer containing an acrylate copolymer (hereinafter referred to as "A polymer") described below. The polymer A is a polymer having pressure-sensitive adhesiveness.

< A Polymer >

The procedure for obtaining a solution of the polymer A will be described. First, a monomer composition was prepared by mixing 100 parts by mass of butyl acrylate, 3 parts by mass of acrylic acid, and 0.2 parts by mass of a polymerization initiator (2, 2' -Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)) and a solvent (ethyl acetate). Subsequently, the monomer composition was charged into a polymerization experimental apparatus equipped with a separable cap, a separatory funnel, a thermometer, a nitrogen inlet tube, a Libyh condenser, a vacuum seal, a stirring rod, and a stirring blade in a 1-liter round-bottom separable flask, and nitrogen substitution was performed at room temperature for 2 hours while stirring. Then, the mixture was kept at 60 ℃ for 5 hours with stirring while flowing nitrogen gas, and polymerization was carried out to obtain a polymer a solution. The resulting solution of polymer a was cooled to room temperature.

< Binder Tb >

Next, a process of obtaining the binder Tb from the solution of the a polymer will be described. To 100 parts by mass of the a polymer solution, 0.7 parts by mass of TETRAD-C (manufactured by mitsubishi gas chemical corporation, "TETRAD" is a registered trademark), 2 parts by mass of CORONATE L (manufactured by tokyo corporation, "CORONATE" is a registered trademark), and 0.1 part by mass of rheedol TW-L120 (manufactured by kaowang corporation) as a lyophilic material C were added and uniformly mixed to prepare a binder Tb. In addition, RHEODOL TW-L120 can be mixed with the A polymer solution in a state of being dissolved in ethyl acetate beforehand.

In the preparation of the adhesive material Tb, the amount of RHEODOL TW-L120 was adjusted to 5 mass% or less based on the solution of the A polymer. The amount of RHEODOL TW-L120 is preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, and most preferably in the range of 0.05 to 1.5% by mass based on the solution of the A polymer. In this example, the amount of RHEODOL TW-L120 was adjusted to 0.5 mass% relative to the solution of the A polymer.

< protective band PT >

Next, a process of obtaining the protective tape PT from the adhesive material Tb of this example will be described. First, a polyethylene terephthalate film (MRF38 (trade name), manufactured by Mitsubishi chemical) having a thickness of 38 μm was prepared as a separator. The separator was coated with an adhesive material Tb on the silicone-treated surface thereof, and then dried at 140 ℃ for two minutes to form a layer of the adhesive material Tb having a thickness of 20 μm. Then, the adhesive surface of the adhesive Tb is bonded to the base Ta to produce a protective tape PT. After the pasting, curing was carried out at 50 ℃ for two days. As the substrate Ta, a polyester film having a surface treated by coating NB300 (manufactured by dais precision) on a corona discharge treated surface of a polyester film (lumiror S105 (trade name): manufactured by toray corporation, "lumiror" is a registered trademark) with a gravure coater so that the film pressure after drying is 1 μm to 2 μm, and drying the coating was used.

< description of the overall Structure >

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a basic structure of the wafer mounter 1 according to the embodiment. The wafer assembling apparatus 1 includes a support tape applying apparatus 2 and a protective tape separating apparatus 3. The protective tape separating device 3 corresponds to the sheet-like adhesive material separating device of the present invention.

The support tape application device 2 has a horizontally long rectangular portion 2a and a protruding portion 2 b. The protruding portion 2b is connected to the center of the rectangular portion 2a and protrudes upward. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the rectangular portion 2a is referred to as a left-right direction (x direction), and a horizontal direction (y direction) orthogonal to the left-right direction (x direction) is referred to as a front-rear direction.

A wafer transfer mechanism 4 is provided on the right side of the rectangular portion 2 a. Two containers 5 for storing wafers W are placed in parallel on the lower right side of the rectangular portion 2 a. A rack recovery unit 6 for recovering the jig MF shown in fig. 12, which has completed the assembly of the wafer W, is provided at the left end of the rectangular portion 2 a.

The aligner 7, the holding table 8, the rack feeder 9, and the reversing unit 10 are provided in this order from the right side of the upper side of the rectangular portion 2 a. A peeling table 11 is provided on the lower side of the reversing unit 10. Further, a pusher 12 is provided across the rectangular portion 2a and the protective tape separating device 3. The projecting portion 2b is provided with a bonding unit 13, and the bonding unit 13 bonds the support tape DT to the ring frame f and bonds the support tape DT to the wafer W.

The protective tape stripping apparatus 3 is provided with: a peeling unit 16 that peels the protective tape PT from a circuit formation surface of a semiconductor wafer W (hereinafter referred to as "wafer W" as appropriate); a liquid supply unit 17 that supplies a liquid L to an interface between the adhesive material Tb of the protective tape PT and the wafer W; and a drying unit 18 that dries the wafer W after the protective tape PT has been peeled off and the peeled protective tape PT.

As shown in fig. 4, the wafer transfer mechanism 4 includes: a wafer transfer device 20 supported on the right side of a guide rail 19 horizontally extending in the right-left direction above the rectangular portion 2a so as to be capable of reciprocating in the right-left direction; and a rack transport device 21 supported to the left of the guide rail 19 so as to be movable leftward and rightward.

The wafer transfer apparatus 20 is configured to be able to transfer the wafer W taken out from any one of the containers 5 in the right and left directions and in the front and back directions, and to be able to turn the posture of the wafer W back and forth. The wafer transfer device 20 is equipped with a movable table 23 for left and right movement and a movable table 25 for front and rear movement.

The movable right-left movement table 23 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the right-left direction along the guide rail 19. The front-rear movable table 25 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the front-rear direction along a guide rail 24 provided on the left-right movable table 23.

A holding unit 26 for holding the wafer W is mounted below the front-rear movable table 25. The holding unit 26 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction (z direction) along a vertically movable rail 27 extending in the longitudinal direction. The holding unit 26 is rotatable about an axis in the z direction by a rotation axis not shown.

A holding arm 28 is attached to a lower portion of the holding unit 26, and the holding arm 28 is pivotally supported so as to be capable of turning around a horizontally oriented support shaft q. The retaining arm 28 is horseshoe shaped. A plurality of suction pads are provided on the holding surface of the holding arm 28 so as to slightly protrude, and the wafer W is sucked and held by the suction pads. The holding arm 28 is connected to the air compressing device via a flow path formed inside thereof and a connection flow path connected to the base end side of the flow path.

By using the above movable structure, the wafer W sucked and held can be moved forward and backward, leftward and rightward, and rotated about the z-direction axis by the holding arm 28, and the wafer W can be turned upside down by turning around the horizontally oriented support shaft q.

The rack transport device 21 includes a movable leftward and rightward movement table 29, a movable forward and rearward movement table 30, a pantograph linkage mechanism 31 connected to a lower portion of the movable leftward and rightward movement table 29, and a suction plate 32 attached to a lower end of the pantograph linkage mechanism 31. The suction plate 32 sucks and holds the wafer W. A plurality of suction pads 33 for sucking and holding the ring frame f are provided around the suction plate 32. Therefore, the rack transport device 21 can suction and hold the ring rack f or the mount MF placed and held on the holding base 8, and can move up and down and transport the ring rack f or the mount MF forward, backward, leftward, and rightward. The suction pad 33 is slidably adjustable in the horizontal direction corresponding to the size of the ring frame f.

As shown in fig. 13 to 16, the holding table 8 is a metallic chuck table having a size equal to or larger than the shape of the wafer W, and is connected to an external vacuum device 35 in communication therewith. The operation of the vacuum device 35 is controlled by the control unit 106. In the present embodiment, the holding base 8 has an annular protrusion 8a on the outer periphery thereof, and is hollow as a whole. The projection 8a is configured to be at a position substantially matching the arrangement of the annular projection r of the wafer W in plan view, and the projection 8a supports the annular projection r of the wafer W, so that the holding table 8 can hold the wafer W without contacting the thin flat recess He.

As shown in fig. 5, the holding base 8 is housed in the lower case 14A constituting the chamber 14, and is connected to one end of a rod 36 penetrating the lower case 14A. The other end of the rod 36 is connected to an actuator 37 having a motor or the like and is driven. Therefore, the holding table 8 can be moved up and down inside the chamber 14.

The lower case 14A has a rack holding portion 38 that surrounds the lower case 14A. The holder holding portion 38 is configured to make the upper surface of the annular holder f flush with the cylindrical top of the lower case 14A when the annular holder f is placed thereon.

As shown in fig. 3, the holding base 8 is configured to be capable of reciprocating between a placement position and a sticking position along a rail 40 attached in the front-rear direction. The placement position is inside the rectangular portion 2a, and is the position of the holding base 8 shown by the solid line in fig. 3. At this placement position, the wafer W and the ring frame f are placed on the holding table 8.

The pasting position is located inside the protruding portion 2b, and the position of the holding base 8 is shown by a broken line in fig. 3. By moving the holding table 8 to the bonding position, the support tape DT can be bonded to the wafer W and the ring frame f placed on the holding table 8.

The rack supply unit 9 stores a draw-out type cassette in which a predetermined number of ring racks f are stacked and stored.

The turning unit 10 is configured to be able to hold the jig MF and turn the jig around the horizontal support shaft. As an example, the reversing unit 10 includes a gripper for gripping the jig MF, and the gripper is configured to be rotatable about an axis in the x direction. The reversing unit 10 receives the mount MF having the circuit pattern surface facing downward from the rack transport device 21, and then reverses the mount MF to have the circuit pattern surface facing upward.

The peeling table 11 reciprocates between a receiving position and a peeling position via a drying position along a pair of left and right rails 41 horizontally arranged in the front-rear direction. The receiving position is located inside the rectangular portion 2a and corresponds to a position directly below the reversing unit 10. By moving the peeling table 11 to the receiving position, the mount MF can be placed on the peeling table 11. The separating position is located inside the protective tape separating apparatus 3 and corresponds to a position directly below the separating unit 16. The protective tape PT can be peeled from the wafer W by moving the peeling table 11 to the peeling position. The drying position is located inside the protective tape stripping apparatus 3 and corresponds to a position directly below the drying unit 18.

The pusher 12 stores the jig MF placed on the peeling table 11 in the rack collecting unit 6. The pusher 12 is configured to be movable forward and backward along a rail 43 extending in the forward and backward direction, and has a gripping mechanism for gripping the jig MF from the up and down direction.

As shown in fig. 5, the joining unit 13 includes a support tape supply unit 71, a separator collection unit 72, a support tape joining unit 73, a support tape collection unit 74, and the like. The support tape supplying section 71 is configured to peel the separator S by the separator peeling roller 75 in the process of supplying the adhesive tape DT to the joining position from the supply reel loaded with the original roll around which the adhesive tape DT for support is wound.

The separator recovery unit 72 includes a recovery reel for winding the separator S peeled off from the adhesive tape DT. The recovery reel is driven by a motor and is controlled to rotate forward and backward.

The support tape joining section 73 includes the chamber 14, a tape joining mechanism 81, a tape cutting mechanism 82, and the like.

The chamber 14 is constituted by a lower case 14A and an upper case 14B. The lower case 14A is disposed around the holding base 8, and reciprocates in the front-rear direction between the placement position and the adhesion position together with the holding base 8. The upper case 14B is provided on the protruding portion 2B and configured to be able to move up and down.

As shown in fig. 16, the vacuum device 35 is connected to the flow path provided on the lower casing 14A side and the flow path provided on the upper casing 14B side. That is, the vacuum device 35 is configured to be capable of independently adjusting the air pressure in the space on the lower casing 14A side and the air pressure in the space on the upper casing side.

The tape joining mechanism 81 includes a movable table 84, a joining roller 85, a nip roller 86, and the like. The movable table 84 moves horizontally in the left-right direction along guide rails 88 that are erected in the left-right direction. The pasting roller 85 is pivotally supported by a bracket connected to the tip of an air cylinder provided on the movable table 84. The pinch roller 86 is provided on the side of the support tape collecting section 74, and includes a conveying roller 89 driven by a motor and a pinch roller 90 moved up and down by an air cylinder.

The tape cutting mechanism 82 is provided on a lifting/lowering drive table 91 that lifts and lowers the upper case 14B, and includes a support shaft 92 extending in the z direction and a boss 93 rotating about the support shaft 92. The hub 93 has a plurality of support arms 94 extending in the radial direction. At the tip of at least 1 support arm 94, a circular plate-shaped cutter 95 is provided so as to be movable up and down, and the cutter 95 cuts the support tape DT along the loop frame f. The pressing roller 96 is provided at the tip of the other support arm 94 so that the pressing roller 96 can move up and down.

The support tape collecting section 74 has a collecting reel for winding the unnecessary adhesive tape DT that has been peeled off after the cutting. The recovery reel is driven by a motor not shown and is controlled to rotate forward and backward.

As shown in fig. 4, a cassette 97 for stacking and recovering the jig MF is provided in the rack recovery portion 6. The cassette 97 includes a vertical rail 99 connected to the carriage 98 and an elevating table 101 that is raised and lowered along the vertical rail 99 by a motor 100. Therefore, the rack collecting unit 6 is configured to mount the jig MF on the elevating table 101 and to descend by pitch feeding.

< Structure of protective tape separating apparatus >

Next, the structure of the protective tape separating apparatus 3 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 6 to 10.

The peeling table 11 is supported by a movable table 45, and the movable table 45 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the y direction along a pair of left and right rails 41. The movable table 45 is driven by a screw shaft 47 for screw feed, and the screw shaft 47 is driven by a motor 46 for forward and reverse rotation. A rotation shaft 49 is connected to a lower portion of the peeling table 11. A rotation motor 50 is provided below the rotation shaft 49, and the rotation motor 50 rotates the peeling table 11 and the rotation shaft 49 about the axis in the z direction.

A plurality of suction holes 11a are formed in the surface of the separation table 11. Each of the suction holes 11a is connected to an external vacuum apparatus 103 via a flow path 107. The vacuum suction is performed by using the vacuum device 103, and the peeling table 11 sucks and holds the mounted mount MF. For example, the positions where the suction holes 11a are disposed are designed to correspond to the positions where the ring frame f and the wafer W are placed on the peeling table 11.

As shown in fig. 6 and 8, the peeling unit 16 has a 1 st peeling mechanism 51 and a 2 nd peeling mechanism 52. The 1 st peeling mechanism 51 includes a lifting table 53 that moves up and down in the z direction, and an arm 55 supported by a cantilever from the lifting table 53. The elevating table 53 is supported to be capable of elevating along a pair of right and left vertical rails 56 erected on a base of the protective tape separating apparatus 3. The elevating table 53 is elevated by a ball shaft, which is connected to and driven by a motor 57.

A support frame 58 is disposed at a lower portion of a tip end of the arm 55, and a 1 st peeling member 59 is attached to the support frame 58. The support bracket 58 is coupled to the arm 55 by a shaft spring 60. The support bracket 58 is elastically biased upward by a shaft spring 60.

The 1 st peeling member 59 is composed of a metal block having a tip portion 59a and an inclined surface 59 b. The leading end portion 59a is tapered toward the leading end side of the entry protective tape PT, and is configured to have a width in the x direction smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. The height of the tapered tip side portion of the tip 59a in the z direction is preferably 3mm or less, and more preferably 2mm or less. By adjusting the height of the tip side to this range, the end of the protective tape PT can be appropriately separated. The 1 st peeling member 59 is configured to pierce a tip portion 59a into a side surface of the protective tape PT. The end of the protective tape PT is deformed to be raised in accordance with the shape of the inclined surface 59b by being pierced by the distal end portion 59 a. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 59b is inclined obliquely downward, but the shape of the inclined surface 59b may be appropriately changed. The material of the structure of the 1 st peeling member 59 is not limited to metal, and a material having a hardness of a certain degree or more can be used as appropriate.

The 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 has a peeling tape supply section 104 and a peeling tape collection section 105. The peeling tape supply unit 104 guides the peeling tape HT fed out from the stock roll to a 2 nd peeling member 119 described later. The peeling tape recovery part 105 winds and recovers the peeling tape HT fed from the 2 nd peeling member 119 and integrated with the protective tape PT.

The 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 has a pair of left and right vertical frames 110 provided upright on a base of the protective tape peeling apparatus 3. A support frame 111 is fixed to the vertical frame 110, and a box-shaped base 112 is connected to a central portion of the support frame 111 in the x direction. A pair of right and left vertical rails 113 are disposed on the base 112, and an elevating table 115 is supported to be capable of sliding up and down via the vertical rails 113. The elevating table 115 is elevated by a ball shaft, which is connected to and driven by a motor 116.

Side plates 117 are provided on the left and right of the elevating table 115, and a support frame 118 is fixed across each side plate 117. A 2 nd peeling member 119 is attached to the center of the support frame 118. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd peeling member 119 uses a roller shorter than the diameter of the wafer.

In the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52, the guide roller 120 is supported by the front side of the side plate 117 so as to be freely rotatable. The guide roller 120 winds and guides the peeling tape HT, and feeds it to the 2 nd peeling member 119. Above the side plate 117, a guide roller 121 for collecting the peeling belt HT, a nip roller 122, and a tension roller 123 for applying an appropriate tension to the peeling belt Ts are disposed. The tension roller 123 is provided on the support arm 125, and is arranged to be swingable via the support arm 125.

The liquid supply unit 17 includes a lift table 61 that moves up and down in the z direction, and an arm 63 supported by a cantilever from the lift table 61. The lift table 61 can be lifted and lowered along the vertical rail 64. The elevating table 61 is elevated by a ball shaft, which is connected to and driven by a motor 65. A support frame 66 is disposed at the lower end of the arm 63 via a shaft spring 67, and a liquid supply nozzle 68 is attached to the support frame 66. The support bracket 66 is elastically biased upward by a shaft spring 67.

The liquid supply nozzle 68 has a discharge port 68a formed at the tip thereof, and supplies the liquid L to the adhesive material Tb of the protective tape PT. The liquid supply nozzle 68 is connected to a rotation shaft 69 disposed on the support frame 66 and is configured to be rotatable about an axis in the x direction. The liquid supply nozzle 68 can change the angle at which the liquid L is supplied to the adhesive material Tb by the rotation of the rotation shaft 69.

The liquid supply nozzle 68 is connected to a liquid storage tank 78 via a liquid supply pipe 76 and a liquid discharge pipe 77. The liquid supply pipe 76 has a supply valve 79, and the liquid discharge pipe 77 has a discharge valve 80. The opening and closing operations of the supply valve 79 and the discharge valve 80 are controlled by the control unit 106. The liquid L is stored in the liquid storage tank 78, and is sent toward the liquid supply nozzle 68 by pressure-feeding using an inert gas, for example.

The structure of the drying unit 18 will be described with reference to fig. 9 and 10. The drying unit 18 is provided in front of the peeling unit 16, and has a work drying mechanism 131 and a tape drying mechanism 132. The work drying mechanism 131 has a scattering prevention groove 133. The scattering prevention groove 133 is constituted by a scattering prevention wall 133a and a liquid discharge bed 133 b. The scattering prevention wall 133a is configured to surround the peeling table 11 moved to the drying position in a plan view.

The work drying mechanism 131 has a pair of front and rear vertical frames 135 provided upright on the base of the protective tape separating apparatus 3. A support frame 136 is fixed to the vertical frame 135, and a box-shaped base 137 is connected to a center portion of the support frame 136 in the y direction. A pair of front and rear vertical rails 138 are disposed on the base 137, and an elevating table 139 is supported so as to be capable of sliding up and down via the vertical rails 138. The scattering prevention wall 133a is connected to the elevating table 139, and is configured to be movable up and down together with the elevating table 139. That is, the scattering prevention wall 133a is configured to be vertically movable back and forth between an initial position shown by a broken line and a connection position shown by a solid line in fig. 9.

The liquid discharge bed 133b is laid on the base of the protective tape separating apparatus 3 and has substantially the same size as the scattering prevention wall 133a in a plan view. The scattering prevention wall 133a is lowered to the connection position and connected to the drain bed 133b, thereby forming the scattering prevention groove 133. A plurality of drain pipes 133c are connected to the drain bed 133 b. The drain hole 133c is connected to a vacuum device 141 via a flow path 140. After the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W by the liquid L, the peeling table 11 is rotated at a high speed about the axis in the z direction, the liquid L is thrown off from the surface of the wafer W, and the thrown-off liquid L is discharged through the drain pipe 133 c.

The belt drying mechanism 132 has a suction roller 143 and a suction roller 144. Liquid suction roller 143 includes a rotatable roller 143a and a liquid absorbing member 143b disposed around rotatable roller 143 a. Liquid suction roller 144 also includes a rotatable rotating roller 144a and a liquid absorbing member 144b disposed around rotating roller 144a, similarly to liquid suction roller 143. Liquid absorbent member 143b and liquid absorbent member 144b are each constructed of a material suitable for absorbing liquid L. As an example of the material, a porous material such as sponge can be given.

The liquid suction roller 143 and the liquid suction roller 144 are configured to be relatively movable forward and backward by a drive mechanism not shown. In the present embodiment, the liquid suction roller 144 is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the liquid suction roller 143. The protective tape PT peeled off integrally with the peeling tape Ts by the liquid suction roller 144 moving closer to the liquid suction roller 143 is nipped between the liquid suction roller 143 and the liquid suction roller 144. The nip is released by the movement of the liquid suction roller 144 away from the liquid suction roller 143.

< overview of basic operation >

Here, the basic operation of the wafer mounting apparatus having the sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus of the embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 (a) is a flowchart illustrating a series of steps for producing the jig MF using the wafer mounter 1.

Step S1 (supply of work)

When the bonding instruction is issued, the ring frame f is conveyed from the frame supply portion 9 to the frame holding portion 38 of the lower case 14A, and the wafer W is conveyed from the container 5 to the holding table 8.

That is, the rack transport device 21 sucks the ring rack f from the rack supply unit 9 and transfers it to the rack holding unit 38. When the rack transport device 21 releases the suction of the ring frame f and moves up, the ring frame f is positioned. As an example, the alignment is performed by moving a plurality of support pins erected so as to surround the rack holding portion 38 in the center direction in synchronization. Before the wafer W is conveyed, the ring frame f stands by while being placed on the frame holding portion 38.

The frame transfer device 21 transfers the ring frame f, while the wafer transfer device 20 inserts the holding arm 28 between the wafers W stored in multiple stages, sucks, holds, and sends out the wafers W from the circuit forming surface thereof via the protective tape PT, and transfers the wafers W to the aligner 7. The aligner 7 adsorbs the center of the wafer W with an adsorption pad protruding from the center thereof. At the same time, the wafer transfer apparatus 20 releases the suction of the wafer W and retreats upward. The aligner 7 performs alignment based on a notch or the like while rotating the wafer W held by the suction pad.

When the alignment is completed, the suction pad on which the wafer W is sucked is protruded from the surface of the aligner 7. The wafer transfer device 20 moves to this position, and holds the wafer W by suction from the front surface side. The adsorption pad desorbs and descends.

The wafer transfer apparatus 20 moves onto the holding table 5, and places the wafer W on the holding table 8 with the surface side to which the protective tape PT is attached facing downward. When the holding table 8 holds the wafer W by suction and the ring frame f is held by suction by the frame holding portion 38, the lower case 14A moves from the placement position to the tape application position on the tape application mechanism 81 side along the rail 40.

Step S2 (formation of Chamber)

As shown in fig. 13, when the lower case 14A reaches the applying position, the applying roller 85 descends. On the other hand, the holding base 8 starts to rise, stopping at such a position that the upper surface of the annular projection r is flush with both the upper surface of the annular shelf f and the lower case 14A.

After the lowering of the pasting roller 85 and the raising of the holding table 8 are completed, as shown in fig. 14, the support tape DT is pasted across the annular frame f, the top of the lower case 14A, and the upper surface of the annular projecting portion r while rolling on the support tape DT. In conjunction with the movement of the joining roller 85, a predetermined amount of the support tape DT is fed from the support tape supply section 71 while peeling off the separator S.

When the attachment of the support tape DT to the ring frame f is completed, the upper case 14B is lowered as shown in fig. 15. Along with this lowering, the upper case 14B and the lower case 14A sandwich the support tape DT having the adhesive surface exposed in the section from the outer periphery of the wafer W to the inner diameter portion of the ring frame f, thereby forming the chamber 14.

At this time, the support tape DT functions as a seal, and the chamber 14 is divided into two spaces by the support tape DT. That is, the lower space H1 on the lower case 14A side and the upper space H2 on the upper case 14B side are divided with the support belt DT therebetween. The wafer W in the lower case 14A closely opposes the support belt DT with a predetermined gap.

Step S3 (pasting of supporting tape)

After the cavity 14 is formed, the process of attaching the support tape DT to the back surface of the wafer W is started. As shown in fig. 16, the controller 106 operates the vacuum device 35 to reduce the pressure in the lower space H1 at the same speed as the pressure in the upper space H2.

When the lower space H1 and the upper space H2 are depressurized to a predetermined pressure, the control part 106 stops the operation of the vacuum device 35. Then, controller 106 adjusts the opening degree of the valve provided in each flow path so that the air pressure in upper space H2 becomes higher than the air pressure in lower space H1.

By making the air pressure of the upper space H2 higher than the air pressure of the lower space H1, a pressure difference SP is generated between the two spaces. And, the support belt DT is sucked from the central portion thereof toward the lower case 14A side by the differential pressure SP. The inner corner of the annular projection r is evacuated, and the support tape DT is attached radially from the center toward the outer periphery of the wafer W while being curved in a concave manner.

When the air pressure in the upper space H2 reaches a preset air pressure, the controller 106 adjusts the opening degree of the valve provided in the flow path on the lower housing 14A side to make the air pressure in the lower space H1 equal to the air pressure in the upper space H2. Then, the controller 106 raises the upper case 14B to open the inside of the upper case 14B to the atmosphere, and opens the lower case 14A side to the atmosphere.

Step S4 (cutting of support band)

While the support tape DT is attached to the wafer W in the chamber 14, the tape cutting mechanism 82 is operated to cut the support tape DT. At this time, as shown in fig. 17, the cutter 95 cuts the support tape DT attached to the loop frame f into the shape of the loop frame f, and the pressing roller 96 presses the loop frame f while rolling on the tape cutting portion on the loop frame f following the cutter 95.

At the time of raising the upper case 14B, the adhesive tape DT is completely attached to the wafer W and cut, and therefore, the pinch roller 90 is raised to release the clamping of the support tape DT. Then, as shown in fig. 18, the pinch roller 86 is moved to wind and collect the unnecessary support tape DT after cutting into the support tape collecting section 74, and a predetermined amount of the support tape DT is fed from the support tape supplying section 71. Through the steps of steps S3 and S4, the jig MF with the support tape DT attached is produced across the back surface of the wafer W and the ring frame f.

When the unnecessary support tape DT is wound up and recovered, the grip roller 86 and the application roller 85 are returned to the original positions. Then, the holding base 8 is moved from the attaching position to the placing position while holding the jig MF.

Step S5 (protective tape peeling)

After the jig MF is produced, a step of separating the protective tape PT bonded to the front surface of the wafer W is performed. That is, the jig MF moved to the placement position is delivered to the reversing unit 10 by the rack transport device 21. The flipping unit 10 flips up and down in a state where the mounting frame MF is held. By this turning, the circuit pattern of the jig MF to which the protective tape PT is pasted faces upward.

The reversing unit 10 places the mount MF on the peeling table 11 moved to the receiving position with the circuit pattern facing upward. The control unit 106 operates the vacuum device 103, and the peeling table 11 sucks and holds the mount MF through the suction hole 11 a. The separating table 11 moves from a receiving position inside the rectangular portion 2a to a separating position inside the protective tape separating apparatus 3 in a state where the mounting frame MF is sucked and held.

After the peeling stage 11 is moved to the peeling position, the protective tape PT is peeled from the circuit pattern surface of the wafer W in the protective tape peeling apparatus 3. The operation of the protective tape separating apparatus 3 will be described in detail later. After the protective tape PT is peeled, the peeling table 11 maintains a state of suction-holding the mounting frame MF, and returns to the receiving position again.

Step S6 (jig recovery)

When the jig MF is returned to the receiving position together with the peeling table 11, the pusher 12 holds the jig MF and conveys the jig MF to the rack collecting unit 3. The transported jig MF stack is housed in the cassette 97.

This concludes the series of operations for mounting the wafer W on the ring frame f via the support belt DT. The above process is then repeated until the jig MF reaches a predetermined number.

< operation of protective tape separating apparatus >

Here, details of the operation performed inside the protective tape peeling apparatus 3 in step S5 will be described. Fig. 11 (b) is a flowchart illustrating details of the step S5 performed by the protective tape separating apparatus 3.

Step S5-1 (moving to peeling position)

When the mount MF is suction-held by the peeling table 11 at the receiving position, the peeling table 11 starts moving in the y direction along the rail 41. Then, as shown in fig. 6, the protective tape is moved from the receiving position to the separating position inside the protective tape separating apparatus 3 via the drying position.

Step S5-2 (formation of peeling start part)

After the peeling stage 11 is moved to the peeling position, the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is operated to form a peeling start portion Ds. That is, as shown in fig. 19, the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is lowered to a predetermined height determined in advance. The 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is lowered to the predetermined height, whereby the tip portion 59a of the 1 st peeling member 59 can pierce into the side surface of the outer peripheral portion of the protective tape PT. In this embodiment, the predetermined height is adjusted so that the tip portion 59a penetrates into the protective tape PT to the side surface of the substrate Ta.

When the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is lowered to a predetermined height, the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is relatively horizontally moved with respect to the peeling table 11 in such a manner that the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 comes close to the peeling table 11. By this horizontal movement, as shown in fig. 20 (a), the tip portion 59a penetrates into the substrate Ta. The tip portion 59a penetrates, whereby the end of the base Ta is deformed along the inclined surface 59 b.

Then, the relative horizontal movement of the peeling mechanism 51 of the 1 st peeling mechanism and the peeling table 11 is continued, and the movement is performed by a predetermined distance. By this movement, as shown in fig. 20 (b), the tip portion 59a penetrates into a deeper position of the substrate Ta. As a result, the end portion of the base Ta is further deformed, turned up, and curled.

When the end portion of the base material Ta is deformed by the 1 st peeling member 59, as shown in fig. 21, the 1 st peeling member 59 is retracted from the peeling table 11. After retracting the 1 st peeling member 59, the motor 116 is operated to lower the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52. The 2 nd peeling member 119 wound with the peeling tape HT is brought into contact with the protective tape PT by lowering the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52, and as shown in fig. 22 (a), the peeling tape HT is stuck to the end of the protective tape PT.

In the present embodiment, before the peeling tape HT is pasted, the sharp 1 st peeling member 59 is pierced to the circumferential side surface of the protective tape PT, so that the end portion of the protective tape PT is deformed in a curled shape. Therefore, the contact area of the peeling tape HT with the protective tape PT is larger, and therefore, the adhesive force between the peeling tape HT and the protective tape PT can be improved.

After the separation tape HT is stuck to the end of the protective tape PT, the 2 nd separation mechanism 52 operates the separation tape recovery portion 105 to wind up and recover the separation tape HT. By rolling up the peeling tape HT, as shown in fig. 22 (b), the end portion of the protective tape PT is rolled up integrally with the peeling tape HT and peeled from the wafer W.

The protective tape PT is peeled at its end, so that a peeling start portion Ds is formed at the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The peeling start site Ds is a region where the peeling of the protective tape PT using the liquid L starts, and corresponds to a site where the peeling of the protective tape PT starts, which is an interface between the Tb layer and the wafer W.

Step S5-3 (supply of liquid)

The process of supplying the liquid L is started by forming the peeling start site Ds. That is, as shown in fig. 23, the liquid supply unit 17 is lowered so that the discharge port 68a of the liquid supply nozzle 68 is brought close to the peeling start position Ds. Then, the liquid L is discharged from the discharge port 68a, and is supplied to the peeling start site Ds. By peeling part of the end of the protective tape PT from the wafer W in advance, the supplied liquid L can be brought into contact with the interface between the wafer W and the adhesive material Tb. Further, the liquid L adhering to the wafer W without contacting the peeling start site Ds is also guided to the peeling start site Ds by the capillary phenomenon.

By supplying the liquid L to the peeling start site Ds, the adhesive force of the protective tape PT sharply decreases at the peeling start site Ds. That is, as shown in fig. 24, the liquid L is in contact with the wafer W and the adhesive material Tb at the peeling start site Ds. By the contact of the liquid L and the adhesive material Tb, a non-adhesive layer composed of the lyophilic material C contained in the adhesive material Tb and the liquid L is formed.

That is, the relatively low molecular weight lyophilic material C moves between molecules of the relatively high molecular weight polymeric binder Vh and approaches the liquid L. In addition, since the liquid L is also a low molecule, it moves between molecules of the polymer binder Vh and approaches molecules of the liquid-philic material C. Molecules of the liquid L and molecules of the lyophilic material C approach each other, and the lyophilic material C is dissolved or dispersed in the liquid L, so that a liquid layer CS composed of the liquid L and the lyophilic material C is formed between the wafer W and the adhesive material Tb at and near the peeling start position Ds as shown in fig. 25.

Since the liquid L and the lyophilic material C do not have adhesive force, the adhesive force between the wafer W and the protective tape PT is inhibited by the liquid layer CS. Accordingly, the adhesive force of the protective tape PT against the wafer W is greatly reduced by the contact of the liquid L, and becomes almost zero. As a result, the protective tape PT can be easily peeled from the wafer W in the vicinity of the peeling start site Ds.

Step S5-4 (peeling of protective tape)

After the liquid L is supplied to the peeling start portion Ds, the step of peeling the entire protective tape PT from the wafer W is started. That is, as shown in fig. 27, the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 winds and collects the peeling tape HT by the peeling tape collection unit 105, and peels the protective tape PT and the peeling tape HT from the surface of the wafer W integrally. By the liquid L being in contact with the peeling start site Ds, the protective tape PT at the peeling start site Ds and the vicinity thereof can be easily peeled from the wafer W only by applying a very small take-up force.

The protective tape PT at the peeling start site Ds is peeled from the wafer W, and the interface between the wafer W and the adhesive material Tb, i.e., the peeling start site, is moved rightward in fig. 25 as a peeling site Dp. Then, the liquid L located at the peeling start site Ds moves closer to the peeling site Dp due to capillary phenomenon, and comes into contact with the peeling site Dp.

As a result, as shown in fig. 26, at the peeling site Dp newly formed by the peeling of the protective tape PT at the peeling start site Ds, the molecules of the liquid L and the molecules of the liquid-philic material C come close to each other. Then, the lyophilic material C is dissolved or dispersed in the liquid L, and a liquid layer CS is newly formed at the separation site Dp and in the vicinity thereof. By forming the liquid layer CS on the separation portion Dp, the adhesive strength of the protective tape PT to the wafer W is greatly reduced at the separation portion Dp and in the vicinity thereof. When the small wind-up force St is applied by the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52, the peeled portion Dp and the protective tape PT in the vicinity thereof are peeled from the wafer W, and the peeled portion Dp is further moved to the right.

In this way, the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 separates the protective tape PT from the wafer W by relatively moving the protective tape PT in the y direction with respect to the peeling table 11 while maintaining the state in which the liquid L is in contact with at least part of the peeling portion Dp. By maintaining the state in which the liquid L is in contact with the separation portion Dp, the process of forming the liquid layer CS at the separation portion Dp, the process of significantly reducing the adhesive strength of the protective tape PT at the separation portion Dp due to the formation of the liquid layer CS, and the process of further moving the separation portion Dp rightward by separating the protective tape PT at the portion where the adhesive strength is significantly reduced from the wafer W with a slight take-up force are repeated in a chain manner. By repeating these chain reactions, the peeled portion Dp reaches the right end of the wafer W in a state where the liquid L is in contact therewith, and the entire protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W.

Step S5-5 (wafer and tape drying)

In a state where the protective tape PT is peeled from the entire surface of the wafer W, the liquid L adheres to the surface of the wafer W and the adhesive surface of the protective tape PT. Therefore, in order to prevent the liquid L from affecting the wafer mounting apparatus 1 in the subsequent steps, a step of removing the liquid L adhering to the wafer W and the protective tape PT and drying them is performed.

After the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W, the peeling table 11 is moved forward along the rail 41 to reach the drying position. By moving to the drying position, the peeling table 11 is disposed above the center of the drain bed 133 b. After the peeling table 11 is moved to the drying position, the wafer W is dried by the work drying mechanism 131 and the protective tape PT is dried by the tape drying mechanism 132.

Fig. 28 (a) and 28 (b) show a step of drying the protective tape PT by the tape drying mechanism 132. That is, the protective tape PT with the liquid L adhering thereto is disposed between the liquid suction roller 143 and the liquid suction roller 144, and the liquid suction roller 144 is moved close to the liquid suction roller 143. As shown in fig. 28 (a), the protective tape PT is sandwiched between the liquid-suction roller 143 and the liquid-suction roller 144 by this movement.

After nipping the protective tape PT, as shown in (b) of fig. 28, the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 winds up the protective tape PT together with the peeling tape HT, and the tape drying mechanism 132 rotates the liquid suction roller 143 and the liquid suction roller 144. The liquid L adhering to the protective tape PT is absorbed by the liquid absorbing member 143b and the liquid absorbing member 144b in the process of rolling up the protective tape PT. That is, the liquid L adhering to the protective tape PT is removed by the liquid suction roller 143 and the liquid suction roller 144, and the protective tape PT is dried.

Fig. 29 (a) and 29 (b) show a step of drying the wafer W by the work drying mechanism 131. That is, after the peeling table 11 holding the mounting frame MF moves to the drying position, the scattering prevention wall 133a is lowered from the initial position to the connection position. In the jig MF, the liquid L adheres to the surface of the wafer W. The descending scattering prevention wall 133a is connected to the liquid discharge bed 133b, whereby as shown in fig. 29 (a), a scattering prevention groove 133 for housing the peeling table 11 is formed.

After the anti-scattering groove 133 is formed, the control unit 106 operates the vacuum device 141 to perform vacuum suction, and operates the rotation motor 50 to rotate the rotation shaft 49 at a high speed. When the rotation shaft 49 rotates, the peeling table 11 rotates about the axis in the z direction, and a centrifugal force is generated. The liquid L adhering to the wafer W is scattered to the outside of the wafer W by the centrifugal force, and is quickly removed from the surface of the wafer W. The liquid L removed from the wafer W is sucked and removed through the drain holes 133c formed in the drain bed 133 b. By removing the liquid L, the drying of the wafer W is completed.

Step S5-6 (Return to receiving position)

When the drying of the wafer W and the protective tape PT is completed, the scattering prevention wall 133a is raised from the connection position to the initial position, and the storage of the peeling table 11 by the scattering prevention groove 133 is released. The peeling table 11 can be moved to the outside of the drain bed 133b by the rise of the scattering prevention wall 133 a. After the scattering prevention wall 133a is raised, the peeling table 11 is moved from the drying position to the receiving position. The peeling table 11 returns to the receiving position, and the series of processes of step S5 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S6.

< effects produced by the structure of the embodiment >

According to the apparatus of the above embodiment, in the process of peeling the protective tape PT having the adhesive material Tb that reduces the adhesive force by contacting with the liquid L from the wafer W, the outer peripheral portion of the protective tape PT is partially peeled from the wafer W to form the peeling start site Ds. Then, the liquid L is supplied to at least a part of the peeling start site Ds, and the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W with the peeling start site Ds as a starting point.

At this time, the protective tape PT is peeled while maintaining the state in which the liquid L is in contact with the peeled portion Dp which moves with the peeling of the protective tape PT. That is, the liquid L is always kept in contact with the portion of the interface between the adhesive material Tb as the protective tape PT and the wafer W where the separation starts. Therefore, since the adhesive strength is greatly reduced by the contact of the liquid L at the portion where the separation of the interface starts, the force (separation force St) required for separating the protective tape PT, which is exemplified by the force of rolling up the protective tape PT, can be greatly reduced.

When the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W, a stress having a magnitude corresponding to the peeling force St applied to the protective tape PT is applied to the wafer. Therefore, by greatly reducing the peeling force St required for peeling the protective tape PT, the stress acting on the wafer W when the protective tape PT is peeled is also greatly reduced. Therefore, even when a thinned wafer W is used, it is possible to reliably avoid the occurrence of an abnormality such as a crack in the wafer W due to the separation of the protective tape PT.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W using the protective tape PT having the adhesive material Tb having the property of being sensitive to the deterioration of the adhesive force, and the liquid L, it is possible to more reliably avoid a phenomenon (residual glue phenomenon) in which a part of the adhesive material Tb remains on the wafer W after the protective tape PT is peeled.

That is, in the conventional method for peeling the protective tape PT, the protective tape PT is rolled up by applying a large force so as to overcome the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb. Therefore, as shown in fig. 30 (a), the fracture J occurs inside the layer of the adhesive material Tb, and the protective tape PT is frequently peeled from the wafer W. When such a break occurs, as shown in fig. 30 (b), a part of the adhesive material Tb remains on the wafer W, and adversely affects the circuit formed on the wafer.

Further, even in the case of using the adhesive material Tb having thermal releasability or ultraviolet releasability as the protective tape PT, it is difficult to appropriately avoid the adhesive residue phenomenon. That is, since the adhesive force of the entire layer of the adhesive material Tb is reduced by heating or ultraviolet irradiation, the fracture J occurs inside the layer of the adhesive material Tb when the protective tape PT is wound up.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the liquid L is supplied to the interface between the adhesive material Tb having the property of reducing the wet adhesive force and the wafer W. By the supply of the liquid L, as shown in fig. 30 (c), the non-adhesive liquid layer CS is formed at the interface between the wafer W and the adhesive material Tb, and therefore the entire adhesive material Tb is peeled off from the wafer W together with the base Ta. Therefore, in addition to the effect of significantly reducing the adhesive force between the wafer W and the protective tape PT, as shown in fig. 30 (d), the effect of avoiding a phenomenon in which a part of the adhesive material Tb remains can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, the stress applied to the wafer W when the separation tape HT is used can be reduced. That is, conventionally, the protective tape is peeled from the wafer in a state where the adhesive force of the protective tape is large, and therefore, in order to overcome the adhesive force, it is necessary to further increase the bonding force between the peeling tape and the protective tape. Therefore, conventionally, when joining the release tape to the protective tape, a plate-like edge member for folding back the release tape is pressed against the protective tape to join the release tape to a wide range of the protective tape. Then, the edge member is pressed against the protective tape, and the rolling member is moved from one end side of the wafer to the other end side.

In the conventional structure, when the release tape is joined to the protective tape, stress generated by pressing the edge member acts on a wide range of the wafer including the region of the wafer W where the circuit is formed. Therefore, the frequency of occurrence of an abnormality such as a crack in the circuit forming region of the wafer becomes high.

On the other hand, in the structure of the embodiment, the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W in a state in which the adhesive force of the protective tape PT is greatly reduced by the contact of the liquid L with the adhesive material Tb. Therefore, even in the case where the bonding force between the peeling tape HT and the protective tape PT is relatively small, the peeling tape HT and the protective tape PT can be integrally peeled. Further, it is not necessary to use an edge member for attaching the release tape HT. Therefore, it is not necessary to press and join the release tape HT to the protective tape PT, and therefore stress applied to the wafer W due to the pressing can be avoided.

Further, even if the bonding force between the separation tape HT and the protective tape PT is small, the separation tape PT and the protective tape PT can be integrally separated, and therefore, the region to which the separation tape HT is joined can be defined as the protective tape PT corresponding to the end region of the wafer W where no circuit is formed. As an example, as in the embodiment, it is limited that the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W by sticking the peeling tape HT only to a part of the protective tape PT stuck to the annular convex portion r and rolling up the peeling tape HT. Therefore, when the separation tape HT is joined to the protective tape PT, stress can be more reliably prevented from acting on the circuit of the wafer W.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and are not intended to be restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and includes all modifications (variations) equivalent in meaning and scope to the claims. As an example, the present invention can be modified as described below.

(1) In step S5-2 of the example, the end portion of the protective tape PT was deformed by piercing the 1 st peeling member 59 into the layer of the substrate Ta, but the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the 1 st peeling member 59 may be pierced into the layer of the adhesive material Tb to deform the end of the protective tape PT. This is particularly preferred in the following points: when the height of the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is adjusted so that the 1 st peeling member 59 penetrates into the interface between the adhesive material Tb and the wafer W, the peeling start site Ds can be formed without using the peeling tape HT.

However, as in the embodiment, when the height of the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 is adjusted so that the 1 st peeling member 59 penetrates into the layer of the base Ta, it is possible to reliably avoid the 1 st peeling member 59 interfering with the wafer W and causing damage to the wafer W. Further, when the 1 st peeling member 59 is caused to penetrate into the side surface of the protective tape PT, the adhesive material Tb does not adhere to the 1 st peeling member 59, and therefore there is an advantage that the deterioration of the leading end portion 59a of the 1 st peeling member 59 can be prevented.

(2) In the embodiment, the peeling start site Ds is formed using the 1 st peeling member 59, and the liquid L is supplied to the peeling start site Ds using the liquid supply unit 17 of a structure independent from the 1 st peeling member 59, but is not limited thereto. That is, the formation of the peeling start site Ds and the supply of the liquid L may be performed using the 1 st peeling member 59P as shown in fig. 31 (a).

The 1 st peeling member 59P of the modification has liquid supply members 150 on both sides of the tip portion 59 a. For example, the liquid supply member 150 is a porous material such as sponge into which the liquid L permeates, and the tip portion 59a deforms the end portion of the protective tape PT and supplies the liquid L from the end portion. Preferably, the tip portion 59a protrudes slightly from the tip portion of the liquid supply member 150.

In step S5-2 of this modification, as shown in fig. 31 (b), the tip portion 59a of the 1 st peeling member 59P is pierced into the side surface of the adhesive material Tb, thereby deforming the end portion of the protective tape PT. In a state where the tip portion 59a is pierced, the 1 st peeling member 59P is further pushed rightward, and the liquid supply member 150 is pressed against the side surface of the deformed protective tape PT.

By pressing the liquid supply member 150, the liquid L that has penetrated into the liquid supply member 150 seeps out of the liquid supply member 150 and flows along the surface of the 1 st peeling member 59P toward the distal end portion 59 a. Therefore, by pressing the liquid supply member 150, the liquid L is supplied to the peeling start site Ds formed by the distal end portion 59 a. With such a configuration, the steps S5-2 and S5-3 can be successively completed using the same member. Therefore, simplification of the apparatus and shortening of the peeling process can be achieved.

The structure in which the deformation of the end of the protective tape PT and the supply of the liquid L are performed using the same member is not limited to the structure in which the liquid supply member 150 is provided in the 1 st peeling member 59. As another example, as shown in fig. 31 (c), a configuration in which a liquid supply tube 151 is provided inside the 1 st peeling member 59 can be given. The liquid supply tube 151 is a tube through which the liquid L flows, and a discharge port of the liquid supply tube 151 is provided at or near the distal end portion 59 a. In such a configuration, the liquid L can be discharged from the discharge port provided in the distal end portion 59a of the liquid supply tube 151 while the distal end portion 59a of the first peeling member 59 is stuck into the side surface of the adhesive Tb, and the liquid L can be supplied to the peeling start site Ds formed by the distal end portion 59 a.

(3) In the embodiment, the step of forming the peeling start site Ds in the step S5-2 is performed using the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 and the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52, but is not limited thereto. That is, the 1 st peeling member 59 may be stuck into the circumferential surface of the protective tape PT by using only the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 to deform the end portion of the protective tape PT in a curled shape, thereby forming the peeling start site Ds. Further, the separation start site Ds may be formed by joining the separation tape HT to the surface of the end portion of the protective tape PT by the 2 nd separation member 119 using only the 2 nd separation mechanism 52, winding and recovering the separation tape HT, thereby winding up the end portion of the protective tape PT integrally with the separation tape HT, and separating the end portion of the protective tape PT from the wafer W.

The structure of the peeling start site Ds is not limited to the 1 st peeling mechanism 51 or the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52. That is, as shown in fig. 32 (a), the end portion of the protective tape PT may be sucked by using the suction pad 153, and the suction pad 153 may be raised while maintaining the sucked state. In this case, as shown in fig. 32 (b), the end portion of the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W with the rise of the suction pad 153, thereby forming a peeling start portion Ds.

As shown in fig. 32 (c), when the wafer W has the notch N, the peeling start site Ds can be formed by another structure. By joining a circular protective tape PT to the wafer W having the notch N, the protective tape PT is protruded from the end of the wafer W at the portion of the notch N. Therefore, as shown in fig. 32 (d), the protrusion member 155 is raised from below at the portion of the notch N. By raising the projection member 155, the protective tape PT at the portion of the notch N is pushed up as shown in fig. 32 (e). As a result, the protective tape PT attached to the end portion of the wafer W is peeled from the wafer W, and a peeling start portion Ds is formed.

(4) In step S5 of the embodiment, the number of times of injecting the liquid L is 1, but it may be injected a plurality of times. In particular, as shown in fig. 33 (a), when the wafer W is formed with irregularities by the bump Ba or the like, it is preferable to inject the liquid L plural times.

In the case where the protective tape PT is peeled from the flat wafer W as in the example, the state where the liquid L is in contact with the peeled portion Dp is relatively easily maintained in the step of peeling the protective tape PT at step S5-4 as a whole. However, when the protective tape PT is peeled from the wafer W having the unevenness and the large undulation, it is difficult to maintain the state where the liquid L is in contact with the peeled portion Dp.

That is, as shown in fig. 33 (b), when the protective tape PT at the flat portion of the wafer W is peeled, the liquid L is likely to come close to and contact the peeled portion Dp due to the capillary phenomenon. By the contact of the liquid L, the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb with respect to the wafer W is greatly reduced, and therefore, the peeling force St required for peeling the protective tape PT from the wafer W becomes very small. At this time, the stress acting on the wafer W is very small.

On the other hand, when the protective tape PT at the concave-convex portion of the wafer W is peeled, as shown in (c) of fig. 33, there is a case where: since the liquid L is caught in the convex region such as the bump Ba, the liquid L cannot contact the moved separation portion Dp. When the liquid L is not in contact with the peeling portion Dp, the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb to the wafer W is not lowered, and therefore, a large peeling force St is required to peel the protective tape PT. As a result, the protective tape PT cannot be appropriately peeled, or the wafer W is easily damaged by applying a stress to the wafer W by applying a large peeling force St.

Therefore, when the liquid L is no longer in contact with the peeling portion Dp, the liquid supply unit 17 is operated again to supply the liquid L to the peeling portion Dp as shown in fig. 33 (d). Since the peeling force St is lowered by the liquid L coming into contact with the peeling portion Dp again, the protective tape PT can be easily peeled off from the wafer W again.

In such a modification, it is preferable to have an adhesive sensor that detects the adhesive force of the protective tape PT at the peeled portion Dp. As an example of the adhesion sensor, a peeling force sensor 157 that detects a peeling force St as shown in fig. 33 (b) and the like can be given. The peeling force St is a force required to peel the protective tape PT from the wafer against the adhesive force of the protective tape PT at the peeled portion Dp. Thus, by measuring the peeling force St, the adhesive force of the protective tape PT at the peeled portion Dp can be measured. When the peeling force St is displayed to be equal to or greater than a predetermined value by the peeling force sensor 157, the liquid L does not come into contact with the peeling portion Dp or the peeling start portion Ds, and therefore, it can be determined that resupply of the liquid L is necessary.

An example of the peeling force sensor 157 is a sensor that detects the tension of the protective tape PT peeled off. When the peeling force St is large, the tension of the protective tape PT is also large, and therefore, by measuring this tension, the peeling force St can be detected. As a configuration for determining the necessity of resupply of the liquid L, an optical sensor such as a camera for checking contact between the liquid L and the peeling site Dp or the peeling start site Ds may be used.

(5) In step S5-4 of the embodiment, the protective tape PT is entirely separated from the wafer W by winding and collecting the separation tape HT joined to the end portion of the protective tape PT, but the step S5-4 is not limited to the configuration using the separation tape HT. That is, as shown in fig. 34, the protective tape PT may be entirely separated from the wafer W by gripping an end portion of the protective tape PT with the gripping member 159 and relatively moving the gripping member 159 in a predetermined direction with respect to the peeling table 11. In this case, the 2 nd peeling mechanism 52 can be omitted and the gripping member 159 can be provided.

(6) In step S5-5 of the embodiment, other members may be used as appropriate for the structure for drying the wafer W and the protective tape PT. Another example of the drying structure is a structure in which the wafer W or the protective tape PT is dried by blowing a gas such as air. Further, the liquid L adhering to the wafer W or the protective tape PT may be absorbed and removed by pressing a flat liquid-absorbent material (a sponge, for example). As another structure, a structure may be used in which the liquid L adhering to the wafer W or the protective tape PT is vaporized by heating.

(7) In the embodiment, the protective tape PT is exemplified as the sheet-like adhesive material, but the sheet-like adhesive material is not limited to the protective tape PT, and various adhesive tapes such as the support tape DT may be used. That is, the structure of the present invention can be applied to any sheet-like material having adhesive force.

(8) In the embodiment, the following structure is exemplified: the protective tape separating device 3 as a sheet-like adhesive material separating device is a part of the wafer assembling device 1, but is not limited thereto. That is, the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material peeling apparatus may be an independent apparatus, or the sheet-like pressure-sensitive adhesive material peeling apparatus of the present invention may be applied to another wafer processing apparatus.

(9) In the embodiment, the wafer W having a circular shape in a plan view is exemplified as the workpiece to which the sheet is to be attached, but the shape and material of the workpiece are not limited thereto. The structure of the present embodiment can be applied to various semiconductor members such as a substrate, a panel, and a wafer as a workpiece. The shape of the workpiece may be a rectangle, a polygon, a substantially circle, or the like, in addition to a circle. The configuration is not limited to the configuration having the annular convex portion r, and may be a flat shape. Further, the workpiece may have a curved shape.

(10) In the embodiment, the liquid L is not limited to ultrapure water, and can be appropriately changed. When a hydrophilic material is used as the liquid L, examples of the liquid L include alcohols such as methanol and ethanol, ketones, and aldehydes. As the liquid L, a hydrophobic material may be used. When the liquid L is hydrophobic, the structure of the present invention can be realized by using a hydrophobic solvent and a material having high affinity as the lyophilic material C.

(11) In the examples, the polymer a is exemplified as the polymer Vh, which is the polymer contained in the binder Tb, but the invention is not limited thereto. As another example of the polymer binder Vh, that is, a polymer, there can be mentioned a polymer having 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (hereinafter referred to as "B polymer") as described below. The following describes a process for obtaining a modified adhesive material Tb using a polymer B and RHEODOL TW-L120.

< B Polymer >

The procedure for obtaining a solution of the polymer B will be described. First, a monomer composition was prepared by mixing 100 parts by mass of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 25.5 parts by mass of acryloyl morpholinoic acid, 18.5 parts by mass of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 0.3 parts by mass of a polymerization initiator (benzoyl peroxide (BPO)), and a solvent (toluene). Subsequently, the monomer composition was charged into a polymerization experimental apparatus equipped with a separable cap, a separatory funnel, a thermometer, a nitrogen inlet tube, a Libyh condenser, a vacuum seal, a stirring rod, and a stirring blade in a 1-liter round-bottom separable flask, and nitrogen substitution was performed at room temperature for 6 hours while stirring. Then, the mixture was kept at 60 ℃ for 8 hours with stirring while flowing nitrogen gas, and polymerization was carried out to obtain a resin solution. The resulting resin solution was cooled to room temperature. Then, 12.3 parts by mass of isocyanoethyl methacrylate (trade name: Karenz MOI, "Karenz" is a registered trademark) was added to the resin solution as a compound having a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond. Then, 0.1 part by mass of dibutyltin dilaurate IV (manufactured by wako pure chemical industries, inc.) was added thereto, and the mixture was stirred at 50 ℃ for 24 hours in an air atmosphere to prepare a solution of polymer B.

Next, a process for obtaining the binder Tb of the modification (11) from the solution of the B polymer will be described. To 100 parts by mass of the B polymer solution were added 5 parts by mass of CORONATE L (manufactured by tokyo corporation, "CORONATE" is a registered trademark) as a crosslinking agent, 1 part by mass of Irgacure369 (manufactured by BASF japan corporation, "Irgacure" is a registered trademark) as a photopolymerization initiator, and 0.5 part by mass of RHEODOL TW-L120 (manufactured by kaowang corporation) as a hydrophilic material C, and the two were uniformly mixed to prepare an adhesive material Tb. In addition, RHEODOL TW-L120 can be mixed with the B polymer solution in a state of being dissolved in ethyl acetate beforehand.

The amount of RHEODOL TW-L120 was adjusted to 5% by mass or less based on the solution of the B polymer. The amount of RHEODOL TW-L120 is preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2% by mass or less, and most preferably in the range of 0.05 to 1.5% by mass, based on the solution of the B polymer. The process for obtaining the protective tape PT from the adhesive Tb of the modification is the same as that of the embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

The B polymer has a property of decreasing the adhesive force by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, that is, has ultraviolet curability. That is, the adhesive material Tb obtained from the solution of the B polymer and RHEODOL TW-L120 had both ultraviolet-curing properties and wet-sensitive adhesive force-reducing properties. Therefore, when the protective tape PT having the adhesive material Tb containing the B polymer is peeled from the wafer W, the protective tape PT is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to lower the adhesive force to some extent, and then the liquid L is brought into contact with the interface between the protective tape PT and the wafer W to lower the adhesive force more largely, so that the protective tape PT can be appropriately peeled from the wafer W.

When the protective tape PT having the adhesive material Tb containing the B polymer is peeled from the wafer W, the peeling unit 16 of the protective tape peeling apparatus 3 further has an ultraviolet irradiation mechanism 201 in which an ultraviolet lamp 201a is disposed. Then, in step S5-2, first, as shown in fig. 35 (a), the ultraviolet light Va is irradiated to the adhesive material Tb by the ultraviolet light irradiation mechanism 201. The adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb to the wafer W is reduced by the irradiation of the ultraviolet rays.

However, the adhesive material Tb has a certain adhesive force in a state where the ultraviolet rays are irradiated. Therefore, if the entire protective tape PT is to be peeled from the wafer W without using the liquid L in this state, stress is applied to the wafer W, and the wafer W is broken at a high frequency.

Therefore, after the ultraviolet light Va is irradiated, as shown in fig. 35 (b), the tip portion 59a of the 1 st peeling member 59 is caused to pierce into the outer peripheral portion of the protective tape PT, and the end portion of the base material Ta is deformed. Then, the separation tape HT is wound up with the separation tape HT bonded to the end of the protective tape PT, thereby forming a separation start site Ds in the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W. Then, step S5-3 is started, and as shown in fig. 35 (c), the liquid L is supplied to the peeling start site Ds using the liquid supply nozzle 68.

The liquid L comes into contact with the adhesive material Tb having a decreased wet adhesive force feeling, whereby the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb is further decreased or disappears. Therefore, in step S5-4, the stress acting on the wafer W can be greatly reduced when the protective tape PT is entirely peeled. Therefore, the protective tape PT can be easily peeled from the wafer W with a smaller peeling force St without causing damage to the wafer W.

In addition, as an alternative to the B polymer, a polymer containing butyl acrylate or the like (hereinafter referred to as "C polymer") or a polymer containing 2-ethylhexyl acrylate or the like (hereinafter referred to as "D polymer") as described below may be used. The polymer C and the polymer D have ultraviolet curability in the same manner as the polymer B. The following describes the step of obtaining the polymer C and the step of obtaining the polymer D. The steps of obtaining the adhesive material Tb using the C polymer and RHEODOL TW-L120 and obtaining the adhesive material Tb using the D polymer and RHEODOL TW-L120 are the same as those of obtaining the adhesive material Tb using the B polymer and RHEODOL TW-L120, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

< C Polymer >

The procedure for obtaining a solution of polymer C will be described. First, a monomer composition was prepared by mixing 100 parts by mass of butyl acrylate, 78 parts by mass of ethyl acrylate, 40 parts by mass of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 0.3 parts by mass of a polymerization initiator (benzoyl peroxide (BPO)), and a solvent (toluene). Subsequently, the monomer composition was charged into a polymerization experimental apparatus equipped with a separable cap, a separatory funnel, a thermometer, a nitrogen inlet tube, a Libyh condenser, a vacuum seal, a stirring rod, and a stirring blade in a 1-liter round-bottom separable flask, and nitrogen substitution was performed at room temperature for 6 hours while stirring. Then, the mixture was kept at 60 ℃ for 6 hours while stirring and at 78 ℃ for 1 hour to polymerize while flowing nitrogen gas, yielding a resin solution. The resulting resin solution was cooled to room temperature. Then, 42.6 parts by mass of isocyanoethyl methacrylate (trade name: Karenz MOI, "Karenz" is a registered trademark, manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.) was added to the resin solution as a compound having a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond. Then, 0.2 part by mass of dibutyltin dilaurate IV (manufactured by wako pure chemical industries, inc.) was added thereto, and the mixture was stirred at 50 ℃ for 24 hours in an air atmosphere to prepare a solution of polymer C.

< D Polymer >

The procedure for obtaining a solution of polymer D will be described. First, a monomer composition was prepared by mixing 100 parts by mass of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 25.5 parts by mass of acryloyl morpholinic acid, 22 parts by mass of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 0.3 parts by mass of a polymerization initiator (benzoyl peroxide (BPO)), and a solvent (toluene). Subsequently, the monomer composition was charged into a polymerization experimental apparatus equipped with a separable cap, a separatory funnel, a thermometer, a nitrogen inlet tube, a Libyh condenser, a vacuum seal, a stirring rod, and a stirring blade in a 1-liter round-bottom separable flask, and nitrogen substitution was performed at room temperature for 6 hours while stirring. Then, the mixture was kept at 60 ℃ for 8 hours with stirring while flowing nitrogen gas, and polymerization was carried out to obtain a resin solution. The resulting resin solution was cooled to room temperature. Then, 22.5 parts by mass of isocyanoethyl methacrylate (trade name: Karenz MOI, "Karenz" is a registered trademark) was added to the resin solution as a compound having a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond. Then, 0.1 part by mass of dibutyltin dilaurate IV (manufactured by wako pure chemical industries, inc.) was added thereto, and the mixture was stirred at 50 ℃ for 24 hours in an air atmosphere to prepare a solution of polymer D.

(12) In the embodiment, the adhesive material Tb is not limited to the structure containing the lyophilic material C if it has the wet adhesive force-lowering property. As an example, it was confirmed that the adhesive material Tb obtained by adding the photopolymerization initiator and the crosslinking agent to the solution of the B polymer or the C polymer had the wet adhesive force decreasing property even if the lyophilic material C was not contained. When the protective tape PT having the adhesive material Tb is peeled off from the wafer W, the peeling start site Ds is formed and the liquid L is brought into contact with the peeling start site Ds in the same manner as in the example, so that the adhesive force of the adhesive material Tb to the wafer W is greatly reduced or disappeared.

Claims

1. A sheet-like adhesive material peeling device for peeling a sheet-like adhesive material stuck to a work from the work,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus is characterized in that,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device comprises:

2. The sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus according to claim 1,

the peeling start portion forming mechanism includes:

a holding member that holds an end of the sheet-like adhesive material; and

a holding member moving mechanism that moves the holding member in a direction away from the workpiece,

the peeling start portion is formed by moving the holding member in a direction away from the work while the holding member holds the end portion of the sheet-like adhesive material.

3. The sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the peeling start portion forming mechanism includes:

a peeling member having a tip portion tapered at a tip; and

a peeling member moving mechanism that moves the peeling member from an outer peripheral portion toward a central portion of the sheet-like adhesive material,

the peeling member moving mechanism causes the tip end portion of the peeling member to enter from an outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, thereby forming the peeling start portion.

4. The sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus according to claim 3,

the liquid supply mechanism is provided to the peeling member,

the peeling member moving mechanism forms the peeling start portion by causing the tip end portion of the peeling member to enter from an outer peripheral portion of the sheet-like adhesive material, and the liquid supply mechanism supplies the liquid to the peeling start portion.

5. The sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device has a drying mechanism that dries the work from which the sheet-like adhesive material has been peeled and the sheet-like adhesive material peeled from the work.

6. The sheet-like adhesive material peeling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the sheet-like adhesive material peeling device comprises:

an adhesion sensor that detects an adhesion force at the peeling site of the sheet-like adhesive material; and

and a control unit that controls the liquid supply mechanism to supply the liquid to the peeling site when the adhesive force detected by the adhesive sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.