JP2001326193A - Dicing device and dicing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent chips from being damaged, when a wafer is cut into chips. SOLUTION: A dicing device is formed in a constitution such that the device is provided with a table 6 for placing a semiconductor wafer 4 on its surface and a discoidal blade 8 and the wafer 4 on the table 6 is cut and split into individual IC chips 18 by the blade 8. In this constitution, a roller 12 is provided in the vicinity of the blade 8 for pressing the wafer 4 cut by the blade 8 on the table 6 from the upper surface of the wafer 4. The roller 12 is energized in the direction of the wafer 4 and with the roller 12 almost intersecting the surface of the blade almost orthogonally the roller 12 is provided rotatably, centered around a virtual axis being extendedly provided almost in parallel with the surface of the water. Since the chips 18 formed by cutting the wafer by the blade 8 are fixed by this roller 12, the vibrations of the chips 18 are suppressed and the chips 18 can be prevented from being damaged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a dicing apparatus and method for cutting a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer into individual chips.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A semiconductor wafer is cut and divided into individual chips by using a dicing apparatus in order to form semiconductor chips. The dicing apparatus usually includes a chuck table, places the wafer on the table, fixes the wafer by suction, and cuts the wafer with a high-speed rotating blade in this state. During this cutting, high-pressure water is supplied mainly to the cut portion of the wafer in order to remove chips generated and to prevent the wafer from becoming hot due to frictional heat or the like. Further, an adhesive sheet is attached in advance to the entire back surface side of the wafer, and the cut chips are attached to the adhesive sheet in their original positions and are held by the sheet.

[0003]

However, when the size of the chip is small, the chip vibrates due to the high-speed rotation of the blade and the injection of the high-pressure water, and as a result, the chip is broken. Such damage is likely to occur. Such damage is likely to occur not only when the chip size is small but also when the wafer is thin. Although it is possible to suppress the occurrence of damage to some extent by changing the material of the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet or the pressure-sensitive adhesive material to a hard material, such measures are insufficient, and the production yield is lowered.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dicing apparatus and a dicing method capable of reliably preventing chips from being damaged when a wafer is cut into chips. It is in.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a table on which a wafer is mounted, and a blade, wherein the blade cuts the wafer on the table into individual chips by the blade. The apparatus is characterized in that it has a pressing means disposed near the blade and for pressing the wafer cut by the blade from above on the table. Further, the present invention is a dicing method of placing a wafer on a table and cutting the wafer into individual chips by a blade, wherein when the wafer is cut by the blade, the vicinity of the blade is cut. The wafer is pressed against the table from above.

In the present invention, since the wafer cut by the blade is pressed against the table by the pressing means, the chips are securely fixed to the table even if the chips obtained by cutting are small or thin. .

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional side view showing a main part of an example of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.
1 is a front view showing an example of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention. Hereinafter, an example of the dicing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to these drawings, and at the same time, an embodiment of the dicing method according to the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dicing apparatus 2 according to the embodiment includes a table 6 on which a semiconductor wafer 4 is placed, and a disk-shaped blade 8. 4 is divided into individual IC chips. Then, the semiconductor wafer 4 cut by the blade 8 is placed on the table 6 from above.
A pressing means 10 is disposed near the blade 8 so as to press the blade 8. In the present embodiment, the pressing means 10 includes a roller 12 made of an elastic material and a biasing means (not shown) such as a spring for pressing the roller 12 in the direction of the semiconductor wafer 4. It is rotatable about a virtual axis that is substantially orthogonal and extends substantially parallel to the semiconductor wafer surface. The roller 12
Are arranged on the side of the blade 8 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the embodiment. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, an adhesive sheet 14 is stuck on the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer 4 on the table 6 side. FIG. 1 shows the dicing apparatus 2 viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

In such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the semiconductor wafer 4 is placed on the table 6 with the adhesive sheet 14 side down and fixed to the table 6.
While rotating the blade 8 at high speed and supplying high-pressure water 16,
When the semiconductor wafer 4 is moved together with the table 6 in the direction of arrow A, as shown in FIG.
Is cut by the blade 8 to form an IC chip 18. At this time, the cutting depth is, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, up to about 1/3 of the thickness of the adhesive sheet 14, and the adhesive sheet 14 is not completely cut. 14 and the position is maintained.

Further, in this embodiment, since the IC chip 18 is pressed against the table 6 by the roller 12 as shown in FIG. 1 in particular, the IC chip 18 is pressed onto the table 6 via the adhesive sheet 14. Securely fixed. When the table 6 moves, the roller 12 rotates and the pressed portion is changed smoothly, and the IC chip 18 near the cutting portion of the blade 8 is always pressed and fixed by the roller 12. Therefore, even when the IC chip 18 is small or thin, the IC chip 18 does not vibrate due to the high-speed rotation of the blade 8 or the injection of the high-pressure water 16, and the IC chip 18 is prevented from being damaged. It is possible to increase the yield.

In this embodiment, the roller 12 is arranged on the side of the blade 8, but it is of course possible to arrange the roller 12 behind the blade 8. Further, the shape of the pressing means 10 is not limited to a roller shape, and the material can be variously selected from high elastic materials and others. In any case, as long as the semiconductor wafer 4 around the blade 8 can be pressed against the table 6, the semiconductor wafer 4 is fixed and vibration can be prevented, so that the same operation and effect can be obtained.

If there is a possibility that the surface of the semiconductor wafer will be damaged by the direct contact of the roller 12 with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 4, a protective sheet or the like may be attached to the surface of the semiconductor wafer. . In this embodiment, the semiconductor wafer is cut. However, the present invention is not limited to the semiconductor wafer but is widely applied to a case where a wafer is cut into chips, and the effect is exhibited.

[0013]

As described above, the present invention is directed to a dicing apparatus that includes a table on which a wafer is placed and a blade, and the blade cuts the wafer on the table into individual chips. A pressing means is provided near the blade and presses the wafer cut by the blade against the table from above. Further, the present invention is a dicing method of placing a wafer on a table and cutting the wafer into individual chips by a blade, wherein when the wafer is cut by the blade, the vicinity of the blade is cut. The wafer is pressed against the table from above.

Therefore, in the present invention, since the wafer cut by the blade is pressed against the table by the pressing means, the chips are securely fixed to the table even if the chips obtained by cutting are small or thin. Is done. Therefore, the chip does not vibrate due to the high-speed rotation of the blade or the injection of high-pressure water, and it is possible to prevent the chip from being damaged and to increase the production yield.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged sectional side view showing a main part of an example of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Dicing device, 4 ... Semiconductor wafer, 6 ...
Table, 8 ... blade, 10 ... pressing means, 12 ...
... roller, 14 ... adhesive sheet, 16 ... high-pressure water, 18
... IC chips.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A dicing apparatus comprising: a table on which a wafer is mounted; and a blade, wherein the blade cuts the wafer on the table into individual chips, the dicing apparatus being disposed near the blade, A dicing apparatus comprising: a pressing unit configured to press the wafer cut by the blade from above on the table. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing unit includes a roller and a biasing unit that presses the roller toward the wafer, wherein the roller extends substantially perpendicular to the blade surface and substantially parallel to the wafer surface. The dicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dicing apparatus is rotatable about an axis. 3. The dicing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the roller is formed of an elastic material and is disposed on a side of the blade. 4. A dicing method in which a wafer is placed on a table and the wafer is cut into individual chips by a blade. When the wafer is cut by the blade, the wafer is cut near the blade. A dicing method, wherein a wafer is pressed from above on the table. 5. An adhesive sheet is pasted on the entire surface of the wafer on the table side prior to cutting, and when the wafer is cut into individual chips, a portion that is not cut by a blade is left on the adhesive sheet. 5. The dicing method according to claim 4, wherein the individual chips are held on the adhesive sheet after cutting by a blade.