JP2009088357A - Removing device and removing method for protective tape - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove a protective tape without breaking a wafer by suppressing peeling force concentrating when the protective tape begins to be peeled. <P>SOLUTION: A removing device 100 has a peeling tape unit 20. The unit 20 lowers guide rollers 12 and 14 to stick the peeling tape H on a top surface of the protective tape, having a cut reaching an edge of the semiconductor wafer W, within a range including the cut. Further, the unit 20 moves the guide roller 12 toward the guide roller 14 to draw the peeling tape so that the protective tape united with the peeling tape H is peeled from the edge of the semiconductor wafer W on both sides of the cut. The protective tape begins to be peeled at two places on both the sides of the edge Ca of the wafer W. The place where the protective tape begins to be peeled can be dispersed to the two places, so when the protective tape is peeled, the peeling force applied to the wafer can be dispersed and the wafer is not broken. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing a protective tape adhered to a surface of a semiconductor wafer.

One of the processes for manufacturing a semiconductor device is a process of polishing the back surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as a wafer) having an element structure formed on the surface. In order to protect the device structure during backside polishing, a protective tape is attached to the surface of the wafer. When the wafer surface is protected with a protective tape, it is necessary to remove the protective tape from the surface of the wafer after backside polishing. There is a possibility that the wafer is damaged by a force for peeling off the protective tape from the wafer (this force is referred to as a peeling force). As wafers are becoming thinner, there is a serious problem that the wafer may be damaged.
In order to peel off the protective tape from the wafer, a protective tape removing device is used. In this apparatus, the release tape is attached to the upper surface of the protective tape attached to the surface of the wafer, and the protective tape is peeled off from the wafer together with the release tape by peeling off the release tape. Patent Document 1 discloses a removing device that is difficult to damage a wafer when a protective tape is removed using a release tape.
In the removal apparatus of Patent Document 1, the peeling tape and the protective tape are peeled together so that the corner of one element structure of many element structures formed in a lattice shape on the wafer becomes the starting point of peeling. start. And the boundary line (peeling boundary line) between the part where the protective tape is peeled off from the wafer and the part where it is not peeled off (peeling boundary line) is parallel to the dicing grooves (grooves extending in a lattice pattern between many element structures) Remove the protective tape in the direction that does not. The peeling force (the force necessary to peel off the protective tape from the wafer) is applied to the wafer along the peeling boundary line. However, in the removing device of Patent Document 1, the peeling force is not applied along the groove of the wafer. When a peeling force is applied along the groove of the wafer, the wafer is easily broken, whereas when the peeling boundary line and the dicing groove intersect, the wafer is difficult to break. According to the removal device of Patent Document 1, the wafer is difficult to break.

JP 2004-165570 A

Since the wafer is circular, when the peeling tape is pulled to peel off the protective tape together with the peeling tape, the protective tape is peeled from one point on the edge of the wafer toward the center of the wafer. At this time, the peeling force is concentrated at one point where the peeling starts, so that the wafer is easily damaged.
In the technique of Patent Document 1, it cannot be avoided that the peeling force is concentrated at one point where the protective tape starts to be peeled off.
There is a demand for a technique for removing the protective tape without damaging the wafer by suppressing the peeling force concentrated on the point at which the protective tape starts to be peeled off.

In the present invention, the points at which peeling starts are dispersed at a plurality of locations. If the points at which peeling starts are dispersed at a plurality of locations, the peeling force concentrated at each point at which peeling begins can be reduced. By reducing the peeling force concentrated at every point at which peeling begins, the protective tape can be removed without damaging the wafer.
The present invention can be embodied in a protective tape removing device. This removing device includes a tape adhering unit for adhering a peeling tape to an upper surface in a range including a cut of a protective tape in which a notch reaching an edge of a semiconductor wafer is formed, and a tape removing unit for pulling the peeling tape. I have. The tape removal unit has a peeling boundary line along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer where the protective tape integrated with the peeling tape begins to peel from the edge of the semiconductor wafer on both sides of the cut, and then the protective tape is peeled off from the semiconductor wafer. Pull the release tape to travel (along the diameter).
The peeling boundary line may not be a straight line but may be a curved line. The entire peeling boundary line advances along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer, and the peeling boundary line extends along the diameter of the semiconductor wafer from the edge that started peeling to the opposite edge across the diameter. It is said to progress.

According to this removing apparatus, the protective tape starts to peel off from two locations on the wafer edge located on the left and right sides of the cut. Therefore, the peeling force required to start peeling the protective tape is dispersed in two places. The peeling force acting on the wafer at each peeling start position is reduced, and damage to the wafer can be prevented.
When a peeling force is applied in the vicinity of the point where the wafer edge and the cut intersect, the peeling force is dispersed on both sides of the cut and the protective tape starts to peel off at two locations. This is due to the following reason.
The protective tape is formed of a material that is difficult to tear in order to reliably protect the wafer. Therefore, the protective tape is relatively difficult to bend. Accordingly, the protective tape is peeled off from the wafer in a gently curved state without being bent at an acute angle at the peeling boundary line. That is, strictly speaking, the protective tape is not peeled off linearly at the peeling boundary line, but a predetermined region from the peeling boundary line to the unpeeled side is peeled off simultaneously from the semiconductor wafer in a planar shape.
When the protective tape without a cut is started to be peeled off from the end portion of the wafer, a predetermined area extending in a fan shape on the wafer surface from one point of the wafer end portion starts to be peeled off simultaneously. In other words, the protective tape begins to peel from one point on the edge of the wafer. This is because the force for pulling the peeling tape (peeling force) spreads in a fan shape evenly from one point on the edge of the wafer.
On the other hand, if you start peeling from the vicinity of the notch of the protective tape that has a notch that reaches the wafer edge, the protective tape can be peeled off separately on both sides of the notch, so that the area to be peeled off is independent on both sides of the notch Formed. The point at which peeling begins is not at the intersection of the wafer edge and the cut, but at a position shifted from the intersection along the edge of the wafer. That is, the protective tape begins to peel off from two points on both sides of the cut. This is because when the force pulling the release tape tries to spread evenly separately on both sides of the cut, the wafer edge and the cut are not at the crossing point, but shifted from that position along the wafer edge. This is because it becomes a position.

Although the protective tape in which the cut is formed in advance may be attached to the wafer, the cut may be formed after the protective tape in which the cut is not formed is attached to the wafer.
In this case, a cutting unit that puts a cut reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer into the protective tape located in the edge invalid area of the semiconductor wafer on which the protective tape with no cut formed is attached, The removal device is preferably provided.

  In many cases, each element formation region formed on a circular semiconductor wafer is rectangular. A semiconductor wafer in which a plurality of rectangular element formation regions are formed has an edge invalid region where no element formation region is formed at the edge. By making a cut in the protective tape located in the edge invalid region, the cut can be made without damaging the element forming region.

According to the removal device equipped with a cutting unit, the back surface of the wafer can be polished with a protective tape without cuts attached to the surface, so that the device structure formed on the wafer surface can be surely secured during the back surface polishing. Can be protected.
Furthermore, by making a cut with the removal device, the position of the cut can be accurately specified by the removal device. Therefore, a peeling tape can be correctly affixed on the upper surface of the protective tape in the range where the cut is formed.
Furthermore, the conventional protective tape without a notch can be utilized for the protective tape itself.

It is preferable that the removal apparatus further includes a heating unit that heats the cut portion of the protective tape attached to the semiconductor wafer.
By heating the cut portion, the adhesive strength of the protective tape in the vicinity of the cut can be reduced, and the protective tape can be easily peeled off.

The present invention can also be embodied in a method for removing a protective tape. This removal method includes a sticking step of sticking the release tape on the upper surface of the range including the cut of the protective tape in which a cut reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer is formed, and a protective tape integrated with the release tape Including a removal step of pulling the peeling tape so that the peeling boundary line advances along the diameter of the semiconductor wafer, after which the peeling starts from the edge of the semiconductor wafer on both sides of the notch, and then the protective tape peels from the semiconductor wafer. And
According to this method, the protective tape starts to peel off at two locations on the wafer edge. The peeling force acting on the wafer at each peeling start position is reduced, and damage to the wafer can be prevented.

In the removal method described above, a notch that reaches the edge of the semiconductor wafer is placed on the protective tape that is located in the edge invalid area of the semiconductor wafer that has a protective tape that has not been formed on the surface. It is preferable to include a process.
Moreover, it is preferable to perform the heating process which heats a notch part prior to a removal process.
Also by the above removal method, the same effect as the above-described removal apparatus can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, the protective tape can be peeled from the semiconductor wafer without damaging the semiconductor wafer.

The main features of the embodiments described below are listed.
(1) The protective tape removing device includes a cutting unit for making a cut extending in the radial direction of the wafer from the edge of the wafer into the protective tape located in the edge invalid area of the wafer, and a protective tape in a range including the cut. It has a peeling tape sticking unit that sticks the peeling tape on the top surface, and a peeling unit that pulls the peeling tape and peels it from the wafer by integrating the peeling tape and protective tape from the wafer edge located on both sides of the notch. Yes.
(2) The peeling tape unit 20 includes guide rollers 12 and 14 on which the peeling tape H is bridged above the wafer W. The guide rollers 12 and 14 are lowered, and the peeling tape H is attached to the upper surface of the range including the cut C of the protective tape T in which the cut C reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer W is formed. Thereafter, the guide tape 12 is moved toward the guide roller 14 so that the protective tape T integrated with the release tape H starts to peel from the edge of the semiconductor wafer W located on both sides of the cut C. Pull H. The protective tape T starts to be peeled off from two edges located on both sides of the cut C.
(3) The guide roller 12 includes a heater 13. The protective tape T is locally heated by the heater 13 through the guide roller 12. Further, since the guide roller 12 always locally heats the separation boundary line between the protective tape T and the wafer W, the element structure is not damaged by the heat of the heater. Note that the heat resistance temperature of the adhesive applied to the release tape H is higher than the heat resistance temperature of the adhesive applied to the protective tape T.

  An embodiment of the protective tape removing device will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a protective tape removing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view (FIG. 2A) and a schematic side view of the protective tape removing apparatus 100 for explaining the operation of making the cut C in the protective tape T adhered to the semiconductor wafer W. (FIG. 2B). FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the protective tape removing apparatus 100 for explaining the operation of attaching the peeling tape H to the protective tape T and peeling the protective tape T and the peeling tape H from the semiconductor wafer W (FIG. 3 ( A)) and a schematic side view (FIG. 3B).

The configuration of the protective tape removing device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the removing device 100) will be described. The removal apparatus 100 includes a supply unit 26, a storage unit 24, a transport unit 28, an alignment table 30, a support table 34, a cutting unit 38, and a peeling tape unit 20.
The supply unit 26 stores a wafer Wa whose back surface is polished. A protective tape is attached to the surface of the wafer Wa stored in the supply unit 26. In this embodiment, no cut is formed in the protective tape attached to the wafer Wa stored in the supply unit 26. As will be described later, the cutting unit 38 cuts the protective tape.
The transfer unit 28 is a SCARA type robot arm provided with an end effector for attracting and handling a wafer at the tip. The wafer Wa in the supply unit 26 is transferred onto the alignment table 30 by the transfer unit 28. The wafer placed on the alignment table 30 is referred to as a wafer Wb.
The alignment table 30 is a unit that can rotatably support the wafer Wb at its upper end and adjusts the wafer Wb in a predetermined direction.
The wafer Wb adjusted in a predetermined direction by the alignment table 30 is transferred onto the support table 34 by the transfer unit 28. The wafer placed on the support base 34 is referred to as a wafer Wc.
A cutting unit 38 is provided in the vicinity of the support base 34. The cutting unit 38 has a cutter 36 attached to the tip, and can move the cutter 36 two-dimensionally in a vertical plane. The cutting unit 38 can make a cut in a part of the protective tape adhered to the upper surface of the wafer Wc supported on the support table 34 by moving the cutter 36. The process of making the cut will be described later.
A peeling tape unit 20 is provided above the support base 34. The peeling tape unit 20 includes a supply roller 18 on which the peeling tape H is spread, three guide rollers 12, 14, 16 and a winding roller 10 that winds the peeling tape H. As shown in FIG. 1, the peeling tape H applied to the supply roller 18 is guided to the take-up roller 10 by the guide rollers 12, 14, 16 through the upper portion of the wafer Wc supported by the support base 34. It is burned. A motor (not shown) is attached to the take-up roller 10, and by driving the motor, the peeling tape H can be led out from the supply roller 18 and taken up by the take-up roller 10.
The guide rollers 12, 14, 16 are movably supported on the upper side surface 22 of the removing device 100. An actuator (not shown) for moving the guide rollers 12, 14, and 16 is incorporated inside the upper side surface 22, and the guide rollers 12, 14, and 16 are arranged in a plane parallel to the upper side surface 22. It can be moved dimensionally. By moving the guide rollers 12, 14, and 16 downward, the peeling tape H can be adhered to the upper surface of the protective tape that is adhered to the upper surface of the wafer Wc. Thereafter, by moving the guide roller 12 toward the guide roller 14 while winding the release tape H, the release tape H and the protective tape can be integrally peeled from the wafer Wc. The process of sticking the peeling tape H to the protective tape and the process of peeling the protective tape will be described later.
The guide roller 12 includes a heater (not shown).
The wafer Wc from which the protective tape has been peeled is transferred from the support base 34 to the storage unit 24 by the transfer unit 28.

With reference to FIG. 2, the process of making a cut into the protective tape will be described. FIG. 2A is a schematic plan view of the removing device 100, and FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of the removing device 100. FIG. FIG. 2 shows only parts related to the process of cutting the protective tape, and the other parts are not shown.
A plurality of element formation regions E are formed on the surface of the wafer W. Each element formation region E has a rectangular shape and is arranged in a lattice shape. The wafer W is circular, and there is an edge invalid region S in which no element formation region E is formed.
A protective tape T is adhered to the entire surface of the wafer W (the surface on which the element formation region is formed).

As described above, the cut is not formed in the protective tape T attached to the wafer W when it is transported onto the support table 34.
After the wafer W is transferred onto the support table 34, the cutting unit 38 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. While the cutting unit 38 moves, the cutter 36 attached to the tip of the cutting unit 38 forms a cut C in the protective tape T located in the edge invalid area S of the semiconductor wafer W. When the cutting unit 38 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, a cut C is formed extending in the radial direction from the inside of the edge portion Ca of the wafer W and reaching the edge portion Ca, as shown in FIG. The The cut C is formed along the radial direction from the edge Ca of the semiconductor wafer W within a range not exceeding the edge invalid region S.

After the cut C is formed in the protective tape T, the peeling tape unit 20 is driven. The peeling tape H is adhered to the upper surface of the protective tape T by the peeling tape unit 20, and then the protective tape is peeled from the wafer W together with the peeling tape.
As shown in FIG. 1, the guide rollers 12 and 14 of the peeling tape unit 20 are located above the support base 34. The guide rollers 12 and 14 are moved downward. The peeling tape stretched between the guide rollers 12 and 14 is pressed against and adhered to the upper surface of the wafer Wc as the guide rollers 12 and 14 are lowered. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 38 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the peeling tape H that is stretched between the guide rollers 12 and 14. With such an arrangement, the extending direction of the cut C formed by the cutting unit 38 and the longitudinal direction of the peeling tape H can be matched. That is, when the guide rollers 12 and 14 are lowered, the peeling tape H is attached to the upper surface of the wafer W so as to cover the cuts C. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the peeling tape H coincides with the direction in which the cut C extends.

With reference to FIG. 3, the process of peeling off the protective tape T is demonstrated. FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of the removing device 100, and FIG. 3B is a schematic side view of the removing device 100. FIG. FIG. 3 shows only parts related to the process of peeling off the protective tape T, and the other parts are not shown.
FIG. 3 shows a state where the guide rollers 12 and 14 are lowered toward the wafer W, and the peeling tape H is stuck on the upper surface of the protective tape T stuck on the surface of the wafer W.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the peeling tape H is attached to the upper surface of the protective tape T so as to cover the cut C and the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the direction in which the cut C extends.
After the lower ends of the guide rollers 12 and 14 are lowered to the same height as the surface of the wafer W and the peeling tape H is adhered to the upper surface of the protective tape T, the guide roller 12 is moved toward the guide roller 14. That is, the guide roller 12 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. At this time, the winding roller 10 is rotated to keep the tension of the peeling tape H constant.

  The guide roller 12 is temporarily stopped at the position indicated by (a) in FIG. The position (a) is the position of the cut C, but is the position where the protective tape T has not yet started peeling.

A heater 13 is built in the guide roller 12. After the guide roller 12 stops at the position (a), the guide roller 12 is heated by the heater 13. The cut portion of the protective tape T is locally heated by the heat of the guide roller 12. Since the heater 13 included in the guider 12 locally heats the protective tape T, the heat of the heater 13 does not damage the element structure.
When the cut portion of the protective tape T is heated, the adhesive of the protective tape T (the adhesive applied to the surface on the wafer W side, and the adhesive for adhering the protective tape T and the wafer W) ). In addition, the heat resistance temperature of the adhesive applied to the release tape is higher than the heat resistance temperature of the adhesive applied to the protective tape. Therefore, when the cut portion of the protective tape T is heated by the heater 13, the adhesive force of the protective tape T is reduced, but the adhesive force of the peeling tape H is not reduced as much as the protective tape. By heating the portion of the cut C (particularly in the vicinity of the end portion Ca of the wafer W where the cut C reaches) with the heater 13, the protective tape T can be easily peeled off. can do.

After heating the notch C with the heater 13, the guide roller 12 is further moved toward the guide roller 14. When the guide roller 12 is moved, the peeling tape H is moved from the edges Cb1 and Cb2 of the wafer W (the edge at a position shifted to the left and right along the edge from the wafer edge Ca intersecting the notch C). Pulled upward.
Since the adhesive strength of the peeling tape H is stronger than that of the protective tape T, the protective tape T is integrated with the peeling tape H, and the edges Cb1 and Cb2 of the wafer W (wafer edge Ca crossing the notch C). The peeling boundary line advances along the direction in which the cut C extends. FIG. 3B is a virtual line (two-dot chain line) showing that a part of the protective tape T is peeled off from the wafer W together with the peeling tape H as the guide roller 12 moves. ing.

Here, the peeling force applied to the wafer W when the protective tape T starts to peel will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram for explaining the peeling force when peeling off the protective tape having no cut, and FIG. 4B is a schematic for explaining the peeling force when peeling off the protective tape having a cut. FIG. In FIG. 4B, the notch C is enlarged and drawn, and reference numerals Ca1 and Ca2 indicate wafer edges corresponding to the corners of the protective tape T located on both sides of the end of the notch C. Yes.
The protective tape T is formed of a material that is difficult to tear in order to reliably protect the wafer W. Therefore, the protective tape T is relatively difficult to bend. Therefore, the protective tape T is peeled off from the wafer W in a gently curved state without being bent at an acute angle at the peeling boundary line. That is, in the protective tape T, a predetermined region on the unpeeled side from the peeling boundary line is peeled off from the semiconductor wafer W in a planar shape. In order to peel off the protective tape T, it is necessary to pull the peeling tape H with a force that resists the adhesive force acting on the predetermined area of the protective tape T and the wafer W described above.
As shown in FIG. 4A, when the protective tape T without a cut is started to peel off from the end portion of the wafer W, a region extending in a fan shape from the point D of the end portion of the wafer starts to peel off into the surface shape. It will be. The adhesive force acting on the fan-shaped region is concentrated at the center of the fan as indicated by the arrow in FIG. That is, the protective tape T starts to peel off from one point D at the edge of the wafer W. In other words, the force (peeling force) for pulling the peeling tape H spreads out evenly from the point D on the edge of the wafer W and resists the adhesive force. At this edge point D, the force pulling the peeling tape H overcomes the resultant adhesive force, and the protective tape T begins to peel off.
On the other hand, when the protective tape T having the notch C reaching the edge portion Ca of the wafer W is started to be pulled and pulled near the notch C, it is separately provided on both sides of the edge portion Ca (wafer end portion intersecting with the notch C). Can begin to peel off. Since the protective tape T is difficult to bend, the adhesive force that resists the peeling force on both sides of the cut C is different from the wafer edges Ca1 and Ca2 that are located on both sides of the cut C (at the corners of the protective tape T). It is concentrated not at the edge) but at the positions Cb1 and Cb2 that are shifted to the left and right along the edge from the edges Ca1 and Ca2 (see arrows in FIG. 4B). For this reason, the protective tape T starts to be peeled off from two locations Cb1 and Cb2 which are shifted to both sides from the edge portion Ca where the edge of the wafer W and the cut C intersect. That is, the peeling force is dispersed. In other words, the peeling force applied to the wafer W does not concentrate on one point. Since the peeling force does not concentrate on one point of the wafer W, it is possible to prevent the wafer W from being damaged due to the concentration of the peeling force.

  In addition, as described above, the heater 13 heats the portion of the cut C of the protective tape T to reduce the adhesive force of the adhesive applied to the protective tape T. The heater 13 can start the peeling of the protective tape T with a small peeling force. Since the guide roller 12 always locally heats the peeling boundary line between the protective tape T and the wafer W, the element pattern is not damaged by the heat of the heater.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the description will be continued. The guide roller 12 moves from the upper surface of the wafer W until it is disengaged toward the guide roller 14. That is, the guide roller 12 moves so that the separation boundary line between the protective tape T and the wafer W advances along the radial direction of the wafer W (along the diameter). In other words, the peeling tape H is pulled by the guide roller 12 so that the peeling boundary line between the protective tape T and the wafer W advances along the radial direction of the wafer W (along the diameter). When the guide roller 12 moves to a position off the upper surface of the wafer W, the protective tape T is completely peeled from the wafer W. After the guide roller 12 has finished moving, the guide rollers 12 and 14 are moved above the wafer W. Thus, the removal process of the protective tape T is completed.

  When the removal process of the protective tape T is completed, as described above, the wafer W from which the protective tape T has been removed is transferred to the storage unit 24 by the transfer unit 28. Note that Wd shown in FIG. 1 indicates a wafer stored in the storage unit 24 after the protective tape T is peeled off.

The outline of the tape removing apparatus 100 is summarized as follows.
The peeling tape unit 20 lowers the guide rollers 12 and 14 and sticks the peeling tape H to the upper surface of the protective tape T including the range where the cut C reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer W is formed. Further, the peeling tape unit 20 moves the guide roller 12 toward the guide roller 14, so that the protective tape T integrated with the peeling tape H is located on the left and right sides of the intersection Ca between the notch C and the edge of the wafer W. It begins to peel off at the edges Cb1 and Cb2 which are shifted to both sides. The protective tape T begins to peel off at the two edge portions Cb1 and Cb2 of the wafer W.

The effects of the protective tape removing device 100 will be described below.
The protective tape T is cut at the surface of the wafer W by starting to peel off the protective tape at the edges Cb1 and Cb2 shifted along the edge from the edge Ca where the notch C and the wafer edge intersect. Begins to peel off from C. Since the peeling force is distributed twice, the wafer is not damaged by the concentration of the peeling force.
Further, the protective tape removing apparatus 100 is provided with a cutting unit 38 for making a cut extending in the radial direction from the edge portion Ca on the edge side of the semiconductor wafer at a portion of the protective tape located in the edge invalid area S of the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, it is possible to polish a wafer whose surface is protected by a protective tape having no cuts. The element pattern formed on the wafer can be reliably protected.
Since the cut C is formed in the edge invalid region S of the wafer W, the cut C can be formed without damaging the element pattern formed on the wafer W.
Moreover, since the cut is formed in the protective tape removing apparatus 100, the position of the cut can be specified accurately. That is, the peeling tape can be accurately attached along the longitudinal direction of the cut C.
Since the heater 13 (heating means) is built in the guide roller 12 that presses the peeling tape onto the protective tape and moves the protective tape to remove the peeling tape, the separation boundary between the protective tape T and the wafer W can be defined. The protective tape can be peeled off while locally heating. In particular, before the protective tape T is peeled off, the protective tape T can be peeled off with a small force by heating the cut portion. In addition, since the part other than the separation boundary is not heated, the element pattern formed on the wafer W is not damaged by heat.

Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.
In addition, the technical elements described in the present specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology illustrated in the present specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical utility by achieving one of the objects.

It is a perspective view of a protective tape removal apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement which cuts into a protection tape. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement which peels off a protective tape. It is a figure for demonstrating the peeling force added to a protective tape.

Explanation of symbols

10: winding rollers 12, 14, 16: guide roller 13: heater 18: supply roller 20: peeling tape unit 24: storage unit 26: supply unit 28: transport unit 30: alignment table 34: support table 36: cutter 38: Cutting unit 100 Protective tape removing device C: Cut E: Element pattern H: Peeling tape S: Edge invalid area T: Protective tape W: Semiconductor wafer

Claims (6)

It is a device that removes the protective tape attached to the surface of the semiconductor wafer,
A tape adhering unit for adhering a release tape to the upper surface of the range including the notch of the protective tape in which an incision reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer is formed;
The protective tape integrated with the peeling tape starts to peel from the edge of the semiconductor wafer on both sides of the cut, and then the peeling boundary line where the protective tape is peeled off from the semiconductor wafer advances along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer. A tape removal unit that pulls the release tape on,
An apparatus for removing a protective tape, comprising:   It is provided with a cutting unit that puts a cut reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer in the protective tape located in the edge invalid area of the semiconductor wafer on which the protective tape with no cut formed is stuck. The apparatus for removing a protective tape according to claim 1, wherein   The apparatus for removing a protective tape according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit that heats a cut portion of the protective tape attached to the semiconductor wafer. It is a method to remove the protective tape stuck on the surface of the semiconductor wafer,
A sticking step of sticking a release tape on the upper surface of the range including the cut of the protective tape in which a cut reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer is formed;
The protective tape integrated with the peeling tape starts to peel from the edge of the semiconductor wafer on both sides of the cut, and then the peeling boundary line where the protective tape is peeled off from the semiconductor wafer advances along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer. A removal step of pulling the release tape on,
A method for removing a protective tape comprising:   It includes a notch process in which a notch reaching the edge of the semiconductor wafer is included in the protect tape located in the edge invalid area of the semiconductor wafer having the notch formed on the surface. The method for removing a protective tape according to claim 4.   6. The protective tape removing method according to claim 4, further comprising a heating step of heating the cut portion prior to the removing step.

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