JP3280747B2 - Dicing processing management method and processing quality management system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dicing process management method and a process quality control system, and more particularly to a dicing process control method for cutting a semiconductor wafer into required semiconductor chips and a process quality control system using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cut line check function has been used to monitor a processing state in a dicing processing apparatus. This check function is shown in FIG.
As shown in A, the cutting results of a very limited number of points on the wafer, at most 10 points, are measured by the microscope means, and the monitoring of the cutting status and the cutting center position at those points is performed for the purpose of monitoring the cutting conditions and the cutting center position. It is determined whether or not cutting at a point is within specified parameters. FIG. 2 shows an example of a cut line to be checked, which is usually 60 to 100 μm, which is a groove to be cut, that is, a deviation DY between the center of the street and the center of the actual cut line, the maximum value W _max and the minimum value of the cutting width. W _min , the length L from the center to the maximum cutting edge or the maximum chipping DDY is measured. These parameters indicate a cutting situation and a cutting position. If the parameters are larger than a preset value, the dicing processing apparatus is error-stopped and a necessary action is taken by an operator.

[0003]

However, when the measurement is performed only around the selected measurement point as in the conventional cut line check function, for example, as shown in FIG. Is a street
For example, when a meandering of a relatively long range is shown with a deviation width of about 10 μm from the center STC, there is a problem that it cannot be sufficiently grasped.

Further, the measurement data obtained by such a conventional check function is largely inadequate as data from the viewpoint of grasping the cutting state of a wafer, that is, the processing state in dicing. Since the inspection is performed only on a specific portion of the wafer, it has only a role as a monitor, and is insufficient for judging a variation in processing state as processing quality over the entire wafer. In other words, when making a decision on the result of cutting in dicing, it is not sufficient information to indicate the quality of the machining state unless the degree of variation in the statistical sense is obtained. ,
The above-described conventional cut line check function cannot satisfy such a requirement.

As described above, according to the conventional cut line check technique, it is impossible to grasp the degree of variation as a whole of the cutting, and the data is not enough to be useful for sufficient analysis of the blade. There is a problem, and it is also insufficient as data representing the processing quality of the cut wafer. In view of such circumstances, the present invention grasps the processing quality of a semiconductor wafer in order to manage the processing state of cutting with variations, and checks whether the state of the blade or the like or the processing condition has changed. And replace the blade at the right time,
An object of the present invention is to provide a dicing processing management method and a processing quality management system capable of continuously performing stable processing.

[0006]

According to the dicing processing management method of the present invention, a plurality of selected cut lines on a semiconductor wafer are photographed for a cut line check over substantially the entire length of each of the cut lines. Image signal of all the intersections that intersect with other cut lines
It is characterized in that a deleted image signal is obtained, data indicating a processing state is detected, the detected data is statistically processed, and dicing processing quality and dicing processing means are managed based on the statistical processing result.

Further, the dicing quality control system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of dicing means for selectively performing dicing on a semiconductor wafer to be conveyed, and a common measuring means. All of the selected cut lines that intersect with other cut lines in a region extending over substantially the entire length of the selected cut lines.
Identify the corresponding relationship between the measuring means for performing the cut line check of the cut line with the intersection removed and the semiconductor wafer measured by the measuring means and the dicing processing means which has performed the dicing processing, and the corresponding dicing processing from the measurement results. The method is characterized in that statistical processing data of processing quality relating to the means is obtained, and the identified dicing processing means is controlled and managed based on the result.

[0008]

According to the dicing processing management method of the present invention, the cut line can be checked over substantially the entire length of the cut line, and the processing quality can be controlled based on statistical data. Further, according to the dicing processing quality management system of the present invention, by operating a plurality of dicing processing means in parallel, it is possible to prevent the processing throughput from being lowered even by the continuous cut line check method.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a cutting portion in a typical example of a dicing apparatus for aligning a semiconductor wafer and cutting out semiconductor chips formed thereon from the wafer. Wafer 111, a cutting blade or blade 111 in which abrasive grains such as diamond are fixed with nickel or the like, and 112 is a blade 1
A spindle motor 11 for rotating the semiconductor wafer 100 at high speed; a stage 113 for fixing the semiconductor wafer 100 by vacuum suction;
114 is a precision moving mechanism, and the semiconductor wafer 100
An adhesive tape 1 attached to a frame 101 having a central portion punched out to prevent the pieces from falling apart during processing.
02 is mounted on the stage 113 and fixed.

A microscope means including an objective lens 116, a lens barrel 117, and a TV camera 118 for enlarging and projecting the surface of the semiconductor wafer 100, a management / control unit 115 for driving and controlling a spindle motor 112 and a precision moving mechanism 114, and an image processing unit With 119, the positional relationship between the position on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 100 and the processing position of the blade 111 is automatically determined, and an automatic alignment operation is performed. At the same time, the video signal from the TV camera 118 is also displayed on the monitor display means. The microscope means is also used for monitoring and checking the cutting result. The management / control unit 115 processes the video signal and performs various checks on the cut line as the cut result. As described above, a monitor example of the cut line is shown in FIG. 2, and the center position of the cut line, the deviation between the center of the cut line and the center of the street,
The maximum and minimum width of the cutting, chipping, etc. are measured.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a measuring method on a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 4A shows a conventional measuring method at a limited number of measuring points, and FIG. 4B shows a continuous measuring method according to the present invention. Is shown. The cut line CL provided on the wafer 100 is
Conventionally, monitoring is performed at a plurality of measurement points MP as shown in A, but in the present invention, as shown in B, for example, a cut line check is performed over at least the substantially entire length ML of the cut line to be measured. To do.
In each line, the center position, the maximum value, the minimum value, the average value such as chipping, and the variation are obtained, and statistical processing quality data is obtained.

Such a continuous cut line check need not be performed for all cut lines.
The cut lines to be measured and the number of cut lines may be the same as in the past, but it is important to obtain machining quality data over substantially the entire length of each cut line. Normally, dicing is performed on channel 1 as indicated by CR in FIG. 4B.
When the channel 2 is cut, and the cut line of the other channel is checked after the cut line of one channel is checked, a normal measurement value cannot be obtained in the check of the cross point CR. If this portion is excluded from the statistical data by a method such as applying a mask to this portion by signal processing, there is no problem in evaluation.

[0013] By using the statistical data on the processing quality as described above, monitoring and adjustment of the cutting can be carried out in the same manner as in the past, and in addition to the management of the processing quality, the management of the dicing apparatus, especially the blade Variations occur as the service life approaches,
Blade state management can be realized. If the management method based on the continuous cut line check as described above is performed, the processing time per wafer becomes longer, and the throughput of the dicing process is reduced. Therefore, in order to implement this management method in an FA line or the like, it is necessary to provide a dedicated system in the line for improving the dicing processing throughput.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a processing quality management system for dicing according to the present invention.
Reference numerals -1 to 1-4 denote a plurality of dicers for dicing a semiconductor wafer, 2 denotes a common measuring device, 3 denotes a controller which controls semiconductor wafer transfer control, dicer drive control, measurement operation and data management, and 11 denotes dicing. A mounter for preparing a semiconductor wafer to be processed, 12 is a semiconductor wafer transfer path, and 13 is a stocker for temporarily storing dicing-processed semiconductor wafers. Although not particularly shown, a mechanism for loading / unloading a semiconductor wafer to / from each dicer, an alignment mechanism, a semiconductor wafer moving mechanism, and the like are provided. And this system is, for example, F
It is installed in the A line.

The measuring device 2 is for performing the above-mentioned continuous cut line check on the dicing-processed semiconductor wafer to be conveyed, and is commonly used for a plurality of dicers 1-1 to 1-4. It is provided and at the maximum,
It is possible to cope with the management of the number of dicers corresponding to the ratio between the time required for dicing a single semiconductor wafer and the time required for cut line checking. The dicing operation of the plurality of dicers 1-1 to 1-4 is performed by the controller 3.
The semiconductor wafers processed by each dicer are also managed and controlled by the controller 3, and, for example, which dicer a specific semiconductor wafer has been processed is identified.

According to the system in which a measuring device is provided in common for the plurality of dicers, the dicing processing management method by the continuous cut line check described above can be efficiently implemented, and the dicing process can be installed in the FA line. It is possible to do.

[0017]

According to the dicing process management method of the present invention, statistical data relating to the process quality can be obtained, the monitoring and adjustment of the cutting can be carried out in the same manner as in the past, and in addition to the control of the process quality, Thus, management of the dicing apparatus, in particular, management of the state of the blade can be realized.

According to the dicing process quality control system according to the present invention, such a dicing process control method based on continuous cut line checking can be efficiently carried out without lowering the dicing process throughput. It can be installed in the FA line.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a configuration of a cutting unit in a dicing device.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cut line by dicing.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a meandering cut line.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a measurement method on a semiconductor wafer for checking a cut line.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a configuration of a processing quality management system for dicing according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-1 to 1-4 Dicer 2 Measurement device 3 Controller 11 Wafer transfer path 13 Stocker 100 Semiconductor wafer 111 Blade 112 Spindle motor 113 Stage 114 Movement mechanism 115 Movement control unit 116: Objective lens 117: Lens barrel 118: TV camera 119: Image processing unit

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of intersecting cut lines are formed.
A plurality of cut lines are selected from among the cut lines on the semiconductor wafer, and photographing is performed on each of the plurality of cut lines over substantially the entire length thereof so as to obtain a cut line image signal. , All the lines that intersect other cut lines in the entire length of the image signal
Obtaining an image signal obtained by deleting the intersection, to detect the data indicating the processing state from the image signal to delete the entire intersection, by statistically processing the detected data, the dicing process quality and based on the statistical processing results A dicing processing management method, wherein dicing processing means is managed. 2. A semiconductor wafer transfer means, a plurality of dicing means coupled to the semiconductor wafer transfer means and selectively dicing the transferred semiconductor wafer, and a plurality of semiconductor wafer transfer means. Combined and at least crossed
A common measuring means for performing measurement for a cut line check on a semiconductor wafer which has been subjected to a dicing process to form a plurality of cut lines , wherein a selected one of the cut lines on the semiconductor wafer is selected. For other cut lines in the area almost over the entire length of multiple cut lines
Measuring means for performing a cut line check of a cut line in which all intersecting portions intersecting with the in have been removed; and dicing which has performed dicing processing on the semiconductor wafer to be measured while controlling the measurement of the measuring means. Control / management means for identifying a processing means, obtaining statistical processing data of processing quality related to the identified dicing processing means from the measurement result, and controlling / managing the identified dicing processing means based on the result. A dicing process quality control system.