JP6129029B2 - Wafer processing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer processing method in which a chamfered portion of a wafer having a chamfered portion on the outer periphery is removed with a cutting blade.

  In the thinning process of a semiconductor wafer having a chamfered portion on the outer periphery, chipping (chipping) of the semiconductor wafer during grinding due to generation of a so-called knife edge becomes a problem. Therefore, a processing method called edge trimming has been developed in which the chamfered portion on the front side where the semiconductor wafer device is formed is cut and removed, and then the back side where the semiconductor wafer device is not formed is ground and thinned. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-173961 A

  In such a processing method, the grinding of the back side of the semiconductor wafer proceeds, and when the thickness of the chamfered portion remaining after the front side is cut and removed, the remaining chamfered portion is formed in an annular bowl shape, Immediately before the chamfered portion formed in an annular bowl shape is ground and removed, the annular chamfered chamfered portion may be broken at a time, and a large chipping may be formed on the back side of the semiconductor wafer. is there.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the processing method of the wafer which can suppress a chamfering part cracking at once.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the wafer processing method of the present invention has a device region in which a plurality of devices are formed on a surface, and an outer peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region. A wafer processing method for forming a wafer having a chamfered portion formed at a peripheral edge of a surplus area with a predetermined thickness, and holding the wafer on the holding surface of the chuck table while exposing the surface of the wafer; After carrying out the holding step, the cutting step for cutting the cutting blade to the cutting depth of a predetermined thickness or more with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the wafer, and after performing the cutting step, the chuck table holding the wafer is rotated. While cutting the outer peripheral edge of the wafer with a cutting blade, the chamfered part removal thread removes the chamfered part with a cut depth greater than the predetermined thickness. And a chamfered portion removing step, a protective member disposing step for disposing a protective member on the surface of the wafer, and a protective member disposing step, and then grinding the back surface of the wafer to remove the wafer. And a grinding step for thinning to a predetermined thickness, wherein the depth of the cutting groove formed in the chamfered portion removing step is non-uniform over the entire outer periphery of the wafer.

  According to the wafer processing method of the present invention, since the depth of the cutting groove formed in the chamfered portion removal step is not uniform over the entire outer periphery of the wafer, when thinning the wafer to a predetermined thickness by the grinding step, As the back surface of the wafer is ground, the chamfered portion is removed unevenly. For this reason, according to the processing method of the wafer of this invention, it can suppress that a chamfer part breaks at once.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration example of a wafer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a holding step and a cutting step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a chamfer removal step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a protection member disposing step and a grinding step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the wafer is thinned to a predetermined thickness in the grinding step. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the wafer is thinned to a predetermined thickness in the grinding step.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiments (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the contents described in the following embodiments. The constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the structures described below can be combined as appropriate. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration example of a wafer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a holding step and a cutting step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a chamfer removal step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a protection member disposing step and a grinding step of the wafer processing method according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the wafer is thinned to a predetermined thickness in the grinding step. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the wafer is thinned to a predetermined thickness in the grinding step.

  This embodiment relates to a wafer processing method. The wafer processing method according to the present embodiment is a processing method for forming the wafer W on which the chamfered portion Wc is formed to a predetermined thickness t (see FIG. 6), as shown in FIG. The wafer processing method according to the present embodiment includes a holding step, a cutting step, a chamfered portion removing step, a protective member disposing step, and a grinding step.

  Here, as an example, the wafer W as a processing target is made of disk-shaped silicon having a diameter of about 300 mm and a thickness of about 700 to 800 μm. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of division lines S are set in a lattice pattern on the surface Wa of the wafer W, and an IC (Integrated Circuit) or LSI (Large) is formed in a rectangular area surrounded by the plurality of division lines S. A plurality of devices D such as (Scale Integration) are formed on the surface Wa. The wafer W includes a device region Ad in which a plurality of devices D are formed, and an outer peripheral surplus region Ap that surrounds the device region Ad. A chamfered portion Wc is formed at the outer peripheral end of the outer peripheral surplus region Ap. As shown in FIG. 2, the chamfered portion Wc is formed in an arc shape from the front surface Wa to the back surface Wb.

(Holding step)
The holding step is a step of holding the wafer W on the chuck table 11 as shown in FIG. The holding step is performed by the cutting device 10.

  Here, the cutting device 10 is configured to include a chuck table 11, a cutting means 12, and a moving means (not shown).

  The chuck table 11 is formed in a disk shape, and the upper surface is formed in parallel with the horizontal direction. The chuck table 11 has a holding surface 11a that is flush with the upper surface. The holding surface 11a is made of porous ceramic or the like and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown).

  The cutting means 12 includes a cutting blade 12a and a spindle 12b. The cutting blade 12a is a ring-shaped cutting grindstone that is wider than a predetermined cut width k (see FIG. 2) described later. The spindle 12b is rotatably supported by a rotation driving unit (not shown). The spindle 12b fixes the cutting blade 12a to one end so as to be detachable.

  The moving means can move the chuck table 11 in the X-axis direction (corresponding to the cutting feed direction), and the cutting means 12 in the Y-axis direction (corresponding to the index feed direction) and Z-axis direction (corresponding to the cutting feed direction). It is movable. The moving means can rotate the chuck table 11 around its central axis. In the present embodiment, the X-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the rotation axis of the spindle 12b. The Y-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the vertical direction, and is a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the spindle 12b. The Z-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and is a vertical direction.

  In the cutting apparatus 10 configured in this manner, the wafer W is unloaded from a cassette or the like (not shown) that accommodates the wafer W by a transfer means (not shown), and the holding surface 11a of the chuck table 11 and the back surface Wb of the wafer W face each other. In this state, the wafer W is placed on the chuck table 11. Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the wafer W is sucked and held on the holding surface 11 a of the chuck table 11 by a vacuum suction source (not shown). Accordingly, the wafer W is held on the holding surface 11a of the chuck table 11 with the surface Wa exposed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the wafer W is sucked and held on the holding surface 11a of the chuck table 11 by the cutting device 10, the holding step is completed.

(Cutting step)
As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting step is a step of cutting the cutting blade 12 a into the outer peripheral end of the wafer W after the holding step. The cutting step is performed by the cutting device 10.

  In the cutting apparatus 10, after the holding step, the cutting blade 12 a is moved and positioned by the moving means on the side of the chuck table 11. Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, cutting water is supplied from a cutting water supply nozzle (not shown) and is moved to a position where a predetermined cutting width k (see FIG. 2) is obtained with respect to the wafer W held on the chuck table 11 by moving means. The cutting blade 12a is moved in the Y-axis direction. Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the cutting blade 12a is moved by the moving means to the Z-axis at a position where the depth on the lower side in the vertical direction from the exposed surface Wa becomes a cut depth d1 equal to or greater than a predetermined thickness t (see FIG. 6). Moved in the direction. Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the chuck table 11 is moved in the X-axis direction by the moving means, and the cutting blade 12 a is cut into the outer peripheral end portion of the wafer W (so-called traverse cut). As a result, the chamfered portion Wc of the wafer W is cut with a cut depth d1 and a predetermined cut width k as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the cutting blade 12a is cut with a cutting depth k1 and a cutting depth d1 with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W by the cutting device 10, the cutting step is completed.

  In the present embodiment, the predetermined thickness t is a thickness based on the surface Wa of the wafer W on which the device D is formed, and is a target thickness when the wafer W is thinned by a grinding step. The predetermined thickness t is about 50 μm. The cutting depth d1 is a depth at which the cutting blade 12a cuts downward in the Z-axis direction with respect to the chamfered portion Wc with respect to the surface Wa of the wafer W, and a cutting groove Cg described later is ground and removed by a grinding step. Depth. That is, the cutting depth d1 is a value larger than the predetermined thickness t. The cutting depth d1 is about 100 μm. As shown in FIG. 2, the predetermined cut width k is a cut width in the Y-axis direction with the edge E of the chamfered portion Wc as a base point. The predetermined cut width k is, for example, about 3 mm at the maximum.

(Chamfer removal step)
The chamfered portion removing step is a step of removing the chamfered portion Wc non-uniformly at a depth equal to or greater than the predetermined thickness t after the cutting step is performed. The chamfered portion removing step is performed by the cutting device 10.

  In the cutting apparatus 10, after the above cutting step is performed, the chuck table 11 is rotated and the cutting blade 12 a is cut and fed downward in the Z-axis direction by a moving means (not shown). Here, the cutting blade 12a is gradually cut and fed downward in the Z-axis direction so that the chuck table 11 is positioned at a cutting depth d2 that is equal to or greater than a predetermined thickness t when the chuck table 11 is rotated once after the cutting step is performed. The In the present embodiment, as an example of removing the chamfered portion Wc non-uniformly, the cutting blade 12a is along the cutting groove planned line Cw set in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral end portion as shown in FIGS. Is cut and fed. Note that the planned cutting groove line Cw cuts the cutting blade 12a at a constant speed from the cutting depth d1 to the cutting depth d2 while the chuck table 11 rotates once in order to suppress fluctuations in the cutting load applied to the cutting blade 12a. It is set to be sent.

  In the present embodiment, the cutting depth d2 is a depth at which the cutting blade 12a cuts downward in the Z-axis direction with respect to the chamfered portion Wc on the basis of the surface Wa of the wafer W, and is a depth that is equal to or greater than a predetermined thickness t. That's it. The cutting depth d2 is larger than the cutting depth d1 in the cutting step. That is, the cutting depth d2 is a value larger than the predetermined thickness t. The depth of cut d2 is about 150 to 500 μm because if the remaining chamfered portion Wc at the outer peripheral end is about 300 μm, chipping of the outer peripheral end during conveyance can be suppressed.

  Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the chuck table 11 is rotated once after the above-described cutting step is performed, and the cutting blade 12a is cut and fed to the cutting depth d2. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer peripheral end portion is cut non-uniformly in the circumferential direction, and the chamfered portion Wc is also cut non-uniformly in the circumferential direction and removed. Further, the cutting groove Cg is formed in a non-uniform shape in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral end portion, that is, in the present embodiment, a spiral shape.

  Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the rotation of the chuck table 11 is stopped, the cutting blade 12a is separated from the wafer W by the moving means, and the supply of cutting water from the cutting water supply nozzle is stopped. Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, after the suction by the vacuum suction source is stopped, the wafer W is transported by the transport means to the cleaning / drying means (not shown). Next, in the cutting apparatus 10, the cleaned and dried wafer W is stored in the cassette by the transfer means.

  When the chamfered portion Wc is removed from the cut depth d1 to the cut depth d2, that is, a depth equal to or greater than the predetermined thickness t, the chamfered portion removal step ends.

(Protective member placement step)
The protective member disposing step is a step of disposing the protective member P on the surface Wa after performing the chamfered portion removing step. The protection member disposing step is performed by an operator such as an operator, for example.

  Here, the protection member P is, for example, a plate-like object having rigidity such as glass, and is a substrate (supporting substrate). The protection member P is formed in a shape that is almost the same size as the surface Wa of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 4, the protection member P is disposed on the surface Wa of the wafer W with an adhesive H interposed therebetween. The adhesive H is, for example, a thermosoftening resin (hot melt wax) that melts by heating.

  After the wafer W is taken out from the cassette by the operator, the protective member P is placed on a hot plate (not shown), and the adhesive H on the protective member P is melted. Next, after the adhesive H is melted by the operator, the wafer W is placed on the protective member P in a state where the surface Wa of the wafer W and the adhesive H on the protective member P face each other. Next, the protective member P on which the wafer W is placed is removed from the hot plate by the operator, and the wafer W and the protective member P are pressed until the adhesive H is cooled. As a result, the adhesive H is cured, and the protective member P is attached to the surface Wa of the wafer W and disposed. Next, the wafer W is stored in the cassette by the operator.

  When the protective member P is disposed on the surface Wa of the wafer W, the protective member disposing step ends.

(Grinding step)
The grinding step is a step of thinning the wafer W to a predetermined thickness t after the protection member disposing step. The grinding step is performed by a grinding apparatus 20 as shown in FIG.

  Here, the grinding device 20 includes a chuck table 21 and a grinding means 22.

  Similar to the chuck table 11 of the cutting device 10, the chuck table 21 is formed in a disk shape and has a holding surface 21a. The holding surface 21a is made of porous ceramic or the like and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown).

  The grinding means 22 includes a spindle 22a, a mounter 22b, a base portion 22c, and a grinding wheel 22d. The spindle 22a is rotatably supported by a rotation driving means (not shown). The mounter 22b removably attaches the base portion 22c to the spindle 22a. A grinding wheel 22d is disposed on the lower surface of the base portion 22c. The grinding means 22 contacts the grinding wheel 22d with the back surface Wb of the wafer W while rotating the grinding wheel 22d and the chuck table 21 in the same direction while supplying grinding water from a grinding water supply nozzle (not shown). The back surface Wb of is ground.

  In the grinding apparatus 20 configured in this manner, after the protection member disposing step is performed, the wafer W on which the cutting groove Cg is formed is unloaded from the cassette by a transfer means (not shown), and the holding surface 21a of the chuck table 21 is The wafer W is placed on the chuck table 21 via the protective member P in a state where the front surface Wa of the wafer W faces. Next, in the grinding device 20, the surface Wa side of the wafer W is sucked and held on the holding surface 21 a of the chuck table 21 by a vacuum suction source (not shown).

  Next, in the grinding apparatus 20, grinding water is supplied from a grinding water supply nozzle (not shown), and the spindle 22a of the grinding means 22 and the chuck table 21 are rotated in the same direction as shown in FIG. The grinding wheel 22d is brought into contact with Wb, and the back surface Wb of the wafer W is ground as shown in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the spirally formed cutting groove Cg is sequentially ground and removed, and the uncut portion of the chamfered portion Wc at the outer peripheral end portion is sequentially removed.

  Next, in the grinding apparatus 20, the thickness of the wafer W is measured by a known contact-type thickness measurement gauge (not shown), and the measured thickness of the wafer W is reduced to a predetermined thickness t as shown in FIG. Then, the grinding by the grinding means 22 is stopped. Thereby, the cutting groove Cg is ground and removed, and the uncut portion of the chamfered portion Wc at the outer peripheral end is removed. In other words, the chamfered portion Wc is removed from the wafer W to a predetermined thickness t.

  Next, after the suction by the vacuum suction source is stopped in the grinding apparatus 20, the wafer W is transferred to a cleaning / drying unit (not shown) by the transfer unit. Next, in the grinding apparatus 20, the cleaned and dried wafer W is stored in the cassette from the cleaning / drying unit by the transfer unit.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the wafer W is thinned to a predetermined thickness t, the grinding step ends.

  As described above, according to the wafer processing method of the present embodiment, after chamfering the chamfered portion Wc from the surface Wa of the wafer W with the cut depth d1 having a depth equal to or greater than the predetermined thickness t, The chamfered portion Wc is cut in the circumferential direction to a depth d2, and is cut into a non-uniform shape, that is, a spiral shape to form a spiral cutting groove Cg. Further, according to the wafer processing method of the present embodiment, the back surface Wb of the wafer W on which the spiral cutting groove Cg is formed is ground and thinned to a predetermined thickness t. That is, according to the wafer processing method according to the present embodiment, the spiral cutting groove Cg is formed in the chamfered portion Wc at a depth greater than or equal to the predetermined thickness t from the front surface Wa of the wafer W, and then the back surface Wb of the wafer W. Since the surface of the wafer W is thinned to a predetermined thickness t, the chamfered portion Wc in which the spiral cutting groove Cg is formed is gradually ground and removed as the back surface Wb of the wafer W is ground. For this reason, according to the wafer processing method according to the present embodiment, when the back surface Wb of the wafer W is ground and thinned to the predetermined thickness t, the chamfered portion Wc can be prevented from cracking at once.

  In addition, according to the wafer processing method of the present embodiment, the chamfered portion Wc can be prevented from cracking at one time, so that the chamfered portion Wc can be cracked at once after grinding (after the grinding step). It is possible to suppress the formation of large chipping on the back surface Wb of the wafer W as a factor.

  Further, according to the wafer processing method according to the present embodiment, when the back surface Wb of the wafer W is ground and thinned to the predetermined thickness t, the chamfered portion Wc is gradually ground and removed, so the chamfered portion Even if Wc is cracked, the cracking range can be reduced, and the fragments generated by the crack can be reduced. If the chamfered portion Wc has a large crack, the piece also becomes large. When the piece is poured with grinding water or the like in the grinding step, the wafer W or the grinding wheel 22d may collide with the piece and damage the wafer W. There is a possibility that a large piece will be caught in the flow path for draining grinding water or the like, but the wafer processing method according to the present embodiment can reduce these concerns.

  In the above embodiment, the holding step, the cutting step and the chamfered portion removing step are performed by the cutting device 10, the protective member disposing step is performed by the operator, and the grinding step is performed by the grinding device 20. All steps may be performed by one apparatus. In this case, the processing efficiency for the wafer W can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the wafer W is made of silicon. However, the wafer W is not particularly limited. For example, a semiconductor wafer, an optical device wafer, an inorganic material substrate, a ductile material, or the like is formed in a plate shape. Various processing materials may be used. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the chamfered portion Wc from cracking at once when the back surface Wb is ground and thinned to the predetermined thickness t even for various processing materials.

  Further, in the above-described cutting step, the cutting blade 12a is cut in the X-axis direction from the side of the wafer W with respect to the chamfered portion Wc of the wafer W, but the thickness direction (Z A so-called chopper cut in which the cutting blade 12a is cut in the axial direction may be used. As a result, the cutting blade 12a can be cut from the surface Wa of the wafer W to the outer peripheral end portion, whether it is traverse cut or chopper cut.

  In the chamfered portion removing step, the cutting groove Cg is formed in a spiral shape by cutting non-uniformly from the cutting depth d1 to the cutting depth d2, but the cutting depth is spaced at intervals in the circumferential direction. The cutting depth d2 and the cutting depth d2 may be repeatedly formed non-uniformly, and may be formed by cutting non-uniformly. After the cutting depth d1 is deepened to the cutting depth d2, the cutting depth d1 is decreased. You may cut and form unevenly. In other words, the depth of the cutting groove Cg may be non-uniform over the entire outer periphery of the wafer W. Thereby, in the grinding step, the chamfered portion Wc can be prevented from being cracked at one time, and the range can be suppressed even if it is broken.

  Further, in the cutting step and the chamfered portion removing step, the cut depths d1 and d2 indicate the cutting load on the cutting blade 12a, dressing associated with wear of the cutting blade 12a, and cracking or chipping of the chamfered portion Wc in the grinding step. You may set according to the magnitude | size etc. of. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the chamfered portion Wc of the wafer W from being broken at a time in the grinding step while suppressing the number of times of maintenance and replacement of the cutting blade 12a.

  Moreover, in the said protection member arrangement | positioning step, although the protection member P was a substrate which has rigidity, such as glass, adhesive tapes, such as BG tape, may be sufficient. Further, if the wafer W is held in the opening of the annular frame via the adhesive tape and the frame is conveyed, the handleability of the wafer W is improved.

  In the grinding step, the spindle 22a of the grinding means 22 and the chuck table 21 are rotated in the same direction, but they may be in the opposite directions.

11 Chuck table 11a Holding surface P Protective member W Wafer Wa Front surface Wb Back surface Wc Chamfered part D Device Ad Device region Ap Peripheral surplus region Cg Cutting groove t Predetermined thickness d1 Cutting depth d2 Cutting depth

Claims (1)

A wafer having a device region having a plurality of devices formed on a surface and an outer peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region, and a wafer having a chamfered portion formed at a peripheral end of the outer peripheral surplus region to a predetermined thickness The processing method of
Holding the wafer with the holding surface of the chuck table while exposing the surface of the wafer;
After performing the holding step, a cutting step of cutting a cutting blade to a cutting depth of the predetermined thickness or more with respect to the outer peripheral end of the wafer;
After performing the cutting step, the chamfering is performed by cutting the outer peripheral edge of the wafer with the cutting blade while rotating the chuck table holding the wafer and removing the chamfered portion at a depth equal to or greater than the predetermined thickness. Part removal step;
After performing the chamfer removing step, a protective member disposing step of disposing a protective member on the surface of the wafer;
After carrying out the protective member disposing step, the grinding step of grinding the back surface of the wafer and thinning the wafer to the predetermined thickness,
The depth of the cutting groove formed in the chamfered portion removing step is not uniform over the entire outer periphery of the wafer.

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