JPH10107098A - Formation of characteristic mark on semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rationalize a coating process of characteristic marks for applying on defective regions and to contrive a cost reduction in a semiconductor integrated circuit device by a method wherein the characteristic marks are previously formed by transfer on the prescribed regions, such as the outer, peripheral regions, from where a cutout of chips of a prescribed shape is impossible, or TEG region parts, whereon elements are not formed, of a semiconductor wafer using transfer film members. SOLUTION: In a semiconductor wafer 1, characteristic marks 3b are formed by transfer on the outer peripheral edge regions 1d, where are never constituted as TEG regions 1a or product regions 1b, using transfer film members 3. The members 3 are formed using a transparent synthetic resin film 3a as its base material and a multitude of the marks 3b, which display defectives and consist of black dots, are provided on the members 3 in such a way as to be able to separate freely from the regions 1d. The wafer 1 is fed to a chip cut-out process in a state that the wafer 1 is previously formed with the marks 3b displaying the defectives. Thereby, a coating process of the marks 3 for applying on defective regions can be rationalized and a cost reduction in a semiconductor integrated circuit device can be achieved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a characteristic mark for forming, for example, a characteristic mark for identifying a defective product area in a predetermined area on a main surface of a semiconductor wafer from which a large number of chips are cut out and formed. It relates to a forming method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, each element constituting a predetermined semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor wafer formed of a silicon crystal. By the way, in this semiconductor integrated circuit device, in general, in a state of a semiconductor wafer, a tester or a probing device is used to inspect whether or not a predetermined element is formed for each chip area, and discriminate between a good product and a defective product. Is performed.

In a semiconductor wafer, a characteristic mark for separately indicating a good product and a defective product is applied to an area determined to be defective in the inspection process. The characteristic mark application process is generally performed by using an ink pen, moving the ink pen to each area along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer determined to be defective, and applying black mark dots respectively. The application process of this characteristic mark
It took about one hour for one semiconductor wafer and about one hour for the curing time of the ink.

[0004]

By the way, in a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the number of chips cut out from one semiconductor wafer has recently increased due to high density mounting. Therefore, in the above-described application / curing step of the characteristic mark, the application time and the curing time are further increased, so that the ratio to the entire manufacturing time of the semiconductor integrated circuit device becomes extremely large. In addition, the test process and the probing device described above exclusively occupy the inspection process and the application / hardening process of the characteristic mark. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor integrated circuit device, it is possible to achieve a significant cost reduction by rationalizing the inspection process of the semiconductor wafer and the coating / curing process of the characteristic mark.

The above-mentioned characteristic marks are generally applied to defective areas of a semiconductor wafer using an ink pen. Since the wear of the ink pen increases as the number of application points of the characteristic mark increases, the frequency of maintenance such as periodic disassembly and cleaning of each part one by one increases. In addition, the ink pen is applied to the characteristic mark along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer corresponding to the defective area based on the inspection result, but may damage the non-defective area at that time. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor integrated circuit device, by reducing the number of locations where the characteristic marks are applied with the ink pen, the maintenance process can be rationalized and the occurrence of inconvenience such as damage to the non-defective area can be suppressed.

On the other hand, a semiconductor wafer has an outer peripheral region or the like from which chips having a predetermined shape cannot be cut out. In these areas, a characteristic mark is applied by an ink pen which is naturally determined as defective in the inspection process and moved and moved. Also, for semiconductor wafers,
A TEG region is formed as an inspection region. This T
The characteristic mark is applied also to the EG area and is not commercialized.

Accordingly, the present invention focuses on the characteristics of the semiconductor wafer and streamlines the process of applying the characteristic mark to be applied to the defective product area, thereby achieving a significant cost reduction of the semiconductor integrated circuit device. It is an object to provide a method for forming a characteristic mark.

[0008]

A method of forming a characteristic mark on a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention, which achieves the above object, comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of chips on a main surface of a semiconductor wafer;
This is a method in which a characteristic mark for identifying a predetermined area is formed in advance, and a transfer film member on which a characteristic mark is formed corresponding to a predetermined area of a semiconductor wafer on a transparent film substrate is positioned on a main surface of the semiconductor wafer. After overlapping in such a state, the characteristic mark is transferred from the transfer film member to a predetermined area on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer.

According to the method for forming a characteristic mark on a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention, the transfer film member is positioned and superposed on the semiconductor wafer very easily by having the transparent film substrate. A semiconductor wafer has a transfer film positioned and superimposed on a predetermined location such as an outer peripheral area or a TEG area where a chip having a predetermined shape, which is determined as a defective area by the inspection process on the main surface, cannot be cut out. The characteristic mark formed on the film substrate from the member is transferred. Therefore, the method for forming characteristic marks on a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention rationalizes the process of forming characteristic marks on a semiconductor wafer and achieves a significant cost reduction of a semiconductor integrated circuit device.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the semiconductor integrated circuit device, semiconductor chips are respectively formed on chips formed by cutting out a predetermined shape from the semiconductor wafer 1 shown in FIG. The semiconductor wafer 1 has a main surface corresponding to each chip and a large number of TEGs.
It is divided into a region 1a and a product region 1b in which each element constituting a predetermined semiconductor device is formed on the outer peripheral portion.

By the way, chips are cut out from the semiconductor wafer 1 with a good yield. However, as shown in FIG. 1, it is difficult to secure a predetermined area space in the area 1d along the outer peripheral edge. Become. Therefore, these outer peripheral edge regions 1d are not configured as product regions 1b. In other words, the outer peripheral area 1d is naturally determined as a defective area in a process such as a characteristic inspection.

The semiconductor wafer 1 is not subjected to the above-described steps such as the characteristic inspection and the step of applying the characteristic marks 2 without performing the steps.
By the transfer film member 3 shown in FIG. 2, the characteristic mark 3b is transferred and formed on the TEG area 1a or the outer peripheral area 1d. The transfer film member 3 is made of a transparent synthetic resin film 3a as a base material, and is provided with a large number of characteristic marks 3b made of black circles for indicating defective products corresponding to the above-mentioned TEG area 1a or outer peripheral area 1d. Have been.

The characteristic mark 3b is, for example, a well-known thermal transfer seal formed on the synthetic resin film 3a. The characteristic mark 3b is positioned corresponding to the center of the TEG region 1a or the outer peripheral edge region 1d of the semiconductor wafer 1 in a state where the transfer film member 3 is superimposed on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 by the transfer device 4 described later. . And
The characteristic mark 3b is transferred to the TEG region 1a or the outer peripheral region 1d, respectively, by heating the transfer film member 3 while being pressed against the main surface of the semiconductor wafer 1.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transfer device 4 includes a mounting table 4a on which the semiconductor wafer 1 is mounted.
And a movable table 4b and a base 4c for adjusting and moving the mounting table 4a in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the θ-axis direction.
And an adjustment screw 4d. The transfer device 4 positions and mounts the semiconductor wafer 1 on the main surface of the mounting table 4a via positioning means (not shown). The transfer film member 3 is superposed on the semiconductor wafer 1 on the transfer device 4.

In the transfer film member 3, as described above, each of the characteristic marks 3b is formed in the TEG area 1a of the semiconductor wafer 1.
Alternatively, it is positioned so as to correspond to the outer peripheral edge region 1d. In addition, since the base material 3a of the transfer film member 3 is made of a transparent synthetic resin film, alignment with the semiconductor wafer 1 is easily performed.

Thereafter, the transfer film member 3 is pressed against the main surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 by a head member which is moved toward and away from the mounting table 4a, and is heated or pressed. Thus, the transfer film member 3
Is transferred to the corresponding TEG area 1a or the outer peripheral area 1d. Semiconductor wafer 1
Are supplied to the next chip cutting process in a state where the characteristic marks 3b each formed of a black circle indicating a defective product are formed in a predetermined area in advance.

In the transfer film member 3 described above, a heat transfer type characteristic mark 3b is formed on a transparent synthetic resin film substrate 3a. This characteristic mark 3b
Of course may be formed. Also,
The transfer film member 3 is mounted on a mounting table 4a of the transfer device 4.
Of course, it is also possible to attach to holding members that are positioned relative to each other.

[0018]

As described above in detail, according to the method for forming a characteristic mark on a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention, the outer peripheral area where a chip having a predetermined shape cannot be cut out or the TEG area where an element is not formed is formed. Since the characteristic marks are preliminarily transferred and formed on the predetermined area using the transfer film member, the inspection process of inspecting the semiconductor wafer for characteristic defects and the characteristic mark application process of applying the characteristic marks based on the inspection are rationalized. Thus, the cost of a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a chip cut out from the semiconductor wafer can be reduced. According to the characteristic mark forming method for a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention, the use of an ink pen for applying the characteristic mark to the semiconductor wafer is eliminated, so that the maintenance process of the ink pen is eliminated, and the semiconductor device is moved with the ink pen moving operation. Damage to the wafer is also eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a semiconductor wafer on which characteristic marks are formed by a method for forming characteristic marks on a semiconductor wafer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a transfer film member for forming a characteristic mark in a predetermined position on a main surface of the semiconductor wafer in advance.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a transfer device that transfers a characteristic mark to a predetermined portion of a main surface of a semiconductor wafer in advance by using the transfer film member.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the transfer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor wafer 1a TEG area 1b Element formation area 1d Outer edge area 2 Characteristic mark for displaying a defective product 3 Transfer film member 3a Film base material 3b Characteristic mark 4 Transfer device 4a Semiconductor wafer mounting table 4b Movable table 4c Base 4d Adjustment screw

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method for forming a characteristic mark on a semiconductor wafer, wherein a characteristic mark for identifying a predetermined region of the semiconductor wafer from which a large number of chips are cut out is formed in advance on a main surface of the semiconductor wafer. A transfer film member on which a characteristic mark is formed corresponding to a predetermined area of the semiconductor wafer is used. After the transfer film member is positioned and positioned on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer, the transfer film member is overlapped with the characteristic mark. Is transferred to a predetermined area on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer. 2. The characteristic mark of the transfer film member,
2. The method for forming a characteristic mark on a semiconductor wafer according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic mark is a characteristic mark for identifying an outer peripheral region or a TEG region where a chip having a predetermined shape cannot be cut out from the semiconductor wafer.