JPH11195567A - Substrate treating device, substrate supporting device and method for treating substrate, and manufacture of substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely two wafers contact intimately. SOLUTION: A first wafer is supported by means of a wafer support 3 having an annular peripheral portion 3d. In this case, the wafer support 3 and the first wafer are in contact only at the peripheral portion 3d. Furthermore, in a state in which a second wafer is supported in face to face with the first wafer, the reverse surface of the second wafer is pressurized substantially at the central portion thereof, so that the first and the second wafers are brought into intimate contact with each other from the central portion toward the outer periphery thereof. Because a central portion 3c of the wafer support 3 is not in contact with the first wafer 1, the supported first wafer does not suffer irregularities thereon in the event that particles are attached thereto. Accordingly, no gas will be left inbetween the wafers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate supporting apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a method of manufacturing a substrate, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate supporting apparatus, and a method of bringing two substrates into close contact with each other. The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and a method for manufacturing a substrate to which these apparatuses or methods are applied.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a method in which two wafers (substrates) are brought into close contact with each other and subjected to an anodic bonding process, a pressure process, a heat treatment, and the like, thereby bonding them. This method is suitable for manufacturing a wafer having a structure such as SOI.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a part of a process of bonding wafers. In this bonding step, first, as shown in FIG.
Is set on the wafer support jig 201 with its bonding surface up, and the second wafer 2 is gently overlapped with its bonding surface down. At this time, the upper wafer 2
As shown in FIG. 14A, gas between wafers (for example,
(Air, inert gas).

[0004] Next, before the gas between the wafers 1 and 2 is completely released, as shown in FIG.
When pressure is applied to the vicinity of the center by the pressing pins 202, the air at the center of the wafer is pushed out in the outer peripheral direction, and first, the wafers 1 and 2 come into close contact with each other at the center.
While the gas between the wafers is gradually pushed out toward the outer periphery, the area of the contact portion increases, and finally the entire wafer is brought into close contact.

[0005]

The above method is useful in that two wafers can be brought into close contact by a simple operation, but has the following problems.

One problem is related to wafer contamination associated with the alignment of two wafers. That is, the upper wafer 2 that has been superimposed is suspended by the gas between the wafers, so that the friction when the upper wafer 2 moves in a horizontal plane is extremely small. Therefore, even if the jig 201 has a slight inclination, the upper wafer 2 moves so as to slide. Therefore, in order to accurately align the two wafers 1 and 2, it is necessary to provide a means for restricting the movement of the wafer 2 in the horizontal plane.

A jig 201 shown in FIG.
And the side walls of the recess restrict horizontal movement of the wafers 1 and 2 to perform alignment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the jig which is overlapped while aligning the positions of the wafers 1 and 2. This jig 203
Has a plurality of positioning pins 204 and pressing pins 205, and presses the wafers 1 and 2 against the plurality of positioning pins 204 using the pressing pins 205, thereby forming the wafers 1 and 2.
The movement of the in the horizontal plane.

In the method of superposing two wafers using a jig as shown in FIG. 14 or FIG. 15, since the outer periphery of the wafer comes into contact with the jig, particles are generated and the outer periphery of the wafer is damaged. Other causes that lower the yield are included.

Another problem is that the conditions for pressing the wafer are not constant. Specifically, the time from when two wafers are stacked to when the pressure is applied by the pressure pins is not constant, and the gap between the wafers when the pressure is applied by the pressure pins is not constant. Therefore,
It is difficult to equalize the quality of the wafer obtained by bringing two wafers into close contact. Further, before the pressure is applied to the wafer by the pressure pin, the gas between the wafers may partially escape. In this case, since the wafer cannot be brought into close contact with the gas while gradually pushing out the gas from the center toward the outer periphery, the gas may remain between the wafers.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to improve the quality of a substrate obtained by bringing two substrates into close contact with each other.

[0011]

A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus in which two substrates are superimposed and brought into close contact with each other. Pressure means for pressing the second substrate in the direction of the first substrate in a state where the second substrate is opposed to the first substrate supported, wherein the support means comprises: It is characterized in that it has a support member for supporting the first substrate in contact with the vicinity of the peripheral portion on one side of the entire surface of the first substrate.

[0012] In the above substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the supporting means has an adsorbing means for adsorbing the first substrate to the supporting member.

[0013] In the above substrate processing apparatus, the suction means has an annular groove on the surface of the support member, and depressurizes the space in the groove to cause the support member to suction the first substrate. Is preferred.

In the above substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the shape of the support member is annular.

In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the support member supports the outermost peripheral portion of the entire surface of one side of the first substrate.

In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the pressurizing unit presses a substantially central portion of the second substrate.

In the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the supporting means has a bending prevention member for preventing bending of the first substrate inside the supporting member.

In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that the bending preventing member prevents the bending of the first substrate by supporting a substantially central portion of the first substrate.

In the above substrate processing apparatus, it is preferable that a portion where the support member contacts the first substrate and a portion where the deflection preventing member contacts the first substrate are substantially in the same plane.

In the above substrate processing apparatus, there is further provided a substrate operating means for releasing the support of the second substrate after supporting the second substrate in opposition to the first substrate supported by the support means, It is preferable that the pressing unit presses the second substrate in accordance with the release of the support of the second substrate by the substrate operating unit.

In the above substrate processing apparatus, the supporting means supports the first substrate substantially horizontally, and the substrate operating means supports the second substrate substantially horizontally above the first substrate. It is preferable that the support of the second substrate is released later.

A substrate supporting apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate supporting apparatus for supporting one substrate when two substrates are superimposed and brought into close contact with each other, and is in contact with the vicinity of a peripheral portion on one entire surface of the substrate. A support member for supporting the substrate is provided.

In the above-described substrate supporting apparatus, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises an adsorbing means for adsorbing the substrate on the supporting member.

In the above substrate support apparatus, it is preferable that the suction means has an annular groove on the surface of the support member, and the substrate in the support member is sucked by reducing the pressure in the space in the groove.

In the above-described substrate supporting apparatus, the shape of the supporting member is preferably annular.

In the above substrate supporting apparatus, it is preferable that a bending preventing member for preventing bending of the substrate is further provided inside the supporting member.

In the above substrate supporting apparatus, it is preferable that the bending preventing member supports a substantially central portion of the substrate to prevent the bending of the substrate.

In the above substrate support apparatus, it is preferable that a portion where the support member contacts the substrate and a portion where the deflection preventing member contacts the substrate are substantially in the same plane.

The substrate processing method according to the present invention is a substrate processing method in which two substrates are superposed and brought into close contact with each other.
The first substrate is supported by a support member that comes into contact with the vicinity of the peripheral portion of the entire surface of one side of the substrate, and the second substrate is supported by the first substrate.
By pressing the second substrate toward the first substrate in a state where the first substrate is opposed to the first substrate, the first substrate is pressed.
And the second substrate is closely attached.

In the above substrate processing method, it is preferable to use a support member having a suction mechanism as the support member.

In the above substrate processing method, it is preferable to use an annular support member as the support member.

In the above substrate processing method, it is preferable that the outermost peripheral portion of the first substrate is supported by the support member.

In the above-described substrate processing method, it is preferable that the portion to be pressed against the second substrate is substantially at the center of the second substrate.

[0034] In the above-described substrate processing method, it is preferable that, when pressing the second substrate, a deflection preventing member provided inside the supporting member is brought into contact with the first substrate.

The above apparatus and method are suitable for manufacturing an SOI substrate.

[0036]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the entire configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a wafer support unit of the wafer processing apparatus 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which two wafers are brought into close contact with each other on the wafer support unit illustrated in FIG. FIGS. 5 to 9 are cross-sectional views of the wafer processing apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line AA ′, and show an operation of bringing two wafers into close contact with each other.

The wafer processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for superimposing two wafers and bringing them into close contact with each other.
It is suitable for implementing a method of manufacturing a wafer having a structure such as SOI by bonding two wafers.

The wafer processing apparatus 100 includes a wafer support table 3 for supporting the first wafer 1 (see FIG. 4) from the back side.
And a wafer moving mechanism 4 for adsorbing the second wafer 2 (see FIG. 4) from the back surface and facing the first wafer 1 substantially in parallel.

The wafer support 3 preferably has a contact surface that comes into contact only with the vicinity (more preferably, the outermost periphery) of the back surface of the first wafer. Further, the contact surface is preferably an annular contact surface. Since the wafer support 3 is configured to be in contact with only the back surface of the first wafer in this manner, the surface of the first wafer 1 can be prevented from being contaminated by particles, and the first wafer can be prevented from being contaminated. 1 can also be prevented from being lost. Further, the wafer support table 3 is configured to be in contact with only the vicinity of the peripheral portion which is a part of the back surface of the first wafer.
Irregularities can be prevented from being generated on the first wafer 1 supported on the wafer support table 3 by particles that can adhere to the upper surface or the back surface of the first wafer 1.

Further, the wafer support 3 holds the first wafer 1
It is preferable to provide an adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the water. In this embodiment, the wafer support 3 has a vacuum suction mechanism. However, another suction mechanism, for example, an electrostatic suction mechanism may be employed.

The wafer moving mechanism 4 preferably has a structure that contacts only the back surface of the second wafer 2. In this embodiment, the groove 4 for vacuum-sucking the wafer is used.
a. In order to adsorb the second wafer 2, the space in the groove 4a may be reduced in pressure. The wafer moving mechanism 4 rotates about 180 degrees about the shaft 4b while the back surface of the second wafer 2 is suctioned by the wafer suction unit 4c, and
And substantially in parallel. Note that the shaft 4b is located substantially at the center between the wafer support table 3 and the wafer suction unit 4c.

The wafer processing apparatus 100 serves as a mechanism for adjusting a gap between two opposed wafers 1 and 2 after the first wafer 1 is mounted on the wafer support 3. Based on a measurement result by the displacement detection unit 15 that measures the thickness, a displacement detection unit 12 that measures the thickness of the second wafer 2 after the second wafer 2 is sucked by the wafer suction unit 4c, and the displacement detection units 12 and 15 And a Z-axis stage 5 (see FIG. 5) for moving the wafer support 3 up and down to adjust the gap between the wafers 1 and 2 to a set value.

Further, the wafer processing apparatus 100 has a pressing mechanism 6 for pressing a substantially central portion of the upper wafer 2 in a state where the two wafers 1 and 2 are supported to face each other. The pressure pins 6a of the pressure mechanism 6 are connected to the two wafers 1 and 2
After being opposed to each other, it rotates around the shaft 6b to the vicinity of the rear surface of the upper wafer 2. The pressing mechanism 6 presses the pressing pins 6a against the back surface of the upper wafer 2 and pressurizes the wafer at the same time that the wafer suction unit 4c of the wafer moving mechanism 4 releases the suction of the upper wafer 2. The two wafers 1 and 2 gradually come into close contact with each other in the outer peripheral direction from the pressurized portion, and accordingly, the gas between the wafers 1 and 2 is discharged in the outer peripheral direction. Therefore, wafer 1,
Gas is not left behind between the two.

It is preferable that the pressing of the wafer 2 by the pressing pins 6a is performed almost simultaneously with the release of the suction of the wafer 2 by the wafer suction section 4c. In this case, since the pressing operation can be started while maintaining the gap between the two wafers 1 and 2 adjusted to the set value, the quality of the wafers after the close contact can be uniformed, and Gas can be more effectively prevented from being left between the wafers 1 and 2, and furthermore, the displacement of the wafers 1 and 2 can be prevented.

The pressure mechanism 6 has a built-in vibrator (for example, a piezoelectric element) for vibrating the pressure pin 6a.
By vibrating the pressure pin 6a when pressing the
The gas between the wafers 1 and 2 can be efficiently discharged.

The control of the pressing of the wafer 2 by the pressing pins 6a may be performed at another timing. For example, after releasing the suction of the wafer 2, the gas between the wafers 1 and 2 is discharged by a predetermined amount or more. Pressurization may be performed at a predetermined timing before the operation is performed, may be performed after a certain period of time has been measured after the release of the suction of the wafer 2, or may be performed after the release of the suction of the wafer 2. It may be performed at a predetermined timing before the distance between them becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance due to the weight of the wafer 2 or the like.

The wafer processing apparatus 100 further includes a wafer transfer robot 10 for setting the wafers 1 and 2 on the wafer support 3 and the wafer suction unit 4c, respectively, and receiving the adhered wafer from the wafer support 3, and a wafer alignment. Part 11
Having.

In the wafer processing apparatus 100, before starting the close contact processing of the wafers, the unprocessed wafers 1, 2
The wafer cassettes 7, 8 accommodating respectively and the wafer cassette 9 accommodating the processed wafer are arranged at predetermined positions. In this embodiment, the wafer cassettes 7 and 8 have the unprocessed wafers 1 and 2 with the back surfaces facing down.
Shall be housed in

When the start of the close contact processing of the wafer is instructed by the operation switch 16 b of the operation panel 16, the wafer transfer robot 10 sucks the back surface of the unprocessed wafer 1 stored in the wafer cassette 7 and holds the wafer alignment unit. 11
Transport to The wafer alignment unit 11 detects the center position and the direction (for example, the position of the orientation flat and the notch) of the transferred wafer 1 by using a sensor, and adjusts the center position and the direction. Here, it is preferable that the wafer alignment unit 11 has a structure that contacts only the rear surface of the wafer 1.

Thereafter, the wafer transfer robot 10 receives the wafer 1 whose alignment has been completed, and loads the load pins 13 projecting through the load pin holes 3 e onto the wafer support 3.
Place on the upper predetermined position. After the wafer 1 is placed on the load pins 13 in this manner, the wafer support 3 is lifted, so that the wafer 1 is supported by the wafer support 3. Since the wafer 1 is already aligned by the wafer alignment unit 11 and delivered to the wafer support 3 while maintaining the positional relationship, it is not necessary to adjust the center position and the orientation of the wafer 1 on the wafer support 3 again. . However, a configuration in which the wafer 1 is aligned on the wafer support 3 may be employed.

Next, the wafer transfer robot 10 takes out the unprocessed wafer 2 from the wafer cassette 8 and processes the wafer 2 by the wafer alignment unit 11 in the same procedure as described above.
Is adjusted, and the wafer is placed at a predetermined position on the load pin 14 protruding above the wafer suction part 4c of the wafer moving mechanism 4. Thus, the wafer 2 is loaded with the load pins 1
After being placed on the wafer 4, the wafer suction unit 4c rotates around the shaft 4b until it comes into contact with the back surface of the wafer 2, and the pressure in the groove 4a is reduced, so that the wafer 2 is suctioned by the wafer suction unit 4c. You. As described above, since the wafer 2 is already aligned by the wafer alignment unit 11 and is sucked by the wafer suction unit 4c while maintaining the positional relationship, it is necessary to adjust the center position and the orientation of the wafer 2 again at the time of suction. There is no. It should be noted that a configuration in which the load pins 14 are housed downward instead of rotating the wafer suction portion 4c when the wafer 2 is suctioned is also effective.

With the wafers 1 and 2 thus supported by the wafer support 3 and the wafer suction unit 4c, the displacement detection units 15 and 12 measure the thickness of the wafers 1 and 2, respectively. Specifically, the displacement detection units 15 and 12
The sensors 15a and 12a are moved to the upper portions of the wafers 1 and 2, for example, the wafers 1 and 2 are irradiated with light, and the thicknesses of the wafers 1 and 2 are respectively measured based on the reflected light.

When the measurement of the thickness of the wafers 1 and 2 is completed,
As described above, the wafer suction unit 4c rotates about 180 degrees about the shaft 4b, and makes the wafer 2 face the wafer 1 substantially in parallel. Thereafter, the gap between the wafers 1 and 2 is adjusted by the Z-axis stage 5, and the pressure is applied to the wafer 2 by the pressing pins 6a, thereby completing the close contact processing.

When the close contact processing is completed, the wafer support 3 is lowered by the Z-axis stage 5, and the processed wafer is supported by the load pins 13. afterwards,
The wafer transfer robot 10 receives the processed wafer and stores it in the wafer cassette 9.

By repeatedly performing such a procedure, a plurality of wafers stored in the wafer cassettes 7 and 8 can be continuously processed.

Next, the configuration of the wafer support 3 will be described. The wafer support 3 has a circular central portion 3c and an annular peripheral portion 3d, and the suction surface of the peripheral portion 3d (wafer 1).
2) for vacuum suction of the wafer 1
Heavy suction grooves 3a and 3b are provided.

Each of the suction grooves 3a and 3b communicates with a suction hole 18a, and the suction hole 18a is connected to a pipe 18 provided with a valve 19 in the middle. This pipe 1
A vacuum pump 20 is connected to one end of 8. The suction operation of the wafer by the suction grooves 3a and 3b can be controlled by opening and closing the valve 19.

When the pressure is applied to the wafer 2 by the pressure pins 6a, the valve 19 is opened, so that the suction grooves 3a,
The wafer 1 is sucked by reducing the pressure in the inside 3b. By sucking the wafer 1 by the suction grooves 3a and 3b provided on the surface of the peripheral portion 3d having the flat surface, the wafer 1 is corrected to be substantially flat.

In this state, when pressure is applied to the central portion of the wafer 2 as shown in FIG. 4, first, the central portions of the two wafers 1 and 2 are brought into close contact with each other, and then the contact portions are moved toward the peripheral direction. Expand gradually. At this time, the contact portion expands at substantially the same speed over the entire circumference.

Next, the operation of the wafer processing apparatus 100 when two wafers are brought into close contact with each other will be described with reference to FIGS.

The wafer 1 is moved by the wafer transfer robot 10
2 are placed on the load pins 13 and 14, respectively, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the Z-axis stage 5 raises the wafer support 3 to a predetermined position for supporting the wafer 1, and the wafer moving mechanism 4 moves the shaft 4 to a predetermined position where the wafer 2 can be sucked.
The wafer suction part 4c is rotated about b.

Next, as shown in FIG.
The 5 and 12 sensors 15a and 12a move onto the wafers 1 and 2, and the thicknesses of the wafers 1 and 2 are measured respectively. And
After the thicknesses of the wafers 1 and 2 are measured, the sensors 15a and 1
2a returns to the initial position shown in FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the wafer moving mechanism 4 moves the wafer suction portion 4c about 18 degrees around the shaft 4b.
The wafers 1 and 2 are made to substantially horizontally oppose each other by rotating by 0 degree, and Z
The height of the wafer support 3 is adjusted by the axis stage 5, and the gap between the wafers 1 and 2 is set to a set value. This gap is, for example, preferably about 20 to 100 μm, more preferably about 30 to 60 μm, at the center of the wafer. Further, by opening the valve 19, the wafer processing apparatus 100 sucks the peripheral portion of the back surface of the wafer 1 onto the suction surface of the peripheral portion 3d of the wafer support table 3. Thereby, the wafer 1
Are corrected so as to form a substantially flat surface.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the pressure pin 6a is rotated about the shaft 6b, and is rotated to the vicinity of the back surface of the wafer 2 (for example, to a position where it is substantially in contact with the back surface of the wafer 2).

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, when the suction of the wafer 2 by the wafer suction section 4c is released, the back surface of the wafer 2 is pressed by the pressing pins 6a. As a result, the wafers 1 and 2 gradually come into close contact from the center to the outer peripheral direction, and finally the entire surface comes into close contact.

Next, after returning the pressure mechanism 6 to the original state (the state shown in FIG. 5), the wafer suction unit 4c is returned to the original state (the state shown in FIG. 5). After the valve 19a is closed and the inside of the suction groove 3a is brought to the atmospheric pressure (after the suction of the wafer 1 is released), the wafer support 3 is lowered, and the wafer after the close contact is supported by the load pins 13. State. In this state, the wafer transfer robot 10 sucks the lower part of the wafer after the close contact, and transfers and stores the wafer to the wafer cassette 9.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the wafer processing apparatus 100. The control unit 17 is controlled by the CPU 17a operating based on the program 17b.
A wafer transfer robot 10, a wafer alignment unit 11,
Displacement detectors 12 and 15, Z-axis stage 5, wafer moving mechanism 4, pressing mechanism 6, panel section 16, valve control section 19a
Control.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the program 17b. Hereinafter, the operation of the control system of the wafer processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to this flowchart.

When the start of the contact process is instructed by operating the operation switch 16b, first, in step S101, each component connected to the control system 17 is initialized. In this initialization step, the wafer cassette 7,
Confirmation of the presence and location of 8, 9 and the like is also performed. If the preparation is not completed, a warning is issued to the operator by, for example, displaying that fact on the display panel 16a.

In step S102, the wafer transfer robot 10 is controlled to suck the wafer 1 stored in the wafer cassette 7, and in step S103, the sucked wafer 1 is transferred to the wafer alignment unit 11, where the wafer 1 (Center position, orientation).
Then, in step S104, the wafer transfer robot 10 is controlled to place the wafer 1 at a predetermined position on the load pins 13 protruding above the wafer support 3, and the Z-axis stage 5 is controlled to control the wafer support 3 Is raised to a predetermined position.

In step S105, the wafer transfer robot 10 is controlled to suck the wafer 2 stored in the wafer cassette 8, and in step S106, the wafer 2 is transferred to the wafer alignment unit 11, where the wafer 2 is aligned (centered). Position, direction). And step S
At 107, the wafer transfer robot 10 is controlled to
Load pins 1 projecting wafer 2 onto wafer suction portion 4c
The wafer suction unit 4c is mounted at a predetermined position on the wafer moving unit 4 and the rotation motor 4d of the wafer moving mechanism 4 is controlled to rotate the wafer suction unit 4c about the shaft 4b by a predetermined angle, and the wafer 2 is suctioned by the wafer suction unit 4c. Let it.

In step S108, the driving section 15b of the displacement detecting section 15 is controlled to move the sensor 15a to a predetermined position on the wafer 1, and the thickness of the wafer 1 is measured by the sensor 15a.

In step S109, the driving unit 12b of the displacement detecting unit 12 is controlled to move the sensor 12a to a predetermined position on the wafer 2, and the thickness of the wafer 2 is measured by the sensor 12a.

In step S110, the wafer moving mechanism 4
The rotation motor 4d is controlled to rotate the wafer suction section 4c about the axis 4b by about 180 degrees, and the wafers 1 and 2 are rotated.
Are placed substantially horizontally.

In step S111, data for adjusting the gap between the wafers 1 and 2 to a set value is created based on the measurement results of the thicknesses of the wafers 1 and 2, and the Z-axis stage 5 is created based on the data. To adjust the gap between the wafers 1 and 2.

In step S112, the valve controller 19
By opening the valve 19 at a, the first wafer 1 is attracted to the wafer support 3.

In step S113, the rotation motor 6d of the pressure mechanism 6 is controlled to rotate the pressure pins 6a about the shaft 6b.
It is assumed that the front end of “a” is substantially in contact.

In step S114, the wafer suction unit 4c
To release the suction of the wafer 2. Then, in step S115, the rotation motor 6d and the vibrator 6c of the pressure mechanism 6 are controlled to press the back surface of the wafer 2 with the pressure pins 6a and to vibrate the pressure pins 2. By executing step S115 immediately after execution of step S114, the release of the suction of the wafer 2 and the pressurization can be performed substantially simultaneously. However, after the execution of step S114, the pressurization can be started, for example, after measuring a predetermined time.

When the close contact between the wafers 1 and 2 is completed, in step S116, the rotation motor 6d of the pressure mechanism 6 is controlled to return the pressure pins 6a to the initial position. Then, in step S117, the rotation motor 4d of the wafer moving mechanism 4 is controlled to return the wafer suction unit 4c to the initial position.

Then, in step S118, the valve 1
9, the suction of the wafer 1 is released by returning the inside of the suction grooves 3a and 3b to the atmospheric pressure, and thereafter, step S1 is performed.
At 19, the Z-axis stage 5 is controlled to lower the wafer support 3 and return to the initial position. This allows
The wafer after the close contact is supported by the load pins 13.

In step S120, the wafer transport robot 10 is controlled to remove the wafers having been brought into close contact with each other in the wafer cassette 9.
Transported and stored.

In step S121, it is determined whether or not the contact processing has been completed for all the wafers stored in the wafer cassettes 7 and 8. If unprocessed wafers remain, the flow returns to step S102 to repeat the processing. . On the other hand, if it is determined that the contact processing has been completed for all the wafers, a series of processing is terminated. At this time, for example, the fact is displayed on the display panel 16a or the like, and the operator is notified by a buzzer or the like. It is preferable to notify.

As described above, the wafer processing apparatus 100
According to this, 1) since the pressurization is started in accordance with the release of the suction of the upper wafer 2, the gas between the wafers 1 and 2 can be reliably discharged in the outer peripheral direction. Since the upper wafer 2 does not slip in the opposed state, 2
It is possible to accurately align the two wafers 1 and 2,
3) Since the gap between the wafers 1 and 2 can be adjusted to an appropriate distance, the quality of the manufactured wafer can be made uniform, and the work of pre-sorting the wafers 1 and 2 is not required, 4) It is possible to prevent the surfaces of the wafers 1 and 2 from being contaminated by particles, 5) to prevent the loss of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer, and 6) to apply vibration to the wafer when pressurized. The gas left between the wafers can be further reduced.

Further, according to the wafer processing apparatus 100, only the peripheral portion 3d of the wafer support 3 is
For example, even when particles adhere to the central portion 3c of the wafer support 3 or the central portion of the back surface of the first wafer 1, the first wafer is kept in a substantially planar state. Can be supported. In other words, it is possible to prevent generation of irregularities on the supported wafer 1 due to particles that can adhere to the wafer support base or the central portion of the first wafer. Therefore, when two wafers are brought into close contact with each other, it is possible to effectively prevent the substrate from being left behind between the wafers.

[Second Embodiment] In this embodiment,
The structure of the wafer support 3 of the wafer processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment is changed. The configuration other than the wafer support is the same as that of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the wafer support 3 'according to this embodiment. This wafer support 3 ′ is, in particular,
It is suitable when a wafer having a large diameter is brought into close contact.

The wafer support 3 ′ according to this embodiment
Indicates that the wafer 1 has its own weight or the pressure pins 6a
Has a bending prevention portion 3f for preventing bending due to the pressure by the pressure. It is preferable that a portion where the deflection preventing portion 3f is in contact with the first wafer 1 and a portion where the peripheral portion 3b is in contact with the first wafer 1 are located on substantially the same plane. FIG.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the portion where the deflection preventing portion 3f contacts the wafer has an annular shape, but other shapes (for example, a lattice, a sword mountain, etc.) may be adopted. Such a wafer support 3 ′ can be manufactured by, for example, lapping.

The deflection preventing portion 3f is provided on the wafer support 3 '.
Is preferably provided in the vicinity of the center, but it can also be provided at an arbitrary position in the central portion 3c, and in such a case, a corresponding effect can be obtained.

As described above, by providing the deflection preventing portion 3f, the deflection of the first wafer 1 can be prevented, and the influence of the particles can be reduced as in the first embodiment. it can.

[Application Example of Wafer Processing Apparatus] Next, an application example of the wafer processing apparatus according to the first and second embodiments will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process of a wafer having an SOI structure and the like.

First, a single crystal Si wafer 501 for forming the first wafer 1 is prepared, and a porous Si layer 502 is formed on its main surface (see FIG. 13A). Next, at least one non-porous layer 503 is formed on the porous Si layer 502 (see FIG. 13B). As the non-porous layer 503, for example, a single-crystal Si layer,
Preferred are a layer, an amorphous Si layer, a metal film layer, a compound semiconductor layer, a superconductor layer, and the like. The non-porous layer 503 has M
An element such as an OSFET may be formed.

Next, on the non-porous layer 503, SiO ₂
A layer 504 is formed, and this is used as a first wafer 1 (FIG. 13)
(See (c)), and housed in the wafer cassette 7 with the SiO ₂ layer 504 facing up.

Further, a second wafer 2 is separately prepared and is housed in a wafer cassette 8 with its surface facing upward.

When the wafer processing apparatus is operated in this state, the first wafer 1 and the second wafer 2 are brought into close contact with each other with the SiO ₂ layer 504 interposed therebetween on the wafer support table (FIG. 13D). Then, it is stored in the wafer cassette 9.

Thereafter, the wafer in close contact (FIG. 13D)
However, the bonding may be strengthened by performing an anodic bonding treatment, a pressure treatment, or a heat treatment as necessary, or by combining these treatments.

As the second wafer 2, a Si wafer, S
An i-wafer having a SiO ₂ layer formed thereon, a light-transmitting wafer such as quartz, sapphire, or the like is preferable. However, the second wafer 2 only needs to have a sufficiently flat surface to be bonded, and may be another type of wafer.

Next, with the porous Si layer 503 as a boundary,
The first wafer 1 is removed from the second wafer 2 (FIG. 13).
(See (e)), the porous Si layer 502 is selectively etched and removed. FIG. 13F schematically shows a wafer obtained by the above manufacturing method.

According to this manufacturing method, the two wafers come into close contact with each other in a state where the gas between the wafers is properly discharged.
High quality wafers can be manufactured.

[0099]

According to the present invention, a substrate can be brought into close contact with a high quality without taking in gas.

[0100]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a wafer support unit of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which two wafers are brought into close contact with each other on a wafer support shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS.
It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS.
It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS.
It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS.
It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the wafer processing apparatus shown in FIGS.
It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control system of the wafer processing apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by a program.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a wafer support according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process of a wafer having an SOI structure and the like.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a part of a step of bonding wafers.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a jig for overlapping two wafers while aligning the positions of the two wafers.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st wafer 2 2nd wafer 3 Wafer support stand 3a, 3b Suction groove 3c Central part 3d Peripheral part 3e Load pin hole 3f Deflection prevention part 4 Wafer moving mechanism 4a Groove 4b Axis 4c Wafer suction part 4d Rotating motor 5Z Axis stage 6 Pressure mechanism 6a Pressure pin 6b Shaft 6c Vibrator 6d Rotating motor 7-9 Wafer cassette 10 Wafer transfer robot 11 Wafer alignment unit 12,15 Displacement detection unit 12a, 15a Sensor 12b, 15b Drive unit 13,14 Load pin 16 Panel section 16a Display panel 16b Operation panel 17 Control section 17a CPU 17b Program 18 Pipe 18a Suction hole 19 Valve 19a Valve control section 20 Pump

Claims (28)

[Claims] 1. A substrate processing apparatus in which two substrates are superimposed and brought into close contact with each other, comprising: a support unit for supporting a first substrate; Pressurizing means for pressing the second substrate toward the first substrate in a state where the first substrate is opposed to the first substrate; A supporting member for supporting the first substrate in contact with the substrate. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means has an adsorption means for adsorbing said first substrate on said support member. 3. The suction means has an annular groove on the surface of the support member, and causes the support member to adsorb the first substrate by reducing the pressure in the groove. Item 3. A substrate processing apparatus according to item 2. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the support member is annular. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support member supports an outermost peripheral portion of the entire surface on one side of the first substrate.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing unit presses a substantially central portion of the second substrate. 7. The support device according to claim 1, wherein the support unit includes a bending prevention member for preventing bending of the first substrate inside the support member. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bending preventing member supports a substantially central portion of the first substrate to prevent the bending of the first substrate. 9. The device according to claim 7, wherein a portion where the support member contacts the first substrate and a portion where the deflection preventing member contacts the first substrate are substantially in the same plane. Item 10. A substrate processing apparatus according to item 8. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a substrate operating means for releasing the support of the second substrate after supporting the second substrate on the first substrate supported by the support means and then supporting the second substrate. 10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pressure is applied to the second substrate in accordance with the release of the support of the second substrate by the substrate operating unit. 11. The support means supports the first substrate substantially horizontally, and the substrate operating means supports the second substrate to the first substrate.
11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the support of the second substrate is released after being supported substantially horizontally above the substrate. 12. A substrate supporting device for supporting one substrate when two substrates are superimposed and brought into close contact with each other, the supporting member being in contact with the vicinity of a peripheral portion on one entire surface of the substrate and supporting the substrate. A substrate support device comprising: 13. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an adsorbing unit for adsorbing the substrate to the supporting member. 14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the suction means has an annular groove on the surface of the support member, and causes the support member to suction the substrate by reducing the pressure in the groove. The substrate support device according to any one of the preceding claims. 15. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said supporting member has a ring shape. 16. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a bending preventing member for preventing bending of the substrate inside the supporting member. 17. The substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the bending prevention member supports a substantially central portion of the substrate to prevent the substrate from bending. 18. A portion where the support member contacts a substrate;
The portion where the deflection preventing member is in contact with the substrate is substantially in the same plane.
The substrate support device according to item 1. 19. A method of processing a substrate in which two substrates are superimposed and brought into close contact with each other, wherein the first substrate is supported by a support member that comes into contact with the vicinity of a peripheral portion on one entire surface of the first substrate. In a state where the second substrate is opposed to the first substrate, by pressing the second substrate toward the first substrate, the first and second substrates are brought into close contact with each other. Characteristic substrate processing method. 20. The substrate processing method according to claim 19, wherein a support member having a suction mechanism is used as the support member. 21. The support member according to claim 19, wherein an annular support member is used.
4. The substrate processing method according to 1. 22. The substrate processing method according to claim 19, wherein the outermost peripheral portion of the first substrate is supported by the support member. 23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion to be pressed against the second substrate is substantially at the center of the second substrate.
The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 9 to 22. 24. The method according to claim 19, wherein when the second substrate is pressed, a deflection preventing member provided inside the supporting member is brought into contact with the first substrate.
24. The substrate processing method according to claim 23. 25. Any one of claims 1 to 11
A substrate processing method, wherein the substrate is processed using the substrate processing apparatus described in the above section. 26. A substrate processing method, wherein a substrate is processed using the substrate supporting apparatus according to claim 12. Description: 27. A method of manufacturing a substrate, comprising the substrate processing method according to claim 19 as a part of the process. 28. A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate, which includes the substrate processing method according to claim 19 as a part of the process.