JPH11274110A - Cutting method and apparatus for semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To set a wafer on a wafer mounting face of a vacuum chuck table without using a wafer sheet, and surely chuck each wafer chip to the mounting face after the wafer has been cut efficiently with a cutting blade. SOLUTION: A wafer 1 is chucked and fixed on a wafer mounting face 3 with a rectangular chucking opening 7 corresponding to a chip part 4 of the wafer 1. A clearance groove 11 for a blade 6 according to a street 5 is put in matching with a street 5, and the wafer 1 is cut along the street 5 with the cutting blade 6 to cut the wafer 1 into a desired plurality of chips 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer (dicing method) for cutting a semiconductor wafer into a plurality of required chips (ICs and the like) and to an improvement of the cutting apparatus (dicing apparatus).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a semiconductor wafer has been cut into a required number of chips by a wafer cutting apparatus. For example, the above-mentioned apparatus is provided with a vacuum chuck table for wafer suction fixing for holding the wafer by suction, and a wafer mounting surface for mounting the wafer is formed on the vacuum chuck table surface. A suction port for sucking the wafer is appropriately provided on the wafer mounting surface. Further, the above-mentioned apparatus includes a wafer cutting blade such as a diamond foil for cutting the wafer into a required number of chips by making a kerf along a street (grinding line) formed on the wafer. It is provided and configured. Further, in order to prevent the chips cut from the wafer from being scattered, a configuration is used in which the wafer sheet is attached to the wafer via an adhesive layer (adhesive), and the wafer is mounted on the wafer. The wafer is configured to be suction-fixed to the wafer mounting surface via the wafer sheet when being suction-fixed to the mounting surface. Therefore, by completely cutting (cutting) the wafer using the blade and performing full dicing, the wafer can be cut and separated into the required plurality of chips. At this time, the wafer sheet, for example,
The blade is configured to be cut by a part of its thickness.

[0003]

However, as will be described later, there is an adverse effect due to the use of the above-mentioned wafer sheet. For example, when cutting the wafer, the wafer sheet is cut into a part of the adhesive layer, so that the diamond foil causes clogging and cutability is reduced, and the life of the foil is shortened and The accuracy of the cut surface of the damaged wafer becomes unstable.
Further, the use of the above-mentioned wafer sheet means that at the time of the eutectic bonding of the chips, the chlorine ions contained in the adhesive of the wafer sheet prevent the formation of the eutectic film, and the chlorine ions remain and the semiconductor (chip) ) Is promoted, and the electrical characteristics of the chip are degraded.

When the wafer is suction-fixed on the wafer mounting surface without using the wafer sheet, since the suction port is appropriately provided on the wafer mounting surface, the wafer is not required. After cutting and separating into a number of chips, there is a problem that there is a chip that does not match the suction port, and it is not possible to reliably suction-fix all the chips to the wafer mounting surface.

[0005] By performing half dicing to form a kerf at a depth of about half the thickness of the wafer,
A configuration in which the wafer sheet is not cut by the blade is being studied. In this case, after the half dicing,
The surface of the wafer is covered with paper, and a breaking is performed along a cut groove formed on the street of the wafer with a roller, or the wafer surface is pushed up with an arc-shaped jig, and the wafer is pushed up. The sheet is stretched and braking is performed to divide the wafer into individual chips. In the cutting method by the half dicing, there is a case where fragments of the wafer are generated (for example, similar to the case of breaking glass) and mounted on the electronic circuit of the (semiconductor) chip to cut the electronic circuit of the chip. . In the case where the semiconductor is microfabricated, this is brought up as a defect of the semiconductor itself.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for cutting a semiconductor wafer and a method for cutting the wafer efficiently, while setting a semiconductor wafer on a wafer mounting surface of a vacuum chuck table without using a wafer sheet. It is intended to provide a device. It is another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor wafer cutting method and a cutting device capable of individually and surely adsorbing chips cut from a semiconductor wafer to a wafer mounting surface of a vacuum chuck table. .

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for cutting a semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: cutting a semiconductor wafer into a plurality of chips; A method of cutting a semiconductor wafer, wherein the wafer is placed on a vacuum chuck table and fixed by suction, and cut along a street set on the wafer with a cutting blade. Correspondingly, a step of providing a relief groove of the blade, a step of matching the street and the relief groove of the blade when mounting the wafer, and an opening peripheral shape formed along the cut shape of the chip portion. And a step of separately adsorbing the chip portions at the suction port.

A semiconductor wafer cutting apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned technical problems includes a vacuum chuck table for mounting and adsorbing and fixing a semiconductor wafer, and an alignment for setting a street on the wafer surface. Means, a cutting blade for cutting the wafer along the street to form a required number of chips,
An apparatus for cutting a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a vacuum path having one end connected to the vacuum chuck table; and vacuum means communicating with the other end of the vacuum path. In addition to providing a relief groove of the blade corresponding to the above, the opening peripheral shape of the suction port provided in the vacuum chuck table surface corresponding to each of the chip portions is formed along the cut shape of the chip portion. It is characterized by.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor wafer cutting apparatus for forming a rectangular opening at the suction port, and forming the opening at the rectangular suction port. Is provided near the inside of the street.

[0010]

According to the present invention, suction holes are separately provided on a wafer mounting surface of a vacuum chuck table provided in a semiconductor wafer cutting device in correspondence with a plurality of required chip sections divided into streets on the wafer. In addition, since the peripheral shape of the opening in the suction port is formed along the cut shape of the chip portion (the direction of the street), when the wafer is placed on the wafer mounting surface, the chip portion is held by the suction port. By suctioning the wafers separately, the wafer can be surely suction-fixed to the wafer mounting surface. Further, since the suction port is provided separately for each of the chip portions, after cutting the chips from the wafer with a cutting blade, the chips cut from the wafer are each placed on the wafer mounting surface. Separately and surely can be fixed by suction. Further, according to the present invention, since the line of the peripheral shape of the opening of the suction port is provided near the inside of the line of the cutting shape of the chip portion, the chip portion of the wafer (or the The suction area for the cut chips can be increased, and the suction force for the wafer (the chips) can be enhanced. Further, according to the present invention, when the wafer is cut by the blade, the chips cut from the wafer can be securely and separately suction-fixed, and the blade can be stuck on the wafer mounting surface by the street. In this case, the wafer can be cut by entering the escape groove of the blade provided correspondingly, so that the wafer can be efficiently cut into a required number of chips.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a cutting apparatus (dicing apparatus) for cutting (dicing) a semiconductor wafer (object to be ground) according to the present invention to form a required plurality of chips (ICs and the like).

That is, the cutting apparatus includes, for example, a wafer accommodating section (not shown) for accommodating the semiconductor wafer 1;
A vacuum chuck table 2 on which the wafer 1 is mounted and fixed by suction; a wafer mounting surface 3 provided on an upper surface (vacuum chuck table surface) of the vacuum chuck table 2 for mounting the wafer; Transfer means (not shown) for transferring the wafer 1 from the wafer mounting surface 3 to the wafer mounting surface 3, and a required number of chip portions 4 on the surface of the wafer 1 with the wafer 1 on the wafer mounting surface 3 being aligned. An alignment means (not shown) for setting a grinding line (street 5) to be sectioned, and a cutting means for cutting the wafer 1 mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3 into a required number of chips 4 along the street 5 Are provided. A bleed relief groove 11 is provided on the wafer mounting surface 3 corresponding to the street 5 of the wafer 1 mounted on the mounting surface 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the wafer 1 is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3, the streets 5 are matched with the clearance grooves 11 of the bleed,
At the time of cutting the wafer, the blade 6 is made to enter the clearance groove 11 below the street 5 so that the wafer 1 can be cut into the required plurality of chips 4. In the illustrated example, the (extending) directions of the streets 5 are configured to be perpendicular to each other vertically and horizontally, and the chip portions 4 formed by being divided by the streets 5 are rectangular in plan.

A required number of suction ports 7 for sucking the wafer 1 are provided on the wafer mounting surface 3.
Each of the suction ports 7 is separately provided corresponding to each of the chip portions 4 of the wafer 1 mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3. Further, one end of a vacuum path 8 such as a vacuum hose is connected to the suction port 7 and connected to the vacuum path 8.
The other end is connected to a vacuum evacuation means 9 such as a vacuum pump for evacuation. Therefore, the wafer 1 can be suction-fixed to the wafer mounting surface 3 by operating the vacuuming means 8 to suck the wafer 1 at each suction port 7. In the illustrated example, the vacuum chuck table 2 is used.
A communication portion 10 made of a porous material or the like is provided below the wafer mounting surface 3 and the wafer is evacuated by the evacuation means 9 through the suction port 7 and the communication portion 10. 1 is attached to the wafer mounting surface 3 (see FIG. 2). Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the vacuum path 8 connected to the evacuation means 9 is branched and the branch vacuum paths are connected to the suction ports 7 directly and individually.

The suction port 7 is formed such that the peripheral shape of the opening is the cut shape of the chip portion 4 (the direction of the street 5).
It is configured along. Therefore, when the wafer 1 is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3, the chip portions 4 are separately suctioned by the suction ports 7, thereby securely suction-fixing the wafer 1 to the wafer mounting surface 3. And, after cutting the chips 4 from the wafer 1, individually and reliably suction-fixing the chips 4 cut from the wafer 1 to the wafer mounting surface 3. It is configured to be able to.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, since the cutting shape of the tip portion 4 is formed in a rectangular shape, the opening peripheral shape of the suction port 7 is changed along the cutting shape of the rectangular tip portion 4. The rectangular suction port 7 is formed in a rectangular shape.
Are provided corresponding to the respective chip portions 4. Therefore, at the time of mounting the wafer, the wafer 1 can be securely suction-fixed to the wafer mounting surface 3 by the rectangular suction port 7, and after the wafer 1 is cut,
The rectangular chips 4 can be individually and reliably suction-fixed by the rectangular suction ports 7. In the example of the figure,
The line of the opening peripheral shape of the rectangular suction port 7 is provided near the inside of the cut line (the street) of the rectangular chip portion 4. Therefore, the wafer 1
It is possible to increase the suction area for the chip portion 4 (or the chips 4 cut from the wafer 1) and to increase the suction force for the wafer 1 (the chips 4).

That is, first, the wafer 1 is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3 of the vacuum chuck table 2 from the accommodating portion of the cutting device by the transfer means, and is placed on the surface of the wafer 1 by the alignment means. The street 5 is set. Next, a relief groove in the wafer mounting surface 3
The street 5 is made to correspond to 11 and the wafer 1 is fixed by suction at the rectangular suction port 7. At this time, the respective chip portions 4 of the wafer 1 are individually suctioned by the rectangular suction ports 7, so that the wafer 1
Can be reliably fixed to the wafer mounting surface 3 by suction. Next, the wafer 1 is cut along the streets 5 by the blades 6 to form a required number of chips 4. At this time, the blade 6 is
The wafer 1 can be efficiently cut by the blade 6 because the chip 4 can be inserted into the wafer 11 and the cut chips 4 can be individually and reliably suction-fixed by the rectangular suction ports 7.

As described above, after the wafer 1 is cut, the chips 4 are suction-fixed individually at the suction ports 7 for each chip 4. Next, the surface (top surface) of the chip 4 The chip 4 is supported and taken out in a state where the take-out jig is not brought into contact with the jig, and the chip 4 is washed and housed in the housing magazine. For example, first, the suction nozzle is raised from within the opening of the suction port 7 to support the chip 4 above the opening of the suction port 7 from the back (lower surface) side of the chip 4 with the suction nozzle. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the chip 4 is taken out from the back surface of the chip 4 while being supported by a take-out jig. Therefore, when the wafer 1 is cut by the cutting device, a jig or the like does not come into contact with the upper surface of the chip 4.
There is no adverse effect on the fine line-shaped electronic circuit provided on the upper surface of the chip 4.

Further, since the shape of the chip portion of the wafer differs depending on the type, when cutting chips of different types, the wafer mounting surface having the suction port and the relief groove can be detachably exchanged. It is configured as follows.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration using a single vacuuming means 9 is exemplified, but a configuration using a plurality of vacuuming means may be adopted. in this case,
By appropriately dividing (dividing) the wafer mounting portion in a plane corresponding to each of the plurality of evacuation means, the evacuation means can correspond to each of the sections. For example, the wafer mounting portion may be divided into four sections in a plane, and four vacuum means may be connected to each section so as to communicate with each other.
It is to be noted that a required number of suction ports are provided separately in each of the above-mentioned sections.

Further, the wafer 1 in the above-described embodiment is used.
The positioning of the vacuum chuck table 2
When the wafer 1 is mounted on the wafer mounting surface 3, appropriate fine adjustment is performed so that the position of the street 5 set on the wafer 1 matches the position of the clearance groove 11 of the wafer mounting surface 3. A configuration in which the means is provided may be adopted. For example, with the wafer 1 properly supported and fixed from the side, the vacuum chuck table 2
By finely moving (or finely rotating) the (fine adjustment table) in an appropriate direction, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the position of the clearance groove 11 and the position of the street 5 are matched to perform fine adjustment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be arbitrarily and appropriately changed and selected as necessary within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention. It is.

[0022]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for cutting a semiconductor wafer, wherein a semiconductor wafer is set on a wafer mounting surface of a vacuum chuck table without using a wafer sheet, and the wafer is cut efficiently. This provides an excellent effect that the cutting device can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor wafer cutting method and a cutting apparatus capable of individually and surely adsorbing chips cut from a semiconductor wafer to a wafer mounting surface of a vacuum chuck table. It has an excellent effect that it can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view schematically showing a semiconductor wafer cutting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away schematic plan view schematically showing an enlarged main part of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an enlarged main part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor wafer 2 Vacuum chuck table 3 Wafer mounting surface 4 Chip (part) 5 Street 6 Blade 7 Suction port 8 Vacuum path 9 Vacuum evacuation means 10 Communication part 11 Escape groove

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A wafer cutting device for cutting a semiconductor wafer into a required plurality of chips, the wafer is placed on a vacuum chuck table of the device and fixed by suction, and the wafer is attached to the wafer by a cutting blade. A method for cutting a semiconductor wafer along a set street, the method comprising: providing a relief groove of a blade corresponding to the street on the vacuum chuck table surface; and And a step of separately adsorbing the chip portions with suction holes having an opening peripheral shape formed along the cut shape of the chip portion. Cutting method. 2. A vacuum chuck table for mounting and fixing a semiconductor wafer by suction, alignment means for setting a street on the wafer surface, and cutting the wafer along the street to form a required number of chips. A cutting blade to be cut, a vacuum path having one end connected to the vacuum chuck table, and vacuum evacuation means connected to the other end of the vacuum path. A clearance groove of a blade is provided on the chuck table surface corresponding to the street, and the peripheral shape of the opening of the suction port provided on the vacuum chuck table surface corresponding to each of the chip portions is a cutting shape of the chip portion. An apparatus for cutting a semiconductor wafer, comprising: 3. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 2, wherein the opening peripheral shape of the suction port is formed in a rectangular shape, and the line of the opening peripheral shape of the rectangular suction port is provided near the inside of the street. Cutting equipment.