Wafer separating device and wafer processing equipment
By designing the air blowing mechanism and the crystal holding component, efficient wafer slicing of silicon carbide ingots was achieved, solving the problems of short lifespan of high-frequency ultrasonic transducers and edge chipping during lifting in existing technologies, thus improving slicing efficiency and wafer quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422625104.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-04
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-10-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing silicon carbide ingot slab separation methods suffer from high cost and short lifespan of high-frequency ultrasonic transducers, while pull-out and bonding slab separation methods are prone to internal cracking and edge chipping of wafers, resulting in a high scrap rate.
The high-pressure airflow is directed at the part of the crystal to be separated by a blowing mechanism. Air is blown from multiple angles through multiple blowing ends. Combined with the crystal holder and the rotation mechanism, the wafer is separated, resulting in a longer service life and reduced internal cracks and edge chipping.
It improves the lifespan of the wafer separation device, reduces the probability of internal wafer cracks and edge breakage, and increases wafer separation efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN223513911U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of silicon carbide crystal processing technology, and more specifically, relates to a wafer separation device. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, after silicon carbide ingots are grown, they need to be cut, usually by diamond wire cutting or laser cutting. Due to their high production cost, in order to minimize cutting losses and reduce costs, the market increasingly uses laser cutting to focus a laser inside the ingot to form a release layer.
[0003] Since lasers cannot completely destroy the bonding force between wafers, subsequent auxiliary wafer separation methods must be used for separation. Existing technologies include ultrasonic, pull-out, and bonding methods for wafer separation. However, among these methods, ultrasonic separation requires high-frequency ultrasound waves, and high-frequency ultrasound transducers are expensive and have a short lifespan. Pull-out and bonding methods are prone to causing internal cracks and edge breakage in wafers during separation, resulting in a high scrap rate.
[0004] Based on the above, the technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a novel wafer separation device. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this application is to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art by proposing a wafer separation device and wafer processing equipment, thus solving the problem of suboptimal wafer dicing methods in the prior art. The technical advantages of this application are: providing a novel wafer separation device with a longer service life, and ensuring high quality of the separated wafers.
[0006] The objective of this application can be achieved through the following technical solution: a wafer separation device, comprising: a carrier having a material area on the carrier for accommodating crystals; a blowing mechanism having a blowing end located on the outer periphery of the material area and facing the material area to output airflow; and a crystal holding mechanism having a crystal holding member acting on the material area to hold the wafer of the crystal.
[0007] For example, the carrier can be configured as a platform or a disk. By setting a material area on the carrier, the inner diameter of the material area must be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the crystal, thereby allowing the crystal to be placed and fixed. It is understood that by setting an air blowing mechanism with the air blowing end facing the outer periphery of the material area, when the crystal is placed in the material area, the air blowing end can be aimed at the wafer portion on the crystal to be peeled off to perform the air blowing operation. The air blowing end outputs a high-pressure airflow, thereby destroying the peeling layer inside the crystal, thereby achieving wafer separation. The air blowing mechanism has a longer service life than existing ultrasonic transducers, and compared with pull-out and bonding methods, the probability of wafer internal cracking and edge chipping is lower.
[0008] In the aforementioned wafer separation apparatus, the blowing mechanism includes a blowing element having multiple blowing ends circumferentially distributed around the outer periphery of the material area. It is understood that by providing multiple blowing ends around the outer periphery of the material area, air can be blown onto the crystal's release layer simultaneously from multiple angles to rapidly separate the wafer.
[0009] In the aforementioned wafer separation apparatus, at least one of the air blowing element and the material area has rotational freedom. It is understood that by allowing at least one of the air blowing element or the material area to rotate, the airflow output from the air blowing end can circumferentially cover the material area, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the airflow cutting the crystal release layer.
[0010] In the aforementioned wafer separation apparatus, the wafer holding mechanism includes a linear module connected to the wafer holding member to drive the wafer holding member to move linearly. For example, the linear module can be an electric cylinder or a lead screw. By driving the wafer holding member to move linearly through the linear module, the wafer holding member can be lowered to pick up the wafer, or raised to remove the wafer.
[0011] In the aforementioned wafer separation device, the linear module and the die holder are connected by a bearing, which has a degree of rotational freedom. It can be understood that since the linear module itself can drive the die holder to move up and down, the additional bearing serves as an intermediate component to connect the two, thereby enabling the die holder to have a degree of rotational freedom, facilitating the wafer separation operation.
[0012] In the aforementioned wafer separation device, the wafer holder is further equipped with a pressure-sensitive sensor, which is communicatively connected to the linear module. It is understood that by installing a pressure-sensitive sensor on the wafer holder, the pressure on the wafer holder can be detected in real time. When the wafer holder is fixed to the crystal, and the pressure decreases to a set value, it indicates that the wafer has separated from the crystal. At this point, the linear module can drive the wafer holder to rise, carrying the wafer to the appropriate position or the next process.
[0013] In the aforementioned wafer separation device, the wafer holder is provided with an adsorption layer and / or an adhesive layer, and the wafer holder is connected to and holds the wafer through the adsorption layer and / or the adhesive layer. For example, the adsorption layer may consist of multiple vacuum adsorption holes or vacuum nozzles, which adsorb and fix the wafer by drawing a vacuum, while the adhesive layer may consist of adhesive or Velcro, which fixes the wafer by bonding.
[0014] In the aforementioned wafer separation device, the carrier is provided with an adsorption layer and / or an adhesive layer, and the carrier connects and fixes the crystal through the adsorption layer and / or the adhesive layer. For example, the adsorption layer may consist of multiple vacuum adsorption holes or vacuum nozzles, which adsorb and fix the crystal by drawing a vacuum, while the adhesive layer may consist of adhesive or Velcro, which fixes the crystal by bonding.
[0015] In the aforementioned wafer separation apparatus, a rotating mechanism is provided below the carrier, which acts on the carrier to drive it to rotate. It is understood that by setting up the rotating mechanism to drive the carrier to rotate, it is ensured that the material area on the carrier can be circumferentially covered by the airflow output by the blowing mechanism, thereby improving the separation efficiency of the crystal and the wafer.
[0016] Another object of this application is to provide a wafer processing apparatus, including the aforementioned wafer separation device. It is understood that the wafer processing apparatus includes a wafer separation device, a wafer thinning device, a wafer transport device, etc.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:
[0018] 1. This application sets up a blowing mechanism so that the blowing end is oriented towards the outer periphery of the material area. When the crystal is placed in the material area, the blowing end can be aimed at the wafer part to be peeled off on the crystal to perform the blowing operation. The blowing end outputs a high-pressure airflow, thereby destroying the peeling layer inside the crystal, thereby achieving wafer separation. The blowing mechanism has a longer service life than the existing ultrasonic transducer, and the probability of wafer internal cracking and edge breakage is lower than that of the pull-out and bonding type.
[0019] 2. This application, by setting multiple air blowing ends on the outer periphery of the material area, can simultaneously blow air onto the crystal's release layer from multiple angles to quickly separate the wafer;
[0020] 3. This application can detect the pressure on the die holder in real time by setting a pressure sensor on the die holder. When the die holder is fixed to the crystal, the pressure decreases to the set value, which indicates that the wafer and the crystal are separated. At this time, the die holder can be driven to rise by a linear module to carry the wafer to the corresponding position or the next process, thereby improving the wafer separation efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the wafer separation device of this application;
[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air blowing mechanism of this application;
[0023] Figure 3 This is a front view schematic diagram of the wafer separation device of this application during wafer splitting;
[0024] Figure 4 This is a front view schematic diagram of the wafer separation device after wafer splitting in this application;
[0025] In the diagram, 100 is the carrier; 110 is the material area; 200 is the air blowing mechanism; 210 is the air blowing end; 300 is the crystal holding mechanism; 310 is the crystal holding component; 311 is the vacuum nozzle; 320 is the linear module; 330 is the bearing; 340 is the pressure sensor; 400 is the rotation mechanism; W is the crystal; and P is the wafer. Detailed Implementation
[0026] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0031] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0032] Please refer to the attached diagram in the instruction manual. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wafer separation apparatus of this application includes a carrier 100, an air blowing mechanism 200, and a crystal holding mechanism 300. The carrier 100 is provided with a material area 110 for accommodating crystal W. The air blowing mechanism 200 has an air blowing end 210 located on the outer periphery of the material area 110 and facing the material area 110 to output airflow. The crystal holding mechanism 300 has a crystal holding member 310 that acts on the material area 110 to hold the wafer P of crystal W.
[0033] For example, the carrier 100 can be configured as a platform or a disk. By providing a material area 110 on the carrier 100, the inner diameter of the material area 110 must be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the crystal W, thereby allowing the crystal W to be placed and fixed. It is understood that by providing an air blowing mechanism 200 with the air blowing end 210 facing the outer periphery of the material area 110, when the crystal W is placed in the material area 110, the air blowing end 210 can be aimed at the wafer P portion to be peeled off on the crystal W to perform the air blowing operation. The air blowing end 210 outputs a high-pressure airflow, thereby destroying the peeling layer inside the crystal W, thereby achieving the separation. The air blowing mechanism 200 has a longer service life than existing ultrasonic transducers, and compared with pull-out and bonding types, the probability of internal cracking and edge chipping of the wafer P is lower.
[0034] like Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, the blowing mechanism 200 includes a blowing element having a plurality of blowing ends 210 circumferentially distributed around the outer periphery of the material area 110. It is understood that by providing a plurality of blowing ends 210 around the outer periphery of the material area 110, the release layer of the crystal W can be blown simultaneously from multiple angles to quickly separate the wafer P.
[0035] In some embodiments, at least one of the air blowing element and the material area 110 has rotational freedom. It is understood that by making at least one of the air blowing element or the material area 110 rotatable, the airflow output from the air blowing end 210 can be circumferentially covered to cover the material area 110, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the airflow cutting the crystal W release layer.
[0036] In some embodiments, the die-holding mechanism 300 includes a linear module 320 connected to the die-holding member 310 to drive the die-holding member 310 to move linearly. For example, the linear module 320 can be an electric cylinder or a lead screw. Driving the die-holding member 310 to move linearly via the linear module 320 enables the die-holding member 310 to descend to hold the wafer P, or rise to remove the wafer P.
[0037] In some embodiments, the linear module 320 and the die holder 310 are connected by a bearing 330, which has a rotational degree of freedom. It can be understood that since the linear module 320 itself can drive the die holder 310 to move up and down, the additional bearing 330 is set as an intermediate component to connect the two, thereby enabling the die holder 310 to have a rotational degree of freedom, which facilitates the execution of the dicing operation.
[0038] See Figure 3 or Figure 4 In some embodiments, the die holder 310 is also equipped with a pressure sensor 340, which is communicatively connected to the linear module 320. It is understood that by providing the pressure sensor 340 on the die holder 310, the pressure on the die holder 310 can be detected in real time. When the die holder 310 is fixed to the crystal W, and the pressure decreases to a set value, it indicates that the wafer P has separated from the crystal W. At this time, the linear module 320 can drive the die holder 310 to rise to carry the wafer P to the corresponding position or the next process.
[0039] See Figure 3 or Figure 4 In some embodiments, the die holder 310 is provided with an adsorption layer and / or an adhesive layer, which are used to hold and connect the die P. For example, the adsorption layer may consist of multiple vacuum adsorption holes or vacuum nozzles 311, which adsorb and fix the die P by evacuation, while the adhesive layer may consist of adhesive or Velcro, which fixes the die P by bonding.
[0040] In some embodiments, the carrier 100 is provided with an adsorption layer (not shown) and / or an adhesive layer (not shown), which connect and fix the crystal W to the carrier 100. For example, the adsorption layer may consist of multiple vacuum adsorption holes or vacuum nozzles 311, which adsorb and fix the crystal W by drawing a vacuum, while the adhesive layer may consist of adhesive or Velcro, which fixes the crystal W by bonding.
[0041] In some embodiments, a rotating mechanism 400 is provided below the carrier 100, and the rotating mechanism 400 acts on the carrier 100 to drive the carrier 100 to rotate. It can be understood that by setting the rotating mechanism 400 to drive the carrier 100 to rotate, it is ensured that the material area 110 on the carrier 100 can be covered circumferentially by the airflow output by the blowing mechanism 200, thereby improving the separation efficiency of the crystal W and the wafer P.
[0042] The wafer P processing equipment of this application (not shown) includes a wafer P separation device. It is understood that the wafer P processing equipment includes a wafer P separation device, a wafer P thinning device, a wafer P conveying device, etc.
[0043] Beneficial effects:
[0044] This application employs a blowing mechanism 200 with the blowing end 210 facing the outer periphery of the material area 110. When the crystal W is placed within the material area 110, the blowing end 210 can be aligned with the wafer P portion to be peeled off on the crystal W to perform the blowing operation. The blowing end 210 outputs a high-pressure airflow, thereby destroying the peeling layer inside the crystal W, thus achieving wafer separation. The blowing mechanism 200 has a longer service life than existing ultrasonic transducers, and compared to pull-out and bonding types, the probability of internal cracking and edge chipping of the wafer P is lower. Furthermore, by using the material area 110... Multiple air blowing ends 210 are provided on the outer periphery, which can blow air onto the stripping layer of crystal W from multiple angles at the same time to quickly separate wafer P. By setting a pressure-sensitive sensor 340 on the holding member 310, the pressure on the holding member 310 can be detected in real time. When the holding member 310 is fixed with crystal W, the pressure decreases to a set value, which indicates that wafer P is separated from crystal W. At this time, the holding member 310 can be driven to rise by the linear module 320 to carry wafer P to the corresponding position or the next process, thereby improving the wafer separation efficiency.
[0045] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples of the spirit of this application. Those skilled in the art to which this application pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of this application or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A wafer separation device, characterized in that, include: A carrier (100) having a material area (110) thereon, the material area (110) being used to accommodate a crystal (W); An air blowing mechanism (200) has an air blowing end (210) located on the outer periphery of the material area (110) and facing the material area (110) to output airflow; as well as A crystal holding mechanism (300) having a crystal holding member (310) acting on the material area (110) to hold the wafer (P) of the crystal (W).
2. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blowing mechanism (200) includes a blowing element having a plurality of blowing ends (210) circumferentially distributed around the material area (110).
3. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air blowing component and the material zone (110) have at least one degree of rotational freedom.
4. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crystal holding mechanism (300) includes a linear module (320) connected to the crystal holding member (310) to drive the crystal holding member (310) to move linearly.
5. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The linear module (320) and the crystal holder (310) are connected by a bearing (330), which has a rotational degree of freedom.
6. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The crystal holder (310) is also provided with a pressure sensor (340), which is communicatively connected to the linear module (320).
7. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The die holder (310) is provided with an adsorption layer and / or an adhesive layer, and the die holder (310) is connected to and holds the wafer (P) through the adsorption layer and / or the adhesive layer.
8. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier (100) is provided with an adsorption layer and / or an adhesive layer, and the carrier (100) is connected and fixed to the crystal (W) through the adsorption layer and / or the adhesive layer.
9. The wafer separation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rotating mechanism (400) is provided below the carrier (100), and the rotating mechanism (400) acts on the carrier (100) to drive the carrier (100) to rotate.
10. A wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the wafer separation apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-9.