Wafer manufacturing method, chip manufacturing method, and processing program

Abstract

To provide a novel and improved wafer manufacturing method and processing program that can form highly accurate chamfered edges at the corners between the first surface and the side surface of the wafer, and between the second surface and the side surface, in a compact configuration. [Solution] The method comprises: a first processing step of processing the connection between the first surface 104 and the side surface 107 of the workpiece 102 to form a first chamfered portion 110; a detection step of detecting the shape of the first chamfered portion 110 formed in the first processing step from a direction intersecting the first surface 104 or the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102; and a second processing step of processing the connection between the second surface 106 and the side surface 107 of the workpiece 102 to form a second chamfered portion 116 based on the detection result of the detection step.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer manufacturing method, a chip manufacturing method, and a processing program. [Background Art]

[0002] A wafer, in which a plurality of devices such as ICs and LSIs are partitioned by planned dividing lines and formed on the surface, is divided into individual device chips by a dicing apparatus, and used in electrical equipment such as mobile phones and personal computers. Such a wafer is generally manufactured by slicing a cylindrical ingot with a wire saw or the like, removing the annular outer peripheral edge of the resulting intermediate, and then performing chamfering on the workpiece obtained. Therefore, the intermediate and the workpiece have a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. In the chamfering process, the connection portion between the first surface and the side surface and the connection portion between the second surface and the side surface of the workpiece are respectively processed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

[0003] Further, a workpiece generated by slicing the ingot may have a removal target region including the outer peripheral edge and a wafer region other than the removal target region, and the wafer may be manufactured by removing the removal target region from the workpiece. Even in such a case, the connection portion between the first surface and the side surface and the connection portion between the second surface and the side surface of the wafer are processed, that is, chamfered. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-130738 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-084811 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] By the way, when a cutting blade with an arc-shaped cross-section at its tip is applied to the above-mentioned intermediate body to remove the annular outer edge and thereby obtain a workpiece, if the cutting is performed in the direction from the first surface to the second surface of the intermediate body with the tip of the cutting blade (sometimes called the cutting edge), a so-called burr is formed only on the outer edge of the second surface due to the arc-shaped cross-section of the tip of the cutting blade. Therefore, when performing the above-mentioned chamfering process, the outer diameter of the first surface and the outer diameter of the second surface of the workpiece are different. For example, if the imaging unit detects the outer edges of the first and second surfaces of the workpiece and defines the position of the inner edge of each chamfered portion as being moved radially inward by a common distance from each outer edge, the position of the inner edge of the first chamfered portion and the position of the inner edge of the second chamfered portion will be misaligned, and a chamfered portion of the required shape will not be formed on the workpiece. If chamfered edges of the required shape are not formed at the corners between the first surface and the side surface of the wafer, and at the corners between the second surface and the side surface, the wafer may become difficult to handle.

[0006] Furthermore, the reasons why a chamfered portion of the required shape is not formed on the workpiece are not limited to the burrs mentioned above. For example, the side surface of a workpiece produced by slicing an ingot may not be perpendicular to the first and second surfaces. In such cases, the outer diameter of the first surface and the outer diameter of the second surface are different. If the imaging unit detects the outer edges of the first and second surfaces of the workpiece and defines the position of the inner edge of each chamfered portion as a position moved radially inward by a common distance from each outer edge, the position of the inner edge of the first chamfered portion and the position of the inner edge of the second chamfered portion will be misaligned, and a chamfered portion of the required shape will not be formed on the workpiece.

[0007] Furthermore, when a workpiece produced by slicing an ingot is divided into a region to be removed, including the outer edge, and a wafer region other than this region, and a wafer is manufactured by removing the region to be removed from the workpiece, it is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency to perform chamfering before removing the region to be removed. However, even in this case, if the position of the inner edge of the first chamfer formed on the first surface side and the position of the inner edge of the second chamfer formed on the second surface side are misaligned, a chamfer of the required shape will not be formed.

[0008] Patent Document 2, mentioned above, shows that the imaging unit images the outer edge of the workpiece (wafer) from the side. However, when the imaging unit is positioned to the side of the workpiece, the projection area of ​​the entire apparatus, including the imaging unit, onto the floor surface increases, which is undesirable because it increases the space required to install the apparatus.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and its main technical problem is to provide a novel and improved wafer manufacturing method, chip manufacturing method, and processing program that can form a chamfered portion with good accuracy at the corner between the first surface and the side surface of the wafer and at the corner between the second surface and the side surface, in a compact configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the first aspect of the present invention, as a method for manufacturing a wafer that solves the above-mentioned main technical problems, a method for manufacturing a wafer having a chamfered portion by processing a workpiece having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, A first processing step involves processing the connection portion between the first surface and the side surface to form a first chamfered portion, A detection step for detecting the shape of the first chamfer formed in the first processing step from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface, A second processing step in which the connection portion between the second surface and the side surface is processed based on the detection result of the detection step to form a second chamfered portion, A wafer manufacturing method is provided that includes the following.

[0011] Preferably, the detection step detects the position of the inner edge of the first chamfered portion, and the second processing step performs processing based on the position of the inner edge detected in the detection step. Preferably, in the detection step, the shape of the first chamfered portion is detected from the side of the second surface. In the detection step, the shape of the first chamfered portion may be detected from the side of the first surface. Preferably, in the second processing step, the connection portion between the second surface and the side surface is processed so that it has the same shape as the shape of the first chamfered portion detected in the detection step when viewed from above. The process further comprises a pre-processing step of forming a processing mark in the area of ​​the first or second surface of the workpiece to be removed by the first or second processing step, and a pre-detection step of detecting the position of the processing mark formed in the pre-processing step, wherein in the first or second processing step, it is preferable to correct the processing position based on the position of the processing mark detected in the pre-detection step.

[0012] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a wafer having a chamfered portion by processing a workpiece having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and having a region to be removed including the outer edge and a wafer region other than the region to be removed, wherein the region to be removed is removed, A first inclined surface forming step, which involves processing from the side of the first surface to form a first inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from the boundary between the area to be removed and the wafer area of ​​the first surface and in a direction approaching the second surface, with the boundary as the starting point. A detection step for detecting the first inclined surface formed in the first inclined surface forming step from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface, A second processing step, based on the detection result of the detection step, is performed to process from the side of the second surface to form a second inclined surface that slopes away from the boundary and towards the first surface, A wafer manufacturing method is provided that includes the following.

[0013] In this case, the process may also include a separation step in which the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are connected to separate the area to be removed from the wafer area, thereby forming a wafer with a chamfered portion.

[0014] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a chip by processing the wafer is provided, comprising a division step of dividing the wafer to manufacture the chip.

[0015] Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a holding portion for holding a workpiece having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, A processing unit for processing the workpiece held in the holding part, The processing unit includes an imaging unit that is disposed within the processing unit and images the workpiece held in the holding unit, A moving part that moves the holding part and the processing unit relative to each other, Control unit and A processing program for a processing apparatus equipped with, A holding step of holding the workpiece, which has a first chamfer formed at the connection between the first surface and the side surface, with the second surface exposed to the side of the processing unit, A detection step of controlling the imaging unit to detect the shape of the first chamfered portion, A second processing step involves controlling at least the processing unit and the moving part to process the connection between the second surface and the side surface based on the detection result of the detection step to form a second chamfered portion, A machining program is provided that causes the control unit to execute the process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the shape of a first chamfered portion formed by processing a connection between a first surface and a side surface is detected, and a connection between a second surface and the side surface is processed based on the detection result to form a second chamfered portion. Therefore, even if burrs remain on the outer peripheral edge of the second surface, chamfered portions of the same shape can be formed at the same planar coordinate (XY coordinate) positions on the first surface and the second surface. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a wafer including a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion formed with favorable accuracy is manufactured. Furthermore, the shape of the first chamfered portion is detected from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface; that is, an imaging unit that detects the shape of the first chamfered portion is arranged in a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface. This prevents an increase in the projected area of the entire processing apparatus including the imaging unit onto the floor surface. That is, the processing apparatus can be made compact.

[0017] According to the second aspect of the present invention, a first inclined surface formed on the first surface is detected, and a second inclined surface is formed on the second surface based on the detection result. Therefore, inclined surfaces of the same shape can be formed at the same planar coordinate (XY coordinate) positions on the first surface and the second surface. Then, after that, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are connected to separate a region to be removed from a wafer region, whereby a wafer including a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion formed with favorable accuracy is manufactured. Furthermore, the first inclined surface is detected from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface; that is, an imaging unit that detects the first inclined surface is arranged in a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface. This prevents an increase in the projected area of the entire processing apparatus including the imaging unit onto the floor surface. That is, the processing apparatus can be made compact.

[0018] According to the third aspect of the present invention, chips are manufactured from a wafer including a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion formed with favorable accuracy.

[0019] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in a second processing step, the second chamfered portion is formed based on the shape of the first chamfered portion detected in a detection step. Therefore, the first chamfered portion and the second chamfered portion can be formed on a workpiece with favorable accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a processing apparatus that implements a method for manufacturing a wafer configured according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a workpiece processed by the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram schematically showing a step of manufacturing a wafer from the workpiece shown in Fig. 2 using the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of another workpiece processed by the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 5] It is a diagram schematically showing a step of manufacturing a wafer from the other workpiece shown in Fig. 3 using the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a wafer manufacturing method, a chip manufacturing method, and a processing program configured according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] <<Processing Apparatus>> Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a processing apparatus that implements a method for manufacturing a wafer configured according to the present invention. The processing apparatus, indicated generally by reference numeral 2, comprises a holding section, a processing unit, an imaging section, a moving section, and a control section. In the following description, all of the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are based on the XYZ coordinate system shown in Fig. 1, where the front-rear direction is the X direction (front is X-, rear is X+), the left-right direction is the Y direction (left is Y-, right is Y+), and the up-down direction is the Z direction (upper is Z+, lower is Z-).

[0023] <Apparatus Base> In the illustrated embodiment, the holding unit 4, processing unit 6, imaging unit 8, and moving unit 10 are arranged on the device base 14. The device base 14 comprises a substantially horizontally arranged rectangular flat plate portion 16 and a gate-shaped frame portion 18 erected on the upper surface of the flat plate portion 16. The frame portion 18 is positioned directly opposite the front end of the flat plate portion 16 in the front-rear direction.

[0024] <Holding part> The holding portion 4 can hold a flat workpiece, which will be described later. In the illustrated embodiment, the holding portion 4 is a chuck table. The upper surface of the holding portion 4 is made of a breathable material and is connected to a suction means (not shown), and by operating the suction means, a workpiece placed on the upper surface can be held by suction. Such a holding portion 4 is part of the moving portion 10 and is located on the upper surface of a movable plate 40 in the X-axis direction, which will be described later and is arranged on the flat plate portion 16 of the device base 14. The holding portion 4 is also part of the moving portion 10 and is rotatable around the Z-axis by a rotational drive mechanism (not shown), which will be described later.

[0025] <Processing Unit> The machining unit 6 can machine a workpiece held in the holding unit 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the machining unit 6 includes a spindle 20 having an axis in the left-right direction, a spindle housing 22 that rotatably surrounds and supports the spindle 20, a cutting blade 24 mounted on the tip of the spindle 20, and a blade cover 26 that covers the periphery of the cutting blade 24. The spindle 20 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), causing the cutting blade 24 mounted on it to rotate with the left-right direction as its axis of rotation. Such a machining unit 6 is part of the moving unit 10 and is fixed to a Z-axis movable plate 60, which will be described later, located on the rear surface of the frame portion 18 of the device base 14, and is positioned above the holding unit 4.

[0026] <Photography Department> The imaging unit 8 is disposed on the processing unit 6, and can capture an image of a workpiece held by the holding unit 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the imaging unit 8 is a microscope camera that detects visible light, and is fixed to the rear surface of the spindle housing 22 of the processing unit 6. As will be described later, the imaging unit 8 may be an IR camera.

[0027] <Moving Unit> The moving unit 10 can relatively move the holding unit 4 and the processing unit 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the moving unit 10 includes an X-axis direction moving mechanism 28 disposed on the flat plate portion 16 of the apparatus base 14, a Y-axis direction moving mechanism 30 disposed on an upper portion of the rear surface of the frame portion 18, a Z-axis direction moving mechanism 32 disposed on a right portion of the rear surface of the frame portion 18, and a rotation drive mechanism (not shown) connected to the holding unit 4 that is a chuck table for rotating the holding unit 4 around the Z axis. The description of the moving unit 10 will be continued below.

[0028] <X-axis Direction Moving Mechanism> The X-axis direction moving mechanism 28 includes a ball screw 34 linearly extending in the X-axis direction on the flat plate portion 16, a pair of guide rails 36a and 36b extending parallel to the ball screw 34 on both sides thereof, a motor 38 connected to a front end of the ball screw 34, and an X-axis direction movable plate 40. The pair of guide rails 36a and 36b are fixed on the flat plate portion 16. The ball screw 34 penetrates the X-axis direction movable plate 40, and a nut portion (not shown) of the ball screw 34 is fixed inside the X-axis direction movable plate 40. A pair of concave guide rail receivers 42a and 42b, into which the pair of guide rails 36a and 36b are respectively fitted, are further formed on a lower surface of the X-axis direction movable plate 40. Accordingly, the X-axis direction moving mechanism 28 converts the rotational motion of the motor 38 into linear motion via the ball screw 34, transmits the linear motion to the X-axis direction movable plate 40, and can move the X-axis direction movable plate 40 in the X-axis direction along the pair of guide rails 36a and 36b on the flat plate portion 16. The holding unit 4 is disposed on an upper surface of the X-axis direction movable plate 40, whereby the X-axis direction moving mechanism 28 can move the holding unit 4 in the X-axis direction.

[0029] <Y-axis Direction Moving Mechanism> The Y-axis direction moving mechanism 30 includes: a ball screw 44 linearly extending in the Y-axis direction at an upper portion of a rear surface of a frame portion 18; a pair of guide rails 46a and 46b extending parallel to the ball screw 44 on both sides thereof; a motor 48 connected to a left end portion of the ball screw 44; and an X-axis direction movable plate 50. The pair of guide rails 46a and 46b are fixed to the rear surface of the frame portion 18. A nut portion (not shown) of the ball screw 44 is fixed to a lower surface of the Y-axis direction movable plate 50. A pair of concave guide rail receivers 52a and 52b, into which the pair of guide rails 46a and 46b are respectively fitted, are further formed on the lower surface of the Y-axis direction movable plate 50. Accordingly, the Y-axis direction moving mechanism 30 converts the rotational motion of the motor 48 into linear motion via the ball screw 44, transmits the linear motion to the Y-axis direction movable plate 50, and can move the Y-axis direction movable plate 50 in the Y-axis direction along the pair of guide rails 46a and 46b on the frame portion 18.

[0030] <Z-axis direction moving mechanism> The Z-axis direction moving mechanism 32 includes: a ball screw 54 linearly extending in the Z-axis direction on a front surface of the Y-axis direction movable plate 50; a pair of guide rails 56a and 56b extending parallel to the ball screw 54 on both sides thereof; a motor 58 connected to an upper end portion of the ball screw 54; and a Z-axis direction movable plate 60. The pair of guide rails 56a and 56b are fixed to the front surface of the Y-axis direction movable plate 50. A nut portion (not shown) of the ball screw 54 is fixed to a back surface (rear surface) of the Z-axis direction movable plate 60. A pair of concave guide rail receivers 62a and 62b, into which the pair of guide rails 56a and 56b are respectively fitted, are further formed on the back surface (rear surface) of the Z-axis direction movable plate 60. Accordingly, the Z-axis direction moving mechanism 32 converts the rotational motion of the motor 58 into linear motion via the ball screw 54, transmits the linear motion to the Z-axis direction movable plate 60, and can move the Z-axis direction movable plate 60 in the Z-axis direction along the pair of guide rails 56a and 56b on the Y-axis direction movable plate 50. A processing unit 6 is fixed to a lower end of the Z-axis direction movable plate 60, and by appropriately operating the Y-axis direction moving mechanism 30 and the Z-axis direction moving mechanism 32, the processing unit 6 and an imaging unit 8 integrated therewith can be moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

[0031] Therefore, by appropriately operating the X-axis movement mechanism 28, the Y-axis movement mechanism 30, and the Z-axis movement mechanism 32, the holding unit 4 and the processing unit 6 can be moved relative to each other.

[0032] <Department Head> The control unit 12 is a computer and includes a central processing unit (CPU) that performs calculations according to a control program, a read-only memory (ROM) for storing the control program and the like, a read-write random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing detected values, calculation results, etc., an input interface, and an output interface (details are not shown). The control unit 12 is connected to the holding unit 4, the processing unit 6, the imaging unit 8, and the moving unit 10 via a communication cable (not shown). The control program includes a processing program which will be described later.

[0033] <Workpiece> Figure 2(a) shows a perspective view of the workpiece 102 processed by the processing apparatus 2 described above, and Figure 2(b) shows an enlarged view of the outer peripheral edge of the longitudinal cross-section of the workpiece 102. The workpiece 102 is a thin circular plate obtained by removing the annular outer peripheral edge of an intermediate (not shown) that is produced by slicing a cylindrical ingot with a wire saw, and has a first surface 104, a second surface 106 opposite to the first surface 104, and a side surface 107 connecting the first surface 104 and the second surface 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the ingot is SiC, and therefore the workpiece 102 is substantially transparent. The annular outer peripheral edge is removed by applying a cutting blade (not shown) to the intermediate. The cross-section of the tip of such a cutting blade is curved. Therefore, although there are no chamfered portions at the connection between the first surface 104 and the side surface 107 of the workpiece 102, and at the connection between the first surface 106 and the side surface 107, a so-called burr 108 is formed on the outer edge of the second surface 106 due to the arc shape of the cross-section of the tip of the cutting blade. As can be understood by referring to Figure 2(b), the outer diameter of the first surface 104 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second surface.

[0034] <<Processing method>> Next, a manufacturing method for producing a wafer by processing a workpiece 102 using the processing apparatus 2 described above will be explained with reference to Figure 3 along with Figure 1. This manufacturing method includes a holding step, a first processing step, a detection step, and a second processing step. In the illustrated embodiment, it further includes an inversion step, a pre-processing step, and a pre-detection step. These steps are performed by the control unit 12 of the processing apparatus 2. The processing program of the control unit 12 causes it to execute at least the holding step, the detection step, and the second processing step.

[0035] Prior to the holding process, the workpiece 102 is placed on the upper surface of the holding unit 4 by a required transporting means (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102 faces the upper surface of the holding unit 4, and the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102 is exposed upward.

[0036] <Holding process> In the holding process, the holding unit 4 holds the workpiece 102, which is the workpiece. In the illustrated embodiment, the holding unit 4 is a chuck table, and the upper surface of the holding unit 4 is connected to a suction means (not shown). By activating the suction means, the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102 is held by suction to the upper surface of the holding unit 4.

[0037] <1st processing step> The first machining process is performed after the holding process. Referring to Figure 3(a), in this process, first, the holding unit 4, which is a chuck table, is rotated, and the tip of the cutting blade 24 is positioned facing the first surface 104 at a required distance inward from the outer edge of the workpiece 102, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Next, while the holding unit 4 is still rotating, the machining unit 6 is gradually lowered at a required speed and gradually moved outward in the left-right direction relative to the workpiece 102, as shown by the arrow in Figure 3(a), to gradually cut the outer edge of the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102. If desired, the machining unit 6 may also be gradually raised at a required speed and gradually moved inward in the left-right direction from the outer edge of the workpiece 102 to gradually cut the outer edge of the first surface 104. In this way, the connection between the first surface 104 and the side surface 107 is machined, and the first chamfered portion 110 is formed at this connection.

[0038] <Reversal Process> A reversal process is performed after the first processing process. In this process, the workpiece 102 is reversed on the holding part 4. When the workpiece 102 is reversed, the rotation of the holding part 4 is stopped, and the holding of the workpiece 102 by the holding part 4 is temporarily released. The workpiece 102 may be reversed by the operator's fingers, or it may be reversed by an appropriate reversal mechanism (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, when the workpiece 102 is reversed, its first surface 104 faces the upper surface of the holding part 4 and its second surface 106 is exposed upwards. Thereafter, the holding part 4 is activated again, and the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102 is held by suction to the upper surface of the holding part 4.

[0039] <Detection Process> The detection process is performed after the inversion process. In this process, the imaging unit 8 detects the shape of the first chamfer 110 from a direction intersecting the first surface 104 and the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102. At this time, the holding unit 4 may be stopped or rotating. The position information (more specifically, the XY coordinate position information) of the inner peripheral edge 112 of the first chamfer 110 detected by the imaging unit 8 is stored in the RAM of the control unit 12 and referenced later. In the illustrated embodiment, since the workpiece 102 is made of SiC and is substantially transparent, as shown in Figure 3(b), the imaging unit 8 fixed to the spindle housing 22 of the processing unit 6 can detect the shape of the first chamfer 110 formed on the first surface 104 from above the workpiece 102, through its second surface 106. Furthermore, if the wafer is opaque, such as being made of silicon, the imaging unit 8 can be used as an IR camera to detect the shape of the first chamfer 110 formed on the first surface 104 even from above the wafer, through the second surface 106. In addition, by performing the necessary processing on the holding unit 4 to embed the imaging unit 8 in the holding unit 4, or by constructing the holding unit 4 from a transparent material, the imaging unit 8 can also detect the shape of the first chamfer 110 even from below the wafer.

[0040] <Pre-processing and pre-detection steps> In the illustrated embodiment, the pre-processing step and the pre-detection step are performed sequentially after the detection step. In the pre-processing step, a processing mark 114 is formed in the area to be removed by the second processing step. As will become clear in a later explanation, the area to be removed by the second processing step is the area on the second surface 106 that is outside the inner peripheral edge 112 of the first chamfered portion 110. As shown in Figure 3(c), the processing mark 114 is formed on the second surface 106 in the area outside the inner peripheral edge 112 of the first chamfered portion 110 that will be removed later. In the pre-detection step, the position of the processing mark 114 formed in the pre-processing step is detected. As shown in Figure 3(d), in the illustrated embodiment, the position of the processing mark 114 is detected by the imaging unit 8. By detecting the actual position where the machining marks 114 are formed and comparing this position (measured value) with the position instructed to the machining unit 6 (command value), the difference between the two can be determined. By feeding this difference back to the control unit 12 as alignment information, the machining unit 6 can be positioned at any desired location with good accuracy. If desired, a process similar to the pre-machining process and pre-detection process described above may be performed before the first machining process.

[0041] <Second processing process> The second machining process is performed after the detection process. In the illustrated embodiment, the above-mentioned pre-machining process and pre-detection process are performed. Referring to Figure 3(e), in this process, first, the holding unit 4, which is a chuck table, is rotated, and as shown by the dashed line in the figure, the tip of the cutting blade 24 is positioned opposite the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102 at the XY coordinate position of the inner peripheral edge 112 of the first chamfered portion 110 detected in the above-mentioned detection process. The above position information is stored in the RAM of the control unit 12. Next, while the holding unit 4 is still rotating, as shown by the arrow in Figure 3(e), the machining unit 6 is gradually lowered at the required speed and gradually moved outward in the left-right direction relative to the workpiece 102, gradually cutting the outer peripheral edge of the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102. If desired, the processing unit 6 may be gradually moved inward from the outer edge of the workpiece 102 in the left-right direction while being gradually raised at the required speed to gradually cut the outer edge of the second surface 106 of the workpiece 102. The left-right and up-down movement speeds of the processing unit 6 are the same as the respective movement speeds in the first processing step. Note that the above movement speeds do not necessarily have to be the same and may be changed as appropriate for the required reasons. In this way, the connection between the second surface 106 and the side surface 107 is processed, and a second chamfered portion 116 is formed at this connection. The second chamfered portion 116 and the first chamfered portion 110 formed in this manner have the same shape and are aligned in a plan view. Note that any burrs 108 remaining on the outer edge of the second surface 106 are removed when the second chamfered portion 116 is formed.

[0042] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the shape of the first chamfered portion 110 formed by processing the connection between the first surface 104 and the side surface 107 is detected, and the second chamfered portion 116 is formed by processing the connection between the second surface 106 and the side surface 107 based on this detection result. As a result, even if burrs 108 remain on the outer edge of the second surface 106, chamfered portions of the same shape can be formed at the same planar coordinate (XY coordinate) position on the first surface 104 and the second surface 106. In other words, according to this embodiment, wafers equipped with a first chamfered portion 110 and a second chamfered portion 116 formed with good accuracy are manufactured. Furthermore, the shape of the first chamfered portion 110 is detected from a direction intersecting the first surface 104 or the second surface 106. That is, the imaging unit 8 that detects the shape of the first chamfered portion 110 is arranged in a direction intersecting the first surface 104 or the second surface 106, so that the projection area of ​​the entire processing apparatus 2 including the imaging unit 8 onto the floor surface does not increase. In other words, the processing device 2 can be made more compact.

[0043] <Dividing process> In the illustrated embodiment, no chips were formed on the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102, but chips may be formed on the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102, and the chamfered portion may be formed while chips are formed. If chips are formed on the first surface 104 of the workpiece 102, the chips are manufactured by performing a splitting step to split the wafer manufactured by the manufacturing method described above. The splitting step is a well-known process, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted, but it is performed by cutting between the chips with a cutting blade or by focusing a laser between the chips. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, chips are manufactured from a wafer having a first chamfered portion and a second chamfered portion formed with good precision.

[0044] <<Other workpieces>> Figure 4 shows another workpiece 202 processed by the processing apparatus 2 described above. The workpiece 202 is also a thin circular plate and has a first surface 204 and a second surface 206 opposite to the first surface 204. The workpiece 202 further has an annular removal region 208 including the outer edge and a circular wafer region 210 defined outside of this removal region 208, i.e., inside the removal region 208, with its outer edge coinciding with the inner edge of the removal region 208. A wafer is manufactured by removing the removal region 208 from the workpiece 202. In Figure 4, the boundary 212 between the removal region 208 and the wafer region 210 is shown as a dashed line. This boundary 212 is circular.

[0045] <<Wafer manufacturing method>> The manufacturing method for producing a wafer from a workpiece 202 using the processing apparatus 2 described above will be explained below with reference to Figure 5, along with Figures 1 and 4. This manufacturing method includes a holding step, a first inclined surface formation step, a detection step, and a second inclined surface formation step. In the illustrated embodiment, it also includes an inversion step and a separation step. These steps are performed by the control unit 12 of the processing apparatus 2. Prior to the holding step, the workpiece 202 is placed on the upper surface of the holding unit 4 by a required transport means (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the second surface 206 of the workpiece 202 faces the upper surface of the holding unit 4, and the first surface 204 of the workpiece 202 is exposed upwards. The holding step is as described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0046] <First slope forming process> The first inclined surface formation process is performed after the holding process. If desired, the pre-processing process and pre-detection process described above may be performed prior to the first inclined surface formation process. Referring to Figure 5(a), in this process, first, the holding unit 4, which is a chuck table, is rotated, and the tip of the cutting blade 24 is positioned facing the first surface 204 at a required distance inward from the boundary 212 between the area to be removed 208 and the wafer area 210, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Next, while the holding unit 4 is still rotating, the processing unit 6 is gradually lowered at a required speed and moved outward in the left-right direction relative to the workpiece 102 to the boundary 212, as shown by the arrow in Figure 5(a), to gradually cut the first surface 204 of the workpiece 202. If desired, the processing unit 6 may be gradually raised at a required speed and moved inward in the left-right direction from the boundary 212 to gradually cut the first surface 204. Thus, a first inclined surface 214 is formed on the first surface 204, inclined in a direction away from the boundary 212 between the area to be removed 208 and the wafer area 210, and in a direction approaching the second surface 206, with the boundary 212 as the starting point. The first inclined surface 214 formed on the first surface 204 is inclined radially outward in a direction approaching the second surface 206.

[0047] <Inversion process and detection process> After the first inclined surface formation process is completed, the inversion process and the detection process are carried out sequentially. The inversion process is as described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The detection process is as described above, except that the imaging unit 8 detects the position information (more specifically, the XY coordinate position information) of the inner peripheral edge 216 of the first inclined surface 214, so a detailed explanation is omitted (Figure 5(b)).

[0048] <Second slope forming process> The second inclined surface formation process is performed after the detection process. If desired, the above-mentioned pre-processing process and pre-detection process may be performed prior to the second inclined surface formation process. Referring to Figure 5(c), in this process, first, the holding unit 4, which is a chuck table, is rotated, and as shown by the dashed line in the figure, the tip of the cutting blade 24 is positioned opposite the second surface 206 of the workpiece 202 at the XY coordinate position of the inner peripheral edge 216 of the first inclined surface detected in the above-mentioned detection process. The above position information is stored in the RAM of the control unit 12. Next, while the holding unit 4 is still rotating, as shown by the arrow in Figure 5(c), the processing unit 6 is gradually lowered at the required speed and gradually moved outward in the left-right direction relative to the workpiece 202, gradually cutting the second surface 106 of the workpiece 202. If desired, the processing unit 6 may be gradually moved inward in the left-right direction from the boundary 212 of the workpiece 102 while being gradually raised at the required speed to gradually cut the second surface 106 of the workpiece 202. The left-right movement speed and the up-down movement speed of the processing unit 6 are the same as the respective movement speeds in the first inclined surface formation step. Note that the above movement speeds do not necessarily have to be the same and may be changed as appropriate for the required reasons. Thus, a second inclined surface 218 is formed on the second surface 206, inclined in a direction away from the boundary 212 between the area to be removed 208 and the wafer area 210 and in a direction approaching the first surface 204, with the boundary 212 as the starting point. The second inclined surface 218 formed on the second surface 206 is inclined radially outward in a direction approaching the first surface 204. The second inclined surface 218 and the first inclined surface 214 formed in this way have the same shape and are aligned in a plan view.

[0049] <Separation process> A separation process is performed after the second inclined surface formation process. In this process, the first inclined surface 214 and the second inclined surface 218 are connected to separate the area to be removed 208 from the wafer area 210, thereby forming a wafer with a chamfered portion. As shown in Figure 5(c), in the illustrated embodiment, the cutting blade 24 of the processing unit 6 is applied to the boundary 212, and more specifically, to a position where the outer edge of the cutting blade 24 aligns with the boundary 212. By cutting the remaining portion of the workpiece 202 at this position, as shown in Figure 5(d), the first inclined surface 214 and the second inclined surface 218 are connected, and the area to be removed 208 from the wafer area 210 are separated. With the area to be removed 208 separated from the wafer area 210, the wafer area 210 becomes a wafer. Thus, a wafer is manufactured from the workpiece 202.

[0050] If desired, the outer edge of the first inclined surface 214 formed in the first inclined surface formation step and the outer edge of the second inclined surface 218 formed in the second inclined surface formation step may be connected. In this case, the removal area 208 and the wafer area 210 will be separated upon completion of the second inclined surface formation step. In other words, it is not necessarily required to perform a separate separation step after the second inclined surface formation step.

[0051] Therefore, according to this embodiment, a first inclined surface 214 formed on the first surface 204 is detected, and a second inclined surface 218 is formed on the second surface 206 based on the detection result. This makes it possible to form inclined surfaces of the same shape at the same planar coordinate (XY coordinate) position on the first surface 204 and the second surface 206. Subsequently, the first inclined surface 204 and the second inclined surface 206 are connected to separate the area to be removed 208 from the wafer area 210. As a result, wafers with first and second chamfered portions formed with good precision are manufactured. Furthermore, the first inclined surface 214 is detected from a direction intersecting the first surface 204 or the second surface 206. In other words, the imaging unit 6 that detects the first inclined surface 214 is positioned in a direction intersecting the first surface 204 or the second surface 204. This prevents the projection area of ​​the entire processing apparatus 2, including the imaging unit 6, onto the floor from becoming large. In other words, the processing apparatus 2 can be made compact.

[0052] <Dividing process> In the illustrated embodiment, no chips were formed on the first surface 204 of the workpiece 202. However, similar to the workpiece 102, chips may be formed on the first surface 204 of the workpiece 202, and the first inclined surface 214 and the second inclined surface 218 may be formed while chips are formed. If chips are formed on the first surface 204 of the workpiece 202, chips are manufactured by performing a splitting step to divide the wafer manufactured by the manufacturing method described above. Such a splitting step is as described above.

[0053] Although preferred embodiments of wafer manufacturing methods, chip manufacturing methods, and processing programs configured according to the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and appropriate modifications and changes can be made without departing from the present invention. In Figures 3 and 5, the tip of the cutting blade 24 extends substantially horizontally, that is, the cross-section of the tip of the cutting blade 24 is substantially a horizontally extending straight line, but such a cross-section may be arc-shaped. If the cross-section of the tip of the cutting blade 24 is arc-shaped, the above pre-detection step can be performed to align the entire cutting blade 24 and process it at a position corresponding to the tip shape of the cutting blade 24. In addition, in the illustrated embodiments, the longitudinal cross-sectional shapes of the first chamfered portion 110 and the second chamfered portion 116 and the first inclined surface 214 and the second inclined surface 218 were all straight lines, but these may all be arc-shaped (R-shaped). [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 2: Processing equipment 4: Holding part 6: Processing Unit 8: Imaging Unit 10: Mobile Unit 12: Control Unit 102: Workpiece 104: First side of workpiece 106: Second side of workpiece 107: Side of the workpiece 110: First chamfered section 112: Inner edge of the first chamfered section 116: Second chamfered section 202: Workpiece 204: First side of workpiece 206: Second side of workpiece 208: Area to be removed 210: Wafer area 212: Boundary between the area to be removed and the wafer area 214: 1st slope 216: Inner edge of the first inclined surface 218:Second slope

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a wafer having a chamfered portion by processing a workpiece having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, A first processing step involves processing the connection portion between the first surface and the side surface to form a first chamfered portion, A detection step for detecting the shape of the first chamfer formed in the first processing step from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface, A second processing step in which the connection portion between the second surface and the side surface is processed based on the detection result of the detection step to form a second chamfered portion, A wafer manufacturing method comprising [the specified features].

2. In this detection step, the position of the inner edge of the first chamfered portion is detected. The method for manufacturing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein the second processing step is performed based on the position of the inner periphery detected in the detection step.

3. The method for manufacturing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein the detection step involves detecting the shape of the first chamfered portion from the side of the second surface.

4. The method for manufacturing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein the detection step involves detecting the shape of the first chamfered portion from the side of the first surface.

5. The method for manufacturing a wafer according to claim 1, wherein in the second processing step, the first chamfered portion detected in the detection step and the second chamfered portion formed in the second processing step are processed so that they coincide in a plan view when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first or second surface.

6. A pre-processing step of forming processing marks on the area of ​​the first or second surface of the workpiece that is removed by the first or second processing step, The system further comprises a pre-detection step for detecting the location of the processing marks formed in the pre-processing step, The wafer manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in the first processing step or the second processing step, the processing position is corrected based on the position of the processing marks detected in the pre-detection step.

7. A method for manufacturing a wafer having a chamfered portion by processing a workpiece having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and having a region to be removed including the outer edge and a wafer region other than the region to be removed, thereby removing the region to be removed, A first inclined surface forming step is performed by processing from the side of the first surface, so that the surface is inclined in a direction away from the boundary between the area to be removed and the wafer area of ​​the first surface and in a direction approaching the second surface, thereby forming a first inclined surface starting from the boundary, A detection step for detecting the first inclined surface formed in the first inclined surface forming step from a direction intersecting the first surface or the second surface, A second processing step is performed to form a second inclined surface that slopes away from the boundary and towards the first surface by processing from the side of the second surface based on the detection result of the detection step, A wafer manufacturing method comprising [the specified features].

8. The wafer manufacturing method according to claim 7, further comprising a separation step of connecting the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface to separate the area to be removed from the wafer area and to form a wafer having a chamfered portion.

9. A method for manufacturing a chip by processing a wafer according to claim 1 or 7, comprising a division step of dividing the wafer to manufacture the chip.

10. A holding portion for holding a workpiece having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, A processing unit for processing the workpiece held in the holding part, The processing unit includes an imaging unit that is disposed within the processing unit and images the workpiece held in the holding unit, A moving part that moves the holding part and the processing unit relative to each other, Control unit and A processing program for a processing apparatus equipped with, A holding step of holding the workpiece, which has a first chamfer formed at the connection between the first surface and the side surface, with the second surface exposed to the side of the processing unit, A detection step of controlling the imaging unit to detect the shape of the first chamfered portion, A second processing step involves controlling at least the processing unit and the moving part to process the connection between the second surface and the side surface based on the detection result of the detection step to form a second chamfered portion, A machining program that instructs the control unit to execute.

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