Separation device and separation method

Abstract

A separating device separates an object to be processed into a first separated body and a second separated body. The separating device includes: a first holding portion that holds the first separated body; a second holding portion that holds the second separated body; a moving portion that relatively moves the first holding portion and the second holding portion; and a separating surface cleaning portion that cleans at least the separating surface of the first separated body or the separating surface of the second separated body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a separation device and a separation method. Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a processing method of a stacked wafer in which a first wafer is stacked on a second wafer is disclosed. In this processing method, while positioning the condensing point of a laser beam inside the first wafer and irradiating the laser beam to the condensing point, the first wafer is relatively moved in a horizontal direction with respect to the condensing point to form a modified surface inside the first wafer, and then a part of the first wafer is separated from the stacked wafer with the modified surface as a boundary.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-32690 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The technology related to the present disclosure appropriately separates an object to be processed into a first separated body and a second separated body.

[0008] Solutions to the Problems

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a separation device that separates an object to be processed into a first separated body and a second separated body, the separation device including: a first holding unit that holds the first separated body; a second holding unit that holds the second separated body; a moving unit that relatively moves the first holding unit and the second holding unit; and a separation surface cleaning unit that cleans at least the separation surface of the first separated body or the separation surface of the second separated body.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, an object to be processed can be appropriately separated into a first separated body and a second separated body. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 It is a top view schematically showing an outline of the structure of a wafer processing system according to the present embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a side view schematically showing an outline of the structure of a wafer processing system according to the present embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a side view showing an outline of the structure of a superposed wafer.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a side view showing an outline of a structure of a part of a superposed wafer.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a top view showing an outline of a structure of a separating device.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a top view showing an outline of a structure of a separating processing unit.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a side view showing an outline of a structure of a separating processing unit.

[0019] Figure 8 It is a side view showing an outline of structures of a separating processing unit and a conveying unit.

[0020] Figure 9 It is a flowchart showing main processes of wafer processing.

[0021] Figure 10 It is an explanatory diagram of main processes of wafer processing.

[0022] Figure 11 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where an outer peripheral portion of a device layer of a processed wafer is modified.

[0023] Figure 12 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where a peripheral modification layer is formed on a processed wafer.

[0024] Figure 13 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where a peripheral modification layer has been formed on a processed wafer.

[0025] Figure 14 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where an inner surface modification layer is formed on a processed wafer.

[0026] Figure 15 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where an inner surface modification layer is formed on a processed wafer.

[0027] Figure 16 It is an explanatory diagram of main processes of separation processing.

[0028] Figure 17 It is an explanatory diagram showing a case where a processed wafer is held by a second holding unit.

[0029] Figure 18 It is an explanatory diagram of main processes of an unloading process of a second separated wafer.

[0030] Figure 19 It is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a conveying pad of a conveying unit and a conveying arm of a wafer conveying device.

[0031] Figure 20It is an explanatory diagram of the main process of the carry-out process of the first separated wafer.

[0032] Figure 21 It is a side view showing an outline of the structure of a separation surface cleaning unit according to another embodiment.

[0033] Figure 22 It is a side view showing an outline of the structure of a separation surface cleaning unit according to another embodiment.

[0034] Figure 23 It is an explanatory diagram of the main process of the cleaning process of the second separated wafer according to another embodiment.

[0035] Figure 24 It is an explanatory diagram of the main process of the cleaning process of the first separated wafer according to another embodiment.

[0036] Figure 25 It is a top view showing an outline of the structure of a separation device according to another embodiment.

[0037] Figure 26 It is a top view showing an outline of the structure of a separation device according to another embodiment. Detailed Embodiment

[0038] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) having a plurality of devices formed on its surface is thinned. There are various wafer thinning methods. For example, there is a method of grinding the back surface of the wafer, and a method of irradiating a laser beam (laser) into the wafer to form a modified surface (modified layer) as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and separating the wafer based on the modified layer.

[0039] Here, in the case of separating the wafer based on the modified layer as described above, dust, debris, etc. may adhere to the separation surface of the wafer. When the wafer is transferred to the processing device of the next process in a state where dust and debris are attached like this, contamination inside the device in the transfer path, contamination of the transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer, contamination inside the processing device of the next process, etc. may occur. However, in Patent Document 1, there is no disclosure on how to handle the separated wafer, nor any hint is given. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the conventional wafer separation process.

[0040] The technology according to the present disclosure appropriately separates the object to be processed. Hereinafter, a wafer processing system and a wafer processing method including the separation device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional structure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0041] First, the structure of the wafer processing system according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 It is a top view schematically showing the outline of the structure of the wafer processing system 1. Figure 2 It is a side view schematically showing the outline of the structure of the wafer processing system 1.

[0042] In the wafer processing system 1, a stacked wafer T formed by bonding a processing wafer W, which is an object to be processed, and a support wafer S as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 is processed. Further, in the wafer processing system 1, the peripheral portion We of the processing wafer W is removed, and the processing wafer W is thinned. Hereinafter, the surface of the processing wafer W that is bonded to the support wafer S is referred to as the surface Wa, and the surface on the side opposite to the surface Wa is referred to as the back surface Wb. Similarly, the surface of the support wafer S that is bonded to the processing wafer W is referred to as the surface Sa, and the surface on the side opposite to the surface Sa is referred to as the back surface Sb.

[0043] The processing wafer W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon substrate, and a device layer D including a plurality of devices is formed on the surface Wa. In addition, an oxide film Fw, for example, a SiO2 film (TEOS film), is also formed on the device layer D. Further, the peripheral portion We of the processing wafer W has been chamfered, and the thickness of the cross section of the peripheral portion We becomes smaller as it goes toward the front end of the peripheral portion We. In addition, the peripheral portion We is a portion to be removed in edge trimming, and is, for example, in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm in the radial direction from the outer end portion of the processing wafer W. Edge trimming is a process for preventing the peripheral portion We of the processing wafer W from becoming a sharp shape (so-called blade shape) after the processing wafer W is separated as described later.

[0044] In addition, in the wafer processing system 1 of this embodiment, the processing wafer W in the stacked wafer T is separated. In the following description, the processing wafer W on the surface Wa side after separation is referred to as a first separated wafer W1 as a first separated body, and the processing wafer W on the back surface Wb side after separation is referred to as a second separated wafer W2 as a second separated body. The first separated wafer W1 has the device layer D and is commercialized. The second separated wafer W2 is reused. In the following description, sometimes the first separated wafer W1 represents the processing wafer W in a state of being supported by the support wafer S, and is referred to as the first separated wafer W1 including the support wafer S. In addition, the separated surface in the first separated wafer W1 is referred to as a separation surface W1a, and the separated surface in the second separated wafer W2 is referred to as a separation surface W2a.

[0045] The support wafer S is a wafer for supporting the processed wafer W, such as a silicon wafer. An oxide film Fs, such as a SiO2 film (TEOS film), is formed on the surface Sa of the support wafer S. In addition, when a plurality of devices are formed on the surface Sa of the support wafer S, a device layer (not shown) is formed on the surface Sa in the same manner as the processed wafer W.

[0046] In addition, Figure 3 in order to avoid complication in the illustration, the illustration of the device layer D and the oxide films Fw and Fs is omitted. Also, in other drawings used in the following description, the illustration of these device layer D and oxide films Fw and Fs may sometimes be omitted as well.

[0047] As Figure 1 shown, the wafer processing system 1 has a structure obtained by integrating the loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are arranged from the negative X-axis side to the positive X-axis side. The loading / unloading station 2, for example, performs loading and unloading of the cassettes Ct, Cw1, and Cw2 with respect to the outside. The cassettes Ct, Cw1, and Cw2 can each accommodate a plurality of stacked wafers T, a plurality of first separated wafers W1, and a plurality of second separated wafers W2. The processing station 3 includes various processing devices for performing desired processing on the stacked wafers T, the separated wafers W1, and W2.

[0048] In addition, in the present embodiment, the cassette Ct and the cassette Cw1 are provided separately, but they can be the same cassette. That is, the cassette for accommodating the stacked wafers T before processing and the cassette for accommodating the first separated wafers W1 after processing can be shared and used.

[0049] A cassette mounting table 10 is provided at the loading / unloading station 2. In the illustrated example, on the cassette mounting table 10, a plurality of, for example, three cassettes Ct, Cw1, and Cw2 are freely mounted in a row along the Y-axis direction. In addition, the number of the cassettes Ct, Cw1, and Cw2 mounted on the cassette mounting table 10 is not limited to the present embodiment and can be arbitrarily determined.

[0050] On the positive X-axis side of the cassette mounting table 10 at the loading / unloading station 2, a wafer transfer area 20 is provided adjacent to the cassette mounting table 10. A wafer transfer device 22 that is movable along a transfer path 21 extending in the Y-axis direction is provided in the wafer transfer area 20. The wafer transfer device 22 has two transfer arms 23, 23 for holding and transferring the stacked wafers T, the separated wafers W1, and W2. Each transfer arm 23 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and to be rotatable about the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. In addition, the structure of the transfer arm 23 is not limited to the present embodiment and any structure can be adopted. Moreover, the wafer transfer device 22 is configured to be able to transfer the stacked wafers T, the separated wafers W1, and W2 to the cassettes Ct, Cw1, and Cw2 on the cassette mounting table 10 and a transfer device 30 described later.

[0051] On the positive X-axis side of the wafer transfer area 20 in the load / unload station 2, a transfer device 30 for handing over stacked wafers T and separating wafers W1 and W2 is provided adjacent to the wafer transfer area 20.

[0052] In the processing station 3, for example, three processing blocks G1 to G3 are provided. The first processing block G1, the second processing block G2, and the third processing block G3 are arranged and configured in the described order from the negative X-axis side (the load / unload station 2 side) to the positive direction side.

[0053] In the first processing block G1, an etching device 40, a cleaning device 41, and a wafer transfer device 50 are provided. The etching device 40 is provided on the side closer to the load / unload station 2 in the first processing block G1 in a manner of having two columns in the X-axis direction and three layers in the vertical direction. That is, in the present embodiment, six etching devices 40 are provided. The cleaning device 41 is provided on the positive X-axis side of the etching device 40 in a manner of being stacked in three layers in the vertical direction. The wafer transfer device 50 is arranged on the positive Y-axis side of the etching device 40 and the cleaning device 41. In addition, the number and arrangement of the etching device 40, the cleaning device 41, and the wafer transfer device 50 are not limited to this.

[0054] The etching device 40 etches the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 or the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2. For example, an etching solution (chemical solution) is supplied to the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a to perform wet etching on the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a. As the etching solution, for example, HF, HNO3, H3PO4, TMAH, Choline, KOH, etc. are used.

[0055] The cleaning device 41 cleans the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 or the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2. For example, a brush is brought into contact with the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a to brush the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a. In addition, the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a can also be cleaned using a pressurized cleaning solution. Also, when cleaning the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a, the opposite back surface Sb or back surface Wb can also be cleaned.

[0056] The wafer transfer device 50 has two transfer arms 51, 51 that hold and transfer the stacked wafers T, and separate wafers W1, W2. Each transfer arm 51 is configured to be movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable about the horizontal and vertical axes. In addition, the structure of the transfer arm 51 is not limited to this embodiment, and any structure can be adopted. The wafer transfer device 50 is movable on a transfer path 52 extending in the X-axis direction. Moreover, the wafer transfer device 50 is configured to be able to transfer the stacked wafers T, and separate wafers W1, W2 to each processing device of the transfer device 30, the first processing block G1, and the second processing block G2.

[0057] An alignment device 60, a separation device 61, and a wafer transfer device 70 are provided in the second processing block G2. The alignment device 60 and the separation device 61 are provided so as to be stacked from vertically above downward. The wafer transfer device 70 is disposed on the negative Y-axis side of the alignment device 60 and the separation device 61. In addition, the number and arrangement of the alignment device 60, the separation device 61, and the wafer transfer device 70 are not limited to this.

[0058] The alignment device 60 adjusts the orientation and center position of the processing wafer W in the horizontal direction before laser processing. For example, while rotating the processing wafer W held by a rotating chuck (not shown), the position of the notch portion of the processing wafer W is detected by a detection unit (not shown), and the position of the notch portion is adjusted to adjust the orientation and center position of the processing wafer W in the horizontal direction.

[0059] The separation device 61 separates the processing wafer W into a first separated wafer W1 and a second separated wafer W2 based on a peripheral modification layer and an inner surface modification layer formed by an internal modification device 81 described later. The specific structure of the separation device 61 will be described later.

[0060] The wafer transfer device 70 has two transfer arms 71, 71 that hold and transfer the stacked wafers T, and separate wafers W1, W2. Each transfer arm 71 is configured to be movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable about the horizontal and vertical axes. In addition, the structure of the transfer arm 71 is not limited to this embodiment, and any structure can be adopted. Also, the number of transfer arms 71 in the wafer transfer device 70 is not limited to this embodiment, and any number of transfer arms 71 can be provided, for example, one. Moreover, it is configured to be able to transfer the stacked wafers T, and separate wafers W1, W2 to each processing device of the first processing block G1 to the third processing block G3.

[0061] A surface modification device 80 and an internal modification device 81 are provided in the third processing block G3. The surface modification device 80 and the internal modification device 81 are provided so as to be stacked from vertically above downward. In addition, the number and arrangement of the surface modification device 80 and the internal modification device 81 are not limited to this.

[0062] The surface modification device 80 irradiates a laser on the outer peripheral portion of the device layer D of the processing wafer W to modify the outer peripheral portion. As the laser, a laser having a wavelength that is transmissive to the processing wafer W (CO2 laser) is used.

[0063] The internal modification device 81 irradiates a laser on the inside of the processing wafer W to form a peripheral modification layer and an inner surface modification layer. As the laser, a laser having a wavelength that is transmissive to the processing wafer W (YAG laser) is used. In addition, the peripheral modification layer and the inner surface modification layer serve as the base points when separating the processing wafer W into the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2.

[0064] In the above-described wafer processing system 1, a control device 90 is provided. The control device 90 is, for example, a computer including a CPU, a memory, etc., and the control device 90 has a program storage unit (not shown). A program for controlling the processing of the stacked wafer T, the separated wafers W1 and W2 in the wafer processing system 1 is stored in the program storage unit. In addition, a program for controlling the operations of the above-described various processing devices, transfer devices, etc. of the drive system to implement the wafer processing described later in the wafer processing system 1 is also stored in the program storage unit. Further, the above program can be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium H and installed from the storage medium H to the control device 90.

[0065] Next, the above-described separation device 61 will be described. Figure 5 It is a top view showing an outline of the structure of the separation device 61.

[0066] The separation device 61 has a processing container 100 that can be hermetically sealed inside. An inlet / outlet for the stacked wafer T, the separated wafers W1 and W2 is formed on the side surface of the processing container 100 (not shown), and an opening / closing shutter (not shown) is provided at the inlet / outlet.

[0067] Inside the separation device 61, a separation processing unit 110, a pad cleaning unit 111, and a transfer unit 112 are provided. In the separation processing unit 110, the processing wafer W is separated into the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2. In the pad cleaning unit 111, a transfer pad 192 (described later) of the transfer unit 112 is cleaned. The transfer unit 112 exchanges the second separated wafer W2 between the separation processing unit 110 and the wafer transfer device 70.

[0068] Figure 6 It is a top view showing an outline of the structure of the separation processing unit 110. Figure 7 It is a side view showing an outline of the structure of the separation processing unit 110. Figure 8 It is a side view showing an outline of the structures of the separation processing unit 110 and the transfer unit 112.

[0069] The separation processing unit 110 includes a first holding unit 120, a second holding unit 121, a load sensor 130, a mounting table 140, a support pin 150, a cutting tool 160, a separation surface cleaning unit 170, and a transfer unit 180.

[0070] The first holding unit 120 is disposed below the second holding unit 121. The first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121 hold the superposed wafers T before the wafer W to be separated, with the processing wafer W facing upward. That is, the first holding unit 120 adsorbs and holds the first separated wafer W1 (support wafer S), and the second holding unit 121 adsorbs and holds the second separated wafer W2.

[0071] The first holding unit 120 is a suction cup having a substantially circular plate shape and is connected to a suction device (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. The first holding unit 120 has a diameter larger than that of the first separated wafer W1 and adsorbs and holds the first separated wafer W1 through its entire upper surface.

[0072] The second holding unit 121 is a suction cup having a substantially circular plate shape and is connected to a suction device (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. The second holding unit 121 has a diameter smaller than that of the second separated wafer W2. Specifically, as described later, it has a diameter smaller than the peripheral modified layer formed on the processing wafer W. Further, the second holding unit 121 adsorbs and holds the position of the second separated wafer W2 inside the peripheral modified layer through its lower surface.

[0073] The lower surface of the first holding unit 120 is supported by the mounting table 140 via the load sensor 130 serving as a load measuring unit. For example, three load sensors 130 for detecting the force (load) acting on the first holding unit 120 are provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the first holding unit 120 and on a concentric circle of the first holding unit 120. In addition, the number and arrangement of the load sensors 130 are not limited to this. For example, the load sensor 130 may also be provided at the center of the first holding unit 120.

[0074] In addition, as described later, the load sensor 130 measures the load when separating the processing wafer W, but it can also be used when installing the separation device 61. For example, in a state where the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121 do not hold the superposed wafers T (processing wafer W, support wafer S), the first holding unit 120 is brought into contact with the second holding unit 121, and the position where the load is measured by the load sensor 130 is set as the reference position (zero position).

[0075] The mounting table 140 is supported by a support member 141. The mounting table 140 (the first holding part 120) is configured to be movable up and down along a guide rail 142 extending in the vertical direction by a lifting mechanism 143. The lifting mechanism 143 has, for example, a motor (not shown), a ball screw (not shown), a guide member (not shown), and the like. In addition, in the present embodiment, the guide rail 142 and the lifting mechanism 143 correspond to the moving part of the present disclosure.

[0076] Support pins 150 extending in the vertical direction are provided on the bottom surface of the separation processing unit 110. For example, three support pins 150 are provided so as to pass through a through hole 120a of the first holding part 120 and a through hole 140a of the mounting table 140. In a state where the mounting table 140 is raised, the front end portion of the support pin 150 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the first holding part 120, and the first separated wafer W1 (support wafer S) is supported by the support pin 150. In addition, in a state where the mounting table 140 is lowered, the front end portion of the support pin 150 is located below the upper surface of the first holding part 120.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first separated wafer W1 is transferred to the support pin 150 by raising and lowering the mounting table 140, but the support pin 150 may be raised and lowered. In addition, a pad (not shown) for sucking and holding the first separated wafer W1 may be used instead of the support pin 150.

[0078] A cutter 160 as an insertion part is provided between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121 and is inserted into the stacked wafer T (specifically, the interface between the processing wafer W and the support wafer S as described later). A plurality of, for example, three cutters 160 are provided at equal intervals on the side of the second holding part 121 and on the concentric circle of the second holding part 121. In addition, the cutter 160 is configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable on the outer side surface of the stacked wafer T held by the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. In addition, the number and arrangement of the cutters 160 are not limited to this. In addition, the moving method of the cutter 160 is also arbitrary. And, for example, when the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2 can be separated without inserting the cutter 160, the cutter 160 may be omitted.

[0079] A separation surface cleaning unit 170 for cleaning the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 and the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2 is provided between the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121. The separation surface cleaning unit 170 has a cleaning nozzle 171 and a suction nozzle 172. The cleaning nozzle 171 supplies, for example, air as the cleaning fluid. The suction nozzle 172 sucks the air supplied from the cleaning nozzle 171. The cleaning nozzle 171 and the suction nozzle 172 are each configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable with respect to the space between the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121.

[0080] In addition, in the present embodiment, air is used as the cleaning fluid, but it is not limited thereto. For example, a cleaning liquid such as pure water or a two-fluid can also be used. Further, when the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are cleaned using a cleaning liquid, the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121 can be rotated to shake off the remaining cleaning liquid after cleaning, thereby performing drying.

[0081] A transfer unit 180 for transferring the second separated wafer W2 from the second holding unit 121 to the transfer unit 112 is provided between the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121. A tapered portion 180a whose diameter gradually decreases in a conical shape as it goes from the upper end to the lower end is formed at the upper end of the transfer unit 180 when viewed in side view. A stepped portion 180b protruding radially inward is formed at the lower end of the transfer unit 180. The inner diameter of the upper end of the tapered portion 180a is larger than the diameter of the second separated wafer W2, and the inner diameter of the lower end of the tapered portion 180a is almost the same as the diameter of the second separated wafer W2. And, the inner diameter of the stepped portion 180b is smaller than the diameter of the second separated wafer W2. Moreover, the second separated wafer W2 falls from the second holding unit 121 and is guided by the tapered portion 180a and placed on the stepped portion 180b. By doing so, the second separated wafer W2 is held on the transfer unit 180 while its center position (centering) is adjusted by the transfer unit 180. In addition, the transfer unit 180 is configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable with respect to the space between the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121.

[0082] The transfer unit 112 is an articulated robot having a plurality of, for example, two arms 190 and 191. A transfer pad 192 for adsorbing and holding the central portion of the second separated wafer W2 is mounted on the first arm 190 at the front end of the two arms 190 and 191. In addition, the second arm 191 at the proximal end is mounted on the moving mechanism 193. By the moving mechanism 193, the arms 190 and 191 and the transfer pad 192 are configured to be movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the transfer pad 192 is configured to be rotatable about the arms 190 and 191. In addition, in the present embodiment, one transfer pad 192 is provided on the first arm 190, but two transfer pads 192 may be provided on both surfaces of the first arm 190. In addition, in the present embodiment, the transfer portion 180 and the transfer unit 112 correspond to the rotating portion of the present disclosure. And, in the present embodiment, the transfer unit 112 is an articulated robot, but is not limited thereto, and any structure can be adopted.

[0083] The pad cleaning unit 111 cleans the transfer pad 192 of the transfer unit 112. The pad cleaning unit 111 has, for example, cleaning tools such as a stone cleaning tool (not shown) and a brush cleaning tool (not shown). Then, the cleaning tool is brought into contact with the adsorption surface of the transfer pad 192 to clean the transfer pad 192. In addition, the cleaning method of the transfer pad 192 by the pad cleaning unit 111 is not limited thereto. For example, air, cleaning liquid, two-fluid, etc. may be supplied to the adsorption surface of the transfer pad 192 to clean the transfer pad 192.

[0084] Next, the wafer processing performed using the wafer processing system 1 configured as described above will be described. Figure 9 It is a flowchart showing the main processes of wafer processing. Figure 10 It is an explanatory diagram of the main processes of wafer processing. In addition, in the present embodiment, in a bonding device (not shown) outside the wafer processing system 1, the processing wafer W and the support wafer S are bonded in advance to form a superposed wafer T.

[0085] First, a cassette Ct containing a plurality of Figure 10 superposed wafers T shown in (a) is placed on the cassette mounting table 10 of the loading / unloading station 2.

[0086] Next, the superposed wafer T in the cassette Ct is taken out by the wafer transfer device 22 and transferred to the transfer device 30. Next, the superposed wafer T on the transfer device 30 is taken out by the wafer transfer device 50 and transferred to the alignment device 60. In the alignment device 60, the orientation and the center position in the horizontal direction of the processing wafer W in the superposed wafer T are adjusted ( Figure 9 step A1).

[0087] Next, the superposed wafer T is transferred to the surface modification device 80 by the wafer transfer device 70. In the surface modification device 80, asFigure 11 As shown, a laser L1 is irradiated from a laser head (not shown) to the outer peripheral portion De of the device layer D to modify the outer peripheral portion De ( Figure 9 step A2). More specifically, the interface between the processing wafer W and the device layer D is modified. In addition, in the present embodiment, the interface side between the outer peripheral portion De and the processing wafer W is modified, but the entire outer peripheral portion De of the device layer D may be modified, or the modification may be performed up to the oxide film Fw.

[0088] When the outer peripheral portion De is modified in step A2, the bonding strength decreases, and a bonding region Aa where the oxide film Fw and the oxide film Fs are bonded together is formed at the interface between the processing wafer W and the device layer D, and a non-bonding region Ab, which is the region radially outside the bonding region Aa. In the subsequent separation process of the processing wafer W, as edge trimming, the peripheral portion We is removed from the first separated wafer W1. By having such a non-bonding region Ab, the peripheral portion We can be appropriately removed. In addition, preferably, the outer end of the bonding region Aa is located slightly radially outside the inner end of the peripheral portion We to be removed.

[0089] Next, the stacked wafer T is transferred to the internal modification device 81 by the wafer transfer device 70. In the internal modification device 81, as Figure 10 shown in (b), a peripheral modification layer M1 is formed inside the processing wafer W ( Figure 9 step A3), and as Figure 10 shown in (c), an internal surface modification layer M2 is formed ( Figure 9 step A4). The peripheral modification layer M1 serves as a base point when removing the peripheral portion We in edge trimming. The internal surface modification layer M2 serves as a base point for separating and thinning the processing wafer W.

[0090] In the internal modification device 81, first, as Figure 12 and Figure 13 shown, a laser L2 (peripheral laser L2) is irradiated from a laser head (not shown) to form a peripheral modification layer M1 at the boundary between the peripheral portion We and the central portion Wc of the processing wafer W ( Figure 9 step A3). Specifically, for example, while rotating the processing wafer W, the laser L2 is irradiated to form an annular peripheral modification layer M1. In addition, inside the processing wafer W, the crack C1 starting from the peripheral modification layer M1 extends only to the surface Wa and does not reach the back surface Wb.

[0091] Next, as Figure 14 and Figure 15 shown, a laser L3 (internal surface laser L3) is irradiated from a laser head (not shown) to form an internal surface modification layer M2 in the plane direction ( Figure 9Step A4). Specifically, for example, while rotating the processing wafer W one full turn (360 degrees), the laser L3 is irradiated to form an annular inner surface modification layer M2. After that, the laser head is moved radially inward of the processing wafer W. The formation of the annular inner surface modification layer M2 and the movement of the laser head toward the radial inside are repeated to form the inner surface modification layer M2 in the surface direction. Further, inside the processing wafer W, a crack C2 extends in the surface direction from the inner surface modification layer M2. The crack C2 extends only inside the peripheral modification layer M1.

[0092] Further, in the present embodiment, after modifying the outer peripheral portion De of the device layer D in step A2, the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 are formed in steps A3 and A4, but this order can be reversed. That is, the outer peripheral portion De can also be modified after forming the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2.

[0093] Next, the stacked wafer T is transferred to the separation device 61 by the wafer transfer device 70. In the separation device 61, as Figure 10 shown in (d), the processing wafer W is separated into a first separated wafer W1 and a second separated wafer W2 with the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 as the bases ( Figure 9 step A5). At this time, the peripheral portion We is also removed from the first separated wafer W1.

[0094] In the separation device 61, first, the stacked wafer T is handed over from the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer device 70 to the support pin 150. Next, the first holding portion 120 is raised via the mounting table 140 so that the stacked wafer T is handed over from the support pin 150 to the first holding portion 120 and is adsorbed and held by the first holding portion 120. Then, as Figure 16 shown in (a), the first holding portion 120 is raised to adsorb and hold the support wafer S (on the side of the first separated wafer W1) in the stacked wafer T by the first holding portion 120, and the processing wafer W (on the side of the second separated wafer W2) is adsorbed and held by the second holding portion 121.

[0095] At this time, as Figure 17As shown, the second holding part 121 adsorbs and holds a position on the processed wafer W that is more inward than the peripheral modification layer M1 formed on the processed wafer W. In the present embodiment, the outer end of the second holding part 121 is maintained at a position inside the peripheral modification layer M1. That is, the diameter of the second holding part 121 is smaller than the diameter of the peripheral modification layer M1. Here, the peripheral part We of the processed wafer W irradiated with the lasers L2 and L3 may be warped. In this case, it is difficult for the second holding part 121 to adsorb and hold the entire surface of the processed wafer W. In addition, damage may be caused to the processed wafer W due to the load when the processed wafer W is adsorbed by the second holding part 121. In particular, in the present embodiment, since there is a step formed in the second separated wafer W2 due to the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2, damage may also be caused to this step portion. Regarding this point, as in the present embodiment, the second holding part 121 adsorbs and holds the inside of the warped peripheral modification layer M1 (the inside of the peripheral part We), so that the processed wafer W can be appropriately held, and damage to the processed wafer W can also be suppressed. In addition, the outer end of the second holding part 121, that is, the outer end of the second holding part 121 with respect to the processed wafer W held by the second holding part 121 may also coincide with the peripheral modification layer M1.

[0096] In addition, when the stacked wafer T is adsorbed and held by the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121 in this way, the stacked wafer T is pressed and a load acts. In the present embodiment, the load sensors 130 are used to measure and monitor the loads applied to the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Then, the load applied to the stacked wafer T can be converged within an allowable range, so that damage to the stacked wafer T can be suppressed. In addition, since a plurality of load sensors 130 are provided, the load distribution within the wafer surface can be measured, so that it can be confirmed whether the processed wafer W is uniformly pressed within the surface. In addition, as described above, the reference position (zero position) of the first holding part 120 is determined at the time of installation, and the height when the first holding part 120 is raised is controlled, but the height of the first holding part 120 can also be controlled using the load measurement result of the load sensors 130.

[0097] Moreover, the pressures are measured and monitored by pressure sensors (not shown) respectively provided in the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Then, it can be confirmed whether the stacked wafer T is appropriately adsorbed and held by the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121 respectively.

[0098] Next, as Figure 16 shown in (b) of, the cutter 160 is inserted into the interface between the processed wafer W and the support wafer S, and the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2 are cut off with the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 as the bases.

[0099] Next, as shown in Figure 16 (c) of Figure 16 , lower the first holding part 120 to separate the first separated wafer W1 held by the first holding part 120 from the second separated wafer W2 held by the second holding part 121.

[0100] When separating the processing wafer W in this way, use the load sensor 130 to measure and monitor the load applied to the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Thus, the load applied to the processing wafer W can be converged within the allowable range, thereby suppressing damage to the processing wafer W. In addition, since a plurality of load sensors 130 are provided, the load distribution within the wafer surface can be measured, and thus it can be confirmed whether the processing wafer W is separated uniformly within the surface.

[0101] Moreover, measure and monitor the pressure by pressure sensors (not shown) respectively provided on the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Thus, it is possible to detect whether there are the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2 on the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121 respectively, and to confirm whether the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2 are separated.

[0102] Next, as shown in Figure 16 (d) of Figure 16 , arrange the cleaning nozzle 171 and the suction nozzle 172 to move between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Next, supply air from the cleaning nozzle 171 and suck air from the suction nozzle 172. Thus, an air flow from the cleaning nozzle 171 toward the suction nozzle 172 is formed between the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2. Remove dust and debris (particles) attached to the separation surfaces W1a, W2a by this air, thereby cleaning the separation surfaces W1a, W2a ( Figure 9 step A6 of Figure 9 ).

[0103] In addition, when cleaning the separation surfaces W1a, W2a in step A6, it is preferable that the space between the separation surfaces W1a, W2a is as small as possible. In this case, the flow velocity of the air flowing in this space can be increased, and this space can also be filled with air. Therefore, the separation surfaces W1a, W2a can be cleaned more efficiently.

[0104] Next, take out the separated first separated wafer W1 and second separated wafer W2 from the separation device 61. As described above, clean the separation surfaces W1a, W2a in step A6. In this embodiment, the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2 are transported in such a way that the separation surfaces W1a, W2a are not held, so as to more reliably avoid contamination inside the device.

[0105] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of taking out the second separated wafer W2 from the separation device 61. First, as shown in Figure 18 (a) of FIG., the transfer portion 180 is moved between the first holding portion 120 and the second holding portion 121 and disposed below the second separated wafer W2. Next, the adsorption and holding of the second separated wafer W2 by the second holding portion 121 is stopped, and the second separated wafer W2 is transferred from the second holding portion 121 to the transfer portion 180 ( Figure 9 step A7).

[0106] Next, after the transfer portion 180 holding the second separated wafer W2 is lowered as shown in Figure 18 (b) of FIG., the transfer pad 192 of the transfer unit 112 is moved between the second holding portion 121 and the transfer portion 180. Then, the central portion of the back surface Wb of the second separated wafer W2 is adsorbed and held by the transfer pad 192. After that, as shown in Figure 18 (c) of FIG., the transfer pad 192 is retracted from below the second holding portion 121, and as shown in Figure 18 (d) of FIG., the front and back surfaces of the second separated wafer W2 are flipped by the transfer pad 192 ( Figure 9 step A8). That is, the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2 faces upward.

[0107] Next, as shown in Figure 18 (d) of FIG., the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer device 70 is moved below the transfer pad 192. After that, as shown in Figure 18 (e) of FIG., the transfer arm 71 is raised to transfer the second separated wafer W2 from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71 ( Figure 9 step A9). In addition, at this time, the transfer pad 192 may also be lowered to transfer the second separated wafer W2 from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71. In this way, the second separated wafer W2 is taken out from the separation device 61 by the wafer transfer device 70.

[0108] Here, as shown in Figure 19 , the transfer arm 71 has a fork shape with two front end portions 72b, 72b branching from the base end portion 71a. Adsorption pads 72 for adsorbing and holding the second separated wafer W2 are provided at the base end portion 71a and the front end portions 72b, 72b respectively. Moreover, in the present embodiment, when viewed from above, the transfer pad 192 and the first arm 190 are received between the two front end portions 72b, 72b. Therefore, when the second separated wafer W2 is transferred in step A9, the transfer arm 71 does not interfere with the transfer unit 112.

[0109] In addition, in the present embodiment, the second separated wafer W2 is directly transferred from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71 in step A9. However, for example, the second separated wafer W2 may be temporarily placed on a standby unit (not shown) from the transfer pad 192 and then received by the transfer arm 71. However, directly transferring the second separated wafer W2 from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71 can suppress the deviation of the second separated wafer W2.

[0110] Figure 20 It is an explanatory diagram showing the process of taking out the first separated wafer W1 from the separation device 61. First, as Figure 20 shown in (a) of Figure 9 , the first holding unit 120 is lowered to transfer the first separated wafer W1 from the first holding unit 120 to the support pin 150 (

[0111] step A10 of Figure 20 ). Figure 20 Next, as Figure 9 shown in (b) of

[0112] , the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer device 70 is moved to the lower side of the first separated wafer W1. After that, as

[0113] shown in (c) of Figure 10 , the transfer arm 71 is raised to transfer the first separated wafer W1 from the support pin 150 to the transfer arm 71 ( Figure 9 step A11 of

[0114] ). In this way, the first separated wafer W1 is taken out from the separation device 61 by the wafer transfer device 70.

[0115] Next, the second separated wafer W2 is transferred to the etching apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 50. In the etching apparatus 40, as shown in (f) of Figure 10 , the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2 is wet-etched with the etching liquid E ( Figure 9 step A13).

[0116] In step A13, while the second separated wafer W2 is held in a rotating manner by a rotating chuck (not shown), the etching liquid E is supplied from a nozzle 210 disposed above the second separated wafer W2 to the central portion of the separation surface W2a. The separation surface W2a is etched with the etching liquid E to remove the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 remaining on the separation surface W2a. In addition, since the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 remain after the brushing in step A12, if left in that state, fine particles may be generated again. However, by the etching in this step A13, these fine particles can also be removed.

[0117] Furthermore, after etching the separation surface W2a in this manner in step A13, the supply of the etching liquid E from the nozzle 210 is stopped, and the separation surface W2a is cleaned with pure water. Then, the second separated wafer W2 is further rotated to dry the separation surface W2a by rotation.

[0118] After that, the second separated wafer W2 that has undergone all the processes is transferred to the transfer apparatus 30 by the wafer transfer apparatus 50, and the second separated wafer W2 is transferred to the cassette Cw2 on the cassette mounting table 10 by the wafer transfer apparatus 22.

[0119] On the other hand, the same processes are also performed on the first separated wafer W1. That is, the first separated wafer W1 is transferred to the cleaning apparatus 41 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70. In the cleaning apparatus 41, as shown in (g) of Figure 10 , the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 is brushed ( Figure 9 step A14). In step A14, pure water may be supplied in the same manner as in step A12 with the brushing tool 200 brought into contact with the separation surface W1a from above to clean the separation surface W1a. In addition, the back surface Sb opposite to the separation surface W1a may also be cleaned.

[0120] Next, the first separated wafer W1 is transferred to the etching apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 50. In the etching apparatus 40, as shown in (h) of Figure 10 , the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 is wet-etched with the etching liquid E ( Figure 9Step A15). In step A15, the peripheral modification layer M1 and the internal surface modification layer M2 remaining on the separation surface W1a are removed. Further, in step A15, the separation surface W1a is etched to thin the first separation wafer W1 to a desired thickness.

[0121] Thereafter, the first separation wafer W1 that has undergone all the processes is transferred to the transfer device 30 by the wafer transfer device 50, and the first separation wafer W1 is transferred to the cassette Cw1 on the cassette mounting table 10 by the wafer transfer device 22. At this time, when the cassette Ct is empty, the first separation wafer W1 can also be transferred to the cassette Ct. By doing so, a series of wafer processes in the wafer processing system 1 are completed.

[0122] According to the above embodiment, when the wafer W is separated and processed in the separation device 61 in steps A5 to A11, the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are cleaned in step A6. Therefore, the risk of contamination inside the device in the transfer path of the separated wafers W1 and W2 transferred out from the separation device 61, the contamination of the wafer transfer devices 22, 50, and 70 that transfer the separated wafers W1 and W2, and the contamination inside the processing devices 40 and 41 in the next process can be suppressed. As a result, the maintenance frequency of the device can be reduced. In addition, the adhesion of fine particles to other stacked wafers (processing wafer W) can also be suppressed.

[0123] Further, in the present embodiment, when the second separation wafer W2 is transferred out in steps A7 to A9, the second separation wafer W2 is transferred to the transfer arm 71 by using the transfer portion 180 and the transfer portion 112 without holding the separation surface W2a. Also, when the first separation wafer W1 is transferred out in steps A10 to A11, the first separation wafer W1 is transferred to the transfer arm 71 without holding the separation surface W1a. Therefore, the risk of generating the above contamination can be further suppressed.

[0124] Further, in the separation device 61 of the present embodiment, a pad cleaning unit 111 for cleaning the transfer pad 192 is provided, so that the transfer pad 192 can be appropriately cleaned. Therefore, the contamination of the transfer pad 192 being transferred to the second separation wafer W2 can be suppressed. In addition, the cleaning timing of the transfer pad 192 is not particularly limited.

[0125] In addition, as described above, the processed wafer W is separated in the wafer processing system 1. However, outside the wafer processing system 1, the separated surface W2a side of the second separated wafer W2 to be reused is ground, and the peripheral portion W2e is removed. After that, the separated surface W2a of the ground second separated wafer W2 is cleaned to remove fine particles, and then the separated surface W2a is further etched to remove grinding marks. Moreover, when the second separated wafer W2 is reused as a product wafer, for example, the separated surface W2a is further polished (CMP). On the other hand, when the second separated wafer W2 is reused as a support wafer for supporting a product wafer, for example, the second separated wafer W2 is directly used.

[0126] In addition, outside the wafer processing system 1, the separated surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 to be made into a product is polished (CMP). In the present embodiment, since the first separated wafer W1 is etched to a desired thickness in step A15 as described above, only the separated surface W1a needs to be polished. However, for example, when the first separated wafer W1 does not reach the desired thickness in step A15, the separated surface W1a is ground to the desired thickness outside the wafer processing system 1. After that, the ground first separated wafer W1 is successively subjected to cleaning of the separated surface W1a, etching of the separated surface W1a, and polishing of the separated surface W1a.

[0127] Alternatively, a grinding device (not shown) may be provided in the wafer processing system 1 of the above embodiment. The grinding device can be provided adjacent to the surface modification device 80 and the internal modification device 81 of the third processing block G3, for example. In this case, for example, between step A9 and step A12, the separated surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2 is ground in the grinding device. In addition, for example, between step A11 and step A14, the separated surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 is ground to the desired thickness in the grinding device. After that, the ground first separated wafer W1 is successively subjected to cleaning of the separated surface W1a in step A14 and etching of the separated surface W1a in step A15.

[0128] In addition, in the separation device 61 of the present embodiment, the first holding portion 120 moves up and down, but the second holding portion 121 may move up and down, or both the first holding portion 120 and the second holding portion 121 may move up and down.

[0129] In the separation device 61 of the above embodiment, the separated surface cleaning unit 170 includes a cleaning nozzle 171 and a suction nozzle 172, but the structure of the separated surface cleaning unit 170 is not limited thereto. For example, as Figure 21 shown, the separated surface cleaning unit 170 may also include a suction nozzle 240.

[0130] The suction nozzle 240 is configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable with respect to the space between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Moreover, the suction nozzle 240 sucks the space between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Thereby, dust and debris (particles) attached to the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are removed, and the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are cleaned.

[0131] In addition, for example, as Figure 22 shown, the separation surface cleaning unit 170 may also include a cleaning nozzle 250 and a cup 251.

[0132] The cleaning nozzle 250 supplies air as a cleaning fluid, for example. The cleaning nozzle 250 has a plurality of supply ports (not shown) on the side surface. In addition, the cleaning nozzle 250 is configured to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable with respect to the space between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. In addition, in the present embodiment, air is used as the cleaning fluid, but it is not limited thereto. For example, a cleaning liquid may be used.

[0133] The cup 251 is disposed on the radially outer side of the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121 so as to surround the outside of the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. In addition, the cup 251 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by a moving mechanism (not shown).

[0134] In this case, in step A6, the cleaning nozzle 250 is moved and disposed at the central portion between the first holding part 120 and the second holding part 121. Next, air is supplied from the cleaning nozzle 250. At this time, air is supplied from the entire circumference of the cleaning nozzle 250, and the air is supplied to the entire space between the first separated wafer W1 and the second separated wafer W2. Moreover, the separated wafers W1 and W2 are cleaned by the air. In addition, the supplied air is recovered into the cup 251 and discharged from an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the cup 251. In addition, when the cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning nozzle 250 is a cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid is recovered in the cup 251 and discharged from a drain pipe (not shown) connected to the cup 251.

[0135] In the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can also be obtained. That is, since the separated wafers W1 and W2 are cleaned by the separation device 61, the contamination risk of subsequent transfer devices and processing devices can be suppressed. In addition, in the present embodiment, a suction nozzle 172 for sucking air may be provided in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0136] In the separation device 61 of the above-described embodiment, the transfer pad 192 of the transfer unit 112 adsorbs the back surface Wb of the second separated wafer W2 on the side opposite to the separation surface W2a. However, as shown in Figure 23 it may be adsorbed and held by the transfer pad 192 with the separation surface W2a.

[0137] In this case, in step A6, as shown in Figure 23 (a) of, a cleaning tool 260 such as a brush, which is a local cleaning member, is used in advance to clean the portion of the separation surface W2a adsorbed and held by the transfer pad 192 (hereinafter referred to as the holding portion). The cleaning tool 260 is configured to move in the horizontal and vertical directions by a moving mechanism (not shown), so as to be retractable with respect to the space between the first holding portion 120 and the second holding portion 121. Then, while bringing the cleaning tool 260 into contact with the holding portion of the separation surface W2a from below, pure water, for example, is supplied from the cleaning tool 260. By doing so, the holding portion of the separation surface W2a is cleaned.

[0138] In addition, in the present embodiment, the cleaning tool 260 is used as the local cleaning member, but it is not limited thereto. For example, a cleaning nozzle that supplies air, cleaning liquid, two-fluid, etc. may be used as the local cleaning member.

[0139] Next, after retracting the cleaning tool 260 as shown in Figure 23 (b) of, the transfer pad 192 is moved below the second separated wafer W2. Then, the transfer pad 192 adsorbs and holds the holding portion of the separation surface W2a that has been cleaned by the cleaning tool 260. After that, the surface and the back surface of the second separated wafer W2 are flipped by the transfer pad 192, and the second separated wafer W2 is transferred from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer device 70.

[0140] In the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can also be obtained. That is, since the transfer pad 192 adsorbs and holds the clean portion of the separation surface W2a, it is possible to suppress the attachment of fine particles to the transfer pad 192, thereby suppressing the occurrence of contamination inside the device. In addition, it is possible to suppress the premature deterioration of the transfer pad 192. Moreover, the transfer portion 180 can be omitted.

[0141] In addition, as shown in Figure 24 the transfer pad 192 may also adsorb and hold the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1. In this case, in step A6, as shown in Figure 24As shown in (a) of , the cleaning tool 260 is used in advance to clean the portion of the separation surface W1a held by the transfer pad 192 (hereinafter referred to as the holding portion). That is, while bringing the cleaning tool 260 into contact with the holding portion of the separation surface W1a from above, pure water is supplied from the cleaning tool 260, for example. By doing so, the holding portion of the separation surface W1a is cleaned.

[0142] Next, as Figure 24 shown in (b) of , the transfer pad 192 adsorbs and holds the cleaned holding portion of the separation surface W1a. After that, the first separated wafer W1 is transferred from the transfer pad 192 to the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer device 70.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can also be obtained. That is, since the transfer pad 192 adsorbs and holds the clean portion of the separation surface W1a, the occurrence of contamination can be suppressed. Moreover, it is not necessary to flip the second separated wafer W2.

[0144] In the separation device 61 of the above embodiment, a cleaning mechanism 270 may be provided in addition to the separation processing unit 110, the pad cleaning unit 111, and the transfer unit 112. The cleaning mechanism 270 cleans the separation surface W1a of the first separated wafer W1 or the separation surface W2a of the second separated wafer W2 held by the transfer unit 112.

[0145] The structure of the cleaning mechanism 270 is not limited. The cleaning mechanism 270 has, for example, a stone cleaning tool (not shown), a brush cleaning tool (not shown), etc., and brings the cleaning tool into contact with the separation surfaces W1a and W2a to perform cleaning. Alternatively, the cleaning mechanism 270 may supply air, cleaning liquid, two-fluid, etc. to the separation surfaces W1a and W2a for cleaning.

[0146] In the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can also be obtained. That is, since the separation device 61 cleans the separation surfaces W1a and W2a, the risk of contamination of subsequent transfer devices and processing devices can be suppressed. In addition, in the above embodiment, the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are cleaned between the first holding unit 120 and the second holding unit 121, but in addition to this, the cleaning mechanism 270 may be used for cleaning, or the cleaning mechanism 270 may be used instead.

[0147] Alternatively, in the separation device 61 of the above embodiment, brushing of the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a by the cleaning device 41 may be performed. That is, the separation device 61 and the cleaning device 41 may be integrated and the cleaning device 41 may be omitted from the wafer processing system 1.

[0148] In this case, asFigure 26 As shown, in the separation device 61, a brushing unit 280 is provided in addition to the separation processing unit 110, the pad cleaning unit 111, and the transfer unit 112. The brushing unit 280 has the same structure as the cleaning device 41, and uses a brushing tool 200 to clean the separation surface W1a or the separation surface W2a. The transfer of the first separation wafer W1 and the second separation wafer W2 between the separation processing unit 110 and the brushing unit 280 is performed by the transfer unit 112.

[0149] In the separation processing unit 110, after the separation of the processing wafer W in step A5 and the cleaning of the separation surfaces W1a and W2a in step A6, the first separation wafer W1 and the second separation wafer W2 are respectively transferred to the brushing unit 280 by the transfer unit 112. In the brushing unit 280, the separation surfaces W1a and W2a are respectively brushed. After that, the first separation wafer W1 and the second separation wafer W2 are respectively taken out of the separation device 61 by the wafer transfer device 70. In addition, the separation surfaces W1a and W2a can also be cleaned in the pad cleaning unit 111.

[0150] In the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can also be obtained.

[0151] In the separation device 61 of the above embodiment, the second holding unit 121 adsorbs and holds a position on the processing wafer W that is more inward than the peripheral modification layer M1 formed on the processing wafer W, but the adsorption surface of the second holding unit 121 for the processing wafer W is not limited thereto. For example, the second holding unit 121 can also adsorb and hold the entire surface of the processing wafer W.

[0152] In the wafer processing system 1 of the above embodiment, when the processing wafer W is separated in step A5, the peripheral portion We is removed from the first separation wafer W1, but the separation method of the processing wafer W is not limited thereto. For example, the processing wafer W can also be separated into the first separation wafer W1 and the second separation wafer W2 after the peripheral portion We is removed.

[0153] In addition, in the wafer processing system 1 of the above-described embodiment, the processed wafer W was separated with the peripheral modification layer M1 and the inner surface modification layer M2 as the starting points in step A5. However, the starting points for separating the processed wafer W are not limited thereto. For example, a modification layer may be formed by irradiating the entire inner surface of the oxide film Fw or the oxide film Fs with a laser, and the processed wafer W may be separated starting from this modification layer. Further, for example, an oxide film (not shown) may be formed between the processed wafer W before processing in the wafer processing system 1 and the device layer D, and a modification layer may be formed by irradiating the entire inner surface of this oxide film with a laser, and the processed wafer W may be separated starting from this modification layer. Moreover, for example, an adhesive layer (not shown) may be further formed at the interface between the processed wafer W and the support wafer S, and a modification layer may be formed by irradiating the entire inner surface of this adhesive layer with a laser, and the processed wafer W may be separated starting from this modification layer.

[0154] In the wafer processing system 1 of the above-described embodiment, the outer peripheral portion De of the device layer D was modified in step A2 to form the non-bonding region Ab. However, the non-bonding region Ab may also be formed outside the wafer processing system 1. For example, before the processed wafer W and the support wafer S are bonded, the surface Sa of the support wafer S is subjected to a treatment to reduce the bonding strength at the outer peripheral portion of the oxide film Fw. Specifically, grinding, wet etching, etc. may be performed to remove the surface layer of the outer peripheral portion. Alternatively, the surface of the outer peripheral portion may be hydrophobized, or the surface of the outer peripheral portion may be roughened by a laser.

[0155] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments can be omitted, replaced, or changed in various ways without departing from the appended claims and their gist.

[0156] Description of Reference Numerals

[0157] 61: Separation device; 120: First holding portion; 121: Second holding portion; 142: Guide rail; 143: Lifting mechanism; 170: Separation surface cleaning portion; W: Processed wafer; W1: First separated wafer; W2: Second separated wafer.

Claims

1. A separation device, comprising: A processing container that can seal its interior, and the separation device separates a processing object into a first separated body and a second separated body in the processing container; A first holding part that holds the first separated body; A second holding part that holds the second separated body; A moving part that relatively moves the first holding part and the second holding part; A separation surface cleaning part that is disposed inside the processing container between the separated first separated body and the second separated body, and is configured to move horizontally by a moving mechanism, and the separation surface cleaning part at least cleans the separation surface of the first separated body or the separation surface of the second separated body; and A brushing part that brushes the separation surfaces of the first separated body and the second separated body inside the processing container.

2. A separation device, comprising: A processing container that can seal its interior, and the separation device separates a processing object into a first separated body and a second separated body in the processing container; A first holding part that holds the first separated body; A second holding part that holds the second separated body; A moving part that relatively moves the first holding part and the second holding part; and A brushing part that is disposed inside the processing container between the separated first separated body and the second separated body, and is configured to move horizontally by a moving mechanism, and the brushing part at least brushes the separation surface of the first separated body or the separation surface of the second separated body.

3. The separation device according to claim 2, wherein: The brushing part is a brush.

4. The separation device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The brushing part is configured to be retractable into and out of the space between the first holding part and the second holding part.

5. A separation device, comprising: A processing container that can seal its interior, and the separation device separates a processing object into a first separated body and a second separated body in the processing container; A first holding part that holds the first separated body; A second holding part that holds the second separated body; A moving part that relatively moves the first holding part and the second holding part; and A separation surface cleaning part that is disposed inside the processing container between the separated first separated body and the second separated body, and is configured to move horizontally by a moving mechanism, and the separation surface cleaning part at least cleans the separation surface of the first separated body or the separation surface of the second separated body, The separation surface cleaning part has a cleaning nozzle that supplies a cleaning fluid to the separation surface of the first separated body or the separation surface of the second separated body inside the processing container.

6. The separation device according to claim 5, wherein: The separation surface cleaning part is configured to be retractable into and out of the space between the first holding part and the second holding part.

7. A separation method for separating a processing object into a first separated body and a second separated body inside a processing container that can seal its interior, the separation method comprising: The first separable body held by the first holding portion and the second separable body held by the second holding portion are relatively moved to separate them; inside the processing container, using a separation surface cleaning portion disposed between the separated first separation body and the second separation body to clean at least the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body, wherein the separation surface cleaning portion is configured to move in a horizontal direction by a moving mechanism; and Inside the processing container, a scrubbing unit is used to scrub the separation surface of the first separation body and the separation surface of the second separation body.

8. A separation method for separating a treatment target object into a first separated object and a second separated object within a treatment container capable of being sealed, the separation method comprising: The first separable body held by the first holding portion and the second separable body held by the second holding portion are relatively moved to separate them; as well as Inside the processing container, a brushing part arranged between the separated first separation body and the second separation body is used to brush at least the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body, wherein the brushing part is configured to move in the horizontal direction through a moving mechanism.

9. The separation method according to claim 8, characterized in that The scrubbing portion is a brush.

10. The separation method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The brush portion is configured to be able to move forward and backward relative to the space between the first holding portion and the second holding portion. At least the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body is scrubbed using the scrubbing portion disposed in the space.

11. A separation method for separating a treatment target object into a first separated object and a second separated object in a treatment container capable of being sealed internally, the separation method comprising: The first separable body held by the first holding portion and the second separable body held by the second holding portion are relatively moved to separate them; as well as Inside the processing container, a separation surface cleaning unit is used, which is arranged between the first separation body and the second separation body after separation, to clean at least the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body, wherein the separation surface cleaning unit is configured to move in a horizontal direction by a moving mechanism. The separation surface cleaning portion has a cleaning nozzle, Inside the processing container, a cleaning fluid is supplied from the cleaning nozzle to clean the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body.

12. The separation method according to claim 11, characterized in that The separation surface cleaning portion is configured to be able to move forward and backward relative to the space between the first holding portion and the second holding portion. At least the separation surface of the first separation body or the separation surface of the second separation body is cleaned using the separation surface cleaning unit disposed in the space.

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