Alignment device

Abstract

The alignment device (1) is provided with a motor (12), a rotating device (11), a control device (13), and a sensor (14). The motor (12) generates a rotational driving force. The rotating device (11) rotates in a state of supporting a chip (30) by the rotational driving force generated by the motor (12). The control device (13) controls the rotation of the rotating device (11) and performs a process of adjusting the rotational phase of the chip (30) to a predetermined value. The sensor (14) irradiates a plurality of lights having different traveling directions toward the edge of the chip (30) and detects a defect of the edge of the chip (30) by receiving the lights.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an alignment device having a sensor for detecting defects in a chip. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-299419) discloses a multifunctional chip aligner. This multifunctional chip aligner performs chip centering, alignment, and damage detection. The multifunctional chip aligner uses light-emitting sensors and light-receiving sensors to detect chip damage. The light-emitting sensors are arranged on the underside of the chip and illuminate upwards. The light-receiving sensors are arranged opposite the side of the chip and receive light reflected from the chip after it has been illuminated by the light-emitting sensors. Since defects in the chip can cause depressions, the direction of light reflection varies. Therefore, chip defects can be detected based on the position of the light received by the light-receiving sensors.

[0003] Patent Document 2 (International Publication No. 2019 / 165484) discloses an apparatus for inspecting a chip. This apparatus includes a light-emitting unit and a detection unit arranged to hold the chip. The light-emitting unit irradiates laser light from multiple positions toward the edge of the chip. The detection unit receives the light after the laser light has been reflected or scattered by the edge of the chip. Based on the detection results from the detection unit, defects in the chip can be detected with high precision. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0005] In the multi-functional chip aligner of Patent Document 1, chip defects cannot be detected unless the chip has large dents or other defects. Furthermore, in the multi-functional chip aligner of Patent Document 1, since light is irradiated perpendicularly onto the chip surface, it is difficult to detect microparticles on the chip surface. Since the device in Patent Document 2 only inspects the chip, the chip inspected by the device in Patent Document 2 needs to be transferred back to the alignment device. Therefore, this increases the time required to process the chip.

[0006] In view of this, the main objective of this application is to provide an alignment device that can detect chip defects with high precision and shorten the time required for chip inspection and alignment.

[0007] Technical solutions used to solve the problem

[0008] The problem that this application seeks to solve has been explained above. The means used to solve this problem and their effectiveness are described below.

[0009] According to this application, an alignment device with the following structure is provided. That is, the alignment device includes a motor, a rotating device, a control device, and a sensor. The motor generates a rotational driving force. The rotating device rotates while supporting a chip, driven by the rotational driving force generated by the motor. The control device controls the rotation of the rotating device to adjust the rotational phase of the chip to a predetermined value. The sensor illuminates multiple beams of light traveling in different directions toward the edge of the chip and detects defects at the chip edge by receiving this light.

[0010] By detecting defects at the chip edge using the described method, multiple locations on the chip can be inspected, thus enabling high-precision defect detection. Furthermore, the alignment device not only aligns the chip but also detects defects, thereby reducing the time required for chip inspection and alignment.

[0011] The benefits of invention

[0012] According to this application, it is possible to detect chip defects with high precision and to shorten the time required for chip inspection and alignment. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the alignment device according to the first embodiment;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a side view showing the internal structure of the sensor;

[0015] Figure 3 It is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the display control device; and

[0016] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the alignment device according to the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the alignment device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 1 The alignment device 1 shown is configured in a cleanroom or similar workspace. The chip 30 is transported to the alignment device 1 by a robot (not shown).

[0019] The robot is, for example, a SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) type horizontal multi-joint robot. Chip 30 is a circular, thin-plate semiconductor chip. Chip 30 can also be a glass chip instead of a semiconductor chip.

[0020] Alignment device 1 is a device for aligning chip 30. Alignment refers to the process of acquiring the rotation phase of chip 30 and adjusting the rotation phase of chip 30 to a predetermined value. The rotation phase of chip 30 refers to the orientation of chip 30 that changes as chip 30 rotates.

[0021] In the following description, the two circular surfaces of the disc-shaped chip 30 are referred to as main surfaces 31, and the surfaces connecting the main surfaces 31 to each other are referred to as side surfaces 32. In addition, the radial ends of the main surfaces 31 and the side surfaces 32 of the chip 30 are collectively referred to as the edges of the chip 30.

[0022] A notch 33 is formed at the edge of the chip 30. The notch 33 indicates the crystal orientation of the semiconductor. When an orientation plane is formed on the chip 30 instead of the notch 33, the alignment device 20 can also detect the orientation plane. In addition, the alignment device 1 can also acquire, in addition to the rotational phase of the chip 30, the offset of the chip 30 relative to the center position of the reference point.

[0023] The alignment device 1 includes a rotating device 11, a motor 12, a control device 13, a sensor 14, and a communication device 16.

[0024] The rotating device 11 is a circular plate-shaped rotary table. The chip 30 is placed on the rotating device 11 by a robot. The rotating device 11 supports the chip 30 by placing it on the rotating device. The surface of the chip 30 faces the vertical direction. The rotating device 11 is rotatably supported on a worktable or the like. The shape of the rotating device 11 is not limited to a circular plate. For example, the rotating device 11 can also be a rectangular plate. In addition, the rotating device 11 can also be configured to support the chip 30 by holding its side.

[0025] The electric motor 12 generates a rotational driving force. This rotational driving force is transmitted to the rotating device 11. As a result, the rotating device 11 rotates with the vertical direction as its rotation center. Consequently, the rotation phase of the chip 30 can be changed.

[0026] The electric motor 12 is controlled by the control device 13. The control device 13 includes a computing unit such as a CPU and a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The computing unit controls the alignment device 1 by executing a program stored in the storage device. The control device 13 can control both the robot and the alignment device 1, or it can control only the alignment device 1.

[0027] An encoder (not shown) is provided on the rotating device 11. The encoder's detection result is transmitted to the control device 13. Thus, the control device 13 can grasp the rotation phase of the rotating device 11 (that is, the rotation phase of the chip 30).

[0028] The sensor 14 is used to inspect the chip 30 placed on the rotating device 11. The sensor 14 includes a housing 21, a light-emitting part 22, and a light-receiving part 23.

[0029] The housing 21 is a box-shaped component that houses the parts constituting the sensor 14. The housing 21 is generally U-shaped and has a first portion 21a and a second portion 21b that are spaced apart and facing each other. An inspection space 21c is formed between the first portion 21a and the second portion 21b. The edge of the chip 30, supported by the rotating device 11, passes through the inspection space 21c. Therefore, by rotating the rotating device 11 one revolution, the edge of the chip 30 can be inspected around its entire circumference.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of light-projecting units 22 (specifically three light-projecting units 22) and a light-receiving unit 23 are arranged in part 1 21a. Similarly, a plurality of light-projecting units 22 (specifically three light-projecting units 22) and a light-receiving unit 23 are arranged in part 21b.

[0031] The light-emitting section 22 is a laser generator, laser diode, or SLD (superluminescent diode), etc. Therefore, the light (laser beam) emitted by the light-emitting section 22 is directional and has a narrower spectral width than the light emitted by the LED. Each light-emitting section 22 emits light towards the edge of the chip 30. The optical axis of the light emitted by the light-emitting section 22 is tangent to the chip 30. Because the positions of the multiple light-emitting sections 22 are different, the direction of travel of the light emitted by each light-emitting section 22 is different. Furthermore, the position of the tangent point between the optical axis of the light and the chip 30 varies depending on the light-emitting section 22.

[0032] The light-receiving unit 23 receives light irradiated by the light-projecting unit 22, generates a current signal (or a voltage signal converted from the received light) corresponding to the amount of light received, and outputs it to the control device 13. The light from the light-projecting unit 22 disposed in the first part 21a is received by the light-receiving unit 23 disposed in the second part 21b. Similarly, the light from the light-projecting unit 22 disposed in the second part 21b is received by the light-receiving unit 23 disposed in the first part 21a.

[0033] The control device 13 can distinguish which light source 22 irradiates the current signal input from the light-receiving unit 23. Specifically, the light-receiving unit 23 has multiple photodiodes, each arranged in a position overlapping with the light travel direction of the light from the light-receiving unit 22. Therefore, the current signal originating from which light source 22 irradiates can be determined based on the photodiodes that output the current signal. Alternatively, the light-receiving unit 23 may consist of only one photodiode. In this case, the light-receiving unit 22 irradiates light at a predetermined time interval, and the light is received by the light-receiving unit 23. Furthermore, the control device 13 can determine which light source 22 irradiates the current signal based on the timing and duration of the input current signal.

[0034] The light emitted by the light-projecting section 22 is affected by the edge surface of the chip 30 (e.g., after surface diffraction) and then received by the light-receiving section 23. Therefore, if a defect exists on the edge surface of the chip 30, the light received by the light-receiving section 23 will change. The control device 13 can determine whether a defect exists on the edge surface of the chip 30 based on the current signal input from the light-receiving section 23. As described above, the position of the tangent point between the optical axis of the light emitted by the light-projecting section 22 and the chip 30 varies depending on the light-projecting section 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, defects can be inspected at multiple locations on the edge of the chip 30.

[0035] The sensor 14 can detect a wide variety of defects. For example, it can detect warping of the chip 30, irregular shapes due to unevenness of the side surface 32, an amount of particles exceeding a predetermined value, an inaccurate chip diameter, and inaccurate concentricity of multiple joined chips (in the case of joined chips). In particular, when light is shone perpendicularly onto the chip surface as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to detect particles present on the chip. However, as in this embodiment, by shone light obliquely onto the surface of the chip 30, particles present on the chip 30 can be detected. Furthermore, if the shape of the side surface 32 of the chip 30 is inaccurate, or if the amount of particles present on the side surface 32 exceeds a predetermined value, the same defect may also occur on the main surface 31 of the chip 30. Therefore, if such a defect exists on the side surface 32 of the chip 30, the control device 13 determines that a similar defect is highly likely to exist on the main surface 31 of the chip 30 as well.

[0036] Furthermore, although not a defect in chip 30, sensor 14 can detect whether a notch 33 or an orientation plane is formed on chip 30 located in inspection space 21c. The notch 33 and the orientation plane have predetermined shapes. In addition, the shape and size of the notch 33 and the orientation plane are completely different from those of general defects. Therefore, in the presence of a notch 33 and an orientation plane, by having control device 13 pre-store (pre-learn) the current signal output by light-receiving section 23, it is possible to distinguish whether there is a defect in chip 30 or whether there is a notch 33 or an orientation plane on chip 30. Thus, control device 13 can simultaneously perform defect inspection and alignment of chip 30.

[0037] The communication device 16 is connected to or integrated into the control device 13. The communication device 16 is capable of communicating with an external device 40. The external device 40 is an upstream device of the alignment device 1 and is responsible for the overall control of the alignment device 1 and other chip processing devices. The communication device 16 may be, for example, a communication module, including a connector for wired communication or an antenna for wireless communication.

[0038] Next, refer to Figure 3The defect inspection and alignment control of chip 30 performed by control device 13 are explained.

[0039] First, the control device 13 determines whether the chip 30 is placed on the rotating device 11 (S101). This determination is made, for example, by the control device 13 controlling the robot, based on whether the work of placing the chip 30 has been completed. Furthermore, if the robot is controlled by a different control device than the control device 13, the control device 13 can also receive a notification from the robot's control device that the work of placing the chip 30 on the rotating device 11 has been completed.

[0040] Next, the control device 13 controls the motor 12 to rotate the rotating device 11, causing the chip 30 to rotate one revolution (S102). Then, the control device 13 uses the sensor 14 to detect defects and notches 33 on the edge of the chip 30 (S102). By rotating the chip 30 one revolution while measuring the edge of the chip 30 with the sensor 14, defects of the chip 30 can be inspected around the entire circumference. In addition, since the sensor 14 of this embodiment simultaneously performs detection processing for edge defects and notches 33, the time required for inspection and alignment of the chip 30 can be shortened.

[0041] When the notch 33 is detected, the control device 13 records the position of the notch 33 based on the encoder's detection value when the notch 33 is detected (S103). The position of the notch 33 is recorded as the rotation phase of the chip 30 (rotation device 11) when the notch 33 is detected.

[0042] Next, the control device 13 transmits the defect detection result of the chip 30 performed in step S102 to the external device 40 (S104) via the communication device 16. The defect detection result of the chip 30 is transmitted in association with the identification information of the chip 30. Furthermore, the external device 40 determines whether the defect detection result of the chip 30 is sufficient to ensure that there are no problems in the product. If the external device 40 determines that there are no problems, the alignment device 1 (control device 13) can continue to perform alignment, or the external device 40 can determine the defects of the chip 30 after the alignment device 1 (control device 13) has completed the alignment of one or more chips 30.

[0043] Next, the control device 13 adjusts the rotation phase of the chip 30 to a predetermined value (S105). That is, the control device 13 controls the motor 12 to rotate the chip 30 so that the position of the notch recorded in step S103 is oriented in a predetermined direction.

[0044] Based on the above explanation, alignment and inspection of chip 30 can be performed using the same device. Therefore, compared to aligning and inspecting chip 30 using different devices, the processing time for chip 30 can be shortened. In particular, since sensor 14 irradiates chip 30 with light traveling in multiple different directions to detect defects in chip 30, various defects in chip 30 can be accurately detected.

[0045] Next, refer to Figure 4 The second embodiment will be described below.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the sensor for detecting defects in the chip 30 is the same as the sensor for detecting the notch 33 in the chip 30. In the second embodiment, instead, the sensor for detecting defects in the chip 30 is different from the sensor for detecting the notch 33. Specifically, the same sensor 14 as in the first embodiment is used to detect defects in the chip 30, and a linear sensor 15 is used to detect the notch 33 in the chip 30.

[0047] The linear sensor 15 is a transmission-type photometer sensor. The linear sensor 15 includes a light-emitting part 15a and a light-receiving part 15b.

[0048] The light-projecting part 15a irradiates light onto the light-receiving part 15b. The cross-section of the light irradiated by the light-projecting part 15a is linear. A chip 30 is disposed between the light-projecting part 15a and the light-receiving part 15b.

[0049] The light-receiving section 15b receives light from the light emitted by the light-projecting section 15a that is not blocked by the chip 30. The light-receiving section 15b generates a current signal (or a converted voltage signal) corresponding to the amount of light received and outputs it to the control device 13. When a notch 33 exists between the light-projecting section 15a and the light-receiving section 15b, the value of the current signal output by the light-receiving section 15b increases because less light is blocked by the chip 30. Therefore, the position (rotation phase) of the notch 33 can be determined based on the output value of the light-receiving section 15b. Furthermore, when the center position of the chip 30 shifts, the value of the current signal output by the light-receiving section 15b changes frequently with the rotation of the chip 30; therefore, the control device 13 can detect the shift in the center position of the chip 30.

[0050] In the second embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the two functions of sensor 14 are distributed among two sensors. This allows the function or settings of sensor 14 to be specifically used for detecting defects in chip 30. As a result, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy of defects in chip 30. Furthermore, the control of defect detection and alignment of chip 30 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0051] As explained above, the alignment device 1 of this embodiment includes a motor 12, a rotating device 11, a control device 13, and a sensor 14. The motor 12 generates a rotational driving force. The rotating device 11 rotates while supporting the chip 30 by the rotational driving force generated by the motor 12. The control device 13 controls the rotation of the rotating device 11 and performs a process to adjust the rotation phase of the chip 30 to a predetermined value. The sensor 14 detects defects at the edge of the chip 30 by irradiating and receiving light in multiple directions towards the edge of the chip 30.

[0052] By using this method to detect defects at the edge of chip 30, multiple locations of chip 30 can be inspected, thus enabling high-precision detection of defects in chip 30. Furthermore, by enabling the alignment device 1 to not only align but also detect defects in chip 30, the time required for inspection and alignment of chip 30 can be shortened.

[0053] In the alignment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the control device 13 rotates the chip 30 at least one revolution before adjusting the rotation phase of the chip 30 to a predetermined value. The sensor 14 is able to continue detecting defects at the edge of the chip 30 during the period when the control device 13 rotates the chip 30 one revolution.

[0054] This allows for effective inspection and alignment of chip 30. Furthermore, it enables a full circumference inspection of chip 30.

[0055] In the alignment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the control device 13 adjusts the rotational phase of the chip 30 to a predetermined value based on the orientation plane or notch 33 formed on the chip 30. The orientation plane or notch 33 is detected using a sensor 14.

[0056] This reduces the number of sensors, thus lowering the cost of the alignment device.

[0057] The alignment device 1 of this embodiment includes a communication device 16 for communicating with an external device 40. The communication device 16 establishes a correlation between the detection result of defects on the edge of the chip 30 and the identification information of the chip 30, and then transmits the information to the external device 40.

[0058] Therefore, the external device 40 can determine whether the detection result of the defect in the chip 30 is sufficient to determine whether the product is free of problems.

[0059] In the alignment device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor 14 detects defects on the side surface 32 of the chip 30 instead of defects on the main surface 31 of the chip 30. The control device 13 determines the defects on the main surface 31 of the chip 30 based on the defects on the side surface 32 of the chip 30.

[0060] Therefore, compared with the overall structure of the main surface 31 of the chip 30, the inspection time can be shortened. In addition, if there are more particles than a predetermined value accumulated on the main surface 31 of the chip 30, there is also a higher probability that there will be more particles than a predetermined value accumulated at the edge of the chip 30, thus fully utilizing the inspection accuracy.

[0061] The preferred embodiments of this application have been described above, but the configuration can be modified as follows, for example.

[0062] In the described embodiment, the light-receiving portion 23 receives light that is irradiated onto the surface of the chip 30 by the light-projecting portion 22. Alternatively, the light-receiving portion 23 may receive light that is irradiated by the light-projecting portion 22 and reflected off the surface of the chip 30.

[0063] In the described embodiment, a light-emitting part 22 and a light-receiving part 23 are arranged in the first part 21a and in the second part 21b. Alternatively, the configuration may be that the light-emitting part 22 is arranged in the first part 21a and the light-receiving part 23 is arranged in the second part 21b (or the opposite configuration).

[0064] The process described in this embodiment is just one example; some processes can be omitted, some processes can be modified, or new processes can be added. For example, in this embodiment, the defects of the detection chip 30 and the notch 33 are processed simultaneously. Alternatively, the defects of the detection chip 30 can be processed first, and then the notch 33 of the detection chip 30 can be processed. In addition, the order of the processes in step S104 and step S105 can be changed.

[0065] The functions of the elements disclosed in this specification can be executed using circuits or processing circuits including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Because it includes transistors or other circuitry, a processor can be considered as a processing circuit or circuit. In this application, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the listed functions, or can also be hardware programmed to perform the listed functions. The hardware can be the hardware disclosed in this specification, or can also be other known hardware programmed or configured to perform the listed functions. In the case of a processor where the hardware is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used in the configuration of the hardware and / or the processor.

Claims

1. An alignment device, characterized in that it comprises: An electric motor, which generates rotational driving force; A rotating device that rotates while supporting a chip by means of a rotational driving force generated by the electric motor; A control device that controls the rotation of the rotating device to perform a process of adjusting the rotation phase of the chip to a predetermined value; and A sensor illuminates and receives light in multiple directions toward the edge of the chip. When there are defects on the surface of the chip's edge, the received light will change, thereby detecting the defects at the chip's edge.

2. The alignment device according to claim 1, wherein, The control device rotates the chip at least one revolution before adjusting the chip's rotation phase to a predetermined value. The sensor continues to detect defects on the edge of the chip while the control device rotates the chip one revolution.

3. The alignment device according to claim 2, wherein, The control device adjusts the rotation phase of the chip to a predetermined value based on the orientation plane or notch formed on the chip. The orientation plane or the notch is detected using the sensor.

4. The alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, It is equipped with a communication device that allows it to communicate with external devices, and The communication device associates the detection results of defects at the edge of the chip with the chip's identification information and transmits them to the external device.

5. The alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The sensor detects defects on the sides of the chip, not on the main surface of the chip. The control device determines the defects on the main surface of the chip based on the defects on the side of the chip.

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