Slope sealing system and use method thereof

By using the combination of laser edge contour meters and CCD cameras, the 3D representation of the edge of the wafer of the wafer is represented, determining the best distribution path and volume of the sealing agent, solving the problem of uneven seal distribution in existing technologies, and realizing high -quality high -quality The oblique seal improves the integrity of the wafer bond and the reliability of semiconductor devices.

CN119381290APending Publication Date: 2025-01-28TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410779748.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-03-28
Filing Date
2024-06-17
Publication Date
2025-01-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing bevel sealing methods are difficult to ensure uniform distribution and sufficient filling of sealants, resulting in poor sealing effect, affecting the integrity of wafer bonding and the performance of semiconductor devices.

Method used

Adopt a combination of laser edge contour meters and CCD cameras. Through the first check the 2D images and measurement contour data of the capture workpiece, the 3D indicating the edge of the edge indicates that the best distribution path and volume of the sealing agent will be determined. The second inspection was checked to evaluate the quality of the seal.

Benefits of technology

The uniform allocation and fully filling of the sealing agent are achieved, which improves the sealing effect, enhances the integrity of the wafer bond and the reliability of semiconductor devices, and reduces the manufacturing cost.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a bevel sealing system and a method of using the same. In an embodiment, a bevel sealing system includes a dispensing chamber including: a first chuck configured to support a workpiece, the workpiece including a first wafer bonded to a second wafer, where the first wafer and the second wafer include beveled edges; an encapsulant dispenser configured to apply an encapsulant along a perimeter of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; a first charge-coupled device (CCD) camera configured to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of an edge of the workpiece; and a first laser edge profilometer configured to measure and collect contour data of an edge of the workpiece.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to bevel seal systems and methods of using the same. Background Art

[0002] In wafer-to-wafer bonding technology, various methods have been developed to bond two wafers together. Available bonding methods include fusion bonding, eutectic bonding, direct metal bonding, hybrid bonding, etc. After bonding the two wafers, an epoxy sealant can be dispensed along the periphery of the bonded wafers. Specifically, the epoxy sealant is dispensed at the interface of the bonded wafers to form a bevel seal. The bevel seal ensures that the bonding interface between the two wafers is protected from environmental factors that may reduce the integrity of the bond or affect the performance of the semiconductor device on the wafer. The bevel seal creates a barrier that prevents moisture, particles or other contaminants from penetrating the bonding area. In order to improve the reliability of the manufactured semiconductor devices and reduce manufacturing costs, it is necessary to continuously improve the method for forming the bevel seal. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a bevel sealing system is provided, comprising: a dispensing chamber, comprising: a first chuck configured to support a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a first wafer bonded to a second wafer, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer comprise beveled edges; a sealant dispenser configured to apply sealant along a periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera configured to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of an edge of the workpiece; and a first laser edge profiler configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a bevel seal is provided, the method comprising: bonding the front side of a device wafer to a carrier wafer to form a workpiece, wherein a first space is disposed between a first beveled edge of the device wafer and a second beveled edge of the carrier wafer, the first space also extending along the periphery of a bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer; performing a first inspection on the edge of the workpiece, wherein the first inspection comprises: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of the edge of the workpiece using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera; and measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a bevel seal is provided, comprising: bonding an interconnect structure of a first wafer to a second wafer to form a wafer stack, wherein a first space is arranged between a lower beveled edge of the second wafer and an upper beveled edge of the first wafer, and the first space extends along the periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; forming a bevel seal in the first space along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer, wherein forming the bevel seal comprises: measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of an edge of the wafer stack using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the wafer stack using the first set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack; determining a volume of sealant to be allocated to the first space so as to fill the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be allocated to the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack; and allocating the sealant to the first space extending along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various aspects of the present disclosure can be best understood from the following detailed description. It should be noted that, in accordance with standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, for clarity of discussion, the size of various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced.

[0007] Figure 1 A top view of a bevel seal system is shown, according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figures 2 to 4 A cross-sectional view of an intermediate stage in the fabrication of a semiconductor device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 5 A first process flow for forming a bevel seal along a perimeter of a bonding interface between a first wafer and a second wafer is schematically illustrated in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 6 A second process flow for performing a cleaning process on beveled edges of a first wafer and a second wafer according to some embodiments is schematically illustrated.

[0011] Fig. 7A A first inspection process of an edge of a workpiece during an intermediate stage of manufacturing a semiconductor device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 7B According to some embodiments Fig. 7A Example 2D image of the edge of the artifact described in .

[0013] Figure 7C According to some embodiments Fig. 7A A reconstructed 3D representation of a cross section of the edge of the workpiece depicted.

[0014] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An encapsulant dispensing process during an intermediate stage in fabricating a semiconductor device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Fig. 9A A second inspection process of an edge of a workpiece during an intermediate stage of manufacturing a semiconductor device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Fig. 9B According to some embodiments Fig. 9A Example 2D image of the edge of the artifact described in .

[0017] Fig. 9C According to some embodiments Fig. 9A A reconstructed 3D representation of a cross section of the edge of the workpiece depicted.

[0018] Fig.10 A cleaning process performed on an edge of a workpiece is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0019] Fig.11A An example 2D image of an edge of a workpiece captured during an inspection process is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0020] Fig. 11B According to some embodiments Fig.11A A reconstructed 3D representation of a cross section of the edge of the workpiece depicted.

[0021] Figures 12 to 16 A cross-sectional view of an intermediate stage in the fabrication of a semiconductor device in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing the different features of the present invention. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these are only examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, in the following description, forming a first feature on or on a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are formed in direct contact, and may also include an embodiment in which additional features may be formed between the first feature and the second feature so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0023] Additionally, spatially relative terms (e.g., "below," "beneath," "lower," "above," "higher," etc.) may be used herein to facilitate describing the relationship of one element or feature illustrated in a figure relative to another element(s) or feature(s). These spatially relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation illustrated in the figures. The device may be oriented in other orientations (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be similarly interpreted accordingly.

[0024] A bevel sealing system is provided according to various exemplary embodiments. A first wafer and a second wafer may be bonded together to form a workpiece using a suitable method (e.g., fusion bonding, direct metal bonding, hybrid bonding, etc.). A bevel sealing process may be performed using a bevel sealing system so as to form a bevel seal along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer. A bevel seal is formed by dispensing a sealant in a first space between the beveled edge of the first wafer and the beveled edge of the second wafer. The first space extends around the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer. The bevel sealing system includes a laser edge profiler and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, which are used to perform a first inspection on the periphery of the workpiece (including the beveled edges of the bonded first and second wafers and the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer). The first inspection is performed before the bevel sealing process, and the first inspection allows the bevel sealing system to determine the optimal dispensing path and height in which the sealant is applied along the periphery of the workpiece. In addition, the first inspection can be used to determine the volume of the sealant that needs to be distributed in order to fully fill the first space between the beveled edge of the first wafer and the beveled edge of the second wafer. A second inspection using a laser edge profiler and a CCD camera is performed after the bevel sealing process to determine the quality of the bevel seal formed. The second inspection can determine whether the sealant of the sufficient volume required to fill the first space is distributed, or whether part of the sealant splashes out of the first space and splashes onto other surfaces of the beveled edge of the first wafer and / or the second wafer. Therefore, the second inspection can determine whether it is necessary to perform a cleaning process to clean the splashed sealant from the surface of the beveled edge of the first wafer and / or the second wafer. If the volume of the sealant is insufficient, it can also determine whether it is necessary to perform a further rework process to distribute more sealant in the first space. As a result, a high-quality bevel seal can be formed, which allows to improve device reliability and reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, the resulting bevel seal formed has a strong resistance to subsequent thinning operations for removing or reducing the thickness of the first wafer or the second wafer. As a result, the edge of the workpiece is enhanced due to the formation of a high-quality bevel seal, which allows a reduced amount of stripping of material of the first and second wafers at the edge of the bonding interface during the thinning operation. In addition, the use of the first inspection and / or the second inspection allows for the detection of defects (e.g., edge defects on the first wafer and / or the second wafer) and bonding misalignment between the first wafer and the second wafer.

[0025] Figure 1 A top view of a bevel seal system 340 is shown for use along a workpiece 301 (later Figure 3 The bevel seal 225 is formed around the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 (shown in FIG. Figure 4 ). The first wafer 10 is bonded to the second wafer to form the workpiece 301. The bevel sealing system 340 may include one or more loading ports 342 through which the workpiece 301 may be loaded into the bevel sealing system 340. The bevel sealing system 340 may be located in a controlled environment filled with, for example, clean air or nitrogen. Alternatively, the bevel sealing system 340 is located outdoors. The bevel sealing system 340 may include a wafer transfer station 344 at which the workpiece 301 may be staged before being transferred to different chambers of the bevel sealing system 340, where different processes may be performed on the workpiece 301. A transfer robot is used to transfer the workpiece 301 between the wafer transfer station 344 and other chambers (also referred to as stations) of the bevel sealing system 340. The bevel sealing system 340 includes a distribution chamber 346 in which a bevel seal 225 is formed along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 of the workpiece 301 (subsequently in Figure 4 ).

[0026] The dispensing chamber 346 includes an aligner 352, a laser edge profiler 354, a dispenser 356, and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera 358. The dispensing chamber 346 may also include a chuck or the like for supporting the workpiece 301 while the workpiece 301 is in the dispensing chamber 346. A vacuum system may be used to secure the workpiece 301 to the chuck, ensuring that it remains in place during processing. In an embodiment, the chuck may also be rotatable. The aligner 352 is used to align the workpiece 301 to a desired angular position. This alignment ensures that subsequent processing steps (e.g., a bevel sealing process (subsequently in Figure 4 The laser edge profiler 354 (which may also be referred to as a surface profiler) and the CCD camera 358 are used in combination to perform a first inspection of the edge of the workpiece 301 before performing the bevel sealing process. For example, the CCD camera 358 captures a two-dimensional (2D) image along the periphery of the workpiece 301 (including the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20). In addition to measuring the first space 223 between the beveled edge of the first wafer 10 and the beveled edge of the second wafer 20 (which is then Figure 3In addition to measuring the profile of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 (shown in ), data is also collected by measuring the profile (e.g., shape) of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. The first space 223 extends around the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. The data is measured at various points along the perimeter of the workpiece 301. The 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 are sent to the data processor 348, which applies various algorithms to process the data and reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece 301. The data processor 348 also uses the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine where to apply sealant along the perimeter of the workpiece 301 during the bevel sealing process (and subsequently in Figure 4 ) to form an optimal dispensing path and height of the bevel seal 225. In addition, the data processor 348 uses the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the volume of sealant that needs to be dispensed in order to fully fill the first space 223 between the beveled edge of the first wafer 10 and the beveled edge of the second wafer 20. The laser edge profiler 354 and the CCD camera 358 can be used in combination to perform a second inspection after performing the bevel sealing process (for example, after forming the bevel seal 225) to determine the quality of the formed bevel seal 225. The dispenser 356 is used to apply a small amount of sealant to a specific location or surface along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 during the bevel sealing process so as to fully fill the first space 223 and form the bevel seal 225.

[0027] The bevel seal system 340 also includes a clean chamber 350. The clean chamber 350 includes a cleaning device 360, a laser edge profiler 362, and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera 364. The clean chamber 350 may also include a chuck or the like for supporting the workpiece 301 while the workpiece 301 is in the clean chamber 350. A vacuum system may be used to secure the workpiece 301 to the chuck to ensure that it remains in place during processing. In an embodiment, the chuck may also be rotatable. If a defect is found during the second inspection that was used to form the bevel seal 225 during the bevel seal process (and subsequently during the Figure 4301) splashes out of the first space 223 and onto other surfaces (e.g., the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20, the top surface of the second wafer 20, and the bottom surface of the first wafer 10), the cleaning device 360 ​​is used to perform a cleaning process on the workpiece 301. The cleaning device 360 ​​may include one or more cleaning brushes (e.g., top / bottom cleaning brushes and side cleaning brushes) that are rotatable and can contact the edge and / or top / bottom surface of the workpiece 301. For example, the cleaning brush may include one or more side cleaning brushes that are rotatable and can contact the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 to remove and wipe off the splashed sealant on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. The cleaning brush may include one or more top / bottom cleaning brushes that are rotatable and can contact the top surface of the second wafer 20 and / or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 to remove and wipe off splashed sealant on the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 and / or the top surface of the second wafer 20.

[0028] The laser edge profiler 362 and the CCD camera 364 can be similar to the laser edge profiler 354 and the CCD camera 358 described above, respectively. After the cleaning process is performed on the workpiece 301, the laser edge profiler 362 (which may also be referred to as a surface profiler thereafter) and the CCD camera 364 can be used to perform a third inspection. The third inspection is used to determine whether the cleaning process of the workpiece 301 successfully removes the splashed sealant from the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 and from the top surface of the second wafer 20 and / or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10. Therefore, the third inspection will determine whether further cleaning processes are still required. The third inspection can also be used to determine whether the volume of the sealant in the first space 223 between the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the beveled edges of the second wafer 20 is insufficient after the cleaning process of the workpiece 301, and whether it is necessary to perform a further repair process in the distribution chamber 346 to distribute more sealant in the first space 223.

[0029] Figures 2 to 4 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate stage in the fabrication of a semiconductor device 400 according to some embodiments. Figure 5 Schematically shows a method for forming a bevel seal 225 along the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 (later in Figure 4 300 of the process flow shown in FIG. Figure 6 A process flow 320 for performing a cleaning process on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 is schematically illustrated. Figures 12 to 16 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate stage in the fabrication of a semiconductor device 400 according to some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 A first wafer 10 is shown. The first wafer 10 may also be referred to as a device wafer subsequently. The first wafer 10 may include a die, and may include a substrate 117 (e.g., a semiconductor substrate), an interconnect structure 119 disposed on the substrate 117, and a bonding layer 121 disposed on the interconnect structure 119, the bonding layer 121 being exposed at the front surface of the first wafer 10. The side of the first wafer 10 including the bonding layer 121 may also be referred to as the front side of the first wafer 10 subsequently, and the side of the first wafer 10 including the exposed surface of the substrate 117 may be referred to as the back side of the first wafer 10 subsequently.

[0031] The substrate 117 of the first wafer 10 may include a crystalline silicon wafer. Depending on the design requirements (e.g., a p-type substrate or an n-type substrate), the substrate 117 may include various doped regions. In some embodiments, the doped region may be doped with a p-type dopant or an n-type dopant. The doped region may be doped with a p-type dopant (e.g., boron or BF2); an n-type dopant (e.g., phosphorus or arsenic); and / or a combination thereof. The doped region may be used for an n-type fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and / or a p-type FinFET. In some alternative embodiments, the substrate 117 may include an active layer of a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate. The substrate 117 may include other semiconductor materials, such as germanium; compound semiconductors, including silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide, indium arsenide, and / or indium antimonide; alloy semiconductors, including SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and / or GaInAsP; or a combination thereof. Other substrates, such as multilayer substrates or gradient substrates, may also be used. The edge of the substrate 117 includes a bevel, which is a surface extending from the outermost edge of the substrate 117 to the top surface / bottom surface of the substrate 117. The bevel may be a rounded bevel with a curved surface (eg, Figure 2 The curved surface extends from the outermost edge of the substrate 117 to the top / bottom surface of the substrate 117. In other embodiments, the inclined surface may have a slope extending from the outermost sidewall of the substrate 117 to the top / bottom surface of the substrate 117 (not shown in the figure).

[0032] Active devices and / or passive devices (e.g., transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors, etc.) may be formed in and / or on the substrate 117 to form a device layer 125. The devices of the device layer 125 may be interconnected by an interconnect structure 119. The interconnect structure 119 electrically connects the devices on the substrate 117 to form one or more integrated circuits. The interconnect structure 119 may include one or more dielectric layers (e.g., one or more interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers, intermetallic dielectric (IMD) layers, etc.) and interconnect wiring or metallization patterns embedded in the one or more dielectric layers. The material of the one or more dielectric layers may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or another suitable dielectric material. The interconnect wiring may include metal wiring. For example, the interconnect wiring includes copper wiring, copper pads, aluminum pads, or combinations thereof formed by one or more single damascene processes, dual damascene processes, etc.

[0033] The bonding layer 121 may include a dielectric layer. The material of the bonding layer 121 may be silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), or other suitable dielectric materials. The bonding layer 121 may be formed by depositing a dielectric material on the interconnect structure 119 using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process (e.g., a plasma enhanced CVD process or other suitable process).

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the interconnect structure 119 and the bonding layer 121 do not overlap the chamfered edge of the substrate 117. For example, an outer portion (eg, the chamfered edge) of the substrate 117 extends laterally beyond the outermost sidewalls of each of the interconnect structure 119 and the bonding layer 121.

[0035] exist Figure 3 , the second wafer 20 is bonded to the front side of the first wafer 10 to form a workpiece 301. The workpiece 301 may also be referred to as a wafer stack. The second wafer 20 may also be referred to as a carrier wafer. The second wafer 20 may include a semiconductor substrate 217, which may include a crystalline silicon wafer, a silicon-based carrier substrate (e.g., including silicon oxide), etc. An edge of the semiconductor substrate 217 includes a bevel, which is a surface extending from the outermost edge of the semiconductor substrate 217 to the top surface / bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate 217. The bevel may be a rounded bevel with a curved surface (e.g., Figure 3As shown in the figure), the curved surface extends from the outermost edge of the semiconductor substrate 217 to the top surface / bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate 217. In other embodiments, the bevel may have a slope (not shown in the figure) extending from the outermost wall of the semiconductor substrate 217 to the top surface / bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate 217. The bonding layer 221 is disposed on the semiconductor substrate 217. In some embodiments, the bonding layer 221 may include silicon oxide formed by a deposition process (e.g., chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etc.). In other embodiments, the bonding layer 221 may be formed by thermally oxidizing the silicon surface on the semiconductor substrate 217. As shown in the figure Figure 3 As shown, the bonding layer 221 does not overlap the chamfered edge of the semiconductor substrate 217. For example, an outer portion (eg, the chamfered edge) of the semiconductor substrate 217 extends laterally beyond a corresponding outermost sidewall of the bonding layer 221.

[0036] The first wafer 10 is bonded to the second wafer 20 so that the bonding layer 121 of the first wafer 10 is attached to the bonding layer 221 of the second wafer 20 using a suitable technique (e.g., dielectric to dielectric bonding, etc.). Before bonding, at least one of the bonding layer 121 or the bonding layer 221 may be surface treated. The surface treatment may include a plasma process. The plasma process may be performed in a vacuum environment. After the plasma process, the surface treatment may also include a cleaning process (e.g., rinsing with deionized water, etc.) that may be applied to the bonding layer 121 and / or the bonding layer 221. The second wafer 20 is then aligned and then placed by, for example, a pick-and-place process. The first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 are pressed against each other to start pre-bonding of the first wafer 10 with the second wafer 20. Pre-bonding may be performed at room temperature (between about 20 degrees and about 25 degrees). For example, the bonding time may be about less than 1 minute. After pre-bonding, the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 are bonded to each other. The bonding process may be enhanced by a subsequent annealing step, which may be accomplished, for example, by heating the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 to a temperature of about 300 degrees for about 3 hours.

[0037] Because the outer portion (e.g., chamfered edge) of the substrate 117 extends laterally beyond the outermost sidewalls of each of the interconnect structure 119 and the bonding layer 121, and the outer portion (e.g., chamfered edge) of the semiconductor substrate 217 extends laterally beyond the corresponding outermost sidewalls of the bonding layer 221, a first space 223 is formed between the lower chamfered edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper chamfered edge of the first wafer 10 after bonding the bonding layer 121 to the bonding layer 221. In some embodiments, the first space 223 may include a lateral void partially extending into each of the bonding layer 121 and the bonding layer 221. The first space 223 extends along the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20.

[0038] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, a bevel seal 225 is formed in the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10. The bevel seal system 340 (previously described in Figure 1 The bevel seal 225 is formed along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 of the workpiece 301.

[0039] Figure 5 The process flow 300 and the bevel sealing system 340 for performing the process flow 300 are schematically shown. The bevel sealing system 340 and the process flow 300 are used to form the bevel seal 225 formed in the first space 223 (previously Figure 4 ). Figure 1 , Figure 5 as well as 7A to 9C Details of the process flow 300 and the bevel sealing system 340 are discussed.

[0040] In step 302 of process flow 300 (eg Figure 5 ), the workpiece 301 is delivered to a loading port 342 of the bevel sealing system 340. In step 304 of the process flow 300 (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 ), and then using a transfer robot to transfer the workpiece 301 from the load port 342 to the wafer transfer station 344, where the workpiece 301 can be transferred in stages to any other chamber of the bevel sealing system 340. In step 306 of the process flow 300 (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 ), the transfer robot then transfers the workpiece 301 from the wafer transfer station 344 to the distribution chamber 346, where the aligner 352 performs an alignment process on the workpiece 301. The aligner 352 aligns the workpiece 301 to a desired angular position. This alignment ensures that the subsequent processing steps of the process flow 300 are accurately performed.

[0041] After executing step 306 of process flow 300, executing step 308 of process flow 300 (eg, Figure 5 In step 308 of process flow 300, a first inspection of the edge of workpiece 301 is performed in dispensing chamber 346 using a combination of laser edge profiler 354 and CCD camera 358. Figure 1 and Fig. 7A, each of the CCD camera 358 and the laser edge profiler 354 can be arranged adjacent to an edge of the workpiece 301. The CCD camera 358 is used to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image along the perimeter (e.g., edge) of the workpiece 301 (including the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20). When the workpiece 301 is rotated, the 2D image is captured by the CCD camera 358. The 2D images include changes in the intensity or brightness level of objects or features within each 2D image, and these changes are typically represented by grayscale shades. Grayscale level contrast differences can be used to distinguish and analyze objects, patterns, or details in each 2D image, such as the location of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. For example, Figure 7B An example 2D image of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 that can be captured by the CCD camera 358 is shown. The CCD camera 358 observes the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 by detecting and capturing changes in light intensity at specific locations on each of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. For example, Figure 7B The horizontal lines in represent positions 1 and 2 on the chamfered edge of the second wafer 20, which can be observed by the CCD camera 358 due to the change in light intensity at positions 1 and 2 compared to the rest of the second wafer 20. In addition, Figure 7B The horizontal lines in represent positions 3 and 4 on the beveled edge of the first wafer 10, which can be observed by the CCD camera 358 due to the change in light intensity at positions 3 and 4 compared to the rest of the first wafer 10. In an embodiment, a light source can be used to illuminate the edge of the workpiece 301 to form a better contrast between positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 and the rest of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. In this way, the CCD camera 358 is able to observe the positions of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20.

[0042] Further references Figure 1 and Fig. 7A , the laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profiles (e.g., shapes and sizes) of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 while the workpiece 301 is rotated. Therefore, the laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profiles (e.g., shapes and sizes) of the edges of the workpiece 301. In addition, the laser edge profiler 354 measures the first space 223 (previously measured in FIG. 1 ) between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10. Figure 3The laser edge profiler 354 is a device that measures the profile (e.g., shape and size) of the workpiece 301 as shown in FIG. 301 . When the workpiece 301 is rotated, the data is measured at various points along the periphery of the workpiece 301. The laser edge profiler 354 includes a laser source that emits laser light and illuminates the edge or surface being measured. The laser edge profiler 354 also includes a detector that collects and senses reflected (e.g., scattered) laser light from the edge or surface being measured. The reflected laser light provides information about the shape, size, and roughness of the edge or surface being measured.

[0043] After executing step 308 of process flow 300, executing step 310 of process flow 300 (eg, Figure 5 ). In step 310 of process flow 300, the 2D image collected by CCD camera 358 and the data measured by laser edge profiler 354 during the first inspection are sent to data processor 348. Data processor 348 applies various algorithms to process the data and reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of workpiece 301. For example, Figure 7C Shows Figure 7B A reconstructed 3D representation of a cross section of an edge of the workpiece 301 is shown. The 3D representation of the cross section of the edge of the workpiece 301 shows the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20, and the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10. The data processor 348 uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine where along the perimeter of the workpiece 301 a sealant is applied therein during a subsequent sealant dispensing process (e.g., step 312 of the process flow 300) (subsequently in Fig. 8A and Figure 8B ) (shown in FIG. 1 ) and the optimal distribution path and height (eg, by Figure 7B and Figure 7C ). In addition, the data processor 348 uses the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the volume of the sealant that needs to be dispensed in order to adequately fill the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10, which reduces the risk of overfilling the first space 223 with the sealant. As a result, the risk of the sealant splashing out of the first space 223 and onto the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20 is reduced. In addition, the data processor 348 can use the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to detect whether there are any defects (e.g., edge defects on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20) or bonding misalignment between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20.

[0044] Various advantages can be achieved by performing the first inspection in the dispensing chamber 346 using a combination of a laser edge profiler 354 and a CCD camera 358, wherein the CCD camera 358 is used to capture 2D images along the edge of the workpiece 301 as the workpiece 301 is rotated, and the laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profile (e.g., shape and size) of the edge of the workpiece 301 as the workpiece 301 is rotated. The 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 during the first inspection are sent to the data processor 348, which uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301. These advantages include: the data processor 348 can use the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the optimal dispensing path and height (e.g., by the 3D image) along the perimeter of the workpiece 301 in which to apply the sealant during a subsequent sealant dispensing process (e.g., step 312 of the process flow 300); Figure 7B and Figure 7C 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301. The data processor 348 then uses the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the volume of sealant that needs to be dispensed in order to adequately fill the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10, which reduces the risk of overfilling the first space 223 with sealant. As a result, the risk of sealant splashing out of the first space 223 and onto the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20 is reduced. In addition, the data processor 348 can use the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to detect whether there are any defects (e.g., edge defects on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20) or bonding misalignment between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20.

[0045] After executing step 310 of process flow 300, executing step 312 of process flow 300 (eg, Figure 5 In step 312 of process flow 300, a dispenser 356 in dispensing chamber 346 is used to dispense sealant along the periphery of workpiece 301 and form bevel seal 225 (which is then Fig. 9B and Fig. 9C). Specifically, the sealant is dispensed along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 so as to partially or completely fill the first space 223. The sealant is dispensed while the workpiece 301 is rotated. The sealant may include epoxy resin, etc. Figure 1 and Fig. 8A , the dispenser 356 may be disposed adjacent to an edge of the workpiece 301. The dispenser 356 may include a reservoir for holding the sealant, and may additionally include a dispensing nozzle or a dispensing needle to control the flow rate and accuracy of the sealant to be dispensed.

[0046] The dispenser 356 applies sealant dots 370 (eg, Figure 8B The sealant point 370 is dispensed or applied in the form of an optimal dispensing path and height (e.g., Figure 7B and Figure 7C The sealant dots 370 are combined and merged in the first space 223 around the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 to form a continuous bevel seal 225 without gaps. In an embodiment, during the dispensing of the sealant dots 370, the rotation speed of the workpiece 301 can be controlled to ensure that the volume of sealant that needs to be dispensed in order to fully fill the first space 223 (previously determined by the data processor 348 in step 310 of the process flow 300) is dispensed into the first space 223. For example, as Figure 8B As shown in region 371A of the workpiece 301 in 8B , a faster rotation speed of the workpiece 301 during dispensing of the sealant dots 370 will cause the distance between adjacent sealant dots 370 to increase. Therefore, a faster rotation speed will cause a smaller volume of sealant to be dispensed in the first space 223 along the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. Conversely, as shown in region 371B of the workpiece 301 in 8B , a slower rotation speed of the workpiece 301 during dispensing of the sealant dots 370 will cause the distance between adjacent sealant dots 370 to decrease. Therefore, a lower rotation speed will cause a larger volume of sealant to be dispensed in the first space 223 along the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. In this way, the volume of sealant dispensed into the first space 223 can be controlled by changing the rotation speed of the workpiece 301 during dispensing of the sealant.

[0047] After executing step 312 of process flow 300, executing step 314 of process flow 300 (eg, Figure 5314 of process flow 300, a second inspection of the edge of workpiece 301 is performed in dispensing chamber 346 using a combination of laser edge profiler 354 and CCD camera 358. Laser edge profiler 354 and CCD camera 358 are used to perform the second inspection in a manner similar to the manner in which the laser edge profiler 354 and CCD camera 358, respectively, were used to perform the first inspection (previously described in step 308 of process flow 300). The second inspection is used to determine the quality of bevel seal 225 formed in step 312 of process flow 300. Reference Figure 1 and Fig. 9A , each of the CCD camera 358 and the laser edge profiler 354 can be positioned adjacent to an edge of the workpiece 301. The CCD camera 358 is used to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image along the perimeter (e.g., edge) of the workpiece 301 (including the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 and the bevel seal 225). As the workpiece 301 is rotated, the 2D image is captured by the CCD camera 358. The 2D images include variations in the intensity or brightness level of objects or features within each 2D image, and these variations are typically represented in grayscale shades. Grayscale level contrast differences can be used to distinguish and analyze objects, patterns, or details in each 2D image, such as the location of the bevel seal 225 disposed between the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. For example, Fig. 9B An example 2D image that may be captured by a CCD camera 358 is shown, which shows a bevel seal 225 disposed between the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. The CCD camera 358 observes the bevel seal 225, the first wafer 10, and the second wafer 20 by detecting and capturing changes in light intensity at specific locations on the bevel seal and on each of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. For example, Fig. 9B The horizontal lines in represent positions 1 and 2 on the chamfered edge of the second wafer 20, which can be observed by the CCD camera 358 due to the change in light intensity at positions 1 and 2 compared to the rest of the second wafer 20. In addition, Fig. 9B The horizontal lines in represent positions 3 and 4 on the beveled edge of the first wafer 10, which can be observed by the CCD camera 358 due to the variation in light intensity at positions 3 and 4 compared to the rest of the first wafer 10. In addition, the bevel seal 225 can be observed by the CCD camera 358 due to the variation in light intensity on the material of the bevel seal 225 compared to the material of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. In this way, the CCD camera 358 is able to observe the size of the bevel seal 225, and the bevel seal 225 can be inspected to ensure that it has a uniform width without visible gaps, thereby ensuring that a good quality bevel seal 225 is formed.

[0048] If further Fig. 9B As shown in the 2D image of FIG. 3 , the CCD camera 358 can also observe whether any sealant (e.g., in the form of sealant splashes 372) has splashed out of the first space 223 and onto the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20. If one or more sealant splashes 372 are observed as a result of the second inspection, a subsequent cleaning process (in the form of sealant splashes 372) can be performed. Figure 6 and Fig.10 described in detail in ).

[0049] Further references Figure 1 and Fig. 9A , the laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profiles (e.g., shapes and dimensions) of the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 while the workpiece 301 is rotated. Thus, the laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profiles (e.g., shapes and dimensions) of the edges of the workpiece 301. In addition, the laser edge profiler 354 measures the bevel seal 225 (previously described in Figure 4 The data is measured at various points along the periphery of the workpiece 301 as the workpiece 301 is rotated.

[0050] The 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 during the second inspection are then sent to the data processor 348. The data processor 348 applies various algorithms to process the data and reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece 301. For example, Fig. 9C Shows Fig. 9B3D representation of a cross section of an edge of the workpiece 301 is shown. The 3D representation of the cross section of the edge of the workpiece 301 shows the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20, and the sealant of the bevel seal 225 dispensed in the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10. The data processor 348 uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the volume of the sealant dispensed into the first space 223 during the step 312 of forming the bevel seal 225 of the process flow 300. Therefore, the data processor 348 can determine whether a sufficient volume of sealant is dispensed during the step 312 of the process flow 300 to fill the first space 223 between the lower beveled edge of the second wafer 20 and the upper beveled edge of the first wafer 10. If it is found that the volume of sealant dispensed during step 312 of process flow 300 is insufficient to fill first space 223, a rework process may be performed in dispensing chamber 346 to dispense more sealant into first space 223. The rework process may be similar to step 312 of process flow 300 described above, and the rework process ensures that the total volume of sealant for bevel seal 225 is sufficient, thereby facilitating the formation of a good quality bevel seal 225.

[0051] In addition, the data processor 348 can use the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 (e.g., as Fig. 9C The data processor 348 may also use the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to detect whether any sealant has splashed out of the first space 223 and onto the top surface of the second wafer 20 or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10. If one or more sealant splashes 372 are detected as a result of the second inspection, a subsequent cleaning process may be performed (in the form of sealant splashes 372). Figure 6 and 10 described in detail in ).

[0052] Various advantages can be achieved by performing the second inspection in the dispensing chamber 346 using a combination of a laser edge profiler 354 and a CCD camera 358, wherein the CCD camera 358 is used to capture a 2D image along the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225) as the workpiece 301 is rotated. The laser edge profiler 354 collects data by measuring the profile (e.g., shape and size) of the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225) as the workpiece 301 is rotated. The 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 during the second inspection are sent to the data processor 348, which uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225). These advantages include that the data processor 348 can use the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine the quality of the bevel seal 225 formed in step 312 of the process flow 300. The CCD camera 358 can observe the size of the bevel seal 225, and the bevel seal 225 can be inspected to ensure that it has a uniform width without visible gaps, thereby ensuring that a good quality bevel seal 225 is formed. In addition, the data processor 348 can use the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to determine whether any sealant (e.g., in the form of sealant splatter 372) has splashed out of the first space 223 and onto the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20, and whether a subsequent cleaning process is required to remove the splashed sealant. The data processor 348 can also use the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 358 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225) to determine whether a sufficient volume of sealant was dispensed during step 312 of the process flow 300 to fill the first space 223 so as to form the bevel seal 225. Therefore, if it is found that the volume of sealant of the bevel seal 225 is insufficient, the data processor 348 can therefore determine whether a subsequent rework process needs to be performed to dispense more sealant in the first space 223. As a result, a high-quality bevel seal 225 can be formed, which allows for improved device reliability and reduced manufacturing costs. In addition, the resulting bevel seal 225 formed is useful for a subsequent thinning process 380 (subsequently performed in the process flow 300) for removing or reducing the thickness of the first wafer 10. Fig.13 As a result, the edge of the workpiece 301 is enhanced due to the formation of a high-quality bevel seal 225, which allows the amount of material of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 to be reduced at the edge of the bonding interface during the thinning process 380.

[0053] After executing step 314 of process flow 300, executing step 316 of process flow 300 (eg, Figure 5 In step 316 of process flow 300, a transfer robot is used to transfer workpiece 301 to bevel sealing system 340 (as shown). Figure 1 In step 318 of process flow 300 (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown), the transfer robot then transfers the workpiece 301 from the wafer transfer station 344 to a loading port 342 of the bevel sealing system 340, from which the workpiece 301 is removed from the bevel sealing system 340.

[0054] Figure 6 A process flow 320 and a bevel sealing system 340 for performing the process flow 320 are schematically shown. If one or more sealant splashes 372 are detected on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20 during the second inspection (previously described in step 314 of the process flow 300), a cleaning process can be performed on the workpiece 301 using the bevel sealing system 340 and the process flow 320. If one or more sealant splashes 372 are detected on the top surface of the second wafer 20 and / or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 during the second inspection, a cleaning process can also be performed on the workpiece 301. Figure 1 , Figure 6 as well as Figures 10 to 11B Details of the process flow 320 and bevel sealing system 340 are discussed.

[0055] In step 322 of process flow 320 (eg Figure 6 ), the workpiece 301 is delivered to a loading port 342 of the bevel sealing system 340. In step 324 of the process flow 320 (as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown), a transfer robot is used to transfer the workpiece 301 from the load port 342 to a wafer transfer station 344, where the workpiece 301 can be transferred in stages to any other chamber of the bevel sealing system 340.

[0056] In step 326 of process flow 320 (eg Figure 6314 ), the transfer robot transfers the workpiece 301 from the wafer transfer station 344 to the clean room 350. Additionally, in the clean room 350, a third inspection is performed on the edge of the workpiece 301 using a laser edge profiler 362 and a CCD camera 364. The laser edge profiler 362 and the CCD camera 364 are used to perform the third inspection in a manner similar to the manner in which the laser edge profiler 354 and the CCD camera 358 are used, respectively, to perform the second inspection (previously described in step 314 of the process flow 300). The 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 362 during the third inspection are then sent to the data processor 348. The data processor 348 uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 to confirm the location of one or more sealant splatters 372 previously detected during the second inspection (previously described in step 314 of the process flow 300). One or more sealant splashes 372 may be disposed on the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20 , or on the top surface of the second wafer 20 and / or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 .

[0057] After executing step 326 of process flow 320, executing step 328 of process flow 320 (eg, Figure 6 In step 328 of process flow 320 (as shown in FIG. Figure 6 ), the cleaning device 360 ​​(previously in Figure 1 ) is used to perform a cleaning process on the workpiece 301 to remove and wipe off one or more sealant splashes 372 on the chamfered edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 or on the top surface of the second wafer 20 and / or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10. Fig.10 , the cleaning device 360 ​​may include one or more cleaning brushes (e.g., top / bottom cleaning brushes 376 and side cleaning brushes 374) that are rotatable and may contact the beveled edge and / or the top / bottom surface of the workpiece 301. For example, the one or more rotatable side cleaning brushes 374 may be brought into contact with the beveled edge of the first wafer 10 and / or the second wafer 20 to remove and wipe off one or more sealant splatters 372 on the beveled edge of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. In addition, the one or more rotatable top / bottom cleaning brushes 376 may be brought into contact with the top surface of the second wafer 20 or the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 to remove and wipe off one or more sealant splatters 372 on the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 and / or the top surface of the second wafer 20.

[0058] After executing step 328 of process flow 320, executing step 330 of process flow 320 (eg, Figure 6). In step 330 of process flow 320, a fourth inspection is performed on the edge of workpiece 301 using laser edge profiler 362 and CCD camera 364. Laser edge profiler 362 and CCD camera 364 are used to perform the fourth inspection in a manner similar to the manner in which laser edge profiler 354 and CCD camera 358, respectively, are used to perform the second inspection (previously described in step 314 of process flow 300). The 2D images collected by CCD camera 364 and the data measured by laser edge profiler 362 during the fourth inspection are then sent to data processor 348. Data processor 348 reconstructs a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of workpiece 301. For example, Fig.11A An example 2D image that may be captured by CCD camera 364 during the fourth inspection is shown, and Fig. 11B Shows Fig.11A The data processor 348 compares the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the fourth inspection with the corresponding 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the third inspection to determine whether one or more sealant splatters 372 are completely removed from the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 or from the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 and / or the top surface of the second wafer 20.

[0059] In addition, the CCD camera 364 observes the bevel seal 225, the first wafer 10, and the second wafer 20 by detecting and capturing changes in light intensity at specific locations on the bevel seal and each of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20. Due to the change in light intensity on the material of the bevel seal 225 compared to the material of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20, the bevel seal 225 can be observed by the CCD camera 364 (e.g., as Fig.11A ). In this way, the CCD camera 364 is able to observe the dimensions of the bevel seal 225, and the bevel seal 225 can be inspected to ensure that it has a uniform width without visible gaps, thereby ensuring that a good quality bevel seal 225 is formed.

[0060] In addition, the data processor 348 uses the 2D images collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 (eg, Fig. 11B) to determine the volume of sealant remaining in the first space 223 and forming the bevel seal 225. Therefore, the data processor 348 can determine the volume of sealant removed from the first space 223 during the cleaning process described in step 328 of the process flow 320 above. The data processor 348 determines the volume of sealant removed by comparing the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the fourth inspection with the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the third inspection (previously described in step 326 of the process flow 320). If the volume of sealant forming the bevel seal 225 is found to be insufficient after the fourth inspection, a rework process can then be performed in the dispensing chamber 346 to dispense more sealant into the first space 223. The rework process can be similar to step 312 of the process flow 300 described above ( Figure 5 As shown), and the rework process ensures that the total volume of the sealant of the bevel seal 225 is sufficient, thereby promoting the formation of a bevel seal 225 of good quality.

[0061] After performing a cleaning process on the workpiece 301 (described in step 328 of the process flow 320), various advantages can be achieved by performing a fourth inspection in the clean room 350. The fourth inspection is performed using a combination of a laser edge profiler 362 and a CCD camera 364, wherein the CCD camera 364 is used to capture a 2D image along the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225) as the workpiece 301 is rotated. The laser edge profiler 362 collects data by measuring the profile (e.g., shape and size) of the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225) as the workpiece 301 is rotated. The 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 362 during the fourth inspection are sent to the data processor 348, which uses the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 358 and the data measured by the laser edge profiler 354 to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 (including the bevel seal 225). These advantages include the ability of the data processor 348 to compare the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the fourth inspection with the corresponding 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the third inspection. In this way, as a result of the cleaning process (described in step 328 of the process flow 320), the data processor 348 can determine whether one or more sealant splatters 372 are completely removed from the beveled edges of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 or from the bottom surface of the first wafer 10 and / or the top surface of the second wafer 20. In addition, the data processor 348 can determine the quality of the bevel seal 225 using the 2D image collected by the CCD camera 364 and the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301. The CCD camera 364 is able to observe the size of the bevel seal 225, and the bevel seal 225 can be inspected to ensure that it has a uniform width without visible gaps, thereby ensuring that a good quality bevel seal 225 is formed. In addition, the data processor 348 determines the volume of sealant removed during the cleaning process (described in step 328 of the process flow 320) by comparing the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the fourth inspection with the reconstructed 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece 301 obtained during the third inspection. If, as a result of the fourth inspection, it is found that the volume of remaining sealant to form the bevel seal 225 is insufficient, a rework process can then be performed in the dispensing chamber 346 to dispense more sealant into the first space 223. The rework process ensures that the total volume of sealant of the bevel seal 225 is sufficient, thereby promoting the formation of a good quality bevel seal 225.

[0062] After executing step 330 of process flow 320, executing step 332 of process flow 320 (eg, Figure 6 In step 332 of process flow 320, a transfer robot is used to transfer workpiece 301 to bevel sealing system 340 (as shown in FIG. Figure 1 In step 334 of process flow 320 (as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown), the transfer robot then transfers the workpiece 301 from the wafer transfer station 344 to a loading port 342 of the bevel sealing system 340, from which the workpiece 301 is removed from the bevel sealing system 340.

[0063] Fig.12 In performing process flow 300 ( Figure 5 After step 318 of the process flow (shown) or after executing process flow 320 ( Figure 6 The workpiece 301 after step 334 of FIG. 301 is shown in FIG. 301 , wherein the transfer robot transfers the workpiece 301 from the wafer transfer station 344 to a loading port 342 of the bevel sealing system 340 . The workpiece 301 is then removed from the bevel sealing system 340 . Fig.12 In the embodiment of the present invention, a curing process is performed to convert the sealant (e.g., epoxy resin) of the bevel seal 225 from a liquid or semi-liquid state to a solid, durable and chemically stable state. After the curing process is performed, the bevel seal 225 becomes harder and more resistant to deformation. The curing process may include heating the workpiece 301 to a temperature in the range of 150° C. to 220° C. After the curing process is performed, the workpiece 301 is flipped so that the first wafer 10 is disposed on the second wafer 20.

[0064] exist Fig.13, a thinning process 380 is performed on the back side of the first wafer 10 (e.g., the exposed surface of the substrate 117). The thinning process 380 removes the substrate 117 of the first wafer 10 so that the device layer 125 remains disposed on the second wafer 20. The thinning process 380 may include planarizing the surface of the substrate 117 using CMP, grinding, etching (e.g., a wet etching or dry etching process), or a combination thereof. For example, the thinning process 380 may be performed in a grinder, where a rotating grinding wheel is used to remove material from the substrate 117. In an embodiment, during the thinning process 380, a portion of the bevel seal 225 on the beveled edge of the first wafer 10 may also be removed. In an embodiment, after the thinning process 380, the top surface of the device layer 125 and the top surface of the bevel seal 225 may be at the same level. Various advantages may be achieved by forming the bevel seal 225 along the perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 using the process flow 300. These advantages include that the resulting bevel seal 225 is highly resistant to the thinning process 380 used to reduce the thickness of the first wafer 10. As a result, the edge of the workpiece 301 is enhanced due to the formation of the high-quality bevel seal 225, which allows for a reduced amount of stripping of material of the first wafer 10 and the second wafer 20 at the edge of the bonding interface during the thinning process 380. As a result, device reliability is improved and manufacturing costs are greatly reduced.

[0065] exist Fig.14 In the embodiment, a trimming process is performed on the workpiece 301 to remove the edge portion of the workpiece 301. For example, the trimming process can partially remove the edge portion of the semiconductor substrate 217 located on the periphery of the workpiece 301. In addition, the trimming process can remove the edge portion of the bonding layer 221, the bonding layer 121, the interconnect structure 119, and the device layer 125 located on the periphery of the workpiece 301. The trimming process may include a laser trimming process, a blade trimming process, etc. In an embodiment, the trimming process may include forming a patterned mask (e.g., a patterned photoresist) on the workpiece 301. Then an etching process may be performed to remove the edge portion of the workpiece 301 that is not protected by the patterned mask (e.g., the semiconductor substrate 217, the bonding layer 221, the bonding layer 121, the interconnect structure 119, and the device layer 125). The protected area (under the mask) is not affected. The patterned mask may then be removed by an acceptable ashing or stripping process.

[0066] exist Fig.15, through substrate vias (TSVs) 382 extending through semiconductor substrate 217, bonding layer 121, and bonding layer 221 are formed. TSVs 382 may also partially extend through interconnect structure 119. TSVs 382 may be electrically connected to metallization patterns in interconnect structure 119, and active devices and / or passive devices of device layer 125. TSVs 382 may be formed by, for example, flipping workpiece 301 and forming openings on a first side (e.g., exposed surface) of semiconductor substrate 217 by, for example, etching, milling, laser technology, or a combination thereof. The openings may extend through semiconductor substrate 217, bonding layer 121, and bonding layer 221. The openings may expose metallization patterns in interconnect structure 119. A thin barrier layer may be conformally deposited over the first side of semiconductor substrate 217 and in the openings by, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), thermal oxidation, or a combination thereof. The barrier layer may include a nitride or an oxynitride, such as titanium nitride, titanium oxynitride, tantalum nitride, tantalum oxynitride, tungsten nitride, or a combination thereof. A conductive material is deposited over the thin barrier layer and in the opening. The conductive material may be formed by an electrochemical plating process, CVD, ALD, PVD, or a combination thereof. Examples of conductive materials are copper, tungsten, aluminum, silver, gold, or a combination thereof. Excess conductive material and the barrier layer may be removed from the first side of the semiconductor substrate 217 by, for example, chemical mechanical polishing. Therefore, in some embodiments, the TSV 382 may include a conductive material and a thin barrier layer between the conductive material and the semiconductor substrate 217. The TSV 382 provides an electrical connection from the first side of the semiconductor substrate 217 to the second side of the semiconductor substrate 217, wherein the second side is located on the side opposite to the first side of the semiconductor substrate 217.

[0067] Further references Fig.15 A dielectric layer 384 is formed on the first side of the semiconductor substrate 217 and on the exposed surface of the TSV 382. The dielectric layer 384 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxynitride, a low-K dielectric material such as phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), fluorosilicate glass (FSG), SiO x Cy, spin-on glass, spin-on polymer, silicon-carbon material, compounds thereof, composites thereof, or combinations thereof, etc. The dielectric layer 384 may be deposited by any suitable method (eg, CVD, PECVD, spin coating, etc.).

[0068] The metallization pattern 386 can be formed in the dielectric layer 384 by, for example, depositing and patterning a photoresist material on the dielectric layer 384 using photolithography techniques to expose the portion of the dielectric layer 384 that will become the metallization pattern 386. An etching process such as an anisotropic dry etching process can be used to produce an opening in the dielectric layer 384 corresponding to the exposed portion of the dielectric layer 384. The opening in the dielectric layer 384 can expose the TSV 382. A seed layer (not shown separately) is formed on the exposed surface of the dielectric layer 384 and in the opening in the dielectric layer 384. In some embodiments, the seed layer is a metal layer, which can be a single layer or a composite layer including multiple sublayers formed of different materials. In some embodiments, the seed layer includes a titanium layer and a copper layer on the titanium layer. The seed layer can be formed using, for example, PVD. A photoresist is then formed and patterned on the seed layer. The photoresist can be formed by spin coating, etc., and can be exposed to light for patterning. The pattern of the photoresist corresponds to the metallization pattern 386. The patterning forms an opening through the photoresist to expose the seed layer. Then a conductive material is formed in the opening and on the exposed portion of the seed layer. The conductive material can be formed by electroplating (e.g., electroplating, chemical plating, etc.). The conductive material can include metals, such as copper, titanium, tungsten, aluminum, etc. Then, the photoresist and the portion of the seed layer that is not formed with the conductive material are removed. The photoresist can be removed by an acceptable ashing or stripping process (e.g., using oxygen plasma, etc.). Once the photoresist is removed, the exposed portion of the seed layer is removed, for example, by using an acceptable etching process. The remaining portion of the seed layer and the conductive material in the dielectric layer 384 form a metallization pattern 386. These metallization patterns 386 will be used to electrically connect TSV 382, ​​interconnect structure 119, and device layer 125 to external devices. In some embodiments, the metallization pattern 386 is used to deliver power to the device layer 125. In some embodiments, the metallization pattern 386 may further include under bump metallization (UBM), to which a conductive connector (not shown) may be attached for attachment and electrical connection with an external device or power source.

[0069] exist Fig.16 In the embodiment, a singulation process is performed on the workpiece 301 to singulate the individual semiconductor devices 400 of the workpiece 301 from each other. The semiconductor devices 400 may also be referred to as semiconductor dies. The singulation process may include a mechanical process, such as a sawing process, a cutting process, etc. In some embodiments, the singulation process may include a laser process, a mechanical process, and / or a combination thereof. Fig.15 Singulation is performed through the device layer 125, the interconnect structure 119, the bonding layer 121, the bonding layer 221, the semiconductor substrate 217, and the dielectric layer 384 (as shown).

[0070] Embodiments of the present disclosure have some advantageous features. Embodiments provide a method for applying to a bevel sealing system so as to form a bevel seal along the periphery of a bonding interface between a first wafer and a second wafer (e.g., which forms a workpiece). The bevel seal is formed by dispensing a sealant in a first space between the beveled edge of the first wafer and the beveled edge of the second wafer. The bevel sealing system includes a laser edge profiler and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, which are used to perform a first inspection on the periphery of the workpiece (including the beveled edges of the bonded first and second wafers and the bonding interface between the first and second wafers). The first inspection is performed before forming the bevel seal, and the first inspection allows the bevel sealing system to determine the optimal distribution path and height of the sealant applied therein along the periphery of the workpiece. In addition, the first inspection can be used to determine the volume of the sealant that needs to be distributed in order to fully fill the first space between the beveled edge of the first wafer and the beveled edge of the second wafer. A second inspection using a laser edge profiler and a CCD camera is performed after forming the bevel seal to determine the quality of the bevel seal formed. The second inspection can determine whether a sufficient volume of sealant required to fill the first space is dispensed, or whether part of the sealant splashes out of the first space and splashes onto other surfaces of the beveled edge of the first wafer and / or the second wafer. Therefore, the second inspection can determine whether a cleaning process needs to be performed to clean the splashed sealant from the surface of the beveled edge of the first wafer and / or the second wafer. If the volume of the sealant is insufficient, it can also determine whether a further rework process needs to be performed to distribute more sealant in the first space. As a result, a high-quality bevel seal can be formed, which allows to improve device reliability and reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, the resulting bevel seal formed has strong resistance to subsequent thinning operations for removing or reducing the thickness of the first wafer or the second wafer. As a result, due to the formation of a high-quality bevel seal, the edge of the workpiece is enhanced, which allows the amount of material of the first wafer and the second wafer to be reduced at the edge of the bonding interface during the thinning operation. In addition, the use of the first inspection and / or the second inspection allows the detection of defects (e.g., edge defects on the first wafer and / or the second wafer) and bonding misalignment between the first wafer and the second wafer.

[0071] According to an embodiment, a bevel sealing system includes a dispensing chamber, the dispensing chamber including: a first chuck configured to support a workpiece, the workpiece including a first wafer bonded to a second wafer, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer include a beveled edge; a sealant dispenser configured to apply a sealant along the periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera configured to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of an edge of the workpiece; and a first laser edge profiler configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the bevel sealing system also includes a data processor configured to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece using the 2D image of the edge of the workpiece and the profile data of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the bevel sealing system also includes a clean room, the clean room including: a second chuck configured to support a workpiece; a second CCD camera configured to capture a 2D image of the edge of the workpiece; and a second laser edge profiler configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the clean room further comprises one or more cleaning brushes configured to contact an edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the sealant dispenser is further configured to apply the sealant in a first space between a first beveled edge of the first wafer and a second beveled edge of the second wafer.

[0072] According to an embodiment, a method for forming a bevel seal includes: bonding the front side of a device wafer to a carrier wafer to form a workpiece, wherein a first space is disposed between a first beveled edge of the device wafer and a second beveled edge of the carrier wafer, and the first space also extends along the periphery of a bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer; performing a first inspection on the edge of the workpiece, wherein the first inspection includes: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of the edge of the workpiece using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera; and measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, reconstructing the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece includes: processing the first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a data processor. In an embodiment, the method also includes: dispensing a sealant into the first space extending along the periphery of the bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: determining an optimal dispensing path and height along which the sealant is dispensed in the first space before dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein the optimal dispensing path and height in the first space are determined using a first set of 2D images of an edge of the workpiece and a first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: determining a volume of the sealant to be dispensed into the first space so as to fill the first space before dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be dispensed into the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: performing a thinning process to remove a substrate of the device wafer after dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein a portion of the sealant in the first space is also removed during the thinning process. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: performing a second inspection of the edge of the workpiece after dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein the second inspection comprises: capturing a second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece using a first CCD camera; and measuring and collecting a second set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a first laser edge profiler. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: reconstructing a second 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece using a second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and a second set of contour data of the edge of the workpiece. In an embodiment, the method further comprises: determining a volume of the sealant dispensed into the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant dispensed into the first space is determined using the second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the second 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece.

[0073] According to an embodiment, a method includes: bonding an interconnect structure of a first wafer to a second wafer to form a wafer stack, wherein a first space is disposed between a lower beveled edge of the second wafer and an upper beveled edge of the first wafer, the first space extending along the periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; forming a bevel seal in the first space along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer, wherein forming the bevel seal includes: measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of an edge of the wafer stack using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the wafer stack using the first set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack; determining a volume of a sealant to be allocated to the first space so as to fill the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be allocated to the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack; and dispensing the sealant into the first space extending along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer. In an embodiment, the method also includes: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of the edge of the wafer stack using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera. In an embodiment, the method further includes: after dispensing the sealant into the first space, capturing a second set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack using the first CCD camera; and after dispensing the sealant into the first space, measuring and collecting a second set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack using the first laser edge profiler. In an embodiment, the method further includes: reconstructing a second 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack using the second set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack. In an embodiment, the method further includes: determining whether to perform a cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack based on the second set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack and the second 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack. In an embodiment, the method further includes: performing a cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack; after performing the cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack, capturing a third set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack using the second CCD camera; and after performing the cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack, measuring and collecting a third set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack using the second laser edge profiler.

[0074] The features of several embodiments are summarized above so that those skilled in the art can better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that they can easily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for performing the same purpose and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. It should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they can make various changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] Example 1 is a bevel sealing system comprising: a dispensing chamber comprising: a first chuck configured to support a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a first wafer bonded to a second wafer, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer comprise beveled edges; a sealant dispenser configured to apply sealant along a periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera configured to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of an edge of the workpiece; and a first laser edge profiler configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0076] Example 2 is the bevel seal system of Example 1, further comprising: a data processor configured to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece using the 2D image of the edge of the workpiece and the contour data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0077] Example 3 is the bevel sealing system described in Example 1, further comprising: a clean chamber, comprising: a second chuck configured to support the workpiece; a second CCD camera configured to capture a 2D image of the edge of the workpiece; and a second laser edge profiler configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0078] Example 4 is the bevel seal system of Example 3, wherein the cleaning chamber further comprises one or more cleaning brushes configured to contact an edge of the workpiece.

[0079] Example 5 is the bevel sealing system of Example 1, wherein the sealant dispenser is further configured to apply the sealant in a first space between a first beveled edge of the first wafer and a second beveled edge of the second wafer.

[0080] Example 6 is a method for forming a bevel seal, the method comprising: bonding the front side of a device wafer to a carrier wafer to form a workpiece, wherein a first space is disposed between a first beveled edge of the device wafer and a second beveled edge of the carrier wafer, the first space also extending along the periphery of a bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer; performing a first inspection on the edge of the workpiece, wherein the first inspection comprises: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of the edge of the workpiece using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera; and measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0081] Example 7 is the method of Example 6, wherein reconstructing the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece comprises: processing the first set of contour data of the edge of the workpiece using a data processor.

[0082] Example 8 is the method of Example 6, further comprising dispensing an encapsulant into the first space extending along a perimeter of the bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer.

[0083] Example 9 is the method described in Example 8, further comprising: determining an optimal dispensing path and height along which the sealant is dispensed in the first space before dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein the optimal dispensing path and height in the first space are determined using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece.

[0084] Example 10 is the method described in Example 8, further comprising: before dispensing the sealant into the first space, determining the volume of the sealant to be dispensed into the first space so as to fill the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be dispensed into the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece.

[0085] Example 11 is the method described in Example 8, further comprising: after dispensing the sealant into the first space, performing a thinning process to remove the substrate of the device wafer, wherein during the thinning process, a portion of the sealant in the first space is also removed.

[0086] Example 12 is the method described in Example 8, further comprising: performing a second inspection on the edge of the workpiece after dispensing the sealant into the first space, wherein the second inspection comprises: capturing a second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece using the first CCD camera; and measuring and collecting a second set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using the first laser edge profiler.

[0087] Example 13 is the method of Example 12, further comprising reconstructing a second 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece using the second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the second set of contour data of the edge of the workpiece.

[0088] Example 14 is the method described in Example 13, further comprising: determining a volume of the sealant allocated into the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant allocated into the first space is determined using the second set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the second 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece.

[0089] Example 15 is a method for forming a bevel seal, comprising: bonding an interconnect structure of a first wafer to a second wafer to form a wafer stack, wherein a first space is disposed between a lower beveled edge of the second wafer and an upper beveled edge of the first wafer, the first space extending along a periphery of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; forming a bevel seal in the first space along a periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer, wherein forming the bevel seal comprises: measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of an edge of the wafer stack using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the wafer stack using the first set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack; determining a volume of sealant to be allocated into the first space so as to fill the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be allocated into the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack; and dispensing the sealant into the first space extending along the periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer.

[0090] Example 16 is the method of Example 15, further comprising: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of an edge of the wafer stack using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera.

[0091] Example 17 is the method described in Example 16, further comprising: after dispensing the sealant into the first space, capturing a second set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack using the first CCD camera; and after dispensing the sealant into the first space, measuring and collecting a second set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack using the first laser edge profiler.

[0092] Example 18 is the method of Example 17, further comprising: reconstructing a second 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack using the second set of contour data of the edge of the wafer stack.

[0093] Example 19 is the method of Example 18, further comprising determining whether to perform a cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack based on the second set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack and the second 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack.

[0094] Example 20 is the method described in Example 19, further comprising: performing the cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack; capturing a third set of 2D images of the edge of the wafer stack using a second CCD camera after performing the cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack; and measuring and collecting a third set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack using a second laser edge profiler after performing the cleaning process on the edge of the wafer stack.

Claims

1. A bevel sealing system, comprising: Distribution room, including: a first chuck configured to support a workpiece including a first wafer bonded to a second wafer, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer include beveled edges; a sealant dispenser configured to apply a sealant along a perimeter of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera configured to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of an edge of the workpiece; and The first laser edge profiler is configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

2. The bevel sealing system according to claim 1, further comprising: A data processor is configured to reconstruct a 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece using the 2D image of the edge of the workpiece and the contour data of the edge of the workpiece.

3. The bevel sealing system according to claim 1, further comprising: Clean room, including: a second chuck configured to support the workpiece; a second CCD camera configured to capture a 2D image of an edge of the workpiece; and The second laser edge profiler is configured to measure and collect profile data of the edge of the workpiece.

4. The bevel sealing system according to claim 3, wherein: The cleaning chamber also includes one or more cleaning brushes configured to contact an edge of the workpiece.

5. The bevel sealing system according to claim 1, wherein: The sealant dispenser is further configured to apply the sealant in a first space between a first beveled edge of the first wafer and a second beveled edge of the second wafer.

6. A method for forming a bevel seal, the method comprising: Bonding a front side of a device wafer to a carrier wafer to form a workpiece, wherein a first space is disposed between a first chamfered edge of the device wafer and a second chamfered edge of the carrier wafer, the first space also extending along a perimeter of a bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer; Performing a first inspection on the edge of the workpiece, wherein the first inspection comprises: capturing a first set of two-dimensional (2D) images of the edge of the workpiece using a first charge coupled device (CCD) camera; and Measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of the edge of the workpiece using a first laser edge profiler; and A first three-dimensional (3D) representation of the edge of the workpiece is reconstructed using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first set of contour data of the edge of the workpiece.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Reconstructing the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece includes processing the first set of contour data of the edge of the workpiece using a data processor.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: An encapsulant is dispensed into the first space extending along a perimeter of the bonding interface between the device wafer and the carrier wafer.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Before dispensing the sealant into the first space, determining an optimal dispensing path and height along which to dispense the sealant in the first space, wherein the optimal dispensing path and height in the first space are determined using the first set of 2D images of the edge of the workpiece and the first 3D representation of the edge of the workpiece.

10. A method for forming a bevel seal, comprising: Bonding the interconnect structure of the first wafer to the second wafer to form a wafer stack, wherein a first space is disposed between a lower chamfered edge of the second wafer and an upper chamfered edge of the first wafer, the first space extending along a perimeter of a bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer; Forming a bevel seal along a periphery of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer in the first space, wherein forming the bevel seal comprises: Measuring and collecting a first set of profile data of the edge of the wafer stack using a first laser edge profiler; and reconstructing a first three-dimensional (3D) representation of an edge of the wafer stack using the first set of contour data of the edge of the wafer stack; determining a volume of sealant to be dispensed into the first space so as to fill the first space, wherein the volume of the sealant to be dispensed into the first space is determined using the first 3D representation of the edge of the wafer stack; and The sealant is dispensed into the first space extending along a perimeter of the bonding interface between the first wafer and the second wafer.