Wafer processing equipment

Abstract

A wafer processing apparatus is provided. The wafer processing apparatus includes: a laser apparatus configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam; a beam shaper configured to shape a waveform of the laser beam; and a beam compressor configured to locally compress the shaped laser beam, where the compressed laser beam is input to the wafer.

Description

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0193175, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 27, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The inventive concept relates to a wafer processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the wafer processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a wafer processing apparatus configured to perform a laser dicing process and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the wafer processing apparatus. Background Art

[0003] A laser processing process refers to a process of irradiating a laser beam onto the surface of a processing object to process the physical properties or shape of the surface of the processing object. The laser processing process includes, for example, a patterning process of forming a pattern on the surface of the processing object, a process of changing the physical properties of the processing object (such as wafer annealing), a molding process of changing the shape of the processing object by reflow, and a cutting process of cutting the processing object into multiple units by reflow.

[0004] A conventional wafer cutting process using a laser beam irradiates a laser beam in a wavelength band having a high absorption rate onto a processing object to melt the processing object, and thus cuts the processing object. In the case of melting and cutting a wafer, the peripheral region as well as the cutting region is melted, and due to this, there is a problem that a part of the semiconductor device formed on the wafer is damaged. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventive concept provides a wafer processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the wafer processing apparatus, in which reliability is enhanced and processing speed is enhanced.

[0006] The object of the inventive concept is not limited to the above object, but other objects not described herein will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

[0007] A wafer processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment includes: a laser device configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam; a beam shaper configured to generate a shaped laser beam by shaping the waveform of the laser beam; and a beam compressor configured to locally compress the shaped laser beam, wherein the wafer processing apparatus is configured such that the compressed laser beam is input to a wafer.

[0008] A wafer processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment includes: a chirped laser beam generator configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam such that wavelength components of the laser beam are arranged in chronological order; a beam shaper configured to generate a shaped laser beam by shaping a waveform of the laser beam irradiated by the chirped laser beam generator; and a beam compressor configured to locally compress the shaped laser beam, wherein the wafer processing apparatus is configured such that the compressed laser beam is input to a wafer.

[0009] A wafer processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment includes: a chirped laser beam generator configured to generate and irradiate a first laser beam such that wavelength components of the first laser beam are arranged in chronological order; a beam shaper configured to generate a shaped laser beam by shaping a waveform of the first laser beam to generate a second laser beam; a beam compressor configured to locally compress the second laser beam to generate a third laser beam; and a wafer support configured to support a wafer, wherein the wafer processing apparatus is configured such that the third laser beam is input to the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Embodiments will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a chirped laser beam according to at least one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a laser beam before shaping according to at least one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a laser beam after shaping according to at least one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a beam shaper according to at least one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a beam shaper according to at least one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a process of compressing a laser beam by a diffraction grating according to at least one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a beam compressor according to at least one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 FIG. is a diagram showing a beam compression device according to at least one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 10 FIG. is a configuration diagram showing a beam compressor according to at least one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 11A and Figure 11B FIG. is a cross-sectional view showing a beam compression device according to at least one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 12 FIG. is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam passing through a beam compressor according to at least one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 13 FIG. is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam input to a wafer according to at least one embodiment.

[0024] Figures 14A to 14C FIG. is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam input to a wafer according to at least one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 15 FIG. is a graph showing the effect of a wafer processing device according to at least one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 16 FIG. is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and their repeated description is omitted. In the drawings, for ease of description and clarity, the thickness or size of each layer is exaggerated, and thus, the thickness or size of each layer may be slightly different from the actual shape and ratio. Additionally, when the terms "about" or "substantially" are used in conjunction with numerical and / or geometric terms in this specification, it is intended that the relevant numerical values include manufacturing tolerances (e.g., ±10%) near the stated numerical values. Furthermore, whether the numerical and / or geometric terms are modified by "about" or "substantially", it will be understood that these values should be interpreted as including manufacturing or operating tolerances (e.g., ±10%) near the stated numerical values and / or geometric shapes. Additionally, whenever a range of values is recited, the range includes all values within the range as if they were explicitly and clearly recited, and the range may also include the boundaries of the range. Thus, the range of "X" to "Y" includes all values between X and Y, including X and Y.

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a wafer processing device 10 according to at least one embodiment.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 As shown in Figure 1 , the wafer processing apparatus 10 may include a chirped laser beam generator (or chirped laser beam source) 100, a beam transmission optical source 200, a beam shaper 300, a beam compressor 400, and a wafer support 500.

[0030] The wafer processing apparatus 10 may be configured to perform a dicing process. The dicing process may include a process of separating a wafer W on which semiconductor devices are formed at a high speed with high precision. The dicing process may include a process of irradiating a laser beam LB onto the wafer W to separate the wafer W. That is, the wafer processing apparatus 10 may cut the wafer W by using the laser beam LB. Irradiating the laser beam LB onto the wafer W may also be referred to as inputting the laser beam LB into the wafer W. For example, the laser beam LB may be input into a dicing area of the wafer W.

[0031] The wafer processing apparatus 10 may cut the wafer W by using a laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width and a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width. The laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width may include a laser beam LB in the nanosecond level, and the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may include a femtosecond and / or picosecond level laser beam LB. For example, the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may have a pulse width of about 10 picoseconds or less. The laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width may heat a relatively wide area, and the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may be irradiated onto the wafer W relatively precisely. The wafer processing apparatus 10 according to at least one embodiment may control an irradiation area of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width and an irradiation area of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to effectively cut the wafer W. Hereinafter, a method of cutting the wafer W by using the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width and the ultrashort pulse width will be described in detail.

[0032] The chirped laser beam generator 100 may generate and irradiate a chirped laser beam LB. The chirped laser beam generator 100 may include a laser source and a laser beam stretcher. The laser source may be configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam LB in the nanosecond level. For example, the laser source may include a Nd:YAG laser and / or an excimer laser.

[0033] The laser beam expander can be configured to move various wavelength components of the pulses of the laser beam LB at various speeds. The laser beam expander can be configured to extend the pulses of the laser beam LB based on time. For example, the laser beam expander can increase the pulse duration by using the dispersion characteristics of light. Here, the dispersion characteristics of light can indicate that the speed at which matter moves changes based on the wavelength of light. That is, when the laser beam LB passes through a medium, the laser beam LB can be arranged in chronological order (time-serially) based on the wavelength of each laser beam LB. For example, the laser beam expander can include an optical fiber or a diffraction grating.

[0034] The laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100 can have a pulse width in the nanosecond range. For example, the laser beam LB can have a pulse width of about 1 nanosecond to about 1000 nanoseconds. In addition, the laser beam LB can have a wavelength of about 600 nanometers or less.

[0035] In the laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100, the wavelength components of the laser beam LB can be arranged in chronological order. Hereinafter, for ease of description, the laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100 can be referred to as a chirped laser beam. The following refers to Figure 2 Describe the chirped laser beam.

[0036] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a chirped laser beam according to at least one embodiment. For ease of description, the case where the laser beam has a pulse type is shown as an example. Figure 2 Shows the intensity of the laser beam LB with respect to time. In Figure 2 the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents intensity. It can be combined with Figure 1 to describe Figure 2 .

[0037] Referring to Figure 2 a laser source can generate and irradiate the laser beam LB. The laser beam LB generated by the laser source can be referred to as a normal laser beam. In addition, the laser beam passing through the laser beam expander can be referred to as a chirped laser beam.

[0038] The frequency or wavelength of the normal laser beam can remain constant. On the other hand, the frequency or wavelength of the chirped laser beam can increase and / or decrease linearly and / or non-linearly. For example, the light with a long wavelength of the chirped laser beam can be arranged before the light with a short wavelength. In other embodiments, the light with a short wavelength of the chirped laser beam can be arranged before the light with a long wavelength.

[0039] Referring again to Figure 1, the laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100 can be input into the beam transmission optical source 200. The beam transmission optical source 200 can transmit the laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100 to the beam shaper 300. The beam transmission optical source 200 can be or include, for example, free space optics, but is not limited thereto. The beam transmission optical source 200 can include various optical elements, such as polarizers, lenses, reflectors, prisms, and beam splitters.

[0040] The beam shaper 300 can receive the laser beam LB from the beam transmission optical source 200. The beam shaper 300 can shape the waveform of the laser beam LB. The following will refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 to describe the operation of shaping the waveform of the laser beam LB by using the beam shaper 300. In addition, the following will refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 to describe the configuration of the beam shaper 300.

[0041] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are diagrams showing the beam shaper 300 according to at least one embodiment. Specifically, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the laser beam before shaping according to at least one embodiment, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the laser beam after shaping according to at least one embodiment. For ease of description, the case where the laser beam LB has a pulse type is shown as an example. The laser beam LB before shaping can be referred to as the first laser beam LB1, and the laser beam LB after shaping can be referred to as the second laser beam LB2. Figure 3 and Figure 4 each show the intensity of the laser beam LB with respect to the radius. In Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the horizontal axis represents the radius, and the vertical axis represents the intensity. In Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the same positions are aligned with each other to represent the same positions in the horizontal axis.

[0042] Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4, the waveform of the first laser beam LB1 may be different from the waveform of the second laser beam LB2. The peak region of the first laser beam LB1 may be a region adjacent to the central region of the laser beam LB of the wafer W. The peak region of the waveform of the second laser beam LB2 may be wider than the peak region of the waveform of the first laser beam LB1. The first laser beam LB1 may have a waveform with a relatively steep slope near the central region of the laser beam LB, and the second laser beam LB2 may have a waveform with a relatively gentle slope near the central region of the laser beam LB. That is, the first laser beam LB1 may have a waveform with a relatively steep slope in the outer region of the laser beam LB, and the second laser beam LB2 may have a waveform with a relatively gentle slope in the outer region of the laser beam LB. In addition, compared with the first laser beam LB1, the second laser beam LB2 may reduce the intensity of the laser beam LB at the peak. That is, the beam shaper 300 may adjust the ratio of the peaks of the laser beam LB in each of the central region and the outer region of the laser beam LB.

[0043] The second laser beam LB2 may have a waveform with a relatively gentle slope in the outer region. Therefore, compared with the intensity of the central region of the laser beam LB, the intensity of the outer region of the laser beam LB may increase. Although described below, the laser beam LB having a pulse width in the nanosecond range may be irradiated onto the central region of the laser beam LB, and the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may be irradiated onto the outer region of the laser beam LB. That is, since the laser beam LB is shaped, the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may increase compared with the laser beam LB having a pulse width in the nanosecond range.

[0044] Figure 5 and Figure 6 are configuration diagrams showing a beam shaper according to at least one embodiment. Specifically, Figure 5 shows the case where the beam shaper 300a includes a plurality of microlens arrays MLA, Figure 6 shows the case where the beam shaper 300b includes a diffractive optical element DOE and a microlens array.

[0045] Referring to Figure 5 , the beam shaper 300a may include a plurality of microlens arrays (e.g., a first microlens array and a second microlens array) MLA1 and MLA2 and a first lens L1. The microlens array may include a plurality of lenses arranged in a grating shape. For example, the first microlens array MLA1 and the second microlens array MLA2 may divide the incident laser beam LB into a plurality of reduced laser beams LB. The laser beam LB that has passed through the first microlens array MLA1 and the second microlens array MLA2 may be collected by the first lens L1. The waveform of the laser beam LB may be shaped by using the first microlens array MLA1 and the second microlens array MLA2.

[0046] Referring to Figure 6 , the beam shaper 300b may include a diffractive optical element DOE and a plurality of lenses L2 and L3. The diffractive optical element DOE may adjust the laser beam LB based on the diffraction principle. The diffractive optical element DOE may adjust the waveform of the laser beam LB. The laser beam LB passing through the diffractive optical element DOE may pass through the second lens L2 and the third lens L3 and converge. The diffractive optical element DOE may shape the waveform of the laser beam LB.

[0047] In the above, the shaping of the laser beam LB by using the microlens array MLA and the diffractive optical element DOE has been described above. However, the inventive concept is not limited thereto, and another method of shaping the laser beam LB may be used.

[0048] For example, the microlens array MLA and the diffractive optical element DOE may be variously arranged, and thus, the waveform of the laser beam LB may have a shape with any flatness.

[0049] Referring again to Figure 1 , the laser beam LB2 after waveform shaping by the beam shaper 300 may be input to the beam compressor 400. The beam compressor 400 may compress at least a part of the laser beam LB. For example, the beam compressor 400 may compress a part of the laser beam LB and may not compress the remaining part of the laser beam LB. Referring to the following Figures 7 to 11B to describe the configuration of the beam compressor 400. In addition, referring to the following Figure 12 and Figure 13 to describe the laser beam LB compressed by the beam compressor 400.

[0050] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a process of compressing a laser beam by a diffraction grating according to at least one embodiment. In Figure 7 , the arrow indicates the traveling direction of the laser beam incident on the diffraction grating.

[0051] Referring to Figure 7 , the diffraction grating may include a sawtooth pattern. The diffraction grating may include a periodically patterned sawtooth pattern. In the beam incident on the diffraction grating, the optical path may be differently allocated based on the incident order of the beam. For example, according to the Figure 7 diffraction grating, the optical path of the subsequent beam in one pattern may be shorter than that of the previous beam. That is, the diffraction grating may control the phase relationship of the diffracted beam to compress the laser beam LB. That is, the laser beam LB passing through the diffraction grating may be compressed.

[0052] In addition, the degree of compression of the laser beam LB can be adjusted based on the pitch, slope, and / or direction of the pattern of the diffraction grating. For example, when the slope of the sawtooth pattern of the diffraction pattern increases, the degree of compression of the laser beam LB can change. For example, when the slope of the sawtooth pattern of the diffraction pattern increases, the degree of compression of the laser beam LB can increase. In addition, when the direction of the sawtooth pattern of the diffraction pattern rotates, the degree of compression of the laser beam LB can change.

[0053] Figure 8 is a configuration diagram showing a beam compressor 400a according to at least one embodiment. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a beam compression device BCa according to at least one embodiment.

[0054] Referring to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the beam compressor 400a can include a first beam compression device 410, a second beam compression device 420, and a mirror 430. In Figure 8 , the beam compressor 400a is shown as including two beam compression devices BCa, but is not limited thereto, and may include one or more beam compression devices BCa. The laser beam irradiated on the beam compressor 400a can pass through the first beam compression device 410 and the second beam compression device 420, and at least a part of the laser beam can be compressed. The beam compressor 400a can reduce the pulse width of the laser beam LB.

[0055] The beam compression device BCa can include a mirror region Ma and a compression region Ca. The mirror region Ma can be a region where a mirror is provided, and the laser beam LB incident on the mirror region Ma can not be compressed and can be reflected. That is, the beam compression device BCa can locally compress the laser beam LB. The compression region Ca can be configured to compress the laser beam LB. For example, the compression region Ca can include the diffraction grating pattern described above with reference to Figure 7 . In other embodiments, the compression region Ca can include a spatial light modulator including a diffraction grating pattern.

[0056] The beam compression device BCa can include a plurality of mirror regions Ma. The compression region Ca can be provided between the plurality of mirror regions Ma. The mirror region Ma can be provided in the central region of the beam compression device BCa, and the compression region Ca can be provided in the outer region of the beam compression device BCa. That is, the central region of the laser beam LB can not be compressed, while the outer region of the laser beam LB can be compressed. In some embodiments, the compression region Ca can be provided as a plurality of compression regions Ca, and the mirror region Ma (for example, one mirror region Ma) can be provided between the plurality of compression regions Ca (for example, two of the plurality of compression regions Ca).

[0057] As described above, based on the chirped laser beam generator 100, the laser beam LB may have a pulse width on the order of nanoseconds. For example, the laser beam LB may have a pulse width ranging from about 1 ns (nanosecond) to about 1000 ns. The beam compression device BCa may compress the pulse width of at least a portion of the laser beam LB. For example, the beam compression device BCa may perform compression such that at least a portion of the laser beam LB has a pulse width ranging from about 1 femtosecond to about 1 nanosecond. That is, the beam compression device BCa may perform compression such that at least a portion of the laser beam LB has a femtosecond and / or picosecond level. In addition, the wavelength of the laser beam LB before compression may be substantially the same as the wavelength of the laser beam LB after compression.

[0058] The mirror region Ma may have a first width W1 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction), and the compression region Ca may have a second width W2 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction). The first width W1 may be greater than the second width W2. For example, the range of the first width W1 may be from about 1 mm (millimeter) to about 10 mm, and the range of the second width W2 may be from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. The ratio of the second width W2 to the first width W1 may vary variously according to circumstances. In other embodiments, the first width W1 may be less than the second width W2. Although described below, when the second width W2 is about 0.5 mm or greater, the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width may have high reliability without dispersion.

[0059] In Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction) may be defined as the direction parallel to the main surface of the beam compression device BCa, and the vertical direction (Z direction) may be defined as the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction).

[0060] As described below, the compressed laser beam LB may be reduced more in the pulse duration than the laser beam LB before compression, and thus, the intensity of the peak of the pulse may increase.

[0061] In Figure 9 , it is shown that in the compression region Ca, the regions have the same compression degree, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of regions with different compression degrees may be provided in the compression region Ca.

[0062] Figure 10 is a configuration diagram showing a beam compressor 400b according to at least one embodiment. Figure 11A and Figure 11B are cross-sectional views showing a beam compression device BCb according to at least one embodiment. Figure 11A and Figure 11B show Figure 10 a cross-sectional view of the beam compression device. Figure 11AA cross-sectional view of the beam compressor device shown from the front, and Figure 10 a cross-sectional view of the beam compressor device shown from the side. Figure 11B Referring to Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of the beam compressor device shown from the side.

[0063] Referring to Figures 10 to 11B , the beam compressor 400b may include a third beam compression device 440 to a sixth beam compression device 470. In Figure 10 , the beam compressor 400b is shown as including four beam compression devices BCb, but is not limited thereto, and may include one or more beam compression devices BCb. The laser beam LB incident on the beam compressor 400b may pass through the third beam compression device 440 to the sixth beam compression device 470, and at least a part of the laser beam LB may be compressed. The beam compressor 400b may reduce the pulse width of the laser beam LB. For example, the beam compression device BCb may perform compression such that at least a part of the laser beam LB has a pulse width of about 1 femtosecond to about 1 nanosecond. In addition, the wavelength of the laser beam LB before compression may be substantially the same as the wavelength of the laser beam LB after compression.

[0064] The beam compression device BCb may include a mirror region Mb and a compression region Cb. The beam compression device BCb may have a quadrilateral shape when viewed in a direction parallel to the direction in which the laser beam LB travels (e.g., from the front), and may have a triangular shape when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam LB travels (e.g., from the side). As Figure 11A shown in Figure 11B , in the front view, the mirror region Mb and the compression region Cb may have a quadrilateral shape. In addition, as

[0065] shown in

[0066] , in the side view, the mirror region Mb may have a quadrilateral shape, and the compression region Cb may have a triangular shape.

[0065] The mirror region Mb may be a region where a mirror is provided, and the laser beam LB incident on the mirror region Mb may not be compressed and may be reflected. That is, the beam compression device BCb may locally compress the laser beam LB. The compression region Cb may be configured to compress the laser beam LB. For example, the compression region Cb may include a prism. In other embodiments, the compression region Cb may include a transmissive diffraction grating element. For example, the compression region Cb may include a spatial light modulator including a diffraction grating pattern.

[0066] The beam compression device BCb may include a plurality of mirror regions Mb. A compression region Cb may be provided between the plurality of mirror regions Mb. The mirror regions Mb may be provided in a central region of the beam compression device BCb, and the compression region Cb may be provided in an outer region of the beam compression device BCb. That is, the central region of the laser beam LB may not be compressed, while the outer region of the laser beam LB may be compressed. In some embodiments, the compression region Cb may be provided as a plurality of compression regions Cb, and a mirror region Mb (e.g., one mirror region Mb) may be provided between a plurality of compression regions Cb (e.g., two of the plurality of compression regions Cb).

[0067] As described above, based on the chirped laser beam generator 100, the laser beam LB may have a pulse width in the nanosecond range. For example, the laser beam LB may have a pulse width of about 1 ns (nanosecond) to about 1000 ns. The beam compression device BCb may compress the pulse width of at least a portion of the laser beam LB. For example, the beam compression device BCb may perform compression such that at least a portion of the laser beam LB has a pulse width of about 1 fs (femtosecond) to about 1 ns. That is, the beam compression device BCb may perform compression such that at least a portion of the laser beam LB has a femtosecond and / or picosecond level. In addition, the wavelength of the laser beam LB before compression may be substantially the same as the wavelength of the laser beam LB after compression.

[0068] The mirror region Mb may have a third width W3 in a first horizontal direction (X direction), and the compression region Cb may have a fourth width W4 in the first horizontal direction (X direction). The third width W3 may be greater than the fourth width W4. For example, the range of the third width W3 may be about 1 mm to about 10 mm, and the range of the fourth width W4 may be about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. The ratio of the fourth width W4 to the third width W3 may vary variously according to circumstances. In other embodiments, the third width W3 may be less than the fourth width W4. Although described below, when the fourth width W4 is about 0.5 mm or greater, the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may have high reliability without dispersion.

[0069] In Figures 10 to 11B it, the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction) may be defined as a direction parallel to the lower surface of the beam compression device BCb, and the vertical direction (Z direction) may be defined as a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction).

[0070] In Figures 10 to 11B it, a case is shown where the beam compression device BCb includes a prism and a mirror. However, at least one embodiment is not limited thereto, and for example, the beam compression device BCb may include a graded-index prism whose refractive index changes based on position and / or a graded-thickness prism whose thickness changes based on position. The beam compression device BCb may also differ in the degree of compression based on the incident position.

[0071] In the foregoing, a configuration for locally compressing the laser beam LB by using a diffraction grating and a prism has been described. However, the inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration for compressing the laser beam LB by using an optical fiber may be feasible. Figures 7 to 11B In

[0072] and Figure 11A and Figure 11B it is shown that in the compression region Cb, the regions have the same degree of compression, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of regions with different degrees of compression may be provided in the compression region Cb.

[0073] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam passing through a beam compressor according to at least one embodiment. In Figure 12 for example, a case is shown in which the beam compressor 400 includes Figure 8 a beam compression device BCa (for example, a diffraction grating pattern). In Figure 12 on the left, a schematic shape of the laser beam LB incident on the beam compressor 400 is shown, and in the right curve graph, the intensity of the laser beam LB is shown. The right curve graph shows the intensity of the laser beam LB with respect to the radius. The horizontal axis of the right curve graph represents the radius, and the vertical axis represents the intensity of the laser beam LB. In the curve graph, NSP may represent the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width, and USP may represent the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width.

[0074] Referring to Figure 12 at least a part of the laser beam LB incident on the beam compression device BCa may be incident on the mirror region Ma of the beam compression device BCa, and the remaining part of the laser beam LB may be incident on the compression region Ca of the beam compression device BCa. As described above, the laser beam LB incident on the mirror region Ma may not be compressed, while the laser beam LB incident on the compression region Ca may be compressed. The region of the laser beam LB incident on the mirror region Ma may be referred to as the first region R1, and the region of the laser beam LB incident on the compression region Ca may be referred to as the second region R2. The laser beam LB in the first region R1 may not be compressed and may maintain a nanosecond-level pulse width, and the laser beam LB in the second region R2 may be compressed and may have an ultrashort pulse width.

[0075] In the right curve graph, the laser beam LB corresponding to the first region R1 may have a pulse width on the order of nanoseconds and, thus, may be relatively small in peak intensity. On the other hand, the laser beam LB corresponding to the second region R2 may have an ultrashort pulse width and, thus, may be relatively large in peak intensity. The laser beam LB having a pulse width on the order of nanoseconds may affect a relatively wide region, but its intensity may be relatively low. On the other hand, the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width may affect a relatively narrow region, but its intensity may be relatively large.

[0076] The pulse width of the laser beam LB irradiated onto the first region R1 and the pulse width of the laser beam LB irradiated onto the second region R2 may be different. That is, the pulse width of the laser beam LB irradiated onto the first region R1 may be greater than the pulse width of the laser beam LB irradiated onto the second region R2. The first region R1 (e.g., a region near the central region of the laser beam LB) may have a pulse width on the order of nanoseconds, and the second region R2 (e.g., the outer region of the laser beam LB) may have an ultrashort pulse width. In other embodiments, the first region R1 (e.g., a region near the central region of the laser beam LB) may have a pulse width of about 10 ps (picoseconds) to about 300 femtoseconds (e.g., about 20 picoseconds to about 300 femtoseconds), while the second region R2 (e.g., the outer region of the laser beam LB) may have a pulse width of about 1 femtosecond to about 200 femtoseconds. In this case, the chirped laser beam generator 100 may generate and irradiate a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width, and / or all of the laser beams LB in the central region and the outer region may be compressed.

[0077] The first region R1 may have a fifth width W5 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction), and the second region R2 may have a sixth width W6 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction). The fifth width W5 may be greater than the sixth width W6. For example, the range of the fifth width W5 may be about 1 mm to about 10 mm, and the range of the sixth width W6 may be about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. The ratio of the sixth width W6 to the fifth width W5 may vary variously according to circumstances. In addition, the fifth width W5 may be substantially the same as Figure 8 and Figure 9 the first width W1, and the sixth width W6 may be less than or equal to Figure 8 and Figure 9 the second width W2. When the sixth width W6 is less than or equal to a specific value, dispersion of the laser beam LB may occur. Therefore, the sixth width W6 may be about 0.5 mm or greater.

[0078] In Figure 12In this case, the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction) can be defined as the direction parallel to the main surface of the beam compressor BCa, and the vertical direction (Z direction) can be defined as the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction).

[0079] The beam compressor 400 can locally compress the laser beam LB. Specifically, it can locally compress the outer region of the laser beam LB. Therefore, the beam compressor 400 can control the laser beam LB such that the central region of the laser beam LB has a pulse width on the nanosecond scale, and the outer region of the laser beam LB has an ultrashort pulse width.

[0080] As described above, the laser beam LB in the second region R2 can be formed by compressing the laser beam LB in the first region R1. Therefore, the pulse width can be relatively short, and the intensity of the peak can be relatively large.

[0081] Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam input to a wafer according to at least one embodiment. In Figure 13 this case, the schematic shape of the laser beam LB incident on the scribe region SL of the wafer W is shown on the left side, and the intensity of the laser beam LB is shown in the right curve graph. The right curve graph shows the intensity of the laser beam LB with respect to the radius. The horizontal axis of the right curve graph represents the radius, and the vertical axis represents the intensity of the laser beam LB. In the curve graph, NSP can represent the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width, and USP can represent the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width.

[0082] The scribe region SL can represent the region of the wafer W that defines the device formation region where semiconductor devices are provided. The wafer processing apparatus 10 can irradiate the laser beam LB onto the wafer W along the scribe region SL to cut the wafer W.

[0083] In addition, the direction along which the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width is separated from the central region of the laser beam LB can be perpendicular to the extending direction of the scribe region SL of the wafer W. That is to say, the direction along which the second region R2 is separated from the central region of the laser beam LB can be perpendicular to the extending direction of the scribe region SL of the wafer W. The laser beam LB can move in the extending direction of the scribe region SL of the wafer W. The moving direction of the laser beam LB can be perpendicular to the direction along which the second region R2 is separated from the central region of the laser beam LB.

[0084] For example, the extending direction of the scribe region SL can be parallel to the first horizontal direction (X direction). In addition, the direction along which the second region R2 is separated from the central region of the laser beam LB can be parallel to the second horizontal direction (Y direction).

[0085] The first region R1 may have a seventh width W7 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction), and the second region R2 may have an eighth width W8 in the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction). The seventh width W7 may be greater than the eighth width W8. For example, the range of the seventh width W7 may be from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, and the range of the eighth width W8 may be from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. The ratio of the eighth width W8 to the seventh width W7 may vary variously according to circumstances. When the eighth width W8 is less than or equal to a specific value, dispersion of the laser beam LB may occur. Therefore, the eighth width W8 may be about 0.5 mm or greater.

[0086] In Figure 13 it, the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction) may be defined as a direction parallel to the main surface of the wafer W, and the vertical direction (Z direction) may be defined as a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction (X direction and / or Y direction).

[0087] Referring again to Figure 1 , the laser beam LB that has passed through the beam compressor 400 may be input to the wafer W. The wafer W may be and / or include a semiconductor, such as semiconductor elements (such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), etc.) and / or compound semiconductors (such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium arsenide (InAs), indium phosphide (InP), etc.).

[0088] In some embodiments, the wafer W may have a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure. The wafer W may include a buried oxide layer formed on the front surface of the wafer W. In some embodiments, the wafer W may include a conductive region (e.g., an impurity-doped well) formed on the front surface of the wafer W. In some embodiments, the wafer W may have various device isolation structures, such as shallow trench isolation (STI) that isolates impurity-doped wells. Although not shown, a plurality of material layers may be formed on the front surface of the wafer W. At least one material layer may be formed on the back surface of the wafer W.

[0089] The wafer W may include semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W. The wafer W may include a plurality of device formation regions (where semiconductor devices are formed) and scribe regions (which define the plurality of device formation regions).

[0090] The semiconductor device SD formed in the wafer W may be at least one of a memory device and a non-memory device. In some embodiments, the memory device may be a non-volatile memory semiconductor device, such as a flash memory, a phase change random access memory (PRAM), a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), a resistive random access memory (RRAM), etc. The flash memory may be, for example, a V-NAND flash memory. In some other embodiments, the memory device may be a volatile memory semiconductor device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), etc. For example, the memory device may be a volatile memory device in which data is lost when power to it is cut off. In some embodiments, the non-memory device may be a logic chip, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application processor (AP). In some embodiments, the non-memory device may be a measurement device, a communication device, a digital signal processor (DSP), or a system on chip (SoC).

[0091] The wafer W may be disposed on a wafer support 500. The wafer support 500 may support the wafer W that is processed by using a laser. In an embodiment, the wafer support 500 may be a vacuum chuck configured to support the wafer W by using a vacuum pressure. Alternatively, the wafer support 500 may be an electrostatic chuck, a chuck including a clamping device that physically supports the wafer support 500, etc.

[0092] In the foregoing, a process of processing (e.g., cutting) a wafer W by using a wafer processing apparatus 10 has been described. First, a first laser beam LB1 generated by a chirped laser beam generator 100 can be input into a beam shaper 300 via a beam transmission optical source 200. The waveform of the first laser beam LB1 input into the beam shaper 300 can be changed, and thus, a second laser beam LB2 can be generated. The second laser beam LB2 can have a gentle peak compared with the first laser beam LB1 and can be reduced in peak intensity. The second laser beam LB2 with the changed waveform can be input into a beam compressor 400. The beam compressor 400 can locally compress the second laser beam LB2. More specifically, the beam compressor 400 can not compress the central region of the second laser beam LB2 and can compress the outer region of the second laser beam LB2. For example, the beam compressor 400 can perform control such that the central region of the second laser beam LB2 has a pulse width in the nanosecond range and can perform control such that the outer region of the second laser beam LB2 has an ultrashort pulse width, thereby generating a third laser beam LB3. The third laser beam LB3 generated by the beam compressor 400 can be input into the wafer W. The third laser beam LB3 input into the wafer W can heat the wafer W, and thus, the heated wafer W can be cut. In at least one embodiment, the process can be controlled (and / or enabled) by a processing circuit such as hardware, software, or a combination thereof configured to perform specific functions. For example, the wafer processing apparatus 10 can include a processing circuit and / or be controlled by a processing circuit configured to control the operation (e.g., timing, intensity, load, etc.) of the wafer processing apparatus 10. More specifically, the processing circuit can include, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a deep learning processor (DLP), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. (and / or can be included in a central processing unit (CPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a deep learning processor (DLP), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., but is not limited to a central processing unit (CPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a deep learning processor (DLP), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.).

[0093] General wafer processing equipment processes wafers by using a laser beam having a pulse width in the nanosecond range or by using a laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width. A laser beam having a pulse width in the nanosecond range can process a relatively wide area, but a heat-affected zone (HAZ) can be generated and damage the wafer. More specifically, a laser beam having a pulse width in the nanosecond range can heat the wafer to cut the wafer, and thus, a wide HAZ can be generated. On the other hand, a laser beam having an ultrashort pulse width can have high reliability and can precisely process the wafer, but can process a relatively narrow area, so there is a possibility of low productivity.

[0094] On the other hand, a wafer processing apparatus 10 according to at least one embodiment can process a wafer W by using a laser beam LB including a region having a pulse width in the nanosecond range and a region having an ultrashort pulse width. Therefore, since the laser beam having a pulse width in the nanosecond range is provided in the central region of the laser beam LB, a relatively wide area can be processed. In addition, since the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width is provided in the outer region of the laser beam LB, damage to the wafer W can be prevented. As a result, the wafer processing apparatus 10 according to at least one embodiment can have high reliability and a high processing speed and can process the wafer W.

[0095] Figures 14A to 14C is a conceptual diagram showing a laser beam LB input to a wafer according to at least one embodiment. In Figures 14A to 14C the intensity of the laser beam LB is shown with respect to time at an arbitrary position on the wafer W. In Figures 14A to 14C the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the intensity of the laser beam LB. In the graph, NSP can represent the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width, and USP can represent the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width. It can be combined with Figures 1 to 13 to describe Figures 14A to 14C .

[0096] Referring to Figures 14A to 14C , the laser beam LB can include a laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width and a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width. The laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width and the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width can be variously combined and irradiated onto an arbitrary area of the wafer W. For example, Figure 14A shows a case where the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width is irradiated onto the wafer W and then the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width is irradiated onto the wafer W. Figure 14B shows a case where the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width is irradiated onto the wafer W and then the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width is irradiated onto the wafer W. Figure 14CShows a case where a laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width irradiates a wafer W while a laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width irradiates the wafer W. That is, depending on the situation, the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width and the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width can be combined in sequence and irradiated onto the wafer W.

[0097] Figure 15 Is a graph showing the effects of a wafer processing apparatus according to at least one embodiment. Figure 15 Shows the width of the HAZ with respect to the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width. Figure 15 The horizontal axis of the graph represents the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width (USP / NSP), and the vertical axis represents the width of the HAZ. It can be combined Figures 1 to 14C To describe Figure 15 .

[0098] Referring to Figure 15 , it can be seen that as the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width (USP / NSP) increases, the width of the heat affected zone (HAZ) decreases and then remains at a specific level. Therefore, when the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width (USP / NSP) increases before a specific point (e.g., point P), the width of the HAZ can decrease.

[0099] In the case where the laser beam LB heats the wafer W, the peripheral region of the irradiation area of the laser beam LB can be heated and melted by the laser beam LB. Therefore, the HAZ can reduce the reliability of the wafer W. The HAZ can be generated based on the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width and the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width.

[0100] However, when the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width and the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width have the same intensity, the width of the HAZ generated by the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width can be greater than the width of the HAZ generated by the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width. Therefore, when the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB with an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB with a nanosecond pulse width increases, the area (or width) of the HAZ can decrease.

[0101] In addition, as described above, a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width can process a relatively narrow area. Therefore, it may be necessary to appropriately adjust the ratio of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width. For example, the ratio (USP / NSP) of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width can be controlled to be about 10% or more. When the ratio (USP / NSP) of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width is about 10% or more, a wide processing area can be ensured while minimizing the width of the HAZ. However, this numerical range can be for at least one embodiment and can vary variously based on the components of the wafer processing apparatus 10.

[0102] The ratio (USP / NSP) of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width can be adjusted by the beam shaper 300 and / or the beam compressor 400. For example, the beam shaper 300 can reduce the intensity of the central region of the laser beam LB and can increase the intensity of the outer region of the laser beam LB. The intensity of the central region of the laser beam LB can correspond to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width, and the intensity of the outer region of the laser beam LB can correspond to the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width.

[0103] In addition, the beam compressor 400 can compress at least a part of the laser beam LB to generate a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width. As described above, when the ratio in each of the compression region and the mirror region is adjusted, the ratio (USP / NSP) of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width can be adjusted.

[0104] That is, the wafer processing apparatus 10 according to at least one embodiment can adjust the ratio (USP / NSP) of the intensity of the laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width to the intensity of the laser beam LB having a nanosecond pulse width to reduce the area of the HAZ. Therefore, a wafer processing apparatus 10 having high reliability and high processing speed can be provided.

[0105] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to at least one embodiment. It can be described in combination with Figures 1 to 15 to describe Figure 16. The manufacturing of semiconductor devices can be performed, for example, in a device manufacturing apparatus including at least one processing chamber, which includes, for example, a transfer chamber and a plurality of processing chambers. In at least one embodiment, the device manufacturing apparatus can include a transfer device (e.g., a robotic arm, a conveyor belt, etc.), which is configured to transfer wafers between the transfer chamber and / or the plurality of processing chambers. The plurality of processing chambers can be configured to perform operations in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices (e.g., deposition, oxidation, etching, separation, etc.) and can be controlled by a processing circuit.

[0106] Referring to Figure 16 , first, in operation P10, semiconductor devices can be formed in a wafer W. The wafer W can include a plurality of device formation regions where semiconductor devices are respectively formed and a scribe region that defines the plurality of device formation regions.

[0107] The wafer W can include, for example, semiconductor elements (such as Si and / or Ge) and / or compound semiconductors (such as SiC, GaAs, InAs, and / or InP).

[0108] The wafer W can include semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W. The wafer W can include a plurality of device formation regions where semiconductor devices are formed and a scribe region that defines the plurality of device formation regions.

[0109] The semiconductor device SD formed in the wafer W can be one of a memory device and a non-memory device. In some embodiments, the memory device can be a non-volatile memory semiconductor device, such as a flash memory, a PRAM, an MRAM, a FeRAM, or an RRAM. The flash memory can be, for example, a V-NAND flash memory. In some other embodiments, the memory device can be a volatile memory semiconductor device, such as a DRAM or an SRAM. For example, the memory device can be a volatile memory device in which data is lost when the power supplied thereto is cut off. In some embodiments, the non-memory device can be a logic chip, such as a CPU, a GPU, or an AP. In some embodiments, the non-memory device can be a measurement device, a communication device, a DSP, and / or an SoC.

[0110] The process of forming a semiconductor device can include: i) an oxidation process of forming an oxide layer; ii) a lithography process including spin coating, exposure, and development; iii) a thin film deposition process; iv) a dry or wet etching process; and v) a metal wiring process.

[0111] The oxidation process can be a process of performing a chemical reaction between oxygen or steam and the surface of a silicon substrate at a high temperature of about 800 °C to about 1200 °C to form a thin and uniform silicon oxide layer. The oxidation process can include dry oxidation and wet oxidation. Dry oxidation can form an oxide layer by reacting with oxygen, while wet oxidation can react oxygen with steam to form an oxide layer.

[0112] According to some embodiments, an SOI structure may be formed on a substrate by an oxidation process. The substrate may include a buried oxide layer. According to some embodiments, the substrate may have various device isolation structures, such as STI.

[0113] A lithography process may be a process of transferring a circuit pattern previously formed in a photomask onto a substrate by exposure. The lithography process may be performed in the order of a spin coating process, an exposure process, and a development process.

[0114] A thin film deposition process may be, for example, one of atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), metalorganic CVD (MOCVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), reactive pulsed laser deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering.

[0115] A dry etching process may be, for example, reactive ion etching (RIE), deep RIE (DRIE), ion beam etching (IBE), and argon (Ar) milling. As another example, a dry etching process capable of being performed on the wafer W may be an atomic layer etching (ALE) process. In addition, a wet etching process capable of being performed on the wafer W may be an etching process using at least one of Cl2, HCl, CHF3, CH2F2, CH3F, H2, BCL3, SiCl4, Br2, HBr, NF3, CF4, C2F6, C4F8, SF6, O2, SO2, and COS as an etching gas.

[0116] A metal wiring process may be a process of forming conductive wirings (metal wirings) to implement a circuit pattern for the operation of a semiconductor device. Transmission paths for ground, power, and signals for operating a semiconductor device may be formed by the metal wiring process. The metal wiring may include gold, platinum, silver, aluminum, and tungsten.

[0117] According to some embodiments, an ion implantation process and a planarization process such as a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process may be performed in the process of forming a semiconductor device.

[0118] Subsequently, in operation P20, a laser beam LB may be irradiated onto the wafer W. The laser beam LB output from the wafer processing apparatus 10 may be irradiated onto the wafer W. According to some embodiments, the surface of the wafer W may be coated before the laser beam LB is irradiated onto the wafer W to prevent damage to the wafer W.

[0119] As referred to above Figures 1 to 12The described wafer processing apparatus 10 may include a chirped laser beam generator 100, a beam transmission optical source 200, a beam shaper 300, a beam compressor 400, and a wafer support 500. The chirped laser beam source 100 may generate and irradiate a laser beam LB whose wavelength components are arranged in chronological order. The beam transmission optical source 200 may transmit the laser beam LB generated by the chirped laser beam generator 100 to the beam shaper 300. The beam shaper 300 may shape the waveform of the laser beam LB. Specifically, the beam shaper 300 may reduce the intensity deviation between the peak values of the laser beam LB in the central region and the outer region of the laser beam LB. The laser beam LB shaped by the beam shaper 300 may be input into the beam compressor 400. The beam compressor 400 may locally compress the laser beam LB. For example, the beam compressor 400 may compress the outer region of the laser beam LB. The central region of the laser beam LB passing through the beam compressor 400 may have a pulse width in the nanosecond range, and the outer region of the laser beam LB may have an ultrashort pulse width. The laser beam LB passing through the beam compressor 400 may be input onto the wafer W.

[0120] In operation P30, the semiconductor devices on the wafer W may be separated by the laser beam LB irradiated onto the wafer W. The laser beam LB irradiated onto the wafer W may irradiate the surface of the wafer W. This process may be referred to as a laser ablation process. Laser ablation may form grooves in the wafer W to cut the wafer W.

[0121] The grooves formed in the wafer W may be cut by a mechanical process, and / or the wafer W may be cut using a laser. For example, the mechanical process may include the process of cutting the wafer W using a blade wheel.

[0122] The laser ablation process may use a laser beam LB having a pulse width in the nanosecond range and a laser beam LB having an ultrashort pulse width, thereby being performed with high reliability and at a high processing speed.

[0123] Subsequently, in operation P40, the separated semiconductor devices may be packaged. The packaging process may include a wire bonding process, a molding process, an identification process, and a solder ball mounting process.

[0124] In the above, example embodiments have been described in the drawings and the specification. The embodiments have been described using the terms herein, but this is only for describing the inventive concept and not for limiting the meaning or the scope of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims. Therefore, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments can be implemented according to the inventive concept. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the inventive concept can be defined based on the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0125] Although the inventive concept has been specifically shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer processing device, comprising: a laser device configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam; a beam shaper configured to generate a shaped laser beam by shaping a waveform of the laser beam; as well as The beam compressor is configured to locally compress the shaped laser beam to output a compressed laser beam to be input to the wafer.

2. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The beam shaper is configured as: Reduce the peak intensity of the laser beam in the central region, and Increase the intensity of the peak in the outer region of the laser beam.

3. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The beam shaper includes at least one of a microlens array and a diffractive optical element.

4. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: In the compressed laser beam input to the wafer, the pulse width in the center region is different from the pulse width in the outer region.

5. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: In the compressed laser beam input to the wafer, the pulse width in the central region is greater than that in the outer region.

6. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The beam compressor includes a diffraction grating pattern.

7. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The laser beam generated and irradiated by the laser device has a pulse width of nanosecond order.

8. A wafer processing device comprising: a chirped laser beam generator configured to generate and irradiate a laser beam so that wavelength components of the laser beam are arranged in time sequence; a beam shaper configured to generate a shaped laser beam by shaping a waveform of the laser beam irradiated by the chirped laser beam generator; as well as The beam compressor is configured to locally compress the shaped laser beam to output a compressed laser beam to be input to the wafer.

9. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The beam compressor includes: a mirror region configured to reflect the laser beam; and A compression region is configured to compress the laser beam.

10. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 9, wherein: The compression region is set to multiple compression regions, and The mirror region is disposed between two of the plurality of compression regions.

11. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 9, wherein: The width of the compressed area is 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

12. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The beam compressor is configured to compress an outer region of the laser beam.

13. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: In the shaped and compressed laser beam, the intensity of the peak in the outer region of the laser beam is greater than the intensity of the peak in the central region of the laser beam.

14. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: Regarding the laser beam input to the wafer, the direction from the central region of the laser beam toward the outer region having an ultrashort pulse width is perpendicular to the extending direction of the scribe line region of the wafer.

15. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The central region of the laser beam input to the wafer has a pulse width in the nanosecond range, and The outer region of the laser beam input to the wafer has an ultrashort pulse width.

16. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, wherein: The central region of the laser beam input to the wafer has a pulse width of 10 picoseconds to 300 femtoseconds, and The outer region of the laser beam input to the wafer has a pulse width of 1 femtosecond to 200 femtoseconds.

17. A wafer processing device comprising: a chirped laser beam generator configured to generate and irradiate a first laser beam so that wavelength components of the first laser beam are arranged in time sequence; a beam shaper configured to generate a second laser beam by shaping a waveform of the first laser beam; a beam compressor configured to locally compress the second laser beam to generate a third laser beam to be input to the wafer; as well as The wafer support is configured to support a wafer.

18. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 17, further comprising: The beam delivery optical source is configured to input the first laser beam to the beam shaper.

19. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 17, wherein: A ratio of an intensity of an outer region of the first laser beam to an intensity of a central region of the first laser beam is smaller than a ratio of an intensity of an outer region of the second laser beam to an intensity of a central region of the second laser beam.

20. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 17, wherein: The beam compressor is configured to generate the third laser beam such that the third laser beam includes an uncompressed first region and a compressed second region, and The width of the second region is 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

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