Silicon wafer marking device and silicon wafer marking system
By preheating the silicon wafer and laser marking is performed after heating with halogen lamps, the problems of unclear marking and deterioration of silicon wafer flatness caused by laser marking are solved, and clearer marking and improved silicon wafer surface quality are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422668837.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-22
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-01
AI Technical Summary
The existing laser marking method is prone to forming unclear and irregular marking codes on the silicon wafer, and lead to deterioration of the local flatness of the silicon wafer.
The preheating unit is used to preheat the marking area of the silicon wafer, and heat it with a non-contact thermal radiation component such as a halogen lamp, and the temperature is controlled at 300-500°C, and then marked by a laser marking unit.
Improves the clarity of the marker code and the local flatness of the silicon wafer, reduces thermal stress, and ensures regularity and accuracy of the marker holes.
Smart Images
Figure CN223250794U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, in particular to a silicon wafer marking device and a silicon wafer marking system. Background Art
[0002] Wafer marking plays a crucial role in semiconductor wafer production. Its primary purpose is to facilitate identification and tracking of each wafer's production batch, production date, process parameters, and other information. In large-scale production, wafers are produced in vast quantities, and marking effectively prevents confusion between wafers, ensuring the correct material is used during subsequent processing and testing. Marking also helps record various wafer-related data, including test results and production process parameters. This information is crucial for subsequent analysis and process improvements. In some cases, markings can also include specific customer requirements or information to meet individual needs. Therefore, wafer marking is crucial for quality control and production management.
[0003] Silicon wafer marking methods can be divided into hard marking (hard marking) and soft marking (soft marking). Hard marking marks the code on the back of the silicon wafer and are deeper. Soft marking marks the code on the front of the silicon wafer and are less deep.
[0004] Laser marking is a common method for marking silicon wafers. Laser marking involves irradiating the surface of a silicon wafer with a high-energy laser beam, using the laser's thermal energy to physically transform the material, thereby forming a mark on the wafer. However, due to the high energy density and high temperature of the high-energy laser beam, it is easy for circular holes to form sputtering on the surface of the silicon wafer, resulting in unclear and irregular marking codes. Furthermore, due to the influence of thermal stress, the marked area of the silicon wafer is prone to micro-deformation, resulting in a deterioration of the local flatness of the silicon wafer. Utility Model Content
[0005] In order to solve at least one technical problem in the above-mentioned prior art, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a silicon wafer marking device.
[0006] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:
[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a silicon wafer marking device, comprising:
[0008] A placement unit, used for placing silicon wafers to be marked;
[0009] a preheating unit, disposed on one side of the placement unit, for preheating the area to be marked on the silicon wafer to be marked; and
[0010] The laser marking unit is arranged on one side of the placement unit and is used for laser marking the to-be-marked area of the to-be-marked silicon wafer.
[0011] Exemplarily, the silicon wafer to be marked includes a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; wherein, the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are respectively located on different sides of the placement unit, and when the silicon wafer to be marked is placed on the placement unit, the laser marking unit is located on the side where the first surface is located, and the preheating unit is located on the side where the second surface is located.
[0012] Exemplarily, the silicon wafer to be marked includes a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; wherein, the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are respectively located on the same side of the placement unit, and when the silicon wafer to be marked is placed on the placement unit, the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are both located on the side where the first surface is located, and at least one of the laser marking unit and the preheating unit is movable.
[0013] Exemplarily, the preheating unit includes a non-contact heat radiation component, and the non-contact heat radiation component is used to preheat the area to be marked by heat radiation.
[0014] Exemplarily, the non-contact heat radiation component includes at least one halogen lamp.
[0015] Exemplarily, the width of the area to be marked along the first direction is D, the length along the second direction is L, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; wherein R is greater than or equal to at least one of D and L.
[0016] Exemplarily, the value range of R is 3 to 5 mm.
[0017] Exemplarily, the preheating unit further includes: a moving component, wherein the moving component is configured to be connected to the non-contact heat radiation component and to move the non-contact heat radiation component along a predetermined path.
[0018] Exemplarily, the moving component includes a robot.
[0019] In a second aspect, the present disclosure also provides a silicon wafer marking system, comprising:
[0020] The silicon wafer marking device as described above;
[0021] A transport device, used for transporting the silicon wafer to be marked into or out of the placement unit; and
[0022] A control device is communicatively connected with the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device, and is used to control the working states of the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device.
[0023] The beneficial effects brought about by the embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:
[0024] In the above scheme, by setting up the preheating unit, the area to be marked on the silicon wafer can be preheated, and then the laser marking unit can be used to laser mark the area to be marked. In this way, the area to be marked on the silicon wafer is preheated before laser marking, which can reduce the temperature difference between the silicon wafer and the laser used for marking, and the marking holes can be more regular, so that the marking code composed of the marking holes is clearer and more recognizable; and, the temperature difference between the silicon wafer and the laser used for marking is reduced, which can also reduce the thermal stress of the area to be marked, thereby improving the local flatness of the silicon wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a silicon wafer marking device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the back side of the silicon wafer;
[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a halogen lamp and an area to be marked on a silicon wafer in a silicon wafer marking device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0029] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "one", "an" or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.
[0030] As used in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "parallel," "perpendicular," and "identical" include the strict sense of "parallel," "perpendicular," and "identical," as well as "approximately parallel," "approximately perpendicular," and "approximately identical" with respect to a certain tolerance, which, taking into account the tolerances associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (e.g., limitations of the measurement system), means within an acceptable range of deviation for a particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, "approximately" can mean within one or more standard deviations, or within 3% or 5% of the stated value.
[0031] In addition, in this document, unless otherwise defined, the terms "substantially," "essentially," "approximately," and "about" are used to describe and explain small variations. When used in connection with an event or circumstance, these terms can encompass situations where the event or circumstance occurs exactly, as well as situations where the event or circumstance occurs approximately. For example, when used in connection with a numerical value, these terms can include a range of variation of less than or equal to 10% of the numerical value, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, less than or equal to ±0.05%. The term "substantially coplanar" can refer to two surfaces being aligned along the same plane within the micrometer range, for example, within 40 μm, 30 μm, 20 μm, 10 μm, or 1 μm.
[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a silicon wafer marking device, which includes:
[0033] A placement unit 100 is used to place the silicon wafer 10 to be marked;
[0034] A preheating unit 200 is provided on one side of the placement unit 100 and is used to preheat the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 to be marked; and
[0035] The laser marking unit 300 is provided on one side of the placement unit 100 and is used to perform laser marking on the to-be-marked area A of the to-be-marked silicon wafer 10 .
[0036] In the above scheme, by setting the preheating unit 200, the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 can be preheated, and then the laser marking unit 300 can be used to laser mark the area A to be marked. In this way, the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 is preheated before laser marking, which can reduce the temperature difference between the silicon wafer 10 and the laser used for marking, and the marking holes can be more regular, so that the marking code composed of the marking holes is clearer and more recognizable; and, the temperature difference between the silicon wafer 10 and the laser used for marking is reduced, which can also reduce the thermal stress of the area A to be marked, thereby improving the local flatness of the silicon wafer 10.
[0037] In some exemplary embodiments, the silicon wafer 10 to be marked includes a first surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite to each other. The first surface 11 is used for laser marking and may be the back side of the silicon wafer 10.
[0038] The laser marking unit 300 performs laser marking on the first surface 11 , and the obtained marking code 13 may include but is not limited to an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) code and a Code code.
[0039] Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology used to identify and read text information printed on the surface of silicon wafer 10. Typically, OCR is used to read text information such as batch numbers, serial numbers, and production dates. A T7 Code is a specific barcode or QR code format commonly used for identifying and tracking silicon wafers 10. The T7 Code typically contains key information related to the silicon wafer 10, such as product type, production date, and process parameters.
[0040] In some exemplary embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are respectively located on different sides of the placement unit 100, and when the silicon wafer 10 to be marked is placed on the placement unit 100, the laser marking unit 300 is located on the side where the first surface 11 is located, and the preheating unit 200 is located on the side where the second surface 12 is located.
[0041] By adopting the above scheme, laser marking can be performed on the first surface 11 of the silicon wafer 10 through the laser marking unit 300. The area and position of the area A to be marked are fixed, and the preheating unit 200 can be arranged on one side of the second surface 12 of the silicon wafer 10, that is, the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are arranged on opposite sides of the silicon wafer 10. In this way, the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 can be preheated from the side where the second surface 12 of the silicon wafer 10 is located. After the preheating is completed, laser marking can be performed on the area A to be marked from the side where the first surface 11 of the silicon wafer 10 is located.
[0042] In some embodiments, the placement unit 100 may be configured to adsorb and fix the silicon wafer 10 via an adsorption plate 110 or the like to prevent the silicon wafer 10 from shifting during the preheating and marking process.
[0043] For example, the suction plate 110 can absorb and fix the central area of the silicon wafer 10, while the peripheral area of the silicon wafer 10 is used for marking. The laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 can be arranged corresponding to the peripheral area of the silicon wafer 10, without spatially interfering with the placement unit 100.
[0044] The above is only an example, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the same surface of the silicon wafer 10 may be preheated before laser marking.
[0045] For example, in other exemplary embodiments, the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are respectively located on the same side of the placement unit 100, and when the silicon wafer 10 to be marked is placed on the placement unit 100, the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are both located on the side where the first surface 11 is located, wherein the laser marking unit 300 is movable; or, the preheating unit 200 is movable; or, both the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are movable, so that the preheating unit 200 and the laser marking unit 300 can be alternately located above the area A to be marked.
[0046] By adopting the above scheme, the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 are both arranged on the same side of the silicon wafer 10, and by setting at least one of the laser marking unit 300 and the preheating unit 200 to be movable, the preheating unit 200 and the laser marking unit 300 can be alternately located above the area to be marked A. In the preheating stage, the preheating unit 200 can be placed above the area to be marked A for preheating. After the preheating is completed, the preheating unit 200 is removed, and the laser marking unit 300 is placed above the area to be marked A for laser marking.
[0047] The laser pulse energy of the laser marking unit 300 during operation may be between 5 joules and 15 joules. The marking hole obtained by laser marking may be a circular hole with a depth of 30 to 90 microns and a diameter of 50 to 100 microns.
[0048] In addition, the edge of the silicon wafer 10 has a notch groove (crystal orientation positioning groove) 14. The laser marking position should comply with the SEMI standard, and the central angle between the laser marking position and the notch groove 14 is approximately -5±0.1°.
[0049] In some exemplary embodiments, the silicon wafer marking apparatus further includes a positioning unit, which may be provided on the placement unit 100 and configured to position the silicon wafer 10 to ensure accurate preheating and marking positions on the silicon wafer 10. The positioning accuracy of the positioning unit may be less than or equal to 0.05 microns. The specific configuration of the positioning unit is not limited herein.
[0050] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the preheating unit 200 includes a non-contact heat radiation assembly 210 for preheating the to-be-marked area A by means of heat radiation. In the above solution, preheating the to-be-marked area A by means of the non-contact heat radiation assembly 210 can avoid defects caused by contact with the silicon wafer 10, compared to contact heating methods.
[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the non-contact heat radiation component 210 may include at least one halogen lamp. That is, the silicon wafer 10 is preheated by heating with a halogen lamp. In other embodiments, the non-contact heat radiation component 210 may also include heating methods such as infrared heating or laser heating.
[0052] Using a halogen lamp to heat the marking area A of the silicon wafer 10 offers the following advantages: 1) Low Cost: Halogen lamps have relatively low equipment and maintenance costs, making them suitable for budget-constrained applications. 2) Uniform Heating: Halogen lamps provide relatively even heat distribution, making them suitable for applications requiring widespread heating. 3) Instant Heating: Halogen lamps quickly reach operating temperature, making them suitable for applications requiring rapid heating. 4) Adjustability: The heating intensity can be flexibly controlled by adjusting the current.
[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the preheating unit 200 further includes a moving component 220, which is configured to be connected to the non-contact heat radiation component 210 and move the non-contact heat radiation component 210 along a predetermined path.
[0054] When the halogen lamp is used to preheat the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 using the above solution, the halogen lamp can be brought close to the silicon wafer 10 and moved along a predetermined path according to a predetermined current to preheat the area to be marked on the silicon wafer 10.
[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the width of the area A to be marked along the first direction X is D, and the length along the second direction Y is L, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y; wherein R is greater than or equal to at least one of D and L.
[0056] Using the above solution, if Figure 3 As shown, the size of the halogen lamp is designed to have a diameter R greater than or equal to the width D or length L of the area to be marked A. Taking the case where the diameter R is greater than or equal to the width D of the area to be marked A as an example, when preheating the area to be marked A, the halogen lamp can perform linear reciprocating motion n times along the length extension direction of the area to be marked A. For example, n can be 1, 2, or 3. During the movement, the heating range of the halogen lamp can cover the entire range of the width extension direction of the area to be marked A. The heating or cooling rate of the area to be marked A is fast, and it is easier to accurately control the preheating temperature of the area to be coded.
[0057] Exemplarily, R is equal to D, and the value range of R is 3 to 5 mm.
[0058] It should be noted that the preheating unit 200 can precisely control the preheating temperature by precisely controlling parameters such as the current, heating time, and movement rate of the halogen lamp. When the heating time reaches a preset heating time, the halogen lamp can be moved away from the silicon wafer 10 and turned off, and laser marking can then be performed.
[0059] In some embodiments, a preheating temperature of the region A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 exceeding 500°C may affect the crystal properties of the silicon wafer 10, while a preheating temperature below 300°C may have a poor preheating effect. Therefore, the preheating temperature of the region A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10 may be 300-500°C. The preheating time may be 5-15 seconds.
[0060] It should be noted that the above is only an example. There may be only one halogen lamp. In other embodiments, several halogen lamps may be provided. For example, the halogen lamps may be arranged in M rows and N columns along the width and length directions of the area to be marked A. M and N may be positive integers greater than or equal to 1. The area covered by several halogen lamps may be greater than or equal to the area to be marked A.
[0061] In some exemplary embodiments, the moving assembly 220 includes a robot arm that can hold the halogen lamp and move it along the length or width direction of the area A to be marked.
[0062] In other embodiments, the moving component 220 is not limited thereto. The moving component 220 may also select other structures that can realize moving the halogen lamp. For example, the moving component 220 may also include a first moving mechanism that can move the halogen lamp along a first direction X. The first moving mechanism can be implemented by any suitable mechanical structure such as a cylinder or a screw. The first direction X is the length extension direction or the width extension direction of the area A to be marked.
[0063] In addition, the moving assembly 220 may further include a second moving mechanism capable of moving the halogen lamp along a second direction Y. The second moving mechanism may be implemented by any suitable mechanical structure such as a cylinder or a screw. One of the first direction X and the second direction Y is the length extension direction of the area A to be marked, and the other of the first direction X and the second direction Y is the width extension direction of the area A to be marked.
[0064] The specific structure of the moving component 220 is not limited thereto.
[0065] In addition, the present disclosure also provides a silicon wafer marking system, including:
[0066] The silicon wafer marking device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0067] A transport device for transporting the silicon wafer 10 to be marked into or out of the placement unit 100; and
[0068] A control device is communicatively connected with the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device, and is used to control the working states of the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device.
[0069] Since the principle of solving the problem by the silicon wafer marking system is similar to the principle of solving the problem by the above-mentioned silicon wafer marking device, the embodiment of the silicon wafer marking system provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can refer to the embodiment of the above-mentioned silicon wafer marking device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and will not be repeated here.
[0070] The transport unit may be implemented by a manipulator or the like.
[0071] When the silicon wafer marking system provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is marking the silicon wafer 10, the process may include the following steps:
[0072] First, the silicon wafer 10 is taken out from the wafer box by the transport unit and transported to the placement unit 100 of the silicon wafer marking device;
[0073] Then, the silicon wafer 10 is positioned by the positioning unit;
[0074] Then, the preheating unit 200 preheats the area A to be marked on the silicon wafer 10;
[0075] Then, after reaching the preheating temperature, the laser marking unit 300 performs laser marking on the to-be-marked area A of the silicon wafer 10 ;
[0076] Then, after the laser marking is completed, the silicon wafer 10 is unloaded from the laser marking device and returned to the wafer box.
[0077] There are a few points to note:
[0078] (1) The drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only relate to the structures related to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other structures may refer to conventional designs.
[0079] (2) For the sake of clarity, the thickness of layers or regions in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure are exaggerated or reduced, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to scale. It is understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, the element may be "directly" "on" or "under" the other element or intervening elements may be present.
[0080] (3) In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features therein may be combined with each other to form new embodiments.
[0081] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A silicon wafer marking device, characterized in that: include: A placement unit, used for placing silicon wafers to be marked; A preheating unit, provided on one side of the placement unit, for preheating the area to be marked on the silicon wafer to be marked; and The laser marking unit is arranged on one side of the placement unit and is used for laser marking the to-be-marked area of the to-be-marked silicon wafer.
2. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silicon wafer to be marked includes a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; wherein, the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are respectively located on different sides of the placement unit, and when the silicon wafer to be marked is placed on the placement unit, the laser marking unit is located on the side where the first surface is located, and the preheating unit is located on the side where the second surface is located.
3. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silicon wafer to be marked includes a first surface and a second surface relative to each other; wherein the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are respectively located on the same side of the placement unit, and when the silicon wafer to be marked is placed on the placement unit, the laser marking unit and the preheating unit are both located on the side where the first surface is located, and at least one of the laser marking unit and the preheating unit is movable.
4. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preheating unit includes a non-contact heat radiation component, and the non-contact heat radiation component is used to preheat the area to be marked by heat radiation.
5. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The non-contact heat radiation component includes at least one halogen lamp.
6. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The width of the area to be marked along the first direction is D, and the length along the second direction is L, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; wherein R is greater than or equal to at least one of D and L.
7. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The value range of R is 3 to 5 mm.
8. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The preheating unit further includes a moving component configured to be connected to the non-contact heat radiation component and to move the non-contact heat radiation component along a predetermined path.
9. The silicon wafer marking device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The moving assembly includes a robot arm.
10. A silicon wafer marking system, characterized in that: include: The silicon wafer marking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A transport device, used for transporting the silicon wafer to be marked into or out of the placement unit; and A control device is communicatively connected with the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device, and is used to control the working states of the transport device and the silicon wafer marking device.