A curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of wafers.

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of wafer manufacturing technology. In order to solve the technical problem of low product yield caused by premature oxidation of wafers when exposed to air during UV curing, this utility model discloses a curing device for overcoming the oxidation of wafers during UV curing. The device includes a UV curing lamp assembly, a lifting module for raising and lowering the UV curing lamp assembly, a UV curing platform assembly located below the UV curing lamp assembly, and a top pin mechanism for supporting the UV curing platform assembly. The UV curing platform assembly includes a UV curing platform for placing the wafer. An annular raised sealing ring is provided on the UV curing platform to form a sealed cavity, and a vacuum hole is provided to adsorb the wafer. An exhaust hole is also provided to remove air from the sealed cavity. An array of annular nitrogen holes is distributed around the wafer to uniformly fill the sealed cavity with nitrogen and prevent the UV adhesive layer from oxidizing during UV curing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wafer manufacturing technology, and in particular to a curing device for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of wafers. Background Technology

[0002] In wafer manufacturing, UV curing is commonly used for curing after UV films are attached to wafers to ensure wafer stability during subsequent dicing or packaging. However, when free radical polymeric UV adhesives cure in air, oxygen reacts with active free radicals generated by photoinitiators to form low-activity peroxide free radicals, leading to incomplete curing of the adhesive surface layer (i.e., the "oxygen inhibition effect"). This manifests as surface stickiness, insufficient hardness, and decreased long-term stability. This phenomenon is particularly critical in wafer manufacturing because incompletely cured adhesive layers can cause wafer displacement or fragmentation during dicing, directly impacting product yield.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a curing device that can prevent premature oxidation of wafers during UV curing due to contact with air, which would lead to low product yield. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a curing device for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of wafers, thereby solving the technical problem of low product yield caused by premature oxidation of wafers upon contact with air during UV curing in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a curing device for overcoming oxidation during wafer UV curing, comprising a UV curing lamp assembly, a lifting module for raising and lowering the UV curing lamp assembly, a UV curing platform assembly located below the UV curing lamp assembly, and a top pin mechanism for supporting the UV curing platform assembly. The UV curing platform assembly includes a UV curing platform for placing the wafer, an annular raised sealing ring for forming a sealed cavity, and a vacuum hole for adsorbing the wafer; it also has an exhaust hole for removing air from the sealed cavity; and an array of annular nitrogen holes distributed around the wafer periphery for uniformly filling the sealed cavity with nitrogen to prevent the UV adhesive layer from oxidizing upon contact with air during UV curing.

[0006] During UV curing, the air inside the sealed cavity is removed and replaced with nitrogen to prevent premature oxidation of the adhesive layer due to air contact during UV curing. The cavity is also kept completely free of excess air, containing only highly pure inert protective nitrogen to prevent premature oxidation of the wafer during UV curing.

[0007] Furthermore, within the entire sealed cavity, the nitrogen vent is located on the outermost side, the exhaust vent is located on the second outermost side, the vacuum vent is located on the central side, and a top pin hole is provided between the multiple vacuum vents.

[0008] The gas path and structural layout design allows nitrogen to be uniformly injected from the annular nitrogen port on the outermost side of the sealed cavity, driving air to flow towards the central area. The exhaust port is located on the second outermost side, forming an airflow direction from the outside to the inside, which is conducive to the efficient removal of residual air in the cavity. The vacuum port is arranged in the central area, which can quickly draw up the gas accumulated in the middle, further improving the gas replacement efficiency. At the same time, the top pin hole is reserved between the vacuum ports to provide a channel for the lifting of the top rod without affecting the adsorption and sealing performance. This achieves spatial optimization and integration of gas path distribution, wafer adsorption and mechanical transfer functions, which significantly improves the uniformity and thoroughness of nitrogen replacement, effectively reduces oxygen concentration, avoids uneven curing between the edge and central areas of the UV adhesive layer, and improves the overall curing quality.

[0009] Furthermore, a cooling plate is installed below the UV curing platform to limit the temperature rise of the UV curing platform, and the cooling plate is connected to the lifting module.

[0010] By integrating a cooling plate under the UV curing platform, the heat generated by the absorption of high-energy ultraviolet light can be discharged in real time during UV irradiation, preventing the platform temperature from rising continuously and causing wafer thermal deformation or UV adhesive layer performance degradation due to local overheating.

[0011] Furthermore, the UV curing lamp assembly mainly consists of a UV curing lamp located at the top, with an outer protective cover on the side of the UV curing lamp, and a lifting sealing plate and high-transparency quartz glass at the bottom of the UV curing lamp; the UV curing lamp is fixed in a relatively horizontal position, and lifting cylinders are installed on both sides of the UV curing lamp, with the lower end of the cylinder connected to the lifting sealing plate, and a circular hole opened in the center of the lifting sealing plate, the high-transparency quartz glass being installed in the circular hole, the size of the high-transparency quartz glass at least covering the size of the wafer; during UV curing, UV light passes through the high-transparency quartz glass and irradiates the wafer surface to complete the UV curing.

[0012] The UV curing lamp is fixedly installed to ensure a stable light source position and prevent vibration from affecting the uniformity of irradiation. The outer protective cover effectively isolates ultraviolet leakage to prevent damage, while also providing dustproof and heat insulation functions. The lifting sealing plate is driven to descend synchronously by the lifting cylinders on both sides to achieve a tight seal with the UV curing platform, with smooth operation and uniform force distribution. The high-transparency quartz glass installed in the center has excellent ultraviolet transmittance and good mechanical strength, which can ensure both light irradiation efficiency and withstand sealing pressure. Its size covers the entire wafer area, ensuring no blind spots and achieving comprehensive and uniform curing.

[0013] Furthermore, the top pin mechanism includes a fixed base, a horizontal support plate is mounted on the top of the fixed base, a vertical top rod is mounted on the support plate, and an anti-static suction cup is provided at the top end of the top rod. The top rod is used to pass through the top pin hole to load and unload wafers.

[0014] An anti-static suction cup is installed at the end of the push rod, which can eliminate electrostatic adsorption when in contact with the wafer, prevent dust contamination, and protect the cleanliness of the wafer surface.

[0015] The curing apparatus provided by this utility model for overcoming oxidation during wafer UV curing has the following advantages: A ring-shaped raised sealing ring is installed on the UV curing platform to form a sealed cavity, and a vacuum hole is provided to hold the wafer. An exhaust hole is provided to remove air from the sealed cavity. An array of ring-shaped nitrogen vents is distributed around the wafer periphery to uniformly fill the sealed cavity with nitrogen, preventing oxidation of the UV adhesive layer during UV curing. During UV curing, a lifting module raises the UV curing platform and presses it against the lifting sealing plate below the UV curing lamp assembly, compressing the ring-shaped raised sealing ring to form a sealed cavity. Air is then extracted from the cavity through the exhaust hole connected to a vacuum source, and high-purity nitrogen is introduced through the ring-shaped nitrogen vents, achieving multiple gas replacements to effectively reduce the oxygen concentration inside the cavity and ensure that the sealed cavity is filled with inert gas. The gaseous environment avoids the oxygen inhibition effect caused by the free radical quenching reaction between the UV adhesive layer and oxygen during UV irradiation, thus ensuring complete curing of the adhesive layer surface without stickiness, improving adhesion and long-term stability. At the same time, the vacuum holes stably adsorb the wafer, preventing its displacement during lifting or curing. Combined with the cooling plate under the platform, temperature control is achieved, suppressing heat accumulation caused by UV irradiation and preventing wafer deformation. This significantly improves the uniformity, repeatability, and process reliability of UV curing, solving the problems of easy oxidation and poor surface curing in traditional open environments. It is particularly suitable for manufacturing processes with strict requirements for adhesive layer performance, such as high-precision semiconductor wafer lamination and dicing support, and has good practicality and industrialization prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the UV curing device provided by this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the UV curing platform component structure provided by this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the UV curing lamp assembly structure provided by this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the second state of the UV curing lamp assembly structure provided by this utility model; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the top pin mechanism provided by this utility model.

[0017] In the diagram: 10. Top PIN mechanism; 20. UV curing platform assembly; 30. Lifting module; 40. UV curing lamp assembly; 11. Fixed base; 12. Top rod; 13. Anti-static suction cup; 21. UV curing platform; 22. Cooling plate; 23. Cooling water outlet; 24. Sealing ring; 25. Nitrogen port; 26. Vacuum port; 27. Top PIN hole; 28. Exhaust port; 29. ​​UV illuminance meter; 2A. Cooling water inlet; 41. UV curing lamp; 42. Outer cover; 42, 43. Lifting sealing plate; 44. High-transparency quartz glass; 45. Lifting cylinder; 46. Lifting guide rod; 47. UV light intensity detection hole. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model.

[0019] See Figures 1 to 5 The present invention provides a UV curing device, which mainly includes a UV curing lamp assembly 40, a lifting module 30 for lifting the UV curing lamp assembly 40, a UV curing platform assembly 20 located below the UV curing lamp assembly 40, a top pin mechanism 10 for supporting the UV curing platform assembly 20, and a cooling plate 22 installed below the UV curing platform 21.

[0020] Specifically, the top PIN mechanism 10 is located at the bottom of the equipment and is used for handover and positioning during the wafer loading and unloading process; the UV curing platform assembly 20 is installed above the top PIN mechanism 10 and is used to support the wafer, form a sealed cavity, and achieve thermal management; the lifting module 30 is connected to and drives the UV curing platform assembly 20 to move in the vertical direction; the UV curing lamp assembly 40 is located directly above the UV curing platform assembly 20, provides a UV light source, and participates in the construction of the sealed cavity.

[0021] The UV curing platform assembly 20 includes a UV curing platform 21. The UV curing platform 21 is provided with an annular raised sealing ring 24 to form a sealed cavity, and is provided with a vacuum hole 26 for adsorbing the wafer. There is also an exhaust hole 28 for removing air from the sealed cavity, and an annular nitrogen hole 25 is provided around the wafer. Nitrogen gas is uniformly filled into the sealed cavity to prevent the UV adhesive layer from oxidizing when it comes into contact with air during UV curing. In the entire circular cavity, the nitrogen hole 25 is located on the outermost side, the exhaust hole 28 is located on the second outermost side, and the vacuum hole 26 is located on the side near the center. A top pin hole 27 is provided in the array of vacuum holes 26. The UV curing platform 21 is fixedly installed together with the cooling plate 22. The cooling plate 22 is connected to the lifting module 30 and the lifting is controlled by the lifting module 30. The UV curing platform 21 is used to place the wafer, raise the wafer to the UV curing height, and limit the temperature rise of the UV curing platform 21 during UV curing.

[0022] The UV curing lamp assembly 40 mainly consists of a UV curing lamp 41 located at the top, an outer protective cover 4242 covering the top and sides of the UV curing lamp 41, a lifting sealing plate 43 and quartz glass at the bottom of the UV curing lamp 41, and a lifting cylinder 45. The UV curing lamp 41 is fixed in position, and lifting cylinders 45 are installed on both sides of it. The lower end of the cylinder is connected to the lifting sealing plate 43, and a circular hole is opened in the center of the lifting sealing plate 43. The high-transparency quartz glass 44 is installed in the center of the circular hole, and the size of the high-transparency quartz glass 44 can cover the size of the wafer. During UV curing, UV light passes through the high-transparency quartz glass 44 and irradiates the surface of the wafer to complete the UV curing.

[0023] The top pin mechanism includes a fixed base 11, a horizontal support plate is mounted on the top of the fixed base 11, a vertical top rod 12 is mounted on the support plate, and an anti-static chuck 13 is provided at the top end of the top rod 12. The top rod 12 is used to pass through the top pin hole 27 to load and unload wafers.

[0024] In one embodiment, three top rods 12 are evenly distributed on the support plate.

[0025] Working principle: First, the wafer with the UV film attached is placed on the top pin. The lifting module 30 drives the UV curing platform to rise until it reaches the height of the top pin and connects with the wafer. The UV curing platform 21 then picks up the wafer and rises to the UV curing height. The lifting cylinder 45 of the lifting sealing plate 43 is activated, causing the sealing plate 43 to descend and press against the raised sealing ring 24 on the UV curing platform, forming a sealed cavity. Then, negative pressure is introduced through the exhaust port inside the cavity to remove the air inside. Subsequently, nitrogen is filled into the annular nitrogen port 25 inside the cavity. While venting excess gas to increase the purity of nitrogen inside the cavity to the set value, the exhaust port 28 and nitrogen port 25 are cut off to completely seal the interior. Then, the UV curing lamp 41 is turned on, and UV light shines through the high-transparency quartz glass 44 in the center to irradiate the wafer surface, curing the UV adhesive layer. The UV light energy is detected in real time by the UV illuminance meter 29 above the platform. Irradiation is stopped when the set light energy is reached. During the curing process, the cooling plate 22 below the UV platform is connected to cooling water to limit the continuous rise of the platform temperature during UV irradiation and improve the wafer curing effect.

[0026] The curing apparatus provided by this utility model for overcoming oxidation during wafer UV curing has the following advantages: A ring-shaped raised sealing ring is installed on the UV curing platform to form a sealed cavity, and a vacuum hole is provided to hold the wafer. An exhaust hole is provided to remove air from the sealed cavity. An array of ring-shaped nitrogen vents is distributed around the wafer periphery to uniformly fill the sealed cavity with nitrogen, preventing oxidation of the UV adhesive layer during UV curing. During UV curing, a lifting module raises the UV curing platform and presses it against the lifting sealing plate below the UV curing lamp assembly, compressing the ring-shaped raised sealing ring to form a sealed cavity. Air is then extracted from the cavity through the exhaust hole connected to a vacuum source, and high-purity nitrogen is introduced through the ring-shaped nitrogen vents, achieving multiple gas replacements to effectively reduce the oxygen concentration inside the cavity and ensure that the sealed cavity is filled with inert gas. The gaseous environment avoids the oxygen inhibition effect caused by the free radical quenching reaction between the UV adhesive layer and oxygen during UV irradiation, thus ensuring complete curing of the adhesive layer surface without stickiness, improving adhesion and long-term stability. At the same time, the vacuum holes stably adsorb the wafer, preventing its displacement during lifting or curing. Combined with the cooling plate under the platform, temperature control is achieved, suppressing heat accumulation caused by UV irradiation and preventing wafer deformation. This significantly improves the uniformity, repeatability, and process reliability of UV curing, solving the problems of easy oxidation and poor surface curing in traditional open environments. It is particularly suitable for manufacturing processes with strict requirements for adhesive layer performance, such as high-precision semiconductor wafer lamination and dicing support, and has good practicality and industrialization prospects.

[0027] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of wafers, comprising a UV curing lamp assembly (40), a lifting module (30) for raising and lowering the UV curing lamp assembly (40), a UV curing platform assembly (20) located below the UV curing lamp assembly (40), and a top pin mechanism (10) for supporting the UV curing platform assembly (20), characterized in that, The UV curing platform assembly (20) includes a UV curing platform (21) for placing the wafer. The UV curing platform (21) is provided with an annular raised sealing ring (24) to form a sealed cavity and is provided with a vacuum hole (26) for adsorbing the wafer. It is also provided with an exhaust hole (28) for removing air from the sealed cavity. An annular nitrogen hole (25) is arrayed around the wafer to uniformly fill the sealed cavity with nitrogen and prevent the UV adhesive layer from oxidizing when it comes into contact with air during UV curing.

2. The curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of a wafer according to claim 1, wherein, Within the entire sealed cavity, the nitrogen vent (25) is located on the outermost side, the exhaust vent (28) is located on the second outermost side, the vacuum vent (26) is located on the side closer to the center, and a top pin hole (27) is provided between the multiple vacuum vents (26).

3. The curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of a wafer according to claim 1, wherein, A cooling plate (22) is installed below the UV curing platform (21) to limit the temperature rise of the UV curing platform (21), and the cooling plate (22) is connected to the lifting module (30).

4. The curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of a wafer according to claim 1, wherein, The UV curing lamp assembly (40) mainly consists of a UV curing lamp (41) located at the top, with an outer protective cover on the side of the UV curing lamp (41), and a lifting sealing plate (43) and a high-transparency quartz glass (44) provided at the bottom of the UV curing lamp (41). The UV curing lamp (41) is fixed in a relatively horizontal position, and lifting cylinders (45) are installed on both sides of the UV curing lamp (41). The lower end of the cylinder is connected to the lifting sealing plate (43), and a circular hole is opened in the center of the lifting sealing plate (43). The high-transparency quartz glass (44) is installed in the circular hole, and the size of the high-transparency quartz glass (44) is at least the size of the wafer.

5. The curing apparatus for overcoming oxidation during UV curing of a wafer according to claim 2, wherein, The top PIN mechanism (10) includes a fixed base (11), a horizontal support plate is installed on the top of the fixed base (11), a vertical top rod (12) is installed on the support plate, and an anti-static chuck (13) is provided at the top end of the top rod (12). The top rod (12) is used to pass through the top PIN hole (27) to load and unload wafers.

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