Filler application device

Abstract

To provide a filler application device which can prevent contamination of an upper surface and / or a lower surface of a lamination substrate due to liquid splash of a filler.SOLUTION: A filler application device 100 comprises: a substrate holding part 33 which holds and rotates a lamination substrate Ws manufactured by bonding a first substrate W1 and a second substrate W2; an application device 39 which is arranged so as to be apart from the lamination substrate Ws held by the substrate holding part 33 and discharges a filler F toward a gap G formed between a peripheral edge part of the first substrate W1 and a peripheral edge part of the second substrate W2; and a protector 12 which prevents adhesion of liquid splash Fs of the filler F generated when the filler F discharged from the application device 39 collides with the gap G to the upper surface and / or lower surface of the lamination substrate Ws.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filler application device that applies a filler to gaps formed between edge portions of a plurality of substrates that constitute a laminated substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in order to achieve further high density and high performance of semiconductor devices, development of three-dimensional packaging technology that stacks multiple substrates and integrates them three-dimensionally is progressing. In the three-dimensional packaging technology, for example, the device surface of a first substrate on which an integrated circuit and electrical wiring are formed is bonded to the device surface of a second substrate on which an integrated circuit and electrical wiring are formed. Furthermore, after bonding the first substrate to the second substrate, the second substrate is thinned by a polishing device or a grinding device. In this way, integrated circuits can be stacked in a direction perpendicular to the device surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate. In this specification, the form of multiple substrates bonded to each other may be referred to as a "laminated substrate". Furthermore, the form of multiple wafers, which are an example of substrates, bonded to each other may be referred to as a "laminated wafer".

[0003] Usually, the edge of the substrate is polished in advance to a rounded or chamfered shape to prevent cracks or chipping. When the second substrate of the laminated substrate having such a shape is ground, a sharp edge is formed on the second substrate. This sharp edge (hereinafter referred to as a knife edge portion) is formed by the back surface of the ground second substrate and the outer peripheral surface of the second substrate. Such a knife edge portion is easily chipped by physical contact, and the laminated substrate itself may be damaged during transportation of the laminated substrate. Furthermore, if the bonding between the first substrate and the second substrate is insufficient, the second substrate may crack during grinding.

[0004] Therefore, in order to prevent cracks and chipping at the knife edge portion, a filler is applied to the edge portion of the laminated substrate before grinding the second substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The filler is applied to the gap formed between the edge portion of the first substrate and the edge portion of the second substrate. The filler supports the knife edge portion formed after grinding the second substrate, and can prevent cracks and chipping at the knife edge portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-38834 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the filler application module described in Patent Document 1, the filler is injected from a coating module spaced apart from the laminated substrate into a gap formed between adjacent substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "gap in laminated substrate"). At this time, the filler discharged from the coating module may collide with the gap in the laminated substrate, causing the filler to splash and contaminate the upper and / or lower surfaces of the laminated substrate. In other words, the filler may splash due to contact between the filler and the laminated substrate and adhere to the upper and / or lower surfaces of the laminated substrate, thereby contaminating the laminated substrate.

[0007] If the laminated substrate is contaminated by splashes of the filler, this adversely affects subsequent processing of the laminated substrate, resulting in a decrease in device yield.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a filler application device capable of preventing the upper and / or lower surfaces of a laminated substrate from being contaminated by splashes of filler. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In one embodiment, a filler application device is provided, comprising: a substrate holding section that holds and rotates a laminated substrate manufactured by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate; an application device that is positioned spaced apart from the laminated substrate held by the substrate holding section and ejects a filler toward a gap formed between a peripheral edge of the first substrate and a peripheral edge of the second substrate; and a protector that prevents the filler from splashing onto the upper and / or lower surfaces of the laminated substrate when the filler ejected from the application device collides with the gap.

[0010] In one embodiment, the protector is a plate having an opening that allows the passage of a bevel portion of the laminated substrate rotated by the substrate holder. In one embodiment, the plate has an upper surface located between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the bevel portion of the laminate substrate when viewed in the radial direction of the laminate substrate. In one embodiment, the edge of the opening in the plate is made of or coated with a material capable of contacting the laminate substrate. In one embodiment, the plate is made of or coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler.

[0011] In one embodiment, the protector has a suction nozzle disposed in the vicinity of a collision portion between the laminate substrate and the filler. In one embodiment, the protector is a dome that covers a collision portion between the laminated substrate and the filler, and the dome has a passage opening that allows the filler discharged from the coating device to pass through.

[0012] In one aspect, the protector further includes a dome that covers a portion of the laminated substrate that protrudes from the opening in the plate, the dome having a passage opening that allows the passage of filler ejected from the application device. In one aspect, the dome is made of or is coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler. In one aspect, the dome has a plurality of suction holes extending from the inner surface to the outer surface of the dome, and the protector includes a dome suction mechanism that suctions the interior space of the dome from the outside of the dome through the plurality of suction holes, and the dome suction mechanism has at least one suction nozzle adjacent to the outer surface of the dome. In one aspect, the dome has a plurality of blind holes formed in an interior surface of the dome. In one embodiment, the application device is a dispenser that dispenses the filler as intermittent droplets toward the gaps in the laminated substrate. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the protector prevents the splashing of the filler from reaching the laminated substrate, and as a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the laminated substrate are prevented from being contaminated by the splashing of the filler. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a filler application device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view that diagrammatically illustrates the filler application device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of the peripheral edge portion of a wafer, and FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of the peripheral edge portion of a wafer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a laminated wafer formed by bonding two wafers together, and FIG. 4(b) is a schematic diagram showing the laminated wafer after the second wafer shown in FIG. 4(a) has been thinned. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coating module according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view that typically illustrates the protector illustrated in FIGS. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) is a front view that shows a schematic diagram of the protector shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram for explaining the leading edge and trailing edge of the beveled portion of the laminated wafers. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a protector according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view that illustrates a protector according to still another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view that typically illustrates the protector shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view that diagrammatically shows a protector according to still another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view that illustrates a protector according to still another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view that diagrammatically shows a protector according to still another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a front view showing a filler application device according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a front view showing a filler application device according to still another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a top view showing a filler application device according to still another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing a filler application device according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a side view showing the filler application device shown in Fig. 1. The filler application device 100 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is a device for applying and curing a filler for protecting a knife edge portion formed on the peripheral edge portion of a second wafer when a laminated wafer in which a first wafer and a second wafer are bonded, which is an example of a laminated substrate, is thinned.

[0016] 3(a) and 3(b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the peripheral portion of a wafer, which is an example of a substrate. More specifically, FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of a so-called straight type wafer, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of a so-called round type wafer. In the wafer W in FIG. 3(a), the bevel portion is the outermost peripheral surface (indicated by the symbol B) of the wafer W, which is composed of an upper inclined portion (upper bevel portion) P, a lower inclined portion (lower bevel portion) Q, and a side portion (apex) R.

[0017] In the wafer W of FIG. 3(b), the bevel portion is a portion (indicated by the symbol B) having a curved cross section that constitutes the outermost peripheral surface of the wafer W. The top edge portion E1 is a flat portion that is located radially inward from the bevel portion B and radially outward from the region D where devices are formed. The top edge portion E1 may also include the region where devices are formed. The bottom edge portion E2 is a flat portion that is located on the opposite side to the top edge portion E1 and radially inward from the bevel portion B. The top edge portion E1 and bottom edge portion E2 are sometimes collectively referred to as near edge portions.

[0018] Fig. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a laminated wafer in which two wafers are bonded together, and Fig. 4(b) is a schematic diagram showing the laminated wafer after the second wafer shown in Fig. 4(a) has been thinned. The laminated wafer Ws shown in Fig. 4(a) is a laminated substrate manufactured by bonding the rounded first wafer W1 and second wafer W2 shown in Fig. 3(b), and a gap G is formed between the peripheral portions of the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4(b), when the second wafer W2 is thinned, a knife edge portion NE is formed on the periphery of the second wafer W2. This knife edge portion NE is easily chipped by physical contact, and may cause the stacked wafers Ws to crack or chip during transportation of the stacked wafers Ws and during further processing of the stacked wafers Ws. In addition, if the bonding between the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2 is insufficient, the second wafer W2 may crack or chip during the grinding process (i.e., thinning process) of the second wafer W2. Even when the stacked wafers Ws are manufactured by bonding the square-shaped first wafer W1 and second wafer W2 shown in FIG. 3(a), a knife edge portion is formed on the periphery of the second wafer W2 when the second wafer W2 is thinned. In this specification, the bevel portion B of the first wafer W1 and the portion of the stacked wafers Ws corresponding to the bevel portion B of the second wafer W2 may be referred to as the “bevel portion Bs of the stacked wafers Ws” or simply as the “bevel portion Bs.”

[0020] Therefore, the filler application device 100 is used to apply a filler to the gap G between the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2 of the stacked wafers Ws, and the filler is cured to effectively protect the knife edge portion NE.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the filler application device 100 is provided at its center with a rotary holding mechanism (substrate holding section) 33 that vertically holds and rotates a stacked wafer Ws (see Figure 4(a)) in which multiple wafers W1, W2 are stacked. Figures 1 and 2 show a state in which the rotary holding mechanism 33 holds the stacked wafer Ws. As shown in Figure 2, when the rotary holding mechanism 33 holds the stacked wafer Ws in an upright position, the upper and lower surfaces of the stacked wafer Ws are each within an imaginary plane that extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

[0022] 1 and 2, the rotary holding mechanism 33 includes a dish-shaped holding stage 34 that holds the backside of the stacked wafers Ws by vacuum suction, a hollow shaft 35 connected to the center of the holding stage 34, and a motor M that rotates the hollow shaft 35. The stacked wafers Ws are placed on the holding stage 34 by a hand of a substrate transfer device (not shown) so that the center of the stacked wafers Ws coincides with the axis of the hollow shaft 35. As shown in FIG. 1, the motor M is configured to rotate the holding stage 34 and the stacked wafers Ws together in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 around the central axis Cr of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0023] The filler application apparatus 100 further includes a coating module (coating device) 39 configured to apply filler F to the stacked wafers Ws, a curing module (curing device) 60 that hardens the filler F applied by the coating module 39, and a control device 10 that controls the operation of the entire filler application apparatus including the rotating and holding mechanism 33, the coating module 39, and the curing module 60.

[0024] The coating module 39 is located radially outward of the stacked wafers Ws held by the holding stage 34, and is configured to coat a filler F in a gap G (see FIG. 4(a)) formed between a peripheral portion (edge ​​portion E) of the first wafer W1 and a peripheral portion (edge ​​portion E) of the second wafer W2 of the stacked wafers Ws. In this embodiment, the coating module 39 is disposed above the stacked wafers Ws held by the holding stage 34 so as to face the gap G of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0025] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a coating module according to one embodiment. The coating module 39 shown in Fig. 5 has a discharge nozzle 44 for the filler F, and is configured as a dispenser that injects the filler F from the discharge nozzle 44 toward the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws. Hereinafter, the coating module 39 may be referred to as a "dispenser 39." The dispenser 39 is a non-contact coating module that is disposed at a distance from the stacked wafers Ws.

[0026] 5 includes a syringe 45 filled with a filler F, a support plate (support member) 48 that supports the syringe 45 and has a filler flow path 48a formed therein that connects the syringe 45 to a discharge nozzle 44, and a rod 50 that can reciprocate within the support plate 48 to open and close the filler flow path 48a of the support plate 48. The syringe 45 is connected to a pressurized fluid line 53 that extends from a pressurized fluid supply source (not shown), and the pressure of the pressurized fluid (e.g., compressed air, pressurized nitrogen) supplied to the syringe 45 via the pressurized fluid line 53 is applied to the filler F stored in the syringe 45.

[0027] In this embodiment, the syringe 45 is connected to a connection port formed on the upper surface of the support plate 48, and the filler flow path 48a of the support plate 48 is composed of a connection flow path extending downward from the connection port between the syringe 45 and the support plate 48, a horizontal flow path extending horizontally from the connection flow path, and a discharge flow path extending downward from the horizontal flow path toward the dispenser 39. The rod 50 extends from the upper surface of the support plate 48 through the discharge flow path of the filler flow path 48a extending downward, penetrating the support plate 48 to the discharge nozzle 44.

[0028] The dispenser 39 further includes a vertical movement mechanism (not shown) capable of moving the rod 50 up and down. The vertical movement mechanism moves the rod 50 up and down at high speed, so that droplets of the filler F are intermittently ejected from the discharge nozzle 44 toward the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws. The droplets of the filler F ejected from the discharge nozzle 44 fall toward the gap G, and as a result, the filler F can be applied to the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws. When application of the filler F is completed, the vertical movement mechanism moves the rod 50 downward, and the tip of the rod 50 closes the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 44. This downward movement of the rod 50 prevents the filler F from leaking out of the discharge nozzle 44, even if the state in which the pressure of the pressurized fluid is applied to the filler F in the syringe 45 is maintained.

[0029] As long as the dispenser 39 can apply the filler F to the gaps G of the stacked wafers Ws, the type and configuration of the dispenser 39 are not limited to the embodiment shown in Fig. 5. For example, the dispenser 39 may supply the filler F to the gaps G of the stacked substrates Ws in a continuous flow of the filler F.

[0030] The filler F applied to the gaps G between the stacked wafers Ws by the dispenser 39 is cured by a curing module 60 disposed downstream in the rotation direction of the stacked wafers Ws rotated by the rotary holding mechanism 33. The curing module 60 is a device that cures the filler F supplied to the stacked wafers Ws by the dispenser 39. In this embodiment, the filler F is a thermosetting filler. An example of such a filler F is a thermosetting resin.

[0031] 1 and 2 is configured as a light heating module having a lamp heater 65. The lamp heater 65 includes a lamp 63 and an optical device 68 that directs heat (radiant heat) from the lamp 63 toward the filler F applied in the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws. Although not shown, the optical device 68 is configured from, for example, a mirror and / or a lens.

[0032] The type and configuration of the curing module 60 may be any as long as it can cure the filler F applied to the gaps G of the stacked wafers Ws. For example, the curing module 60 may be a heat gun that blows hot air into the gaps G of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0033] The type of filler F is also arbitrary as long as it can be applied to the gaps G between the stacked wafers Ws and can be cured in a short time. For example, the filler F may be a photocurable resin.

[0034] In the filler application apparatus 100 configured as described above, first, the stacked wafers Ws are held in a vertical position by vacuum suction on the holding stage 34 of the rotating holding mechanism 33. Next, the stacked wafers Ws are rotated together with the holding stage 34. Next, the filler F is applied to the gaps G between the stacked wafers Ws by the dispenser 39, and further, the filler F applied to the gaps G is hardened by the hardening module 60. The application process and hardening process of the filler F are performed successively in the same processing chamber. Therefore, the wafer processing (substrate processing) for suppressing cracking and chipping of the stacked wafers Ws can be performed in an extremely short time.

[0035] When the filler F is injected from the discharge nozzle 44 of the dispenser 39 toward the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws, the filler F may collide with the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws, causing a liquid splash Fs of the filler F. If the liquid splash Fs of the filler F occurs and the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws are contaminated with the filler F, this may adversely affect the subsequent processing of the stacked wafers Ws, resulting in a decrease in the yield of devices. Therefore, the filler application device 100 according to this embodiment has a protector 12 that prevents the liquid splash of the filler F from reaching (i.e., adhering to) the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws, and a moving mechanism 20 (see FIG. 1) that moves the protector 12 (or components of the protector 12) close to and away from the stacked wafers Ws held by the holding stage 34 of the rotating holding mechanism 33.

[0036] The movement mechanism 20 can move the protector 12 (or a component of the protector 12) between a protection position where the protector 12 (or a component of the protector 12) prevents the filler F from splashing and a standby position (see dotted line in FIG. 1) that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protection position. The standby position of the protector 12 is set at a position where the operation of other devices, such as the transportation of the stacked wafers Ws, is not hindered. The type and configuration of the movement mechanism 20 are arbitrary as long as the protector 12 (or a component of the protector 12) can be moved between the protection position and the standby position. For example, the movement mechanism 20 may be a piston cylinder mechanism having a piston connected to the protector 12 (or a component of the protector 12), or may be a combination of a ball screw and a motor (e.g., a stepping motor).

[0037] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the protector shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 7(a) is a front view showing the protector shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 7(b) is a diagram for explaining the leading and trailing ends of the beveled portions of the laminated wafers. Fig. 7(a) shows the protector 12 moved to the protection position.

[0038] The protector 12 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7(a) is a plate body 15 having an opening 15a. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the opening 15a has a size that allows at least the peripheral portion (see, for example, the bevel portion Bs in Fig. 4(a)) of the laminated substrate Ws held by the holding stage 34 of the rotating holding mechanism 33 to pass through, and when the plate body 15 is moved to the protection position, a part of the peripheral portion of the laminated wafer Ws protrudes from the upper surface of the plate body 15 through the opening 15a. The liquid splash Fs of the filler F is received by the upper surface of the plate body 15, thereby preventing the liquid splash Fs of the filler F from contaminating the upper surface and / or the lower surface of the laminated wafer Ws.

[0039] The upper surface of the plate body 15 moved to the protection position is located at least below the top of the stacked wafers Ws held by the rotating and holding mechanism 33. In order to effectively prevent the liquid splash Fs of the filler F from reaching the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws, it is preferable that the edge of the opening 15a of the plate body 15 is as close to the stacked wafers Ws as possible. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(a), it is preferable that the upper surface of the plate body 15 moved to the protection position is located between the leading edge Bst and the trailing edge Bse of the beveled portion Bs of the stacked wafers Ws. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the leading edge Bst of the beveled portion Bs of the stacked wafers Ws is located at the outermost periphery of the stacked wafers Ws, and corresponds to the top of the wafers W1 and W2 of the stacked wafers Ws held by the holding stage 34 of the rotating and holding mechanism 33. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), the end Bse of the bevel portion Bs of the stacked wafer Ws in wafer W1 or wafer W2 is located radially inside the tip Bst of the bevel portion Bs of the stacked wafer Ws on the circular connection line CL (see Figure 7(a)) between the bevel portion Bs and the device surface.

[0040] In one embodiment, the edge of the opening 15a of the plate 15 may be made of a flexible material capable of contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws, or may be covered with this type of flexible material. In these cases, the filler F may be applied and cured in a state in which the edge of the opening 15a of the plate 15 and the stacked wafers Ws are in contact with each other. An example of this type of flexible material is a (polymer) resin material such as a sponge.

[0041] Furthermore, the plate body 15 may be made of a material capable of adsorbing the filler F, or may be coated with such a material. Examples of materials capable of adsorbing the filler F include (polymer) resin materials such as sponges, and porous resin materials. Furthermore, the plate body 15 may be made of a material capable of contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the laminated wafers Ws and capable of adsorbing the filler F, or may be coated with such a material. In addition, the edge of the opening 15a of the plate body 15 may be made of or coated with a material capable of contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the laminated wafers Ws and capable of adsorbing the filler F.

[0042] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a protector according to another embodiment. The protector 12 shown in Fig. 8 is a suction mechanism having at least one suction nozzle 18 (two in the illustrated example) arranged in the vicinity of a collision portion between the stacked wafers Ws and the filler F, and a vacuum line 19 extending from each suction nozzle 18 to a vacuum source (e.g., a suction pump) not shown. In one embodiment, a flow regulator such as a flow control valve may be provided in the vacuum line 19, and a pressure gauge may be arranged therein.

[0043] Although not shown, in this embodiment, a moving mechanism 20 is provided to move the suction nozzle 18 of the protector 12 between a protected position where the suction nozzle 18 prevents the filler F from splashing and a waiting position that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protected position.

[0044] According to the suction mechanism of the protector 12 of this embodiment, the suction nozzle 18 sucks up droplets of the filler F that are generated when the filler F collides with the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws, thereby preventing the filler F from splashing onto the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0045] 7, the protector 12 may have, in addition to the plate body 15, at least one suction nozzle 18 arranged adjacent to an opening 15a of the plate body 15 which is a collision portion between the stacked wafers Ws and the filler F, and a vacuum line 19 extending from each suction nozzle 18 to a vacuum source (e.g., a suction pump) not shown. In this case, the moving mechanism 20 moves the plate body 15 and the suction nozzle 18 between the protection position and the standby position.

[0046] Fig. 9 is a side view that typically shows a protector according to yet another embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a plan view that typically shows the protector shown in Fig. 9. The protector 12 shown in Figs. 9 and 10 includes a dome 23 that covers a collision portion between the stacked wafers Ws and the filler F. The dome 23 has an opening 23a that faces the stacked wafers Ws held by the holding stage 34 of the rotating holding mechanism 33. When the moving mechanism 20 is operated to move the dome 23 to the protection position, the peripheral portion of the stacked wafers Ws enters the internal space of the dome 23 through the opening 23a.

[0047] The dome 23 has, at its top, a passage hole 23b that allows the passage of the filler F discharged from the dispenser 39. Furthermore, the inner wall of the dome 23 is close to the collision portion between the stacked wafers Ws and the filler F.

[0048] The dome 23 is made of or coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler F. In one embodiment, only the inner wall of the dome 23 may be coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler F. With such a configuration, droplets of the filler F generated when the filler F collides with the gap G of the stacked wafers Ws are adsorbed onto the inner wall of the dome 23, preventing splashes of the filler F from contaminating the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws. In this embodiment as well, examples of materials capable of adsorbing the filler F include (polymer) resin materials such as sponges and porous resin materials.

[0049] In this embodiment, the dome 23 adsorbing the filler F is periodically replaced. The replacement cycle of the dome 23 is determined, for example, by a previously performed experiment or simulation. The replacement cycle of the dome 23 may be stored in advance in the control device 10 as, for example, the number of processed laminated wafers Ws. In this case, the control device 10 resets the number of processed wafers every time the dome 23 is replaced, and starts counting the number of processed wafers anew. The control device 10 may be configured to issue a replacement alarm for the dome 23 when the number of processed wafers reaches the replacement cycle.

[0050] Although not shown, in this embodiment, a moving mechanism 20 is provided to move the dome 23 of the protector 12 between a protection position where the dome 23 prevents the filler F from splashing and a waiting position that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protection position.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a side view showing a protector according to still another embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment that is not specifically described is similar to the configuration of the embodiment described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10, and therefore the duplicated description will be omitted.

[0052] The dome 23 of the protector 12 shown in FIG. 11 is made of a porous material such as punching metal. In other words, the dome 23 has a plurality of suction holes 23c extending from its inner surface to its outer surface. Furthermore, the protector 12 has at least one suction nozzle 18 disposed close to the outer surface of the dome 23, and a vacuum line 19 extending from each suction nozzle 18 to a vacuum source (e.g., a suction pump) not shown. With this configuration, droplets Fs of the filler F are sucked into the suction nozzle 18 from the internal space of the dome 23 through the plurality of suction holes 23c of the dome 23, and as a result, the liquid splashes Fs of the filler F are prevented from contaminating the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0053] In this embodiment, the dome 23, particularly the suction holes 23c of the dome 23, may be contaminated by the filler F, and the suction holes 23c of the dome 23 may be blocked by the filler F. Therefore, the dome 23 is periodically cleaned. The cleaning cycle of the dome 23 is determined, for example, by a previously performed experiment or simulation. The cleaning cycle of the dome 23 may be stored in advance in the control device 10 as, for example, the number of processed stacked wafers Ws. In this case, the control device 10 resets the number of processed wafers every time the dome 23 is cleaned, and starts counting the number of processed wafers anew. The control device 10 may be configured to issue an alarm to prompt replacement of the dome 23 when the number of processed wafers reaches the replacement cycle.

[0054] In one embodiment, a pressure gauge (vacuum gauge) may be disposed in the vacuum line 19, and the dome 23 may be cleaned when the measured value of the pressure gauge exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, the pressure gauge is connected to the control device 10, which monitors the pressure of the vacuum line 19. Furthermore, the control device 10 stores the predetermined threshold in advance, and is configured to issue an alarm to prompt cleaning of the dome 23 when the measured value of the pressure of the vacuum line 19 exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0055] Although not shown, in this embodiment, a moving mechanism 20 is provided to move the dome 23 and suction nozzle 18 of the protector 12 between a protected position where the dome 23 and the suction nozzle 18 prevent the filler F from splashing, and a waiting position that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protected position.

[0056] Fig. 12 is a side view showing a protector according to still another embodiment. The protector 12 shown in Fig. 12 includes a dome 23 that covers a collision area between the stacked wafers Ws and the filler F, and the dome 23 has a plurality of non-through holes 23d. Each of the non-through holes 23d is a recess formed in the inner wall (inner surface) of the dome 23.

[0057] In this embodiment, the dome 23 is also made of a material capable of adsorbing the filler F or is coated with this type of material. In one embodiment, only the inner wall of the dome 23 may be coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler F. With this configuration, droplets of the filler F generated when the filler F collides with the gap G of the stacked wafers Ws are deposited on the inner surface of the dome 23, particularly on the non-penetrating holes 23d, and are effectively adsorbed to the inner surface of the dome 23. As a result, splashes of the filler F are prevented from contaminating the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws. In this embodiment, examples of materials capable of adsorbing the filler F include (polymer) resin materials such as sponges and porous resin materials.

[0058] In this embodiment, a moving mechanism 20 is provided to move the dome 23 and the suction nozzle 18 of the protector 12 between a protected position where the dome 23 and the suction nozzle 18 prevent the filler F from splashing and a standby position that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protected position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the dome 23 is periodically cleaned. The cleaning cycle of the dome 23 is determined, for example, by a previously performed experiment or simulation. The cleaning cycle of the dome 23 may be stored in the control device 10 in advance as, for example, the number of stacked wafers Ws to be processed. In this case, the control device 10 resets the number of processed wafers every time the dome 23 is cleaned, and starts counting the number of processed wafers anew. The control device 10 may be configured to issue an alarm to prompt replacement of the dome 23 when the number of processed wafers reaches the replacement cycle.

[0059] Fig. 13 is a side view showing a protector according to still another embodiment. The protector 12 shown in Fig. 13 has a combination of the above-mentioned dome 23 and plate body 15. The configuration of this embodiment that is not particularly described is similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, so that the duplicated description will be omitted.

[0060] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 13, the opening 23a of the dome 23 shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 is closed by the plate body 15. The dome 23 may be formed integrally with the plate body 15, or the dome 23 formed as a separate body may be joined to the plate body 15. Hereinafter, the combination of the dome 23 and the plate body 15 may be referred to as a "bottomed dome 24."

[0061] When the bottomed dome 24 is moved to the protection position, the peripheral portion of the stacked wafers Ws enters the internal space of the bottomed dome 24 through the opening 15a of the plate body 15. The internal space of the bottomed dome 24 is a space partitioned by the dome 23 and the plate body 15. The dome 23 is made of a material capable of adsorbing the filler F, or is covered with this type of material. Alternatively, the dome 23 may be made of a porous material such as a punching metal. When the dome 23 is made of a porous material, the filler application device 100 is provided with a dome suction mechanism. In this embodiment, the dome suction mechanism is composed of at least one suction nozzle 18 arranged near the outer surface of the dome 23, and a vacuum line 19 extending from a vacuum source (e.g., a suction pump) not shown to each suction nozzle 18.

[0062] Although not shown, in this embodiment, a moving mechanism 20 is provided to move the bottomed dome 24 (and suction nozzle 18) of the protector 12 between a protected position where the bottomed dome 24 (and suction nozzle 18) prevents the filler F from splashing, and a waiting position that is farther away from the stacked wafers Ws than the protected position.

[0063] FIG. 14 is a front view showing a filler application device according to another embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment that is not particularly described is similar to that of the above-mentioned embodiment, so the overlapping description will be omitted. This embodiment differs from the above-mentioned embodiment only in the configuration of the rotating holding mechanism (substrate holding unit) 33. Therefore, the protector 12 shown in FIG. 14 is the plate body 15 described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, but the configuration of the protector 12 is not limited to this example. The protector 12 may be configured to include the plate body 15 and the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to FIG. 7, may be configured to include the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to FIG. 8, may be configured to include the dome 23 described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 12, or may be configured to include the bottomed dome 24 described with reference to FIG. 13.

[0064] The rotating and holding mechanism 33 of this embodiment includes three or more (four in this embodiment) rollers 41 capable of contacting the peripheral portion of the laminated wafers Ws, a roller rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating each roller 41 about its axis, and a roller movement mechanism (not shown) for moving each roller 41. In this embodiment, the rotating and holding mechanism 33 includes four rollers 41, but the rotating and holding mechanism 33 may include three, five or more rollers.

[0065] The four rollers 41 are arranged around a reference center point O of the rotating and holding mechanism 33. The rollers 41 are configured to contact the peripheral portion of the stacked wafers Ws and hold the stacked wafers Ws vertically. That is, the stacked wafers Ws are held in a vertically placed state by the rollers 41 of the rotating and holding mechanism 33.

[0066] The roller rotation mechanism is connected to the four rollers 41 and configured to rotate the four rollers 41 in the same direction at the same speed. The roller rotation mechanism may be configured in any manner as long as it can rotate three or more rollers 41 in the same direction at the same speed, and any known rotation mechanism can be used as the roller rotation mechanism. Examples of the roller rotation mechanism include a combination of a motor, a pulley (and / or a gear), and a rotating belt.

[0067] The roller moving mechanism is connected to the four rollers 41 and is configured to move each roller 41 in a direction toward the reference center point O of the rotation holding mechanism 33 and in a direction away from the reference center point O. The roller moving mechanism can move the four rollers 41 between a holding position (see solid line in FIG. 14) where the peripheral portion of the laminated wafers Ws is held by the rollers 41 and a release position (see dotted line in FIG. 14) where the laminated wafers Ws are released from the rollers 41. The configuration of the roller moving mechanism is arbitrary as long as it can move the four rollers 41 between the holding position and the release position, and a known moving mechanism can be used as the roller moving mechanism. Examples of the roller moving mechanism include a piston cylinder mechanism and a combination of a ball screw and a motor (stepping motor).

[0068] The roller rotation mechanism and roller movement mechanism of the rotation holding mechanism 33 are electrically connected to the control device 10, and the operations of the roller rotation mechanism and roller movement mechanism of the rotation holding mechanism 33 are controlled by the control device 10.

[0069] The stacked wafers Ws are transported by a transport device (not shown) to a position where the axis of the stacked wafers Ws coincides with the reference center point O of the rotation holding mechanism 33. At this time, the rollers 41 are in the release position, and the protector 12 is in the standby position (see dotted line in FIG. 14). Next, the roller moving mechanism moves the four rollers 41 to the holding position, thereby holding the peripheral portion of the stacked wafers Ws on the four rollers 41. This operation holds the stacked wafers Ws in a vertically placed state on the four rollers 41. The four rollers 41 moved to the holding position are rotated by the roller rotation mechanism, thereby rotating the stacked wafers Ws about its axis.

[0070] When the four rollers 41 in the holding position are moved to the release position by the roller moving mechanism, the four rollers 41 are separated from the peripheral edge of the laminated substrate Ws, and the laminated wafer plate Ws can be released from the four rollers 41. The released laminated wafer Ws is transported from the rotating and holding device 33 by a transport device (not shown).

[0071] The application of the filler F by the dispenser 39 and the hardening of the filler F by the hardening module 60 are performed while rotating the stacked wafers Ws held vertically by the rotation holding device 33. While the dispenser 39 is applying the filler F, the protector 12 is moved to the protection position, thereby preventing splashes of the filler F from contaminating the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws.

[0072] In one embodiment, the roller rotation mechanism may be configured to rotate only some of the rollers 41. For example, the roller rotation mechanism may be connected to two of the four rollers 41 and rotate the two rollers in the same direction at the same speed. In this case, the remaining two rollers 41 are configured to rotate freely. When the four rollers 41 are disposed in the holding position, if the two rollers 41 connected to the roller rotation mechanism rotate, the other two rollers 41 rotate following the two rollers 41 connected to the roller rotation mechanism via the stacked wafers Ws.

[0073] In one embodiment, the roller moving mechanism may be configured to move only some of the rollers 41. For example, the roller moving mechanism may be connected to two of the four rollers 41 and move the two rollers 41 between the holding position and the release position. In this case, the remaining two rollers 41 are fixed in advance to the holding position. The laminated substrate Ws is transported by the transport device to a position where the peripheral portion of the laminated substrate Ws contacts the two fixed rollers 41. The laminated wafers Ws can be held vertically by moving the two rollers 41 connected to the roller moving mechanism to the holding position by the roller moving mechanism. The laminated wafers Ws can be released by moving the two rollers 41 connected to the roller moving mechanism to the release position by the roller moving mechanism.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the rotating and holding device 33 is configured to hold the stacked wafers Ws vertically. That is, the stacked wafers Ws are held in a vertically placed state by the rotating and holding device 33. However, as long as the filler F can be applied to the gap G, the method of holding the stacked wafers Ws is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the filler application device 100 may have a rotating and holding device 33 configured to hold the stacked wafers Ws horizontally. In this case, the stacked wafers Ws are held in a horizontally placed state by the rotating and holding device 33. When the stacked wafers Ws are held in a horizontally placed state, the upper and lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws are each within an imaginary plane extending in the horizontal direction.

[0075] Fig. 15 is a front view of a filler application device according to yet another embodiment. The rotary holding mechanism 33 of the filler application device 100 shown in Fig. 15 differs from the rotary holding mechanism 33 of the filler application device 100 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in that the upper surface of the dish-shaped holding stage 34 is in a virtual plane extending horizontally so that the dish-shaped holding stage 34 holds and rotates the stacked wafers Ws horizontally. In this embodiment, the hollow shaft 35 is also connected to the center of the holding stage 34, and the rotary holding mechanism 33 includes a motor M that rotates the hollow shaft 35.

[0076] The dispenser 39 and the curing module 60 are located radially outward of the stacked wafers Ws held horizontally by the rotating holding mechanism 33. The filler F is ejected horizontally from the dispenser 39 and applied to the gaps G between the rotating stacked wafers Ws.

[0077] In this embodiment as well, when the filler F ejected horizontally from the dispenser 39 collides with the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws, the filler F may splash, which may contaminate the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the filler application device 100 is provided with a protector 12.

[0078] The protector of this embodiment is the plate body 15 described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but differs from the embodiment described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 in that the moving mechanism 20 moves the plate body 15 in the horizontal direction. The configuration of the protector 12 is not limited to this example. The protector 12 may be configured to include the plate body 15 and the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to Fig. 7, may be configured to include the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to Fig. 8, may be configured to include the dome 23 described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12, or may be configured to include the bottomed dome 24 described with reference to Fig. 13. Even in these cases, the moving mechanism 20 moves the plate body 15, the suction nozzle 18, the dome 23, or the bottomed dome 24 in the horizontal direction.

[0079] Fig. 16 is a top view of a filler application device according to still another embodiment. The rotation holding mechanism 33 of the filler application device 100 shown in Fig. 16 is different from the filler application device 100 shown in Fig. 15 in that, instead of the holding stage 34, the hollow shaft 35, and the motor M, it is provided with three or more (four in this embodiment) rollers 41 that can contact the peripheral portion of the laminated substrate Ws, a roller rotation mechanism (not shown) that rotates each roller 41 about its axis, and a roller movement mechanism (not shown) that moves each roller 41.

[0080] The configuration of the three or more rollers 41 is similar to that of the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 14, except that the three or more rollers 41 hold the stacked wafers Ws horizontally. Furthermore, the roller rotation mechanism is similar to that of the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 14, except that the roller rotation mechanism rotates the stacked wafers Ws held horizontally by the three or more rollers 41. Furthermore, the roller movement mechanism is also similar to that of the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 14, except that the roller movement mechanism moves the three or more rollers 41 between a holding position (see solid line in Fig. 16) where the peripheral portions of the stacked wafers Ws are held horizontally by the rollers 41 and a release position (see dotted line in Fig. 16) where the stacked wafers Ws are released from the rollers 41.

[0081] In this embodiment as well, when the filler F ejected horizontally from the dispenser 39 collides with the gap G between the stacked wafers Ws, the filler F may splash, which may contaminate the upper and / or lower surfaces of the stacked wafers Ws. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the filler application device 100 is provided with a protector 12.

[0082] The protector 12 of this embodiment is the protector 12 including the plate body 15 described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but differs from the embodiment described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 in that the moving mechanism 20 moves the plate body 15 in the horizontal direction. The configuration of the protector 12 is not limited to this example. The protector 12 may be configured to include the plate body 15 and the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to Fig. 7, may be configured to include the suction nozzle 18 described with reference to Fig. 8, may be configured to include the dome 23 described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12, or may be configured to include the bottomed dome 24 described with reference to Fig. 13. Even in these cases, the moving mechanism 20 moves the plate body 15, the suction nozzle 18, the dome 23, or the bottomed dome 24 in the horizontal direction.

[0083] The above-described embodiments have been described for the purpose of enabling a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the present invention. Various modifications of the above-described embodiments are naturally possible for a person skilled in the art, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but is to be interpreted in the broadest scope according to the technical idea defined by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10 Control device 12 Protector 15 Plate 15a opening 18 Suction nozzle 19 Vacuum Line 20 Moving mechanism 23 Dome 23a opening 23b Passing hole 23c Suction hole 23d Non-through hole 24 Bottomed Dome 33 Rotational holding mechanism (substrate holding part) 34 Holding Stage 35 Hollow Shaft 39 Coating module (coating device) 44 Discharge nozzle 45 Syringe 48 Support plate (support member) 50 Rod 53 Pressurized Fluid Line 60 Hardening module (hardening device) 63 Lamp 65 Lamp heater 68 Optical equipment 100 Filler application device F filler Fs Liquid splash G Gap Medium motor W1 First substrate (first wafer) W2 Second substrate (second wafer) Ws Multilayer substrate (multilayer wafer)

Claims

1. a substrate holding unit that holds and rotates a laminated substrate produced by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate in a vertical position; an application device that is disposed at a distance from the laminated substrate held by the substrate holding unit and that ejects a filler toward a gap formed between a peripheral portion of the first substrate and a peripheral portion of the second substrate; a protector that prevents splashes of the filler that occur when the filler discharged from the coating device collides with the gap from adhering to the upper surface and / or the lower surface of the laminated substrate, the coating device is disposed above the laminated substrate held by the substrate holding unit so as to face a gap in the laminated substrate, The protector is a filler application device having a suction nozzle disposed adjacent to a collision portion between the laminated substrate and the filler.

2. 2. The filler application device according to claim 1, wherein the protector is a plate having an opening for allowing a bevel portion of the laminated substrate rotated by the substrate holding portion to pass therethrough.

3. 3. The filler application device according to claim 2, wherein the plate has an upper surface located between a leading end and a trailing end of the bevel portion of the laminated substrate when viewed in a radial direction of the laminated substrate.

4. 4. The filler application device according to claim 3, wherein an edge of the opening of the plate is made of or coated with a material capable of contacting the laminate substrate.

5. 3. The filler application device according to claim 2, wherein the plate is made of a material capable of adsorbing the filler or is coated with the material.

6. the protector is a dome that covers a collision portion between the laminated substrate and the filler, The filler application device according to claim 1 , wherein the dome has a passage opening that allows the filler discharged from the application device to pass through.

7. the protector further includes a dome that covers a portion of the laminated substrate protruding from the opening of the plate body, The filler application device according to claim 2 , wherein the dome has a passage opening that allows the filler discharged from the application device to pass through.

8. 8. The filler application device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the dome is made of or is coated with a material capable of adsorbing the filler.

9. the dome has a plurality of suction holes extending from an inner surface to an outer surface of the dome; the protector includes a dome suction mechanism that draws air into the internal space of the dome from the outside of the dome through the plurality of suction holes, 8. The filler application apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the dome suction mechanism includes at least one suction nozzle proximate an exterior surface of the dome.

10. 8. The filler application device according to claim 6, wherein the dome has a plurality of blind holes formed on an inner surface of the dome.

11. The filler applying device according to claim 1 , wherein the applying device is a dispenser that ejects the filler as intermittent droplets toward the gaps between the laminated substrates.

Images