Peeling device and peeling method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing breakage of a substrate in peeling of a polymerized substrate.SOLUTION: A peeling device peels off a laminated substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other. The peeling device includes: a holding part that holds the laminated substrate and is capable of rotating the laminated substrate in a circumferential direction; a peeling attraction part that has a blade and forms a cut portion by inserting the blade between the first substrate and the second substrate from a side of the laminated substrate held by the holding part; and a control device. The control device controls the holding part and the peeling attraction part to form the cut portion longer than a longitudinal length of the blade along the circumferential direction of the laminated substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stripping device and a stripping method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a peeling device that peels two substrates (a substrate to be processed and a support substrate) that make up a laminated substrate. This peeling device holds the substrate to be processed by a first lower holder, while holding the support substrate by a second upper holder, and triggers peeling by inserting a blade between the substrate to be processed and the support substrate. The second holder also moves multiple movable suction units with suction pads downward to adsorb the support substrate, and then lifts the support substrate from the movable suction unit on the blade's entry side, thereby separating the substrate to be processed and the support substrate from the blade. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-207776 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can suppress damage to the substrates when peeling off the laminated substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a peeling device for peeling off a laminated substrate formed by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate, the peeling device comprising: a holding unit that holds the laminated substrate and is capable of rotating the laminated substrate in a circumferential direction; a peel inducer that has a blade and forms an incision portion by inserting the blade between the first substrate and the second substrate from the side of the laminated substrate held by the holding unit; and a control device that controls the holding unit and the peel inducer to form the incision portion that is longer than the longitudinal length of the blade along the circumferential direction of the laminated substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment, damage to the substrates can be suppressed when the laminated substrates are peeled off. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a peeling system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a delivery station of the peeling system. [Figure 3] Fig. 3(A) is a side cross-sectional view showing the laminated substrate, the dicing frame, and the dicing tape, and Fig. 3(B) is a plan view showing the laminated substrate, the dicing frame, and the dicing tape. [Figure 4] 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view schematically illustrating a configuration of a peeling device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the support member, the upper suction group, and the blade. [Figure 6] Fig. 6(A) is a first diagram showing the procedure for peeling the overlapped wafer. Fig. 6(B) is a second diagram showing the procedure for peeling the overlapped wafer. Fig. 6(C) is a third diagram showing the procedure for peeling the overlapped wafer. Fig. 6(D) is a fourth diagram showing the procedure for peeling the overlapped wafer. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(A) is a plan view showing an example in which one notch is formed, and Fig. 7(B) is a plan view showing an example in which a plurality of notches are formed. [Figure 8] Figures 8(A) to 8(F) are partial side cross-sectional views showing the procedure of the inserting operation, and Figure 8(G) is a plan view schematically showing the operation of changing the circumferential position. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a peeling method according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10(A) is a plan view showing a notch formed by a peeling method according to a first modified example, Figure 10(B) is a plan view showing a notch formed by a peeling method according to a second modified example, and Figure 10(C) is a plan view showing a notch formed by a peeling method according to a third modified example. [Figure 11] Fig. 11(A) is a plan view showing a cut portion formed by a peeling method according to a fourth modified example, and Fig. 11(B) is a plan view showing a cut portion formed by a peeling method according to a fifth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. Note that the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions used in the following description are axes that intersect perpendicularly with each other, the X-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is vertical.

[0009] <Configuration of peeling system 100> First, the configuration of a delamination system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The delamination system 100 includes a delamination device 7 that delaminates a laminated substrate T formed by bonding a first substrate W1 and a second substrate W2 together. The delamination system 100 is configured as a system that loads the laminated substrate T into the delamination device 7, delaminates the laminated substrate T in the delamination device 7, and then unloads the delaminated first substrate W1 and second substrate W2 from the delamination device 7.

[0010] The first substrate W1 and the second substrate W2 constituting the overlapped substrate T are formed as circular plates of approximately the same shape (same diameter). Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 3A, the first substrate W1 may be referred to as the "upper wafer W1," the second substrate W2 as the "lower wafer W2," and the overlapped substrate T as the "overlapped wafer T." Hereinafter, the surface of the upper wafer W1 that is bonded to the lower wafer W2 will be referred to as the "bonding surface W1j," and the surface opposite the bonding surface W1j will be referred to as the "non-bonding surface W1n." Hereinafter, the surface of the lower wafer W2 that is bonded to the upper wafer W1 will be referred to as the "bonding surface W2j," and the surface opposite the bonding surface W2j will be referred to as the "non-bonding surface W2n." The overlapped wafer T, the upper wafer W1, and the lower wafer W2 may have shapes other than circles (e.g., polygonal shapes).

[0011] At least one of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 is a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer, on which multiple electronic circuits are formed. The compound semiconductor wafer is, for example, a GaAs wafer, a SiC wafer, a GaN wafer, or an InP wafer. One of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 may be a bare wafer on which no electronic circuits are formed.

[0012] 3(A) shows an example of a laminated wafer T in which a support substrate is used as the upper wafer W1 and a silicon wafer on which an electronic circuit is formed is used as the lower wafer W2. In this case, the thickness of the support substrate (upper wafer W1) is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the lower wafer W2. The material of the support substrate (upper wafer W1) is not particularly limited, and it may be formed of silicon, quartz glass, or the like.

[0013] The bonding surface W1j of the upper wafer W1 and the bonding surface W2j of the lower wafer W2 are bonded together with an adhesive G. The type of adhesive G is not particularly limited, and an appropriate resin material may be selected depending on the materials of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2. Alternatively, the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 may be chemically bonded together. For example, the surfaces (bonding surfaces W1j, W2j) of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 may be modified by plasma treatment, and the modified surfaces may be further hydrophilized with pure water, thereby bonding them together through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds (intermolecular forces).

[0014] 3(B), the overlapped wafer T has a notch N at a part of the circumferential edge of the outer edge. For example, the notch N is formed by cutting out the outer edges of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2. The upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 are bonded together so that their notches N are aligned.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the overlapped wafer T according to the embodiment is held by a holding jig HJ having a dicing frame F and a dicing tape P. The dicing frame F is an annular metal member having an opening F1 formed therein that is larger in diameter than the overlapped wafer T. The dicing frame F is thicker than the overlapped wafer T. The dicing tape P is made of a flexible resin material that can be elastically deformed, and an adhesive layer is formed on one surface (upper surface) of the dicing tape P. The peripheral edge of the dicing tape P is adhered to the back surface of the dicing frame F, thereby closing the opening F1 of the dicing frame F. Then, within the opening F1 of the dicing frame F, the back surface of the overlapped wafer T is fixed to one surface of the dicing tape P. Specifically, the non-bonding surface W2n of the lower wafer W2 is attached to the adhesive layer of the dicing tape P. The dicing tape P is flexible enough to allow the overlapped wafer T and the dicing frame F to be displaced relative to each other in the thickness direction.

[0016] 1, the peeling system 100 includes a loading / unloading station 1, a delivery station 2, and a processing station 3. The loading / unloading station 1, the delivery station 2, and the processing station 3 are each configured as a separable unit, and are installed so as to be lined up in this order in the positive direction of the Y axis.

[0017] The carry-in / out station 1 carries in the overlapped wafer T, and carries out the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 after separation. The carry-in / out station 1 includes a placement unit 4 and a first transfer device 5.

[0018] The mounting unit 4 has a plurality of cassette mounting stages (three in FIG. 1 ) for setting cassettes such as FOUPs (Front-Opening Unified Pods) that can accommodate a plurality of substrates. The cassettes that can be placed on each cassette mounting stage include a cassette Ct that accommodates a superimposed wafer T, a cassette C1 that can accommodate a separated upper wafer W1, and a cassette C2 that can accommodate a separated lower wafer W2.

[0019] The first transfer device 5 is disposed adjacent to the mounting part 4 on the positive side of the Y axis, and transfers the overlapping wafer T, the upper wafer W1, and the lower wafer W2. The first transfer device 5 includes, for example, a base and multiple transfer arms, and performs operations such as moving the substrate held by the transfer arms in the horizontal direction, raising and lowering the substrate in the vertical direction, and rotating the substrate around the vertical axis of the base. The first transfer device 5 is an example of a substrate transfer device.

[0020] In the carry-in / out station 1, the first transfer device 5 transfers the overlapped wafer T from each cassette Ct to the delivery station 2, and also transfers the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 after separation from the delivery station 2 to the cassettes C1 and C2, respectively.

[0021] The delivery station 2 delivers the laminated wafer T before separation, the upper wafer W1 after separation, and the lower wafer W2 after separation. As shown in Fig. 2, the delivery station 2 includes, for example, a first delivery section 25, a second delivery section 26, a delivery section with an inversion mechanism 27, and an aligner 28. The first delivery section 25, the second delivery section 26, the delivery section with an inversion mechanism 27, and the aligner 28 are installed so as to be lined up in this order facing vertically upward (positive direction of the Z axis).

[0022] The overlapped wafer T transferred from the carry-in / out station 1 is placed on the first transfer section 25. The overlapped wafer T placed on the first transfer section 25 is transferred to the processing station 3 by the second transfer device 6, which will be described later.

[0023] The lower wafer W2 after separation is placed on the second transfer section 26. The lower wafer W2 after separation placed on the second transfer section 26 is transferred to the carry-in / out station 1 by the first transfer device 5.

[0024] The upper wafer W1 after peeling is placed on the transfer part with reversing mechanism 27. The transfer part with reversing mechanism 27 is provided with an inversion mechanism (not shown) that inverts the upper and lower surfaces of the upper wafer W1 after peeling. The upper and lower surfaces of the upper wafer W1 after peeling placed on the transfer part with reversing mechanism 27 are inverted by the inversion mechanism, and then the upper wafer W1 is transferred to the carry-in / out station 1 by the first transfer device 5.

[0025] The aligner 28 performs alignment processing on some or all of the overlapped wafer T, the upper wafer W1 after delamination, and the lower wafer W2 after delamination. For example, when performing alignment processing on the overlapped wafer T, the aligner 28 holds and rotates the overlapped wafer T and detects the position of the notch N (see FIG. 3(B)) of the overlapped wafer T while it is rotating, thereby calculating the amount of eccentricity of the overlapped wafer T. Based on this amount of eccentricity, the delamination system 100 adjusts the horizontal orientation of the overlapped wafer T by appropriately operating the aligner 28 and the first transfer device 5 or the second transfer device 6. The same applies when performing alignment processing on the upper wafer W1 or the lower wafer W2.

[0026] The processing station 3 includes a second transfer device 6 and a delamination device 7, and performs delamination into an upper wafer W1 and a lower wafer W2 from the overlapped wafer T. For example, the processing station 3 has the second transfer device 6 and the delamination device 7 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction.

[0027] The second transfer device 6 transfers the overlapped wafer T and the separated upper wafer W1 and lower wafer W2 between the delivery station 2 and the separation device 7. The second transfer device 6 includes, for example, a base and multiple transfer arms, and moves the held substrate horizontally, raises and lowers it vertically, and rotates it around the vertical axis of the base. The second transfer device 6 is an example of a substrate transfer device.

[0028] The processing station 3 performs a carry-in process of carrying the overlapped wafer T from the delivery station 2 to the separation device 7 using the second transfer device 6. The processing station 3 also performs a carry-out process of carrying the lower wafer W2 after separation from the separation device 7 to the delivery station 2, and a carry-out process of carrying the upper wafer W1 after separation from the separation device 7 to the delivery station 2, using the second transfer device 6, separately.

[0029] The delamination device 7 delaminates the overlapped wafer T carried in by the second transfer device 6 into an upper wafer W1 and a lower wafer W2. The specific configuration and operation of the delamination device 7 will be described in detail later.

[0030] The stripping system 100 also includes a control device 8 that controls the operation of the stripping system 100. The control device 8 is a computer including a processor 81, a memory 82, and an input / output interface (not shown). The processor 81 is one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made up of multiple discrete semiconductors, and the like. The memory 82 includes both nonvolatile and volatile memory. The memory 82 stores programs that control various processes, and the processor 81 controls the operation of the stripping system 100 by reading and executing the programs stored in the memory 82. In other words, in the present disclosure, the control device 8 is an electronic circuit including a CPU, a GPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like, and performs various control operations described herein by executing instruction codes stored in the memory 82 or by being a circuit designed for a specific application.

[0031] Under the control of the control device 8, the delamination system 100 first removes the overlapped wafer T from the cassette Ct placed on the placement unit 4 by the first transfer device 5 of the carry-in / out station 1 and places the overlapped wafer T on the first transfer unit 25 of the delivery station 2. Next, the delamination system 100 removes the overlapped wafer T placed on the first transfer unit 25 by the second transfer device 6 of the processing station 3 and carries it into the aligner 28. The control device 8 calculates the amount of eccentricity of the overlapped wafer T by the aligner 28 and controls the second transfer device 6 to adjust the receiving position of the overlapped wafer T (the horizontal orientation of the overlapped wafer T) based on this amount of eccentricity. Furthermore, the delamination system 100 carries the overlapped wafer T from the aligner 28 to the delamination device 7 by the second transfer device 6.

[0032] Then, the delamination device 7 delaminates the overlapped wafer T into the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 under the control of the control device 8. Note that the delamination device 7 may include a dedicated control board or the like, and control the delamination of the overlapped wafer T under the control of the control board based on commands from the control device 8.

[0033] After the delamination by the delamination device 7, the delamination system 100 operates the second transfer device 6 to transfer the lower wafer W2 from the delamination device 7 to the aligner 28, where it adjusts its horizontal orientation and then transfers it to the second transfer section 26. Furthermore, the delamination system 100 uses the first transfer device 5 to remove the lower wafer W2 from the second transfer section 26 and stores it in the cassette C2 placed in the carry-in / out station 1. When the cassette C2 contains a certain number of lower wafers W2, it is removed from the carry-in / out station 1.

[0034] Furthermore, the delamination system 100 operates the second transfer device 6 to transfer the upper wafer W1 from the delamination device 7 to the aligner 28 at a timing separate from the transfer of the lower wafer W2. The upper wafer W1 is then adjusted in the horizontal direction by the aligner 28, and then transferred to the transfer unit with inversion mechanism 27. The delamination system 100 then inverts the upper and lower surfaces of the upper wafer W1 using the inversion mechanism of the transfer unit with inversion mechanism 27. As a result, the upper wafer W1 is oriented with its bonding surface W1j facing upward. The delamination system 100 then uses the first transfer device 5 to remove the upper wafer W1 from the transfer unit with inversion mechanism 27 and place it in the cassette C1 placed in the carry-in / out station 1. Once a certain number of upper wafers W1 have been accommodated in the cassette C1, the cassette C1 is removed from the carry-in / out station 1.

[0035] <Configuration of Peeling Device 7> Next, the configuration of a delamination apparatus 7 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The delamination apparatus 7 holds the overlapped wafers T in a sandwiched manner in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and delaminates the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 of the overlapped wafer T. The delamination apparatus 7 has a processing chamber 30 into which the overlapped wafer T is loaded, and is equipped with an adsorption / debonding unit 40, a holding unit 50, and a debonding inducer 60 inside the processing chamber 30. The debonding inducer 60 forms a cut portion CP (see FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)) for debonding the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 of the overlapped wafer T.

[0036] The suction / separation unit 40 suctions the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1 of the overlapped wafer T, holds the upper wafer W1, and performs a peeling operation by lifting the upper wafer W1 vertically upward. The suction / separation unit 40 includes a base member 41, a pair of (two) lifting mechanisms 42 provided on the base member 41, a support member 43 supported by the pair of lifting mechanisms 42, and an upper suction group 44 supported by the support member 43 and suctioning the upper wafer W1. The suction / separation unit 40 also includes a delivery / holding unit 47 that operates to deliver the peeled upper wafer W1 to a transfer device (not shown), and a push-down unit 48 that pushes down the dicing frame F.

[0037] The base member 41 is a plate member having an appropriate thickness, and is directly or indirectly fixed to, for example, the ceiling wall (or side wall) of the processing vessel 30. The base member 41 has sufficient rigidity to maintain an extended state in the horizontal direction (XY axis direction) within the processing vessel 30.

[0038] The pair of lifting mechanisms 42 are fixed to the upper part of the base member 41 and are arranged at the same height. The pair of lifting mechanisms 42 support a support member 43 arranged vertically below the base member 41, and raise and lower this support member 43. Each lifting mechanism 42 includes a main body 421, a shaft 422 protruding vertically downward from the main body 421, and a load cell 423 that detects the load acting on the shaft 422.

[0039] The main body 421 is attached to the base member 41, and is provided therein with a drive source and a transmission mechanism (neither of which are shown) that vertically raise and lower the shaft 422. The main body 421 is connected to the control device 8, and raises and lowers the shaft 422 under the control of the control device 8. The peeling device 7 can raise and lower the shafts 422 of the pair of lifting mechanisms 42 independently of each other.

[0040] Shaft 422 extends linearly in the vertical direction and supports support member 43 connected to its lower end. Load cell 423 detects the load acting on shaft 422 and transmits the detection result to control device 8. When peeling overlapped wafer T, control device 8 controls the height position of support member 43 based on the detection result of load cell 423.

[0041] The support member 43 is a thin plate-like member that supports the upper suction group 44 that suctions the upper wafer W1. The support member 43 is formed from a metal material or the like, and has both rigidity that allows it to support the upper suction group 44 and flexibility that allows it to elastically deform in the vertical direction. The support member 43 is suspended so as to bridge the pair of lifting mechanisms 42, and extends approximately parallel to the suction surface 51s of the lower holding unit 50. As a result, the lower surface of the support member 43 faces the overlapped wafer T held by the holding unit 50.

[0042] 5, the support member 43 has a circular plate 431 and a pair of protruding plates 432 provided on both sides of the circular plate 431 in the Y-axis direction. The circular plate 431 and the pair of protruding plates 432 are fixed to each other by an appropriate connecting means such as screws, welding, or adhesive. The circular plate 431 and the pair of protruding plates 432 may be integrally molded.

[0043] The circular plate 431 is formed in a perfect circular shape with a diameter approximately equal to that of the upper wafer W1. The center of the circular plate 431 substantially coincides with the center of an adsorption surface 51s of the holder 50, which will be described later. The circular plate 431 overlaps the overlapping wafer T held by the holder 50 in a plan view. The circular plate 431 constitutes a portion that directly supports the upper adsorption group 44.

[0044] A through-hole 433 penetrating in the thickness direction is provided in a region including the center of the disk 431. The through-hole 433 allows a later-described delivery holder 47 (see FIG. 4) to pass through, thereby enabling the delivery holder 47 to hold the upper wafer W1. The disk 431 may have a plurality of small holes (not shown) penetrating in the thickness direction to facilitate elastic deformation of the disk 431. Furthermore, the disk 431 may have a plurality of ribs or grooves extending along the X-axis direction in the Y-axis direction, thereby suppressing elastic deformation of the disk 431 in the X-axis direction while promoting elastic deformation in the Y-axis direction.

[0045] The pair of protruding plates 432 protrude in opposite directions from the outer periphery of the disk 431 in the Y-axis direction. A shaft 422 of the lifting mechanism 42 is connected to the protruding end of each protruding plate 432. As a result, each protruding plate 432 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by the pair of lifting mechanisms 42. The horizontal orientation of the disk 431 changes depending on the height position of each protruding plate 432 (shaft 422 of the lifting mechanism 42). In particular, the support member 43 elastically deforms so as to be curved in the Y-axis direction as the lifting mechanisms 42 independently rise and fall, and can displace the upper suction group 44 while curving it (see also FIG. 6(C)).

[0046] 4 and 5, the upper attraction group 44 supported by the support member 43 has a plurality of attraction bodies 45. Each attraction body 45 includes a cylindrical portion 451 extending in the vertical direction, a contact portion 452 provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 451, and a suction path 453 connected to the cylindrical portion 451. Each of the suction paths 453 of each attraction body 45 is provided with a suction device 454 such as a vacuum pump. The suction paths 453 may be joined externally and connected to a single suction device 454.

[0047] The cylindrical portion 451 has a suction space therein that extends along the axial direction. The cylindrical portion 451 is firmly connected to the disc 431 of the support member 43 and protrudes from the lower surface of the support member 43. When the support member 43 is in a horizontal position, the contact portions 452 of the cylindrical portions 451 are disposed at the same height. Furthermore, a port 455 connected to the suction path 453 is provided on the upper surface side of the support member 43 in the cylindrical portion 451.

[0048] The contact portion 452 is formed, for example, in a truncated cone shape or a cylindrical shape, and constitutes a portion that directly contacts the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1. The contact portion 452 is preferably formed of a rubber material or other resin material. The contact portion 452 is preferably formed to have high rigidity (to be less susceptible to elastic deformation). This is because if the contact portion 452 were to undergo significant elastic deformation when the adhering / separating unit 40 was raised, the adsorbed portion of the upper wafer W1 would also be significantly deformed, which could damage the upper wafer W1 or the lower wafer W2.

[0049] The suction device 454 is connected to the control device 8 and performs a suction operation under the control of the control device 8. With the contact portion 452 in contact with the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1, each of the adsorption bodies 45 applies a suction pressure from the suction device 454 to the contact portion 452 via the suction path 453 and the cylindrical portion 451, thereby adsorbing the upper wafer W1.

[0050] 5, five of each of the adsorbents 45 are provided on the support member 43. One pair of the adsorbents 45 are arranged in the X-axis direction on the negative Y-axis side of the support member 43, sandwiching the protruding plate 432 therebetween. Another pair of the adsorbents 45 are arranged in the X-axis direction on the through-hole 433 side of the support member 43 (on the negative Y-axis side of the center of the support member 43), sandwiching the through-hole 433 therebetween. The remaining adsorbent 45 is provided on the positive Y-axis side of the support member 43 (at a position adjacent to the protruding plate 432 on the negative Y-axis side). However, it goes without saying that the number and arrangement of each of the adsorbents 45 can be designed as desired.

[0051] 4, the upper suction group 44 has a plurality of distance sensors 46 fixed to the base member 41. The control device 8 can calculate the height (vertical position) of the upper wafer W1 by measuring the distance to the opposing overlapped wafer T (upper wafer W1) with each distance sensor 46. For example, the control device 8 can recognize the progress of separation by calculating the height of the upper wafer W1 during the separation operation.

[0052] The delivery holder 47 of the suction / separation unit 40 is installed on the base member 41, and holds the upper wafer W1 by adsorbing the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1 after separation held by the upper suction group 44. The delivery holder 47 includes a base 471, a plurality of suction pads 472, a plurality of contact pads 473, and a base lifting mechanism 474 (one suction pad 472 and one contact pad 473 are shown as representatives in FIG. 4).

[0053] The base 471 is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends vertically and passes through a through-hole (not shown) of the base member 41. The base 471 supports a plurality of suction pads 472 and a plurality of contact pads 473 on its lower end surface. The base 471 is connected to a base lifting mechanism 474, and is raised and lowered in the vertical direction by the base lifting mechanism 474. When the base 471 is lowered, it passes through the through-hole 433 of the support member 43.

[0054] The plurality of suction pads 472 are made of a rubber material or the like, and are, for example, bellows-shaped, so that they can follow the vertical and horizontal displacements of the upper wafer W1. Each suction pad 472 is connected to a suction device 476, such as a vacuum pump, via a suction path 475. The suction device 476 is connected to the control device 8 and performs a suction operation under the control of the control device 8. The delivery holder 47 generates a suction pressure (negative pressure) on the plurality of suction pads 472 via the suction path 475 and the base 471, thereby suctioning the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1.

[0055] On the other hand, the plurality of contact pads 473 are formed of a resin material in a hemispherical shape or the like, and come into contact with the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1 sucked by each suction pad 472. The amount of protrusion of each contact pad 473 from the base 471 can be adjusted by an adjustment unit (not shown), and assists in detaching the upper wafer W1 from the delivery holder 47.

[0056] The base lifting mechanism 474 moves the base 471 up and down based on the control of the control device 8, thereby displacing the plurality of suction pads 472 and the plurality of contact pads 473 in the vertical direction. For example, the base lifting mechanism 474 moves the plurality of suction pads 472 and the plurality of contact pads 473 up and down between a standby position, a transfer position where the upper wafer W1 held by the upper suction group 44 is sucked after separation, and a transfer position where the upper wafer W1 is transferred to the second transfer device 6.

[0057] The push-down units 48 of the adhering / separating unit 40 are provided on the outer periphery of the base member 41 (radially outward of the pair of lifting mechanisms 42) and push down the dicing frame F vertically downward at appropriate timing. For example, four push-down units 48 are provided around the circumference at positions corresponding to the dicing frame F transported to the holding unit 50. It goes without saying that the number of push-down units 48 is not particularly limited.

[0058] Each press-down unit 48 includes a pressure pad 481, a shaft member 482, and a movement mechanism 483. The pressure pad 481 is formed of an elastic member such as rubber. The shaft member 482 is supported by the movement mechanism 483 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and has the pressure pad 481 attached to its lower end. The movement mechanism 483 is fixed to the base member 41 and connected to the control device 8, and moves the shaft member 482 up and down under the control of the control device 8.

[0059] On the other hand, the holding unit 50 of the peeling device 7 is provided from the vertical middle to the lower side of the processing vessel 30, and adsorbs and holds the holding jig HJ that holds the overlapped wafer T. The holding unit 50 includes a disk-shaped lower chuck 51, a support 52 that supports the lower chuck 51, a rotation and elevation mechanism 53 that rotates and elevates the lower chuck 51, and a frame holding unit 54 that holds a dicing frame F radially outside the lower chuck 51.

[0060] The lower chuck 51 is made of a metal material such as aluminum and has a circular suction surface 51s on its upper surface. The suction surface 51s has a diameter slightly larger than that of the lower wafer W2. The suction surface 51s is formed of a porous suction pressure applying portion 511 and is flat without grooves or holes. This allows the lower chuck 51 to generate suction pressure across the entire suction surface 51s through the suction pressure applying portion 511, thereby firmly suctioning the lower wafer W2. The suction pressure applying portion 511 may be made of a resin material such as PCTFE (polychlorotrifluoroethylene).

[0061] A suction space 512 communicating with the suction pressure applying unit 511 is formed inside the lower chuck 51. A suction pipe 513 communicating with the suction space 512 is connected to the outside of the lower chuck 51. A suction path 514 provided with a suction device 515 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the suction pipe 513. The holding unit 50 generates a suction pressure on the suction surface 51s from the suction device 515 via the suction path 514, the suction pipe 513, and the suction space 512.

[0062] When placing the overlapped wafer T on the holder 50, the position of the overlapped wafer T (lower wafer W2) is adjusted so that the center of the overlapped wafer T and the center of the suction surface 51s of the lower wafer W2 coincide with each other. The lower chuck 51 also includes a plurality of lift pins (not shown) therein, and the overlapped wafer T is placed on the suction surface 51s by raising and lowering the lift pins relative to the suction surface 51s.

[0063] The rotary lifting mechanism 53 of the holding unit 50 enables the lower chuck 51 to rotate and to be displaced in a peeling direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the insertion direction of the blade 61. For example, the rotary lifting mechanism 53 includes therein a drive source for rotating the support column 52, a drive source for raising and lowering the support column 52, and a transmission mechanism (neither of which is shown) for transmitting the driving force of each drive source. The rotary lifting mechanism 53 is connected to the control device 8, and, based on the control of the control device 8, rotates the lower chuck 51 about the vertical axis and raises and lowers the lower chuck 51.

[0064] The frame holding portion 54 adsorbs the dicing frame F pressed down by the press-down portions 48, and holds the dicing frame F in the pressed-down state. The frame holding portion 54 includes a plurality of suction pads 541 and a support body 542 that supports the suction pads 541. The suction pads 541 are formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and, for example, four suction pads 541 are provided at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the dicing frame F at corresponding positions. As an example, each suction pad 541 may be provided at a position vertically opposite the plurality of press-down portions 48. It goes without saying that the number of suction pads 541 is not particularly limited.

[0065] Each suction pad 541 has an air intake port (not shown) inside. Each suction pad 541 is connected to a suction device 545 such as a vacuum pump via a support 542, a suction pipe 543 connected to the support 542, and a suction path 544 connected to the suction pipe 543. The upper end (air intake port) of the suction pad 541 is disposed vertically below the suction surface 51s of the lower chuck 51. The suction device 545 is connected to the control device 8 and applies suction pressure to each suction pad 541 under the control of the control device 8.

[0066] The support 542 is supported by a lower base portion 546, and protrudes vertically at appropriate positions (on the circumferential direction at positions corresponding to the dicing frame F) to hold each suction pad 541. The lower base portion 546 is formed in a disk shape, and fixes the support 542 and the support column 52. In addition, a rotation shaft (not shown) of the rotary lifting mechanism 53 is connected to the lower surface of the lower base portion 546.

[0067] As a result, the frame holding part 54 can suck and hold the dicing frame F by utilizing the negative pressure generated by the suction of the suction device 545. Furthermore, the holding part 50 can displace (rotate and lift) the overlapped wafer T held by the lower chuck 51 and the dicing frame F held by the frame holding part 54 together using the rotation and lift mechanism 53.

[0068] The peeling inducer 60 of the peeling device 7 is disposed to the side of the suction / peeling unit 40 and the holding unit 50, and forms a cut area CP radially inward from the outer edge of the overlapping wafer T when peeling the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 of the overlapping wafer T. The peeling inducer 60 includes a blade 61, a blade slide mechanism 62, and a blade lift mechanism 63.

[0069] The blade 61 is a peeling member having a cutting edge that forms an acute angle in the positive direction of the Y axis. In plan view, the blade 61 is formed in a rectangular shape that is short along the Y axis direction and long along the X axis direction (see also FIG. 5). The length of the blade 61 in the Y axis direction, in other words, the longitudinal length of the blade 61, may be set to an appropriate dimension within a range of, for example, 50 mm to 150 mm. The longitudinal length of the blade 61 according to this embodiment is 100 mm.

[0070] The blade slide mechanism 62 has a movable body 621 that supports the blade 61, and a fixed body 622 that slidably supports the movable body 621. The movable body 621 supports the blade 61 so that it protrudes in the positive direction of the Y axis, and reciprocates in the Y axis direction relative to the fixed body 622 based on the drive of a drive source (not shown). In other words, the blade 61 moves forward in the positive direction of the Y axis and backward in the negative direction of the Y axis due to the blade slide mechanism 62.

[0071] Blade lifting mechanism 63 is fixed, for example, to the end of base member 41 on the Y-axis negative side, and moves blade slide mechanism 62 in the vertical direction. This allows peeling induction unit 60 to adjust the height position of blade 61.

[0072] The peeling inducer 60 adjusts the height position of the blade 61 using, for example, a blade lifting mechanism 63, and then advances the blade 61 in the negative direction of the Y axis using a blade sliding mechanism 62. As the blade 61 advances, the cutting edge of the blade 61 penetrates into the adhesive G between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 from the side of the overlapped wafer T, thereby forming a notch region CP between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2. The notch region CP is a region where the adhesive G bonding the vicinity of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T is broken, and the bonding surface W1j of the upper wafer W1 is separated from the bonding surface W2j of the lower wafer W2.

[0073] <Procedure for peeling off the laminated wafer T> The separation device 7 configured as above separates the overlapped wafer T in accordance with the procedures shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(D) under the control of the control device 8. As shown in FIG.

[0074] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, after the overlapped wafer T integrated with the dicing frame F is placed on the holding unit 50, the peeling device 7 applies suction pressure to the suction surface 51s of the lower chuck 51 to fix the overlapped wafer T to the holding unit 50 via the dicing tape P. The peeling device 7 also lowers the press-down unit 48 vertically downward, pressing down the dicing frame F with the press-down unit 48. At this time, the portion of the dicing tape P located outside the lower chuck 51 deforms obliquely downward, allowing the dicing frame F to be displaced. The peeling device 7 also operates the frame holding unit 54 to apply suction pressure to the suction pad 541, thereby holding the pressed-down dicing frame F on the frame holding unit 54. As a result, the side of the overlapped wafer T faces the blade 61 of the peeling inducer 60.

[0075] 6(B), the separation device 7 performs a notch region forming operation to form the notch region CP by inserting the blade 61 of the separation guide portion 60 between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 of the overlapped wafer T. This notch region forming operation will be described in detail later.

[0076] 6(C), the separation device 7 uses the pair of lifting mechanisms 42 to lower the upper suction group 44, causing each of the suction bodies 45 to suction the upper wafer W1. Furthermore, the separation device 7 raises the lifting mechanism 42 on the negative Y-axis side to bend the support member 43 on the negative Y-axis side. This causes the negative Y-axis side suction body 45 to rise so as to lift up the negative Y-axis side of the upper wafer W1, commencing a separation operation to separate the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2. The lifting mechanism 42 slowly rises, gradually increasing the degree of curvature of the support member 43, and as a result, separation of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 progresses from the negative Y-axis side to the positive Y-axis side.

[0077] When the separation of the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 has progressed to a certain extent (for example, when the separation has progressed beyond the center of the overlapped wafer T), the separation device 7 also raises the lifting mechanism 42 on the Y-axis positive side, thereby separating the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2, as shown in Fig. 6(D). In the latter half of the separation operation, the bonding force between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 has also weakened, allowing the separation to proceed smoothly.

[0078] As described above, the separation device 7 can separate the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2 by operating the suction and separation unit 40, the holding unit 50, and the separation induction unit 60 in conjunction with each other.

[0079] In a conventional delamination apparatus, a single cut region CP is formed by the delamination inducer at a position on the negative Y-axis side (the position where delamination starts) before the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 are delaminated (see, for example, FIG. 7A). When the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 of the overlapped wafer T are strongly bonded, local stress may be applied to the upper wafer W1 during the delamination operation, causing the upper wafer W1 to break (crack). Therefore, the delamination apparatus 7 according to the embodiment is configured to promote delamination between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 by forming the cut regions CP by the delamination inducer 60 at different positions in the circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T. In other words, the delamination apparatus 7 forms the cut region CP with a circumferential length longer than the longitudinal length of the blade 61 of the delamination inducer 60. The "cut region CP with a circumferential length longer than the longitudinal length of the blade 61" may be realized by the sum of the circumferential lengths of multiple cut regions CP or by the circumferential length of a series of cut regions CP.

[0080] <Incision area formation operation> 7(A) to 8(G), the notch forming operation for forming the plurality of notch regions CP will be specifically described. In the notch forming operation for forming the plurality of notch regions CP, the inserting operation for inserting the blade 61 of the peeling inducing portion 60 is performed multiple times while changing the circumferential position of the overlapped wafer T.

[0081] 7(A), the range in which the cut portion CP is formed is, for example, about 1 / 9 of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T (approximately 40°: approximately 105 mm in circumference). Therefore, when the blade 61 of the peeling inducer 60 is inserted into the overlapped wafer T just once, 8 / 9 of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T (approximately 320°: approximately 840 mm in circumference) is left in a bonded state between the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 and the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2. During the peeling operation, cracks are likely to occur in the upper wafer W1, starting from points where the bonding strength between the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 and the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2 is strong.

[0082] Therefore, the delamination apparatus 7 according to the embodiment forms multiple notch regions CP on the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T by inserting the blade 61 multiple times while changing the circumferential position of the overlapped wafer T. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the delamination apparatus 7 can form nine notch regions CP around the entire circumferential circumference of the overlapped wafer T by performing nine insertion operations while changing the circumferential position of the overlapped wafer T using the rotation and elevation mechanism 53 of the holder 50. In this way, the delamination apparatus 7 can eliminate (or reduce) locations where the bonding strength is strong between the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 and the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2 around the entire circumferential circumference of the overlapped wafer T before the delamination operation.

[0083] Specifically, in one insertion operation, the peeling device 7 performs the operations shown in Figures 8(A) to 8(F), and further performs the operation of rotating the overlapped wafer T as shown in Figure 8(G). As shown in Figure 8(A), the peeling device 7 first advances the blade 61 toward the overlapped wafer T using the blade slide mechanism 62, bringing the tip of the blade 61 into contact with the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T (upper wafer W1), thereby detecting the position of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T. By recognizing the position of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T, the control device 8 can adjust the insertion amount when actually inserting the blade 61 into the adhesive G.

[0084] 8(B), the peeling device 7 temporarily retracts the blade 61 laterally (in the negative direction of the Y-axis) from the overlapped wafer T using the blade slide mechanism 62, and then raises the overlapped wafer T using the rotation and elevation mechanism 53 of the holder 50. During the raising of the overlapped wafer T, the control device 8 detects the height position of the upper wafer W1 using the distance sensor 46 of the suction and peeling unit 40, and guides the upper wafer W1 to a target height position. As a result, the cutting edge of the blade 61 faces the adhesive G on the overlapped wafer T. More specifically, the cutting edge of the blade 61 faces the adhesive G closer to the bonding surface W1j of the upper wafer W1.

[0085] 8(C), the peeling device 7 advances the blade 61 in the positive direction of the Y axis using the blade slide mechanism 62, thereby inserting the cutting edge of the blade 61 into the adhesive G. Depending on the opposing positions of the blade 61 and the overlapping wafer T described above, the cutting edge of the blade 61 is inserted into a position close to the bonding surface W1j of the upper wafer W1.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 8(D), the delamination device 7 further advances the blade 61 while lowering the lower chuck 51 vertically downward using the rotary lifting mechanism 53, thereby lowering the lower wafer W2 of the adsorbed overlapped wafer T. The amount of lowering of the lower wafer W2 at this time is approximately several hundred μm to several mm. As the lower wafer W2 descends, the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 can be separated from the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2, thereby increasing the depth of the cut region CP. Furthermore, the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 rests somewhat on the upper surface of the blade 61, promoting separation of the adhesive G from the upper wafer W1. The delamination device 7 may further advance the blade 61 after the lower chuck 51 descends to increase the insertion depth of the blade 61. Alternatively, the delamination device 7 may further advance the blade 61 and then lower the lower chuck 51 using the rotary lifting mechanism 53 after the blade 61 has advanced further.

[0087] After advancing the blade 61 to the set insertion amount, the peeling device 7 retracts the blade 61 using the blade slide mechanism 62 as shown in FIG. 8(E), and also lifts the lower wafer W2, which was lowered in FIG. 8(D), using the rotary lifting mechanism 53. As a result, the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 that was resting on the blade 61 returns to its original position. However, since the notch region CP formed between the adhesive G and the upper wafer W1 remains, the bonding strength of the adhesive G at the notch region CP is sufficiently reduced. Note that the peeling device 7 may also lower the lower chuck 51 using the rotary lifting mechanism 53 after retracting the blade 61.

[0088] 8(F), the peeling device 7 moves the blade 61 back and away from the overlapped wafer T. This completes one insertion operation of the peeling device 7.

[0089] 8(G), the separation device 7 rotates the overlapped wafer T by a set angle using the rotary lifting mechanism 53, thereby causing a position on the overlapped wafer T different from the position where the notch region CP was formed to face the blade 61. For example, the rotary lifting mechanism 53 rotates the overlapped wafer T in the circumferential direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 7) by 40°, which is the range in which the notch region CP is formed, thereby causing the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T where the next notch region CP is to be formed to face the blade 61. In this way, the separation device 7 can form the next notch region CP on the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T by again performing the inserting operation shown in FIGS. 8(A) to 8(F).

[0090] 8(A) to 8(G) nine times, the separation device 7 can form multiple notch regions CP around the entire circumferential circumference of the overlapped wafer T, thereby reducing the bonding force at the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T. Therefore, in the separation operation after the notch region forming operation, when the separation device 7 lifts the upper wafer W1 upward from the negative Y-axis direction side using the upper suction group 44, the separation between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 can proceed smoothly in the positive Y-axis direction.

[0091] Note that, in the inserting operation in which the overlapped wafers T are rotated and the blade 61 is inserted, the delamination device 7 may change the insertion amount of the blade 61 depending on the circumferential position of the overlapped wafers T. For example, the delamination device 7 may identify locations in the upper wafer W1 that are prone to cracking by evaluating the overlapped wafers T in advance, and increase the insertion amount of the blade 61 in the prone to cracking locations. Also, for example, the delamination device 7 may increase the insertion amount of the blade 61 each time the overlapped wafers T are rotated and the inserting operation is performed.

[0092] <Removal method> The peeling device 7 according to the embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation (peeling method) will be described below. The control device 8 controls the peeling method of the peeling device 7, for example, steps S101 to S107 shown in FIG.

[0093] The delamination system 100 first performs a loading process to load the overlapped wafer T into the delamination device 7 (step S101). In the loading process, the second transfer device 6 transports the overlapped wafer T held by the dicing frame F and loads the overlapped wafer T into the processing chamber 30 of the delamination device 7, and aligns the center of the overlapped wafer T with the center of the suction surface 51s of the lower chuck 51. The delamination device 7 also raises each lift pin from the suction surface 51s to receive the overlapped wafer T, and then lowers each lift pin to place the overlapped wafer T on the suction surface 51s. As the overlapped wafer T is placed, the suction device 515 of the holder 50 performs a suction operation to fix the overlapped wafer T (dicing tape P) to the lower chuck 51.

[0094] Next, the peeling device 7 uses the push-down unit 48 to push down the dicing frame F onto the suction pad 541, and the pushed-down dicing frame F (including the dicing tape P) is adsorbed by the frame holding unit 54 (step S102, see also FIG. 6(A)). This allows the holding unit 50 to integrally fix the overlapped wafer T and the dicing frame F. With the dicing frame F pushed down, the overlapped wafer T is in a state where the adhesive G between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 is exposed to the sides.

[0095] In this state, the separation device 7 performs a notch portion forming operation using the separation inducer 60 to form notch portions CP at different circumferential positions of the overlapped wafer T (step S103, see also FIG. 6(B)). As described with reference to FIGS. 8(A) to 8(F), in the notch portion forming operation according to this embodiment, the circumferential position of the overlapped wafer T is changed to perform the insert operation multiple times around the entire circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T. Note that when the notch portions CP are formed, the suction and separation unit 40 does not suction the upper wafer W1. This allows the separation device 7 to efficiently rotate the overlapped wafer T when performing the insert operation multiple times.

[0096] Furthermore, it is preferable that the peeling inducer 60 waits at the location where the final cut portion CP was formed during the peeling operation without retracting the blade 61. This allows the peeling device 7 to start peeling the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 from the negative Y-axis direction side with the upper wafer W1 resting on the blade 61 at the start of the peeling operation.

[0097] Thereafter, the separation device 7 operates the pair of lifting mechanisms 42 to lower the plurality of suction bodies 45 of the upper suction group 44, and each suction body 45 suctions the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1 (step S104). Note that the suction of the upper wafer W1 by the upper suction group 44 may be performed before step S103, and the upper wafer W1 may be held during the notch portion forming operation.

[0098] Next, the separation device 7 proceeds to the separation operation, raising the Y-axis negative side of the upper suction group 44 to separate the upper wafer W1 on the Y-axis negative side from the lower wafer W2 (process of step S105: (C)). Specifically, by raising the shaft 422 of the Y-axis negative side lifting mechanism 42 of the pair of lifting mechanisms 42, each of the suction bodies 45 on the Y-axis positive side is raised (see also FIG. 6(C)). As a result, the upper wafer W1 on the Y-axis negative side begins to separate from the lower wafer W2. At this time, a counterclockwise moment in FIG. 6(C) is generated on the upper wafer W1. Therefore, the upper suction group 44 can lift the upper wafer W1 from the Y-axis negative side in a rolling manner.

[0099] When the lifting mechanism 42 on the negative Y-axis side has risen to a certain extent, the separation device 7 starts raising the lifting mechanism 42 on the positive Y-axis side, thereby raising the entire upper wafer W1 (step S106, see also FIG. 6(D)). At this stage, the separation of the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2 has progressed further toward the positive Y-axis side than the center of the overlapped wafer T. Therefore, the separation device 7 can raise the upper wafer W1 while suppressing damage to the upper wafer W1, and can support the upper wafer W1 horizontally at the transfer position.

[0100] Thereafter, the delamination system 100 proceeds to an unloading process in which the delaminated upper wafer W1 and lower wafer W2 are unloaded from the delamination device 7 (step S107). In the unloading process, the delamination device 7 returns the delamination inducer 60 to its initial position and lowers the lower chuck 51. Thereafter, the delamination device 7 releases the suction of the lower wafer W2 by the lower chuck 51 and the frame holder 54, and raises the lift pins to lift the lower wafer W2 from the suction surface 51s. The delamination system 100 moves the second transfer device 6 below the lower wafer W2, transfers the lower wafer W2 to the second transfer device 6 as the lift pins lower, and unloads the lower wafer W2 from the delamination device 7. Furthermore, the delamination device 7 holds the upper wafer W1 held by the suction bodies 45 of the upper suction group 44 at the transfer position using the transfer holder 47. Then, the peeling system 100 uses the second conveying device 6, which is inserted vertically above each suction pad 472 of the transfer holding section 47, to suction-hold the non-bonding surface W1n of the upper wafer W1, and the second conveying device 6 transports the upper wafer W1 out of the peeling device 7.

[0101] As described above, the delamination device 7 can reduce (or eliminate) the bonding force between the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 and the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2 by forming cut regions CP that are longer than the longitudinal length of the blade 61 along the circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T before the delamination operation. In other words, there are no longer any areas at the outer edges of the overlapped wafer T where the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 are tightly adhered to each other, making it possible to avoid problems such as breakage of the upper wafer W1 or the lower wafer W2 from these areas during the delamination operation. In particular, the delamination device 7 can stably form deep cut regions in the radial direction of the overlapped wafer T by repeatedly performing the insertion operation to form multiple cut regions CP in the circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T.

[0102] Furthermore, during the insertion operation, the delamination device 7 displaces the lower wafer W2 in the delamination direction (vertically downward) using the rotary lifting mechanism 53, thereby forming a deeper notch region CP and separating the outer periphery of the upper wafer W1 from the outer periphery of the lower wafer W2. This more reliably reduces the bonding force at the outer edges of the overlapped wafer T. Furthermore, after forming the notch region CP, the delamination device 7 can easily form the next notch region CP by retracting the blade 61 while returning the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 to their original positions. Furthermore, the delamination device 7 can change the insertion amount of the blade 61 at different positions in the circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T, thereby forming a deeper notch region CP, for example, in a location where the bonding force is strong. This allows the delamination device 7 to perform delamination of the overlapped wafer T more reliably.

[0103] After the cut portion forming operation, the separation device 7 performs a separation operation in which the suction separation unit 40 separates the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2, thereby smoothly separating the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2. In particular, the separation induction unit 60 maintains the blade 61 inserted between the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 at the start of the separation operation, thereby efficiently separating the upper wafer W1 from the lower wafer W2 at the start of the separation operation.

[0104] Furthermore, the delamination device 7 can reduce the bonding strength of the entire outer edge of the overlapped wafer T by forming the cut portions CP along the entire circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T.

[0105] The separation apparatus 7 of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various modified forms. For example, the separation apparatus 7 may hold an overlapping wafer T that does not include a dicing frame F or a dicing tape P on the lower chuck 51 and separate the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2. In this case, the separation apparatus 7 may not include the press-down unit 48, the frame holding unit 54, etc.

[0106] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the delamination apparatus 7 does not have to form the notch regions CP along the entire circumferential direction of the overlapped wafer T during the notch region forming operation. For example, FIG. 10A shows a first modified delamination method in which the notch regions CP are formed in a range from the negative Y-axis side to the middle Y-axis side of the overlapped wafer T, but the notch regions CP are not formed from the middle Y-axis side to the positive Y-axis side. Even in this case, the bonding force of the overlapped wafer T can be reduced in the first half of the delamination operation, when a large force is likely to be applied to the upper wafer W1. Therefore, the delamination operation can be performed smoothly while suppressing damage to the upper wafer W1. Furthermore, the delamination apparatus 7 may not form the notch regions CP where the notches N are present, but may form the notch regions CP in other locations.

[0107] 10(B) shows a second modified example of a delamination method in which information on the locations of the upper wafer W1 that are prone to cracking is stored in advance through experiments and simulations, and notches CP are formed in these locations, while notches CP are formed in other locations. This enables the delamination method to more efficiently perform the notch-forming operation and also suppress damage to the upper wafer W1 during the delamination operation.

[0108] 10(C) shows a third modified example of a separation method in which the notch region CP is formed without performing the operation of lowering the lower wafer W2 and placing the upper wafer W1 on the blade 61 during the insertion operation (see also FIG. 8(D)). The notch region CP is formed shallowly radially inward from the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T, but even in this case, the bonding force of the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T can be reduced to some extent. Moreover, it is possible to complete one insertion operation in a short time, which can improve the efficiency of the entire separation method even when multiple insertion operations are performed.

[0109] 11(A), the delamination device 7 may rotate the overlapped wafer T using the rotation / elevation mechanism 53 to change the circumferential position of the overlapped wafer T while the blade 61 of the separation inducer 60 is inserted into the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T. This allows the delamination device to form a continuous cut region CP in the circumferential direction. In this case, it is preferable that the blade 61 of the separation inducer 60 has a cutting edge that is obliquely inclined in a plan view. The delamination device 7 does not need to repeatedly perform an inserting operation of advancing and retracting the blade 61, and can more efficiently reduce the bonding force at the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T.

[0110] Furthermore, for example, as in a fifth modified example shown in FIG. 11(B), when there is a location on the outer edge of the overlapped wafer T where the bonding strength is strong, the delamination device 7 may advance (insert) and retract the blade 61 multiple times at the same location in the circumferential direction. For example, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 10(B), a shallow cut portion CP1 is formed in the first insertion operation, and as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 10(B), a deep cut portion CP2 is formed in the second insertion operation. As a result, the delamination device 7 can reliably form a cut portion at the location where the upper wafer W1 and the lower wafer W2 are strongly bonded.

[0111] The peeling method and peeling device 7 according to the presently disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The features described in the above embodiments may be configured differently and may be combined within a consistent range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 7 Peeling device 8 Control Device 50 Holding part 60 Peeling inducement part 61 Blade 80 Control Measures T Polymerized wafer (polymerized substrate) W1 Upper wafer (first substrate) W2 Lower wafer (second substrate)

Claims

1. A peeling device for peeling off a laminated substrate formed by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate, a holding unit that holds the laminated substrate and is capable of rotating the laminated substrate in a circumferential direction; a peeling inducing unit having a blade, the blade being inserted between the first substrate and the second substrate from a side of the laminated substrate held by the holding unit to form a notch; a control device; the control device controls the holding unit and the peeling inducing unit to form the incision portion along the circumferential direction of the laminated substrate, the incision portion being longer than the longitudinal length of the blade. Peeling device.

2. the control device controls the holding unit to change the circumferential position of the laminated substrate, and the peel inducer to insert the blade into the laminated substrate a plurality of times, thereby forming a plurality of the incision portions. The peeling device according to claim 1 .

3. the holding unit is capable of displacing the held laminated substrate in a peeling direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the blade, the control device performs control to displace the holding unit in the peeling direction to separate the first substrate and the second substrate with the blade inserted between the first substrate and the second substrate of the laminated substrate. The peeling device according to claim 2 .

4. after forming the notch portion, the control device causes the blade to retract while restoring the positions of the first substrate and the second substrate by the holding portion; The peeling device according to claim 3 .

5. the control device changes the insertion amount of the blade at different positions in the circumferential direction of the laminated substrate. The peeling device according to claim 2 .

6. the control device controls the blade to be inserted into the laminated substrate by the peel inducer, and then the holding unit changes the circumferential position of the laminated substrate, thereby forming the incision portion that is continuous in the circumferential direction. The peeling device according to claim 1 .

7. an adsorption / peeling unit that adsorbs the first substrate of the laminated substrate held by the holding unit, the control device controls a separation operation in which the first substrate is separated from the second substrate by the adhering / separating unit after forming the incision portion longer than the longitudinal length of the blade. The peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the adhering and separating unit performs the separating operation of separating the first substrate from the blade toward the opposite side of the laminated substrate; the peeling inducer maintains the blade inserted between the first substrate and the second substrate at the start timing of the peeling operation. The peeling device according to claim 7 .

9. the adhering / peeling unit does not adsorb the first substrate when the notch portion is formed. The peeling device according to claim 7 .

10. The peeling inducer forms the cut portion over the entire circumferential direction of the laminated substrate. The peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. the laminated substrate is disposed inside a dicing frame and attached to a dicing tape fixed to the dicing frame; a pressing portion that presses down the dicing frame; a frame holding portion that holds the pressed-down dicing frame, the control device forms the notch portion with the peeling inducing portion while the dicing frame is held by the frame holding portion. The peeling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. A peeling method for peeling a laminated substrate formed by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate, comprising: (A) holding the laminated substrate by a holding part that is rotatable in a circumferential direction; (B) after the step (A), inserting a blade of a peeling inducer between the first substrate and the second substrate from a side of the laminated substrate held by the holder to form a notch portion, In the step (B), the holding unit and the peeling inducing unit are controlled by a control device to form the incision portion longer than the longitudinal length of the blade along the circumferential direction of the laminated substrate. Peeling method.

13. (C) after the step (B), the first substrate of the laminated substrate held by the holding unit is adsorbed by an adsorption / peeling unit, and the first substrate is separated from the second substrate. The peeling method according to claim 12.

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