Chip peeling method, chip peeling device and method for manufacturing chip

Abstract

To provide a chip peeling method, a chip peeling device, and a method for manufacturing a chip that can effectively irradiate a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light onto an adhesive sheet, efficiently peel chips from the adhesive sheet, and enable miniaturization of the chip peel device dimensions.SOLUTION: A chip peel method involves pressing an adhesive sheet against an uneven surface to flex it, thereby partially peeling it away from a plurality of chips, after guiding and irradiating ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source positioned outside the wafer area where the region contains a plurality of chips and adhesive sheets via light-guiding means from the rear side of the adhesive sheet bonded to a plurality of chips obtained by dicing the wafer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chip peeling method, a chip peeling device, and a chip manufacturing method for peeling chips cut from a wafer of semiconductors, electronic components, or the like from an adhesive material. [Background technology]

[0002] In the automated process of dicing wafers of semiconductors, electronic components, etc. into chips and recovering them, it is necessary to stably peel multiple chips on the wafer from the adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the wafer. To achieve this, it is particularly important to have a technology that reduces the adhesiveness (low adhesion) of the adhesive sheet and a technology that allows partial peeling of the chip-attached surface. In addition, in mass production of this technology, production efficiency and miniaturization of the equipment (compactness) are also important requirements.

[0003] As a method for peeling multiple chips on a wafer from an adhesive sheet attached to the backside thereof, Patent Document 1 discloses a chip peeling method in which an ultraviolet-absorbing sheet attached to a wafer holding frame is irradiated with ultraviolet light and the chips are suction-peeled off from the ultraviolet-absorbing sheet. In this chip peeling method, an irradiation mask that exposes only the portions corresponding to each chip on the ultraviolet-absorbing sheet is covered from the back side of the ultraviolet-absorbing sheet, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the irradiation mask side, the irradiated ultraviolet-absorbing sheet is placed on a base having a plurality of uneven portions on its upper surface that have peak-valley-like unevenness and to which negative pressure is applied, so that each chip is located above the uneven portion, a pressing mask that presses street portions of the wafer on the ultraviolet-absorbing sheet is covered from the front side of the ultraviolet-absorbing sheet to expose each chip, and each chip is suction-peeled off while negative pressure is applied to each uneven portion of the base.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for dicing a semiconductor wafer in which a semiconductor wafer is placed and fixed under an inert gas or vacuum, diced, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the backside of the dicing film to reduce the adhesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive, and then the dice are removed.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which an annular frame having a substrate with a dicing groove fixed to a first opening by an adhesive member is placed on a base having a plurality of first through holes penetrating in the vertical direction and a plurality of second through holes each provided between the plurality of first through holes and penetrating in the vertical direction, with the dicing groove being positioned above the second through holes, and a container provided below, having a second opening which has a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter of the first opening and can be tightly fitted to the annular frame, and a joint which can connect the outside and inside of the container is placed on the annular frame so that the second opening is tightly fitted to the annular frame, and the pressure is reduced in the plurality of first through holes, the pressure is reduced in the plurality of second through holes, and the inside of the container is pressurized using the joint, thereby making it easier to peel the chips from the adhesive member (sheet).

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for manufacturing an adhesive-coated chip, in which a wafer and a die-bond adhesive layer are completely cut using a cutting device to form a chip, and then the fixing jig with the chip fixed thereto is transferred from the cutting device to a pick-up device, and the chip is picked up from the fixing jig together with the die-bond adhesive layer by deforming the adhesive layer of the fixing jig on the pick-up device. The fixing jig comprises an adhesive layer and a jig base having a plurality of protrusions on one side and a sidewall on the periphery of one side that is approximately the same height as the protrusions. The adhesive layer is laminated on the side of the jig base having the protrusions. A compartment space is formed on the side of the jig base having the protrusions by the adhesive layer, the protrusions, and the sidewall. The jig base has at least one through-hole that penetrates the compartment space with the outside. The adhesive layer is deformed by suctioning air from the compartment space through the through-hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4439773 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 2510416 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-045873 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 5196838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, Patent Document 1 describes that ultraviolet light is irradiated through an irradiation mask that exposes only the areas on the ultraviolet absorbing sheet that correspond to each chip, but does not disclose any ideas for how to irradiate a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light onto the ultraviolet absorbing sheet.

[0009] Furthermore, although Patent Document 2 describes the method of irradiating ultraviolet light onto a semiconductor wafer under an inert gas or vacuum to reduce the adhesive strength of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, it does not disclose any ideas for how to irradiate a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light onto the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0010] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes that pressure is applied to the front side of the substrate and reduced pressure is applied to the back side via the through holes, thereby partially bending the adhesive member and promoting peeling, but it does not describe how to irradiate the adhesive member with ultraviolet light, much less disclose any ideas for irradiating the adhesive member with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light.

[0011] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes that a jig base having a plurality of protrusions on one side is provided, at least one through-hole is provided in this jig base, and suction is applied through this through-hole to deform the adhesive layer, but it does not describe at all how to perform ultraviolet irradiation, much less disclose any ideas for how to irradiate the adhesive layer with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light.

[0012] Even when the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 were combined, there was still room for improvement in terms of miniaturizing the dimensions of the chip peeling device and improving production efficiency while stably peeling multiple chips on a wafer from the adhesive sheet attached to their backside.

[0013] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a chip peeling method, a chip peeling device, and a chip manufacturing method that can effectively irradiate a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light onto an adhesive sheet and efficiently peel chips from the adhesive sheet.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a chip peeling method, a chip peeling device, and a chip manufacturing method that enable the chip peeling device to be miniaturized.

[0015] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a chip peeling method, a chip peeling device, and a chip manufacturing method that can stably peel chips from an adhesive sheet to improve chip production efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] According to the present invention, as a first invention, there is provided a chip peeling method in which ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area, which is the area where the multiple chips and adhesive sheet are present, is guided through a light guiding means and irradiated onto the back side of an adhesive sheet attached to multiple chips obtained by dicing a wafer, and the adhesive sheet is then brought into contact with an uneven surface and pressed against it to bend and partially peel off from the multiple chips.

[0017] Ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area, which is the area where multiple chips and adhesive sheets are present, is guided through a light guide means and irradiated from the back side of the adhesive sheet. Because ultraviolet light is guided from the irradiation light source and irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, even if the irradiation light source is located outside the wafer area. Moreover, because the irradiation light source can be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, particularly the height, can be reduced. This allows for a compact work space and improved work efficiency.

[0018] In addition, as a second invention, a chip peeling method is also provided, in which an adhesive sheet attached to multiple chips obtained by dicing a wafer is brought into contact with an uneven surface that is ultraviolet-transparent, and ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area is guided through a light-guiding means and the uneven surface to irradiate the back side of the adhesive sheet, and then the adhesive sheet is pressed against the uneven surface to bend it and partially peel it off from the multiple chips.

[0019] Ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area, which is the area where multiple chips and an adhesive sheet are present, is guided through a light guide means and irradiated from the backside through this uneven plate onto an adhesive sheet abutting a UV-transparent uneven surface. Because UV light is guided from the irradiation light source and irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, a sufficient amount of UV light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet even if the irradiation light source is located outside the wafer area. Moreover, since the irradiation light source can be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, particularly the height, can be reduced. Furthermore, because UV light is irradiated from the backside of the adhesive sheet through the UV-transparent uneven surface, a sufficient amount of UV light is effectively irradiated even when the adhesive sheet is abutting the uneven surface, further miniaturization in the height direction is achieved. This results in a more compact working space and improved work efficiency.

[0020] In the first invention, it is also preferable that the container be kept in a low-pressure atmosphere during ultraviolet irradiation, and that the multiple chips and adhesive sheet be moved within the container, which is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, so that the adhesive sheet is brought into contact with the uneven surface. Because the container is in a low-pressure atmosphere during ultraviolet irradiation, ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, because the container is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere even when the adhesive sheet is in contact with the uneven surface, the ultraviolet irradiation process and the partial peeling process can be carried out continuously and efficiently, improving production efficiency. In the present invention, a low-pressure atmosphere refers to an atmosphere below atmospheric pressure, where the oxygen concentration does not inhibit the curing of the adhesive sheet by ultraviolet irradiation, and specifically, a pressure of 100 Pa or less is preferable.

[0021] In the second invention, it is also preferable that the container be kept in a low-pressure atmosphere during ultraviolet irradiation, and the adhesive sheet be pressed against the uneven surface in a container that is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere. Because the container is in a low-pressure atmosphere during ultraviolet irradiation, ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, because the container is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere even when the adhesive sheet is pressed against the uneven surface, the ultraviolet irradiation process and the partial peeling process can be carried out continuously and efficiently, improving production efficiency.

[0022] The partial peeling is preferably performed by placing the adhesive sheet in contact with the uneven surface in a container containing the chips and adhesive sheet, maintaining the back-side space of the chips and adhesive sheet at a low pressure, introducing gas into the front-side space of the chips and adhesive sheet, and using the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space to press and bend the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface. This allows the adhesive sheet to be uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface, allowing for a stable peeling process in which the peripheral portions of the chips are peeled from the adhesive sheet to create a partially peeled state. Furthermore, since the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling process, removal and recovery of the adhesive sheet to which the partially peeled chips are attached (hereinafter also referred to as a peel-treated adhesive sheet) after the peeling process is efficient and easy.

[0023] It is also preferred that the uneven surface is UV-transmitting, and that partial peeling is performed by pressing an adhesive sheet against the uneven surface provided on the upper surface of the light-guiding means. Because the light-guiding means and the uneven surface to be partially peeled are integrated, the UV irradiation treatment can be efficiently shifted to the partial peeling treatment in the height direction, thereby making the working space more compact and improving the efficiency of the work.

[0024] It is also preferable that the uneven surface is UV-transmitting and is disposed above the light-guiding means at a distance, and that UV light from the irradiation light source is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet via the light-guiding means and the uneven surface. By disposing the light-guiding means and the uneven surface at a distance in this manner, it is possible to design an uneven surface with an optimal configuration according to the arrangement pattern of multiple chips on the adhesive sheet obtained by dicing the wafer. Furthermore, UV irradiation and partial peeling can be efficiently linked in the height direction, thereby achieving compactness in the planar direction. As a result, the work space can be made more compact and the work efficiency improved.

[0025] It is also preferable that the uneven surface is disposed independently of the light guiding means at a position to the side thereof, and that ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source is irradiated onto the back surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet via the light guiding means. In this way, since the light guiding means and the uneven surface are disposed independently of each other at positions to the side thereof, it is possible to design the most effective and efficient configuration dedicated to ultraviolet irradiation and the most effective and efficient configuration dedicated to partial peeling.

[0026] It is also preferable that during ultraviolet irradiation, the back-side space is made into a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-holes communicating with the back-side space, and during partial peeling, the back-side space is made into a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-holes and gas is introduced into the front-side space through the inlet through-holes communicating with the front-side space. This makes it easier to control the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space by introducing gas, and the peeling process in which the adhesive sheet is uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface to peel the peripheral portion of the chip from the adhesive sheet and achieve a partially peeled state can be more stably carried out, and the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling process, making it efficient and easy to remove and recover the release-treated adhesive sheet.

[0027] According to the present invention, there is further provided a chip peeling device comprising: a sealable container; support means disposed within the container and supporting a plurality of chips by an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips obtained by dicing a wafer; an irradiation light source disposed outside the wafer area, which is the region within the container where the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet are present, and generating ultraviolet light to be irradiated onto the adhesive sheet; light guiding means for guiding the ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source so that it is irradiated from the backside of the adhesive sheet; and an uneven surface for partially peeling the adhesive sheet by contacting and pressing it to bend it.

[0028] The irradiation light source is provided outside the wafer area, which is the region where the multiple chips and adhesive sheet are present, and ultraviolet light from this irradiation light source is guided through a light guiding means and irradiated from the back side of the adhesive sheet. Because the ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source is guided through the light guiding means and irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, even if the irradiation light source is provided outside the wafer area, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light can be effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet. Moreover, because the irradiation light source can be configured to be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, particularly the height dimension, can be reduced.

[0029] The container further includes suction through-holes that penetrate the container and communicate with the back-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, for creating a low-pressure atmosphere in at least the back-side space, and inlet through-holes that penetrate the container and communicate with the front-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, for introducing gas into the front-side space, and the uneven surface is preferably configured so that, during partial peeling, the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet come into contact with each other, and the pressure difference between the low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space and the gas pressure in the front-side space presses and bends the abutting adhesive sheet, causing partial peeling. This allows the adhesive sheet to be uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface, enabling stable peeling treatment in which the peripheral portions of the chips are peeled from the adhesive sheet to create a partially peeled state, and since the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling treatment, removal and recovery of the release-treated adhesive sheet is efficient and easy.

[0030] It is also preferable that the uneven surface is UV-transmissive and provided on the upper surface of the light-guiding means. This allows the light-guiding means and the uneven surface to be integrated, simplifying the structure. Furthermore, UV irradiation and partial peeling can be efficiently linked in the height direction, allowing for compactness in the planar direction.

[0031] It is also preferable that the uneven surface is UV-transparent and located above the light-guiding means. By arranging the light-guiding means and the uneven surface at a distance, it is possible to design an optimally configured uneven surface according to the arrangement pattern of multiple chips on the adhesive sheet obtained by dicing the wafer. In addition, UV irradiation and partial peeling can be efficiently linked in the height direction, resulting in compactness in the planar direction. As a result, the work space can be made more compact and the work efficiency improved.

[0032] It is also preferable that the uneven surface is provided independently of the light guiding means and at a position to the side of the light guiding means. In this way, since the light guiding means and the uneven surface are independently disposed at positions to the side of each other, it is possible to design the most effective and efficient structure dedicated to ultraviolet irradiation and the most effective and efficient structure dedicated to partial peeling.

[0033] The adhesive sheet is preferably provided with first through-holes provided in the recesses of the uneven surface for evacuating the back-side space to create a low-pressure atmosphere, and second through-holes provided in the protrusions of the uneven surface for suction and fixing the adhesive sheet, and these first and second through-holes are preferably connected to suction through-holes. This allows for more stable partial peeling when the chip peripheral portion is peeled off due to the pressure difference between the back-side space, which is a low-pressure atmosphere, and the front-side space, which is atmospheric pressure or pressurized. When the adhesive sheet is pressed against the uneven surface and bent, the adhesive sheet is suction-fixed to the surfaces of the protrusions of the uneven surface by the second through-holes so that the adhesive sheet does not separate from the protrusions as the recesses deform.

[0034] It is also preferable that the support means further include a lifting means for maintaining the multiple chips and adhesive sheet spaced apart from the uneven surface during ultraviolet irradiation, and for lowering the multiple chips and adhesive sheet to abut the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface during partial peeling. With the multiple chips and adhesive sheet spaced apart from the uneven surface by the lifting means, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the backside of the multiple chips and adhesive sheet. Because ultraviolet light is irradiated from the backside of the adhesive sheet spaced apart from the uneven surface, sufficient ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet. The multiple chips and adhesive sheet are then moved, and the adhesive sheet is brought into contact with the uneven surface, effectively performing a peeling process in which the peripheral portions of the chips are peeled off from the adhesive sheet to create a partially peeled state.

[0035] It is also preferable to further include suction means configured to create a low-pressure atmosphere inside the container by suction through the suction through-holes during ultraviolet irradiation from the irradiation light source, and to maintain the low-pressure atmosphere inside the container by suction through the suction through-holes during partial peeling as well. This suction means maintains and adjusts the low-pressure atmosphere inside the container, allowing for stable reduction in adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet by ultraviolet irradiation under a low oxygen concentration and stable partial peeling treatment due to the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space.

[0036] It is also preferable that the suction through-holes are configured to create a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space during ultraviolet irradiation and to create a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space during partial peeling, and that the inlet through-holes are configured to introduce gas into the front-side space during partial peeling. This makes it easier to control the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space by introducing gas, and allows for more stable peeling processing in which the adhesive sheet is uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface to peel the peripheral portion of the chip from the adhesive sheet and achieve a partially peeled state. Furthermore, since the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling processing, removal and recovery of the release-treated adhesive sheet becomes efficient and easy.

[0037] It is also preferable that the light guide means be an edge-light light guide plate. This allows ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area to be easily guided toward the back surface of the wafer, effectively irradiating a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light onto the adhesive sheet. Furthermore, since a thin design is easily achieved, miniaturization in the height direction can be achieved.

[0038] It is also preferable that the optical film further comprises a light diffusing layer provided on the surface of the uneven surface, thereby reducing unevenness in ultraviolet irradiation.

[0039] According to the present invention, furthermore, as a first invention of a manufacturing method, there is provided a chip manufacturing method comprising: an element formation step of forming semiconductor elements or electronic component elements on a wafer; a dicing step of dicing the wafer and the adhesive sheet after attaching an adhesive sheet to the back surface of the wafer on which semiconductor elements or electronic component elements have been fabricated by the element formation step; an ultraviolet irradiation step of storing the plurality of chips obtained by the dicing step and the adhesive sheet attached to the back surface of the plurality of chips in a sealable container, and guiding ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source provided outside the wafer area, which is the area where the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet are present, via a light guiding means to irradiate from the back surface of the adhesive sheet; a partial peeling step of contacting the adhesive sheet with an uneven surface in the container after the ultraviolet irradiation step, pressing and bending the adhesive sheet to partially peel the adhesive sheet from the plurality of chips; and a recovery step of recovering the plurality of chips peeled by the partial peeling step.

[0040] In the ultraviolet irradiation process, ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area, which is the area where the multiple chips and adhesive sheet are present, is guided through a light guide means and irradiated from the back side of the adhesive sheet. Because ultraviolet light is guided from the irradiation light source and irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet even if the irradiation light source is located outside the wafer area. Moreover, because the irradiation light source can be configured to be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, especially the height dimension, can be reduced.

[0041] In addition, as a second invention of the manufacturing method, there is provided a chip manufacturing method comprising: an element formation step of forming semiconductor elements or electronic component elements on a wafer; a dicing step of dicing the wafer and the adhesive sheet after attaching an adhesive sheet to the back surface of the wafer on which the semiconductor elements or electronic component elements have been fabricated by the element formation step; an uneven surface abutment step of storing the plurality of chips obtained by the dicing step and the adhesive sheet attached to the back surface of the plurality of chips in a sealable container and abutting the adhesive sheet to an uneven surface within the container; an ultraviolet irradiation step of guiding ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source provided outside the wafer area through a light guiding means and irradiating the adhesive sheet from the back side of the adhesive sheet; a partial peeling step of pressing the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface and bending it after the ultraviolet irradiation step, thereby partially peeling the adhesive sheet from the plurality of chips; and a recovery step of recovering the plurality of chips peeled by the partial peeling step.

[0042] In the ultraviolet irradiation process, ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area, which is the area where multiple chips and the adhesive sheet are present, is guided through a light guide means and irradiated from the back side of the adhesive sheet. Because ultraviolet light is guided from the irradiation light source and irradiated onto the adhesive sheet, even if the irradiation light source is located outside the wafer area, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet. Moreover, because the irradiation light source can be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, particularly the height, can be reduced. Furthermore, because ultraviolet light is irradiated from the back side of the adhesive sheet through a UV-transparent uneven surface, a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated even when the adhesive sheet is in contact with the uneven surface, further miniaturizing the height. This results in a more compact working space and improved work efficiency.

[0043] In the first invention of the manufacturing method, it is also preferable that the ultraviolet irradiation step includes a step of irradiating ultraviolet light from the back side of the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet in a container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere while the chips and adhesive sheet are spaced apart from the uneven surface, and the partial peeling step includes a step of moving the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet in a container continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere and abutting the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface. During ultraviolet light irradiation, because the container is in a low-pressure atmosphere, the ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet is reduced stably and efficiently.

[0044] In the second invention of the manufacturing method, it is also preferable that the ultraviolet irradiation step includes a step of irradiating ultraviolet rays from the back side of the adhesive sheet in a container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the partial peeling step includes a step of pressing the adhesive sheet against an uneven surface in a container continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere. Because the container is in a low-pressure atmosphere during ultraviolet irradiation, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet is efficiently reduced. Moreover, because the container is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere even when the adhesive sheet is in contact with the uneven surface, the ultraviolet irradiation step and the partial peeling step can be carried out continuously and efficiently, improving production efficiency.

[0045] In the first and second manufacturing methods of the present invention, the partial peeling step is preferably a step of placing the adhesive sheet in contact with the uneven surface in a container, creating a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space of the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet, while introducing gas into the front-side space of the plurality of chips and adhesive sheet, thereby pressing and bending the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface due to the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space, thereby partially peeling the adhesive sheet from the plurality of chips. This allows the adhesive sheet to be uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface, allowing for a stable peeling process in which the peripheral portions of the chips are peeled from the adhesive sheet to create a partially peeled state. Furthermore, since the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling process, the release-treated adhesive sheet can be efficiently and easily removed and collected.

[0046] It is also preferable that the ultraviolet irradiation step includes a step of creating a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space through suction through-holes communicating with the back-side space during ultraviolet irradiation, and the partial peeling step includes a step of creating a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space through the suction through-holes and introducing gas into the front-side space through inlet through-holes communicating with the front-side space during partial peeling. This makes it easier to control the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space by introducing gas, and more stably performs the peeling process in which the adhesive sheet is uniformly pressed and deformed along the uneven surface to peel the peripheral portion of the chip from the adhesive sheet and achieve a partially peeled state. Furthermore, since the pressure inside the container can be returned to atmospheric pressure simultaneously with the peeling process, the removal and recovery of the release-treated adhesive sheet becomes efficient and easy. [Effects of the Invention]

[0047] According to the present invention, the irradiation light source is provided outside the wafer area, and ultraviolet light is guided from the irradiation light source to irradiate the adhesive sheet, so that a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet. Moreover, since the irradiation light source can be fixed without moving, the structure is simplified and the dimensions, especially the height dimension, can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of a chip peeling device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the overall configuration of the upper surface of the mounting table of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and a partial enlarged view of the configuration thereof. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing a general flow of processing steps in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the chip peeling device in an ultraviolet irradiation treatment step of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the chip peeling device in the partial peeling process step of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6]1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a mounting plate or an edge-light light guide plate in a modified embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. [Figure 7] 2A is a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the overall configuration and a partial configuration of the upper surface of a mounting plate or an edge-light light guide plate in a modified embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the overall configuration of a second embodiment of a chip peeling device according to the present invention. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the overall configuration of the upper surface of the mounting table according to the embodiment of FIG. 8 and a partial enlarged view of the configuration thereof. [Figure 10] 9 is a flowchart showing a general flow of processing steps in the embodiment of FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the overall configuration of a third embodiment of a chip peeling device according to the present invention. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the overall configuration of the upper surface of the mounting table of the embodiment of FIG. 11 and a partial enlarged view of the configuration thereof. [Figure 13] 12 is a flowchart showing a general flow of processing steps in the embodiment of FIG. 11. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the overall configuration of a fourth embodiment of a chip peeling device according to the present invention. [Figure 15] 15A and 15B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view showing the overall configuration of the upper surface of the mounting table of the embodiment of FIG. 14 and a partial enlarged view of the configuration thereof. [Figure 16] 15 is a flowchart showing a general flow of processing steps in the embodiment of FIG. 14. [Figure 17] 1 is a flowchart showing a schematic flow of processing steps in a chip manufacturing method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] 1 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a first embodiment of a chip peeling device according to the present invention. In this first embodiment, an adhesive sheet attached to a chip is irradiated with ultraviolet light while the adhesive sheet is separated from the uneven surface, and then the adhesive sheet is brought into contact with the uneven surface after the ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0050] In FIG. 1, 10 is a sealable container (chamber) for carrying out ultraviolet irradiation treatment and partial peeling treatment of chips inside, 11 is a suction through hole provided in the bottom of the container 10 for exhausting the inside of the container 10 or a part thereof to create a low-pressure atmosphere, 12 is an inlet through hole provided in the top of the container 10 for introducing air or a gas such as an inert gas into the inside of the container 10, 13 is a plurality of chips obtained by dicing a semiconductor wafer, for example, 14 is an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips 13, and 15 is an opening having a diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer substrate, for inserting the wafer substrate or a plurality of chips The support ring (corresponding to the support means of the present invention) supports the chips 13 and the adhesive sheet 14 attached to their back surfaces, 16 indicates a lifting mechanism (corresponding to the lifting means of the present invention) that raises and lowers the support ring 15 in the vertical direction, 17 indicates an ultraviolet light source (corresponding to the irradiation light source of the present invention) that is provided at a fixed position outside the wafer area, which is the region where multiple chips 13 and adhesive sheets 14 exist, and generates ultraviolet rays, and 18 indicates an edge-light light guide plate (corresponding to the light guide means of the present invention) that guides ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 17 to the adhesive sheet 14 and also serves as a mounting base for the support ring 15.

[0051] The edge-light light guide plate 18, which is provided below the support ring 15, has an uneven surface 18a on its upper surface. When the support ring 15 is lowered, the lower surface of the adhesive sheet 14 abuts against the uneven surface 18a of the edge-light light guide plate 18 and is supported by the convex portions. The edge-light light guide plate 18 in this embodiment is formed by adhering a UV-transmitting member having an uneven surface 18a to the upper surface of a commercially available flat light guide (light guide). If manufacturable, an edge-light light guide plate 18 having an integrally formed uneven surface 18a on its upper surface may also be used. A microlens array may also be used as the UV-transmitting member having the uneven surface 18a. The use of a microlens array provides both the function of providing an uneven surface for partially peeling off the adhesive sheet 14 and the function of uniformly irradiating UV light.

[0052] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the top surface of this edge-lit light guide plate 18. The edge-lit light guide plate 18 can be made using known light guide plate technology used in displays and the like, and has a reflecting means (not shown) formed on the surface of a transparent resin plate made of a material such as an acrylic resin that is transparent to ultraviolet light and light, for reflecting and guiding ultraviolet light and light incident from the side surface of the transparent resin plate, and then emitting the ultraviolet light incident from the side surface of the transparent resin plate in the thickness direction. The reflecting means can be a known one, such as a slit pattern or a dot pattern formed by printing with a white ink composition that reflects ultraviolet light (light) by printing or the like, and the slit pattern or dot pattern is designed appropriately depending on the desired ultraviolet light irradiation conditions.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the uneven surface 18a formed on the upper surface of the edge-light light guide plate 18 is provided with multiple protrusions 18b and multiple recesses 18c that contribute to the partial peeling process of the adhesive sheet, and each of the recesses 18c is provided with multiple through-holes 18d that penetrate the edge-light light guide plate 18 in the vertical direction. These multiple through-holes 18d are connected to the suction through-holes 11. Note that the positions of the through-holes 18d are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, as long as they are within the recesses 18c. Furthermore, the shape of the protrusions 18b shown in the figure is merely an example, and various planar shapes, such as square, rectangular, or circular, may be used depending on the chip shape. Furthermore, the peripheral side surfaces of the protrusions 18b may be tapered.

[0054] Furthermore, the uneven surface formed on the upper surface of the edge-lit light guide plate 18 may function as both an uneven surface for partial peeling and a reflecting means for guiding light. In this case, the uneven surface functions as a reflecting means consisting of a slit pattern, and the back surface of the edge-lit light guide plate in FIG. 2 does not have a reflecting means for guiding light, but instead has a reflective layer formed by metal deposition or the like. UV light or light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate is reflected by the uneven surface functioning as a reflecting means and guided toward the reflective layer, then reflected by the reflective layer and emitted from the uneven surface. This simplifies the configuration of the edge-lit light guide plate while achieving the UV light guide function and chip partial peeling process of the present invention. It is preferable to design this configuration so that interference that weakens UV light in the thickness direction is minimized.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 1 , the suction through holes 11 are connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust valve (not shown), which allows the entire interior of the container 10 or the backside space 19a of the adhesive sheet 14 inside the container 10 to be evacuated to a low-pressure atmosphere as needed. The introduction through holes 12 are either open to the atmosphere via a valve (not shown) or connected to a compressor or compressed gas cylinder (not shown) via a valve (not shown), which allows the entire interior of the container 10 or the frontside space 19b of the adhesive sheet 14 inside the container 10 to be pressurized to atmospheric pressure or a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure as needed, and allows the backside space 19a to be adjusted to a higher pressure than the backside space 19a when the backside space 19a is in a low-pressure atmosphere. The positions, number, and diameters of the suction through holes 11 are appropriately determined to stably and efficiently create a low-pressure atmosphere inside the container 10. The opening shape of the suction through holes 11 is not particularly limited, and may be polygonal (e.g., rectangular or hexagonal), circular, elliptical, or the like. The shape may be uniform in the thickness direction, or the shape may vary in the thickness direction. Furthermore, a plurality of suction through-holes having different hole shapes may be combined and arranged.

[0056] The ultraviolet light source 17 is composed of one or more lamps or LEDs capable of emitting ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14. Specifically, it is composed of a linear (straight tube) low-pressure discharge UV lamp or UV-LED, and in this embodiment, it is composed of UV-LEDs fixedly arranged on both sides (left and right ends in FIG. 1 ) of the edge light light guide plate 18 or around the periphery of the edge light light guide plate 18. A visible light source linked to the on / off of the ultraviolet light source 17 may also be provided in addition, so that the operating state of the ultraviolet light source 17 can be visually confirmed.

[0057] In this embodiment, the container 10 is configured so that it can be opened by dividing it into upper and lower halves at the position of the O-ring 10a, and can be closed in a sealed state by the O-ring 10a. Here, the sealed state is set so that it exhibits a sealability sufficient to maintain at least a predetermined low pressure state inside the container.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow of each processing step in this embodiment, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show a schematic state of the chip peeling device in each processing step.

[0059] A wafer substrate on which semiconductors or electronic components are formed is attached to a support ring 15 having an opening with a diameter larger than that of the substrate by adhering an adhesive sheet 14 to the backside of the wafer substrate. The wafer substrate is then diced into multiple chips and cleaned. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the support ring 15 is set in a predetermined position on an elevating mechanism 16 equipped with a support ring holder installed inside a container 10 (step S1). In the following description of this embodiment, the term "support ring 15" refers to a component on which the adhesive sheet 14 and multiple diced chips are attached.

[0060] Next, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated, and the entire interior of the container 10 is evacuated to a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-hole 11 as shown by arrow A1 (step S2). At this time, the release valve of the introduction through-hole 12 is kept closed.

[0061] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the lifting mechanism 16 is operated to raise the support ring 15 upward (step S3), and ultraviolet light irradiation is initiated from the ultraviolet light sources 17 disposed on both sides or around the edge-light light guide plate 18 (step S4). The ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light sources 17 passes through the edge-light light guide plate 18 and is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 14. This effectively irradiates the adhesive sheet 14 with sufficient ultraviolet light, reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 around the chip and / or the bottom of the adhesive sheet 14. Furthermore, during this irradiation, the space around the adhesive sheet 14 continues to be a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduced adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 is efficiently reduced. Note that the evacuation process in step S2 continues even when the lifting mechanism 16 is raised in step S3 and when the ultraviolet light irradiation process begins in step S4. This prevents the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 from being reduced by UV curing due to the presence of oxygen, and also simplifies the control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 11. Note that, in step S1 described above, when the support ring 15 is set at a predetermined position inside the container 10, if the support ring 15 is set at a position suitable for irradiating the adhesive sheet 14 with UV rays in step S4, the raising process in step S3 may be omitted.

[0062] Thereafter, the ultraviolet irradiation is terminated (step S5), and the lifting mechanism 16 is operated to lower the support ring 15, bringing the adhesive sheet 14 into contact with the uneven surface 18a of the edge-lit light guide plate 18 and supporting it with the convex portions (step S6). As a result, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the adhesive sheet 14, support ring 15, lifting mechanism 16, and the inner wall of the container 10 form a back-side space 19a and a front-side space 19b for the plurality of chips 13 and adhesive sheet 14. The back-side space 19a is a sealed space except for the suction through-holes 11, and the front-side space 19b is a sealed space except for the introduction through-holes 12.

[0063] As shown by arrow A2 in Fig. 5, the process of evacuating the rear surface-side space 19a through the suction through-holes 11 to create a low-pressure atmosphere continues (step S7). At the same time, by opening a valve (not shown), a gas such as the atmosphere is filled into the front surface-side space 19b through the introduction through-holes 12 as shown by arrow A3 in Fig. 5. In this way, the pressure difference between the rear surface-side space 19a and the front surface-side space 19b, which is generated by making the internal pressure of the front surface-side space 19b higher than that of the rear surface-side space 19a, causes the adhesive sheet 14 to be pressed against the uneven surface 18a of the edge-light light guide plate 18 and to bend. As a result, the peripheral portions of the multiple chips 13 are efficiently peeled off from the adhesive sheet 14, resulting in a partially peeled state. The pressure in the front-side space 19b at this time may be a value that generates a pressure difference that allows the adhesive sheet 14 to be pressed against the uneven surface 18a of the edge-light light guide plate 18 and bend. However, by pressurizing the front-side space 19b with air or inert gas from a compressor or compressed gas cylinder, the pressure difference increases, allowing the adhesive sheet 14 to bend more effectively. The rate (speed) of change in pressure in the front-side space 19b is adjusted within a range that prevents damage to the chip 13 due to stress during peeling when the adhesive sheet 14 is pressed against the uneven surface 18a of the edge-light light guide plate 18 and bends and deforms due to peeling. The exhaust process in step S7 is continued during the ultraviolet irradiation termination process in step S5 and the lowering process of the lifting mechanism 16 in step S6. This prevents the presence of oxygen from inhibiting the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 from decreasing due to ultraviolet curing, and also simplifies control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 11.

[0064] Thereafter, the exhaust valve is controlled to open the suction through-hole 11 to the atmosphere, while the inlet through-hole 12 is left open to the atmosphere. This brings the backside space 19a and the frontside space 19b to the same atmospheric pressure, and then the lifting mechanism 16 is operated to lift the support ring 15 (step S9). Next, the container 10 is opened, and the support ring 15 is removed from the container 10 (step S10). This allows the partially peeled chip 13 to be easily picked up. The support ring 15 may be directly removed from the lifting mechanism 16, or a transfer means and a recovery section may be separately provided within the container 10, and the support ring 15 may be transferred from the lifting mechanism 16 to the recovery section by the transfer means. This configuration allows the aforementioned step S10 and step S1, in which the next support ring 15 to be processed is set, to be performed simultaneously, improving process efficiency.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the above-described series of steps S1 to S10 is performed for a single support ring 15, but a configuration in which a stocker containing multiple support rings 15 is set in step S1, in which the support ring 15 is set in a predetermined position inside the container 10, may also be adopted. In this case, in step S1, a transfer means for transferring the support rings 15 is installed inside the container 10, and the support rings 15 in the stocker are transferred and set by this transfer means to the support ring holders of the lifting means 16, and steps S2 to S9 are performed. The support rings 15 that have been partially peeled are stored by this transfer means in the stocker or a separate recovery stocker for recovering processed products. Thereafter, the processes from step S1 to step S9 are similarly repeated for the next untreated support ring 15. When the series of partial peeling processes has been completed for all of the support rings 15 in the stocker, the container 10 is opened, and the support rings 15 together with the stocker are removed from the container 10.

[0066] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the interior of the container 10 is maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the plurality of chips 13 and the adhesive sheet 14 are raised, and ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 14 via the edge-light light guide plate 18. Because ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the raised adhesive sheet 14 via the edge-light light guide plate 18, sufficient ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet 14. Furthermore, since the container 10 is in a low-pressure atmosphere during irradiation, ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, the adhesive sheet 14 is brought into contact with the uneven surface 18a of the edge-light light guide plate 18, and a gas at or above atmospheric pressure is introduced into the front-side space 19b, while the back-side space 19a is maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere. As a result, the pressure difference between the back-side space 19a, which is in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the front-side space 19b, which is in an atmospheric or pressurized state, pressurizes the adhesive sheet 14 against the uneven surface 18a, causing it to bend, thereby effectively peeling the chip 13 from the adhesive sheet 14. During this peeling process, the entire container 10 or the back-side space 19a is in a low-pressure atmosphere, so ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 14 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, the suction through-hole 11 is configured to be shared by both step S2, in which the entire container 10 is evacuated to a low-pressure atmosphere, and step S7, in which the process of evacuating the back-side space 19a to a low-pressure atmosphere in the partial peeling process is continued. Since these processes are performed within the same container 10, both the ultraviolet light irradiation process and the chip peeling process can be performed efficiently.

[0067] Fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the edge light guide plate in a modified version of the first embodiment, and Fig. 7 shows an enlarged view of the overall configuration of the upper surface of the edge light guide plate in this modified version, as well as a partial configuration thereof. Fig. 6(A) shows an enlarged view of the overall configuration of the upper surface and a partial configuration thereof, and Fig. 6(B) shows the cross section taken along line AA.

[0068] In the first embodiment described above, through holes that pass through the edge light guide plate are provided in the recesses of the uneven surface, but in this modified embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, an uneven surface 118a is formed on the upper surface of the edge light light guide plate 118, with a plurality of protrusions 118b and a plurality of recesses 118c, and a plurality of first through holes 118d that pass through the edge light light guide plate 118 in the vertical direction are provided in each of the plurality of recesses 118c, and further, a plurality of second through holes 118e that pass through the mounting plate or the edge light light guide plate 118 in the vertical direction are provided in each of the plurality of protrusions 118b. These first through holes 118d and second through holes 118e are in communication with the suction through hole 111. First through-hole 118d is provided to evacuate the entire container or the backside space of the adhesive sheet of the container so that it becomes a low-pressure atmosphere. Second through-hole 118e is provided to suction-fix the adhesive sheet to the top surface of convex portion 118b so that the adhesive sheet on which the chip is placed does not separate from convex portion 118b as concave portion 118c deforms when the adhesive sheet is pressed against the uneven surface and bent and deformed in the case where the chip peripheral portion peels off due to the pressure difference between the backside space, which is a low-pressure atmosphere, and the frontside space, which is atmospheric pressure or pressurized. This fixes the adhesive sheet corresponding to the inner region of the chip, making it easier to peel the adhesive sheet near the chip peripheral portion when deformation occurs due to suction through first through-hole 118d. Note that even without second through-hole 118e, the chip peripheral portion can be peeled off by suction through first through-hole 118d, but providing second through-hole 118e allows for more accurate peeling. The position of the first through-hole 118d is not limited to the illustrated position as long as it is within the recess 118c. The illustrated shape of the protrusion 118b is merely an example, and various planar shapes, such as square, rectangular, or circular, may be used depending on the chip shape. Furthermore, the peripheral side surface of the protrusion 118b may be tapered.Furthermore, when the peripheral portion of the chip peels off due to the pressure difference between the back side space, which is in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the front side space, which is in an atmospheric or pressurized state, it is preferable to appropriately select the diameter and shape of second through hole 118e so that the pressure difference does not cause deformation or damage to the chip due to deformation of the adhesive sheet in the portion corresponding to second through hole 118e, and to obtain the fixing effect of the adhesive sheet described above, or to set the suction force of second through hole 118e under conditions different from those of first through hole 118d so that deformation or damage to the chip does not occur easily.

[0069] As a further modification of the first embodiment described above, a light diffusion layer may be formed or laminated on the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate from which ultraviolet light is emitted. This improves the degree of diffusion of the irradiated ultraviolet light, allowing the adhesive sheet to be more uniformly reduced in adhesion. Note that the light diffusion layer may be disposed at a distance from the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate rather than being laminated in contact with it.

[0070] 8 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a second embodiment of the chip peeling device of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the adhesive sheet attached to the chip is irradiated with ultraviolet light while the adhesive sheet is in contact with the uneven surface.

[0071] In FIG. 8, 210 is a sealable container (chamber) for performing ultraviolet irradiation treatment and partial chip peeling treatment inside, 211 is a suction through-hole provided in the bottom of the container 210 for exhausting the inside of the container 210 or a part thereof to create a low-pressure atmosphere, 212 is an introduction through-hole provided in the top of the container 210 for introducing air or a gas such as an inert gas into the inside of the container 210, 213 is a plurality of chips obtained by dicing a semiconductor wafer, for example, 214 is an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips 213, and 215 is a sheet having an opening with a diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer substrate. 215 is a support ring (corresponding to the support means of the present invention) that supports a wafer substrate or a plurality of chips 213 and an adhesive sheet 214 attached to the back surface thereof, 217 is an ultraviolet light source (corresponding to the irradiation light source of the present invention) that generates ultraviolet light and is provided at a fixed position outside the wafer area, which is the area where the plurality of chips 213 and adhesive sheet 214 are present, 218 is an edge light guide plate (corresponding to the light guide means of the present invention) that guides ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 217 to the adhesive sheet 214, and 220 is a mounting base for the support ring 215, which is made of an ultraviolet-transparent material.

[0072] The edge-lit light guide plate 218 can be made using known light guide plate technology used in displays and the like. The edge-lit light guide plate 218 is made of a transparent resin plate, such as an acrylic resin, that is transparent to ultraviolet light and light. Reflecting means (not shown) are formed on the surface of the transparent resin plate to reflect and guide ultraviolet light and light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate, thereby emitting the ultraviolet light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate in the thickness direction. The reflecting means can be a known pattern, such as a slit pattern or a dot pattern formed by printing with a white ink composition that reflects ultraviolet light (light). The slit pattern or dot pattern is appropriately designed according to the desired ultraviolet light irradiation conditions. This simplifies the configuration of the edge-lit light guide plate 218 while achieving the ultraviolet light guide function of the present invention. In this configuration, it is preferable to design the plate so that interference that weakens ultraviolet light in the thickness direction is minimized.

[0073] The mounting base 220, which is provided above and overlaps the edge-light light guide plate 218, has an uneven surface 220a on its upper surface, and the lower surface of the adhesive sheet 214 abuts against this uneven surface 220a so as to be supported by the convex portions. The mounting base 220 in this embodiment is formed by fixing an ultraviolet-transmitting member having the uneven surface 220a to the upper surface of an ultraviolet-transmitting flat plate. If manufacturable, a mounting base 220 having the uneven surface 220a integrally formed on its upper surface may also be used. A microlens array may also be used as the ultraviolet-transmitting member having the uneven surface 220a. The use of a microlens array can provide both the function of providing an uneven surface for partially peeling off the adhesive sheet 214 and the function of uniformly irradiating ultraviolet light.

[0074] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the top surface of the mounting table 220. As shown in the figure, the uneven surface 220a formed on the top surface of the mounting table 220 is provided with multiple protrusions 220b and multiple recesses 220c that contribute to the partial peeling process of the adhesive sheet. Each of the recesses 220c is provided with multiple through-holes 220d that penetrate the mounting table 220 in the vertical direction. These through-holes 220d are connected to the suction through-holes 211. The positions of the through-holes 220d are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, as long as they are within the recesses 220c. The shape of the protrusions 220b shown in the figure is merely an example, and various planar shapes, such as square, rectangular, or circular, may be used depending on the chip shape. Furthermore, the peripheral side surfaces of the protrusions 220b may be tapered.

[0075] 8, the suction through-holes 211 are connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust valve (not shown), which evacuates the entire interior of the container 210 or the back-side space 219a of the adhesive sheet 214 inside the container 210 to a low-pressure atmosphere as needed. The introduction through-holes 212 are openable to the atmosphere via a valve (not shown), or are connected to a compressor or compressed gas cylinder (not shown) via a valve (not shown), which allows the entire interior of the container 210 or the front-side space 219b of the adhesive sheet 214 inside the container 210 to be an atmospheric pressure atmosphere or a pressurized atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure as needed, and allows the back-side space 219a to be adjusted to a pressure higher than that of the back-side space 219a when the back-side space 219a is in a low-pressure atmosphere state. The positions, number, and diameters of the suction through-holes 211 are appropriately determined so as to stably and efficiently create a low-pressure atmosphere inside the container 210. The opening shape of the suction through-hole 211 is not particularly limited, and may be a polygon such as a square or hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like, and may be uniform in shape in the thickness direction, or may be a hole shape whose shape changes in the thickness direction. Also, a plurality of suction through-holes of different hole shapes may be combined and arranged.

[0076] The ultraviolet light source 217 is composed of one or more LEDs capable of emitting ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214. Specifically, it is composed of UV-LEDs, and in this embodiment, it is composed of UV-LEDs fixedly arranged on both sides (left and right ends in FIG. 8) of the edge light light guide plate 218 or around the periphery of the edge light light guide plate 218. A visible light source linked to the on / off of the ultraviolet light source 217 may also be provided in addition to the ultraviolet light source 217 so that the operating state of the ultraviolet light source 217, that is, whether on or off, can be visually confirmed.

[0077] In this embodiment, the container 210 is configured so that it can be opened by dividing it into upper and lower halves at the position of the O-ring 210a, and can be closed in a sealed state by the O-ring 210a. Here, the sealed state is set so that it exhibits a level of sealing that can at least maintain the inside of the container at a predetermined low pressure state.

[0078] FIG. 10 shows a schematic flow of each processing step in this embodiment.

[0079] A wafer substrate on which semiconductors or electronic components are formed is mounted on a support ring 215 having an opening with a diameter larger than that of the substrate by adhering an adhesive sheet 214 to the backside of the wafer substrate. Next, the wafer substrate is diced into a plurality of chips and cleaned. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the support ring 215 is set at a predetermined position inside the container 210 (step S11). In this case, the adhesive sheet 214 is set so as to abut against the uneven surface 220a formed on the upper surface of the mounting table 220. In the following description of this embodiment, the term "support ring 215" refers to a component on which the adhesive sheet 214 and a plurality of diced chips 213 are mounted.

[0080] Next, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated to evacuate the entire interior of the container 210 to a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-hole 211 (step S12). At this time, the release valve of the introduction through-hole 212 is kept closed.

[0081] Next, in this state, ultraviolet irradiation is initiated from the ultraviolet light sources 217 disposed on both sides or around the edge-light light guide plate 218 (step S13). The ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 217 passes through the edge-light light guide plate 218 and enters the mounting table 220, and is then irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 214 via the mounting table 220 and the uneven surface 220a formed on its upper surface. This effectively irradiates the adhesive sheet 214 with sufficient ultraviolet light, thereby reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 around the chip and / or the bottom of the adhesive sheet 214. Furthermore, during this irradiation, the space around the adhesive sheet 214 continues to be a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 is efficiently reduced. Note that the exhaust process in step S12 is also performed when the ultraviolet irradiation process in step S13 is started. This prevents the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 from being reduced by UV curing due to the presence of oxygen, and also simplifies the control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 211.

[0082] Thereafter, the ultraviolet irradiation is terminated (step S14). In this state, as shown in Fig. 8, back side space 219a and front side space 219b of the plurality of chips 213 and adhesive sheet 214 are formed by adhesive sheet 214, support ring 215, and the inner wall of container 210. Back side space 219a is a sealed space except for suction through-holes 211, and front side space 219b is a sealed space except for introduction through-holes 212.

[0083] Next, the process of evacuating the back surface side space 219a through the suction through-holes 211 to create a low-pressure atmosphere is continued (step S15). Furthermore, by opening a valve (not shown), the front surface side space 219b is filled with a gas such as the atmosphere through the inlet through-holes 212 (step S16). In this way, the front surface side space 219b is made to have a higher internal pressure than the back surface side space 219a, which generates a pressure difference between the back surface side space 219a and the front surface side space 219b, causing the adhesive sheet 214 to be pressed against the uneven surface 220a of the mounting table 220 and to bend. As a result, the peripheral portions of the multiple chips 213 are efficiently peeled off from the adhesive sheet 214, resulting in a partially peeled state. The pressure in the front-side space 219b at this time may be a value that generates a pressure difference that allows the adhesive sheet 214 to be pressed against the uneven surface 220a of the mounting table 220 and bend. However, by pressurizing the front-side space 219b with air or inert gas from a compressor or compressed gas cylinder, the pressure difference increases, and the adhesive sheet 214 can be bent more effectively. The rate (speed) of change in pressure in the front-side space 219b is adjusted within a range that prevents the chip 213 from being damaged by stress during peeling when the adhesive sheet 214 is pressed against the uneven surface 220a of the mounting table 220 and bends and deforms due to peeling. The exhaust process in step S15 is continued even during the ultraviolet irradiation termination process in step S14. This prevents the presence of oxygen from inhibiting the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 from decreasing due to ultraviolet curing, and also simplifies control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 211.

[0084] Thereafter, the exhaust valve is controlled to open the backside space 219a to the atmosphere through the suction through-hole 211 (step S17). After both the backside space 219a and the frontside space 219b are set to the same atmospheric pressure, the container 210 is opened, and the support ring 215 is removed from the container 210 (step S18). This allows the partially peeled chip 213 to be easily picked up. Here, the support ring 215 may be directly removed, or a transfer means and a recovery section may be separately provided within the container 210, and the support ring 215 may be transferred to the recovery section by the transfer means. With this configuration, the above-mentioned step S18 and step S11, in which the support ring 215 to be processed next is set, can be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the efficiency of the process.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the above-described series of processes from step S11 to step S18 is performed for a single support ring 215, but a configuration in which a stocker storing multiple support rings 215 is set in step S11, in which the support ring 215 is set at a predetermined position inside the container 210, may also be adopted. In this case, in step S11, a transfer means for transferring the support ring 215 is installed inside the container 210, and the support ring 215 in the stocker is transferred and set in a support ring holder by this transfer means, and steps S12 to S17 are performed. The support ring 215 that has undergone the partial peeling process is stored by this transfer means in the stocker or a separate recovery stocker for recovering processed products. Thereafter, the processes from step S11 to step S17 are similarly repeated for the next unprocessed support ring 215. When the series of partial peeling processes has been completed for all of the support rings 215 in the stocker, the container 210 is opened, and the support ring 215 together with the stocker are removed from the container 210.

[0086] As described above, according to the second embodiment, with the inside of the container 210 in a low-pressure atmosphere, the adhesive sheet 214 attached to the plurality of chips 213 is placed in contact with the UV-transmitting uneven surface 220a, and ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 214 via the edge-light light guide plate 118. Since ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 214 via the edge-light light guide plate 218, sufficient ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet 214. Furthermore, since the container 210 is in a low-pressure atmosphere during irradiation, ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits UV curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, with the adhesive sheet 214 in contact with the uneven surface 220a of the mounting table 220, gas at or above atmospheric pressure is introduced into the front-side space 219b, and the back-side space 219a is maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere. As a result, the pressure difference between the back-side space 219a, which is in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the front-side space 219b, which is in an atmospheric or pressurized state, pressurizes the adhesive sheet 214 against the uneven surface 220a, causing it to bend, thereby enabling the chip 213 to be effectively peeled off from the adhesive sheet 214. During this peeling process, the entire container 210 or the back-side space 219a is in a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 214 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, the suction through-hole 211 is configured to be shared by both step S13, in which the entire container 210 is evacuated to a low-pressure atmosphere, and step S15, in which the process of evacuating the back-side space 219a to a low-pressure atmosphere in the partial peeling process is continued. Since these processes are performed within the same container 210, both the ultraviolet light irradiation process and the chip peeling process can be performed efficiently.

[0087] As a modification of the second embodiment, the uneven surface of the mounting table 220 may be configured in the same manner as the modification of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the uneven surface may be configured to have a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions.

[0088] As a further modification of the second embodiment, a light diffusion layer may be formed or laminated on the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate from which ultraviolet light is emitted. This improves the degree of diffusion of the irradiated ultraviolet light, allowing the adhesive sheet to have a more uniform low adhesiveness. Note that the light diffusion layer may be disposed at a distance from the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate rather than being laminated in contact with it.

[0089] 11 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a third embodiment of the chip peeling device of the present invention. In this third embodiment, ultraviolet light is irradiated onto an adhesive sheet in a state where a mounting table having an uneven surface is positioned above and spaced apart from an edge-lit light guide plate.

[0090] In FIG. 11, 310 is a sealable container (chamber) for carrying out ultraviolet irradiation treatment and partial chip peeling treatment inside, 311 is a suction through-hole provided in the bottom of the container 310 for exhausting the inside of the container 310 or a part thereof to create a low-pressure atmosphere, 312 is an introduction through-hole provided in the top of the container 310 for introducing air or a gas such as an inert gas into the inside of the container 310, 313 is a plurality of chips obtained by dicing a semiconductor wafer, for example, 314 is an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips 313, and 315 is an opening with a diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer substrate. 315 is a support ring (corresponding to the support means of the present invention) that supports a wafer substrate or a plurality of chips 313 and an adhesive sheet 314 attached to the back surface thereof, 317 is an ultraviolet light source (corresponding to the irradiation light source of the present invention) that generates ultraviolet light and is provided at a fixed position outside the wafer area, which is the region where the plurality of chips 313 and adhesive sheet 314 are present, 318 is an edge light light guide plate (corresponding to the light guide means of the present invention) that guides ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 217 to the adhesive sheet 314, and 320 is a mounting base for the support ring 315, which is made of an ultraviolet-transparent material.

[0091] The edge-lit light guide plate 318 can be made using known light guide plate technology used in displays and the like. The edge-lit light guide plate 318 is made of a transparent resin plate, such as an acrylic resin, that is transparent to ultraviolet light and light. Reflecting means (not shown) are formed on the surface of the transparent resin plate to reflect and guide ultraviolet light and light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate, thereby emitting the ultraviolet light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate in the thickness direction. The reflecting means can be a known pattern, such as a slit pattern or a dot pattern formed by printing with a white ink composition that reflects ultraviolet light (light). The slit pattern or dot pattern is appropriately designed according to the desired ultraviolet light irradiation conditions. This simplifies the configuration of the edge-lit light guide plate 318 while achieving the ultraviolet light guide function of the present invention. It is preferable that this configuration be designed to minimize interference that weakens ultraviolet light in the thickness direction.

[0092] The mounting base 320, which is provided above and spaced apart from the edge-light light guide plate 318, has an uneven surface 320a on its upper surface. The lower surface of the adhesive sheet 314 abuts against this uneven surface 320a and is supported by the convex portions. The mounting base 320 in this embodiment is formed by adhering an ultraviolet-transmitting member having the uneven surface 320a to the upper surface of an ultraviolet-transmitting flat plate. If manufacturable, a mounting base 320 having the uneven surface 320a integrally formed on its upper surface may also be used. A microlens array may also be used as the ultraviolet-transmitting member having the uneven surface 320a. The use of a microlens array provides both the function of providing an uneven surface for partially peeling off the adhesive sheet 314 and the function of uniformly irradiating ultraviolet light.

[0093] FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of the top surface of the mounting table 320. As shown in the figure, the uneven surface 320a formed on the top surface of the mounting table 320 is provided with multiple protrusions 320b and multiple recesses 320c that contribute to the partial peeling process of the adhesive sheet. Each of the recesses 320c is provided with multiple through-holes 320d that penetrate the mounting table 320 in the vertical direction. These through-holes 320d are connected to the suction through-holes 311. The positions of the through-holes 320d are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, as long as they are within the recesses 320c. The shape of the protrusions 320b shown in the figure is merely an example, and various planar shapes, such as square, rectangular, or circular, may be used depending on the chip shape. Furthermore, the peripheral side surfaces of the protrusions 320b may be tapered.

[0094] 11 , suction through-hole 311 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust valve (not shown), which evacuates the entire interior of container 310 or back-side space 319a of adhesive sheet 314 inside container 310 to a low-pressure atmosphere as needed. Inlet through-hole 312 is openable to the atmosphere via a valve (not shown), or connected to a compressor or compressed gas cylinder (not shown) via a valve (not shown), which allows the entire interior of container 310 or front-side space 319b of adhesive sheet 314 inside container 310 to be at atmospheric pressure or a pressurized atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure as needed, and allows adjustment of the pressure in back-side space 319a to a higher pressure than that in back-side space 319a when the back-side space 319a is in a low-pressure atmosphere. The position, number, and diameter of suction through-hole 311 are appropriately determined so as to stably and efficiently create a low-pressure atmosphere inside container 310. The opening shape of the suction through-hole 311 is not particularly limited, and may be a polygon such as a square or hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like, and may be uniform in shape in the thickness direction, or may be a hole shape whose shape changes in the thickness direction. Also, a plurality of suction through-holes of different hole shapes may be combined and arranged.

[0095] The ultraviolet light source 317 is composed of one or more LEDs capable of emitting ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314. Specifically, it is composed of UV-LEDs, and in this embodiment, it is composed of UV-LEDs fixedly arranged on both sides (left and right ends in FIG. 11 ) of the edge light light guide plate 318 or around the periphery of the edge light light guide plate 318. A visible light source linked to the on / off of the ultraviolet light source 317 may also be provided in addition to the ultraviolet light source 317 so that the operating state of the ultraviolet light source 317 can be visually confirmed.

[0096] In this embodiment, the container 310 can be opened by dividing it into upper and lower halves at the position of the O-ring 310a, and can be closed in a sealed state by the O-ring 310a. Here, the sealed state is set to a level at which the container can be sealed to a degree that allows the interior of the container to be maintained at a predetermined low pressure state.

[0097] FIG. 13 shows a schematic flow of each processing step in this embodiment.

[0098] A wafer substrate on which semiconductors or electronic components are formed is mounted on a support ring 315 having an opening with a diameter larger than that of the substrate by adhering an adhesive sheet 314 to the backside of the wafer substrate. Next, the wafer substrate is diced into a plurality of chips and cleaned. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, the support ring 315 is set at a predetermined position inside the container 310 (step S21). In this case, the adhesive sheet 314 is set so as to abut against the uneven surface 320a formed on the upper surface of the mounting table 320. In the following description of this embodiment, the term "support ring 315" refers to a component on which the adhesive sheet 314 and a plurality of diced chips 313 are mounted.

[0099] Next, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated to evacuate the entire interior of the container 310 to a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-hole 311 (step S22). At this time, the release valve of the introduction through-hole 312 is kept closed.

[0100] Next, in this state, ultraviolet irradiation is initiated from the ultraviolet light sources 317 disposed on both sides or around the edge-light light guide plate 318 (step S23). The ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source 317 passes through the edge-light light guide plate 318 and enters the mounting table 320, and is then irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 314 via the mounting table 320 and the uneven surface 320a formed on its upper surface. This effectively irradiates the adhesive sheet 314 with sufficient ultraviolet light, thereby reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314 around the chip and / or the bottom of the adhesive sheet 314. Furthermore, during this irradiation, the space around the adhesive sheet 314 continues to be a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314 is efficiently reduced. Note that the exhaust process in step S22 is also performed when the ultraviolet irradiation process in step S23 is started. This prevents the adhesive strength of adhesive sheet 314 from being reduced by ultraviolet curing due to the presence of oxygen, and also simplifies the control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with suction through-hole 311.

[0101] Thereafter, the ultraviolet irradiation is terminated (step S24). In this state, as shown in Fig. 11, back side space 319a and front side space 319b of the plurality of chips 313 and adhesive sheet 314 are formed by adhesive sheet 314, support ring 315, edge-light light guide plate 318, and the inner wall of container 310. Back side space 319a is a sealed space except for suction through-holes 311, and front side space 319b is a sealed space except for introduction through-holes 312.

[0102] Next, the process of evacuating the back surface side space 319a through the suction through-holes 311 to create a low-pressure atmosphere is continued (step S25). Furthermore, by opening a valve (not shown), a gas such as the atmosphere is filled into the front surface side space 319b through the inlet through-holes 312 (step S26). In this way, the pressure difference between the back surface side space 319a and the front surface side space 319b, which is generated by making the internal pressure of the front surface side space 319b higher than that of the back surface side space 319a, causes the adhesive sheet 314 to be pressed against the uneven surface 320a of the mounting table 320 and to bend. As a result, the peripheral portions of the multiple chips 313 are efficiently peeled off from the adhesive sheet 314, resulting in a partially peeled state. The pressure in the front-side space 319b at this time may be a value that generates a pressure difference that allows the adhesive sheet 314 to be pressed against the uneven surface 320a of the mounting table 320 and bend. However, by pressurizing the front-side space 319b with air or inert gas from a compressor or compressed gas cylinder, the pressure difference increases, and the adhesive sheet 314 can be bent more effectively. The rate (speed) of change in pressure in the front-side space 319b is adjusted within a range that does not damage the chip 313 due to stress during peeling when the adhesive sheet 314 is pressed against the uneven surface 320a of the mounting table 320 and bends and deforms due to peeling. The exhaust process in step S25 is continued even during the ultraviolet irradiation termination process in step S24. This prevents the presence of oxygen from inhibiting the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314 from decreasing due to ultraviolet curing, and also simplifies control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 311.

[0103] Thereafter, the exhaust valve is controlled to open the backside space 319a to the atmosphere through the suction through-hole 311 (step S27). After both the backside space 319a and the frontside space 319b are set to the same atmospheric pressure, the container 310 is opened, and the support ring 315 is removed from the container 310 (step S28). This allows the partially peeled chip 313 to be easily picked up. The support ring 315 may be directly removed, or a transfer means and a recovery section may be separately provided within the container 310, and the support ring 315 may be transferred to the recovery section by the transfer means. This configuration allows the above-mentioned step S28 and step S21, in which the next support ring 315 to be processed is set, to be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the efficiency of the process.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the above-described series of processes from step S21 to step S28 is performed for a single support ring 315, but a configuration in which a stocker containing multiple support rings 315 is set in step S21, in which the support ring 315 is set in a predetermined position inside the container 310, may also be adopted. In this case, in step S21, a transfer means for transferring the support ring 315 is installed inside the container 310, and the support ring 315 in the stocker is transferred and set in a support ring holder by this transfer means, and steps S22 to S27 are performed. The support ring 315 that has undergone the partial peeling process is stored by this transfer means in the stocker or a separate recovery stocker for recovering processed products. Thereafter, the processes from step S21 to step S27 are similarly repeated for the next untreated support ring 315. When the series of partial peeling processes has been completed for all of the support rings 315 in the stocker, the container 310 is opened, and the support ring 315 together with the stocker are removed from the container 310.

[0105] As described above, according to the third embodiment, with the interior of the container 310 maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, the adhesive sheet 314 attached to the plurality of chips 313 is placed in contact with the UV-transmitting uneven surface 320a, and ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 314 via the edge-light light guide plate 318 and the uneven surface 320a of the mounting table 320. Since ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 314 via the edge-light light guide plate 318, sufficient ultraviolet light is effectively irradiated onto the adhesive sheet 314. Furthermore, since the container 310 is in a low-pressure atmosphere during irradiation, ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits UV curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, with the adhesive sheet 314 in contact with the uneven surface 320a of the mounting table 320, a gas at or above atmospheric pressure is introduced into the front-side space 319b, and the back-side space 319a is maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere. As a result, the pressure difference between the back-side space 319a, which is in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the front-side space 319b, which is in an atmospheric or pressurized state, pressurizes the adhesive sheet 314 against the uneven surface 320a, causing it to bend, thereby enabling the chips 313 to be effectively peeled off from the adhesive sheet 314. During this peeling process, the entire container 310 or the back-side space 319a is in a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 314 is efficiently reduced. Furthermore, the suction through-hole 311 is configured to be shared by both step S23, in which the entire container 310 is evacuated to a low-pressure atmosphere, and step S25, in which the process of evacuating the back-side space 319a to a low-pressure atmosphere in the partial peeling process is continued. Since these processes are performed within the same container 310, both the ultraviolet light irradiation process and the chip peeling process can be performed efficiently.

[0106] As a modification of the third embodiment, the uneven surface of the mounting table 320 may be configured similarly to the modification of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the uneven surface may be configured to have a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions.

[0107] As a further modification of the third embodiment, a light diffusion layer may be formed or laminated on the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate from which ultraviolet light is emitted. This improves the degree of diffusion of the irradiated ultraviolet light, allowing the adhesive sheet to be more uniformly low-adhesion. Note that the light diffusion layer may be disposed at a distance from the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate rather than being laminated in contact with it.

[0108] 14 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a fourth embodiment of the chip peeling device of the present invention. In this fourth embodiment, an ultraviolet irradiation processing section for performing ultraviolet irradiation processing and a partial peeling processing section for performing partial peeling processing of the chip are arranged at different positions in a container.

[0109] In Figure 14, 410 denotes a container (chamber) capable of sealing an ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 430 and a chip partial peeling processing unit 440 provided inside, 411 denotes a suction through-hole provided at the bottom of the container 410 for evacuating the inside of the container 410 or part of it to create a low-pressure atmosphere, 412 denotes an introduction through-hole provided at the top of the container 410 for introducing air or a gas such as an inert gas into the inside of the container 410, 413 denotes a plurality of chips obtained by, for example, dicing a semiconductor wafer, 414 denotes an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips 413, and 415 denotes a support ring (corresponding to the support means of the present invention) having an opening with a diameter larger than that of the wafer substrate and supporting the wafer substrate or the plurality of chips 413 and the adhesive sheet 414 attached to their backsides.

[0110] The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 430 is provided at a fixed position outside the wafer area, which is the area where multiple chips 413 and adhesive sheets 414 are transferred and placed during ultraviolet irradiation, and is equipped with an ultraviolet light source 417 (corresponding to the irradiation light source of the present invention) that generates ultraviolet rays, and an edge light light guide plate 418 (corresponding to the light guide means of the present invention) that guides the ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet light source 417 to the multiple chips 413 and adhesive sheets 414 transferred to the wafer area from the back side of the adhesive sheet 414.

[0111] The edge-lit light guide plate 418 can be made using known light guide plate technology used in displays and the like. The edge-lit light guide plate 418 is made of a transparent resin plate, such as an acrylic resin, that is transparent to ultraviolet light and light. Reflecting means (not shown) are formed on the surface of the transparent resin plate to reflect and guide ultraviolet light and light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate, thereby emitting the ultraviolet light incident from the side of the transparent resin plate in the thickness direction. The reflecting means can be a known pattern, such as a slit pattern or a dot pattern formed by printing with a white ink composition that reflects ultraviolet light (light). The slit pattern or dot pattern is appropriately designed according to the desired ultraviolet light irradiation conditions. This simplifies the configuration of the edge-lit light guide plate 418 while achieving the ultraviolet light guide function of the present invention. It is preferable that this configuration be designed to minimize interference that weakens ultraviolet light in the thickness direction.

[0112] The ultraviolet light source 417 is composed of one or more LEDs capable of emitting ultraviolet light of a wavelength capable of reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 414. Specifically, it is composed of UV-LEDs, and in this embodiment, it is composed of UV-LEDs fixedly arranged on both sides (left and right ends in FIG. 14) of the edge light light guide plate 418 or around the periphery of the edge light light guide plate 418. A visible light source linked to the on / off of the ultraviolet light source 417 may also be provided in addition to the ultraviolet light source 417 so that the operating state of the ultraviolet light source 417 can be visually confirmed.

[0113] The partial peeling processing unit 440 includes a support ring 415 mounting table 420 made of a UV-transparent material. The upper surface of the mounting table 420 is provided with an uneven surface 420a, and the lower surface of the adhesive sheet 414 abuts against the uneven surface 420a and is supported by the convex portions. The mounting table 420 in this embodiment is formed by adhering a UV-transparent member having the uneven surface 420a to the upper surface of a UV-transparent flat plate. If manufacturable, a mounting table 420 having the uneven surface 420a integrally formed on its upper surface may also be used. A microlens array may also be used as the UV-transparent member having the uneven surface 420a. The use of a microlens array provides both the function of providing an uneven surface for partially peeling the adhesive sheet 414 and the function of uniformly irradiating UV rays.

[0114] FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of the top surface of the mounting table 420. As shown in the figure, the uneven surface 420a formed on the top surface of the mounting table 420 is provided with multiple convex portions 420b and multiple concave portions 420c that contribute to the partial peeling process of the adhesive sheet. Each of the multiple concave portions 420c is provided with multiple through-holes 420d that penetrate the mounting table 420 in the vertical direction. These multiple through-holes 420d are connected to the suction through-holes 411. The positions of the through-holes 420d are not limited to the positions shown in the figure, as long as they are within the concave portions 420c. The shape of the convex portions 420b shown in the figure is merely an example, and various planar shapes, such as square, rectangular, or circular, may be used depending on the chip shape. Furthermore, the peripheral side surfaces of the convex portions 420b may be tapered.

[0115] 14, suction through-hole 411 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust valve (not shown), thereby evacuating the entire interior of container 410 or a back-side space 419a of adhesive sheet 414 inside container 410 to a low-pressure atmosphere as needed. Inlet through-hole 412 is openable to the atmosphere via a valve (not shown), or connected to a compressor or compressed gas cylinder (not shown) via a valve (not shown), thereby creating an atmospheric pressure atmosphere or a pressurized atmosphere exceeding atmospheric pressure as needed in the entire interior of container 410 or a front-side space 419b of adhesive sheet 414 inside container 410, and adjusting the pressure atmosphere to a higher pressure than back-side space 419a when back-side space 419a is in a low-pressure atmosphere state. The position, number, and diameter of suction through-hole 411 are appropriately determined so as to stably and efficiently create a low-pressure atmosphere inside container 410. The opening shape of the suction through-hole 411 is not particularly limited, and may be a polygon such as a square or hexagon, a circle, an ellipse, or the like, and may be uniform in shape in the thickness direction, or may be a hole shape whose shape changes in the thickness direction. Also, a plurality of suction through-holes of different hole shapes may be combined and arranged.

[0116] In this embodiment, the container 410 is configured so that it can be opened by dividing it into upper and lower halves at the position of the O-ring 410a, and can be closed in a sealed state by the O-ring 410a. Here, the sealed state is set so that it exhibits a level of sealing that can at least maintain a predetermined low pressure state inside the container.

[0117] FIG. 16 shows a schematic flow of each processing step in this embodiment.

[0118] A wafer substrate on which semiconductors or electronic components are formed is mounted on a support ring 415 having an opening with a diameter larger than that of the substrate by adhering an adhesive sheet 414 to the backside of the wafer substrate. Next, the wafer substrate is diced into a plurality of chips and cleaned. Thereafter, the support ring 415 is set at a predetermined position in the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 430 of the container 410 (step S31). That is, the support ring 415 is set on the edge-light light guide plate 418 of the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 430. In the following description of this embodiment, the term "support ring 415" refers to a component on which the adhesive sheet 414 and a plurality of diced chips 413 are mounted.

[0119] Next, a vacuum pump (not shown) is operated to evacuate the entire interior of the container 410 to a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-hole 411 (step S32). At this time, the release valve of the introduction through-hole 412 is kept closed.

[0120] Next, in this state, ultraviolet irradiation is initiated from the ultraviolet light sources 417 disposed on both sides or around the edge-light light guide plate 418 (step S33). The ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light sources 417 enters the side of the edge-light light guide plate 418, exits from its upper surface, and is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 414. This effectively irradiates the adhesive sheet 414 with sufficient ultraviolet light, reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 414 around the chip and / or the bottom of the adhesive sheet 414. Furthermore, during this irradiation, the space around the adhesive sheet 414 continues to be a low-pressure atmosphere, so that ultraviolet light is irradiated in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen, which inhibits ultraviolet curing (reduction in adhesive strength), and the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 414 is efficiently reduced. Note that the evacuation process in step S32 is also continuously performed when the ultraviolet irradiation process in step S33 is started. This prevents the presence of oxygen from inhibiting the reduction in adhesive strength due to ultraviolet curing of the adhesive sheet 414, and also simplifies control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 411.

[0121] Thereafter, the ultraviolet irradiation is terminated (step S34). Next, the support ring 415 is moved from the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 430 to the partial peeling processing unit 440 by a moving means (not shown) and set in a predetermined position (step S35). That is, the support ring 415 is set on the uneven surface 420a formed on the upper surface of the mounting table 420 in the partial peeling processing unit 440. In this case, the adhesive sheet 414 is set so as to abut against the uneven surface 420a of the mounting table 420. FIG. 14 shows the state set in this manner. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14, the adhesive sheet 414, the support ring 415, and the inner wall of the container 410 form a back-side space 419a and a front-side space 419b for the plurality of chips 413 and the adhesive sheet 414. The back-side space 419a is a sealed space except for the suction through-holes 411, and the front-side space 419b is a sealed space except for the introduction through-holes 412.

[0122] Next, the process of evacuating the rear surface side space 419a through the suction through-holes 411 to create a low-pressure atmosphere is continued (step S36). Furthermore, by opening a valve (not shown), a gas such as the atmosphere is filled into the front surface side space 419b through the inlet through-holes 412 (step S37). In this way, the pressure difference between the rear surface side space 419a and the front surface side space 419b, which is generated by making the internal pressure of the front surface side space 419b higher than that of the rear surface side space 419a, causes the adhesive sheet 414 to be pressed against the uneven surface 420a of the mounting table 420 and to bend. As a result, the peripheral portions of the multiple chips 413 are efficiently peeled off from the adhesive sheet 414, resulting in a partially peeled state. The pressure in the front-side space 419b at this time may be a value that generates a pressure difference that allows the adhesive sheet 414 to be pressed against the uneven surface 420a of the mounting table 420 and bend. However, by pressurizing the front-side space 419b with air or inert gas from a compressor or compressed gas cylinder, the pressure difference increases, and the adhesive sheet 414 can be bent more effectively. The rate (speed) of change in pressure in the front-side space 419b is adjusted within a range that prevents damage to the chip 413 due to stress during peeling when the adhesive sheet 414 is pressed against the uneven surface 420a of the mounting table 420 and bends and deforms due to peeling. The exhaust process in step S36 is continued even during the ultraviolet irradiation termination process in step S34. This prevents the presence of oxygen from inhibiting the adhesive strength of the adhesive sheet 414 from decreasing due to ultraviolet curing, and also simplifies control of the exhaust valve and vacuum pump associated with the suction through-hole 411.

[0123] Thereafter, the exhaust valve is controlled to open the backside space 419a to the atmosphere through the suction through-hole 411 (step S38). After the backside space 419a and the frontside space 419b are both set to the same atmospheric pressure, the container 410 is opened, and the support ring 415 is removed from the partial peeling processing unit 440 of the container 410 (step S39). This allows the partially peeled chip 413 to be easily picked up. Here, the support ring 415 may be directly collected, or a moving means and a collecting unit may be separately provided within the container 410, and the support ring 415 may be moved to the collecting unit by the moving means. With this configuration, the above-mentioned step S39 and step S31, in which the support ring 415 to be processed next is set, can be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the efficiency of the process.

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the above-described series of processes from step S31 to step S39 is performed for a single support ring 415, but a configuration in which a stocker containing multiple support rings 415 is set in step S31, in which the support ring 415 is set in a predetermined position in the ultraviolet irradiation treatment unit 430 of the container 410, may also be adopted. In this case, in step S31, a moving means for moving the support ring 415 is installed in the container 410, and the support ring 415 in the stocker is moved and set in a support ring holder by this moving means, and steps S32 to S38 are performed. The support ring 415 that has undergone the partial peeling treatment is stored by this moving means in the stocker or a separate recovery stocker for recovering treated products. Thereafter, the processes from step S31 to step S38 are similarly repeated for the next untreated support ring 415. When the series of partial peeling treatments has been completed for all of the support rings 415 in the stocker, the container 410 is opened, and the support ring 415 together with the stocker are removed from the container 410.

[0125] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 430 of the container 410 irradiates the back surface of the adhesive sheet 414 with ultraviolet light via the edge-light light guide plate 418. Furthermore, the partial peeling unit 440 of the container 410 abuts the back surface of the adhesive sheet 414 against the uneven surface 420a of the mounting table 420, and presses and bends the sheet, thereby partially peeling off the chip 413. Since ultraviolet light is irradiated using a dedicated ultraviolet irradiation unit 430, the configurations of the ultraviolet light source 417 and the edge-light light guide plate 418 can be freely set, and sufficient ultraviolet light can be efficiently irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet 414. Furthermore, since the partial peeling process is performed using a dedicated partial peeling unit 440, the configurations of the mounting table 420 and its uneven surface 420a can be freely set, and effective partial peeling can be achieved. For example, the mounting table 420 and its uneven surface 420a can be made of a material that is opaque to ultraviolet light. Other functions and effects of this embodiment are the same as those of the first to third embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0126] As a modification of the fourth embodiment, the uneven surface of the mounting table 420 may be configured in the same manner as the modification of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the uneven surface may be configured to have a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions.

[0127] As a further modification of the fourth embodiment, a light diffusion layer may be formed or laminated on the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate from which ultraviolet light is emitted. This improves the degree of diffusion of the irradiated ultraviolet light, allowing the adhesive sheet to be more uniformly reduced in adhesion. Note that the light diffusion layer may be disposed at a distance from the surface of the edge-lit light guide plate rather than being laminated in contact with it.

[0128] FIG. 17 shows a schematic flow of the processing steps of the chip manufacturing method of the present invention, and each processing step of the chip manufacturing method of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0129] First, a large number of semiconductor elements or electronic component elements are formed on a wafer (step S41). These semiconductor elements or electronic component elements are formed using known processes. As a mere example, in the formation of semiconductor elements, an oxide film or nitride film is formed on a silicon wafer, a photoresist is applied, exposed, and developed to form an etching mask, etching is performed, and the resist is peeled off. After that, an insulating film is filled in, planarization is performed, a gate electrode pattern and source / drain regions are formed, ions are implanted, and then contacts and trenches are formed, and wiring is formed.

[0130] Next, an adhesive sheet is attached to the backside of the semiconductor wafer thus formed, and dicing is carried out to separate the wafer into individual chips (step S42).

[0131] Thereafter, as described in the above-mentioned embodiment, the plurality of chips obtained by dicing and the adhesive sheet attached to the backside of these chips are placed in a sealable container and subjected to a suction process to create a low-pressure atmosphere inside the container, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from the backside of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet inside the container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere (step S43).

[0132] Next, as described in the above embodiment, the adhesive sheet is placed in contact with the uneven surface in a container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and while the back-side space of the multiple chips and adhesive sheet is maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, gas is introduced into the front-side space of the multiple chips and adhesive sheet.The pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space presses the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface, causing it to bend and partially peel off the adhesive sheet from the multiple chips (step S44).

[0133] Next, the peeled chips are collected from the container (step S45).

[0134] Thereafter, the collected chip is fixed to a lead frame, wire-bonded, and then molded (step S46), thereby manufacturing a semiconductor chip (chip).

[0135] The effects of this chip manufacturing method are the same as those of the previous embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0136] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not limiting, and the present invention can be embodied in various other modified and altered forms. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims and their equivalents. [Industrial Applicability]

[0137] The present invention can be used in a chip peeling process when manufacturing semiconductor elements or electronic component elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 10, 210, 310, 410 containers 10a, 210a, 310a, 410a O-ring 11, 111, 211, 311, 411 Suction through hole 12, 212, 312, 412 Introduction through holes 13, 213, 313, 413 chips 14, 214, 314, 414 adhesive sheets 15, 215, 315, 415 support ring 16 Lifting mechanism 17, 217, 317, 417 UV light source 18, 118, 218, 418 Edge-lit light guide plate 18a, 118a, 220a, 320a, 420a uneven surface 18b, 118b, 220b, 320b, 420b convex part 18c, 118c, 220c, 320c, 420c recess 18d, 220d, 320d, 420d through hole 19a, 219a, 319a, 419a Back side space 19b, 219b, 319b, 419b surface side space 118d First through hole 118e Second through hole 220, 320, 420 Mounting table 430 UV irradiation processing section 440 Partial peeling processing section

Claims

1. A chip peeling method characterized by irradiating ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area onto the back side of an adhesive sheet attached to multiple chips obtained by dicing a wafer, by guiding the light through a light guiding means, and then contacting the adhesive sheet with an uneven surface and pressing it to bend it, thereby partially peeling it off from the multiple chips.

2. A chip peeling method characterized by: bringing an adhesive sheet attached to a plurality of chips obtained by dicing a wafer into contact with an ultraviolet-transparent uneven surface; irradiating ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source located outside the wafer area from the back side of the adhesive sheet by guiding the light through a light-guiding means and the uneven surface; and then pressing the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface to bend it and partially peel it off from the plurality of chips.

3. The chip peeling method described in claim 1, characterized in that during the ultraviolet irradiation, the container is kept in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet are moved within the container, which is continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the adhesive sheet is abutted against the uneven surface.

4. The chip peeling method according to claim 2, characterized in that during the ultraviolet irradiation, the container is kept in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the adhesive sheet is pressed against the uneven surface within the container while the low-pressure atmosphere is continuously maintained.

5. The chip peeling method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the partial peeling is performed by abutting the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface in a container containing the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, maintaining a low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, introducing gas into the front-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, and pressing and deflecting the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface due to the pressure difference between the back-side space and the front-side space.

6. A chip peeling method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the uneven surface is ultraviolet transparent, and the partial peeling is performed by pressing the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface provided on the upper surface of the light-guiding means.

7. A chip peeling method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the uneven surface is ultraviolet-transmitting and is positioned above the light-guiding means at a distance, and ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet through the light-guiding means and the uneven surface.

8. The chip peeling method described in claim 1, characterized in that the uneven surface is positioned independently of the light-guiding means and to the side of it, and ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source is irradiated onto the back surface of the adhesive sheet through the light-guiding means.

9. 6. The chip peeling method according to claim 5, wherein, during the ultraviolet irradiation, the back surface side space is made into a low-pressure atmosphere through a suction through-hole communicating with the back surface side space, and during the partial peeling, the back surface side space is made into a low-pressure atmosphere through the suction through-hole and a gas is introduced into the front surface side space through an introduction through-hole communicating with the front surface side space.

10. A chip peeling device comprising: a sealable container; support means disposed within the container for supporting a plurality of chips obtained by dicing a wafer with an adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the chips; an irradiation light source disposed outside the wafer area within the container for generating ultraviolet light to be irradiated onto the adhesive sheet; light guiding means for guiding the ultraviolet light from the irradiation light source so that it is irradiated from the backside of the adhesive sheet; and an uneven surface for partially peeling the adhesive sheet by contacting and pressing it to bend it.

11. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, further comprising: a suction through hole that penetrates the container and communicates with the back-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, for creating a low-pressure atmosphere in at least the back-side space; and an inlet through hole that penetrates the container and communicates with the front-side space of the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet, for introducing gas into the front-side space, wherein the uneven surface is configured so that the plurality of chips and the adhesive sheet come into contact with each other during partial peeling, and the pressure difference between the low-pressure atmosphere in the back-side space and the gas pressure in the front-side space presses and bends the abutting adhesive sheet, thereby causing partial peeling.

12. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, wherein the uneven surface has ultraviolet light transmittance and is provided on the upper surface of the light guiding means.

13. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, wherein the uneven surface has ultraviolet light transmittance and is provided above the light guiding means.

14. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, wherein the uneven surface is provided at a position beside the light guiding means, independently of the light guiding means.

15. The chip peeling device described in claim 11 is characterized in that it is provided with a first through hole provided in a concave portion of the uneven surface for evacuating the back side space so that it becomes a low-pressure atmosphere, and a second through hole provided in a convex portion of the uneven surface for suction-fixing the adhesive sheet, and the first through hole and the second through hole are connected to the suction through hole.

16. The chip peeling device described in claim 10 further comprises a lifting means for the support means, which keeps the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet separated from the uneven surface during ultraviolet irradiation, and lowers the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet to abut the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface during partial peeling.

17. The chip peeling device according to claim 11, further comprising a suction means configured to create a low-pressure atmosphere inside the container by suctioning through the suction through-hole when ultraviolet light is irradiated by the irradiation light source, and to maintain the low-pressure atmosphere inside the container by suctioning through the suction through-hole even during partial peeling.

18. The chip peeling device according to claim 11, characterized in that the suction through hole is configured to create a low-pressure atmosphere in the back surface side space during the ultraviolet irradiation and to create a low-pressure atmosphere in the back surface side space during the partial peeling, and the introduction through hole is configured to introduce gas into the front surface side space during the partial peeling.

19. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, wherein the light guide means comprises an edge-light light guide plate.

20. 11. The chip peeling device according to claim 10, further comprising a light diffusing layer provided on the surface of the uneven surface.

21. a dicing process for dicing the wafer and the adhesive sheet after attaching an adhesive sheet to the backside of the wafer on which the semiconductor elements or electronic component elements have been fabricated by the element forming process; an ultraviolet irradiation process for storing the plurality of chips obtained by the dicing process and the adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips in a sealable container, and irradiating the backside of the adhesive sheet with ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source provided outside the wafer area by guiding the ultraviolet light through a light guiding means; a partial peeling process for contacting the adhesive sheet with an uneven surface in the container after the ultraviolet irradiation process, pressing and bending the adhesive sheet to partially peel the adhesive sheet from the plurality of chips; and a recovery process for recovering the plurality of chips peeled by the partial peeling process.

22. a dicing process for dicing the wafer and the adhesive sheet after attaching an adhesive sheet to the backside of the wafer on which the semiconductor elements or electronic component elements have been fabricated by the element forming process; a concave-convex surface abutment process for storing the plurality of chips obtained by the dicing process and the adhesive sheet attached to the backside of the plurality of chips in a sealable container and abutting the adhesive sheet against a concave-convex surface within the container; an ultraviolet irradiation process for guiding ultraviolet light from an irradiation light source provided outside the wafer area through a light guiding means and irradiating the adhesive sheet from the backside; a partial peeling process for pressing the adhesive sheet against the concave-convex surface and bending it after the ultraviolet irradiation process, thereby partially peeling the adhesive sheet from the plurality of chips; and a recovery process for recovering the plurality of chips peeled by the partial peeling process.

23. The chip manufacturing method described in claim 21, characterized in that the ultraviolet irradiation process includes a process of irradiating ultraviolet light from the back side of the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet while separating them from the uneven surface in the container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the partial peeling process includes a process of moving the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet in the container continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere and abutting the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface.

24. The chip manufacturing method described in claim 22, characterized in that the ultraviolet irradiation process includes a process of irradiating ultraviolet light from the back side of the adhesive sheet within the container maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere, and the partial peeling process includes a process of pressing the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface within the container continuously maintained in a low-pressure atmosphere.

25. The chip manufacturing method described in claim 21 or 22, characterized in that the partial peeling process is a process in which, while the adhesive sheet is abutted against the uneven surface in the container, the back side space of the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet is kept in a low-pressure atmosphere, and gas is introduced into the front side space of the multiple chips and the adhesive sheet, so that the pressure difference between the back side space and the front side space presses the adhesive sheet against the uneven surface, causing it to bend and partially peel the adhesive sheet from the multiple chips.

26. The chip manufacturing method described in claim 25, characterized in that the ultraviolet irradiation process includes a process of creating a low-pressure atmosphere in the back side space through a suction through hole connected to the back side space during the ultraviolet irradiation, and the partial peeling process includes a process of creating a low-pressure atmosphere in the back side space through the suction through hole during the partial peeling and introducing gas into the front side space through an introduction through hole connected to the front side space.

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