Wafer processing equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a wafer processing apparatus with a structure that allows for the smooth peeling of a dicing film from a porous chuck table after it has been adsorbed and held on the porous chuck table. [Solution] A wafer processing apparatus 10 is provided with a porous chuck table 21 that has an adsorption surface 21A for adsorbing and holding a wafer W attached to the surface side of a dicing film 31 integrated with a mount frame 30 together with the dicing film 31 from the back side of the dicing film 31, and the apparatus has a structure comprising: a release air supply means 27 that supplies release air RA for peeling through the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 to the back side of the dicing film 31; a cylindrical case 29 that is arranged on the porous chuck table 21 with the mount frame 30 in between to form a space 41; and an electro-pneumatic regulator 40 that controls the pressure in the space 41.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus, and particularly to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as "wafer") that is attached to the surface of a dicing film stretched within the frame of a mount frame and is adsorbed and held on the adsorption surface of a porous chuck table together with the dicing film, and can be easily separated from the adsorption surface together with the dicing film and conveyed after the end of adsorption and holding. The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, wafers tend to become larger year by year. In addition, the thinning of wafers is progressing in order to increase the mounting density. Further, in order to thin the wafer, so-called back grinding, which grinds the back surface of the wafer, is performed. In the case of this back grinding, the wafer is adsorbed and held on the adsorption surface of a porous chuck table and is ground in a fixed state.

[0003] Further, after the grinding process, a dicing process for dividing the wafer into a plurality of IC chips is performed. In the dicing process, the wafer is conveyed to the dicing process position using a mount frame, and is adsorbed and held on the adsorption surface of a porous chuck table at the dicing process position, and the dicing process is performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a dicing procedure, and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the main components in the processing section. Next, an example of a dicing procedure will be explained using Figures 7 and 8, following the flowchart in Figure 7. In Figure 7, first, a protective tape 32 is attached to the surface of the wafer W (S101), and the back surface of the wafer W is ground (S102). Next, a dicing film 31 is attached to the back surface of the wafer W, and the dicing film 31 integrated with the wafer W is mounted on the frame of a ring-shaped mounting frame 30 and transported to the dicing position (S103). Figure 5(a) shows the wafer W with the dicing film 31 attached to the back surface, the dicing film 31 integrated with the wafer W mounted on the frame of a ring-shaped mounting frame 30, and the wafer W integrated with the mounting frame 30 and the dicing film 31.

[0005] At the dicing position, as shown in Figure 8(a), the dicing film 31 to which the wafer W is attached is placed on the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103 with the surface of the wafer W facing upwards, and as shown in Figure 8(b), the back (bottom) side of the dicing film 31 is held by suction on the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103. Once suction holding begins, the protective tape 32 attached to the upper side of the dicing film 31 on the wafer W is peeled off (S104), as shown in Figure 8(c). To facilitate the peeling of the protective tape 32 from the wafer W, the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103 is heated so that the temperature of the wafer W is 40°C to 50°C. After the protective tape 32 is peeled off, the wafer W is diced into a grid pattern using a dicing saw (not shown) (S105). Figure 5(b) shows the state in which the diced wafer W, the dicing film 31, and the mounting frame 30 are integrated in this manner.

[0006] Furthermore, after dicing, as shown in Figure 8(d), the porous chuck table 103 is lowered, and the wafer W is transported to the splitting position by the transport member 106 along with the dicing film 31 and the mounting frame 30. At the splitting position, the diced area is expanded by expanding the dicing film 31, and the wafer is separated into multiple IC chips 33 (S106). In addition, the multiple separated IC chips 33 are mounted on a package substrate such as a lead frame in the chip mounting process (S107). The IC chip 33 is manufactured through the above process.

[0007] However, in conventional chip manufacturing processes, for example, at the dicing position, as shown in Figure 8(d), the dicing film 31, which is held in place by the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103, is transported along with the mount frame 30 and the dicing film 31 to the next process. The mount frame 30 is held immobile by the transport member 106, and the porous chuck table 103 is lowered to separate the dicing film 31 from the porous chuck table 103. During this wafer transport operation, as shown in Figure 9(a), the dicing film 31 tends to stick to the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103, and even when the porous chuck table 103 begins to lower, a phenomenon called linking occurs where the dicing film 31 and the suction surface 104 do not easily separate. Such linking phenomena are particularly likely to occur in wafers W that have been thinned and divided into grids by a dicing saw, or wafers W that have been divided into grids by a laser before or after grinding, as each IC chip 33 is roughly divided into degrees of freedom, and this linking phenomenon is likely to occur accordingly. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-111293 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] As described above, if a linking phenomenon occurs where the dicing film 31 and the adsorption surface 104 do not separate, an error will occur in transport to the next process. Furthermore, when a linking phenomenon occurs, a load is applied to the entire wafer in the direction of the arrow indicated by the symbol F1 in Figure 9(a). Then, each thinned IC chip 33 is subjected to a load in the direction of the arrow indicated by the symbol F2 in Figure 9(b) and (c), respectively, and the IC chips 33 are prone to rubbing against each other and causing damage. In addition, there was a problem that this could affect the stretching and sagging of the dicing film 31 in subsequent operations, such as the expand process in which the dicing film 31 is stretched to widen the gap between the IC chips 33.

[0010] Conventionally, methods have been used to reduce the size of the porous pores on the suction surface 104 of the porous chuck table 103, thereby reducing the amount of dicing film 31 pulled in, or to slowly lower the porous chuck table 103 to minimize the pulling behavior. However, reducing the size of the porous pores on the suction surface 104 to reduce the amount of dicing film 31 pulled in resulted in a weakened suction force and a lack of stability in suction retention. On the other hand, slowly lowering the porous chuck table 103 to minimize the pulling behavior resulted in a decrease in cycle time and reduced productivity.

[0011] Therefore, a technical challenge arises in providing a wafer processing apparatus that has a structure that allows the dicing film, after being adsorbed and held on the porous chuck table, to be smoothly peeled off the porous chuck table. The present invention aims to solve this challenge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention was proposed to achieve the above objective, and provides a wafer processing apparatus comprising a porous chuck table having an adsorption surface for adsorbing and holding a wafer attached to the surface side of a dicing film integrated with a mount frame together with the dicing film from the back side of the dicing film, the apparatus comprising: a release air supply means for supplying release air to the back side of the dicing film through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table to separate the wafer from the adsorption surface; a case arranged on the porous chuck table with the mount frame in between to form a space; and an electro-pneumatic regulator for controlling the pressure in the space.

[0013] In this configuration, once the wafer has been held by adsorption to the porous chuck table via the dicing film, release air is supplied from the release air supply means through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table to the back surface of the dicing film. The pressure of the release air forcibly peels the dicing film away from the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table without affecting the wafer. This allows the wafer, along with the dicing film and mounting frame, to be smoothly transported to the next process.

[0014] Furthermore, when supplying release air to the back surface of the dicing film from the release air supply means through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table, if a space is created on the opposite side of the porous chuck table with a case, sandwiching the mount frame, and the pressure within this space is controlled by an electro-pneumatic regulator, it is possible to suppress the dicing film from bulging towards the front surface due to the pressure of the release air when it is supplied to the back surface of the dicing film. By suppressing the bulging of the dicing film, the adverse effects on the dicing film and wafer caused by the supply of release air can be reduced.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention has been proposed to achieve the above objective, and provides a wafer processing apparatus comprising a porous chuck table having an adsorption surface for adsorbing and holding a wafer attached to the surface side of a dicing film integrated with a mount frame together with the dicing film from the back side of the dicing film, the apparatus comprising: a release air supply means for supplying release air to the back side of the dicing film through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table to separate the wafer from the adsorption surface; a case disposed on the porous chuck table with the mount frame in between to form a space; and a spacer for filling the gap between the inner surface of the case and the wafer.

[0016] In this configuration, once the wafer has been held by adsorption to the porous chuck table via the dicing film, release air is supplied from the release air supply means through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table to the back surface of the dicing film. The pressure of the release air forcibly peels the dicing film away from the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table without affecting the wafer. This allows the wafer, along with the dicing film and mounting frame, to be smoothly transported to the next process.

[0017] Furthermore, when supplying release air from the release air supply means to the back surface of the dicing film through the suction surface of the porous chuck table, a space is created on the opposite side of the porous chuck table with the mount frame in between, and a spacer is placed to fill the gap in this space. Therefore, when release air is supplied to the back surface of the dicing film, the spacer can suppress the bulging of the dicing film toward the front surface due to the pressure of the release air. By suppressing the bulging of the dicing film due to the supply of release air, the adverse effects on the dicing film and wafer can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, when the adsorption and holding of the wafer to the porous chuck table via the dicing film is completed, release air is supplied from the release air supply means to the back surface of the dicing film through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table, and due to the pressure of the release air, the dicing film can be peeled off from the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table without adversely affecting the wafer. Thereby, the protection of the wafer and the transfer to the next process can be smoothly performed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is an external perspective view of a wafer processing apparatus provided with a porous chuck table, shown as an example of an embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a detailed view of the processing part in the same wafer processing apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the main part structure in the same processing part. (a) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation and effect in the case of providing a cylindrical case, and (b) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the problem in the case of not providing a cylindrical case. [Figure 4] It is an operation explanatory view of the processing part in the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It shows an example of a wafer to be diced processed in the same processing part. (a) is a view showing the state of the wafer before dicing processing, and (b) is a view showing the state of the wafer after dicing processing. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the processing part in the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of the procedure of dicing processing in a general dicing processing apparatus. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the operation of the main members during dicing processing in a conventional processing part. [Figure 9]A diagram for explaining the problems of a conventional processing apparatus, where (a) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the linking phenomenon, (b) is a top view of (a), and (c) and (d) are diagrams for explaining the load direction related to the IC chip.

Embodiment for Implementing the Invention

[0020] In order to achieve the object of providing a wafer processing apparatus having a structure that can smoothly peel a dicing film after adsorption and holding on a porous chuck table from the porous chuck table, a wafer attached to the surface side of the dicing film integrated with the mount frame is adsorbed and held together with the dicing film from the back side of the dicing film. A wafer processing apparatus comprising a porous chuck table provided with an adsorption surface, wherein a release air supply means for supplying release air for peeling is provided on the back side of the dicing film through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table.

Example

[0021] Hereinafter, an example according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In the following examples, when referring to the number of components, numerical values, amounts, ranges, etc., unless otherwise specified or limited to a specific number in principle, it is not limited to that specific number, and it may be more or less than the specific number.

[0022] Also, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., unless otherwise specified or considered not to be so in principle, it includes those substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc.

[0023] Also, the drawings may be exaggerated, such as enlarging characteristic parts for easy understanding of the characteristics, and the dimensional ratios of components are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. Also, in the cross-sectional view, in order to make the cross-sectional structure of the component easy to understand, the hatching of some components may be omitted.

[0024] Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating directions such as up and down or left and right are not absolute. They are appropriate when describing the orientation of each part of the wafer processing apparatus of the present invention, but should be interpreted differently if the orientation changes. Also, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements throughout the description of the embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of a dicing apparatus 10, which is shown as one embodiment of a wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the dicing apparatus 10 mainly consists of an operation / display unit 11, a microscope unit 12, a CRT monitor 13, a controller 14, a processing unit 20, a mist cover 16, etc. Each operation of the dicing apparatus 10 is centrally controlled by the controller 14, which is housed inside the frame.

[0026] The mist cover 16 is provided to cover the processing section 20, and its upper end is rotatably supported by the main body 10A of the dicing device 10 via a hinge mechanism (not shown), and it rotates vertically to open and close.

[0027] Figure 2 is a detailed view of the processing section 20 of the dicing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main structure around the porous chuck table 21 in the processing section 20. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a wafer W being diced in the processing section 20, where (a) shows the state of the wafer W before dicing and (b) shows the state of the wafer W after it has broken.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the processing unit 20 has a rotating blade 22 for grooving and cutting the wafer W, mounted on a spindle 23 with an air bearing structure that incorporates a high-frequency motor (not shown). The rotating blade rotates at a high speed of 30,000 rpm to 60,000 rpm, and a feed mechanism (not shown) provides index feed in the Y direction and cutting feed in the Z direction (up and down direction). A linear scale (not shown) is also provided in the Z direction to control the position of the rotating blade 22 in the Z direction. The rotating blade 22 is formed in a thin disc shape and is covered by a flange cover (not shown) that is open on the front and bottom. The rotating blade 22 can be an electroplated blade with diamond abrasive grains or CBN abrasive grains electroplated with nickel, or a resin blade coated with resin.

[0029] Furthermore, the machining section 20 is equipped with an X-table 24. The X-table 24 is guided by an X-guide (not shown) and transported in the X direction by a drive mechanism. The θ-table 25, which is mounted on the X-table 24, is connected to a porous chuck table 21 and rotates clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0030] The wafer W to be processed in the processing unit 20 is held by negative pressure on the upper surface of the porous chuck table 21 (hereinafter referred to as the "adsorption surface 21A") by vacuum suction or the like, and rotates in the θ direction by the θ table 25 and is cut and fed in the X direction together with the X table 24. As shown in Figure 3, the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 is made of a porous material. The porous chuck table 21 is capable of drawing air from outside the adsorption surface 21A to the inside of the adsorption surface 21A through the porous material of the adsorption surface 21A, and blowing out release air RA, which will be described later as shown in Figure 3, from the inside of the adsorption surface 21A toward the back surface of the dicing film 31 on the adsorption surface 21A. As shown in Figure 2, an air suction means 26 that draws air through the adsorption surface 21A is connected to the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a release air supply means 27 that discharges release air RA through the adsorption surface 21A is connected to the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21.

[0031] The wafer W that undergoes dicing processing in the processing unit 20 is shown, for example, in Figure 5. The wafer W shown in Figure 5(a) is the wafer W before dicing processing, and the wafer W shown in Figure 5(b) is the wafer W after dicing processing. That is, the wafer W shown in Figure 5 is attached with its surface facing upwards to the upper side of the surface of the dicing film 31 which is integrated with the frame of the annular mounting frame 30, and the wafer W and the mounting frame 30 are integrated. In addition, a protective tape 32 is attached to the surface of the wafer W before the dicing processing.

[0032] In the processing unit 20, the wafer W is transported and supplied above the suction surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 in an integrated state with the mount frame 30. It is then brought into contact with the rising suction surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 and held in place by the negative pressure generated by the air suction means 26. After the protective tape 32 on the wafer W is removed, the dicing process is performed. After the dicing process, the wafer W is temporarily held together with the mount frame 30 by the transport member 28. While the wafer is held, release air RA for peeling is supplied from the release air supply means 27 through the suction surface 21A to the back side of the dicing film 31. The release air RA forcibly separates the dicing film 31 from the suction surface 21A. Then, the porous chuck table 21 is lowered to separate the suction surface 21A from the mount frame 30, and the wafer W is then transported to the next process together with the mount frame 30.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when release air RA for peeling is supplied from the release air supply means 27 to the back side of the dicing film 31 through the adsorption surface 21A, a cylindrical case 29 is provided to hold and fix the outer peripheral portion of the mount frame 30 from the wafer W side, as shown in Figure 3(a), in order to prevent the mount frame 30 from lifting up. The cylindrical case 29 is placed on the porous chuck table 21 with the mount frame 30 in between, so when the cylindrical case 29 is placed, a space 41 is formed on the porous chuck table 21. In addition, a pressure supply means such as a compressor is connected to the cylindrical case 29 via an electro-pneumatic regulator 40. By controlling the voltage or current of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40, the pressure P1 inside the cylindrical case 29, i.e., the space 41, can be controlled steplessly. Note that the cylindrical case 29 does not necessarily have to be cylindrical as long as it can hold and fix the outer peripheral portion of the mount frame 30 from the wafer W side.

[0034] Here, the reason for providing the cylindrical case 29 and the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 will be further explained using Figure 3(b). When release air RA for peeling is supplied from the release air supply means 27 to the back side of the dicing film 31 through the adsorption surface 21A, if the pressure of the release air RA from the release air supply means 27 is high, the dicing film 31 after the dicing process will lift the wafer W and bulge upwards, as shown in Figure 3(b). This bulging of the dicing film 31, similar to the case where linking occurs, puts a load on the wafer W and the dicing film 31 after the dicing process, which can damage the wafer W and potentially affect the stretching and sagging of the dicing film 31. Therefore, when release air RA for peeling is supplied to the back side of the dicing film 31 from the release air supply means 27, if the outer circumference on the mounting frame 30 is firmly held and fixed from the wafer W side with the cylindrical case 29, the release air RA will flow horizontally outward along the back side of the dicing film 31 as shown in Figure 3(a), reducing the bulging of the dicing film 31 and eliminating adverse effects on the wafer W and the dicing film 31. Furthermore, when release air RA for peeling is supplied to the back side of the dicing film 31 from the release air supply means 27, the voltage or current of the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is controlled according to the pressure of the release air RA, and the pressure P1 in the space 41 of the cylindrical case 29 is controlled, further suppressing the bulging of the dicing film 31 and further eliminating adverse effects on the wafer W and the dicing film 31.

[0035] Next, the operation of the processing unit 20 in the dicing apparatus 10 configured in this way will be explained using the schematic operation diagram shown in Figure 4, in the order of (a) to (k) in Figure 4. (1) First, the wafer W, after grinding the back surface, is attached to the dicing film 31 fixed to the mounting frame 30 and transported by the transport member 28 to the dicing processing position, i.e., above the porous chuck table 21 as shown in Figure 4(a). Then, the porous chuck table 21, which was in the lowered position, rises and is positioned on the underside, i.e., the back surface, of the dicing film 31. At the same time, the air suction means 26 is operated to create negative pressure on the suction surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21, and the dicing film 31 is held in place by suction on the suction surface 21A. Figure 4(b) shows the state of suction and holding. (2) Next, while the wafer is held in the adsorption state, the protective tape 32 attached to the surface of the wafer W is peeled off. Figure 4(c) shows the state after the protective tape 32 has been peeled off the surface of the wafer W. Then, the dicing process is carried out in this state [tape peeling step]. (3) Once the dicing process is complete, as shown in Figure 4(d), the cylindrical case 29 is moved above the wafer W and then lowered so that the lower end surface of the outer circumference of the cylindrical case 29 comes into contact with the outer circumference of the mount frame 30, forming a substantially sealed space 41 above the mount frame 30. Figure 4(e) shows the state in which the cylindrical case 29 has been lowered onto the mount frame 30 and is forming a substantially sealed space 41 above the mount frame 30 [Case placement process]. (5) Next, the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is operated, and as shown in Figure 4(f), pressurizing air is injected into the space 41 by the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 for a predetermined time, pressurizing it to a pressure P1, and this pressure P1 is maintained for a predetermined time [Cylindrical case pressurization process]. Also, when the pressure inside the space 41 is P1, the release air supply means 27 is operated, and as shown in Figure 4(g), release air RA is blown toward the back surface of the dicing film 31 via the adsorption surface 21A [Release air supply process]. At this time, the pressure of the release air RA is equal to or slightly greater than the pressure P1 inside the space 41 by the electro-pneumatic regulator 40, and is large enough to forcibly separate the dicing film 31 from the adsorption surface 21A by the release air RA. (6) After a predetermined time has elapsed since the release air supply means 27 began supplying the release air RA, the supply of pressurized air into the space 41 by the electro-pneumatic regulator 40 also stops. Figure 4(h) shows this stopped state. (7) Next, as shown in Figure 4(i), the cylindrical case 29 is moved above the wafer W and then moved laterally to a position where it does not obstruct the transport member 28 from transferring the wafer W to the next process [cylindrical case retraction process]. (8) Next, the release air supply means 27 is operated again, and as shown in Figure 4(j), the release air RA is blown toward the back surface of the dicing film 31 via the suction surface 21A, and the porous chuck table 21 is moved downward. This completely separates the suction surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 from the dicing film 31. The wafer W is then transported by the transport member 28 together with the mount frame 30 and the dicing film 31 to the next process [transport process].

[0036] Therefore, according to the dicing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, once the wafer W and the dicing film 31 have been adsorbed and held by the porous chuck table 21 in the processing section 20, release air RA is supplied from the release air supply means 27 to the back surface of the dicing film 31 through the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21. The pressure of the release air RA causes the dicing film 31 to be forcibly peeled off from the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21 without affecting the wafer W, so that the wafer W can be smoothly transported to the next process together with the dicing film 31 and the mounting frame 30.

[0037] Furthermore, the system includes a cylindrical case 29 that is substantially sealed and positioned on the porous chuck table 21 with the mount frame 30 in between, and an electro-pneumatic regulator 40 that pressurizes the space 41 within the sealed cylindrical case 29. Therefore, when the release air RA is supplied from the release air supply means 27 to the back surface of the dicing film 31 through the adsorption surface 21A of the porous chuck table 21, a sealed space 41 is created on the opposite side of the porous chuck table 21 with the mount frame 30 in between, by the cylindrical case 29. By controlling the pressurization within this sealed space 41 with the electro-pneumatic regulator 40, it is possible to suppress the dicing film 31 from expanding towards the surface due to the pressure of the release air RA, thereby reducing adverse effects on the dicing film 31 and the wafer W.

[0038] In the above embodiment, when release air RA is supplied to the back surface of the dicing film 31 from the release air supply means 27, a structure is disclosed in which an electro-pneumatic regulator 40 is provided to pressurize the space 41 formed by the cylindrical case 29 as a means to suppress the dicing film 31 from expanding toward the surface due to the pressure of the release air RA. However, instead of adjusting the pressure in the space 41 by providing an electro-pneumatic regulator 40, a spacer 42 may be placed between the inner surface of the cylindrical case 29 and the upper surface of the wafer W, for example, as shown in Figure 6, so as to fill the gap between the inner surface of the cylindrical case 29 and the upper surface of the wafer W. The spacer 42 here is preferably made of a material that does not cause problems even if the wafer W comes into direct contact with it, prevents static charge buildup, and does not allow particles to adhere to it, for example, a material similar to that of the protective tape 32. Alternatively, both an electro-pneumatic regulator 40 and a spacer 42 may be provided.

[0039] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a dicing apparatus as an example of a wafer processing apparatus, it can also be applied to apparatuses such as wafer back grinding apparatuses that process wafers W by adsorption and fixation to a porous chuck table 21 integrally with a mount frame 30 via a dicing film 31. Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways as long as it does not depart from the spirit of the invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to such modified forms. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 10: Dicing device 11:Display section 12: Microscope Department 13: CRT monitor 14: Controller 16: Mist cover 20: Processing section 21: Porous Chuck Table 21A: Adsorption surface 22: Rotating blade 23: Spindle 24: X Table 25: θ table 26: Air suction means 27: Release air supply means 28: Conveying component 29: Cylindrical case 30: Mounting Frame 31: Dicing film 32: Protective tape 40: Electro-pneumatic regulator 41 :Space part 42: Spacer P1: Pressure RA: Release Air W: wafer

Claims

1. A wafer processing apparatus comprising a porous chuck table having an adsorption surface for adsorbing and holding a wafer attached to the surface side of a dicing film integrated with a mounting frame, together with the dicing film, from the back side of the dicing film, On the back side of the dicing film, there is a release air supply means that supplies release air to separate the wafer from the adsorption surface through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table, A case is arranged on the porous chuck table with the aforementioned mounting frame in between, forming a space between them. An electro-pneumatic regulator that controls the pressure within the aforementioned space, A wafer processing apparatus characterized by comprising:

2. A wafer processing apparatus comprising a porous chuck table having an adsorption surface for adsorbing and holding a wafer attached to the surface side of a dicing film integrated with a mounting frame, together with the dicing film, from the back side of the dicing film, On the back side of the dicing film, there is a release air supply means that supplies release air to separate the wafer from the adsorption surface through the adsorption surface of the porous chuck table, A case is arranged on the porous chuck table with the aforementioned mounting frame in between, forming a space between them. A spacer that fills the gap between the inner surface of the case and the wafer, A wafer processing apparatus characterized by comprising:

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