Method for forming a protective member, method for processing a wafer, and apparatus for forming a protective member

Abstract

In a protective component for protecting wafers, the aim is to facilitate wafer processing and improve productivity. [Solution] The method includes a tape holding step of exposing the adhesive layer (5) on an expansion table (11) to hold the base material (6) of the tape (2), a wafer holding step of holding the other side (Wb) of the wafer on a holding table (30) which is positioned opposite the expansion table and holds the wafer (W), a liquid resin supply step of supplying liquid resin (3) to the surface of the adhesive layer of the tape or one side (Wa) of the wafer, a spreading step of bringing the expansion table and the holding table relatively close together and spreading the liquid resin over the entire surface of one side of the wafer, and a curing step of curing the spread liquid resin, thereby forming a protective member (1) with the tape and the resin (4) obtained by curing the liquid resin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for forming a protective member that forms a protective member for protecting a wafer, a method for processing a wafer, and a protective member forming apparatus. Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in a protective member forming method of applying a liquid resin to one surface of a sliced wafer obtained by slicing an ingot to form a protective member, the liquid resin supplied onto a sheet is spread by the wafer and cured to form a protective member composed of the sheet and the cured resin. Thereafter, the wafer held on a chuck table via the protective member is ground with a grinding wheel. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-027239 Patent Document 2 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-094470 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In wafer grinding, a grinding wheel enters from the outer periphery of the wafer and passes across the upper surface of the wafer along an arcuate locus. Therefore, the resin constituting the protective member attached to the wafer during grinding requires adhesive strength that can withstand the impact generated when the grinding wheel contacts the outer periphery of the wafer. On the other hand, after grinding, it is required that the resin constituting the protective member can be easily peeled off together with the sheet from the wafer.

[0005] Furthermore, even when processing such as polishing other than grinding or cutting with a bite is performed on a wafer, it is also required that the resin constituting the protective member be reliably adhered to the sheet and the wafer during processing, and the protective member can be easily peeled off after processing.

[0006] In other words, in protective materials for wafers, the cured resin needs to be adjusted and considered in terms of its adhesive strength to both the wafer and the sheet. Therefore, depending on the processing conditions during grinding or other processes, or the wafer material, it may be necessary to prepare multiple liquid resins with different adhesive strengths before curing, which hinders productivity improvements.

[0007] Therefore, in protective materials for wafers, there is a challenge to be solved: to facilitate wafer processing and improve productivity without relying on properties such as the adhesive strength of the liquid resin after curing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a method for forming a protective member by spreading a liquid resin over the entire surface of one side of a wafer and curing it, comprising: a tape holding step of exposing the adhesive layer on an expansion table and holding the substrate of a tape; a wafer holding step of holding the wafer on a holding table positioned opposite the expansion table and holding the wafer; a liquid resin supply step of supplying a liquid resin to the surface of the adhesive layer of the tape or to one side of the wafer; a spreading step of bringing the expansion table and the holding table relatively close together and spreading the liquid resin over the entire surface of one side of the wafer; and a curing step of curing the spread liquid resin, wherein a protective member is formed by the tape and the cured liquid resin.

[0009] Prior to the liquid resin supply step, the process may include a water-soluble resin layer formation step in which a water-soluble resin is applied to the surface of the wafer that will form the protective member to form a water-soluble resin layer.

[0010] The wafer may have irregularities on the side that forms the protective member.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a wafer processing method comprising processing a wafer held on a chuck table via a protective member formed using the above-described method for forming a protective member, the wafer being processed by a processing tool, the method comprising processing the wafer held on the chuck table with a processing tool.

[0012] In the above method for forming a protective member, if the water-soluble resin layer formation step is included, it is preferable that the wafer processing method includes a processing step of processing the wafer held on the chuck table with a processing tool, a removal step of removing the protective member and the wafer processed in the processing step from the chuck table, a peeling step of peeling the protective member from the wafer processed in the processing step, and a water-soluble liquid resin removal step of supplying water to the water-soluble liquid resin and removing the water-soluble liquid resin during or after the peeling step.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a protective member forming apparatus for forming a protective member that protects the entire surface of one surface of a wafer, comprising a resin obtained by curing a liquid resin spread over the entire surface of one surface of the wafer, the apparatus comprising: an expansion table for holding the substrate of a tape composed of an adhesive layer and a substrate; a holding table for holding the other surface of the wafer; a liquid resin supply unit for supplying the liquid resin to the adhesive layer of the tape held by the expansion table or to the wafer held by the holding table; a tape transport mechanism for transporting the tape to the expansion table; a wafer transport mechanism for transporting the wafer to the holding table; a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the expansion table and the holding table relative to each other in the vertical direction; and a curing unit for curing the liquid resin spread over the entire surface of one surface of the wafer by bringing the expansion table and the holding table relatively close together by the lifting mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to each of the above embodiments, in a protective member for protecting a wafer, by adhering the adhesive layer of the tape to the resin constituting the protective member, it becomes possible to facilitate wafer processing and improve productivity without relying on properties such as the adhesive strength of the resin. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a protective member forming apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a wafer transfer mechanism and a tape transfer mechanism. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a wafer holding table and an expansion table. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a water-soluble resin layer forming step. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a wafer holding step and a tape holding step. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a liquid resin supply step. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an expanding step. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a curing step. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a separating step. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the separating step in a different embodiment of a method for forming a protective member. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the curing step in a different embodiment of a method for forming a protective member. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a modified example of a wafer transfer mechanism and a tape transfer mechanism. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing a modified example of a wafer holding table and an expansion table. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a processing step. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing a peeling step and a water-soluble liquid resin removing step. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, a method for forming a protective member, a wafer processing method, and a protective member forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction shown in each drawing are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are horizontal directions. The Z-axis direction is a vertical direction, where the +Z direction side is upward and the -Z direction side is downward (vertical direction).

[0017] The protective member forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 is an apparatus for forming a protective member 1 (see Figures 8 and 9) that covers the entire surface Wa of one side of a wafer W. The protective member 1 serves to protect the surface Wa of the wafer W when processing the other side Wb of the wafer W. The wafer W is, for example, a disc-shaped slice wafer obtained by slicing a cylindrical ingot of silicon or the like, or a semiconductor device wafer in which a semiconductor device is formed on one side Wa. However, the material and type of the wafer W are not limited.

[0018] In forming the protective member 1 in the protective member forming apparatus 10, the tape 2 is held on the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11 (tape holding step, Figure 5), the other surface Wb of the wafer W is held on the wafer holding surface 34 of the wafer holding table 30 (wafer holding step, Figure 5), liquid resin 3 is supplied to at least one of the tape 2 held on the expansion table 11 and one surface Wa of the wafer W held on the wafer holding table 30 (liquid resin supply step, Figure 6), and one surface Wa of the wafer W, with the other surface Wb held on the wafer holding table 30, is pressed against the liquid resin 3 to spread the liquid resin 3 (spreading step, Figure 7). The liquid resin 3 is cured while it is spread (curing step, Figures 8 and 11), and the protective member 1 (Figures 8 and 9) is formed by the cured resin 4 and the tape 2.

[0019] Tape 2 consists of an adhesive layer 5 and a base material 6. The base material 6 is made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate. However, the material of the base material 6 is not limited to this. Tape 2 is also translucent.

[0020] The liquid resin 3 has the property of hardening in response to a predetermined external stimulus. In this embodiment, the liquid resin 3 is an ultraviolet-curable resin, and by irradiating the liquid resin 3, which is spread out to cover the entire surface of one side Wa of the wafer W, with ultraviolet light, the liquid resin 3 hardens into resin 4. Note that the external stimulus applied to harden the liquid resin 3 is not limited to irradiation with ultraviolet light, but may also be temperature changes such as heating or cooling, or irradiation with light of wavelengths other than ultraviolet light.

[0021] Next, the configuration of each part of the protective member forming apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the protective member forming apparatus 10 includes a cassette housing section 13 for housing cassettes 14. Two housing spaces are formed in the cassette housing section 13. One housing space houses a cassette 14 containing a wafer W before the protective member 1 is formed, and the other housing space houses a cassette 14 containing a wafer W after the protective member 1 has been formed.

[0022] A temporary placement table 15 and a sheet cutting table 16 are provided at a position on the +X direction side with respect to the cassette storage section 13. The temporary placement table 15 is provided with a wafer detection unit 151 for detecting the center position and orientation of the wafer W before the protective member 1 is formed. The sheet cutting table 16 is provided with a tape cutter 161 for cutting the tape 2 attached to the wafer W along the outer shape of the wafer W.

[0023] The wafer loading / unloading mechanism 17 supports a base 172 so as to be movable along a pair of guide rails 171 extending in the Y-axis direction, and moves the base 172 in the Y-axis direction by rotating a ball screw 173 extending in the Y-axis direction with the driving force of a motor. A robot hand 174 is supported on the base 172. The wafer loading / unloading mechanism 17 transports wafers W between the cassette 14 in the cassette storage section 13 and the temporary storage table 15 and sheet cutting table 16 by moving the base 172 in the Y-axis direction and operating the robot hand 174.

[0024] The extension table 11 is positioned away from the temporary placement table 15 and the sheet cutting table 16 in the +X direction. As shown in Figure 3, the extension table 11 is made of a translucent material such as quartz glass, and the upper surface of the extension table 11 is a flat holding surface 12 for placing the tape 2. A curing unit 18 is provided at the bottom of the extension table 11. The curing unit 18 irradiates ultraviolet light (UV) (see Figures 8 and 11) from a light source 181 such as an ultraviolet lamp toward the holding surface 12 of the extension table 11, and cures the liquid resin 3 on the tape 2 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light (UV) through the translucent extension table 11 and the tape 2.

[0025] The wafer transfer mechanism 19 supports a base 192 so as to be movable along a pair of guide rails 191 extending in the X-axis direction, and moves the base 192 in the X-axis direction by rotating a ball screw 193 extending in the X-axis direction with the driving force of a motor. A robot hand 194 is supported on the base 192. As shown in Figure 2, it is possible to hold one side Wa of the wafer W by suction on the upper surface of the robot hand 194. The wafer transfer mechanism 19 transfers the wafer W between the temporary storage table 15 and the sheet cutting table 16 and the extension table 11 by moving the base 192 in the X-axis direction and operating the robot hand 194.

[0026] The extension table 11 is equipped with a tape transport mechanism 20 for transporting the tape 2. The tape transport mechanism 20 includes a tape supply unit 21 that supports the rolled tape 2, and a tape holding unit 22 that holds and pulls out the tape 2 from the tape supply unit 21. As shown in Figure 2, the tape 2 is pulled out from the tape supply unit 21 with the adhesive layer 5 facing upward, and the tape holding unit 22 holds the area near the side edge in the Y-axis direction of the upward-facing adhesive layer 5 from above with a suction pad 221. The suction pad 221 is movable in the vertical direction and holds the tape 2 by negative pressure created by drawing air from its lower surface. The area in which the suction pad 221 holds the adhesive layer 5 is the excess area outside the area in which the tape 2 is attached to the wafer W via the resin 4.

[0027] The tape transport mechanism 20 may also transport the tape 2 by adhering it to the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2, or it may be configured to release air from the suction pad 221 after the tape 2 has been transported to the extension table 11 to separate it from the suction pad 211.

[0028] The tape holding unit 22 is moved in the X-axis direction by a horizontal movement mechanism 23. The horizontal movement mechanism 23 is composed of, for example, a ball screw mechanism or an air cylinder. By moving the tape holding unit 22, which holds the tape 2, toward the -X direction by the horizontal movement mechanism 23, the tape 2 is pulled out from the tape supply unit 21. The pulled-out tape 2 has its adhesive layer 5 exposed upwards, and the base material 6 is placed on the holding surface 12 and held in the extension table 11.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, a tape suction holding groove 24 and a plurality of tape suction holding holes 25 are formed on the holding surface 12 of the extension table 11. Note that the tape suction holding groove 24 and tape suction holding holes 25 are not shown in Figure 3 and other figures. The tape suction holding groove 24 and tape suction holding holes 25 are each connected to a suction source (not shown). The tape suction holding groove 24 is formed in an annular shape, and the plurality of tape suction holding holes 25 are arranged on the outside of the tape suction holding groove 24. By operating the suction source to draw air from the tape suction holding groove 24 and tape suction holding holes 25 and apply negative pressure, the base material 6 of the tape 2 is held in close contact with the holding surface 12 of the extension table 11. With the base material 6 held in close contact with the holding surface 12 by suction force, the suction pad 221 can be separated from the adhesive layer 5 by releasing the air suction of the suction pad 221 in the tape holding section 22.

[0030] The protective member forming apparatus 10 includes a liquid resin supply unit 26 that supplies liquid resin 3 to the tape 2 held on the extension table 11. The liquid resin supply unit 26 comprises a tank 27 located inside the protective member forming apparatus 10, a dispenser 28 connected to the tank 27, and a liquid resin supply nozzle 29 to which a supply pipe extending from the dispenser 28 is connected. The liquid resin 3 stored in the tank 27 is sent to the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 by the operation of the dispenser 28.

[0031] The liquid resin supply nozzle 29 is moved in the X-axis direction by a horizontal movement mechanism 23 together with the tape holding unit 22. As shown in Figure 3, the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 has a lower nozzle 291 that faces downward and an upper nozzle 292 that faces upward. The liquid resin supply unit 26 can individually control the supply of liquid resin 3 from the lower nozzle 291 and the supply of liquid resin 3 from the upper nozzle 292. The amount of liquid resin 3 supplied from the lower nozzle 291 and the upper nozzle 292 is controlled by the operation of the dispenser 28.

[0032] As shown in Figure 6, the liquid resin 3 discharged from the lower nozzle 291 is dripped onto the tape 2 held on the expansion table 11. Since the tape 2 has its adhesive layer 5 exposed and the base material 6 is held on the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11, the liquid resin 3 discharged from the lower nozzle 291 is supplied to the surface of the adhesive layer 5. The liquid resin 3 discharged from the upper nozzle 292 can be attached to the other surface Wb of the wafer W held on the wafer holding table 30, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 may be configured to have only the lower nozzle 291 and not the upper nozzle 292. In other words, it is sufficient that the liquid resin 3 is supplied to at least the tape 2.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the expansion table 11 is equipped with a wafer holding table 30 positioned opposite it above the expansion table 11. The wafer holding table 30 is moved vertically (in the Z-axis direction) via a lifting mechanism 32 provided on the column 31. In other words, the lifting mechanism 32 moves the expansion table 11 and the wafer holding table 30 vertically relative to each other. The lifting mechanism 32 supports a lifting table 322 so as to be movable along a pair of guide rails 321 extending in the Z-axis direction, and moves the lifting table 322 in the Z-axis direction by rotating a ball screw 323 extending in the Z-axis direction with the driving force of a motor.

[0034] The wafer holding table 30 is disc-shaped and is supported at the lower end of a table support portion 33 that moves in the Z-axis direction together with the lifting table 322. As the lifting table 322 moves by the lifting mechanism 32, the wafer holding table 30 also moves in the Z-axis direction. The wafer holding table 30 is equipped with a suction mechanism (not shown) that draws air into the wafer holding surface 34, which is its lower surface. By drawing in air and applying negative pressure, the other side Wb of the wafer W can be adsorbed and held to the wafer holding surface 34.

[0035] A load sensor 35 for detecting the Z-axis load acting on the wafer holding table 30 is provided between the wafer holding table 30 and the table support portion 33.

[0036] The protective member forming apparatus 10 is centrally controlled by a control unit 36. The control unit 36 ​​consists of a processor that performs various processes and a memory that stores various parameters and control programs. The memory of the control unit 36 ​​stores a program for performing each of the processes described later, as part of the control program for the protective member forming apparatus 10.

[0037] The formation of the protective member 1 by the protective member forming apparatus 10 configured as described above will now be explained. Unless otherwise specified, the operation and processing in each process are assumed to be controlled by the control unit 36.

[0038] [Water-soluble resin layer formation process] Prior to forming the protective member 1, a water-soluble resin layer formation step may be performed, in which a water-soluble resin is applied to one surface Wa of the wafer W (the surface on which the protective member 1 will be formed) to form a water-soluble resin layer. If one surface Wa of the wafer W has irregularities, performing the water-soluble resin layer formation step makes it easier to peel the protective member 1 from one surface Wa of the wafer W in the peeling step (Figure 15) described later. The water-soluble resin layer formation step is performed at least before the liquid resin supply step (Figure 6) described later.

[0039] Figure 4 shows the water-soluble resin layer formation process. One surface Wa of the wafer W has an uneven shape with multiple protrusions Wc. The protrusions Wc are, for example, metal bumps. Note that the unevenness on one surface Wa of the wafer W is not limited to bumps, but may also be unevenness caused by processing marks on a sliced ​​wafer obtained by slicing an ingot.

[0040] In the water-soluble resin layer formation process shown in Figure 4, the other side Wb of the wafer W is placed on the upper surface of the holding table 80 and held, with the other side Wa having the convex portion Wc exposed facing upward. The other side Wb of the wafer W is held in place by suction from the upper surface of the holding table 80 using a suction mechanism (not shown).

[0041] The water-soluble resin 7, dispensed from a tank 81 containing the water-soluble resin, is supplied to one side Wa of the wafer W from a water-soluble resin supply nozzle 82 positioned above the holding table 80. The holding table 80 is rotated by a table rotation mechanism 83, and the water-soluble resin 7 is spread over the entire surface of one side Wa of the wafer W by centrifugal force. In this way, the water-soluble resin 7 is applied to one side Wa of the wafer W by the spin-coating method to form a water-soluble resin layer 8.

[0042] The water-soluble resin layer 8 may be formed by methods other than spin coating. For example, the water-soluble resin 7 may be supplied from the water-soluble resin supply nozzle 82, and the water-soluble resin supply nozzle 82 and the holding table 80 may be moved relative to each other in the horizontal direction to apply the water-soluble resin 7 to one side Wa of the wafer W. Alternatively, the water-soluble resin 7 may be applied to one side Wa of the wafer W using an application member such as a brush. Alternatively, the water-soluble resin 7 may be applied by spraying it onto one side Wa of the wafer W.

[0043] When a water-soluble resin layer formation process is carried out to form a water-soluble resin layer 8, in each subsequent process, the water-soluble resin layer 8 is interposed between one surface Wa of the wafer W and the protective member 1 (especially the liquid resin 3 or the cured resin 4).

[0044] The water-soluble resin layer formation process may be performed using a different apparatus than the protective member formation apparatus 10, or it may be performed using the protective member formation apparatus 10. When the water-soluble resin layer formation process is performed using the protective member formation apparatus 10, for example, in a method in which the water-soluble resin is sprayed toward one side Wa of the wafer W, it is possible to spray the water-soluble resin toward one side Wa from below while the wafer W is held by the wafer holding table 30 with one side Wa facing downwards, as shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, in the modified wafer holding table 30 shown in Figure 13, one side Wa of the wafer W is held facing upwards, similar to the holding table 80 shown in Figure 4, so this modified wafer holding table 30 can also be applied as the holding table 80 in Figure 4.

[0045] [Tape holding process] Figure 5 shows the tape holding process and the wafer holding process. In the tape holding process, the tape 2 is transported from the tape supply unit 21 to the expansion table 11 using the tape transport mechanism 20, and the base material 6 is held on the holding surface 12. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 is held from above by the suction pad 221 of the tape holding unit 22, and the tape holding unit 22 is moved in the -X direction by the horizontal movement mechanism 23, pulling the tape 2 out from the tape supply unit 21. Once the tape 2 has been pulled out to a position that covers the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11, the movement of the tape holding unit 22 by the horizontal movement mechanism 23 is stopped. In addition, air is sucked in from the tape suction holding groove 24 and a plurality of tape suction holding holes 25 provided on the expansion table 11 to tightly hold the base material 6 of the tape 2 on the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the tape 2 pulled out from the tape supply unit 21 has its adhesive layer 5 exposed, and the base material 6 is held on the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11. The tape cutter (not shown) provided by the tape transport mechanism 20 is used to cut the end of the tape 2 held on the extension table 11 in the +X direction.

[0046] [Wafer holding process] As shown in Figure 5, in the wafer holding process, the wafer W is held on the wafer holding table 30 which is positioned opposite the expansion table 11. At least a part of the wafer holding process may be performed in parallel (simultaneously) with the tape holding process described above.

[0047] To explain the wafer holding process in detail, the wafer W, before the protective member 1 is formed, is removed from the cassette 14 in the cassette storage unit 13 by the wafer loading / unloading mechanism 17 and transported to the temporary storage table 15. On the temporary storage table 15, the orientation and center of the wafer W are detected by the wafer detection unit 151. Next, as shown in Figure 2, one side Wa of the wafer W is held by suction on the upper surface of the robot hand 194 of the wafer transport mechanism 19, and the base 192 is moved in the +X direction. When the base 192 reaches the vicinity of the wafer holding table 30, the robot hand 194 is moved below the wafer holding table 30, and the other side Wb of the wafer W is brought into contact with the wafer holding surface 34 of the wafer holding table 30. The wafer holding table 30 uses a suction mechanism to draw in air and hold the other side Wb of the wafer W on the wafer holding surface 34. By releasing the suction hold of one side Wa of the wafer W by the robot hand 194, the wafer W is transferred from the robot hand 194 to the wafer holding table 30, and the wafer W is held on the wafer holding surface 34 as shown in Figure 5.

[0048] [Liquid resin supply process] Following the tape holding process and the wafer holding process, the liquid resin supply process shown in Figure 6 is performed. In the liquid resin supply process, the position of the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 in the X-axis direction is adjusted by the operation of the horizontal movement mechanism 23, and the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 is positioned above the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 that was held on the holding surface 12 of the extension table 11 by the tape holding process. At this stage, the lower nozzle 291 of the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 faces the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2, and the upper nozzle 292 faces one side Wa of the wafer W.

[0049] Next, the control unit 36 ​​controls the dispenser 28 to deliver the liquid resin 3 from the tank 27 to the liquid resin supply nozzle 29. The liquid resin supply unit 26 can independently supply the liquid resin 3 from the lower nozzle 291 and the liquid resin 3 from the upper nozzle 292 at the liquid resin supply nozzle 29. In the configuration shown in Figure 6, the liquid resin 3 is dripped from the lower nozzle 291 of the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 toward the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 below. The lower nozzle 291 is positioned above the center of the expansion table 11, and the liquid resin 3 dripped from the lower nozzle 291 is supplied to the surface of the adhesive layer 5, accumulating near the center of the surface of the adhesive layer 5 in an area smaller than the area of ​​the wafer W.

[0050] The liquid resin 3 supplied to the upper nozzle 292 forms a dome shape. When the wafer holding table 30 holding the wafer W is brought closer to the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 by the operation of the lifting mechanism 32, the dome-shaped liquid resin 3 at the upper nozzle 292 adheres to one side Wa of the wafer W. In addition, in the liquid resin supply process, the liquid resin 3 may be dropped only from the lower nozzle 291 onto the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 without supplying the liquid resin 3 to the upper nozzle 292.

[0051] Based on information such as the size of the wafer W, the control unit 36 ​​supplies an amount of liquid resin 3 to the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 or to the surface Wa of the wafer W, in an amount sufficient to cover the entire surface of one side Wa of the wafer W. Once the supply of the predetermined amount of liquid resin 3 is complete, the horizontal movement mechanism 23 is operated to detach the tape holding unit 22 horizontally from between the expansion table 11 and the wafer holding table 30, thereby completing the liquid resin supply process.

[0052] [Expanding process] Next, the process proceeds to the spreading step shown in Figure 7. In the spreading step, the lifting mechanism 32 lowers the wafer holding table 30 vertically at a predetermined feed rate, bringing the expansion table 11 and the wafer holding table 30 closer together. When the wafer holding table 30 has lowered by a predetermined amount, one side Wa of the wafer W comes into contact with the liquid resin 3 accumulated on the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2. Then, the liquid resin 3 is pressed by the one side Wa of the wafer W, and the liquid resin 3 is spread radially across the wafer W.

[0053] As the wafer holding table 30 is lowered and the liquid resin 3 is spread across one surface Wa of the wafer W, the Z-axis load applied to that surface Wa of the wafer W increases. As shown in Figure 7, when the liquid resin 3 has spread to the entire surface Wa of the wafer W and has overflowed from the outer edge of the wafer W, the above load begins to decrease. This change in load is detected by the load sensor 35. Based on the detection result from the load sensor 35, the control unit 36 ​​detects that the liquid resin 3 has been spread across the entire surface Wa of the wafer W. Once this state is detected, the control unit 36 ​​stops the lowering of the wafer holding table 30 by the lifting mechanism 32.

[0054] Alternatively, the distance between the expansion table 11 and the wafer holding table 30 may be predetermined, and the spreading process may be completed by lowering the wafer holding table 30 to that distance.

[0055] [Curing process] Once the spreading process is complete and the entire surface Wa of one side of the wafer W is covered with the liquid resin 3, the process proceeds to the curing process shown in Figure 8. In the curing process, ultraviolet light (UV) of a wavelength and intensity suitable for curing the liquid resin 3 is irradiated from the curing unit 18 toward the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11. The ultraviolet light (UV) emitted from the curing unit 18 penetrates the translucent expansion table 11 and tape 2 to reach the liquid resin 3, curing the UV-curable liquid resin 3. The control unit 36 ​​determines the curing state of the liquid resin 3 based on the elapsed time and the results of analysis of images of the liquid resin 3 captured by a camera (not shown). When it is determined that the liquid resin 3 has sufficiently cured, the irradiation of ultraviolet light (UV) from the curing unit 18 is terminated.

[0056] Upon completion of the curing process, the protective member 1 is formed by the cured resin 4 (liquid resin 3) and the tape 2. In other words, by bringing the wafer W held by the wafer holding table 30 and the tape 2 held by the expansion table 11 relatively close together to spread the liquid resin 3, and then curing the liquid resin 3, the protective member 1, consisting of the cured resin 4 and tape 2, is formed on one side Wa of the wafer W.

[0057] In the protective member 1 formed in this manner, the tape 2 and the resin 4 are bonded together by the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2. In other words, the tape 2 and the resin 4 can be relatively fixed together by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 5, without relying on the tackiness or adhesiveness of the resin 4, and the liquid resin 3 can be set without worrying about the adhesive strength between the tape 2 and the resin 4. Therefore, the requirements for the resin 4 only need to be hardness, and the variety of liquid resin 3 that can be used increases. As a result, productivity in forming the protective member 1 can be improved without spending time selecting the liquid resin 3. In addition, the protective member 1, in which the tape 2 and the resin 4 are bonded together by the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2, has excellent impact resistance during the processing of the wafer W described later, and the processability of the wafer W can be improved.

[0058] One way to fix the tape 2 and the resin 4 is that, once the liquid resin 3 has hardened into resin 4, it is bonded to the resin 4 by the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2.

[0059] Another way to fix the tape 2 and the resin 4 is that when the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 is UV-curable and the liquid resin 3 is UV-curable, and the adhesive layer 5 and the liquid resin 3 are of the same type (for example, both are acrylic), the adhesive strength can be strengthened by a chemical reaction at the interface between the adhesive layer 5 and the liquid resin 3, causing them to bond together.

[0060] In this way, when forming the protective member 1, the liquid resin 3, which is selected based on the hardness of the resin 4, and the tape 2, which is selected based on the adhesive performance of the adhesive layer 5, can be efficiently assigned to different roles.

[0061] [Separation process] Once the curing process is complete, the process proceeds to the separation process shown in Figure 9. In the separation process, the other side Wb of the wafer W is not held by the wafer holding surface 34 of the wafer holding table 30, and the lifting mechanism 32 is operated to raise the wafer holding table 30, separating the wafer holding table 30 from the protective member 1 and the wafer W held on the expansion table 11.

[0062] [Different embodiments of the separation process and the curing process] As an alternative embodiment of the protective member formation method, the order of the curing process and the separation process may be reversed, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 shows the separation process in this alternative embodiment. In the separation process, once the spreading process shown in Figure 7 is completed, the suction holding of the other surface Wb of the wafer W to the wafer holding surface 34 is stopped, and the wafer holding table 30 releases the wafer W it was holding. The lifting mechanism 32 then raises the wafer holding table 30 to separate it from the wafer W. The difference from the separation process in Figure 9 described earlier is that in the separation process in Figure 10, the interposed material between one surface Wa of the wafer W and the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 is not the cured resin 4, but the liquid resin 3 before curing, and the protective member 1 is not yet complete.

[0063] Figure 11 shows the curing process in this different embodiment. Unlike the curing process in Figure 8 described earlier, with the wafer holding table 30 separated from the wafer W, ultraviolet light (UV) of a wavelength and intensity suitable for curing the liquid resin 3 is irradiated from the curing unit 18 toward the holding surface 12 of the extension table 11 to cure the liquid resin 3, which is an ultraviolet-curable resin. Once the curing process is complete, the protective member 1 is formed by the cured resin 4 and the tape 2.

[0064] [Excess Tape Cutting Process] In both configurations, where the curing process is performed before the separation process (Figures 8 and 9), and where the separation process is performed before the curing process (Figures 10 and 11), completing each of these processes forms a protective member 1 on the wafer W, consisting of resin 4 and tape 2. The wafer W on which the protective member 1 is formed is transferred from the extension table 11 to the robot hand 194 of the wafer transfer mechanism 19. The robot hand 194 holds the other side Wb of the wafer W by suction. Subsequently, the base 192 is moved in the -X direction, and when the base 192 reaches the vicinity of the sheet cutting table 16, the robot hand 194 is moved above the sheet cutting table 16, and the protective member 1 (the lower surface of the base material 6 of tape 2) is placed on the sheet cutting table 16.

[0065] In this manner, the wafer W on which the protective member 1 is formed is transported to the sheet cutting table 16 by the wafer transport mechanism 19 and held on the sheet cutting table 16 via the protective member 1. The excess area of ​​the outer edge of the tape 2 that extends beyond the wafer W held on the sheet cutting table 16 is cut and removed using the tape cutter 161. At this time, the tape cutter 161 cuts the tape 2 to a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer W, so that the clamp portion 70 (see Figure 15) of the peeling device 60 (described later) can grip the end of the tape 2.

[0066] [Storage Process] After the excess area of ​​the tape 2 is cut on the sheet cutting table 16, the wafer W with the protective member 1 formed on it is held and transported by the robot hand 174 of the wafer loading / unloading mechanism 17 and placed into the cassette 14 of the cassette storage section 13. This completes the series of processes (formation of the protective member) on the wafer W in the protective member forming apparatus 10.

[0067] [Variations with different wafer and tape arrangements] In the above embodiment, the wafer W is positioned on the upper side (+Z direction) and the tape 2 is positioned on the lower side (-Z direction) while each step of the protective member formation method is performed. However, this positional relationship may be reversed. Figures 12 and 13 show the configuration of the protective member forming apparatus 10 in a modified example where the wafer W is positioned on the lower side (-Z direction) and the tape 2 is positioned on the upper side (+Z direction). In Figures 12 and 13, parts having the same function as in the above embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0068] As shown in Figure 12, the wafer transport mechanism 19 is capable of adsorbing and holding one side Wa of the wafer W on the lower surface of the robot hand 194, and transporting the wafer W with the other side Wb facing downwards.

[0069] As shown in Figure 12, the tape holding section 22 of the tape transport mechanism 20 holds the tape 2 from below with the adhesive layer 5 facing downwards using the suction pad 221, and transports the tape 2 to the expansion table 11.

[0070] As shown in Figure 13, the extension table 11 has its holding surface 12 facing downwards, and is configured to irradiate the holding surface 12 with ultraviolet light from a curing unit 18 located at the top of the extension table 11. The extension table 11 and the curing unit 18 are moved vertically (in the Z-axis direction) by the operation of the lifting mechanism 32.

[0071] As shown in Figure 13, the wafer holding table 30 is positioned opposite the extension table 11, with its wafer holding surface 34 facing upwards.

[0072] Although not shown in Figure 13, in the tape holding process, the tape 2 is transferred from the tape holding section 22 of the tape transport mechanism 20 to the extension table 11 with the base material 6 facing upwards (see Figure 12), and the base material 6 is held by suction on the holding surface 12. In the wafer holding process, the wafer W is transferred from the robot hand 194 of the wafer transport mechanism 19 to the wafer holding table 30 with the other side Wb facing downwards (see Figure 12), and the other side Wb is held by suction on the wafer holding surface 34.

[0073] Next, the liquid resin supply process is performed. When the liquid resin supply nozzle 29 is positioned between the extension table 11 and the wafer holding table 30, the lower nozzle 291 faces one side Wa of the wafer W, and the upper nozzle 292 faces the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2. Therefore, the liquid resin 3 (not shown in Figure 13) discharged from the lower nozzle 291 is dropped onto one side Wa of the wafer W, and the liquid resin 3 discharged from the upper nozzle 292 can adhere to the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2. The liquid resin 3 may be supplied to both one side Wa of the wafer W and the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2, or the liquid resin 3 may be supplied to only one of the two sides Wa of the wafer W and the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2.

[0074] Next, the spreading process is performed. The lifting mechanism 32 lowers the expansion table 11 and the curing unit 18 vertically at a predetermined feed rate, bringing the expansion table 11 and the wafer holding table 30 relatively close together. When the expansion table 11 has lowered by a predetermined amount, the liquid resin 3 is pressed between the surface of the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 and one side Wa of the wafer W, and the liquid resin 3 is spread radially across the wafer W.

[0075] Next, a curing process is performed. In the curing process, ultraviolet light of a wavelength and intensity suitable for curing the liquid resin 3 is irradiated from the curing unit 18 toward the holding surface 12 of the expansion table 11 to cure the liquid resin 3. Once the liquid resin 3 has cured, a separation process is performed. In the separation process, the expansion table 11 and the curing unit 18 are raised by the lifting mechanism 32, separating the expansion table 11 from the protective member 1 (not shown in Figure 13).

[0076] In this modified example, the lifting mechanism 32 raises and lowers the expansion table 11 and the curing unit 18. If the separation process is performed before the curing process, ultraviolet irradiation from the curing unit 18 will occur at a position away from the wafer W, liquid resin 3, and tape 2 held on the wafer holding table 30 side. This may cause the curing of the liquid resin 3 to be delayed or the liquid resin 3 to not cure sufficiently. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the curing process first and then the separation process.

[0077] The protective member forming apparatus 10 forms the protective member 1 on the entire surface Wa of one side of the wafer W as described above. The wafer W on which the protective member 1 has been formed is transported from the protective member forming apparatus 10 to the processing apparatus 40 shown in Figure 14 for processing. The processing apparatus 40 is a grinding apparatus that grinds the wafer W.

[0078] Furthermore, the processing performed on the wafer W on which the protective member 1 is formed is not limited to grinding. For example, polishing using a polishing pad as a processing tool, or cutting using a cutting tool, may be performed on the other surface Wb of the wafer W. By holding the wafer W on a chuck table via the protective member 1 during polishing or cutting, the same effects as those obtained when performing grinding, as described below, can be obtained.

[0079] As shown in Figure 14, the processing apparatus 40 holds the wafer W on the chuck table 41 via the protective member 1. The chuck table 41 comprises a frame 42 and a disc-shaped porous plate 43 mounted in a recess on the upper side of the frame 42. When the suction source 45 is operated, air inside the porous plate 43 is sucked out, and a suction force acts on the holding surface 44, which is the upper surface of the porous plate 43. The chuck table 41 is rotated by a table rotation mechanism 46. As shown in Figure 14, by facing the protective member 1 downwards and placing the lower surface of the base material 6 of the tape 2 on the holding surface 44 and holding it by suction, the wafer W is held on the chuck table 41 with its other side Wb facing upwards.

[0080] The grinding mechanism 50 has a mount 52 connected to the lower end of a spindle 51, which is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown). A grinding wheel 53 is mounted on the lower part of the mount 52, and multiple grinding wheels 54, which are workpieces, are arranged in an annular pattern on the lower surface of the grinding wheel 53. When the spindle 51 is rotated by the spindle motor, the grinding wheel 53 and the grinding wheels 54 rotate. The grinding mechanism 50 is also moved vertically (in the Z-axis direction) by a lifting mechanism 55.

[0081] [Processing process] As shown in Figure 14, during the processing step, with the grinding wheel 54 in contact with the other surface Wb of the wafer W, the grinding mechanism 50 is lowered at a predetermined speed by the lifting mechanism 55, the chuck table 41 is rotated by the table rotation mechanism 46, and the grinding wheel 53 is rotated by the spindle 51, thereby grinding the other surface Wb of the wafer W with the grinding wheel 54. The other surface Wb of the wafer W is ground until the wafer W reaches a predetermined thickness. One surface Wa of the wafer W is held on the holding surface 44 of the chuck table 41 via the protective member 1, and the wafer W is protected from the pressure acting during grinding by the protective member 1.

[0082] During the grinding process of the wafer W, the grinding wheel 54 enters from the outer periphery of the wafer W and passes along the other surface Wb of the wafer W in an arc-shaped trajectory. Therefore, the resin 4 and tape 2 constituting the protective member 1 attached to the wafer W during grinding require adhesive strength to withstand the impact when the grinding wheel 54 contacts the outer periphery of the wafer W. High adhesive strength is obtained because the tape 2 constituting the protective member 1 is bonded to the resin 4 by the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 5. As a result, the protective member 1 can stably hold and protect the wafer W with high precision, and the processing of the wafer W in the processing apparatus 40 can be facilitated.

[0083] The resin 4, which is formed by curing the liquid resin 3, can be made harder, thereby making the in-plane thickness of the wafer W more uniform when it is ground by the processing device 40. However, if a hard resin 4 is applied to the protective member 1, the roughness of the other surface Wb, which is the surface to be ground on the wafer W, will increase. Therefore, if it is desired to reduce the roughness of the other surface Wb, the resin 4 should be made softer. In this way, the hardness of the resin 4 that constitutes the protective member 1 is set according to the desired state of the wafer W after grinding. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 adheres the tape 2 and the resin 4 together, so the liquid resin 3 can be set by focusing on the hardness of the resin 4 without having to worry about the adhesive strength between the tape 2 and the resin 4, thereby increasing the freedom in selecting the liquid resin 3.

[0084] [Export process] Once the processing is complete, an unloading process (not shown) is performed to unload the processed wafer W and protective member 1 from the chuck table 41. The processing apparatus 40 is equipped with a wafer transport mechanism (not shown), which can transport the wafer W while holding the other side Wb of the wafer W by suction. In the unloading process, the suction holding of the protective member 1 and wafer W to the holding surface 44 of the chuck table 41 is stopped, and the wafer transport mechanism holds the other side Wb of the wafer W by suction, separating the wafer W and protective member 1 from the chuck table 41 for unloading.

[0085] Next, a peeling process is performed to peel the protective member 1 from the wafer W processed in the processing process. The peeling process is performed in a peeling apparatus 60 shown in Figure 15. The peeling apparatus 60 is equipped with a transport mechanism 61. The transport mechanism 61 transports the wafer W by adsorbing and holding the other side Wb of the wafer W on the lower surface of a holding pad 62. A porous plate 64 is provided on the lower side of the holding pad 62, connected to a suction source 63 via a suction path. By drawing air in with the suction source 63, a suction force acts on the holding surface 65, which is the lower surface of the porous plate 64, and the wafer W is held in place.

[0086] The retaining pad 62 is supported by a support arm 66, which is moved horizontally by a sliding mechanism 67. The sliding mechanism 67 supports the support arm 66 so that it can move along a guide rail 68 that extends horizontally, and moves the support arm 66 along the guide rail 68 by a well-known ball screw mechanism or air cylinder. The direction of movement of the support arm 66 by the sliding mechanism 67 when peeling the protective member 1 from the wafer W is called the peeling movement direction P.

[0087] The peeling device 60 is equipped with a peeling roller 69 that extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the holding pad 62 by the sliding mechanism 67. The protective member 1 is also equipped with a clamp portion 70 capable of gripping the end of the tape 2 that protrudes from the outer edge of the wafer W. The clamp portion 70 grips the end of the tape 2 between a pair of claw portions 71.

[0088] The clamp portion 70 is rotatably supported around the support shaft 72 and can be rotated by a motor (not shown). The support shaft 72 is also movably supported in the horizontal and vertical directions and its position in the horizontal and vertical directions can be changed by a moving mechanism (not shown).

[0089] [Peeling process] In the peeling process performed by the peeling apparatus 60, with the other side Wb of the wafer W adsorbed and held on the holding surface 65 of the holding pad 62, the end of the tape 2 is gripped by a pair of claws 71 of the clamping part 70, and the peeling roller 69 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the base material 6 of the tape 2 at a position close to the gripped portion.

[0090] Next, the clamp portion 70 is rotated around the support shaft 72 in a direction that points downwards towards the end of the gripped tape 2, while the holding pad 62 and support arm 66 are moved in the peeling direction P by the slide mechanism 67. As a result of these actions, the end of the tape 2 gripped by the clamp portion 70 is pulled downwards, and a portion of the outer circumference of the protective member 1 peels off from one surface Wa of the wafer W and bends downward along the peeling roller 69.

[0091] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, the clamp portion 70 is rotated and moved in a direction that causes the peeled tape 2 to invert and be wrapped around the peeling roller 69, while the holding pad 62 and support arm 66 are moved in the peeling direction P by the slide mechanism 67. Through these actions, the tape 2 gripped by the clamp portion 70 is pulled diagonally downward while being guided by the peeling roller 69, and the peeling of the protective member 1 progresses in the diametrical direction of the wafer W. If the holding pad 62 and support arm 66 are moved further in the peeling direction P from the state shown in Figure 15, the protective member 1 is completely peeled off from the wafer W, and the peeling process is completed.

[0092] By performing the peeling process as described above, the protective member 1 is peeled off from one side Wa of the wafer W. Because the tape 2 constituting the protective member 1 is adhered to the resin 4 by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 5, the resin 4 is less likely to remain on the wafer W side during peeling, and the resin 4 can be easily peeled off from the wafer W together with the tape 2.

[0093] [Water-soluble liquid resin removal process] When forming the protective member 1 as described above, if the water-soluble resin layer formation process shown in Figure 4 is performed, a water-soluble liquid resin removal process is carried out during or after the peeling process, in which water is supplied to the water-soluble liquid resin to remove the water-soluble liquid resin.

[0094] Figure 15 shows a case where a water-soluble liquid resin removal process is performed during the peeling process. Although not shown in Figure 15, when the water-soluble liquid resin removal process is performed, a water-soluble resin layer 8 (see Figure 4) is formed on one side Wa of the wafer W. The formation of the water-soluble resin layer 8 makes it easier to peel off the protective member 1 (resin 4 attached to one side Wa) from one side Wa of the wafer W during the peeling process. In particular, if one side Wa of the wafer W has irregularities, forming the water-soluble resin layer 8 on one side Wa makes it easy to peel off the resin 4 of the protective member 1 without leaving any residue on that side Wa. Then, in order to remove the unnecessary water-soluble resin layer 8 at the location where the protective member 1 has been peeled off from the wafer W, the water-soluble liquid resin removal process is performed.

[0095] The peeling device 60 is equipped with a water supply nozzle 74 that sprays water 9 from a water storage tank 73, and supplies water 9 from the water supply nozzle 74 toward one side Wa of the wafer W after the protective member 1 has been peeled off. The water supply nozzle 74 has a length greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer W in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 15, and by spraying water 9 from the water supply nozzle 74 toward one side Wa while moving the wafer W in the peeling movement direction P, water 9 can be supplied to the entire surface of one side Wa, and the water-soluble resin layer 8 can be efficiently removed.

[0096] In addition, in the water-soluble liquid resin removal process, a water supply nozzle 74 shorter than the diameter of the wafer W may be used to supply water 9 toward one side Wa of the wafer W while moving the water supply nozzle 74 and the holding pad 62 relatively in the horizontal direction.

[0097] Unlike the embodiment shown in Figure 15, after the peeling process is completed, the wafer W may be transported to a cleaning device separate from the peeling device 60 or to a cleaning section provided in the peeling device 60, and water may be supplied to one side Wa in the cleaning device or cleaning section to remove the water-soluble resin layer 8.

[0098] Furthermore, if a water-soluble resin layer 8 is not formed on one side Wa of the wafer W, the water-soluble liquid resin removal step is unnecessary, and the peeling device 60 does not need to be equipped with the tank 73 and water supply nozzle 74 shown in Figure 15.

[0099] As explained above, in the method for forming a protective member carried out by the protective member forming apparatus 10 described above, the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 adheres the tape 2 and the resin 4, so the liquid resin 3 can be set without worrying about the adhesive strength between the tape 2 and the resin 4. In other words, since only the hardness of the resin 4 is considered, a wide variety of liquid resins 3 can be used, and productivity in the processing of wafers W in which protective members 1 are formed can be improved without spending time selecting the liquid resin 3.

[0100] As shown in the embodiments including the above modified examples, when forming a protective member 1 on one surface Wa of a wafer W, there is a degree of freedom in selecting the arrangement of the tape 2 and the wafer W in the vertical direction, and the target to which the liquid resin 3 is supplied. In other words, as long as the technical concept includes the idea that the tape 2 and the resin 4 are bonded together by the adhesive layer 5 of the tape 2 to form the protective member 1, it is sufficient, and it can be applied to various forms of protective member formation methods and protective member formation apparatus. Furthermore, it can be applied to various processing methods for processing wafers on which a protective member has been formed based on this technical concept. Grinding shown in Figure 14 is just one example of processing, and it can also be applied to other processing methods (e.g., polishing, cutting tool grinding, etc.).

[0101] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Moreover, if the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be realized in a different way by advances in the art or by other derived arts, it may be implemented by that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0102] As described above, by applying the present invention, it becomes possible to facilitate wafer processing and improve productivity in a protective member for protecting wafers, without relying on properties such as the adhesive strength of the resin. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 1: Protective component 2: Tape 3: Liquid resin 5: Adhesive layer 6: Base material 7:Water-soluble resin 8: Water-soluble resin layer 9:Water 10: Protective member forming apparatus 11: Extension Table 13: Cassette storage compartment 14: Cassette 15: Temporary Table 16: Sheet cutting table 17: Wafer loading / unloading mechanism 18: Hardening Unit 19: Wafer transport mechanism 20: Tape transport mechanism 21: Tape supply unit 22: Tape holding section 23: Horizontal movement mechanism 24: Tape suction retention groove 25: Tape suction retention hole 26: Liquid resin supply unit 28: Dispenser 29: Liquid resin supply nozzle 30: Wafer holding table (holding table) 32: Lifting mechanism 34: Wafer holding surface 35: Load sensor 36: Control Unit 40: Processing equipment 41: Chuck Table 44: Holding surface 46: Table rotation mechanism 50: Grinding mechanism 51: Spindle 53: Grinding Wheel 54: Grinding wheel (working tool) 55: Lifting mechanism 60: Peeling device 61: Conveying mechanism 62: Retaining pad 66: Support arm 67: Sliding mechanism 69: Peeling roller 70: Clamp section 74: Water supply nozzle 80: Holding Table 82: Water-soluble resin supply nozzle 174: Robot Hand 181 :Light source 194: Robot Hand 291: Lower nozzle 292: Upper nozzle UV: Ultraviolet light W: wafer Wa: One side of the wafer (the side that forms the protective member) Wb: The other side of the wafer Wc: convex part

Claims

1. A method for forming a protective member, comprising spreading a liquid resin over the entire surface of one side of a wafer and curing it to form a protective member, A tape holding process in which the adhesive layer is exposed on an extension table to hold the tape substrate, A wafer holding step involves placing a holding table opposite the expansion table and holding the wafer, thereby holding the other side of the wafer. A liquid resin supply step of supplying a liquid resin to the surface of the adhesive layer of the tape or to one side of the wafer, A spreading step in which the expansion table and the holding table are brought relatively close together and the liquid resin is spread over the entire surface of one side of the wafer, A curing step for curing the spread liquid resin, The tape and the cured liquid resin form a protective member. A method for forming a protective member.

2. A method for forming a protective member according to claim 1, comprising a step of forming a water-soluble resin layer by applying a water-soluble resin to the surface of the wafer that will form the protective member, prior to the liquid resin supply step.

3. The method for forming a protective member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wafer has irregularities on the side where the protective member is formed.

4. A method for processing a wafer, wherein the wafer is held on a chuck table via a protective member formed using the method for forming a protective member described in claim 1, and the wafer is processed by a processing tool, A method for processing a wafer, comprising a processing step of processing the wafer held in the chuck table with a processing tool.

5. A method for processing a wafer, wherein the wafer is held on a chuck table via a protective member formed using the method for forming a protective member described in claim 2, and the wafer is processed by a processing tool, A processing step of processing the wafer held on the chuck table with a processing tool, A removal process for removing the protective member and the wafer processed in the processing process from the chuck table, A peeling step for peeling the protective member off the wafer processed in the processing step, A wafer processing method comprising: a water-soluble liquid resin removal step of supplying water to the water-soluble liquid resin during or after the peeling step to remove the water-soluble liquid resin.

6. A protective member forming apparatus for forming a protective member that protects the entire surface of one side of a wafer, comprising a resin obtained by curing a liquid resin that has been spread over the entire surface of one side of the wafer, An extension table that holds the base material of a tape composed of an adhesive layer and a base material, A holding table that holds the other side of the wafer, A liquid resin supply unit that supplies liquid resin to the adhesive layer of the tape held by the extension table or to the wafer held by the holding table, The extension table includes a tape transport mechanism for transporting the tape, A wafer transport mechanism for transporting wafers to the holding table, A lifting mechanism that moves the extension table and the holding table up and down relative to each other in the vertical direction, A protective member forming apparatus comprising: a curing unit that uses a lifting mechanism to bring the expansion table and the holding table closer together and cures the liquid resin that has been spread over the entire surface of one side of the wafer.

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