Temperature application device and temperature application method

Abstract

To provide a temperature application device and a temperature application method capable of smoothly dividing a wafer into individual chips without being affected by differences in the amount of expansion of a dicing tape.SOLUTION: A temperature application device for reducing the difference in the amount of expansion of a dicing tape that occurs when dividing a wafer into individual chips by expanding the dicing tape with the wafer attached using an expansion ring includes temperature application means that makes only the area of the dicing tape outside the expansion ring lower in temperature than the area to which the wafer is attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work dividing device and a work dividing method, and more particularly to a work dividing device and a work dividing method for dividing a work, such as a semiconductor wafer on which a division line has been machined in advance, into individual chips. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacture of semiconductor chips (hereinafter referred to as chips), a work division device has been known which divides (also referred to as singulation) a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as wafer), into which intended division lines have been pre-processed by laser irradiation or the like, into individual chips along the intended division lines (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The wafer is attached to a dicing tape (hereinafter also referred to as expanded tape) via a film-like adhesive, such as DAF (Die Attach Film) or LC tape (product name: manufactured by Lintec Corporation), and a chip protection material, and the work division device expands (hereinafter referred to as expanding) the dicing tape to separate the wafer, the film-like adhesive, and the chip protection material into individual chips.

[0004] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of a wafer unit 2 to which a wafer 1 to be divided by a work dividing device is attached, with FIG. 10A being a perspective view of the wafer unit 2 and FIG.

[0005] The wafer unit 2 is composed of a wafer 1, a film-like adhesive 3, a dicing tape 4, and a frame 5. The wafer 1 is attached via the film-like adhesive 3 to the dicing tape 4, which has a thickness of about 100 μm and has an adhesive layer formed on its surface, and the dicing tape 4 has its outer periphery fixed to a rigid ring-shaped frame 5.

[0006] In the workpiece dividing device, the frame 5 of the wafer unit 2 is fixed, and then the dicing tape 4 is pushed up and expanded by the upward movement of the expanding ring. As a result, the wafer 1 is divided into individual chips 6.

[0007] Incidentally, the dicing tape 4 has a low Young's modulus and is flexible, and the film-like adhesive 3 generally has high viscosity at around room temperature. Therefore, in order to smoothly divide the wafer 1 into individual chips 6, it is necessary to expand the dicing tape 4 in a state in which the dicing tape 4 and the film-like adhesive 3 are cooled and made brittle.

[0008] As a method for cooling an expansion tape, an atmospheric cooling method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known, and as a method for cooling a film-like adhesive, a low-temperature chuck table method disclosed in Patent Document 2 is known.

[0009] In this specification, the region of the dicing tape 4 where the wafer 1 is attached via the film-like adhesive 3, that is, the region where the wafer 1 is divided, is referred to as the "dividing region 4A," and the region formed outside the dividing region 4A is referred to as the "non-dividing region 4B." This non-dividing region 4B is the region of the dicing tape 4 excluding the "fixing region 4C" which is fixed to the frame 5.

[0010] Patent document 1 discloses a method of cooling the extension tape to 10 to -15°C using cold air by bringing a cooling means close to the part corresponding to the non-divided region 4B, or a method of cooling the extension tape using cold air from a cold air inlet section, but both methods cool the extension tape by cooling the atmosphere containing the extension tape.

[0011] In contrast, the low-temperature chuck table method of Patent Document 2 is a method in which a low-temperature chuck table is brought into contact with a portion of the dicing tape corresponding to the division region 4A, and the film-like adhesive is locally cooled through the dicing tape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-146722 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-164233 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] 10 generally has a larger Young's modulus than the dicing tape 4. Due to this difference in Young's modulus, the dividing region 4A of the dicing tape 4 to which the film-like adhesive 3 is attached tends to expand less than the non-dividing region 4B when expanded. In other words, the hardness of the dividing region 4A is governed by the hardness of the film-like adhesive 3, and is harder than the non-dividing region 4B.

[0014] Therefore, the workpiece dividing devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following problems.

[0015] The atmospheric cooling method of Patent Document 1 is a method of cooling the expansion tape by cooling the atmosphere, in other words, a method of cooling the entire expansion tape, so the difference in the expansion amount between the division area and the non-division area of ​​the expansion tape does not decrease, and only the non-division area tends to expand. Therefore, even if the expansion tape is expanded, the division area cannot be expanded to the desired expansion amount, and there is a problem that the wafer cannot be smoothly divided into individual chips.

[0016] On the other hand, the low-temperature chuck table cooling method of Patent Document 2 uses a low-temperature chuck table to locally cool the dividing area, so the non-divided area is more likely to stretch than in the atmospheric cooling method of Patent Document 1, and this method also has the problem of being unable to smoothly divide the wafer into individual chips.

[0017] The above-mentioned problems may occur even in a wafer unit without a film-like adhesive. That is, since the hardness of the dividing region is governed by the hardness of the wafer, the difference in the amount of expansion between the dividing region and the non-dividing region of the dicing tape may cause a problem that the wafer cannot be smoothly divided into individual chips.

[0018] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a work division device and a work division method that can smoothly divide a wafer into individual chips without being affected by differences in the amount of expansion of the dicing tape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the work division device of the present invention divides a wafer attached to a dicing tape and mounted on a ring-shaped frame into individual chips, the dicing tape having a dividing area where the wafer is attached and a non-divided area formed outside the dividing area, and is equipped with a temperature difference generating means for generating a temperature difference such that the non-divided area is relatively cooler than the dividing area, and an expanding means for expanding the dicing tape in which a temperature difference has been generated by the temperature difference generating means.

[0020] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the work dividing method of the present invention divides a wafer attached to a dicing tape and mounted on a ring-shaped frame into individual chips, the dicing tape having a dividing area where the wafer is attached and a non-divided area formed outside the dividing area, and the method includes a temperature difference generating step of generating a temperature difference such that the non-divided area is relatively cooler than the dividing area, and an expanding step of expanding the dicing tape with the temperature difference generated.

[0021] According to the present invention, a temperature difference (temperature of the dividing region > temperature of the non-dividing region) is generated so that the non-dividing region is relatively lower than the dividing region, and the hardness of the non-dividing region is made closer to that of the dividing region, or made harder than that of the dividing region. This makes it possible to eliminate or reduce the difference in the amount of expansion between the dividing region and the non-dividing region of the dicing tape when expanding the dicing tape, thereby making it possible to obtain a desired amount of expansion suitable for dividing the wafer. Therefore, the wafer can be smoothly divided into individual chips without being affected by the difference in the amount of expansion of the dicing tape.

[0022] In one embodiment of the work division device of the present invention, it is preferable that the temperature difference generating means has a first temperature applying means for applying a first temperature to the divided region, and a second temperature applying means for applying a second temperature lower than the first temperature to the non-divided region.

[0023] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing method of the present invention, the temperature difference generating step preferably applies a first temperature to the divided region and a second temperature lower than the first temperature to the non-divided region.

[0024] In one embodiment of the workpiece dividing device of the present invention, the expanding means has an expanding ring that pushes up the non-dividing region of the dicing tape, and it is preferable that the second temperature applying means applies the second temperature to a region of the non-dividing region that is located between the outer periphery of the expanding ring and the inner periphery of the frame.

[0025] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing method of the present invention, the temperature difference generating step preferably applies the second temperature to a region of the non-dividing region that is located between the outer periphery of the expanding ring that expands the dicing tape and the inner periphery of the frame.

[0026] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing device of the present invention, the temperature difference generating means preferably has an atmosphere cooling means for cooling an atmosphere including the dicing tape, and a local cooling means for locally cooling a non-dividing region of the dicing tape.

[0027] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing method of the present invention, the temperature difference generating step preferably includes an atmosphere cooling step of cooling an atmosphere containing the dicing tape, and a local cooling step of locally cooling the dividing region of the dicing tape.

[0028] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing device of the present invention, the temperature difference generating means preferably has an atmosphere cooling means for cooling an atmosphere containing the dicing tape, and a local heating means for locally heating the dividing region of the dicing tape.

[0029] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing method of the present invention, the temperature difference generating step preferably includes an atmosphere cooling step of cooling an atmosphere containing the dicing tape, and a local heating step of locally heating the dividing region of the dicing tape.

[0030] In one aspect of the workpiece dividing method of the present invention, the wafer is preferably attached to a dicing tape via a film-like adhesive. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the present invention, the wafer can be smoothly divided into individual chips without being affected by differences in the amount of expansion of the dicing tape. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a main part of a workpiece dividing device according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] Flowchart of work division method [Diagram 3] Block diagram showing the configuration of the work division device of FIG. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of dividing a wafer into chips using the work dividing device in Figure 1. [Diagram 5] Dicing tape expansion maintained by sub-ring [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of a main part of a workpiece dividing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a structural diagram of a main part of a workpiece dividing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of a main part of a workpiece dividing device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a structural diagram of a main part of a workpiece dividing device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a wafer unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the workpiece dividing device and the workpiece dividing method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the following embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0034] [Workpiece dividing device 10A of the first embodiment] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a work dividing device 10A according to the first embodiment.

[0035] The work division device 10A includes a first temperature applying means and a second temperature applying means constituting a temperature difference generating means. That is, the work division device 10A includes a disk-shaped low-temperature chuck table 12 corresponding to the first temperature applying means, a ring-shaped low-temperature plate 14 corresponding to the second temperature applying means, and an expand ring 16 constituting an expand means.

[0036] As an example, the dicing tape 4 of the wafer unit 2 shown in FIG. 10 is placed on the flat upper surface 12A of the low-temperature chuck table 12. The wafer unit 2 is configured by mounting a disk-shaped wafer 1 to a frame 5 via the dicing tape 4. The wafer 1 is attached to the dicing tape 4 via a film-like adhesive 3 such as DAF or LC tape. Of the dicing tape 4 of the wafer unit 2, a circular division region 4A placed on the upper surface 12A of the low-temperature chuck table 12 is cooled by the low-temperature chuck table 12, and a part of the ring-shaped non-division region 4B formed outside the division region 4A of the dicing tape 4 is placed on the flat upper surface 14A of the low-temperature plate 14 and cooled. This region 4E is a ring-shaped region between the outer periphery 16A of the expand ring 16 and the inner periphery 5A of the frame 5. That is, the ring-shaped push-up region 4D of the dicing tape 4 with which the upper surface 16B of the expand ring 16 comes into contact is excluded from the region 4E cooled by the low-temperature plate 14. The reason for this will be described later.

[0037] The thickness of the wafer 1 is, for example, about 50 μm, and the thickness of the film-like adhesive 3 is about several μm to 100 μm. The dicing tape 4 is, for example, a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tape. The film-like adhesive 3 is made of a base material having a larger Young's modulus than the dicing tape 4, for example, a PO (polyolefin) base material.

[0038] The low-temperature chuck table 12 holds the dividing region 4A of the dicing tape 4 by vacuum suction, thereby contact-applying a first temperature to a portion of the dicing tape 4 present in the dividing region 4A, the entire film-like adhesive 3, and the entire wafer 1. The first temperature is, for example, 5° C. or lower, and preferably about 5° C. to −5° C. As a result, the dividing region 4A is cooled to the first temperature by the low-temperature chuck table 12.

[0039] The method of cooling the division region 4A by the low-temperature chuck table 12 includes a method of supplying a refrigerant into the low-temperature chuck table 12, but a method of freezing the upper surface 12A of the low-temperature chuck table 12 by utilizing the Peltier effect may also be used. In this way, only the division region 4A is selectively cooled by the low-temperature chuck table 12.

[0040] The reason for cooling the dividing region 4A by the low-temperature chuck table 12 is to make the film-like adhesive 3 easier to divide by cooling it and making it brittle. That is, the film-like adhesive 3 has high viscosity at room temperature, and even if the expanding ring 16 pushes up the dicing tape 4 from below, the film-like adhesive 3 expands together with the dicing tape 4 and is not divided.

[0041] The diameter of the low-temperature chuck table 12 is preferably approximately equal to the diameter of the wafer 1. For example, if the diameter of the wafer 1 is 8 inches (approximately 200 mm), the diameter of the upper surface of the low-temperature chuck table 12 is preferably also approximately 8 inches.

[0042] The low-temperature plate 14 applies a second temperature lower than the first temperature to the region 4E of the dicing tape 4 by contact, by placing the region 4E of the dicing tape 4 on its upper surface 14A. The second temperature is preferably, for example, 5°C lower than the first temperature. In this case, the second temperature is about 0 to -10°C. This creates a temperature difference in which the region 4E is relatively lower than the dividing region 4A.

[0043] The cooling method of the region 4E by the low-temperature plate 14 may be a method of supplying a refrigerant into the low-temperature plate 14, as in the low-temperature chuck table 12. Alternatively, a method of freezing the upper surface 14A of the low-temperature plate 14 by utilizing the Peltier effect may be used. In this way, the region 4E is locally cooled by the low-temperature plate 14.

[0044] The reason why the region 4E is cooled to a lower temperature than the dividing region 4A by the low-temperature plate 14 is to make the hardness of the region 4E closer to that of the dividing region 4A or to make the hardness of the region 4E harder than that of the dividing region 4A. In other words, this is to reliably transmit the expanding force transmitted from the expand ring 16 to the dicing tape 4 from the region 4E to the dividing region 4A, expand the dividing region 4A to a desired expansion amount, and smoothly divide the wafer 1 into individual chips 6.

[0045] The dicing tape 4 is expanded by the expansion ring 16, so its size is naturally larger than the wafer 1. For example, if the diameter of the wafer 1 is 8 inches, the diameter of the dicing tape 4 is preferably about 300 mm. The wafer 1 is attached to the approximate center of the dicing tape 4 via the film-like adhesive 3, and at that time, the length between the outer periphery 1A of the wafer 1 and the inner periphery 5A of the frame 5 is about 50 mm.

[0046] The diameter of the film-like adhesive 3 is slightly larger than that of the wafer 1. In other words, the film-like adhesive 3 used is, for example, about 1 cm larger in diameter than the wafer 1, taking into consideration the amount of misalignment that may occur when the wafer 1 is attached to the film-like adhesive 3. The region between the outer periphery 3A of the film-like adhesive 3 and the inner periphery 5A of the frame 5 corresponds to the non-dividing region 4B, which includes the push-up region 4D and the region 4E. Note that in FIG. 1, the difference in diameter between the wafer 1 and the film-like adhesive 3 is exaggerated.

[0047] The expand ring 16 is disposed inside the low-temperature plate 14 so as to surround the low-temperature chuck table 12, and is connected to a ring lifting mechanism 18 constituting the expanding means and is raised and lowered. A roller 20 is rotatably provided on an upper surface 16B of the expand ring 16 which pushes up the push-up region 4D of the dicing tape 4 in order to reduce frictional force between the expand ring 16 and the push-up region 4D. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates the expand ring 16 waiting in a lowered position. The expand ring 16 is preferably made of a metal with good thermal conductivity, such as aluminum.

[0048] Here, the wafer 1 shown in Fig. 10 has dividing lines formed in advance in a lattice pattern inside it by laser irradiation or the like. The expand ring 16 in Fig. 1 rises to push up the push-up region 4D of the dicing tape 4 from below, thereby expanding the dicing tape 4 (see Fig. 4). By expanding the dicing tape 4 in this manner, the wafer 1 is divided along the dividing lines, and the wafer 1 is divided into individual chips 6 together with the film-like adhesive 3.

[0049] Returning to Fig. 1, the frame 5 of the wafer unit 2 is fixed to a frame fixing mechanism 22. In addition, a sub-ring 24 is provided on the outer periphery of the expand ring 16. The sub-ring 24 is raised and lowered together with the expand ring 16 by a ring lifting mechanism 18. This sub-ring 24 has the function of maintaining the expanded state of the expanded dicing tape 4 and maintaining the spacing between the individual divided chips 6 (see Fig. 5).

[0050] Hereinafter, the operation of the work dividing device 10A for dividing the wafer 1 into individual chips 6 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 2 and the block diagram of the work dividing device 10A in FIG.

[0051] In the work division device 10A of the embodiment, the temperature difference between the dividing region 4A and the region 4E during expansion is important. For this reason, in the work division device 10A, the operations of the low-temperature chuck table 12, the low-temperature plate 14, and the ring lifting mechanism 18 are controlled under temperature control by the same control unit 40, as shown in Fig. 3. That is, when the low-temperature chuck table 12 applies a first temperature to the dividing region 4A and the low-temperature plate 14 applies a second temperature to the region 4E, the control unit 40 raises the ring lifting mechanism 18 to expand the dicing tape 4.

[0052] 2, the frame 5 of the wafer unit 2 is fixed to the frame fixing mechanism 22 as shown in FIG 1. As a result, the divided region 4A of the wafer unit 2 is placed on the upper surface 12A of the low-temperature chuck table 12, and the region 4E is placed on the upper surface 14A of the low-temperature plate 14. The control unit 40 drives the low-temperature chuck table 12 and the low-temperature plate 14 in advance, and sets the temperature of the low-temperature chuck table 12 to a first temperature and the temperature of the low-temperature plate 14 to a second temperature lower than the first temperature.

[0053] 2, the dividing region 4A of the wafer unit 2 is vacuum-adsorbed by the low-temperature chuck table 12, and the dividing region 4A is securely brought into contact with the upper surface 12A of the low-temperature chuck table 12. At this time, since the low-temperature chuck table 12 is set to a first temperature, this contact imparts the first temperature of about 5 to -5°C to the dividing region 4A, and the dividing region 4A is cooled to the first temperature. This makes the film-like adhesive 3 brittle, and the film-like adhesive 3 can be easily broken by applying an expanding force.

[0054] Moreover, since the region 4E is in contact with the low-temperature plate 14 at the same time as the divided region 4A is cooled by the low-temperature chuck table 12, the region 4E is given a second temperature that is 5° C. lower than the divided region 4A, and the region 4E is cooled to the second temperature. As a result, the temperature of the region 4E becomes relatively lower than that of the divided region 4A. In other words, the hardness of the region 4E is made closer to that of the divided region 4A, or the hardness of the region 4E becomes harder than that of the divided region 4A.

[0055] Next, during the expanding process in step S120 in FIG. 2, the expanding ring 16 is raised by the ring lifting mechanism 18 to expand the dicing tape 4 and divide the wafer 1 together with the film-like adhesive 3, as shown in FIG.

[0056] Specifically, the control unit 40 releases the vacuum suction of the division region 4A by the low-temperature chuck table 12, and the control unit 40 controls the ring lifting mechanism 18 to raise the expand ring 16 and the sub-ring 24. The expand ring 16 is raised, for example, at 400 mm / sec, and pushed up 15 mm. At this time, the sub-ring 24 stops at a position below the frame 5. At this time, since the hardness of the region 4E of the dicing tape 4 is made close to that of the division region 4A or is made harder than that of the division region 4A, the expanding force transmitted from the expand ring 16 to the dicing tape 4 is reliably transmitted from the region 4E to the division region 4A via the push-up region 4D, and the division region 4A expands to a desired expansion amount. As a result, the wafer 1 is divided along the planned division line, and is smoothly divided into individual chips 6. Furthermore, gaps of several μm to 100 μm are formed between each of the separated chips 6, but since the film-like adhesive 3 has cooled and become brittle, the film-like adhesive 3 is also separated along the intended division lines together with the wafer 1. This allows the wafer 1 to be smoothly divided into each chip 6 with the film-like adhesive 3 attached to its backside.

[0057] When the dicing tape 4 is released from the expansion by the expansion ring 16, it returns to its original shape due to its elasticity, eliminating the gaps between each chip 6, so it is necessary to maintain the expanded state of the dicing tape 4 at least in the areas where each chip 6 is present.

[0058] 2, the sub-ring 24 is further raised and inserted into a position above the frame 5, as shown in Fig. 5, and the non-dividable region 4B of the expanded dicing tape 4 is clamped between the sub-ring 24 and the frame 5. Alternatively, there is also a method of thermally shrinking the dicing tape 4 using heat to maintain the expanded state.

[0059] Next, in step S140 of FIG. 2, the expand ring 16 is lowered to release the expansion of the dicing tape 4 by the expand ring 16. At this time, since the sub-ring 24 is left in the position of FIG. 5, the expanded state of the dicing tape 4 is maintained. This maintains a wide gap between each chip 6, preventing the film-like adhesive 3 from re-adhering, and also making it easy to pick up the chip 6 from the dicing tape 4. The above is the function of the work division device 10A, the operation of which is controlled by the control unit 40.

[0060] According to the first embodiment of the workpiece dividing device 10A configured as described above, a low-temperature chuck table 12 that applies a first temperature to the dividing region 4A and a low-temperature plate 14 that applies a second temperature lower than the first temperature to the region 4E are separately provided, so that a relative temperature difference (e.g., 5°C) can be created between the dividing region 4A and the region 4E, making the hardness of the region 4E closer to that of the dividing region 4A, or making the hardness of the region 4E harder than that of the dividing region 4A.

[0061] As a result, the workpiece dividing device 10A of the first embodiment can eliminate or reduce the difference in the amount of expansion between the dividing region 4A and the region 4E of the dicing tape 4 during the expanding step, and can expand the dividing region 4A to a desired amount of expansion. Therefore, the wafer 1 can be smoothly divided into individual chips 6 without being affected by the difference in the amount of expansion of the dicing tape 4.

[0062] Moreover, the region 4E is set in the region between the outer periphery 16A of the expanding ring 16 and the inner periphery 5A of the frame 5. That is, the push-up region 4D of the dicing tape 4, which the expanding ring 16 abuts against, is excluded from the region 4E to which the second temperature is applied. This makes it possible to prevent the push-up region 4D from becoming brittle due to the effect of applying the second temperature to the push-up region 4D and breaking during expansion. Note that the entire region of the non-dividing region 4B may be cooled to the second temperature depending on the second temperature. That is, the push-up region 4D may also be cooled to the second temperature.

[0063] The low-temperature chuck table 12 is a member that comes into contact with the divided region 4A to apply a first temperature to the divided region 4A, and the low-temperature plate 14 is a member that comes into contact with the region 4E to locally apply a second temperature to the region 4E. This makes it possible to cool the divided region 4A to the first temperature and the region 4E to the second temperature, each of which is a target temperature, in a short period of time.

[0064] As an example, the first temperature by the low-temperature chuck table 12 is set to 5 to -5°C, and the second temperature by the low-temperature plate 14 is set to 5°C lower than the first temperature, so that the hardness of region 4E can be made closer to the hardness of divided region 4A or made harder than the hardness of divided region 4A.

[0065] In another embodiment, the low-temperature plate 14 may be brought into contact with the region 4E from the upper side of the dicing tape 4 to cool the region 4E to the second temperature. However, when the low-temperature plate 14 is brought into contact with the region 4E from the upper side of the dicing tape 4, the low-temperature plate 14 may come into contact with the film-like adhesive 3, and in this case, the low-temperature plate 14 adheres to the film-like adhesive 3. When the low-temperature plate 14 is peeled off from the film-like adhesive 3, the dicing tape 4 may vibrate, and chip cracks may occur due to this vibration. In the work division device 10A of the first embodiment, the low-temperature plate 14 is brought into contact with the region 4E from the lower side of the dicing tape 4, so that the occurrence of the above-mentioned chip cracks can be prevented.

[0066] The purpose of the present invention is to generate a temperature difference such that the undivided region 4B is relatively lower than the divided region 4A. Therefore, it is within the scope of the present invention to generate a temperature difference such that the undivided region 4B is relatively lower than the divided region 4A by cooling the region 4E and heating the divided region 4A. For example, the same effect can be obtained by locally cooling the region 4E to 0 to -10°C by a cooling method and locally heating the divided region 4A to a temperature 5°C higher by a heating method.

[0067] In another embodiment, by cooling region 4E and heating dividing region 4A, the stress during expansion is applied more heavily to dividing region 4A, which is advantageous when dividing a metal composite membrane located on the intended dividing line during expansion.

[0068] Specifically, the wafer 1, which has a dividing line processed in advance by laser irradiation or the like, has only the silicone, which is the base material of the wafer 1, divided by the work dividing device 10A. Therefore, if a metal composite film exists on the dividing line, the metal composite film is not divided even after the dividing line is processed, and if it is not divided during the subsequent expanding process, this causes a decrease in the production volume of the product. Therefore, the work dividing device 10A of the first embodiment is capable of cooling the region 4E and heating the dividing region 4A, so that the stress during the expanding process is applied more to the dividing region 4A. As a result, a larger stress acts on the dividing region 4A, so that the metal composite film can be divided reliably.

[0069] [Workpiece dividing device 10B according to the second embodiment] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a work division device 10B of the second embodiment, and components that are the same as or similar to those of the work division device 10A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are given the same symbols and will not be described.

[0070] The work division device 10B differs from the work division device 10A in that the second temperature is imparted to the region 4E by locally cooling the region 4E with the cooling air 28 sprayed from the nozzle 26. In this case, the temperature of the cooling air 28 is set to a second temperature lower than the first temperature by the low-temperature chuck table 12, whereby the region 4E is locally cooled to the second temperature.

[0071] Furthermore, in the workpiece dividing device 10B, cooling air 28 is sprayed onto the region 4E from below the dicing tape 4, thereby preventing the film-like adhesive 3 from peeling off from the dicing tape 4 due to the wind pressure of the cooling air 28.

[0072] As in the workpiece dividing device 10B, the first temperature is locally applied to the dividing region 4A by the contact-type low-temperature chuck table 12, and the second temperature is further applied to the region 4E by locally blowing non-contact cooling air 28, so that it is possible to obtain the same effect as the workpiece dividing device 10A. Also, as in the workpiece dividing device 10A, the region 4E may be cooled and the dividing region 4A may be heated.

[0073] [Workpiece dividing device 10C according to the third embodiment] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a work division device 10C of the third embodiment. Components that are the same as or similar to those of the work division device 10A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the work division device 10B of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are given the same symbols and will not be described.

[0074] The work division device 10C differs from the work division device 10B in that the air inside the chamber 34 is cooled by the cooling air 32 ejected from the cold air ejection port 30, thereby cooling the atmosphere including the dicing tape 4 and applying a first temperature to the entire dicing tape 4. In this case, the temperature of the cooling air 32 is set to the first temperature by the low-temperature chuck table 12. In the work division device 10C, the cooling air 32 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling means, and the cooling air 28 blown locally from the nozzle 26 corresponds to the local cooling means. Moreover, cooling by the cooling air 32 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling step, and cooling by the cooling air 28 corresponds to the local cooling step.

[0075] As in the work division device 10C, the atmosphere including the dicing tape 4 may be cooled by the cooling air 32, and the region 4E may be locally cooled by the cooling air 28, thereby applying a first temperature to the division region 4A and a second temperature to the non-division region 4B. This creates a temperature difference in which the non-division region 4B is relatively lower than the division region 4A, and thus it is possible to obtain the same effect as the work division devices 10A and 10B. Also, as in the work division devices 10A and 10B, the region 4E may be cooled and the division region 4A may be heated.

[0076] [Workpiece dividing device 10D of the fourth embodiment] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a work division device 10D of the fourth embodiment, and components that are the same as or similar to those of the work division device 10A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the work division device 10C of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 are given the same symbols and descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0077] The work division device 10D differs from the work division device 10C in that the second temperature is applied to the region 4E by locally cooling the region 4E with the low-temperature plate 14. In the work division device 10D, the low-temperature plate 14 corresponds to the local cooling means, and the cooling air 32 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling means. Moreover, the cooling by the cooling air 32 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling step, and the cooling by the low-temperature plate 14 corresponds to the local cooling step.

[0078] As in the workpiece dividing device 10D, the atmosphere including the dicing tape 4 may be cooled by the cooling air 32, and the region 4E may be locally cooled by the low-temperature plate 14, thereby applying a first temperature to the dividing region 4A and a second temperature to the region 4E. This creates a temperature difference in which the undivided region 4B is relatively lower than the dividing region 4A, and thus it is possible to obtain the same effect as the workpiece dividing devices 10A, 10B, and 10C. Also, as in the workpiece dividing devices 10A, 10B, and 10C, the region 4E may be cooled and the dividing region 4A may be heated.

[0079] [Workpiece dividing device 10E of the fifth embodiment] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a work division device 10E of the fifth embodiment, and components that are the same as or similar to those of the work division device 10A of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the work division device 10D of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 are given the same symbols and will not be described.

[0080] The difference between the work division device 10E and the work division device 10A is that the cooling air 36 ejected from the cold air ejection port 30 cools the air inside the chamber 34, thereby cooling the atmosphere including the dicing tape 4 and applying the second temperature to the entire dicing tape 4. That is, the temperature of the cooling air 36 is set to the second temperature. Also, a heating means is provided on the low-temperature chuck table 12, and the heating means locally heats the division area 4A, thereby applying a first temperature higher than the second temperature. In the work division device 10E, the cooling air 36 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling means, and the low-temperature chuck table 12 corresponds to the local heating means. Also, the cooling by the cooling air 36 corresponds to the atmosphere cooling process, and the heating by the low-temperature chuck table 12 corresponds to the local heating process.

[0081] As in the workpiece dividing device 10E, the atmosphere including the dicing tape 4 may be cooled by the cooling air 36, and the dividing region 4A may be locally heated by the low-temperature chuck table 12, thereby applying a first temperature to the dividing region 4A and a second temperature to the region 4E. This creates a temperature difference in which the undivided region 4B is relatively lower than the dividing region 4A, and therefore it is possible to obtain the same effect as the workpiece dividing devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D.

[0082] In the embodiment, the workpiece dividing apparatus 10A-10E for dividing the wafer unit 2 having the film-like adhesive 3 has been described, but even in the case of the wafer unit 2 without the film-like adhesive 3, the present invention is also effective in the case of expanding the divided region 4A and the region 4E by applying a temperature difference (temperature of the divided region 4A>temperature of the region 4E) by the first temperature applying means and the second temperature applying means. That is, even in the case of the wafer unit 2 without the film-like adhesive 3, the hardness of the divided region 4A is controlled by the hardness of the wafer 1, so that the divided region 4A is more difficult to expand than the region 4E. By applying the temperature difference as described above, the amount of expansion of the divided region 4A becomes equal to the amount of expansion of the region 4E, or the divided region 4A expands more easily than the region 4E, so that the wafer 1 can be divided smoothly.

[0083] Also, in a wafer unit 2 without a film-like adhesive 3, in order to create a temperature difference between the dividing region 4A and the region 4E, the region 4E may be cooled and the dividing region 4A may be heated.

[0084] The dicing tape 4 stretches differently in the XY directions depending on the tape production direction. In principle, it tends to stretch more easily in a direction parallel to the tape production direction and less easily in a direction perpendicular to the tape production direction. By setting the wafer unit 2 in the work dividing device while taking into consideration the stretching characteristics of the dicing tape 4 and the expanding direction by the expanding ring 16, it is possible to improve the uniformity of the stretching of the dicing tape 4 during expansion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...wafer, 2...wafer unit, 3...film-like adhesive, 4...dicing tape, 4A...division area, 4B...non-division area, 4C...fixation area, 4D...push-up area, 5...frame, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E...workpiece division device, 12...low-temperature chuck table, 14...low-temperature plate, 16...expanding ring, 18...ring lifting mechanism, 20...roller, 22...frame fixing mechanism, 24...sub-ring, 26...nozzle, 28...cooling air, 30...cooling air outlet, 32...cooling air, 34...chamber, 36...cooling air, 40...control unit

Claims

1. A temperature applying device for reducing a difference in an expansion amount of a dicing tape that occurs when dividing a wafer into individual chips by expanding the dicing tape to which a wafer is attached using an expanding ring, comprising: A temperature applying means is provided for applying a temperature to only a region of the dicing tape that is outside the expand ring, the temperature being lower than a region to which the wafer is attached. Temperature application device.

2. A temperature application method for reducing a difference in an expansion amount of a dicing tape that occurs when dividing a wafer into individual chips by expanding the dicing tape to which a wafer is attached using an expansion ring, comprising: A temperature application step is provided in which only a region of the dicing tape that is outside the expand ring is made to have a lower temperature than a region to which the wafer is attached. Temperature application method.

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