Method and apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor device manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus which can obtain a trimming shape stably and can process a high functional wafer of a semiconductor device at high yield.SOLUTION: The semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises: a chucking step of mounting a wafer 30 of a semiconductor device on a chuck mechanism 12; an edge-trimming step of making a rotary blade 17 trim an outer peripheral end part 34 of the wafer 30 of the semiconductor device to form a groove 35, by making the chuck mechanism rotate the wafer 30 of the semiconductor device horizontally and by making a vertical type spindle 15 applied with ultrasonic rotate the rotary blade 17 horizontally; and a layer-thinning step of making the wafer 30 of the semiconductor device thinner, by making a cup grindstone that rotates horizontally grind one main surface of the wafer 30 of the semiconductor device being horizontally rotated, where in the edge-trimming step, a shape of a tip of the rotary blade 17 being rotated horizontally is corrected with a grindstone 40 for blade forming.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device that can suppress chipping during thinning of a semiconductor device wafer by performing trimming of the wafer edge prior to thinning of the semiconductor device wafer.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is required to package semiconductor device wafers thinner. Thinning of the semiconductor device wafer is performed by grinding using a fixed abrasive wheel. In the process of thinning the semiconductor device wafer, if chipping occurs at the wafer edge, the yield of semiconductor device chips decreases, which becomes a problem. Therefore, in order to suppress chipping of the semiconductor device wafer, it is known to perform trimming (chamfering) of the wafer edge before the grinding process for thinning.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses performing edge grinding (chamfering) of a semiconductor substrate using a cup wheel type diamond grinding wheel. In the edge grinding process of this document, a horizontally rotating diamond grinding wheel is used for a horizontally rotating semiconductor substrate. Specifically, the horizontally rotating diamond grinding wheel is lowered from above so that the vertical surface of the outer peripheral edge of the diamond grinding wheel overlaps the vertical surface of the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor substrate, and grinding cuts are made on the edge surface of the semiconductor substrate.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses an edge grinding process of a semiconductor substrate using a diamond edge grinding wheel rotating vertically about a horizontal axis. In the edge grinding process of this document, the vertically rotating edge grinding wheel is lowered to reduce the outer peripheral edge of the horizontally rotating semiconductor substrate to a desired thickness.

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses an end grinding device that vertically rotates a diamond wheel by a spindle arranged along the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction), and abuts the outer peripheral surface of the diamond wheel against the outer peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer that horizontally rotates for grinding.

[0006] In addition, Patent Document 4 discloses a technique of horizontally rotating a semiconductor device wafer by a chuck mechanism and horizontally rotating a rotary blade by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied, and trimming the peripheral side surface of the semiconductor device wafer with the rotary blade.

[0007] Also known are methods such as attaching a BG tape (Back Grind Tape) as a grinding protection layer to the device surface of a semiconductor device wafer, and a WSS (Wafer Support System) in which a support wafer is formed on the device surface of a semiconductor device wafer via a resin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] As described above, in the field of semiconductor devices, further thinning of semiconductor device wafers is required, and a high-precision trimming technique for preventing chipping of semiconductor device wafers is required to achieve this.

[0010] However, the above-described conventional technologies had problems to be improved in order to realize a highly accurate and highly efficient edge trimming process for suppressing chipping of semiconductor device wafers.

[0011] Specifically, in the method of trimming the edge by cup wheel type diamond grinding as in the above-described conventional technology, there was a problem that the processing speed was slow and the productivity was lacking. In addition, due to the wear of the cup wheel type diamond grinding stone, there was a drawback that the perpendicularity of the trimming bottom surface was lost and it became a tapered shape.

[0012] Also, in the method of performing trimming by pressing a vertically rotating diamond blade against the edge portion of a horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer, since the diamond blade and the semiconductor device wafer are in line contact, there is a drawback that the shear stress on the semiconductor device wafer is large.

[0013] Therefore, in the method of forming a support wafer on the device surface of a semiconductor device wafer via resin by WSS, if the bonding of WSS is not perfect, new defects may occur in the semiconductor device wafer or WSS due to the shear stress by the diamond blade.

[0014] Also, in the method of removing the edge portion of the device surface of a semiconductor device wafer with a diamond blade, since the BG tape is attached and the support wafer is formed by WSS in a state where a step is formed on the outer periphery of the device surface, the thickness of the semiconductor device wafer is likely to vary during the thinning process.

[0015] Also, in the method of trimming the device surface of the above semiconductor device wafer, since it is necessary to remove a semiconductor wafer such as silicon (Si) below it through a metal or insulating film that is difficult to process, the wear of the diamond blade becomes large.

[0016] In addition, in the method of trimming the device surface of the semiconductor device wafer described above, there is a problem that the process cost increases, such as the need for precision cleaning because dust and contamination are likely to adhere to the device surface.

[0017] Also, as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 4, a method of trimming the peripheral side surface of a horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer using a rotating blade that rotates horizontally with a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied enables high-speed and high-precision trimming. However, in order to put it into practical use as a mass production technology, a high-yield processing technology capable of stably obtaining a highly accurate and high-quality trimming shape and trim surface properties is required.

[0018] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor device excellent in productivity capable of obtaining a stable trimming shape and trim surface properties and processing a highly functional semiconductor device wafer with a high yield.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0019] The manufacturing method of the semiconductor device of the present invention includes a chucking step of attaching a semiconductor device wafer to a chuck mechanism, and after the chucking step, horizontally rotating the semiconductor device wafer by the chuck mechanism and horizontally rotating a rotating blade by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied to trim an outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer with the rotating blade to form a groove in the outer peripheral end portion, and an edge trimming step, and after the edge trimming step, a thinning step of thinning the semiconductor device wafer by grinding one main surface of the horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer with a horizontally rotating cup-shaped grinder, and in the edge trimming step, while the rotating blade is trimming the outer peripheral end portion characterized in that the tip shape of the horizontally rotating rotating blade is corrected with a blade shaping grinder.

[0020] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor device of the present invention includes a chuck mechanism that adsorbs and horizontally rotates a semiconductor device wafer, a rotary blade that horizontally rotates and trims the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer adsorbed by the chuck mechanism and horizontally rotated by a vertical spindle to form a groove in the outer peripheral end portion, an ultrasonic vibration device that applies ultrasonic waves to the vertical spindle, and a blade shaping stone that abuts against the tip of the rotary blade that is horizontally rotating to correct the tip shape of the rotary blade. while trimming the outer peripheral end portion It is characterized by comprising:

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, after a chucking step of attaching a semiconductor device wafer to a chuck mechanism is performed, the semiconductor device wafer is horizontally rotated by the chuck mechanism, and at the same time, a rotary blade is horizontally rotated by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied, and an edge trimming step of trimming the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer with the rotary blade to form a groove in the outer peripheral end portion is performed. Then, after the edge trimming step, a thinning step of grinding one main surface of the horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer with a cup stone that is horizontally rotating to thin the semiconductor device wafer is performed. By such steps, the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer can be trimmed without being affected by various films such as a metal film and an insulating film formed on the surface of the device surface of the semiconductor device wafer. In the edge trimming step, since the rotary blade is horizontally rotated by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied, high-speed and high-precision trimming is possible. And in the edge trimming step, the tip shape of the horizontally rotating rotary blade is corrected to a suitable shape by the blade shaping stone. Thereby, a stable trimming shape and trim surface properties can be obtained for the semiconductor device wafer, and a highly functional semiconductor device wafer can be processed with a high yield. That is, excellent productivity that cannot be obtained by the prior art can be obtained. Specifically, an extremely thin semiconductor device wafer with a thickness of 20 μm or less can be mass-produced with a high yield.

[0022] Further, according to the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, in the edge trimming step, the shape of the trimmed groove is detected, and the tip shape of the rotary blade may be corrected with the grindstone for blade forming so that the shape is within a specified value. Thereby, a highly accurate and precise trimming shape can be obtained by continuous and efficient trimming processing.

[0023] Also, according to the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, in the edge trimming step, parallel light may be projected onto the shape of the groove and the shape of the shadow of the parallel light may be observed to detect the shape of the groove. Thereby, the shape of the trimmed groove of the semiconductor device wafer can be efficiently detected with high accuracy, and grooves with a highly accurate, stable shape and surface properties can be processed with high efficiency.

[0024] Further, according to the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, the tip shape of the rotary blade may be corrected while adjusting the support angle for blade forming. Thereby, the tip shape of the rotary blade can always be maintained in a suitable state, and highly accurate trimming processing can be continuously and efficiently performed. Specifically, a trimming surface that inclines at a suitable angle can be formed at the outer peripheral end of the semiconductor device wafer.

[0025] Further, according to the manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device of the present invention, it includes a chuck mechanism that adsorbs and horizontally rotates a semiconductor device wafer, a rotary blade that horizontally rotates and trims the outer peripheral end of the semiconductor device wafer adsorbed by the chuck mechanism with a vertical spindle to form a groove in the outer peripheral end, an ultrasonic vibration device that applies ultrasonic waves to the vertical spindle, and a grindstone for blade forming that abuts against the tip of the horizontally rotating rotary blade to correct the tip shape of the rotary blade. With such a configuration, the tip shape of the rotary blade for trimming the outer peripheral end of the semiconductor device wafer can always be maintained in a suitable state, and highly accurate and highly efficient trimming processing can be continuously executed. Therefore, high-yield manufacturing of high-performance and state-of-the-art semiconductor device wafers is realized, and productivity is improved.

[0026] Further, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the semiconductor device of the present invention, it is provided with observation means for detecting the shape of the trimmed groove, and the tip shape of the rotary blade by the blade for blade forming may be corrected based on the shape of the groove detected by the observation means. With such a configuration, it is possible to always accurately grasp the trimming situation of the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer. Therefore, the tip shape can be accurately corrected with the blade for blade forming so that the tip shape of the rotary blade is always in a suitable state. As a result, high-precision and high-efficiency trimming processing is continuously executed, and the yield of manufacturing the semiconductor device wafer is increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] Hereinafter, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration of a fully automatic grinding apparatus incorporating an edge trimming apparatus 10.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that automatically performs a series of processes from a chucking process to an edge trimming process, a thinning process, and a cleaning process of a semiconductor device wafer 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0031] The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a transfer robot 21 that transfers the semiconductor device wafer 30, a standby table 22, an ultrasonic trimming table 23, a rough grinding table 25, a finish grinding table 27, and a cleaning unit 29 that execute each process.

[0032] And the manufacturing apparatus 1 has a 90-degree indexing table 20 that indexes the semiconductor device wafer 30 by 90 degrees to the standby table 22, the ultrasonic trimming table 23, the rough grinding table 25, and the finish grinding table 27.

[0033] The standby table 22 is a table that executes the chucking process of the semiconductor device wafer 30. The semiconductor device wafer 30 to be processed is first transported to the standby table 22 by the transfer robot 21. Then, the chucking process of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is executed on the standby table 22.

[0034] The ultrasonic trimming table 23 is a table that executes the edge trimming process of the semiconductor device wafer 30. After the chucking process on the standby table 22, it indexes 90 degrees clockwise on the 90-degree indexing table 20, and the edge trimming process of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is executed on the ultrasonic trimming table 23. Specifically, a part of the outer peripheral end portion 34 (see FIG. 2) of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is ground by the rotating blade 17 of the edge trimming device 10 that rotates horizontally with ultrasonic waves applied.

[0035] The manufacturing apparatus 1 is also provided with an imaging device 45 as observation means for accurately detecting and evaluating the trimming shape of the semiconductor device wafer 30. The imaging device 45 images the vicinity of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, and accurately acquires the shape information of the groove 35 (see FIG. 2) formed in the outer peripheral end portion 34 by the edge trimming process as image data 49 (see FIG. 4). Thereby, high-precision trimming is realized.

[0036] The rough grinding table 25 and the finish grinding table 27 are tables that execute the thinning process of the semiconductor device wafer 30. Above the rough grinding table 25, a rough grinding head 26 for rough grinding the upper surface of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is provided, and on the upper surface of the finish grinding table 27, a finish grinding head 28 for finish grinding the upper surface of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is provided.

[0037] The semiconductor device wafer 30 on which the edge trimming process has been completed at the ultrasonic trimming table 23 is further indexed 90 degrees clockwise by the 90-degree indexing table 20. Then, at the rough grinding table 25, rough grinding for thinning is performed by the rough grinding head 26.

[0038] Then, the semiconductor device wafer 30 that has been rough ground at the rough grinding table 25 is indexed to the finish grinding table 27 by the 90-degree indexing table 20, and finish grinding is performed to the final thickness by the finish grinding head 28.

[0039] The semiconductor device wafer 30 on which the thinning process has been completed at the finish grinding table 27 is returned to the standby table 22 by the 90-degree indexing table 20, and then sent to the cleaning unit 29 by the transfer robot 21. Then, in the cleaning unit 29, a cleaning process for cleaning the semiconductor device wafer 30 is performed.

[0040] Note that the manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is only an example of an embodiment of the present invention. For example, only the edge trimming apparatus 10 may be separated from the manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and be a single full-automatic trimming apparatus.

[0041] Also, an edge trimming apparatus 10 may be provided at the portion where the cleaning unit 29 is disposed in FIG. 1, and it may be an automatic grinding apparatus with an edge trimming apparatus 10 separated from the grinding stages of the rough grinding table 25 and the finish grinding table 27.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the edge trimming apparatus 10. Referring to FIG. 2, the edge trimming apparatus 10 is an apparatus for trimming the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0043] The edge trimming device 10 includes a vacuum chuck 11 that supports and horizontally rotates a semiconductor device wafer 30, a rotary blade 17 that grinds the outer peripheral edge portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, a vertical spindle 15 that supports the rotary blade 17, and an ultrasonic vibration device 16 that applies ultrasonic waves to the vertical spindle 15.

[0044] The vacuum chuck 11 constitutes a chuck mechanism for chucking the semiconductor device wafer 30. The vacuum chuck 11 is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable with its rotation axis substantially vertical. The semiconductor device wafer 30 is attached to the upper surface of the vacuum chuck 11 via a holding layer formed by a support substrate 13 or the like, and the semiconductor device wafer 30 rotates horizontally together with the chuck mechanism such as the vacuum chuck 11.

[0045] The rotary blade 17 is, for example, a diamond grinding blade in which diamond abrasives are fixed with a vitrified bond. The rotary blade 17 has its central portion supported by the vertical spindle 15 and rotates horizontally, and its tip, that is, the outer peripheral grinding surface 18, is provided at a position where it can contact the outer peripheral edge portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0046] The vertical spindle 15 is a rotation axis that supports the rotary blade 17. The vertical spindle 15 has its rotation axis extending in the vertical direction and is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable. The vertical spindle 15 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown), whereby the rotary blade 17 rotates horizontally.

[0047] The vertical spindle 15 and the rotary blade 17 are provided so as to be horizontally movable toward the semiconductor device wafer 30. Thereby, the rotary blade 17 that rotates horizontally is brought close to the semiconductor device wafer 30 held by the vacuum chuck 11 and rotating horizontally, and the outer peripheral pressing surface 18 of the rotary blade 17 can be pressed against the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. Then, the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be precisely ground with the outer peripheral pressing surface 18 of the rotary blade 17 to form the trimming surface 36 with a desired average depth D (see FIG. 4).

[0048] In addition, in order to perform trimming by pressing the outer peripheral pressing surface 18 of the rotary blade 17 that rotates horizontally against the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 that rotates horizontally as described above, the vacuum chuck 11 that holds the semiconductor device wafer 30 may be horizontally movable.

[0049] Further, the rotary blade 17 or the vacuum chuck 11 may be vertically movable. Thereby, trimming can be repeatedly executed by changing the vertical position of the rotary blade 17 with respect to the semiconductor device wafer 30. Then, the trimming surface 36 can be formed for a desired range in the vertical direction with respect to the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0050] Also, the vertical spindle 15 is pivotally supported by bearings 19 above and below the rotary blade 17. Since the vertical spindle 15 is pivotally supported at two locations above and below in this way, the rotational runout of the rotary blade 17 is suppressed, the rotational accuracy is improved, and precise trimming processing with high accuracy becomes possible.

[0051] As the bearing 19, for example, a general mechanical bearing such as a ball bearing, a cylindrical roller bearing, or a tapered roller bearing may be adopted. Further, at least one of the bearings 19 provided above and below the rotary blade 17 may be an air bearing that forms an air film between the bearing 19 and the vertical spindle 15 and pivotally supports the vertical spindle 15 in a non-contact manner. By using an air bearing as the bearing 19, the rotary blade 17 is held with low friction and high precision and rotates at high speed. Therefore, the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be trimmed with high precision.

[0052] In particular, by adopting an air bearing as the bearing 19 provided below the rotary blade 17, deterioration due to scattering of the processing water is suppressed, and the high durability of the bearing 19 and the vertical spindle 15 can be achieved.

[0053] The ultrasonic vibration device 16 is a device that applies ultrasonic waves to the vertical spindle 15. When ultrasonic waves are applied to the vertical spindle 15 by the ultrasonic vibration device 16, ultrasonic waves are applied to the rotary blade 17, and the rotary blade 17 ultrasonically vibrates in the radial direction of the rotation radius. As a result, it becomes possible to trim the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 at high speed and with high precision. Further, when ultrasonic waves are applied to the rotary blade 17, the wear of the rotary blade 17 is reduced, and chipping near the trimmed outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is suppressed.

[0054] The edge trimming device 10 is provided with a blade shaping stone 40 for correcting the tip shape of the rotary blade 17. The blade shaping stone 40 is, for example, a blade shaping diamond stone in which a diamond stone is fixed with a vitrified bond.

[0055] The blade shaping stone 40 for blade shaping is supported by an inclination adjustment mechanism 41 so that its inclination can be adjusted. Specifically, the stone surface of the blade shaping stone 40 that contacts the tip of the rotary blade 17 can be adjusted from a substantially vertical state to an inclined state. That is, the blade shaping stone 40 is supported by the inclination adjustment mechanism 41 and is rotatable about the support shaft 42 of the inclination adjustment mechanism 41 that extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0056] The stone surface of the blade shaping stone 40 contacts the tip of the rotary blade 17 that is away from the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, that is, the outer peripheral stone surface 18 of the rotary blade 17. Thereby, in the edge trimming process of trimming the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, the tip of the horizontally rotating rotary blade 17 abuts against the stone surface of the blade shaping stone 40 and is corrected to a shape suitable for trimming. That is, in the edge trimming process, the tip of the horizontally rotating rotary blade 17 contacts the stone surface of the blade shaping stone 40 and is ground.

[0057] With such a configuration, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 for trimming the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is always maintained in a suitable state, and high-precision and high-efficiency trimming processing can be continuously performed. Therefore, for the high-performance and state-of-the-art semiconductor device wafer 30, high-yield manufacturing is realized and productivity is improved.

[0058] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the edge trimming apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the edge trimming apparatus 10 includes an imaging device 45 as observation means for detecting the shape of the trimmed groove 35. The imaging device 45 includes a light source 46 that irradiates light, a light receiving element 47 that receives the light from the light source 46, and an image analysis device 48 that analyzes the optical data of the light receiving element 47.

[0059] The light source 46 irradiates light for detecting the trimming state of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. Specifically, the light source 46 is a parallel light source, and irradiates light so that a part of the parallel light contacts the vicinity of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. That is, the light source 46 emits parallel light in a substantially horizontal direction from the side of the semiconductor device wafer 30 toward the vicinity of the end of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0060] The light receiving element 47 is provided so as to face the light source 46 so as to receive the light emitted from the light source 46. Therefore, the parallel light emitted from the light source 46 passes through the vicinity of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 and is received by the light receiving element 47.

[0061] The light receiving element 47 is connected to the image analysis device 48. The image analysis device 48 analyzes the optical data received by the light receiving element 47 and analyzes the state of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 as image data 49 (see FIG. 4).

[0062] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the image data 49 of the imaging device 45 shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the shape of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is accurately imaged by the imaging device 45. Then, based on the shape of the groove 35 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 detected by the imaging device 45, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 (see FIG. 2) is corrected by the blade forming tool 40 (see FIG. 2).

[0063] With such a configuration, the trimming situation of the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can always be accurately grasped. Therefore, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 can be accurately corrected by the blade forming tool 40 so that the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 is always in a suitable state.

[0064] For example, the imaging device 45 can continuously and accurately detect the average depth D of the groove 35 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 in the trimming process, that is, the average depth D of the trimming surface 36. Thereby, the manufacturing apparatus 1 can form a groove 35 with an accurate average depth D.

[0065] Also, the imaging device 45 can accurately detect the inclination of the trimming surface 36 of the groove 35, that is, the inclination angle A. Thereby, when the inclination angle A of the trimming surface 36 is smaller than the lower limit inclination angle A1 or larger than the upper limit inclination angle A2, the inclination of the tip shape of the rotary blade 17, that is, the outer periphery and the chamfered surface 18 (see FIG. 2), can be corrected.

[0066] Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the support angle of the blade forming chamfer 40 can be adjusted by the inclination adjustment mechanism 41, and the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 can be trimmed by the blade forming chamfer 40 to be corrected to a suitable inclination.

[0067] Then, referring to FIG. 4, the trimming process of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be advanced with the inclination angle A of the trimming surface 36 being a suitable angle larger than the lower limit inclination angle A1 and smaller than the upper limit inclination angle A2.

[0068] In this way, based on the shape information of the trimming surface 36 detected by the imaging device 45, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 can always be maintained at a suitable inclination angle A, and high-precision trimming processing can be continuously and efficiently performed. Then, a trimming surface 36 that inclines at a suitable angle can be formed on the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0069] Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, FIG. 5(a) shows a state in which a semiconductor device wafer 30 is prepared in a chucking step, FIG. 5(b) shows a state in which trimming is being performed in an edge trimming step, FIG. 5(c) shows a state in which the edge trimming step is completed, and FIG. 5(d) is a diagram showing a state in which thinning is performed in a thinning step.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 5(a), the semiconductor device wafer 30 is a silicon wafer on which a semiconductor device layer 31 is formed, and its size is, for example, a diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 775 μm.

[0071] In the chucking step, on the device surface 32 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, a support substrate 13, which is a silicon-based or glass-based support wafer, is bonded via a bonding resin layer 12 formed of a silicone-based resin by the WSS method. The thickness of the bonding resin layer 12 is, for example, 40 μm, and the thickness of the support substrate 13 is, for example, 750 μm.

[0072] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the semiconductor device wafer 30 is held by a vacuum chuck 11 with the device surface 32 facing down through the bonding resin layer 12 and the support substrate 13.

[0073] Then, in an ultrasonic trimming table 23 (see FIG. 1), an edge trimming step is executed. In the edge trimming step, the semiconductor device wafer 30 is horizontally rotated by the vacuum chuck 11, and the outer peripheral surface 18 of a rotating blade 17 to which ultrasonic waves are also horizontally applied is pressed against the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. As a result, the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is trimmed to form a groove 35.

[0074] Note that the upper portion of the bonding resin layer 12 may be ground together with the outer peripheral end portion 34 by the rotating blade 17. Thereby, the effect of suppressing chipping of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be enhanced.

[0075] Here, the rotating blade 17 has, for example, a diameter of 100 mm, and the outer peripheral abrasive surface 18 has, for example, a thickness of 0.15 mm. The grain size of the diamond abrasive of the rotating blade 17 is preferably from #240 to #8000, more preferably from #1000 to #3000, and most preferably #2000.

[0076] Also, the rotational speed of the rotating blade 17 in the edge trimming process is from 8000 to 12000 min -1 is preferable, the rotational speed of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is from 250 to 350 min -1 is preferable, and the horizontal movement speed of the vertical spindle 15 is preferably from 0.3 to 0.7 mm / min.

[0077] For example, the rotational speed of the rotating blade 17 is 10000 min -1 , the rotational speed of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is 300 min -1 , and trimming is performed for 3 minutes with the horizontal movement speed of the vertical spindle 15 being 0.5 mm / min, and the trimming surface 36 is processed until the average depth D (see FIG. 4) from the outer peripheral end portion 34 becomes 1.5 mm. By trimming under the above conditions, a semiconductor device wafer 30 with a surface roughness of 15 to 20 nm (Ra) can be obtained.

[0078] As described above, in the edge trimming process, since the rotating blade 17 is horizontally rotated by the vertical spindle 15 to which ultrasonic waves are applied, trimming at high speed and high precision is performed as compared with trimming by a conventional cup wheel type diamond grinding and abrasive. Further, since ultrasonic waves are applied to the horizontally rotating rotating blade 17, wear of the rotating blade 17 is reduced, and chipping near the trimmed outer peripheral end portion 34 can be suppressed.

[0079] Here, the frequency of the ultrasonic waves applied from the ultrasonic vibration device 16 to the vertical spindle 15 is, for example, from 16 to 1000 kHz. Thereby, suitable trimming performance for the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be obtained.

[0080] Further, the semiconductor device wafer 30 is trimmed by the rotating blade 17 to which ultrasonic waves for horizontal rotation are applied while being held by the vacuum chuck 11 with the device surface 32 facing downward, so that the device surface 32 is not contaminated. As a result, precise cleaning becomes unnecessary and cost reduction of the semiconductor device is achieved. In addition, the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be trimmed without being affected by various films such as a metal film and an insulating film formed on the surface of the device surface 32.

[0081] By the edge trimming process, a groove 35 is formed in the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30, and a trimming surface 36 is formed inside the groove 35. Specifically, the vicinity of the outer periphery of the rotating blade 17 and the abrasive surface 18 is thinner than the semiconductor device wafer 30. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the trimming surface 36 is recessed from the outer peripheral end portion 34, and a groove 35, which is a circumferential recess extending in the rotation direction of the semiconductor device wafer 30, is formed in the outer peripheral end portion 34.

[0082] By forming the groove 35 in the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 by the edge trimming process, contamination of the back surface 33 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can also be reduced. Therefore, in the next thinning process, precise thinning processing becomes possible.

[0083] In the edge trimming process, parallel light is projected onto the shape of the trimmed groove 35 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 by the imaging device 45 (see FIG. 3), the shape of the shadow of the parallel light is analyzed, and the shape of the groove 35 is accurately detected. As a result, the shape of the trimmed groove 35 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be efficiently detected with high accuracy.

[0084] When the shape of the trimmed groove 35 is detected by the imaging device 45, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 is corrected by the blade shaping tool 40 so that the shape of the groove 35 is within the specified value in the image data 49 (see FIG. 4). As a result, a highly accurate and precise trimming shape can be obtained by continuous and efficient trimming. Therefore, the groove 35 with a highly accurate and stable shape and surface properties can be processed with high efficiency.

[0085] After the edge trimming process is executed, the thinning process is sequentially executed on the rough grinding table 25 (see FIG. 1) and the finish grinding table 27 (see FIG. 1). In the thinning process, the semiconductor device wafer 30 is ground on the back surface 33, which is one main surface, by a cup tool (not shown), and thinned as shown in FIG. 3(d).

[0086] The cup tool used in the thinning process is, for example, a cup wheel type using diamond abrasive grains with a particle size of #240 to #8000. In rough grinding, the abrasive grains of the cup tool can be made larger and the rotational speed can be lowered, and in finish grinding, the abrasive grains of the cup tool can be made smaller and the rotational speed can be increased for grinding.

[0087] By executing the thinning process after the edge trimming process, thinning without thickness variation becomes possible, and a semiconductor device wafer 30 thinned to a high flatness can be obtained. Also, as a chuck mechanism, a configuration that holds the device surface 32 by attaching the support substrate 13 via the bonding resin layer 12 can be used, so that thickness variation of the semiconductor device wafer 30 does not occur in the thinning process. Further, since the device surface 32 is protected by the support substrate 13, there are no problems of contamination or dust adhesion on the device surface 32.

[0088] FIG. 6 is a view showing the vicinity of the trimming surface 36 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. FIG. 6(a) shows a state where the edge trimming process is completed, and FIG. 6(b) shows a state where thinning is performed in the thinning process.

[0089] As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the trimming surface 36 of the groove 35 formed at the outer peripheral end 34 may be formed in a substantially frustum of a cone shape where the upper diameter is smaller than the lower diameter. Specifically, the angle formed between the device surface 32 and the inclined trimming surface 36 is 70 to 90 degrees, preferably about 80 degrees. By forming the trimming surface 36 inclined so that the upper diameter becomes smaller in this way, chipping of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be further reduced.

[0090] As described above, in the edge trimming step, based on the accurate data of the shape of the groove 35 obtained by the imaging device 45 (see FIG. 3), the support angle of the blade forming stone 40 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted and the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 (see FIG. 2) is corrected. As a result, the tip shape of the rotary blade 17 is always maintained in a suitable inclined state, and high-precision trimming processing is continuously and efficiently performed. That is, a trimming surface 36 that inclines at a suitable angle is formed at the outer peripheral end 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30.

[0091] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which the semiconductor device wafer 30 is prepared in the chucking step, FIG. 7(b) shows a state in which trimming is being performed in the edge trimming step, FIG. 7(c) shows a state in which the edge trimming step is completed, and FIG. 7(d) shows a state in which thinning is performed in the thinning step. Note that components having the same or similar operations and effects as those in the already described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 7(a), in the chucking step, a protective tape 14, which is a BG tape, is attached to the device surface 32 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. As the protective tape 14, for example, UV tape E8180 manufactured by Lintec Corporation and having a thickness of 180 μm is used.

[0093] Then, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the semiconductor device wafer 30 is held by the vacuum chuck 11 via the protective tape 14 with the device surface 32 facing down. Next, in the edge trimming process, the semiconductor device wafer 30 is trimmed by a rotating blade 17 that rotates horizontally while ultrasonic waves are applied, and a groove 35 having a trimming surface 36 is formed in the outer peripheral end portion 34 as shown in FIG. 7(c).

[0094] After the edge trimming process is performed, a thinning process for grinding the back surface 33 is performed, and as shown in FIG. 7(d), a semiconductor device wafer 30 that is thinned to a high flatness with little thickness variation is obtained.

[0095] As described above, according to the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, after the chucking process is performed, an edge trimming process for forming a groove 35 in the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 is performed. Then, after the edge trimming process, a thinning process for thinning the semiconductor device wafer 30 is performed.

[0096] By such a process, the outer peripheral end portion 34 of the semiconductor device wafer 30 can be trimmed without being affected by various films such as a metal film and an insulating film formed on the surface of the device surface 32 of the semiconductor device wafer 30. In the edge trimming process, since the rotating blade 17 rotates horizontally by the vertical spindle 15 to which ultrasonic waves are applied, high-speed and high-precision trimming is possible.

[0097] And in the edge trimming process, the tip shape of the horizontally rotating rotating blade 17 is corrected to a suitable shape by a blade forming stone 40. Thereby, a stable trimming shape and trim surface properties can be obtained for the semiconductor device wafer 30, and a highly functional semiconductor device wafer 30 can be processed with a high yield. That is, excellent productivity that cannot be obtained by the prior art can be obtained. For example, an extremely thin semiconductor device wafer 30 with a thickness of 20 μm or less can be mass-produced with a high yield.

[0098] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Description of Symbols

[0099] 1 Manufacturing apparatus 10 Edge trimming device 11 Vacuum chuck 12 Laminating resin layer 13 Support substrate 14 Protection tape 15 Vertical spindle 16 Ultrasonic vibration device 17 Rotating blade 18 Outer peripheral and bevel surface 19 Bearing 20 90-degree indexing table 21 Transfer robot 22 Standby table 23 Ultrasonic trimming table 25 Rough grinding table 26 Rough grinding head 27 Finish grinding table 28 Finish grinding head 29 Cleaning unit 30 Semiconductor device wafer 31 Semiconductor device layer 32 Device surface 33 Back surface 34 Outer peripheral end 35 Groove 36 Trimming surface 40 Blade forming bevel 41 Tilt adjustment mechanism 42 Support shaft 45 Imaging device 46 Light source 47 Light receiving element 48 Image analysis device 49 Image data A Tilt angle A1 Lower limit tilt angle A2 Lower limit tilt angle D Average depth

Claims

1. A chucking step of attaching a semiconductor device wafer to a chuck mechanism, and after the chucking step, the semiconductor device wafer is horizontally rotated by the chuck mechanism and a rotary blade is horizontally rotated by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied, and the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer is trimmed by the rotary blade to form a groove in the outer peripheral end portion, an edge trimming step; after the edge trimming step, a thinning step of thinning the semiconductor device wafer by grinding one main surface of the horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer with a cup that rotates horizontally, and In the edge trimming step, while the rotary blade is trimming the outer peripheral end portion, the tip shape of the horizontally rotating rotary blade is corrected with a blade shaping tool. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that.

2. In the edge trimming step, the shape of the trimmed groove is detected, and the tip shape of the rotary blade is corrected with the blade shaping tool so that the shape is within a specified value. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. A chucking step of attaching a semiconductor device wafer to a chuck mechanism, and after the chucking step, the semiconductor device wafer is horizontally rotated by the chuck mechanism and a rotary blade is horizontally rotated by a vertical spindle to which ultrasonic waves are applied, and the outer peripheral end portion of the semiconductor device wafer is trimmed by the rotary blade to form a groove in the outer peripheral end portion, an edge trimming step; after the edge trimming step, a thinning step of thinning the semiconductor device wafer by grinding one main surface of the horizontally rotating semiconductor device wafer with a cup that rotates horizontally, and In the edge trimming step, parallel light is projected onto the shape of the trimmed groove, the shape of the shadow of the parallel light is observed to detect the shape of the groove, and the tip shape of the horizontally rotating rotary blade is corrected with the blade shaping tool so that the shape is within a specified value. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that.

4. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the tip shape of the rotary blade is corrected while adjusting the support angle for blade shaping.

5. A chuck mechanism for adsorbing and horizontally rotating a semiconductor device wafer, A rotary blade that horizontally rotates and trims the outer peripheral end of the semiconductor device wafer adsorbed by the chuck mechanism by a vertical spindle to form a groove in the outer peripheral end, An ultrasonic vibration device for applying ultrasonic waves to the vertical spindle, And a blade shaping tool that abuts against the tip of the rotary blade that is trimming the outer peripheral end while horizontally rotating to correct the tip shape of the rotary blade. A manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor device, characterized by comprising:

6. Observation means for detecting the shape of the trimmed groove, The manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor device according to claim 5, characterized in that the tip shape of the rotary blade is corrected by the blade shaping tool based on the shape of the groove detected by the observation means.

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