Protective member forming apparatus and method for forming a protective member

Abstract

To provide a protective member forming device capable of suppressing outflow of a liquid-state resin to the outside of a substrate when spreading the liquid-state resin on the substrate, and a protective member forming method.SOLUTION: A protective member forming device comprises: a resin film adhesion unit for adhering a resin film 11 along unevenness on a surface 2 of a substrate 1; a support table 40 supporting the substrate 1; a liquid-state resin supply unit for supplying a curable liquid-state resin 13; a press unit 60 which presses the liquid-state resin 13 supplied to the resin film 11 with a flat pressing face 61 while covering the resin with a cover film 14 and spreading the resin onto the resin film 11; and a cure unit 70 for curing the liquid-state resin 13 in a spread state. The support table 40 includes an annular bank region 42 which has a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate 1 and inside of which the substrate 1 is accommodated, and outflow of the liquid-state resin 13 to be spread to the outside of the substrate 1 is suppressed by the bank region 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective member forming apparatus and a method for forming a protective member.

Background Art

[0002] Device chips used in electronic devices are manufactured by thinning a substrate such as silicon on which devices are formed on the surface, dividing it into individual device chips, and performing molding to protect the devices.

[0003] By the way, fine irregularities are formed on the devices, and particularly when bumps are mounted on the electrodes, irregularities of several tens of μm or more are formed. Such a substrate is ground or divided on the back surface with an adhesive tape adhered to the surface having the devices.

[0004] At that time, if the irregularities on the device surface are large, the adhesive tape cannot absorb all the irregularities, and problems such as the irregularities being transferred to the ground wafer or the cutting chips generated during division entering the gap between the adhesive tape and the device occur. When using an adhesive tape with a thick adhesive layer that absorbs irregularities, a new problem occurs in that the glue residue of the adhesive layer remains on the device surface.

[0005] Therefore, a method has been devised to form a protective member that sufficiently absorbs irregularities on the surface of the wafer, including a sheet having no adhesive layer that adheres to the irregularities on the surface of the wafer and a curable liquid resin (for example, Patent Document 1). This method makes it possible to eliminate the gap between the protective member and the irregularities of the device while avoiding leaving the residue of the adhesive layer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the above method, when spreading the liquid resin along the sheet in close contact with the substrate, there is a new problem that the liquid resin near the outer periphery of the substrate may flow out from the substrate, and the layer of the liquid resin near the outer periphery of the substrate may become thin.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a protective member forming apparatus and a method for forming a protective member that can suppress the outflow of the liquid resin to the outside of the substrate when spreading the liquid resin on the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a protective member forming apparatus of the present invention is a protective member forming apparatus for forming a protective member on a surface of a substrate having irregularities on the surface, and includes a resin film adhesion unit that adheres a resin film to the surface of the substrate so as to follow the irregularities on the surface of the substrate, a support table that supports the substrate in a state where the resin film adhered to the substrate is exposed upward, a liquid resin supply unit that supplies a curable liquid resin to an upper surface of the resin film in close contact with the substrate supported by the support table, a pressing unit that has a flat pressing surface and presses the cover film while covering the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with the cover film to spread the liquid resin on the resin film, and a curing unit that cures the liquid resin in a state spread by the pressing unit to form a protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover film on the surface of the substrate. The support table has a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate and includes an annular bank region in which the substrate is accommodated inside, and the bank region suppresses the outflow of the liquid resin spread to the outside of the substrate.

[0010] Further, in the protective member forming apparatus of the present invention, the bank region may have an inclined surface that rises from the inner circumference toward the radially outer side on the upper surface.

[0011] Also, a method for forming a protective member according to the present invention is a method for forming a protective member on a surface of a substrate having irregularities on the surface, the method including: a resin film adhesion step of adhering a resin film to the surface of the substrate so as to follow the irregularities on the surface of the substrate; a substrate support step of supporting the substrate on a support table with the resin film adhered to the substrate exposed upward; a liquid resin supply step of supplying a curable liquid resin onto an upper surface of the resin film adhered to the substrate supported by the support table; a resin pressing step of pressing the cover film with a flat pressing surface while covering the liquid resin supplied to the resin film, and spreading the liquid resin over the resin film; and a curing step of curing the liquid resin in a state spread in the resin pressing step to form a protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover film on the surface of the substrate. In the substrate support step, the substrate is supported by the support table having an annular bank region having a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate and accommodating the substrate therein, and outflow of the liquid resin to the outside of the substrate being spread is suppressed by the bank region.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] The present invention can suppress outflow of the liquid resin to the outside of the substrate when spreading the liquid resin on the substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the contents described in the following embodiments. Also, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0015] (Embodiment) Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the protective member forming apparatus 20 and the method for forming the protective member 15 of the embodiment, a protective member 15 is formed on the surface 2 of a substrate 1 such as a semiconductor wafer.

[0016] [Substrate 1] First, the substrate 1 on which the protective member 15 is formed on the surface 2 will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the substrate 1 which is the object of forming the protective member 15 in the protective member forming apparatus 20 and the method of forming the protective member 15 according to the embodiment. The substrate 1 is a semiconductor wafer formed of a material such as silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or other semiconductors, a wafer such as an optical device wafer. Alternatively, the substrate 1 is a substantially disk-shaped substrate made of a material such as sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ), glass, quartz, or the like. The glass includes, for example, alkali glass, alkali-free glass, soda lime glass, lead glass, borosilicate glass, quartz glass, and the like.

[0017] The substrate 1 includes a device region 3 and an outer peripheral surplus region 4 on the surface 2 side. The device region 3 has a plurality of division planned lines 5 formed on the surface 2 of the substrate 1 and devices 6 formed in each region partitioned by the plurality of division planned lines 5 intersecting in a lattice pattern. The device 6 is, for example, an integrated circuit such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) or LSI (Large Scale Integration), an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). The outer peripheral surplus region 4 surrounds the device region 3 over the entire circumference and is a region where the device 6 is not formed.

[0018] The back surface 7 of the substrate 1 located on the side opposite to the surface 2 on which the device 6 is formed is ground to a finish thickness by, for example, a grinding device. The substrate 1 is, for example, thinned and then divided along the division planned line 5 by cutting or the like to be separated into individual device chips 10. Note that the device chip 10 is square-shaped in FIG. 1, but may be rectangular-shaped.

[0019] The substrate 1 has a plurality of bumps 8, which are convex portions protruding from the surface of the device 6, mounted on the surface 2 side. Due to the mounting of the bumps 8, the substrate 1 has irregularities on the surface 2. Each of the plurality of bumps 8 is electrically connected to the device 6 and functions as an electrode when an electrical signal is input to and output from the device 6 in a state where the substrate 1 is divided to form the device chip 10. The bumps 8 are formed of a metal material such as, for example, gold, silver, copper, or aluminum. Note that, in the embodiment, the substrate 1 has irregularities formed on the surface 2 by mounting the bumps 8, but the present invention is not limited to the mounting of the bumps 8, and it is sufficient that irregularities are formed on the surface 2 side.

[0020] Note that the substrate 1 on which the protective member 15 is formed is not limited to the embodiment, and may be, for example, a package substrate. The package substrate has bumps serving as electrodes of individual devices formed on the surface, and a plurality of devices arranged in a plane are sealed with a sealing resin. The package substrate is thinned by grinding the sealing resin on the back surface side, and is separated into individual device chips 10 having a predetermined thickness sealed with the sealing resin by being divided for each device.

[0021] 〔Protective Member Forming Apparatus 20〕 Next, a protective member forming apparatus 20 for forming the protective member 15 on the substrate 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the protective member forming apparatus 20 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the resin film adhesion unit 30 of the protective member forming apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the support table 40 and the liquid resin supply unit 50 of the protective member forming apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the support table 40, the pressing unit 60, and the curing unit 70 of the protective member forming apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another state of FIG. 5.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the protective member forming apparatus 20 includes a base 21 that supports each component. The protective member forming apparatus 20 includes a resin film adhesion unit 30, a support table 40, a liquid resin supply unit 50, a pressing unit 60, a curing unit 70, a cassette mounting table 90, and a transport unit 100.

[0023] The resin film adhesion unit 30 is a unit that adheres the resin film 11 shown in FIG. 3 to the surface 2 of the substrate 1 so as to follow the unevenness of the surface 2 of the substrate 1. The resin film 11 includes, for example, a polyolefin-based sheet or a polyethylene-based sheet having a thickness of 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less. The resin film 11 may be a single layer or laminated. As shown in FIG. 3, the resin film adhesion unit 30 includes a lower main body 31, an upper main body 32, a chuck table 34, a resin film supply unit 35, and exhaust units 36 and 38.

[0024] The lower main body 31 includes a concave box body that is open upward. The upper main body 32 includes a concave lid body that is provided above the lower main body 31 and is open downward. The openings of the lower main body 31 and the upper main body 32 have the same shape as each other and are larger than the substrate 1. The upper main body 32 is movable up and down with respect to the lower main body 31, and by descending so that the openings overlap the openings of the lower main body 31, a space 33 that is blocked from the outside can be formed inside the lower main body 31 and the upper main body 32. That is, in the embodiment, the resin film adhesion unit 30 is in the form of a chamber that can accommodate the substrate 1 in the internal space 33.

[0025] The chuck table 34 is provided on the bottom wall of the lower main body 31. The chuck table 34 has a flat holding surface on its upper surface and supports the substrate 1 on the holding surface. The chuck table 34 is provided such that when the substrate 1 is placed on the holding surface, the height of the surface 2 of the substrate 1 is substantially the same as or lower than the height of the opening of the lower main body 31. By providing the height of the chuck table 34 in this way, when the resin film 11 is placed on the lower main body 31 and brought into close contact with the substrate 1 as described later, it is possible to suppress the resin film 11 from adhering to the side surface of the substrate 1 unnecessarily widely.

[0026] The resin film supply unit 35 supplies the resin film 11. The resin film supply unit 35 is provided at a position adjacent to the lower main body 31 and the upper main body 32. More specifically, the resin film supply unit 35 is provided such that the resin film supply unit 35, the lower main body 31, the upper main body 32, and a support table 40 described later are arranged linearly. A plurality of resin films 11 are prepared in the resin film supply unit 35. The plurality of resin films 11 prepared in the resin film supply unit 35 are conveyed one by one onto the surface 2 of the substrate 1 held on the holding surface of the chuck table 34 by a conveyance unit 100 described later.

[0027] When the resin film 11 covers the surface 2 of the substrate 1 held on the holding surface of the chuck table 34 and the upper main body 32 is in a lowered state, the resin film 11 separates the space 33 into a space 33-1 on the lower main body 31 side and a space 33-2 on the upper main body 32 side. That is, the resin film supply unit 35 is provided with a resin film 11 larger than the opening of the lower main body 31 so as to form a closed space 33-1 between the lower main body 31 and the resin film 11. After the resin film 11 is conveyed onto the surface 2 of the substrate 1, the upper main body 32 is lowered and the opening of the upper main body 32 is brought into contact with the upper surface 12 of the resin film 11, thereby forming a closed space 33-2 between the upper main body 32 and the resin film 11.

[0028] The exhaust part 36 includes an exhaust passage with one end connected to the side wall or bottom wall of the lower main body 31 and the other end connected to a suction source 37. The exhaust part 36 can evacuate from the space 33-1 surrounded by the lower main body 31 and the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1, and can reduce the pressure in the space 33-1. The exhaust part 38 includes an exhaust passage with one end connected to the side wall or ceiling of the upper main body 32 and the other end connected to a suction source 39. The exhaust part 38 can evacuate from the space 33-2 surrounded by the lower main body 31 and the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1, and can reduce the pressure in the space 33-2.

[0029] The resin film adhesion unit 30 may further include a heating part capable of supplying heated gas to the space 33-2, which is connected to the side wall or ceiling of the upper main body 32. The gas includes, for example, air, nitrogen gas, etc. For example, when the resin film 11 has the property that its flexibility is improved by being heated, the resin film 11 is heated by the supply of heated air to the space 33-2, and thus softens. By softening, the resin film 11 is more likely to deform following the shape of the surface 2 of the substrate 1 and is more likely to adhere to the surface 2 of the substrate 1. The resin film adhesion unit 30 may be configured such that the chuck table 34 has a heat source and the heated holding surface heats the resin film 11 through the substrate 1 in order to heat and soften the resin film 11 to make it easier to adhere to the substrate 1.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the support table 40 supports the substrate 1 with the resin film 11 adhered to the substrate 1 exposed upward. The support table 40 is provided at a position adjacent to the resin film adhesion unit 30 on the base 21. The substrate 1 with the resin film 11 adhered by the resin film adhesion unit 30 is conveyed from the resin film adhesion unit 30 to the support table 40 by the conveyance unit 100 described later.

[0031] The support table 40 includes an annular embankment region 42 around the support surface 41 that supports the substrate 1. Inside the embankment region 42, the substrate 1 is accommodated. That is, the embankment region 42 surrounds the substrate 1 supported by the support surface 41. The embankment region 42 has a top surface 43 that is at least higher than the support surface 41 and does not exceed the thickness of the substrate 1. The top surface 43 of the embankment region 42 supports the portion of the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1 that is outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1.

[0032] The substrate 1 supported by the support table 40 has liquid resin 13 supplied to the upper surface 12 of the resin film 11 that adheres to the surface 2 side by the liquid resin supply unit 50 described later. Also, the substrate 1 supported by the support table 40 has the supplied liquid resin 13 pressed from above while being covered with the cover film 14 by the pressing unit 60 described later and spread over the resin film 11. Further, the substrate 1 supported by the support table 40 has the spread liquid resin 13 cured by the curing unit 70 described later.

[0033] The embankment region 42 supports the portion of the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1 that is outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1, thereby suppressing the outflow of the liquid resin 13 to the outside of the substrate 1 when the liquid resin 13 is pressed from above by the pressing unit 60 described later and spread over the resin film 11.

[0034] That is, in order to suppress the outflow of the liquid resin 13 to the outside of the substrate 1, it is desirable that the height of the top surface 43 of the embankment region 42 be equal to the height of the substrate 1 in design. However, in actuality, since there is a variation of about several hundred μm in the thickness of the substrate 1, the height of the top surface 43 of the embankment region 42 may be about several hundred μm lower than the thickness of the substrate 1.

[0035] The liquid resin supply unit 50 is a unit that supplies a curable liquid resin 13 to the upper surface 12 of a resin film 11 that adheres to a substrate 1 supported by a support table 40. The curable liquid resin 13 is an ultraviolet curable resin that can be cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays in the embodiment, but in the present invention, a thermosetting resin or the like that can be cured by heating may also be used. The liquid resin supply unit 50 is provided at a position adjacent to the support table 40 of the base 21.

[0036] In the embodiment, the liquid resin supply unit 50 has a pipe shape including a shaft portion 51 that extends along the vertical direction, an arm portion 52 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the shaft portion 51, and a nozzle 53 that faces downward from the tip of the arm portion 52. The shaft portion 51 is rotatable about the vertical axis. When the shaft portion 51 rotates, the nozzle 53 moves on an arc-shaped track with the length of the arm portion 52 as the radius. The length of the arm portion 52 is provided such that the nozzle 53 is positioned above the center of the support table 40 when the shaft portion 51 rotates.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pressing unit 60 is a unit that covers the liquid resin 13 supplied to the resin film 11 with a cover film 14 and presses the cover film 14 with a flat pressing surface 61 to spread the liquid resin 13 on the resin film 11. The cover film 14 is a member that constitutes a protective member 15 together with the resin film 11 and the liquid resin 13. The pressing unit 60 is provided above the support table 40. The pressing unit 60 includes a pair of support columns 62, a pair of connection portions 63, a pair of support portions 64, a pressing portion 65 including the pressing surface 61, and a cover film supply portion 66.

[0038] The pair of support columns 62 each extend along the vertical direction. The pair of connecting parts 63 are each provided so as to be vertically movable along the support column 62 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The pair of support parts 64 each extend horizontally from the connecting part 63. The pressing part 65 is supported by the pair of support parts 64. The pressing part 65 includes a pressing surface 61 on its lower surface. The pressing surface 61 is set with high precision so as to be parallel to the support surface 41 of the support table 40. The pressing part 65 can hold the cover film 14 with the pressing surface 61.

[0039] The pressing part 65 may be provided with a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding the cover film 14 with the pressing surface 61. The holding mechanism may include, for example, a suction hole provided on the pressing surface 61 and a suction source connected to the suction hole, and may hold the cover film 14 with the pressing surface 61 by sucking from the suction hole. Further, the holding mechanism may include, for example, an electrostatic chuck mechanism provided in the vicinity of the pressing surface 61, and may hold the cover film 14 with the pressing surface 61 by electrostatic force.

[0040] Note that the pressing part 65 does not necessarily have to be provided with a holding mechanism. When the pressing part 65 does not have a holding mechanism, for example, the cover film 14 may have an adhesive layer provided on its upper surface and be adhered to the pressing surface 61 with the adhesive layer, or may be adhered to the pressing surface 61 by applying an adhesive to the upper surface or the pressing surface 61 of the cover film 14.

[0041] The cover film supply part 66 supplies the cover film 14. The cover film supply part 66 is provided at a position adjacent to the support table 40. A plurality of cover films 14 are prepared in the cover film supply part 66. The plurality of cover films 14 prepared in the cover film supply part 66 are pulled out one by one onto the support table 40 as needed, and are held on the pressing surface 61 when the pressing part 65 descends and the upper surface comes into contact with the pressing surface 61.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the pressing portion 65 moves up and down together with the connecting portion 63 and the supporting portion 64 when the connecting portion 63 moves up and down with respect to the supporting column 62. The pressing portion 65 moves downward toward the supporting table 40 while holding the cover film 14 on the pressing surface 61, thereby covering the liquid resin 13 on the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1 supported by the supporting table 40 with the cover film 14. The pressing portion 65 further presses the liquid resin 13 from above with the pressing surface 61 through the cover film 14 by further processing, and spreads it over the resin film 11.

[0043] The curing unit 70 is a unit that cures the liquid resin 13 in the state of being spread by the pressing unit 60, and forms a protective member 15 including the resin film 11, the cured liquid resin 13, and the cover film 14 on the surface 2 of the substrate 1. The curing unit 70 is provided at a position close to the pressing surface 61 inside the pressing portion 65 of the pressing unit 60.

[0044] When the liquid resin 13 is an ultraviolet curable resin as in the embodiment, the curing unit 70 includes a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs or the like that irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the spread liquid resin 13. In this case, the lower end portion of the pressing portion 65 including the pressing surface 61 is formed of a member that transmits ultraviolet rays. For example, when the liquid resin 13 is a thermosetting resin, the curing unit 70 includes a heater or the like that heats the spread liquid resin 13.

[0045] In the protective member forming apparatus 20, the protective member 15 formed on the surface 2 of the substrate 1 is conveyed from the supporting table 40 onto the supporting surface 81 of another supporting table 80 by, for example, the conveying unit 100 described later, and unnecessary portions outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1 are cut off by a cutting unit (not shown). By cutting off the unnecessary portions of the protective member 15 by a cutting unit (not shown), the substrate 1 becomes in a state where the back surface 7 can be ground.

[0046] The cassette mounting table 90 is provided at the end of the base 21. A cassette 91 for accommodating a plurality of substrates 1 is placed on the cassette mounting table 90. The protective member forming apparatus 20 of the embodiment is provided with two cassette mounting tables 90-1 and 90-2. The substrate 1 before the protective member 15 is formed is, for example, accommodated in a cassette 91-1 placed on the cassette mounting table 90-1 and carried into the protective member forming apparatus 20. The substrate 1 with the protective member 15 formed on the surface 2 in the protective member forming apparatus 20 is, for example, accommodated in a cassette 91-2 placed on the cassette mounting table 90-2 and carried out of the protective member forming apparatus 20.

[0047] The transfer unit 100 of the embodiment includes substrate transfer robots 110 and 120, and linear transfer units 130 and 140. The substrate transfer robots 110 and 120 are, for example, articulated robots in which a plurality of arm portions are continuously rotatably connected to each other at their ends. The substrate transfer robots 110 and 120 of the embodiment can hold the substrate 1 by holding portions 111 and 121 provided at the tips of the arm portions on the most distal side, and the holding portions 111 and 121 can be moved by rotating the respective arm portions relative to each other.

[0048] The substrate transfer robot 110 is provided at a position adjacent to the cassette mounting table 90-1 on the base 21. The substrate transfer robot 110, for example, inserts the holding portion 111 into the cassette 91-1 placed on the cassette mounting table 90-1, carries out the accommodated substrate 1, and transfers it to the resin film adhesion unit 30. The substrate transfer robot 120 is provided at a position adjacent to the cassette mounting table 90-2 on the base 21. The substrate transfer robot 120, for example, carries out the substrate 1 from above the support table 80, inserts the holding portion 121 into the cassette 91-2 placed on the cassette mounting table 90-2, and carries in and accommodates the substrate 1.

[0049] The linear transfer unit 130 transfers the resin film 11 from the resin film supply section 35 of the resin film adhesion unit 30 onto the lower body 31 and the chuck table 34. The linear transfer unit 130 transfers the substrate 1 with the resin film 11 adhered thereto by the resin film adhesion unit 30 from the chuck table 34 to the support table 40 while the resin film 11 is in a state of spreading outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1. The linear transfer unit 140 transfers the substrate 1 with the protective member 15 formed thereon from the support table 40 to the support table 80.

[0050] The linear transfer units 130 and 140 include guide rails 131 and 141, arm portions 132 and 142, base portions 133 and 143, suction pad support portions 134 and 144, and a moving mechanism (not shown). The guide rails 131 and 141 extend in the transfer direction. The arm portions 132 and 142 are movable along the guide rails 131 and 141. The base portions 133 and 143 are fixed to the tip ends of the arm portions 132 and 142. A plurality of suction pads are fixed to the lower surfaces of the outer peripheral portions of the base portions 133 and 143. The suction pad support portions 134 and 144 are fixed to the central lower surfaces of the base portions 133 and 143. A plurality of non-contact suction pads are fixed to the lower surfaces of the suction pad support portions 134 and 144. The moving mechanism moves the arm portions 132 and 142 along the guide rails 131 and 141 together with the base portions 133 and 143 and the suction pad support portions 134 and 144.

[0051] 〔Method for forming the protective member 15〕 Next, a method for forming the protective member 15 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of the method for forming the protective member 15 according to the embodiment. The method for forming the protective member 15 of the embodiment includes a resin film adhesion step 201, a substrate support step 202, a liquid resin supply step 203, a resin pressing step 204, and a curing step 205.

[0052] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view schematically showing a cross-section of the substrate 1 after the resin film adhesion step 201 shown in FIG. 7. The resin film adhesion step 201 is a step of adhering the resin film 11 to the surface 2 of the substrate 1 so as to follow the unevenness (bumps 8) of the surface 2 of the substrate 1. The resin film adhesion step 201 of the embodiment is carried out by the resin film adhesion unit 30 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0053] In the resin film adhesion step 201, first, with the upper body 32 of the resin film adhesion unit 30 raised, the substrate 1 in the cassette 91-1 placed on the cassette mounting table 90-1 is held by the substrate transfer robot 110. Then, the held substrate 1 is carried onto the holding surface of the chuck table 34 of the lower body 31 by the substrate transfer robot 110. At this time, the surface 2 having unevenness is carried in with the surface facing upward and the back surface 7 side facing the holding surface.

[0054] In the resin film adhesion step 201, next, the linear transfer unit 130 takes out one resin film 11 from the resin film supply unit 35, places the resin film 11 on the lower body 31 so as to cover the surface 2 of the substrate 1, and closes the opening of the lower body 31 with the resin film 11. Next, the upper body 32 is lowered, and the upper body 32 is placed on the lower body 31 via the resin film 11.

[0055] In the resin film adhesion step 201, next, the exhaust unit 36 is operated to decompress the space 33-1 surrounded by the lower body 31 and the resin film 11, and the exhaust unit 38 is operated to decompress the space 33-2 surrounded by the upper body 32 and the resin film 11. Next, after the exhaust unit 38 is stopped, the space 33-2 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, a pressure difference rapidly occurs above and below the resin film 11, and as shown in FIG. 8, the resin film 11 adheres to the surface 2 so as to follow the unevenness of the surface 2 of the substrate 1.

[0056] In the resin film adhesion step 201, before or after evacuating the space 33-2, a heated gas may be supplied to the space 33-2 to heat the resin film 11. Alternatively, in the resin film adhesion step 201, the holding surface may be heated by a heat source provided on the chuck table 34 to heat the resin film 11 via the substrate 1. Since the resin film 11 softens when heated, it becomes easier to follow the unevenness of the surface 2 of the substrate 1, and adhesion to the surface 2 of the substrate 1 becomes easier. After the resin film 11 is adhered to the substrate 1, the exhaust unit 36 is stopped and the upper body 32 is raised. The substrate 1 to which the resin film 11 is adhered is conveyed to the support table 40 by the linear conveyance unit 130.

[0057] Before the substrate 1 to which the resin film 11 is adhered is conveyed to the support table 40, it is assumed that the pressing surface 61 of the pressing unit 60 holds the cover film 14 in advance. That is, after pulling out one cover film 14 from the cover film supply unit 66 onto the support table 40 that does not support the substrate 1, the pressing portion 65 is lowered, and the pressing surface 61 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the cover film 14, whereby the pressing surface 61 holds the cover film 14. After the pressing surface 61 holds the cover film 14, the pressing portion 65 is raised again before the substrate 1 is conveyed to the support table 40.

[0058] The substrate support step 202 is a step of supporting the substrate 1 on the support table 40 shown in FIG. 4 with the resin film 11 adhered to the substrate 1 exposed upward. The support table 40 of the embodiment has a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate 1 and is provided with an annular bank region 42 in which the substrate 1 is accommodated inside.

[0059] In the substrate support step 202, the substrate 1 is supported by the support surface 41 inside the bank region 42. At this time, the upper surface 43 of the bank region 42 supports the portion of the resin film 11 covering the substrate 1 outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1.

[0060] The liquid resin supply step 203 is a step of supplying a curable liquid resin 13 to the upper surface 12 of the resin film 11 that is in close contact with the substrate 1 supported by the support table 40. The liquid resin supply step 203 of the embodiment is implemented by the liquid resin supply unit 50 shown in FIG. 4.

[0061] In the liquid resin supply step 203, first, the shaft portion 51 of the liquid resin supply unit 50 is rotated to position the nozzle 53 above the center of the support table 40. Next, the liquid resin 13 is supplied from the nozzle 53 of the liquid resin supply unit 50 to the surface 2 of the substrate 1. After supplying a predetermined amount of the liquid resin 13, the shaft portion 51 is rotated again to position the nozzle 53 at a position where it does not overlap above the support table 40.

[0062] The resin pressing step 204 is a step of pressing the liquid resin 13 supplied to the resin film 11 with the cover film 14 while covering the liquid resin 13 with the cover film 14 and spreading the liquid resin 13 on the resin film 11 with the flat pressing surface 61. The resin pressing step 204 of the embodiment is implemented by the pressing unit 60 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0063] In the resin pressing step 204, the pressing portion 65 is lowered, and the liquid resin 13 is pressed from above through the cover film 14 by the pressing surface 61 holding the cover film 14. As a result, the liquid resin 13 is spread toward the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1. That is, the liquid resin 13 flows toward the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1 between the cover film 14 held on the flat pressing surface 61 and the resin film 11 that is in close contact with the unevenness (bumps 8) on the surface 2 side of the substrate 1.

[0064] In the resin pressing step 204 of the embodiment, the upper surface 43 of the bank region 42 of the support table 40 supports the portion of the resin film 11 outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1. For this reason, the outflow of the liquid resin 13 to the outside of the substrate 1 is suppressed. When the liquid resin 13 is spread so as to cover the entire surface 2 of the substrate 1, the resin pressing step 204 is terminated, and the curing step 205 is implemented.

[0065] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view schematically showing a cross section of the substrate 1 after the curing step 205 shown in FIG. 7. The curing step 205 cures the liquid resin 13 in the state spread by the resin pressing step 204 to form a protective member 15 including a resin film 11, the cured liquid resin 13, and a cover film 14 on the surface 2 of the substrate 1. The curing step 205 of the embodiment is performed by the curing unit 70.

[0066] In the curing step 205, with the lifting and lowering of the pressing portion 65 lowered in the resin pressing step 204 stopped, the curing unit 70 irradiates the liquid resin 13 with ultraviolet rays transmitted through the pressing surface 61 and the cover film 14 to cure the liquid resin 13.

[0067] After the curing step 205, when the curing unit 70 is stopped and the pressing portion 65 is raised, as shown in FIG. 9, the cover film 14 remains on the cured liquid resin 13. That is, a protective member 15 in which the resin film 11, the cured liquid resin 13, and the cover film 14 are integrated is formed on the surface 2 of the substrate 1. Since the support surface 41 of the support table 40 and the pressing surface 61 of the pressing unit 60 are parallel to each other, the back surface 7 of the substrate 1 and the upper surface of the protective member 15 are parallel to each other.

[0068] As described above, in the protective member forming apparatus 20 and the method for forming the protective member 15 according to the embodiment, the support table 40 that supports the substrate 1 includes a bank region 42 that surrounds the substrate 1. The upper surface 43 of the bank region 42 supports the portion of the resin film 11 that covers the substrate 1 outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1. Thereby, when the liquid resin 13 on the resin film 11 is pressed and spread, the outflow of the liquid resin 13 to the outside of the substrate 1 can be suppressed.

[0069] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0070] (First Modified Example) For example, the bank area 42 of the support table 40 is not limited to the shape of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a support table 40-1 according to a first modification. Similar to the embodiment, the bank area 42-1 has an upper surface 43-1 that is at least higher than the support surface 41 and does not exceed the thickness of the substrate 1. In the modification, the upper surface 43-1 of the bank area 42-1 is lower than the height of the substrate 1 supported by the support table 40, that is, in the modification, the bank area 42-1 has an upper surface 43-1 with a height less than the thickness of the substrate 1, and the height of the upper surface 43-1 is several hundred micrometers lower than that of the substrate 1. In the support table 40-1 of the modification, the bank area 42-1 has an inclined surface 44 on a part of the upper surface 43. The inclined surface 44 is formed to be higher from the inner periphery of the bank area 42-1 toward the radially outer side.

[0071] When the substrate 1 with the resin film 11 adhered thereto is supported on the support surface 41 of the support table 40-1 of the modification, the portion of the resin film 11 outside the outer peripheral edge 9 of the substrate 1 is supported on the upper surface 43-1 of the bank area 42-1. At this time, the resin film 11 is deflected 11-1 at the lower portion of the inclined surface 44 of the bank area 42-1.

[0072] When the liquid resin 13 is spread by the pressing unit 60 on the resin film 11 of the substrate 1 supported by such a support table 40-1, the spread liquid resin 13 accumulates in the lower portion of the bank area 42-1. The liquid resin 13 having a certain viscosity is likely to stay due to the accumulated liquid resin 13 and is less likely to flow out to the outside of the bank area 42-1. Therefore, for example, even if the height of the bank area 42-1 is not equal to the thickness of the substrate 1, that is, even if the height of the bank area 42-1 is lower than the thickness of the substrate 1, the outflow of the liquid resin 13 can be suppressed. Note that the height of the upper surface 43-1 of the bank area 42-1 having the inclined surface 44 only needs to be a height that does not exceed the thickness of the substrate 1, and in the present invention, it may be the same height as the height of the substrate 1 supported by the support table 40 in terms of design.

[0073] (Second Modification) Further, for example, the resin film 11 may be thermocompression bonded and fixed to the annular frame 16. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of the resin pressing step 204 according to the second modification. The annular frame 16 has an opening larger than the outer diameter of the bank area 42. Also, the thickness of the frame 16 is higher than the height of the bank area 42. The frame 16 is made of a material such as metal or resin. The outer periphery of the resin film 11 is thermocompression bonded and fixed to the upper surface 17 side of the frame 16.

[0074] The substrate 1 is positioned at a predetermined position of the opening of the frame 16, and the surface 2 is adhered to the resin film 11 by the resin film adhesion unit 30, thereby being fixed to the frame 16. When the resin film 11 is thermocompression bonded and fixed to the frame 16, the substrate 1 adhered to the resin film 11 is conveyed to the support table 40 together with the frame 16.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0075] 1 Substrate 2 Surface 11 Resin film 12 Upper surface 13 Liquid resin 14 Cover film 15 Protective member 20 Protective member forming device 30 Resin film adhesion unit 40, 40-1, 80 Support table 42, 42-1 Bank area 43, 43-1 Upper surface 44 Inclined surface 50 Liquid resin supply unit 60 Pressing unit 61 Pressing surface 70 Curing unit

Claims

1. A protective member forming apparatus for forming a protective member on a surface of a substrate having irregularities on the surface, comprising: a resin film adhesion unit that adheres a resin film to the surface of the substrate so as to follow the irregularities on the surface of the substrate; a support table that supports the substrate in a state where the resin film adhered to the substrate is exposed upward; a liquid resin supply unit that supplies a curable liquid resin to an upper surface of the resin film adhered to the substrate supported by the support table; a pressing unit having a flat pressing surface, covering the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with a cover film, and pressing the cover film with the pressing surface to spread the liquid resin over the resin film; a curing unit that cures the liquid resin in a state spread by the pressing unit to form a protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover film on the surface of the substrate; and comprising: The support table has a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate and includes an annular bank region in which the substrate is accommodated inside, and the bank region suppresses the outflow of the liquid resin spread to the outside of the substrate. A protective member forming apparatus characterized by this.

2. The protective member forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bank region has an inclined surface that rises from the inner circumference toward the radially outer side on the upper surface.

3. A method for forming a protective member for forming a protective member on a surface of a substrate having irregularities on the surface, comprising: a resin film adhesion step of adhering a resin film to the surface of the substrate so as to follow the irregularities on the surface of the substrate; a substrate support step of supporting the substrate on a support table in a state where the resin film adhered to the substrate is exposed upward; a liquid resin supply step of supplying a curable liquid resin to an upper surface of the resin film adhered to the substrate supported by the support table; a resin pressing step of covering the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with a cover film and pressing the cover film with a flat pressing surface to spread the liquid resin over the resin film; a curing step of curing the liquid resin in a state spread by the resin pressing step to form a protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover film on the surface of the substrate; and comprising: In the substrate support step, the substrate is supported by the support table having an annular bank region with a height not exceeding the thickness of the substrate and accommodating the substrate therein, and the outflow of the liquid resin that is spread out to the outside of the substrate is suppressed by the bank region. A method for forming a protective member, characterized by this.

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