Foreign object removal device

Abstract

To provide a foreign matter removing device capable of preventing a damage of a wafer due to a supply of a gas.SOLUTION: A foreign matter removing device 1 removes a foreign matter from one surface of a wafer 200 held by a first holding part 35 and a second holding part 38, and comprises: a gas supply unit 10 that is opposite to the one surface of the wafer 200, and supplies a gas to a gap by forming the gap between the one surface and itself; and a first movement unit 36 and a second movement unit 39 that are relatively moved to a surface direction of the wafer 200 in the first holding part 35 and the second holding part 38, and the gas supply unit 10. In the device, a pressure of the gap is reduced by increasing a flow speed of the gas by passing through the gas in the gap to remove the foreign matter from the one surface of the wafer 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foreign matter removing device for removing foreign matter from a wafer.

Background Art

[0002] In order to remove foreign matter adhering to a wafer held by a holding pad, it is known to blow a gas such as air onto the wafer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when blowing air onto a wafer, a local force is applied to the wafer by the blowing of the gas, causing deformation such as warping, and there is a risk that the wafer may crack.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a foreign matter removing device that prevents damage to a wafer due to the supply of a gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a foreign matter removing device of the present invention is a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter from one surface of a wafer held by a holding unit, and includes a gas supply unit that faces the one surface of the wafer, forms a gap between the one surface, and supplies a gas to the gap, and a moving unit that relatively moves the holding unit and the gas supply unit in the plane direction of the wafer. The holding unit transports wafers from the wafer storage unit to the holding table, and the gas supply unit is installed between the wafer storage unit and the holding table, and supplies gas before the wafer is held by the holding table.The gas increases its flow velocity as it passes through the gap, thereby lowering the pressure in the gap and removing foreign matter from one side of the wafer.

[0007] The gas supply unit is, It has a gas supply port for supplying the gas, and a suction port positioned between the gas supply port and the gas supply port for drawing in the gas. That's fine.

[0008] The gas supply unit comprises one or more The unit has gas supply holes, one or more of which are arranged in a first direction, and the moving unit moves the holding part and the gas supply unit relative to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction. That's fine.

[0009] The gas supply unit is, A gap is provided between one or more gas supply holes in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and one or more suction holes for drawing in the gas are arranged in the first direction parallel to one or more gas supply holes. That's fine.

[0010] The gas supply unit is installed on the movement path through which the wafer is transported by the holding unit. That's fine.

[0011] The gas supply unit may inject ionized air to neutralize the static electricity from the wafer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention prevents damage to the wafer by supplying gas, as it removes foreign matter adhering to one side of the wafer with gas using a gas supply unit, while simultaneously generating a Venturi effect in the gap formed between that side of the wafer and the gas supply unit. Furthermore, the present invention has one or more gas supply holes in the gas supply unit, with the gas supply holes arranged in a first direction, and the moving unit moves the holding part in a second direction intersecting the first direction. As a result, a region extending in the first direction and facing the gas supply unit is formed on one side of the wafer, thereby stably forming a gas flow in the gap, allowing for efficient removal of foreign matter adhering to the entire surface of one side of the wafer, and stably generating a Venturi effect in the gap. Moreover, the present invention further has one or more suction holes in the gas supply unit, allowing for suction of foreign matter removed by the gas flow and accelerating the gas flow formed in the gap. Furthermore, since the gas supply unit is installed on the movement path through which the wafer is transported by the holding unit, the present invention can be suitably incorporated without particularly changing the layout of each component of the processing apparatus, nor without particularly changing the wafer transport process by the processing apparatus. In addition, in the present invention, the holding unit transports the wafer from the wafer housing unit to the holding table, and the gas supply unit is installed between the wafer housing unit and the holding table, supplying gas before the wafer is held by the holding table. This suppresses the risk of foreign matter getting caught between the holding table and the wafer, and further prevents damage such as breakage of the wafer due to processing by the processing unit. In addition, in the present invention, the gas supply unit injects ionized air as a gas, and the wafer is discharged by the ionized air, thus suppressing deterioration of the processing quality (processing quality) of the processing unit caused by the charging of the wafer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing apparatus incorporating a foreign matter removal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the gas supply unit in the foreign matter removal device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view showing the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the gas supply unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the gas supply unit in the foreign matter removal device according to a modified example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The mode (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the content described in the following embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and substantially identical ones. 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〕 A foreign matter removal device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing device 100 into which the foreign matter removal device 1 according to the embodiment is incorporated. As shown in Figure 1, the foreign matter removal device 1 according to the embodiment is incorporated into the processing device 100. As shown in Figure 1, the processing device 100 includes a holding table 110, a processing unit 120, an X-axis moving unit 131, a Y-axis moving unit 132, a Z-axis moving unit 133, a wafer housing mounting table 140, the foreign matter removal device 1, a cleaning unit 150, and a control unit 160.

[0016] The wafer 200, which is the target of foreign matter removal by the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment and the processing target of the processing device 100 into which the foreign matter removal device 1 is incorporated, is, as shown in Figure 1, a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer made of silicon, sapphire, silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide, glass, etc. as the base material. As shown in Figure 1, the wafer 200 has chip-sized devices 203 formed in areas partitioned by a plurality of division lines 202 formed in a grid pattern on a flat surface 201. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, an adhesive tape 205 is attached to the back surface 204 on the back side of the surface 201 of the wafer 200, and an annular frame 206 is attached to the outer edge of the adhesive tape 205, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0017] The holding table 110 is a so-called chuck table in this embodiment, and includes a disk-shaped frame body in which a concave portion is formed, and a disk-shaped suction portion fitted into the concave portion. The suction portion of the holding table 110 has a porous portion formed of porous ceramic or the like having a large number of porous holes, and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) via a vacuum suction path (not shown). The upper surface of the suction portion of the holding table 110 is a holding surface 111 on which the wafer 200 is placed and the placed wafer 200 is suction-held by negative pressure introduced from the vacuum suction source. In this embodiment, the holding surface 111 is such that the wafer 200 is placed with the surface 201 facing upward, and the placed wafer 200 is suction-held from the back surface 204 side via the adhesive tape 205. The upper surface of the holding surface 111 and the frame body of the holding table 110 are arranged on the same plane and are formed parallel to the XY plane which is a horizontal plane. The holding table 110 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction by the X-axis movement unit 131, and is provided so as to be rotatable around the Z-axis which is orthogonal to the horizontal plane (XY plane) and parallel to the vertical direction by a rotation drive source (not shown).

[0018] The processing unit 120 performs processing on the wafer 200 held by the holding table 110. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 120 is a cutting unit that includes a spindle to which a cutting blade is attached at the tip and performs cutting processing on the wafer 200 held by the holding table 110. The processing unit 120 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the X-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 132, and is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis movement unit 133.

[0019] In the processing unit 120, the cutting blade attached to the tip of the spindle is subjected to a rotational operation around an axis parallel to the Y-axis direction by the rotational operation of the spindle, and the wafer 200 held by the holding table 110 is cut along the division planned line 202. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 100 includes two sets of processing units 120 (cutting units), that is, a dicing machine with two spindles, so-called a facing dual type processing apparatus (cutting apparatus).

[0020] The wafer housing unit mounting base 140 is a mounting base on which the wafer housing unit 145, which is a housing for accommodating wafers 200, is placed, and the mounted wafer housing unit 145 is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The cleaning unit 150 comprises a holding table 151 and a cleaning nozzle (not shown), and performs a cleaning process to clean the surface 201 side of the wafer 200 held on the holding table 151. In this embodiment, the holding table 151 is a so-called spinner table comprising a frame and a suction part, similar to the holding table 110, and the upper surface of the suction part of the holding table 151 is a holding surface 152 that suctions and holds the wafer 200 on which it is placed from the back surface 204 side via adhesive tape 205. The holding table 151 is provided to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a plurality of air cylinders (not shown), and is provided to be rotatable around the Z-axis by a motor (not shown) connected below it. The cleaning nozzle (not shown) supplies cleaning water such as pure water, air, a mixed fluid containing cleaning water and air, etc., to the wafer 200 held on the holding table 151.

[0022] The cleaning unit 150 holds the wafer 200 on the holding surface 152 of the holding table 151, and while rotating the holding table 151, it supplies cleaning water, air, etc., to the wafer 200 on the holding table 151 using a cleaning nozzle (not shown), thereby cleaning the surface 201 of the wafer 200 and performing a cleaning process to remove foreign matter adhering to the surface 201 of the wafer 200.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the foreign matter removal device 1 comprises a gas supply unit 10, a transport unit 30, and a control unit 40. The transport unit 30 transports wafers 200 between the wafer housing 145, the holding table 110, and the holding table 151, which are placed on the wafer housing mounting base 140. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the transport unit 30 has a first transport unit 31, a second transport unit 32, and a pair of guide rails 33.

[0024] The first transport unit 31 comprises a first holding unit 35 and a first moving unit 36. As shown in Figure 1, the first transport unit 31 is provided in front of the loading / unloading section for loading and unloading wafers 200 from the wafer housing 145, which is placed on the wafer housing mounting table 140. In this embodiment, the first holding unit 35 is, for example, a clip that holds the loading / unloading section side of the frame 206 attached to the wafer 200 by clamping it from the +Y direction. The first moving unit 36 ​​supports the first holding unit 35 so that it can move along the Y-axis direction, which is the loading / unloading direction.

[0025] The first transport unit 31 holds the frame 206 attached to the wafer 200 with the first holding unit 35, and moves the first holding unit 35 holding the frame 206 along the Y-axis with the first moving unit 36, thereby transporting the wafer 200 between the wafer housing 145 placed on the wafer housing mounting base 140 and a pair of guide rails 33 provided in front of the loading / unloading section of the wafer housing 145.

[0026] The second transport unit 32 comprises a second holding unit 38 and a second moving unit 39. As shown in Figure 1, the second transport unit 32 is provided between a pair of guide rails 33, a holding table 110, and a holding table 151 of the washing unit 150. In this embodiment, the second holding unit 38 is, for example, a suction pad that holds the upper surface of a frame 206 mounted on a wafer 200 from above (+Z direction). The second moving unit 39 supports the second holding unit 38 so that it can move along the Y-axis and Z-axis directions.

[0027] The second transport unit 32 holds the frame 206 attached to the wafer 200 with the second holding unit 38, and moves the second holding unit 38 holding the frame 206 along the Y-axis and Z-axis directions with the second moving unit 39, thereby transporting the wafer 200 between the pair of guide rails 33, the holding table 110, and the holding table 151 of the washing unit 150.

[0028] In this manner, the transport unit 30 transports the wafers 200 from the wafer housing section 145 to the holding table 110 or the holding table 151 via a pair of guide rails 33 using the first transport unit 31 and the second transport unit 32. In this embodiment, the first holding section 35 and the second holding section 38 of the transport unit 30 hold the wafers 200 with clips or suction pads, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the wafers 200 may be held non-contact by generating an airflow in the plane direction of the wafers 200 according to Bernoulli's principle, or the wafers 200 may be held by placing them on a plate with suction holes.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the gas supply unit 10 in the foreign matter removal device 1 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a top view showing the gas supply unit 10 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a side view showing the gas supply unit 10 of Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the gas supply unit 10 comprises a rod-shaped unit body 11 extending in a first direction 301, a gas supply source 12, a suction source 13, and a position adjustment unit 14.

[0030] The unit body 11 has a plane 21 that extends outward along a first direction 301. In the unit body 11, the direction that intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) with the first direction 301 and is parallel to the plane 21 is referred to as the second direction 302, and the direction that is perpendicular to the plane 21 is referred to as the third direction 303. The length of the plane 21 in the second direction 302 is sufficiently shorter than the size (diameter) of the wafer 200. Since the unit body 11 does not have any parts that protrude outward from the plane 21 in the third direction 303 (upward in Figure 4), the surface of a plate-like object such as a wafer 200 can be sufficiently approached from the outside to the plane 21.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the unit body 11 has a gas supply groove 22 extending along the first direction 301 and a suction groove 23 extending along the first direction 301 formed at positions facing each other in the second direction 302 via a plane 21. The side surface 24 of the gas supply groove 22 on the plane 21 side and the side surface 25 of the suction groove 23 on the plane 21 side both incline outward in the third direction 303 as they approach the plane 21 along the second direction 302 from the bottom of the groove. Specifically, both the gas supply groove 22 and the suction groove 23 are formed in a V-shape when viewed from the first direction 301.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the unit body 11 has a cylindrical gas supply passage 26 extending along the first direction 301 on the side where the gas supply groove 22 is formed relative to the plane 21, and a cylindrical suction passage 27 extending along the first direction 301 is formed on the side where the suction groove 23 is formed relative to the plane 21. The gas supply passage 26 is connected to a gas supply source 12, from which gas 400 (see Figure 5) is supplied. The suction passage 27 is connected to a suction source 13, from which negative pressure is introduced.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the unit body 11 has one or more (five in the configurations shown in Figures 2 to 4) gas supply holes 28 and one or more (five in the configurations shown in Figures 2 to 4) suction holes 29. Multiple gas supply holes 28 are formed inside the unit body 11, and each connects the gas supply groove 22 and the gas supply passage 26. Each gas supply hole 28 supplies the gas 400 supplied to the gas supply passage 26 toward the gas supply groove 22. The multiple gas supply holes 28 are arranged at equal intervals from each other along the first direction 301. By making the diameter of the gas supply holes 28 smaller than that of the suction holes 29, the flow velocity of the gas 400 supplied from the gas supply passage 26 toward the gas supply groove 22 is increased, thereby increasing the flow velocity of the gas 400 passing through the gap 19 (see Figure 5), which will be described later. Multiple suction holes 29 are formed inside the unit body 11, and each connects the suction groove 23 and the suction passage 27. Each suction hole 29 introduces the negative pressure introduced into the suction passage 27 into the suction groove 23. The multiple suction holes 29 are arranged at equal intervals from each other along the first direction 301. The same number of gas supply holes 28 and multiple suction holes 29 are formed, and they are located opposite each other in the second direction 302 via the plane 21. The suction holes 29 have a larger diameter than the gas supply holes 28, thereby increasing the suction force through the suction passage 27, and thus increasing the flow velocity of the gas 400 passing through the gap 19.

[0034] The gas supply source 12 introduces gas 400 into the gas supply passage 26. The gas 400 supplied by the gas supply source 12 can be any gas that does not adversely affect the wafer 200, adhesive tape 205, frame 206, etc., such as compressed air or nitrogen. The gas 400 supplied by the gas supply source 12 may also be ionized air, in which case the ionized air can neutralize static electricity from the wafer 200, adhesive tape 205, frame 206, etc. The suction source 13 draws air into the suction passage 27 and introduces negative pressure into the suction passage 27. The position adjustment unit 14 has a moving mechanism having a cylinder or ball screw and a motor (not shown) and is connected to the unit body 11, and adjusts the position of the unit body 11 in the third direction 303 by moving the unit body 11 along the third direction 303.

[0035] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the gas supply unit 10 of Figure 2. As shown in Figure 5, in the gas supply unit 10, one surface of the wafer 200 faces the plane 21 of the unit body 11, and a small gap 19 with a distance (spacing) of 18 is formed between the opposing region (opposing region) of the one surface. The gas 400 supplied from the gas supply source 12 passes through the gas supply passage 26, gas supply hole 28, and gas supply groove 22, then through the gap 19, and further through the suction groove 23, suction hole 29, and suction passage 27 to be drawn to the suction source 13. Here, the one surface of the wafer 200 facing the plane 21 of the unit body 11 is the one surface of the wafer 200 from which the foreign matter removal device 1 performs foreign matter removal. In this embodiment, it is the back surface 209, which is the back surface of the adhesive tape 205 attached to the back surface 204 opposite to the surface 201 of the wafer 200 from which various processing is performed. The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path for the gas 400 supplied from the gas supply source 12 is smaller in the gap 19 than in the gas supply groove 22 and the suction groove 23. Therefore, when gas 400 is supplied from the gas supply source 12 to the gap 19, the Venturi effect occurs, and a lower pressure can be generated in the gap 19, which has a smaller flow path cross-sectional area, than in the gas supply groove 22 and the suction groove 23. In other words, by supplying gas 400 from the gas supply source 12 to the gap 19, the flow velocity of the gas 400 can be increased compared to the gas supply groove 22 and the suction groove 23, thereby lowering the pressure in the gap 19.

[0036] In this embodiment, the preferred gap distance 18 for the gap 19 in which the Venturi effect occurs is, for example, greater than 0 mm and 4 mm or less, and preferably greater than 0 mm and 2 mm or less. In this case, the wafer 200 is pulled to a position where it is almost in contact with the plane 21 of the unit body 11 when facing it. On the other hand, if the distance 18 is made too large, the difference in position in the thickness direction between the region of the wafer 200 that is pulled by the unit body 11 and the other regions becomes large, which may cause a load to be placed on the wafer 200. When the distance 18 is 4 mm or less, the load on the wafer 200 can be sufficiently suppressed, and when the distance 18 is 2 mm or less, the load on the wafer 200 can be suppressed even more sufficiently.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the preferred flow velocity of the gas 400 in which the Venturi effect occurs in the gap 19 is 5 m / s or more and 400 m / s or less. In this case, the wafer 200 can be pulled toward the plane 21 of the unit body 11 with appropriate strength when it is facing the plane 21. On the other hand, if the flow velocity of the gas 400 passing through the gap 19 is less than 5 m / s, the Venturi effect will not occur sufficiently, and there is a risk that the wafer 200 cannot be properly pulled toward the unit body 11 with sufficient strength. If the flow velocity of the gas 400 passing through the gap 19 exceeds 400 m / s, the force pulling the wafer 200 will become too strong, and there is a risk that a strong localized load (attractive force) will act on the region of the wafer 200 facing the plane 21 of the unit body 11. Note that the range of preferred flow velocity of the gas 400 in which the Venturi effect occurs in the gap 19 varies depending on the strength caused by the material, thickness, etc., of the wafer 200.

[0038] The unit body 11 of the gas supply unit 10 is installed on the movement path through which the wafer 200 is transported by the transport unit 30. The unit body 11 is installed with its flat surface 21 facing the movement path side of the wafer 200, and at a distance of 18 between the flat surface 21 and one side of the wafer 200 that undergoes foreign matter removal as it passes through the movement path (in this embodiment, the back surface 209). In this embodiment, the unit body 11 is installed between the wafer housing 145, which is placed on the wafer housing mounting base 140, and the holding table 110, or more specifically, between the wafer housing 145 and the pair of guide rails 33, as shown in Figure 1. However, the unit body 11 is not limited to this in the present invention, and for example, it may be installed between the holding table 110 and the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150, or between the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150 and the pair of guide rails 33.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the unit body 11 is positioned such that the first direction 301 is parallel to the X-axis direction of the processing device 100, the second direction 302 is parallel to the Y-axis direction of the processing device 100, and the third direction 303 is parallel to the Z-axis direction of the processing device 100, with the plane 21 facing the +Z direction (upward) of the processing device 100, and is spaced 18 units away from the wafer 200's movement path in the -Z direction (downward). The unit body 11 is also moved along the Z-axis direction by the position adjustment unit 14 and adjusted to a position spaced 18 units away from the plane 21 and one side of the wafer 200 that undergoes foreign matter removal as it passes through the movement path (the back surface 209 in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the gas supply unit 10 is installed below the movement path of the wafer 200 and supplies gas 400 to the wafer 200 from below. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the unit body 11 may be installed above the movement path of the wafer 200 and supply gas 400 to the wafer 200 from above.

[0040] The control unit 40 controls the operation of each component of the foreign matter removal device 1 to cause the foreign matter removal device 1 to perform a foreign matter removal process on one side of the wafer 200 (the back surface 209 in this embodiment). The control unit 160 also controls the operation of each component of the processing device 100, excluding the foreign matter removal device 1, and together with the control unit 40, causes the processing device 100 to perform various processes on the wafer 200. In this embodiment, both the control units 40 and 160 include a computer system. The computer system included in the control units 40 and 160 each includes an arithmetic processing unit having a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device having memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing units of the control units 40 and 160 each perform calculations according to the computer programs stored in the memory devices of the control units 40 and 160, and output control signals for controlling the foreign object removal device 1 and the processing unit 100 to the respective components of the foreign object removal device 1 and the processing unit 100 via the input / output interface devices of the control units 40 and 160. The control units 40 and 160 may also constitute an integrated control unit, including an integrated computer system.

[0041] Figures 6, 7, and 8 are perspective views illustrating the gas supply unit 10 of Figure 2. An example of the operation of the processing apparatus 100 incorporating the foreign matter removal device 1 of the embodiment will be described. First, the foreign matter removal device 1 uses the first holding part 35 of the first transport unit 31 to hold the wafer 200 of the wafer housing 145 placed on the wafer housing mounting table 140, and the first moving unit 36 ​​moves the wafer 200 held by the first holding part 35 from the wafer housing 145 toward the pair of guide rails 33 along the Y-axis direction (second direction 302).

[0042] The first moving unit 36 ​​of the first transport unit 31 moves relative to the wafer 200 along the plane direction, with the first holding part 35 that holds the wafer 200 and the unit body 11 of the gas supply unit 10 brought close together to a position where they are separated by a distance of 18 between the back surface 209 of the adhesive tape 205 attached to the wafer 200 and the plane 21 of the unit body 11. As a result, the foreign matter removal device 1, for example as shown sequentially in Figures 6, 7, and 8, passes the wafer 200 held by the first holding unit 35 over the plane 21 of the unit body 11 of the gas supply unit 10, so that the back surface 209 of the adhesive tape 205 attached to the wafer 200 and the plane 21 face each other in the Z-axis direction (third direction 303), and moves the opposing region of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 that is facing the plane 21 along the X-axis direction (first direction 301) along the Y-axis direction (second direction 302), so that the entire surface of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 passes over the plane 21 sequentially. At this time, as shown in Figure 5, the foreign matter removal device 1 forms a gap 19 between the opposing region of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 and the plane 21, and supplies gas 400 towards this formed gap 19 using the gas supply source 12 of the gas supply unit 10. The foreign matter removal device 1 further uses the suction source 13 to suck up the gas 400 in the suction passage 27. As a result, the foreign matter removal device 1 can create a flow of gas 400 that passes through the gas supply passage 26, gas supply hole 28, gas supply groove 22, gap 19, suction groove 23, suction hole 29, and suction passage 27 in that order for the gas 400 supplied toward the gap 19.

[0043] The foreign matter removal device 1 removes foreign matter adhering to the area of ​​the back surface 209 facing the plane 21 by the flow of the gas 400 it has formed. The foreign matter removal device 1 then performs the foreign matter removal process on the entire surface of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 by having the entire surface of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 pass over the plane 21 sequentially. In addition to foreign matter, the foreign matter removal device 1 may also remove processing water that has adhered after processing by the flow of the gas 400.

[0044] Furthermore, the foreign matter removal device 1 generates a Venturi effect through the flow of the formed gas 400, creating a pressure lower than that of the gas supply groove 22 and suction groove 23 in the gap 19. This suitably attracts the wafer 200 towards the unit body 11, suppressing localized force on the back surface 209 of the wafer 200. This prevents deformation such as convex warping of the wafer 200's surface 201, thus preventing damage such as cracking of the wafer 200 due to such deformation.

[0045] Furthermore, when the foreign matter removal device 1 is installed between the holding table 110 and the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150, the second holding part 38 of the second transport unit 32 holds the wafer 200 on the holding table 110, and the second moving unit 39 moves the second holding part 38 that holds the wafer 200 and the unit body 11 of the gas supply unit 10 relatively along the plane direction of the wafer 200. When the wafer 200 held by the second holding part 38 is moved from the holding table 110 towards the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150 along the Y-axis direction (second direction 302), the gas 400 removes foreign matter adhering to the area of ​​the back surface 209 facing the plane 21, as described above, and generates a Venturi effect to prevent damage such as cracking of the wafer 200.

[0046] Furthermore, when the foreign matter removal device 1 is installed between the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150 and a pair of guide rails 33, the second holding part 38 of the second transport unit 32 holds the wafer 200 on the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150, and the second moving unit 39 moves the wafer 200 held by the second holding part 38 from the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150 towards the pair of guide rails 33 along the Y-axis direction (second direction 302). In the same manner as described above, the gas 400 removes foreign matter adhering to the area of ​​the back surface 209 facing the plane 21, and generates a Venturi effect to prevent damage such as cracking of the wafer 200.

[0047] The foreign matter removal device 1 according to the embodiment having the above configuration has the effect of preventing damage to the wafer 200 by supplying gas 400, while removing foreign matter attached to the back surface 209 side of the adhesive tape 205 attached to the wafer 200 held by the first holding part 35 and the second holding part 38 from the back surface 209 with gas 400 using the gas supply unit 10, and generating a Venturi effect in the gap 19 formed between the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 and the flat surface 21 of the unit body 11 of the gas supply unit 10.

[0048] Furthermore, in the foreign matter removal device 1 according to the embodiment, the gas supply unit 10 has one or more gas supply holes 28, the gas supply holes 28 are arranged in a first direction 301, and the first moving unit 36 ​​and the second moving unit 39 move the first holding part 35 and the second holding part 38 in a second direction 302 that intersects the first direction 301. For this reason, in the foreign matter removal device 1 according to the embodiment, an area is formed on the back surface 209 of the wafer 200 that extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction and faces the plane 21, so that a stable flow of gas 400 can be formed in the gap 19, thereby efficiently removing foreign matter adhering to the entire surface of the back surface 209 of the wafer 200, and a venturi effect can be stably created in the gap 19.

[0049] Furthermore, the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment has a gas supply unit 10 that further has one or more suction holes 29, so that foreign matter removed by the flow of gas 400 can be sucked up, and the flow of gas 400 formed in the gap 19 can be accelerated.

[0050] Furthermore, since the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment is installed on the movement path through which the wafer 200 is transported by the first holding unit 35 and the second holding unit 38, it can be suitably incorporated without particularly changing the layout of each component (each unit) of the processing device 100, and without particularly changing the wafer transport process of the processing device 100.

[0051] Furthermore, in the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment, the first holding unit 35 transports the wafer 200 from the wafer housing unit 145 to the holding table 110, and the gas supply unit 10 is installed between the wafer housing unit 145 and the holding table 110. Since gas 400 is supplied before the wafer 200 is held by the holding table 110, the risk of foreign matter getting caught between the holding table 110 and the wafer 200 is suppressed, and damage such as breakage of the wafer 200 due to processing by the processing unit 120 can be further prevented. Furthermore, in the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment, the gas supply unit 10 is installed between the holding table 110 and the holding table 151 of the cleaning unit 150. When gas 400 is supplied before the wafer 200 is held by the holding table 151, the risk of foreign matter getting trapped between the holding table 151 and the wafer 200 is suppressed, and damage such as breakage of the wafer 200 due to the cleaning process of the cleaning unit 150 can be further prevented.

[0052] Furthermore, in the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment, the gas supply unit 10 injects ionized air as gas 400, and the wafer 200 is electrostatically removed by the ionized air, thereby suppressing deterioration of the processing quality (processing quality) of the processing unit 120 caused by the electrostatic charge of the wafer 200. In addition, even when it is necessary to increase the airflow rate or velocity of the ionized air to improve the electrostatic removal efficiency of the wafer 200, the foreign matter removal device 1 according to this embodiment can prevent damage to the wafer 200 due to the supply of air by generating a Venturi effect in the gap 19.

[0053] [Variation] A modified foreign matter removal device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the gas supply unit 10-2 in the modified foreign matter removal device 1. In Figure 9, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in the embodiment, and their description is omitted.

[0054] The modified foreign matter removal device 1 is the same as the embodiment described above, but with the gas supply unit 10 replaced by a gas supply unit 10-2. As shown in Figure 9, the gas supply unit 10-2 is the same as the embodiment described above, but with the unit body 11 replaced by a unit body 11-2 and the suction source 13 omitted. The unit body 11-2 is the same as the embodiment described above, but with the suction groove 23 having a side surface 25, the suction passage 27, and the suction hole 29 omitted. The modified version is the same as the embodiment described above in other respects.

[0055] In this modified foreign matter removal device 1, the flow path (suction groove 23, suction hole 29, suction passage 27) of the gas 400 supplied to the gap 19 after the gap 19 is omitted compared to the embodiment described above. Therefore, the modified foreign matter removal device 1 removes foreign matter adhering to the area of ​​the back surface 209 facing the plane 21 with the gas 400, and also generates a Venturi effect to prevent damage such as cracking of the wafer 200 due to the supply of gas 400. The modified foreign matter removal device 1 provides the same effects as the embodiment described above, except for the effects provided by the suction groove 23, suction hole 29, and suction passage 27.

[0056] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core of the present invention. In the embodiments described above and each of the modifications, the foreign matter removal device 1 is incorporated into a processing apparatus 100 in which the processing unit 120 is a cutting unit that performs cutting processing and the cleaning unit 150 performs cleaning processing. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be incorporated into a processing apparatus that includes a grinding unit for grinding the wafer 200, a polishing unit for polishing the wafer 200, a laser processing unit for laser processing by irradiating the wafer 200 with a laser beam, a plasma processing unit for plasma processing by irradiating the wafer 200 with plasma, an attachment unit for attaching a protective member to the wafer 200, an ultraviolet irradiation unit for performing ultraviolet irradiation processing by irradiating the wafer 200 with ultraviolet light, and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Foreign matter removal device 10,10-2 Gas supply unit 19 gaps 28 Gas supply port 29 Suction hole 30 Conveyor Units 35 1st holding part 36 First Mobile Unit 38 Second holding part 39. Second Mobile Unit 110,151 Holding Tables 145 Wafer containment section 200 wafers 209 Reverse side (corresponding to one side according to the present invention) 301 First direction 302 Second direction 400 Gas

Claims

1. A foreign matter removal device for removing foreign matter from one side of a wafer held in a holding section, A gas supply unit that faces one surface of the wafer, forms a gap between itself and the wafer, and supplies gas into the gap, The wafer comprises a holding unit, a gas supply unit, and a moving unit that moves them relative to each other in the planar direction of the wafer. The holding unit transports the wafer from the wafer housing unit to the holding table. The gas supply unit is installed between the wafer housing and the holding table, and supplies gas before the wafer is held by the holding table. A foreign matter removal device that removes foreign matter from one side of a wafer by increasing the flow velocity of the gas as it passes through the gap, thereby lowering the pressure in the gap.

2. The foreign matter removal device according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit has a gas supply hole for supplying the gas and a suction hole that is positioned between the gas supply hole and the gap for drawing in the gas.

3. The gas supply unit has one or more gas supply holes, One or more gas supply holes are arranged in the first direction, The moving unit moves the holding portion and the gas supply unit relative to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The foreign matter removal device according to claim 1.

4. The foreign matter removal device according to claim 3, wherein the gas supply unit has a gap between it and one or more gas supply holes in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and one or more suction holes for drawing in the gas are arranged in the first direction parallel to one or more gas supply holes.

5. The foreign matter removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas supply unit is installed on a movement path through which the wafer is transported by the holding unit.

6. The foreign matter removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas supply unit injects ionized air to remove static electricity from the wafer.

Images