Element transfer apparatus and method for transferring elements

Abstract

To provide an element transferring device capable of transferring elements with high accuracy when transferring elements from a supporting substrate to a transferred substrate, regardless of assembly accuracy of the element transferring device or processing accuracy of various constituent members.SOLUTION: An element transfer apparatus 100 includes a support substrate holding portion 30 that holds a support substrate 10 on which at least one element 1 is supported, a transferred substrate holding portion 40 that holds a transferred substrate 20 to which the element 1 supported on the support substrate 10 is transferred, a gap length acquisition portion 80 that acquires a distance between the support substrate 10 or the element 1 and the transferred substrate 20 as a gap length D, and a control portion 60 that controls an adjustment direction and an adjustment amount of a position adjustment mechanism 50, and the control portion is configured to control the position adjustment mechanism 50 so as to adjust at least a relative inclination between the support substrate holding portion 30 and the transferred substrate holding portion 40 on the basis of the gap length D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an element transfer device including a laser light irradiation unit that irradiates laser light, and a method for transferring an element.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a transfer device for a semiconductor chip (element) including a step of irradiating laser light from a laser light irradiation unit has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an element transfer device configured to irradiate laser light from a laser light irradiation unit onto a chip (element) to be transferred disposed on the surface of a donor substrate (support substrate), and transfer the element to be transferred to a transfer target site set on the surface of a target substrate (substrate to be transferred).

[0004] The element transfer device of Patent Document 1 includes a substrate to be transferred holding unit, a support substrate holding unit, a deflection measurement unit, a laser light irradiation unit, a relative movement unit, and a control unit. Further, the relative movement unit includes a gap length change unit that changes the gap distance (gap length) between the substrate to be transferred and the support substrate. And, in the element transfer device of Patent Document 1, when the support substrate deflects due to its own weight, the transfer position of the element shifts because the gap length varies depending on the position within the plane of the support substrate. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent the shift of the transfer position of the element, when the control unit irradiates laser light toward the element to be transferred through the support substrate, the control unit controls the gap length change unit based on the deflection amount of the support substrate measured by the deflection measurement unit so that the gap length falls within a desired range.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In conventional element transfer devices, such as the one described in Patent Document 1 above, the effect of deflection is suppressed by controlling the gap length based on the amount of deflection (displacement) of the support substrate measured by the deflection measurement unit. However, in actual device configurations, factors other than the amount of deflection of the support substrate exist that cause variations in the gap length, such as thickness variations of the support substrate, thickness variations of the substrate to be transferred, the flatness of the substrate to be transferred, and the assembly accuracy of the device. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately adjust the gap length by measuring only the amount of deflection of the support substrate, and in some cases, it may not be possible to transfer elements with high precision. Thus, there is a need for a technology that can transfer elements with high precision from the support substrate to the substrate to be transferred, regardless of the assembly accuracy of the element transfer device or the processing accuracy of various components.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an element transfer apparatus and an element transfer method that can transfer elements from a support substrate to a transfer substrate with high precision, regardless of the assembly precision of the element transfer apparatus or the processing precision of various components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the element transfer apparatus in this first phase includes a support substrate holding unit that holds a support substrate on which at least one element is supported, a transfer substrate holding unit that holds a transfer substrate on which the element supported on the support substrate is transferred, a laser beam irradiation unit positioned on the opposite side of the surface on which the support substrate supports the element and irradiates laser light toward the support substrate to release the support state between the support substrate and the element, and a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding unit and the transfer substrate holding unit. Based on the distance between the reference position and the side of the support substrate that supports the element, and the distance between the reference position and the side of the substrate to be transferred that the element is transferred to, support base Board andThe system includes a gap length acquisition unit that acquires the distance between the transfer substrate and the transfer substrate as the gap length, and a control unit that controls the adjustment direction and adjustment amount of the position adjustment mechanism. The control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding unit and the transfer substrate holding unit based on the gap length.

[0009] As described above, the element transfer apparatus in this first phase includes a gap length acquisition unit that acquires the distance between the support substrate or element and the substrate to be transferred as the gap length, and the control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holder and the substrate to be transferred based on the gap length. This allows for more accurate position adjustment based on the gap length, which does not depend on the assembly accuracy of the element transfer apparatus or the processing accuracy of various components, unlike when the relative position between the support substrate holder and the substrate to be transferred is adjusted based on the amount of deflection of the support substrate. As a result, when transferring an element from the support substrate to the substrate to be transferred, the element can be transferred with high precision, regardless of the assembly accuracy of the element transfer apparatus or the processing accuracy of various components.

[0010] In the element transfer apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the control unit acquires multiple partial surface regions of the surface of the support substrate that support the element, where the gap length falls within the gap tolerance range, and relative position information of the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred for forming the partial surface region, over all areas where the transfer is performed, based on a preset gap tolerance range and the gap length acquired by the gap length acquisition unit. Based on the multiple relative position information, the control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding part and the substrate to be transferred part. With this configuration, the gap length is adjusted to fall within the gap tolerance range over all areas where the transfer is performed, so that the inclination of the element relative to the substrate to be transferred can be adjusted more accurately over all areas where the transfer is performed, and the element can be transferred with higher precision.

[0011] In this case, preferably, the control unit is configured to acquire multiple division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred into multiple subsurface regions, and to select a first division pattern from among the multiple division patterns that includes the maximum subsurface region with the largest number of elements included in one subsurface region, and to perform control to acquire relative position information for forming each subsurface region included in the first division pattern. With this configuration, the position adjustment mechanism can be controlled based on relative position information using the first division pattern that includes the maximum subsurface region with the largest number of chips that can be transferred based on one piece of relative position information. As a result, the number of times the control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism can be reduced, and the time required for transfer can be shortened.

[0012] In a configuration in which multiple partial surface regions and relative position information are acquired across all regions to be transferred, preferably, the control unit is configured to acquire multiple division patterns when dividing all regions to be transferred into partial surface regions, and to perform control to acquire a second division pattern from among the multiple division patterns that has the fewest number of relative position information points. With this configuration, the number of times the position adjustment mechanism is controlled based on the relative position information using the second division pattern can be minimized, thereby shortening the time required for transfer.

[0013] In a configuration that controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding portion and the transfer substrate holding portion based on the above-mentioned multiple relative position information, the control unit is preferably configured to perform control to acquire relative position information such that the values ​​of multiple gap lengths within each partial surface region approach uniformity. With this configuration, multiple chips included in the partial surface region are held with approximately the same gap length, so that elements can be transferred with higher precision.

[0014] In the element transfer apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the gap length acquisition unit acquires at least a first distance from an arbitrarily set reference position to the surface of the support substrate that supports the element, and a second distance from the reference position to the surface of the substrate to be transferred to the element. With this configuration, even when it is difficult to directly measure the gap length, the gap length can be accurately measured based on the first and second distances, which can be acquired simultaneously.

[0015] In the element transfer apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the gap length acquisition unit acquires a first reference distance from a first reference position, which is arbitrarily set on the side of the substrate to be transferred that is opposite to the side of the substrate to which the element is transferred, to the side of the support substrate that supports the element; a second reference distance from a second reference position, which is arbitrarily set on the side of the support substrate that is opposite to the side of the substrate to which the element is transferred, to the side of the substrate to be transferred that is transferred; and the distance between the first reference position and the second reference position. With this configuration, even when it is difficult to directly measure the gap length, the gap length can be accurately measured based on the first reference distance, the second reference distance, and the distance between the reference positions.

[0016] This second method for transferring an element comprises a gap length acquisition step of acquiring multiple points of distance between a support substrate that supports the element and a transfer substrate on which the element is transferred, as the gap length; a position adjustment step of adjusting the relative inclination between at least the support substrate and the transfer substrate; and a laser beam irradiation step of irradiating the support substrate with laser light to release the support state between the support substrate and the element. The position adjustment step adjusts the relative inclination between at least the support substrate and the transfer substrate based on the gap length acquired in the gap length acquisition step. The gap length acquisition process acquires the gap length based on the distance between the reference position and the side of the support substrate that supports the element, and the distance between the reference position and the side of the substrate to be transferred that the element is transferred to. .

[0017] In the second phase of the element transfer method described above, the position adjustment step adjusts at least the relative inclination between the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred based on the gap length obtained in the gap length acquisition step. This makes it possible to adjust the position based on the gap length, which does not depend on the assembly accuracy of the element transfer device or the processing accuracy of various components, unlike when the relative position between the support substrate holder and the substrate to be transferred holder is adjusted based on the amount of deflection of the support substrate. As a result, it is possible to provide an element transfer method that enables high-precision transfer of elements from the support substrate to the substrate to be transferred, regardless of the assembly accuracy of the element transfer device or the processing accuracy of various components.

[0018] In the method for transferring an element according to the second aspect described above, preferably, the method further includes an information acquisition step that acquires multiple partial surface regions of the surface supporting the element on the support substrate in which the gap length falls within the gap tolerance range, and relative position information of the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred for forming the partial surface region, based on a preset gap tolerance range and the gap length acquired by the gap length acquisition step, over all areas where the transfer is performed. The position adjustment step adjusts at least the relative inclination between the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred based on the multiple relative position information. With this configuration, the gap length is adjusted to fall within the gap tolerance range over all areas where the transfer is performed, so that the inclination of the element relative to the substrate to be transferred can be adjusted more accurately over all areas where the transfer is performed, and an element transfer method that can transfer elements with higher precision can be provided.

[0019] In this case, preferably, the information acquisition step divides all areas to be transferred into multiple subsurface areas, acquires multiple division patterns, and selects a first division pattern from among the multiple division patterns that includes the largest subsurface area, which contains the maximum number of elements in one subsurface area, and acquires relative position information for forming each subsurface area included in the first division pattern. With this configuration, the position adjustment mechanism can be controlled based on relative position information that includes the largest subsurface area, which contains the maximum number of chips that can be transferred based on one piece of relative position information. This reduces the number of position adjustments in the position adjustment step and provides an element transfer method that shortens the time required for transfer.

[0020] In a method for acquiring multiple partial surface regions and relative position information across all regions to be transferred, preferably, the information acquisition step involves acquiring multiple division patterns when dividing all regions to be transferred into partial surface regions, and selecting a division pattern from among the multiple division patterns that minimizes the number of relative position information points. With this configuration, the number of times the position adjustment mechanism is controlled based on the relative position information can be minimized, and a method for transferring elements that shortens the time required for transfer can be provided.

[0021] In a method for controlling a position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding portion and the transfer substrate holding portion based on the above-mentioned multiple relative position information, preferably, the information acquisition step acquires relative position information such that the values ​​of multiple gap lengths are brought closer to uniformly equal within each partial surface region. With this configuration, since multiple chips included in the partial surface region are held with similar gap lengths, it is possible to provide an element transfer method that enables the transfer of elements with higher precision. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, as described above, when transferring an element from a support substrate to a transfer substrate, an element transfer device and an element transfer method capable of transferring the element with high precision can be provided without depending on the assembly accuracy of the element transfer device and the processing accuracy of various components.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a semiconductor chip is supported on a support substrate. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the gap length varies depending on the position of the transfer substrate due to the deflection of the support substrate. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart for explaining the transfer method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a configuration for obtaining the gap length in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the gap tolerance in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the setting of a partial surface region on the surface of the support substrate on the side supporting the semiconductor chip in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the relative position information when forming a partial surface region in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining obtaining a plurality of divided patterns in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the second and third embodiments. [Figure 10] It is another diagram for explaining obtaining a plurality of divided patterns in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the second and third embodiments. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining the setting of a partial surface region in a semiconductor chip transfer device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure illustrates the relative positional information when forming a partial surface region in a semiconductor chip transfer apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure shows a configuration for acquiring the gap length in a modified semiconductor chip transfer apparatus, where the substrate to be transferred and the substrate holding part are absent. [Figure 14] This figure shows a configuration for acquiring the gap length in a modified semiconductor chip transfer apparatus, with the substrate to be transferred and the substrate holding part present. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The following describes embodiments of the present invention based on the drawings.

[0025] [First Embodiment] The configuration of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0026] (Semiconductor chip transfer equipment) As shown in Figure 1, the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 comprises a support substrate holding section 30, a substrate to be transferred holding section 40, a position adjustment mechanism 50, a control section 60, and a laser light irradiation section 70. In the drawing, the left-right direction (one direction in the horizontal plane) of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 is defined as the X direction. The up-down direction (vertical direction) of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 is defined as the Z direction. The direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions (the other direction in the horizontal plane) of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 is defined as the Y direction. The semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 is an example of an "element transfer apparatus" as defined in the claims.

[0027] As the semiconductor chip 1, for example, a semiconductor chip 1 with a size of 50um x 50um or less, called a micro light-emitting diode (LED), can be used. Note that the semiconductor chip 1 is not limited to micro LEDs, and various semiconductor elements may be used. Note that the semiconductor chip 1 is an example of the "element" in the claims.

[0028] The support substrate 10 is formed from a material that transmits laser light L, such as an SiO2 (silicon dioxide) substrate or a sapphire substrate. The support substrate 10 supports a plurality of semiconductor chips 1 via an adhesive layer (not shown) formed on the support substrate 10. As shown in Figure 2, the plurality of semiconductor chips 1 are arranged in a matrix on the support substrate 10 at predetermined intervals via the adhesive layer. The support substrate 10 has a circular shape.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the support substrate holder 30 holds the support substrate 10 on which the semiconductor chip 1 is supported. The support substrate holder 30 holds the support substrate 10 with the side supporting the semiconductor chip 1 facing downwards. The support substrate holder 30 has an opening 31. Laser light L emitted from the laser light irradiation unit 70 is irradiated onto the support substrate 10 held by the support substrate holder 30 through the opening 31. The support substrate holder 30 is configured to be movable relative to the transfer substrate holder 40 in at least the X and Y directions by a position adjustment mechanism 50.

[0030] An adhesive layer (not shown) is formed between the support substrate 10 and the semiconductor chip 1. The adhesive layer is made of a material that decomposes and generates gaseous components when irradiated with laser light L from the laser light irradiation unit 70. The adhesive layer is made of, for example, polyimide or silicon.

[0031] The transfer substrate 20 is a substrate for manufacturing a microLED display panel by transferring a large number of microLEDs from a support substrate 10 onto the transfer substrate 20. In this first embodiment, the transfer substrate 20 has a rectangular shape.

[0032] The substrate to be transferred holding section 40 holds the substrate to be transferred 20, onto which the semiconductor chip 1 supported on the support substrate 10 is transferred, from below. The substrate to be transferred holding section 40 is configured to be movable relative to the support substrate holding section 30 in at least the X and Y directions by a position adjustment mechanism 50.

[0033] The control unit 60 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and performs various controls by executing a program (software). The control unit 60 arbitrarily selects a semiconductor chip 1 within the transfer area and controls the transfer of only the semiconductor chip 1 within the transfer area to the transfer substrate 20 by irradiating the laser beam irradiation unit 70 with laser beam L. Furthermore, the control unit 60 is configured to control the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40 based on the distance (gap length D) between the support substrate 10 and the transfer substrate 20 obtained by the gap length acquisition unit 80.

[0034] The laser beam irradiation unit 70 is configured to irradiate the support substrate 10 with laser beam L. The laser beam irradiation unit 70 includes a laser light source 71, a galvanometer mirror 72, and an fθ lens 73. The laser light source 71 is a light source that emits laser beam L. The galvanometer mirror 72 is rotatable about two intersecting axes and reflects the laser beam L at any angle. The fθ lens 73 focuses the laser beam L from the galvanometer mirror 72 onto the transfer area of ​​the support substrate 10. Therefore, the size of the transfer area placed within the support substrate 10 is contained within the irradiation range of the laser beam L reflected within the rotatable range of the galvanometer mirror 72.

[0035] The laser beam irradiation unit 70 irradiates the surface of the support substrate 10 held by the support substrate holding unit 30 with laser light L via the galvanometer mirror 72 and the fθ lens 73, on the side opposite to the surface supporting the semiconductor chip 1. The laser light L is irradiated onto the selected semiconductor chip 1 in the transfer region by the galvanometer mirror 72 and the fθ lens 73. As the laser light L is irradiated onto the adhesive layer via the support substrate 10, the semiconductor chip 1 is peeled off from the support substrate 10 and transferred from the support substrate 10 to the transfer substrate 20. In other words, a transfer is performed by the laser lift-off method.

[0036] The gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires the distance between the support substrate 10 or semiconductor chip 1 and the transfer substrate 20 as the gap length D. For example, the gap length acquisition unit 80 is configured to include a laser displacement meter 81 mounted above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction).

[0037] (Method for transferring semiconductor chip data) Next, with reference to Figures 3 to 8, the process of transferring the semiconductor chip 1 in the first embodiment will be described. The process of transferring the semiconductor chip 1 described below is performed by the control unit 60.

[0038] Figure 3 is a side view (XZ cross-sectional view) of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, viewed from the Y2 direction. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the support substrate 10 bends downward (in the Z2 direction) due to its own weight. This leads to a case where the gap length dc, which is the distance between position C in the center of the support substrate 10 and position C2 located vertically below position C (in the Z2 direction), and the gap length de, which is the distance between position E at the end of the support substrate 10 and position E2 located vertically below position E (in the Z2 direction), are different values.

[0039] In step S1 of Figure 4, in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires a first distance D1 from a reference position T located above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction) to the side of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1. The gap length acquisition unit 80 also acquires a second distance D2 from the reference position T to the side of the transfer substrate 20 on which the semiconductor chip 1 is transferred. In this case, the gap length D at any position acquired by the gap length acquisition unit 80 is expressed as D = D2 - D1.

[0040] A specific method for obtaining the gap length D in the first embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 5. In the first embodiment, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires the gap length D based on data measured using a laser displacement meter 81 mounted above (in the Z1 direction) the support substrate 10. The laser displacement meter 81 measures the distance between a reference position T and an arbitrary position S1 on the surface of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1, for example, using a white light interferometry measurement method, as the first distance D1. The laser displacement meter 81 also acquires the distance between the reference position T and a position S2 on the surface of the transfer substrate 20 located vertically below (in the Z2 direction) position S1, as the second distance D2. The gap length acquisition unit 80 is configured to acquire the difference between the first distance D1 and the second distance D2 measured by the laser displacement meter 81 as the gap length D. The process then proceeds to step S2.

[0041] In step S2, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the first embodiment, based on a preset gap tolerance range g and a gap length D acquired by the gap length acquisition unit 80, multiple partial surface regions A of the surface supporting the semiconductor chip 1 of the support substrate 10 in which the gap length D falls within the gap tolerance range g, and relative position information of the support substrate 10 and the substrate to be transferred 20 for forming the partial surface region A are acquired over all areas where the transfer is performed.

[0042] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the control unit 60 obtains a gap length Dg, which is arbitrarily set as the distance between the support substrate 10 and the substrate 20 to be transferred. In this first embodiment, the gap length Dg is set to a distance such that the semiconductor chip 1 and the substrate 20 to be transferred do not come into contact over the entire area where the transfer is performed. The control unit 60 also obtains a gap tolerance range g, which is set as a range of values ​​shifted in the Z direction from a predetermined gap length Dg. In this first embodiment, the gap tolerance range g is set to a range such that the semiconductor chip 1 does not come into contact with the substrate 20 to be transferred, even when the relative position of the support substrate 10 and the substrate 20 to be transferred is adjusted.

[0043] Next, the control unit 60 acquires a partial surface region A as shown in Figure 7, based on a preset gap tolerance range g and the gap length D acquired by the gap length acquisition unit 80 over all areas where the transfer is performed, such that the error of the gap length D with respect to a predetermined gap length Dg falls within the gap tolerance range g. Here, as shown in Figure 7, a partial surface region A is each region that divides the semiconductor chip 1 into one or more parts over all areas where the transfer is performed, as shown by the dashed line. This partial surface region A is acquired such that, when the relative position of the support substrate 10 and the substrate to be transferred 20 is under predetermined conditions, the error of the gap length D with respect to a predetermined gap length Dg at all positions within the partial surface region A falls within the gap tolerance range g. The control unit 60 also acquires the predetermined positions of the support substrate 10 and the substrate to be transferred 20 for forming the partial surface region A as relative position information for each partial surface region A. After that, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0044] In step S3, in the first embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40 based on a plurality of relative position information.

[0045] Figure 8 is a side view of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 in the first embodiment, when the support substrate holding portion 30 is adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the inclination of the support substrate 10 based on the relative position information when forming the partial surface region A in Figure 7. At this time, arbitrary positions A1 and A2 within the partial surface region A in Figure 7 are arranged to fall within the gap tolerance range g. The process then proceeds to step S4.

[0046] In step S4, in the first embodiment, the support substrate 10 is positioned on the side opposite to the side supporting the semiconductor chip 1 (the Z1 direction side), and laser light L is irradiated toward the support substrate 10 to release the support between the support substrate 10 and the semiconductor chip 1. As a result, the semiconductor chip 1 supported by the support substrate 10 is peeled off and transferred to the transfer substrate 20.

[0047] Specifically, the control unit 60 adjusts the galvanometer mirror 72 and irradiates the semiconductor chip 1 with laser light L from the laser light irradiation unit 70. As shown in Figure 8, when the semiconductor chip 1 is irradiated with laser light L from the side of the support substrate 10 opposite to the side supporting the semiconductor chip 1, the adhesive layer (not shown) formed on the support substrate 10 is decomposed by the laser light L, and the semiconductor chip 1 is peeled off.

[0048] In step S4, in the first embodiment, the control unit 60 irradiates the semiconductor chip 1 to be transferred, which is included in the partial surface region A, with laser light L and controls the laser light irradiation unit 70 to release the support state between the support substrate 10 and the semiconductor chip 1. After that, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0049] In step S5, the control unit 60 determines whether the transfer of the semiconductor chip 1 to be transferred to the substrate 20 has been completed in all of the multiple partial surface regions A. If the control unit 60 determines that the transfer of the semiconductor chip 1 to be transferred to the substrate 20 has been completed in all of the multiple partial surface regions A (if Yes in step S5), it terminates the process. If the control unit 60 determines that the transfer of the semiconductor chip 1 to be transferred to the substrate 20 has not been completed in all of the multiple transfer regions (if No in step S5), it returns to the process in step S3 and performs the transfer of the semiconductor chip 1 using different relative position information. In the first embodiment, the semiconductor chip 1 is transferred to the entire surface of the substrate 20 by repeating this series of processes.

[0050] (Effects of the first embodiment) Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0051] The semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 and semiconductor chip transfer method of the first embodiment include a support substrate holding unit 30 that holds a support substrate 10 on which at least one semiconductor chip 1 is supported, and a transfer substrate holding unit 40 that holds a transfer substrate 20 on which the semiconductor chip 1 supported on the support substrate 10 is transferred. The semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 and semiconductor chip transfer method of the first embodiment also include a laser beam irradiation unit 70 which is positioned on the side opposite to the side (Z1 direction side) on which the support substrate 10 supports the semiconductor chip 1 and irradiates the support substrate 10 with laser light L to release the support state between the support substrate 10 and the semiconductor chip 1, a position adjustment mechanism 50 which adjusts the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40, a gap length acquisition unit 80 which acquires the distance between the support substrate 10 or semiconductor chip 1 and the transfer substrate 20 as a gap length D, and a control unit 60 which controls the adjustment direction and adjustment amount of the position adjustment mechanism 50. The control unit 60 then controls the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding portion 30 and the substrate to be transferred holding portion 40 based on the gap length D. This makes it possible to adjust the position based on the gap length D, which does not depend on the assembly accuracy of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 or the processing accuracy of various components, unlike when the relative position between the support substrate holding portion 30 and the substrate to be transferred holding portion 40 is adjusted based on the amount of deflection of the support substrate 10. As a result, when transferring the semiconductor chip 1 from the support substrate 10 to the substrate to be transferred 20, the semiconductor chip 1 can be transferred with high precision, regardless of the assembly accuracy of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 or the processing accuracy of various components.

[0052] The control unit 60 acquires multiple partial surface regions A on the surface of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1, where the error of the gap length D to a predetermined gap length Dg falls within the gap tolerance range g, and relative position information of the support substrate 10 and the substrate to be transferred 20 for forming the partial surface region A, based on a preset gap tolerance range g and the gap length D acquired by the gap length acquisition unit 80, across all areas where the transfer is performed. Furthermore, the control unit 60 controls the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the relative inclination of at least the support substrate holding unit 30 and the substrate to be transferred holding unit 40 based on the multiple relative position information. With this configuration, the transfer can be performed such that the error of the gap length D to a predetermined gap length Dg falls within the gap tolerance range g across all areas where the transfer is performed. As a result, the inclination of the semiconductor chip 1 relative to the substrate to be transferred 20 can be adjusted more accurately across all areas where the transfer is performed, and the semiconductor chip 1 can be transferred with higher precision.

[0053] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires at least a first distance D1 from an arbitrarily set reference position T to the side of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1, and a second distance D2 from the reference position T to the side of the transfer substrate 20 on which the semiconductor chip 1 is transferred. With this configuration, even when it is difficult to directly measure the gap length D, an accurate gap length D can be measured based on the first distance D1 and the second distance D2, which can be acquired simultaneously.

[0054] [Second Embodiment] Next, the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100a and the method for transferring the semiconductor chip 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The apparatus configuration of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100a is the same as that of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, except for the control unit 60a. In the second embodiment as well, processing is carried out based on the processing flow of the semiconductor chip transfer method shown in Figure 4, but as will be described later, the processing in step S2 differs from that of the first embodiment. Note that the explanation of points common to the first embodiment in the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0055] In the second embodiment, in step S2 of Figure 4, the control unit 60a is configured to acquire multiple division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred into multiple partial surface areas A. For example, in the second embodiment, the control unit 60a acquires division patterns 101, 102, and 103 as multiple division patterns, as shown in Figures 7, 9, and 10.

[0056] Furthermore, the control unit 60a compares the division patterns 101, 102, and 103 and selects the first division pattern 102 which includes the maximum partial surface region F that contains the largest number of semiconductor chips 1 in one partial surface region A. If there are multiple division patterns that include the maximum partial surface region F, the control unit 60a may be configured to automatically select one of them, or the user may manually select any division pattern and have the control unit 60a acquire it. For example, in the second embodiment, the control unit 60a selects the division pattern shown in Figure 9 as the first division pattern 102. Then, the control unit 60a acquires relative position information for forming each partial surface region A included in the selected first division pattern 102.

[0057] (Effects of the second embodiment) Next, the effects of the second embodiment will be described.

[0058] In the second embodiment, when the control unit 60a divides all areas to be transferred into multiple partial surface areas A, it acquires multiple division patterns 101, 102, and 103, and selects a first division pattern 102 from among the multiple division patterns 101, 102, and 103 that includes the maximum partial surface area F, which contains the maximum number of semiconductor chips 1 in one partial surface area A. The control unit 60a is then configured to perform control to acquire relative position information for forming each partial surface area A included in the first division pattern 102. As a result, the position adjustment mechanism 50 can be controlled based on the relative position information using the first division pattern 102 which includes the maximum partial surface area F, which contains the maximum number of semiconductor chips 1 that can be transferred based on one piece of relative position information. This reduces the number of times the control unit 60a controls the position adjustment mechanism 50, and thus shortens the time required for transfer.

[0059] Furthermore, the other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0060] [Third Embodiment] Next, the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100b and the method for transferring the semiconductor chip 1 according to the third embodiment will be described. The apparatus configuration of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100b is the same as that of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, except for the control unit 60b. In the third embodiment as well, processing is carried out based on the processing flow of the semiconductor chip transfer method shown in Figure 4, but as will be described later, the processing in step S2 differs from that of the first and second embodiments. Note that the explanation of points common to the first and second embodiments in the third embodiment will be omitted.

[0061] In the third embodiment, in step S2 of Figure 4, the control unit 60b acquires multiple division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred as partial surface areas A. In this third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, we will describe the case in which the control unit 60b acquires multiple division patterns, namely division patterns 101, 102, and 103 shown in Figures 7, 9, and 10.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 60b is configured to perform control to acquire the second division pattern 101 from among the division patterns 101, 102, and 103, which has the fewest number of relative position information items. If there are multiple division patterns that have the fewest number of relative position information items, the control unit 60b may be configured to automatically select one of them, or the user may manually select an arbitrary division pattern and have the control unit 60b acquire it. For example, in the second embodiment, the control unit 60b selects the division pattern shown in Figure 7 as the second division pattern 101. Then, the control unit 60b acquires the relative position information for forming each subsurface region A included in the selected second division pattern 101.

[0063] (Effects of the third embodiment) Next, the effects of the third embodiment will be described.

[0064] In the third embodiment, the control unit 60b is configured to acquire multiple division patterns 101, 102, and 103 when dividing all areas to be transferred as partial surface areas A, and to acquire a second division pattern 101 from among the multiple division patterns 101, 102, and 103 that has the fewest number of relative position information pieces. This minimizes the number of times the position adjustment mechanism 50 is controlled based on relative position information, thereby shortening the time required for transfer.

[0065] Furthermore, the other effects of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first and second embodiments described above.

[0066] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100c and the method for transferring the semiconductor chip 1 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The apparatus configuration of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100c is the same as that of the semiconductor chip transfer apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, except for the control unit 60c. In the fourth embodiment as well, processing is carried out based on the processing flow of the method for transferring the semiconductor chip 1 shown in Figure 4, but as will be described later, the processing in step S2 differs from that of the first to third embodiments. Note that in the fourth embodiment, the points that are common with the first to third embodiments will not be explained.

[0067] In the fourth embodiment, the system is configured to perform control to acquire relative position information so that the values ​​of multiple gap lengths D within each partial surface region A approach each other uniformly.

[0068] Specifically, in step S2 of Figure 4, as shown in Figure 11, the control unit 60c selects any number of gap length acquisition positions at any position within a specific partial surface region B. In this fourth embodiment, the control unit 60c selects B1, B2, and B3. At this time, the distance between B1 and position B4 on the transfer substrate 20 located vertically below B1 (in the Z2 direction) is defined as the gap length d1. The distance between B2 and position B5 on the transfer substrate 20 located vertically below B2 (in the Z2 direction) is defined as the gap length d2. The distance between B3 and position B6 on the transfer substrate 20 located vertically below B3 (in the Z2 direction) is defined as the gap length d3.

[0069] At this time, as shown in Figure 12, the control unit 60c acquires relative position information such that the gap lengths d1, d2, and d3 at multiple gap length acquisition positions B1, B2, and B3 within the partial surface region B fall within the gap tolerance range g. Furthermore, the control unit 60c is configured to acquire relative position information such that the distances between gap lengths d1, d2, and d3 approach each other uniformly.

[0070] (Effects of the fourth embodiment) Next, the effects of the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0071] In the fourth embodiment, the system is configured to control the acquisition of relative position information such that the values ​​of multiple gap lengths D within each partial surface region A approach uniformly. As a result, multiple semiconductor chips 1 contained within the partial surface region A are held with similar gap lengths D, allowing for more accurate transfer of the semiconductor chips 1.

[0072] Furthermore, the other effects of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first to third embodiments described above.

[0073] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (exceptions) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0074] For example, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the shape of the support substrate 10 is circular and the shape of the transfer substrate 20 is rectangular, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the shapes of both the support substrate 10 and the transfer substrate 20 may be circular or polygonal.

[0075] Furthermore, while the first to fourth embodiments described above show an example where the transfer substrate 20 is a substrate for manufacturing a micro-LED display panel, the present invention is not limited thereto. The transfer substrate 20 of the present invention may be used for purposes other than micro-LED display panels. In addition, the transfer substrate 20 may have an adhesive layer (not shown) formed thereon for bonding the transferred semiconductor chip 1. In addition, the transfer substrate 20 may have wiring formed thereon that can be connected to the transferred semiconductor chip 1.

[0076] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the laser light irradiation unit 70 was shown to include a laser light source 71, a galvanometer mirror 72, and an fθ lens 73, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a polygon mirror may be used instead of the galvanometer mirror 72, or a mask may be used instead of the galvanometer mirror 72 and the fθ lens 73.

[0077] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the control units 60, 60a to 60c control the position adjustment mechanism 50 to adjust the relative inclination of at least the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40 based on the gap length D, and an example of adjusting the inclination of the support substrate holding unit 30 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control units 60, 60a to 60c may adjust the inclination of the transfer substrate holding unit 40, or they may adjust the inclination of both the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40. Also, the control units 60, 60a to 60c may control the position adjustment mechanism 50 to move the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40 not only inclination, but also in the X, Y, and Z directions. In addition, the position adjustment mechanism 50 may be provided separately for the support substrate holding unit 30 and the transfer substrate holding unit 40.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the relative inclination between the support substrate holding portion 30 and the substrate to be transferred holding portion 40 is adjusted so that the error of the gap length D on the surface of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1 with respect to a predetermined gap length Dg falls within the gap tolerance range g, based on a preset gap tolerance range g and the gap length D obtained by the gap length acquisition portion 80. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, without providing a gap tolerance range g, the relative inclination between the support substrate holding portion 30 and the substrate to be transferred holding portion 40 may be adjusted so that multiple gap lengths D approach each other uniformly.

[0079] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, examples were shown in which multiple partial surface regions A are formed when all areas to be transferred are divided into multiple partial surface regions A, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the deflection of the support substrate 10 is small and all semiconductor chips 1 are within the gap tolerance range g in one relative position information, then only the partial surface region A to be acquired may be used.

[0080] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, when dividing all areas to be transferred into multiple partial surface regions A, multiple division patterns are acquired, and from among the multiple division patterns, a first division pattern 102 is selected that includes the maximum partial surface region F, which contains the maximum number of semiconductor chips 1 in one partial surface region A. The control unit 60a then acquires relative position information for forming each partial surface region A included in the first division pattern 102. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 60a may be configured to display multiple division patterns, and the control unit 60a may acquire a pattern that is arbitrarily selected.

[0081] Furthermore, while the first to fourth embodiments described above show an example in which a semiconductor chip 1 is transferred to the entire surface of the substrate 20 based on relative positional information between a single support substrate 10 and the substrate 20 to be transferred, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, multiple support substrates 10 may be prepared, and after the transfer of the semiconductor chip 1 from one support substrate 10 to the substrate 20 is completed, the support substrate 10 may be replaced so that the semiconductor chip 1 is transferred to the substrate 20 from another support substrate 10, thereby transferring the semiconductor chip 1 to the entire surface of the substrate 20.

[0082] Furthermore, while the first to fourth embodiments described above show examples in which a semiconductor chip 1 supported on a support substrate 10 is transferred to a transfer substrate 20 for each of the multiple semiconductor chips 1 included in each partial surface region A, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the semiconductor chip 1 to be transferred may be arbitrarily selected from among the multiple semiconductor chips 1 included in the partial surface region A, depending on the pitch of the semiconductor chip 1 supported on the support substrate 10 and the pitch of the semiconductor chip 1 to be placed on the transfer substrate 20. Also, when a collection region of multiple transferred semiconductor chips 1 is formed on the transfer substrate 20, the multiple semiconductor chips 1 included in that collection region may be formed by transferring semiconductor chips 1 from separate partial surface regions A.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the gap length acquisition unit 80 was shown to acquire the gap length D by measuring a first distance D1 and a second distance D2 using a laser displacement meter 81 mounted above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the gap length acquisition unit 80 may acquire the gap length D by providing multiple laser displacement meters 81 and arranging them above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction) and below the transfer substrate 20 (in the Z2 direction), respectively. In this case, as shown in Figure 13, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires a first reference distance Da from a first reference position P1 of the laser displacement meter 81 positioned below the transfer substrate 20 (in the Z2 direction) to a position Q1 on the side of the support substrate 10 that supports the semiconductor chip 1, located vertically above the reference position P1 (in the Z1 direction). The gap length acquisition unit 80 also acquires the reference position distance Dc from the first reference position P1 to the second reference position P2. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires a second reference distance Db from the second reference position P2 of the laser displacement meter 81, which is positioned above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction), to the position Q2 of the surface of the substrate to be transferred, which is located vertically below the reference position P2 (in the Z2 direction). As a result, the gap length acquisition unit 80 acquires the gap length D as D = Da - (Dc - Db).

[0084] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the gap length acquisition unit 80 was shown to measure the gap length D using a laser displacement meter 81 mounted above the support substrate 10 (in the Z1 direction), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the gap length acquisition unit 80 may be configured to acquire the gap length D as a value of the distance between the support substrate 10 and the transfer substrate 20 that has been set in advance using a gap gauge or the like.

[0085] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the gap length acquisition unit 80 was shown to acquire the distance between the support substrate 10 and the substrate to be transferred 20 as the gap length D, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the gap length acquisition unit 80 may acquire the distance between the semiconductor chip 1 and the substrate to be transferred 20 as the gap length D.

[0086] Furthermore, while the first to fourth embodiments described above show examples in which the semiconductor chip 1 is used as the element of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto. Elements other than the semiconductor chip 1 may also be used as the element of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Semiconductor chip (device) 10 Support substrate 20 Substrate to be transferred 30 Support board holding part 40 Transfer substrate holding section 50 Position adjustment mechanism 60, 60a, 60b, 60c control unit 70 Laser beam irradiation area 80 Gap length acquisition unit 100, 100a, 100b, 100c Semiconductor chip transfer equipment (device transfer equipment) A partial surface area D Gap length F maximum partial surface area g gap tolerance L Laser light

Claims

1. A support substrate holding portion that holds a support substrate on which at least one element is supported, A substrate holding portion that holds a substrate to be transferred onto which the element supported on the support substrate is transferred, The support substrate is positioned on the opposite side from the surface supporting the element, and a laser beam irradiation unit irradiates laser light toward the support substrate to release the support state between the support substrate and the element, At least the support substrate holding portion and the transfer substrate holding portion are provided with a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative inclination between them. A gap length acquisition unit acquires the distance between the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred as the gap length, based on the distance between the reference position and the surface of the support substrate that supports the element, and the distance between the reference position and the surface of the substrate to be transferred that is transferred to the element, which are measured simultaneously. The system includes a control unit that controls the adjustment direction and adjustment amount of the position adjustment mechanism, An element transfer apparatus, wherein the control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding portion and the transfer substrate holding portion based on the gap length.

2. The control unit, Based on a preset gap tolerance range and the gap length acquired by the gap length acquisition unit, multiple partial surface regions of the surface of the support substrate that supports the element, in which the gap length falls within the gap tolerance range, and relative position information of the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred for forming the partial surface region are acquired over all regions where the transfer is performed. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment mechanism is controlled to adjust the relative inclination between at least the support substrate holding portion and the transfer substrate holding portion based on a plurality of relative position pieces of information.

3. When the control unit divides all the regions to be transferred into a plurality of subsurface regions, it acquires a plurality of division patterns and selects a first division pattern from among the plurality of division patterns that includes the largest subsurface region in which the number of elements included in one subsurface region is maximized. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 2, configured to perform control to acquire the relative position information for forming each of the partial surface regions included in the first division pattern.

4. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire a plurality of division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred as the partial surface areas, and to perform control to acquire a second division pattern from among the plurality of division patterns that has the fewest number of the plurality of relative position information.

5. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to perform control to acquire the relative position information such that the values ​​of the multiple gap lengths within each of the partial surface regions approach each other uniformly.

6. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap length acquisition unit acquires at least a first distance from an arbitrarily set reference position to the surface of the support substrate that supports the element, and a second distance from the reference position to the surface of the substrate to be transferred to the element.

7. The element transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap length acquisition unit acquires a first reference distance from a first reference position, which is arbitrarily set on the side of the substrate to be transferred that is opposite to the side of the substrate to which the element is transferred, to the side of the support substrate that supports the element, a second reference distance from a second reference position, which is arbitrarily set on the side of the support substrate that is opposite to the side of the support substrate that supports the element, to the side of the substrate to be transferred that is transferred, and the distance between the first reference position and the second reference position.

8. A gap length acquisition step involves acquiring multiple points of distance between a support substrate that supports the element and a transfer substrate onto which the element is transferred, with the distance between the support substrate and the transfer substrate being determined as the gap length. A position adjustment step of adjusting the relative inclination between the support substrate and the transfer substrate, The system includes a laser beam irradiation step of irradiating the support substrate with laser light to release the support state between the support substrate and the element, The position adjustment step adjusts the relative inclination between at least the support substrate and the transfer substrate based on the gap length obtained in the gap length acquisition step. A method for transferring an element, wherein the gap length acquisition step acquires the gap length based on the distance between a reference position and the surface of the support substrate that supports the element, and the distance between the reference position and the surface of the substrate to be transferred that the element is transferred to.

9. Based on a preset gap tolerance range and the gap length obtained by the gap length acquisition step, a partial surface region of the surface of the support substrate that supports the element is determined such that the gap length falls within the gap tolerance range. The system further includes an information acquisition step for acquiring multiple pieces of relative positional information of the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred for forming the aforementioned partial surface region, across all regions where the transfer is performed. The method for transferring an element according to claim 8, wherein the position adjustment step adjusts the relative inclination between at least the support substrate and the substrate to be transferred based on a plurality of relative position pieces of information.

10. The information acquisition step involves acquiring multiple division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred into multiple subsurface regions, and selecting a first division pattern from among the multiple division patterns that includes a first subsurface region in which the number of elements included in one subsurface region is maximized. A method for transferring an element according to claim 9, comprising the step of acquiring relative position information for forming each of the partial surface regions included in the first division pattern.

11. The method for transferring an element according to claim 9, wherein the information acquisition step includes a step of acquiring a plurality of division patterns when dividing all areas to be transferred as the partial surface areas, and acquiring a second division pattern from among the plurality of division patterns that has the fewest number of the plurality of relative position information.

12. The method for transferring an element according to claim 9, wherein the information acquisition step includes a step of acquiring relative position information such that the values ​​of a plurality of gap lengths approach uniformly within each of the partial surface regions.

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