Grinding device, inclination adjustment method and information display unit

Abstract

Provided is a grinding device for grinding a substrate, the grinding device including: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate on a holding surface; a grinding unit that grinds, with a grinding surface, the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; an inclination adjustment unit that adjusts a relative inclination of the holding surface and the grinding surface; and an information display unit that receives input of information pertaining to shape correction of the substrate and displays that information. The information display unit, on the basis of information about the thickness of the substrate before the correction and information about correction patterns, displays a display area in which a predicted ground shape of the substrate to be ground by the grinding unit is displayed.

Description

Grinding device, tilt adjustment method, and information display unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a grinding device, an inclination adjustment method, and an information display unit.

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a grinding device that grinds a plate-shaped workpiece on a holding table using a grinding means, and that has at least three measuring units that measure the distance between the holding table and a base, and measures the thickness distribution of the plate-shaped workpiece based on the at least three measured distances obtained by the measuring units, and determines whether the workpiece has been ground to a uniform thickness.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-9295

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure provides a grinding apparatus that can confirm the expected shape of a substrate after grinding processing.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a grinding device for grinding a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate on a holding surface; a grinding unit that grinds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit using a grinding surface; an inclination adjustment unit that adjusts the relative inclination between the holding surface and the grinding surface; and an information display unit that inputs and displays information related to shape correction of the substrate, wherein the information display unit displays a display area that displays the predicted grinding shape of the substrate to be ground by the grinding unit based on thickness information of the substrate before correction and correction pattern information.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a grinding apparatus that can confirm the expected shape of a substrate after grinding processing.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a grinding apparatus according to this embodiment; FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a grinding unit and a chuck; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of measurement points by a thickness measuring unit; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how a wafer is ground by the grinding unit; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display on a display panel according to this embodiment; FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a series of wafer processing steps by the grinding apparatus; FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a series of shape correction operation steps by the grinding apparatus; and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a display on the display panel.

[0008] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, semiconductor substrates (hereinafter referred to as "wafers") are ground to thin them. Wafer grinding is performed, for example, by holding the wafer on the holding surface of a chuck, rotating the chuck, and bringing the grinding surface of a grinding wheel into contact with the wafer.

[0009] In a wafer grinding process, the holding surface of the chuck and the grinding surface of the grinding wheel are adjusted to be parallel to each other in order to make the in-plane thickness of the wafer product uniform. Patent Document 1 discloses a grinding device for grinding a plate-shaped workpiece (wafer), which adjusts the distance between the holding table (chuck) and a base so that the upper surface of the holding table and the lower surface of the grinding wheel are parallel to each other when the plate-shaped workpiece is not ground to a uniform thickness.

[0010] However, with the grinding device disclosed in Patent Document 1, even after adjusting the distance between the holding table and the base, it was not possible to display the shape of the plate-shaped workpiece after grinding by the adjusted grinding device. In particular, when there is a demand to process the plate-shaped workpiece into a shape other than flat, it is difficult to predict the actual shape of the plate-shaped workpiece after grinding, and there is a risk of a difference occurring between the predicted grinding shape and the actual shape.

[0011] The technology disclosed herein has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a grinding apparatus capable of confirming the expected shape of a substrate after grinding processing. Hereinafter, the grinding apparatus according to this embodiment and the method for adjusting the inclination between the holding surface and the grinding surface performed using the grinding apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] In the technology of the present disclosure, "grinding" of the wafer W includes so-called "polishing." Therefore, although the following description will be given using a "grinding apparatus" as an example, the technology according to the present disclosure may also be applied to a "polishing apparatus."

[0013] The grinding apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a loading / unloading station 2 and a processing station 3 are integrally connected. In the loading / unloading station 2, for example, a cassette C capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W is loaded and unloaded between the loading / unloading station 2 and the outside. The processing station 3 is equipped with various processing devices that perform desired processing on the wafers W.

[0014] A cassette mounting table 10 is provided in the carry-in / out station 2. A wafer transfer area 20 is provided adjacent to the cassette mounting table 10 on the positive side of the Y axis.

[0015] The wafer transfer area 20 is provided with a wafer transfer device 22 that is configured to be freely movable on a transfer path 21. The wafer transfer device 22 has a transfer fork 23 that holds and transfers a wafer W. The wafer transfer device 22 is configured to be able to transfer the wafer W to the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 10, an alignment unit 50 (described later), and a first cleaning unit 60 (described later).

[0016] In the processing station 3, processing such as grinding and cleaning is performed on the wafer W. The processing station 3 includes a transfer unit 30 that transfers the wafer W, a grinding unit 40 that performs a grinding process on the wafer W, an alignment unit 50 that adjusts the horizontal orientation of the wafer W, and a first cleaning unit 60 and a second cleaning unit 70 that clean the wafer W after the grinding process.

[0017] The transfer unit 30 is an articulated robot equipped with a plurality of, for example, three, arms 31. Each of the three arms 31 is configured to be freely rotatable. A transfer pad 32 that suction-holds the wafer W is attached to the arm 31 at the tip end. The arm 31 at the base end is attached to an elevating mechanism 33 that vertically elevates the arm 31. The transfer unit 30 is configured to be able to transfer the wafer W to the grinding unit 40, the alignment unit 50, the first cleaning unit 60, and the second cleaning unit 70.

[0018] The grinding unit 40 has a rotary table 41. On the rotary table 41, four chucks 42a to 42d (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to simply as "chucks 42") are provided for suction-holding the wafer W. A porous chuck, for example, is used as the chucks 42. The surface of the chucks 42, i.e., the surface for holding the wafer W, has a convex shape in which the center protrudes compared to the edges in a side view. Note that although this protrusion in the center is minute, in the illustrations in the following explanation, the protrusion in the center of the chuck 42 is exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , a chuck 42 serving as a substrate holder is held by a chuck base 43. The chuck base 43 is provided with a tilt adjustment unit 44 for adjusting the relative tilt between the chuck 42 and each of the grinding units 80 and 90 (described later). The tilt adjustment unit 44 has a fixed shaft 45 provided on the underside of the chuck base 43 and multiple, for example, two, lift shafts 46. Each lift shaft 46 is configured to be extendable and retractable, and raises and lowers the chuck base 43. The tilt adjustment unit 44 tilts the chuck 42 and the chuck base 43 by vertically raising and lowering the other end of the chuck base 43 using the lift shafts 46, starting from one end of the outer periphery of the chuck base 43 (a position corresponding to the fixed shaft 45). This allows the relative tilt between the grinding surfaces of the grinding units 80 and 90 at processing positions B1 and B2 (described later) and the surface (holding surface) of the chuck 42 to be adjusted. The configuration of the inclination adjustment unit 44 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if it can adjust the relative angle (parallelism) of the surface (holding surface) of the chuck 42 with respect to the grinding surface of each grinding unit.

[0020] The four chucks 42a to 42d can be moved to delivery positions A1, A2 and processing positions B1, B2 by rotation of the rotary table 41. Furthermore, each of the four chucks 42a to 42d is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis by a rotation mechanism (not shown).

[0021] At the transfer positions A1 and A2, the transfer unit 30 transfers the wafer W to and from the chuck 42. Also provided at the transfer positions A1 and A2 is a thickness measurement unit 100 that measures the thickness of the wafer W after grinding at the processing positions B1 and B2. The thickness measurement unit 100 includes sensors (not shown) that measure the thickness of the wafer W at at least two points, and in this embodiment, at three points: a center point P1, an outer periphery point P2, and a radial center point P3 between the center point P1 and the outer periphery point P2 of the wafer W (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ).

[0022] 1 , in this embodiment, the thickness measurement unit 100 is provided at the transfer positions A1 and A2, but the location of the thickness measurement unit 100 is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, the thickness measurement unit 100 may be located at the processing positions B1 and B2, or may be located independently from the grinding unit 40. In this case, the transfer unit 30 may be configured to transfer the wafer W after grinding processing to the thickness measurement unit 100 located independently from the grinding unit 40. Furthermore, for example, the thickness measurement unit 100 may be located outside the grinding apparatus 1.

[0023] Grinding units 80 and 90 are disposed at processing positions B1 and B2, respectively, and grind the wafer W held by the chuck 42. As shown in FIG. 2 , the grinding unit 80 includes a grinding wheel 82 having an annular grinding stone 81 on its underside, a mount 83 that supports the grinding wheel 82, a spindle 84 that rotates the grinding wheel 82 via the mount 83, and a drive unit 85 that incorporates, for example, a motor (not shown). The grinding unit 80 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction along a support 86 shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the grinding unit 90 has the same configuration as the grinding unit 80. That is, the grinding unit 90 includes a grinding wheel 92 having an annular grinding stone 91, a mount 93, a spindle 94, a drive unit 95, and a support 96.

[0024] As described above, the holding surface of the chuck 42 has a convex shape. Therefore, when the wafer W is ground using the grinding units 80 and 90, portions of the annular grinding wheels 81 and 91 come into contact with the wafer W, as shown by the bold lines in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 4. More specifically, the annular grinding wheels 81 and 91 come into contact with the wafer W in an arc-shaped manner from the center to the outer peripheral edge. By rotating the chuck 42 and the grinding wheels 82 and 92 in this state, the entire surface of the wafer W is ground.

[0025] In addition, in the grinding units 80 and 90, the tilt adjustment unit 44 adjusts the relative angle (tilt) between the holding surface of the chuck 42 and the grinding surface of the grinding wheel 81 or 91, thereby controlling the shape of the wafer W after grinding (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "ground shape" of the wafer W) to any one of flat, convex, concave, W-shaped, and M-shaped, or a combination of any two of these. The flat type is a shape in which the entire surface of the wafer W is adjusted to a desired flatness (TTV) or less, preferably a shape in which the thickness is controlled to be uniform over the entire surface. The convex type is a shape in which the thickness at the center point P1 of the wafer W is greater than the thickness at the outer periphery point P2. The concave type is a shape in which the thickness at the center point P1 of the wafer W is smaller than the thickness at the outer periphery point P2. The W-shaped shape is a shape in which the thickness at the radial center point P3 of the wafer W is smaller than the thickness at the center point P1 and the outer periphery point P2. The M-shape is a shape in which the thickness at the center point P3 of the radius of the wafer W is greater than the thickness at the center point P1 and the outer periphery point P2.

[0026] The above-described grinding apparatus 1 is provided with a display panel 120. The display panel 120 is, for example, a monitor or a touch panel, and may be directly attached to the grinding apparatus 1 or may be a panel that can be checked remotely.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, a display panel 120 serving as an information display unit displays a first input area 121, a second input area 122, a display area 123, and an instruction area 124 on the same screen.

[0028] In the first input area 121, information on the wafer W after grinding processing by the grinding apparatus 1 is input. In the second input area 122, information for setting and correcting the grinding shape of the wafer W to be processed next using the same chuck 42 and the same grinding unit in the grinding apparatus 1 is input based on the grinding shape (thickness) of the wafer W after grinding processing information input in the first input area 121. In the display area 123, a predicted grinding shape of the second wafer W after grinding processing by the grinding apparatus 1 after correction is displayed based on the information input in the first input area 121 and the second input area 122. In the instruction area 124, a parameter update section 124a and an end section 124b are provided. The parameter update unit 124a calculates, in response to an operator's selection, the inclination of the inclination adjustment unit 44 (the relative angle between the holding surface of the chuck 42 and the grinding surfaces of the grinding wheels 81, 91) that will result in the predicted grinding shape displayed in the display area 123, and updates internal parameters used for correcting the grinding shape, etc., using the calculated inclination information of the inclination adjustment unit 44. The termination unit 124b terminates the setting of the grinding shape and the correction operation using the display panel 120 in response to an operator's selection.

[0029] Details of the elements input or displayed on the display panel 120, the shape setting and correction of the next wafer W performed using the display panel 120, and the tilt adjustment operation between the grinding surface and the holding surface will be described later.

[0030] The grinding apparatus 1 is also provided with at least one control unit 130. The control unit 130 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the grinding apparatus 1 to perform the various steps described in this disclosure. The control unit 130 may be configured to control each element of the grinding apparatus 1 to perform the various steps described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 130 may be included in the grinding apparatus 1. The control unit 130 may include a processing unit, a storage unit, and a communication interface. The control unit 130 is implemented, for example, by a computer. The processing unit may be configured to read from the storage unit a program that provides logic or routines that enable various control operations and execute the read program to perform various control operations. This program includes a program that controls the tilt adjustment operation between the grinding surface and the holding surface, which will be described later. This program may be stored in the storage unit in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit and read from the storage unit by the processing unit for execution. The medium may be a variety of computer-readable storage media H or a communication line connected to the communication interface. The storage medium H may be temporary or non-temporary. The processing unit may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface may communicate with the grinding device 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0031] The grinding device 1 according to this embodiment is configured as described above, but the embodiment disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiment may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0032] For example, in the above embodiment, the grinding apparatus 1 employs a so-called two-axis grinding unit 40 having two grinding units (grinding units 80 and 90). However, the configuration of the grinding unit 40 is not limited thereto. Specifically, the grinding unit 40 may have a single-axis configuration, for example, having only one grinding unit, or a three-axis configuration, for example, having three grinding units for sequentially performing rough grinding, medium grinding, and finish grinding. Even in the case of a two-axis configuration as shown, the grinding unit 40 may be configured to sequentially perform rough grinding and finish grinding on the same wafer W, rather than performing grinding processes on different wafers W as in the present application. Furthermore, the number of chucks 42 arranged in the grinding unit 40 is not particularly limited; one or more chucks 42 may be arranged as appropriate depending on the configuration and number of grinding units to be arranged. Furthermore, the information input or displayed on the display panel 120 is not limited to the above example, and any information may be input or displayed.

[0033] Next, a series of wafer processing steps performed in the grinding apparatus 1 will be described. In the grinding unit 40 of the grinding apparatus 1, a wafer W is held by one of the four chucks 42, and the grinding process of the wafer W is performed independently using one of the grinding units 80, 90, but the processing performed by any combination of chuck 42 and grinding unit is the same. For this reason, the following description will be given taking as an example a case where a wafer W is held by chuck 42a of the four chucks 42, and the grinding process is performed by the grinding unit 80. In the following description, the combination of the chuck 42 and the grinding unit may be referred to as the "grinding conditions" of the wafer W.

[0034] First, a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is placed on the cassette mounting table 10 of the carry-in / out station 2. Next, the wafers W in the cassette C are removed by the transfer fork 23 of the wafer transfer device 22 and transferred to the processing station 3. The wafers W transferred to the processing station 3 are delivered to the alignment unit 50. In the alignment unit 50, the horizontal orientation of the wafers W is adjusted.

[0035] Next, the wafer W is transferred from the alignment unit 50 to the grinding unit 40 by the transfer unit 30 and delivered to the chuck 42a at the delivery position A1. Next, the turntable 41 is rotated to move the wafer W to the processing position B1. Then, the wafer W is ground by the grinding unit 80 (S1 in FIG. 6).

[0036] Note that, prior to the grinding process of the wafer W in the grinding unit 80, a desired shape of the wafer W to be first ground by the grinding unit 80, i.e., the ground shape of the wafer W after the grinding process, is set (S0 in FIG. 6). Specifically, a pattern of the ground shape of the wafer W desired after the grinding process and the amount of correction therefor are input in the second input area 122 of the display panel 120. Details of the information input to the display panel 120 will be described later.

[0037] Next, the turntable 41 is rotated to move the wafer W to the delivery position A1. At the delivery position A1, the thickness measuring unit 100 measures the thickness of the wafer W after the grinding process by the grinding unit 80 at at least two points, in this embodiment, at three points, namely, the center point P1, the outer periphery point P2, and the radius center point P3 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (S2 in FIG. 6).

[0038] Next, in the grinding apparatus 1, based on the thickness of the wafer W measured by the thickness measuring unit 100, the relative tilt between the lower surface (grinding surface) of the grinding wheel 81 and the upper surface (holding surface) of the chuck 42a during grinding of the second wafer W is adjusted so as to improve the thickness distribution and / or flatness of the second wafer W (S3 ​​in FIG. 6). Hereinafter, the operation related to the tilt adjustment in S3 may be referred to as a "shape correction operation."

[0039] In the grinding unit 80 of the grinding apparatus 1, the grinding environment between the grinding unit 80 and the chuck 42 changes each time a single wafer W is ground due to various factors such as wear of the grinding wheel 81 caused by the grinding process of the wafer W. In other words, there is a risk that variations will occur in the flatness, etc. of the wafer W after the grinding process by the grinding unit 80 each time a single wafer W is ground. Therefore, in the technology disclosed herein, the shape correction operation described above is performed each time a wafer W is ground, thereby suppressing variations in flatness, etc. caused by wear of the grinding wheel 81, etc.

[0040] The wafer W subjected to the grinding process is transferred by the transfer unit 30 to the first cleaning unit 60 and / or the second cleaning unit 70. In the first cleaning unit 60 and the second cleaning unit 70, the front surface and / or the back surface of the wafer W after the grinding process is cleaned.

[0041] Thereafter, the wafers W that have been cleaned after the grinding process are transported to the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 10 by the transport fork 23 of the wafer transport device 22, and after all the wafers W in the cassette C have been processed, they are removed from the grinding device 1.

[0042] In the grinding apparatus 1, after the shape correction operation described above has been performed, a second wafer W is ground using the same chuck 42 and the same grinding unit combination (in this embodiment, chuck 42a and grinding unit 80) that processed the wafer W (S4 in FIG. 6). Since the second wafer W is ground with the relative tilt between the grinding surface and the holding surface adjusted, the thickness distribution and / or flatness of the second wafer W after grinding is improved. Furthermore, a third wafer W, which is subsequently ground under the same conditions, is ground after a shape correction operation (S3) is performed based on the measurement results of the thickness of the second wafer W by the thickness measurement unit 100.

[0043] The above is the process performed in the grinding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Next, a description will be given of the shape setting of the wafer W to be processed in the grinding apparatus 1, which is performed by operating the display panel 120. In the following description, refer also to FIG. 5 as appropriate.

[0044] First, the grinding conditions for the wafer W in the grinding unit 40 are input in the first input area 121 (T1 in FIG. 7). Specifically, the input indicates which of the chucks 42a to 42d held the wafer W in the grinding unit 40 and which of the processing positions B1 and B2 performed the grinding process on the wafer W in the grinding unit 40 (in this embodiment, "chuck 42a" and "processing position B1"). Note that the input of the grinding conditions (T1) may be omitted, for example, when only one chuck 42 is arranged in the grinding unit 40 or when only one grinding section is arranged. The input of the grinding conditions may be performed manually by an operator or may be automatically input based on information such as a recipe that is output from the grinding section 80 to the control section 130 in advance and stored.

[0045] Next, the thicknesses at the center point P1, the outer periphery point P2, and the radius center point P3 of the wafer W that has been ground with the tilt before correction are input in the first input area 121 (T2 in FIG. 7). As described above, the thickness measurement of the wafer W after the grinding process may be performed in the grinding unit 80 or outside the grinding unit 80. Furthermore, it may be performed inside the grinding apparatus 1 or outside the grinding apparatus 1.

[0046] The input of the thickness after the grinding process (T2) may be performed by inputting only the thicknesses measured when the number of thickness measurement points on the wafer W by the thickness measurement unit 100 is less than three, or by inputting the thicknesses at all three or more measurement points when the number of measurement points is three or more. The input of the thickness after the grinding process may be performed manually by an operator or the like, or may be performed automatically based on the stored information after the measurement results are output in advance from the thickness measurement unit 100 to the control unit 130 and stored.

[0047] Next, a correction pattern for the grinding shape of the wafer W is input in the second input area 122 (T3 in FIG. 7). Specifically, based on the grinding shape of the wafer W before correction (the thickness measurement result by the thickness measurement unit 100), at least one of the grinding shape patterns (flat, convex, concave, W-shaped, or M-shaped) described above is selected as the desired grinding shape for a second wafer W to be processed in the same chuck 42 and the same grinding unit in the grinding apparatus 1. In other words, the manner in which the grinding wheel is to contact the second wafer W is determined. If the selected correction pattern is convex, concave, W-shaped, or M-shaped, the amount of correction (the magnitude of the thickness step of the convex or concave portion; see "H1" in FIG. 5 and "H2" in FIG. 8) is also input.

[0048] In this correction pattern input (T3), as shown in Fig. 8, a second correction pattern to be combined with the first correction pattern can be selected. In other words, in the shape correction operation according to this embodiment, the grinding shape of the second wafer W can be corrected from a combination of at least one or more selected correction patterns. Note that, when correction is to be performed using only the first correction pattern without combining correction patterns, "invalid" may be selected for the second correction pattern as shown in Fig. 5.

[0049] When input of information into the first input area 121 and the second input area 122 is completed, for example, the control unit 130 acquires the predicted grinding shape and predicted flatness after correction based on the input information, and displays the predicted grinding shape and flatness in the display area 123 (T4 in FIG. 7). The predicted grinding shape is obtained as a pattern diagram of the grinding shape by linearly connecting the predicted thicknesses at the center point P1, outer periphery point P2, and radius center point P3 of the second wafer W, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8. The predicted flatness is obtained as the distance (difference) between the minimum thickness point and the maximum thickness point of the predicted grinding shape, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8.

[0050] In the illustrated example, the predicted grinding shape is displayed as a pattern diagram in which the predicted thicknesses at three points are linearly connected, but the display format of the predicted grinding shape is not limited to this. For example, instead of linearly connecting the predicted thicknesses at three points, they may be curved so as to be placed on a sine curve, or predicted thicknesses may be obtained at three or more points and connected.

[0051] If it is determined that the predicted grinding shape and flatness displayed do not match the desired grinding shape (the grinding shape is inappropriate), a correction pattern and / or correction amount is input again (T3), and a new predicted grinding shape, etc. is acquired and displayed (T4) in the display area 123. On the other hand, if it is determined that the displayed grinding shape matches the desired grinding shape (the grinding shape is appropriate), the parameter update section 124a in the instruction area 124 is selected (T5 in FIG. 7).

[0052] The comparison of the predicted grinding shape with the desired grinding shape and the conformity judgment (validity judgment) may be performed by an operator, or may be performed automatically by, for example, making a numerical comparison using a threshold value or the like set in advance in the control unit 130. The selection of the parameter update unit 124a may also be performed manually by an operator, or may be performed automatically under the judgment of the control unit 130, for example.

[0053] When the parameter update unit 124a is selected (T5), the shape correction parameters under the above grinding conditions (chuck 42 and processing position) are updated (T6 in FIG. 7). The updated parameters are output to, for example, the control unit 130. The "shape correction parameters under the above grinding conditions" refer to parameters used during shape correction that are referenced when performing the shape correction operation for the third wafer W after the grinding process for the second wafer W. In other words, when performing the shape correction operation for the third wafer W, the predicted grinding shape and / or flatness are calculated based on the corrected parameters.

[0054] Furthermore, when the parameter update unit 124a is selected (T5), the relative tilt between the holding surface of the chuck 42 and the grinding surface of the grinding wheel for grinding the second wafer W with the displayed predicted grinding shape and / or flatness, and the correction amount (lift / lower amount of the two elevator shafts 46) of the tilt adjustment unit 44 for achieving this relative tilt, may also be displayed. In this case, by adjusting the relative tilt between the holding surface and the grinding surface of the grinding wheel by the tilt adjustment unit 44 based on the displayed correction amount, it is possible to obtain a grinding process result for the second wafer W with the predicted grinding shape and flatness.

[0055] After the shape correction parameters have been updated, the operator then selects the end section 124b of the instruction area 124 (T7 in FIG. 7), thereby completing the series of operations on the display panel 120. The operations on the display panel 120 are performed for each grinding condition of the grinding unit 40 (combination of the chuck 42 and the grinding part).

[0056] As described above, the grinding apparatus 1 according to the technology of the present disclosure can output (display) the predicted grinding shape and flatness based on the input correction pattern in the above-described shape setting of the wafer W. Then, based on this, the relative tilt between the holding surface of the chuck 42 and the grinding surface of the grinding wheel can be adjusted by the tilt adjustment unit 44, thereby obtaining the appropriate desired grinding process result for the wafer W.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the grinding apparatus 1 according to the technology of the present disclosure, the correction pattern input in the second input area 122 is not limited to a flat type, but can be selected from a convex type, a concave type, an M type, a W type, or a combination of any two of these correction patterns. In other words, the ground shape of the wafer W subjected to the grinding process in the grinding apparatus 1 is not limited to a flat type, but the wafer W can be processed into any of the above-mentioned convex type, concave type, M type, W type, or any combination thereof, and more specifically, the relative inclination of the holding surface and the grinding surface can be adjusted by the inclination adjustment unit 44 so as to obtain the ground shape.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the predicted grinding shape, etc. obtained by shape setting are fed back to the second wafer W processed using the same chuck 42 and the same grinding unit in the grinding unit 40 to correct the grinding shape of the second wafer W, but the predicted grinding shape, etc. may be fed forward to processing conditions for processing after the grinding process inside the grinding apparatus 1 or for processing conditions in an etching apparatus (not shown) or polishing apparatus (not shown) that is independently arranged externally. In other words, the predicted grinding shape, etc. may be used to determine grinding process conditions, etc. for the second wafer W, or may be used to determine processing conditions, etc. in a post-processing unit (not shown) for performing post-processing on the same wafer W whose thickness, which is the basis for shape setting, has been measured. In one example, the determination of these processing conditions may be performed by the control unit 130.

[0059] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Such an arbitrary combination naturally provides the functions and effects of each of the components involved in the combination, and also provides other functions and effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification.

[0060] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification, in addition to or in place of the above-described effects.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Grinding device 42 Chuck 44 Inclination adjustment unit 80 Grinding unit 90 Grinding unit 100 Thickness measurement unit 120 Display panel 121 First input area 122 Second input area 123 Display area W Wafer

Claims

1. A grinding apparatus for grinding a substrate, comprising: a substrate holder that holds the substrate on a holding surface; a grinding unit configured to grind the substrate held by the substrate holding unit using a grinding surface; an inclination adjustment unit that adjusts the relative inclination of the holding surface and the grinding surface; an information display unit for inputting and displaying information related to the shape correction of the substrate, The information display unit a display area for displaying an expected ground shape of the substrate to be ground by the grinding unit based on thickness information of the substrate before correction and correction pattern information;

2. The information display unit a first input area for inputting the thickness information; 2. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second input area for inputting the correction pattern information.

3. The second input area is configured to allow input of a plurality of pieces of correction pattern information, 3. The grinding device according to claim 2, wherein the display area displays the predicted grinding shape obtained by combining a plurality of pieces of correction pattern information.

4. The grinding device according to claim 2 , wherein the first input area is configured to allow input of thickness information of at least three points of the substrate.

5. The grinding device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second input area is configured to allow input of a correction amount, which is the magnitude of a thickness step formed on the surface of the substrate by the correction pattern information.

6. a plurality of the grinding units and a plurality of the substrate holding units; 5. The grinding device according to claim 2, wherein the first input area is configured to allow input of information related to the grinding unit and information related to the substrate holding unit.

7. 5. The grinding device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is configured to be able to display an expected flatness of the substrate to be ground by the grinding unit.

8. a control unit for controlling an operation of the tilt adjustment unit; The grinding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination of the holding surface and the grinding surface so that the grinding shape of the second substrate to be next ground in the grinding unit becomes the predicted grinding shape displayed in the display area.

9. a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the substrate after the grinding process; a control unit that controls the operation of the post-processing unit, 5. The grinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines conditions for post-processing of the substrate by the post-processing unit based on the predicted grinding shape.

10. a substrate holder that holds the substrate on a holding surface; a grinding unit configured to grind the substrate held by the substrate holding unit using a grinding surface; an inclination adjustment unit that adjusts the relative inclination of the holding surface and the grinding surface; an information display unit that inputs and displays information related to shape correction of the substrate, inputting thickness information of the substrate before correction and correction pattern information into the information display unit; acquiring an expected grinding shape of the substrate to be ground by the grinding unit based on the thickness information and correction pattern information, and displaying the expected grinding shape in a display area of ​​the information display unit; determining the validity of the displayed predicted grinding shape, and adjusting the relative inclination between the holding surface and the grinding surface by the inclination adjustment unit.

11. The input of the information to the information display unit is inputting the thickness information into a first input area; The tilt adjustment method according to claim 10 , further comprising: inputting the correction pattern information into a second input area.

12. The inclination adjustment method according to claim 11 , wherein when inputting the correction pattern information, a plurality of pieces of the correction pattern information are input in the second input area.

13. 13. The tilt adjustment method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of inputting a correction amount, which is the magnitude of a thickness step formed on the surface of the substrate by the correction pattern information, when inputting the correction pattern information.

14. The grinding device is A plurality of the grinding units; a plurality of the substrate holders, 13. The tilt adjusting method according to claim 11, further comprising inputting information related to the grinding unit and information related to the substrate holding unit into the first input area.

15. An information display unit that displays information related to shape correction of a substrate, an information display unit having a display area for displaying an expected grinding shape of the substrate to be ground after the shape correction based on the input thickness information of the substrate before correction and correction pattern information;

16. The information display unit according to claim 15 , wherein the display area displays an expected flatness of the substrate to be ground after the shape correction.

17. a first input area for inputting the thickness information; 17. The information display unit according to claim 15, further comprising: a second input area for inputting the correction pattern information.

18. 18. The information display section according to claim 17, wherein information relating to a substrate holding section that holds the substrate and information relating to a grinding section that grinds the substrate are input in the first input area.

19. The shape correction is inputting thickness information of the substrate at at least three points on the substrate into the first input area; inputting, into the second input area, at least one piece of correction pattern information and a correction amount that is the size of a thickness step formed on the surface of the substrate by the correction pattern information; 18. The information display unit according to claim 17, further comprising: acquiring a predicted grinding shape of the substrate after correction based on the information input in the first input area and the second input area, and displaying the predicted grinding shape in the display area.