Semiconductor manufacturing equipment and support facilities

Abstract

The film bonding apparatus (1) includes: a stage (2) on which a semiconductor wafer (W) is placed; a push roller (20) that pushes the photoresist film (6) bonded to the semiconductor wafer (W) placed on the stage (2) is disposed on the outer periphery of the stage (2), and an outer periphery support member (5) that receives the pushing pressure brought by the push roller (20) when the push roller (20) pushes the photoresist film (6); and a support mechanism (50) that supports the outer periphery support member (5) at at least three positions that are separated from each other and can adjust the height of the at least three positions respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and support structures. Prior Technology

[0002] Previously, a film bonding device was known, which included: a stage on which a semiconductor wafer was placed; a pressing member that presses a film conforming to the semiconductor wafer placed on the stage; a buffer member that was provided on the outer periphery of the stage and was configured as an outer periphery support member that received the pressing force brought by the pressing member when pressing the film (see Patent Document 1). Existing technical documents Patent documents

[0003] Patent Document 1: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 4376250 Summary of the Invention

[0004] <The Problem the Invention Intends to Solve> The aforementioned device is constructed by screwing a pair of female and male nuts together to raise and lower the buffer member. Therefore, in this device, there is a concern that the tilt of the buffer member cannot be eliminated if it occurs. The presence or degree of tilt of the buffer member when raised and lowered using a pair of female and male nuts depends heavily on the machining accuracy of the pair of female and male nuts.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can eliminate the tilt of the top of the peripheral support member such as a buffer member.

[0006] Methods for solving problems The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes: a stage on which a semiconductor wafer is placed; a pressing member disposed on the outer periphery of the stage for pressing a film adhered to the semiconductor wafer placed on the stage, and an outer peripheral support member configured to receive the pressing force from the pressing member when the pressing member presses the film; and a support mechanism that supports the outer peripheral support member at at least three positions separated from each other and can adjust the height of each of the at least three positions.

[0007] <Benefits of the Invention> The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described above can eliminate the tilt of the outer peripheral support member. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is a side view of a film bonding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the function of the control unit mounted on the film bonding device. Figure 3 illustrates the pushing pattern. Figure 4 is a side view of the film pasting device when the moving unit moves to the left. Figure 5 is a side view of the film pasting device when the moving unit moves to the right. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a membrane being cut by a cutting unit. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a hollow structure. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a hollow structure. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lifting support mechanism. Figure 10 is a right-side view of the outer peripheral support component and the lifting support mechanism. Figure 11 shows the outer peripheral support component and the lifting support mechanism. Figure 12 is a top view of a semiconductor wafer placed on a stage and its peripheral support structure. Figure 13 shows other configuration examples of the lifting support mechanism. Implementation

[0009] Referring initially to FIG1, an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a film bonding apparatus 1, will be described. FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the film bonding apparatus 1.

[0010] The film bonding apparatus 1 is used to bond a photoresist film 6 and other films to a semiconductor wafer W. It includes a platform 2 that is circular when viewed from above, allowing the semiconductor wafer W to be placed. A predetermined gap is left above the platform 2 to accommodate a film supply section 3 and a winding section 4. A three-layer film F3 is supplied from the film supply section 3. In the example shown, in the three-layer film F3, a carrier film 7 is laminated on one surface of the photoresist film 6, which has thermal adhesion, and a reinforcing film 8 is laminated on the other surface. The carrier film 7 is peeled off from the three-layer film F3 by a clamping roller 9 to form a two-layer film F2. The two-layer film F2 is then pressed and bonded to the surface of the semiconductor wafer W, and the reinforcing film 8 is peeled off from the two-layer film F2 by the horizontal movement of the moving unit described later.

[0011] The stage 2 is constructed by a stage lifting mechanism (TLM) comprising sliding rods 10, a substrate 11, and a support portion 12, which allows it to be raised and lowered. Specifically, the upper ends of the four sliding rods 10, which are freely supported on a frame (not shown), are fixed to the stage 2 by the substrate 11 and the support portion 12. Furthermore, the stage 2 is raised and lowered by the driving force of a drive source (not shown) such as a cylinder. In addition, one end of the stage 2 is open on the mounting surface, and the other ends form part of a suction passage that can be connected to a suction source (not shown) such as a pump. In the example shown, the suction passage includes a groove 2G (see Figure 9) formed on the mounting surface (top) of the stage 2 and a plurality of through holes (holes that penetrate the stage 2 in the vertical direction) formed in the groove 2G. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer W is attracted to the stage 2 by the suction action of the suction source.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, on one side of platform 2 in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of clamping roller 9, a sliding shaft 15 extending in a horizontal direction (perpendicular to the rotation axis of clamping roller 9) is disposed. This sliding shaft 15 supports moving units including a first moving unit 16, a second moving unit 17, and a third moving unit 18, allowing them to slide freely. Furthermore, the moving units are configured to move horizontally using the driving force of a drive source (not shown) such as a cylinder. Additionally, above platform 2, a cutting unit 19, serving as a film cutting mechanism for cutting the photoresist film 6 adhered to the semiconductor wafer W using a laser, is provided so that it can move horizontally. Moreover, the cutting unit 19 may replace the device emitting the laser for cutting the film and may include a scraper for cutting the film.

[0013] The third moving unit 18 has a push roller 20 that pushes the photoresist film 6, which is offset towards the surface side of the semiconductor wafer W on the stage 2. The push roller 20 is an example of a pushing member, and at least the roller surface portion of the push roller 20 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The film bonding device 1 can move the moving unit (see FIG1) located at one end (right end) of the sliding shaft 15 to the other end (left end) of the sliding shaft 15 as shown in FIG4, thereby offsetting the two-layer film F2 towards the surface side of the semiconductor wafer W on the stage 2. Furthermore, the film bonding device 1 can bond the two-layer film F2 by pushing it towards the surface of the semiconductor wafer W using the push roller 20.

[0014] The push roller 20 can be configured to adjust its pushing force according to the pushing area of ​​the semiconductor wafer W (the contact area between the push roller 20 and the semiconductor wafer W) by means of a pushing force adjustment mechanism 21. In the example shown, the pushing force adjustment mechanism 21 includes a pushing cylinder 22 with a piston rod 22a. The front end of the piston rod 22a is connected to a support member (not shown) that rotatably supports the push roller 20. The pushing cylinder 22 is an example of a pushing drive source. By means of a fluid supply source such as a pump, a fluid amount corresponding to the pushing area of ​​the semiconductor wafer W is supplied to finely adjust the movement of the piston rod 22a.

[0015] A rectangular annular outer peripheral support member 5 is provided on the outer periphery of the platform 2. The outer peripheral support member 5 is also called a buffer member, and the push roller 20 has an upper surface 5a that acts as an abutment surface when pushing the photoresist film 6. In addition, the outer peripheral support member 5 is supported by a lifting support mechanism 25 including a rotary motor 35, and the height of each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member 5 can be adjusted separately. In the example shown, the height level of the outer peripheral support member 5 is adjusted by computer control, so it is also called a digital buffer. In addition, a part of an exhaust passage is formed between the platform 2 and the outer peripheral support member 5, with one end opening to the mounting surface and the other ends connected to an exhaust device (not shown) such as an exhaust fan. In the example shown, the exhaust passage is a passage for discharging fumes and other contaminants generated during the cutting of the membrane using the laser cutting unit 19. It includes an annular gap 13G (see Figure 9) between the platform 2 and the outer peripheral support member 5, and a pipe 13D (see Figure 9) connected to the side of the outer peripheral support member 5. In other words, in the example shown, the exhaust device and exhaust passage constitute an air knife for removing unwanted substances generated during the cutting of the membrane using the cutting unit 19. With this configuration, the air flowing through the exhaust passage can instantly cool the cut surface of the membrane cut by the cutting unit 19, thereby achieving a clean cut surface of the membrane without burrs or other imperfections.

[0016] Next, referring to Figure 2, the function of the film bonding apparatus 1 will be explained. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the function of the control unit 40 mounted on the film bonding apparatus 1. Specifically, the film bonding apparatus 1 has a control unit 40 that controls functions related to film bonding. The control unit 40 is connected to a rotary motor 35, a pressing cylinder 22, and an input unit 41. The input unit 41 can be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a fingertip operation unit. Furthermore, the control unit 40 has a height level storage unit 42 that stores a plurality of height levels of the peripheral support members 5 predetermined according to the shape or size of the semiconductor wafer W, and a pressing pattern storage unit 43 that stores a plurality of pressing patterns predetermined according to the shape or size of the semiconductor wafer W.

[0017] In the example shown, the control unit 40 initially determines whether a height level switching command is input from the input unit 41. Furthermore, if a height level switching command is input from the input unit 41, the control unit 40 determines a predetermined height level corresponding to the switching command from the plurality of height levels stored in the height level storage unit 42. Then, the control unit 40 drives the rotary motor 35 at the predetermined height level it has determined.

[0018] Furthermore, the control unit 40 determines whether a push pattern switching command is input from the input unit 41. If a push pattern switching command is input from the input unit 41, the control unit 40 determines a predetermined push pattern corresponding to the switching command from the plurality of push patterns stored in the push pattern storage unit 43. Then, the control unit 40 drives the push cylinder 22 in accordance with the predetermined push pattern it has determined.

[0019] Thus, in the film bonding apparatus 1, if a height level switching command corresponding to the shape of the semiconductor wafer W is input to the control unit 40, the predetermined height level corresponding to the switching command is determined, and the rotary motor 35, which serves as the drive source for the lifting support mechanism 25, is driven. As a result, the peripheral support member 5 is raised and lowered, and the peripheral support member 5 is positioned at its predetermined height level.

[0020] Furthermore, in the film bonding apparatus 1, if a pressing pattern switching command corresponding to the shape of the semiconductor wafer W is input to the control unit 40, the predetermined pressing pattern corresponding to the switching command is determined. In the example shown in Figure 3, the pressing pattern P1 corresponding to the circular semiconductor wafer W when viewed from above is determined.

[0021] Next, the film bonding process will be explained. Initially, as shown in FIG. 4, the film bonding apparatus 1 moves the moving units (first moving unit 16, second moving unit 17, and third moving unit 18) located at one end (right end) of the sliding shaft 15 together with the other end (left end) of the sliding shaft 15. In this operation, while the double-layer film F2 supplied from the film supply unit 3 shifts on the surface side of the semiconductor wafer W on the stage 2, the double-layer film F2 is pushed against the surface of the semiconductor wafer W by the push pattern P1 (see FIG. 3) by the push roller 20 of the third moving unit 18 and thus bonded. When the double-layer film F2 is pushed, the push roller 20 rotates on the upper surface 5a of the outer peripheral support member 5, which is in a state where the height level can be adjusted. In addition, Teflon coating or Toshical coating, etc., are applied to the upper surface 5a of the outer peripheral support member 5 in a manner that makes the bonded film easy to peel off.

[0022] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the film bonding apparatus 1 removes the reinforcing film 8 from the double film F2 on the semiconductor wafer W by retracting the second moving unit 17 and the third moving unit 18 to their original positions. As a result, only the photoresist film 6 remains on the surface of the semiconductor wafer W. Then, the film bonding apparatus 1 moves the cutting unit 19 horizontally along the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer W while irradiating a laser, thereby cutting the photoresist film 6 (see FIG. 6). The remaining film in the photoresist film 6, except for the portion on the surface of the semiconductor wafer W to which it is bonded, is peeled off by the first moving unit 16, which functions as a removal head, and is wound around the winding portion 4. As a result, the film bonding apparatus 1 is able to obtain a semiconductor wafer W with the photoresist film 6 bonded.

[0023] In the example shown, the photoresist film 6 adhered to the surface of the semiconductor wafer W is then exposed and removed, forming a pre-cured wall portion 81 on the semiconductor wafer W as shown in FIG. 7. Next, a height level switching command for the semiconductor wafer W with the wall portion 81 is input to the control unit 40, and the peripheral support member 5 is adjusted to a predetermined height level. Furthermore, a pressing pattern switching command for the semiconductor wafer W with the wall portion 81 is input to the control unit 40, and a predetermined pressing pattern is determined. Next, the film adhesion process described above is performed again on the semiconductor wafer W with the wall portion 81, and another photoresist film 6 is adhered to the wall portion 81 to obtain a semiconductor wafer W. Then, the photoresist film 6 adhered to the wall portion 81 is exposed and removed, forming a hollow structure 80, as shown in FIG. 8, including the wall portion 81 and the roof portion 82, on the semiconductor wafer W.

[0024] In addition, in the example shown, the height level and pressing pattern of the first and second membrane bonding processes are different from each other, they can be the same, or only one of them can be different.

[0025] Furthermore, the film bonding apparatus 1 is configured such that the pressing roller 20 abuts against the upper surface 5a of the peripheral support member 5, whose height level can be adjusted, when the photoresist film 6 is pressed. Therefore, the film bonding apparatus 1 can suppress excessive pressing of the photoresist film 6 by the pressing roller 20, and can bond multiple layers of thin, flexible photoresist film 6 in a manner that minimizes mechanical pressure on the lower layers. In particular, when bonding the photoresist film 6 to the wall portion 81 of the hollow structure 80, the film bonding apparatus 1 can suitably absorb the surface irregularities (surface pattern) of the semiconductor wafer W, thus minimizing mechanical pressure on the semiconductor wafer W. Furthermore, when bonding the photoresist film 6 to the roof portion 82 of the hollow structure 80, the film bonding apparatus 1 can suitably absorb the surface irregularities (surface pattern) of the pre-cured wall portion 81, thus minimizing mechanical pressure on the semiconductor wafer W and the wall portion 81.

[0026] Furthermore, the film bonding apparatus 1 is configured such that the outer peripheral support member 5 can be positioned at a predetermined height level by means of a lifting support mechanism 25 including a rotary motor 35, which allows the outer peripheral support member 5 to be raised and lowered. Therefore, the film bonding apparatus 1 can stably bond films to semiconductor wafers W of various shapes. As a result, the film bonding apparatus 1 can form hollow structures 80 with excellent thickness accuracy (e.g., approximately 50 μm) on the semiconductor wafer W with good yield. In particular, the film bonding apparatus 1 can form good hollow structures 80 on almost the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer W. Furthermore, if the film bonding apparatus 1 performs multilayer bonding of three or more layers of photoresist film 6, it can further form hollow structures 80 with high film thickness (e.g., approximately 100 μm).

[0027] Furthermore, the film bonding apparatus 1 is configured with a pressure adjustment mechanism 21, including a pressure cylinder 22, to adjust the pressure of the pressure roller 20 according to the pressure area of ​​the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, the film bonding apparatus 1 can stably bond films to semiconductor wafers W with a wider variety of shapes.

[0028] Furthermore, the film bonding apparatus 1 incorporates a height level storage unit 42 and an application pattern storage unit 43 within the control unit 40. Based on input information fed to the control unit 40, it can select the appropriate height level and application pattern based on the shape of the semiconductor wafer W being used. Therefore, the film bonding apparatus 1 can stably bond films to semiconductor wafers W with a wider variety of shapes.

[0029] Next, referring to Figures 9 to 11, an example of the configuration of the lifting support mechanism 25 that raises and lowers the outer peripheral support member 5 will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lifting support mechanism 25. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 9 is a perspective view of the platform 2, the outer peripheral support member 5, the tube 13D, the lifting support mechanism 25, and the platform lifting mechanism TLM. The lower part of Figure 9 is a perspective view of the outer peripheral support member 5 and the lifting support mechanism 25, which is equivalent to the upper part of Figure 9 after removing the figures of the platform 2, the tube 13D, and the platform lifting mechanism TLM. Furthermore, in the lower part of Figure 9, for clarity, the illustration of the side cover 5C, which is one of the constituent elements of the outer peripheral support member 5, is omitted.

[0030] In Figure 9, X1 represents one direction of the X-axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and X2 represents the other direction of the X-axis. Similarly, Y1 represents one direction of the Y-axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and Y2 represents the other direction of the Y-axis. Likewise, Z1 represents one direction of the Z-axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and Z2 represents the other direction of the Z-axis. In Figure 9, the X1 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the front side (front face) of the outer peripheral support member 5, and the X2 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the rear side (back face) of the outer peripheral support member 5. Furthermore, the Y1 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the left side of the outer peripheral support member 5, and the Y2 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the right side of the outer peripheral support member 5. Additionally, the Z1 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the upper side of the outer peripheral support member 5, and the Z2 side of the outer peripheral support member 5 corresponds to the lower side of the outer peripheral support member 5. The same applies to other members in other figures.

[0031] Figure 10 is a right-side view of the outer peripheral support member 5 and the lifting support mechanism 25. For clarity, as in the lower part of Figure 9, the side cover 5C is omitted in Figure 10. Figure 11 is a lower-side view of the outer peripheral support member 5 and the lifting support mechanism 25. For clarity, some components of the lifting support mechanism 25 (mounting plate 34 and rotary motor 35) and the side cover 5C are omitted.

[0032] In the example diagram, the outer peripheral support member 5, as shown in Figure 9, includes a base plate 5B, a side cover 5C, a pedestal portion 5D, a top plate portion 5T, and an outer peripheral wall portion 5W. Furthermore, in Figures 10 and 11, for clarity, the base plate 5B is decorated with a cross-linking pattern, the pedestal portion 5D with a fine dot pattern, and the top plate portion 5T and the outer peripheral wall portion 5W with coarse dot patterns. The lifting support mechanism 25, as shown in the lower part of Figure 9, includes a lifting mechanism LM for raising and lowering the outer peripheral support member 5 and a support mechanism 50 for supporting the outer peripheral support member 5.

[0033] Specifically, the lifting mechanism LM, as shown in the lower part of Figure 9, includes a mounting plate 34, a rotating motor 35, a conveyor belt 36, a drive pulley 37, a tension pulley 38, and a follower pulley 39. The follower pulley 39 includes a left front follower pulley 39LF, a right front follower pulley 39RF, a left rear follower pulley 39LB (not visible in the lower part of Figure 9), and a right rear follower pulley 39RB. The tension pulley 38 includes a left tension pulley 38L positioned between the drive pulley 37 and the left front follower pulley 39LF, and a right tension pulley 38R positioned between the drive pulley 37 and the right front follower pulley 39RF.

[0034] The support mechanism 50 includes a left front support mechanism 50LF, a right front support mechanism 50RF, a left rear support mechanism 50LB (not visible in the lower part of Figure 9), and a right rear support mechanism 50RB. In the example shown, the left front support mechanism 50LF, the right front support mechanism 50RF, the left rear support mechanism 50LB, and the right rear support mechanism 50RB each have the same structure (same shape and same size). Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the support mechanism 50 is composed of a nut 51, a nut 52, a bearing 53, and a spacer 54.

[0035] The base plate 5B of the outer peripheral support member 5 is a member that supports the pedestal portion 5D, the top plate portion 5T, and the outer peripheral wall portion 5W through the support mechanism 50. In the example shown, the base plate 5B is fixed to the support portion 12 of the platform lifting mechanism TLM (see Figure 1), and the support portion 12 can be raised and lowered simultaneously by means of the platform lifting mechanism TLM. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the base plate 5B is a metal plate with a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, which includes four corner portions CN (first corner portion CN1 to fourth corner portion CN4) and a rectangular opening 5K forming the central portion CF.

[0036] The side cover 5C of the outer peripheral support member 5 is part of the side surface of the outer peripheral support member 5. In the example shown in the figure, the side cover 5C is installed on the base plate 5B in a manner that covers the base plate 5B and the support mechanism 50, as shown in the upper part of Figure 9.

[0037] The pedestal portion 5D of the outer peripheral support member 5 functions as the pedestal of the top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5, and is supported by the support mechanism 50 fixed to the base plate 5B. In the example shown, the pedestal portion 5D is a metal plate with a circular opening for receiving the platform 2 and a roughly rectangular ring shape when viewed from above.

[0038] The top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5 is the part fixed to the upper side of the pedestal portion 5D. In the example shown, the top plate portion 5T, like the pedestal portion 5D, is a metal plate with a circular opening for receiving the platform 2 and a roughly rectangular ring shape when viewed from above.

[0039] The outer peripheral wall 5W of the outer peripheral support member 5 is part of the exhaust passage 13. In the example shown, the outer peripheral wall 5W is a box-shaped metal member without a lid, having an octagonal bottom wall and octagonal cylindrical side walls when viewed from above. The octagonal cylindrical side walls are constructed to connect four pipes 13D. Furthermore, the octagonal cylindrical side walls are constructed such that their upper ends are fixed to the base portion 5D.

[0040] Thus, the outer peripheral support member 5 is configured such that it can be raised and lowered relative to the base plate 5B by means of the support mechanism 50, the pedestal portion 5D, the top plate portion 5T, and the outer peripheral wall portion 5W. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the base plate 5B has a bearing 53 fixed to the support mechanism 50. In the example shown, the bearing 53 is a ball bearing, with the inner wheel fixed to the nut 52 and the outer wheel fixed to the base plate 5B.

[0041] Furthermore, in the base portion 5D, as shown in Figure 10, a nut 51 of the support mechanism 50 is fixed by a bolt BT. In the example shown, the nut 51 is a trapezoidal nut, which, together with the nut 52, which is also a trapezoidal nut, constitutes the height adjustment mechanism HAM. The height adjustment mechanism HAM is configured such that when the nut 52 rotates around the rotation axis AX, the nut 51 moves upward (to the Z1 side), and when the nut 52 rotates around the rotation axis AX in the other direction, the nut 51 moves downward (to the Z2 side).

[0042] In the example diagram, the support mechanism 50 is as shown in the lower part of Figure 9, including the left front support mechanism 50LF fixed to the first corner CN1 of the base plate 5B, the right front support mechanism 50RF fixed to the second corner CN2 of the base plate 5B, the right rear support mechanism 50RB fixed to the third corner CN3 of the base plate 5B, and the left rear support mechanism 50LB fixed to the fourth corner CN4 of the base plate 5B (not visible in the lower part of Figure 9, so refer to Figure 11).

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the left front support mechanism 50LF is configured to rotate the nut 52 around the first rotation axis AX1, the right front support mechanism 50RF is configured to rotate the nut 52 around the second rotation axis AX2, the right rear support mechanism 50RB is configured to rotate the nut 52 around the third rotation axis AX3, and the left rear support mechanism 50LB is configured to rotate the nut 52 around the fourth rotation axis AX4.

[0044] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 11, the distances DS from the central axis CA passing through the center of stage 2 to each of the first rotation axis AX1 to the fourth rotation axis AX4 are equal. In addition, the angles (central angles) between the line segments connecting the central axis CA and each of the first rotation axis AX1 to the fourth rotation axis AX4 are equal to the angles θ (90 degrees).

[0045] An operator adjusting the height of the outer peripheral support member 5 can, for example, manually rotate the nut 52 of the height adjustment mechanism HAM in each of the left front support mechanism 50LF, right front support mechanism 50RF, left rear support mechanism 50LB, and right rear support mechanism 50RB, thereby adjusting the height of each of the four corners 5N (first corner 5N1 to fourth corner 5N4) of the top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5 as shown in the upper part of FIG9.

[0046] The lifting mechanism LM is configured to raise and lower the outer peripheral support member 5 by utilizing the height adjustment mechanism HAM of the support mechanism 50. Specifically, as described above, the lifting mechanism LM includes a mounting plate 34, a rotating motor 35, a conveyor belt 36, a drive pulley 37, a tension pulley 38, and a follower pulley 39. The follower pulley 39 includes a left front follower pulley 39LF, a right front follower pulley 39RF, a left rear follower pulley 39LB, and a right rear follower pulley 39RB. The left front follower pulley 39LF, right front follower pulley 39RF, left rear follower pulley 39LB, and right rear follower pulley 39RB have the same structure (same shape and same size). The tension pulley 38 includes a left tension pulley 38L positioned between the drive pulley 37 and the left front radial pulley 39LF, and a right tension pulley 38R positioned between the drive pulley 37 and the right front radial pulley 39RF. The left tension pulley 38L and the right tension pulley 38R have the same structure (same shape and same size).

[0047] In the example shown, the mounting plate 34 of the lifting mechanism LM is a metal plate on which a rotary motor 35, a drive pulley 37, and a tension pulley 38 are mounted, and is fixed to the base plate 5B of the outer peripheral support member 5 by a bracket 34a (refer to FIG. 10). The rotary motor 35 is a drive unit for rotating the drive pulley 37 and is mounted on the underside of the mounting plate 34. The conveyor belt 36 is a belt for transmitting the rotational force of the drive pulley 37 to the driven pulley 39. The drive pulley 37 is a member for rotating the driven pulley 39 by means of the conveyor belt 36. The tension pulleys 38 (left tension pulley 38L and right tension pulley 38R) are members for adjusting the expansion of the conveyor belt 36. The drive pulley 37, the left tension pulley 38L, and the right tension pulley 38R are mounted on the top of the mounting plate 34. The driven pulley 39 is a member for transmitting rotational force to the nut 52 of the support mechanism 50.

[0048] In the example shown, the follower pulleys 39 include a left front follower pulley 39LF fixed to a nut 52 of a left front support mechanism 50LF, a right front follower pulley 39RF fixed to a nut 52 of a right front support mechanism 50RF, a left rear follower pulley 39LB fixed to a nut 52 of a left rear support mechanism 50LB, and a right rear follower pulley 39RB fixed to a nut 52 of a right rear support mechanism 50RB. Specifically, the left rear follower pulley 39LB includes a fixing part and a rotating part that rotates relative to the fixing part. The fixing part clamps the spacer 54 and is fixed to the underside of the base plate 5B of the outer peripheral support member 5. The rotating part is fixed to the lower end of the nut 52 in a manner that rotates integrally with the nut 52. The same applies to the left front follower pulley 39LF, the right front follower pulley 39RF, and the right rear follower pulley 39RB.

[0049] With this configuration, the lifting mechanism LM rotates the drive pulley 37 by the rotary motor 35, thereby enabling the four follower pulleys 39 to rotate simultaneously in the same direction at the same rotational speed. That is, the lifting mechanism LM can cause the nuts 52 of the four support mechanisms to rotate simultaneously in the same direction at the same rotational speed. Therefore, the lifting mechanism LM can cause the four corner portions 5N (first corner portion 5N1 to fourth corner portion 5N4) of the top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5 to rise and fall at the same speed.

[0050] Furthermore, the height adjustment of the first corner 5N1 of the left front support mechanism 50LF is typically performed with the nuts 52 of the other three support mechanisms 50 not rotating. This is to prevent the heights of the other corners 5N from changing due to the height adjustment of the first corner 5N1. The height adjustments of the right front support mechanism 50RF, the left rear support mechanism 50LB, and the right rear support mechanism 50RB are performed in the same way. Therefore, in the example shown, the lifting mechanism LM is configured to disengage the conveyor belt 36 from the drive pulley 39. Specifically, the lifting mechanism LM adjusts the position of the tension pulley 38 by using the position adjusting bolt BT2 (see the lower part of Figure 9), specifically, by easing the expansion of the conveyor belt 36, so that the conveyor belt 36 can be removed from the drive pulley 39.

[0051] With this configuration, for example, when adjusting the height of the first corner 5N1 using the left front support mechanism 50LF, the operator can disengage the left front drive pulley 39LF from the conveyor belt 36, which is fixed by the nut 52 of the left front support mechanism 50LF. Therefore, without rotating the nuts 52 of the other support mechanisms 50, the operator can rotate only the nut 52 of the left front support mechanism 50LF, adjusting only the height of the first corner 5N1 without changing the height of the other corners 5N.

[0052] However, the drive pulley 39 can be configured to switch between a state where the nut 52 and the drive pulley 39 can rotate together (a state where they cannot rotate relative to each other) and a state where the nut 52 and the drive pulley 39 can rotate relative to each other. In this case, the operator can rotate only the nut 52 of the remaining support mechanism 50 without disengaging the drive belt 36 from the drive pulley 39 and without rotating the nuts 52 of the three support mechanisms 50.

[0053] With the configuration described above, the support mechanism 50, which includes four height adjustment mechanisms (HAMs), allows the operator to easily adjust the level of the upper surface 5a of the outer peripheral support member 5. Furthermore, the rotation axis AX of the height adjustment mechanism (HAM) (nut 52) ​​of the support mechanism 50 functions as a support axis, thus simplifying the structure compared to configurations where a separate support axis is provided for the rotation axis of the height adjustment mechanism.

[0054] Furthermore, the nuts 51 and 52 constituting the height adjustment mechanism HAM have relatively small diameters (e.g., 12 mm), so they can be standard products (commercially available nuts and bolts). Therefore, this configuration has the effect of improving the height adjustment accuracy using the height adjustment mechanism HAM while suppressing the increase in manufacturing cost of the support mechanism 50.

[0055] In addition, in the above embodiments, the height adjustment mechanism HAM uses a combination of trapezoidal nuts and trapezoidal nuts, but other mechanisms such as ball nuts can be used.

[0056] Furthermore, with the aforementioned configuration, the lifting mechanism LM, for example, has the effect of allowing the operator to raise or lower the outer peripheral support member 5 by utilizing the support mechanism 50 which includes four height adjustment mechanisms HAM.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lifting mechanism LM is configured such that four height adjustment mechanisms HAM can be operated simultaneously using a single rotary motor 35, or it can be configured such that four height adjustment mechanisms HAM can be operated separately using four rotary motors. In this case, the conveyor belt 36, drive pulley 37, tension pulley 38, and follower pulley 39 can be omitted.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lifting mechanism LM is configured to actuate the height adjustment mechanism HAM by using the drive pulley 39, thereby enabling the outer peripheral support member 5 to be raised or lowered. Therefore, this configuration allows the operator to easily change the lifting resolution of the outer peripheral support member 5. This is because the lifting resolution can be changed by altering the number of steps on the drive pulley 39.

[0059] Next, referring to FIG12, an example of the shape and size of the top plate portion 5T of the peripheral support member 5 in plan view will be described. FIG12 is a plan view of the semiconductor wafer W placed on the stage 2 and the top plate portion 5T of the peripheral support member 5. In addition, for clarity, a dot pattern is provided on the surface of the semiconductor wafer W in FIG12. Furthermore, in FIG12, the size of the push roller 20 in plan view is indicated by dotted lines, and the contact area CZ of the push roller 20, the semiconductor wafer W, and the top plate portion 5T is provided with a cross-linking pattern. In addition, in the example shown, the push roller 20 is configured to be able to move along the X-axis while rotating.

[0060] In the example shown, the top plate portion 5T has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above, and its width W1 along the direction of the rotation axis (Y-axis) of the push roller 20 is smaller than the width W2 of the push roller 20. However, the width W1 of the top plate portion 5T can be larger than the width W2 of the push roller 20, or it can be the same as the width W2 of the push roller 20.

[0061] Regardless of the position of the push roller 20 in the X-axis direction, this configuration has the effect of maintaining a constant total contact area, which is the sum of the contact area between the semiconductor wafer W and the push roller 20 (first contact area) and the contact area between the top plate portion 5T and the push roller 20 (second contact area). This means that if the pushing force of the push roller 20 is constant, then regardless of the position of the push roller 20 in the X-axis direction, the pushing force per unit contact area within the first contact area can be constant. Therefore, this configuration can uniformly adhere a photoresist film 6 or the like to the semiconductor wafer W mounted on the stage 2.

[0062] Furthermore, in the example shown, the top plate portion 5T is configured in a shape that is linearly symmetrical with respect to the dashed line L2 parallel to the X-axis passing through the central axis CA. This configuration, regardless of the position of the push roller 20 in the X-axis direction, achieves the effect of having the same size for a portion of the first contact area (first left-side contact area) located on one side (Y1 side, left side) of the second contact area and the remaining portion of the first contact area (first right-side contact area) located on the other side (Y2 side, right side) of the second contact area. This means that unevenness in the Y-axis direction caused by the pushing force from the push roller 20 can be suppressed. Therefore, this configuration enables the uniform adhesion of a photoresist film 6 or the like to the semiconductor wafer W mounted on the stage 2.

[0063] Furthermore, the membrane bonding device 1 has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above the top plate portion 5T. Therefore, compared to the case where the top plate portion has a circular shape when viewed from above, it has the effect of achieving four-point support for the support mechanism 50 while reducing the size of the upper part 5a of the top plate portion 5T. However, the top plate portion 5T can be configured to have a shape other than a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above (e.g., a circular, hexagonal, or octagonal shape).

[0064] Next, referring to FIG13, a lifting support mechanism 25A, which is another configuration example of the lifting support mechanism 25 that raises and lowers the outer peripheral support member 5, will be described. FIG13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the lifting support mechanism 25A. Specifically, FIG13 is a perspective view of the platform 2, the outer peripheral support member 5, and the lifting support mechanism 25A.

[0065] The lifting support mechanism 25A is similar to the lifting support mechanism 25, including a lifting mechanism LMA that raises and lowers the outer peripheral support member 5 and a support mechanism 50A that supports the outer peripheral support member 5 at four points.

[0066] The support mechanism 50A differs from the support mechanism 50, which includes a height adjustment mechanism HAM consisting of a linear bushing 51A and a linear shaft 52A, in that it includes a height adjustment mechanism HAM consisting of nuts 51 and 52. The linear bushing 51A is a roll-guided linear motion mechanism, configured such that the relative movement between the linear bushing 51A and the linear shaft 52A is locked by a locking control lever (not shown). In the example shown, the support mechanism 50A includes a left front support mechanism 50ALF for adjusting the height of the first corner 5N1, a right front support mechanism 50ARF for adjusting the height of the second corner 5N2, a right rear support mechanism 50ARB for adjusting the height of the third corner 5N3, and a left rear support mechanism 50ALB (not visible in Figure 13) for adjusting the height of the fourth corner 5N4.

[0067] With such a support mechanism 50A, an operator who adjusts the height of the outer peripheral support member 5 can, for example, manually move the linear bushing 51A of the height adjustment mechanism HAM in each of the left front support mechanism 50ALF, right front support mechanism 50ARF, left rear support mechanism 50ALB, and right rear support mechanism 50ARB up and down along the linear axis 52A, thereby adjusting the height of each of the four corners 5N (first corner 5N1 to fourth corner 5N4) of the top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5. In the example shown, the height of the corner 5N is the height relative to the top of the base plate 5B.

[0068] The lifting mechanism LMA utilizes an electric slider ES, unlike the lifting mechanism LM which uses a rotary motor 35. In the example shown, the electric slider ES is configured to move the support arm BA along the X-axis using a stepper motor and a ball screw mechanism. In the base plate 5B of the outer peripheral support member 5, a connecting plate 5P is fixed, and a linear guide LG is fixed to the side of the connecting plate 5P at a predetermined inclination (e.g., a gradient of 1 / 20). Furthermore, a slider SD, which can slide along the linear guide LG, is fixed to the upper end of the support arm BA.

[0069] With this configuration, the lifting mechanism LMA moves the support arm BA in the direction indicated by arrow AR1 (rear, X2 side) using the electric slider ES, thereby enabling the outer peripheral support member 5, which includes the base plate 5B, to move in the direction indicated by arrow AR2 (above, Z1 side). The same applies to moving the outer peripheral support member 5, which includes the base plate 5B, in the opposite direction (below, Z2 side).

[0070] That is, the lifting mechanism LMA moves the support arm BA along the X-axis by using an electric slider ES, thereby enabling the connecting plate 5P and the base plate 5B, which are fixed with the linear guide LG, to move along the Z-axis. Therefore, the lifting mechanism LMA can move the pedestal portion 5D, the outer peripheral wall portion 5W, and the top plate portion 5T, which are fixed to the base plate 5B, along the Z-axis via the support mechanism 50A. Thus, the lifting mechanism LMA can raise and lower the four corner portions 5N (first corner portion 5N1 to fourth corner portion 5N4) of the top plate portion 5T at the same speed.

[0071] With the above-described configuration, the film bonding device 1 equipped with the lifting support mechanism 25A has the same effect as the case equipped with the lifting support mechanism 25. Specifically, the film bonding device 1 equipped with the lifting support mechanism 25A has the effect that the operator can flexibly adjust the level of the upper surface 5a of the outer peripheral support member 5. Furthermore, the film bonding device 1 equipped with the lifting support mechanism 25A has the effect that the four corners 5N (first corner 5N1 to fourth corner 5N4) of the top plate portion 5T of the outer peripheral support member 5 can be raised and lowered at the same speed.

[0072] As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (film bonding apparatus 1) according to the embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG1, includes: a stage 2 for placing a semiconductor wafer W; a pressing member (pressing roller 20) for pressing the film (photoresist film 6) bonded to the semiconductor wafer W placed on the pressing stage 2, disposed on the outer periphery of the stage 2, and configured such that the pressing member (pressing roller 20) presses the film (photoresist film 6) and is subjected to the pressing force brought by the pressing member (pressing roller 20); and a support mechanism 50 that supports the outer periphery support member 5 at at least three positions separated from each other in top view, and can adjust the height of each of these at least three positions. In the example shown in FIG1, the support mechanism 50 includes a left front support mechanism 50LF, a right front support mechanism 50RF, a left rear support mechanism 50LB, and a right rear support mechanism 50RB. Furthermore, the left front support mechanism 50LF, the right front support mechanism 50RF, the left rear support mechanism 50LB, and the right rear support mechanism 50RB each have a height adjustment mechanism HAM. Additionally, in the example shown, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is a film bonding device 1, which is an example of a laminate, and can be a mounter for bonding a film to a ring. That is, the peripheral support member 5 supported by the support mechanism 50 can be mounted on the mounter as a member for placing the ring. The features shown below are also similar. That is, the features shown below can be mounted on the mounter.

[0073] With this configuration, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has the effect of eliminating the tilt of the upper surface of the peripheral support member 5. Specifically, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has the effect of allowing the operator to adjust the levelness of the upper surface 5a of the peripheral support member 5.

[0074] Furthermore, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (film bonding apparatus 1) may include a lifting mechanism LM for raising and lowering the peripheral support member 5. In the example shown in Figures 10 and 11, the lifting mechanism LM comprises a rotary motor 35, a conveyor belt 36, a drive pulley 37, a tension pulley 38, and a follower pulley 39. However, the lifting mechanism LM may also include other mechanical elements such as gears, chains, or wires. Alternatively, the lifting mechanism LM may be omitted. In this case, the operator can adjust the level of the upper surface 5a of the peripheral support member 5 using the height adjustment mechanisms HAM in each of the left front support mechanism 50LF, right front support mechanism 50RF, left rear support mechanism 50LB, and right rear support mechanism 50RB. Furthermore, the operator can raise and lower the stage 2 so that the semiconductor wafer W mounted on the stage 2 is aligned with the upper surface 5a of the peripheral support member 5.

[0075] Furthermore, the outer peripheral support member 5, as shown in Figure 9, can have a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above, and be configured to surround the platform 2. In this case, the height adjustment mechanism HAM can be configured to allow for individual adjustment of the height of each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member 5.

[0076] With this configuration, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, for example, even when the peripheral support member 5 is supported at four points by the support mechanism 50, has the effect of eliminating the tilt of the upper part of the peripheral support member 5.

[0077] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism LM can be configured to allow the four corners of the outer peripheral support member 5 to rise and fall simultaneously. In the example shown, the lifting mechanism LM is configured to allow the height adjustment mechanisms HAM of the left front support mechanism 50LF, right front support mechanism 50RF, left rear support mechanism 50LB, and right rear support mechanism 50RB to rise and fall simultaneously.

[0078] With this configuration, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can raise and lower the peripheral support member 5 while eliminating the tilt of the upper surface of the peripheral support member 5. Specifically, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has the effect of maintaining the horizontality of the upper surface 5a of the peripheral support member 5, allowing the operator to raise and lower the peripheral support member 5.

[0079] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments can be adapted to various modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the features described with reference to the above embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as they are not technically contradictory.

[0080] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-141612, filed on August 31, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] 1: Membrane bonding device 2: Taiwan 2G: slot 3: Membrane Supply Section 4: Winding section 5: External peripheral support components 5a: Above 5B: Base Plate 5C: Side Cover 5D:pedestal part 5K: Opening 5N: Corner 5N1: First corner 5N2: Second corner 5N3: Third corner 5N4: 4th corner 5P: Connector plate 5T: Top plate section 5W: Peripheral wall 6: Photoresist film 7: Carrier membrane 8: Reinforced membrane 9: Clamping rollers 10: Sliding rod 11:Substrate 12: Support Department 13: Exhaust passage 13D: Tube 13G: Gap 15: Sliding shaft 16: First moving unit 17: Second moving unit 18: Third moving unit 19: Cut-off unit 20: Push roller 21: Push pressure adjustment mechanism 22: Pushing cylinder 22a: Piston rod 25, 25A: Lifting support mechanism 34: Installation Piece 34a: Bracket 35: Rotary electric motor 36: Conveyor belt 37: Drive pulley 38: Tension pulley 38L: Left tension pulley 38R: Right-side tension pulley 39: Driven pulley 39LB: Left rear drive pulley 39LF: Left front drive pulley 39RB: Right rear drive pulley 39RF: Right front drive pulley 40: Control Department 41: Input Section 42: High-level storage unit 43: Push Pattern Storage Unit 50, 50A: Supporting Organizations 50LB, 50ALB: Left rear support mechanism 50LF, 50ALF: Left anterior support mechanism 50RB, 50ARB: Right rear support mechanism 50RF, 50ARF: Right front support mechanism 51: Nut 51A: Linear Bushing 52: Nut 52A: Linear Axis 53: Bearing 54: Isolation 80: Hollow structure 81: Wall 82: Roof section AX: Rotation axis AX1: First rotation axis AX2: Second rotation axis AX3: Third rotation axis AX4: Fourth rotational axis BA: Support arm BT: Bolts BT2: Position Adjustment Bolt CA: Central Axis CF: Central Division CN: Corner CN1: First corner CN2: 2nd corner CN3: Third corner CN4: 4th corner CZ: Range F2: Second layer membrane ES: Electric slider F3: Tri-layer membrane HAM: Height Adjustment Mechanism LG: Linear Guide LM, LMA: Lifting mechanism SD: Slider TLM: Platform Lifting Mechanism W: Semiconductor wafers

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a stage on which a semiconductor wafer is placed; a pressing member for pressing a film adhered to the semiconductor wafer placed on the stage; an outer peripheral support member disposed on the outer periphery of the stage and configured to receive a pressing force from the pressing member when the pressing member presses the film; a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the outer peripheral support member; and a support mechanism for supporting the outer peripheral support member at at least three mutually separated positions while adjusting the height of each of the at least three positions; the outer peripheral support member having a rectangular shape when viewed from above and being arranged to surround the stage; the lifting mechanism being configured to simultaneously raise and lower each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member; the support mechanism having a height adjustment mechanism; the height adjustment mechanism being configured to adjust the height of each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member; and the height adjustment mechanism being a rotary electric motor or an electric slider.

2. A support mechanism mounted on a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a stage on which a semiconductor wafer is placed; a pressing member for pressing a film adhered to the semiconductor wafer placed on the stage; an outer peripheral support member disposed on the outer periphery of the stage and configured to receive the pressing force exerted by the pressing member when pressing the film; and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the outer peripheral support member; the support mechanism being configured to support the outer peripheral support member at at least three mutually separated positions while simultaneously adjusting the height of each of the at least three positions; the outer peripheral support member having a rectangular shape when viewed from above and being configured to surround the stage; the lifting mechanism being configured to simultaneously raise and lower each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member; the support mechanism having a height adjustment mechanism; the height adjustment mechanism being configured to individually adjust the height of each of the four corners of the outer peripheral support member; the height adjustment mechanism being a rotary electric motor or an electric slider.

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