Wafer debonding method

Abstract

This wafer debonding method comprises the steps of: with respect to a wafer module in which a carrier portion and a wafer are bonded by an adhesive layer, forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer by emitting a laser from an upper portion of the wafer module toward the adhesive layer; separating the carrier portion and the wafer from each other from a corner portion in which the fracture portion is formed; and completely separating the wafer from the carrier portion.

Description

Wafer debonding method

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer debonding method, and more particularly, to a wafer debonding method for forming various fracture portions by using laser irradiation in various ways on an adhesive layer between a wafer and a carrier portion to more effectively debond a wafer attached to a carrier portion.

[0002] Recently, the demand for high-performance, high-density semiconductors has been increasing, and the production of these semiconductors requires processing wafers with relatively very thin thicknesses.

[0003] Meanwhile, in order to perform a process on a thin wafer, a so-called TBDB (temporary bonding and debonding) process is essential, which involves temporarily attaching the wafer to a carrier wafer having a relatively thick thickness, performing the process, and then removing the carrier wafer.

[0004] Various technologies are being developed to perform the above TBDB process. Korean Patent No. 10-2007042 discloses a technology in which a cutter, such as a blade, is used to enter between the adhesive layer and the wafer to separate the wafer from the adhesive portion.

[0005] However, in the physical debonding method using such blades, high precision is required for the position where the blade must enter, and accordingly, there is a problem of installing expensive, high-precision equipment and improving process precision.

[0006] Accordingly, in addition to physical methods, a laser-based debonding technology is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-2305505, which irradiates a laser from the side of the adhesive layer to form a fractured portion. This side-irradiating laser is typically a UV laser, which cannot penetrate silicon wafers or carrier wafers, so side-irradiating methods have been used.

[0007] However, for technologies that project lasers from the side, focusing is required to accurately align the laser irradiation position, making process control difficult. This necessitates high-precision, expensive equipment and high process precision. Furthermore, the significant time required for alignment also reduces productivity.

[0008] Related prior art documents include Korean Patent No. 10-2007042 and Korean Patent No. 10-2305505.

[0009] Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention is conceived from this point, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wafer debonding method that forms various fracture portions by using laser irradiation in various ways on the adhesive layer between the wafer and the carrier portion in order to more effectively debond the wafer attached to the carrier portion.

[0010] A wafer debonding method according to one embodiment for realizing the above-described object of the present invention comprises the steps of: irradiating a laser toward the adhesive layer from the upper portion of a wafer module to form a fractured portion in the adhesive layer, separating the carrier portion and the wafer from a corner portion where the fractured portion is formed; and completely separating the wafer from the carrier portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the laser may be irradiated to the adhesive layer by passing through the carrier portion from above the carrier portion.

[0012] In one embodiment, when the laser passes through the carrier portion and is irradiated onto the adhesive layer, only the adhesive layer may be broken due to a change in physical and chemical properties.

[0013] In one embodiment, the carrier portion comprises a transparent material through which the laser is transparent, and the laser may be an ultraviolet laser or a visible light laser.

[0014] In one embodiment, the carrier portion may comprise a silicon material, and the laser may be an infrared laser.

[0015] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the intensity of the irradiated laser may have an intensity range that damages only the adhesive layer.

[0016] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the fracture portion may be formed in a corner portion of the wafer and an inner region where no chip is mounted on the wafer.

[0017] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the fracture portion may be formed as a circular segment at a corner of the wafer module.

[0018] In one embodiment, information about the area where the arc-shaped fracture portion is formed can be obtained based on information about the area of ​​the chip mounted on the wafer.

[0019] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the laser may be irradiated with point light and moved in a reciprocating scan to form the fracture portion.

[0020] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the laser may be irradiated as a line light and moved in one direction to form the fracture portion.

[0021] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the laser may be irradiated with surface light having a predetermined area to form the fracture portion.

[0022] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the surface light laser may be irradiated while a mask is formed on the upper surface of the wafer module.

[0023] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the fracture portion may be formed with a constant width along the circumference of the wafer module.

[0024] In one embodiment, in the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer, the laser may be irradiated as a line light or a circular light of a predetermined diameter and rotated, or the laser may be irradiated as a line light or a circular light of a predetermined diameter and the wafer module may rotate.

[0025] In one embodiment, the fracture portion may be formed in an edge exclusion region as a corner portion of the wafer.

[0026] In one embodiment, the step of separating the carrier portion and the wafer from each other may include the step of inserting a tip portion of the blade portion toward the fracture portion, and the step of separating the carrier portion and the wafer from each other from the edge according to the insertion of the tip portion.

[0027] In one embodiment, in the step of inserting the tip portion toward the fracture portion, the position of the tip portion can be changed in the vertical direction depending on the position of the fracture portion.

[0028] According to embodiments of the present invention, since only the adhesive layer is damaged, i.e., cracked, by the laser irradiation from above, the limitation of difficulty in accurately focusing the laser irradiation on an adhesive layer having a relatively very thin thickness in the conventional aspect is resolved, thereby enabling accurate fracture of the adhesive layer.

[0029] In particular, when the carrier part is composed of a transparent material, an ultraviolet laser or a visible light laser can easily penetrate and irradiate the adhesive layer, and even when the carrier part includes a silicon material, an infrared laser can irradiate the adhesive layer, so that the breakage of the adhesive layer can be accurately and uniformly implemented easily, and thus the difficulty of the process of focusing on the adhesive layer through focusing from the side due to difficulty in penetrating the carrier part or wafer in the past can be overcome.

[0030] That is, the process can be implemented by simply irradiating the laser from the outside of the carrier portion to the adhesive layer, thereby improving the process speed as well as productivity.

[0031] Meanwhile, the adhesive layer is damaged due to changes in physical and chemical properties caused by irradiation with the laser. By controlling the laser to an intensity and properties capable of causing damage to the adhesive layer, it is possible to achieve precise adhesive layer rupture without damage to the wafer or carrier portion.

[0032] In this case, the fracture portion formed on the adhesive layer is formed in a so-called arc shape, considering that the wafer module is circular, so that when a blade portion is used to enter the fracture portion in a subsequent process, the entry area can be formed wider, and thus the ease of separation can be improved.

[0033] In particular, the fracture portion of the above-mentioned arc is defined in consideration of the mounting area of ​​the chip mounted on the wafer, and since the area where the fracture portion of the above-mentioned arc should be formed can be obtained in advance based on design information about the area where the chip is mounted, separate measurements, etc. can be omitted in the process of forming the fracture portion, and the process can be performed directly based on the information already obtained.

[0034] In addition, the above-mentioned fractured portion can be formed by any one of point light, line light, or area light when irradiated with a laser, and thus can be applied to various processes by irradiating lasers of various patterns. In particular, when irradiating with area light, the area of ​​the fractured portion can be localized by forming a mask, thereby improving process efficiency.

[0035] In contrast, by forming the fracture portion in a band shape along the circumference, fracture along the circumference of the wafer module as a whole is induced, so that separation of the wafer can be easily and uniformly performed from any direction.

[0036] At this time, when the fracture portion is formed in a band shape along the circumference, damage to the chip mounted on the wafer can be prevented by forming the judgment portion in an edge exclusion area as an edge portion of the wafer.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a process diagram illustrating a step of irradiating a laser in a wafer debonding method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 2a and FIG. 2c are process diagrams illustrating a step of debonding a carrier portion from a wafer in the wafer debonding method of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIGS. 3A to 3C are process diagrams illustrating a step of debonding a carrier portion from a wafer in a wafer debonding method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating an area where a laser is irradiated in the laser irradiation step of Fig. 1.

[0041] Figures 5a to 5c are schematic plan views illustrating a method of irradiating a laser in the laser irradiation step of Figure 1.

[0042] [Correction under Rule 91 23.08.2024] Figures 6a and 6b are schematic plan views illustrating another method of irradiating the laser in the laser irradiation step of Figure 1.

[0043] <Explanation of symbols>

[0044] 100: Wafer module 101, 102: Damaged area

[0045] 110: Carrier part 111, 121: Corner part

[0046] 120: Wafer 130: Adhesive layer

[0047] 140: Mask 200: Light source

[0048] 210, 211, 212, 213, 214: Light 300: Breaking point

[0049] 400: Blade part 410: Tip part

[0050] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and takes various forms, and thus embodiments are described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific disclosed form, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components throughout the description of each drawing. While terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms.

[0051] The above terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. The terms used in this application are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0052] In this application, it should be understood that terms such as “comprise” or “consist of” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0054] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0055] FIG. 1 is a process diagram illustrating a step of irradiating a laser in a wafer debonding method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2a and FIG. 2c are process diagrams illustrating a step of debonding a carrier portion from a wafer in the wafer debonding method of FIG. 1.

[0056] First, the wafer debonding in this embodiment corresponds to a process of separating the wafer (120) from the carrier portion (110) in a wafer module (100) including a carrier portion (110), a wafer (120), and an adhesive layer (130), as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0057] Generally, the wafer (120) on which the semiconductor process is performed is formed with a relatively thin thickness, so in order to perform the process stably, a predetermined process is performed while being attached to the carrier part (110) via the adhesive layer (130).

[0058] Accordingly, when the process for the wafer (120) is completed, the wafer (120) must be separated from the carrier portion (110), and for this purpose, a break in the adhesive layer (130) must be induced. The process of inducing such a break is called an initiator, and the wafer debonding method in the present embodiment relates to the process of inducing such a break.

[0059] Specifically, the wafer debonding method is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2b.

[0060] First, referring to FIG. 1, in the wafer debonding method, a laser is irradiated toward the adhesive layer (130) from the upper portion of the wafer module (100).

[0061] That is, the light source unit (200) that irradiates the laser light (210) is positioned on the upper portion of the wafer module (100), and the laser light (210) is irradiated toward the adhesive layer (130).

[0062] At this time, the light source unit (200) is positioned above the horizontal direction in which the wafer module (100) extends, so that the irradiated laser light (210) is irradiated in a direction perpendicular to or intersecting the wafer module (100).

[0063] In addition, in the wafer module (100), the wafer (120) on which the semiconductor process is directly performed faces downward, and the carrier part (110) that performs a carrier for the wafer (120) is positioned at the top, so that the laser light (210) is irradiated from above. Thus, the laser light (210) is transmitted through the carrier part (110) and irradiated to the adhesive layer (130), and damage to the wafer (120) caused by the laser light (210) may not occur in the process of being irradiated to the adhesive layer (130).

[0064] In particular, since the carrier portion (110) may be a transparent substrate such as glass or sapphire, the laser light (210) being irradiated may be transmitted and damage may be minimized.

[0065] That is, the laser light (210) being irradiated may be, for example, an ultraviolet laser, an infrared laser, or a visible light laser. In particular, when an ultraviolet laser or a visible light laser is used, the carrier part (110) may be made of a material such as glass or sapphire. Conversely, when an infrared laser is used, the carrier part (110) may be made of glass, sapphire, or even a silicon wafer.

[0066] In contrast, if the light source unit (200) is positioned at the bottom of the wafer module (100) and irradiates light in an upward direction, the laser light irradiation should be performed with the carrier unit (110) positioned at the bottom and the wafer (120) positioned at the top.

[0067] Furthermore, even when the wafer module (100) is positioned in a vertically standing state, the light source unit (200) must be positioned so that the carrier unit (110) faces the side where light is irradiated.

[0068] Through this, the laser light (210) is irradiated onto the adhesive layer (130) while minimizing damage to the wafer (120). In addition, by the irradiation of the laser light (210), a fracture portion (300, crack) is induced in the adhesive layer (130).

[0069] The laser irradiated onto the adhesive layer (130) may be omitted from focusing onto the adhesive layer (130) separately, and it is sufficient to simply irradiate the adhesive layer (130). In particular, since the irradiated laser is maintained at a level that damages the adhesive layer (130), the possibility of inducing separate damage or deformation to the wafer (120) or the carrier portion (110) is very low, and accordingly, the energy of the irradiated laser is naturally focused onto the adhesive layer (130), thereby inducing damage to the adhesive layer (130).

[0070] Accordingly, when irradiating the laser from the side of the adhesive layer (130) as in the prior art, a process such as focusing for irradiating the laser to a thin adhesive layer can be omitted, and it is sufficient to simply irradiate the laser to the adhesive layer (130) from the upper portion of the carrier portion (110) so as to penetrate the carrier portion (110).

[0071] Meanwhile, the fracture portion (300) is induced to change its so-called physical and chemical properties as it is irradiated with the laser light (210). That is, the adhesive layer (130) is heated by the irradiation heat of the laser light (210), causing the material to evaporate or deform, thereby inducing the fracture portion (300).

[0072] Meanwhile, as the fracture portion (300) is induced, a predetermined gap is formed between the carrier portion (110) and the adhesive layer (130), and the adhesive force is reduced, and accordingly, the wafer (120) can be separated from the carrier portion (110) starting from the fracture portion (300).

[0073] After inducing the above-described fracture portion (300) as described above, the wafer (120) is separated from the carrier portion (110).

[0074] Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, the fracture portion (300) induced by the irradiation of the laser light (210) is formed on the corner portions (111, 121) of the carrier portion (110) and the wafer (120), and accordingly, the wafer (120) is also separated from the carrier portion (110) at the corner portion (121).

[0075] That is, as in FIG. 2a, the corner portion (121) of the wafer (120), which is the area where the fracture portion (300) is formed, is separated from the corner portion (111) of the carrier portion (110), and accordingly, as in FIG. 2b, the wafer (120) is completely separated from the carrier portion (110).

[0076] In this case, as the wafer (120) is separated from the carrier part (110), the remaining adhesive layer (130) remains on the surface of the wafer (120). Although not shown, the adhesive layer (130) can be completely removed from the wafer (120) through a separate removal process.

[0077] Meanwhile, when the wafer (120) is separated from the carrier part (110), as illustrated, a predetermined external force may be applied from the outside in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2A to induce separation. That is, although not illustrated, when a predetermined external force application unit is fixed to the outer surface of the wafer (120) and the carrier part (110), an external force may be applied in a direction that separates the wafer (120) from the carrier part (110), to induce separation.

[0078] More specifically, referring to FIG. 2c, in the case of the wafer (120), the area where the chip (123) is mounted cannot be the entire area of ​​the wafer (120) due to the structure of the chip, and thus the chip (123) cannot be mounted at the corner portion (121) of the wafer (120).

[0079] Therefore, by forming the above-mentioned broken portion (300) at the corner portion (121), damage to the chip (123) can be minimized.

[0080] Meanwhile, due to the structure of the chip (123), the area where the chip is not mounted may vary somewhat depending on the position of the corner portion (121), and thus, in some areas (122), the broken portion (300) may be formed somewhat inward from the corner portion (121).

[0081] Accordingly, if the area where the fractured portion (300) can be formed is defined as a fracture-prone area, the fracture-prone area includes a certain area in the entire edge of the wafer (120) as the edge portion (121, referred to as edge exclusion area) of the wafer (120), as well as the inner area (122) where the chip (123) is not located.

[0082] Thus, it is sufficient for the fracture portion (300) to be formed in the fracture-prone area (121, 122), and the fracture-prone area (121, 122) can be derived directly from the initial design for the wafer (120).

[0083] In contrast, a method of separating the wafer (120) from the carrier part (110) may be applied, such as a method as shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c.

[0084] FIGS. 3A to 3C are process diagrams illustrating a step of debonding a carrier portion from a wafer in a wafer debonding method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] That is, in this embodiment, as in the previous Fig. 1, in a state where the fracture portion (300) is formed by irradiation with the laser light (210), the separation can be induced through a separate blade portion (400).

[0086] First, referring to Fig. 3a, after the fracture portion (300) is formed, a blade portion (400) including a tip portion (310) with a sharp end is introduced toward the fracture portion (300).

[0087] At this time, although not illustrated in detail, the tip portion (310) does not have to be aligned exactly horizontally and enter the position where the fracture portion (300) is formed. That is, since the fracture portion (300) is formed in an oblique shape as illustrated or in a shape in which a portion of the adhesive layer is removed, when the tip portion (310) enters toward the adhesive layer (130) between the wafer (120) and the carrier portion (110), the entered tip portion (310) is naturally guided to and positioned in the fracture portion (300).

[0088] Therefore, when performing debonding using only the blade portion (400) in the past, the problem of having to accurately align the entry position of the blade portion (400) can be solved, thereby improving the convenience of alignment and the convenience of the process.

[0089] As described above, after the tip portion (410) is naturally positioned toward the fracture portion (300), as shown in FIG. 3b, the blade portion (400) additionally moves toward the inside of the fracture portion (300), and accordingly, the corner portion (111) of the wafer (120) is naturally induced to separate from the corner portion (121) of the carrier portion (110).

[0090] After this, as shown in FIG. 3c, starting with the separation of the corner parts (111, 121), the wafer (120) is completely separated from the carrier part (110). At this time, as described above with reference to FIG. 2b, in a state where an external force applying unit that applies a predetermined external force on the outer surface of the wafer (120) and the carrier part (110) is fixed, an external force is applied in a direction that separates the wafer (120) from the carrier part (110), so that the separation can be completely induced.

[0091] Furthermore, the area that the tip portion (410) approaches can also minimize damage to the chip (123) by facing the inner area (122) where the chip (123) is not located, as illustrated in FIG. 2c.

[0092] Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating an area where a laser is irradiated in the laser irradiation step of Fig. 1.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 4, in the step of irradiating the laser light (210) described above, the laser light (210) can form a so-called circular segment fracture portion (300) with respect to the adhesive layer (130).

[0094] That is, the damaged area (101) of the adhesive layer (130) is formed in an arc shape at the corner of the wafer module (100) having the shape of a disk. The damaged area (101) substantially corresponds to the area where the fracture portion (300) is formed. In this case, the arc shape can be defined as an area having a length (r0) in the radial direction smaller than the radius (r) of the wafer module (100) from the corner of the wafer module (100), as illustrated, and means having an overall shape like an arrow.

[0095] This is the area where the fracture portion (300) is formed, as described with reference to Fig. 2c, taking into account the shape of the inner area (122), which is the area where the chip (123) is not mounted. The chip (123) generally has a rectangular shape, and the wafer (120) has a circular plate shape, so the inner area (122), which is the area where the chip (123) is not mounted, is formed in a bow-like shape at one corner of the wafer (120).

[0096] Therefore, by considering the shape of the inner region (122), which is the bow shape, the fracture portion (300) is formed in the bow shape, thereby preventing damage to the chip (123) while maximizing the area of ​​the fracture portion (300).

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, since the shape of the fracture portion (300) is a curved shape, which corresponds to an area already defined from the design stage of the chip (123), the curve can be accurately formed by taking into consideration the previously defined area in the stage of forming the fracture portion (300).

[0098] As described above, since the damaged area (101) of the adhesive layer (130) has an arc shape, the fracture portion (300) is formed with a relatively wide area with a relatively long length compared to the surrounding area at the end in the radius (r) direction from the center (C), so that, in the subsequent separation step, for example, the entry of the tip portion (410) and natural movement to the fracture portion (300) can be more easily implemented.

[0099] Furthermore, when the above-described laser light (210) is irradiated to form the above-described fracture portion (300), irradiation of laser light in various patterns may be possible, which will be described later.

[0100] Figures 5a to 5c are schematic plan views illustrating a method of irradiating a laser in the laser irradiation step of Figure 1.

[0101] First, referring to FIG. 5a, in order to form the arc-shaped damage area (101), when irradiating the laser light (210), the laser light (210) is irradiated as point light (211), and moves in a zigzag pattern to form the damage area (101).

[0102] At this time, instead of the zigzag pattern, a one-way transfer pattern may be repeatedly performed, and the number of zigzag patterns or transfer patterns may be varied in consideration of the area of ​​the damaged area (101).

[0103] In contrast, referring to FIG. 5b, in order to form the arc-shaped damage area (101), when irradiating the laser light (210), the laser light (210) is irradiated as line light (212), and as shown by the arrow, it is moved a predetermined distance in the direction toward the center of the wafer module (100), thereby forming the damage area (101).

[0104] At this time, the movement distance in the direction of the arrow can be varied in consideration of the area of ​​the damaged area (101).

[0105] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 5c, in order to form the arc-shaped damage area (101), when irradiating the laser light (210), the laser light (210) may be irradiated as surface light (213) to form the damage area (101).

[0106] At this time, the surface light (213) is irradiated to the entire predetermined area as shown, and if the area irradiated by the surface light (213) is larger than the damaged area (101), a separate mask (140) that exposes only the damaged area (101) to the outside must be formed.

[0107] That is, the mask (140) is formed on the upper surface of the wafer module (100), i.e., the upper surface of the carrier portion (110), excluding the damaged area (101), to block the surface light (213), and thus the surface light (213) is provided only to the open damaged area (101).

[0108] As described above, when the damaged area (101) has a so-called arc shape, it is possible to form a fracture portion (300) for the damaged area (101) using various laser irradiation patterns.

[0109] [Correction under Rule 91 23.08.2024] Figures 6a and 6b are schematic plan views illustrating another method of irradiating the laser in the laser irradiation step of Figure 1.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 6a, as the laser light (210) is irradiated as line light (214), rotation is performed, so that a damaged area (102) can be formed along the circumference of the wafer module (100).

[0111] That is, the damaged area (102), i.e., the area where the fracture portion (300) is formed, is formed along the circumference of the wafer module (100), and the width (w0) of the damaged area (102) can be formed uniformly. Accordingly, the damaged area (102) is formed uniformly along the entire circumference of the wafer module (100), as shown in FIG. 6b.

[0112] Meanwhile, in order for the damaged area (102) to be uniformly formed along the entire circumference of the wafer module (100) as described above, the damaged area (102) must be limited to the corner portion (121, edge exclusion area) as described in FIG. 2c.

[0113] Thus, damage to the chip (123) mounted on the wafer (120) can be prevented.

[0114] In this case, the laser light (210) may be a line light (214) irradiated along the edge of the wafer module (100) by the width (w0). In addition, the line light (214) may be irradiated while the light source unit (200) irradiating the laser light (210) rotates along the circumference of the wafer module (100). Alternatively, the light source unit (200) may be fixed in place, and the wafer module (100) may rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow around the center (C) so that the damaged area (102) may be formed.

[0115] Meanwhile, although the laser light (210) is illustrated as a line light through Fig. 6a, it may also be irradiated as a circular light having a predetermined diameter (w0). That is, the laser light having the shape of a circular light may be irradiated while rotating along the circumference of the wafer module (100) as described above, and alternatively, the light source unit (200) may be fixed in a fixed position, and the wafer module (100) may be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow around the center (C).

[0116] As described above, since the damaged area (102) is uniformly formed over the entire circumference along the edge of the wafer module (100), in the subsequent step of separating the wafer (120) using the blade unit (400), the blade unit (400) can enter the damaged area (102) not only at one location but also at multiple locations.

[0117] That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6b, the blade portion (400) can separate the wafer (120) from the carrier portion (110) by entering each of the plurality of entry positions (A, B, C, D) of the damaged area (102), and by starting the separation from such plurality of positions, the separation of the wafer (120) can be induced more uniformly and quickly.

[0118] Meanwhile, the above entry positions (A to D) are exemplified as four positions through the drawing, but the positions and number thereof can be varied, and not only can multiple blade sections enter the corresponding positions simultaneously, but one blade section can also sequentially enter multiple positions.

[0119] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, since the laser is irradiated from above and only the adhesive layer is damaged, i.e., cracked, by the laser irradiation, the limitation of difficulty in accurately focusing the laser irradiation on an adhesive layer having a relatively very thin thickness in the conventional aspect is resolved, thereby enabling accurate fracture of the adhesive layer.

[0120] In particular, when the carrier part is composed of a transparent material, an ultraviolet laser or a visible light laser can easily penetrate and irradiate the adhesive layer, and even when the carrier part includes a silicon material, an infrared laser can irradiate the adhesive layer, so that the breakage of the adhesive layer can be accurately and uniformly implemented easily, and thus the difficulty of the process of focusing on the adhesive layer through focusing from the side due to difficulty in penetrating the carrier part or wafer in the past can be overcome.

[0121] That is, the process can be implemented by simply irradiating the laser from the outside of the carrier portion to the adhesive layer, thereby improving the process speed as well as productivity.

[0122] Meanwhile, the adhesive layer is damaged due to changes in physical and chemical properties caused by irradiation with the laser. By controlling the laser to an intensity and properties capable of causing damage to the adhesive layer, it is possible to achieve precise adhesive layer rupture without damage to the wafer or carrier portion.

[0123] In this case, the fracture portion formed on the adhesive layer is formed in a so-called arc shape, considering that the wafer module is circular, so that when a blade portion is used to enter the fracture portion in a subsequent process, the entry area can be formed wider, and thus the ease of separation can be improved.

[0124] In particular, the fracture portion of the above-mentioned arc is defined in consideration of the mounting area of ​​the chip mounted on the wafer, and since the area where the fracture portion of the above-mentioned arc should be formed can be obtained in advance based on design information about the area where the chip is mounted, separate measurements, etc. can be omitted in the process of forming the fracture portion, and the process can be performed directly based on the information already obtained.

[0125] In addition, the above-mentioned fractured portion can be formed by any one of point light, line light, or area light when irradiated with a laser, and thus can be applied to various processes by irradiating lasers of various patterns. In particular, when irradiating with area light, the area of ​​the fractured portion can be localized by forming a mask, thereby improving process efficiency.

[0126] In contrast, by forming the fracture portion in a band shape along the circumference, fracture along the circumference of the wafer module as a whole is induced, so that separation of the wafer can be easily and uniformly performed from any direction.

[0127] At this time, when the fracture portion is formed in a band shape along the circumference, damage to the chip mounted on the wafer can be prevented by forming the judgment portion in an edge exclusion area as an edge portion of the wafer.

[0128] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. For a wafer module in which the carrier and the wafer are bonded by an adhesive layer, A step of irradiating a laser toward the adhesive layer from the upper portion of the wafer module to form a fracture portion in the adhesive layer; A step of separating the carrier portion and the wafer from each other from the corner portion where the fracture portion is formed; and A wafer debonding method comprising a step of completely separating the wafer from the carrier portion.

2. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in the first paragraph, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is irradiated onto the adhesive layer by passing through the carrier portion from above the carrier portion.

3. In paragraph 2, When the laser passes through the carrier portion and is irradiated onto the adhesive layer, A wafer debonding method characterized in that only the above adhesive layer is broken due to change in physical and chemical properties.

4. In paragraph 2, The carrier portion includes a transparent material through which the laser passes, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is an ultraviolet laser or a visible light laser.

5. In paragraph 2, The above carrier part includes a silicone material, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is an infrared laser.

6. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in the first paragraph, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the intensity of the laser being investigated has an intensity range that damages only the adhesive layer.

7. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in the first paragraph, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the above-mentioned fractured portion is formed in a corner portion of the wafer and an inner region where no chip is mounted on the wafer.

8. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in the first paragraph, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the above-mentioned fracture portion is formed as a circular segment at the corner of the wafer module.

9. In paragraph 8, information on the area where the arc-shaped fracture portion is formed is: A wafer debonding method characterized in that the information about the area of ​​the chip mounted on the wafer is acquired.

10. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in paragraph 8, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is irradiated with point light and moves in a reciprocating scan to form the fractured portion.

11. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in paragraph 8, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is irradiated as a line light and moves in one direction to form the fractured portion.

12. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in paragraph 8, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is irradiated with surface light having a predetermined area to form the fractured portion.

13. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in paragraph 12, A wafer debonding method characterized in that a laser of the surface light is irradiated while a mask is formed on the upper surface of the wafer module.

14. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in the first paragraph, A wafer debonding method in which the above-mentioned broken portion is formed with a constant width along the circumference of the above-mentioned wafer module.

15. In paragraph 14, the fracture portion is A wafer debonding method characterized in that the edge exclusion region is formed as an edge portion of the wafer.

16. In the step of forming a fracture portion in the adhesive layer in paragraph 14, The above laser is irradiated as a line light or a circular light of a certain diameter and rotates, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the laser is irradiated as a line light or a circular light of a predetermined diameter and the wafer module rotates.

17. In the first paragraph, in the step of separating the carrier part and the wafer from each other, A step of inserting the tip of the blade toward the above-mentioned broken portion; and A wafer debonding method characterized by including a step in which the carrier part and the wafer are separated from each other from the edge according to the insertion of the tip part.

18. In the step of inserting the tip portion toward the broken portion in the 17th paragraph, A wafer debonding method characterized in that the tip portion changes position in the up-and-down direction depending on the position of the fracture portion.

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