Grinding carrier assembly, grinding apparatus, and grinding method

Abstract

A grinding carrier assembly, a grinding apparatus, and a grinding method. The grinding carrier assembly (200) comprises a first carrier (210) and second carriers (220), wherein the first carrier (210) is provided with a first accommodating groove (211); and a plurality of second carriers (220) are detachably arranged in the first accommodating groove (211), and are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first accommodating groove (211), each of the second carriers (220) is provided with a second accommodating groove (221), and the second accommodating grooves (221) accommodate target objects. The grinding carrier assembly (200) is applied to the grinding apparatus. The grinding apparatus comprises a base, wherein the base is provided with a grinding region (101). A plurality of grinding carrier assemblies (200) are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding region (101), and the grinding carrier assemblies (200) can revolve around the axis of the grinding region (101). The number of the second carriers of the grinding carrier assembly is adjusted on the basis of the number of target objects to be ground, thereby improving the adaptability of the grinding apparatus, and reducing the adverse effect of disc deviation on the grinding quality.

Description

A grinding carrier, grinding equipment, and grinding method Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a grinding carrier, grinding equipment, and grinding method. Background Technology

[0002] As integrated circuit manufacturing capabilities continue to improve, the requirements for silicon wafer surface flatness also increase. Generally, after silicon wafers undergo steps such as crystal pulling, wire cutting, grinding, polishing, and cleaning, polished wafers suitable for integrated circuit manufacturing can be obtained. Among these, grinding is particularly important in the silicon wafer forming process. It removes tool marks or wire marks from the upper and lower surfaces of the silicon wafer, improves the surface flatness, and makes the thickness of each batch of silicon wafers as close as possible, creating conditions for subsequent polishing processes to prepare a damage-free silicon wafer surface.

[0003] Grinding silicon wafers achieves the following effects: First, it removes visually visible defects such as residual traces from the slicing process, reducing the surface roughness of the silicon wafer; second, it eliminates residual stress from the slicing process; third, it improves the surface uniformity, flatness, and local flatness of the edges of the silicon wafer; and fourth, it improves the surface profile accuracy of the silicon wafer. Therefore, the quality of the grinding directly affects the overall quality and yield of the finished silicon wafer.

[0004] In existing technologies, a double-sided grinding process is generally used to grind silicon wafers. Existing grinding machines typically have a silicon wafer carrier mounted on the lower grinding disc. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a silicon wafer carrier in the prior art. As shown in Figure 1, a set of silicon wafer carriers has five planetary wafers 01 evenly arranged on it. Each planetary wafer 01 has four silicon wafer receiving positions 011 fixedly arranged on it, and the four silicon wafer receiving positions 011 on the same planetary wafer 01 are evenly distributed. When the grinding machine grinds 20 silicon wafers at a time, the 20 silicon wafers are respectively received in 20 silicon wafer receiving positions 011, so that the 20 silicon wafers are evenly distributed on the silicon wafer carrier. When the lower grinding disc and the upper grinding disc of the grinding machine are closed and pressure is applied, the pressure is evenly distributed among the five planetary wafers 01, and each silicon wafer can be ground evenly. However, when the number of silicon wafers to be ground at one time is less than 20, that is, when there are fewer wafers, there are two possible operations: First, place all the silicon wafers on the various wafer positions of the 5 planetary wafers 01, so that at least some of the planetary wafers 01 have fewer than 4 wafers (as shown in Figure 7). In this case, when the grinding disk and the lower grinding disk are combined and pressure is applied, the 5 planetary wafers cannot distribute the pressure evenly, resulting in a disk misalignment phenomenon, which in turn leads to a decrease in grinding quality. Second, use a companion wafer to make up 20 silicon wafers, so that the 5 planetary wafers 01 can distribute the pressure after the upper and lower grinding disks are combined and pressure is applied to ensure grinding quality. However, this will increase the grinding cost due to the use of companion wafers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a grinding carrier, grinding equipment, and grinding method, which aims to adjust the number of silicon wafers that the grinding equipment can grind at one time according to the actual situation, so that the grinding equipment does not have a disc offset phenomenon when no accompanying wafer is used, or even if a disc offset phenomenon occurs, the degree of disc offset can be reduced, thereby improving the grinding quality and reducing the grinding cost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a grinding carrier, comprising a first carrier and a plurality of second carriers; the first carrier has a first receiving groove extending along its own axial direction, the first receiving groove having at least a first opening; the plurality of second carriers are detachably disposed within the first receiving groove and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove, the axis of the second carrier being parallel to the axis of the first carrier, and the second carrier has a second receiving groove extending along its own axial direction, the second receiving groove having at least a second opening, the orientation of the second opening being the same as the orientation of the first opening.

[0007] Optionally, the grinding carrier further includes a center positioning element, which includes a first external gear, the first external gear being coaxially disposed within the first receiving groove;

[0008] The first receiving groove has a circular cross-section, and multiple teeth are formed on the side wall of the first receiving groove, arranged sequentially along its own circumference.

[0009] The outer contour of the second carrier is circular, and a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second carrier in sequence along its own circumference; the second carrier is disposed outside the first external gear, and some teeth of the second carrier mesh with the first external gear, and some teeth of the second carrier mesh with the teeth on the side wall of the first receiving groove.

[0010] Optionally, the central positioning member is provided with a third receiving groove extending along its axial direction, the third receiving groove having at least a third opening, the orientation of the third opening being the same as that of the first opening.

[0011] Optionally, the second carrier includes a carrier body and a flexible liner. The carrier body is detachably connected to the first carrier. The carrier body has a groove extending along its own axial direction. The groove has at least a fourth opening, and the orientation of the fourth opening is the same as that of the first opening. The flexible liner is a hollow annular structure and is connected to the sidewall of the groove. The inner hole of the flexible liner forms the second receiving groove.

[0012] Optionally, the first receiving groove extends through the first carrier along its axial direction, and the second receiving groove extends through the second carrier along its axial direction.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a grinding apparatus, including a substrate and a grinding carrier as described in any of the preceding claims; a grinding area is provided on a designated surface of the substrate; a plurality of grinding carriers are disposed within the grinding area and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area; the grinding carriers are configured to revolve around the axis of the grinding area.

[0014] Optionally, the grinding carrier is detachably disposed within the grinding area.

[0015] Optionally, the grinding equipment further includes a transmission unit, which is detachably connected to all the grinding carriers disposed in the grinding area;

[0016] The transmission unit is configured to receive driving force, thereby driving all the grinding carriers disposed in the grinding area to revolve around the axis of the grinding area.

[0017] Optionally, the transmission unit includes a second external gear, which is coaxially and rotatably disposed in the grinding area;

[0018] The grinding equipment also includes an internal gear, which is coaxially disposed on the outer periphery of the grinding area;

[0019] The outer contour of the first carrier is circular, and a plurality of teeth are arranged sequentially along its circumference on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier; the grinding carrier is disposed between the second external gear and the internal gear, and the grinding carrier meshes with the second external gear and the internal gear respectively through the teeth on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier.

[0020] Optionally, the grinding equipment is a double-sided grinding equipment, and includes a first grinding disc and a second grinding disc arranged coaxially and at intervals;

[0021] The first grinding disc constitutes the substrate, and the surface of the first grinding disc facing the second grinding disc is the designated surface.

[0022] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a grinding method, performed using the aforementioned grinding equipment, the grinding method comprising:

[0023] The number of the second carriers in each of the grinding vehicles is planned based on the number of target objects to be ground;

[0024] Based on the planned number of the second carriers in each of the grinding carriers, the second carriers are arranged within the first carrier of each of the grinding carriers, such that all the second carriers in the same grinding carrier are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove.

[0025] The target material to be ground is placed in the second receiving groove of each of the second carriers;

[0026] The grinding carrier is driven to revolve around the axis of the grinding area, and the target object is ground using the grinding disc.

[0027] Optionally, the grinding method further includes:

[0028] The number of grinding carriers is planned based on the number of the target objects to be ground;

[0029] Based on the planned number of grinding carriers, the grinding carriers are arranged within the grinding area, such that all the grinding carriers are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the grinding carrier, grinding equipment, and grinding method of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0031] The aforementioned polishing carrier includes a first carrier and a plurality of second carriers. The first carrier has a first receiving groove extending along its own axial direction, and the first receiving groove has at least a first opening. The plurality of second carriers are detachably disposed within the first receiving groove and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove. Each second carrier has a second receiving groove extending along its own axial direction, and the second receiving groove has at least a second opening, the orientation of which is the same as the orientation of the first opening. The second receiving groove is used to receive a target object to be polished, such as a silicon wafer. The polishing carrier is applied to a polishing device, which includes a substrate. A polishing area is provided on a designated surface of the substrate. The polishing area is provided with a plurality of polishing carriers, and the plurality of polishing carriers are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area. The polishing carriers are also configured to revolve around the axis of the polishing area. In practical applications, the operator can adjust the number of second carriers in the grinding carriage located in the grinding area according to the number of silicon wafers to be ground, thereby adjusting the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can hold at one time. This improves the adaptability of the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can hold at one time to the actual number to be ground. This reduces the adverse impact on grinding quality caused by misalignment between the actual number of target objects to be ground and the number that the grinding equipment can hold at one time, especially when no accompanying wafer is used. Furthermore, the application of the grinding carriage eliminates the need for accompanying wafers, reducing the cost of the grinding operation.

[0032] Furthermore, the grinding carrier is detachably mounted on the substrate. Thus, during actual operation, the operator can adjust the number of grinding carriers mounted on the substrate according to the number of silicon wafers to be ground, thereby adjusting the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can grind at one time, and improving the adaptability of the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can grind at one time to the number of target objects to be ground. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the invention and are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

[0034] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a grinding device in the prior art.

[0035] Figure 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a grinding apparatus provided by the present invention according to an embodiment. The figure shows five grinding carriers, and each grinding carrier includes four second carriers.

[0036] Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the grinding apparatus provided by the present invention according to an embodiment. The figure shows five grinding carriers, and each grinding carrier includes three second carriers.

[0037] Figure 4 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the grinding apparatus provided by the present invention according to an embodiment. The figure shows three grinding carriers, and each grinding carrier includes three second carriers.

[0038] Figure 5 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the grinding apparatus provided by the present invention according to an embodiment. The figure shows five grinding carriers, and three grinding carriers include four second carriers, one grinding carrier includes three second carriers, and one grinding carrier includes one second carrier.

[0039] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second carrier of the grinding apparatus provided by the present invention according to an embodiment.

[0040] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of grinding nineteen silicon wafers using existing grinding equipment. The silicon wafers are shown in shaded lines in the figure.

[0041] In the attached drawings: 101-grinding area, 200-grinding carrier, 210-first carrier, 211-first receiving groove, 220-second carrier, 221-second receiving groove, 222-carrier body, 223-flexible liner, 230-center positioning element, 231-third receiving groove, 300-transmission part, 400-internal gear, 01-planetary plate, 011-silicon wafer receiving position. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the type, quantity, and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the component layout may also be more complex.

[0043] Furthermore, while each embodiment described below possesses one or more technical features, this does not imply that users of the present invention must simultaneously implement all technical features in any embodiment, or can only separately implement some or all technical features in different embodiments. In other words, provided it is feasible, those skilled in the art can, based on the disclosure of the present invention and depending on design specifications or implementation requirements, selectively implement some or all technical features in any embodiment, or selectively implement a combination of some or all technical features in multiple embodiments, thereby increasing the flexibility in implementing the present invention.

[0044] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects, and the plural form “multiple” includes two or more objects, unless otherwise expressly indicated. As used herein, the term “or” is generally used to include the meaning of “and / or,” unless otherwise expressly indicated, and the terms “installed,” “connected,” and “linked” should be interpreted broadly, for example, as a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Connections can be mechanical or electrical. Connections can be direct or indirect through an intermediate medium, and can be internal communication between two elements or an interaction between two elements. Relational terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations, nor do they indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of indicated technical features. It should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] The purpose of this invention is to provide a grinding carrier and a grinding device. The grinding device includes the grinding carrier and can perform grinding operations on multiple silicon wafers at once. Moreover, the number of silicon wafers that the grinding device can grind at one time is adjustable. Thus, before each grinding operation, the operator can adjust the number of silicon wafers that the grinding device can grind at one time as needed, improving the adaptability of the number of silicon wafers that the grinding device can adjust at one time to the actual number of silicon wafers to be ground. This helps to improve the uniformity of the distribution of the silicon wafers to be ground on the grinding device, thereby improving the uniformity of the pressure distribution during grinding and improving the grinding effect.

[0046] To make the objectives, advantages, and features of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clearly illustrate the objectives of the embodiments of the present invention. The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar parts.

[0047] Figures 2 to 5 show partial structural schematic diagrams of the grinding apparatus provided in embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the grinding apparatus includes a substrate (not labeled in the figures) and a plurality of grinding carriers 200. A grinding area 101 is provided on a designated surface of the substrate. The plurality of grinding carriers 200 are all disposed within the grinding area 101, and the plurality of grinding carriers 200 are equally spaced around the axis of the grinding area 101. The grinding carriers 200 are configured to be able to revolve around the axis of the grinding area 101.

[0048] The grinding carrier 200 includes a first carrier 210 and a plurality of second carriers 220. The first carrier 210 has a first receiving groove 211 extending axially therefrom. The first receiving groove 211 has at least a first opening located at the end of the first carrier 210 away from the substrate. The plurality of second carriers 220 are detachably disposed within the first receiving groove 211, and are equally spaced around the axis of the first receiving groove 211, with the axes of the second carriers 220 parallel to the axis of the first carrier 210.

[0049] The grinding equipment is used to grind a target object (not shown in the figure), such as a silicon wafer. Of course, the target object can also be any other object requiring grinding, such as a quartz plate, ceramic, sapphire, etc. During grinding, the target object is placed on the second carrier 220. Specifically, the second carrier 220 has a second receiving groove 221 extending along its own axial direction. The second receiving groove 221 has at least a second opening, the second opening facing the same direction as the first opening, i.e., the second opening is located at the end of the second carrier 220 away from the substrate. Thus, the target object can be placed into the second receiving groove 221 from the second opening. During operation, a grinding disc (not shown in the figure) grinds the target object placed in the second receiving groove 221 at the end of the grinding carrier 200 away from the substrate. It should be understood that before grinding, the target object protrudes from the grinding carrier 200 from the second opening.

[0050] In this embodiment of the invention, by detachably connecting the second carrier 220 to the first carrier 210, the operator can adjust the number of the second carrier 220 among at least one of the plurality of grinding carriers 200 disposed on the substrate according to the actual number of the target objects to be ground. This makes the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can grind at one time more closely match the actual number of target objects to be ground, thereby improving the uniformity of the distribution of the target objects on each grinding carrier 200. Consequently, during the grinding process, this improves the uniformity of the pressure distributed across different parts of each grinding carrier 200, thus enhancing the grinding quality of the target objects. The specific effects of the grinding equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention will be detailed later.

[0051] It should be noted that the grinding device provided in this embodiment of the invention can be a single-sided grinding device. In this case, the grinding disc is disposed at one end where the first opening of the first receiving groove 211 and the second opening of the second receiving groove 221 are located (i.e., the end of the grinding carrier 200 away from the substrate), so as to grind the portion of the target object protruding from the second opening of the grinding carrier 200. In the single-sided grinding device, the upper surface of the substrate can constitute the designated surface, thereby the grinding carrier 200 is located on the upper surface of the substrate. Thus, the first receiving groove 211 penetrates the upper end face of the first carrier 210 to form the first opening, and the second receiving groove 221 penetrates the upper end face of the second carrier 220 to form the second opening.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the grinding device is a double-sided grinding device. Thus, the grinding device includes two coaxially spaced grinding discs, a first grinding disc and a second grinding disc. The first grinding disc forms the substrate, and the surface of the first grinding disc facing the second grinding disc forms the designated surface. The first grinding disc is used to grind the side of the target object housed in the second receiving groove 221 facing the first grinding disc, and the second grinding disc is used to grind the side of the target object housed in the second receiving groove 221 away from the substrate. Those skilled in the art will understand that in a double-sided grinding device, the two grinding discs are generally arranged vertically, and the grinding carrier 200 is typically disposed on the upper surface of the lower grinding disc. That is, in the double-sided grinding device provided in this embodiment of the invention, the first grinding disc is located below the second grinding disc.

[0053] When the grinding equipment is a double-sided grinding equipment, the first receiving groove 211 not only penetrates the surface of the first carrier 210 away from the substrate to form the first opening, but also penetrates the surface of the first carrier 210 near the substrate to form a fourth opening. In other words, the first receiving groove 211 extends through the axial direction of the first carrier 210, making the first carrier 210 a ring-shaped structure with an inner hole. Similarly, the second receiving groove 221 also penetrates the surface of the second carrier 220 near the substrate to form a fifth opening. That is, the second receiving groove 221 extends through the axial direction of the second carrier 220, making the second carrier 220 a ring-shaped structure with an inner hole. Thus, the side of the target object placed in the second receiving groove 221 near the first grinding disc (i.e., the substrate) can contact the first grinding disc and be ground by it.

[0054] It is understood that when the grinding equipment is a single-sided grinding equipment, it can grind a target object that only needs to be ground on one side, or it can grind a target object that needs to be ground on both sides in two stages. When the grinding equipment is a double-sided grinding equipment, it can grind a target object that needs to be ground on both sides in one go, which has higher production efficiency.

[0055] It should be noted that, in practical applications, the grinding area 101 is generally circular with a diameter of 800mm to 900mm, and the outer contour of the second carrier 220 can also be circular with an outer diameter of 300.02mm to 300.8mm. Thus, the grinding area 101 can accommodate up to five grinding carriers 200, and the first receiving groove 211 of each first carrier 210 can accommodate up to four second carriers 220. In other words, the grinding equipment can perform grinding operations on up to twenty target objects at a time. In the double-sided grinding equipment, the thickness of the target object to be ground is greater than the thickness of both the first carrier 210 and the second carrier 220. Generally, the difference between the thickness of the target object and the thickness of the first carrier 210 is 30μm to 100μm, and the difference between the thickness of the target object and the thickness of the second carrier 220 is also 30μm to 100μm.

[0056] Additionally, the grinding apparatus may include a transmission unit 300 connected to all the grinding carriers 200 disposed within the grinding area 101. The transmission unit 300 is configured to receive driving force, thereby driving all the grinding carriers 200 disposed within the grinding area 101 to revolve around the axis of the grinding area 101.

[0057] Furthermore, each of the grinding carriers 200 is detachably mounted on the grinding area 101. Thus, the operator can adjust the number of target objects that the grinding equipment can grind at one time by adjusting the number of grinding carriers 200 mounted on the substrate.

[0058] The detailed configuration of the grinding equipment will be described below. It should be noted that the following description only represents an optional configuration of the grinding equipment and does not imply that the grinding equipment must be configured as described below. Therefore, the following description should not unduly limit the invention.

[0059] Please continue referring to Figures 2 to 6. The transmission unit 300 includes a second external gear, which is coaxially and rotatably disposed within the grinding area 101. The grinding device also includes an internal gear 400, which is coaxially disposed on the outer periphery of the grinding area 101. Specifically, the grinding carrier 200 has a circular outer contour of the first carrier 210, and multiple teeth are arranged sequentially along its circumference on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier 210. The grinding carrier 200 is disposed between the second external gear and the internal gear 400, and each grinding carrier 200 meshes with the second external gear and the internal gear 400 through the teeth on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier 210. In other words, the grinding carrier 200 is detachably disposed within the grinding area 101 through tooth meshing with the second external gear and the internal gear 400.

[0060] When the second external gear receives driving force and rotates, in cooperation with the internal gear 400, the second external gear drives the first carrier 210 to rotate on its own axis and also drives the first carrier 210 to revolve around the axis of the grinding area 101. This achieves the effect of the grinding carrier 200 revolving around the axis of the grinding area 101. It can be understood that when the first carrier 210 revolves around the axis of the grinding area 101, the first carrier 210 drives the second carrier 220 connected to it to revolve around the axis of the first receiving groove 211.

[0061] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the invention, the internal gear 400 can be fixedly connected to the base or rotatably connected to the base. When the internal gear 400 is fixedly connected to the base, the internal gear 400 remains stationary relative to the base during the rotation of the first carrier 210. When the internal gear 400 is rotatably connected to the base, the internal gear 400 rotates relative to the base during the rotation of the first carrier 210.

[0062] Referring again to Figures 2 to 6, the grinding carrier 200 further includes a center positioning member 230, which includes a first external gear coaxially disposed within the first receiving groove 211. The first receiving groove 211 has a circular cross-section, and multiple teeth arranged sequentially along its circumference are formed on its sidewalls. The second carrier 220 has a circular outer contour, and multiple teeth arranged sequentially along its circumference are formed on its outer peripheral surface. The second carrier 220 is disposed outside the first external gear, and a portion of the teeth of the second carrier 220 meshes with the first external gear, while another portion of the teeth of the second carrier 220 meshes with the teeth on the sidewall of the first receiving groove 211. That is, the second carrier 220 and the first carrier 210 are also connected by tooth meshing.

[0063] It is understood that when the first carrier 210 revolves around the axis of the grinding area 101, the second carrier 220 rotates on its own axis and also revolves around the axis of the first receiving groove 211.

[0064] Optionally, the central positioning member 230 is provided with a third receiving groove 231 extending along its axial direction, and the third receiving groove 231 is optionally coaxial with the central positioning member 230. When the grinding equipment is a single-sided grinding equipment, the third receiving groove 231 at least penetrates the surface of the central positioning member 230 away from the substrate, such that the third receiving groove 231 has at least a third opening located on the surface of the central positioning member 230 away from the substrate. It can be understood that the orientation of the third opening is the same as the first opening. When the grinding equipment is a double-sided grinding equipment, the third receiving groove 231 extends through the central positioning member 230 along its axial direction, such that the third receiving groove 231 not only has the third opening, but also a sixth opening located at the end of the central positioning member 230 near the substrate. The third receiving groove 231 is used to accommodate a detection plate, which is used to detect the grinding thickness of the target object. Specifically, the thickness of the test piece during the grinding process is acquired in real time using Automatic Light Control (ALC). When the thickness of the test piece reaches a preset value, it indicates that the target object has been ground to completion and grinding can no longer continue. At this point, the grinding equipment should be stopped. The test piece is typically made of quartz. It should be noted that the specific operation of acquiring the thickness of the test piece during the grinding process using Automatic Light Control is well-known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0065] Optionally, as shown in FIG6, the second carrier 220 includes a carrier body 222 and a flexible liner 223. The carrier body 222 has a third receiving groove (not shown in the figure) extending axially along its own axis. It can be understood that, in the case of a single-sided grinding device, the third receiving groove at least penetrates the end face of the carrier body 222 away from the substrate and has a fourth opening; in the case of a double-sided grinding device, the third receiving groove extends axially through the carrier body 222, such that the third receiving groove has a fourth opening on the end face of the carrier body 222 away from the substrate, and also has a seventh opening on the end face of the carrier body 222 near the substrate. The flexible liner 223 is an annular structure with an inner hole, and the flexible liner 223 is connected to the sidewall of the third receiving groove, such that the inner hole of the flexible liner 223 constitutes the second receiving groove 221. The reason for this design is that the carrier body 222 is generally made of a hard material, while the flexible inner liner 223 can prevent the target object from contacting the carrier body 222 during the grinding process and causing collision damage.

[0066] When performing a grinding operation on multiple target objects using the grinding equipment provided in this embodiment of the invention, at least one grinding operation is performed to complete the grinding of all target objects, depending on the number of target objects to be ground. When the number of target objects to be ground in a single operation is a prime number, the operator can reasonably set the number of grinding carriers 200 and the number of second carriers 220 included in each grinding carrier 200 within the grinding area 101, so that all grinding carriers 200 within the grinding area 101 accommodate the same number of second carriers 220, thereby preventing the grinding equipment from becoming misaligned. When the number of target objects to be ground in a single operation is a prime number, at least some of the grinding carriers 200 within the grinding area 101 will have different numbers of second carriers 220, resulting in misalignment of the grinding equipment. However, since the target objects are evenly distributed at each grinding carrier 200, the misalignment of the grinding equipment is not severe compared to the prior art and is within an acceptable range.

[0067] The following describes the method of using the polishing equipment provided in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to several specific examples. In the following examples, the target material to be polished is a silicon wafer.

[0068] In Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the number of silicon wafers to be ground is twenty. Therefore, as shown in FIG2, the grinding equipment can include five grinding carriers 200, and each grinding carrier 200 can include four second carriers 220. In this way, the grinding equipment can grind twenty silicon wafers at a time.

[0069] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the five polishing carriers 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area 101, and the four second carriers 220 belonging to the same polishing carrier 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. Thus, during polishing, each polishing carrier 200 accommodates four silicon wafers, and the four silicon wafers located on the same polishing carrier 200 are evenly distributed at their respective polishing carriers 200. Simultaneously, the five polishing carriers 200 are evenly distributed in the polishing area 101, preventing the polishing equipment from exhibiting a deflection phenomenon during the polishing process.

[0070] The specific usage process includes: First, the first carriers 210 of the five grinding carriers 200 are placed in the grinding area 101 and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area 101, and the teeth on the outer periphery of each first carrier 210 are made to mesh with the internal gear 400 and the second external gear.

[0071] Then, four second carriers 220 and one central positioning member 230 are placed in the first receiving groove 211 of each first carrier 210, such that the four second carriers 220 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove 211, the central positioning member 230 is coaxial with the first receiving groove 211, and the teeth on the outer periphery of each second carrier 220 mesh with the teeth on the inner periphery of the central positioning member 230 and the first carrier 210.

[0072] Then, twenty silicon wafers are placed in the second receiving slots 221 of the twenty second carriers 220 respectively, such that each second receiving slot 221 contains one silicon wafer, and the detection chip (not shown in FIG2) is placed in the third receiving slot 231 of each center positioning member 230.

[0073] Finally, operate the grinding equipment in the usual manner to perform the grinding operation on the silicon wafer.

[0074] The difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is that the number of silicon wafers to be ground is fifteen. Therefore, as shown in FIG3, the grinding equipment can include five grinding carriers 200, and each grinding carrier 200 can include three second carriers 220. In this way, the grinding equipment can grind fifteen silicon wafers at a time.

[0075] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the five polishing carriers 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area 101, and the three second carriers 220 belonging to the same polishing carrier 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. Thus, during polishing, each polishing carrier 200 accommodates three silicon wafers, and the three silicon wafers located at the same polishing carrier 200 are evenly distributed at their respective polishing carriers 200. Simultaneously, the five polishing carriers 200 are evenly distributed on the polishing area 101, preventing the polishing equipment from exhibiting a deflection phenomenon during the polishing process.

[0076] The difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 of the present invention is that the number of silicon wafers to be ground is nine. Therefore, as shown in FIG4, the grinding equipment can include three grinding carriers 200, and each grinding carrier 200 can include three second carriers 220. In this way, the grinding equipment can grind nine silicon wafers at a time.

[0077] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the three polishing carriers 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area 101, and the three second carriers 220 belonging to the same polishing carrier 200 are distributed at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. Thus, during polishing, each polishing carrier 200 accommodates three silicon wafers, and the three silicon wafers located at the same polishing carrier 200 are evenly distributed at their respective polishing carriers 200. Simultaneously, the three polishing carriers 200 are evenly distributed on the polishing area 101, preventing the polishing equipment from exhibiting a deflection phenomenon during the polishing process.

[0078] The difference between Embodiment 4 and Embodiment 1 is that the number of silicon wafers to be ground is twenty-four. Therefore, this embodiment completes the grinding of the twenty-four silicon wafers in two stages. In one optional scheme, fifteen silicon wafers are ground in the first stage, and nine silicon wafers are ground in the second stage.

[0079] Correspondingly, during the first grinding operation, the grinding equipment can include five grinding carriers 200, which are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area 101. Each grinding carrier 200 includes three second carriers 220, and the three second carriers 220 belonging to the same grinding carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. During the second grinding operation, the grinding equipment can include three grinding carriers 200, which are also arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area 101. Each grinding carrier 200 includes three second carriers 220, and the three second carriers 220 belonging to the same grinding carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. Therefore, the grinding equipment will not experience any misalignment during either grinding operation.

[0080] In other alternative embodiments, sixteen silicon wafers may be polished in the first polishing and eight silicon wafers may be polished in the second polishing. That is, in the first polishing, the polishing apparatus includes four polishing carriers 200, and each polishing carrier 200 includes four second carriers 220. The four polishing carriers 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area 101, and the four second carriers 220 of the same polishing carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. In the second polishing, the polishing apparatus includes two polishing carriers 200, and each polishing carrier 200 includes four second carriers 220. The two polishing carriers 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing area 101, and the four second carriers 220 of the same polishing carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. Alternatively, during the second grinding, the grinding equipment may include four grinding carriers 200, and each grinding carrier 200 may include two second carriers 220. The four grinding carriers 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area 101, and the two second carriers 220 of the same grinding carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the corresponding first receiving groove 211. In this way, the grinding equipment will not experience discrepancy during either grinding cycle.

[0081] The difference between Embodiment 5 and Embodiment 1 of the present invention is that the number of silicon wafers to be polished is nineteen. In an optional embodiment, as shown in FIG5, the polishing apparatus includes five polishing carriers 200, which are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the polishing region 101. In this polishing apparatus, four polishing carriers 200 respectively include four second carriers 220, and one polishing carrier 200 includes three second carriers 22. Thus, the silicon wafers accommodated on each polishing carrier 200 are uniformly arranged, and the distribution of the various polishing carriers 200 makes the polishing apparatus approximately axisymmetric.

[0082] In this embodiment, a slight misalignment may occur during grinding. However, because the silicon wafers on each of the grinding carriers 200 are evenly arranged and the grinding equipment is approximately axially symmetrical, the degree of misalignment is small, and the grinding effect is within an acceptable range. In practice, after the grinding operation in this embodiment is completed, the thickness difference of the resulting silicon wafers is 1.48 μm. Here, the thickness difference of the silicon wafers refers to the difference in thickness between the thickest and thinnest silicon wafer among the nineteen silicon wafers after grinding.

[0083] Comparative Example 1 uses existing grinding equipment to grind nineteen silicon wafers. During grinding, no supporting wafers were used. That is, four silicon wafers were placed on each of the four planetary wafers 01 in the grinding equipment, three silicon wafers were placed on another planetary wafer 01, and the remaining silicon wafer receiving position 011 was empty (as shown in Figure 7). For the planetary wafer 01 containing three silicon wafers, the center line connecting the three silicon wafers forms an isosceles triangle structure, meaning the three silicon wafers are not evenly distributed around the axis of the corresponding planetary wafer 01. This results in a significant off-center phenomenon in the grinding equipment, severely reducing the grinding quality. After the grinding operation of Comparative Example 1, the thickness difference of the resulting silicon wafers reached 6.21 μm, which is much greater than the thickness difference in Example 5.

[0084] As can be seen from the foregoing Examples 1 to 4, when the number of silicon wafers being ground in a single operation is a prime number, by rationally planning the number of grinding carriers 200 used in a single operation and the number of second carriers 220 included in each grinding carrier 200, the grinding equipment can effectively avoid misalignment and improve the grinding quality. Through Example 5 and Comparative Example 1, when the number of silicon wafers being ground in a single operation is a prime number, by rationally planning the number of grinding carriers 200 used in a single operation and the number of second carriers 220 included in each grinding carrier 200, even if misalignment cannot be completely avoided, the degree of misalignment can be reduced, and the grinding quality can be improved.

[0085] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention also provides a grinding method, wherein when the grinding carrier 200 is non-detachably disposed at the grinding area 101, the grinding method includes:

[0086] The number of the second carriers 220 in each of the grinding carriers 200 is planned based on the number of the target objects to be ground;

[0087] Based on the planned number of the second carriers 220 in each of the grinding carriers 200, the second carriers 220 are disposed in the first receiving groove 211 of the first carrier 210 of each of the grinding carriers 200, such that all the second carriers 220 in the same grinding carrier 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove 211.

[0088] The target material to be ground is placed in the second receiving groove 221 of each of the second carriers 220;

[0089] The grinding carrier 200 is driven to revolve around the axis of the grinding area 101, and the target object is ground using the grinding disc.

[0090] When the grinding carrier 200 is detachably disposed within the grinding area 101, the grinding method further includes:

[0091] The number of grinding carriers 200 is planned based on the number of the target objects to be ground.

[0092] Based on the planned number of the grinding carriers 200, the grinding carriers 200 are arranged in the grinding area 101, such that all the grinding carriers 200 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area 101.

[0093] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the present invention also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A grinding carrier, characterized in that, The system includes a first carrier and a plurality of second carriers; the first carrier has a first receiving groove extending along its own axial direction, the first receiving groove having at least a first opening; the plurality of second carriers are detachably disposed within the first receiving groove and are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove, the axis of the second carriers being parallel to the axis of the first carrier, and the second carriers have a second receiving groove extending along their own axial direction, the second receiving groove having at least a second opening, the orientation of the second opening being the same as the orientation of the first opening.

2. The grinding carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding carrier further includes a central positioning element, which includes a first external gear, which is coaxially disposed in the first receiving groove. The first receiving groove has a circular cross-section, and multiple teeth are formed on the side wall of the first receiving groove, arranged sequentially along its own circumference. The outer contour of the second carrier is circular, and a plurality of teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second carrier in sequence along its own circumference; the second carrier is disposed outside the first external gear, and some teeth of the second carrier mesh with the first external gear, and some teeth of the second carrier mesh with the teeth on the side wall of the first receiving groove.

3. The grinding carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that, The central positioning member is provided with a third receiving groove extending along its axial direction, the third receiving groove having at least a third opening, the orientation of the third opening being the same as that of the first opening.

4. The grinding carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second carrier includes a carrier body and a flexible liner. The carrier body is detachably connected to the first carrier. The carrier body has a groove extending along its own axial direction. The groove has at least a fourth opening, and the fourth opening is oriented in the same direction as the first opening. The flexible liner is a hollow annular structure and is connected to the sidewall of the groove. The inner hole of the flexible liner forms the second receiving groove.

5. The grinding carrier according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first receiving groove extends through the first carrier along its axial direction, and the second receiving groove extends through the second carrier along its axial direction.

6. A grinding apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a substrate and a grinding carrier as described in any one of claims 1-5; a grinding area is provided on a designated surface of the substrate; the number of the grinding carriers is multiple, and the multiple grinding carriers are disposed in the grinding area and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area; The grinding carrier is configured to revolve around the axis of the grinding area.

7. The grinding equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The grinding carrier is detachably mounted within the grinding area.

8. The grinding equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The grinding equipment also includes a transmission unit, which is detachably connected to all the grinding carriers disposed in the grinding area; The transmission unit is configured to receive driving force, thereby driving all the grinding carriers disposed in the grinding area to revolve around the axis of the grinding area.

9. The grinding equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The transmission unit includes a second external gear, which is coaxially and rotatably disposed in the grinding area; The grinding equipment also includes an internal gear, which is coaxially disposed on the outer periphery of the grinding area; The outer contour of the first carrier is circular, and a plurality of teeth are arranged sequentially along its circumference on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier; the grinding carrier is disposed between the second external gear and the internal gear, and the grinding carrier meshes with the second external gear and the internal gear respectively through the teeth on the outer peripheral surface of the first carrier.

10. The grinding equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The grinding equipment is a double-sided grinding equipment, and includes a first grinding disc and a second grinding disc arranged coaxially and at intervals. The first grinding disc constitutes the substrate, and the surface of the first grinding disc facing the second grinding disc is the designated surface.

11. A grinding method, performed using the grinding apparatus according to claims 6-10, characterized in that, The grinding method includes: The number of the second carriers in each of the grinding vehicles is planned based on the number of target objects to be ground; Based on the planned number of the second carriers in each of the grinding carriers, the second carriers are arranged within the first carrier of each of the grinding carriers, such that all the second carriers in the same grinding carrier are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the first receiving groove. The target material to be ground is placed in the second receiving groove of each of the second carriers; The grinding carrier is driven to revolve around the axis of the grinding area, and the target object is ground using the grinding disc.

12. The grinding method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The grinding method further includes: The number of grinding carriers is planned based on the number of the target objects to be ground; Based on the planned number of grinding carriers, the grinding carriers are arranged within the grinding area, such that all the grinding carriers are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the grinding area.

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