Wafer processing method, system and device

Abstract

A wafer processing method, system and device. The wafer processing method comprises: acquiring distances measured by a ring of distance measuring sensors arranged on an outer periphery of a wafer chuck table, wherein each distance measuring sensor measures the distance between the distance measuring sensor itself and a wafer ring frame, and a wafer where the wafer ring frame is located is concentrically arranged with the wafer chuck table (S1); determining the difference between a maximum value and a minimum value in a set of distances measured by the ring of distance measuring sensors, and determining whether the difference is greater than a difference threshold value (S2); when it is determined that the difference is greater than the difference threshold value, stopping processing and issuing an alarm (S3); and when it is determined that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold value, continuing with the processing of the wafer (S4).

Description

Wafer processing methods, systems and equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510354202.4, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on March 25, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of semiconductor device processing, such as wafer processing methods, systems, and wafer processing equipment. Background Technology

[0003] In wafer fabrication, the wafer body is concentrically attached to the wafer frame with a thin film to form a wafer, and then the wafer is placed on the wafer dicing machine's tray for cutting.

[0004] Patent document CN218614808U discloses a commonly used worktable structure. In this structure, a set of fixing components is set on the outer periphery of the substrate stage to fix the wafer frame.

[0005] However, in actual processing, there are abnormalities such as significant deformation of the wafer frame itself, loosening and tilting of the support blocks of the fixing components, and inconsistent top surface height. These abnormalities can cause uneven stress on different areas of the wafer frame when it is fixed by the fixing components, leading to deformation of the wafer frame and stretching of the film. When the film is stretched, the following risks exist:

[0006] (1) The overall position of the wafer is slightly moved, which causes the wafer to be unable to keep concentric with the wafer stage, affecting the subsequent accurate cutting.

[0007] (2) The film becomes thinner locally due to stretching, resulting in unevenness at different positions on the upper surface of the wafer body, which leads to varying depths of cut marks during cutting. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This application provides a wafer processing method, system, and wafer processing equipment that ensures cutting quality and cutting safety.

[0009] This application is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0010] Wafer fabrication methods include:

[0011] The distance measured by a ring of distance sensors set around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage is obtained. Each distance sensor measures the distance between itself and the wafer ring frame. The wafers on which the wafer ring frame is located are concentrically set on the wafer support stage.

[0012] Determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor in a loop, and determine whether the difference is greater than a difference threshold;

[0013] In response to the determination that the difference is greater than the difference threshold, processing is stopped and an alarm is issued;

[0014] In response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold, the wafer processing continues.

[0015] In one embodiment, a mounting ring is concentrically arranged on the outer periphery of the plate support stage. A ring of clamping mechanisms is evenly arranged on the mounting ring. The distance measuring sensor is arranged at or next to each clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is arranged on the mounting ring with adjustable position along the radial direction of the plate support stage.

[0016] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a movable seat movably disposed on a mounting ring, the movable seat having a pad and a pressing assembly for pressing the wafer frame onto the pad, the pressing assembly including a pressing block and a clamping drive device for driving the pressing block to move axially and horizontally along the wafer support stage.

[0017] In one embodiment, the pad is connected to the movable seat by bolts with an axis parallel to the axis of the support platform, and a set of adjusting screws is also provided on the pad, with the axis of the adjusting screws being parallel to the axis of the support platform.

[0018] In one embodiment, a set of clamping mechanisms is driven to adjust synchronously via a synchronous drive mechanism;

[0019] The method further includes: when the size information of the wafer to be processed is obtained, controlling the synchronous drive mechanism to drive a group of clamping mechanisms to adjust their positions according to the size information of the wafer to be processed.

[0020] In one embodiment, the synchronous drive mechanism includes a drive ring concentrically disposed at the bottom of the mounting ring, the drive ring being connected to a self-rotating drive assembly that drives its own rotation, and the drive ring being connected to a set of the clamping mechanisms via a set of linkage rods.

[0021] In one embodiment, each of the pads is provided with a pressure sensor;

[0022] The process of continuing wafer processing in response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold includes:

[0023] In response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold, the clamping mechanism is activated to fix the wafer ring frame, a set of pressure values ​​from the pressure sensors are obtained, and it is determined whether the minimum value in the set of pressure values ​​is greater than the pressure threshold.

[0024] If the minimum value is greater than the pressure threshold, the wafer processing continues; if the minimum value is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, processing stops and an alarm is issued.

[0025] In one embodiment, at least one of the following three steps is performed during the processing:

[0026] The detection signal of the first detection component, used to detect the working status of the first coupling in the lifting drive mechanism at the cutting mechanism, is acquired in real time, and it is determined whether the working status of the first coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the first coupling is normal, the wafer processing continues; in response to the determination that the working status of the first coupling is abnormal, the processing is stopped.

[0027] Alternatively, the detection signal of the second detection component used to detect the working status of the second coupling in the first direction translation mechanism at the cutting mechanism can be acquired in real time, and it can be determined whether the working status of the second coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the second coupling is normal, the wafer processing can continue; in response to the determination that the working status of the second coupling is abnormal, the processing can be stopped.

[0028] Alternatively, the detection signal of the third detection component, used to detect the working status of the third coupling in the second-direction translation mechanism connected to the wafer stage, can be acquired in real time, and it can be determined whether the working status of the third coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the third coupling is normal, the wafer processing can continue; in response to the determination that the working status of the third coupling is abnormal, the processing can be stopped.

[0029] Wafer processing systems, including:

[0030] The data acquisition unit is configured to acquire the distance measured by a ring of distance sensors set around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage. Each distance sensor measures the distance between itself and the wafer ring frame. The wafer ring frame is located on the wafer support stage.

[0031] The difference determination and comparison unit is configured to determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor in one lap, and to determine whether the difference is greater than the difference threshold.

[0032] The alarm unit is configured to stop processing and issue an alarm in response to a determination that the difference is greater than a difference threshold.

[0033] The processing unit is configured to continue processing the wafer in response to a determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold.

[0034] A wafer fabrication apparatus includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program executable by the processor, which, when executed, implements the wafer fabrication method as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the plate support and its surrounding structure in this application;

[0036] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the wafer fabrication method of Embodiment 1 in this application;

[0037] Figure 3 is a partial schematic diagram of the ranging sensor and clamping mechanism installed on the mounting ring of this application, with the clamping block omitted in the figure;

[0038] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mounting ring of this application;

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism of this application connected to the drive ring via a linkage rod;

[0040] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the drive ring of this application;

[0041] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the wafer fabrication method in Embodiment 2 of this application;

[0042] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the plate support platform and its surrounding structure of this application, with the pressure block of the clamping mechanism omitted from the figure;

[0043] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the wafer fabrication method in Embodiment 3 of this application;

[0044] Figure 10 is an exploded view of the wafer dicing mechanism of this application, in which the wafer support stage and its surrounding structure are omitted.

[0045] Figure 11 is a first-view perspective view of the area of ​​the third detection component and the third coupling in this application;

[0046] Figure 12 is a second-view perspective view of the area of ​​the third detection component and the third coupling in this application;

[0047] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the wafer processing system in this application;

[0048] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the wafer processing equipment in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] In the description of the scheme, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience and simplification of 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 this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] The wafer processing method disclosed in this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The wafer processing method is based on a wafer processing equipment, which typically includes a wafer support stage 100 configured to support and fix the wafer.

[0052] The difference between this application and related technologies is that:

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, in this application, a mounting ring 200 concentric with the wafer stage 100 is provided on the outer periphery of the wafer stage 100. The top surface of the mounting ring 200 is lower than the top surface of the wafer stage 100. A set of clamping mechanisms 300 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the mounting ring 200. The clamping mechanisms 300 are used to fix the wafer ring frame A on the wafer placed on the wafer stage 100. The number of clamping mechanisms 300 can be designed as needed and can be selected as 3-6. In this embodiment, 4 clamping mechanisms 300 are used as an example for explanation.

[0054] Each of the clamping mechanisms 300 includes a pad 310 and a pressing assembly 320 that presses the wafer ring A of the wafer on the wafer stage 100 onto the pad 310. The pad 310 is located above the mounting ring, and the top surface of the pad 310 is slightly lower than the top surface of the wafer stage 100, so that when the wafer ring A is pressed onto the pad 310, the film on the wafer can be sufficiently sealed with the edge of the wafer stage 100 to ensure that the wafer stage 100 reliably adsorbs the film.

[0055] The pressing assembly 320 includes a pressing block 321 and a pressing drive device 322 that drives the pressing block 321 to move along the axis of the wafer support stage 100 and horizontally. The pressing drive device 322 passes through the mounting ring 200. The pressing drive device 322 can be a rotary clamping cylinder. The cylinder shaft of the rotary clamping cylinder can rotate 90° and extend and retract vertically. When it is not necessary to fix the wafer ring frame A, the cylinder shaft of the rotary clamping cylinder extends upward and positions the pressing block 321 outside the wafer ring frame A, thus avoiding interference with wafer loading and unloading. When it is necessary to fix the wafer ring frame A, the cylinder shaft of the rotary clamping cylinder retracts downward and rotates 90°, so that the pressing block 321 presses against the top surface of the wafer ring frame A, causing the wafer ring frame A to be pressed against the pad 310. The pressing drive device 322 can also adopt other feasible structures, such as a structure with one rotary cylinder and one cylinder in cooperation.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1, a ring of distance sensors 400 is also provided on the mounting ring 200. The distance sensors 400 detect distance upwards. At least one distance sensor 400 can be provided next to each of the clamping mechanisms 300, or one distance sensor 400 can be provided on each of the pads 310. The distance sensor 400 is, for example, a laser distance sensor, which is not limited here. When the wafer is concentrically placed on the wafer stage 100, the wafer ring A of the wafer is located above the ring of distance sensors 400, so that each distance sensor 400 can measure the distance between itself and the wafer ring A.

[0057] Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 2, the wafer processing method includes the following steps:

[0058] S0, the wafer to be processed is placed on the wafer stage 100 manually or by known automated equipment. After that, the wafer can be adjusted to a position concentric with the wafer stage 100 by a centering mechanism.

[0059] S1, obtain the distance between the distance measuring sensor 400, which is set around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage, and the wafer ring frame A;

[0060] S2, determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor 400 in one loop, and determine whether the difference is greater than a difference threshold, which may be 3 micrometers;

[0061] S3. When it is determined that the difference is greater than the difference threshold, it indicates that there is a height difference at different positions of the wafer ring frame A, and the height difference exceeds the acceptable range. If the wafer ring frame A is fixed by the clamping mechanism 300, there will be a problem of the film being overstretched. Therefore, the processing should be stopped and an alarm should be issued to remind the staff to handle the situation.

[0062] S4. When it is determined that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold, it indicates that the height of different positions of the wafer ring frame A is the same or approximately the same. When the clamping mechanism 300 fixes the wafer ring frame A, the effect of the film deformation can be ignored. Therefore, the wafer processing can continue. That is, the wafer ring frame A can be fixed by the clamping mechanism 300 and subsequent cutting can be performed.

[0063] In S3, the common reasons why the difference exceeds the difference threshold are as follows: one reason is that the top surface height of several pads 310 is not uniform; another reason is that the wafer ring frame A itself has obvious deformation.

[0064] When it is determined that the top surface height of the pad 310 is not uniform, the pad 310 needs to be adjusted. As shown in Figure 3, the pad 310 is connected to the mounting ring 200 by a bolt (not shown in the figure) passing through the connecting hole 311 of the pad. The axis of the bolt is parallel to the axis of the support plate 100. At the same time, a set of adjusting screws 340 are also provided on the pad 310. The axis of the adjusting screws 340 is parallel to the axis of the support plate 100. When it is necessary to adjust the top surface height of a pad 310, it can be achieved by adjusting the connection depth between the bolt and the mounting ring 200 and the distance of the adjusting screws 340 extending below the pad 310.

[0065] When it is determined that the wafer ring frame A itself has obvious deformation, the wafer body can be removed from the film and re-filmed before cutting. At the same time, for abnormal wafer ring frames A, they can be corrected by correction equipment, such as stamping the deformed wafer ring frame by stamping equipment.

[0066] Example 2

[0067] In the above embodiment 1, the position of each clamping mechanism 300 is fixed. In actual processing, the size of the wafer is varied. Therefore, in order to better adapt to the processing of wafers of different sizes, each clamping mechanism 300 is arranged on the mounting ring 200 with its position adjustable radially along the wafer support stage 100. At the same time, at least two distance sensors 400 are arranged next to each clamping mechanism 300. The distance sensors 400 are arranged along the moving direction of the clamping mechanism 300 next to them. If the distance sensors 400 are arranged on the pad, then only one distance sensor 400 needs to be arranged at each clamping mechanism.

[0068] For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the mounting ring 200 is a circular ring with four notches 210 evenly spaced along its outer edge. Each notch 210 is movably fitted with a clamping mechanism 300. The clamping mechanism 300 includes a movable seat 330 slidably disposed at the notch 210, and the pressing component 320 and a pad 310 are mounted on the movable seat 330. Furthermore, the movable seat 330 of each clamping mechanism 300 can be connected to a driver that drives it to move along the notch 210. The driver can be, for example, a linear module, a rodless cylinder, etc., and is not limited here.

[0069] To reduce the driving source, in one embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a set of clamping mechanisms 300 are driven synchronously by a synchronous drive mechanism 500. The synchronous drive mechanism 500 includes a drive ring 510 concentrically arranged at the bottom of the mounting ring 200. The drive ring 510 is connected to a rotation drive assembly 520 that drives its rotation, and the drive ring 510 is connected to the set of clamping mechanisms 300 through a set of linkage rods 530. The rotation drive assembly 520 is, for example, a hollow turntable; or the rotation drive assembly 520 includes a roller, which is connected to a rotary drive motor that drives its rotation, and the surface of the roller is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drive ring 510, so that when the roller rotates, the roller drives the drive ring 510 to rotate to achieve adjustment; the roller can also be a gear, and the outer periphery of the drive ring has teeth that mesh with the gear.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, a set of connecting pieces 511 are provided on the outer edge of the drive ring 510. Each connecting piece 511 is pivotally connected to one end of an L-shaped linkage rod 530. The other end of the linkage rod 530 is pivotally connected to the moving seat 330 of the pressing mechanism 300. Thus, when the drive ring 510 rotates, several pressing mechanisms 300 can be adjusted synchronously through a set of linkage rods 530.

[0071] To ensure the positional accuracy of the drive ring 510 during rotation, a set of positioning pins 220 is provided on one of the drive ring 510 and the mounting ring 200, and an arc-shaped groove or arc-shaped hole 512 corresponding to each positioning pin 220 is provided on the other.

[0072] As shown in Figures 4-6, three locating pins 220 are evenly distributed circumferentially at the bottom of the mounting ring 200, and the circles containing the three locating pins 220 are concentric with the mounting ring 200. At the same time, three arc-shaped holes 512 are concentrically arranged on the drive ring 510, and each locating pin 220 is embedded in an arc-shaped hole 512. Thus, when the drive ring 510 rotates, the three locating pins 220 can move along their respective arc-shaped holes 512, thereby limiting the drive ring 510 to ensure the synchronization of multiple linkage rods 530.

[0073] When processing a wafer of a certain size, the wafer size information can be manually input first, or the wafer size information can be automatically obtained through other methods. For example, the wafer size information can be determined by detecting the size of the hopper used to hold the wafer, or the wafer size can be determined by image recognition after loading. No limitation is made here.

[0074] As shown in Figure 7, when the size information of the wafer to be processed is obtained, the synchronous drive mechanism 500 is controlled to drive a group of clamping mechanisms 300 to adjust their positions according to the size information of the wafer to be processed. For example, the current position of the clamping mechanism can fix the wafer frame of an 8-inch wafer. When a 12-inch wafer needs to be processed, the clamping mechanisms 300 can be adjusted to the outer edge of the mounting ring 200.

[0075] Example 3

[0076] When the clamping mechanism 300 clamps, there are problems such as unstable air source, slight deformation of wafer ring frame A, and deformation of pressure block 321, which may prevent the wafer ring frame A from being stably fixed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, a pressure sensor 350 is provided on each of the pads 310. The pressure sensor 350 is located in the middle of the pad 310, and the detection point of the pressure sensor 350 protrudes slightly above the top surface of the pad 310.

[0077] As shown in Figure 9, when it is determined that the difference does not exceed the difference threshold and the clamping mechanism can be activated, the clamping mechanism 300 is activated to fix the wafer ring frame A of the wafer. At this time, a set of pressure values ​​from the pressure sensors 350 are acquired, and it is determined whether the minimum value in the set of pressure values ​​is greater than the pressure threshold. If the minimum value is greater than the pressure threshold, the wafer processing continues, and the wafer cutting on the wafer carrier can begin. If the minimum value is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, processing is stopped and an alarm is issued. At this time, manual inspection and handling are required. For example, the position of the magnetic control switch of the rotary clamping cylinder can be adjusted so that the pressure block 321 of the lower clamping assembly 320 can press more tightly. Specific handling measures can be selected as needed and are not limited here.

[0078] Example 4

[0079] In the wafer processing equipment, as shown in Figure 10, the wafer stage 100 is mounted on a second-direction translation mechanism 600 that drives it to translate along a second direction. Meanwhile, the spindle 710 of the cutting mechanism 700 is mounted on a lifting drive mechanism 720 that drives it to move up and down, and a first-direction translation mechanism 730 that drives the lifting drive mechanism 720 to translate along a first direction, where the first and second directions are perpendicular. During processing, cutting is achieved by driving the wafer stage 100 to move via the second-direction translation mechanism 600, and by driving the spindle 710 to move via the lifting drive mechanism 720 and the first-direction translation mechanism 730.

[0080] The first directional translation mechanism 730, the lifting drive mechanism 720, and the second directional translation mechanism 600 all employ a structure where a motor and a lead screw work together to generate linear motion, and the power output shaft of the motor is connected to the lead screw via a coupling. Specifically, the lifting drive mechanism 720 includes a first coupling, the first directional translation mechanism 730 includes a second coupling, and the second directional translation mechanism 600 includes a third coupling.

[0081] The connection stability between the coupling and the power output shaft and the lead screw significantly affects the positional accuracy of the bearing stage 100 and the spindle 710, which in turn greatly impacts the cutting accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the working status of each coupling. Accordingly, a first detection component is set up to detect the working status of the first coupling, a second detection component is set up to detect the working status of the second coupling, and a third detection component is set up to detect the working status of the third coupling.

[0082] The first detection component, the second detection component, and the third detection component all operate on the same principle in detecting the working status of the first coupling, the second coupling, and the third coupling. The following explanation will take the detection of the working status of the third coupling 610 by the third detection component as an example.

[0083] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the third detection component includes at least two first detectors mounted on the motor mount 620. Each first detector corresponds to a hub 611 of the third coupling. The first detector can be a known through-beam sensor, comprising a transmitter 630 and a receiver 640 mounted on two supports of the motor mount 620. The detection light emitted by the transmitter 630 is close to or tangential to the edge of the outer peripheral surface of the hub 611 in its locked state. In this case, the detection light emitted by the transmitter 630 can be received by the receiver 640. When the fastening screws of the hub 611 loosen, the outer peripheral surface of the hub 611 expands outward due to the loosening, thereby blocking the detection light emitted by the transmitter 630. At this time, the receiver 640 cannot receive the detection light, thus confirming that the fastening screws are loose and indicating an abnormal operating state of the third coupling. In other embodiments, the first detector can also be a proximity sensor or a self-reflective sensor combined with a reflector; this is not limited here.

[0084] As shown in Figure 11, the third detection component may further include a second detector disposed on the motor mount 620. This second detection sensor is configured to detect the hub 611 of the third coupling, which is located away from the motor. The second detector may be, for example, a visual recognition device, employing a charge-coupled device (CCD) for image acquisition. The motor mount 620 also has a light source 660 located on the same side as the CCD 650, and the support plate has perforations corresponding to the light source and the CCD. Furthermore, feature points are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the hub 611. These feature points may be, for example, a groove, a protrusion, or a specific pattern, etc., and are not limited here.

[0085] When the motor is in its initial position, the feature points on the hub 611 are aligned with the CCD, and the image of the hub 611 at this time is acquired as a standard image. Subsequently, after the motor starts, the CCD is controlled to acquire an image every time the power output shaft rotates, and the acquired image is compared with the standard image to determine whether the positions of the feature points on the acquired image and the feature points on the standard image are consistent or whether the position difference meets the requirements. If they are inconsistent or the position difference does not meet the requirements, that is, the synchronization between the third coupling and the power output shaft does not meet the requirements, it can be determined that the working state of the third coupling is abnormal; otherwise, it can be determined that the working state of the third coupling is normal.

[0086] In another embodiment, the second detector may also be a proximity sensor or a ranging sensor 400. For example, when a proximity sensor is used, a feature point is provided on the hub 611. The feature point is, for example, a protrusion on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 611. When the protrusion is directly opposite the proximity sensor, the proximity sensor can detect the protrusion. When other positions on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 611 are directly opposite the proximity sensor, the proximity sensor cannot detect the outer peripheral surface of the hub 611.

[0087] When the motor is in its initial position, the proximity sensor can detect the protrusion. Subsequently, with each rotation of the power output shaft, it can be determined whether the proximity sensor detects the protrusion again, or whether the difference between the time it takes for the power output shaft to rotate one revolution and the time it takes for the coupling to rotate one revolution, as determined by the proximity sensor, is within a threshold range. The time interval between two consecutive detections of the protrusion by the proximity sensor is the time it takes for the third coupling to rotate one revolution. If the proximity sensor detects the protrusion again after one revolution of the power output shaft, or if the difference between the time it takes for the power output shaft to rotate one revolution and the time it takes for the third coupling to rotate one revolution is within the difference threshold, then the synchronization between the third coupling and the power output shaft meets the requirements, and the third coupling is operating normally; otherwise, the third coupling is considered to be operating abnormally.

[0088] Therefore, during wafer processing, the detection signal of the first detection component is acquired in real time to determine whether the working state of the first coupling is normal; if the working state of the first coupling is determined to be normal, the wafer processing continues; if the working state of the first coupling is determined to be abnormal, the processing is stopped.

[0089] And / or acquire the detection signal of the second detection component in real time, and determine whether the working state of the second coupling is normal; if the working state of the second coupling is determined to be normal, the wafer processing continues; if the working state of the second coupling is determined to be abnormal, the processing stops.

[0090] And / or acquire the detection signal of the third detection component in real time, and determine whether the working state of the third coupling is normal; if the working state of the third coupling is determined to be normal, the wafer processing continues; if the working state of the third coupling is determined to be abnormal, the processing stops.

[0091] Example 5

[0092] As shown in Figure 13, this embodiment discloses a wafer fabrication system, including:

[0093] The data acquisition unit M1 is configured to acquire the distance measured by a ring of distance measuring sensors 400 arranged around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage 100. Each distance measuring sensor measures the distance between itself and the wafer ring frame. The wafer ring frame is located on the wafer concentrically arranged on the wafer support stage.

[0094] The difference determination and comparison unit M2 is configured to determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor 400 in one lap, and to determine whether the difference is greater than the difference threshold.

[0095] Alarm unit M3 is configured to stop processing and issue an alarm when it is determined that the difference is greater than the difference threshold;

[0096] Processing unit M4 is configured to continue processing the wafer when it is determined that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold.

[0097] Example 6

[0098] As shown in Figure 14, this embodiment discloses a wafer processing apparatus, including a processor C1 and a memory C2. The memory C2 stores a program that can be executed by the processor C1. When the program is executed, it implements the wafer processing method described above.

[0099] This application has many other implementation methods, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0100] The advantages of the technical solution in this application are mainly reflected in:

[0101] Before fixing the wafer ring frame, the method of this application uses a set of distance sensors to detect the distance of each sensor to different positions of the wafer ring frame to determine whether there is any abnormality in the wafer ring frame when the wafer is concentrically placed on the wafer support stage. This allows for timely detection of abnormalities and cessation of processing, effectively avoiding potential problems that may arise from continuing wafer ring frame fixing and wafer dicing when there are abnormalities. This helps to ensure dicing quality and dicing safety.

[0102] The clamping mechanism of this application changes the conventional method of using a flipping cylinder in related technologies. The up-and-down movement method can effectively avoid the problem that the clamping block cannot make sufficient contact with the wafer ring frame surface and cannot be clamped if the flipping cylinder is not flipped in place. It is beneficial to ensure that the bottom surface of the clamping block is in full contact with the wafer ring frame.

[0103] The multiple clamping mechanisms in this application are driven and adjusted synchronously by a single synchronous drive mechanism, which can effectively meet the fixing requirements of wafer ring frames on wafers of different sizes. It can automatically adjust and reduce manual intervention; and only one power source is required, resulting in lower equipment and operating costs; at the same time, it can effectively ensure the consistency of adjustment of several clamping mechanisms.

[0104] This application provides a pressure sensor at each pad, which can effectively detect whether each clamping mechanism is sufficiently clamping the wafer ring frame, and can promptly detect any inadequate clamping, thus ensuring the reliability of the clamping.

[0105] This application monitors the working status of the coupling of each moving mechanism in real time during the processing, which can promptly detect abnormal conditions of the coupling and stop processing. This avoids processing when the moving positions of the bearing table and the spindle are inaccurate, thus helping to ensure processing quality.

Claims

1. A wafer fabrication method, comprising: The distance measured by a ring of distance sensors set around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage is obtained. Each distance sensor measures the distance between itself and the wafer ring frame. The wafers on which the wafer ring frame is located are concentrically set on the wafer support stage. Determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor in a loop, and determine whether the difference is greater than a difference threshold; In response to the determination that the difference is greater than the difference threshold, processing is stopped and an alarm is issued; In response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold, the wafer processing continues.

2. The wafer processing method of claim 1, wherein, The outer periphery of the plate support is concentrically provided with an installation ring, and a ring of clamping mechanisms is evenly arranged on the installation ring. The distance measuring sensor is provided at or next to each clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is arranged on the installation ring in a radially adjustable manner along the plate support.

3. The wafer processing method of claim 2, wherein, The clamping mechanism includes a movable seat movably disposed on the mounting ring, a pad disposed on the movable seat, and a pressing assembly for pressing the wafer frame onto the pad. The pressing assembly includes a pressing block and a clamping drive device for driving the pressing block to move axially and horizontally along the wafer support stage.

4. The wafer fabrication method according to claim 3, wherein, The pad is connected to the movable seat by bolts with an axis parallel to the axis of the support platform. A set of adjusting screws is also provided on the pad, and the axis of the adjusting screws is parallel to the axis of the support platform.

5. The wafer fabrication method according to claim 2, wherein, A set of clamping mechanisms is driven by a synchronous drive mechanism for synchronous adjustment; The method further includes: when the size information of the wafer to be processed is obtained, controlling the synchronous drive mechanism to drive a group of clamping mechanisms to adjust their positions according to the size information of the wafer to be processed.

6. The wafer fabrication method according to claim 5, wherein, The synchronous drive mechanism includes a drive ring concentrically arranged at the bottom of the mounting ring. The drive ring is connected to a self-rotating drive assembly that drives its own rotation, and the drive ring is connected to a set of clamping mechanisms through a set of linkage rods.

7. The wafer fabrication method according to claim 3, wherein, Each of the pads is equipped with a pressure sensor; The process of continuing wafer processing in response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold includes: In response to the determination that the difference is less than or equal to the difference threshold, the clamping mechanism is activated to fix the wafer ring frame, a set of pressure values ​​from the pressure sensors are obtained, and it is determined whether the minimum value in the set of pressure values ​​is greater than the pressure threshold. If the minimum value is greater than the pressure threshold, the wafer processing continues; if the minimum value is less than or equal to the pressure threshold, processing stops and an alarm is issued.

8. The wafer fabrication method according to any one of claims 1-7, further comprising performing at least one of the following three steps during the fabrication process: The detection signal of the first detection component, used to detect the working status of the first coupling in the lifting drive mechanism at the cutting mechanism, is acquired in real time, and it is determined whether the working status of the first coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the first coupling is normal, the wafer processing continues; in response to the determination that the working status of the first coupling is abnormal, the processing is stopped. Alternatively, the detection signal of the second detection component used to detect the working status of the second coupling in the first direction translation mechanism at the cutting mechanism can be acquired in real time, and it can be determined whether the working status of the second coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the second coupling is normal, the wafer processing can continue; in response to the determination that the working status of the second coupling is abnormal, the processing can be stopped. Alternatively, the detection signal of the third detection component, used to detect the working status of the third coupling in the second-direction translation mechanism connected to the wafer stage, can be acquired in real time, and it can be determined whether the working status of the third coupling is normal; in response to the determination that the working status of the third coupling is normal, the wafer processing can continue; in response to the determination that the working status of the third coupling is abnormal, the processing can be stopped.

9. A wafer fabrication system, comprising: The data acquisition unit is configured to acquire the distance measured by a ring of distance sensors set around the outer periphery of the wafer support stage. Each distance sensor measures the distance between itself and the wafer ring frame. The wafer ring frame is located on the wafer support stage. The difference determination and comparison unit is configured to determine the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​in a set of distances measured by the ranging sensor in one lap, and to determine whether the difference is greater than the difference threshold. The alarm unit is configured to stop processing and issue an alarm in response to a determination that the difference is greater than a difference threshold. The processing unit is configured to continue processing the wafer in response to a determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold.

10. A wafer fabrication apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program executable by the processor, wherein when the program is executed, it implements the wafer fabrication method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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