Wafer Expansion Imaging for End-of-Process Chip Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing expanding devices fail to detect whether semiconductor chips are successfully separated near the end of the expansion process, leading to potential failures in dividing a wafer into multiple chips due to slight changes in sheet hardness or modified layer formation.
Innovation Solution
An expanding device with an imager that captures the expanded state of the wafer at multiple timings during the expansion process, allowing for real-time detection of chip separation and prevention of incomplete division.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the imager measures the interval between chips after the wafer is divided, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot detect whether chips are successfully separated near the end of expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The imager captures images at multiple timings during the expansion process, including before the expansion is complete. This preliminary imaging allows detection of chip separation status at critical moments during the process, enabling early identification of potential failures before they occur, thus improving reliability without requiring complex post-processing detection systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the imager to capture real-time images during expansion and provides feedback on the expansion status and chip separation progress. This feedback mechanism allows the system to monitor whether chips are successfully separating at each stage, enabling corrective actions if separation fails, thereby improving detection reliability while maintaining manageable device complexity through efficient image analysis
2Reliability
If the imager captures images at multiple timings during expansion, then chip separation detection reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imager captures images at specific periodic intervals during the expansion process rather than continuously. Key timing points include before expansion, during expansion at critical stages, and after expansion completes. This periodic imaging approach ensures reliable detection of chip separation events while minimizing the total imaging time by focusing only on critical moments in the expansion process
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary imaging at strategically chosen timings during expansion to detect separation events early. By capturing images at predetermined critical moments rather than continuously monitoring, the system achieves reliable detection while significantly reducing the time loss associated with continuous imaging
3Productivity
If the adhesive sheet is expanded to divide the wafer, then chip separation is achieved, but incomplete division may occur due to slight changes in sheet hardness or modified layer formation
Solution Approach 1:
The imager captures images at multiple timings during the expansion process, including preliminary images before expansion is complete. This allows detection of potential division failures early in the process, enabling identification of issues related to sheet hardness variations or modified layer formation problems before they result in incomplete wafer division, thus maintaining both productivity and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time imaging feedback during expansion to monitor the wafer division process. By analyzing images captured at different stages, the system can detect whether the modified layer is forming correctly and whether the adhesive sheet is expanding uniformly, providing feedback that helps ensure precise division while maintaining efficient productivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurately detects chip separation near the end of expansion, preventing incomplete wafer division by identifying potential issues, and reducing the complexity and component count of the device.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic sheet member to which a wafer to be divided along a dividing line into a plurality of semiconductor chips has been attached
Implementation Method 2
an imager to image an expanded state of the wafer by the expanding ring at a plurality of timings
Data Source
AI summary
An expanding device includes a clamp unit, an expanding ring, and an imager to image an expanded state of a wafer by the expanding ring at a plurality of timings from a start of expansion of a sheet member to an end of expansion of the sheet member.