Wafer Processing System Vacuum Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The fragility of wafers with formed modified layers during conveyance between laser processing, grinding, and tape sticking apparatuses leads to a high risk of breaking, resulting in reduced quality and bending strength of device chips due to vibration and increased kerf width, which affects the quality and yield of manufactured chips.
Innovation Solution
A wafer processing system that includes a laser processing apparatus for forming modified layers, a grinding apparatus for thinning, and a tape sticking apparatus, with a conveying unit and control means to manage the sequential processing of wafers among these apparatuses, ensuring precise and controlled handling to minimize breakage and improve chip quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wafer is conveyed in the state of being housed in a cassette, then the wafer can be transported between apparatuses, but the wafer breaks due to vibration and the possibility of breaking is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the wafer from the protective cassette environment and processes it in a vacuum chamber where it remains under vacuum throughout the entire processing sequence. This eliminates the need to open and close cassettes during conveyance, thereby preventing vibration-induced breakage while maintaining ease of operation through automated vacuum-based handling.
2Ease of operation
If the wafer is loaded into different apparatus accidentally by an operator, then manual flexibility is maintained, but the wafer may be loaded into wrong apparatus causing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automated vacuum-based wafer transfer between processing chambers. The wafer automatically moves from one chamber to another under vacuum without operator intervention, and the system itself manages the sequencing and positioning, thereby eliminating human error while maintaining operational flexibility.
3Productivity
If the wafer is conveyed among laser processing apparatus, grinding apparatus, and tape sticking apparatus, then complete processing can be performed, but breaking occurs due to vibration during conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple processing chambers (laser processing, grinding, tape sticking) into a single integrated vacuum system. All processing steps are performed sequentially within the same vacuum environment without breaking the vacuum seal or transferring the wafer through external atmospheric pathways, thereby eliminating vibration-induced breakage while maintaining complete processing capability.
4Strength
If stealth dicing processing is applied to form modified layers before grinding, then bending strength of device chips is improved, but the wafer becomes fragile and prone to breaking during conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the vacuum environment as an inert atmosphere to protect the fragile wafer with modified layers during conveyance. The vacuum prevents atmospheric contamination and provides a stable, vibration-damped environment for transporting the fragile wafer between processing steps, thereby preserving both the improved bending strength and the wafer's integrity during conveyance.
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
The system effectively suppresses wafer breakage and maintains chip quality by ensuring controlled conveyance and processing, enhancing the bending strength and yield of device chips while reducing the risk of chipping and quality degradation.
Implementation Method 1
a laser beam irradiation unit that irradiates the wafer with a laser beam to form modified layers inside the wafer along the planned dividing lines
Implementation Method 2
a grinding unit that grinds a back surface of the wafer to thin the wafer
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer processing system includes a laser processing apparatus, a grinding apparatus, a tape sticking apparatus, a first cassette placement part, a second cassette placement part, a conveying unit that conveys a wafer, and a controller that controls the respective constituent elements. The controller includes a first processing program instructing section that conveys a wafer unloaded from a first cassette in order of the laser processing apparatus, the grinding apparatus, the tape sticking apparatus, and a second cassette and sequentially carries out processing by each apparatus for the one wafer, and a second processing program instructing section that conveys the wafer unloaded from the first cassette in order of the grinding apparatus, the laser processing apparatus, the tape sticking apparatus, and the second cassette and sequentially carries out processing by each apparatus for the one wafer.