WAFER EXPANDING METHOD AND WAFER EXPANDING APPARATUS

• US 20200135533A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Inventors: KAWAGUCHI, Yoshihiro, NAKAMURA, Masaru
• Granted Patent: US 11,031,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6836 Wafer tapes, e.g. grinding or dicing support tapes adhesive tapes in general C09J7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/78 with subsequent division of the substrate into plural individual devices cutting to change the surface-physical characteristics or shape of semiconductor bodies H01L21/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68322 Auxiliary support including means facilitating the selective separation of some of a plurality of devices from the auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68336 involving stretching of the auxiliary support post dicing

Abstract

A wafer expanding method for expanding a wafer having a plurality of rectangular devices respectively formed in a plurality of separate regions defined by a plurality of division lines, thereby increasing spacing between any adjacent ones of the devices, each rectangular device having a pair of shorter sides and a pair of longer sides. The wafer expanding method includes a jig preparing step of preparing an annular jig having an elliptical opening, the elliptical opening having a shorter portion for restricting a width of the annular exposed portion in a first direction where the shorter sides of the devices extend to a first width and a longer portion for restricting the width of the annular exposed portion in a second direction where the longer sides of the devices extend to a second width larger than the first width.

Claims

1. A wafer expanding method for expanding a wafer having a plurality of rectangular devices respectively formed in a plurality of separate regions defined by a plurality of division lines, thereby increasing spacing between any adjacent ones of the devices, each rectangular device having a pair of shorter sides and a pair of longer sides, the wafer expanding method comprising:

a wafer preparing step of supporting the wafer through an adhesive tape to a ring frame having an inside opening for accommodating the wafer in a condition where an annular exposed portion of the adhesive tape is defined between an outer circumference of the wafer and an inner circumference of the ring frame, the wafer being divided along each division line or having division start points inside the wafer along each division line;

a jig preparing step of preparing an annular jig having an elliptical opening, the elliptical opening having a shorter portion for restricting a width of the annular exposed portion in a first direction where the shorter sides of the devices extend to a first width and a longer portion for restricting the width of the annular exposed portion in a second direction where the longer sides of the devices extend to a second width larger than the first width;

a fixing step of mounting the ring frame on a cylindrical frame fixing member, next mounting the annular jig on the ring frame, and next fixing the ring frame and the annular jig to the cylindrical frame fixing member; and

an expanding step of operating a cylindrical pushing member having an outer circumference corresponding to the outer circumference of the wafer to push up the annular exposed portion of the adhesive tape and thereby lift the wafer away from the ring frame after performing the fixing step, thereby expanding the annular exposed portion and increasing the spacing between the adjacent devices,

whereby when the wafer is lifted away from the ring frame by operating the cylindrical pushing member in the expanding step, the annular exposed portion in the first direction is attached to the shorter portion of the annular jig to thereby restrict the width of the annular exposed portion to the first width, and at the same time the annular exposed portion in the second direction is attached to the longer portion of the annular jig to thereby restrict the width of the annular exposed portion to the second width.

2. A wafer expanding apparatus for expanding a wafer having a plurality of rectangular devices respectively formed in a plurality of separate regions defined by a plurality of division lines, thereby increasing spacing between any adjacent ones of the devices, each rectangular device having a pair of shorter sides and a pair of longer sides, the wafer expanding apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical frame fixing member;

a cylindrical pushing member provided inside the cylindrical frame fixing member so as to be vertically movable relative to the cylindrical frame fixing member;

a wafer unit including a ring frame supporting the wafer through an adhesive tape in a condition where an annular exposed portion of the adhesive tape is defined between an outer circumference of the wafer and an inner circumference of the ring frame, the ring frame having an inside opening for accommodating the wafer, the ring frame being adapted to be mounted on the cylindrical frame fixing member, the wafer being divided along each division line or having division start points inside the wafer along each division line;

an annular jig adapted to be mounted on the ring frame, the annular jig having an elliptical opening, the elliptical opening having a shorter portion for restricting a width of the annular exposed portion in a first direction where the shorter sides of the devices extend to a first width and a longer portion for restricting the width of the annular exposed portion in a second direction where the longer sides of the devices extend to a second width larger than the first width, the annular exposed portion in the first direction being attached to the shorter portion by operating the cylindrical pushing member, the annular exposed portion in the second direction being attached to the longer portion by operating the cylindrical pushing member; and

fixing means fixing the ring frame and the annular jig to the cylindrical frame fixing member.