JP6627001B1 - Wafer peeling cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency as a whole by shortening the time from a peeling operation to a transfer to a single-wafer cleaning unit by a delivery device without damaging a wafer. In a wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus, a wafer peeling single wafer portion (100) has first and second peeling suction pads (200, 201), a stopper plate (214), and a slit (216a) formed on the stopper plate (214). The delivery device 118 includes a delivery suction pad 300 and a pressure switch for detecting that the wafer W is sucked and held by the delivery suction pad 300. In response to the detection signal from the switch, the vacuum suction of the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 is released, and the retreating of the delivery suction pad 300 and the lowering of the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 are started. I do. [Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus that peels wafers cut in batches (bundled) from a slice base into single wafers and cleaned at the same time with a wire saw.

  When the ingot is cut with a wire saw, all the wafers are cut out while being bonded to the slice base. For this reason, it is necessary to separate the wafer from the slice base to form a single wafer. Further, since the processing liquid or the like is attached to the wafer immediately after being cut by the wire saw, it is necessary to wash the processing liquid to remove the processing liquid.

  Conventionally, the wafer peeling operation and the cleaning operation have been performed by a single wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus. Further, the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus includes a rough cleaning section, a wafer peeling single wafer section, a cleaning section, and a collecting section. The wafer immediately after cutting is first transported to the rough cleaning section and roughly cleaned. Then, the batch-cleaned wafers that have been roughly cleaned are transported to a wafer peeling single-wafer portion, where the wafers are peeled one by one from the slice base and made into single wafers. The wafer peeled from the slice base is transported to the single wafer cleaning unit by the delivery device. Then, the wafers are washed one by one, and are collected one by one in a collection unit and stored in a cassette.

  In the wafer peeling single wafer portion, after the wafer is sucked by the peeling suction pad at the peeling operation position and peeled from the slice base, the peeling suction pad is moved upward and stopped at a predetermined delivery position. At the delivery position, a delivery suction pad of the delivery device is on standby, and the wafer is delivered to the delivery suction pad. Next, the delivery suction pad is retracted from the peeling suction pad. Thereafter, it is known that the peeling suction pad is moved downward to return to the original peeling operation position, which is described in Patent Document 1.

JP-A-11-288902

  In the device described in Patent Document 1, if the speed at which the wafer is suctioned by the peeling suction pad and the peeling suction pad is moved upward is increased, the wafer surface may be damaged. In the delivery position, the delivery suction pad is retracted from the peeling suction pad position, and then the peeling suction pad is returned to the original peeling work position. Therefore, the timing for starting the peeling work is delayed, and the peeling work is sequentially performed. Wasted time. Furthermore, since the timing at which the wafer is delivered to the delivery suction pad is not clear, if the timing for moving the peeling suction pad downward is too early, the surface of the wafer may be damaged, cracked or chipped, chipped, micro cracked, etc. There is a risk of causing damage.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to shorten the time from the peeling operation to the transfer to the single-wafer cleaning unit by the delivery device without damaging the wafer, thereby improving the efficiency as a whole. It is an object of the present invention to obtain an improved wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a method for separating a large number of wafers in a batch state, which are simultaneously cut, from a slice base one by one in a wafer separation part, and transferring the separated wafers at a delivery position. In the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus, which is transferred to the apparatus, transported to the single-wafer cleaning unit by the transfer apparatus to perform single-wafer cleaning, and washed, and then collected in a cassette by the recovery unit, a peeling suction pad for suction-holding an end surface of the wafer; A rotary actuator for raising and lowering the peeling suction pad vertically upward and downward, a detent plate provided on a support plate on which the rotary actuator for elevating is installed, and a slit formed in an upper part of the detent plate. The wafer peeling single-wafer portion having a two-sheet take-off prevention plate fixed to the stopper plate, and before the wafer is peeled off at the wafer peeling single-wafer portion. A delivery suction pad for receiving a wafer from the peeling suction pad, a pressure switch for detecting that the wafer is sucked and held by the delivery suction pad, and a delivery device having a delivery signal, and a detection signal from the pressure switch. A control device for releasing vacuum suction of the peeling suction pad and for starting the retreating of the delivery suction pad from the peeling suction pad and starting the lowering of the peeling suction pad.

  In the above, it is desirable that the stopper plate is provided with a resin pressing plate on the end surface side of the wafer.

  Further, it is desirable to provide a stainless steel plate on the opposite side of the pressing plate.

  Further, it is preferable that the wafer sucked and held by the peeling suction pad is guided by the pressing plate, passes through the slit, and stops at the delivery position.

  Further, it is desirable that the delivery suction pad and the peeling suction pad be flat vacuum pads.

  Further, the width of the slit is desirably 1.1 to 1.5 times the thickness of the wafer.

  Further, it is preferable that the apparatus further includes a swivel arm provided with the delivery suction pad at a distal end, and the delivery position is a position where the swing arm is horizontal.

  Further, in the delivery position, it is preferable that the wafer is located coaxially with the axis of the delivery suction pad.

  According to the present invention, the wafer peeling single-wafer portion has a peeling suction pad, a stopper plate, and a two-sheet removal preventing plate in which a slit is formed on an upper part of the stopper plate, A delivery suction pad, and a pressure switch for detecting that the wafer is sucked and held by the delivery suction pad. The vacuum suction of the peeling suction pad is released by a detection signal from the pressure switch, and the delivery suction pad is released. Since the suction pad recedes and the peeling suction pad begins to descend, the time from the peeling operation to the transfer to the single-wafer cleaning unit by the delivery device is shortened without damaging the wafer, and overall efficiency is improved. The obtained wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus can be obtained.

Plan view showing overall configuration of wafer peeling cleaning device Plan view showing the configuration of the wafer peeling single wafer part Plan view showing the configuration of the peeling device Partial plan sectional view showing the configuration of the delivery device Front view showing the configuration of the peeling device Side view showing the configuration of the peeling device Front view showing the configuration of the wafer peeling single wafer part Front view showing the configuration of the delivery device Partial side sectional view showing the configuration of the delivery device Enlarged side view of main part showing details of peeling suction part Enlarged front view of main part showing details of peeling suction part Explanatory drawing of the operation of the peeling work Side view showing the configuration of the single wafer cleaning unit Plan view showing the configuration of the transport unit Plan view showing the configuration of the collection unit

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment mainly includes a rough cleaning unit 10, a wafer peeling single wafer unit 100, a transport unit 310, a single wafer cleaning unit 350, a detection unit 400, and a collection unit 500. It is configured as a unit. The outline of each main part is explained.

  The rough cleaning unit 10 shower-cleans the batch-processed wafers W (the wafers W bonded to the slice base S) immediately after being cut by the wire saw, and removes the slurry attached during cutting. The rough cleaning unit 10 includes a rough cleaning device 12 for cleaning the wafer W. The rough cleaning device 12 has a cleaning step of immersing and cleaning with the mounting plate M facing upward and the slice grooves facing downward. While rinsing up and down during cleaning, a water flow is generated in the groove to perform cleaning. When the cleaning is completed, the wafer carried out of the rough cleaning unit 10 is transported to the next wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 by the lifter.

The wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 peels the wafers W in a batch state from the slice base S one by one to form a single wafer. As shown in FIG. 2, the wafer peeling single-wafer portion 100 includes a hot water tank 112, a peeling device 114, and a delivery device 118 as main devices. The delivery device 118 is a device that receives the wafer separated from the slice base S by the separation device 114 and transfers the wafer to the shuttle conveyor 312 of the transport unit 310.

  The transport unit 310 receives the wafer W peeled and separated at the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 and transports the wafer W to the next single wafer cleaning unit 350. Then, the wafer W is transferred to the single wafer cleaning unit 350 by the shuttle conveyor 312 provided in the transfer unit 310.

  The single-wafer cleaning unit 350 performs single-wafer cleaning of the wafers W peeled off in the wafer peeling single-wafer unit 100 one by one. The single-wafer cleaning unit 350 includes a single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352, a single-wafer pre-rinsing unit 354, and a single-wafer rinsing unit 356. The single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352 performs brush cleaning while applying a cleaning liquid to the back surface of the transferred wafer W. After washing, compressed air is blown off to drain the washing liquid so that the washing liquid is not carried into the next step. Then, the wafer W having been subjected to the brush cleaning is transported to the single wafer pre-rinsing unit 354 in the next step.

  The single-wafer pre-rinse unit 354 performs brush cleaning with a rotating brush while applying a pre-rinse liquid from a pre-rinse liquid nozzle to the back surface of the transferred wafer. After cleaning, the compressed air is injected to drain the liquid. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the single wafer rinsing section 356 in the next step.

  The single-wafer rinsing unit 356 performs brush cleaning with a rotating brush while applying a rinsing liquid from a rinsing liquid nozzle to the back surface of the wafer. After the cleaning, the drained wafer W is transferred onto the round belt conveyor 411 of the detection unit 400, and transferred to a predetermined receiving position of the detection unit 400.

  The detection unit 400 detects the presence / absence of cracks, chips, and adhesive residue on each of the wafers W that have been cleaned, and measures the thickness of each wafer. Then, the detected wafer W is transferred to the wafer transfer robot 508 of the collection unit 500.

  The wafer transfer robot 508 is an articulated robot, and is provided with a rotatable hand unit 520 at the end, and the wafer W is suctioned and held by a suction pad 522 provided at the end of the hand unit 520 to transfer. Is done. The collecting unit 500 includes two wafer collecting units 502A and 502B for collecting normal wafers and a defective wafer in order to separate adhesive remaining wafers from defective wafers (cracked wafers, chipped wafers, defective thickness wafers, and scraps). And an adhesive remaining wafer collecting unit 506 for collecting the adhesive remaining wafer.

  Then, the wafer transfer robot 508 receives the wafer W from the detection unit 400, and sorts and stores the wafer W in a cassette of each of the wafer collection units 502, 504, and 506 based on the detection result.

  Next, the details of the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the wafer peeling unit 100, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of a peeling device 114, FIG. 4 is a partial plan sectional view showing the configuration of a delivery device 118, and FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a side view showing the configuration of the peeling device 114, FIG. 7 is a front view showing the configuration of the wafer peeling unit 100, and FIG. 8 is a front view showing the configuration of the delivery device 118. 9 is a partial side sectional view showing the configuration of the delivery device 118. The wafer peeling single-wafer portion 100 includes a hot water tank 112, a peeling device 114, and a delivery device 118 as main devices.

  The configuration of the hot water tank 112 will be described. The hot water tank 112 is formed in a rectangular box shape, and hot water 120 is stored therein. The wafer W to be separated from the slice base S is set on a work holding part 122 provided in the hot water tank 112. When the wafer W is set on the work holding unit 122, the slice base S bonded to the wafer W is immersed in the hot water 120.

  The schematic configuration of the peeling device 114 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The peeling device 114 is a device that peels the wafers W set in the hot water tank 112 one by one from the slice base S. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a pair of first guide rails 136, 136 are arranged near the right side of the hot water tank 112 along the longitudinal direction of the hot water tank 112. A first slide table (running body) 140 is slidably supported on the first guide rails 136 and 136 via linear guides 138 and 138 (FIG. 5).

  A nut member 142 (FIG. 5) is fixed to the lower surface of the first slide table 140, and the nut member 142 is screwed to a screw rod 144 disposed between the pair of first guide rails 136, 136. ing. Both ends of the screw rod 144 are rotatably supported by bearing members 146 and 146, and a first end of the first guide rails 136 and 136 is provided at one end of the screw rod 144. The feed motor 148 (FIG. 6) is connected. The screw rod 144 rotates by driving the first feed motor 148, and as a result, the first slide table 140 moves along the first guide rails 136, 136.

  On the first slide table 140, a peeling unit 150 for peeling the wafer W from the slice base S is provided. The peeling unit 150 has a bearing block 152 provided on a first slide table 140 as shown in FIGS. A support shaft 156 provided at the base end of the swing frame 154 is swingably supported by the bearing block 152.

  A swing rotary actuator 160 is mounted on the first slide table 140 via a bracket 158, and a drive gear 162 is fixed to an output shaft of the swing rotary actuator 160. A driven gear 164 is meshed with the drive gear 162, and the driven gear 164 is fixed to a tip end of the rotating shaft 168. The rotation shaft 168 is rotatably supported by a bearing member 170, and the bearing member 170 is supported by a support plate 172 fixed to the swing rotary actuator 160.

  A disk-shaped rotary plate 174 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is coaxially fixed to the driven gear 164, and one end of a connecting rod 176 is connected to the rotary plate 174 by a pin 178. . The other end of the connecting rod 176 is connected to the swing frame 154 by a pin 180.

  With the above configuration, the swing frame 154 swings around the support shaft 156 provided at the base end thereof by driving the swing rotary actuator 160. That is, when the rotary actuator 160 for swing is driven, the rotary plate 174 reciprocates in the range of 180 °, and the reciprocating rotation is transmitted to the swing frame 154 via the connecting rod 176, and the swing frame 154 swings.

  A bearing unit 182 is provided at an upper end of the swing frame 154, and two rotating shafts 186 and 188 are rotatably supported by the bearing unit 182. Arms 190 and 192 are fixed to the ends of the rotating shafts 186 and 188, respectively. The ends of the arms 190 and 192 are connected to the pad support plate 198 via pins 194 and 196, respectively. The pad support plate 198 is provided with a pair of first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 at predetermined intervals, and the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 vacuum suction the wafer W. And hold.

  A support plate 202 is attached to the back surface of the swing frame 154, and a lifting rotary actuator 204 is installed on the support plate 202. A rotary plate 206 formed in a fan shape is fixed to the output shaft of the rotary actuator 204 for lifting and lowering, and one end of a connecting rod 208 is connected to the rotary plate 206 by a pin 210. The other end of the connecting rod 208 is connected to one arm 190 by a pin 212.

  With the above configuration, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 provided on the pad support plate 198 move vertically upward and downward by driving the rotary actuator 204 for lifting and lowering. In other words, when the rotary actuator 204 for elevation is driven, the rotary plate 206 reciprocates in the range of 180 °, and the reciprocation is transmitted to the arm 190 via the connecting rod 208, and the one arm 190 reciprocates in the vertical direction. I do. When the arm 190 performs the reciprocating angular movement, the arm 192 on the other side also performs the reciprocating angular movement as a swinging lever, and as a result, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 provided on the pad support plate 198. Is lifted vertically upward.

  The first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 for holding the wafer W by suction are moved up and down by driving the lifting rotary actuator 204. Further, since the pad support plate 198 provided with the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 is connected to the swing frame 154 via the arms 190 and 192, the swing frame 154 swings. By doing so, it swings back and forth.

  That is, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 swing back and forth when the swing rotary actuator 160 is driven, and move up and down when the lift rotary actuator 204 is driven. Then, the wafer W is peeled from the slice base S by the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 as follows.

  The end surface of the wafer W set in the hot water tank 112 is suction-held by the first and second separation suction pads 200 and 201. Next, the swing rotary actuator 160 is driven to swing the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 in the front-back direction (the direction along the axis of the wafer). Here, the adhesive bonding the wafer W and the slice base S is sufficiently softened by heat because it is immersed in the hot water 120. Therefore, the wafer W is separated from the slice base S by being rocked a plurality of times.

  When the wafer W is peeled from the slice base S, the rotary actuator 204 for elevation is driven, and the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 for peeling move upward while holding the wafer W that has been peeled. Then, it stops at a predetermined delivery position. The wafer W transferred to the transfer position is transferred to the shuttle conveyor 312 by the transfer device 118 after being transferred to the transfer device 118, and is transferred to the next process by the shuttle conveyor 312.

  On the other hand, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 for which the transfer of the wafer W has been completed are driven downward by the rotary actuator 204 for lifting and lowering, and return to the original peeling operation position. The wafer W is peeled from the slice base S by oscillating the end face thereof by the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201, and the first and second peeling suction pads are included in the wafer W. Some of them have been peeled off from the slice base S before being shaken at 200 and 201.

  In this case, the wafer W may fall forward and cannot be collected. For this reason, a stopper plate 214 for preventing the wafer W from falling forward is provided at a position in front of the wafer W to be separated. The stopper plate 214 is provided on the support plate 202 on which the elevating rotary actuator 204 is installed, and swings together with the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201.

  The first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 move up and down through a passage 214 a formed in the stopper plate 214. Further, a two-piece prevention plate 216 is fixed to the upper part of the stopper plate 214, and the wafer W peeled from the slice base S passes through a slit 216 a formed in the two-piece prevention plate 216. To the delivery position. The slit 216a is formed with a width (for example, a width of 1.1 to 1.5 times the thickness of the wafer W) through which one wafer W can pass, so that two wafers are simultaneously peeled off. In such a case, it is possible to prevent the two wafers from sticking to each other and being simultaneously transferred to the delivery position. Specifically, by setting the width of the slit 216a to be 1.1 to 1.5 times the thickness of the wafer W, it is possible to prevent simultaneous transfer of two wafers and to prevent surface damage. it can.

  Thereby, even when the two wafers are simultaneously peeled off from the slice base and adhered to each other, the wafers are adhered to the first wafer when passing through the slit 216a of the two-sheet removal prevention plate 216. Since the second wafer falls without passing through the slit 216a, it can always be transferred one by one to the delivery position. In this case, since the wafer that has fallen without passing through the slit 216a is prevented from falling forward by the stopper plate 214, it can be reliably collected at the next peeling.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the delivery device 118 will be described. The delivery device 118 is a device that receives the wafer W separated from the slice base S by the first separation suction pad 200 of the separation device 114 from the first separation suction pad 200 and transfers the wafer W to the shuttle conveyor 312. The delivery device 118 is provided on the second slide table 240 of the drive unit 222 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and FIGS. It moves along the guide rails 236, 236.

  On the second slide table 240 of the drive unit 222, a column 274 is set up vertically. A support frame 276 is provided upright on the top of the column 274, and a rotary actuator 278 for turning is horizontally installed on the support frame 276. A drive gear 280 is meshed with the output shaft of the turning rotary actuator 278, and a driven gear 282 fixed to the turning shaft 284 is meshed with the drive gear 280. The turning shaft 284 is rotatably supported by a bearing unit 286 installed on the top of the support frame 276, and turns within a range of 180 ° by driving a turning rotary actuator 278.

  A turning frame 288 is fixed to the base end of the turning shaft 284, and a rotating shaft 290 is rotatably supported by the turning frame 288. At the base end of the rotating shaft 290, an output shaft of a turning rotary actuator 292 mounted on the turning frame 288 is fixed, and by driving the turning rotary actuator 292, the rotation within a range of 90 ° is achieved. Move.

  A turning arm 294 formed in an L shape is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 290, and a support plate 296 is fixed to the tip of the turning arm 294. A pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 is provided on the support plate 296, and a delivery suction pad 300 is provided at the tip of the rod of the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298. The wafer W separated by the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 of the separation device 114 is transferred to a predetermined delivery position, and then transferred to the delivery suction pad 300.

  In the delivery device 118, the wafer W sucked and held by the delivery suction pad 300 is rotated by 180 ° on a vertical plane by driving the rotation rotary actuator 278 to drive the direction change rotary actuator 292. By doing so, the direction is changed from the vertical state to the horizontal state.

  The reception of the wafer W separated by the separation device 114 and the transfer of the received wafer W onto the shuttle conveyor 312 are performed as follows. The wafer W separated from the slice base S is lifted while being held by the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 for separation, and transferred to a predetermined delivery position. The delivery suction pad 300 is already waiting at the delivery position, and the wafer W is positioned coaxially with the axis of the delivery suction pad 300.

  When the wafer W is transferred to the delivery position, the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 is driven, and the delivery suction pad 300 moves forward by a predetermined amount toward the wafer W. As a result, the delivery suction pad 300 comes into close contact with the end surface of the wafer W. Next, the delivery suction pad 300 is driven, and the wafer W is sucked and held by the delivery suction pad 300. The pressure switch (not shown) provided on the delivery suction pad 300 side detects that the wafer W is held by suction on the delivery suction pad 300. Then, by this detection signal, the vacuum suction of the first peeling suction pad 200 is released, that is, air flows in. Thereby, the wafer W is transferred from the first peeling suction pad 200 to the delivery suction pad 300. The release of the vacuum suction of the second peeling suction pad 201 may be simultaneously performed with the release of the first peeling suction pad 200. However, the release may be performed before the wafer W is lifted or transferred to the delivery position, so that the posture of the wafer W is stabilized.

  The delivery suction pad 300 that has received the wafer W starts driving the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 according to the detection signal from the pressure switch, and retreats from the first peeling suction pad 200. Similarly, the first peeling suction pad 200 that has delivered the wafer W starts descending according to the detection signal from the pressure switch and returns to the original peeling operation position. When the delivery suction pad 300 retreats, the turning rotary actuator 278 is driven, and the turning arm 294 turns 180 °. As a result, the wafer W is transferred to a position above the shuttle conveyor 312.

  Since the wafer W transferred above the shuttle conveyor 312 is orthogonal to the shuttle conveyor 312, after the transfer, the direction changing rotary actuator 292 is driven, and the turning arm 294 is rotated about the rotation shaft 290. Rotate 90 °. As a result, the wafer W is positioned at a predetermined height from the shuttle conveyor 312 in a horizontal state.

  After the direction changing rotary actuator 292 is driven, the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 is driven, and the delivery suction pad 300 moves forward by a predetermined amount toward the shuttle conveyor 312. As a result, the wafer W is placed on the shuttle conveyor 312. When the wafer W is placed on the shuttle conveyor 312, the driving of the delivery suction pad 300 is stopped. Then, the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 is driven, and the delivery suction pad 300 is retracted from the shuttle conveyor 312.

  After the completion of the delivery operation of the wafer W, the delivery suction pad 300 returns to the original delivery position by an operation reverse to the above. On the other hand, the shuttle conveyor 312 to which the wafer W has been transferred is driven by a driving unit (not shown), and transports the transferred wafer W to the next step. The driving of the wafer peeling unit 100 is automatically controlled by a control device (not shown), and each component device operates based on a drive signal output from the control device.

  Next, a method of peeling a wafer in the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 will be described in detail. Before the start, the first slide table 140 on which the peeling unit 150 is installed is located at one end (the lower end in FIG. 2) of the first guide rail 136 (this position is referred to as a peeling start position). . On the other hand, the second slide table 240 on which the delivery device 118 is installed is located at the other end (the upper end in FIG. 2) of the second guide rail 236.

  The wafer W multi-cut by the wire saw is set on the work holding part 122 provided in the hot water tank 112. Thus, the slice base S to which the wafer W is bonded is immersed in the hot water 120 stored in the hot water tank 112. The setting of the wafer W may be performed manually by an operator, or may be automatically transferred to the work holding unit 122 by a manipulator (not shown) and set automatically.

  When the wafer W is set in the hot water tank 112, the controller first drives the second feed motor 248 to move the second slide table 240 downward in FIG. Next, the second slide table 240 is positioned at a predetermined start position of the delivery work. Then, when the second slide table 240 is located at the start position of the delivery operation, the separation operation of the wafer W is started.

  Next, the control device drives the first feed motor 148 and the second feed motor 248 in synchronization with each other, and advances the first slide table 140 and the second slide table 240 (moves upward in FIG. 2). A non-contact type position sensor 214S is provided on the pad support plate 198 of the peeling device 114 provided on the first slide table 140, and the position sensor 214S is configured such that the distance to the end surface of the wafer W is a predetermined distance. Activated when reached.

  The control device stops the driving of the first feed motor 148 and the second feed motor 248 and stops the first slide table 140 and the second slide table 240 by inputting the operation signal of the position sensor 214S. As a result, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 of the peeling device 114 provided on the first slide table 140 come into contact with the end surface of the wafer W. The control device drives the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 that are in contact with the end surface of the wafer W, and causes the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 to suck and hold the wafer W.

  FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing details of the peeling suction unit, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view. The stopper plate 214 has a reference surface on the end surface side of the wafer W, and a resin pressing plate 214-1 for protecting the surface, and a stainless steel plate 214 on the opposite side for ensuring flatness of the pressing plate 214-1. -2. Further, the first peeling suction pad 200 is arranged such that the central axis thereof coincides with the central axis of the wafer W, and the second peeling suction pad 201 is arranged below the first peeling suction pad 200. . The first peeling suction pad 200 is a flat vacuum pad suitable for transporting a work having a flat surface, and has a stronger suction force than the second peeling suction pad 201. In addition, the second peeling suction pad 201 is a bellows-type vacuum suction pad having a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction.

  The wafer W is adhered to the slice base S with an adhesive, is arranged so as to be on the upper side with respect to the mounting plate M, and is set in the work holding part 122 of the hot water tank 112. Here, the adhesive bonding the wafer W and the slice base S is sufficiently softened by heat because it is immersed in the hot water 120. An air supply mechanism is provided beside the slice base S, and air nozzles 80 and 81 are provided on both lower side surfaces of the wafer W. The air nozzles 80 and 81 are installed so as to blow and supply air from the lower side to the upper side from the side 2 direction of the wafer W, that is, to blow the air vigorously. A water supply nozzle (not shown) is provided vertically above the wafer W and near the center of the wafer.

  Suction holding of the wafer W by the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 is performed as follows. First, the second peeling suction pad 201 comes into contact with the end surface of the wafer W. Since the second peeling suction pad 201 is a bellows-type vacuum suction pad below the central axis of the wafer W, it pulls the root of the wafer W toward the stopper plate 214 around the vicinity of the bonding portion. Thereby, the peeling operation is started reliably and efficiently.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the peeling operation. When one wafer W is peeled, a plurality of wafers W are separated from the air nozzles 80 and 81 on both sides of the wafer W as indicated by arrows F and G. The air is blown from the side to the upper side.

  Specifically, air is blow-supplied between at least the first and second wafers W, which is the leftmost first wafer to be peeled off in FIG. In addition, it is desirable that the air be blow-supplied between the second and third sheets and between the third and fourth sheets for efficient peeling. However, since the adhesive bonding the wafer W and the slice base S is immersed in the hot water 120 and sufficiently heat-softened while performing several peeling operations, the peeling operation is performed. , The number of blow-supplied sheets may be reduced at the same time.

  On the other hand, by supplying hot water or water from the vicinity of the center vertically above the wafer W as shown by the arrow H, water is supplied from the center, and a certain gap can always be ensured at the center. By flowing air from both sides of the wafer W, the gap between both sides can be maintained in a well-balanced manner, and the edges between the wafers can be cut cleanly.

  That is, the water film is removed by supplying air, the wafers W are cut off by preventing the water W from sticking to each other due to the surface tension, and when one wafer W is lifted, the next wafer is lifted along with the next wafer. Can be prevented. In addition, air is blow-supplied to a plurality of wafers, and in particular, air is blow-supplied between the first and second wafers and between the second and third wafers to blow the next wafer W. Of the standby wafer W (the second wafer) and the subsequent standby wafer W (the third wafer) can be avoided. Thereby, efficiency can be improved when the peeling operation is sequentially continued.

  After the wafer W is drawn toward the stopper plate 214 by the second peeling suction pad 201, the central axis of the wafer W is firmly sucked by the first peeling suction pad 200, which is a flat vacuum pad having a flat surface. I do. Therefore, it is possible to handle the wafer W in a short time in a state suitable for transporting the wafer W, and it is possible to eliminate the possibility of dropping or the like on the way.

  Next, the control device drives the swing rotary actuator 160 to swing the swing frame 154 back and forth, and moves the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 back and forth (in a direction along the axis of the wafer). Rock. Further, the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 swing around the vicinity of the bonding portion between the wafer W and the slice base S as the swing center. For this reason, the wafer W is given a plurality of swings by the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 for separation, and is easily separated from the slice base S. In addition, the wafer W can be peeled from the root by swinging back and forth during peeling, and the whole can be efficiently peeled.

  The control device stops driving the swing rotary actuator 160 when the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 have been swung a predetermined number of times. Next, the lifting / lowering rotary actuator 204 is driven to pivot the arms 190 and 192 upward, and the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 are moved upward. At this time, the center axis of the wafer W is firmly fixed by the first peeling suction pad 200.

  The wafer W sucked and held by the first peeling suction pad 200 is guided by a pressing plate 214-1 made of a resin (for example, fluororesin) having good slidability, and is fixed to the upper part of the stopper plate 214. It passes through the slit 216a (FIG. 3) of the two-sheet taking prevention plate 216. This prevents two sheets from being taken.

  That is, even when the wafer W to be peeled next adheres to the wafer W mainly sucked and held by the first peeling suction pad 200, the wafer W that is adhered to the slit W passes through the slit 216a. Since the wafer W is peeled off when passing through the 216a, it is possible to always take out only one wafer W sucked by the first peeling suction pad 200.

  In addition, since the wafer that has fallen without passing through the slit 216a is prevented from falling forward by the stopper plate 214, it is reliably collected at the next peeling. At this time, the end face side of the wafer W comes into contact with the pressing plate 214-1 made of resin (for example, fluororesin) having extremely high surface lubricity, so that damage is prevented.

  The first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 that have moved upward are stopped with the chain line position in FIG. 8 being the delivery position. At the delivery position, the delivery suction pad 300 of the delivery device 118 is on standby, and the wafer W whose end face is sucked and held by the first peeling suction pad 200 that firmly sucks the center axis of the wafer W is used for delivery. It is located coaxially with the axis of the suction pad 300.

  The delivery position is a position where the delivery suction pad 300 is substantially horizontal (the position where the turning arm 294 is horizontal in FIG. 8) and the wafer W remains in a vertical state. It is difficult to receive. Further, after the transfer, the suction pads 200 and 201 can immediately return to the peeling operation of the next wafer W, so that the efficient peeling operation can be sequentially continued.

  When the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 stop at a predetermined delivery position, the control device drives the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 to advance the delivery suction pad 300 toward the wafer W by a predetermined amount. . As a result, the delivery suction pad 300 comes into close contact with the back surface of the wafer W sucked by the first peeling suction pad 200. Then, the wafer W is suction-held by the delivery suction pad 300 on the back surface as well as the end surface on the side of the first peeling suction pad 200.

  The pressure switch (not shown) provided on the delivery suction pad 300 side detects that the wafer W is held by suction on the delivery suction pad 300. Then, by the detection signal, the vacuum suction of the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 is released, that is, air flows in. The delivery suction pad 300 is a flat vacuum pad having a flat surface like the first peeling suction pad 200, and firmly sucks the central axis of the wafer W. Thus, the wafer W is transferred from the first peeling suction pad 200 to the delivery suction pad 300, and the delivery suction pad 300 firmly sucks the central axis of the wafer W. Therefore, handling can be performed in a state suitable for carrying the wafer W, and the possibility of dropping or the like on the way can be eliminated.

  Next, the control device drives the pad advancing / retreating cylinder 298 to retract the delivery suction pad 300 from the first peeling suction pad 200. With the retreat of the delivery suction pad 300, the control device drives the lifting / lowering rotary actuator 204 to pivot the arms 190 and 192 downward, and moves the first and second peeling suction pads 200 and 201 downward. And return to the original peeling operation position.

  On the other hand, after driving the pad moving cylinder 298, the control device drives the turning rotary actuator 278 to turn the turning arm 294 by 180 °, and transfers the wafer W to a position above the shuttle conveyor 312. Then, after the transfer, the direction changing rotary actuator 292 is driven. The swing arm 294 rotates 90 ° about the rotation axis 290.

  Thereby, both end surfaces of the wafer W are in a state parallel to the shuttle conveyor 312. The control device drives the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 to advance the delivery suction pad 300 toward the shuttle conveyor 312. As a result, the wafer W is placed on the shuttle conveyor 312. Next, the control device stops driving the delivery suction pad 300 and delivers the wafer W to the shuttle conveyor 312.

  After stopping the driving of the delivery suction pad 300, the control device drives the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298 to retreat the delivery suction pad 300 from the shuttle conveyor 312, and drives the shuttle conveyor 312 to transfer the wafer W to the next. Convey to the process. After driving the pad advance / retreat cylinder 298, the control device drives the direction change rotary actuator 292 and the turn rotary actuator 278 to return the delivery suction pad 300 to the original delivery position.

  By the time the delivery suction pad 300 returns to the delivery position, the suction pads 200 and 201 perform the peeling operation of the next wafer W, and thus the peeling operation of the second wafer W is completed. Therefore, efficient stripping work is sequentially continued with less wasted time.

  That is, the delivery of the first wafer W is completed in a series of steps, and the suction pads 200 and 201 are returned to the original peeling operation position with the retreat of the delivery suction pad 300. Then, the control device drives the first feed motor 148 and the second feed motor 248 in synchronization with each other, and advances the first slide table 140 and the second slide table 240 by a predetermined amount. Thus, the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 for separation come into contact with the end surface of the wafer W to be separated for the second sheet. The control device peels the second wafer W by the same method as described above.

  As described above, the wafers W adhered to the slice base S are sequentially peeled, transported to the next step, and one cycle of the peeling operation is completed. Next, the transport unit 310 receives the wafer W peeled and separated at the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 and transports the wafer W to the next single wafer cleaning unit 350. The transport unit 310 is provided with a shuttle conveyor 312, and transports the wafer W to the single wafer cleaning unit 350 by the shuttle conveyor 312.

  The single-wafer cleaning unit 350 performs single-wafer cleaning of the wafers W peeled off in the wafer peeling single-wafer unit 100 one by one. The single-wafer cleaning unit 350 includes a single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352, a single-wafer pre-rinsing unit 354, and a single-wafer rinsing unit 356.

  FIG. 13 is a side view showing the configuration of the single-wafer cleaning unit 350. The single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352 has a cleaning tank having a chamber structure (not shown). As shown, a pair of rotating brushes 378, 378, a pair of cleaning liquid nozzles 380, 380 for flowing the cleaning liquid, two pairs of roller conveyors 382, 382, 382, 382 for transporting the wafer, and a pair of air for draining the liquid. Knife nozzles 384, 384 are provided.

  In the single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352, brush cleaning is performed by the rotating brushes 378 and 378 while applying cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid nozzles 380 and 380 to the back surface of the wafer W transferred by the shuttle conveyor 312 of the transfer unit 310. After cleaning, compressed air is jetted from the air knife nozzles 384 and 384 to remove the cleaning liquid so that the cleaning liquid is not carried into the next step. Then, the wafer W having been subjected to the brush cleaning is conveyed by the roller conveyor 382 to the single wafer pre-rinse unit 354 in the next step.

  The single-wafer pre-rinsing unit 354 has the same configuration as the single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352. In the single-wafer pre-rinsing unit 354, brush cleaning is performed by a rotary brush while applying a pre-rinsing liquid from a pre-rinsing liquid nozzle to the back surface of the wafer conveyed by the roller conveyor 382 of the single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352. After cleaning, the compressed air is injected to drain the liquid. Then, the wafer W having been subjected to the brush cleaning is transported to the next-step single-wafer rinsing unit 356 by the roller conveyor.

  The single-wafer rinse unit 356 has substantially the same configuration as the single-wafer brush cleaning unit 352. In the single-wafer rinsing unit 356, the rinsing liquid is applied from the rinsing liquid nozzle to the back surface of the wafer conveyed by the roller conveyor of the single-wafer rinsing unit, and the cleaning liquid is washed with a rotary brush. After the cleaning, the wafer W is transferred to the next detection unit 400 by the roller conveyor.

  The detection unit 400 detects the presence or absence of cracks, chips, and adhesive residue on each wafer W after cleaning, and measures the thickness of each wafer. The detecting unit 400 transports the wafer W cleaned by the single wafer cleaning unit 350 to a predetermined receiving position, and lifts the wafer W transported to the receiving position to a predetermined detecting position. A rotary drive unit for rotating, a thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the wafer W rotated by the rotary drive unit, and a crack, a chip, and an adhesive residue of the wafer W rotated by the rotary drive unit are detected. It comprises a defective wafer detection unit and a delivery unit for delivering the detected wafer W to the next wafer transfer robot of the collection unit 500.

  FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of the transport unit 402. The transport unit 402 includes a round belt conveyor 411. The round belt conveyor 411 is connected to the end of the single wafer cleaning unit 350. A pair of guide members 411a and 411a are provided on both sides of the round belt conveyor 411, and the wafer W is guided by the guide members 411a and 411a so as to advance straight.

  At the end position of the round belt conveyor 411, as shown in FIG. 14, five positioning pins 412, 412,... Are arranged so as to form an arc, and the positioning pins 412, 412,. The wafer W conveyed by 411 abuts, and the wafer W is positioned at a predetermined receiving position. Further, when the wafer W comes into contact with the positioning pins 412, 412,..., A sensor (not shown) is operated, and the driving of the round belt conveyor 411 is stopped by operating this sensor. Then, the detected wafer W is transferred to the wafer transfer robot 508 of the collection unit 500.

  FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the configuration of the collection unit 500. Each of the wafer collection units 502A and 502B is provided with a two-stage cassette holder (not shown). The cassette holder is supported by a cassette positioning mechanism (not shown) so as to be able to move up and down freely, and two wafer collection cassettes 510A and 510B for collecting the wafer W are set in the cassette holder.

  Similarly to the wafer collecting units 502A and 502B, the defective wafer collecting unit 504 and the adhesive remaining wafer collecting unit 506 each include a cassette holder (not shown). ing. Then, a defective wafer collecting cassette 512 for collecting the defective wafer W and an adhesive remaining wafer collecting cassette 514 for collecting the adhesive remaining wafer W are set in the cassette holder.

  When one wafer W is stored, a cassette positioning mechanism (not shown) is driven, and the wafer collection cassette 510A is moved up by one stage. The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured as described above. The components of the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 are all driven and controlled by a controller (not shown), and operate based on a drive signal output from the controller.

  The wafer peeling / cleaning apparatus 1 described above is a case where the sliced wafers peeled and cleaned by a normal cutting method (a method of cutting only one ingot for one cutting). The wafer W in a batch state cut by the wire saw is transferred to the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 by a transfer device (not shown).

  Then, it is mounted on a lifter (not shown) provided in the wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1. First, the wafer W mounted on the lifter is transported to the rough cleaning unit 10 by the lifter. Then, it is shower-washed there, and the slurry attached at the time of cutting is removed. The shower cleaning in the rough cleaning unit 10 is performed while being mounted on the lifter. When the shower cleaning is completed, the wafer is transferred to the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100.

  The wafer W conveyed to the wafer peeling unit 100 is first turned upside down by a reversing mechanism provided in the lifter (the wafer W is arranged so that the wafer W is located above the mounting plate M). After that, it is set in the work holding part 122 of the hot water tank 112. The wafers W set on the work holding unit 122 are separated from the slice base S one by one by the first and second suction pads 200 and 201 for separation, and the separated wafers W are sequentially transferred to the shuttle conveyor of the transport unit 310. Transferred to 312. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the single wafer cleaning section 350 by the shuttle conveyor 312.

  The above operation is performed for each wafer W separated from the slice base S, and the operation is completed when all the wafers W are stored in the cassette. After the end, each device returns to the state before starting.

  The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 can peel and clean a sliced wafer cut by a multi-cutting method (a method of simultaneously cutting different kinds of ingots for one cutting). A case where a wafer cut by the multi-cutting method is peeled and cleaned will be described.

  Since the wafers cut by the multi-cutting method need to be collected for each type of wafer, they are processed as follows. The process up to the transfer to the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100 is the same as the wafer cut by the above-described normal cutting method.

  When the multi-cut wafer W is set on the work holding unit 122 of the wafer peeling single wafer unit 100, a partition plate (not shown) of a partition device is set between lots of each wafer W. Then, when the partition plate is set, the peeling operation by the first peeling suction pad 200 is started. The peeling operation is first performed from the wafer W of the first lot, and the peeled wafers W are sequentially transferred onto the shuttle conveyor 312 of the transport unit 310.

  When the peeling of all the wafers W of the first lot is completed, a first partition plate (not shown) inserted between the first lot and the second lot is detected. When the first partition plate is detected, the control device determines that the wafer to be peeled thereafter is the wafer W of the second lot. As a result, the wafers can be sorted for each lot, and the wafers can be collected without mixing different types of wafers.

  Further, when the peeling of all the wafers W of the second lot is completed, the second partition plate (not shown) inserted between the second lot and the third lot is detected, and the control device detects the second partition plate. I do. Thereafter, the wafer to be peeled is determined to be the third lot wafer W.

  According to the above, in the wafer peeling single-wafer portion 100, when the end face of the wafer is suction-held by the peeling suction pad and peeled one by one, the air is blow-supplied by the air nozzle. A good balance can be ensured, and only one wafer can be efficiently lifted without damaging the wafer. After that, the processes of the transport unit 310, the single-wafer cleaning unit 350, the detecting unit 400, and the collecting unit 500 can smoothly proceed, and the efficient wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus 1 can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wafer peeling cleaning apparatus, 10 ... Rough cleaning part, 12 ... Rough cleaning apparatus, 100 ... Wafer peeling single wafer part, 310 ... Transport part, 350 ... Single wafer cleaning part, 400 ... Detection part, 500 ... Recovery part 112 ... Hot water tank, 114: peeling device, 118: delivery device, 120 hot water,
122: Work holding unit, 312: Shuttle conveyor, 352: Single wafer brush cleaning unit, 354: Single wafer pre-rinsing unit, 356: Single wafer rinsing unit, 402: Transfer unit, 508: Wafer transfer robot,
136: first guide rail, 138: linear guide, 140: first slide table, 142: nut member, 144: screw rod, 148: first feed motor,
150: peeling unit 152: bearing block, 154: swing frame, 160: rotary actuator for swing, 162: drive gear, 164: driven gear, 168: rotary shaft, 170: bearing member, 172: support plate, 174: rotation Plate, 176: Connecting rod, 178, 180, 194, 196, 210, 212: Pin, 182: Bearing unit, 186, 188: Rotating shaft, 190, 192: Arm, 198: Pad support plate, 200: First peeling Suction pad, 201: second peeling suction pad, 202: support plate, 204: elevating rotary actuator, 206: rotating plate, 208: connecting rod, 214: stopper plate, 214a: passage, 214S: position sensor, 214-1 ... pressing plate, 214-2 ... Down less plate, 80, 81 ... air nozzle, 216 ... two up prevention plate, 216a ... slit,
222 drive unit, 240 second slide table, 248 second feed motor, 236 second guide rail, 274 support column, 276 support frame, 278 rotary actuator for rotation, 280 drive gear, 284 rotation Shaft, 282: driven gear, 286: bearing unit, 288: revolving frame, 290: rotary shaft, 292: rotary actuator for turning direction, 294: revolving arm, 296: support plate, 298: cylinder for pad advance / retreat, 300: delivery Suction pad,
378: rotating brush, 380: cleaning liquid nozzle, 382: roller conveyor, 384: air knife nozzle,
402: transport unit 411: round belt conveyor, 411a: guide member, 412: positioning pin,
502, 502A, 502B: Wafer collecting section, 510A, 510B: Wafer collecting cassette, 504: Defective wafer collecting section, 506: Adhesive remaining wafer collecting section, 514: Adhesive remaining wafer collecting cassette,
M: Mounting plate, S: Slice base, W: Wafer

Claims (8)

A large number of batch-cut wafers that have been cut at the same time are peeled one by one from the slice base at a wafer peeling single wafer portion to form a single wafer, and the peeled wafer is transferred to a transfer device at a transfer position, and the single wafer is cleaned by the transfer device. In the wafer peeling and cleaning device, the wafers are transported to the cleaning unit, and the wafers are washed.
A peeling suction pad for sucking and holding an end surface of the wafer, a stopper plate for preventing the wafer having a slit formed thereon from falling , and an adhesive for bonding the wafer and the slice base is softened. The wafer peeling single-wafer portion having a hot water tank in which hot water for storing is stored ,
Provided vertically above the wafer, and when peeling the wafers one by one in the hot water tank, hot water or water from vertically near the center of the wafer in a state where the peeling suction pad is suctioned to the wafer. A water supply nozzle for supplying
A delivery suction pad for receiving the wafer separated from the wafer separation sheet from the separation suction pad, and a pressure switch for detecting that the wafer is suction-held by the delivery suction pad, A delivery device,
A control device that releases the vacuum suction of the peeling suction pad by the detection signal from the pressure switch and starts retreating from the peeling suction pad of the delivery suction pad and lowering of the peeling suction pad,
A wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus comprising:   2. The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stopper plate is provided with a resin pressing plate on an end surface side of the wafer. 3.   3. The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a stainless steel plate is provided on a side opposite to the pressing plate.   4. The wafer peeling device according to claim 2, wherein the wafer sucked and held by the peeling suction pad is guided by the pressing plate, passes through the slit, and stops at the delivery position. 5. Cleaning equipment.   5. The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delivery suction pad and the peeling suction pad are flat vacuum pads. 6.   6. The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of the slit is 1.1 to 1.5 times a thickness of the wafer. 7.   The wafer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a swivel arm provided with the delivery suction pad at a distal end thereof, wherein the delivery position is a position at which the swivel arm is horizontal. Peeling and cleaning equipment.   The wafer peeling and cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wafer is located coaxially with an axis of the delivery suction pad in the delivery position.