WO2004008524A1 - Wafer cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

A wafer cassette includes a plate (13) for supporting a semiconductor wafer contained, a top plate (11) arranged above the plate (13), a bottom plate (12) arranged below the plate (13), and a rod (14) thrusting the plate (13) and reaching from the top plate (11) to the bottom plate (12). The plate (13) is configured so as to support the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer. Even a thin semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor wafer divided by tip-dicing can be safely and surely supported and contained. Accordingly, a semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor chip is not damaged during processing or convey.

Description

 Description ゥ A / ヽ Cassette Technical Field

 The present invention relates to a wafer cassette for accommodating a semiconductor wafer in various processing apparatuses used for processing a semiconductor wafer. Background art

 A semiconductor wafer on which a plurality of integrated circuits such as IC and LSI are formed is formed into a predetermined thickness by grinding the back surface, and then divided into individual semiconductor chips by dicing. When the semiconductor wafer 8 is transported from the back grinding step to the dicing step, a wafer cassette 50 as shown in FIG. 8 is usually used. In this case, the semiconductor wafer W is housed in the wafer cassette 50 by the carrying-in / out means 52 provided with the suction portion 51 at the tip, and the semiconductor wafer W is provided on both sides of the wafer cassette 50. Both ends are supported by the groove 53 provided on the side.

 However, after the grinding, the semiconductor ゥ: c-ha W becomes thinner and the rigidity is reduced, so that bending occurs even if the protective tape T is adhered to the surface as shown in Fig. 9. Sometimes. In this case, there is a problem that the semiconductor wafer W cannot be accommodated because it cannot be supported by the groove 53 of the wafer cassette 50. In particular, semiconductors that are formed to have a thickness of several tens of μm in order to meet the needs for miniaturization, thinning, and weight reduction of various devices such as mobile phones in recent years. Is remarkable.

In addition, a pre-dicing technology in which a groove having a depth corresponding to the thickness of a chip is formed in advance on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, and then the back surface is ground to expose the groove and divide the chip into individual chips. In, after grinding because the protective tape is stuck Although the outer shape of the semiconductor device is maintained, it is already divided into individual chips and deflects due to lack of rigidity. In this case, the semiconductor device can be housed in the wafer cassette 50 in the same manner as described above. There is a problem that can not be.

 Further, when the groove 53 is formed of a slippery material, the semiconductor wafer may fall off from the opening during transportation. On the other hand, if a stove member is provided in the opening, the semiconductor member may come into contact with the stove member and break. Therefore, in actuality, it is necessary to carry the sheet with the opening facing upward without providing a stopper member at the opening.

 In addition, the semiconductors after grinding may need to be aligned in the accommodating position and orientation (crystal orientation) for the next process. However, during transport of the ahka cassette, etc., the semiconductor in the ah cassette: π — If the position of 8 is shifted or rotated, the problem that the next process will be hindered will occur.

 In view of the above, the present invention provides a semiconductor chip, which maintains the outer shape of a semiconductor X-ha semiconductor a wafer that has lost its rigidity, in an E-hakaset. Enclosed semiconductors: The purpose is to prevent the semiconductor devices from falling off, displacing, or rotating. Disclosure of the invention

 The present invention relates to a cassette for accommodating a semiconductor X-ha, a plate supporting the housed semiconductor aa, a top plate disposed above the plate, and a plate below the plate. It is characterized by comprising at least a bottom plate provided, and a rod penetrating the plate and extending from the top plate to the bottom plate, wherein the plate is configured to support the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate E: E-H.ゥ Provide an ehakaset.

In this wafer cassette, a spring member for supporting the plate on the rod and maintaining a gap between vertically adjacent plates is attached to the rod, and the spring member is a coil spring, and is loosely fitted to the rod. To support the plate by And a spacer that regulates the contraction of the coil spring is attached, while maintaining a constant spacing between vertically adjacent plates, and through the plate. From the top plate to the bottom plate, the housed semiconductor ゥ: A position regulating pad that regulates the position of ε-8 is provided, the position regulating rod is covered with a cushioning member, and the support surface of the plate is An additional requirement is that a non-slip member is laid. In the wafer cassette configured as described above, since a plate capable of supporting the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer is provided, the thinned semiconductor wafer tip is a semiconductor wafer divided by dicing. Can be safely and reliably supported and contained.

 Also, since each plate is supported by a spring member, the semiconductor wafer is carried into the wafer cassette and is supported by the plate, or the semiconductor supported by the plate is sucked from above. When the semiconductor wafer is unloaded, the pressing force is reduced by the spring member even if the semiconductor wafer is pressed, and the semiconductor wafer is safely and securely loaded into the wafer cassette without damaging the semiconductor wafer, and the semiconductor wafer is removed from the wafer cassette. Semiconductor wafers can be carried out.

 Furthermore, if a non-slip member is laid on the support surface of the plate, the accommodated semiconductor device 18 can be held without slipping, so that even a thin semiconductor device can be accommodated without bending, and the semiconductor device can be dropped and removed. There will be no shift in position or orientation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

 FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an embodiment for implementing a wafer cassette according to the present invention,

 FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the wafer cassette,

 FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a spacer provided on the same cassette, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the spacer and a spring member are loosely fitted to a rod.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a plate on which a non-slip member is laid, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a grinding apparatus which is an example of an apparatus using the I-hasakette according to the present invention,

 FIG. 7 is a front view showing a state in which a semiconductor wafer is housed in a wafer cassette in the grinding apparatus.

 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a conventional wafer cassette,

 FIG. 9 is a front view showing a semiconductor wafer having no rigidity. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 As the best mode for carrying out the present invention, a wafer cassette 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The wafer cassette 10 includes a top plate 11 on which a gripping handle 11 a is formed, a bottom plate 12, and a plurality of plates 13 for supporting the entire surface of the semiconductor X- 8 to be housed. And a rod 14 penetrating through all the plates 13 to the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 1 2, the top plate 1 1 being disposed above the plate 13, and the bottom plate 1 2 being a plate 1 It is located below 3. The plate 13 is not limited to the illustrated shape as long as it can support the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer. In the illustrated example, four rods 14 are provided.Each rod 14 passes through a rod through hole 13 a formed in the plate 13, and is connected to the bottom plate 12 by a set screw 15. It is fixed, and the male screw part 14 a formed on the upper end of the rod 14 is screwed into the female screw part 11 b formed on the top plate 11 and fixed to the top plate 11. The rods 14 need to have at least three rods, and may have five or more rods.

As shown in FIG. 2, a spring member 16 is loosely fitted to each of the four rods 14 between the vertically adjacent plates 13, and this spring member 16 is vertically adjacent to the four rods 14. The gap between the plate 13 and the mating plate 13 is maintained, and when a pressing force is applied to the plate 13, the plate 13 serves as a cushioning member. The spring members 16 are coil springs in the illustrated example, and each of the coil springs supports the plate 13. Also, between the top plate 11 and the uppermost plate 13, Ring 1 1 d is inserted into rod 14.

 Also, as shown in FIG. 1, five position regulating rods 17 penetrate through the position regulating rod through holes 13 b formed in each plate 13 and are formed at the upper end of the position regulating rod 17. The male screw portion 17a is screwed and fixed to the female screw portion 11c formed on the top plate 11, and the lower end of the position regulating rod 17 is fixed by a rod screw 18. At least three position regulating rods 17 need only be provided, and serve to regulate the position of the semiconductor wafer W to be housed. It is preferable that the position regulating rod 17 is coated with vinyl or the like as a cushioning member for cushioning an impact when the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer A collides.

 In addition, the ring-shaped spacer 19 shown in FIG. 3 is housed inside the spring member 16, and as shown in FIG. Preferably, 9 is loosely fitted. In this case, the spacer 19 keeps a constant interval between the vertically adjacent plates 13 in a normal state, and the shrinkage restricting portion 19 a formed on the spacer 19 forms the spring member 1. Regulate the shrinkage of 6. Further, by adjusting the length of the spacer 19 and the length of the spring member 16, it is possible to cope with semiconductors of various thicknesses: n-c.

 As shown in FIG. 5, a non-slip member 13 d is laid on the support surface 13 c of the plate 13. As the non-slip member 13d, various resins, for example, an elastomer resin, a silicone resin, a natural resin, and the like can be used. Also, rubber, pounds, etc. can be used.

 These resins can be laid by applying them to the support surface 13c, or they can be laid by attaching a sealing member formed in a sheet shape in advance. The seal member previously formed in a sheet shape may be in a mesh shape. Further, the non-slip member 13 d may be laid on the entire surface of the support surface 13 c or may be laid on a part thereof.

The cassette 10 thus constructed is, for example, a grinding machine shown in FIG. The semiconductor wafer after being mounted on the wafer 20 is ground. In this grinding apparatus 20, a plurality of semiconductor wafers before grinding are housed in a single cassette 21. The semiconductor wafers are carried out by carrying-in / out means 22 having a holding portion 22a, and are brought out of the positioning table 2. Placed on 3. Then, after the semiconductor wafer is aligned, the semiconductor wafer is placed and held on the chuck table 25 by the first carrying means 24. The chuck table 25 is supported by a turntable 26 so as to be able to rotate and revolve, and the turntable 26 is rotated by a required angle (90 degrees in the illustrated example), so that the first grinding means 27 is rotated. It is positioned directly below. Here, the first grinding means 27 is connected to a support plate 30 slidably engaged with a pair of guide rails 29 provided in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the wall portion 28, It is configured to be driven by a pulse motor 31 and move up and down together with the support plate 30.

 The first grinding means 27 includes a spindle 32 having a vertical axis, a motor 33 for rotating and driving the spindle 32, a mounter 34 formed at the lower end of the spindle 32, and a mounter. A grinding wheel 35 fixed to 3 4 is provided, and a grinding wheel 36 for rough grinding is fixed to the lower surface of the grinding wheel 35, and the spindle 32 is driven by the motor 33 to rotate. As a result, the grinding wheel 35 rotates.

 During grinding, the first grinding means 27 descends while the grinding wheel 35 rotates while the chuck table 25 rotates, and the rotating grinding wheel 36 contacts the back surface of the semiconductor ゥ: L-ha W Then, the back surface is roughly ground. The roughly ground semiconductor wafer W is positioned immediately below the second grinding means 37 by rotating the turntable 26 by a required angle (90 degrees in the illustrated example). The second grinding means 37 is connected to a support plate 39 slidably engaged with a pair of guide rails 38 arranged vertically on the inner surface of the wall portion 28, It is configured to be driven up and down with the support plate 39 by being driven by the motor 40.

The second grinding means 37 includes a spindle 41 having a vertical axis and a spindle A motor 4 2 for rotating and driving the spindle 4 1, a mounter 4 3 formed at the lower end of the spindle 41, and a grinding wheel 44 fixed to the mounter 43. The grinding wheel 45 for finish grinding is fixed, and the grinding wheel 44 rotates as the spindle 41 rotates by being driven by the motor 42.

 At the time of grinding, the second grinding means 37 descends while the chuck table 25 rotates and the grinding wheel 44 rotates, and the rotating grinding wheel 45 contacts the back surface of the semiconductor wafer W and contacts the back surface. Is finish-ground. After the finish grinding, the chuck table 25 moves to be positioned near the second transport means 46, and the semiconductor ゥ: π-c W is ground by the second transport means 46. Conveyed to 7. Then, the semiconductor washed here: L-W is housed in the wafer cassette 10 by the carrying-in / out means 22.

 The semiconductor wafer W housed in the wafer cassette 10 is entirely supported by the plate 13 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so the semiconductor wafer W is thinned by grinding and has reduced rigidity. It can safely and reliably support a semiconductor wafer whose rigidity has been lost due to the division.

When accommodating the semiconductor wafer in the wafer cassette 10, as shown in FIG. 7, the semiconductor wafer X is sucked and held on the lower surface of the holding portion 22a constituting the carrying-in / out means 22, and is held. The part 22a moves horizontally and enters the inside of the wafer cassette 10, and the holding part 22a descends to release the suction force. Placed on 13 Therefore, when the semiconductor ゥ: c—c W is placed, a pressing force is applied from the holding portion 22 a to the plate 13. In this case, the pressing force is reduced by the contraction of the spring member 16. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer W can be housed safely and securely without being damaged. Further, when the spacer 19 is provided, the contraction of the spring member 16 is restricted by the contraction restricting portion 19a formed in the spacer 19, so that the spring member 16 is accommodated below the spacer. Semiconductor ゥ: L-ha can be damaged Absent.

 Further, when the anti-slip member 13 d is laid on the support surface 13 c of the plate 13 as shown in FIG. 5, the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the anti-slip member 13 d. Therefore, the position and direction do not deviate even when tilted. Therefore, even if the stopper member is not provided in the opening serving as the loading / unloading port for the semiconductor wafer W, the semiconductor wafer W does not fall off and the crystal orientation can always be kept in a fixed direction. The process can be performed smoothly.

 On the other hand, when the semiconductor wafer W is unloaded from the wafer cassette 10, the unloading is performed by the holding unit 22 a performing an operation reverse to that described above. Although a pressing force is applied, the spring member 16 relaxes the pressing force as described above, so that the semiconductor wafer W can be safely and reliably carried out without being damaged. Further, when the spacer 19 is provided, the contraction of the spring member 16 is regulated, so that the semiconductor wafer housed under the spacer is not damaged.

 In the grinding apparatus 20, only the semiconductor wafer after grinding is housed in the wafer cassette 10 of the present invention, but the semiconductor wafer before grinding can be housed in the wafer cassette 10. . Industrial applicability

 As described above, in the wafer cassette according to the present invention, since the plate capable of supporting the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer is provided, even if the semiconductor wafer is divided by the thinned semiconductor wafer tip dicing. It can be safely and securely supported and contained. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer is useful in that it does not damage the semiconductor chip during processing, transportation, and the like.

In addition, since each plate is supported by a spring member, the semiconductor wafer is transported into the wafer cassette and is supported by the plate or supported by the plate. When the semiconductor wafer held is sucked from above and carried out, the pressing force is reduced by the spring member even if the semiconductor wafer is pressed, and the semiconductor wafer is safely and securely inserted into the wafer cassette without damaging the wafer. Semiconductors: It is useful for safely and reliably carrying semiconductor wafers into and out of wafer cassettes. Furthermore, if a non-slip member is laid on the support surface of the plate, the contained semiconductor wafer is held without slipping. Therefore, a thin semiconductor device can be accommodated without bending even if it is E-C, and it does not fall off or shift in position or direction. Therefore, the next process can be performed without correcting the position or direction shift. Useful for performing smoothly.

Claims

The scope of the claims 1. A wafer cassette containing a semiconductor wafer,  A plate for supporting the housed semiconductor wafer,  A top plate disposed above the plate;  A bottom plate disposed below the plate;  A rod that penetrates the plate and extends from the top plate to the bottom plate; Consists of at least  The cassette is characterized in that the plate is configured to support the entire surface of the semiconductor X-C.  2. The cassette of claim 1, wherein the rod is provided with a spring member for supporting the plate and maintaining a space between the plate and a vertically adjacent plate.  3. The wafer cassette according to claim 2, wherein the spring member is a coil spring, and the spring member is loosely fitted to the rod to support the plate.  4. The air purifier according to claim 3, wherein a spacer for regulating the contraction of the coil spring is loosely fitted between the rod and the coil spring while keeping the interval between the adjacent plates constant. / \ Cassette.  5. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, further comprising a position regulating rod that penetrates the plate, extends from the top plate to the bottom plate, and regulates the position of the housed semiconductor wafer.  6. The position adjusting rod according to claim 5, wherein the cushioning member is covered with the position regulating rod; i: one set.  7. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein a non-slip member is laid on the support surface of the plate.