US20050136809A1 - Wafer grinding apparatus - Google Patents
Wafer grinding apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20050136809A1 US20050136809A1 US10/707,561 US70756103A US2005136809A1 US 20050136809 A1 US20050136809 A1 US 20050136809A1 US 70756103 A US70756103 A US 70756103A US 2005136809 A1 US2005136809 A1 US 2005136809A1
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- suction pad
- suction
- grinding apparatus
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- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 235000012431 wafers Nutrition 0.000 description 105
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 14
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- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012858 packaging process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000002459 sustained effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 2
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
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- 229910010293 ceramic material Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011863 silicon-based powder Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B41/00—Component parts such as frames, beds, carriages, headstocks
- B24B41/06—Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies
- B24B41/061—Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies axially supporting turning workpieces, e.g. magnetically, pneumatically
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B37/00—Lapping machines or devices; Accessories
- B24B37/34—Accessories
- B24B37/345—Feeding, loading or unloading work specially adapted to lapping
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a wafer grinding apparatus, and more specifically, to a wafer backside grinding apparatus capable of preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer.
- a wafer grinding apparatus is used for grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer, so that a thickness of the wafer can be well controlled for facilitating the following packaging processes.
- the wafer grinding apparatus includes a positioning table for adjusting an orientation of the wafer, grinding tables where a wafer grinding process is performed, and a spinner table where a cleaning process is performed.
- the wafer grinding apparatus further includes a wafer-transporting device for transferring the wafer from one table to another table. Since the wafer-transporting device contacts the semiconductor wafer frequently, the wafer-transporting device should be well designed for preventing the semiconductor wafer from being damaged.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wafer-transporting device of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the prior art.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wafer having a cross-shaped flaw thereon.
- a prior art wafer-transporting device 10 includes a suction pad 12 for sucking a wafer 16 through vacuum suction, and a transporting arm 14 connected to the suction pad 12 for transferring the wafer 16 sucked by the suction pad 12 .
- the suction pad 12 comprises a ceramic material so that an upper surface 12 a and a lower surface 12 b of the suction pad 12 are both quite hard.
- a wafer backside grinding process is performed in the wafer grinding apparatus for grinding a backside of the wafer 16 .
- a thickness of the wafer 16 can be reduced to 30 micrometers ( ⁇ m) or less, thereby facilitating the following packaging processes.
- a lot of particles 18 such as silicon powder, are generated while the wafer backside grinding process is performed. The particles 18 are always attached on the wafer 16 , and the upper surface 12 a and the lower surface 12 b of the suction pad 12 , as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 .
- a cross-shaped flaw 20 is therefore formed in the ground wafer 16 when the ground wafer 16 is sucked by the suction pad 12 through vacuum suction.
- the wafer 16 usually should be scrapped. Nevertheless, a lot of integrated circuits and metal interconnects have been manufactured in the wafer 16 before the wafer backside grinding process is performed, so that it not only reduces a production yield but also increases a production cost to scrap the wafer 16 .
- a wafer grinding apparatus includes a wafer-transporting device for transporting a wafer, a first nozzle, and a second nozzle.
- the wafer-transporting device includes at least a suction pad having a first surface and a second surface that is flexible for sucking the wafer, and a transporting mechanism connected to the first surface of the suction pad for transporting the wafer.
- the first nozzle is used for ejecting a first liquid to the first surface of the suction pad for cleaning the first surface
- the second nozzle is used for ejecting a second liquid to the second surface of the suction pad and the wafer for cleaning the second surface and the wafer.
- the claimed invention provides the flexible second surface for sucking the wafer, thereby decreasing an impact force sustained by the wafer while the wafer is sucked by the suction pad. Additionally, the claimed invention further provides the first nozzle and the second nozzle to wash the contaminants from the suction pad, thus preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wafer-transporting device of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the prior art.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wafer having a cross-shaped flaw thereon.
- FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 are schematic diagrams of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 are schematic diagrams of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
- a wafer grinding apparatus 30 includes a housing 32 , two cassette supporting tables 34 a and 34 b for situating a plurality of wafers 36 , a positioning table 40 for adjusting an orientation of each wafer 36 , a spinner table 42 for washing each ground wafer 36 , and a robot 38 for transferring each wafer 36 from the cassette supporting table 34 a to the positioning table 40 or from the spinner table 42 to the cassette supporting table 34 b .
- the wafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes two thickness-measuring units 46 a and 46 b for measuring a thickness of each wafer 36 , and two grinding devices 48 and 58 for grinding a backside of each wafer 36 to reduce the thickness of each wafer 36 .
- the wafer grinding apparatus 30 is a wafer backside grinding apparatus, the grinding device 48 is a coarse-grinding device, and the grinding device 58 is a fine-grinding device.
- the coarse-grinding apparatus 48 includes a grinding table 50 , a grinding wheel 56 (only shown in FIG. 4 ), a rotary driving unit 52 connected to the grinding wheel 56 , and a sliding driving unit 54 connected to the rotary driving unit 52 .
- the grinding table 50 is used to situate and fix the wafer 36 whose front side faces the grinding table 50
- a protection tape 50 a is positioned on the grinding table 50 for protecting integrated circuits located on the front surface of the wafer 36 .
- the rotary driving unit 52 is used to drive the grinding wheel 56 to rotate along a direction shown by double arrow AA of FIG.
- the sliding driving unit 54 functions to drive the rotary driving unit 52 and the grinding wheel 56 to move along a direction shown by double arrow BB of FIG. 4 .
- the grinding wheel 56 has a plurality of wheel teeth (not shown) located thereon, and each wheel tooth is made of diamond particles and a binding agent for binding the diamond particles.
- the rotary driving unit 52 drives the grinding wheel 56 to rotate, the backside of the wafer 36 is ground by the wheel teeth on the grinding wheel 56 .
- the fine-grinding device 58 includes a grinding table 60 , a grinding wheel (not shown), a rotary driving unit 62 , and a sliding driving unit 64 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the detailed structure of the fine-grinding device 58 is similar to that of the coarse-grinding device 48 , and its description is therefore omitted.
- the wafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes a wafer-transporting device 44 utilized for transferring each wafer 36 . Due to the wafer-transporting device 44 , each wafer 36 can be moved between two neighboring tables among the positioning table 40 , the grinding tables 50 and 60 , and the spinner table 42 . Additionally, the wafer-transporting device 44 includes a transporting mechanism 72 , a suction pad 74 , a suction pad 76 , and a suction pad 78 .
- the transporting mechanism 72 is a T-shaped arm, which can be rotated along a direction shown by double arrow CC and has a transporting arm 66 connected to the suction pad 74 , a transporting arm 68 connected to the suction pad 76 , and a transporting arm 70 connected to the suction pad 78 .
- the transporting arm 66 and the suction pad 74 are used to transfer the wafer 36 from the positioning table 40 to the grinding table 50
- the transporting arm 68 and the suction pad 76 are used to move the wafer 36 from the grinding table 50 to the grinding table 60
- the transporting arm 70 and the suction pad 78 are used to transfer the wafer 36 from the grinding table 60 to the spinner table 42 .
- the suction pad 74 , the suction pad 76 , and the suction pad 78 are respectively parked in a parking region 80 a , a parking region 80 b , and a parking region 80 c .
- the wafer-transporting device 44 includes a plurality of air intake lines (not shown), and an air suction device (not shown) connected to the air intake lines for pumping air.
- the air intake lines are connected to the suction pad 74 , the suction pad 76 , and the suction pad 78 , and while the air suction device pumps air, the wafer 36 can be sucked by the suction pad 74 , the suction pad 76 , or the suction pad 78 through vacuum suction.
- the suction pad 78 has an upper surface 78 a connected to the transporting arm 70 , and a lower surface 78 b that is flexible. Additionally, as the suction pad 78 sucks the wafer 36 , the lower surface 78 b is in contact with the wafer 36 and the transporting arm 70 moves the wafer 36 to one of the above-mentioned tables. Furthermore, the suction pad 78 includes a pedestal 82 , and six flexible suction trays 84 that are equally spaced and located on a peripheral region of the pedestal 82 , as shown in FIG. 6 .
- Each of the flexible suction trays 84 has at least an opening 84 a communicating with the corresponding air intake line, so that the wafer 36 can be sucked by the suction pad 78 through vacuum suction when the air suction device pumps air.
- the wafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes a nozzle 86 positioned in the parking region 80 a and under the suction pad 78 , and a spray nozzle 88 located in the parking region 80 a and above the suction pad 78 . The nozzle 86 and the spray nozzle 88 are used to eject water to the suction pad 78 for cleaning the suction pad 78 .
- an area of the suction pad 78 is about one third of that of the suction pad 12 of FIG. 1 .
- the amounts, sizes, and shapes of the flexible suction trays 84 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 6 . That is to say, the amounts, sizes, and shapes of the flexible suction trays 84 can be changed according to the requirements of processes.
- the transporting arm 66 and the transporting arm 68 are both similar to the transporting arm 70 , and the suction pad 74 and the suction pad 76 are the same as the suction pad 78 .
- the detailed descriptions of the transporting arms 66 , 68 and the suction pads 74 , 76 are thereby omitted.
- the suction pad 74 also can be designed as the suction pad 12 shown in FIG. 1 .
- each of the parking region 80 b and the parking region 80 c includes a nozzle (not shown) and a spray nozzle (not shown) for washing the suction pad 76 and suction pad 74 . Because the nozzles and the spray nozzles located in the parking regions 80 b and 80 c are the same as those in the parking region 80 a , their detailed descriptions are omitted.
- the robot 38 takes out a wafer 36 from the cassette supporting table 34 a or the cassette supporting table 34 b , and transfers the wafer 36 to the positioning table 40 to adjust an orientation of the wafer 36 .
- the wafer-transporting device 44 drives the suction pad 74 to suck the wafer 36 on the positioning table 40 , and the transporting arm 66 transfers the wafer 36 to the grinding table 50 where a coarse-grinding process is performed on the wafer 36 .
- the transporting arm 68 rotates towards the grinding table 50 to make the suction pad 76 suck the wafer 36 , and then, the transporting arm 68 moves the wafer 36 to the grinding table 60 where a fine-grinding process is performed on the wafer 36 .
- the wafer-transporting device 44 drives the suction pad 78 to suck the wafer 36 on the grinding table 60 , and the transporting arm 70 transfers the wafer 36 to the spinner table 42 where a cleaning process is performed on the wafer 36 .
- the robot 38 transfers the wafer 36 from the spinner table 42 to the cassette supporting table 34 a or the cassette supporting table 34 b .
- the transporting arm 66 , the transporting arm 68 , and the transporting arm 70 respectively parks in the parking region 80 a , the parking region 80 b , and the parking region 80 c.
- a size of the suction pad 78 is about one third of that of the prior art suction pad 12 , so that a contacting area between the suction pad 78 and the wafer 36 is so small that cross-shaped flaws can be prevented from forming in the wafer 36 .
- the suction pad 78 has six flexible suction trays 84 , the wafer 36 is in contact with six flexible surfaces as the suction pad 78 sucks the wafer 36 . Because of the flexible suction trays 84 , an impact force sustained by the wafer 36 when the suction pad 78 sucks the wafer 36 can be reduced, thus effectively preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer 36 .
- the lower surface 78 b is flexible, the lower surface 78 b can vary its shape to fit the surface of the wafer 36 . Accordingly, even though the wafer 36 contains particles thereon, cross-shaped flaws can be prevented from forming in the wafer 36 .
- the nozzle 86 of FIG. 5 ejects water 87 to the upper surface 78 a to wash the contaminants away from the upper surface 78 a
- the spray nozzle 88 of FIG. 5 ejects water 89 to the lower surface 78 b to wash the contaminants away from the lower surface 78 b .
- the spray nozzle 88 can eject water 89 to the entire lower surface 78 b , the contaminants can be completely removed from the lower surface 78 b , thus preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer 36 .
- the suction pad 78 sucks the wafer 36 and passes through the parking region 80 a of FIG. 3
- the spray nozzle 88 of FIG. 5 ejects water to wash the surface of the wafer 36 .
- FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
- the suction pad 78 includes a pedestal 82 , an elastic pad 90 , and a plurality of openings 90 a .
- Each of the openings 90 a is located in the pedestal 82 and the elastic pad 90 , and communicates with the corresponding air intake line.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
- the suction pad 78 includes a pedestal 82 , a plurality of elastic rings 92 , and a plurality of openings 82 a .
- the elastic rings 92 are concentric circles, and each of the openings 82 a is located in the pedestal 82 and communicates with the corresponding air intake line.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- the suction pad 78 includes a pedestal 82 , a plurality of elastic pads 94 located on the pedestal 82 , elastic rings 92 located on the pedestal 82 and surrounding the elastic pads 94 , and a plurality of openings 82 a located in the pedestal 82 and communicating with the corresponding air intake line.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
- the suction pad 78 includes a pedestal 82 , a radial elastic pad 96 located on the pedestal 82 , elastic rings 92 located on the pedestal 82 and surrounding the radial elastic pad 96 , and a plurality of openings 82 a located in the pedestal 82 and communicating with the corresponding air intake line.
- all of the flexible suction pads, the elastic pads, the elastic rings, and the radial elastic pad comprise flexible materials, such as rubber.
- the suction pad 78 of the present invention includes a flexible and small-sized surface for sucking the wafer 36 . Additionally, the present invention further provides the nozzle 86 and the spray nozzle 88 to wash the contaminants from the upper surface and the lower surface of the suction pad 78 . As a result, the present invention can prevent cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer 36 .
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a wafer grinding apparatus, and more specifically, to a wafer backside grinding apparatus capable of preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer.
- 2. Description of the Prior Art
- A wafer grinding apparatus is used for grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer, so that a thickness of the wafer can be well controlled for facilitating the following packaging processes. Generally, the wafer grinding apparatus includes a positioning table for adjusting an orientation of the wafer, grinding tables where a wafer grinding process is performed, and a spinner table where a cleaning process is performed. Additionally, the wafer grinding apparatus further includes a wafer-transporting device for transferring the wafer from one table to another table. Since the wafer-transporting device contacts the semiconductor wafer frequently, the wafer-transporting device should be well designed for preventing the semiconductor wafer from being damaged.
- Please refer to
FIG. 1 andFIG. 2 .FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wafer-transporting device of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the prior art.FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wafer having a cross-shaped flaw thereon. As shown inFIG. 1 , a prior art wafer-transporting device 10 includes asuction pad 12 for sucking awafer 16 through vacuum suction, and a transportingarm 14 connected to thesuction pad 12 for transferring thewafer 16 sucked by thesuction pad 12. Additionally, thesuction pad 12 comprises a ceramic material so that anupper surface 12 a and alower surface 12 b of thesuction pad 12 are both quite hard. - Generally, a wafer backside grinding process is performed in the wafer grinding apparatus for grinding a backside of the
wafer 16. As a result of the wafer backside grinding process, a thickness of thewafer 16 can be reduced to 30 micrometers (μm) or less, thereby facilitating the following packaging processes. However, a lot ofparticles 18, such as silicon powder, are generated while the wafer backside grinding process is performed. Theparticles 18 are always attached on thewafer 16, and theupper surface 12 a and thelower surface 12 b of thesuction pad 12, as shown inFIG. 1 andFIG. 2 . Since theparticles 18 are attached on theground wafer 16 whose thickness is quite thin, and thesuction pad 12 has a large and hardlower surface 12 b, across-shaped flaw 20 is therefore formed in theground wafer 16 when theground wafer 16 is sucked by thesuction pad 12 through vacuum suction. Unfortunately, once the cross-shaped flaw is formed in thewafer 16, thewafer 16 usually should be scrapped. Nevertheless, a lot of integrated circuits and metal interconnects have been manufactured in thewafer 16 before the wafer backside grinding process is performed, so that it not only reduces a production yield but also increases a production cost to scrap thewafer 16. - It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a wafer grinding apparatus in order to solve the above-mentioned problem.
- According to the claimed invention, a wafer grinding apparatus is provided. The wafer grinding apparatus includes a wafer-transporting device for transporting a wafer, a first nozzle, and a second nozzle. The wafer-transporting device includes at least a suction pad having a first surface and a second surface that is flexible for sucking the wafer, and a transporting mechanism connected to the first surface of the suction pad for transporting the wafer. The first nozzle is used for ejecting a first liquid to the first surface of the suction pad for cleaning the first surface, and the second nozzle is used for ejecting a second liquid to the second surface of the suction pad and the wafer for cleaning the second surface and the wafer.
- It is an advantage over the prior art that the claimed invention provides the flexible second surface for sucking the wafer, thereby decreasing an impact force sustained by the wafer while the wafer is sucked by the suction pad. Additionally, the claimed invention further provides the first nozzle and the second nozzle to wash the contaminants from the suction pad, thus preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in the wafer.
- These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the multiple figures and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wafer-transporting device of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the prior art. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wafer having a cross-shaped flaw thereon. -
FIG. 3 toFIG. 6 are schematic diagrams of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the second embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the third embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. - Please refer to
FIG. 3 toFIG. 6 .FIG. 3 toFIG. 6 are schematic diagrams of a wafer grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 3 , awafer grinding apparatus 30 includes ahousing 32, two cassette supporting tables 34 a and 34 b for situating a plurality ofwafers 36, a positioning table 40 for adjusting an orientation of eachwafer 36, a spinner table 42 for washing eachground wafer 36, and arobot 38 for transferring eachwafer 36 from the cassette supporting table 34 a to the positioning table 40 or from the spinner table 42 to the cassette supporting table 34 b. Additionally, thewafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes two thickness-measuring units wafer 36, and twogrinding devices wafer 36 to reduce the thickness of eachwafer 36. Thewafer grinding apparatus 30 is a wafer backside grinding apparatus, thegrinding device 48 is a coarse-grinding device, and thegrinding device 58 is a fine-grinding device. - As shown in
FIG. 3 andFIG. 4 , the coarse-grinding apparatus 48 includes a grinding table 50, a grinding wheel 56 (only shown inFIG. 4 ), arotary driving unit 52 connected to thegrinding wheel 56, and asliding driving unit 54 connected to therotary driving unit 52. The grinding table 50 is used to situate and fix thewafer 36 whose front side faces the grinding table 50, and aprotection tape 50 a is positioned on the grinding table 50 for protecting integrated circuits located on the front surface of thewafer 36. Additionally, therotary driving unit 52 is used to drive the grindingwheel 56 to rotate along a direction shown by double arrow AA ofFIG. 3 , while the slidingdriving unit 54 functions to drive therotary driving unit 52 and thegrinding wheel 56 to move along a direction shown by double arrow BB ofFIG. 4 . Furthermore, thegrinding wheel 56 has a plurality of wheel teeth (not shown) located thereon, and each wheel tooth is made of diamond particles and a binding agent for binding the diamond particles. As therotary driving unit 52 drives thegrinding wheel 56 to rotate, the backside of thewafer 36 is ground by the wheel teeth on thegrinding wheel 56. In addition, the fine-grinding device 58 includes a grinding table 60, a grinding wheel (not shown), arotary driving unit 62, and asliding driving unit 64, as shown inFIG. 3 . The detailed structure of the fine-grinding device 58 is similar to that of the coarse-grinding device 48, and its description is therefore omitted. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , thewafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes a wafer-transporting device 44 utilized for transferring eachwafer 36. Due to the wafer-transporting device 44, eachwafer 36 can be moved between two neighboring tables among the positioning table 40, the grinding tables 50 and 60, and the spinner table 42. Additionally, the wafer-transporting device 44 includes atransporting mechanism 72, asuction pad 74, asuction pad 76, and asuction pad 78. Thetransporting mechanism 72 is a T-shaped arm, which can be rotated along a direction shown by double arrow CC and has a transportingarm 66 connected to thesuction pad 74, a transportingarm 68 connected to thesuction pad 76, and a transportingarm 70 connected to thesuction pad 78. Generally, the transportingarm 66 and thesuction pad 74 are used to transfer thewafer 36 from the positioning table 40 to the grinding table 50, the transportingarm 68 and thesuction pad 76 are used to move thewafer 36 from the grinding table 50 to the grinding table 60, and the transportingarm 70 and thesuction pad 78 are used to transfer thewafer 36 from the grinding table 60 to the spinner table 42. When the wafer-transporting device 44 is idle, thesuction pad 74, thesuction pad 76, and thesuction pad 78 are respectively parked in aparking region 80 a, aparking region 80 b, and aparking region 80 c. Furthermore, the wafer-transporting device 44 includes a plurality of air intake lines (not shown), and an air suction device (not shown) connected to the air intake lines for pumping air. The air intake lines are connected to thesuction pad 74, thesuction pad 76, and thesuction pad 78, and while the air suction device pumps air, thewafer 36 can be sucked by thesuction pad 74, thesuction pad 76, or thesuction pad 78 through vacuum suction. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , thesuction pad 78 has anupper surface 78 a connected to the transportingarm 70, and alower surface 78 b that is flexible. Additionally, as thesuction pad 78 sucks thewafer 36, thelower surface 78 b is in contact with thewafer 36 and the transportingarm 70 moves thewafer 36 to one of the above-mentioned tables. Furthermore, thesuction pad 78 includes apedestal 82, and sixflexible suction trays 84 that are equally spaced and located on a peripheral region of thepedestal 82, as shown inFIG. 6 . Each of theflexible suction trays 84 has at least anopening 84 a communicating with the corresponding air intake line, so that thewafer 36 can be sucked by thesuction pad 78 through vacuum suction when the air suction device pumps air. In addition, as shown inFIG. 5 , thewafer grinding apparatus 30 further includes anozzle 86 positioned in theparking region 80 a and under thesuction pad 78, and aspray nozzle 88 located in theparking region 80 a and above thesuction pad 78. Thenozzle 86 and thespray nozzle 88 are used to eject water to thesuction pad 78 for cleaning thesuction pad 78. It should be noted that an area of thesuction pad 78 is about one third of that of thesuction pad 12 ofFIG. 1 . Moreover, the amounts, sizes, and shapes of theflexible suction trays 84 are not limited to those shown inFIG. 6 . That is to say, the amounts, sizes, and shapes of theflexible suction trays 84 can be changed according to the requirements of processes. - The transporting
arm 66 and the transportingarm 68 are both similar to the transportingarm 70, and thesuction pad 74 and thesuction pad 76 are the same as thesuction pad 78. The detailed descriptions of the transportingarms suction pads wafer 36 that has not been ground has a larger strength and thesuction pad 74 is usually used to suck thewafer 36 that has not been ground, thesuction pad 74 also can be designed as thesuction pad 12 shown inFIG. 1 . Furthermore, each of theparking region 80 b and theparking region 80 c includes a nozzle (not shown) and a spray nozzle (not shown) for washing thesuction pad 76 andsuction pad 74. Because the nozzles and the spray nozzles located in theparking regions parking region 80 a, their detailed descriptions are omitted. - Please refer to
FIG. 3 . The operation of thewafer grinding apparatus 30 is explained as follows. First, therobot 38 takes out awafer 36 from the cassette supporting table 34 a or the cassette supporting table 34 b, and transfers thewafer 36 to the positioning table 40 to adjust an orientation of thewafer 36. Then, the wafer-transportingdevice 44 drives thesuction pad 74 to suck thewafer 36 on the positioning table 40, and the transportingarm 66 transfers thewafer 36 to the grinding table 50 where a coarse-grinding process is performed on thewafer 36. After the coarse-grinding process is completed, the transportingarm 68 rotates towards the grinding table 50 to make thesuction pad 76 suck thewafer 36, and then, the transportingarm 68 moves thewafer 36 to the grinding table 60 where a fine-grinding process is performed on thewafer 36. After the fine-grinding process is completed, the wafer-transportingdevice 44 drives thesuction pad 78 to suck thewafer 36 on the grinding table 60, and the transportingarm 70 transfers thewafer 36 to the spinner table 42 where a cleaning process is performed on thewafer 36. Thereafter, therobot 38 transfers thewafer 36 from the spinner table 42 to the cassette supporting table 34 a or the cassette supporting table 34 b. Finally, the transportingarm 66, the transportingarm 68, and the transportingarm 70 respectively parks in theparking region 80 a, theparking region 80 b, and theparking region 80 c. - Noticeably, a size of the
suction pad 78 is about one third of that of the priorart suction pad 12, so that a contacting area between thesuction pad 78 and thewafer 36 is so small that cross-shaped flaws can be prevented from forming in thewafer 36. Additionally, since thesuction pad 78 has sixflexible suction trays 84, thewafer 36 is in contact with six flexible surfaces as thesuction pad 78 sucks thewafer 36. Because of theflexible suction trays 84, an impact force sustained by thewafer 36 when thesuction pad 78 sucks thewafer 36 can be reduced, thus effectively preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in thewafer 36. Furthermore, since thelower surface 78 b is flexible, thelower surface 78 b can vary its shape to fit the surface of thewafer 36. Accordingly, even though thewafer 36 contains particles thereon, cross-shaped flaws can be prevented from forming in thewafer 36. Moreover, when thesuction pad 78 parks in theparking region 80 a ofFIG. 3 , thenozzle 86 ofFIG. 5 ejectswater 87 to theupper surface 78 a to wash the contaminants away from theupper surface 78 a, and simultaneously, thespray nozzle 88 ofFIG. 5 ejects water 89 to thelower surface 78 b to wash the contaminants away from thelower surface 78 b. Noticeably, because thespray nozzle 88 can eject water 89 to the entirelower surface 78 b, the contaminants can be completely removed from thelower surface 78 b, thus preventing cross-shaped flaws from forming in thewafer 36. In addition, when thesuction pad 78 sucks thewafer 36 and passes through theparking region 80 a ofFIG. 3 , thespray nozzle 88 ofFIG. 5 ejects water to wash the surface of thewafer 36. - In addition, the structure of the
suction pad 78 is not limited to that shown inFIG. 6 , and the following description will introduce other embodiments of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, the same elements ofFIG. 6 toFIG. 10 are indicated by the same symbols. Please refer toFIG. 7 .FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 7 , thesuction pad 78 includes apedestal 82, an elastic pad 90, and a plurality ofopenings 90 a. Each of theopenings 90 a is located in thepedestal 82 and the elastic pad 90, and communicates with the corresponding air intake line. - Please refer to
FIG. 8 .FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 8 , thesuction pad 78 includes apedestal 82, a plurality ofelastic rings 92, and a plurality ofopenings 82 a. The elastic rings 92 are concentric circles, and each of theopenings 82 a is located in thepedestal 82 and communicates with the corresponding air intake line. - Please refer to
FIG. 9 .FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 9 , thesuction pad 78 includes apedestal 82, a plurality ofelastic pads 94 located on thepedestal 82,elastic rings 92 located on thepedestal 82 and surrounding theelastic pads 94, and a plurality ofopenings 82 a located in thepedestal 82 and communicating with the corresponding air intake line. - Please refer to
FIG. 10 .FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a suction pad according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 10 , thesuction pad 78 includes apedestal 82, a radialelastic pad 96 located on thepedestal 82,elastic rings 92 located on thepedestal 82 and surrounding the radialelastic pad 96, and a plurality ofopenings 82 a located in thepedestal 82 and communicating with the corresponding air intake line. Additionally, all of the flexible suction pads, the elastic pads, the elastic rings, and the radial elastic pad comprise flexible materials, such as rubber. - In comparison with the prior art, the
suction pad 78 of the present invention includes a flexible and small-sized surface for sucking thewafer 36. Additionally, the present invention further provides thenozzle 86 and thespray nozzle 88 to wash the contaminants from the upper surface and the lower surface of thesuction pad 78. As a result, the present invention can prevent cross-shaped flaws from forming in thewafer 36. - Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bound of the appended claims.
Claims (16)
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US10/707,561 US6910956B1 (en) | 2003-12-22 | 2003-12-22 | Wafer grinding apparatus |
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JP2009184074A (en) * | 2008-02-06 | 2009-08-20 | Sd Future Technology Co Ltd | Polishing device |
JP2016060030A (en) * | 2014-09-22 | 2016-04-25 | 株式会社ディスコ | Processing apparatus |
JP2018085537A (en) * | 2018-01-25 | 2018-05-31 | 株式会社東京精密 | Method of setting processing apparatus |
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US7258599B2 (en) * | 2005-09-15 | 2007-08-21 | Fujitsu Limited | Polishing machine, workpiece supporting table pad, polishing method and manufacturing method of semiconductor device |
JP6622610B2 (en) * | 2016-02-09 | 2019-12-18 | 株式会社ディスコ | Grinding equipment |
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US6257966B1 (en) * | 1998-04-27 | 2001-07-10 | Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. | Wafer surface machining apparatus |
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JP2002025961A (en) | 2000-07-04 | 2002-01-25 | Disco Abrasive Syst Ltd | Method of grinding semiconductor wafer |
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US6293855B1 (en) * | 1998-03-09 | 2001-09-25 | Ebara Corporation | Polishing apparatus |
US6126530A (en) * | 1998-03-13 | 2000-10-03 | Speedfam Co., Ltd. | Cleaning device for surface plate correcting dresser |
US6257966B1 (en) * | 1998-04-27 | 2001-07-10 | Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. | Wafer surface machining apparatus |
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