KR102817534B1 - Apparatus for separating ion implantation bonded wafer and method of separating ion implantation bonded wafer using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An ion implantation bonded wafer separation device and an ion implantation bonded wafer separation method capable of separating an ion implantation bonded wafer while preventing damage to the ion implantation bonded wafer are disclosed. An ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a separation head provided to apply an impact to a side surface of a bonded wafer in which a second wafer is bonded on a first wafer to separate an upper substrate on an ion defect layer existing in the second wafer and a lower substrate below the ion defect layer. The separation head includes a blade holder having a receiving groove, the front end of the receiving groove facing the side surface of the bonded wafer being opened; a blade block inserted into the receiving groove and provided to be movable in the front-back direction along the receiving groove, a portion of which is exposed through the front end of the receiving groove; and a shock absorbing pad provided in the blade holder to limit a moving distance of the blade block.

Description

{APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ION IMPLANTATION BONDED WAFER AND METHOD OF SEPARATING ION IMPLANTATION BONDED WAFER USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device and an ion implantation bonded wafer separation method using the same.

Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) wafers used in the manufacture of SAW filters can be manufactured using heterojunction wafers such as lithium tantalate and lithium niobate. Piezoelectric materials for SAW filters are thin and prone to breakage and cracking during the manufacturing process due to their single crystallinity and brittleness, which requires a difficult manufacturing process. The Smart Cut technology used in the manufacture of heterojunction wafers is a heterojunction-based wafer manufacturing technology that thins a thin piezo single crystal by bonding an ion-implanted wafer with a different type of wafer and then transferring the ion depletion layer through heat treatment to apply a thermal shock or a physical shock.

In the conventional bonded wafer separation process, if excessive physical impact is applied to the bonded wafer for separation of the bonded wafer, damage may occur to the bonded wafer. For example, a method of applying physical impact to the side of the bonded wafer by a hammer may cause local damage to the wafer if the acceleration, impact amount, or impact force of the hammer exceeds an appropriate level. This may reduce the yield of the wafer, lower the efficiency of the semiconductor process, and increase the cost of semiconductor manufacturing.

The present invention relates to an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device and an ion implantation bonded wafer separation method capable of separating an ion implantation bonded wafer while preventing damage to the ion implantation bonded wafer.

In addition, the present invention is to enable easy separation of the bonded wafer with a small impact force by striking the side of the bonded wafer with a separation head while sucking the upper and lower surfaces of the bonded wafer, and at the same time prevent damage to the bonded wafer.

In addition, the present invention applies a shock absorbing pad to a separation head that applies a physical shock to a bonded wafer, thereby limiting the moving distance and shock amount of the separation head to an appropriate range, thereby effectively preventing damage to the bonded wafer.

In addition, the present invention is to effectively separate a bonded wafer while preventing damage to the bonded wafer by controlling the position, direction, impact amount, etc. of the separation head according to the relative position, distance, height, or direction of the separation head with respect to the bonded wafer.

The technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments.

An ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a separation head configured to impact a side of a bonded wafer in which a second wafer is bonded on a first wafer to separate an upper substrate on an ion defect layer existing in the second wafer and a lower substrate below the ion defect layer; and a loading unit having an upper loading chuck arranged above the bonded wafer to suck an upper surface of the bonded wafer, and a lower loading chuck arranged below the bonded wafer to suck a lower surface of the bonded wafer.

The above separation head comprises: a blade holder having a receiving groove, the front end of the receiving groove being opened so as to face the side of the bonded wafer; a blade block inserted into the receiving groove and provided to be movable in the forward and backward direction along the receiving groove, a portion of which is exposed through the front end of the receiving groove; and a shock absorbing pad provided on the blade holder to limit the moving distance of the blade block.

The above loading unit may further include a loading chuck operating unit that operates the upper loading chuck and the lower loading chuck to vacuum-suck the upper and lower surfaces of the bonded wafer.

The above separation head may further include a blade hammer provided to strike the blade block to strike the side surface of the bonded wafer. The blade hammer may be provided to strike the blade block to strike the side surface of the bonded wafer when the loading chuck operating unit operates the upper loading chuck to suck the upper surface of the bonded wafer upward and operates the lower loading chuck to suck the lower surface of the bonded wafer downward.

The above blade block may have a blade head having an impact tip whose thickness decreases in a direction toward the bonding wafer; and a blade stopper formed to protrude laterally on a side surface of the blade head. The blade stopper may be provided to limit a movement distance of the blade block by being cushioned by the impact absorbing pad.

The above shock absorbing pad may include a front shock absorbing pad interposed between the front of the blade stopper and the front step of the blade holder; and a rear shock absorbing pad interposed between the rear of the blade stopper and the rear step of the blade holder.

The above front shock absorbing pad may be formed to have a thinner thickness than the rear shock absorbing pad based on the front-rear direction.

The above front shock absorbing pad and the above rear shock absorbing pad may be provided to limit the forward movement distance of the blade head.

The above blade stopper may include a first blade stopper formed to protrude laterally on one side of the blade head; and a second blade stopper formed to protrude laterally on the other side of the blade head.

The front shock absorbing pad may include a first front shock absorbing pad interposed between the front of the first blade stopper and a first front step provided on one side of the front region of the blade holder; and a second front shock absorbing pad interposed between the front of the second blade stopper and a second front step provided on the other side of the front region of the blade holder.

The above rear shock absorbing pad may include a first rear shock absorbing pad interposed between the rear surface of the first blade stopper and a first rear step provided on one rear area of the blade holder; and a second rear shock absorbing pad interposed between the rear surface of the second blade stopper and a second rear step provided on the other rear area of the blade holder.

The above impact tip may be arranged to strike a position higher than the height of the ion defect layer and lower than the upper surface of the second wafer.

The blade hammer may include an operating rod disposed at the rear of the blade head and extending outwardly through the rear end of the receiving groove; a striking hammer body coupled to the front of the operating rod and striking the rear of the blade block; and an elastic body interposed between the striking hammer body and the rear end plate of the blade holder such that when an operating handle coupled to the rear of the operating rod is pulled rearward and the operating rod is pressed rearward against the blade holder, the elastic body is compressed by the striking hammer body.

The blade hammer may further include a blade operating unit that drives the operating rod in the forward and backward direction to strike the blade hammer against the blade block. The blade operating unit may include at least one of an operating handle coupled to the rear end of the operating rod, and an operating rod driving unit that drives the operating rod in the forward and backward direction.

The loading unit may further include a support device that supports one end of the upper loading chuck relative to one end of the lower loading chuck so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis; a loading chuck drive rod that extends radially outward from the upper loading chuck and protrudes outward from the upper loading chuck; and a loading chuck drive unit that lifts upward or lowers downward the loading chuck drive rod provided on the upper loading chuck.

The loading chuck driving unit may include a screw member having one end rotatably coupled to the upper portion of the blade holder and screw-coupled to an end of the loading chuck driving rod; and an operating member including at least one of a screw tip provided at the upper end of the screw member for rotational operation and a driving device that rotates the screw member.

An ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a measuring unit for measuring bonded wafer information including at least one of a position, a distance, a height, and a direction of a side surface of the bonded wafer with respect to the blade block; and a controlling unit for controlling an amount of impact by the separation head by controlling at least one of a position, a distance, a height, a direction, and an impact intensity of the blade block of the separation head with respect to the bonded wafer based on the bonded wafer information.

The above control device may include a driving stage for driving the separation head in a horizontal direction and an up-down direction.

The above shock absorbing pad may be made of an elastic polymer material including EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer).

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for separating an ion implantation bonded wafer is provided, including the step of applying an impact to a side of a bonded wafer in which a second wafer is bonded on a first wafer by an ion implantation bonded wafer separating device according to the embodiment of the present invention to separate the bonded wafer into an upper substrate on an ion defect layer existing in the second wafer and a lower substrate below the ion defect layer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device and an ion implantation bonded wafer separation method capable of separating an ion implantation bonded wafer while preventing damage to the ion implantation bonded wafer are provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by striking the side of the bonded wafer with the separation head while sucking the upper and lower surfaces of the bonded wafer, the bonded wafer can be easily separated with a small impact force, and at the same time, damage to the bonded wafer can be prevented.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by applying a shock absorbing pad to a separation head that applies a physical shock to a bonded wafer, damage to the bonded wafer can be effectively prevented by limiting the moving distance and shock amount of the separation head to an appropriate range.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by controlling the position, direction, impact amount, etc. of the separation head according to the relative position, distance, height, or direction of the separation head with respect to the bonded wafer, the bonded wafer can be effectively separated while preventing damage to the bonded wafer.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ion implantation bonding wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a bonded wafer separated by an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram of a Smart Cut process utilizing a bonded wafer.
FIGS. 5 to 8 are drawings sequentially showing the operation of an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a separation head constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a blade holder constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a blade block constituting an ion implantation bonding wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a blade hammer constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are drawings for explaining a measuring unit and a driving stage constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic and not drawn to scale. The relative dimensions and ratios of parts in the drawings are exaggerated or reduced in size for clarity and convenience in the drawings, and any dimension is merely illustrative and not limiting. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same structures, elements, or parts that appear in two or more drawings to indicate similar features.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically illustrate ideal embodiments of the present invention. As a result, various modifications of the diagrams are expected. Accordingly, the embodiments are not limited to the specific forms of the illustrated areas, and include, for example, modifications of the forms by manufacturing. All technical and scientific terms used in this specification, unless otherwise defined, have the meanings generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. All terms used in this specification have been selected for the purpose of more clearly explaining the present invention and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights according to the present invention.

As used herein, expressions such as “comprising,” “having,” and the like should be understood as open-ended terms implying the possibility of including other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence in which the expression is included. The singular forms described herein may include the plural meaning unless otherwise stated, and the same applies to the singular forms described in the claims. The expressions “first,” “second,” and the like as used herein are used to distinguish plural elements from each other, and do not limit the order or importance of the elements.

The '~ module' and '~ section' used in this specification are units that process at least one function or operation, and may mean, for example, software, FPGA, or hardware components such as one or more processors. In describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or known configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description may be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a bonded wafer separated by an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. An ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided to separate a bonded wafer (10) by physical impact of a separation head (200). The bonded wafer (10) may be provided as a semiconductor substrate such as, for example, a POI (Piezo On Insulator) wafer, a piezoelectric wafer, a silicon (Si) wafer, a gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafer, a gallium nitride (GaN) wafer, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention performs the function and operation of applying an impact to the side surface of a bonded wafer (10) to separate the bonded wafer (10) into an upper substrate and a lower substrate. To this end, the device may include a separation head (200) that applies an impact to the side surface of the bonded wafer (10), and a loading unit (300) that supports and absorbs the lower surface (10a) and the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10) so that the impact can be applied to the bonded wafer (10) by the separation head (200) and the separation of the bonded wafer (10) can be efficiently performed by the impact by the separation head (200).

Hereinafter, a bonded wafer (10) in which wafer separation is performed by an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described, and a detailed configuration of the ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) for separating the bonded wafer (10) will be described later. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bonded wafer (10) may include a first wafer (11) and a second wafer (12) bonded on the first wafer (11). The first wafer (11) may be a substrate for preparing an SOI wafer or the like. The second wafer (12) may be a substrate having an ion defect layer (ion depletion layer) (13) therein. The ion distribution layer implanted into the second wafer (12) forms defects such as blisters through an activation process such as heat treatment, and may cause a chain reaction with surrounding defects to form a continuous defect layer such as microcracks. Accordingly, the ion defect layer (13) can be formed as a thin layer of about 1 ㎛. The first wafer (11) and the second wafer (12) can be bonded through annealing/thermal curing treatment. For example, the first wafer (11) can be a silicon (Si) wafer and the second wafer (12) can be an LT (LiTaO ₃ ) wafer, but this is only an example and is not limited thereto.

Among the bonded wafers (10), the substrate in the lower region based on the ion defect layer (13) may be referred to as the 'lower substrate (14)', and the substrate in the upper region based on the ion defect layer (13) may be referred to as the 'upper substrate (15)'. The bonded wafer (10) may be separated into the lower substrate (14) and the upper substrate (15) with the ion defect layer (13) as the boundary by the ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention. The lower substrate (14) separated from the bonded wafer (10) by the ion implantation bonded wafer separation device (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention may be provided in the form in which the lower layer of the second wafer (12) is bonded on the first wafer (11).

Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram of a Smart Cut process utilizing a bonded wafer. The smart cut process comprises a process (Step 1) of forming an oxide layer (12b) (e.g., LiTaO ₃ , SiO ₂ , etc.) on the upper surface of the first substrate (12a) by thermal oxidation treatment of the first substrate (12a) and forming a thin ion defect layer (13) with a high hydrogen ion density in the first substrate (12a) through ion implantation of hydrogen or the like to manufacture a second wafer (12), a process (Step 2) of manufacturing a bonded wafer (10) by bonding the second wafer (12) on a first wafer (11) of a different type prepared in advance (e.g., a silicon substrate) and annealing it, and a process (Step 3) of applying a physical impact to the bonded wafer (10) or performing a heat treatment to separate the bonded wafer (10) into a lower substrate (14) (e.g., an SOI wafer) and an upper substrate (15) with the ion defect layer (13) as the boundary. The process may include a process (Step 3), and a process (Step 4) of polishing the lower substrate (14) and the upper substrate to utilize them for semiconductor devices, etc. The upper substrate (15) separated from the bonded wafer (10) may be reused as a handle wafer in the smart cut process of the subsequent process.

In the smart cut process, the bonded wafer (10) can be manufactured by bonding the first wafer (11) and the second wafer (12) using the van der Waals force through chemical washing and hydrophilic bonding treatment. At this time, the first wafer (11), which corresponds to the handle wafer, acts as a rigid reinforcing material and can provide bulk silicon under the silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) embedded in the SOI wafer in the final stage. After separation from the bonded wafer, a medium-temperature heat treatment (400-600°C) and a high-temperature heat treatment (approximately 1100°C) can be performed. In the medium-temperature heat treatment step, a thin damaged layer appears at a depth where the hydrogen ion concentration of the upper substrate (15) is maximum, and this layer is separated into two parts to form residues of the SOI wafer and the second wafer (12). In the subsequent high-temperature heat treatment step, defects in the silicon layer are removed and the bonding force is strengthened. The finally separated thinned film has a uniform surface roughness value and flatness secured through a CMP process.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the separation head (200) can apply an impact to the side of the bonded wafer (10) to separate the upper substrate (15) on the ion defect layer (13) existing in the second wafer (12) of the bonded wafer (10) and the lower substrate (14) under the ion defect layer (13). The separation head (200) can apply a physical impact to the side of the bonded wafer (10) while the bonded wafer (10) is sucked up and down by the loading unit (300). Accordingly, the bonded wafer (10) can be separated with a less impact force than when no suction force is applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the bonded wafer (10). Accordingly, the impact force of the separation head (200) required for separation of the bonded wafer (10) can be reduced, and damage to the side of the bonded wafer (10) and damage to the separation boundary surface of the bonded wafer (10) due to the collision of the separation head (200) can be reduced.

To this end, the loading unit (300) may be equipped with a lower loading chuck (310) and an upper loading chuck (320). The lower loading chuck (310) is positioned at the lower side of the bonded wafer (10) and can vacuum-suck the lower surface (10a) of the bonded wafer (10) downward. The upper loading chuck (320) is positioned at the upper side of the bonded wafer (10) and can vacuum-suck the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10) upward. The lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) may have a function of effectively transferring micro-cracks generated on the side of the bonded wafer (10) when the separation head (200) collides with the bonded wafer (10) to the entire surface of the ion defect layer (13).

FIGS. 5 to 8 are drawings sequentially showing the operation of an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to help understand the present invention, the thickness of the bonded wafer is exaggerated in FIGS. 5 to 8. The actual thickness of the bonded wafer may be provided to be about 1 mm or less. First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5, the loading unit (300) may be provided with a loading chuck operating unit (330) that operates a lower loading chuck (310) and an upper loading chuck (320). The loading chuck operating unit (330) may include a lower loading chuck operating unit (331) that operates the lower loading chuck (310) to suck downward the lower surface (10a) of the bonded wafer (10), and an upper loading chuck operating unit (332) that operates the upper loading chuck (320) to suck upward the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10).

The lower loading chuck operating unit (331) and the upper loading chuck operating unit (332) may be provided as vacuum chucks that form a negative pressure by vacuum-sucking suction grooves (omitted from the drawing) formed in the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320), respectively, to thereby suck the lower surface (10a) of the bonded wafer (10) downwardly and simultaneously suck the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10) upwardly. A lower support plate may be provided on the upper surface of the lower loading chuck (310) to support the lower surface (10a) of the bonded wafer (10), and an upper support plate may be provided on the lower surface of the upper loading chuck (320) to support the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10). The lower support plate of the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper support plate of the upper loading chuck (320) may have a plurality of the above-described suction grooves formed spaced apart from each other in the radial and circumferential directions. The lower loading chuck operating unit (331) and the upper loading chuck operating unit (332) may include an air pressure control device that controls the air pressure applied to the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320).

The loading unit (300) may be provided with a support device (340) that rotatably supports the upper loading chuck (320) with respect to the lower loading chuck (310). Hereinafter, the 'first direction (X)' refers to the direction in which the separation head (200) moves to impact the bonded wafer (10), the 'second direction (Y)' refers to the direction perpendicular to the first direction (X) on a horizontal plane, and the 'third direction (Z)' refers to the up-down direction perpendicular to the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y), respectively. The support device (340) has a support member (341) extending in the third direction (Z). The support member (341) has a rotation shaft (342) at an upper end. An upper loading chuck opening/closing plate (333) may be provided at an upper end of the upper loading chuck operating member (332) coupled with the upper loading chuck (320). The upper loading chuck opening plate (333) is installed so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis (342) provided at the upper end of the support (341). Accordingly, the upper loading chuck opening plate (333) rotates around the rotation axis (342).

The rotation shaft (342) may be provided to rotate one end of the upper loading chuck (320) up and down relative to one end of the lower loading chuck (310). The rotation shaft (342) may be provided in a second direction (Y) that is perpendicular to the direction in which the separation head (200) strikes the bonded wafer (10). Accordingly, a space between the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) is secured at the edge portion of the bonded wafer (10) in front of the separation head (200), and accordingly, an exposed surface of the side portion of the bonded wafer (10) that is struck by the separation head (200) is secured, so that the separation work of the bonded wafer (10) by the separation head (200) can be easily performed.

When the upper loading chuck opening/closing plate (333) rotates in one direction, the upper loading chuck operating part (332) and the upper loading chuck (320) also rotate together, and accordingly, the space between the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) can be opened. Conversely, when the upper loading chuck opening/closing plate (333) rotates in the other direction, the upper loading chuck operating part (332) and the upper loading chuck (320) also rotate together in the opposite direction, and the upper loading chuck (320) can be arranged to face each other on the lower loading chuck (310). In this way, the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) can move relative to each other or rotate together, and the space between the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) can be opened or closed. In the illustrated example, the upper loading chuck (320) is implemented to rotate, but the lower loading chuck (310) may be implemented to move and/or rotate, or both the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) may be implemented to move and/or rotate.

The opening and closing operation of the lower loading chuck (310) and/or the upper loading chuck (320) may be performed manually by a user, or may be automatically performed by a loading chuck driving unit (360) that mechanically moves or rotates the lower loading chuck (310) and/or the upper loading chuck (320). The loading chuck driving unit (360) that drives the lower loading chuck (310) and/or the upper loading chuck (320) may be implemented by various driving mechanisms such as a driving motor, a driving cylinder, a driving belt, a screw shaft gear, a bevel gear, a driving wire, a linear guide, etc.

In the illustrated example, the loading chuck drive unit (360) is provided to raise or lower the upper loading chuck upward. In one embodiment, the loading unit (300) may have a loading chuck drive rod (334) that extends radially outwardly of the upper loading chuck (320) and protrudes outwardly of the upper loading chuck (320). The loading chuck drive unit (360) may include a screw member (361) and operating members (362, 363).

The lower end of the screw member (361) may be rotatably coupled to a rotating support bracket (364) that is rotatably coupled to an upper end of the support rod (365). The screw member (361) may be screw-coupled to a screw hole formed through an end of the loading chuck driving rod (334). The operating member (362, 363) may include a screw tip (362) provided for rotational operation at the upper end of the screw member (361), and/or a driving device (363) that rotates the screw member (361).

The support bar (365) may be mounted on the upper surface of the adjustment device (400) provided to support the separation head (200) and support the operation of the separation head (200), or may be mounted on the separation head (200) supported on the adjustment device (400). Alternatively, the loading chuck drive unit (360) may be supported by a support structure provided separately from the adjustment device (400) and the separation head (200). In the embodiment of the present invention, the loading chuck drive unit (360) is installed on the adjustment device (400) in order to optimize space efficiency. The lower end of the support bar (365) may be rotatably supported on the upper surface of the adjustment device (400).

For example, when a user rotates the screw tip (362) of the loading chuck drive unit (360) in one direction, the screw member (361) rotates clockwise (or counterclockwise) and the end of the loading chuck drive rod (334) is lifted upward. Conversely, when a user rotates the screw tip (362) of the loading chuck drive unit (360) in the other direction, the screw member (361) rotates counterclockwise (or clockwise) and the end of the loading chuck drive rod (334) is lowered.

The lower part of the screw member (361) is rotatably supported on a rotation support bracket (364), so that the lower height of the screw member (361) is maintained in a fixed state, and accordingly, when the screw member (361) rotates, the loading chuck drive rod (334) that is screw-coupled with the screw member (361) moves relative to the screw shaft coupling to perform an up-and-down operation. At this time, the direction of the rotation support bracket (364) is adjusted when the loading chuck drive rod (334) rotates, so that the loading chuck drive rod (334) can rotate smoothly.

If it is not necessary to increase the rotation angle of the loading chuck drive rod (334), the screw member (361) may be installed on the adjustment device (400) except for the rotation support bracket (364) and the support rod (365). The loading chuck drive unit (360) may rotate the screw member (361) by the drive device (363) to rotate the upper loading chuck (320) up and down. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the end side of the upper loading chuck (320) is lifted upward. In this state, the bonding wafer (10) may be loaded onto the lower loading chuck (310). The bonding wafer (10) may be manually loaded onto the lower loading chuck (310) by a user, or may be loaded onto the lower loading chuck (310) by a wafer transfer hand.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in a state where the upper loading chuck (320) is raised from the lower loading chuck (310), the process of forming micro-cracks on the side surface along the circumferential direction of the bonded wafer (10) by rotating the lower loading chuck (310) by the rotation stage (350) provided in the loading unit (300) may precede the process of separating the bonded wafer (10) by physical impact (impact). The rotation stage (350) may be provided to rotate the lower loading chuck (310). The rotation stage (350) may be implemented with a driving mechanism such as a driving motor or a driving cylinder that rotates the lower loading chuck (310).

When the lower loading chuck (310) is rotated by the rotation stage (350), the bonding wafer (10) supported on the lower loading chuck (310) is rotated, and a micro-crack forming device is brought into contact with the side surface of the bonding wafer (10), thereby generating micro-cracks. The micro-crack forming device may be provided by the separation head (200) or a separate crack forming device. When the position of the separation head (200) is implemented so as to be able to move along the first direction (X), the bonding wafer (10) may be rotated while the blade block of the separation head (200) is brought into contact with the side surface of the bonding wafer (10), thereby generating micro-cracks. The process of forming micro-cracks on the side surface by rotating the bonding wafer (10) may be omitted if its necessity is not great.

In a state where the bonded wafer (10) is loaded onto the lower loading chuck (310), as shown in FIG. 5, after the upper loading chuck (320) is lowered, a process of vacuum-sucking the lower surface (10a) and the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10) by the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) can be performed. When a process of generating micro-cracks by rotating the lower loading chuck (310) by the rotation stage (350) is performed, the micro-cracks are transferred to the ion defect layer (13) of the bonded wafer (10) by the vacuum suction of the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320), so that the bonded wafer (10) can be separated more effectively when a physical impact is applied by the subsequent separation head (200).

Even if the process of generating micro-cracks by rotating the bonded wafer (10) is not performed, when both sides of the bonded wafer (10) are vacuum-sucked by the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320), as shown in FIG. 7, by striking the side portion (15) of the bonded wafer (10) by the separation head (200), the impact force of the separation head (200) is transferred to the ion defect layer (13), so that the bonded wafer (10) can be effectively separated. When the side of the bonded wafer (10) is struck by the separation head (200), as shown in FIG. 8, the upper loading chuck (320) can be lifted upward to separate the bonded wafer (10) into the lower substrate (14) and the upper substrate (15) based on the ion defect layer (13).

The effect of reducing damage to the separation head (200) due to the impact of the vacuum suction force of the lower loading chuck (310) and the upper loading chuck (320) can be further enhanced by applying a pad that absorbs impact to the separation head (200). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a separation head constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 9, the separation head (200) can be configured to include a blade holder (210), a blade block (220), a shock absorbing pad (230), and a blade hammer (240) so as to limit the impact force and movement distance of the separation head (200) applied to the bonded wafer (10) within an appropriate range.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a blade holder constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, 9 and 10, the blade holder (210) may have a receiving groove (210a) for receiving a blade block (220), a shock absorbing pad (230) and a blade hammer (240). The receiving groove (210a) may be formed to penetrate the blade holder (210) along the first direction (X).

The blade holder (210) may include a lower holder (211), an upper holder (212) coupled to the upper portion of the lower holder (211), and a rear end plate (213) coupled to the rear portions of the lower holder (211) and the upper holder (212). The lower holder (211) may form a bottom surface and two side surfaces of the blade holder (210). The upper holder (212) may form an upper surface of the blade holder (210). The rear end plate (213) may form a rear surface of the blade holder (210). A plurality of fastening holes (211f, 212a, 212b, 213b, 213c) are formed in each of the lower holder (211), the upper holder (212), and the rear end plate (213), and may be coupled by a fastening member such as a bolt (214).

The lower holder (211) may include a base plate (211a) and a pair of side plates (211b, 211c) that are formed to protrude in a third direction (Z) on both sides of the base plate (211a). The pair of side plates (211b, 211c) may be formed to extend in the first direction (X). An accommodation groove (210a) having a shape corresponding to a blade block (220) and a blade hammer (240) may be formed by the pair of side plates (211b, 211c) and the base plate (211a). The base plate (211a), the pair of side plates (211b, 211c), and the upper holder (212) may provide a block accommodation groove (211d) in which the blade block (220) is accommodated, and a hammer accommodation groove (211e) in which the blade hammer (240) is accommodated.

In order for the blade block (220) to approach the side of the bonded wafer (10), the blade holder (210) may have a front end (210b) of an accommodation groove (210a) facing the side of the bonded wafer (10) opened. The rear end (210c) of the accommodation groove (210a) may be opened so that the rear end of the blade hammer (240) may protrude. Front steps (210d, 210e) may be formed on both sides, with the front end (210b) of the accommodation groove (210a) interposed therebetween, on the front end of the pair of side plates (211b, 211c). Rear steps (210f, 210g) may be formed on both sides, with the rear end (210c) of the accommodation groove (210a) interposed therebetween, on the rear end of the pair of side plates (211b, 211c). Accordingly, the receiving home (210a) can be formed with a relatively small width at the front end (210b) and the rear end (210c) and a relatively large width between the front end (210b) and the rear end (210c) with respect to the second direction (Y).

The upper holder (212) may be provided in a shape corresponding to that of the lower holder (211). The upper holder (212) may be provided in a substantially rectangular plate shape. The rear end plate (213) may be provided in a rectangular plate shape corresponding to the rear surfaces of the lower holder (211) and the upper holder (212). A through hole (213a) into which a blade hammer (240) may be inserted may be formed penetrating in the first direction (X) at the center of the rear end plate (213).

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a blade block constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, 9, and 11, a blade block (220) may be inserted into a receiving groove (210a) and may be provided to move forward and backward along the receiving groove (210a). The moving distance of the blade block (220) may be set to be within a range of approximately 1 mm to 3 mm. A portion of a front end of the blade block (220) may be exposed through a front end (210b) of the receiving groove (210a).

The blade block (220) may include a blade head (221, 222) and a pair of blade stoppers (223, 224). The blade head (221, 222) may have a head body (221) and an impact tip (222) provided at a front portion of the head body (221). In order to concentrate an impact force on a specific side portion (height) of the bonded wafer (10) that is effective in separating the bonded wafer (10), the impact tip (222) may be provided so that its thickness decreases in a direction toward the bonded wafer (10). Accordingly, the front end (222a) of the impact tip (222) is provided to have a sharp edge surface.

A pair of blade stoppers (223, 224) may be formed to protrude laterally on both sides of the blade head (221, 222). The pair of blade stoppers (223, 224) may be formed to extend along the first direction (X). The pair of blade stoppers (223, 224) may be provided in a columnar shape with an approximately rectangular cross-section. The front and rear sides of the pair of blade stoppers (223, 224) may each serve to limit the blade block (220) to move within a predetermined distance within the receiving groove (210a) of the blade holder (210).

The blade stopper (223, 224) may include a first blade stopper (223) that is formed to protrude in a second direction (Y) on one side of the blade head (221, 222), and a second blade stopper (224) that is formed to protrude in a second direction (Y) opposite to the first blade stopper (223) on the other side of the blade head (221, 222). The blade stopper (223, 224) may be cushioned by a shock absorbing pad (230) to limit the movement distance of the blade block (220).

A shock absorbing pad (230) may be interposed between the blade holder (210) and the blade block (220) to limit the movement distance of the blade block (220). The shock absorbing pad (230) may include a front shock absorbing pad (231a, 231b) interposed between the front (223a, 224a) of the blade stopper (223, 224) and the front step (210d, 210e) of the blade holder (210), and a rear shock absorbing pad (232a, 232b) interposed between the rear (223b, 224b) of the blade stopper (223, 224) and the rear step (210f, 210g) of the blade holder (210).

The front shock absorbing pads (231a, 231b) may include a first front shock absorbing pad (231a) interposed between the front surface (223a) of the first blade stopper (223) and a first front step (210e) provided on one side of the front region of the blade holder (210), and a second front shock absorbing pad (231b) interposed between the front surface (224a) of the second blade stopper (224) and a second front step (210d) provided on the other side of the front region of the blade holder (210).

The rear shock absorbing pads (232a, 232b) may include a first rear shock absorbing pad (232a) interposed between the rear surface (223b) of the first blade stopper (223) and a first rear step (210g) provided on one rear area of the blade holder (210), and a second rear shock absorbing pad (232b) interposed between the rear surface (224b) of the second blade stopper (224) and a second rear step (210f) provided on the other rear area of the blade holder (210).

The impact of the impact tip (blade edge) of the blade block (220) transmitted by the blade hammer (240) is absorbed by the cushion of the impact absorbing pad (230), and minute movement and impact amount can be implemented. Accordingly, by suppressing the impact depth and impact amount by the blade block (220) within an appropriate range (e.g., 1 mm to 2 mm), breakage of the impact point and damage such as wafer cracks can be prevented during separation of the bonded wafer.

In order to effectively limit the distance that the blade block (220) moves forward and at the same time effectively buffer the repulsive force acting backward after the blade block (220) collides with the bonded wafer (10), the front shock-absorbing pads (231a, 231b) may be formed with a first thickness (T1) thinner than the second thickness (T2) of the rear shock-absorbing pads (232a, 232b) with respect to the first direction (X) that is the forward-backward direction. In a preferred embodiment, in order to effectively limit the moving distance and impact force of the blade block (220), the shock-absorbing pads (230) may be made of an elastic polymer material including EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer), but other shock-absorbing materials may also be used.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a blade hammer constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, FIG. 9, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12, the blade hammer (240) can strike the blade block (220) to strike the blade block (220) toward the side of the bonded wafer (10). The blade hammer (240) can be provided to strike the blade block (220) to strike the side of the bonded wafer (10) when the loading chuck operating unit (330) operates the upper loading chuck (320) to suck the upper surface (10b) of the bonded wafer (10) upward and the lower loading chuck (310) to suck the lower surface (10a) of the bonded wafer (10) downward.

The blade hammer (240) may include an operating rod (241), a striking hammer body (242), an operating handle (243), and an elastic body (244). The operating rod (241) may be arranged at the rear of the blade head (221, 222) and may extend through the rear end (210c) of the receiving groove (210a) to be exposed to the outside. The striking hammer body (242) may be coupled to the front of the operating rod (241) and may strike the rear of the blade block (220) by the elastic restoring force of the elastic body (244). The operating handle (243) may be provided at the rear of the operating rod (241) so that a user may easily pull the operating rod (241) rearward by holding it with his/her hand. The elastic body (244) may be interposed between the striking hammer body (242) and the rear end plate (213) of the blade holder (210) so as to be compressed when the operating rod (241) is pushed rearward.

When a user pulls and then releases the operating handle (243), the operating rod (241) coupled to the operating handle (243) is pulled backwards, thereby compressing the elastic body (244). In this state, when the user releases the operating handle (243), the elastic body (244) pushes the striking hammer body (242) forward due to the elastic restoring force of the compressed elastic body (244), and accordingly, the striking hammer body (242) strikes the rear of the blade block (220) to move the blade block (220) forward.

Accordingly, as the blade block (220) strikes the side of the bonded wafer (10), the bonded wafer (10) can be separated into the lower substrate (14) and the upper substrate (15) with the ion defect layer (13) as the boundary. The amount of impact that the blade hammer (240) applies to the blade block (220) varies depending on the distance that the user pulls the operating rod (241) backward, but since the movement distance and impact of the blade block (220) are buffered by the shock absorbing pad (230), the bonded wafer (10) can be separated by applying an appropriate amount of force that is not excessive to the side of the bonded wafer (10).

In the illustrated embodiment, the blade hammer (240) is provided with an operating handle (243) to implement a blade operating unit, but the blade operating unit may also be provided as an operating rod driving unit that drives an operating rod (241) in a first direction (X) that is a forward-backward direction. The operating rod driving unit may be configured to move the operating rod (241) forward to strike the blade block (220).

In order to effectively separate the bonded wafer (10) by the impact of the separation head (200), it is necessary to accurately set the position (height) at which the impact tip (222) of the blade block (220) strikes the bonded wafer (10). In order to effectively separate the bonded wafer (10), it is preferable to strike a position higher than the height of the ion defect layer (13) in the bonded wafer (10) and lower than the upper surface (10b) of the second wafer (12) by the impact tip (222). Hereinafter, an embodiment for appropriately controlling the impact position/height and impact amount of the separation head (200) applied to the bonded wafer (10) will be described.

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are drawings for explaining a measuring unit and a driving stage constituting an ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ion implantation bonded wafer separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a measuring unit (500) and a control device (400). The measuring unit (500) may measure bonded wafer information including at least one of a position, a distance, a height, and a direction of a side surface of the bonded wafer (10) based on the blade block (220). In the illustrated example, the measuring unit (500) is provided on the front side of the blade holder (210), but may also be supported on the control device (400) or on a separate support structure.

The control device (400) can control the amount of impact by the separation head (200) by controlling the position, distance, height, direction, and/or impact intensity of the blade block of the separation head (200) with respect to the bonded wafer (10) based on the bonded wafer information acquired by the measurement unit (500). In one embodiment, the control device (400) can include a driving stage (410) that drives the separation head (200) in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. The driving stage (410) can be implemented as, for example, an X-Y stage, a moving body movable by the X-Y stage, and a height adjustment device provided in the moving body to be able to adjust the vertical height, but is not limited thereto. The driving stage (410) can be provided to drive the separation head (200) in multiple directions by various driving mechanisms such as a driving motor, a driving cylinder, a screw shaft, and a driving wire/winch.

The measuring unit (500) may be, for example, an image acquisition/analysis device that acquires and analyzes an image of the side surface of the bonded wafer, a distance sensor such as a laser sensor, a limit sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like, but is not limited thereto. The measuring unit (500) may measure a first distance (D1) in the first direction (X) between the tip of the impact tip of the separation head (200) and the side surface of the bonded wafer (10), a second distance (height difference) (D2) in the third direction (Z) between the ion defect layer (13) and the tip of the impact tip of the separation head (200), and/or a third distance (D3) between the central axis of the separation head (200) in the first direction (X) and the center of the bonded wafer (10) in the first direction (X). The measurement values obtained by the measurement unit (500) can be used as input variables for adjusting the three-axis position, direction, height, etc. of the separation head (20) by the driving stage (410).

According to the embodiments of FIGS. 13 and 14, even if there is a slight change in the diameter or height of the bonded wafer, the arrangement position within the loading section, etc., the position, direction, height, impact amount (e.g., a driving value applied to the blade block by a driving device), etc. of the separation head (200) can be adaptively adjusted according to the circumstances of the diameter, height, and arrangement position of the bonded wafer, thereby ensuring that a constant impact amount is always applied to the side surface of the bonded wafer. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent the physical impact by the separation head from being reduced due to an increase or decrease in the diameter, height, and arrangement position of the bonded wafer, thereby reducing the separation performance of the bonded wafer, or the bonded wafer from being damaged due to excessive impact force being applied to the side surface or separated boundary surface of the bonded wafer.

The various embodiments including specific structural and functional details in the present invention are exemplary. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and may be implemented in various other forms. In addition, the terminology used in the present invention is for the purpose of describing some embodiments and is not to be construed as limiting the embodiments. For example, the singular words and the above may be construed to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the present invention, unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which such concepts belong. In addition, commonly used terms, such as terms defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant technology.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with some embodiments herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, such modifications and changes should be considered to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

10: Bonding wafer
11: 1st wafer
12: 2nd wafer
13: Ion defect layer
14: Lower substrate
15: Top board
100: Ion implantation bonding wafer separation device
200: Separation head
210: Blade Holder
210a: Reception Home
210b: Front end of the receiving home
210c: Rear end of the receiving home
210d, 210e: Front step
210f, 210g: Rear tuck
211: Lower holder
211a: Base Plate
211b, 211c: Side plates
211d: Block receiving home
211e: Hammer receiving home
212: Upper holder
213: Rear end plate
213a: Public space
214: Volt
220: Blade Block
221: Head body
222: Shock Tip
222a: Tip of the impact tip
223, 224: Blade Stopper
230: Shock absorbing pad
231: Front shock absorber pad
231a: First front shock absorbing pad
231b: Second front shock absorbing pad
232: Rear shock absorber pad
232a: 1st rear shock absorber pad
232b: 2nd rear shock absorber pad
240: Blade Hammer
241: Operating load
242: Strike hammer body
243: Operating handle
244: Elastic
300: Loading section
310: Lower loading chuck
320: Top loading chuck
330: Loading chuck operating part
331: Lower loading chuck operating part
332: Upper loading chuck operating part
333: Upper loading chuck opening plate
334: Loading chuck drive rod
340: Support device
341: Support
342: Rotation axis
350: Rotating Stage
360: Loading chuck drive unit
361: Screw member
362: Screw tip
363: Drive Unit
364: Rotating support bracket
365: Support Rod
400: Control device
410: Drive Stage
500: Measuring section

Claims (5)

A separation head is provided to separate an upper substrate on an ion defect layer existing in the second wafer and a lower substrate below the ion defect layer by impacting the side of a bonded wafer in which a second wafer is bonded on a first wafer;
The above separation head
A blade holder having a receiving groove, the front end of the receiving groove being opened so as to face the side surface of the bonded wafer;
A blade block inserted into the receiving groove and configured to move forward and backward along the receiving groove, a portion of which is exposed through the front end of the receiving groove; and
A shock absorbing pad provided within the blade holder to limit the movement distance of the blade block;
The above blade block
A blade head having an impact tip whose thickness decreases in a direction toward the bonded wafer; and
A blade stopper is provided which protrudes laterally on the side of the blade head;
The above shock absorbing pad
A front shock absorbing pad interposed between the front of the blade stopper and the front step of the blade holder to absorb the shock applied by the blade block;
The above blade stopper is cushioned by the front shock absorbing pad to limit the forward movement distance of the blade block.
Ion implantation bonded wafer separation device. In claim 1,
It further includes a loading unit having an upper loading chuck arranged on the upper side of the bonded wafer and sucking the upper surface of the bonded wafer, and a lower loading chuck arranged on the lower side of the bonded wafer and sucking the lower surface of the bonded wafer;
The above loading part
Further comprising a loading chuck operating unit that operates the upper loading chuck and the lower loading chuck to vacuum-suck the upper and lower surfaces of the bonded wafer;
The above separation head
Further comprising a blade hammer configured to strike the side of the bonded wafer by striking the blade block;
The above blade hammer
The loading chuck operating part operates the upper loading chuck so that the upper surface of the bonded wafer is sucked upward and the lower loading chuck is operated so that the lower surface of the bonded wafer is sucked downward, and then strikes the blade block to strike the side surface of the bonded wafer.
Ion implantation bonded wafer separation device. In claim 1,
The above separation head
Further comprising a blade hammer configured to strike the side of the bonded wafer by striking the blade block;
The above blade hammer
an operating rod positioned at the rear of the above blade head; and
An operating rod driving unit configured to drive the operating rod in the forward and backward direction and move the operating rod forward to strike the blade block;
Ion implantation bonded wafer separation device. In claim 1,
The above shock absorbing pad
Further comprising a rear shock absorbing pad interposed between the rear of the blade stopper and the rear step of the blade holder;
The above front shock absorbing pad is formed with a thinner thickness than the rear shock absorbing pad based on the front-back direction,
The above shock absorbing pad is made of an elastic polymer material including EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer).
Ion implantation bonded wafer separation device. In claim 1,
The above separation head
Further comprising a blade hammer configured to strike the side of the bonded wafer by striking the blade block;
The above blade hammer
An operating rod disposed at the rear of the blade head and extending outward through the rear end of the receiving groove;
A striking hammer body coupled to the front of the above operating rod; and
An elastic body interposed between the above striking hammer body and the rear end plate of the blade holder;
The above elastic body
When the operating handle coupled to the rear of the above operating rod is gripped by the user's hand and the operating rod is pulled rearward with respect to the blade holder, the impact hammer body coupled to the front of the above operating rod is pressed rearward and compressed between the impact hammer body and the rear end plate of the blade holder,
The above striking hammer body
When the user releases the operating handle while the elastic body is compressed, the rear surface of the blade block is struck by the elastic restoring force of the elastic body.
Ion implantation bonded wafer separation device.

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