# US 12,181,267 B2 · Measuring method

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- Number: US 12,181,267 B2
- Document ID: US12181267B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/156,573
- Filed: 2023-01-19
- Published: 2023-08-03
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-01-31
- Assignees: Disco Corporation
- Applicants: Disco Corporation
- Inventors: Yasukuni Nomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181267B2

## CPC

- G01B 11/06: for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)}
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- G01B 11/0675: {using interferometry}
- H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes}
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A measuring method includes storing thickness data of each of chips held on a holding surface of a holding table, the thickness data being obtained by measurement of thicknesses of portions of the chip at a plurality of measurement points and representing the thicknesses measured at the measurement points in association with positions of the measurement points in a predetermined plane corresponding to a reverse side of the wafer, storing positions of central lines of dividing grooves in the predetermined plane in captured images of reverse sides of the chips, setting, in a periphery of each of the chips, a thickness data unreferencing zone including measurement points where the thickness data will not be referenced in calculating the thickness of the chip, and calculating, for each of the chips, an average value of thicknesses at the measurement points except for the measurement points included in the thickness data unreferencing zone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A measuring method for measuring thicknesses of a plurality of chips,
the chips being produced by dividing a wafer along dividing grooves formed in and along a plurality of projected dicing lines on a face side of the wafer, the projected dicing lines each having a predetermined width and demarcating a plurality of areas in a grid form on the face side with devices constructed in the respective areas,
the measuring method comprising:
a holding step of holding face sides of the chips on a holding surface of a holding table with a protective member interposed therebetween;
a first storing step of storing thickness data of each of the chips held on the holding surface, the thickness data being obtained by measurement of thicknesses of portions of the chip at a plurality of measurement points and representing the thicknesses measured at the measurement points in association with positions of the measurement points in a predetermined plane corresponding to a reverse side of the wafer;
a second storing step of storing positions of central lines of the respective dividing grooves in the predetermined plane in captured images of reverse sides of the chips held on the holding surface;
a setting step of setting, in a periphery of each of the chips, a thickness data unreferencing zone including measurement points that are positioned within predetermined distances from the positions of the central lines of corresponding ones of the dividing grooves and where the thickness data will not be referenced in calculating a thickness of the chip, on a basis of the thickness data of the chip; and
a calculating step of calculating, for each of the chips, an average value of thicknesses at the measurement points except for the measurement points included in the thickness data unreferencing zone.

### Claim 2

A measuring apparatus for measuring thicknesses of a plurality of chips,
the chips being produced by dividing a wafer along dividing grooves formed in and along a plurality of projected dicing lines on a face side of the wafer, the projected dicing lines each having a predetermined width and demarcating a plurality of areas in a grid form on the face side with devices constructed in the respective areas,
the measuring apparatus comprising:
a holding table having a holding surface for holding thereon face sides of the chips with a protective member interposed therebetween;
a thickness measuring unit for measuring, at a plurality of measurement points, thicknesses of portions of each of the chips held on the holding surface;
an image capturing unit for capturing images of reverse sides of the chips held on the holding surface;
a moving unit for moving the thickness measuring unit and the image capturing unit relatively to the holding table; and
a controller having a processor and configured to control at least the holding table, the thickness measuring unit, the image capturing unit, and the moving unit,
wherein the controller includes
a storage section for storing thickness data of each of the chips, the thickness data representing the thicknesses measured at the measurement points in association with positions of the measurement points in a predetermined plane corresponding to a reverse side of the wafer, and positions of central lines of the respective dividing grooves in the predetermined plane in the images captured by the image capturing unit,
a setting section for setting, in a periphery of each of the chips, a thickness data unreferencing zone including measurement points that are positioned within predetermined distances from the positions of the central lines of corresponding ones of the dividing grooves and where the thickness data will not be referenced in calculating a thickness of the chip, on a basis of the thickness data, and
a calculating section for calculating, for each of the chips, an average value of thicknesses at the measurement points except for the measurement points included in the thickness data unreferencing zone.