US 12,733,461 B2Granted

Semiconductor wafer processing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor element

AssigneesDenso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, MIRISE Technologies Corporation, National University Corporation Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.

InventorsShosuke Nakabayashi, Junji Ohara, Masatake Nagaya, Chiaki Sasaoka, Shoichi Onda, Jun Kojima, Daisuke Kawaguchi, Ryuji Sugiura, Toshiki Yui, Keisuke Hara

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Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element includes formation of a modified layer, detection of a first region, and cutting of a semiconductor wafer. In the formation of the modified layer, a laser is irradiated on the semiconductor wafer to form the modified layer extending along a surface of the semiconductor wafer inside the semiconductor wafer. The surface of the semiconductor wafer includes a peripheral portion having the first region and a second region. The first region is a region in which the modified layer is not located, and the second region is a region in which the modified layer is formed. In the cutting of the semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is cut at the modified layer starting from the second region.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, the method comprising:

forming a modified layer extending along a surface of a semiconductor wafer inside the semiconductor wafer by irradiating a laser on the semiconductor wafer, the surface of the semiconductor wafer including a peripheral portion having a first region and a second region, the first region being a region in which the modified layer is not formed, the second region being different from the first region and being a region in which the modified layer is formed;
detecting the first region;
specifying a separation line at the surface of the semiconductor wafer, the separation line extending in a specific crystal orientation of the semiconductor wafer while passing through a center of an outer circle of the semiconductor wafer;
adjusting an angle of the semiconductor wafer with respect to a cutter by rotating the semiconductor wafer such that the second region is located at a cut starting point of the cutter;
and
cutting the semiconductor wafer at the modified layer starting from the second region by using the cutter, after the adjusting of the angle and after the specifying of the separation line, wherein
the separation line has a first end portion and a second end portion on a side opposite from the first end portion,
the cutting of the semiconductor wafer further includes determining whether the first end portion of the separation line is present at the first region,
in the cutting of the semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is cut at the modified layer starting from the first end portion based on a condition that the first end portion is absent from the first region, and
in the cutting of the semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is cut at the modified layer starting from the second end portion based on a condition that the first end portion is present at the first region.

7 more elements

A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

a detector;
a position adjuster;
and
a cutter,
wherein the semiconductor wafer includes a modified layer extending along a surface of the semiconductor wafer inside the semiconductor wafer,
wherein the surface of the semiconductor wafer includes a peripheral portion having a first region and a second region, the first region being a region in which the modified layer is absent, the second region being different from the first region and being a region in which the modified layer is present,
wherein the detector is configured to detect the first region,
wherein the position adjuster comprises a rotatable stage and is configured to adjust an angle of the semiconductor wafer with respect to the cutter and to dispose the semiconductor wafer at the cutter while locating the second region at a cut starting point of the cutter after adjusting the angle of the semiconductor wafer,
wherein the cutter is configured to cut the semiconductor wafer at the modified layer starting from the cut starting point, and
wherein the position adjuster is further configured to:
specify a separation line on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, the separation line extending in a specific crystal orientation of the semiconductor wafer while passing through a center of an outer circle of the semiconductor wafer, the separation line having a first end portion and a second end portion on a side opposite from the first end portion;
determine whether the first end portion of the separation line is present at the first region prior to the cutting of the semiconductor wafer;
dispose the semiconductor wafer at the cutter while locating the first end portion at the cut starting point, based on a condition that the first end portion is absent from the first region;
and
dispose the semiconductor wafer at the cutter while locating the second end portion at the cut starting point, based on a condition that the first end portion is present at the first region.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.