US 6,602,736 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for separating semiconductor chips

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsMakoto Matsuoka, Hitoshi Odashima, Kazuyuki Futagi, Syoji Nakakuki

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In an apparatus for separating semiconductor chips, a semiconductor wafer stuck to an adhesive sheet with its silicon mirror surface facing downwards is sucked as a whole through its circuit surface side by means of a sucker plate capable of sucking the whole of wafer. In order to separate the sheet from a frame fixing the sheet while the sheet being sucked, the sheet is cut by a cutter edge so as to be separated from the frame. To separate the sheet from the wafer, the wafer top surface is guided by a guide plate having a tip angle of 15° and by causing the sheet to profile the tip of the guide plate, the sheet is peeled off in a direction making an angle of 45° to the dicing direction on the wafer.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for separating semiconductor chips, comprising:

positioning a sheet, to which a wafer diced into many semiconductor chips is stuck and which has its edge surrounded and supported by a frame, to a position where a sucker plate is located;
sucking said wafer to said sucker plate;
cutting said sheet to cut off, from said frame, a part of said sheet including a site where said wafer is stuck to said sheet;
separating said sheet from said wafer while said wafer is being sucked to said sucker plate,
wherein said sheet is separated by pulling the edge of said sheet in a predetermined direction while said sheet is being moved under a guidance of a wedge-shaped guide, said wedge-shaped guide being moved in a direction making an angle of about 45° to the dicing line for chips on said wafer and concurrently therewith said sheet being pulled in the 45° direction, said sheet being caused to profile an angle of 15° of said wedge-shaped guide so as to be pulled in a direction making an angle of about 15° to the top surface of said sucker plate;
and
picking up the individual semiconductor chips, transferring them from said sucker plate to a different site and storing them in a tray.

4 more elements

A method for separating an adhesive sheet from a wafer comprising:

providing a wafer having one surface stuck to an adhesive sheet supported by a frame, said wafer being diced into many semiconductor chips;
arranging said wafer by positioning said wafer with respect to a sucking mechanism;
sucking an opposite surface of said one surface of said wafer by said sucking mechanism;
arranging a guide member having a wedge-shaped tip portion with respect to said adhesive sheet, said sheet being stuck to said one surface of said wafer;
making said adhesive sheet profile said tip portion of said guide member by holding one end of said adhesive sheet;
pulling said one end of said adhesive sheet while making said adhesive sheet profile said tip portion of said guide member and concurrently moving said guide member along said adhesive sheet;
and
separating said adhesive sheet from said one surface of said wafer.

5 more elements

A method of separating semiconductor chips from a wafer comprising:

providing a wafer having one surface stuck to an adhesive sheet supported by a frame, said wafer being diced into many semiconductor chips;
arranging said wafer by positioning said wafer with respect to a first sucking mechanism;
sucking an opposite surface of said one surface of said wafer by said first sucking mechanism;
arranging a guide member having a wedge-shaped tip portion by positioning said guide member with respect to said adhesive sheet, said adhesive sheet being stuck to said one surface of said wafer,
making said adhesive sheet to profile said tip portion of said guide member by holding one end of said adhesive sheet;
pulling said one end of said adhesive sheet while making said adhesive sheet to profile said tip portion of said guide member and concurrently moving said guide member along said adhesive sheet;
separating said adhesive sheet from said one surface of said wafer;
arranging a second sucking mechanism by positioning said second sucking mechanism with respect to each of said semiconductor chips of said wafer;
picking up said each of said semiconductor chips from said wafer by said second sucking mechanism;
and
storing said picked-up each of said semiconductor chips in a storing tray.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/534,521Filed 24 Mar 2000 · continuation in part
Priority: JP 11-0056083 Mar 1999
Granted: 5 Aug 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H10P 72/0442
Apparatus for manufacture or treatment: apparatus for placing on an insulating substrate, e.g. tape
H10P 72/0428
Apparatus for manufacture or treatment: apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting
H10P 72/74
For supporting or gripping: using temporarily an auxiliary support
H10P 72/7402
Using temporarily an auxiliary support: wafer tapes, e.g. grinding or dicing support tapes