Supporting plate, apparatus, and method for stripping supporting plate

Abstract

A supporting plate which makes it possible to easily strip the supporting plate from a substrate in a short period of time after thinning the substrate. In the supporting plate to which a circuit-formed surface of a substrate is bonded with an adhesive, a first penetrating hole is formed in a substantially central portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction, grooves connecting with the first penetrating hole are formed on a surface of the supporting plate to be contacted with an adhesive, and a second penetrating hole connecting with the grooves is formed in a peripheral portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a supporting plate which is used when a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is thinned, and also relates to an apparatus and a method for stripping the supporting plate from the semiconductor wafer. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] There is a continuing need to make IC cards and cell phones thinner, smaller, and lighter. In order to satisfy this need, semiconductor chips to be incorporated therein must be thin. Although at present the thickness of a wafer which forms a semiconductor chip is 125-150 μm, it is expected that the thickness of a semiconductor wafer must be 25-50 μm for a next generation of chips. [0005] An example of a conventional method for thinning a semiconductor wafer is shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, a protecting tape is attached to a surface (A-surface) of a semiconductor wafer on which a circuit (element) has been formed. The wafer is turned over,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024] Since the supporting plate of the present invention has a first penetrating hole formed in a substantially central portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction, grooves formed on a surface of the supporting plate to be contacted with an adhesive so as to connect with the first penetrating hole, and a second penetrating hole formed in a peripheral portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction so as to connect with the grooves, it is possible to use the first penetrating hole as a hole for supplying a solvent and the second penetrating hole as a hole for draining the solvent. With this, when the supporting plate is stripped from the substrate after the substrate is thinned, it is possible to supply the solvent quickly to the whole surface of the adhesive which bonds the substrate and the supporting plate so as to strip the supporting plate in a short period of time.

[0025] Also, if the second penetrating hole is used as a hole for supplying a solvent and the first penetrating hole is used as a hole for draining the solvent, the same effect can be achieved.

[0027] Since the stripping apparatus of the present invention comprises a plate which has a first penetrating hole formed in a substantially central portion of the plate in the thickness direction, a second penetrating hole formed in a peripheral portion of the plate in the thickness direction, and a hole for attracting a supporting plate formed between the first penetrating hole and the second penetrating hole in the radial direction, it is possible to use the first penetrating hole as a hole for supplying a solvent and the second penetrating hole as a hole for draining the solvent. With this, when the supporting plate is stripped from the substrate after the substrate is thinned, it is possible to supply the solvent quickly to the whole surface of the adhesive which bonds the substrate and the supporting plate so as to strip the supporting plate in a short period of time.

[0028] Also, if the second penetrating hole is used as a hole for supplying a solvent and the first penetrating hole is used as a hole for draining the solvent, the same effect can be achieved.

[0030] Since the stripping method of the present invention comprises the steps of supplying a solvent from outside to a first penetrating hole of a plate, distributing the solvent from a first penetrating hole of a supporting plate to grooves connecting with the first penetrating hole of the supporting plate, dissolving the adhesive on a surface contacted with the substrate by the solvent, and draining the solvent used for dissolving the adhesive from a second penetrating hole of the supporting plate and a second penetrating hole of the plate, it is possible to supply the solvent quickly to the whole surface of the adhesive which bonds the substrate and the supporting plate so as to strip the supporting plate in a short period of time.

[0032] Since the stripping method of the present invention comprises the steps of supplying a solvent from outside to a second penetrating hole of a plate, distributing the solvent from a second penetrating hole of a supporting plate to grooves connecting with the second penetrating hole of the supporting plate, dissolving the adhesive on a surface contacted with the substrate by the solvent, and draining the solvent used for dissolving the adhesive from a first penetrating hole of the supporting plate and a first penetrating hole of the plate, it is possible to supply the solvent quickly to the whole surface of the adhesive which bonds the substrate and the supporting plate so as to strip the supporting plate in a short period of time.

Problems solved by technology

In the above-mentioned techniques, since it is difficult for a solvent to enter between the supporting plate (protecting tape) and the semiconductor wafer when the supporting plate (protecting tape) is stripped from the semiconductor wafer, it takes too much time to strip the supporting plate from the semiconductor wafer.

Also, the thermoplastic film bonding the support plate (protecting tape) and the semiconductor wafer often fails to completely dissolve, and tends to be left in a state of sticking to either the support plate or the semiconductor wafer.

If an adhesive is left as described above, cracking or chipping of the semiconductor wafer easily occurs at the time of stripping.

However, another problem arises.

As shown in FIG. 10, the solvent leaks from the periphery of the supporting plate to the outside, and the solvent drops onto the dicing tape, which results in a deterioration of the dicing tape in a short period of time.

Further, efficiency of stripping is bad because part of a new solvent supplied to the space S is withdrawn without being utilized.

Furthermore, even if the adhesive is completely dissolved, if a finger or the like is used as a device for stripping the semiconductor wafer from the supporting plate, there is a strong likelihood that the circuit-formed surface of the semiconductor wafer will be damaged.

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