JP7670688B2 - Method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-058734, filed on March 27, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

When manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive is used, which includes a semiconductor chip and a film-like adhesive provided on the back surface of the semiconductor chip.
An example of a method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive is shown below.

First, a dicing die bonding sheet is attached to the back surface of a semiconductor wafer.
The dicing die bonding sheet may, for example, be one that includes a support sheet and a film-like adhesive provided on the surface of the support sheet. The support sheet can be used as a dicing sheet. There are a number of different types of support sheets, including one that includes a substrate and an adhesive layer provided on the surface of the substrate; one that consists of a substrate only; and the like. In the support sheet that includes an adhesive layer, the outermost surface on the adhesive layer side is the surface on which the film-like adhesive is provided. The dicing die bonding sheet is attached to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer by the film-like adhesive therein.

Next, the semiconductor wafer and film-like adhesive on the support sheet are both cut by blade dicing. "Cutting" the semiconductor wafer is also called "splitting," and this separates the semiconductor wafer into the desired semiconductor chips. The film-like adhesive is cut along the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip. This results in a semiconductor chip with film-like adhesive comprising a semiconductor chip and the cut film-like adhesive provided on its back surface, and also results in a group of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive in which a number of these semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive are held in an aligned state on the support sheet.

Next, the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive is peeled off from the support sheet and picked up. If a support sheet with a curable adhesive layer is used, the adhesive layer is cured at this time to reduce the adhesiveness, which makes picking up easier.
In this manner, a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive for use in manufacturing a semiconductor device is obtained.

Another example of the method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive is shown below.
First, a backgrind tape (sometimes called a "surface protection tape") is applied to the circuit-forming surface of a semiconductor wafer.
Next, a portion to be divided is set inside the semiconductor wafer, and a laser beam is irradiated so as to focus on the area included in the portion, thereby forming a modified layer inside the semiconductor wafer. Next, the thickness of the semiconductor wafer is adjusted to a desired value by grinding the back surface of the semiconductor wafer using a grinder. At this time, the grinding force applied to the semiconductor wafer is utilized to divide (single) the semiconductor wafer at the portion where the modified layer is formed, and a plurality of semiconductor chips are produced. This method of dividing a semiconductor wafer with the formation of a modified layer is called stealth dicing (registered trademark), and is essentially completely different from laser dicing, which cuts the semiconductor wafer from its surface while scraping off the semiconductor wafer at the irradiated portion by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with laser light.

Next, a die bonding sheet is attached to the backside (in other words, the ground surface) of all of these semiconductor chips fixed on the backgrind tape after the above-mentioned grinding. Examples of die bonding sheets include those similar to the dicing die bonding sheet described above. In this way, it may be possible to design the die bonding sheet to have a similar configuration to the dicing die bonding sheet, but simply not use it when dicing the semiconductor wafer. The die bonding sheet is also attached to the backside of the semiconductor chip by the film-like adhesive therein.

Next, after removing the backgrind tape from the semiconductor chip, the die bonding sheet is stretched in a direction parallel to its surface (e.g., the surface of the film-like adhesive that is attached to the semiconductor chip) while being cooled, a process known as expanding (cool expanding), thereby cutting the film-like adhesive along the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip.
By the above steps, a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive is obtained, which includes a semiconductor chip and the cut film-like adhesive provided on the back surface of the semiconductor chip.

Next, in the same manner as in the case of using the blade dicing described above, the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive is separated from the support sheet and picked up to obtain a semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive for use in manufacturing a semiconductor device.

Both dicing die bonding sheets and die bonding sheets can be used to manufacture semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive, ultimately enabling the manufacture of the desired semiconductor device. In this specification, dicing die bonding sheets and die bonding sheets are collectively referred to as "semiconductor device manufacturing sheets."

As a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor devices, for example, a dicing die bonding tape (corresponding to the dicing die bonding sheet) having a structure in which a base layer (corresponding to the support sheet) and an adhesive layer (corresponding to the film-like adhesive) are laminated in direct contact has been disclosed (see Patent Document 1). In this dicing die bonding tape, the 90-degree peeling force of the base layer and adhesive layer at -15°C is adjusted to a specific range, so that the adhesive layer can be accurately separated by expanding. In addition, since the 90-degree peeling force of the base layer and adhesive layer at 23°C is adjusted to a specific range, when this dicing die bonding tape is used, it is said that a semiconductor chip with an adhesive layer (corresponding to the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive) can be picked up without difficulty, and peeling of the semiconductor wafer and the semiconductor chip from the adhesive layer can be suppressed during the process of picking up.

JP 2018-56289 A

However, when manufacturing a dicing die bonding tape such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the film-forming properties of the adhesive layer (corresponding to a film-like adhesive) have not been considered.

The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device, which makes it easy to form a film of adhesive and produces a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device that has excellent suitability for mounting processes when used.

(1) A method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises a base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive, and a second release film, and is configured by laminating the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the second release film in this order;
a first processing step of forming a cut portion C in the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of a second intermediate laminate comprising the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and a first release film at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a portion of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive located on the outer side from the cut portion C as a starting point to obtain a second intermediate laminate processed product;
a lamination step of bonding a first intermediate laminate including the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the second intermediate laminate processed product to obtain a first laminate including the substrate, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the first release film;
A replacement step of peeling off the first release film of the first laminate and replacing it with a second release film to obtain a second laminate;
a second processing step of forming a cut portion C' in the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the second laminate at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a part of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer located outside the cut portion C' as a starting point to obtain a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet,
A method for producing a sheet for producing semiconductor device, wherein the peel strength between the first release film and the film-like adhesive is higher than the peel strength between the second release film and the film-like adhesive.
(2) A first test piece obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the first release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
the peel strength (mN/50 mm) between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film is greater than 180 mN/50 mm, as measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and a humidity of 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film of the first test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the first release film is peeled off from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer;
A second test piece was obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the second release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
The method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to (1), wherein the peel force (mN/50 mm) between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the second release film is 180 mN/50 mm or less, as measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the second release film of the second test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the second release film is peeled off from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
(3) The method for producing a sheet for producing semiconductor device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the intermediate layer contains a non-silicon based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less as a main component.

According to this aspect, a method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device is provided, which makes it easy to form a film of the film-like adhesive and can produce a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device that has excellent suitability for the mounting process when used.

1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet shown in FIG. 1 . 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views that typically show a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views that typically show a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views that typically show a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views that typically show a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views that typically show a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views for illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views for illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views for illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views for illustrating a schematic example of a method of using the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

A sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive, and a release film, and is configured by laminating the substrate, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, intermediate layer, film-like adhesive, and release film in this order. The intermediate layer preferably contains a non-silicon-based resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 100,000 or less as a main component.

When the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment is used as a dicing die bonding sheet and blade dicing is performed, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet has the intermediate layer, which makes it easy to prevent the blade from reaching the substrate, and suppresses the generation of whisker-like cutting debris (also known as whiskers, hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "cutting debris" and not limited to debris derived from the substrate) from the substrate. Furthermore, since the main component of the intermediate layer cut by the blade is a non-silicon resin with a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less, and in particular, the weight average molecular weight is 100,000 or less, the generation of the cutting debris from the intermediate layer can also be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment is used as a die bonding sheet to perform dicing involving the formation of a modified layer on a semiconductor wafer (stealth dicing (registered trademark)), the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet has the intermediate layer, and by subsequently stretching the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet in a direction parallel to its surface (for example, the surface of the film-like adhesive to be attached to the semiconductor chip), a so-called expanding process, the film-like adhesive can be cut accurately at the desired location, and cutting defects can be suppressed. This is thought to be because the intermediate layer allows the stress of the expanding process to be efficiently used to increase the distance between the chips.

In this way, the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device of this embodiment suppresses the generation of cutting chips from the base material and intermediate layer during blade dicing, and suppresses poor cutting of the film-like adhesive during the expanding process. It has properties that suppress the occurrence of defects when dividing semiconductor wafers, and is highly suitable for dividing semiconductor wafers.

In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "weight average molecular weight" refers to a polystyrene-equivalent value measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

The manufacturing method and method of use of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment will be described in detail later.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description may show enlarged essential parts for the sake of convenience in order to make the features of the embodiment easier to understand, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet illustrated in FIG.
In FIG. 2 and subsequent figures, the same components as those shown in the figures already described are given the same reference numerals as in the figures already described, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 shown here comprises a base material 11, and is configured by laminating an adhesive layer 12, an intermediate layer 13, and a film-like adhesive 14, in that order, on the base material 11. The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 further comprises a release film 15 on a surface 14a (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first surface") of the film-like adhesive 14 opposite the side on which the intermediate layer 13 is provided.

In the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, an adhesive layer 12 is provided on one side (sometimes referred to as the "first side" in this specification) 11a of the substrate 11. An intermediate layer 13 is provided on the side (sometimes referred to as the "first side" in this specification) 12a of the adhesive layer 12 opposite the side on which the substrate 11 is provided. A film-like adhesive 14 is provided on the side (sometimes referred to as the "first side" in this specification) 13a of the intermediate layer 13 opposite the side on which the adhesive layer 12 is provided. A release film 15 is provided on the first side 14a of the film-like adhesive 14. In this way, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is configured by laminating the substrate 11, adhesive layer 12, intermediate layer 13, film-like adhesive 14, and release film 15 in this order in the thickness direction.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is used by removing the release film 15 and attaching the first surface 14a of the film-like adhesive 14 therein to the back surface of a semiconductor wafer, semiconductor chip, or a semiconductor wafer that has not been completely divided (not shown).

In this specification, for both semiconductor wafers and semiconductor chips, the surface on which the circuits are formed is referred to as the "circuit forming surface," and the surface opposite the circuit forming surface is referred to as the "rear surface."

In this specification, a laminate having a structure in which a base material and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are laminated in their thickness direction, and no intermediate layer is laminated, may be referred to as a "support sheet." In Figure 1, the support sheet is indicated by the reference numeral 1.
A laminate having a structure in which a substrate, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and an intermediate layer are laminated in this order in the thickness direction may be referred to as a "laminate sheet". In Fig. 1, the laminate sheet is indicated by the reference numeral 10. The laminate of the support sheet and the intermediate layer is included in the laminate sheet.

When viewed from above, the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 each have a circular planar shape, and the diameter of the intermediate layer 13 and the diameter of the film-like adhesive 14 are the same.
In the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are arranged so that their centers coincide, in other words, so that the positions of the outer periphery of the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 both coincide in the radial direction.

The first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13 and the first surface 14a of the film-like adhesive 14 are both smaller in area than the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12. The maximum value of the width W ₁₃ of the intermediate layer 13 (i.e., diameter) and the maximum value of the width W ₁₄ of the film-like adhesive 14 (i.e., diameter) are both smaller than the maximum value of the width of the adhesive layer 12 and the maximum value of the width of the base material 11. Therefore, in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, a part of the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 is not covered by the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14. In such an area of the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 where the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are not laminated, the release film 15 is laminated in direct contact therewith, and when the release film 15 is removed, this area is exposed (hereinafter, in this specification, this area may be referred to as the "non-laminated area").
In addition, in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 having a release film 15, in the areas of the adhesive layer 12 that are not covered by the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14, there may or may not be areas where the release film 15 is not laminated, as shown here.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, in which the film-like adhesive 14 is not cut and is attached to the semiconductor wafer or semiconductor chip or the like by the film-like adhesive 14, can be fixed by attaching a part of the non-laminated region of the adhesive layer 12 therein to a jig such as a ring frame for fixing a semiconductor wafer. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate jig adhesive layer on the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 to fix the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 to the jig. And because there is no need to provide a jig adhesive layer, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 can be manufactured inexpensively and efficiently.

In this way, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 has an advantageous effect by not having a jig adhesive layer, but may have a jig adhesive layer. In this case, the jig adhesive layer is provided in a region near the periphery of the surface of any of the layers constituting the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101. Examples of such a region include the non-laminated region on the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12.

The adhesive layer for the jig may be a known one, for example, a single-layer structure containing an adhesive component, or a multi-layer structure in which layers containing an adhesive component are laminated on both sides of a core sheet.

Furthermore, as described below, when the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is stretched in a direction parallel to its surface (e.g., the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12), that is, expanded, the presence of the non-laminated region on the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 makes it easy to expand the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101. Not only can the film-like adhesive 14 be easily cut, but peeling of the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 from the adhesive layer 12 can also be suppressed.

The first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 of the support sheet 1 and the first surface 11a of the substrate 11 are both smaller in area than the first surface 15a of the release film 15. The maximum width (i.e., diameter) of the adhesive layer 12 and the maximum width (i.e., diameter) of the substrate 11 are both smaller than the maximum width of the release film 15. Therefore, in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, a portion of the release film 15 is not covered by the adhesive layer 12 and the substrate 11.

When viewed from above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 12 and the base material 11 each have a circular planar shape, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 12 and the base material 11 have the same diameter.
In the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, the adhesive layer 12 and the base material 11 are arranged so that their centers coincide, in other words, so that the positions of the outer periphery of the adhesive layer 12 and the base material 11 both coincide in the radial direction.

In the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, it is preferable that the intermediate layer 13 contains a non-silicon-based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less as its main component.

The sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device of this embodiment is not limited to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, and some of the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be changed, deleted, or added within the scope that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

For example, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment may include other layers that do not fall under any of the following: a substrate, an adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive, a release film, and a jig adhesive layer. However, it is preferable that the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment includes an adhesive layer in direct contact with the substrate, an intermediate layer in direct contact with the adhesive layer, a film-like adhesive in direct contact with the intermediate layer, and a release film in direct contact with the film-like adhesive, as shown in FIG. 1.

For example, in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of this embodiment, the planar shapes of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive may be shapes other than circular, and the planar shapes of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive may be the same as each other or different. In addition, the area of the first surface of the intermediate layer and the area of the first surface of the film-like adhesive are both preferably smaller than the area of the surface of the layer closer to the substrate than these (e.g., the first surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer), and may be the same as each other or different. The positions of the outer circumferences of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive may or may not coincide in the radial direction.
Next, each layer constituting the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device of this embodiment will be described in more detail.

Substrate The substrate is in the form of a sheet or film.
The constituent material of the substrate is preferably various resins, and specific examples thereof include polyethylene (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE, etc.)), polypropylene (PP), polybutene, polybutadiene, polymethylpentene, styrene-ethylenebutylene-styrene block copolymer, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyurethane, polyurethane acrylate, polyimide (PI), ionomer resin, ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid ester copolymer, ethylene copolymers other than ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer and ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid ester copolymer, polystyrene, polycarbonate, fluororesin, water additives, modified products, crosslinked products, or copolymers of any of these resins, and the like.

In this specification, "(meth)acrylic acid" is a concept that includes both "acrylic acid" and "methacrylic acid." The same applies to terms similar to (meth)acrylic acid. For example, "(meth)acrylate" is a concept that includes both "acrylate" and "methacrylate," and "(meth)acryloyl group" is a concept that includes both "acryloyl group" and "methacryloyl group."

The resin constituting the base material may be of only one type, or of two or more types; if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these may be selected arbitrarily.

The substrate may be one layer (single layer) or two or more layers. When the substrate is made of multiple layers, the multiple layers may be the same or different from each other, and the combination of the multiple layers is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention.
In this specification, not only in the case of a substrate, "multiple layers may be the same or different from one another" means "all layers may be the same, all layers may be different, or only some layers may be the same", and further, "multiple layers are different from one another" means "at least one of the constituent materials and thicknesses of each layer is different from one another".

The thickness of the substrate can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, but is preferably 50 to 300 μm, and more preferably 60 to 150 μm. When the thickness of the substrate is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the structure of the substrate is more stable. When the thickness of the substrate is equal to or less than the upper limit, the film-like adhesive can be cut more easily during blade dicing and the expanding of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet.
Here, the "thickness of the substrate" means the thickness of the entire substrate. For example, the thickness of a substrate consisting of multiple layers means the total thickness of all layers constituting the substrate.
In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "thickness" refers to a value expressed as an average of thickness measurements at five randomly selected points, and can be obtained using a constant pressure thickness gauge in accordance with JIS K7130.

In order to improve adhesion to other layers, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, provided thereon, the substrate may be subjected to a surface treatment such as a roughening treatment by sandblasting, solvent treatment, embossing, or an oxidation treatment, such as a corona discharge treatment, electron beam irradiation treatment, plasma treatment, ozone/ultraviolet radiation treatment, flame treatment, chromic acid treatment, or hot air treatment.
The surface of the substrate may be treated with a primer.
The substrate may also have an antistatic coating layer; a layer that prevents the substrate from adhering to other sheets or to an adsorption table when the die bonding sheets are stacked and stored; or the like.

In addition to the main constituent materials such as the resin, the substrate may contain various known additives such as fillers, colorants, antistatic agents, antioxidants, organic lubricants, catalysts, and softeners (plasticizers).

The optical properties of the substrate are not particularly limited as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. The substrate may be, for example, transparent to laser light or energy rays.

The substrate can be manufactured by a known method. For example, a substrate containing a resin (having a resin as a constituent material) can be manufactured by molding the resin or a resin composition containing the resin.

Adhesive Layer The adhesive layer is in the form of a sheet or film and contains an adhesive.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be formed using a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition containing the pressure-sensitive adhesive. For example, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition can be applied to a surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is to be formed, and then dried as necessary to form the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer at the desired site.

The adhesive composition may be applied by known methods, such as using various coaters such as an air knife coater, blade coater, bar coater, gravure coater, roll coater, roll knife coater, curtain coater, die coater, knife coater, screen coater, Mayer bar coater, or kiss coater.

The drying conditions for the adhesive composition are not particularly limited, but when the adhesive composition contains a solvent as described below, it is preferable to heat dry it. In this case, it is preferable to dry it under conditions of, for example, 70 to 130°C for 10 seconds to 5 minutes.

Examples of the adhesive include adhesive resins such as acrylic resins, urethane resins, rubber-based resins, silicone resins, epoxy-based resins, polyvinyl ethers, polycarbonates, and ester-based resins, with acrylic resins being preferred.

In this specification, the term "adhesive resin" includes both resins that are adhesive and resins that are adhesive. For example, the adhesive resins include not only resins that are adhesive themselves, but also resins that become adhesive when used in combination with other components such as additives, and resins that become adhesive in the presence of a trigger such as heat or water.

The adhesive layer may be either curable or non-curable, for example, either energy ray curable or non-energy ray curable. The physical properties of the curable adhesive layer before and after curing can be easily adjusted.

In this specification, the term "energy rays" refers to electromagnetic waves or charged particle beams that have an energy quantum. Examples of energy rays include ultraviolet rays, radiation, and electron beams. Ultraviolet rays can be irradiated by using, for example, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a fusion lamp, a xenon lamp, a black light, or an LED lamp as an ultraviolet ray source. Electron beams can be irradiated by generating them using an electron beam accelerator or the like.
In this specification, the term "energy ray curable" means a property of being cured by irradiation with energy rays, and the term "non-energy ray curable" means a property of not being cured even when irradiated with energy rays.

The adhesive layer may consist of one layer (single layer) or may consist of two or more layers. If it consists of multiple layers, these multiple layers may be the same or different, and there are no particular limitations on the combination of these multiple layers.

The thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is preferably from 1 to 100 μm, more preferably from 1 to 60 μm, and particularly preferably from 1 to 30 μm.
Here, "the thickness of the adhesive layer" means the thickness of the entire adhesive layer, and for example, the thickness of an adhesive layer consisting of multiple layers means the total thickness of all layers that make up the adhesive layer.

The substrate and the adhesive layer may be of the same shape, and it is preferable that the substrate and the adhesive layer are laminated so that the outer periphery of their planar shapes coincides.

The optical properties of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. For example, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may transmit energy rays.
Next, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition will be described.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition described below may contain, for example, one or more of the following components, such that the total content (mass %) does not exceed 100 mass %.

<<Adhesive composition>>
When the adhesive layer is energy ray curable, examples of the adhesive composition containing an energy ray curable adhesive, that is, the energy ray curable adhesive composition, include an adhesive composition (I-1) containing a non-energy ray curable adhesive resin (I-1a) (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "adhesive resin (I-1a)") and an energy ray curable compound; an adhesive composition (I-2) containing an energy ray curable adhesive resin (I-2a) (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "adhesive resin (I-2a)") in which an unsaturated group has been introduced into the side chain of the non-energy ray curable adhesive resin (I-1a); an adhesive composition (I-3) containing the adhesive resin (I-2a) and an energy ray curable compound, and the like.

<Pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1)>
As described above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) contains the non-energy ray-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a) and an energy ray-curable compound.

[Adhesive resin (I-1a)]
The adhesive resin (I-1a) is preferably an acrylic resin.
The acrylic resin may, for example, be an acrylic polymer having at least a structural unit derived from an alkyl (meth)acrylate ester.
The structural unit contained in the acrylic resin may be of only one type, or may be of two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

The adhesive resin (I-1a) contained in the adhesive composition (I-1) may be of only one type or of two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-1), the content ratio of the adhesive resin (I-1a) to the total mass of the adhesive composition (I-1) is preferably 5 to 99 mass%, more preferably 10 to 95 mass%, and particularly preferably 15 to 90 mass%.

[Energy ray curable compound]
The energy ray-curable compound contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) includes a monomer or oligomer having an energy ray-polymerizable unsaturated group and capable of being cured by irradiation with energy rays.
Of the energy ray-curable compounds, examples of the monomer include polyvalent (meth)acrylates such as trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol (meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate, dipentaerythritol hexa(meth)acrylate, 1,4-butylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, and 1,6-hexanediol (meth)acrylate; urethane (meth)acrylate; polyester (meth)acrylate; polyether (meth)acrylate; and epoxy (meth)acrylate.
Among the energy ray-curable compounds, examples of the oligomer include oligomers obtained by polymerizing the above-exemplified monomers.
The energy ray curable compound is preferably a urethane (meth)acrylate or a urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer, since it has a relatively large molecular weight and is less likely to reduce the storage modulus of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

The energy ray-curable compound contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) may be only one type or may be two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-1), the content ratio of the energy ray curable compound relative to the total mass of the adhesive composition (I-1) is preferably 1 to 95 mass%, more preferably 5 to 90 mass%, and particularly preferably 10 to 85 mass%.

[Crosslinking agent]
When the acrylic polymer having a structural unit derived from a functional group-containing monomer in addition to a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester is used as the pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a), it is preferable that the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) further contains a crosslinking agent.

The crosslinking agent, for example, reacts with the functional group to crosslink the adhesive resins (I-1a) together.
Examples of the crosslinking agent include isocyanate-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having an isocyanate group) such as tolylene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, and adducts of these diisocyanates; epoxy-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having a glycidyl group) such as ethylene glycol glycidyl ether; aziridine-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having an aziridinyl group) such as hexa[1-(2-methyl)-aziridinyl]triphosphatriazine; metal chelate-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having a metal chelate structure) such as aluminum chelate; and isocyanurate-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having an isocyanuric acid skeleton).
The crosslinking agent is preferably an isocyanate-based crosslinking agent from the viewpoints of improving the cohesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive and thereby improving the adhesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and of easy availability.

The crosslinking agent contained in the adhesive composition (I-1) may be one type only or may be two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these may be selected arbitrarily.

When a crosslinking agent is used, the content of the crosslinking agent in the adhesive composition (I-1) is preferably 0.01 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 15 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the adhesive resin (I-1a).

[Photopolymerization initiator]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) may further contain a photopolymerization initiator. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) containing a photopolymerization initiator sufficiently undergoes a curing reaction even when irradiated with relatively low-energy energy rays such as ultraviolet rays.

Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include benzoin compounds such as benzoin, benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, benzoin isobutyl ether, benzoin benzoic acid, benzoin methyl benzoate, and benzoin dimethyl ketal; acetophenone compounds such as acetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one, and 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethane-1-one; acyl phosphinates such as bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phenylphosphine oxide and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide; Examples of suitable compounds include phosphine oxide compounds; sulfide compounds such as benzyl phenyl sulfide and tetramethylthiuram monosulfide; α-ketol compounds such as 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone; azo compounds such as azobisisobutyronitrile; titanocene compounds such as titanocene; thioxanthone compounds such as thioxanthone; peroxide compounds; diketone compounds such as diacetyl; benzyl; dibenzyl; benzophenone; 2,4-diethylthioxanthone; 1,2-diphenylmethane; 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-[4-(1-methylvinyl)phenyl]propanone; and 2-chloroanthraquinone.
As the photopolymerization initiator, for example, a quinone compound such as 1-chloroanthraquinone; a photosensitizer such as an amine, and the like can also be used.

The photopolymerization initiator contained in the adhesive composition (I-1) may be only one type or may be two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

When a photopolymerization initiator is used, the content of the photopolymerization initiator in the adhesive composition (I-1) is preferably 0.01 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the energy ray-curable compound.

[Other additives]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) may contain other additives that do not fall under any of the above-mentioned components, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
Examples of the other additives include known additives such as antistatic agents, antioxidants, softeners (plasticizers), fillers, rust inhibitors, colorants (pigments, dyes), sensitizers, tackifiers, reaction retarders, and crosslinking accelerators (catalysts).

The reaction retarder is, for example, a component for suppressing the progression of an unintended crosslinking reaction in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) during storage due to the action of a catalyst mixed in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1). Examples of reaction retarders include those that form a chelate complex by chelating with the catalyst, and more specifically, those that have two or more carbonyl groups (-C(=O)-) in one molecule.

The other additives contained in the adhesive composition (I-1) may be of only one type or of two or more types, and if there are two or more types, their combination and ratio can be selected arbitrarily.

The content of other additives in the adhesive composition (I-1) is not particularly limited and may be selected appropriately depending on their types.

[solvent]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) may contain a solvent. By containing a solvent, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1) has improved suitability for application to a surface to be coated.

The solvent is preferably an organic solvent.

<Pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2)>
As described above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) contains an energy ray-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-2a) in which an unsaturated group has been introduced into the side chain of a non-energy ray-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a).

[Adhesive resin (I-2a)]
The adhesive resin (I-2a) can be obtained, for example, by reacting a functional group in the adhesive resin (I-1a) with an unsaturated group-containing compound having an energy ray-polymerizable unsaturated group.

The unsaturated group-containing compound is a compound having, in addition to the energy ray-polymerizable unsaturated group, a group that can bond to the adhesive resin (I-1a) by reacting with a functional group in the adhesive resin (I-1a).
Examples of the energy ray-polymerizable unsaturated group include a (meth)acryloyl group, a vinyl group (ethenyl group), and an allyl group (2-propenyl group), and the like, with a (meth)acryloyl group being preferred.
Examples of the group capable of bonding to a functional group in the adhesive resin (I-1a) include an isocyanate group and a glycidyl group capable of bonding to a hydroxyl group or an amino group, and a hydroxyl group and an amino group capable of bonding to a carboxy group or an epoxy group.

Examples of the unsaturated group-containing compound include (meth)acryloyloxyethyl isocyanate, (meth)acryloyl isocyanate, glycidyl (meth)acrylate, etc.

The adhesive resin (I-2a) contained in the adhesive composition (I-2) may be only one type or may be two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-2), the content ratio of the adhesive resin (I-2a) to the total mass of the adhesive composition (I-2) is preferably 5 to 99 mass%, more preferably 10 to 95 mass%, and particularly preferably 10 to 90 mass%.

[Crosslinking agent]
When the adhesive resin (I-2a) is, for example, the acrylic polymer having a structural unit derived from a functional group-containing monomer similar to that in the adhesive resin (I-1a), the adhesive composition (I-2) may further contain a crosslinking agent.

The crosslinking agent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may be the same as the crosslinking agent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The crosslinking agent contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may be one kind or two or more kinds. When two or more kinds are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

When a crosslinking agent is used, the content of the crosslinking agent in the adhesive composition (I-2) is preferably 0.01 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 15 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the adhesive resin (I-2a).

[Photopolymerization initiator]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may further contain a photopolymerization initiator. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) containing a photopolymerization initiator sufficiently undergoes a curing reaction even when irradiated with relatively low-energy energy rays such as ultraviolet rays.

The photopolymerization initiator in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may be the same as the photopolymerization initiator in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The photopolymerization initiator contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may be only one type, or may be two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

When a photopolymerization initiator is used, the content of the photopolymerization initiator in the adhesive composition (I-2) is preferably 0.01 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the adhesive resin (I-2a).

[Other additives, solvents]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may contain other additives that do not fall under any of the above-mentioned components, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may contain a solvent for the same purpose as in the case of the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The other additives and solvents in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) include the same additives and solvents as those in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1), respectively.
The other additives and the solvent contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) may each be of only one type, or of two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
The contents of other additives and the solvent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2) are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of the additives and the solvent.

<Pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3)>
As described above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) contains the pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-2a) and an energy ray-curable compound.

In the adhesive composition (I-3), the content ratio of the adhesive resin (I-2a) relative to the total mass of the adhesive composition (I-3) is preferably 5 to 99 mass%, more preferably 10 to 95 mass%, and particularly preferably 15 to 90 mass%.

[Energy ray curable compound]
The energy ray-curable compound contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) includes monomers and oligomers having an energy ray-polymerizable unsaturated group and curable by irradiation with energy rays, and includes the same as the energy ray-curable compound contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may contain only one type of the energy ray-curable compound, or may contain two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-3), the content of the energy ray curable compound is preferably 0.01 to 300 parts by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 200 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 100 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the adhesive resin (I-2a).

[Photopolymerization initiator]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may further contain a photopolymerization initiator. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) containing a photopolymerization initiator sufficiently undergoes a curing reaction even when irradiated with relatively low-energy energy rays such as ultraviolet rays.

The photopolymerization initiator in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may be the same as the photopolymerization initiator in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The photopolymerization initiator contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may be only one type, or may be two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

When a photopolymerization initiator is used, the content of the photopolymerization initiator in the adhesive composition (I-3) is preferably 0.01 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total content of the adhesive resin (I-2a) and the energy ray-curable compound.

[Other additives, solvents]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may contain other additives that do not fall under any of the above-mentioned components, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may contain a solvent for the same purpose as in the case of the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The other additives and solvents in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may be the same as the other additives and solvents in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1). The other additives and solvents contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) may each be only one type or two or more types, and when there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
The contents of other additives and the solvent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the types thereof.

<Pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions other than pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions (I-1) to (I-3)>
So far, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1), the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-2), and the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-3) have been mainly explained, but the components explained as contained therein can be similarly used in general pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions other than these three types of pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions (referred to in this specification as "pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions other than pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions (I-1) to (I-3)").

As pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions other than the pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions (I-1) to (I-3), in addition to energy ray-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, non-energy ray-curable pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions can also be mentioned.
Examples of the non-energy ray curable pressure-sensitive adhesive composition include a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) containing a non-energy ray curable pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a) such as an acrylic resin, a urethane resin, a rubber-based resin, a silicone resin, an epoxy-based resin, a polyvinyl ether, a polycarbonate, or an ester-based resin, and those containing an acrylic resin are preferred.

It is preferable that the adhesive compositions other than the adhesive compositions (I-1) to (I-3) contain one or more crosslinking agents, the content of which can be the same as that of the above-mentioned adhesive composition (I-1), etc.

<Adhesive composition (I-4)>
A preferred pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) is, for example, one containing the pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a) and a crosslinking agent.

[Adhesive resin (I-1a)]
The adhesive resin (I-1a) in the adhesive composition (I-4) may be the same as the adhesive resin (I-1a) in the adhesive composition (I-1).
The pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a) contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may be one type or two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-4), the content ratio of the adhesive resin (I-1a) relative to the total mass of the adhesive composition (I-4) is preferably 5 to 99 mass%, more preferably 10 to 95 mass%, and particularly preferably 15 to 90 mass%.

[Crosslinking agent]
When the acrylic polymer having a structural unit derived from a functional group-containing monomer in addition to a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester is used as the pressure-sensitive adhesive resin (I-1a), it is preferable that the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) further contains a crosslinking agent.

The crosslinking agent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may be the same as the crosslinking agent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The crosslinking agent contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may be one type or two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition (I-4), the content of the crosslinking agent is preferably 0.01 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 25 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the adhesive resin (I-1a).

[Other additives, solvents]
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may contain other additives that do not fall under any of the above-mentioned components, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may contain a solvent for the same purpose as in the case of the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1).
The other additives and solvents in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may be the same as the other additives and solvents in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-1). The other additives and solvents contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) may each be one type or two or more types, and when two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
The contents of other additives and the solvent in the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4) are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of additives and the solvent.

<<Method of producing pressure-sensitive adhesive composition>>
The pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions other than the pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions (I-1) to (I-3), such as the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition (I-4), can be obtained by blending the pressure-sensitive adhesive and, as necessary, each component for constituting the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition, such as a component other than the pressure-sensitive adhesive.
The order of addition of the components is not particularly limited, and two or more components may be added simultaneously.
When a solvent is used, the solvent may be used by mixing it with any of the other ingredients to pre-dilute the ingredients, or the solvent may be used by mixing it with any of the other ingredients without pre-diluting the ingredients.
The method for mixing the components during blending is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected from known methods such as a method of mixing by rotating a stirrer or stirring blade, a method of mixing using a mixer, a method of mixing by applying ultrasound, etc.
The temperature and time during addition and mixing of each component are not particularly limited as long as the components do not deteriorate, and may be adjusted appropriately. The temperature is preferably 15 to 30°C.

Intermediate Layer and Composition for Forming Intermediate Layer The intermediate layer is in the form of a sheet or film, and contains the non-silicon resin as a main component.
The intermediate layer may contain only the non-silicon resin (consisting of the non-silicon resin), or may contain the non-silicon resin and other components.

The intermediate layer can be formed, for example, using a composition for forming an intermediate layer that contains the non-silicon resin. For example, the intermediate layer can be formed by applying the composition for forming an intermediate layer to the surface on which the intermediate layer is to be formed, and drying it as necessary.

The weight average molecular weight of the non-silicon based resin is 100,000 or less.
In order to further improve the suitability of the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device for dividing the above-mentioned semiconductor wafers, the weight average molecular weight of the non-silicon-based resin may be, for example, any one of 80,000 or less, 60,000 or less, and 40,000 or less.

The lower limit of the weight average molecular weight of the non-silicon-based resin is not particularly limited; for example, non-silicon-based resins having a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 or more are more readily available.

The weight average molecular weight of the non-silicon resin can be adjusted as appropriate within a range set by any combination of the above-mentioned lower limit and any of the upper limits. For example, in one embodiment, the weight average molecular weight may be, for example, any of 5,000 to 100,000, 5,000 to 80,000, 5,000 to 60,000, and 5,000 to 40,000.

In this embodiment, "the intermediate layer contains a non-silicon-based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less as a main component" means that "the intermediate layer contains the non-silicon-based resin in an amount sufficient to fully exert the effect of containing the non-silicon-based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less". From this perspective, in the intermediate layer, the content ratio of the non-silicon-based resin to the total mass of the intermediate layer (in other words, the content ratio of the non-silicon-based resin to the total content of all components other than the solvent in the composition for forming the intermediate layer) is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more, and may be, for example, any one of 95% by mass or more, 97% by mass or more, and 99% by mass or more.
On the other hand, the ratio is 100% by mass or less.

The non-silicon-based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin component that does not contain silicon atoms as constituent atoms and has a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less.
The non-silicon resin may be, for example, either a polar resin having a polar group, or a non-polar resin having no polar group.
For example, the non-silicon-based resin is preferably a polar resin in that it has high solubility in the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer forming composition has higher coatability.

In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "non-silicon-based resin" means a non-silicon-based resin having the above-mentioned weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less.

The non-silicon resin may be, for example, a homopolymer that is a polymer of one type of monomer (in other words, having only one type of structural unit), or a copolymer that is a polymer of two or more types of monomers (in other words, having two or more types of structural units).

Examples of the polar group include a carbonyloxy group (-C(=O)-O-) and an oxycarbonyl group (-O-C(=O)-).

The polar resin may have only structural units having polar groups, or may have both structural units having polar groups and structural units not having polar groups.

Examples of the structural unit having a polar group include a structural unit derived from vinyl acetate.
Examples of the structural unit not having a polar group include a structural unit derived from ethylene.
By "derivatized" in this context is meant that the monomer has undergone the structural change necessary to be polymerized.

In the polar resin, the ratio of the mass of the structural unit having a polar group to the total mass of all structural units is preferably 5 to 70% by mass, and may be, for example, any one of 7.5 to 55% by mass, 10 to 40% by mass, and 10 to 30% by mass. In other words, in the polar resin, the ratio of the mass of the structural unit not having a polar group to the total mass of all structural units is preferably 30 to 95% by mass, and may be, for example, any one of 45 to 92.5% by mass, 60 to 90% by mass, and 70 to 90% by mass. When the ratio of the mass of the structural unit having a polar group is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the polar resin has a more prominent characteristic of having a polar group. When the ratio of the mass of the structural unit having a polar group is equal to or less than the upper limit, the polar resin has a more moderate characteristic of not having a polar group.

The polar resin may, for example, be an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.
The ratio of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer to the total mass of the non-silicon-based resin contained in the intermediate layer may be, for example, 50 to 100 mass%, 80 to 100 mass%, or 90 to 100 mass%.
Among them, preferred polar resins include, for example, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers in which the ratio of the mass of structural units derived from vinyl acetate to the total mass of all structural units (sometimes referred to herein as the "content of structural units derived from vinyl acetate") is 40% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 10 to 40% by mass, or 10 to 30% by mass. In other words, preferred polar resins include, for example, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers in which the ratio of the mass of structural units derived from ethylene to the total mass of all structural units is 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 70 to 90% by mass, or 60 to 90% by mass.
By having the content ratio of structural units derived from vinyl acetate be equal to or less than the upper limit value, even if cutting chips are generated from the intermediate layer when the film-like adhesive is cut, the adhesive strength of the generated cutting chips is appropriately reduced, and the cutting chips can be easily removed from the chip by cleaning, etc.

Examples of the non-polar resins include polyethylene (PE) such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), metallocene-catalyzed linear low density polyethylene (metallocene LLDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), etc.; polypropylene (PP), etc.

The non-silicon resin contained in the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer may be one type or two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
For example, the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer may contain one or more types of non-silicon-based resins that are polar resins, and may not contain a non-silicon-based resin that is a non-polar resin, or may contain one or more types of non-silicon-based resins that are non-polar resins, and may not contain a non-silicon-based resin that is a polar resin, or may contain one or more types of both a non-silicon-based resin that is a polar resin and a non-silicon-based resin that is a non-polar resin.
The intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer preferably contain at least a non-silicon based resin that is a polar resin.

In the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer, the ratio of the content of the non-silicon-based resin, which is a polar resin, to the total content of the non-silicon-based resin is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more, and may be, for example, any one of 95% by mass or more, 97% by mass or more, and 99% by mass or more. When the ratio is equal to or more than the lower limit, the effect of using the polar resin is more significantly obtained.
On the other hand, the ratio is 100% by mass or less.

That is, in the composition for forming an intermediate layer and the intermediate layer, the ratio of the content of the non-silicon-based resin, which is a non-polar resin, to the total content of the non-silicon-based resin is preferably 20 mass% or less, more preferably 10 mass% or less, and may be, for example, any one of 5 mass% or less, 3 mass% or less, and 1 mass% or less.
On the other hand, the ratio is 0 mass % or more.

In terms of ease of handling, the composition for forming the intermediate layer preferably contains a solvent in addition to the non-silicon-based resin, and may contain a component (sometimes referred to as an "additive" in this specification) that does not fall into either the category of the non-silicon-based resin or the solvent.
The intermediate layer may contain only the non-silicon resin, or may contain both the non-silicon resin and the additive.

The additives may be either resin components (sometimes referred to in this specification as "other resin components") or non-resin components.

Examples of the other resin components include non-silicon-based resins having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of more than 100,000 and silicon-based resins.

There are no particular limitations on non-silicon-based resins having a weight average molecular weight of more than 100,000, so long as they meet these conditions.

The intermediate layer containing the silicon-based resin makes it easier to pick up the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive, as described below.

The silicon-based resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin component having silicon atoms as constituent atoms. For example, the weight average molecular weight of the silicon-based resin is not particularly limited.

Preferred silicon-based resins include, for example, resin components that exhibit a release effect against adhesive components, and siloxane-based resins (resin components having siloxane bonds (-Si-O-Si-), also known as siloxane-based compounds) are more preferred.

The siloxane-based resin may, for example, be polydialkylsiloxane.
The alkyl group of the polydialkylsiloxane preferably has 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
The polydialkylsiloxane may, for example, be polydimethylsiloxane.

The non-resin component may be, for example, either an organic compound or an inorganic compound, and is not particularly limited.

The additives contained in the intermediate layer-forming composition and the intermediate layer may be of only one type, or may be of two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
For example, the composition for forming an intermediate layer and the intermediate layer may contain, as the additive, one or more resin components and no non-resin components, may contain one or more non-resin components and no resin components, or may contain one or more resin components and one or more non-resin components.

When the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer contain the additives, the ratio of the content of the non-silicon-based resin in the intermediate layer to the total weight of the intermediate layer (in other words, the ratio of the content of the non-silicon-based resin to the total content of all components other than the solvent in the intermediate layer forming composition) is preferably 90 to 99.99 mass%, and may be, for example, any one of 90 to 97.5 mass%, 90 to 95 mass%, and 90 to 92.5 mass%, or any one of 92.5 to 99.99 mass%, 95 to 99.99 mass%, and 97.5 to 99.99 mass%, or may be 92.5 to 97.5 mass%.
When the intermediate layer forming composition and the intermediate layer contain the additive, the ratio of the content of the additive in the intermediate layer to the total mass of the intermediate layer (in other words, the ratio of the content of the additive to the total content of all components other than the solvent in the intermediate layer forming composition) is preferably 0.01 to 10 mass%, and may be, for example, any one of 2.5 to 10 mass%, 5 to 10 mass%, and 7.5 to 10 mass%, or any one of 0.01 to 7.5 mass%, 0.01 to 5 mass%, and 0.01 to 2.5 mass%, or may be 2.5 to 7.5 mass%.

The solvent contained in the composition for forming an intermediate layer is not particularly limited, but preferred examples include hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene; alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, isobutyl alcohol (2-methylpropan-1-ol), and 1-butanol; esters such as ethyl acetate; ketones such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran; and amides (compounds having an amide bond) such as dimethylformamide and N-methylpyrrolidone.
The solvent contained in the composition for forming an intermediate layer may be only one type, or may be two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

The solvent contained in the composition for forming an intermediate layer is preferably tetrahydrofuran or the like, since this allows the components in the composition for forming an intermediate layer to be mixed more uniformly.

The solvent content of the composition for forming the intermediate layer is not particularly limited and may be selected appropriately depending on, for example, the types of components other than the solvent.

As described below, in terms of making it easier to pick up the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive, a preferred intermediate layer is, for example, one that contains an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, which is the non-silicon-based resin, and a siloxane-based compound, which is the additive, and in which the ratio of the content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (the non-silicon-based resin) to the total mass of the intermediate layer is within any of the numerical ranges described above, and the ratio of the content of the siloxane-based compound (the additive) to the total mass of the intermediate layer is within any of the numerical ranges described above.
For example, such an intermediate layer may contain an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, which is the non-silicon resin, and a siloxane compound, which is the additive, and the content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in the intermediate layer is 90 to 99.99% by mass relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer, and the content of the siloxane compound in the intermediate layer is 0.01 to 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer, although this is only one example of a preferred intermediate layer.

A more preferred intermediate layer is, for example, one in which the intermediate layer contains an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, which is the non-silicon resin, and a siloxane-based compound, which is the additive, and in which the ratio of the mass of the constituent units derived from vinyl acetate to the total mass of all constituent units in the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (in other words, the content of the constituent units derived from vinyl acetate) is 10 to 40% by mass, the ratio of the content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer to the total mass of the intermediate layer in the intermediate layer is 90 to 99.99% by mass, and the ratio of the content of the siloxane-based compound to the total mass of the intermediate layer in the intermediate layer is 0.01 to 10% by mass. However, this is just one example of a more preferred intermediate layer.

When the surface of the intermediate layer on the film-like adhesive side of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet (for example, in FIG. 1, the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13) is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (sometimes referred to as "XPS" herein), the ratio of the silicon concentration to the total concentration of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and silicon (sometimes abbreviated as "silicon concentration ratio" herein) is preferably 1 to 20% on a molar basis of the element. By using a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet having such an intermediate layer, it is possible to more easily pick up semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive, as described below.

The silicon concentration ratio is calculated by the following formula:
[Measured value of silicon concentration in XPS analysis (atomic %)] / {[Measured value of carbon concentration in XPS analysis (atomic %)] + [Measured value of oxygen concentration in XPS analysis (atomic %)] + [Measured value of nitrogen concentration in XPS analysis (atomic %)] + [Measured value of silicon concentration in XPS analysis (atomic %)]} × 100
It can be calculated as follows.

XPS analysis can be performed on the surface of the intermediate layer on the film-like adhesive side using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (e.g., Quantra SXM manufactured by ULVAC) at an irradiation angle of 45°, an X-ray beam diameter of 20 μmφ, and an output of 4.5 W.

In order to make such effects more pronounced, the silicon concentration may be, for example, on a molar basis of the element, any one of 4 to 20%, 8 to 20%, and 12 to 20%, or any one of 1 to 16%, 1 to 12%, and 1 to 8%, or any one of 4 to 16% and 8 to 12%.

When the XPS analysis is performed as described above, there is a possibility that other elements that do not fall under any of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and silicon are detected on the surface of the intermediate layer (the surface to be analyzed by XPS). However, even if the other elements are detected, their concentrations are usually very small, so that when calculating the silicon concentration ratio, the measured values of the concentrations of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and silicon are used, and the silicon concentration ratio can be calculated with high accuracy.

The intermediate layer may consist of one layer (single layer) or may consist of two or more layers. If it consists of multiple layers, these multiple layers may be the same or different from each other, and the combination of these multiple layers is not particularly limited.

As explained above, the maximum width of the intermediate layer is preferably smaller than the maximum width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the maximum width of the substrate.
The maximum width of the intermediate layer can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the size of the semiconductor wafer. For example, the maximum width of the intermediate layer may be 150 to 160 mm, 200 to 210 mm, or 300 to 310 mm. These three numerical ranges correspond to a semiconductor wafer having a maximum width in a direction parallel to the attachment surface with the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm. However, as explained above, when the film-like adhesive is cut by expanding the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet after dicing accompanied by the formation of a modified layer in the semiconductor wafer, as described below, a large number of semiconductor chips (semiconductor chip group) after dicing are grouped together and the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is attached to these semiconductor chips.

In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the "width of the intermediate layer" means, for example, the "width of the intermediate layer in a direction parallel to the first surface of the intermediate layer." For example, in the case of an intermediate layer having a circular planar shape, the maximum value of the width of the intermediate layer described above is the diameter of the circle that is the planar shape.
This also applies to semiconductor wafers. That is, the "width of the semiconductor wafer" means the "width of the semiconductor wafer in a direction parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer attached to the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device." For example, in the case of a semiconductor wafer having a circular planar shape, the maximum value of the width of the semiconductor wafer is the diameter of the circle that is the planar shape.

The maximum width of the intermediate layer of 150 to 160 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 150 mm by not more than 10 mm.
Similarly, the maximum width of the intermediate layer of 200 to 210 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 200 mm by not more than 10 mm.
Similarly, the maximum width of the intermediate layer of 300 to 310 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 300 mm by not exceeding 10 mm.
That is, in this embodiment, the difference between the maximum width of the intermediate layer and the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer may be, for example, 0 to 10 mm, regardless of whether the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer is 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm.

The thickness of the intermediate layer can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, but is preferably 5 to 150 μm, more preferably 5 to 120 μm, and may be, for example, any of 10 to 90 μm and 10 to 60 μm, or any of 30 to 120 μm and 60 to 120 μm. When the thickness of the intermediate layer is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the structure of the intermediate layer is more stable. When the thickness of the intermediate layer is equal to or less than the upper limit, the film-like adhesive can be cut more easily during blade dicing and the expanding of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet.
Here, "the thickness of the intermediate layer" means the thickness of the entire intermediate layer. For example, the thickness of an intermediate layer consisting of multiple layers means the total thickness of all layers that make up the intermediate layer.

When the intermediate layer contains the silicon-based resin, particularly when the compatibility between the silicon-based resin and the non-silicon-based resin, which is the main component, is low, the silicon-based resin in the intermediate layer in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is likely to be unevenly distributed on both sides (the first side and the opposite side) of the intermediate layer and the adjacent areas. The stronger this tendency is, the easier it is for the film-like adhesive adjacent to (in direct contact with) the intermediate layer to peel off from the intermediate layer, and as described below, the easier it is to pick up the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive.
For example, when comparing intermediate layers that are different from each other only in thickness and are the same in other respects such as composition and the area of both sides, the ratio (mass%) of the content of the silicon-based resin to the total mass of the intermediate layer is the same in these intermediate layers. However, the content (mass parts) of the silicon-based resin in the intermediate layer is greater in the thick intermediate layer than in the thin intermediate layer. Therefore, when the silicon-based resin is likely to be unevenly distributed in the intermediate layer as described above, the thick intermediate layer will have a greater amount of silicon-based resin unevenly distributed on both sides (the first surface and the surface opposite thereto) and the adjacent areas than the thin intermediate layer. Therefore, even if the ratio is not changed, it is possible to adjust the pick-up suitability of the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive by adjusting the thickness of the intermediate layer in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet. For example, by increasing the thickness of the intermediate layer in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive can be picked up more easily.

The intermediate layer can be formed using an adhesive composition containing the constituent materials. For example, the adhesive composition can be applied to the surface on which the film-like adhesive is to be formed, and then dried as necessary to form the film-like adhesive in the desired area.

The composition for forming the intermediate layer can be applied in the same manner as in the application of the adhesive composition described above.

The drying conditions for the composition for forming the intermediate layer are not particularly limited. When the composition for forming the intermediate layer contains the solvent, it is preferable to heat dry it. In this case, it is preferable to dry it under conditions of, for example, 60 to 130°C for 1 to 6 minutes.

Film-like adhesive The film-like adhesive is preferably one having a curing property, a thermosetting property, and preferably one having a pressure-sensitive adhesive property. A film-like adhesive having both a thermosetting property and a pressure-sensitive adhesive property can be applied to various adherends by lightly pressing it against the adherend in an uncured state. The film-like adhesive may also be one that can be applied to various adherends by heating and softening it. The film-like adhesive finally becomes a cured product with high impact resistance by curing, and this cured product can maintain sufficient adhesive properties even under harsh conditions of high temperature and high humidity.

When the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is viewed from above in a plan view, it is preferable that the area of the film-like adhesive (i.e., the area of the first surface) is set smaller than the area of the base material (i.e., the area of the first surface) and the area of the adhesive layer (i.e., the area of the first surface) so as to be close to the area of the semiconductor wafer before division. In such a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, a part of the first surface of the adhesive layer has an area (i.e., the non-laminated area) that is not in contact with the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive. This makes it easier to expand the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and since the force applied to the film-like adhesive during expansion is not dispersed, the film-like adhesive can be cut more easily.

A film-like adhesive can be formed using an adhesive composition containing its constituent materials. For example, the adhesive composition can be applied to the surface on which the film-like adhesive is to be formed, and then dried as necessary to form a film-like adhesive at the desired location.

The adhesive composition can be applied in the same manner as described above for applying the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition.

There are no particular limitations on the drying conditions for the adhesive composition. When the adhesive composition contains a solvent, which will be described later, it is preferable to heat-dry it. In this case, it is preferable to dry it, for example, at 70 to 130°C for 10 seconds to 5 minutes.

The film adhesive may consist of one layer (single layer) or may consist of two or more layers. If it consists of multiple layers, these multiple layers may be the same or different, and there are no particular limitations on the combination of these multiple layers.

As explained above, the maximum width of the film-like adhesive is preferably smaller than the maximum width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the maximum width of the substrate.
The maximum width of the film adhesive may be the same as the maximum width of the intermediate layer described above with respect to the size of the semiconductor wafer.
That is, the maximum width of the film-like adhesive can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the size of the semiconductor wafer. For example, the maximum width of the film-like adhesive may be 150 to 160 mm, 200 to 210 mm, or 300 to 310 mm. These three numerical ranges correspond to semiconductor wafers having a maximum width in a direction parallel to the attachment surface with the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm.

In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the "width of the film-like adhesive" means, for example, "the width of the film-like adhesive in a direction parallel to the first surface of the film-like adhesive." For example, in the case of a film-like adhesive having a circular planar shape, the maximum value of the width of the film-like adhesive described above is the diameter of the circle that is the planar shape.
Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the "width of the film-like adhesive" does not mean the width of the film-like adhesive after cutting during the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive described below, but rather the "width of the film-like adhesive before cutting (uncut)."

The maximum width of the film adhesive of 150 to 160 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 150 mm by not more than 10 mm.
Similarly, the maximum width of the film adhesive of 200 to 210 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 200 mm by a range not exceeding 10 mm.
Similarly, the maximum width of the film adhesive of 300 to 310 mm means that it is equal to or larger than the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer of 300 mm by a range not exceeding 10 mm.
That is, in this embodiment, the difference between the maximum width of the film-like adhesive and the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer may be, for example, 0 to 10 mm, regardless of whether the maximum width of the semiconductor wafer is 150 mm, 200 mm, or 300 mm.

In this embodiment, the maximum width of the intermediate layer and the maximum width of the film-like adhesive may both be within any of the above-mentioned numerical ranges.
That is, an example of a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device in this embodiment is one in which the maximum width of the intermediate layer and the maximum width of the film-like adhesive are both 150 to 160 mm, 200 to 210 mm, or 300 to 310 mm.

The thickness of the film-like adhesive is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 30 μm, more preferably 2 to 20 μm, and particularly preferably 3 to 10 μm. When the thickness of the film-like adhesive is equal to or greater than the lower limit, a higher adhesive strength to the adherend (semiconductor chip) can be obtained. When the thickness of the film-like adhesive is equal to or less than the upper limit, the film-like adhesive can be cut more easily during blade dicing and the expansion of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet.
Here, "thickness of the film-like adhesive" means the thickness of the entire film-like adhesive; for example, the thickness of a film-like adhesive consisting of multiple layers means the total thickness of all layers that make up the film-like adhesive.

It is preferable that the first surface of the intermediate layer has an area equal to or greater than that of the first surface of the film-like adhesive, and they may have the same shape, and it is preferable that the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive are laminated so that the outer periphery of their planar shapes coincide.

The adhesive composition described below may contain, for example, one or more of the following components such that the total content (mass %) does not exceed 100 mass %.
Next, the adhesive composition will be described.

<<Adhesive composition>>
A preferred adhesive composition includes, for example, an adhesive composition containing a polymer component (a) and a thermosetting component (b). Each component will be described below.
The adhesive composition shown below is a preferred example, and the adhesive composition in this embodiment is not limited to the one shown below.

[Polymer component (a)]
The polymer component (a) is a component that can be regarded as being formed by a polymerization reaction of a polymerizable compound, and is a polymer compound that imparts film-forming properties, flexibility, etc. to the film-like adhesive and improves the adhesiveness (in other words, the stickability) to an adhesion target such as a semiconductor chip. The polymer component (a) has thermoplasticity and does not have thermosetting properties.

The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of polymer component (a) or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

Examples of the polymer component (a) include acrylic resins, urethane resins, phenoxy resins, silicone resins, and saturated polyester resins.
Of these, the polymer component (a) is preferably an acrylic resin.

In the adhesive composition, the ratio of the content of polymer component (a) to the total content of all components other than the solvent (i.e., the ratio of the content of polymer component (a) in the film-like adhesive to the total mass of the film-like adhesive) is preferably 20 to 75 mass%, and more preferably 30 to 65 mass%.

[Thermosetting component (b)]
The thermosetting component (b) has thermosetting properties and is a component for thermally curing the film-like adhesive.
The thermosetting component (b) contained in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may be one type or two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

Examples of the thermosetting component (b) include epoxy-based thermosetting resins, polyimide resins, and unsaturated polyester resins.
Among these, the thermosetting component (b) is preferably an epoxy-based thermosetting resin.

Epoxy-Based Thermosetting Resin The epoxy-based thermosetting resin is composed of an epoxy resin (b1) and a thermosetting agent (b2).
The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of epoxy thermosetting resin, or two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

Epoxy resin (b1)
Examples of the epoxy resin (b1) include known epoxy resins, such as polyfunctional epoxy resins, biphenyl compounds, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and hydrogenated products thereof, orthocresol novolac epoxy resins, dicyclopentadiene-type epoxy resins, biphenyl-type epoxy resins, bisphenol A-type epoxy resins, bisphenol F-type epoxy resins, and phenylene skeleton-type epoxy resins, and other epoxy compounds having two or more functionalities.

As the epoxy resin (b1), an epoxy resin having an unsaturated hydrocarbon group may be used. An epoxy resin having an unsaturated hydrocarbon group has a higher compatibility with acrylic resin than an epoxy resin not having an unsaturated hydrocarbon group. Therefore, by using an epoxy resin having an unsaturated hydrocarbon group, the reliability of the package obtained using the film-like adhesive is improved.

The epoxy resin (b1) contained in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may be one type or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.

Heat curing agent (b2)
The thermosetting agent (b2) functions as a curing agent for the epoxy resin (b1).
The thermosetting agent (b2) may be, for example, a compound having two or more functional groups capable of reacting with an epoxy group in one molecule. The functional group may, for example, be a phenolic hydroxyl group, an alcoholic hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, or an anhydride group of an acid group, and is preferably a phenolic hydroxyl group, an amino group, or an anhydride group of an acid group, and more preferably a phenolic hydroxyl group or an amino group.

Among the heat curing agents (b2), examples of phenolic curing agents having a phenolic hydroxyl group include polyfunctional phenolic resins, biphenols, novolac-type phenolic resins, dicyclopentadiene-type phenolic resins, and aralkyl-type phenolic resins.
Among the heat curing agents (b2), examples of amine-based curing agents having an amino group include dicyandiamide (DICY) and the like.

The thermosetting agent (b2) may have an unsaturated hydrocarbon group.

The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of thermosetting agent (b2), or two or more types. If there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

In the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive, the content of the heat curing agent (b2) is preferably 0.1 to 500 parts by mass, more preferably 1 to 200 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the epoxy resin (b1), and may be, for example, any of 1 to 100 parts by mass, 1 to 50 parts by mass, and 1 to 25 parts by mass. When the content of the heat curing agent (b2) is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the curing of the film-like adhesive proceeds more easily. When the content of the heat curing agent (b2) is equal to or less than the upper limit, the moisture absorption rate of the film-like adhesive is reduced, and the reliability of the package obtained using the film-like adhesive is further improved.

In the adhesive composition and film-like adhesive, the content of the thermosetting component (b) (e.g., the total content of the epoxy resin (b1) and the thermosetting agent (b2)) is preferably 5 to 100 parts by mass, more preferably 5 to 75 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 5 to 50 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the polymer component (a), and may be, for example, either 5 to 35 parts by mass or 5 to 20 parts by mass. When the content of the thermosetting component (b) is within such a range, the peel force between the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive becomes more stable.

In order to improve various physical properties of the film-like adhesive, the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain, in addition to the polymer component (a) and the thermosetting component (b), other components not falling within the above categories, as necessary.
Preferred examples of other components contained in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive include a curing accelerator (c), a filler (d), a coupling agent (e), a crosslinking agent (f), an energy ray-curable resin (g), a photopolymerization initiator (h), and a general-purpose additive (i).

[Curing Accelerator (c)]
The curing accelerator (c) is a component for adjusting the curing speed of the adhesive composition.
Preferred examples of the curing accelerator (c) include tertiary amines such as triethylenediamine, benzyldimethylamine, triethanolamine, dimethylaminoethanol, and tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol; imidazoles (imidazoles in which one or more hydrogen atoms are substituted with groups other than hydrogen atoms) such as 2-methylimidazole, 2-phenylimidazole, 2-phenyl-4-methylimidazole, 2-phenyl-4,5-dihydroxymethylimidazole, and 2-phenyl-4-methyl-5-hydroxymethylimidazole; organic phosphines (phosphines in which one or more hydrogen atoms are substituted with organic groups) such as tributylphosphine, diphenylphosphine, and triphenylphosphine; and tetraphenylboron salts such as tetraphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate and triphenylphosphine tetraphenylborate.

The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of curing accelerator (c) or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

When the curing accelerator (c) is used, the content of the curing accelerator (c) in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive is preferably 0.01 to 10 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the thermosetting component (b). When the content of the curing accelerator (c) is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the effect of using the curing accelerator (c) is more pronounced. When the content of the curing accelerator (c) is equal to or less than the upper limit, for example, the effect of suppressing the highly polar curing accelerator (c) from migrating to the adhesive interface with the adherend and segregating in the film-like adhesive under high temperature and high humidity conditions is enhanced, and the reliability of the package obtained using the film-like adhesive is further improved.

[Filler (d)]
The film adhesive contains the filler (d), which improves its cuttability by expansion. In addition, the film adhesive contains the filler (d), which makes it easier to adjust its thermal expansion coefficient, and optimizing this thermal expansion coefficient for the object to which the film adhesive is attached improves the reliability of the package obtained using the film adhesive. In addition, the film adhesive contains the filler (d), which can reduce the moisture absorption rate of the film adhesive after curing and improve the heat dissipation.

The filler (d) may be either an organic filler or an inorganic filler, but is preferably an inorganic filler.
Preferred inorganic fillers include, for example, powders of silica, alumina, talc, calcium carbonate, titanium white, red iron oxide, silicon carbide, boron nitride, and the like; beads obtained by spheronizing these inorganic fillers; surface-modified products of these inorganic fillers; single crystal fibers of these inorganic fillers; glass fibers, and the like.
Among these, the inorganic filler is preferably silica or alumina.

The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of filler (d) or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

When filler (d) is used, the ratio of the content of filler (d) to the total content of all components other than the solvent in the adhesive composition (i.e., the ratio of the content of filler (d) to the total mass of the film-like adhesive in the film-like adhesive) is preferably 5 to 80 mass%, more preferably 10 to 70 mass%, and particularly preferably 20 to 60 mass%. When the ratio is in this range, the effect of using the above-mentioned filler (d) can be obtained more significantly.

[Coupling agent (e)]
The film-like adhesive contains the coupling agent (e) to improve its adhesion and adhesion to the adherend. In addition, the film-like adhesive contains the coupling agent (e) to improve the water resistance of the cured product without impairing the heat resistance. The coupling agent (e) has a functional group capable of reacting with an inorganic compound or an organic compound.

The coupling agent (e) is preferably a compound having a functional group capable of reacting with the functional groups of the polymer component (a), the thermosetting component (b), etc., and is more preferably a silane coupling agent.

The coupling agent (e) contained in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may be of only one type or of two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof may be selected arbitrarily.

When a coupling agent (e) is used, the content of the coupling agent (e) in the adhesive composition and film-like adhesive is preferably 0.03 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.1 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total content of the polymer component (a) and the thermosetting component (b). When the content of the coupling agent (e) is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the effects of using the coupling agent (e), such as improved dispersibility of the filler (d) in the resin and improved adhesion of the film-like adhesive to the adherend, are more significantly obtained. When the content of the coupling agent (e) is equal to or less than the upper limit, the generation of outgassing is further suppressed.

[Crosslinking agent (f)]
When the polymer component (a) is one having a functional group capable of bonding with other compounds, such as a vinyl group, (meth)acryloyl group, amino group, hydroxyl group, carboxyl group, isocyanate group, etc., such as the above-mentioned acrylic resin, the adhesive composition and film-like adhesive may contain a crosslinking agent (f). The crosslinking agent (f) is a component for bonding the functional group in the polymer component (a) with other compounds to cause crosslinking, and by crosslinking in this manner, the initial adhesive strength and cohesive strength of the film-like adhesive can be adjusted.

Examples of the crosslinking agent (f) include organic polyisocyanate compounds, organic polyimine compounds, metal chelate-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having a metal chelate structure), aziridine-based crosslinking agents (crosslinking agents having an aziridinyl group), etc.

When an organic polyisocyanate compound is used as the crosslinking agent (f), it is preferable to use a hydroxyl group-containing polymer as the polymer component (a). When the crosslinking agent (f) has an isocyanate group and the polymer component (a) has a hydroxyl group, a crosslinked structure can be easily introduced into the film-like adhesive by the reaction between the crosslinking agent (f) and the polymer component (a).

The crosslinking agent (f) contained in the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may be one type or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these may be selected arbitrarily.

When a crosslinking agent (f) is used, the content of the crosslinking agent (f) in the adhesive composition is preferably 0.01 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the polymer component (a). When the content of the crosslinking agent (f) is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the effect of using the crosslinking agent (f) is more pronounced. When the content of the crosslinking agent (f) is equal to or less than the upper limit, excessive use of the crosslinking agent (f) is suppressed.

[Energy ray curable resin (g)]
By containing the energy ray-curable resin (g) in the adhesive composition and film-like adhesive, the properties of the film-like adhesive can be changed by irradiation with energy rays.

The energy ray curable resin (g) is obtained from an energy ray curable compound.
The energy ray-curable compound includes, for example, a compound having at least one polymerizable double bond in the molecule, and is preferably an acrylate-based compound having a (meth)acryloyl group.

The adhesive composition may contain only one type of energy ray-curable resin (g) or two or more types, and if there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

When an energy ray curable resin (g) is used, the content of the energy ray curable resin (g) in the adhesive composition relative to the total mass of the adhesive composition is preferably 1 to 95 mass%, more preferably 5 to 90 mass%, and particularly preferably 10 to 85 mass%.

[Photopolymerization initiator (h)]
When the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive contain an energy ray-curable resin (g), they may contain a photopolymerization initiator (h) in order to efficiently proceed with the polymerization reaction of the energy ray-curable resin (g).

Examples of the photopolymerization initiator (h) in the adhesive composition include benzoin compounds such as benzoin, benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, benzoin isobutyl ether, benzoin benzoic acid, benzoin methyl benzoate, and benzoin dimethyl ketal; acetophenone compounds such as acetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one, and 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethane-1-one; and acylphosphines such as bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phenylphosphine oxide and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide. oxide compounds; sulfide compounds such as benzyl phenyl sulfide and tetramethylthiuram monosulfide; α-ketol compounds such as 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone; azo compounds such as azobisisobutyronitrile; titanocene compounds such as titanocene; thioxanthone compounds such as thioxanthone; peroxide compounds; diketone compounds such as diacetyl; benzyl; dibenzyl; benzophenone; 2,4-diethylthioxanthone; 1,2-diphenylmethane; 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-[4-(1-methylvinyl)phenyl]propanone; quinone compounds such as 1-chloroanthraquinone and 2-chloroanthraquinone.
Examples of the photopolymerization initiator (h) include photosensitizers such as amines.

The adhesive composition may contain only one type of photopolymerization initiator (h), or two or more types. If there are two or more types, the combination and ratio of these can be selected arbitrarily.

When a photopolymerization initiator (h) is used, the content of the photopolymerization initiator (h) in the adhesive composition is preferably 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 1 to 10 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 2 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the energy ray-curable resin (g).

[General-purpose additives (i)]
The general-purpose additive (i) may be a known one and may be arbitrarily selected depending on the purpose, and is not particularly limited. Preferred examples thereof include plasticizers, antistatic agents, antioxidants, colorants (dyes, pigments), gettering agents, and the like.

The adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive may contain only one type of general-purpose additive (i), or two or more types. When there are two or more types, the combination and ratio thereof can be selected arbitrarily.
The contents of the adhesive composition and the film-like adhesive are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose.

[solvent]
The adhesive composition preferably further contains a solvent. An adhesive composition containing a solvent has good handleability.
The solvent is not particularly limited, but preferred examples thereof include hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene; alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, isobutyl alcohol (2-methylpropan-1-ol), and 1-butanol; esters such as ethyl acetate; ketones such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran; and amides (compounds having an amide bond) such as dimethylformamide and N-methylpyrrolidone.
The adhesive composition may contain only one type of solvent, or two or more types. When two or more types are contained, the combination and ratio of the solvents can be selected arbitrarily.

The solvent contained in the adhesive composition is preferably methyl ethyl ketone or the like, since this allows the components in the adhesive composition to be mixed more uniformly.

The solvent content of the adhesive composition is not particularly limited and may be selected appropriately depending on, for example, the types of components other than the solvent.

<<Method of manufacturing adhesive composition>>
The adhesive composition can be obtained by blending the respective components constituting the adhesive composition.
The adhesive composition can be produced, for example, in the same manner as in the case of the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition described above, except that the types of ingredients used are different.

Release Film The constituent material of the release film is preferably various resins, such as those exemplified for the substrate above, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is preferred.

The thickness of the release film can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose, and may be 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less, 20 μm or more and 150 μm or less, or 30 μm or more and 80 μm or less.

Here, "thickness of the release film" means the thickness of the entire release film; for example, the thickness of a release film consisting of multiple layers means the total thickness of all layers that make up the release film.

In addition to the main constituent materials such as the resin, the release film may contain various known additives such as fillers, colorants, antistatic agents, antioxidants, organic lubricants, catalysts, and softeners (plasticizers).

The bonding surface of the release film to be bonded to the film-like adhesive is preferably a release-treated surface that has been treated with a release agent. The release-treated surface may contain a release agent. Examples of release agents include alkyd-based, silicone-based, fluorine-based, unsaturated polyester-based, polyolefin-based, and wax-based release agents, and silicone-based release agents that contain silicone are preferred.

To perform a release treatment using the above release agents, the release agent can be applied as is, without solvent, or after dilution with a solvent or emulsification, using a gravure coater, Mayer bar coater, air knife coater, roll coater, etc., and the film to which the release agent has been applied can be subjected to room temperature or heating, or cured with electron beams, or a laminate can be formed by wet lamination, dry lamination, hot melt lamination, melt extrusion lamination, co-extrusion processing, etc.

The release film 15 described in the above semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 can be read as the second release film 15 in the manufacturing method for a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the embodiment described below.

Manufacturing Method of the Sheet for Manufacturing a Semiconductor Device The sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device can be manufactured by laminating the above-mentioned layers so that they are in a corresponding positional relationship. The method of forming each layer is as described above.

For example, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet can be manufactured by preparing the base material, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, intermediate layer and film-like adhesive in advance, and laminating these in the following order: base material, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, intermediate layer and film-like adhesive.
However, this is just one example of a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet can also be manufactured by, for example, preparing two or more intermediate laminates in advance, each of which is composed of a plurality of layers stacked together, and bonding these intermediate laminates together. The configuration of the intermediate laminate can be selected as appropriate. For example, a first intermediate laminate (corresponding to the support sheet) having a configuration in which a base material and an adhesive layer are stacked, and a second intermediate laminate having a configuration in which an intermediate layer and a film-like adhesive are stacked, are prepared in advance, and the adhesive layer in the first intermediate laminate and the intermediate layer in the second intermediate laminate are bonded together to manufacture the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet.
However, this is also just one example of the method for producing a sheet for producing semiconductor device.

When manufacturing the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet as shown in FIG. 1, for example, in which the area of the first side of the intermediate layer and the area of the first side of the film-like adhesive are both smaller than the areas of the first side of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first side of the substrate, a process of processing the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive to a desired size may be added at any stage of the above-mentioned manufacturing method. For example, in the manufacturing method using the second intermediate laminate, a process of processing the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive in the second intermediate laminate to a desired size may be added to manufacture a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet.

When manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device, for example as shown in FIG. 1, in which the area of the first side of the substrate and the area of the first side of the adhesive layer are both smaller than the area of the first side of the release film, an additional process of processing the substrate and the adhesive layer to the desired size may be carried out at any stage in the above-mentioned manufacturing method.

When manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device with a release film on the film-like adhesive, for example, the film-like adhesive may be prepared on the release film, and the remaining layers may be laminated while maintaining this state to produce the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device, or the base material, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, intermediate layer, and film-like adhesive may all be laminated, and then the release film may be laminated on the film-like adhesive to produce the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device. The release film may be removed at any stage necessary before the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device is used.

A sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device that has a layer other than the substrate, adhesive layer, intermediate layer, film-like adhesive, and release film can be manufactured by adding a step of forming and laminating this other layer at an appropriate time in the above-mentioned manufacturing method.

Each layer of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet can be processed, for example, by punching, into any shape. For example, if the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are to be circular, they can be punched into a circle using a punching blade of a corresponding shape.

The following is an example of a method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
A method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises a base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive, and a second release film, and is configured by laminating the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the second release film in this order;
a first processing step of forming a cut portion C in the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of a second intermediate laminate comprising the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and a first release film at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a portion of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive located on the outer side from the cut portion C as a starting point to obtain a second intermediate laminate processed product;
a lamination step of bonding a first intermediate laminate including the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the second intermediate laminate processed product to obtain a first laminate including the substrate, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the first release film;
A replacement step of peeling off the first release film of the first laminate and replacing it with a second release film to obtain a second laminate;
a second processing step of forming a cut portion C' in the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the second laminate at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a part of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer located outside the cut portion C' as a starting point to obtain a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet,
A method for producing a sheet for producing semiconductor device, wherein the peel force between the first release film and the film-like adhesive is greater than the peel force between the second release film and the film-like adhesive.

According to the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the embodiment, it is possible to manufacture the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the above embodiment.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the invention. Note that the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device shown in Figure 3 is inverted upside down from the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device shown in Figure 1.

(First processing step)
The second intermediate laminate 102 shown in Figure 3A has a film-like adhesive 14 and an intermediate layer 13, and has a configuration in which a first release film 17, a film-like adhesive 14, the intermediate layer 13, and a third release film 16 are laminated in this order.
A first punching process is performed on the third release film 16, intermediate layer 13, and film-like adhesive 14 of the second intermediate laminate 102, from the side on which the third release film 16 is laminated, to form a cut portion C at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the intermediate layer 13 and film-like adhesive 14 of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101. In the punching process, the cut may be made up to the first release film 17, and the cut portion C may be formed in the first release film 17. Next, at least a part of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive located on the outside starting from the cut portion C is removed to obtain a second intermediate laminate processed product 103 (FIG. 3B). Here, the outside refers to the outside of the area surrounded by the cut portion C in the direction parallel to the surface of the film-like adhesive.

(Lamination process)
The third release film 16 is removed from the second intermediate laminate workpiece 103 obtained above to expose one surface of the intermediate layer 13 .
Also, the release film (not shown) is removed from the first intermediate laminate with a release film, which includes the substrate 11 and the adhesive layer 12 provided on one side of the substrate 11, to expose one side of the adhesive layer 12. Next, a lamination process is performed in which the exposed surface of the adhesive layer 12 of the first intermediate laminate 104 is bonded to the exposed surface of the intermediate layer 13 of the second intermediate laminate processed product 103. The first intermediate laminate 104 is laminated so as to cover the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 of the second intermediate laminate processed product 103. In this manner, a first laminate 105 including the first release film 17, the film-like adhesive 14, the intermediate layer 13, the adhesive layer 12, and the substrate 11 is obtained (FIG. 3C).

(Re-pasting process)
The first release film 17 of the first laminate 105 obtained above is peeled off and replaced with the second release film 15 to obtain a second laminate 107. The second laminate 107 has a configuration in which the second release film 15, the film-like adhesive 14, the intermediate layer 13, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 12, and the substrate 11 are laminated in this order ( FIG. 3D ).

The newly applied second peelable film 15 does not have the cut portion C along the outer periphery of the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14.

(Second processing step)
The second punching is performed on the substrate 11 and the adhesive layer 12 of the second laminate 107 obtained above, forming a cut portion C' at a position corresponding to the outer periphery of the substrate 11 and the adhesive layer 12 of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 from the surface on which the substrate 11 is laminated. The cut portion C' at the punching location here is concentric with the cut portion C and is disposed outside the cut portion C. In the punching, the cut may be made up to the second release film 15, and the cut portion C' may be formed in the second release film 15. Next, the substrate 11 and the adhesive layer 12 located outside the cut portion C' are removed at least in part to obtain the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 (FIG. 3E). Here, the outside refers to the outside of the area surrounded by the cut portion C' in the direction parallel to the surface of the film-like adhesive.

By making an incision at the position of the incision C' described above, the maximum value of the width _W13 (i.e., diameter) of the intermediate layer 13 and the maximum value of the width W14 (i.e., diameter) of the film-like adhesive ₁₄ of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 can both be made smaller than the maximum value of the width of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 12 and the maximum value of the width of the base material 11.

The manufacturing method of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the embodiment may further include a second intermediate laminate manufacturing step in which, prior to the first processing step, an adhesive composition is applied to the release-treated surface of the first release film and dried to form a film-like adhesive, an intermediate layer forming composition is applied to the release-treated surface of the release film and dried to form an intermediate layer, and the exposed surface of the film-like adhesive is bonded to the exposed surface of the intermediate layer to obtain a second intermediate laminate with a first release film.

The manufacturing method of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the embodiment may further include a first intermediate laminate manufacturing process in which, prior to the lamination process, an adhesive composition is applied to the release-treated surface of the release film, dried to form an adhesive layer, and the exposed surface of the adhesive layer is bonded to a substrate to obtain a first intermediate laminate.

In the embodiment of the method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the peel strength between the first release film and the film-like adhesive is higher than the peel strength between the second release film and the film-like adhesive, i.e., in the replacement step, the first release film is replaced with the second release film 15 having a lower peel strength.
By making the peeling strength of the first release film higher than the peeling strength of the second release film, the film-like adhesive has good film-forming properties when a layer of the film-like adhesive is formed.
Generally, a release film is treated with a release agent to reduce the peel strength between adherends and facilitate peeling. However, the inventors have found that when the above adhesive composition is applied to a release film with low peel strength to form a film-like adhesive, the film-like adhesive may have poor film-forming properties. This is thought to be because a release film with low peel strength is prone to repelling of the adhesive composition.
Therefore, when producing the film-like adhesive, a first release film with high peel strength is used, which makes it possible to easily form a uniform layer of the film-like adhesive.

As a replacement process, the release film of the first laminate 105 is replaced, which has the advantage that the layer structure of the first laminate 105 is less likely to collapse when the first laminate 105 is replaced, since the first intermediate laminate 104 is laminated so as to cover the second intermediate laminate processed product 103.

On the other hand, if the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet has a first release film with a high release force, the first release film may be difficult to peel off from the film-like adhesive during use. For example, in the mounting process in which the release film is peeled off and the film-like adhesive and the semiconductor wafer are bonded together, the semiconductor manufacturing sheet may not be smoothly supplied. Since the peeling of the release film here is usually automated, it is difficult to adjust the conditions for peeling the release film in the device used in the mounting process (such as the peeling angle and peeling speed in the mounter), and it is thought that defects are likely to occur.
In the above-mentioned replacement step, the first release film is peeled off and replaced with the second release film 15 having a lower release strength, thereby providing a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet having a second release film having a lower release strength. The semiconductor manufacturing sheet manufactured through the replacement step in this manner has excellent suitability for the mounting process when the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is used.

The peel strength between the first release film and the second release film can be measured using the peel strength between the first release film and the adhesive layer as determined by the peel test described below.

(Peel test)
A first test piece was obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the first release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
The peel force (mN/50 mm) between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film is measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film of the first test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the first release film is peeled off from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
In the first test piece, the peel strength between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film is preferably greater than 180 mN/50 mm, preferably greater than 180 mN/50 mm and not greater than 300 mN/50 mm, more preferably 200 mN/50 mm or more and 280 mN/50 mm or less, and even more preferably 230 mN/50 mm or more and 270 mN/50 mm or less.
When the peel strength of the first release film in the first test piece is greater than or equal to the lower limit, the quality of the film-like adhesive layer formed on the first release film can be further improved. When the peel strength of the first release film in the first test piece is equal to or less than the upper limit, the first release film can be easily replaced in the replacement process.

A second test piece was obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the second release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
The peel force between the adhesive layer and the second release film is measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the adhesive layer and the second release film of the second test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the second release film is peeled off from the adhesive layer.
In the second test piece, the peel force between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the second release film is preferably 180 mN/50 mm or less, preferably 100 mN/50 mm or more and 180 mN/50 mm or less, more preferably 120 mN/50 mm or more and 170 mN/50 mm or less, and even more preferably 130 mN/50 mm or more and 160 mN/50 mm or less.
When the peel strength of the second release film in the second test piece is equal to or greater than the lower limit, unintended peeling of the second release film is prevented. When the peel strength of the first release film in the first test piece is equal to or less than the upper limit, a semiconductor manufacturing sheet having further improved suitability for the mounting process is obtained.

The length of the test piece used for measurement is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range in which the peel force can be measured stably, but it is preferable that it be 100 mm to 300 mm.

The peel strength between the first release film and the film-like adhesive, and the peel strength between the second release film and the film-like adhesive can also be measured in the same manner as in the above peel test. In the above peel test, the adhesive composition of the test piece can be replaced with an adhesive composition, and the adhesive layer can be replaced with a film-like adhesive, to determine the peel strength between the release film and the film-like adhesive.

The first release film and the second release film may have the configurations exemplified in the description of the release film in the above embodiment, and detailed description of the configurations and constituent materials will be omitted.
The first and second release films can be commercially available release films, and release films having the desired release strength can be used as appropriate. In addition, by appropriately adjusting the type and content (e.g., silicone content) of the release agent on the release treatment surface, it is possible to produce the first and second release films having the desired release strength.

According to the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet of the embodiment, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet having a high-quality film-like adhesive and excellent suitability for the mounting process.

◇Method of using the sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device (method of manufacturing semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive)
The sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device can be used when manufacturing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device.
As a method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive according to one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes the steps of laminating a semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor chip on the film-like adhesive side of the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the embodiment to obtain a laminate;
and cutting the film-like adhesive, or the semiconductor wafer and the film-like adhesive, along the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip to obtain a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive.

Below, with reference to the drawings, the method of using the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet (method of manufacturing semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive) is explained in detail.

The method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive of the embodiment includes the steps of: attaching the back surface of a semiconductor wafer to an exposed surface of the film-like adhesive of a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device to obtain a laminate in which the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the semiconductor wafer are laminated in this order;
dividing the semiconductor wafer and cutting the film-like adhesive to obtain semiconductor chips with a film-like adhesive;
and a step of picking up the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive by separating it from the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the intermediate layer.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining, in schematic form, one example of a method for using a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, showing the case where the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is attached to a semiconductor wafer before use. In this method, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is used as a dicing die bonding sheet. Here, the method for using the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 shown in Figure 1 is used as an example.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the sheet 101 for manufacturing semiconductor device from which the release film 15 has been removed is heated, and the film-like adhesive 14 therein is attached to the rear surface 9b' of the semiconductor wafer 9'.
Reference numeral 9a' denotes a surface of the semiconductor wafer 9' on which circuits are formed.

The heating temperature when attaching the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be 40 to 70°C in order to further improve the thermal attachment stability of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101.

The maximum value of the width _W13 of the intermediate layer 13 in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 and the maximum value of the width _W14 of the film-like adhesive 14 are either exactly the same as the maximum value of the width W9 _' of the semiconductor wafer 9', or, although not identical, are approximately equal with only minor error.

Next, the laminate of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 and the semiconductor wafer 9' obtained above is cut with a blade from the circuit formation surface 9a' side of the semiconductor wafer 9' (blade dicing is performed) to divide the semiconductor wafer 9' and cut the film-like adhesive 14.

Blade dicing can be performed by a known method. For example, the area (the non-laminated area) near the periphery of the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 where the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are not laminated can be fixed to a jig such as a ring frame (not shown), and then the semiconductor wafer 9' can be divided and the film-like adhesive 14 can be cut using a blade.

4B, a plurality of semiconductor chips 914 with a film-like adhesive are obtained, each of which includes a semiconductor chip 9 and a cut film-like adhesive 140 provided on the back surface 9b of the semiconductor chip 9. These semiconductor chips 914 with a film-like adhesive are aligned and fixed on the intermediate layer 13 in the laminated sheet 10, constituting a group 910 of semiconductor chips with a film-like adhesive.
A back surface 9b of the semiconductor chip 9 corresponds to a back surface 9b' of the semiconductor wafer 9'. In addition, in Fig. 4, reference numeral 9a denotes a circuit forming surface of the semiconductor chip 9, which corresponds to a circuit forming surface 9a' of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

During blade dicing, the semiconductor wafer 9' is divided by cutting into it across its entire thickness, and the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is cut from the first surface 14a of the film-like adhesive 14 to the area halfway through the intermediate layer 13, cutting the film-like adhesive 14 across its entire thickness, preferably without cutting into the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 12.
In other words, during blade dicing, it is preferable that the blade cuts into the laminate of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 and the semiconductor wafer 9' in the stacking direction from the circuit formation surface 9a' of the semiconductor wafer 9' to at least the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13, but not to the surface opposite the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13 (i.e., the contact surface with the adhesive layer 12).

In this process, it is easy to prevent the blade from reaching the substrate 11, thereby suppressing the generation of cutting debris from the substrate 11. Furthermore, since the main component of the intermediate layer 13 cut by the blade is a non-silicon resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less, and in particular, since the weight average molecular weight is 100,000 or less, the generation of cutting debris from the intermediate layer 13 can also be suppressed.

The conditions for the blade dicing may be appropriately adjusted depending on the purpose, and are not particularly limited.
In general, the rotation speed of the blade is preferably 15,000 to 50,000 rpm, and the movement speed of the blade is preferably 5 to 75 mm/sec.

After blade dicing, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive is separated from the intermediate layer 13 in the laminated sheet 10 and picked up, as shown in Fig. 4C. Here, a case is shown in which the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive is separated in the direction of arrow P using a separating means 7 such as a vacuum collet. Note that the separating means 7 is not shown in cross section here.
The semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive attached can be picked up by a known method.

When the silicon concentration ratio on the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13 is 1 to 20%, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film adhesive attached can be picked up more easily.
When the intermediate layer 13 contains, for example, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer which is the non-silicon-based resin and a siloxane-based compound which is the additive, and the content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in the intermediate layer relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer is 90 to 99.99 mass %, and the content of the siloxane-based compound in the intermediate layer relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer is 0.01 to 10 mass %, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive can be picked up more easily.

A preferred embodiment of the method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive described above is, for example, a method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive, the method comprising: a semiconductor chip; and a film-like adhesive provided on the back surface of the semiconductor chip,
The sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, and a film-like adhesive,
The manufacturing method includes the steps of: heating the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet while attaching the film-like adhesive therein to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer; cutting the semiconductor wafer to which the film-like adhesive has been attached across its entire thickness from the circuit formation side to divide it into semiconductor chips; and cutting the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet in its thickness direction from the film-like adhesive side to a region halfway through the intermediate layer to cut the film-like adhesive, but not cutting into the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, thereby obtaining a group of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive in which a plurality of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive are aligned on the intermediate layer; and pulling the semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive from the intermediate layer and picking them up (sometimes referred to in this specification as "manufacturing method 1").

In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive includes the steps of: attaching the back surface of a group of semiconductor chips, in which a plurality of the semiconductor chips are aligned, to an exposed surface of the film-like adhesive of a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device, to obtain a laminate in which the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the group of semiconductor chips are laminated in this order;
cutting the film-like adhesive to obtain a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive;
and a step of picking up the semiconductor chip with the film-like adhesive by separating it from the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the intermediate layer.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing semiconductor chips for which a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is used, and shows the case where semiconductor chips are manufactured by dicing a semiconductor wafer, which involves the formation of a modified layer.
6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining another example of a method of using the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, in which the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is attached to a semiconductor chip before use. In this method, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet is used as a die bonding sheet. Here, the method of use will be explained by taking the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 shown in FIG. 1 as an example.

First, prior to using the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101, as shown in FIG. 5A, a semiconductor wafer 9' is prepared, and a backgrind tape (sometimes called a "surface protection tape") 8 is attached to its circuit formation surface 9a'.
In FIG. 5, the symbol W9 _' denotes the width of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

Next, a laser beam (not shown) is irradiated so as to be focused at a focal point set inside the semiconductor wafer 9', thereby forming a modified layer 90' inside the semiconductor wafer 9' as shown in FIG. 5B.
The laser light is preferably applied to the semiconductor wafer 9' from the rear surface 9b' side of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

The focal position at this time is the intended dividing (dicing) position of the semiconductor wafer 9', and is set so that the desired size, shape and number of semiconductor chips are obtained from the semiconductor wafer 9'.

Next, a grinder (not shown) is used to grind the back surface 9b' of the semiconductor wafer 9'. This adjusts the thickness of the semiconductor wafer 9' to a desired value, and the grinding force applied to the semiconductor wafer 9' at this time is used to divide the semiconductor wafer 9' at the portion where the modified layer 90' is formed, producing multiple semiconductor chips 9 as shown in FIG. 5C.

The modified layer 90' of the semiconductor wafer 9' is different from other parts of the semiconductor wafer 9' in that it has been altered by the irradiation of the laser light and has a weakened strength. Therefore, by applying force to the semiconductor wafer 9' on which the modified layer 90' is formed, the force is applied to the modified layer 90', and the semiconductor wafer 9' is cracked at the site of the modified layer 90', and multiple semiconductor chips 9 are obtained.

This process results in the semiconductor chips 9 that are the subject of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101. More specifically, this process results in a semiconductor chip group 901 in which multiple semiconductor chips 9 are aligned and fixed on the backgrind tape 8.

When the semiconductor chip group 901 is viewed from above in a planar view, the planar shape formed by connecting the outermost portions of the semiconductor chip group 901 (in this specification, such a planar shape may be simply referred to as the "planar shape of the semiconductor chip group") is exactly the same as the planar shape of the semiconductor wafer 9' when viewed in a similar planar view, or the differences between these planar shapes are so minor that they can be ignored, and it can be said that the planar shape of the semiconductor chip group 901 is generally the same as the planar shape of the semiconductor wafer 9'.
5C, the width of the planar shape of the semiconductor chip group 901 can be regarded as being the same as the width W9 _' of the semiconductor wafer 9'. Also, the maximum value of the width of the planar shape of the semiconductor chip group 901 can be regarded as being the same as the maximum value of the width W9 _' of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

Note that, although the example shown here shows a case where semiconductor chips 9 can be produced as intended from the semiconductor wafer 9', depending on the conditions when grinding the back surface 9b' of the semiconductor wafer 9', separation into semiconductor chips 9 may not occur in some areas of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

Next, the semiconductor chips 9 (semiconductor chip group 901) obtained above are used to manufacture semiconductor chips with a film-like adhesive.
6A, one semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 from which release film 15 has been removed is heated, and film-like adhesive 14 therein is attached to the back surfaces 9b of all the semiconductor chips 9 in semiconductor chip group 901. The object to which film-like adhesive 14 is attached at this time may be a semiconductor wafer that has not been completely divided.

The maximum value of the width _W13 of the intermediate layer 13 in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 and the maximum value of the width _W14 of the film-like adhesive 14 are either exactly the same as the maximum value of the width W9 _' of the semiconductor wafer 9' (in other words, the width of the semiconductor chip group 901), or, although not identical, are approximately equivalent with only minor errors.

At this time, the attachment of the film-like adhesive 14 (semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101) to the semiconductor chip group 901 can be carried out in the same manner as the attachment of the film-like adhesive 14 (semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101) to the semiconductor wafer 9' in the manufacturing method 1, except that the semiconductor chip group 901 is used instead of the semiconductor wafer 9'.

Next, the backgrind tape 8 is removed from the semiconductor chip group 901 in this fixed state. Then, as shown in Fig. 6B, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is expanded by being stretched in a direction parallel to its surface (e.g., the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12) while being cooled. Here, the expanding direction of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is indicated by the arrow _E1 . By expanding in this manner, the film-like adhesive 14 is cut along the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip 9.

This process provides a plurality of semiconductor chips 914 with a film-like adhesive, each of which includes a semiconductor chip 9 and a cut film-like adhesive 140 provided on the back surface 9b of the semiconductor chip 9. These semiconductor chips 914 with a film-like adhesive are aligned and fixed on the intermediate layer 13 in the laminated sheet 10, constituting a group 910 of semiconductor chips with a film-like adhesive.
The semiconductor chip 914 with film-like adhesive and the group of semiconductor chips 910 with film-like adhesive obtained here are both substantially the same as the semiconductor chip 914 with film-like adhesive and the group of semiconductor chips 910 with film-like adhesive obtained by the manufacturing method 1 described above.

As explained above, if a portion of the semiconductor wafer 9' is not divided into semiconductor chips 9 when the semiconductor wafer 9' is divided, this region is divided into semiconductor chips by carrying out this process.

It is preferable to expand the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 at a temperature of -5 to 5°C. By cooling and expanding the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 in this manner (performing cool expansion), the film-like adhesive 14 can be cut more easily and with higher precision.

The semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 can be expanded by a known method. For example, the region (the non-laminated region) near the periphery of the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12 in the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 where the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are not laminated is fixed to a jig such as a ring frame (not shown), and then the entire region where the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 are laminated is pushed up from the base material 11 side in the direction from the base material 11 toward the adhesive layer 12, thereby expanding the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101.

In FIG. 6B, the non-laminated region of the first surface 12a of the adhesive layer 12, where the intermediate layer 13 and the film-like adhesive 14 are not laminated, is approximately parallel to the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13. However, as described above, when the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is expanded by being pushed up, the non-laminated region includes an inclined surface whose height decreases in the opposite direction to the pushing-up direction as it approaches the outer periphery of the adhesive layer 12.

In this process, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 is provided with an intermediate layer 13 (in other words, the film-like adhesive 14 before cutting is provided on the intermediate layer 13), so that the film-like adhesive 14 can be cut precisely at the desired location (in other words, along the outer periphery of the semiconductor chip 9), thereby preventing cutting defects.

After the expansion, as shown in FIG. 6C, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive attached is separated from the intermediate layer 13 in the laminated sheet 10 and picked up.
The pick-up at this time can be performed in the same manner as the pick-up in the manufacturing method 1 described above, and the pick-up suitability is also the same as that in the manufacturing method 1.

For example, in this process, when the silicon concentration ratio on the first surface 13a of the intermediate layer 13 is 1 to 20%, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive can be picked up more easily.
Furthermore, when the intermediate layer 13 contains, for example, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer which is the non-silicon-based resin and a siloxane-based compound which is the additive, and the content of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in the intermediate layer relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer is 90 to 99.99 mass%, and the content of the siloxane-based compound in the intermediate layer relative to the total mass of the intermediate layer is 0.01 to 10 mass%, the semiconductor chip 914 with the film-like adhesive can be picked up more easily.

A preferred embodiment of the method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive described above is, for example, a method for producing a semiconductor chip with a film-like adhesive, the method comprising: a semiconductor chip; and a film-like adhesive provided on the back surface of the semiconductor chip,
The sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, and a film-like adhesive,
The manufacturing method includes a step of forming a modified layer inside the semiconductor wafer by irradiating a laser beam so as to be focused on a focal point set inside the semiconductor wafer; a step of grinding the back surface of the semiconductor wafer after the modified layer is formed, and by utilizing the force applied to the semiconductor wafer during grinding, dividing the semiconductor wafer at the formation site of the modified layer to obtain a group of semiconductor chips in a state in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are aligned; a step of attaching the film-like adhesive therein to the back surface of all the semiconductor chips in the group of semiconductor chips while heating the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet; a step of cutting the film-like adhesive along the periphery of the semiconductor chips by stretching the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet after being attached to the semiconductor chips in a direction parallel to the surface while cooling, thereby obtaining a group of semiconductor chips with a film-like adhesive in a state in which a plurality of the semiconductor chips with the film-like adhesive are aligned on the intermediate layer; and a step of separating the semiconductor chips with the film-like adhesive from the intermediate layer and picking them up (sometimes referred to as "manufacturing method 2" in this specification).

Up to this point, in both manufacturing method 1 and manufacturing method 2, the usage has been explained using the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101 shown in Figure 1 as an example, but other semiconductor device manufacturing sheets according to this embodiment can also be used in the same way. In that case, if necessary, the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet may be used by appropriately adding other processes based on the differences in the configuration between this semiconductor device manufacturing sheet and the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet 101.

Not limited to the cases of manufacturing method 1 and manufacturing method 2, after obtaining the group of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive, before picking up the semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive, the laminated sheet may be expanded in a direction parallel to the surface (first surface) of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer facing the intermediate layer, and further, while maintaining this state, the peripheral portion of the laminated sheet on which the semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive (group of semiconductor chips with film-like adhesive) are not placed may be heated.
In this way, the distance between adjacent semiconductor chips, i.e., the kerf width, can be maintained sufficiently wide and highly uniform on the laminated sheet while the peripheral portion is shrunk, and the semiconductor chips with the film-like adhesive attached can be picked up more easily.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

<<Raw materials for producing adhesive composition>>
The raw materials used in producing the adhesive composition are shown below.
[Polymer component (a)]
(a)-1: An acrylic resin (weight average molecular weight 800,000, glass transition temperature 9° C.) obtained by copolymerizing methyl acrylate (95 parts by mass) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (5 parts by mass).
[Epoxy resin (b1)]
(b1)-1: a cresol novolac type epoxy resin having an acryloyl group added thereto ("CNA147" manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd., epoxy equivalent: 518 g/eq, number average molecular weight: 2100, unsaturated group content: equal to that of the epoxy group).
[Thermal curing agent (b2)]
(b2)-1: Aralkyl type phenol resin (Milex XLC-4L manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., number average molecular weight 1100, softening point 63° C.)
[Filler (d)]
(d)-1: Spherical silica ("YA050C-MJE" manufactured by Admatechs Co., Ltd., average particle size 50 nm, methacrylsilane-treated product)
[Coupling agent (e)]
(e)-1: Silane coupling agent, 3-glycidoxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane ("KBE-402" manufactured by Shin-Etsu Silicones Co., Ltd.)
[Crosslinking agent (f)]
(f)-1: Tolylene diisocyanate crosslinking agent ("Coronate L" manufactured by Tosoh Corporation)

[Example 1]
<<Production of Sheets for Manufacturing Semiconductor Devices>>
<Production of substrate>
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE, "Sumikathene L705" manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.) was melted using an extruder, the melt was extruded by a T-die method, and the extrudate was biaxially stretched using a cooling roll to obtain a LDPE substrate (thickness 110 μm).

<Release film>
[Light release film]
A polyethylene terephthalate film having one side treated with a silicone release agent (manufactured by Lintec Corporation, product name "SP-PET381031") was used.
[Heavy release film]
A polyethylene terephthalate film having one side treated with a silicone release agent (manufactured by Lintec Corporation, product name "SP-PET382150") was used.
[Middle release film]
A polyethylene terephthalate film having one side treated with a silicone release agent (manufactured by Lintec Corporation, product name "SP-PET382051") was used.

<Preparation of Adhesive Layer>
A non-energy ray curable adhesive composition was produced containing an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) (100 parts by mass) as an adhesive resin (I-1a) and a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) (1 part by mass).

Next, the adhesive composition obtained above was applied to the release-treated surface of the light release film, and the film was dried by heating at 100°C for 2 minutes to produce a non-energy ray-curable adhesive layer (thickness 20 μm).

<Preparation of intermediate layer>
At room temperature, 15 g of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA, weight average molecular weight 30,000, content of structural units derived from vinyl acetate 25% by mass) was dissolved in 85 g of tetrahydrofuran, and 1.5 g of a siloxane-based compound (polydimethylsiloxane, "BYK-333" manufactured by BYK Japan, number of structural units represented by the formula "-Si(-CH ₃ ) ₂ -O-" in one molecule is 45 to 230) was added to the resulting solution and stirred to prepare a composition for forming an intermediate layer.

The above-mentioned light release film was used, and the intermediate layer forming composition obtained above was applied to the release-treated surface thereof, and the intermediate layer (thickness 20 μm) was produced by heating and drying at 70°C for 5 minutes.

<Preparation of film adhesive>
A thermosetting adhesive composition was produced containing a polymer component (a)-1 (100 parts by mass), an epoxy resin (b1)-1 (10 parts by mass), a thermosetting agent (b2)-1 (1.5 parts by mass), a filler (d)-1 (75 parts by mass), a coupling agent (e)-1 (0.5 parts by mass), and a crosslinking agent (f)-1 (0.5 parts by mass).

Next, the adhesive composition obtained above was applied to the release-treated surface of the above-mentioned heavy release film (first release film) and then heated and dried at 80°C for 2 minutes to produce a thermosetting film-like adhesive (thickness 7 μm).

<Production of Sheet for Manufacturing Semiconductor Device>
The exposed surface of the adhesive layer obtained above, opposite the side provided with the release film, was bonded to one surface of the substrate obtained above to produce a first intermediate laminate with a release film (in other words, a support sheet with a release film).
The exposed surface of the film-like adhesive obtained above, opposite the side having the heavy release film, was bonded to the exposed surface of the intermediate layer obtained above, opposite the side having the light release film, to produce a second intermediate laminate with a release film (a laminate of a light release film, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive and a heavy release film).

Next, this second intermediate laminate with release film was punched using a cutting blade from the light release film on the intermediate layer side to the film-like adhesive to remove unnecessary portions, thereby producing a second intermediate laminate with a heavy release film, which is composed of a film-like adhesive (thickness 7 μm) with a circular planar shape (diameter 305 mm), an intermediate layer (thickness 20 μm), and a heavy release film laminated in this order in the thickness direction on the release film on the film-like adhesive side.

Next, the light release film was removed from the first intermediate laminate with the light release film obtained above to expose one surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
Furthermore, the circular light release film was removed from the second intermediate laminate workpiece with the release film obtained above to expose one surface of the intermediate layer.
Next, the newly exposed surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer in the first intermediate laminate was bonded to the newly exposed surface of the intermediate layer in the second intermediate laminate processed product. Then, the heavy release film (first release film) was removed from the laminate of the first intermediate laminate and the second intermediate laminate processed product, and a light release film (second release film) was bonded instead.
The substrate and adhesive layer (i.e., support sheet) in the laminate thus obtained were punched from the substrate side using a cutting blade (diameter 370 mm) to remove unnecessary portions so that the planar shape of these (support sheet) was circular (diameter 370 mm) and concentric with the circular film-like adhesive and intermediate layer (diameter 305 mm).
As a result of the above, a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device with a release film was obtained, which was composed of a substrate (thickness 110 μm), an adhesive layer (thickness 10 μm), an intermediate layer (thickness 20 μm), a film-like adhesive (thickness 7 μm) and a release film laminated in this order in the thickness direction.

[Reference Example 1]
A sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the heavy release film was not replaced with a light release film in the laminate of the first intermediate laminate and the second intermediate laminate processed product.

[Reference Example 2]
In preparing the above-mentioned film-like adhesive, a light release film was used instead of a heavy release film when applying the adhesive composition to the release film, and the light release film was not replaced in the laminate of the first intermediate laminate and the second intermediate laminate processed product. Except for this, a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Reference Example 3]
In preparing the above-mentioned film-like adhesive, a light release film was used instead of a heavy release film when applying the adhesive composition to the release film, and in the laminate of the first intermediate laminate and the second intermediate laminate processed product, the light release film was removed and a heavy release film was bonded instead. Except for this, a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[Reference Example 4]
In preparing the above-mentioned film-like adhesive, a middle release film was used instead of a heavy release film when applying the adhesive composition to the release film, and the middle release film was not replaced in the laminate of the first intermediate laminate and the second intermediate laminate processed product. Except for this, a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

<<Evaluation>>
<Peel strength between release film and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer>
A first intermediate laminate with a release film (support sheet with a release film) was produced in the same manner as in the production of the first intermediate laminate described above (except that the thickness of the adhesive layer after heat drying was changed to 10 μm). After the first intermediate laminate with the release film was produced, it was immediately left to stand for 30 minutes in an environment of 23° C. and 50% RH, and then this first intermediate laminate was cut into a width of 50 mm to prepare a test piece.
The release films of the test pieces at this time were used as the respective release films (light release film, heavy release film, or medium release film) for measuring the peel strength between them and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
The support sheet side was fixed, and the release film was peeled off from the support sheet so that the surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the release film, which had been in contact with each other, formed an angle of 180°, i.e., a so-called 180° peel was performed, and the peel force (mN/50 mm) was measured under the following measurement conditions: peel speed: 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and humidity: 50% RH.
In addition, in the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the embodiment, it is not necessary to have a configuration in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the corresponding release film are in direct contact with each other. The evaluation of the peel strength here is an evaluation for identifying the properties of the release film.

<Film-forming properties of film-type adhesive>
A film-like adhesive was prepared in the same manner as in the preparation of the film-like adhesive described above, and the film-forming properties of the film-like adhesive were evaluated. In this case, the solid content concentration of the adhesive composition was set to 15 mass %, and the adhesive composition was applied using an applicator so that the thickness of the film-like adhesive after heating and drying was 7 μm.
After the adhesive composition was coated and dried, the appearance of the surface of the resulting film-like adhesive at the portion of the adhesive composition that had been in contact with the release film was visually observed, and the film-forming properties of the film-like adhesive were evaluated according to the following criteria.
A: No repelling of the adhesive composition having a diameter of 3 mm or more was observed on the release film, and the surface condition was good.
B: 1 to 5 repelling spots of the adhesive composition having a diameter of 3 mm or more were observed on the release film.
C: More than 5 repellings of the adhesive composition having a diameter of 3 mm or more were observed on the release film.

<Mounting process suitability>
The semiconductor device manufacturing sheets obtained in the above Examples and Reference Examples were subjected to a process of attaching the film-like adhesive to the rear surface of a 12-inch semiconductor wafer and a ring frame (manufactured by DISCO) using a tape mounter (manufactured by Lintec RAD-2700) for 30 consecutive sheets. This process was performed while peeling off the release film of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet from the sheet.
The condition of the release film after it was peeled off from the film-like adhesive was checked.

A: For all 30 sheets, the entire film-like adhesive could be peeled off from the release film.
B: Of the 30 sheets, there were some in which the entire film-like adhesive could not be peeled off from the release film, and part of the film-like adhesive remained attached to the release film.

The above evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

As is clear from the above results, in Example 1, in which a heavy release film with a high peel strength was used when preparing the film-like adhesive and then the heavy release film was replaced with a light release film with a low peel strength, the film-like adhesive had good film-forming properties when the film-like adhesive layer was formed, and had good suitability for the mounting process when used as a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor devices.

The configurations and combinations thereof in each embodiment are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to each embodiment, but is limited only by the scope of the claims.

The present invention can be used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

101...sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device,
1...Support sheet,
10...Laminated sheet,
11... Substrate,
12... Adhesive layer,
13. Middle layer,
13a: first surface of intermediate layer;
14...Film-like adhesive,
15...Release film (second release film),
16: third release film,
17...first release film,
W ₁₃ : Width of intermediate layer W ₁₄ : Width of film-like adhesive 102: Second intermediate laminate,
103: second intermediate laminate workpiece,
104...first intermediate laminate,
105...first laminate,
107...second laminate,
C, C'...notch part,
8...Back grind tape,
9'...semiconductor wafer,
90'...modified layer,
9a': Circuit formation surface of semiconductor wafer,
9b': rear surface of the semiconductor wafer;
901: Group of semiconductor chips,
9...semiconductor chip,
9a: circuit formation surface of the semiconductor chip; 9b: back surface of the semiconductor chip;
140...film-like adhesive after cutting 910...semiconductor chip group with film-like adhesive,
914...Semiconductor chip with film-like adhesive,
_E1 ...Expand direction

Claims (3)

A method for producing a sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
the sheet for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises a base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an intermediate layer, a film-like adhesive, and a second release film, and is configured by laminating the base material, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the second release film in this order;
a first processing step of forming a cut portion C in the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of a second intermediate laminate comprising the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and a first release film at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a portion of the intermediate layer and the film-like adhesive located on the outer side from the cut portion C as a starting point to obtain a second intermediate laminate processed product;
a lamination step of bonding a first intermediate laminate including the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the second intermediate laminate processed product to obtain a first laminate including the substrate, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the intermediate layer, the film-like adhesive, and the first release film;
A replacement step of peeling off the first release film of the first laminate and replacing it with a second release film to obtain a second laminate;
a second processing step of forming a cut portion C' in the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the second laminate at a position corresponding to an outer periphery of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the semiconductor device manufacturing sheet, and removing at least a part of the base material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer located outside the cut portion C' as a starting point to obtain a semiconductor device manufacturing sheet,
A method for producing a sheet for producing semiconductor device, wherein the peel strength between the first release film and the film-like adhesive is higher than the peel strength between the second release film and the film-like adhesive. A first test piece was obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the first release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
the peel strength (mN/50 mm) between the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film is greater than 180 mN/50 mm, as measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and a humidity of 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the first release film of the first test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the first release film is peeled off from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer;
A second test piece was obtained by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition to the release-treated surface of the second release film and drying the composition to form a single pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 10 μm, the pressure-sensitive adhesive composition comprising, as solid contents, 100 parts by mass of an acrylic resin ("Olivine BPS 6367X" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.) and 1 part by mass of a crosslinking agent ("BXX 5640" manufactured by Toyochem Co., Ltd.),
2. The method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the peel force (mN/50 mm) between the adhesive layer and the second release film is 180 mN/50 mm or less, as measured by 180° peeling at a peel speed of 1000 mm/min, 23° C., and 50% RH, in which the release-treated surfaces of the adhesive layer and the second release film of the second test piece form an angle of 180° with each other, and the second release film is peeled off from the adhesive layer. The method for manufacturing a sheet for manufacturing semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intermediate layer contains as a main component a non-silicon-based resin having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or less.

Images