JP7745382B2 - Test Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a chip testing device.

In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, multiple semiconductor devices are formed on a wafer, then the wafer is thinned using a grinding or polishing device, and then diced into individual chips using a cutting or laser processing device, to produce multiple semiconductor devices. When the wafer is thinned and diced, micro-damage such as processing distortion and tiny chips is generated in the wafer and the diced chips, and this damage reduces the die strength of the chips.

Therefore, after the wafer is thinned and diced, the chips are picked up from the wafer and their flexural strength is measured, and a testing device for this purpose has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-094833

The testing device shown in Patent Document 1 is equipped with an imaging camera for observing the chip, and by capturing an image of the side of the chip, for example, and detecting the size of chipping (chipping) on the outer edge of the chip from the captured image, it is possible to link the occurrence of chipping with the die strength and manage it.

Wafer are generally diced while attached to tape, and when dicing is done with a cutting blade, tiny chips or cracks called chipping occur on the outer edges of the chips formed. When a modified layer is formed by irradiating with a laser beam and then dicing is done by expanding the tape, tiny expanded debris is generated when the wafer is divided.

When chips are picked up from the wafer to measure their die strength, chipping debris and expanded debris may be picked up along with the chip and fall onto the wafer.

Furthermore, if the pickup is not successful, the chip being picked up may be damaged, causing debris to fall onto the wafer.

If debris falls onto the wafer and adheres to the chip being picked up, the top surface of the chip cannot be held by suction, which could result in a pickup failure. Furthermore, if a chip with debris on its top surface is transported to the chip destruction unit and is destroyed with the debris still attached, the measurement results will be inaccurate.

Furthermore, the wafer from which the chips to be measured have been picked up is removed from the test equipment and sent to the next process. However, if the wafer is removed from the test equipment with debris on it, there is a risk of contaminating the clean room if the test equipment is located inside a clean room, which is undesirable.

The object of the present invention is to provide a testing device that can remove debris from the top surface of a wafer divided into multiple chips to be measured.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the testing apparatus of the present invention is a testing apparatus comprising : a frame fixing unit that holds a wafer unit consisting of a wafer divided into a plurality of chips carried out from a cassette by a carry-in/out unit, a tape to which the wafer is attached, and an annular frame to which the outer periphery of the tape is attached to accommodate the wafer in an opening; a pickup mechanism that picks up chips from the wafer unit; a measuring mechanism that measures the strength of the chips picked up by the pickup mechanism; and a debris collection mechanism that sucks and collects debris from the upper surface of the wafer from which the chips have been picked up by the pickup mechanism, the debris collection mechanism comprising a suction part including a suction port facing the upper surface of the wafer, a suction path that connects the suction part to a suction source, and a debris collection part arranged in the suction path, and the suction part is moved close to the upper surface of the wafer. a moving mechanism for relatively moving the frame fixing unit in a suction direction parallel to the upper surface of the wafer, and for relatively moving the frame fixing unit in a direction opposite to the upper surface of the wafer, and for relatively moving the frame fixing unit from a position where it holds the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit to a position where the chip is picked up by the pickup mechanism, and before the frame fixing unit moves from the position where it holds the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit to the position where the chip is picked up by the pickup mechanism, the suction part is brought close to the upper surface of the wafer, and the suction part sucks and collects the debris when the frame fixing unit moves from the position where it holds the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit to the position where the chip is picked up by the pickup mechanism .

In the testing device, the debris collection section may be formed in a sheet shape and arranged on the bottom surface of the suction path, and may be provided with a debris fall prevention member that is gradually inclined in a direction away from the suction port as it extends upward from the bottom surface .

In the testing device, the debris collection mechanism may have a brush that surrounds at least a portion of the suction port, the brush being positioned rearward in the suction direction, and debris swept out by the brush being sucked up by the suction section.

In the test device, the width of the suction port may be set to be equal to or greater than the diameter of the wafer, and the suction direction may be set perpendicular to the width direction of the suction port.

The present invention has the advantage of being able to remove debris from the top surface of a wafer divided into multiple chips to be measured.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a configuration example of a test apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the testing device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer unit including a wafer divided into chips to be measured by the test device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the debris collection mechanism of the testing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 collects debris adhering to the surface of the wafer. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a suction portion of a debris collection mechanism of a testing device according to a modified example of the first embodiment.

Modes for carrying out the present invention (embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that would be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
A test apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of an example configuration of the test apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the test apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer unit including a wafer divided into chips to be measured by the test apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

The test device 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus that picks up a chip 14, which is a test piece, from the tape 15 of the wafer unit 17 shown in Figure 3, takes an image of at least the chip 14, and then destroys the imaged chip 14 to measure the flexural strength of the chip 14.

(wafer unit)
3, the wafer unit 17 includes a wafer 10 divided into a plurality of chips 14, a tape 15 to which the wafer 10 is attached, and an annular frame 16 to which the outer periphery of the tape 15 is attached, thereby accommodating the wafer 10 within an opening 19. The wafer 10 is a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer, an optical device wafer, or the like, with a substrate 11 made of silicon, sapphire, gallium, or the like.

The wafer 10 has devices 13 formed in areas defined by a plurality of planned division lines 12 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 11-1 of the substrate 11. In embodiment 1, the wafer 10 has a disk-shaped tape 15 with an annular frame 16 attached to its outer periphery, attached to the back surface 11-2 behind the surface 11-1, and is supported by the annular frame 16 to form a wafer unit 17.

The wafer 10 is also cut along the planned division lines 12 to separate it into individual chips 14. That is, the wafer 10 has cut grooves 18 formed between the chips 14, which penetrate the wafer 10 itself. Each chip 14 is composed of a portion of the substrate 11 and a device 13, and has a surface 11-1 (corresponding to the top surface in embodiment 1), a back surface 11-2 (corresponding to the bottom surface in embodiment 1) behind the surface 11-1, and multiple side surfaces extending from the surface 11-1 to the back surface 11-2.

In embodiment 1, the wafer 10 has devices 13 formed on the surface 11-1 of the substrate 11. However, in the present invention, if the test device 1 is used to evaluate the appropriateness of the processing conditions for the so-called post-processing step of dividing the wafer 10 into individual chips 14, the devices 13 do not need to be formed on the surface 11-1.

In addition, when the chips 14 are picked up from the wafer unit 17 configured as described above, debris generated when dividing the wafer 10 into individual chips 14 may be picked up along with the chips 14 and fall onto the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10. In other words, the wafer unit 17 may have debris adhering to the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10.

(Test equipment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the testing apparatus 1 includes a cassette mounting table 3 provided on an apparatus main body 2 and on which a cassette 4 containing a plurality of wafer units 17 is placed, a transfer unit 5 for transferring the wafer units 17 into and out of the cassette 4, a pair of temporary placement rails 6 on which the wafer units 17 transferred out of the cassette 4 or the wafer units 17 before being transferred into the cassette 4 are temporarily placed, a frame fixing unit 7, a moving mechanism 30 for moving the frame fixing unit 7 in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction, a push-up unit 40, an imaging camera 50, a pickup mechanism 60, a holder moving unit 70 (shown in FIG. 2), an imaging device 100, a strength measuring unit 200 which is a measuring mechanism, a debris collection mechanism 80, and a control unit 400.

The cassette 4 is a storage container that stores multiple wafer units 17 at intervals in the Z-axis direction, which is parallel to the vertical direction, and is provided with an opening 8 for inserting and removing the wafer units 17. The cassette 4 is placed on the upper surface of the cassette mounting table 3, which raises and lowers the cassette 4 in the Z-axis direction.

A pair of temporary placement rails 6 are provided on both widthwise ends of the opening 8 of the cassette 4 placed on the cassette placement table 3 on the apparatus main body 2, and extend linearly in the Y-axis direction, which is parallel to the horizontal direction. The pair of temporary placement rails 6 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart along the X-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the Y-axis direction and parallel to the horizontal direction. The annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17 is temporarily placed on the pair of temporary placement rails 6.

The carry-in/out unit 5 is movable in the Y-axis direction by a movement mechanism (not shown). The carry-in/out unit 5 carries the wafer unit 17 out of the cassette 4 and temporarily places it on the temporary placement rails 6, then carries the wafer unit 17 to the upper surface of the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7 and places it on the upper surface of the frame support member 22. The carry-in/out unit 5 also carries the wafer unit 17 from the upper surface of the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7 into the cassette 4 via the temporary placement rails 6.

(frame fixing unit)
The frame fixing unit 7 holds and fixes the annular frame 16 arranged around the wafer 10 on the tape 15 of the wafer unit 17, i.e., the annular frame 16 arranged around the chip 14 to be picked up. The frame fixing unit 7 is installed on a moving table 21. The frame fixing unit 7 includes an annular frame support member 22, an annular frame pressing member 23 arranged above and fixed to the frame support member 22, and an elevating mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the frame support member 22.

Before being raised, the upper surface of the frame support member 22 is flush with the upper surface of the temporary placement rail 6, and the annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17 is placed on it. When the annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17 is placed on the upper surface of the frame support member 22, the frame fixing unit 7 uses the lifting mechanism to raise the frame support member 22, sandwiching the annular frame 16 between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22. The frame fixing unit 7 sandwiches the annular frame 16 between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22, holding and fixing the annular frame 16 arranged around the wafer 10 on the tape 15, and fixing the wafer unit 17.

(Moving mechanism)
The movement mechanism 30 includes an X-axis movement mechanism 31 that is provided on the apparatus main body 2 and moves the movement table 21 in the X-axis direction, and a Y-axis movement mechanism 32 that is provided on the movement table 21 that is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement mechanism 31 and moves the frame fixing unit 7 in the Y-axis direction. The X-axis movement mechanism 31 moves the movement table 21, i.e., the frame fixing unit 7, in the X-axis direction between a position aligned with the pair of temporary placement rails 6 in the Y-axis direction and a position spaced apart from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. Each movement mechanism 31, 32 includes well-known ball screws 33, 34 that are provided rotatably about their axes, well-known motors 35, 36 that rotate the ball screws 33, 34 about their axes, and well-known guide rails 37, 38 that support the movement table 21 or the frame fixing unit 7 movably in the X-axis or Y-axis direction.

(Thrust-up unit)
The push-up unit 40 is disposed below the frame fixing unit 7, which is positioned by the X-axis movement mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. The push-up unit 40 is provided in the recess 9 of the device main body 2, and pushes up one of the chips 14 via the tape 15 of the wafer unit 17 fixed by the frame fixing unit 7, which is positioned by the X-axis movement mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6.

The push-up unit 40 is connected as a whole to a lifting mechanism (not shown) composed of a motor or the like, and moves up and down along the Z-axis direction. The push-up unit 40 has a hollow cylindrical tape holding section 41 and a rectangular pillar-shaped push-up section 42 located inside the tape holding section 41. The top surface of the tape holding section 41 is flat and parallel to the horizontal direction, and has multiple suction grooves formed concentrically around the periphery of the tape holding section 41. Each suction groove is connected to a suction source, such as an ejector, via a suction path and an on-off valve formed inside the push-up unit 40.

The push-up portion 42 has a rectangular top surface whose planar shape is smaller than the planar shape of the chip 14. The push-up portion 42 is connected to an elevation unit composed of a motor or the like, and moves up and down along the Z-axis direction.

With the wafer unit 17, including the annular frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, positioned above the push-up unit 40, the suction grooves on the upper surface of the tape holding section 41 are sucked by a suction source, and the tape 15 around the chip 14 to be picked up is held by suction on the upper surface of the tape holding section 41. The push-up unit 40 suction-holds the tape 15 around the chip 14 to be picked up on the upper surface of the tape holding section 41, and as the push-up section 42 is raised, the chip 14 is pushed up above the tape 15, and the outer edge of the chip 14 is peeled off from the tape 15. The dimensions of the push-up unit 40 are adjusted appropriately depending on the size of the chip 14.

(imaging camera)
The imaging camera 50 is disposed above the frame fixing unit 7, which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. The imaging camera 50 forms a captured image by capturing an image of the chip 14 and the surroundings of this chip 14 that are pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17, which includes the annular frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6.

The imaging camera 50 includes an imaging element (i.e., pixel) that captures an image of the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17, which includes an annular frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, and the area around this chip 14. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element.

The imaging camera 50 photographs the chip 14 being pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17, which includes the annular frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, and the surrounding area of this chip 14, to obtain an image for aligning the chip 14 to be picked up by the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 400.

(Pickup mechanism)
The pickup mechanism 60 picks up the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up unit 40 from the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17. The pickup mechanism 60 includes a moving base 61 that is moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a holder moving unit 70, an arm 62 that extends in the X-axis direction from the moving base 61 in a direction away from the holder moving unit 70, and a holder 63 that is connected to the tip of the arm 62 via a rotating part 64 and that holds the chip 14.

The holder 63 has a lower surface 65 that faces the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40, sandwiching the wafer unit 17 fixed by the frame fixing unit 7, which is positioned away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6 by the X-axis movement mechanism 31. The planar shape of the lower surface 65 is formed as a rectangle of the same size as the chip 14. The lower surface 65 has a suction groove formed therein that is connected to a suction source 68, such as an ejector, via a suction path 66 and an on-off valve (not shown). A pressure sensor 69 that measures the pressure within the suction path 66 is connected to the suction path 66. The pressure sensor 69 outputs the measurement results to the control unit 400.

With the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 in contact with the lower surface 65 of the holder 63, the suction groove is sucked by the suction source 68, suction-holding the chip 14 to the lower surface 65. The holder 63 suction-holds the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 to the lower surface 65, and is raised by the holder movement unit 70 to pick up the chip 14 suction-held on the lower surface 65 from the tape 15.

In addition, in embodiment 1, the test device 1 may be provided with a load cell, which is a measuring means, on the upper surface side of the push-up unit 40, for measuring the load applied to the chip 14 when it is to be picked up from the tape 15. The load cell outputs the measurement results to the control unit 400. Note that in the present invention, the load cell, which is a measuring means, may also be provided on the lower surface 65 side of the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60.

The rotating unit 64 rotates the holder 63 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. The rotating unit 64 includes a rotating arm 67 and a rotation mechanism (not shown). The holder 63 is attached to the lower end of the rotating arm 67. The rotating arm 67 is attached to the tip of the arm 62 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. The rotation mechanism rotates the holder 63 together with the rotating arm 67 around the axis. The rotation mechanism may be composed of a motor attached to the arm 62, etc.

(Holder moving unit)
The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 along the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 between a pickup position where the chip 14 is picked up from the tape 15, an imaging position where the side of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 is imaged by the side imaging camera 121 of the imaging device 100, and a measurement position where the chip 14 is placed on a pair of support portions (not shown) of the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200 and the flexural strength of the chip 14 is measured by the strength measurement unit 200. The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 between the pickup position and the measurement position, thereby transporting the chip 14 picked up by the holder 63 to the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200.

As shown in Figure 2, the holder movement unit 70 includes a second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 that is mounted on the device main body 2 and moves the moving table 73 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis movement mechanism 72 that is mounted on the moving table 73 that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 and moves the moving base 61, i.e., the pickup mechanism 60, in the Z-axis direction.

The second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 moves the moving table 73, i.e., the pickup mechanism 60, along the Y-axis from a pickup position where the upper surface of the tape holding portion 41 of the push-up unit 40 and the lower surface 65 of the holder 63 face each other in the Z-axis direction toward the strength measurement unit 200. Each movement mechanism 71, 72 includes well-known ball screws 74, 75 rotatable about their axes, well-known motors 76, 77 that rotate the ball screws 74, 75 about their axes, and well-known guide rails 78, 79 that support the moving table 73 or pickup mechanism 60 for movement in the Y-axis or Z-axis direction.

(imaging device)
The imaging device 100 captures and observes the front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surface of the chip 14. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the imaging device 100 includes a lower imaging unit 101 arranged adjacent to the push-up unit 40 in the Y-axis direction on the device body 2, a chip inversion mechanism 110 that inverts the chip 14 upside down, and a lateral imaging unit 120.

The lower imaging unit 101 includes a lower imaging camera 102 that captures images of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 from below. The lower imaging camera 102 is positioned so as to overlap with the movement path of the holder 63. The lower imaging unit 101 captures images of the chip 14 from below using the lower imaging camera 102, and outputs the captured images to the control unit 400.

The chip inversion mechanism 110 inverts the top and bottom of the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 of the chip 14, i.e., turns the chip 14 upside down. The chip inversion mechanism 110 is aligned with the lower imaging unit 101 in the Y-axis direction and is positioned farther from the push-up unit 40 than the lower imaging unit 101. The chip inversion mechanism 110 includes a columnar chip support base 111 that supports the chip 14, and an inversion mechanism 112.

The chip support base 111 extends upward from the device main body 2 and is positioned in line with the lower imaging camera 102 in the Y-axis direction (i.e., overlapping with the movement path of the holder 63). The chip support base 111 has a flat upper surface that is parallel to the horizontal direction, and supports on its upper surface a chip 14 transported by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. The chip support base 111 is also connected to a rotary drive source (not shown), and is rotated by the rotary drive source around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The inversion mechanism 112 is disposed above the chip support base 111. The inversion mechanism 112 is configured to be able to rotate the base 113 by 180° around an axis parallel to the X-axis direction while holding the chip 14 at its tip.

When flipping the chip 14 upside down, the chip flipping mechanism 110 supports the chip 14 transported by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 on the upper surface of the chip support base 111, and rotates the base 151 180° from the position shown by the solid lines in Figures 1 and 2 relative to the upper surface of the chip support base 111 supporting the chip 14 to the position shown by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. The chip flipping mechanism 110 suction-holds the chip 14 at its tip and rotates the base 113 180° to flip the chip 14 upside down.

The chip 14 inverted by the chip inversion mechanism 110 is held by suction by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60, and the suction holding of the tip of the chip inversion mechanism 110 is stopped. In this way, the chip inversion mechanism 110 inverts the chip 14 upside down.

In addition, the test device 1 has a chip support base 111 located at a position that overlaps with the movement path of the holder 63, so the holder 63 can place the chip 14 on the upper surface of the chip support base 111.

The lateral imaging unit 120 images the chip 14 from the side, i.e., the side surface of the chip 14. The lateral imaging unit 120 is positioned next to the lower imaging unit 101 in the Y-axis direction, and in embodiment 1, is positioned between the lower imaging unit 101 and the chip inversion mechanism 110.

The lateral imaging unit 120 has a side imaging camera 121, which is a camera that images the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14. The side imaging camera 121 is positioned so that it can image the side surface of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. In embodiment 1, the side imaging camera 121 is positioned so that it faces the side surface of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 in the X-axis direction. The side imaging camera 121 has an imaging element that images the side surface of the chip 14. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element.

The position of the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction is adjusted by the camera movement mechanism 122, and the camera focuses on the side of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60, captures an image of the side, and outputs the captured image to the control unit 400.

The lateral imaging unit 120 uses the side imaging camera 121 to capture an image of one side of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. The holder 63 is then rotated around its axis by the rotating unit 64, and the other side of the chip 14 is then captured by the side imaging camera 121. In this way, the lateral imaging unit 120 captures images of all side surfaces of the chip 14 (e.g., the four side surfaces of the chip 14) using the side imaging camera 121, obtains an image that includes the thickness of the chip 14, the size of any chips formed in the chip 14, and so on, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 400.

In embodiment 1, the lateral imaging unit 120 uses the side imaging camera 121 to capture an image of the side of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. This allows the side of the chip 14 to be observed without supporting the chip 14 on the chip support base 111, preventing damage to the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14, etc., by placing the chip 14 on the chip support base 111.

Using the above-mentioned lower imaging unit 101 and side imaging unit 120, the imaging device 100 images the front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surface of the chip 14 picked up by the holder 63. In the present invention, the side imaging camera 121 that images the side surface of the chip 14 may be provided in a position that allows it to image the side surface of the chip 14 supported on the upper surface of the chip support base 111, and may image the side surface of the chip 14 supported on the upper surface of the chip support base 111.

(Strength measurement unit)
The strength measuring unit 200 is a measuring mechanism that measures the flexural strength of the chip 14 picked up by the pickup mechanism 60. The strength measuring unit 200 is disposed adjacent to the imaging device 100 in the Y-axis direction, and in the first embodiment, is disposed on the side farther from the push-up unit 40 than the chip inversion mechanism 110. In the first embodiment, the strength measuring unit 200 is disposed at a position overlapping with the movement path of the holder 63.

The strength measurement unit 200 comprises a support unit 210 and a pressing unit 220. The support unit 210 supports the chip 14 that has been picked up by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 and whose front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surfaces have been imaged by the imaging device 100. The support unit 210 is positioned so as to overlap the movement path of the holder 63. For this reason, the holder movement unit 70 moves the holder 63 from a position facing the push-up unit 40 in the Z-axis direction to a position facing the support unit 210 in the Z-axis direction.

The support unit 210 is provided with a pair of support parts (not shown) that are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and support the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14. The pair of support parts are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the X-axis direction.

The pressing unit 220 presses the chip 14 supported by the support unit 210 with an indenter 221, measures the load acting on the pressing unit 220 when pressing the chip 14, and presses and destroys the chip 14 supported by the support unit 210. The pressing unit 220 is provided above the support unit 210.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressing unit 220 includes an indenter 221, an indenter moving unit 222, and a load measuring device 223.

The indenter 221 is positioned above the support unit 210 and between a pair of support parts that support the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14. The indenter movement unit 222 moves the indenter 221 along the Z-axis direction toward the chip 14, which is supported by the pair of support parts. The indenter movement unit 222 supports the indenter 221 at its lower end, positions the indenter 221 opposite the space between the pair of support parts 211 of the support unit 210 along the Z-axis direction, and moves the indenter 221 up and down along the Z-axis direction.

The load measuring device 223 measures the load with which the indenter 221 presses the chip 14 supported by the support parts 211. In embodiment 1, the load measuring device 223 is moved up and down along the Z-axis direction together with the indenter 221 by the indenter movement unit 222. The load measuring device 223 is configured using a well-known load cell or the like, and measures the load with which the indenter 221 presses the chip 14 supported by the pair of support parts 211, and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 400.

When measuring the flexural strength of the chip 14, the strength measuring unit 200 places the chip 14 on a pair of supports using a holder 63 or the like. At this time, both ends of the chip 14 are supported by the pair of supports, and the center overlaps between the pair of supports.

The strength measurement unit 200 lowers the indenter 221 using the indenter movement unit 222, presses the chip 14 with the indenter 221, measures the load (force in the Z-axis direction) applied to the indenter 221 pressing the chip 14 with the load measuring device 223, and destroys the chip 14 with the indenter 221 while outputting the measurement results to the control unit 400 as appropriate. The strength measurement unit 200 performs a three-point bending test using a pair of support parts of the chip 14 and the indenter 221, measures the bending strength (transverse strength) of the chip 14 through this three-point bending test, and outputs the measurement results to the control unit 400.

(Debris collection mechanism)
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Fig. 4. The debris collection mechanism 80 collects debris adhering to the front surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 and removes the debris from the front surface 11-1 of the wafer 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, the debris collection mechanism includes a suction unit 81, a suction path 82, a debris collection unit 83, and a movement mechanism 84 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The suction unit 81 is located above the wafers 10 of the wafer unit 17, whose annular frame 16 is fixed by the frame fixing unit 7 and moved in the X-axis direction by the movement mechanism 30. In embodiment 1, the suction unit 81 is located between the frame fixing unit 7 and the recess 9, at a position where the annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17, which is loaded or unloaded into or from the cassette 4 via the temporary placement rails 6 by the loading/unloading unit 5, is placed on the upper surface of the frame support member 22. The suction unit 81 is formed in a columnar shape with an internal space, its longitudinal direction is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and its overall length in the Y-axis direction is set to be equal to or greater than the diameter 10-1 of the wafer 10 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3).

The suction section 81 has an annular frame 16 fixed by the frame fixing unit 7, and is passed underneath by the wafers 10 of the wafer unit 17 moved in the X-axis direction by the moving mechanism 30. The suction section 81 includes a suction port 85 facing the wafer unit 17 passing underneath. The suction port 85 penetrates the bottom wall 811 facing the wafer unit 17 passing underneath the suction section 81 and one side wall 812 closest to the recess 9, extending along the longitudinal direction of the suction section 81 and spanning the entire length of the suction section 81. The overall length 851 of the suction port 85 in the Y-axis direction (shown in Figure 5 and corresponding to the width) is set to be equal to or greater than the diameter 10-1 of the wafer 10.

The suction path 82 is composed of a space within the collection unit outer shell 86 that is connected to the end of the suction unit 81 that is farther from the recess 9 in the X-axis direction, and a suction pipe 87 that is connected to the collection unit outer shell 86. The collection unit outer shell 86 extends along the longitudinal direction of the suction unit 81 and is connected to the end of the suction unit 81 that is farther from the recess 9 over the entire length of the suction unit 81, providing an internal space. The collection unit outer shell 86 has an opening 861 to which the suction pipe 87 is connected at its end farther from the suction port 85 in the X-axis direction. The suction pipe 87 is equipped with an on-off valve 821 and is connected to a suction source 822.

The suction path 82 is connected to the suction source 822 via an on-off valve 821. That is, the suction path 82 is connected from the suction unit 81 to the suction source 822. When the on-off valve 821 is opened and suction is performed by the suction source 822, the suction path 82 sucks the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction unit 81 through the suction port 85. The suction direction 823 of the gas in the suction path 82 at this time is parallel to the X-axis direction, because the suction path 82 is configured through the space within the recovery unit outer shell 86 connected to the end of the suction unit 81 away from the recess 9 in the X-axis direction, and the suction piping 87 connected to an opening 861 provided at the end of the recovery unit outer shell 86 away from the suction port 85 along the X-axis direction. That is, the suction direction 823 is set in the X-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the Y-axis direction, which is the width direction of the suction port 85.

The debris collection section 83 is connected to the end of the suction section 81 away from the recess 9 and is located inside the collection section outer shell 86, which has an internal space. In other words, the debris collection section 83 is located within the suction path 82.

The debris collection unit 83 includes a debris fall prevention member 831 and a filter 832. The debris fall prevention member 831 is disposed on the bottom surface of the collection unit outer shell 86, i.e., the bottom surface of the suction path 82. The debris fall prevention member 831 is formed in a sheet shape from a flexible material. One widthwise end of the debris fall prevention member 831 is connected to the bottom surface of the collection unit outer shell 86, and the debris fall prevention member 831 is disposed within the suction path 82 over its entire length in the Y-axis direction. The debris fall prevention member 831 is inclined both horizontally and vertically in a direction gradually moving away from the suction port 85 as it extends upward from the bottom surface of the collection unit outer shell 86.

The filter 832 is attached within the opening 861 and closes it. The filter 832 allows gas to pass through while restricting the passage of the debris mentioned above.

The movement mechanism 84 moves the suction unit 81 relative to the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction unit 81 in the Z-axis direction, which is the direction toward and away from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction unit 81, and also moves the suction unit 81 relative to the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction unit 81 in the suction direction 823, i.e., the X-axis direction, which is parallel to the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction unit 81.

In embodiment 1, the movement mechanism 84 is composed of a suction unit movement unit 841 and the aforementioned X-axis movement mechanism 31. The suction unit movement unit 841 raises and lowers the suction unit 81 along the Z-axis direction, thereby moving the suction unit 81 and the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 relatively in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis movement mechanism 31 moves the frame fixing unit 7, which fixes the annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17, in the X-axis direction, thereby moving the suction unit 81 and the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17 relatively in the X-axis direction parallel to the suction direction 823.

In embodiment 1, the debris collection mechanism 80 has a brush 88, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The brush 88 is attached to the lower end of the side wall 812, through which the suction port 85 of the suction unit 81 passes, and extends downward from the side wall 812, attached to the side wall 812 along its entire length. By being attached to the side wall 812, the brush 88 surrounds at least a portion of the suction port 85 and is positioned behind the suction port 85 in the suction direction 823.

The brush 88 is composed of multiple fibers 881. The fibers 881 extend linearly and are arranged parallel to one another, extending downward from the lower end of the side wall 812. In embodiment 1, the fibers 881 are made of flexible resin. The lower end of each fiber 881 of the brush 88 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the suction portion 81, and the lower end abuts against the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 passing below the suction portion 81.

(control unit)
The control unit 400 controls each of the above-mentioned components of the imaging device 100, causing the test device 1 to perform an imaging operation of imaging the front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surface of the chip 14. The control unit 400 also controls each of the above-mentioned components of the test device 1, causing the test device 1 to perform a measurement operation on each chip 14, such as measuring the flexural strength of the chip 14.

The control unit 400 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input/output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 400 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the test device 1 to each of the above-mentioned units of the test device 1 via the input/output interface device.

The control unit 400 is also connected to a display unit 300 (shown in Figure 1), which is a display means having a display screen 301 that displays the status of the measurement operation, images, etc., and a touch panel 302 (shown in Figure 1), which is an input means used by the operator to input information, etc., into the control unit 400 of the testing device 1. The display unit 300 is composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like. The touch panel 302 is overlaid on the display screen 301 of the display unit 300.

(Measurement operation)
Next, we will explain the measurement operation of picking up chips 14 of the above-mentioned test apparatus 1 and measuring the flexural strength of the picked-up chips 14. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows the state in which the debris collection mechanism of the test apparatus shown in Figure 1 collects debris adhering to the surface of the wafer.

The test apparatus 1 begins measurement operation when the operator places a cassette 4 containing multiple wafer units 17 on the cassette mounting table 3 and operates the touch panel 302 to input measurement content information into the control unit 400. The control unit 400 then receives an instruction from the operator to start the measurement operation, and the test apparatus 1 begins measurement operation. The measurement content information includes the position of each chip 14 to be measured in each wafer unit 17.

In embodiment 1, the test apparatus 1 sequentially picks up the chips 14 to be measured one by one from each wafer unit 17. Note that in this specification, during the measurement operation, the operator may operate a touch panel or the like to select the chip 14 to be picked up from the tape 15 each time a chip 14 is picked up.

In the measurement operation, the control unit 400 of the test apparatus 1 controls the carry-in/out unit 5 to remove the wafer unit 17 containing the chip 14 to be measured from the cassette 4 and temporarily place it on a pair of temporary placement rails 6, and controls the carry-in/out unit 5 to place the annular frame 16 of the wafer unit 17 temporarily placed on the temporary placement rails 6 on the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7. In the test apparatus 1, the control unit 400 controls the frame fixing unit 7 to raise the frame support member 22, sandwiching the annular frame 16, i.e., the periphery of the chip 14 to be picked up on the tape 15, between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22, and fixing the wafer unit 17 with the frame fixing unit 7.

During the measurement operation, the control unit 400 of the test device 1 controls the movement mechanism 30 based on the measurement content information to move the frame fixing unit 7, and positions the chip 14 to be picked up next from the wafer unit 17 held by the frame fixing unit 7 above the push-up unit 40 and below the imaging camera 50.

In embodiment 1, before moving the frame fixing unit 7, the testing apparatus 1 controls the suction unit moving unit 841 to lower the suction unit 81, opens the on-off valve 821, and causes the suction source 822 to suck gas into the suction path 82 through the suction port 85. To achieve this, when the testing apparatus 1 moves the frame fixing unit 7 below the imaging camera 50, i.e., above the recess 9, the brush 88 contacts the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, as shown in FIG. 6 , and sweeps debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 as the wafer 10 moves. The debris swept out by the brush 88 is then sucked into the suction path 82 by the suction unit 81 through the suction port 85. The debris sucked into the suction path 82 is prevented from passing through the filter 832 and accumulates between the debris fall prevention member 831 and the bottom surface of the collection unit outer shell 86, as described above.

In the test device 1, the control unit 400 causes the push-up unit 40 to push up the chip 14 to be measured on the wafer 10 of the wafer unit 17 fixed to the frame fixing unit 7, and the pickup mechanism 60 peels it off, i.e., picks it up, from the tape 15.

In the test apparatus 1, the control unit 400 causes the imaging device 100 to capture an image of at least one of the front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and multiple side surfaces of the picked-up chip 14 based on the measurement content information. In the test apparatus 1, the control unit 400 controls the holder moving unit 70 to move the holder 63 to the measurement position, and places the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14 on a pair of support portions of the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200.

In the testing device 1, the control unit 400 controls the strength measurement unit 200 to lower the indenter 221 using the indenter movement unit 222, bringing the tip of the indenter 221 into contact with the surface 11-1 side of the center 19-3 of the chip 14, and pressing the chip 14 with the indenter 221. The load (force in the Z-axis direction) applied to the indenter 221 by the pressing of the chip 14 is then measured by the load measuring device 223, and the measurement results are output to the control unit 400 as appropriate.

In the testing apparatus 1, the control unit 400 controls the strength measurement unit 200 to further lower the indenter 221, destroying the chip 14, and calculates the value of the chip 14's flexural strength based on the maximum load measured by the load measuring device 223. In the testing apparatus 1, the control unit 400 stores the images captured by the imaging device 100, the flexural strength measured by the strength measurement unit 200, and the position of the chip 14 being measured on the wafer 10, in association with each other.

The test device 1 picks up all chips 14 specified in the measurement content information from the wafer unit 17, captures images with the imaging device 100, measures the flexural strength, and then loads the wafer unit 17 fixed by the frame fixing unit 7 into the cassette 4, completing the measurement operation.

As described above, the test apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 is equipped with a debris collection mechanism 80 that sweeps, sucks, and collects debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, thereby achieving the effect of being able to remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, which has been divided into multiple chips 14 to be measured.

The test device 1 according to embodiment 1 can remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, and therefore can also remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the chip 14 to be measured, and can hold the surface of the chip 14 to be picked up by suction, thereby picking up the chip 14 to be measured.

In addition, the test device 1 according to embodiment 1 can also remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the chip 14 being measured, thereby preventing the chip 14 from being destroyed when debris is attached, and preventing inaccurate measurement results for the flexural strength.

Furthermore, because the test apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 can remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, it is possible to prevent debris from being transported out of the test apparatus 1 along with the wafer 10 after the chip 14 to be measured has been picked up, and if the test apparatus 1 is disposed in a clean room, it is possible to prevent contamination of the clean room.

[Modification]
A testing device according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the suction portion of the debris collection mechanism of the testing device according to the modification of the first embodiment. In Fig. 7, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The testing device 1 according to this modified example is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the debris collection mechanism 80-1 does not have a debris collection unit 83 or a brush 88, the collection unit outer shell 86 is connected to the upper surface of the suction unit 81, and the suction direction 823-1 is parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The test apparatus 1 according to the modified example of the first embodiment is equipped with a debris collection mechanism 80-1 that sweeps, sucks, and collects debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, and thus, similar to the first embodiment, has the effect of being able to remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10 that has been divided into multiple chips 14 to be measured.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the present invention, the debris collection mechanisms 80, 80-1 may remove debris from the surface 11-1 of the wafer 10, not just when the wafer 10 is moved toward the top of the recess 9.

In the present invention, when the pressure in the suction path 66 measured by the pressure sensor 69 exceeds a predetermined pressure when the chip 14 is held by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60, the control unit 400 may determine that the chip 14 may have cracked during or originally been held by suction, or that debris is adhering to the surface 11-1 of the chip 14. When the control unit 400 determines that the chip 14 may have cracked during or originally been held by suction, or that debris is adhering to the surface 11-1 of the chip 14, the test apparatus 1 may stop the suction of the holder 63, lower the suction unit 81, allow the wafer 10 to pass below the suction unit 81, and suck and collect the debris with the debris collection mechanism 80, 80-1. The predetermined pressure is higher than the pressure in the suction path 66 when the holder 63 holds the chip 14 by suction so that it can be picked up from the tape 15.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when the wafer unit 17 from which all of the chips 14 specified in the measurement content information have been picked up is loaded into the cassette 4, the testing device 1 may lower the suction part 81, allow the wafer 10 to pass below the suction part 81, and have the debris sucked and collected by the debris collection mechanism 80.

In addition, in embodiment 1, the test device 1 measured the flexural strength of the chip 14, but in the present invention, the strength of various test pieces may be measured, not just the chip 14.

1 Testing device 10 Wafer 10-1 Diameter 11-1 Surface (upper surface)
14 Chip 15 Tape 16 Annular frame 19 Opening 60 Pick-up mechanism 80 Debris collection mechanism 81 Suction section 82 Suction path 83 Debris collection section 84 Movement mechanism 85 Suction port 88 Brush 200 Strength measurement unit (measurement mechanism)
822 Suction source 823, 823-1 Suction direction 851 Total length (width)

Claims (4)

A test apparatus comprising:
a frame fixing unit for holding a wafer unit including a wafer divided into a plurality of chips carried out from a cassette by the carry-in/out unit, a tape to which the wafer is attached, and an annular frame to which the outer periphery of the tape is attached, thereby accommodating the wafer in an opening;
a pick-up mechanism for picking up chips from the wafer unit;
a measuring mechanism for measuring the strength of the chip picked up by the pick-up mechanism;
a debris collection mechanism that sucks and collects debris from the upper surface of the wafer from which the chips have been picked up by the pickup mechanism,
The scrap collection mechanism includes a suction unit including a suction port facing the upper surface of the wafer;
a suction path connecting the suction portion to a suction source;
a debris collection unit disposed in the suction path,
a moving mechanism for relatively moving the suction part in a direction approaching and moving away from the upper surface of the wafer, and for relatively moving the frame fixing unit in a suction direction parallel to the upper surface of the wafer by moving the frame fixing unit from a position where the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit is held to a position where the chip is picked up by the pick-up mechanism ,
A testing device in which the suction part is brought close to the upper surface of the wafer before the frame fixing unit moves from the position where it holds the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit to the position where the chip is picked up by the pickup mechanism, and the suction part sucks and collects the debris when the frame fixing unit moves from the position where it holds the wafer unit carried out from the cassette by the carry-in/out unit to the position where the chip is picked up by the pickup mechanism . The testing device according to claim 1, wherein the debris collection section is formed in a sheet shape and is arranged on the bottom surface of the suction path, and is provided with a debris fall prevention member that is gradually inclined in a direction away from the suction port as it extends upward from the bottom surface. The debris collection mechanism includes a brush surrounding at least a portion of the suction port;
3. The testing device according to claim 2, wherein the brush is positioned rearward in the suction direction, and the debris swept away by the brush is sucked by the suction section. The width of the suction port is set to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the wafer,
4. The testing device according to claim 2, wherein the suction direction is set to a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the suction port.