US20260124709A1
EDGE POLISHING DRUM OF WAFER, EDGE POLISHING EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR POLISHING EDGE OF WAFER
Publication
Application
Classifications
IPC Classifications
CPC Classifications
Applicants
SK SILTRON CO., LTD.
Inventors
Bo Eun KIM, Hyung Rak LEE
Abstract
Disclosed are a wafer edge polishing drum, wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and a wafer edge polishing method. The wafer edge polishing drum includes a plurality of first polishing units provided at a first body portion, a plurality of second polishing units provided at a second body portion located below the first body portion, a driving unit configured to rotate the first body portion and the second body portion, a plurality of third polishing units provided at least at one of the first body portion or the second body portion, and a controller. Each of the first to third polishing units includes a central shaft, a weight connected to one side of the central shaft, and a polishing portion connected to the opposite side of the central shaft. The controller is configured to adjust a distance between the central shaft and the weight.
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Description
[0001]This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0153530, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Field of the Disclosure
[0002]The present disclosure relates to a wafer edge polishing drum, wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and a wafer edge polishing method, and more particularly, to a wafer edge polishing drum for polishing an edge front bevel and an edge back bevel in an edge region of a wafer and to wafer edge polishing equipment including the wafer edge polishing drum.
Discussion of the Related Art
[0003]A single crystal silicon wafer may be manufactured through a single crystal growth process, a slicing process of slicing an ingot to obtain a thin disc-shaped wafer, an edge grinding process of processing an outer circumference of the wafer in order to prevent breakage or distortion of the wafer obtained through the slicing process, a lapping process of removing damage caused by mechanical processing remaining on the wafer in order to improve flatness of the wafer, a polishing process of mirror-finishing the wafer, and a cleaning process of removing an abrasive or foreign substances attached to the polished wafer.
[0004]After the above-described edge grinding process, an edge polishing process is performed to mirror-finish a rough surface of an edge region of the wafer.
[0005]A device called an edge polishing drum is used to polish an edge region of a wafer. The shapes of edges of wafers subjected to an edge grinding process may have slight variations. Thus, even when edge polishing is performed using an edge polishing drum having a constant shape, the shapes of edge regions of the polished wafers may have variations.
[0006]The edge polishing drum includes polishing units for respectively polishing an apex, a front bevel portion, and a back bevel portion of an edge region of a wafer.
[0007]Each of the polishing units includes a polishing pad to independently polish the apex, the front bevel portion, and the back bevel portion of the wafer.
[0008]However, the conventional wafer edge polishing drum described above has the following problems.
[0009]Because various customers may have different needs for the profile of an edge region of a wafer, it may be necessary to vary the degree of polishing of the edge region of the wafer. Therefore, when a target profile of an edge region of a wafer is changed, the edge polishing drum needs to be replaced accordingly.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0010]Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to a wafer edge polishing drum, wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and a wafer edge polishing method that substantially obviate one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
[0011]The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems with the related art, and an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a wafer edge polishing drum usable without replacement even when a target profile of an edge region of a wafer is changed, wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and a wafer edge polishing method.
[0012]Additional advantages, aspects, and features of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the disclosure. The aspects and other advantages of the disclosure may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0013]A wafer edge polishing drum according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a plurality of first polishing units provided at a first body portion, a plurality of second polishing units provided at a second body portion located below the first body portion, a driving unit configured to rotate the first body portion and the second body portion, a plurality of third polishing units provided at least at one of the first body portion or the second body portion, and a controller. Each of the plurality of first to third polishing units may include a central shaft, a weight connected to one side of the central shaft, and a polishing portion connected to the opposite side of the central shaft, and the controller may be configured to adjust a distance between the central shaft and the weight.
[0014]The central shaft may be a servomotor, and the servomotor and the weight may be coupled to each other using a screw.
[0015]The central shaft may be an air cylinder, and a distance between the weight and the air cylinder may be changed by pressurization of the air cylinder.
[0016]In each of the plurality of first polishing units, the central shaft may be fixed to the first body portion, the weight may be disposed above the first body portion, and the polishing portion may be disposed below the first body portion.
[0017]In each of the plurality of second polishing units, the central shaft may be fixed to the second body portion, the weight may be disposed below the second body portion, and the polishing portion may be disposed above the second body portion.
[0018]In each of the plurality of third polishing units, the central shaft may be fixed to the first body portion or the second body portion, the weight may be disposed above the first body portion or below the second body portion, and the polishing portion may be disposed below the first body portion or above the second body portion.
[0019]Each of the plurality of first to third polishing units may be provided in four, and the plurality of first to third polishing units may be alternately disposed in sequence along a periphery of a region between the first body portion and the second body portion.
[0020]Each of the plurality of first and second polishing units may include a polishing pad provided on the polishing portion, and the polishing pad may have a polishing surface inclined with respect to an axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion.
[0021]Each of the plurality of third polishing units may include a polishing pad, and the polishing pad may have a polishing surface parallel to the axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion.
[0022]The plurality of first polishing units and the plurality of second polishing units may be disposed symmetrically with each other with respect to the center of a region of a wafer to be polished between the first body portion and the second body portion.
[0023]Wafer edge polishing equipment according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include the wafer edge polishing drum described above and a wafer support chuck disposed to face a lower surface of the second body portion of the wafer edge polishing drum, the wafer support chuck being spaced apart from the lower surface of the second body portion.
[0024]The first body portion and the second body portion may be configured to rotate about an axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion, and the wafer support chuck may be configured to rotate about the axis.
[0025]The first body portion and the second body portion may be configured to rotate about a first rotation axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion, the wafer support chuck may be configured to rotate about a second rotation axis, and the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis may coincide with each other.
[0026]A wafer edge polishing method according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure may include receiving a target profile of an edge region of a wafer, determining amounts of polishing of an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface of the edge region of the wafer based on the target profile, and polishing the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer using different polishing pads. The different polishing pads may be provided in a plurality of first to third polishing units, respectively, and pressures applied by the different polishing pads according to rotation of the plurality of first to third polishing units may differ from each other.
[0027]Each of the plurality of first to third polishing units may include a central shaft, a weight connected to one side of the central shaft, and a polishing portion connected to the opposite side of the central shaft, each of the different polishing pads being provided on the polishing portion. When a distance between the central shaft and the weight in each of the plurality of first to third polishing units is changed, centrifugal force generated by rotation of the weight may be varied.
[0028]When the centrifugal force generated by rotation of the weight is varied, pressure applied by each of the different polishing pads may be varied.
[0029]It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030]The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. In the drawings:
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
[0035]
[0036]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0037]The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown.
[0038]The examples, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will more fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
[0039]In addition, relational terms, such as “first”, “second”, “on/upper part/above” and “under/lower part/below”, are used only to distinguish between one subject or element and another subject or element, without necessarily requiring or involving any physical or logical relationship or sequence between the subjects or elements.
[0040]According to a wafer edge polishing drum, wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and a wafer edge polishing method of the present disclosure, each of first to third polishing units includes a central shaft, a weight connected to one side of the central shaft, and a polishing portion connected to the opposite side of the central shaft, and distances between the central shafts and the weights are adjusted according to a target profile of an edge region of a wafer. Accordingly, pressures applied to a front bevel, a back bevel, and an apex of the edge region of the wafer by first to third polishing pads may be varied, so that the edge region of the wafer may be polished in accordance with the target profile.
[0041]
[0042]The wafer edge polishing equipment 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a wafer edge polishing drum 100 and a wafer support chuck 200 disposed to face a lower surface of a second body portion 120 of the wafer edge polishing drum 100 while being spaced apart therefrom.
[0043]The wafer edge polishing drum 100 for polishing a wafer may rotate about a first rotation axis (first axis), and the wafer support chuck 200 for supporting the wafer may rotate about a second rotation axis (second axis).
[0044]The wafer edge polishing drum 100 for polishing the wafer and the wafer support chuck 200 for supporting the wafer may rotate in the same direction, as shown in
[0045]The wafer support chuck 200 may include a rotary body 220 and a support body 210. The rotary body 220 is a portion that rotates about the aforementioned second rotation axis, and the support body 210 is a portion that rotates along with rotation of the rotary body 220 and supports the wafer.
[0046]The wafer edge polishing drum 100 may include a first body portion 110, a plurality of first polishing units 140 provided at the first body portion 110, a second body portion 120 located below the first body portion 110, and a plurality of second polishing units 150 provided at the second body portion 120. The first and second body portions 110 and 120 may be connected to each other via a connecting portion 130 so as to rotate together.
[0047]Although not shown, a driving unit may be provided to rotate both the first body portion 110 and the second body portion 120 about the first rotation axis.
[0048]The wafer edge polishing drum 100 may include first to third polishing units. The first polishing unit 140 may be provided at the first body portion 110, and the second polishing unit 150 may be provided at the second body portion 120. The first polishing unit 140 and the second polishing unit 150 may have the same shape. The third polishing unit may be provided at the first body portion 110 or the second body portion 120, which will be described later with reference to
[0049]
[0050]Referring to
[0051]Although not shown, a controller may be provided in the first polishing unit 140 to adjust the distance between the central shaft 141 and the weight 143.
[0052]As shown in
[0053]As described above, the controller may adjust the first distance a0 between the central shaft 141 and the weight 143 in the first polishing unit 140. That is, the controller may perform control such that the first distance a0 between the central shaft 141 and the weight 143 in the first polishing unit 140 is reduced to a1, as shown in
[0054]In order to achieve adjustment of the first distance by the above-described controller, the central shaft 141 is implemented as a servomotor, and the first connecting portion 142 is implemented as a screw. The servomotor is connected to the weight 143 via the screw, and the screw rotates along with rotation of the servomotor, thereby reducing the aforementioned first distance from a0 to a1 or increasing the same from a0 to a2.
[0055]Alternatively, in another embodiment, the central shaft 141 is implemented as an air cylinder, and the length of the first connecting portion is changed by pressurization of the air cylinder, thereby reducing the aforementioned first distance from a0 to a1 or increasing the same from a0 to a2.
[0056]The second polishing unit 150 may have the same configuration as the first polishing unit 140. As shown in
[0057]That is, referring to
[0058]In addition, referring to
[0059]An apex, which is a side surface of the edge region of the wafer, may be polished by the third polishing unit.
[0060]Each of the plurality of third polishing units 160 may include a central shaft 161, a weight 163 connected to one side of the central shaft 161 via a first connecting portion 162, a polishing portion 165 connected to the opposite side of the central shaft 161 via a second connecting portion 164, and a polishing pad 168 provided on a surface of the polishing portion 165.
[0061]In addition, similar to the first polishing unit 140 described above with reference to
[0062]Further, because the third polishing unit 160 applies pressure to the apex portion, which is the side surface of the edge region of the wafer, the polishing portion 165 and the polishing pad 168 may have different shapes from the polishing portions and the polishing pads of the first and second polishing units 140 and 150, as shown in
[0063]That is, referring to
[0064]However, a polishing surface of the polishing pad 168 provided on the polishing portion 165 of the third polishing unit 160 is parallel to the axis (parallel to the first rotation axis) interconnecting the first body portion 110 and the second body portion 120. This is because the polishing pad 168 polishes the apex portion of the edge region of the wafer.
[0065]The third polishing unit 160 may be provided at the first body portion 110 or the second body portion 120 shown in
[0066]
[0067]When the wafer has a diameter of 300 millimeters, the edge region may have a width of about 1 millimeter.
[0068]As shown, one first polishing unit, one second polishing unit, and one third polishing unit may be disposed in each of first to fourth quadrants.
[0069]Referring to
[0070]Referring to
[0071]
[0072]
[0073]
[0074]Referring to
F=(m×v2)/r
[0075]Here, m represents mass of the weight, v represents velocity of the weight, and r represents distance from the rotation axis to the weight, which is identical to a1.
[0076]Accordingly, pressures applied to the back bevel and the front bevel of the edge region of the wafer by the polishing pads 148 and 158 may also be relatively small, and thus amounts of polishing of the back bevel and the front bevel of the edge region of the wafer may be small.
[0077]However, referring to
[0078]
[0079]First, a target profile of an edge region of a wafer is input (S110). A plurality of wafers accommodated in a single cassette may be polished to the same profile, and therefore, the target profile of the edge region may be input before polishing the plurality of wafers in the single cassette.
[0080]Subsequently, amounts of polishing of an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface of the edge region of the wafer may be determined based on the input profile (S120).
[0081]Subsequently, the upper surface (front bevel), the lower surface (back bevel), and the side surface (apex) of the edge region of the wafer may be polished using different polishing pads provided in the wafer edge polishing equipment including the wafer edge polishing drum described above with reference to
[0082]In this case, the different polishing pads may be respectively provided in the plurality of first to third polishing units, and pressures applied by the respective polishing pads according to rotation of the first to third polishing units may differ from each other, so that amounts of polishing of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer may be controlled.
[0083]Although it has been described with reference to
[0084]A principle by which pressures applied by the respective polishing pads according to rotation of the first to third polishing units differ from each other is as follows.
[0085]In the first to third polishing units, as the distances between the central shafts and the weights are changed differently, centrifugal forces generated by rotation of the weights may be varied (S132).
[0086]That is, in the first to third polishing units, because the weights also rotate with respect to the central shafts, centrifugal forces F are generated as follows.
[0087]Here, m represents mass of the weight, v represents velocity of the weight, and r represents distance from the rotation axis to the weight, which is identical to a1.
[0088]That is, when the first to third polishing units rotate, the weights provided in the respective polishing units are subjected to an outward force due to centrifugal forces, and at this time, the polishing pads move inward, so that the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer may be polished by the polishing pads.
[0089]When the centrifugal forces generated by rotation of the weights vary, the pressures applied to the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer by the polishing pads provided in the polishing units may also be varied (S134), thereby controlling the amounts of polishing of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer. In addition, as the weights are positioned farther from the central shafts, the centrifugal forces may increase, and accordingly, the degree of polishing by the polishing pads may also increase.
[0090]According to the wafer edge polishing drum, the wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and the wafer edge polishing method of the present disclosure described above, the front bevel, the back bevel, and the apex of the edge region of the wafer may be respectively polished by different polishing units, and the distances from the central shafts to the weights in the respective polishing units may be adjusted according to the target profile of the edge region of the wafer. Therefore, centrifugal forces generated by rotation of the weights when the polishing units rotate may vary, and accordingly, pressures applied to the portions of the edge region of the wafer to be polished by the polishing pads may be adjusted. As a result, the roll-off amount of the edge region of the wafer may be controlled in accordance with the target profile.
[0091]As is apparent from the above description, according to the wafer edge polishing drum, the wafer edge polishing equipment including the same, and the wafer edge polishing method of the present disclosure, a front bevel, a back bevel, and an apex of an edge region of a wafer may be respectively polished by different polishing units, and distances from central shafts to weights in the respective polishing units may be adjusted according to a target profile of the edge region of the wafer, thereby causing centrifugal forces generated by rotation of the weights when the polishing units rotate to vary. Accordingly, pressures applied to portions of the edge region of the wafer to be polished by polishing pads may be adjusted, thereby controlling the roll-off amount of the edge region of the wafer in accordance with the target profile.
[0092]Even though the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and may be variously modified and implemented without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present disclosure, but to describe the technical spirit, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be construed according to the scope of the claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wafer edge polishing drum, comprising:
a plurality of first polishing units provided at a first body portion;
a plurality of second polishing units provided at a second body portion located below the first body portion;
a driving unit configured to rotate the first body portion and the second body portion;
a plurality of third polishing units provided at least at one of the first body portion or the second body portion; and
a controller,
wherein each of the plurality of first to third polishing units includes:
a central shaft;
a weight connected to one side of the central shaft; and
a polishing portion connected to an opposite side of the central shaft, and
wherein the controller is configured to adjust a distance between the central shaft and the weight.
2. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
3. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
a first connecting portion connecting the weight to the central shaft; and
a second connecting portion connecting the polishing portion to the central shaft.
4. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
the second polishing units polish a lower surface of the edge region of the wafer, and
the third polishing units polish a side surface of the edge region of the wafer.
5. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein the servomotor and the weight are coupled to each other using a screw.
6. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein a distance between the weight and the air cylinder is changed by pressurization of the air cylinder.
7. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
8. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
9. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
10. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein the plurality of first to third polishing units is alternately disposed in sequence along a periphery of a wafer disposed between the first body portion and the second body portion.
11. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein the polishing pad has a polishing surface inclined with respect to an axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion.
12. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein the polishing pad has a polishing surface parallel to an axis interconnecting the first body portion and the second body portion.
13. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
14. The wafer edge polishing drum according to
wherein the polishing pad of each of the first and second polishing units has different shape from the polishing pad of each of the third polishing units.
15. Wafer edge polishing equipment, comprising:
the wafer edge polishing drum according to
a wafer support chuck disposed to face a lower surface of the second body portion of the wafer edge polishing drum, the wafer support chuck being spaced apart from the lower surface of the second body portion.
16. The wafer edge polishing equipment according to
wherein the wafer support chuck is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis, and
wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis coincide with each other.
17. The wafer edge polishing equipment according to
a rotary body rotating about the second rotation axis; and
a support body rotating along with rotation of the rotary body and supporting a wafer.
18. A wafer edge polishing method, comprising:
receiving a target profile of an edge region of a wafer;
determining amounts of polishing of an upper surface, a lower surface, and a side surface of the edge region of the wafer based on the target profile; and
polishing the upper surface, the lower surface, and the side surface of the edge region of the wafer using different polishing pads,
wherein the different polishing pads are provided in a plurality of first to third polishing units, respectively, and
wherein pressures applied by the different polishing pads according to rotation of the plurality of first to third polishing units differ from each other.
19. The wafer edge polishing method according to
a central shaft;
a weight connected to one side of the central shaft; and
a polishing portion connected to an opposite side of the central shaft, each of the different polishing pads being provided on the polishing portion, and
wherein, by adjusting a distance between the central shaft and the weight in each of the plurality of first to third polishing units, centrifugal force generated by rotation of the weight is varied.
20. The wafer edge polishing method according to