Substrate processing apparatus and method

Details Substrate processing apparatus and method Substrate processing apparatus and method

1998-03-10

2001-10-30

Koehler, Robert R. (Department: 1775)

Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture

Methods

Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

C029S743000, C156S228000, C156S556000, C156S580000, C156S583300, C294S064200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06309505

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and method and a substrate manufacturing method and, more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus and method for overlapping and contacting two substrates, and a substrate manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two wafers (substrates) are brought into contact with each other, and superimposed to each other by performing anode joining, press processing, annealing, or the like. This method is suitable for manufacturing a wafer having an SOI structure or the like.
FIGS. 11A and 11B
are schematic views showing steps in a process of contacting wafers. In this wafer contact, as shown in
FIG. 11A
, a first wafer
1
is set on a wafer support jig
201
with its contact surface facing upward, and a second wafer
2
is softly overlapped on the first wafer
1
with its contact surface facing downward. At this time, the upper wafer
2
floats by a gas (e.g., air or inert gas) between the wafers, as shown in FIG.
11
A.
Before the gas between the wafers
1
and
2
is completely discharged, the central portion of the upper wafer
2
is pressed by a press pin
202
, as shown in FIG.
11
B. Then, the gas between the central portions of the wafers is discharged, and the wafers
1
and
2
contact to each other at the central portion. As the gas between the wafers are gradually discharged toward the peripheral portion, the area of the contact portion increases. Finally, the entire wafers contact to each other.
This method is useful for contacting two wafers without remaining any gas between them, but has the following problems.
The first problem is contamination of the wafers along with alignment of the two wafers. That is, since the upper wafer
2
overlapped floats by the gas between the wafers, the friction of the upper wafer
2
in horizontal movement is very small. For this reason, the upper wafer
2
slips even with a slight inclination of the jig
201
. Accurately aligning the two wafers
1
and
2
therefore requires a means for restricting the horizontal movement of the wafer
2
.
The jig
201
shown in
FIGS. 11A and 11B
has a recess which coincides with the shapes of the wafers
1
and
2
, and aligns the wafers
1
and
2
while restricting the horizontal movement of the wafers
1
and
2
by the sides walls of this recess.
FIG. 12
is a view showing another example of the arrangement of the jig for overlapping the wafers
1
and
2
while aligning them. A jig
205
has a plurality of aligning pins
204
and a press pin
203
. The press pin
203
presses the wafers
1
and
2
against the plurality of aligning pins
204
to restrict the horizontal movement of the wafers
1
and
2
.
In the method of overlapping the two wafers using the jig shown in
FIGS. 11A and 11B
or
FIG. 12
, since the peripheral portion of the wafer is brought into contact with the jig, particles may be produced, the peripheral portion of the wafer may be damaged, and the yield may decrease.
Another problem is posed by variations in wafer press conditions. More specifically, the time interval between overlapping of two wafers and pressing of them by the press pin changes, and the gap between the wafers in pressing the wafers by the press pin varies. Therefore, the quality of the wafer obtained by contacting the two wafers is difficult to be made uniform. The gas between the wafers may be partially discharged before the wafers are pressed by the press pin. In this case, the gas may remain between the wafers because the wafers cannot be contacted while the gas is gradually discharged from the central portion toward the peripheral portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has as its object to increase the quality of a substrate obtained by adhering two substrates.
A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for overlapping and contacting two substrates, characterized by comprising substrate operation means for supporting the two substrates to face each other, and then canceling the support of one substrate, and press means for pressing part of a backside of one substrate in response to the cancel of the support of one substrate by the substrate operation means to superimpose one substrate on the other substrate.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the press means preferably presses part of one substrate at substantially the same time as the cancel of the support of one substrate by the substrate operation means.
The applied pressure is preferably about 150 to 300 gf and more preferably about 200 to 250 gf.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the press means preferably presses part of one substrate before a gas between the two substrates is discharged by not less than a predetermined amount after the cancel of the support of one substrate by the substrate operation means.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the press means preferably presses part of one substrate upon lapse of a predetermined time after the cancel of the support of one substrate by the substrate operation means.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the press means preferably presses part of one substrate before a distance between the two substrates decreases to not more than a predetermined distance after the cancel of the support of one substrate by the substrate operation means.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate operation means preferably substantially horizontally supports the two substrates, and then cancel the support of the upper substrate.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate operation means preferably substantially horizontally supports the two substrates and then cancels the support of the upper substrate, and the press means preferably presses part of the upper substrate before a gas between the two substrates is discharged by not less than a predetermined amount owing to a weight of the upper substrate after the cancel of the support of the upper substrate by the substrate operation means.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate operation means preferably supports the two substrates respectively from only backsides.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate operation means preferably comprises gap adjustment means for adjusting a gap between the two substrates immediately before the support of one substrate is canceled.
This gap is preferably about 20 to 100 mm and more preferably about 30 to 60 mm.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the gap adjustment means preferably adjusts the gap between the two substrates to a predetermined distance.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the gap adjustment means preferably comprises measurement means for measuring thicknesses of the two substrates, and adjusts the gap between the two substrates on the basis of measurement results.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the press means preferably comprises a pressure transfer member for pressing the substrate in contact with part of the substrate, and vibration means for vibrating the pressure transfer member.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the vibration means preferably vibrates the pressure transfer member in pressing the substrate.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate operation means preferably comprises first substrate support means for supporting one substrate with a frontside of the substrate facing upward, and second substrate support means for chucking the other substrate from a backside, and supporting the substrate while making a frontside of the substrate face the frontside of one substrate substantially parallel.
In the substrate processing apparatus, the second substrate support means preferably comprises a chuck member for chucking the other substrate from the backside, and after the other substrate is chucked by the chuck member, preferably pivots the chuck member through about 180° about a shaft arranged near a middle portion between the chuck member and

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