U.S. patent application number 13/664169 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-28 for stacking method and stacking carrier.
This patent application is currently assigned to VICTORY GAIN GROUP CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is VICTORY GAIN GROUP CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Jui-Hung CHENG.
Application Number | 20130049230 13/664169 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45564242 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130049230 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHENG; Jui-Hung |
February 28, 2013 |
STACKING METHOD AND STACKING CARRIER
Abstract
A stacking carrier and a stacking method are provided. The
stacking method is used between a wafer and a stacking carrier
having the same shape. The stacking method includes the following
steps. Firstly, an adhesive layer is coated on a surface of the
carrier. Then, the adhesive layer corresponding to an edge of the
carrier is partially removed, thereby defining at least one
adhesive layer indentation. Afterwards, the wafer is stacked on the
carrier through the adhesive layer having the adhesive layer
indentation.
Inventors: |
CHENG; Jui-Hung; (Hsinchu
County, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
VICTORY GAIN GROUP CORPORATION; |
The Valley |
|
AI |
|
|
Assignee: |
VICTORY GAIN GROUP
CORPORATION
The Valley
AI
|
Family ID: |
45564242 |
Appl. No.: |
13/664169 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12855765 |
Aug 13, 2010 |
8324105 |
|
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13664169 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
257/777 ;
257/E21.499; 257/E23.003; 438/118 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2224/27416
20130101; H01L 2224/83201 20130101; H01L 24/27 20130101; H01L
2224/2783 20130101; H01L 2224/27831 20130101; H01L 2924/14
20130101; H01L 24/83 20130101; H01L 2224/32055 20130101; H01L
2224/2919 20130101; H01L 24/32 20130101; H01L 2924/15788 20130101;
H01L 2224/32225 20130101; H01L 2224/32057 20130101; H01L 2924/15788
20130101; H01L 2924/01033 20130101; H01L 2924/14 20130101; H01L
24/29 20130101; H01L 2224/29015 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101;
H01L 2224/8385 20130101; H01L 2224/83192 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101; H01L 2224/29019 20130101; H01L 2224/83192 20130101; H01L
2224/32225 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
257/777 ;
438/118; 257/E23.003; 257/E21.499 |
International
Class: |
H01L 21/50 20060101
H01L021/50; H01L 23/12 20060101 H01L023/12 |
Claims
1. A stacking method for use between a wafer and a carrier having
the same shape, the stacking method comprising steps of: coating an
adhesive layer on a surface of the carrier; partially removing the
adhesive layer corresponding to an edge of the carrier, thereby
defining at least one adhesive layer indentation; and stacking the
wafer on the carrier through the adhesive layer having the adhesive
layer indentation.
2. The stacking method according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive
layer is formed by spin-coating a photosensing material on a
surface of the carrier, and the at least one adhesive layer
indentation is defined by performing a photolithography and etching
procedure to partially remove the adhesive layer corresponding to
the edge of the carrier.
3. The stacking method according to claim 1 wherein the at least
one adhesive layer indentation includes a plurality of circular
indentations, which are separated from each other.
4. The stacking method according to claim 1 wherein the at least
one adhesive layer indentation includes a plurality of saw-toothed,
which are in communication with each other to collectively form an
indentation band.
5. A stacking carrier applied to a wafer having the same shape, the
stacking carrier comprising: a carrier body; an adhesive layer
overlying the carrier body for providing adhesion required to stack
the wafer on the carrier body; and at least one adhesive layer
indentation formed at an edge of the adhesive layer.
6. The stacking carrier according to claim 5 wherein the carrier
body is a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate, and the
wafer is a semiconductor wafer.
7. The stacking carrier according to claim 5 wherein a thicker hump
is formed at an edge of the carrier body.
8. The stacking carrier according to claim 5 wherein the at least
one adhesive layer indentation includes a plurality of circular
indentations, which are separated from each other.
9. The stacking carrier according to claim 5 wherein the at least
one adhesive layer indentation includes a plurality of saw-toothed,
which are in communication with each other to collectively form an
indentation band.
10. The stacking carrier according to claim 5 wherein the adhesive
layer is formed by spin-coating a photosensing material on a
surface of the carrier body.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of an
application Ser. No. 12/855,765, filed on Aug. 13, 2010 and the
entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a stacking method and a
stacking carrier, and more particularly to a method for stacking a
silicon wafer and a carrier and a stacking carrier applied to a
wafer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Recently, the trends of fabricating integrated circuit (IC)
chips are toward a three-dimensional stacking technology. In other
words, the three-dimensional stacking technology is very potential.
By means of the three-dimensional stacking technology, chips with
different functions and on different substrates may be individually
produced by proper fabricating processes and then combined together
in a three-dimensional stacking manner. As such, the metallic wire
length is shortened and the wire connection resistance is reduced
to comply with the miniaturizing and power-saving requirements.
[0004] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are schematic views illustrating a
process of stacking an integrated circuit (IC) wafer on a carrier
having the same shape according to the prior art. The integrated
circuit wafer is attachable on the carrier according to a
three-dimensional stacking technology. The common carrier is for
example a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate. As shown in
FIG. 1A, an adhesive layer 12 is formed on a carrier by
spin-coating an adhesive. Due to the cohesion of the adhesive, a
thicker hump 120 is formed at the edge of the carrier 11. For
enhancing the efficacy of bonding the carrier 11 and the wafer 10,
the hump 120 at the edge of the carrier 11 is removed by solvent.
As such, the adhesive layer 12 on the carrier 11 has better
uniformity (see FIG. 1B). After the hump 120 at the edge of the
carrier 11 is removed, a gap 13 is formed between the carrier 11
and the wafer 10 (see FIG. 1C). In this situation, the wafer 10
fails to be properly supported, and thus the edge of the wafer 10
is readily broken. The broken part of the wafer 10 results in
contamination. The problem becomes more serious as the wafer 10
becomes thinner and thinner.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need of providing improved stacking
method and carrier in order to obviate the drawbacks encountered
from the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention provides a stacking
method for use between a wafer and a carrier having the same shape
in order to avoid the problem of causing contamination from the
broken wafer edge.
[0007] Another object of the present invention provides a stacking
carrier applied to a wafer having the same shape in order to avoid
the problem of causing contamination from the broken wafer
edge.
[0008] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a stacking method. The stacking method includes the
following steps. Firstly, an adhesive layer is coated on a surface
of the carrier. Then, the adhesive layer corresponding to an edge
of the carrier is partially removed, thereby defining at least one
adhesive layer indentation. Afterwards, the wafer is stacked on the
carrier through the adhesive layer having the adhesive layer
indentation.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a stacking carrier. The stacking carrier includes
a carrier body, an adhesive layer and at least one adhesive layer
indentation. The adhesive layer overlies the carrier body for
providing adhesion required to stack the wafer on the carrier body.
The at least one adhesive layer indentation is formed at an edge of
the adhesive layer.
[0010] In an embodiment, the adhesive layer is formed by
spin-coating a photosensing material on a surface of the carrier.
In addition, the at least one adhesive layer indentation is defined
by performing a photolithography and etching procedure to partially
remove the adhesive layer corresponding to the edge of the
carrier.
[0011] In an embodiment, the at least one adhesive layer
indentation includes a plurality of circular indentations, which
are separated from each other. Alternatively, the at least one
adhesive layer indentation includes a plurality of saw-toothed,
which are in communication with each other to collectively form an
indentation band.
[0012] In an embodiment, the carrier body is a glass substrate or a
semiconductor substrate, and the wafer is a semiconductor
wafer.
[0013] In an embodiment, a thicker hump is formed at an edge of the
carrier body.
[0014] In accordance with the present invention, the wafer is
stacked on the carrier through the use of an adhesive layer having
at least one adhesive layer indentation. As a consequence, the
attaching efficacy of stacking the wafer on the carrier is
enhanced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The above contents of the present invention will become more
readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after
reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0016] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are schematic views illustrating a
process of stacking an integrated circuit (IC) wafer on a carrier
having the same shape according to the prior art;
[0017] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are schematic views illustrating a
process of stacking an integrated circuit wafer on a carrier having
the same shape according to an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0018] FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views illustrating a process
of defining the adhesive layer indentation at the edge of the
carrier according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] The present invention will now be described more
specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to
be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments
of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration
and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be
limited to the precise form disclosed.
[0020] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are schematic views illustrating a
process of stacking an integrated circuit wafer on a carrier having
the same shape according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The integrated circuit wafer 20 is attachable on the carrier 21
according to a three-dimensional stacking technology. An example of
the carrier 21 includes but is not limited to a glass substrate or
a semiconductor substrate. An example of the wafer 20 is a
semiconductor wafer such as a silicon wafer. As shown in FIG. 2A,
an adhesive layer 22 is formed on a carrier by spin-coating an
adhesive. Due to the cohesion of the adhesive, a thicker hump 220
is formed at the edge of the carrier 21. For avoiding generation of
the gap between the carrier 21 and the wafer 20 after the wafer 20
is placed on the carrier 21, the adhesive layer 22 at the edge of
the carrier 21 is partially removed, so that at least one adhesive
layer adhesive layer indentation 221 is defined at the edge of the
carrier 21 (see FIG. 2B). Next, the wafer 20 is stacked on the
carrier 21 through the adhesive layer 22. In response to an
external force exerted on the wafer 20, the edge hump 220 is
squeezed and filled into the nearby adhesive layer adhesive layer
indentation 221. The combination of wafer 20 and the carrier 21 is
shown in FIG. 2C. In accordance with the stacking method of the
present invention, the problem of generating the gap in the prior
art will be avoided. As a consequence, the possibility of causing
contamination from the broken wafer edge will be minimized.
[0021] FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views illustrating the
configurations of two exemplary adhesive layer indentations defined
at the edge of the carrier according to the present invention. As
shown in FIG. 3A, the edge of the adhesive layer 22 has a plurality
of circular indentations 30, which are separated from each other.
The circular indentations 30 may run through the adhesive layer 22
to expose the underlying carrier body 39. Alternatively, the
circular indentations 30 do not run through the adhesive layer 22,
and thus the underlying carrier body 39 is not exposed. The depth
of the circular indentation 30 is not restricted as long as the
circular indentation 30 could provide a space for filling the edge
hump 220. As shown in FIG. 3B, the edge of the adhesive layer 22
has a plurality of saw-toothed indentations 31, which are in
communication with each other to collectively form an adhesive
layer indentation band 38. Similarly, these saw-toothed
indentations 31 may run through the adhesive layer 22 to expose the
underlying carrier body 39. Alternatively, the saw-toothed
indentations 31 do not run through the adhesive layer 22, and thus
the underlying carrier body 39 is not exposed. The depth of the
saw-toothed indentations 31 is not restricted as long as the
circular indentation 30 could provide a space for filling the edge
hump 220.
[0022] Moreover, the adhesive layer 22 is made of a photosensing
material (e.g. liquid photoresist material or dry-film photoresist
material such as polyimide). The above adhesive layer indentations
may be formed by performing a photolithography and etching
procedure on the photosensing material. Alternatively, the adhesive
layer 22 may be made of a non-photosensing material, and other
patterning procedure may be performed to define the adhesive layer
indentations.
[0023] From the above description, the stacking method of the
present invention is capable of avoiding generation of the gap
between the carrier and the wafer. As a consequence, the
possibility of causing contamination from the broken wafer edge
will be minimized.
[0024] While the invention has been described in terms of what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not to
be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
* * * * *