1. In a system for processing wafers using a process in which an endpoint signal is generated for indicating that the process is complete as each of the wafers is processed, a method for detecting a relative tilt of a particular semiconductor wafer from a reference orientation in an apparatus for applying a semiconductor manufacturing process to the particular wafer, the method comprising:
applying the process to the particular wafer;
generating the endpoint signal of the process applied to the particular wafer; and
using the endpoint signal, generated from processing the particular wafer, in conjunction with at least one other signal to establish that the particular wafer was processed in a tilted orientation with respect to said reference orientation.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one other signal is at least one other endpoint signal generated for a different one of the wafers.
3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the process is applied to the different one of the wafers while the process is applied to the particular wafer.
4. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the process is applied to the different one of the wafers before the process is applied to the particular wafer.
5. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the process is applied to the particular wafer before the process is applied to the different one of the wafers.
6. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the endpoint signal and the at least one other endpoint signal are generated using optical emission spectroscopy.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the endpoint signal is generated using optical emission spectroscopy.
8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the process applied to the particular wafer is a photoresist stripping process.
9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one other signal is at least one other endpoint signal generated for a different one of the wafers that is positioned in the reference orientation.
10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein using the endpoint signal includes comparing a variation time between a feature of the endpoint signal and the other signal to a maximum threshold time.
11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the variation time is greater than the maximum threshold time when the particular wafer was processed in a tilted orientation.
12. In a manufacturing apparatus for processing wafers using a process in which an endpoint signal is generated for indicating that the process is complete as each of the wafers is processed, a tilt detection apparatus for detecting a relative tilt of a particular semiconductor wafer from a reference orientation in the manufacturing apparatus in which the process is applied to the particular wafer, comprising:
an endpoint signal generator for generating an endpoint signal of the process applied to the particular wafer; and
a processor for receiving the endpoint signal and for using the endpoint signal in conjunction with at least one other signal to establish that the particular wafer was processed in a tilted orientation with respect to said reference orientation.
13. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to a different one of the wafers;
the endpoint signal generator generates at least one other endpoint signal for the different one of the wafers; and
the processor uses the at least one other endpoint signal in conjunction with the endpoint signal to establish that the particular wafer was processed in the tilted orientation.
14. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the different one of the wafers while the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the particular wafer.
15. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the different one of the wafers before the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the particular wafer.
16. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the particular wafer before the manufacturing apparatus applies the process to the different one of the wafers.
17. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein:
the endpoint signal generator includes an optical emission spectrometer and the endpoint signal is derived from an optical spectrum of the process applied to the particular wafer using the optical emission spectrometer; and
the at least one other endpoint signal is derived from an optical spectrum of the process applied to the different one of the wafers using the optical emission spectrometer.
18. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the endpoint signal generator includes an optical emission spectrometer; and
the endpoint signal is derived from the optical spectrum of the process applied to the particular wafer using the optical emission spectrometer.
19. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the manufacturing apparatus applies a photoresist stripping process to the particular wafer.
20. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the endpoint signal generator generates an endpoint signal for the different one of the wafers as the at least one other signal.
21. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the processor determines a variation time between a feature of the endpoint signal and a feature of the at least one other signal and compares the variation time to a maximum threshold time to establish that the particular wafer was processed in the tilted orientation.
22. The detection apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein the variation time is greater than the maximum threshold time when the particular wafer was processed in the tilted orientation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A manufacturing method for semiconductor devices comprising:
placing a mask on a mask placement-side surface of a semiconductor wafer in which a plurality of semiconductor devices are formed;
a mask pattern formation process including forming dicing lines for dicing the semiconductor wafer into the respective separate semiconductor devices and at least partially exposing the mask placement-side surface of the semiconductor wafer corresponding to a flawed semiconductor device among the plurality of semiconductor devices;
a dicing process including dicing the semiconductor wafer, along the dicing lines, to separate the respective semiconductor devices, and
removing at least a portion of the flawed semiconductor device at the exposed portion of the semiconductor wafer so that the removed portion serves as a distinguishing mark for the flawed semiconductor device, wherein the portion of the flawed semiconductor device is removed by applying plasma etching to the mask placement-side surface of the semiconductor wafer.
2. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 1, wherein the mask is formed so as to partially expose the surface of the semiconductor wafer corresponding to the flawed semiconductor device on basis of position information for the flawed semiconductor device in the semiconductor wafer.
3. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 2, wherein the position information for the flawed semiconductor device is obtained by using a result of an inspection performed on the respective semiconductor devices in the semiconductor wafer.
4. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 3, wherein
after the inspection of the respective semiconductor devices, thinning of the semiconductor wafer is performed, and then
the mask is placed on the thinned semiconductor wafer.
5. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining position information for the flawed semiconductor device in the semiconductor wafer before placing the mask, wherein
the mask is formed on the basis of the obtained position information for the flawed semiconductor device.
6. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 1, wherein in the mask pattern formation process,
the mask is placed so as to cover the entire mask placement-side surface of the semiconductor wafer, and then
parts of the mask are removed in conformity with the respective positions of the dicing lines on the semiconductor wafer so as to partially expose the surface of the semiconductor wafer to define the dicing lines, and a part of the mask on the flawed semiconductor device is removed so as to partially expose the surface semiconductor wafer at the flawed semiconductor device.
7. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 6, wherein the parts of the mask are removed by irradiating a laser beam to the mask of the semiconductor wafer while moving the laser beam relative to the surface of the semiconductor wafer.
8. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 7, wherein the relative movement of the laser beam is based on preset mask data.
9. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 7, wherein relative movement of the laser beam is based on position information for the dicing lines and position information for the flawed semiconductor device in the semiconductor wafer.
10. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 1, wherein, during the mask pattern formation process, an almost central area of the semiconductor wafer at the flawed semiconductor device is exposed in an almost circular shape.
11. The manufacturing method for semiconductor devices as defined in claim 1, further comprising:
removing the remaining portions of the mask from the mask placement-side surface of the semiconductor wafer, after dicing the semiconductor wafer and removing the exposed portion thereof.