IP Library Granted Patent US 12,628,614
Granted Patent B2
US 12,628,614 · App. 17/594,975 · Granted May 12, 2026

Bonding apparatus, bonding system, and bonding method

Inventors: Yutaka Yamasaki (Koshi, JP); Takashi Terada (Koshi, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H10P72/53H10P10/128H10P72/72H10P72/7612H10P72/7618
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,628,614
App. No.
17/594,975
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bonding apparatus configured to bond a first substrate and a second substrate includes a first holder configured to hold the first substrate; a second holder disposed to face the first holder, and configured to hold the second substrate; two imaging units each including a first imaging device configured to image a first alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the first substrate and a second imaging device configured to image a second alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the second substrate; a first moving mechanism configured to move the two imaging units along a first direction in a planar region between the first holder and the second holder; a second moving mechanism configured to move the first imaging unit along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a third moving mechanism configured to move the second imaging unit along the second direction.

Claims (72)

1 . A bonding apparatus configured to bond a first substrate and a second substrate, comprising:

a first holder configured to hold the first substrate;

a second holder disposed to face the first holder, and configured to hold the second substrate;

two imaging units each including a first imaging device configured to image a first alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the first substrate and a second imaging device configured to image a second alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the second substrate;

a first moving mechanism configured to move the two imaging units along a first direction in a planar region between the first holder and the second holder;

a second moving mechanism configured to move the first imaging unit of the two imaging units along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

a third moving mechanism configured to move the second imaging unit of the two imaging units along the second direction,

wherein each of the imaging units comprises a lens unit,

the lens unit comprises an upper lens, a lower lens, and a reflection mirror, and

the reflection mirror is configured to change a first optical path of the first imaging device toward a first substrate side through the upper lens, and to change a second optical path of the second imaging device toward a second substrate side through the lower lens, the second optical path being coaxial with the first optical path.

2 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller configured to control the first moving mechanism, the second moving mechanism and the third moving mechanism such that the first imaging unit images a first region and the second imaging unit images a second region.

3 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the first imaging device images a first holding mark formed on the first holder, and

the second imaging device images a second holding mark formed on the second holder.

4 . The bonding apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:

a processing vessel accommodating therein the first holder and the second holder; and

a fixed imaging device configured to image the first holding mark and the second holding mark from outside of the processing vessel.

5 . The bonding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first reference mark provided at a position spaced apart from the first holder and the second holder in the first direction when viewed from a top to be imaged by the first imaging device; and

a second reference mark provided to face the first reference mark to be imaged by the second imaging device.

6 . A bonding system configured to bond a first substrate and a second substrate, comprising:

a processing station comprising a bonding apparatus configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a carry-in/out station configured to carry the first substrate, the second substrate, and a combined substrate in which the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded to each other with respect to the processing station,

wherein the bonding apparatus comprises:

a first holder configured to hold the first substrate;

a second holder disposed to face the first holder, and configured to hold the second substrate;

two imaging units each including a first imaging device configured to image a first alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the first substrate and a second imaging device configured to image a second alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the second substrate;

a first moving mechanism configured to move the two imaging units along a first direction in a planar region between the first holder and the second holder,

a second moving mechanism configured to move the first imaging unit of the two imaging units along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

a third moving mechanism configured to move the second imaging unit of the two imaging units along the second direction,

wherein each of the imaging units comprises a lens unit,

the lens unit comprises an upper lens, a lower lens, and a reflection mirror, and

the reflection mirror is configured to change a first optical path of the first imaging device toward a first substrate side through the upper lens, and to change a second optical path of the second imaging device toward a second substrate side through the lower lens, the second optical path being coaxial with the first optical path.

7 . A bonding method of bonding a first substrate and a second substrate by using a bonding apparatus,

wherein the bonding apparatus comprises:

a first holder configured to hold the first substrate;

a second holder disposed to face the first holder, and configured to hold the second substrate;

two imaging units each including a first imaging device configured to image a first alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the first substrate and a second imaging device configured to image a second alignment mark formed on a bonding surface of the second substrate;

a first moving mechanism configured to move the two imaging units along a first direction in a planar region between the first holder and the second holder;

a second moving mechanism configured to move the first imaging unit of the two imaging units along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

a third moving mechanism configured to move the second imaging unit of the two imaging units along the second direction,

wherein each of the imaging units comprises a lens unit,

the lens unit comprises an upper lens, a lower lens, and a reflection mirror, and

the reflection mirror is configured to change a first optical path of the first imaging device toward a first substrate side through the upper lens, and to change a second optical path of the second imaging device toward a second substrate side through the lower lens, the second optical path being coaxial with the first optical path, and

wherein the bonding method comprises:

holding the first substrate by the first holder;

holding the second substrate by the second holder;

moving the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the first direction by the first moving mechanism;

moving the first imaging unit in the second direction by the second moving mechanism;

moving the second imaging unit in the second direction by the third moving mechanism;

imaging the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, respectively; and

adjusting a horizontal position between the first substrate held by the first holder and the second substrate held by the second holder based on images obtained in the imaging of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark.

8 . The bonding method of claim 7 ,

wherein in the moving of the first imaging unit, the first imaging unit is moved in a first region,

in the moving of the second imaging unit, the second imaging unit is moved in a second region, and

in the imaging of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark, the first region is imaged by the first imaging unit and the second region is imaged by the second imaging unit.

9 . The bonding method of claim 7 ,

wherein

in the imaging of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark, the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark are imaged by the imaging units at the same time.

10 . The bonding method of claim 7 ,

wherein, after the adjusting of the horizontal position,

the first imaging unit is moved in the second direction by the second moving mechanism,

the second imaging unit is moved in the second direction by the third imaging unit, and

wherein, in each of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit,

a first holding mark formed on the first holder is imaged by the first imaging device, and

a second holding mark formed on the second holder is imaged by the second holder.

11 . The bonding method of claim 7 ,

wherein the bonding apparatus further comprises:

a first reference mark provided at a position spaced apart from the first holder and the second holder in the first direction when viewed from a top to be imaged by the first imaging device; and

a second reference mark provided to face the first reference mark to be imaged by the second imaging device, and

wherein in the moving of the first imaging unit, the first reference mark is imaged by the first imaging device, and the second reference mark is imaged by the second imaging device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2021
From: YAMASAKI, YUTAKA; TERADA, TAKASHI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 058022/0852 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-088100 · May 8, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220285196A1 · Sep 8, 2022
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