JP2014220449A - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a processing device capable of sucking and holding an annular frame with a frame suction pad after removing foreign matter on the annular frame constituting a workpiece unit with a simple mechanism. A processing apparatus including a conveying unit that unloads a workpiece unit supported via an adhesive tape from an chuck table 6 into an opening of an annular frame F, the conveying unit covering an upper surface of the annular frame. A base portion 40 including a frame suction pad 42 for sucking and holding, and a fluid ejecting means 44 for ejecting a fluid to a region suctioned by the frame suction pad on the upper surface of the annular frame, and the base portion is moved toward and away from the chuck table. And when moving the workpiece unit from the chuck table, the base portion is brought close to the chuck table, and the foreign matter 21 placed on the annular frame is removed by ejecting fluid from the fluid ejecting means by machining. Later, the frame suction pad sucks and holds the annular frame. [Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus such as a cutting apparatus or a laser processing apparatus that includes a conveying unit that conveys a workpiece unit.

  Workpieces such as semiconductor wafers on which a plurality of devices such as IC and LSI are formed on the surface, resin substrates, various ceramic substrates, and glass substrates are divided into individual chips by a cutting device called a dicing machine, and the divided chips Is widely used in various electrical devices.

  This type of cutting apparatus generally cuts a workpiece by cutting a disk-shaped cutting blade rotated at a high speed into the workpiece. Cutting is performed while supplying cutting water such as water.

  The purpose of cutting water supply is to wash away and remove cutting waste (contamination) generated by cooling or cutting of the cutting blade from the work piece. Supplied nearby.

  Similarly to the cutting apparatus, a laser processing apparatus may be used for dividing a semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer. In the laser processing apparatus, water is not used during processing, but a liquid protective film may be applied to the wafer surface in order to protect a device formed on the wafer surface before processing.

  On the other hand, in a processing apparatus such as a cutting apparatus or a laser processing apparatus, a workpiece such as a wafer is fed into the processing apparatus in the form of a workpiece unit supported via an adhesive tape in an opening of an annular frame.

JP 2009-10150 A JP 2007-073670 A

  In a cutting machine, when a workpiece such as a wafer is cut with a cutting blade, cutting water containing a large amount of contamination flows on the annular frame, so that a large amount of contamination adheres to the frame or is scattered by cutting. The end material portion of the workpiece may remain on the annular frame. Further, the liquid protective film used in laser processing is also applied on the annular frame.

  When foreign matter adheres to the annular frame in this way, it becomes a factor that hinders suction when the annular frame of the workpiece unit is sucked and held by the frame suction pad of the transport device that transports the workpiece unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to remove the foreign matter on the annular frame constituting the workpiece unit with a simple mechanism and then use the frame suction pad to remove the annular frame. It is providing the processing apparatus which can carry out suction holding.

  According to the present invention, a chuck table for holding a workpiece unit in which a plate-like workpiece is supported in an opening of an annular frame via an adhesive tape, and a workpiece held on the holding surface of the chuck table. A processing device comprising: a processing means for processing the workpiece unit; and a transport means for unloading the workpiece unit from the chuck table, wherein the transport means includes a frame suction pad for sucking and holding the upper surface of the annular frame; A base part including fluid ejecting means for ejecting fluid to a region sucked by the frame suction pad on the upper surface of the annular frame, and moving means for causing the base part to approach and separate from the chuck table, When unloading the workpiece unit from the chuck table, the base portion is brought close to the chuck table, and foreign matter placed on the annular frame by machining is removed. After removal by ejecting fluid from the fluid jetting means, processing device, characterized in that the frame suction pad sucks retain annular frame foreign matter has been removed area is provided.

  Preferably, the fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting means is composed of water, air, or a mixed fluid of air and water.

  According to the processing apparatus of the present invention, after removing foreign matter on the annular frame by previously ejecting fluid such as water, air or a mixed fluid of air and water to the area sucked by the frame suction pad, the frame suction pad is annular. Since the frame is sucked and held, it is possible to prevent a suction failure from occurring due to the frame suction pad biting in foreign matter.

  In particular, when air is used as the fluid, a compressed air source that generates a negative pressure at the suction source connected to the frame suction pad can be used as the air supply source, so that it is not necessary to newly install an air supply source.

It is a perspective view of the cutting device concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of a 2nd conveyance unit. It is a surface side perspective view of a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer unit in which a wafer is supported in an opening of an annular frame via an adhesive tape. It is a side view which shows a mode that the fluid is being ejected on the annular frame from the fluid ejection nozzle. It is a side view which shows a mode that the cyclic | annular flame | frame of the area | region where the foreign material was removed by the injection of the fluid is sucked and held.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a cutting device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Reference numeral 4 denotes a base portion of the cutting apparatus 2, and a chuck table 6 is disposed on the base portion 4 so as to be reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction by a cutting feed mechanism (not shown). The chuck table 6 is further configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis orthogonal to the holding surface. A bellows 8 covers the cutting feed mechanism.

  In the base portion 4, a cassette mounting table 10 is disposed so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by a cassette elevator (not shown). A cassette 12 containing a workpiece is placed on the cassette placing table 10.

  A portal-shaped first column 14 is erected on the rear side of the base portion 4, and the first cutting unit 16A and the second cutting unit 16B can move in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction on the first column 14. Is attached. The first and second cutting units 16A and 16B include a cutting blade 18 attached to the tip of a spindle that is rotationally driven.

  A gate-shaped second column 20 is erected at an intermediate portion of the base portion 4. A first guide rail 22 and a second guide rail 24 are fixed to the second column 20. Reference numeral 26 denotes a first transport unit, and the first transport unit 26 is guided by the first guide rail 22 and is configured to be movable in the Y-axis direction.

  The moving mechanism in the Y-axis direction of the first transport unit 26 is composed of, for example, a ball screw and a pulse motor connected to one end of the ball screw, but details of the moving mechanism are omitted in FIG.

  The first transport unit 26 includes a support portion 30 that hangs down from the first guide rail 22, and a cross-shaped base portion 32 that can move in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to the support portion 30. A frame suction pad 34 is attached to the tip of the cross-shaped base portion 32. Furthermore, a gripping portion 36 for gripping an annular frame of a wafer unit described later is attached to the tip of the base portion 32 facing the cassette 12.

  Reference numeral 28 denotes a second transport unit, and the second transport unit 28 is guided by the second guide rail 24 and arranged to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The moving mechanism in the Y-axis direction of the second transport unit 28 is composed of, for example, a ball screw and a pulse motor connected to one end of the ball screw, but details of the moving mechanism are omitted in FIG.

  The second transport unit 28 has a support portion 38 that is moved in the Y-axis direction along the second guide rail 24, and a cross-shaped attachment that is attached to the support portion 38 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The base part 40 is included.

  As best shown in FIG. 2, a frame suction pad 42 is attached to each tip of the cross-shaped base portion 40. Further, a fluid ejecting nozzle (fluid ejecting means) 44 is disposed adjacent to each frame suction pad 42.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, reference numeral 46 denotes a spinner cleaning unit that cleans and dries the workpiece after cutting, and has a spinner table 48 that holds and rotates the workpiece. The workpiece held by the chuck table 6 and cut by the first cutting unit 16A or the second cutting unit 16B is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 42 of the second transfer unit 28 and transferred to the spinner cleaning unit 46. The

  Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a front side perspective view of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as a wafer) 11 which is a kind of workpiece. A plurality of planned division lines (streets) 13 are formed in a lattice pattern on the surface 11 a of the wafer 11, and devices 15 such as ICs and LSIs are formed in each region partitioned by the planned division lines 13. Reference numeral 11 b denotes the back surface of the wafer 11.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the wafer 11 is bonded to a dicing tape T, which is an adhesive tape having an outer peripheral portion attached to an annular frame F, to form a wafer unit 17. The wafer unit 17 is a cassette 12 in the form of the wafer unit 17. Housed inside. In other words, the wafer unit 17 is configured such that the wafer 11 is supported in the opening of the annular frame F via the dicing tape T.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the cutting apparatus 2 configured as described above will be described. The wafer unit 17 accommodated in the cassette 12 is pulled out of the cassette 12 with the annular frame F being gripped by the gripping portion 36 of the first transport unit 26, and placed on a pair of positioning bars (not shown).

  After the positioning bars move in the direction approaching each other, the wafer unit 17 is centered, and then the annular frame F is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 34 of the first transport unit 26, so that the wafer unit 17 is held in the chuck table 6. And is sucked and held by the chuck table 6.

  The cutting blade 18 of the first cutting unit 16A or the second cutting unit 16B is cut into the division line 13 of the wafer 11 sucked and held by the chuck table 6, and the chuck table 6 is moved while supplying cutting water to the processing point. By processing and feeding in the axial direction, the wafer 11 is completely cut along the division line 13.

  While the first cutting unit 16A or the second cutting unit 16B is indexed and fed in the Y-axis direction, the planned dividing line 13 extending in the first direction is cut sequentially. After completion of the cutting of the division line in the first direction, the chuck table 6 is rotated by 90 degrees, and then all the division lines 13 extending in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction are cut and the wafer 11 is cut. Is divided into device chips.

  In this way, in the cutting apparatus, cutting is performed while supplying cutting water to the vicinity of the processing point at which the cutting blade 18 contacts the wafer 11, so that cutting waste (contamination) generated by the cutting flows on the annular frame F. As a result, a large amount of contamination may adhere to the frame F, or the end material portion of the wafer 11 scattered by cutting may remain on the frame F.

  When the cutting of the wafer 11 is completed, the chuck table 6 is returned to the original position, which is the wafer carry-in / out position, and then the annular frame F is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 42 of the second transport unit 28. Is conveyed to the spinner cleaning unit 46.

  When the frame F of the wafer unit 17 is sucked by the frame suction pad 42 of the second transport unit 28, if foreign matter such as cutting scraps or scraps remains on the frame F, the frame F of the frame F at the frame suction pad 42 Suction retention is inhibited. The operation of the embodiment of the present invention that solves this problem will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of foreign substances 21 such as cutting scraps and end materials adhere to the annular frame F held on the chuck table 6. In FIG. 5, the base portion 40 is moved to a predetermined height position in the direction of arrow Z <b> 1, and compressed air or a mixed fluid of compressed air and water is ejected from the ejection port 45 of the fluid ejection nozzle 44, and the frame suction pad 42. The foreign matter 21 on the area of the annular frame F to be sucked and held is blown off and removed.

  Since the fluid ejection nozzle 44 is provided adjacent to each frame suction pad 42, the foreign matter on the annular frame F in the region where each frame suction pad 42 is to be sucked and held is simultaneously removed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6A, the base portion 40 is further moved in the direction of the arrow Z1 to bring the frame suction pad 42 into contact with the area where the foreign matter has been removed from the frame F. The frame F in the removed area is sucked and held.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6B, the base unit 40 is moved in the arrow Z2 direction while the frame F is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 42, and the wafer unit 17 is separated from the chuck table 6.

  In the present embodiment, the fluid F is ejected from the fluid ejection nozzle 44 to remove the foreign matter 21 on the frame F, and then the frame F in the region where the foreign matter has been removed is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 42. The annular frame F can be sucked and held.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the cutting apparatus 2 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly applied to a laser processing apparatus that performs ablation processing. .

  In a laser processing apparatus for forming a laser processing groove by ablation processing, in order to protect a device formed on the surface of a wafer, a liquid protective film is usually applied to the wafer unit 17 by a protective film coating apparatus before laser processing is performed. Painted on.

  The liquid protective film is applied not only to the surface 11 a of the wafer 11 but also to the surface of the annular frame F. Therefore, before the annular frame F is sucked and held by the frame suction pad of the transport unit, the fluid is ejected from the fluid ejection nozzle 44 to remove the liquid protective film (foreign matter) on the annular frame F. Then, the annular frame F can be reliably sucked and held by sucking and holding the frame F in the range where the liquid protective film has been removed by the frame suction pad 42.

  Since the liquid protective film applied on the frame F is in the form of a jelly (gel), the liquid protective film on the annular frame F is also used when the wafer unit 17 is unloaded from the chuck table after laser processing. Is removed from the frame F by the fluid ejection nozzle 44, and then the frame F in the range where the liquid protective film has been removed is sucked and held by the frame suction pad 42, the frame F can be reliably sucked and held.

  In the above-described embodiment, the workpiece is described as being the semiconductor wafer 11, but the workpiece is not limited to the semiconductor wafer, and other wafers such as an optical device wafer, a ceramic substrate, a glass substrate, and the like. The present invention can be similarly applied to other plate-like workpieces.

2 Cutting device 6 Chuck table 16A, 16B Cutting unit 17 Wafer unit 18 Cutting blade 21 Foreign material 26 First transport unit 28 Second transport unit 40 Base portion 42 Frame suction pad 44 Fluid ejection nozzle

Claims (2)

A chuck table for holding a workpiece unit in which a plate-like workpiece is supported in an opening of an annular frame via an adhesive tape, and a processing means for processing the workpiece held on the holding surface of the chuck table And a conveying device that unloads the workpiece unit from the chuck table,
The conveying means is
A base including a frame suction pad for sucking and holding the upper surface of the annular frame, and a fluid ejecting means for ejecting a fluid to a region of the upper surface of the annular frame sucked by the frame suction pad;
Moving means for moving the base portion toward and away from the chuck table,
When unloading the workpiece unit from the chuck table, the base portion is brought close to the chuck table, and foreign matter placed on the annular frame is removed by ejecting fluid from the fluid ejecting means by processing. A processing apparatus, wherein the frame suction pad sucks and holds the annular frame in a region from which foreign matters are removed.   The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid ejected from the fluid ejecting unit is air, water, or a mixed fluid of air and water.

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