KR102828121B1 - Expanding device and expanding method - Google Patents

Abstract

This expanding device (100) comprises a heat shrink unit (10) that heats and shrinks the sagging of a portion surrounding a wafer (210) of a sheet member (220) caused by expansion by an expanding unit (6), and an ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) that simultaneously irradiates ultraviolet rays to the sheet member when the sheet member is heated by the heat shrink unit to reduce the adhesive strength of the sheet member.

Description

Expanding device and expanding method

The present invention relates to an expanding device and an expanding method, and more particularly, to an expanding device and an expanding method having an ultraviolet irradiation section that reduces the adhesive strength of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached.

Conventionally, an expanding device having an ultraviolet irradiation section for reducing the adhesive strength of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached has been known. Such an expanding device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-050010.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-050010 discloses an expanding device comprising an ultraviolet irradiation section that reduces the adhesive force of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached, and an expanding section that expands a heat-shrinkable sheet member having an elastic wafer attached thereto that can be divided along a dividing line and divides the wafer along the dividing line. In this expanding device, the sheet member is configured to be expanded by the expanding section after ultraviolet irradiation of the sheet member with ultraviolet rays to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member. In addition, although not specified in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-050010, since it is necessary to heat and shrink sagging of a portion surrounding a wafer of the sheet member caused by expansion by the expanding section, a heat shrink section that heats and shrinks the sheet member is formed in conventional expanding devices.

Patent Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-050010

However, in a conventional expanding device such as that described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-050010, the sheet member is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by an ultraviolet irradiation unit to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member, the sheet member is expanded by an expanding unit, and then the sheet member is heated by a heat shrink unit to shrink the sagging of the portion of the sheet member surrounding the wafer. Therefore, the process of irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays, the process of expanding the sheet member, and the process of heating and shrinking the sheet member need to be performed sequentially, and it is difficult to suppress an increase in the processing time. Therefore, it is desired to suppress an increase in the processing time for expanding, heat shrinking, and reducing the adhesive force of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached.

This invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one object of this invention is to provide an expanding device and an expanding method capable of suppressing an increase in the time for processing for expanding, heat shrinking, and reducing adhesive strength of a sheet member having a wafer attached thereto.

An expanding device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises an expanding portion for expanding a heat-shrinkable sheet member having a splittable wafer attached along a split line and for splitting the wafer along the split line, a heat shrinking portion for heating and shrinking sagging of a peripheral portion of the wafer of the sheet member caused by expansion by the expander, and an ultraviolet irradiating portion for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the sheet member in parallel when heating the sheet member by the heat shrinking portion to reduce adhesive force of the sheet member.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, when the sheet member is heated by the heat shrink portion, an ultraviolet irradiation portion is formed that simultaneously irradiates the sheet member with ultraviolet rays to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member. As a result, while the sagging of the portion surrounding the wafer of the sheet member is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink portion, the adhesive force of the sheet member can be reduced by the ultraviolet irradiation portion. As a result, the processing time can be reduced compared to a case where the shrinkage processing of the sheet member by the heat shrink portion and the processing for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member by the ultraviolet irradiation portion are performed sequentially. As a result, the processing time can be reduced. As a result, the processing time for expanding, heat shrinking, and adhesive force reducing of the sheet member to which the wafer is attached can be suppressed from increasing.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect, it is preferable to further include an ultraviolet shielding portion that is arranged to cover one side of the sheet member and shields ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation portion, and the ultraviolet irradiation portion is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member from the other side of the sheet member. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation portion from leaking to the outside by the ultraviolet shielding portion.

In this case, preferably, the ultraviolet shielding member includes a side portion formed in an annular shape to surround the wafer of the sheet member, and a bottom portion connected to the side portion on the opposite side to the sheet member. With this configuration, ultraviolet rays emitted to the side of the sheet member can be shielded by the side portion of the ultraviolet shielding member, and ultraviolet rays emitted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet member can be shielded by the bottom portion of the ultraviolet shielding member. As a result, ultraviolet rays irradiated to the sheet member can be more reliably suppressed from leaking to the outside.

In the expander device having the above-described ultraviolet ray shielding portion, preferably, when irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation portion, a support ring formed of a material that shields ultraviolet rays is further provided, which is arranged to contact the other side of the sheet member to support the sheet member and surround the ultraviolet irradiation portion. With this configuration, ultraviolet rays emitted to the surroundings from the ultraviolet irradiation portion can be shielded by the support ring that supports the sheet member. Therefore, compared to a case where the member that supports the sheet member and the member that shields ultraviolet rays are installed separately, the number of parts can be reduced, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In this case, preferably, the ultraviolet shielding member and the support ring are configured so as to maintain expansion of the sheet member in the portion where the wafer is placed by keeping the sheet member sandwiched when irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation member and simultaneously shrinking the sheet member by the heat shrinking member, when configured in this way, since the expansion of the sheet member in the portion where the wafer is placed can be maintained when shrinking the sheet member by the heat shrinking member by the ultraviolet shielding member that shields ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiation member, compared to the case where the member that maintains the expansion of the sheet member is separately installed, the number of parts can be reduced, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect, preferably, the ultraviolet irradiation unit is configured to be movable between an ultraviolet irradiation position and a retracted position arranged along a direction intersecting the surface of the sheet member. With this configuration, when irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet irradiation unit can be moved to the ultraviolet irradiation position, and when not irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet irradiation unit can be retracted to the retracted position. Thereby, when the ultraviolet irradiation unit is retracted, an additional different treatment can be performed on the sheet member, so that a plurality of types of treatment can be performed on the sheet member at the same position.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect, preferably, the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation section is adjusted so that the ultraviolet irradiation treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member is completed within the working time when the sheet member is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink section. With this configuration, the treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member by irradiating ultraviolet ray can be completed within the working time of heating and shrinking the sheet member, so that the waiting time for the completion of the treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member by irradiating ultraviolet ray can be suppressed. As a result, the time for expanding, heat shrinking, and adhesive force reducing treatment of the sheet member to which the wafer is attached can be effectively suppressed from increasing.

An expanding method according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: expanding a heat-shrinkable sheet member having elasticity and a splittable wafer attached along a split line to split the wafer along the split line; thereafter, heating and shrinking a portion of the sheet member surrounding the wafer caused by the expansion of the sheet member; and, when heating and shrinking the sheet member, simultaneously irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member.

In the expanding method according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the sheet member is heated and shrunk as described above, the adhesive strength of the sheet member is reduced by irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays in parallel. As a result, the adhesive strength of the sheet member can be reduced by irradiating the ultraviolet rays while heating and shrinking the sagging portion of the sheet member around the wafer. As a result, the processing time can be reduced compared to the case where the shrinkage processing of the sheet member and the processing for reducing the adhesive strength of the sheet member by irradiating the ultraviolet rays are performed sequentially. As a result, it is possible to provide an expanding method that can suppress an increase in the processing time for expanding, heat shrinking, and adhesive strength reducing of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached.

According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required for processing to reduce expansion, heat shrinkage and adhesive strength of a sheet member to which a wafer is attached.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Figure 2 is a side view of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a wafer ring structure of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 101-101 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a bottom view of a fragment cleaner of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the heat shrink section of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing a semiconductor chip manufacturing process of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a side view showing a state before clamping the wafer ring structure of the expander device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 10 is a side view showing a state in which a wafer ring structure of an expander device according to one embodiment of the present invention is clamped.
Fig. 11 is a side view showing the expanded state of the sheet member of the expanding device according to one embodiment.
Figure 12 is a side view showing a wafer ring structure, a fragment cleaner, and an expander ring of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 13 is a side view showing a state before heat shrinking of a sheet member of an expanding device according to one embodiment.
Fig. 14 is a side view showing a state when a sheet member of an expanding device according to one embodiment of the present invention is heat-shrinked.
Figure 15 is a flow chart showing the withdrawal processing of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Figure 16 is a flow chart showing the transfer processing of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Figure 17 is a flow chart showing the expand processing of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Figure 18 is a continuation of the flow chart of Figure 17.
Fig. 19 is a flow chart showing the heat shrink processing of an expander device according to one embodiment.
Figure 20 is a continuation of the flow chart of Figure 19.
Figure 21 is a flow chart showing the acceptance processing of an expander device according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 21, the configuration of an expanding device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(Configuration of the expander device)

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the expanding device (100) is configured to divide a wafer (210) to form a plurality of semiconductor chips. In addition, the expanding device (100) is configured to form a sufficient gap between the plurality of semiconductor chips. Here, a modified layer is formed in advance on the wafer (210) by irradiating a laser having a wavelength transparent to the wafer (210) along a dividing line (street). The modified layer refers to cracks and voids formed inside the wafer (210) by the laser. In this way, a method of forming a modified layer on the wafer (210) is called stealth dicing processing.

Accordingly, in the expanding device (100), the wafer (210) is divided along the modified layer by expanding the sheet member (220). In addition, in the expanding device (100), by expanding the sheet member (220), the gap between the plurality of semiconductor chips formed by division is widened.

The expanding device (100) is equipped with a base plate (1), a cassette section (2), a lift-up hand section (3), an adsorption hand section (4), a base (5), an expanding section (6), a cold air supply section (7), a cooling unit (8), a debris cleaner (9), a heat shrink section (10), and an ultraviolet irradiation section (11).

Here, the direction in which the cassette section (2) and the heat shrink section (10) are arranged in the horizontal direction is set to the X direction, the cassette section (2) side in the X direction is set to the X1 direction, and the heat shrink section (10) side in the X direction is set to the X2 direction. In addition, the direction orthogonal to the X direction in the horizontal direction is set to the Y direction, the cassette section (2) side in the Y direction is set to the Y1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Y1 direction is set to the Y2 direction. In addition, the up-down direction is set to the Z direction, the upward direction is set to the Z1 direction, and the downward direction is set to the Z2 direction.

<Base Plate>

The base plate (1) is a base on which the cassette section (2) and the suction hand section (4) are installed. When viewed from a plane, the base plate (1) has a long rectangular shape in the Y direction.

<Cassette section>

The cassette section (2) is configured to accommodate a plurality (five) of wafer ring structures (200). Here, the wafer ring structure (200) has a wafer (210), a sheet member (220), and a ring-shaped member (230), as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The wafer (210) is a circular thin plate made of a semiconductor material crystal that is a material of a semiconductor integrated circuit. As described above, a modified layer is formed inside the wafer (210) along the dividing line to modify the inside. That is, the wafer (210) is configured to be dividing along the dividing line. The sheet member (220) is an adhesive tape having elasticity. An adhesive layer is formed on the upper surface (220a) of the sheet member (220). The wafer (210) is attached to the adhesive layer on the sheet member (220). The ring-shaped member (230) is a metal frame that is ring-shaped when viewed from a planar view. A notch (240) and a notch (250) are formed on the outer surface (230a) of the ring-shaped member (230). The ring-shaped member (230) is attached to the adhesive layer of the sheet member (220) while surrounding the wafer (210).

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the cassette section (2) includes a Z-direction movement mechanism (21), a wafer cassette (22), and a pair of loading sections (23). The Z-direction movement mechanism (21) is configured to move the wafer cassette (22) in the Z direction using a motor (21a) as a driving source. In addition, the Z-direction movement mechanism (21) has a loading stage (21b) that supports the wafer cassette (22) from the lower side. The wafer cassette (22) is manually supplied and loaded onto the loading stage (21b). The wafer cassette (22) has an accommodation space capable of accommodating a plurality of wafer ring structures (200). A plurality (five) of the pair of loading sections (23) are arranged on the inside of the wafer cassette (22). A ring-shaped member (230) of a wafer ring structure (200) is loaded from the Z1 direction side on a pair of loading portions (23). One of the pair of loading portions (23) protrudes from the inner surface of the X1 direction side of the wafer cassette (22) toward the X2 direction. The other of the pair of loading portions (23) protrudes from the inner surface of the X2 direction side of the wafer cassette (22) toward the X1 direction.

<Lift-up hand part>

The lift-up hand section (3) is configured to be able to extract the wafer ring structure (200) from the cassette section (2). In addition, the lift-up hand section (3) is configured to be able to accommodate the wafer ring structure (200) in the cassette section (2).

Specifically, the lift-up hand section (3) includes a Y-direction movement mechanism (31) and a lift-up hand (32). The Y-direction movement mechanism (31) is configured to move the lift-up hand (32) in the Y direction using a motor (31a) as a driving source. The lift-up hand (32) is configured to support the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) from the Z2 direction side.

<Adsorption hand part>

The suction hand part (4) is configured to suck the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) from the Z1 direction.

Specifically, the suction hand portion (4) includes an X-direction movement mechanism (41), a Z-direction movement mechanism (42), and an suction hand (43). The X-direction movement mechanism (41) is configured to move the suction hand (43) in the X direction using a motor (41a) as a driving source. The Z-direction movement mechanism (42) is configured to move the suction hand (43) in the Z direction using a motor (42a) as a driving source. The suction hand (43) is configured to support the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) from the Z1 direction side.

<base>

The base (5) is a base on which the expander (6), the cooling unit (8), and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) are installed. The base (5) has a rectangular shape that is long in the Y direction when viewed from the plane. The upper surface of the base (5) in the Z1 direction is arranged closer to the Z1 direction than the upper surface of the base plate (1) in the Z1 direction.

<Expanded section>

The expanding section (6) is configured to divide the wafer (210) along the dividing line by expanding the sheet member (220) of the wafer ring structure (200).

Specifically, the expander (6) includes a Z-direction movement mechanism (61), a Y-direction movement mechanism (62), a clamp portion (63), and an expander ring (64). The Z-direction movement mechanism (61) is configured to move the clamp portion (63) in the Z direction using a motor (61a) as a driving source. The Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the Z-direction movement mechanism (61), the clamp portion (63), and the expander ring (64) in the Y direction using a motor (62a) as a driving source. In addition, the expander ring (64) is an example of a “support ring” within the scope of the claims.

The clamp portion (63) is configured to grip the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200). The clamp portion (63) has a lower grip portion (63a) and an upper grip portion (63b). The lower grip portion (63a) supports the ring-shaped member (230) from the Z2 direction side. The upper grip portion (63b) presses the ring-shaped member (230) supported by the lower grip portion (63a) from the Z1 direction side. In this way, the ring-shaped member (230) is gripped by the lower grip portion (63a) and the upper grip portion (63b).

The expand ring (64) is configured to expand the sheet member (220) by supporting the sheet member (220) from the Z2 direction. The expand ring (64) has a ring shape when viewed from a plane.

<Cold air supply unit>

The cold air supply unit (7) is configured to supply cold air to the sheet member (220) from the Z1 direction when the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expand unit (6).

Specifically, the cold air supply unit (7) has a plurality of nozzles (71). The nozzles (71) have cold air supply ports (71a) (see FIG. 5) that discharge cold air supplied from a cold air supply source (not shown). The nozzles (71) are attached to the debris cleaner (9). The cold air supply source is a cooling device for generating cold air. The cold air supply source supplies air cooled by a cooling device, such as a heat pump, for example. Such a cold air supply source is installed in the base (5). The cold air supply source and the plurality of nozzles (71) are each connected by a hose (not shown).

<Cooling Unit>

The cooling unit (8) is configured to cool the sheet member (220) from the Z2 direction when the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander (6).

Specifically, the cooling unit (8) includes a cooling member (81) having a cooling body (81a) and a Peltier element (81b), and a cylinder (82). The cooling body (81a) is made of a member having a large heat capacity and high thermal conductivity. The cooling body (81a) is formed of a metal such as aluminum. The Peltier element (81b) is made to cool the cooling body (81a). In addition, the cooling body (81a) is not limited to aluminum, and may be made of another member having a large heat capacity and high thermal conductivity.

The cooling unit (8) is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a cylinder (82). As a result, the cooling unit (8) can be moved to a position in contact with the sheet member (220) and a position spaced from the sheet member (220).

<Debris Cleaner>

The fragment cleaner (9) is configured to suck up fragments of the wafer (210), etc., when the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander (6).

As shown in Fig. 5, the debris cleaner (9) includes a ring-shaped member (91) and a plurality of suction ports (92). The ring-shaped member (91) is a member having a ring shape when viewed from the Z1 direction side. The plurality of suction ports (92) are openings for sucking debris of the wafer (210), etc. The plurality of suction ports (92) are formed on the lower surface of the Z2 direction side of the ring-shaped member (91).

As shown in Fig. 2, the debris cleaner (9) is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a cylinder (not shown). As a result, the debris cleaner (9) can be moved to a position close to the wafer (210) and a position where the suction hand (43) moving in the X direction can be avoided.

<Heat Shrink Part>

The heat shrink section (10) is configured to shrink a sheet member (220) expanded by the expand section (6) by heating while maintaining a gap between a plurality of semiconductor chips.

As shown in Fig. 1, the heat shrink unit (10) includes a Z-direction movement mechanism (110), a heating ring (111), an intake ring (112), and an expansion retaining ring (113). The Z-direction movement mechanism (110) is configured to move the heating ring (111) and the intake ring (112) in the Z direction using a motor (110a) as a driving source. In addition, the expansion retaining ring (113) is an example of an “ultraviolet ray shielding unit” within the scope of the claims.

As shown in Fig. 6, the heating ring (111) has a ring shape when viewed from a planar surface. In addition, the heating ring (111) has a sheath heater that heats the sheet member (220). The intake ring (112) is configured integrally with the heating ring (111). The intake ring (112) has a ring shape when viewed from a planar surface. A plurality of intake holes (112a) are formed on the lower surface of the intake ring (112) on the Z2 direction side. The expansion holding ring (113) is configured to press the sheet member (220) from the Z1 direction side so that the sheet member (220) near the wafer (210) does not shrink due to heating by the heating ring (111).

The expansion retaining ring (113) has a ring shape when viewed from a plane. The expansion retaining ring (113) is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a cylinder (not shown). As a result, the expansion retaining ring (113) can be moved to a position where the sheet member (220) is pressed and to a position away from the sheet member (220).

<UV irradiation section>

The ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) in order to reduce the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer of the sheet member (220). Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) has an ultraviolet light.

(Control configuration of the expander device)

As shown in Fig. 7, the expander device (100) has a first control unit (12), a second control unit (13), a third control unit (14), a fourth control unit (15), a fifth control unit (16), an expand control operation unit (17), a handling control operation unit (18), and a memory unit (19).

The first control unit (12) is configured to control the heat shrink unit (10). The first control unit (12) includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory unit having a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). In addition, the first control unit (12) may include an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like as a memory unit, which maintains stored information even after voltage is cut off. In addition, the HDD may be installed commonly for the first control unit (12), the second control unit (13), the third control unit (14), the fourth control unit (15), and the fifth control unit (16).

The second control unit (13) is configured to control the cold air supply unit (7), the cooling unit (8), and the debris cleaner (9). The second control unit (13) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM and a RAM, etc. The third control unit (14) is configured to control the expander unit (6). The third control unit (14) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM and a RAM, etc. In addition, the second control unit (13) and the third control unit (14) may include an HDD, etc., as the memory unit, in which stored information is maintained even after a voltage cutoff.

The fourth control unit (15) is configured to control the cassette unit (2) and the lift-up hand unit (3). The fourth control unit (15) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM, a RAM, etc. The fifth control unit (16) is configured to control the suction hand unit (4). The fifth control unit (16) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM, a RAM, etc. In addition, the fourth control unit (15) and the fifth control unit (16) may include an HDD, etc., as the memory unit, in which stored information is maintained even after the voltage is cut off.

The expand control operation unit (17) is configured to perform operations related to the expand processing of the sheet member (220) based on the processing results of the first control unit (12), the second control unit (13), and the third control unit (14). The expand control operation unit (17) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM and a RAM, etc.

The handling control operation unit (18) is configured to perform operations related to movement processing of the wafer ring structure (200) based on the processing results of the fourth control unit (15) and the fifth control unit (16). The handling control operation unit (18) includes a CPU and a memory unit having a ROM and a RAM, etc.

The memory (19) stores a program for operating the expander device (100). The memory (19) includes a ROM and RAM, etc.

(Semiconductor chip manufacturing process using expander device)

The overall operation of the expander device (100) is described below.

In step (S1), the wafer ring structure (200) is taken out from the cassette section (2). That is, after the wafer ring structure (200) accommodated in the cassette section (2) is supported by the lift-up hand (32), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31), thereby taking out the wafer ring structure (200) from the cassette section (2). In step (S2), the wafer ring structure (200) is transferred to the expand section (6) by the suction hand (43). That is, the wafer ring structure (200) taken out from the cassette section (2) is moved in the X2 direction by the X-direction movement mechanism (41) while being suctioned by the suction hand (43). Then, the wafer ring structure (200) moved in the X2 direction is transferred from the suction hand (43) to the clamp part (63) and then is held by the clamp part (63).

In step (S3), the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander (6). At this time, the sheet member (220) of the wafer ring structure (200) held by the clamper (63) is cooled by the cooling unit (8). In addition, if necessary, the sheet member (220) is cooled by the cold air supply unit (7). The wafer ring structure (200) cooled to a predetermined temperature is lowered by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61) while held by the clamper (63). Then, the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander ring (64), so that the wafer (210) is divided along the dividing line. At this time, the division of the wafer (210) is performed while the fragments are sucked by the fragment cleaner (9).

In step (S4), while maintaining the expanded state of the sheet member (220), the expander (6) is moved toward the Z2 direction of the heat shrinker (10). That is, after the wafer (210) is divided, the wafer ring structure (200) in the expanded state of the sheet member (220) is moved in the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (62). In step (S5), the sheet member (220) is heated and shrunk by the heat shrinker (10). At this time, the wafer ring structure (200) that has moved in the Y1 direction is heated by the heating ring (111) while being sandwiched by the expansion holding ring (113) and the expander ring (64). At this time, air intake by the intake ring (112) and ultraviolet irradiation by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) are performed.

In step (S6), the expander part (6) is returned to the original position. That is, the wafer ring structure (200) in which the sheet member (220) is contracted is moved toward the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31). In step (S7), the wafer ring structure (200) is transferred from the expander part (6) to the lift-up hand part (3) by the suction hand (43), and is moved toward the X1 direction by the X-direction movement mechanism (41) and transported by the lift-up hand (32). In step (S8), the wafer ring structure (200) is accommodated in the cassette part (2). Then, the wafer ring structure (200) supported by the lift-up hand (32) is moved toward the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31), thereby accommodated in the cassette part (2). By these, the processing performed on one wafer ring structure (200) is completed.

(Configuration for expand and heat shrink)

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 9 to 14, the configuration for expanding and heat shrinking is described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 9 to 14, the expander (6) is configured to expand a heat-shrinkable sheet member (220) having elasticity at a first position (P1). In addition, the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the Z-direction movement mechanism (61), the clamp member (63), and the expander ring (64) of the expander (6) in the horizontal direction (Y1 direction) from the first position (P1) to a second position (P2) which is spaced apart from the first position (P1) in the horizontal direction (Y1 direction) when viewed from a plane, in a state where the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander (6). In addition, the heat shrink section (10) is configured to heat and shrink (heat shrink) the sagging of the portion (220b) surrounding the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220) caused by expansion by the expand section (6) at the second position (P2).

<Configuration for Expand>

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the expander (6) is configured to grip the ring-shaped member (230) in the up-and-down direction (Z direction) by the clamp member (63) when expanding the sheet member (220). Specifically, the upper grip member (63b) of the clamp member (63) is configured by a plurality (four) of slide moving bodies (63ba) arranged to surround the wafer ring structure (200). The plurality of slide moving bodies (63ba) are configured to slide horizontally toward the wafer (210) when gripping the ring-shaped member (230). In addition, the lower grip member (63a) of the clamp member (63) is configured to rise in the Z1 direction toward the upper grip member (63b) (the plurality of slide moving bodies (63ba)) that has slid toward the wafer (210) by the driving force of a cylinder such as an air cylinder. By this, the ring-shaped member (230) is gripped and fixed between the upper grip portion (63b) and the lower grip portion (63a) of the clamp portion (63).

In addition, the clamp portion (63) is configured to be lowered in the Z2 direction toward the expand ring (64) by the driving force of the motor (61a) of the Z-direction moving mechanism (61) while the ring-shaped member (230) is gripped between the upper grip portion (63b) and the lower grip portion (63a). As a result, the sheet member (220) is pressed against the expand ring (64) and the sheet member (220) is expanded. In addition, the expand ring (64) is arranged on the Z2 direction side with respect to the sheet member (220). In addition, the expand ring (64) is arranged between the wafer (210) and the ring-shaped member (230) in the horizontal direction. In addition, the expand ring (64) is formed in a circular ring shape so as to surround the wafer (210).

At the first position (P1), which is the expand position, a debris cleaner (9) is arranged on the Z1 direction side with respect to the wafer ring structure (200) to suck and remove debris generated from the wafer ring structure (200) due to the expansion of the sheet member (220). The debris is, for example, debris of the wafer (210). In addition, when a die attach film exists between the wafer (210) and the sheet member (220), the die attach film may become a debris. In addition, since the debris of the wafer (210) is small near the outer edge (210a) of the wafer (210) (see FIG. 12), the position becomes unstable when the sheet member (220) is expanded, making it easy for it to become a debris. The debris cleaner (9) is configured to suck and remove debris by means of a negative pressure supplied from a negative pressure generating device.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 12, the suction port (92) of the debris cleaner (9) is formed in a circular annular shape so as to face the outer edge (210a) of the circular annular wafer (210) when sucking in debris (such as debris of the wafer (210) and debris of the die attach film). Specifically, the circular annular suction port (92) is configured by a plurality of suction ports (92) arranged in a circular annular shape at a predetermined interval. The debris cleaner (9) is configured to suck in debris in a direction away from the center of the wafer (210) by the circular annular suction port (92).

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the debris cleaner (9) is configured to be able to move in the vertical direction (Z direction) between a downward position where the debris is sucked in and an upward position where the debris is not sucked in at a first position (P1) which is an expanded position by the driving force of a cylinder such as an air cylinder. The downward position is a position near the wafer (210). In addition, the upward position is a retreat position where the suction hand (43) moving in the X direction can be avoided. The debris cleaner (9) is configured to descend in the Z2 direction from the upward position to the downward position when expanding the sheet member (220). In addition, the debris cleaner (9) is configured to start the suction operation before pressing the sheet member (220) against the expand ring (64), and to continue the suction operation at least until the pressing of the sheet member (220) against the expand ring (64) is completed.

At the first position (P1), which is the expand position, a cold air supply unit (7) and a cooling unit (8) for cooling the sheet member (220) when the sheet member (220) is expanded by the expander (6) are arranged. The cold air supply unit (7) is formed integrally with the fragment cleaner (9) on the Z1 direction side with respect to the wafer ring structure (200). Therefore, the cold air supply unit (7) is configured to be able to move integrally with the fragment cleaner (9) in the up-and-down direction (Z direction) between a downward position where cold air is supplied and an upward position where cold air is not supplied at the first position (P1). The cold air supply unit (7) is configured to descend in the Z2 direction from the upward position to the downward position when the sheet member (220) is expanded. In addition, the cold air supply unit (7) is configured to initiate the cold air supply operation before pressing the sheet member (220) onto the expand ring (64), and to continue the cold air supply operation at least until the sheet member (220) is completely pressed onto the expand ring (64).

In addition, the cooling unit (8) is arranged on the Z2 direction side with respect to the wafer ring structure (200). In addition, the cooling unit (8) is configured to be movable in the up-down direction (Z direction) between an upper position where the sheet member (220) is cooled by the driving force of a cylinder (82) such as an air cylinder at the first position (P1) and a lower position where the sheet member (220) is not cooled. The cooling unit (8) is configured to rise in the Z1 direction from the lower position to the upper position when the sheet member (220) is expanded. In addition, the cooling unit (8) is configured to start and complete the cooling operation before pressing the sheet member (220) against the expand ring (64). In addition, the cooling unit (8) is configured to retreat to the lower position before pressing the sheet member (220) against the expand ring (64).

In addition, when the expansion of the sheet member (220) by the expander (6) (the pressing of the sheet member (220) against the expander ring (64)) is completed, the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the expander (6) (Z-direction movement mechanism (61), clamp member (63), and expander ring (64)) in the Y1 direction from the first position (P1) where the sheet member (220) is expanded to the second position (P2) where heat shrinking of the sheet member (220) is performed, while maintaining the expanded state of the sheet member (220) by the expander (6). At this time, the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the expander (6) in the Y1 direction from the first position (P1) to the second position (P2) independently of the debris cleaner (9), the cold air supply unit (7) and the cooling unit (8) without moving the debris cleaner (9), the cold air supply unit (7) and the cooling unit (8) from the first position (P1). At this time, the debris cleaner (9) and the cold air supply unit (7) are retracted to the upper position, and the cooling unit (8) is retracted to the lower position.

The Y-direction movement mechanism (62) further has a loading portion (62b) and a rail portion (62c) in addition to the motor (62a). The loading portion (62b) is configured so that the Z-direction movement mechanism (61), the clamp portion (63), and the expand ring (64) are loaded on the upper surface. In addition, the loading portion (62b) is formed in a plate shape having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a plane. In addition, the loading portion (62b) is formed so as to be able to move on the rail portion (62c). The rail portions (62c) are formed as a pair and spaced apart in the X direction. The pair of rail portions (62c) are formed so as to extend in the Y direction between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2). The Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to enable the Z-direction movement mechanism (61), the clamping portion (63), and the expander ring (64) to move in the Y direction between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2) by moving the loading portion (62b) in the Y direction along a pair of rail portions (62c) by the driving force of the motor (62a).

In addition, the loading portion (62b) is formed with a hole portion (62ba) penetrating the loading portion (62b) in the up-down direction (Z direction). The hole portion (62ba) is formed in a circular shape when viewed from a planar view. In addition, the hole portion (62ba) has a size that allows the cooling unit (8) to pass through it at the first position (P1). As a result, the cooling unit (8) can be moved between the upper position and the lower position through the hole portion (62ba). In addition, the hole portion (62ba) has a size that allows the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) to pass through it at the second position (P2). As a result, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) can be moved between the upper position and the lower position through the hole portion (62ba). In addition, the hole portion (62ba) is formed on the inside of the expand ring (64). The cooling unit (8) and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) are configured to move toward the inside of the expand ring (64) through the hole portion (62ba).

<Composition regarding heat shrink>

As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the heat shrink portion (10) is arranged on the Z1 direction side of the expand portion (6) moved by the Y direction movement mechanism (62) at the second position (P2), which is the heat shrink position. In addition, the heating ring (111) and the intake ring (112) of the heat shrink portion (10) are configured to be able to move in the up-and-down direction (Z direction) between an upper position where the sheet member (220) is not heated and a lower position where the sheet member (220) is heated at the second position (P2) by the driving force of the motor (110a) of the Z direction movement mechanism (110). In addition, the expansion retaining ring (113) of the heat shrink section (10) is configured to be able to move up and down between an upper position where the sheet member (220) is not pressed and a lower position where the sheet member (220) is pressed by the driving force of a cylinder such as an air cylinder at the second position (P2). In addition, the upper position is a retraction position where the expand section (6) and the wafer ring structure (200) moving in the Y1 direction can be avoided. In addition, the lower position is a position near the sheet member (220).

In addition, the heat shrink section (10) (heating ring (111), intake ring (112), and expansion retaining ring (113)) is configured to descend in the Z2 direction from an upper position to a lower position when heat shrinking the sheet member (220). In addition, the upper and lower mechanisms (Z-direction moving mechanisms (110)) for the heating ring (111) and intake ring (112), and the upper and lower mechanisms (cylinders) for the expansion retaining ring (113) are separate mechanisms. Therefore, the heating ring (111), intake ring (112), and expansion retaining ring (113) can move up and down independently of each other. The expansion retaining ring (113) is configured to sandwich the sheet member (220) in the upper and lower direction (Z direction) between itself and the expand ring (64). By this, the expansion retaining ring (113) is configured to maintain the expanded state of a portion corresponding to the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220). In addition, the heating ring (111) is configured to heat a portion (220b) around the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220) (a portion on the outside of the expansion retaining ring (113)) by the sheath heater, which is a heating mechanism, while the expanded state of the sheet member (220) is maintained by the expansion retaining ring (113). In addition, the intake ring (112) is configured to intake a gas generated from the sheet member (220) due to heating during heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111).

Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) in parallel with heating the sheet member (220) by the heat shrink unit (10) to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member (220). Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) when heat shrinking the sheet member (220) by the heat shrink unit (10) is arranged at the second position (P2), which is the heat shrink position.

That is, when the sheet member (220) is heated and shrunk, ultraviolet rays are simultaneously irradiated to the sheet member (220) to reduce the adhesive strength of the sheet member (220).

The ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is arranged on the Z2 direction side with respect to the wafer ring structure (200). In addition, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to be movable between an ultraviolet irradiation position (P3) and a retreat position (P4) arranged along a direction (Z direction) intersecting the surface of the sheet member (220). Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to be movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) between an upper ultraviolet irradiation position (P3) (see FIG. 14) that irradiates ultraviolet ray and a lower retreat position (see FIG. 13) that does not irradiate ultraviolet ray by the driving force of a cylinder (121) such as an air cylinder at the second position (P2). The ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to rise in the Z1 direction from the lower retreat position (P4) to the upper ultraviolet irradiation position (P3) when heat shrinking the sheet member (220).

In addition, when the heat shrink of the sheet member (220) by the heat shrink section (10) is completed, the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the expand section (6) (Z-direction movement mechanism (61), clamp section (63), and expand ring (64)) in the Y2 direction from the second position (P2) where the heat shrink was performed to the first position (P1) where the expansion was performed. At this time, the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) is configured to move the expand section (6) in the Y2 direction from the second position (P2) to the first position (P1) independently of the heat shrink section (10) and the ultraviolet irradiation section (11) without moving the heat shrink section (10) and the ultraviolet irradiation section (11) from the second position (P2). At this time, the heat shrink section (10) is retracted to an upper position, and the ultraviolet irradiation section (11) is retracted to a lower retraction position (P4).

When the sheet member (220) is contracted by the heat shrink section (10), the expansion retaining ring (113) contacts the circumference of the wafer (210) on one side (Z1 direction side) of the sheet member (220) and, by holding the sheet member (220) together with the expand ring (64), maintains the expansion of the sheet member (220) in the portion where the wafer (210) is placed.

That is, the expansion retaining ring (113) and the expand ring (64) are configured to maintain the expansion of the sheet member (220) in the portion where the wafer (210) is placed by retaining the sheet member (220) so that it is inserted when the sheet member (220) is contracted by the heat shrinking unit (10) in parallel with irradiating the sheet member (220) with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiating unit (11).

In addition, the expansion retaining ring (113) is arranged to cover one side (Z1 direction side) of the sheet member (220) and is configured to shield ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11). In addition, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) from the other side (Z2 direction side) of the sheet member (220).

As shown in Fig. 14, the expansion retaining ring (113) includes a bottom portion (113a) and a side portion (113b). The bottom portion (113a) is arranged to cover the upper side (Z1 direction side). In addition, the side portion (113b) is formed in an annular shape to surround the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220). The bottom portion (113a) is connected to the side portion (113b) on the opposite side (Z1 direction side) from the sheet member (220). The bottom portion (113a) is formed in a circular shape.

In addition, the expansion retaining ring (113) is formed by a material that shields ultraviolet rays. For example, the expansion retaining ring (113) is formed by a colored resin. Alternatively, the expansion retaining ring (113) is formed by a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum.

The expand ring (64) is arranged so as to support the sheet member (220) by contacting the other side (Z2 direction side) of the sheet member (220) when irradiating the sheet member (220) with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11), and to surround the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11). That is, as shown in Fig. 14, when the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is arranged at the ultraviolet irradiation position (P3), the periphery is surrounded by the expand ring (64). In addition, the expand ring (64) is formed of a material that shields ultraviolet rays. The expand ring (64) is formed of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, for example. Alternatively, the expand ring (64) is formed of a colored resin.

The intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is adjusted so that the ultraviolet irradiation treatment for reducing the adhesive strength of the sheet member (220) is completed within the working time when the sheet member (220) is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink unit (10).

Specifically, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is set so that the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation increases when the ultraviolet irradiation time is shortened. On the other hand, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is set so that the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation decreases when the ultraviolet irradiation time is lengthened.

<Composition of cassette section and lift-up hand section>

As shown in Fig. 1, the cassette portion (2) is arranged at a position different from the first position (P1) and the second position (P2) when viewed from a plan. In addition, the lift-up hand portion (3) is arranged at a position different from the first position (P1) and the second position (P2) when viewed from a plan. In addition, the direction (Y2 direction) in which the lift-up hand portion (3) extracts the wafer ring structure (200) from the cassette portion (2) is approximately parallel to the direction (Y1 direction) in which the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) moves the expander portion (6). That is, the insertion/extraction direction (Y direction) of the wafer ring structure (200) by the lift-up hand portion (3) and the movement direction (Y direction) of the expander portion (6) by the Y-direction movement mechanism (62) are approximately parallel to each other. In addition, the cassette section (2) is arranged parallel to the second position (P2), which is the heat shrink position, in the X direction. In addition, the extraction position of the wafer ring structure (200) by the lift-up hand section (3) is arranged parallel to the first position (P1), which is the expand position, in the X direction.

(Withdrawal processing)

Referring to Fig. 15, the extraction processing in the expander device (100) is described. The extraction processing is a processing performed in step (S1) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process.

As shown in Fig. 15, in step (S101), it is determined whether the lift-up hand (32) of the lift-up hand section (3) is empty. If the lift-up hand (32) is not empty, the withdrawal process is terminated. In addition, if the lift-up hand (32) is empty, the process proceeds to step (S102).

And, in step (S102), it is determined whether the lift-up hand (32) exists in the wafer cassette (22) of the cassette section (2). If the lift-up hand (32) does not exist in the wafer cassette (22), the process proceeds to step (S104). Also, if the lift-up hand (32) exists in the wafer cassette (22), the process proceeds to step (S103).

And, in step (S103), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y2 direction from inside the wafer cassette (22) to outside the wafer cassette (22) by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31).

And, in step (S104), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z direction by the Z direction movement mechanism (21) so that the wafer ring structure (200) to be pulled out within the wafer cassette (22) can be pulled out by the lift-up hand (32). Specifically, in step (S104), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z direction by the Z direction movement mechanism (21) so that the upper surface of the lift-up hand (32) is positioned at a height slightly in the Z2 direction side of the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be pulled out within the wafer cassette (22).

And, in step (S105), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31) so as to be positioned directly below the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be pulled out in the wafer cassette (22).

And, in step (S106), the wafer ring structure (200) to be taken out in the wafer cassette (22) is transported by the lift-up hand (32). Specifically, in step (S106), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z2 direction by the Z-direction movement mechanism (21) so that the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be taken out in the wafer cassette (22) is slightly lifted from the upper surface of a pair of loading sections (23) by the lift-up hand (32).

And, in step (S107), while the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be pulled out is supported by the upper surface of the lift-up hand (32), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31). As a result, the wafer ring structure (200) to be pulled out is pulled out from the wafer cassette (22) by the lift-up hand (32). And, the pulling process is completed.

(Transfer Processing)

Referring to Fig. 16, the transfer processing in the expander device (100) is described. The transfer processing is a processing performed in step (S2 or S7) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process.

As shown in Fig. 16, in step (S201), the suction hand (43) of the suction hand portion (4) is raised by the Z-direction movement mechanism (42).

And, in step (S202), the suction hand (43) is moved upward of the wafer ring structure (200) by the X-direction movement mechanism (41). Specifically, in the case of step (S2) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the suction hand (43) is moved upward of the wafer ring structure (200) supported by the lift-up hand (32). In addition, in the case of step (S7) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the suction hand (43) is moved upward of the wafer ring structure (200) supported by the expander section (6).

And, in step (S203), the suction hand (43) is lowered toward the wafer ring structure (200) by the Z-direction movement mechanism (42).

And, in step (S204), the suction hand (43) suctions the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) by the negative pressure supplied from the negative pressure generating device.

And, in step (S205), the suction hand (43) is raised by the Z-direction movement mechanism (42).

And, in step (S206), the suction hand (43) is moved upward to the transfer destination by the X-direction movement mechanism (41). Specifically, in the case of step (S2) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the suction hand (43) is moved upward to the expander section (6) of the first position (P1). In addition, in the case of step (S7) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the suction hand (43) is moved upward to the lift-up hand (32).

And, in step (S207), the suction hand (43) is lowered toward the transfer destination (expanded portion (6) or lift-up hand (32)) by the Z-direction movement mechanism (42).

And, in step (S208), the suction of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) by the suction hand (43) is released. As a result, the transfer of the wafer ring structure (200) to the transfer destination is completed. And, the transfer process is terminated.

(Expand processing)

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the expand processing in the expand device (100) will be described. The expand processing is a processing performed in step (S3) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process. The expand processing is performed at the first position (P1).

As shown in Fig. 17, in step (S301), the suction hand (43) is raised by the Z-direction movement mechanism (42). At this time, the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) is supported by the lower grip portion (63a) of the clamp portion (63).

And, in step (S302), a plurality of slide moving bodies (63ba) of the upper grip portion (63b) slide horizontally toward the wafer (210).

And, in step (S303), while supporting the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200), the lower gripping member (63a) is raised. As a result, the ring-shaped member (230) is gripped and fixed between the upper gripping member (63b) and the lower gripping member (63a).

And, in step (S304), the debris cleaner (9) is lowered toward the wafer ring structure (200) by the cylinder together with the cold air supply unit (7).

And, in step (S305), it is determined whether cooling by supplying cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is necessary. If cooling by supplying cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is necessary, the process proceeds to step (S305a). And, in step (S305a), supply of cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is started. And, the process proceeds to step (S306). In addition, if cooling by supplying cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is not necessary, the process of step (S305a) is not performed, and the process proceeds to step (S306).

And, in step (S306), it is determined whether cooling by the cooling unit (8) of the sheet member (220) is necessary. If cooling by the cooling unit (8) of the sheet member (220) is necessary, the process proceeds to step (S307). And, in step (S307), in addition to cooling by the cold air supply unit (7) of the sheet member (220), cooling by the cooling unit (8) of the sheet member (220) is performed. And, the process proceeds to step (S308). In addition, if cooling by the cooling unit (8) of the sheet member (220) is not necessary, the process of step (S307) is not performed, and the process proceeds to step (S308).

And, as shown in Fig. 18, suction of non-product debris by the debris cleaner (9) is initiated at step (S308).

And, in step (S309), the clamp portion (63) is rapidly lowered by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61) so that the sheet member (220) is pressed against the expand ring (64), thereby executing expansion of the sheet member (220). As a result, the wafer (210) on the sheet member (220) is divided into a plurality of semiconductor chips in a matrix, and the gap between the plurality of semiconductor chips is widened. In addition, in step (S309), the clamp portion (63) is lowered from the expand start position to the expand completion position.

And, in step (S310), the supply of cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is stopped. Also, in step (305), if it is determined that cooling by the supply of cold air to the sheet member (220) by the cold air supply unit (7) is not necessary, the processing of step (S310) is not performed and the process proceeds to step (S311).

And, in step (S311), suction of non-product debris by the debris cleaner (9) is stopped.

And, in step (S312), the debris cleaner (9) is raised by the cylinder together with the cold air supply unit (7). And, the expanding process is completed. And, while maintaining the sheet member (220) in an expanded state, the expanding unit (6) (Z-direction moving mechanism (61), clamp unit (63), and expanding ring (64)) is moved by the Y-direction moving mechanism (62) from the first position (P1) to the second position (P2).

(Heat shrink treatment)

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the heat shrink treatment in the expanding device (100) is described. The heat shrink treatment is a treatment performed in step (S5) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process.

As shown in Fig. 19, in step (S401), the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is raised by the cylinder (121).

And, in step (S402), the expansion retaining ring (113) is lowered by the cylinder. As a result, the sheet member (220) is inserted between the expansion retaining ring (113) and the expand ring (64).

And, in step (S403), the heating ring (111) and the intake ring (112) are lowered by the Z-direction movement mechanism (110). In addition, the upper and lower mechanism (Z-direction movement mechanism (110)) for the heating ring (111) and the intake ring (112) and the upper and lower mechanism (cylinder) for the expansion holding ring (113) are separate mechanisms.

And, in step (S404), intake by the intake ring (112) is initiated.

And, in step (S405), heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111) and irradiation of ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) are initiated. By heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111), the sagging of the portion (220b) around the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220) is contracted and removed. In addition, by irradiation of the sheet member (220) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) of ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220), the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer of the sheet member (220) is reduced.

And, in step (S406), it is determined whether the heating time by the heating ring (111) of the sheet member (220) has reached the set time. If the heating time by the heating ring (111) of the sheet member (220) has not reached the set time, the processing of step (S406) is repeated. In addition, if the heating time by the heating ring (111) of the sheet member (220) has reached the set time, the process proceeds to step (S407).

And, in step (S407), heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111) is stopped.

And, in step (S408), the clamp part (63) is raised at a low speed by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61).

And, in step (S409), it is determined whether the clamp part (63) has risen to the expand start position. If the clamp part (63) has not risen to the expand start position, the processing of step (S409) is repeated. In addition, if the clamp part (63) has risen to the expand start position, the process proceeds to step (S410).

In addition, in the processing of steps (S406 to S409), an example is shown in which heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111) and raising of the clamp portion (63) by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61) are performed in one step, but the configuration of the heat shrink is not limited to this. For example, heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111) and raising of the clamp portion (63) by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61) may be performed in multiple steps. That is, the clamp portion (63) may be raised to the expand start position while repeating heating of the sheet member (220) by the heating ring (111) and raising of the clamp portion (63) by the Z-direction movement mechanism (61).

And, in step (S410), the intake by the intake ring (112) and the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) are stopped.

And, in step (S411), the heating ring (111) and the intake ring (112) are raised by the Z-direction movement mechanism (110).

And, in step (S412), the expansion maintenance ring (113) is raised by the cylinder.

And, in step (S413), the ultraviolet irradiation part (11) is lowered by the cylinder (121). And, the heat shrink treatment is completed. And, from the second position (P2) to the first position (P1), the expand part (6) (Z-direction movement mechanism (61), the clamp part (63), and the expand ring (64)) is moved by the Y-direction movement mechanism (62). And, from the expand part (6) of the first position (P1), the wafer ring structure (200) in which the expand and heat shrink are completed is transferred by the suction hand (43) to the lift-up hand (32).

(Acceptance processing)

Referring to Fig. 21, the acceptance processing in the expander device (100) is described. The acceptance processing is a processing performed in step (S8) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process.

As shown in Fig. 21, in step (S501), it is determined whether the lift-up hand (32) of the lift-up hand section (3) is empty. If the lift-up hand (32) is not empty, the acceptance processing is terminated. In addition, if the lift-up hand (32) is empty, the process proceeds to step (S502).

And, in step (S502), it is determined whether the lift-up hand (32) exists in the wafer cassette (22) of the cassette section (2). If the lift-up hand (32) does not exist in the wafer cassette (22), the process proceeds to step (S504). Also, if the lift-up hand (32) exists in the wafer cassette (22), the process proceeds to step (S503).

And, in step (S503), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y2 direction from inside the wafer cassette (22) to outside the wafer cassette (22) by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31).

And, in step (S504), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z direction by the Z direction movement mechanism (21) so that the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated on the lift-up hand (32) can be accommodated in the wafer cassette (22). Specifically, in step (S504), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z direction by the Z direction movement mechanism (21) so that the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated on the lift-up hand (32) is positioned at a height slightly in the Z1 direction side of the upper surface of a pair of loading portions (23) in the wafer cassette (22).

And, in step (S505), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31) so that the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated on the lift-up hand (32) is positioned at the accommodation position (directly above a pair of loading sections (23)) in the wafer cassette (22).

And, in step (S506), the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated on the lift-up hand (32) is transported to a pair of loading portions (23) in the wafer cassette (22). Specifically, in step (S506), the wafer cassette (22) is moved in the Z1 direction by the Z-direction movement mechanism (21) so that the upper surface of the lift-up hand (32) is slightly lower than the upper surfaces of the pair of loading portions (23).

And, in step (S508), while the lower surface of the ring-shaped member (230) of the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated is supported by the upper surface of a pair of loading members (23), the lift-up hand (32) is moved in the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism (31). As a result, the lift-up hand (32) is pulled out while the wafer ring structure (200) to be accommodated is accommodated in the wafer cassette (22). And, the accommodation process is completed.

(Effect of this embodiment)

In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, as described above, when the sheet member (220) is heated by the heat shrink section (10), an ultraviolet irradiation section (11) is formed in parallel to irradiate the sheet member (220) with ultraviolet rays to reduce the adhesive force of the sheet member (220). As a result, while the sagging of the portion surrounding the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220) is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink section (10), the adhesive force of the sheet member (220) can be reduced by the ultraviolet irradiation section (11). As a result, the processing time can be reduced compared to the case where the shrinkage processing of the sheet member (220) by the heat shrink section (10) and the processing of reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member (220) by the ultraviolet irradiation section (11) are performed sequentially. By this, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time for processing that reduces expansion, heat shrinkage, and adhesiveness of the sheet member (220) to which the wafer (210) is attached.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, an expanded retaining ring (113) is provided that is arranged to cover one side of the sheet member (220) and shields ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11), and the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member (220) from the other side of the sheet member (220). As a result, ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) by the expanded retaining ring (113) can be suppressed from leaking to the outside.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the expanded holding ring (113) includes a side portion (113b) formed in an annular shape to surround the wafer (210) of the sheet member (220), and a bottom portion (113a) connected to the side portion on the opposite side to the sheet member (220). As a result, ultraviolet rays emitted to the side of the sheet member (220) can be shielded by the side portion (113b) of the expanded holding ring (113), and ultraviolet rays emitted in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet member (220) can be shielded by the bottom portion (113a) of the expanded holding ring (113). As a result, ultraviolet rays irradiated to the sheet member (220) can be more reliably suppressed from leaking to the outside.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when irradiating the sheet member (220) with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) as described above, an expand ring (64) formed of a material that shields ultraviolet rays is provided, which is arranged to contact the other side of the sheet member (220) to support the sheet member (220) and surround the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11). As a result, ultraviolet rays emitted to the surroundings from the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) can be shielded by the expand ring (64) that supports the sheet member (220). Therefore, compared to a case where the member that supports the sheet member (220) and the member that shields ultraviolet rays are installed separately, the number of parts can be reduced, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the expansion retaining ring (113) and the expand ring (64) are configured to maintain the expansion of the sheet member (220) in the portion where the wafer (210) is placed by holding the sheet member (220) so that it is sandwiched when the sheet member (220) is shrunk by the heat shrink portion (10) in parallel with irradiating the sheet member (220) with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation portion (11). As a result, the expansion of the sheet member (220) in the portion where the wafer (210) is placed can be maintained when the sheet member (220) is shrunk by the heat shrink portion (10) by the expansion retaining ring (113) that shields the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiation portion (11). Therefore, compared to the case where the member that maintains the expansion of the sheet member (220) is separately installed, the number of parts can be reduced, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is configured to be movable between the ultraviolet irradiation position (P3) and the retraction position (P4) arranged along the direction intersecting the surface of the sheet member (220). As a result, when the sheet member (220) is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) can be moved to the ultraviolet irradiation position (P3), and when the sheet member (220) is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) can be retracted to the retraction position (P4). As a result, when the ultraviolet irradiation unit (11) is retracted, additional processing can be performed on the sheet member (220), so that multiple types of processing can be performed on the sheet member (220) at the same position.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the intensity of the ultraviolet ray irradiated by the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit (11) is adjusted so that the ultraviolet ray irradiation treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member (220) is completed within the working time when the sheet member (220) is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink unit (10). As a result, since the treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member (220) by irradiating ultraviolet ray can be completed within the working time of heating and shrinking the sheet member (220), the waiting time for the completion of the treatment for reducing the adhesive force of the sheet member (220) by irradiating ultraviolet ray can be suppressed. As a result, the time for expanding, heat shrinking, and adhesive force reducing treatment of the sheet member (220) to which the wafer (210) is attached can be effectively suppressed from increasing.

[Variation]

In addition, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and all changes (modifications) within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the sheet member is heated by the heat shrink unit from one side with respect to the sheet member, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the sheet member by the ultraviolet irradiation unit from the other side with respect to the sheet member is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a configuration in which the sheet member is heated by the heat shrink unit from the same side with respect to the sheet member, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the sheet member by the ultraviolet irradiation unit may also be used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which an expansion retaining ring (ultraviolet shielding portion) is formed above the sheet member and an expand ring (support ring) is formed below the sheet member is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the ultraviolet shielding portion may be formed below the sheet member and the support ring may be formed above the sheet member. In addition, the ultraviolet shielding portion and the support ring may be arranged to face each other in a horizontal direction by sandwiching the sheet member.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the expansion retaining ring (ultraviolet shield) is formed to have a cylindrical shape as an example of a configuration, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the ultraviolet shield may be formed as a regular shape having a polygonal cross-section.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the heating ring of the heat shrink portion heats a portion around the wafer of the sheet member over the entire circumference has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the heat shrink portion may be configured to sequentially heat each portion around the wafer.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which ultraviolet rays irradiated from an ultraviolet irradiation section are shielded by an expansion maintenance ring that maintains expansion of the sheet member in a portion where a wafer is placed during heat shrinkage processing of the sheet member by a heat shrink section has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a configuration in which ultraviolet rays irradiated from an ultraviolet irradiation section are shielded by an ultraviolet ray shielding member installed separately from the expansion maintenance ring may also be used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the control processing of the second control unit (13) (control unit) is described as an example using a flow chart of a flow-driven type in which processing is performed sequentially along a processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the control unit may be performed by an event-driven type (event-driven type) processing in which processing is performed on an event basis. In this case, it may be performed as a complete event-driven type, or it may be performed by combining event-driven and flow-driven processing.

6: Expand part 10: Heat shrink part
11: UV irradiation section 64: Expand ring (support ring)
100: Expander Device
113: Extended maintenance ring (UV shield)
113a: Bottom 113b: Side
210: Wafer 220: Sheet Absence

Claims (8)

An expander section for expanding a heat-shrinkable sheet member having a splittable wafer attached along a split line and for splitting the wafer along the split line,
A heat shrink section that heats and shrinks the sagging of the surrounding portion of the wafer of the sheet member caused by expansion by the above expand section, and
When heating the sheet member by the heat shrink section, an ultraviolet irradiation section that simultaneously irradiates ultraviolet rays to the sheet member to reduce the adhesive strength of the sheet member;
When irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation unit, and simultaneously shrinking the sheet member by the heat shrink unit, a support ring is arranged to contact the other side of the sheet member and support the sheet member while surrounding the ultraviolet irradiation unit,
An expander device having an expansion retaining ring that contacts one side of the sheet member and holds the sheet member in place together with the support ring when irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiating unit and simultaneously shrinking the sheet member by the heat shrinking unit. In paragraph 1,
It is further provided with an ultraviolet shielding portion that is arranged to cover one side of the above sheet member and shields ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation portion.
The above ultraviolet irradiation unit is an expander device configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the sheet member from the other side of the sheet member. In the second paragraph,
An expander device, wherein the above ultraviolet shielding member includes a side portion formed in an annular shape to surround the wafer of the sheet member, and a bottom portion connected to the side portion on the opposite side from the sheet member. In the second or third paragraph,
The above support ring is an expander device formed by a material that shields ultraviolet rays. In paragraph 4,
The above ultraviolet irradiation unit includes the above expansion maintenance ring,
An expander device in which the expansion retaining ring and the support ring of the above ultraviolet shielding member are configured to maintain expansion of the sheet member in the portion where the wafer is placed by retaining the sheet member so as to fit it in when the sheet member is contracted by the heat shrinking member in parallel with irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiating member. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
The above ultraviolet irradiation unit is an expander configured to be movable between an ultraviolet irradiation position and a retreat position arranged along a direction intersecting the surface of the sheet member. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
An expanding device in which the intensity of the ultraviolet ray irradiated is adjusted so that the ultraviolet ray irradiation treatment for reducing the adhesive strength of the sheet member is completed within the working time when the sheet member is heated and shrunk by the heat shrink unit. A splittable wafer is attached along a split line and a heat-shrinkable sheet member having elasticity is expanded to split the wafer along the split line,
After that, the stretching of the portion of the sheet member around the wafer caused by the expansion of the sheet member is heated and contracted,
When the above sheet member is heated and shrunk, ultraviolet rays are simultaneously irradiated to the sheet member to reduce the adhesive strength of the sheet member.
An expanding method in which, when irradiating the sheet member with ultraviolet rays and simultaneously heating and shrinking the sheet member, a support ring is brought into contact with the other side of the sheet member to support the sheet member, and an expansion retaining ring is brought into contact with one side of the sheet member to hold the sheet member in place together with the support ring.