JP4842621B2 - Cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus that performs cutting while supplying cutting water to a workpiece.

  A wafer formed by dividing devices such as an IC and an LSI by a line to be separated is divided into individual devices by a cutting device or the like and used for various electronic devices.

  For example, the cutting apparatus 30 shown in FIG. 7 includes a cutting means 9 configured such that a spindle 91 is rotatably supported by a spindle housing 90 and a cutting blade 92 is attached to one end of the spindle 91.

  The cutting means 9 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by the cutting feed means 11 and can be moved in the Y-axis direction by the index feeding means 12. The cutting feed means 11 is connected to a Z-axis ball screw 110 disposed in the Z-axis direction, a pair of Z-axis guide rails 111 disposed in parallel to the Z-axis ball screw 110, and one end of the Z-axis ball screw 110. A pulse motor 112 and a support portion 113 that supports the cutting means 9 and has a nut inside thereof engaged with the Z-axis ball screw 110 are configured. The Z-axis ball screw 110 is rotated by being driven by the pulse motor 112. Accordingly, the support portion 113 is guided by the Z-axis guide rail 111 to move up and down, and the cutting means 9 is also moved up and down.

  The index feeding means 12 is connected to a Y-axis ball screw 120 disposed in the Y-axis direction, a pair of Y-axis guide rails 121 disposed in parallel to the Y-axis ball screw 120, and one end of the Y-axis ball screw 120. Pulse motor 122 and a Y-axis moving base 123 whose inner nut is screwed onto Y-axis ball screw 120 and whose lower part is in sliding contact with Y-axis guide rail 121 are driven by pulse motor 122. As the Y-axis ball screw 120 rotates, the Y-axis movement base 123 is guided by the Y-axis guide rail 121 and moves in the Y-axis direction, and the cutting means 9 also moves in the Y-axis direction. .

  The inside of the cutting device 30 is constituted by a cutting area where the workpiece is cut and a control area for driving the cutting means 9. The cutting feed means 11 and the index feed means 12 are arranged in the control area. On the other hand, the cutting area is provided with a chuck table 7 that holds the workpiece W and moves in the X-axis direction (depth direction in FIG. 7). Along with the movement of the chuck table 7 in the X-axis direction, a cutting blade 92 is provided. As the cutting means 9 descends and contacts the workpiece W held on the chuck table 7 while rotating at a high speed, the workpiece is cut. The cutting means 9 is provided with a cutting water nozzle 93 that supplies cutting water to the cutting blade 92. During cutting, cutting water is supplied to the contact portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Since the cutting blade 92 rotates at high speed during cutting, cutting water is scattered. When the scattered cutting water enters the control region, the parts constituting the cutting feed means 11 and the index feeding means 12 may be damaged, and the driving of the cutting means 9 may be hindered. Therefore, a partition wall 31 is provided between the cutting area and the control area.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the partition wall 31 is formed with a long hole 310 for allowing the cutting means 9 to pass therethrough. In addition, the guide frame 17 is fixed to the partition wall 31, and the waterproof plate 18 is accommodated inside the accommodating portion 170 constituting the guide frame 17 so as to be movable up and down.

  The accommodating portion 170 is formed with a vertically long through hole. Further, the waterproof plate 18 is formed with a circular hole 180 that penetrates the spindle housing 90 shown in FIG. 7, and a ring-shaped flexible seal member 181 is fixed to the outer periphery of the circular hole 180. Since the waterproof plate 18 can move up and down between the housing portion 170 and the partition wall 31, when the spindle housing 90 penetrating the partition wall 31 and the guide frame 17 moves up and down as shown in FIG. Since the plate 18 also moves up and down, the waterproof area 18 always cuts off the cutting area and the control area.

JP 2002-103177 A

  However, in order to allow the waterproof plate 18 to move in the vertical direction in the space between the accommodating portion 170 constituting the guide frame 17 and the partition wall 31 as the spindle housing 90 moves in the vertical direction, the waterproofing plate 18 is waterproof. A slight gap is formed between the plate 18 and the inner surface of the accommodating portion 170 and between the waterproof plate 18 and the partition wall 31. Therefore, the cutting water used in the cutting area may enter the control area side through the gap. And when cutting water penetrate | invades into a control area, there exists a problem of damaging the electrical equipment and drive system which exist in a control area.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent damage to the electrical equipment and the drive system due to the cutting water entering the control region in the cutting apparatus using the cutting water.

The present invention relates to a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a cutting feed means for moving the chuck table in a cutting direction, a cutting means for cutting while supplying cutting water to the workpiece held on the chuck table, and a spindle The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus having an index feeding means for moving the housing in the indexing direction and a notch moving means for moving the spindle housing in the notching direction. The cutting means can rotate the spindle on which the cutting blade is mounted and the spindle. A spindle housing that supports the cutting blade, a cutting water supply nozzle that supplies cutting water to the cutting blade, a waterproof plate that slidably surrounds the spindle housing in the indexing direction, and a guide that guides the waterproof plate to be slidable in the cutting direction The frame and guide frame are fixed and the spindle housing And a partition wall elongated hole allows movement cutting direction of the ring is formed that separates the cutting area and the control area, the bottom of the slot, the first waterproof having a slope that protrudes upward toward the control region side A support part is formed, a second waterproof support part having a slope that protrudes and descends toward the cutting region side is formed at the upper part of the long hole, and the first waterproof support part and the second waterproof support part are divided into partitions. The cutting water that adheres to and drops on the wall or the waterproof plate is guided to the cutting region.

In the present invention, a first waterproof assisting portion having a slope that protrudes and rises toward the control region side is formed at the lower portion of the long hole formed in the partition wall, and toward the cutting region side at the upper portion of the long hole. A second waterproof assistance portion having a slope that protrudes and descends is formed, and the first waterproof assistance portion and the second waterproof assistance portion guide cutting water that adheres to and drops on the partition wall or the waterproof plate to the cutting region. In addition, the cutting water does not drip into the control area and the parts existing in the control area are not damaged.

  As an example of the present invention, a cutting apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. In addition, about the site | part comprised similarly to a prior art example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated.

  1 is an apparatus for cutting a workpiece such as a wafer. A wafer W to be cut is accommodated in a wafer cassette 2 in a state of being integrated with a frame F via a tape T. On the −Y direction side of the wafer cassette 2, a loading / unloading means 3 for unloading the wafer W before processing from the wafer cassette 2 and loading the processed wafer into the wafer cassette 2 is disposed. Between the wafer cassette 2 and the loading / unloading means 3, a temporary placement area 4, which is an area on which a wafer to be loaded / unloaded, is temporarily placed, is provided. Positioning means 5 for positioning at a fixed position is provided.

  In the vicinity of the temporary placement region 4, a transport unit 6 that sucks and transports the frame F integrated with the wafer W is disposed, and a chuck table 7 is disposed in the movable range of the transport unit 6. Yes. The chuck table 7 holds the wafer W and can move in the X-axis direction and can rotate.

  Above the movement path of the chuck table 7 in the X-axis direction, alignment means 8 for detecting a separation line that is an area to be cut of the wafer W is disposed. The alignment unit 8 includes an imaging unit 80 that images the surface of the wafer W, and detects a position to be cut based on an image acquired by imaging.

  On the + X direction side of the alignment means 8, a cutting means 9 for cutting the wafer W held on the chuck table 7 is disposed. An alignment means 8 is fixed to the cutting means 9, and both are interlocked.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting means 9 is configured by attaching a cutting blade 92 to the tip of a spindle 91 rotatably supported by a spindle housing 90, and is movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. Yes. The cutting blade 92 is located on an extension line in the X-axis direction of the imaging unit 80. The cutting means 9 is provided with two cutting water nozzles 93 so as to sandwich the cutting blade 92.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the chuck table 7 can be moved in the X-axis direction by the cutting feed means 10. The cutting feed means 10 is connected to an X-axis ball screw 100 disposed in the X-axis direction, a pair of X-axis guide rails 101 disposed in parallel to the X-axis ball screw 100, and one end of the X-axis ball screw 100. A motor 102, an X-axis moving base 103 in which an internal nut is screwed to the X-axis ball screw 100, a drive unit 104 that is fixed to the X-axis moving base 103 and rotates the chuck table 7, and the chuck table 7 are rotated. The X-axis moving base 103 is guided by the X-axis guide rail 101 and driven in the X-axis direction as the X-axis ball screw 100 is rotated by being driven by the motor 102. It is configured to move to.

  The cutting means 9 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by the cutting feed means 11 and can be moved in the Y-axis direction by the index feeding means 12. The cutting feed means 11 is connected to a Z-axis ball screw 110 disposed in the Z-axis direction, a pair of Z-axis guide rails 111 disposed in parallel to the Z-axis ball screw 110, and one end of the Z-axis ball screw 110. A pulse motor 112 and a support portion 113 that supports the cutting means 9 and has a nut inside thereof engaged with the Z-axis ball screw 110 are configured. The Z-axis ball screw 110 is rotated by being driven by the pulse motor 112. Accordingly, the support portion 113 is guided by the Z-axis guide rail 111 to move up and down, and the cutting means 9 is also moved up and down.

  The index feeding means 12 is connected to a Y-axis ball screw 120 disposed in the Y-axis direction, a pair of Y-axis guide rails 121 disposed in parallel to the Y-axis ball screw 120, and one end of the Y-axis ball screw 121. Pulse motor 122 and a Y-axis moving base 123 whose inner nut is screwed onto Y-axis ball screw 120 and whose lower part is in sliding contact with Y-axis guide rail 121 are driven by pulse motor 122. As the Y-axis ball screw 120 rotates, the Y-axis movement base 123 is guided by the Y-axis guide rail 121 and moves in the Y-axis direction, and the cutting means 9 also moves in the Y-axis direction. .

  Below the movement path of the chuck table 7, there is disposed a cutting water receiving portion 13 that stores and drains the cutting water that is ejected from the cutting water nozzle 93 during cutting. The cutting water receiving portion 13 includes an inner side wall 130, an outer side wall 131, and a bottom plate 132, and is formed in a circular groove shape. The side wall of the support base 105 and the side portion of the bellows 14 are slidably engaged with the outside of the inner wall 130. Further, the end of the bellows 14 is fixed to the support base 105 and the inner wall 130 at the end in the X-axis direction, and the bellows 14 expands and contracts as the support base 105 moves in the X-axis direction. Since the bellows 14 covers the movement path of the support base 105, the used cutting water is received by the cutting water receiving portion 13, and the received cutting water is drained from the bottom plate 132 through the drain 15, and the cutting feed means 10. It is comprised so that cutting water may not adhere to each site | part which comprises.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting means 9 is provided with a cutting area where the chuck table 7, the cutting blade 93, etc. are located and where actual cutting is performed, and a cutting feed means 11 and an index feed means 12. A partition wall 16 is provided for partitioning the cutting means 9 from the control region for moving the cutting means 9 in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the partition wall 16 is formed with a long hole 160 through which the spindle housing 90 shown in FIG. A guide frame 17 is fixed to the partition wall 16 by screws. The guide frame 17 includes an accommodation portion 170 in which a recess that can accommodate the waterproof plate 18 is formed.

  A vertically long through hole 171 is formed in the accommodating portion 170. A circular hole 180 having an outer diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the spindle housing 90 is formed in the waterproof plate 18, and a ring-shaped flexible sealing member formed of resin or the like on the outer periphery of the circular hole 180. 181 is fixed. The waterproof plate 18 can be moved up and down by sliding between the front plate 170 and the partition wall 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the spindle housing 90 penetrating the through hole 171 and the circular hole 181 is provided. When it goes up and down, the waterproof plate 18 goes up and down accordingly.

  A first waterproof assisting portion 161 that protrudes toward the control region is formed below the long hole 160 formed in the partition wall 16. The 1st waterproof assistance part 161 has the slope 161a which raises toward the control area | region side.

  In addition, a second waterproof assisting portion 162 that protrudes toward the cutting region side is formed on the upper portion of the long hole 160. The 2nd waterproof assistance part 162 has the slope 162a descend | falling toward the cutting area side. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a raised portion 182 is formed on the waterproof plate 18 in order to avoid interference with the second waterproof assisting portion 162.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the wafer W accommodated in the wafer cassette 2 is sandwiched in the −Y direction by the loading / unloading means 3, and the loading / unloading means 3 moves in the −Y direction. By being released, it is placed in the temporary placement area 4. Then, the wafer W is positioned at a certain position by the positioning means 5 moving in a direction approaching each other.

  Next, the frame F is adsorbed by the transfer means 6, and the wafer W integrated with the frame F is transferred to the chuck table 7 and held by the rotation of the transfer means 6. Then, the chuck table 7 moves in the + X direction, and the wafer W is positioned immediately below the imaging unit 80 constituting the alignment means 8.

  When the wafer W is positioned immediately below the imaging unit 80, the alignment unit 8 detects a planned separation line to be processed by pattern recognition based on an image acquired by imaging the surface of the wafer W by the imaging unit 80. The chuck table 7 further moves in the + X direction, and the cutting means 9 descends while the cutting blade 92 rotates at a high speed, whereby the detected separation line is cut. Further, if the cutting means 9 is indexed in the Y-axis direction at intervals of the planned separation line intervals stored in advance in the alignment means 8 while the chuck table 7 is moved in the X-axis direction, cutting is performed in the same direction. Are all cut. When the same cutting as described above is performed after the chuck table 7 is rotated 90 degrees, all the planned separation lines are cut vertically and horizontally and separated into individual devices.

  At the time of cutting, cutting water is ejected from the cutting water nozzle 93 as shown in FIG. Then, the cutting water is scattered by the high speed rotation of the cutting blade 92. The cutting area and the control area are partitioned by a partition wall 16, a guide frame 17, and a waterproof plate 18. A seal member 181 is also provided on the waterproof plate 18, but the cutting means 9 moves up and down during cutting. The cutting water may enter and adhere to the partition wall 16 side.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, water droplets 20 of cutting water may adhere to the upper part of the long hole 160 of the partition wall 16. However, in this case, since it travels along the inclined surface 162a of the second waterproof assistance part 162 and normally falls to the cutting area side with respect to the partition wall 16, it is possible to prevent water droplets from entering the control area. In this case, the first waterproof assistance part 161 is not necessarily essential.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when water droplets of cutting water adhere to the back side of the waterproof plate 18 and are dropped, the inclined surface 161a of the first waterproof assisting portion 161 also when the water droplet drops on the control region side. Since it falls to the cutting area side through, it does not enter the control area.

  As described above, it is desirable to provide both the first waterproof assistance part 161 and the second waterproof assistance part 162, but it is also possible to provide only one of them.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of a cutting device. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of a cutting device. It is a perspective view which shows a partition wall, a guide frame, and a waterproof plate. It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the boundary vicinity of a cutting area | region and a control area | region. It is sectional drawing which shows the 1st example of the state in which a water drop falls to a cutting area | region. It is sectional drawing which shows the 2nd example of the state in which a water drop falls to a cutting area | region. It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the internal structure of the conventional cutting device. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional partition wall, a guide frame, and a waterproof plate. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional partition wall, a guide frame, a waterproof plate, and a cutting means.

1: Cutting device 2: Wafer cassette 3: Loading / unloading means 4: Temporary placement area 5: Positioning means 6: Transfer means 7: Chuck table 8: Alignment means 80: Imaging means 9: Cutting means 90: Spindle housing 91: Spindle 92: Cutting blade 93: Cutting water nozzle 10: Cutting feed means 100: X-axis ball screw 101: X-axis guide rail 102: Motor 103: X-axis moving base 104: Drive unit 105: Support base 11: Cutting feed means 110 : Z-axis ball screw 111: Z-axis guide rail 112: Pulse motor 113: Support section 12: Indexing feeding means 120: Y-axis ball screw 121: Y-axis guide rail 122: Pulse motor 123: Y-axis moving base 13: Cutting water receiver Part 130: Inner wall 131: Outer wall 132: Bottom plate 14: Bellows 15 Drain 16: Partition wall 160: Long hole 161: First waterproofing assistance part 162: Second waterproofing assistance part 17: Guide frame 170: Housing part 171: Through hole 18: Waterproof plate 180: Circular hole 181: Seal member 182 : Raising part 20, 21: Water droplet W: Wafer T: Tape F: Frame

Claims (1)

A chuck table for holding a workpiece, a cutting feed means for moving the chuck table in a cutting direction, a cutting means for cutting while supplying cutting water to the workpiece held on the chuck table, and the spindle housing A cutting device comprising: indexing feed means for moving the spindle housing in the indexing direction; and a cutting movement means for moving the spindle housing in the cutting direction.
The cutting means includes a spindle on which a cutting blade is mounted, a spindle housing that rotatably supports the spindle, a cutting water supply nozzle that supplies cutting water to the cutting blade, and a slide of the spindle housing in the indexing direction. A waterproof plate that movably surrounds, a guide frame that slidably guides the waterproof plate in the cutting direction, and a long hole that allows the guide frame to be fixed and allow the spindle housing to move in the cutting direction. And a partition wall that partitions the cutting area and the control area,
A first waterproofing assisting portion having a slope that protrudes and rises toward the control region side is formed at the bottom of the long hole ,
A second waterproof assisting portion having a slope that protrudes and descends toward the cutting region side is formed on the upper portion of the long hole,
The cutting apparatus which guides the cutting water which this 1st waterproof assistance part and this 2nd waterproof assistance part adhere to this partition wall or this waterproof plate, and drip to this cutting area | region.

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