JP6576672B2 - Cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

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

  In Patent Document 1, in a cutting apparatus that cuts a wafer with a cutting blade and divides the wafer into chips, a chuck table that holds the wafer is moved in the cutting feed direction of the cutting blade. A bellows cover is connected to both sides of the cutting feed direction to the chuck table cover that supports the chuck table. The bellows cover covers both sides of the chuck table in the cutting feed direction, and expands and contracts as the chuck table moves in the cutting feed direction.

  In the cutting apparatus of Patent Document 1, cutting water is supplied to the cutting blade during wafer cutting, and the cutting water is received by the bellows cover and then flows down to the water case and is stored in the water case. The lower region of the bellows cover is immersed in cutting water stored in the water case to form a water seal. The water seal restricts the cutting water sprayed during cutting from entering the opening of the water case. As a result, sprayed cutting water is prevented from getting wet around the cutting feed shaft or the like located below the water case.

JP 2000-271834 A

  However, in the bellows cover of Patent Document 1, there is no disclosure about the depth at which the lower region is immersed in the cutting water stored in the water case. For this reason, the higher the cutting feed of the chuck table, the more easily the cutting water stored in the lower region of the bellows cover is disturbed. Thus, although a water seal can be formed, there is room for improvement in that the disturbed cutting water jumps and prevents the cutting feed shaft from leaking.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this point, and suppresses that the cutting water jumps by the cutting feed of a chuck table, preventing the sprayed cutting water being caught in the opening of a water case. It aims at providing the cutting device which can prevent this.

The cutting apparatus of the present invention includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a cutting means for cutting the workpiece held on the chuck table with a cutting blade, and a cutting for supplying cutting water to the workpiece and the cutting blade. Water supply means, cutting feed means for cutting and feeding the chuck table in the cutting feed direction of the cutting blade, chuck table cover surrounding the chuck table, bellows cover connected to the chuck table cover and extending and contracting in the cutting feed direction, A cutting device comprising: a water case that extends in a cutting feed direction that enables movement of a chuck table by a cutting feed means, has an opening covered with a chuck table cover and a bellows cover, and receives cutting water. The bellows cover includes a surface portion that covers the opening, and a hanging portion that is connected to the surface portion and hangs down. The recesses are formed on both sides parallel to the direction in which the opening extends to store the cutting water at a predetermined depth, and only the bottom end of the bellows cover is submerged in the cutting water stored in the storage area. A bellows cover that allows the bellows cover to be expanded and contracted and that is formed on both sides parallel to the direction in which the opening extends, and the bellows cover that covers the guide portion and that is guided by the guide portion by the cutting feed means is a bellows cover. provided with rollers for sliding the upper surface of the guide portion without landing in the inner, characterized by Rukoto includes a side opening to the side parallel to the cutting direction of feed of the chuck table cover.

  According to this configuration, only the lower end portion of the hanging portion of the bellows cover is submerged in the cutting water stored in the water storage area of the water case. In other words, the depth from the liquid surface of the lower end portion of the bellows cover to be submerged can be sufficiently reduced with respect to the depth of the cutting water stored in the water storage area. Therefore, even if the bellows cover expands and contracts due to the cutting feed of the chuck table, the water stored in the water storage area is controlled while restricting the cutting water sprayed by cutting into the water case opening. Water ripple can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the stored cutting water from being disturbed by the bellows cover, and to prevent the cutting water from jumping inside the bellows cover and getting the members in the water case opening wet.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can suppress that cutting water jumps by the cutting feed of a chuck table, preventing that the sprayed cutting water is caught in the opening of a water case.

It is a perspective view which shows the cutting device with which the component parts of the chuck table periphery which concerns on this Embodiment were mounted. It is a perspective view which shows the chuck table cover which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the chuck table cover which concerns on this Embodiment, and its surrounding structure. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the bellows cover which concerns on this Embodiment, and its periphery structure. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the peripheral structure of the bellows cover which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, the cutting apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cutting apparatus on which components around a chuck table according to the present embodiment are mounted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting apparatus 1 is configured to divide the workpiece W into individual chips by moving the cutting blade 55 relative to the workpiece W. The workpiece W may be a semiconductor wafer in which devices such as IC and LSI are formed on a semiconductor substrate such as silicon and gallium arsenide, or an optical device such as an LED on a ceramic, glass, and sapphire inorganic material substrate. The formed optical device plate may be used.

  On the base 11 of the cutting apparatus 1, a cutting feed means 13 for moving the chuck table 12 in the X-axis direction is provided. The cutting feed means 13 has a pair of guide rails 21 arranged on the base 11 and parallel to the X-axis direction, and a motor-driven X-axis table 22 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 21. ing. A chuck table 12 is provided on the X-axis table 22. A nut portion (not shown) is formed on the back side of the X-axis table 22, and a ball screw 23 is screwed to the nut portion. Then, when the drive motor 24 connected to one end of the ball screw 23 is rotationally driven, the chuck table 12 is cut and fed along the guide rail 21 in a cutting feed direction (X-axis direction) of a cutting blade 55 (described later). Is done.

  The chuck table 12 is formed in a disk shape, and is rotatably provided on the upper surface of the X-axis table 22. A holding surface 25 is formed on the upper surface of the chuck table 12 by a porous ceramic material. The holding surface 25 is connected to a suction source (not shown) through a flow path in the chuck table 12, and the workpiece W is sucked and held by the negative pressure generated on the holding surface 25. Two clamp portions 26 are provided around the chuck table 12 via a pair of support arms, and the frame F around the workpiece W is clamped and fixed from both sides in the radial direction.

  On the base 11 of the cutting apparatus 1, a cutting means moving mechanism 14 that moves the cutting means 15 above the chuck table 12 in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is provided. The cutting means moving mechanism 14 has a pair of guide rails 41 arranged on the base 11 and parallel to the Y-axis direction, and a motor-driven Y-axis table 42 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 41. is doing. The Y-axis table 42 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and a side wall 43 is erected at one end in the X-axis direction.

  Further, the cutting means moving mechanism 14 includes a pair of guide rails 44 (only one shown) installed on the wall surface of the side wall portion 43 and parallel to the Z-axis direction, and a Z slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 44. A shaft table 45 is provided. A spindle 46 extending in the Y-axis direction toward the chuck table 12 is supported by the Z-axis table 45 in a cantilever manner. In addition, nut portions (not shown) are formed on the back sides of the Y-axis table 42 and the Z-axis table 45, and a ball screw 47 (the ball screw on the back side of the Z-axis table 45 is not shown) is screwed to these nut portions. ing. And the drive means 51 and 52 connected with the one end part of the ball screw 47 (The ball screw of the back side of the Z-axis table 45 is not shown) are rotationally driven, and the cutting means 15 is along the guide rails 41 and 44. It is moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

  The cutting means 15 has a cutting blade 55, and the cutting blade 55 is provided at the tip of a spindle shaft (not shown) of the spindle 46. The cutting blade 55 is constituted by a resin blade in which diamond abrasive grains are hardened with a resin bond to form a circle. The cutting blade 55 is covered with a blade cover 56, and the blade cover 56 is provided with an injection nozzle 57 as cutting water supply means for supplying cutting water toward the cutting portion. The cutting means 15 rotates the cutting blade 55 at a high speed and cuts the workpiece W while spraying cutting water from the plurality of spray nozzles 57 onto the workpiece W and the cutting blade 55 which are cutting portions.

  The chuck table 12 is rotatably supported by a chuck table cover 27 that surrounds the chuck table 12. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the chuck table cover according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the chuck table cover and its peripheral structure according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the chuck table cover 27 includes a top wall 31 that is formed in a square shape in a top view, and a first outer wall 32 and a second outer wall 33 that are suspended from the outer periphery that is the four sides of the top wall 31. I have. The first outer wall 32 forms side surfaces on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the chuck table cover 27 and extends parallel to the X-axis direction (cutting feed direction). The second outer wall 33 is formed on both sides of the chuck table cover 27 in the X-axis direction, and the outer surface of the second outer wall 33 is formed as a bellows cover mounting surface 35.

  The first outer wall 32 includes a side opening 36 formed so that its lower end side is recessed upward. As shown in FIG. 3, an inner wall 37 is provided inside each first outer wall 32 in parallel with the first outer wall 32. The inner wall 37 hangs down from the lower surface of the top wall 31, and both sides in the X-axis direction are connected to the inner surface of the second outer wall 33. The height positions of the lower ends of the first outer wall 32 and the inner wall 37 are set to be substantially the same.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a bellows cover 80 that covers both sides of the chuck table 12 in the X-axis direction is connected to each bellows cover mounting surface 35 of the chuck table cover 27. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the bellows cover and its peripheral structure according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the bellows cover 80 includes a cover main body 81 that is formed in a bellows shape and moves in an X-axis direction, and a plurality of support portions 82 provided on the lower surface side of the cover main body 81. . The cover body 81 includes a surface portion 81a that covers an opening 62 of a water case 61, which will be described later, and a hanging portion that is provided continuously from the surface portion 81a and hangs downward from both ends in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the surface portion 81a. 81b. That is, the drooping portion 81b is droopingly connected to the surface portion 81a and extends in the vertical direction. The height position of the lower end of the hanging part 81b is set to be substantially the same as the height position of each lower end of the first outer wall 32 and the inner wall 37 (see FIG. 3).

  The support part 82 is provided on the lower surface side of the cover body 81, and for example, a plurality of support parts 82 are provided so as to protrude downward from a reinforcing plate (not shown) in the middle of the extending direction of the cover body 81. The support portion 82 includes a roller 83 that slides on an upper surface of a guide portion 68 described later, and a bracket 84 that is attached to the cover main body 81 and rotatably supports the roller 83. The roller 83 is composed of a tire made of an elastic material.

  The chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 80 are disposed inside the water case 61. As shown in FIG. 1, the water case 61 is formed in a frame shape so as to form an opening 62 in the center. This opening 62 extends in the cutting feed direction (X-axis direction) so as to allow the chuck table 12 to be moved by the cutting feed means 13, and is covered with the chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 80. The water case 61 plays a role of receiving and discharging cutting water flowing out from the bellows cover 80 or the like.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the water case 61 includes a bottom wall 63, an outer wall 64 and an inner wall 65 erected from the bottom wall 63, and a space surrounded by the inner wall 65 is an opening 62. The water case 61 forms a water storage area 66 for storing cutting water. The water storage area 66 is an inner space of the bottom wall portion 63, the outer wall 64, and the inner wall 65. The water storage area 66 is formed as a recess on both sides parallel to the extending direction of the opening 62, that is, on both sides in the Y-axis direction that is a cross section of the opening 62. In the water storage area 66, the cutting water is stored at a predetermined depth as will be described later.

  The bottom wall portion 63 is formed in a crank shape in a sectional view, and an upper bottom portion 63a is formed on the outer wall 64 side, while a lower bottom portion 63b that is lower than the upper bottom portion 63a is formed on the inner wall 65 side. . Accordingly, the water storage area 66 has a shallow bottom area 66a that stores water above the upper bottom portion 63a, and a deep bottom area 66b that stores water above the lower bottom portion 63b so as to be deeper than the shallow bottom area 66a. In the shallow bottom area 66a, a drain hole 71 is disposed at a position higher than the upper bottom portion 63a. A drain 72 is connected to the drain hole 71, and the cutting water is discharged to the outside through the drain hole 71 and the drain 72. Accordingly, the level L1 of the cutting water stored in the water storage area 66 is normally set at the height position of the drain hole 71. In addition, since two areas 66a and 66b having different depths are formed in the water storage area 66, the amount of stored cutting water can be reduced as compared with a configuration in which all of the water storage area 66 has the same depth as the deep bottom area 66b. Can do.

  The water storage area 66 has a configuration in which the bottom wall portion 63 is formed in a crank shape in a cross-sectional view. However, a water storage area 66 having a predetermined depth may be formed, and as shown in FIG. A water storage wall 66c extending in the extending direction of the opening 62 is erected from the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 63 outside the portion 81b, and the water storage area 66 is formed without the shallow area 66a and the deep area 66b. May be. That is, the cutting water that exceeds the water storage wall 66 c is drained, and the cutting water that does not exceed the water storage wall 66 c is stored in the water storage area 66.

  In the deep bottom area 66b, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end portion of the hanging portion 81b of the bellows cover 80 is disposed. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, lower end portions of the first outer wall 32 and the inner wall 37 of the chuck table cover 27 are disposed in the deep bottom area 66 b. Here, when water is stored at a predetermined depth in the deep bottom area 66b so that the cutting water level L1 is at the height of the drain hole 71, the drooping portion 81b, the first outer wall 32, and the inner wall 37 are Only the lower end is submerged. In other words, the lower end portion of the bellows cover 80 b or the like of the bellows cover 80 is immersed in the deep bottom area 66 b and the drooping portion 81 b submerged in the depth D of the cutting water stored in the deep bottom area 66 b. The amount d of submergence at the lower end of is sufficiently small.

  The internal splash prevention plate 67 is generally constituted by a plate-like member, and is provided in the vicinity of the center of the inner wall 65 in the height direction so as to extend in the cutting feed direction (X-axis direction). When the cutting water in the water storage area 66 jumps on the liquid surface, the internal splash prevention plate 67 suppresses the splashing from above and prevents the cutting water from entering the opening 62. The height position of the internal splash prevention plate 67 is set to a position lower than the inner peripheral upper end portion of the side opening 36 and higher than the lower end of the inner wall 37.

  A guide portion 68 having a generally plate shape is provided on the upper portion of the inner wall 65. The guide portions 68 are formed on both sides parallel to the extending direction of the opening 67, that is, on both sides in the Y-axis direction. The guide portion 68 guides the expansion and contraction movement of the bellows cover 80 by the roller 83 sliding on the upper surface thereof. In addition, by changing the thickness of the guide portion 68, the length of the bracket 84, and the like, the submerged amount d at the lower end portion of the drooping portion 81b to be submerged in the deep bottom area 66b is adjusted. As will be described later, the guide portion 68 may be provided on the internal splash prevention plate 67, and the roller 83 may slide on the internal splash prevention plate 67.

  In the cutting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the chuck table 12 is moved by the cutting feed means 13, the roller 83 slides on the upper surface of the guide portion 68 covered with the bellows cover 81, and the bellows cover 81 is moved in the X-axis direction. Move to extend and contract. In this state, the roller 83 is disposed inside the bellows cover 81 without landing on the cutting water in the water storage area 66.

  In the cutting process in the cutting apparatus 1, cutting water is sprayed onto the cutting blade 55 (see FIG. 1) that rotates at a high speed. The injected cutting water is received by the chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 80 and flows down to the water storage area 66 of the water case 61. Here, since the chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 81 cover the opening 62, the chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 81 serve to prevent the cutting water from entering the cutting feeding means 13 in the opening 62.

  At the time of cutting, a part of the injected cutting water becomes mist and wraps around the inside of the chuck table cover 27 and the bellows cover 80. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the inner wall 37 is submerged in the cutting water stored in the water storage area 66 to form a water seal. By this water seal, a gap communicating with the outside of the chuck table cover 27 and the opening 62 is closed, and mist-like cutting water is prevented from entering the opening 62 side. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end portion of the drooping portion 81 b is also submerged in the cutting water in the water storage area 66 to form a water seal, and the gap between the outside of the bellows cover 80 and the opening 62 is closed. This prevents the mist-like cutting water from entering the opening 62 side. These water seals prevent mist-like cutting water from entering the opening 62 and being caught in the cutting feed means 13 (see FIG. 1) located below the opening 62.

  In the state where the water seal is formed, the lower end portion of the drooping portion 81b is submerged in the cutting water, so that the cutting water near the liquid surface L1 in the deep bottom area 66b is disturbed by the expansion and contraction movement of the bellows cover 80 during cutting. Become. However, since only the lower end portion of the drooping portion 81b in the bellows cover 80 is disposed slightly below the liquid level L1 of the cutting water, even if the bellows cover 80 expands and contracts, water is stored in the deep bottom area 66b. It is possible to suppress the ripple of cutting water. In other words, the amount of submergence d at the lower end portion of the drooping portion 81b submerged is sufficiently smaller than the depth D of the cutting water stored in the deep bottom area 66b. Does not jump higher than the inner wall 65. As a result, it is possible to avoid that the splashed cutting water enters the opening 62 of the water case 61 and the cutting feeding means 13 and the like disposed in the opening 62 gets wet and deteriorates.

  Here, the expansion and contraction movement of the bellows cover 80 slightly displaces the height of the liquid level L1 and the bottom end of the drooping portion 81b. The submerged amount d is set so that no gap is generated. That is, the submergence amount d is set to a value that can simultaneously achieve the above-described water seal function and the function of regulating the jumping of the cutting water that enters the opening 62 by the expansion and contraction movement of the bellows cover 80. The Here, in the present specification and claims, the state where the submergence amount d is submerged is the state where “only the lower end portion of the bellows cover” is submerged. As a specific example, when the depth D of the cutting water stored in the deep bottom area 66b is 20 mm, the submergence amount d at the lower end of the drooping portion 81b can be 3 mm.

  On the other hand, even if the cutting water level L1 in the water storage area 66 rises to the liquid level L2 due to the movement of the chuck table cover 27 in the cutting feed direction, the water can flow out from the side opening 36. Therefore, even if the chuck table cover 27 is moved at a high speed, it is possible to suppress the rise of the cutting water level inside the first outer wall 32, and the cutting water passes over the inner wall 65 and feeds into the opening 62. Intrusion into the means 13 can be prevented.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change and implement variously. In the above-described embodiment, the size, shape, direction, and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed within a range in which the effect of the present invention is exhibited. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  A plurality of support portions 82 of the bellows cover 80 may be provided so as to protrude inward from a part of the hanging portion 81 b of the cover body 81. At this time, as described above, the guide part 68 may be provided on the upper part of the inner wall 65 or on the upper side and the lower side of the internal splash prevention plate 67, or on the internal splash prevention plate 67, and the internal splash prevention plate 67. May be used as a guide.

  As described above, the present invention has the effect of preventing the cutting water from jumping due to the cutting feed of the chuck table while preventing the sprayed cutting water from being caught in the opening of the water case. In particular, it is useful in a cutting apparatus that performs cutting while supplying cutting water to a workpiece.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Chuck table 13 Cutting feed means 15 Cutting means 27 Chuck table cover 36 Side opening 55 Cutting blade 57 Injection nozzle (as cutting water supply means) 61 Water case 62 Opening 66 Water storage area 68 Guide part 80 Bellows cover 81 Cover main body 81a Surface Part 81b Hanging part 83 Roller W Workpiece

Claims (1)

A chuck table for holding the workpiece, a cutting means for cutting the workpiece held on the chuck table with a cutting blade, a cutting water supply means for supplying cutting water to the workpiece and the cutting blade, A cutting feed means for cutting and feeding the chuck table in the cutting feed direction of the cutting blade; a chuck table cover surrounding the chuck table; a bellows cover connected to the chuck table cover and extending and contracting in the cutting feed direction; A water case that extends in the cutting feed direction that enables movement of the chuck table by the cutting feed means, has an opening covered by the chuck table cover and the bellows cover, and receives the cutting water; A cutting device comprising:
The bellows cover includes a surface portion that covers the opening, and a hanging portion that is connected to the surface portion and hangs down.
The water case is formed with recesses on both sides parallel to the extending direction of the opening to store the cutting water at a predetermined depth, and the drooping of the bellows cover to the cutting water stored in the water storage area. A guide portion that is formed on both sides parallel to the extending direction of the opening, allowing only the lower end portion of the portion to be submerged and allowing the bellows cover to be expanded and contracted,
The bellows cover that covers the guide portion and is expanded and contracted by the guide by the cutting feed means includes a roller that slides on the upper surface of the guide portion without landing on the inside of the bellows cover ,
Cutting device Ru provided with a side opening in the side parallel to the cutting feed direction of the chuck table cover.

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