JP6949565B2 - Cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting device for cutting a plate-shaped workpiece.

In the cutting device, the cutting means equipped with the cutting blade is moved in the Z direction (Z-axis direction) , and the cutting blade is positioned at a height at which the plate-shaped work is cut to a predetermined depth, while the plate-shaped work is held. The holding table is cut and fed to cut the plate-shaped work. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize in advance the height of the cutting means when the tip of the cutting blade comes into contact with the holding surface that holds the plate-shaped workpiece, and the setup for recognizing the height of the cutting means is performed. ..

Regarding the setup, we know the contact setup that recognizes the height of the cutting means when the cutting blade is brought into contact with the holding surface, and the non-contact setup that enables the setup even if the holding table holds the plate-shaped workpiece. Has been done. Conventionally, a cutting device including a sensor for moving the cutting means in the Z direction to detect the tip of the cutting blade and grasping the height of the tip of the cutting blade by a non-contact setup has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). reference). In these cutting devices, the difference between the height of the sensor that detects the cutting blade and the height of the holding surface is recognized in advance by the sensor, and the height of the cutting means and the previously recognized difference when the tip of the cutting blade is detected by the sensor. Is used to calculate the height position of the cutting blade in which the tip of the cutting blade contacts the holding surface.

Such a setup is, for example, when recognizing the height position of the tip of the replaced cutting blade when the cutting blade is replaced, or when the cutting blade is heavily worn, the height position of the tip of the worn cutting blade. It is carried out when recognizing. Conventionally, the setup after replacement of the cutting blade is performed according to the instruction from the operator. That is, the cutting device has a configuration in which when the cutting blade is replaced, the height position of the tip of the cutting blade is recognized by the operator in response to a setup instruction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-298001 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-140957

However, since the setup after the cutting blade replacement requires the instruction of the operator, if the operator forgets the setup instruction, the cutting device does not recognize the height position of the tip of the cutting blade. Therefore, cutting is performed based on the recognition of a height position different from the tip of the cutting blade after replacement, and a situation may occur in which the plate-shaped work is cut to a predetermined depth or more.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a cutting apparatus capable of preventing a defect due to non-execution of the setup operation when the cutting blade is replaced.

The cutting device of one aspect of the present invention has a holding table having a holding surface for holding the plate-shaped work, and a rotating means for mounting and rotating the cutting blade, and the plate-shaped work held by the holding table is held by the cutting blade. A cutting means for cutting, a moving means for moving the cutting means in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the holding surface of the holding table, and a processing chamber for accommodating the holding table and the cutting blade to cut a plate-shaped workpiece. , and a tip sensor for detecting the tip of the rotating means of the said cutting means are disposed on the Z-axis perpendicular to the rotation axis cutting該切is moved in the Z-axis direction blade, the said cutting means is moved in the Z axis direction The difference between the height position of the tip detection sensor and the height position of the holding surface, which is stored in advance, is subtracted from the height position of the cutting means when the tip detection sensor detects the tip of the cutting blade . a cutting apparatus comprising the tip of the cutting blade and non-contact setup means for recognizing the height position of the cutting means upon contact with the said holding surface, and control means, and said processing chamber includes a door The control means includes a rotation control unit that makes the cutting blade rotatable when the sensor is ON, and a sensor that turns ON when the opening / closing door is closed. It is provided with a recognition unit that recognizes that the setting has been made, and an operation unit that activates the setup operation by the non-contact setup means based on the recognition of the recognition unit.

According to this configuration, when the recognition unit recognizes that the opening / closing door of the processing chamber has been switched from the open state to the closed state, the setup operation is operated by the non-contact setup means, so that the operator The setup operation can be performed by opening and closing the processing chamber without requiring the setup instruction of. As a result, the setup operation can be reliably performed when the machining chamber is opened and closed to replace the cutting blade, and problems due to non-execution of the setup operation can be prevented.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a defect due to non-execution of the setup operation when the cutting blade is replaced.

It is a perspective view of the state which the processing chamber of the cutting apparatus which concerns on this embodiment is closed. It is a perspective view of the state in which the processing chamber of the cutting apparatus which concerns on this embodiment is open.

Hereinafter, the cutting apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a state in which the processing chamber of the cutting apparatus according to the present embodiment is open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which the processing chamber of the cutting apparatus according to the present embodiment is closed. In this embodiment, a cutting device including a pair of cutting blades is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The cutting device may have a structure capable of cutting a part of the plate-shaped work.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 cuts a wafer W by relatively moving a wafer W, which is a plate-shaped workpiece held on a chuck table (holding table) 12, and a pair of cutting means 14. It is configured as follows. The wafer W is carried into the cutting device 1 in a state of being supported by the ring frame F via the dicing tape T. The wafer W is composed of a substrate such as silicon and an insulating film formed on the surface of the substrate. A plurality of scheduled division lines are formed in a grid pattern on the insulating film, and a device D is formed in a region partitioned by the scheduled division lines.

A cutting feed means 13 for cutting and feeding the chuck table 12 in the X direction is provided on the base 11 of the cutting device 1. The cutting feed means 13 has a pair of guide rails 31 arranged on the base 11 parallel to the X direction and a motor-driven X-axis table 32 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 31. There is. A nut portion (not shown) is formed on the back side of the X-axis table 32, and a ball screw 33 is screwed into the nut portion. Then, the drive motor 34 connected to one end of the ball screw 33 is rotationally driven, so that the chuck table 12 is cut and fed along the pair of guide rails 31 in the X direction, which is the cutting direction of the cutting means 14. ..

On the upper part of the X-axis table 32, a chuck table 12 for holding the wafer W is rotatably provided around the Z-axis. A holding surface (not shown) is formed on the chuck table 12 by a porous ceramic material, and the wafer W is suction-held by the negative pressure generated on the holding surface. Four air-driven clamp portions 22 are provided around the chuck table 12, and the ring frame F around the wafer W is clamped and fixed from all sides by each clamp portion 22. On the upper surface of the base 11, a gate-shaped standing wall portion 81 is provided so as to straddle the moving path of the chuck table 12.

The vertical wall portion 81 is provided with an index feeding means 15 for index feeding the cutting means 14 in the Y direction and a cutting feeding means 16 for cutting and feeding the cutting means 14 in the Z direction. The cutting feed means 16 functions as a moving means for moving the cutting means 14 in the Z direction orthogonal to the holding surface of the chuck table 12. The index feeding means 15 has a pair of guide rails 51 arranged in front of the vertical wall portion 81 parallel to the Y direction and a pair of Y-axis tables 52 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 51. There is. The cut feed means 16 has a pair of guide rails 61 arranged on the Y-axis table 52 parallel to the Z direction and a Z-axis table 62 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 61. A cutting means 14 for cutting the wafer W is provided at the lower part of the Z-axis table 62.

Nut portions are formed on the back side of the Y-axis table 52 and the Z-axis table 62, respectively, and ball screws 53 and 63 are screwed into these nut portions. Drive motors 54 and 64 are connected to one end of the ball screw 53 for the Y-axis table 52 and the ball screw 63 for the Z-axis table 62, respectively. The ball screws 53 and 63 are rotationally driven by these drive motors 54 and 64, so that the cutting means 14 is index-fed along the guide rail 51 in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the cutting means 14 is guided. It is cut and fed in the Z direction that approaches and separates from the waiha W along the rail 61.

The cutting means 14 is configured by mounting a cutting blade 72 on the tip of a spindle 71 protruding from the housing 70. The spindle 71 constitutes a rotating means for rotating the cutting blade 72. A spindle 71, which is a rotation axis of the cutting blade 72, is rotatably supported in the housing 70, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the spindle 71 is installed in the housing 70. Further, a blade cover 73 surrounding the cutting blade 72 is provided on the tip end side of the housing 70 so that the area where the cutting blade 72 cuts into the wafer W is exposed.

Further, the housing 70 of the cutting means 14 is provided with an image pickup means 74 for imaging the upper surface of the wafer W, and the cutting blade 72 is aligned with the wafer W based on the image captured by the image pickup means 74. By this alignment, the direction of the planned division line of the wafer W on the chuck table 12 is aligned with the cutting direction of the cutting blade 72. In the cutting means 14, the wafer W is divided into individual devices by cutting the wafer W together with the insulating film along the planned division line by the cutting blade 72 while the cutting water is injected.

A tip detection sensor 90 that detects the tip of the cutting blade 72 is provided on the front surface of the vertical wall portion 81. The tip detection sensor 90 is arranged on the Z axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the spindle 71 of the cutting means 14. The tip detection sensor 90 is provided so as to extend upward from the upper surface near the tip of the housing 91 fixed to the front surface of the vertical wall portion 81. A detection region 90a is formed in a concave shape at the tip (upper end) of the tip detection sensor 90. For example, the tip detection sensor 90 is arranged at a position where the cutting blade 72 enters the detection region 90a when the Z-axis table 62 moves to the lowermost position. When detecting the tip of the cutting blade 72, the cutting means 14 is moved to the lowermost position, and the cutting blade 72 is positioned in the detection region 90a.

The detection area 90a is provided with a detection unit that detects the tip of the cutting blade 72. Any configuration can be adopted for this detection unit on the premise that the tip of the cutting blade 72 is detected. For example, in the detection unit, a light emitting unit that emits detection light and a light receiving unit that receives detection light emitted from the light emitting unit are arranged to face each other. When the cutting blade 72 is not positioned in the detection region 90a, the detection light is not blocked by the cutting blade 72, so that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit is constant. When the cutting blade 72 enters between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, the detection light is blocked by the cutting blade 72, so that the amount of light received by the light receiving portion is reduced. The tip detection sensor 90 can detect the tip position of the cutting blade 72 based on the amount of light received by the light receiving unit.

Further, in front of the standing wall portion 81, a processing chamber 100 is provided in which cutting is performed on the wafer W held by the chuck table 12. The processing chamber 100 is composed of a box-shaped body that houses at least a chuck table 12 and a pair of cutting means 14. 1 and 2 schematically show a processing chamber 100 provided on the front surface of the vertical wall portion 81 at a position separated from the upper surface of the base 11. However, the configuration of the processing chamber 100 is not limited to this, and any configuration may be adopted provided that the movement of the X-axis table 32, the Y-axis table 52, and the Z-axis table 62 is not restricted. can.

A pair of left and right opening / closing doors 101 are provided on the front surface of the processing chamber 100. For example, the opening / closing door 101 is configured to be slidable in a direction away from each other, but is not limited thereto. The opening / closing door 101 is opened / closed during maintenance of components in the processing chamber 100. For example, when the cutting blade 72 is worn due to the cutting process, the cutting blade 72 is replaced via the opening / closing door 101.

A sensor 102 for detecting the opening / closing of the opening / closing door 101 is provided in the vicinity of the opening / closing door 101. The sensor 102 is turned on (ON) when the opening / closing door 101 is closed, while it is turned off (OFF) when the opening / closing door 101 is open. The sensor 102 outputs a signal (on signal, off signal) according to the open / closed state of the open / close door 101 to the control means 120 described later.

Further, the cutting device 1 includes a non-contact setup means 110 and a control means 120. The non-contact setup means 110 is connected to the index feed means 15 and the cut feed means 16 (more specifically, the drive motor 54 and the drive motor 64). The non-contact setup means 110 controls the drive of the drive motor 54 and the drive motor 64 under the control of the control means 120 to position the cutting blade 72 of the cutting means 14 in the detection region 90a of the tip detection sensor 90 and cut. A setup operation for recognizing the tip of the blade 72 is performed.

Prior to the setup operation, the non-contact setup means 110 stores in advance the difference between the detection position where the tip detection sensor 90 detects the tip of the cutting blade 72 and the height position of the holding surface of the chuck table 12. In the setup operation, the non-contact setup means 110 detects the tip of the cutting blade 72 by the tip detection sensor 90 stored in advance from the height position of the cutting means 14 when the tip detection sensor 90 detects the tip of the cutting blade 72. By subtracting the difference between the detection position (the height position of the tip detection sensor 90) and the height position of the holding surface of the chuck table 12, the height position of the cutting means 14 in which the tip of the cutting blade 72 contacts the holding surface is recognized. (calculate.

The control means 120 is connected to the non-contact setup means 110 and is configured to be able to control all the components of the cutting apparatus 1 including the non-contact setup means 110. The control means 120 includes a rotation control unit 121, a recognition unit 122, and an operation unit 123. The control means 120 is composed of a processor, a memory, and the like that execute various processes. The memory is composed of one or a plurality of storage media such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) depending on the intended use. For example, in the memory, in addition to a program for controlling each part of the device, a program for operating the setup operation by the non-contact setup means 110 is stored.

The rotation control unit 121 makes the cutting blade 72 rotatable when the sensor 102 arranged in the vicinity of the opening / closing door 101 in the processing chamber 100 is in the ON state (ON). That is, the rotation control unit 121 allows the cutting blade 72 to rotate when the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 is closed, and limits the rotation of the cutting blade 72 when the opening / closing door 101 is open. The rotation control unit 121 secures the safety of the operator who performs maintenance of the cutting device 1 by setting whether or not to allow the cutting blade 72 to rotate according to the open / closed state of the opening / closing door 101.

The recognition unit 122 recognizes that the sensor 102 has changed from the off state (OFF) to the on state (ON). That is, the recognition unit 122 recognizes that the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 has been switched from the open state to the closed state. When the recognition unit 122 recognizes that the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 has been switched from the open state to the closed state, a signal indicating that fact (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "closed state notification signal") is activated. It is output to unit 123.

The operating unit 123 operates the setup operation by the non-contact setup means 110 based on the recognition of the recognition unit 122 (recognition that the opening / closing door 101 has been switched from the open state to the closed state). That is, upon receiving a signal (closed state notification signal) indicating that the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 has been switched from the open state to the closed state, the operating unit 123 is set up by the non-contact setup means 110. Activate the operation. As a result, when the opening / closing door 101 is opened / closed, the setup operation is automatically performed.

Hereinafter, in the cutting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the operation when the cutting blade 72 is replaced will be described. When replacing the cutting blade 72, the operator of the cutting device 1 opens the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 to perform the work. When the opening / closing door 101 is opened, the sensor 102 is switched from the on state (ON) to the off state (OFF). At this time, the rotation control unit 121 limits the rotation of the cutting blade 72. This allows the operator to safely replace the cutting blade 72.

After the cutting blade 72 is replaced, the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 is closed. When the opening / closing door 101 is closed, the sensor 102 is switched from the off state (OFF) to the on state (ON). At this time, the rotation control unit 121 allows the cutting blade 72 to rotate. Further, the recognition unit 122 recognizes that the opening / closing door 101 has switched from the open state to the closed state, and outputs a signal (closed state notification signal) to that effect to the operating unit 123.

Upon receiving this closed state notification signal, the operating unit 123 operates the non-contact setup means 110 to perform the setup operation. As a result, the setup operation is performed on the cutting blade 72 after the replacement, and the height position of the tip of the cutting blade 72 after the replacement is recognized. As a result, the subsequent cutting process is executed based on the recognition of the height position of the tip of the cutting blade 72 after the replacement.

As described above, in the cutting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when it is recognized by the recognition unit 122 that the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 is switched from the open state to the closed state, it is not. Since the setup operation is operated by the contact setup means 110, the setup operation is performed with the opening and closing of the processing chamber 100 without requiring the setup instruction of the operator of the cutting device 1. As a result, when the machining chamber 100 is opened and closed to replace the cutting blade 72, the setup operation can be reliably performed, and problems due to non-execution of the setup operation can be prevented.

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be variously modified, replaced, or modified without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in another way by the advancement of technology or another technology derived from it, it may be carried out by using that method. Therefore, the scope of claims covers all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case where the setup operation is performed by using the detection of the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing door 101 of the processing chamber 100 as a trigger is described. However, the content that triggers the setup operation is not limited to the above, and can be changed as appropriate. Hereinafter, an example of the content that triggers the setup operation will be described using the reference numerals of the cutting device 1 according to the present embodiment.

For example, in recent years, in the cutting device 1, the spindle 71 to which the cutting blade 72 is fixed is locked, the cutting blade 72 is replaced with the spindle 71 locked, and the spindle 71 is unlocked when the replacement work is completed ( Those equipped with a spindle lock mechanism for unlocking) are known. In such a cutting device 1, the spindle 71 is locked when the cutting blade 72 is replaced, and the spindle 71 is unlocked after the replacement work is completed. In such a cutting device 1, the setup operation may be performed by using the detection of locking and unlocking of the spindle lock mechanism as a trigger. The spindle lock mechanism can be operated from the touch panel of the device, and the device can recognize that the spindle lock mechanism has been operated by operating the spindle lock mechanism. The spindle lock mechanism operates, for example, a gripping means for gripping the outer wall of the spindle 71. In the case of setting up by using the lock and unlock of the spindle lock mechanism as a trigger, when the spindle 71 is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state as in the above embodiment in which the opening / closing of the opening / closing door 101 is triggered. Since the setup operation is operated by the non-contact setup means 110, the setup operation can be performed by locking / unlocking the spindle 71 without requiring the setup instruction of the operator of the cutting device 1. ..

Further, since the spindle 71 can be rotated when the opening / closing door 101 is closed, the spindle 71 is rotated after the opening / closing door 101 is closed after the spindle 71 is unlocked from the lock. The setup operation can be performed.

Further, the setup operation may be performed by using the detection of the stop of rotation of the spindle 71 as a trigger. To be precise, since the non-contact setup means 110 operates the setup operation after the rotation of the spindle 71 is stopped and then the rotation of the spindle 71 is started, the setup instruction of the operator of the cutting device 1 is required. The setup operation can be performed as the spindle 71 stops / starts rotating. However, when the stop / start of rotation of the spindle 71 is used as a trigger, it is assumed that the setup operation is frequently performed. From the viewpoint of performing the setup operation at an appropriate timing including the replacement of the cutting blade 72, it is preferable as an embodiment to trigger the opening / closing of the processing chamber 100 and the detection of lock / unlock of the spindle 71.

Further, in the present embodiment, a cutting device for cutting a workpiece is illustrated and described as a processing device, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The present invention is applicable to other processing devices including a cutting means 14 having a cutting blade 72. For example, any processing apparatus provided with a cutting means 14 having a cutting blade 72 may be applied to a cluster apparatus in which a cutting apparatus and another processing apparatus (for example, a grinding apparatus, a polishing apparatus, etc.) are combined.

Further, various workpieces such as semiconductor device wafers, optical device wafers, package substrates, semiconductor substrates, inorganic material substrates, oxide wafers, raw ceramic substrates, and piezoelectric substrates are used as processing targets, depending on the type of processing. You may. As the semiconductor device wafer, a silicon wafer after device formation or a compound semiconductor wafer may be used. As the optical device wafer, a sapphire wafer or a silicon carbide wafer after device formation may be used. Further, a CSP (Chip Size Package) substrate may be used as the package substrate, silicon, gallium arsenide or the like may be used as the semiconductor substrate, and sapphire, ceramics, glass or the like may be used as the inorganic material substrate. Further, as the oxide wafer, lithium tantalate or lithium niobate after device formation or before device formation may be used.

As described above, the present invention has an effect of being able to prevent problems due to non-execution of the setup operation when the cutting blade is replaced, and is particularly useful for a cutting device for cutting a plate-shaped workpiece.

1 Cutting device 12 Chuck table (holding table)
14 Cutting means 16 Cutting feeding means (moving means)
71 Spindle 72 Cutting blade 90 Tip detection sensor 90a Detection area 100 Machining room 101 Opening / closing door 102 Sensor 110 Non-contact setup means 120 Control means 121 Rotation control unit 122 Recognition unit 123 Operating unit W wafer (plate-shaped work)

Claims (1)

A holding table having a holding surface for holding the plate-shaped work ,
A cutting means that has a rotating means for mounting and rotating a cutting blade and that cuts a plate-shaped workpiece held by the holding table with the cutting blade .
A moving means for moving the cutting means in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the holding surface of the holding table, and a moving means.
A processing chamber for cutting plate-like workpieces houses and the holding table and said cutting blade,
A tip detection sensor arranged on the Z axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the rotating means and moving the cutting means in the Z axis direction to detect the tip of the cutting blade .
The height position of the tip detection sensor and the holding surface that are stored in advance from the height position of the cutting means when the cutting means is moved in the Z-axis direction and the tip detection sensor detects the tip of the cutting blade. by subtracting the difference between the height position, and a non-contact setting up means for recognizing the height position of the cutting means when the tip of the cutting blade has contact to the holding surface,
A cutting device provided with a control means,
The processing chamber includes an opening / closing door and a sensor that turns on when the opening / closing door is closed.
The control means includes a rotation control unit that makes the cutting blade rotatable when the sensor is ON, a recognition unit that recognizes that the sensor has changed from OFF to ON, and a non-contact unit that recognizes the recognition unit. A cutting device provided with an operating part that activates the setup operation by the setup means.

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