JP7313766B2 - Conveyor Mechanism, Conveying Method of Workpiece, and Processing Apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport mechanism for transporting a workpiece, a method for transporting a workpiece using the transport mechanism, and a processing apparatus provided with the transport mechanism.

2. Description of the Related Art When various workpieces such as semiconductor wafers and package substrates are subjected to processing such as cutting, grinding, and polishing, a processing apparatus is used that includes a chuck table (holding table) that holds the workpiece, and a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the chuck table. A chuck table of a processing apparatus includes, for example, a holding surface connected to a suction source, and sucks and holds a workpiece placed on the holding surface by applying negative pressure from the suction source to the workpiece (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, the processing apparatus is provided with a transport mechanism that transports the workpiece. The transport mechanism includes a holding surface connected to a suction source, for example, like the chuck table described above, and transports the workpiece while the workpiece is held by suction on the holding surface (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The transport mechanism transports the workpiece before machining to the chuck table and transports the workpiece after machining from the chuck table.

JP 2011-49193 A JP 2013-198953 A

When a workpiece is processed using the above processing apparatus, the workpiece is sucked and held by a chuck table or a transport mechanism. Here, when the negative pressure of the suction source is applied to the holding surface of the chuck table or the transport mechanism, foreign matter is attracted to the holding surface, and this foreign matter may adhere to the workpiece held by the chuck table or the transport mechanism. Further, for example, when a workpiece having a through hole is sucked and held by a chuck table or a transport mechanism, foreign matter may be attracted to the workpiece due to the negative pressure of the suction source and adhere to the inside of the through hole.

Adherence of foreign matter to a workpiece causes deterioration in quality and yield of chips and the like (for example, device chips and package devices) obtained by machining the workpiece. In addition, if the workpiece is held with foreign matter adhering to the holding surface of the chuck table or transfer mechanism, the workpiece may come into contact with the foreign matter, applying stress to the workpiece, and possibly damaging the workpiece. Therefore, when processing a workpiece with a processing apparatus, it is desirable to reduce adhesion of foreign matter as much as possible.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and aims to provide a transport mechanism capable of suppressing deterioration in quality and yield of chips obtained by machining a workpiece, a method of transporting a workpiece using the transport mechanism, and a processing apparatus equipped with the transport mechanism.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport mechanism for transporting a workpiece, comprising: a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism; and a transport head connected to the transport arm, the transport head being configured to be movable between a holding position in which the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece is held from the bottom side and a non-holding position in which the workpiece is not held;When the workpiece held by the holding member is released without coming into contact with the upper surface of the workpiece held by the holding membera notch provided in a region corresponding to the holding member and into which the lower end of the holding member is arranged when the conveying head is brought close to the holding surface; and a pair of clamps configured to be movable between a pressing position that presses the outer periphery of the workpiece from the upper surface side and a non-pressing position that does not press the workpiece. A transport mechanism for transporting objects is provided.

Preferably, the conveying head further includes a cutout portion provided in a region corresponding to the clamping portion, through which the clamping portion passes when the clamping portion moves from the non-pressing position to the pressing position. Moreover, preferably, the transport head further includes a positioning pin for positioning the workpiece.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, carryingusing the transport mechanismcoverWorkpiecethe chiA method for conveying a workpiece to be conveyed to a chuck table,The transport mechanism includes a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism and a transport head connected to the transport arm. The transport head has a pair of holding members configured to be movable between a holding position that holds the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from below and a non-holding position that does not hold the workpiece. a cutout portion disposed; a pair of clamp portions configured to be movable between a pressing position that presses the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side; and a non-pressing position that does not press the workpiece;a mounting step of lowering the conveying head holding the workpiece by the holding member and mounting the workpiece on the chuck table; after the placing step, a pressing step of arranging the clamp portion at the pressing position to press the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side; after the pressing step, a holding member placing step of placing the holding member outside the workpiece by placing the holding member at the non-holding position; and after the holding member placing step, a carrying head raising step of raising the carrying head. A method of conveying a workpiece is provided, comprising:

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, carryingusing the transport mechanismcoverWorkpiecethe chiA method for conveying a workpiece conveyed from a chuck table,The transport mechanism includes a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism and a transport head connected to the transport arm. The transport head has a pair of holding members configured to be movable between a holding position that holds the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from below and a non-holding position that does not hold the workpiece. a cutout portion disposed; a pair of clamp portions configured to be movable between a pressing position that presses the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side; and a non-pressing position that does not press the workpiece;a conveying head lowering step of lowering the conveying head positioned above the workpiece pressed by the clamp portion; after the conveying head lowering step, a holding member arranging step of arranging the holding member at the holding position so that the holding member overlaps with the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece; after the holding member arranging step, the clamp portion is arranged at the non-pressing position to release the pressure of the clamp portion on the workpiece; and a transport head raising step to cause a workpiece to be transported.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus including the transport mechanism, the chuck table, and a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the chuck table.

Preferably, the machining unit is equipped with a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece, and the chuck table has a groove into which the lower end of the cutting blade is inserted in a region corresponding to the planned division line of the workpiece.

A transport mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention transports a workpiece by holding the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the lower surface side with a holding member. Therefore, the workpiece can be transported without using a mechanism for sucking and holding the workpiece, and adhesion of foreign matter to the workpiece caused by sucking and holding the workpiece can be avoided. As a result, deterioration in the quality and yield of chips and the like obtained by processing the workpiece can be suppressed.

It is a perspective view which shows a to-be-processed object. 3 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a transport mechanism; FIG. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the clamping portion in the open state, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the clamping portion in the open state. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the clamping portion in the closed state, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the clamping portion in the closed state. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing the top side of the transport head, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the transport head. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the holding member in the closed state, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the holding member in the open state. It is a bottom view which shows typically the positional relationship of a to-be-processed object, a press pin, and a positioning pin. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a transport mechanism in a placing step; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a transport mechanism in a pressing step; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the chuck table and the transport mechanism in the holding member placement step; FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the chuck table and the transport head before the holding member arranging step, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the chuck table and the transport head after the holding member arranging step. It is a perspective view which shows a cutting device. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a transport mechanism according to a modification;

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a configuration example of a workpiece that can be transported by the transport mechanism according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a workpiece 11. FIG.

The workpiece 11 is formed in a plate shape using a material such as resin or metal, and has an upper surface (front surface) 11a, a lower surface (rear surface) 11b, and an outer peripheral edge 11c. For example, the workpiece 11 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and a plurality of rectangular device regions 13 including devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) and LSIs (Large Scale Integration) are formed on the upper surface 11a side of the workpiece 11. There are no restrictions on the type, number, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of the devices included in the device area 13 .

The workpiece 11 is partitioned into a plurality of areas by dividing lines (street) 15 set on the upper surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 . When the workpiece 11 is cut along the dividing lines 15 , the workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of chips including the device regions 13 .

The type, material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 11 are not limited. For example, the workpiece 11 may be a wafer made of materials such as semiconductors (Si, GaAs, InP, GaN, SiC, etc.), glass, ceramics, resin, metal, CSP (Chip Size Package), QFN (Quad Flat Non-leaded Package). Also, the workpiece 11 may be a substrate that is divided into parts such as a printer head.

The workpiece 11 is subjected to processing such as cutting, grinding, polishing, and laser processing. Various processing devices such as a cutting device, a grinding device, a polishing device, and a laser processing device are used for processing the workpiece 11 . Such a processing apparatus includes a chuck table that holds the workpiece 11 and a transport mechanism that transports the workpiece 11 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism (transport unit) 12 mounted on the processing apparatus. The chuck table 2 is a holding table that holds the workpiece 11 . Further, the transport mechanism 12 transports the workpiece 11 to the chuck table 2 or transports the workpiece 11 from the chuck table 2 .

The chuck table 2 includes a support table 4 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view corresponding to the shape of the workpiece 11 . The upper surface of the support base 4 constitutes a holding surface 4a for holding the workpiece 11. As shown in FIG. The support base 4 also includes a lower surface 4b, a pair of first side surfaces 4c, and a pair of second side surfaces 4d.

The pair of first side surfaces 4c are arranged parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the support base 4 and connected to the holding surface 4a and the lower surface 4b. The pair of second side surfaces 4d are arranged parallel to each other along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support base 4, and are connected to the holding surface 4a and the lower surface 4b. FIG. 2 shows the chuck table 2 arranged such that the first side surface 4c is along the X-axis direction (processing feed direction, front-rear direction) and the second side surface 4d is along the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction, left-right direction).

A pair of clamp portions 6 are provided on one first side surface 4c side and on the other first side surface 4c side so as to face each other with the support base 4 interposed therebetween. FIG. 2 shows a structure in which a pair of clamp portions 6 (that is, a total of four clamp portions 6) are provided on one second side surface 4d side (front side) and the other second side surface 4d side (rear side). However, the number of clamp parts 6 is not limited.

Each of the clamping portions 6 includes a plate-shaped contact portion 6a arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support base 4, and a plate-shaped support portion 6b arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support base 4 and substantially perpendicular to the contact portion 6a. Further, between the support base 4 and the clamp part 6, a clamp drive mechanism 8 for connecting the support base 4 and the clamp part 6 is provided. The clamp drive mechanism 8 is connected to, for example, the support 6b of the clamp 6, and rotates the clamp 6 about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support base 4 by about 90°.

The clamp portion 6 is configured to be movable between a position (pressing position) in which the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 placed on the holding surface 4a is pressed from the side of the upper surface 11a (pressing position) and a position (non-pressing position) in which the workpiece 11 is not pressed by the clamp portion driving mechanism 8. In this specification, the clamp part 6 arranged at the pressing position is also referred to as the "closed clamp part 6", and the clamp part 6 placed at the non-pressing position is also referred to as the "open clamp part 6".

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the clamp portion 6 in the open state, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the clamp portion 6 in the open state. When the clamp portion 6 is in the open state, the contact portion 6a faces the first side surface 4c and the support portion 6b faces the lower surface 4b. When the clamp portion 6 is in the open state, even if the workpiece 11 is placed on the holding surface 4a of the chuck table 2, the workpiece 11 and the clamp portion 6 do not come into contact with each other, and the workpiece 11 is not pressed by the clamp portion 6 (see FIG. 3B).

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the clamp portion 6 in the closed state, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the clamp portion 6 in the closed state. When the clamp portion 6 is closed, the contact portion 6a faces the holding surface 4a and the support portion 6b faces the first side surface 4c. When the clamp portion 6 is closed with the workpiece 11 placed on the holding surface 4a of the chuck table 2, the contact portion 6a contacts the upper surface 11a of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11, and the workpiece 11 is pressed toward the holding surface 4a by the clamp portion 6 (see FIG. 4B). As a result, the workpiece 11 is sandwiched between the holding surface 4a and the clamp portion 6 and fixed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a transport mechanism 12 for transporting the workpiece 11 is arranged above the chuck table 2 . The transport mechanism 12 includes a transport head 14 connected to a transport arm (see transport arm 56 and transport arm 78 in FIG. 12) connected to the moving mechanism.

5A is a perspective view showing the top side of the transport head 14, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the transport head 14. FIG. The transport head 14 includes a base 16 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view corresponding to the shape of the workpiece 11 .

The base 16 has an upper surface 16a, a lower surface 16b, a pair of first side surfaces 16c, and a pair of second side surfaces 16d. The pair of first side surfaces 16c are arranged parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the base 16 and connected to the upper surface 16a and the lower surface 16b. The pair of second side surfaces 16d are arranged parallel to each other along the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base 16, and are connected to the upper surface 16a and the lower surface 16b. The transport head 14 is arranged such that the first side surface 16c extends along the X-axis direction and the second side surface 16d extends along the Y-axis direction.

On the side of the upper surface 16a of the base 16, a cylindrical connecting member 18 is provided for connecting the base 16 and the transfer arm (see the transfer arm 56 and the transfer arm 78 in FIG. 12). The connecting member 18 has an upper end connected to the transfer arm and a lower end connected to the upper surface 16 a of the base 16 . The connection member 18 is configured using, for example, a suspension. In this case, the connection member 18 mitigates vibrations and shocks transmitted from the transfer arm to the base 16 . The number and arrangement of the connection members 18 are not limited.

A pair of holding members 20 arranged to face each other with the base 16 interposed is provided on one first side surface 16c side and the other first side surface 16c side. The holding member 20 holds the unprocessed workpiece 11 conveyed to the chuck table 2 and the processed workpiece 11 conveyed from the chuck table 2 . In this embodiment, a structure in which a pair of holding members 20 (that is, a total of four holding members 20) are provided on one second side surface 16d side (front side) and the other second side surface 16d side (rear side) will be described, but the number of holding members 20 is not limited.

Each of the holding members 20 includes a plate-shaped side wall portion 20a arranged substantially parallel to the first side surface 16c, and a plate-shaped upper wall portion 20b connected to the upper end of the side wall portion 20a and arranged to face the upper surface 16a of the base 16. The side wall portion 20a and the upper wall portion 20b are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other.

The lower end side of the side wall portion 20a is branched into two regions. A plurality of cutouts 16e are formed on the side of the first side surface 16c of the base 16, and the branched regions of the side wall 20a are arranged inside the cutouts 16e. Further, a pair of holding portions 20c projecting toward the inside of the base 16 from the side wall portion 20a are provided at the lower end portion of the side wall portion 20a. The holding portion 20 c holds the lower surface 11 b side of the workpiece 11 when the workpiece 11 is transported by the transport head 14 .

In addition, the tip of the upper wall portion 20b (the inner end of the base 16) is branched into two regions, and a pair of plate-like protrusions 20d that protrude downward from the upper wall portion 20b are provided at the tip. The projecting portion 20d is arranged substantially perpendicular to the side wall portion 20a and the upper wall portion 20b.

A plurality of holding member driving mechanisms 22 are provided on the upper surface 16 a side of the base 16 so as to face the holding member 20 . Each of the holding member driving mechanisms 22 moves the holding member 20 along the direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base 16 . For example, the holding member drive mechanism 22 has an air cylinder and is connected to the side wall portion 20 a of the holding member 20 .

Furthermore, a plurality of guide portions 24 are provided on the upper surface 16 a side of the base 16 . Each of the guide portions 24 is arranged in the vicinity of the projecting portion 20d of the holding member 20, and includes a pair of projecting portions 24a provided to sandwich the projecting portion 20d from the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). The pair of protrusions 24a are arranged such that a space wider than the thickness of the protrusion 20d is formed between the pair of protrusions 24a, and the protrusion 20d is placed in this space. The guide portion 24 restricts movement of the holding member 20 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the base 16 .

The holding member 20 is configured to be movable between a position (holding position) where the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 is held from the lower surface 11b side and a position where the workpiece 11 is not held (non-holding position) by a holding member driving mechanism 22. In this specification, the holding member 20 arranged at the holding position is also referred to as the "closed holding member 20", and the holding member 20 arranged at the non-holding position is also referred to as the "open holding member 20".

6A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the holding member 20 in the closed state, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the holding member 20 in the open state. When the holding member 20 is in the closed state, the distance between the holding portions 20c provided in the pair of holding members 20 becomes smaller than the width of the workpiece 11, and the upper surface of the holding portion 20c can hold the lower surface 11b side of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11. On the other hand, when the holding member 20 is in the open state, the distance between the holding portions 20c becomes larger than the width of the workpiece 11. As shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a plurality of pressing pins 26 for pressing the upper surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the base 16 . Specifically, a plurality of through-holes are formed in the outer periphery of the base 16 and extend through the base 16 from the upper surface 16a to the lower surface 16b, and the pressing pins 26 are inserted into the through-holes. It should be noted that each of the plurality of pressing pins 26 is arranged at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 .

The pressing pin 26 is fixed to the base 16 so that its lower end projects downward from the lower surface 16 b of the base 16 . A lower end portion of the pressing pin 26 is made of a flexible material such as resin or rubber, and contacts the upper surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 .

Furthermore, a plurality of positioning pins 28 for positioning the workpiece 11 are provided on the lower surface 16 b side of the base 16 . The positioning pin 28 is provided so as to protrude downward from the lower surface 16 b and is arranged at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral edge 11 c of the workpiece 11 . The lower end portion of the positioning pin 28 arranged on the side of the pair of second side surfaces 16d of the base 16 is formed in a conical shape whose diameter decreases downward.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view schematically showing the positional relationship between the workpiece 11 and the pressing pins 26 and positioning pins 28. As shown in FIG. The pressing pin 26 is provided at a position overlapping the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 in bottom view when the workpiece 11 is held by the transport head 14 . On the other hand, the positioning pin 28 is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the outer peripheral edge 11 c of the workpiece 11 when the workpiece 11 is held by the transport head 14 . Locating pins 28 determine the position of workpiece 11 relative to base 16 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a notch portion 4e is formed in a region of the support base 4 corresponding to the holding member 20. As shown in FIG. The cutout portion 4 e is provided at a position overlapping the lower end portion (holding portion 20 c ) of the holding member 20 when the transport head 14 is arranged on the chuck table 2 . When the transport head 14 is lowered to approach the holding surface 4a of the support table 4, the lower end of the holding member 20 is arranged in the notch 4e. Thereby, contact between the holding member 20 and the support base 4 is avoided.

Further, a notch portion 6c is formed in a region corresponding to the holding member 20 of the contact portion 6a of the clamp portion 6. As shown in FIG. The notch portion 6c is provided at a position overlapping the lower end portion (holding portion 20c) of the holding member 20 when the clamp portion 6 is closed (see FIG. 4A) and the transfer head 14 is placed on the chuck table 2. When the transport head 14 is lowered to approach the holding surface 4a of the support base 4, the lower end of the holding member 20 is arranged in the notch 6c. This avoids contact between the holding member 20 and the clamp portion 6 .

Further, an opening 4f arranged at a position corresponding to the positioning pin 28 is formed on the holding surface 4a side of the support base 4. As shown in FIG. The opening 4 f is provided at a position overlapping the positioning pin 28 when the transfer head 14 is arranged on the chuck table 2 . When the transport head 14 is lowered to approach the holding surface 4a of the support table 4, the lower ends of the positioning pins 28 are inserted into the openings 4f. Thereby, contact between the positioning pin 28 and the holding surface 4a of the support base 4 is avoided.

Further, a linear groove 4g is formed on the holding surface 4a side of the support base 4. As shown in FIG. The groove 4g is provided in a region corresponding to the planned division line 15 (see FIG. 1) of the workpiece 11, and overlaps the planned division line 15 when the workpiece 11 is held by the chuck table 2. As shown in FIG.

The groove 4g functions as an escape groove into which the lower end of the cutting blade is inserted when the workpiece 11 is cut with the annular cutting blade. By providing the groove 4g, when the workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 2 is cut by the cutting blade, contact between the cutting blade and the support base 4 is avoided. Details of the machining of the workpiece 11 using the cutting blade will be described later (see FIG. 12).

Next, a specific example of a method of transporting the workpiece 11 using the transport mechanism 12 will be described. A procedure for conveying the workpiece 11 to the chuck table 2 and a procedure for conveying the workpiece 11 from the chuck table 2 will be described below.

When the workpiece 11 is transported to the chuck table 2 using the transport mechanism 12 , the workpiece 11 is first held by the holding member 20 of the transport head 14 . Specifically, the holding members 20 are closed with the workpiece 11 placed inside the pair of holding members 20, and then the transport head 14 is raised. As a result, the lower surface 11b side of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 is held by the holding portion 20c (see FIG. 6A).

It should be noted that the workpiece 11 may be warped during its manufacturing process. For example, when a mechanism for sucking and holding the workpiece 11 is used to convey the workpiece 11, the workpiece 11 may not be properly held because the warped workpiece 11 and the holding surface of the conveying mechanism on which the negative pressure of the suction source acts may not be in proper contact, causing the negative pressure to leak. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the workpiece 11 is supported and held by the holding member 20, the workpiece 11 can be properly transported even if the workpiece 11 is warped.

Next, the transfer head 14 holding the workpiece 11 by the holding member 20 is arranged above the support base 4 of the chuck table 2 . At this time, the clamp portion 6 of the chuck table 2 is in an open state. In this state, the transport head 14 is lowered toward the holding surface 4 a of the support table 4 . As a result, the lower surface 11b side of the workpiece 11 comes into contact with the holding surface 4a of the support base 4, and the workpiece 11 is mounted on the chuck table 2 (mounting step).

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 in the placing step. In addition, in the placing step, the lower end portion (holding portion 20c) of the holding member 20 is arranged inside the notch portion 4e. Therefore, the holding member 20 does not come into contact with the support table 4 and the placement of the workpiece 11 is not hindered.

When the upper surface of the holding portion 20c is positioned below the holding surface 4a by lowering the transport head 14 (see FIG. 11A), the lower surface 11b of the workpiece 11 and the holding portion 20c are brought into a non-contact state, and the holding of the workpiece 11 by the holding member 20 is released. Further, the pressing pin 26 presses the upper surface 11a side of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 toward the holding surface 4a. If the workpiece 11 is warped, the pressing pin 26 presses the workpiece 11 so that the shape of the workpiece 11 is corrected along the holding surface 4a.

Next, the clamp portion 6 presses the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 from the side of the upper surface 11a (pressing step). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the chuck table and transport mechanism in the pressing step. In the pressing step, while the workpiece 11 is placed on the chuck table 2, the clamp section driving mechanism 8 places the clamp section 6 at the pressing position to close it.

As a result, the contact portion 6a of the clamp portion 6 comes into contact with the upper surface 11a of the workpiece 11, and the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 is pressed from the upper surface 11a side (see FIG. 4B). As a result, the workpiece 11 is sandwiched and fixed between the holding surface 4a of the support table 4 and the contact portion 6a from above and below.

The contact portion 6a of the clamp portion 6 has a notch portion 6c in a region corresponding to the holding portion 20c of the holding member 20. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the clamping part 6 is moved from the non-pressing position to the pressing position, the clamping part 6 and the holding member 20 do not come into contact with each other.

Next, the holding member 20 is arranged outside the workpiece 11 by arranging the holding member 20 at the non-holding position (holding member arranging step). FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 in the holding member placement step. In the holding member placement step, the holding member driving mechanism 22 moves the holding member 20 from the holding position to the non-holding position to open it.

11A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the chuck table 2 and the transport head 14 before the holding member placement step, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the chuck table 2 and the transport head 14 after the holding member placement step. When the holding member arranging step is performed, the holding member 20 moves to the outside of the workpiece 11 and does not overlap the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 .

Next, the transport head 14 is raised (transport head raising step). At this time, the holding member 20 is in the open state, and the holding portion 20c is arranged at a position not overlapping the workpiece 11. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the transport head 14 is lifted, the holding portion 20c does not come into contact with the workpiece 11. As shown in FIG. In this manner, the workpiece 11 is transferred to the chuck table 2 by the transfer mechanism 12 .

On the other hand, when the workpiece 11 is transported from the chuck table 2, first, the transport head 14 is positioned above the workpiece 11 placed on the chuck table 2, and the transport head 14 is lowered (transport head lowering step). At this time, the holding member 20 is in the open state, and the conveying head 14 is lowered to a height where the upper surface of the holding portion 20c of the holding member 20 is arranged below the holding surface 4a of the support base 4 (see FIGS. 10 and 11B).

Next, by arranging the holding member 20 at the holding position, the holding member 20 is arranged at a position overlapping the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 (holding member arranging step). In the holding member arranging step, the holding member drive mechanism 22 moves the holding member 20 from the non-holding position to the holding position to close it. As a result, the holding member 20 moves toward the workpiece 11, and the holding portion 20c overlaps the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 (see FIGS. 9 and 11A).

Next, the pressing of the workpiece 11 by the clamping part 6 is released by arranging the clamping part 6 at the non-pressing position (pressing release step). In the pressing release step, the clamp portion driving mechanism 8 moves the clamp portion 6 from the pressing position to the non-pressing position to open the clamp portion. As a result, the contact portion 6a of the clamping portion 6 is separated from the upper surface 11a side of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11, and the pressing of the workpiece 11 by the clamping portion 6 is released (see FIG. 3B).

Next, the transport head 14 is raised (transport head raising step). At this time, the holding member 20 is in the closed state, and the holding portion 20 c is arranged at a position overlapping the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 . Therefore, when the transport head 14 is lifted, the holding portion 20 c contacts the lower surface 11 b side of the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 , and the workpiece 11 is supported by the holding member 20 . After that, the workpiece 11 is transported by moving the transport head 14 holding the workpiece 11 to a desired position.

As described above, the chuck table 2 fixes the workpiece 11 on the holding surface 4 a by pressing the workpiece 11 with the clamping portion 6 . Further, the transport mechanism 12 transports the workpiece 11 while holding the workpiece 11 with the holding portion 20 c of the holding member 20 . Therefore, by using the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12, the workpiece 11 can be held and transported without using a mechanism for sucking and holding the workpiece 11, and adhesion of foreign matter to the workpiece 11 caused by sucking and holding the workpiece 11 can be avoided.

The chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 according to this embodiment are mounted on a processing apparatus that processes the workpiece 11, for example. There is no limit to the type of processing apparatus on which the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 are mounted.

For example, the processing apparatus includes a processing unit (cutting unit) equipped with a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece 11, a processing unit (grinding unit) equipped with a grinding wheel for grinding the workpiece 11, a processing unit (polishing unit) equipped with a polishing pad for polishing the workpiece 11, or a processing unit (laser irradiation unit) for processing the workpiece 11 by irradiating it with a laser beam. In this case, the processing devices function as a cutting device, a grinding device, a polishing device, and a laser processing device, respectively.

An example in which the chuck table 2 and the transfer mechanism 12 are mounted on a processing device (cutting device) that cuts the workpiece 11 with a cutting blade will be described below. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the cutting device 40. FIG.

The cutting device 40 includes a base 42 on which each component constituting the cutting device 40 is mounted. The base 42 is formed in a stepped shape including a first surface 42a arranged along the horizontal direction (XY plane direction), a second surface 42b arranged upward in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) from the rear end of the first surface 42a, and a third surface 42c arranged downward in the vertical direction from the front end of the first surface 42a.

An opening 42d is formed at one end of the second surface 42b in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and a cassette elevator 44 is arranged inside the opening 42d. The cassette elevator 44 is connected to an elevating mechanism (not shown), which elevates the cassette elevator 44 vertically. A cassette 46 that can accommodate a plurality of workpieces 11 (see FIG. 1) is mounted on the upper surface of the cassette elevator 44 .

A temporary placement unit 48 for temporarily placing the workpiece 11 is provided in front of the opening 42d. The temporary placement unit 48 includes a pair of guide rails 50a and 50b that approach and separate from each other while maintaining a parallel state. In the vicinity of the guide rails 50a and 50b, an unloading mechanism 52 for gripping and pulling out the workpiece 11 stored in the cassette 46 is arranged.

The carry-out mechanism 52 includes a gripping portion 52a for gripping the workpiece 11 on the side of the cassette elevator 44, and moves along the first surface 42a of the base 42 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Further, the guide rails 50a and 50b sandwich the workpiece 11 drawn out from the cassette 46 by the carry-out mechanism 52 to position the workpiece 11. As shown in FIG.

A transport mechanism 54 for transporting the workpiece 11 is provided above the temporary placement unit 48 . As the transport mechanism 54, the aforementioned transport mechanism 12 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can be used. The transport mechanism 54 has a transport arm 56, and the transport arm 56 is inserted into a slit 42e formed above the opening 42d so that the length direction of the transport arm 56 is along the Y-axis direction. The base end side (rear end side) of the transport arm 56 is connected to a moving mechanism (not shown), and this moving mechanism moves the transport arm 56 along the Y-axis direction.

A transport head 60 and an imaging unit 62 are connected to the tip (front end) of the transport arm 56 via an elevating mechanism 58 such as an air cylinder. As the transport head 60, the transport head 14 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can be used. The imaging unit 62 is composed of a camera or the like, and acquires an image or the like for adjusting the position at which the workpiece 11 held by the transport head 60 is transported. However, the imaging unit 62 can be omitted.

In the central portion of the first surface 42a, there is provided an opening 42f that is rectangular in plan view and formed from the front to the rear of the first surface 42a. Inside the opening 42f are arranged an X-axis moving table 64, an X-axis moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the X-axis moving table 64 in the X-axis direction, and a bellows-like dust and drip proof cover 66 covering the X-axis moving mechanism.

A chuck table 68 for holding the workpiece 11 is arranged on the X-axis moving table 64 . As the chuck table 68, the aforementioned chuck table 2 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can be used. The chuck table 68 is connected to a rotation drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and rotates around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Also, the chuck table 68 moves along the X-axis direction together with the X-axis moving table 64 .

A machining unit (cutting unit) 70 to which an annular cutting blade 72 for cutting the workpiece 11 is mounted is arranged above the chuck table 68 . The processing unit 70 is supported by a moving mechanism (not shown), and this moving mechanism moves the processing unit 70 along the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. Although FIG. 12 shows an example in which the cutting device 40 includes one set of processing units 70 , the cutting device 40 may be provided with two or more sets of processing units 70 .

The machining unit 70 has a spindle (not shown) whose axis is substantially parallel to the upper surface (holding surface) of the chuck table 68, and a cutting blade 72 is attached to the tip of the spindle. The spindle is connected to a rotational drive source such as a motor, and the cutting blade 72 attached to the spindle is rotated by force transmitted from the rotational drive source.

The cutting blade 72 is formed by fixing abrasive grains made of diamond or the like with a bonding material. As the bonding material, for example, metal bond, resin bond, vitrified bond, or the like is used. By rotating the cutting blade 72 to cut into the workpiece 11 placed on the chuck table 68, the workpiece 11 is cut and divided into a plurality of chips (for example, device chips and package devices).

When processing the workpiece 11, first, the unprocessed workpiece 11 stored in the cassette 46 is grasped by the grasping portion 52a of the carry-out mechanism 52, pulled out, and placed on the guide rails 50a and 50b. After positioning the workpiece 11 by sandwiching the workpiece 11 between the guide rails 50 a and 50 b , the workpiece 11 is transported to the chuck table 68 by the transport mechanism 54 . The operations of the chuck table 68 and the transport mechanism 54 when transporting the workpiece 11 are the same as those of the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 (see FIGS. 8 to 10, etc.).

After that, the workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 68 is subjected to a predetermined cutting process by the machining unit 70 . For example, the chuck table 68 is rotated to align the length direction of the planned division line 15 (see FIG. 1) with the processing feed direction (X-axis direction), and in a state in which the lower end of the cutting blade 72 provided in the processing unit 70 is positioned below the lower surface 11b of the workpiece 11, the cutting blade 72 is rotated to cut into the workpiece 11 along the planned division line 15. Thereby, the workpiece 11 is divided along the dividing line 15 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, a groove 4g corresponding to the dividing line 15 of the workpiece 11 is formed on the holding surface 4a side of the support table 4. As shown in FIG. When dividing the workpiece 11, the lower end of the cutting blade 72 is inserted into this groove 4g to avoid contact between the cutting blade 72 and the support base 4. As shown in FIG.

A cleaning unit 74 is arranged above the chuck table 68 . The cleaning unit 74 cleans the workpiece 11 by supplying a cleaning liquid such as pure water to the upper surface 11 a of the workpiece 11 processed by the machining unit 70 . However, the cleaning of the upper surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 may be performed by supplying a cleaning liquid from a cleaning nozzle (not shown) provided in the processing unit 70, for example. In this case, the cleaning unit 74 can be omitted.

A transport mechanism 76 for transporting the workpiece 11 is provided above the chuck table 68 . As the transport mechanism 76, the aforementioned transport mechanism 12 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can be used. The transport mechanism 76 has a transport arm 78, and the transport arm 78 is inserted into a slit 42g formed obliquely above the slit 42e so that the length direction of the transport arm 78 extends along the Y-axis direction. The base end side (rear end side) of the transport arm 78 is connected to a moving mechanism (not shown), and this moving mechanism moves the transport arm 78 along the Y-axis direction.

A transport head 82 is connected to the tip (front end) of the transport arm 78 via an elevating mechanism 80 such as an air cylinder. As the transport head 82, the aforementioned transport head 14 (see FIG. 2, etc.) can be used.

A cleaning unit 84 for cleaning the workpiece 11 by supplying a cleaning liquid such as pure water to the bottom surface 11b of the workpiece 11 after machining is provided on the side of the opening 42f (the other end in the left-right direction). A lower surface drying mechanism 86 that dries the lower surface 11b side of the workpiece 11 after processing is arranged on the side of the cleaning unit 84 (the other end in the left-right direction). The lower surface drying mechanism 86 has a plurality of ejection holes that open upward, and air is ejected upward from the ejection holes.

An upper surface drying mechanism 88 is provided above the lower surface drying mechanism 86 . The upper surface drying mechanism 88 has an arm 90, and the arm 90 is inserted into a slit 42h formed below the slit 42g so that the length direction of the arm 90 is along the Y-axis direction. A moving mechanism (not shown) is connected to the base end side (rear end side) of the arm 90, and this moving mechanism moves the arm 90 along the Y-axis direction.

A jet nozzle 94 is connected to the tip (front end) of the arm 90 via an elevating mechanism 92 such as an air cylinder. The ejection nozzle 94 has a plurality of ejection holes opening downward, and air is ejected downward from the ejection holes.

An opening 42i is formed on the other end side of the second surface 42b in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and a cassette elevator 96 is arranged inside the opening 42i. The cassette elevator 96 is connected to an elevating mechanism (not shown), which elevates the cassette elevator 96 vertically. A cassette 98 that can accommodate a plurality of workpieces 11 is mounted on the upper surface of the cassette elevator 96 .

A temporary placement unit 100 for temporarily placing the workpiece 11 is provided in front of the opening 42i. The temporary placement unit 100 includes a pair of guide rails 102a and 102b that approach and separate while maintaining a parallel state. The guide rails 102a and 102b sandwich the workpiece 11 conveyed by the conveying mechanism 76 and align the workpiece 11 with each other.

In addition, a carrying-in mechanism 104 is arranged near the guide rails 102a and 102b to hold the workpiece 11 temporarily placed on the temporary placement unit 100 and store it in the cassette 98. As shown in FIG. The carrying-in mechanism 104 has a gripping portion 104a for gripping the workpiece 11 on the side of the cassette elevator 96, and moves along the first surface 42a of the base 42 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction).

The workpiece 11 processed by the processing unit 70 is transported from the chuck table 68 by the transport mechanism 76 after the upper surface 11 a thereof is cleaned by the cleaning unit 74 . The operations of the chuck table 68 and the transport mechanism 76 when transporting the workpiece 11 are the same as those of the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 described above.

The workpiece 11 held by the transport mechanism 76 is arranged above the lower surface drying mechanism 86 after the lower surface 11b side thereof is cleaned by the cleaning unit 84 . The washing water and the like adhering to the lower surface 11b side of the workpiece 11 is blown away by the air jetted from the lower surface drying mechanism 86, and the workpiece 11 is dried.

When the drying of the lower surface 11 b side of the workpiece 11 is completed, the transport mechanism 76 places the workpiece 11 on the lower surface drying mechanism 86 . Further, a top surface drying mechanism 88 is arranged above the workpiece 11 . The cleaning water and the like attached to the upper surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 is blown off by the air ejected from the ejection nozzle 94, and the workpiece 11 is dried.

A holding table for holding the workpiece 11 may be provided instead of the lower surface drying mechanism 86, and a nozzle for ejecting air upward may be provided between the cleaning unit 84 and the holding table. In this case, when the workpiece 11 is transferred from the cleaning unit 84 to the holding table, the lower surface 11b side of the workpiece 11 can be cleaned.

The workpiece 11 whose upper surface 11a side and lower surface 11b side have been dried is held by the conveying mechanism 76 and conveyed onto the guide rails 102a and 102b. After the workpiece 11 is sandwiched between the guide rails 102 a and 102 b and positioned, it is accommodated in the cassette 98 by the loading mechanism 104 .

For example, when the workpiece 11 is divided into two parts by the machining unit 70 , the parts are placed one by one on the guide rails 102 a and 102 b and accommodated in the cassette 98 . Since the transport mechanism 76 has two pairs of holding members 20 (see FIG. 2, etc.), the components can be placed on the guide rails 102a and 102b one by one.

Further, on the side of the third surface 42c of the base 42, an operation panel 106 for inputting instructions and the like to the cutting device 40 is installed. Information such as processing conditions is input to the operation panel 106 .

As described above, the conveying mechanism 12 according to the present embodiment conveys the workpiece 11 by holding the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece 11 with the holding member 20 from the lower surface 11b side. Therefore, the workpiece 11 can be transported without using a mechanism for sucking and holding the workpiece 11, and adhesion of foreign matter to the workpiece 11 caused by sucking and holding the workpiece 11 can be avoided. As a result, deterioration in the quality and yield of chips and the like obtained by processing the workpiece 11 can be suppressed.

The details of the structures of the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 described in this embodiment can be changed as appropriate within the range in which the workpiece 11 can be transported. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the chuck table 2 and the transport mechanism 12 according to the modification.

As shown in FIG. 13, the base 16 of the transport head 14 may have a notch 16f having a different shape from the notch 16e shown in FIG. The notch portion 16f is formed in a region corresponding to the clamp portion 6 of the chuck table 2. As shown in FIG. When the clamp section 6 is closed (see FIG. 4A) and the transfer head 14 is placed on the chuck table 2, the notch section 16f is arranged so as to overlap the contact section 6a of the clamp section 6. As shown in FIG.

Depending on the distance between the chuck table 2 and the transfer head 14, the size of the clamping portion 6, and the like, when the clamping portion 6 is switched from the open state (see FIG. 3A) to the closed state (see FIG. 4A), the contact portion 6a of the clamping portion 6 may come into contact with the base 16, preventing the clamping portion 6 from pressing the workpiece 11. However, if the notch portion 16f is provided, when the clamp portion 6 is moved from the non-pressing position to the pressing position with the transfer head 14 approaching the chuck table 2, the contact portion 6a passes through the inside of the notch portion 16f, thereby avoiding contact between the clamp portion 6 and the base 16.

In addition, the structures, methods, and the like according to the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

11 workpiece 11a upper surface (surface)
11b lower surface (back surface)
11c Outer edge 13 Device area 15 Planned division line (street)
2 chuck table 4 support base 4a holding surface 4b lower surface 4c first side surface 4d second side surface 4e notch 4f opening 4g groove 6 clamping portion 6a contact portion 6b support portion 6c notch portion 8 clamp portion drive mechanism 12 transport mechanism (transport unit)
14 transport head 16 base 16a upper surface 16b lower surface 16c first side surface 16d second side surface 16e notch portion 16f notch portion 18 connection member 20 holding member 20a side wall portion 20b upper wall portion 20c holding portion 20d projecting portion 22 holding member driving mechanism 24 guide portion 24a convex portion 26 pressing Pin 28 Positioning pin 40 Cutting device 42 Base 42a First surface 42b Second surface 42c Third surface 42d, 42f, 42i Openings 42e, 42g, 42h Slit 44 Cassette elevator 46 Cassette 48 Temporary placement unit 50a, 50b Guide rail 52 Unloading mechanism 52a Grasping part 54 Transporting mechanism 56 Transport arm 58 Lifting mechanism 60 Transport head 62 Imaging unit 64 X-axis movement table 66 Dust and drip proof cover 68 Chuck table 70 Machining unit (cutting unit)
72 Cutting blade 74 Washing unit 76 Transfer mechanism 78 Transfer arm 80 Lifting mechanism 82 Transfer head 84 Washing unit 86 Lower surface drying mechanism 88 Upper surface drying mechanism 90 Arm 92 Lifting mechanism 94 Ejection nozzle 96 Cassette elevator 98 Cassette 100 Temporary placement unit 102a, 102b Guide rail 104 Loading mechanism 104a Grip Holding part 106 operation panel

Claims (7)

A transport mechanism for transporting a workpiece,
a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism;
a transport head connected to the transport arm;
The conveying head includes a pair of holding members configured to be movable between a holding position that holds the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the lower surface side and a non-holding position that does not hold the workpiece, and a pressing pin that presses the upper surface side of the workpiece when the workpiece is released from being held by the holding member without coming into contact with the upper surface side of the workpiece held by the holding member,
a holding surface for holding the workpiece;
a cutout portion provided in a region corresponding to the holding member, in which a lower end portion of the holding member is arranged when the transport head is brought close to the holding surface;
A conveying mechanism for conveying the workpiece to or from the chuck table, the workpiece being provided with a pair of clamps configured to be movable between a pressing position that presses the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side and a non-pressing position that does not press the workpiece. 2. The conveying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the conveying head is provided in a region corresponding to the clamping portion, and further includes a notch portion through which the clamping portion passes when the clamping portion moves from the non-pressing position to the pressing position. 3. The transfer mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said transfer head further comprises a positioning pin for positioning said workpiece. A conveying method for conveying a workpiece to a chuck table using a conveying mechanism,
The transport mechanism includes a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism and a transport head connected to the transport arm,
The transport head includes a pair of holding members configured to be movable between a holding position holding the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the lower surface side and a non-holding position not holding the workpiece,
The chuck table includes a holding surface for holding the workpiece, a notch provided in a region corresponding to the holding member and in which the lower end of the holding member is arranged when the transfer head is brought close to the holding surface, and a pair of clamps configured to be movable between a pressing position for pressing the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side and a non-pressing position for not pressing the workpiece,
a placing step of lowering the transport head holding the workpiece by the holding member and placing the workpiece on the chuck table;
a pressing step of pressing the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side by arranging the clamp portion at the pressing position after the placing step;
a holding member placement step of placing the holding member outside the workpiece by placing the holding member in the non-holding position after the pressing step;
a carrying head raising step of raising the carrying head after the holding member arranging step. A workpiece conveying method for conveying a workpiece from a chuck table using a conveying mechanism,
The transport mechanism includes a transport arm connected to a moving mechanism and a transport head connected to the transport arm,
The transport head includes a pair of holding members configured to be movable between a holding position holding the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the lower surface side and a non-holding position not holding the workpiece,
The chuck table includes a holding surface for holding the workpiece, a notch portion provided in a region corresponding to the holding member and in which the lower end of the holding member is arranged when the transfer head is brought close to the holding surface, and a pair of clamp portions configured to be movable between a pressing position for pressing the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece from the upper surface side and a non-pressing position for not pressing the workpiece,
a conveying head lowering step of lowering the conveying head positioned above the workpiece pressed by the clamp unit;
a holding member arranging step of arranging the holding member at the holding position after the transport head lowering step so that the holding member overlaps the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece;
After the holding member arranging step, a pressing release step of releasing the pressing of the workpiece by the clamping portion by arranging the clamping portion at the non-pressing position;
a conveying head raising step of raising the conveying head after the pressing release step. a transport mechanism and a chuck table according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
and a machining unit for machining the workpiece held by the chuck table. The machining unit is equipped with a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece,
7. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the chuck table has a groove into which the lower end of the cutting blade is inserted in a region corresponding to the planned dividing line of the workpiece.

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