JP7775321B2 - Expanding Device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an expansion device, and more particularly to an expansion device having a wafer ring structure containing wafers.

Expanding devices equipped with a wafer ring structure containing wafers are known. Such an expanding device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5243101.

The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 5243101 discloses a breaking device (expanding device) equipped with a wafer ring structure containing a wafer. In the wafer ring structure, the wafer is attached to a protective tape via a film-like adhesive. The protective tape is stretchable. The protective tape is attached to an annular frame. The wafer has a breaking line formed thereon for dividing it into multiple chips.

The breaking device of the above-mentioned Patent Publication No. 5243101 is configured to break wafers along grid-like breaking lines. The breaking device comprises a frame holding means, a protective tape expanding means, a cold air introducing means, and a housing. The frame holding means is configured to hold an annular frame. The protective tape expanding means is configured to break the wafer along the breaking lines by expanding the protective tape while the annular frame is held by the frame holding means. The cold air introducing means is configured to introduce cold air into the closed housing to cool the protective tape to a temperature at which the wafer is likely to break.

Patent No. 5243101

However, in the breaking device of Patent No. 5243101, when the protective tape is cooled by the cold air introduction means, the protective tape to which the wafer is attached is covered from above by a lid-like housing to contain (seal) the cold air, making it difficult to approach the wafer from above. For this reason, in the breaking device of Patent No. 5243101, when the protective tape (sheet member) is cooled by the cold air introduction means (cold air supply unit), it is desirable to cool the protective tape while ensuring a path that allows access to the wafer from above.

This invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of this invention is to provide an expanding device that can cool a sheet material using a cold air supply unit while ensuring a path that allows access to the wafer from above.

An expanding device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a sheet member having a wafer ring structure including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where it surrounds the wafer, the expanding device including a clamping portion that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the dividing line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamping portion, and a cold air supplying portion that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the sheet member is expanded by the expanding portion, the cold air supplying portion being configured to supply cold air to the sheet member by expanding the ring-shaped member by the clamping portion. The apparatus is configured to hold a shaped member and supply cold air into a recess surrounded by the clamping portion and the wafer ring structure while leaving the space above the clamping portion open and not sealed, thereby accumulating the cold air in the recess.It further includes a fixing member to which the cold air supplying portion is fixed, and a control unit that controls the cooling of the space within the recess to a predetermined temperature by the cold air supplied from the cold air supplying portion based on the temperature measurement value of a temperature sensor that is arranged on the fixing member and measures the ambient temperature within the recess.The cold air supplying portion is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and is configured to supply cold air to the recess when moved downward and positioned within the recess.In the vertical direction, the depth of the recess is greater than the length of the fixing member .

In the expanding device according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the clamp unit grips the ring-shaped member and the space above the clamp unit is open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess. This allows the sheet member to be cooled by storing cold air in the recess without supplying cold air to an enclosed space such as a housing. Therefore, when the sheet member is cooled by the cold air supply unit, the sheet member can be cooled while maintaining a path that allows access to the wafer from above. Furthermore, unlike when cold air is supplied to the recess with the cold air supply unit positioned (fixed) outside the recess, the flow of cold air outside the recess can be prevented, thereby ensuring a reliable supply of cold air into the recess. Furthermore, the depth of the recess can be ensured, allowing a larger amount of cold air to be stored in the recess.
An expanding device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a sheet member having a wafer ring structure including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member while surrounding the wafer, the expanding device including a clamping portion that grips the ring-shaped member, the expanding portion expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamping portion to divide the wafer along the dividing line, and a pressure adjusting portion that adjusts the pressure adjusting portion to adjust the pressure adjusting portion. and a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the sheet member, the cold air supply unit being configured to hold the ring-shaped member with the clamp unit and to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the space above the clamp unit is open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess, the cold air supply unit being configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and being configured to supply cold air to the recess when moved downward and positioned within the recess, the cold air supply unit further comprising a fixing member to which the cold air supply unit is fixed, and the depth of the recess in the vertical direction is greater than the length of the fixing member.
In the expanding device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the depth of the recess can be ensured, so that a larger amount of cool air can be stored in the recess.
An expanding device according to a third aspect of the present invention is an expanding device for dividing a wafer by expanding a sheet member having a wafer ring structure including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where it surrounds the wafer, the expanding device including a clamping portion that grips the ring-shaped member, and the expanding portion that divides the wafer along the dividing line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamping portion; and a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure, the cold air supply unit being configured to hold the ring-shaped member with the clamp unit and to supply cold air to accumulate in the recess while the space above the clamp unit is open and not sealed, the clamp unit including a lower gripping unit that supports the ring-shaped member from below, and an upper gripping unit that forms the portion of the inner surface of the recess above the ring-shaped member and presses the ring-shaped member from above, the upper gripping unit having a plurality of sliding bodies that can slide horizontally inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side.
In the expanding device according to the third aspect of the present invention, unlike when multiple sliding bodies move in the vertical direction, interference between each of the multiple sliding bodies and the structure arranged above the upper gripping portion can be suppressed, thereby suppressing a decrease in the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the structure arranged above the upper gripping portion in the expanding device.
An expanding device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is an expanding device for dividing a wafer by expanding a sheet member of a wafer ring structure including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where it surrounds the wafer, the expanding device including a clamping portion that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the dividing line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is being gripped by the clamping portion, and a cold air supplying portion that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the sheet member is expanded by the expanding portion, and the cold air supplying portion grips the ring-shaped member with the clamping portion and is stronger than the clamping portion. The device is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamping portion and the wafer ring structure while the upper space is open and not sealed, thereby accumulating the cold air in the recess. It further comprises a fixing member to which the cold air supplying portion is fixed, and a control portion that controls the cooling of the space within the recess to a predetermined temperature by the cold air supplied from the cold air supplying portion based on the temperature measurement value of a temperature sensor disposed on the fixing member that measures the ambient temperature within the recess. The clamping portion includes a lower gripping portion that supports the ring-shaped member from below, and an upper gripping portion that forms the portion of the inner surface of the recess above the ring-shaped member and presses the ring-shaped member from above, and the upper gripping portion has a plurality of sliding bodies that can slide horizontally inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side.
In the expanding device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the recess is formed by utilizing the inner surface of the upper gripping portion when the ring-shaped member is gripped by the lower gripping portion and the upper gripping portion. This allows the structure for forming the recess and the structure for gripping the ring-shaped member to be shared. As a result, the expansion device can be prevented from becoming overly bulky. Furthermore, unlike a case in which multiple sliding bodies move vertically, interference between each of the multiple sliding bodies and the structure disposed above the upper gripping portion can be prevented, thereby preventing a reduction in the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the structure disposed above the upper gripping portion in the expanding device.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect, the recess preferably includes a bottom surface formed by the inner surfaces of the clamping portion, the inner surface of the ring-shaped member, and the upper surface of the sheet member. With this configuration, the recess is formed by utilizing the inner surfaces of the clamping portion, the inner surface of the ring-shaped member, and the upper surface of the sheet member, so that the recess can be formed simply by the clamping portion gripping the ring-shaped member. As a result, a recess with an open top can be easily formed.

In the expanding device according to the first aspect, the cold air supply unit is preferably disposed above the wafer when the ring-shaped member is held by the clamp unit, and includes a cold air supply port that supplies cold air from above downward. With this configuration, the cold air supplied from the cold air supply port can flow directly toward the bottom of the recess, thereby allowing the cold air to be efficiently stored in the recess.

The expanding device according to the first aspect preferably further includes a cooling unit capable of cooling the sheet member from below while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamping unit, the cooling unit including a cooling member having a Peltier element and contacting the sheet member from below while cooled by the Peltier element. With this configuration, the sheet member can be cooled not only by the cold air supply unit but also by the cooling member, thereby more effectively cooling the sheet member.

In this case, the control unit is preferably configured to control both the cooling by the cold air supply unit that stores cold air in the recess and cools the sheet member from above, and the cooling unit that cools the sheet member from below. With this configuration, the control unit can cool the sheet member using both the cold air supply unit and the cooling unit, so the sheet member can be cooled sufficiently.

In the expanding device according to the second aspect, the clamping portion preferably includes a lower gripping portion that supports the ring-shaped member from below, and an upper gripping portion that defines a portion of the inner surface of the recess that is above the ring-shaped member and holds the ring-shaped member from above. With this configuration, the recess is defined by utilizing the inner surface of the upper gripping portion when the ring-shaped member is gripped by the lower gripping portion and the upper gripping portion. This allows the configuration for forming the recess and the configuration for gripping the ring-shaped member to be shared. As a result, the expansion device can be prevented from becoming overly complicated.

In this case, the upper gripping unit preferably has multiple sliding bodies that can slide horizontally inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side. This configuration, unlike when multiple sliding bodies move vertically, can reduce interference between each of the multiple sliding bodies and components arranged above the upper gripping unit, thereby reducing a reduction in the degree of freedom in the arrangement of components arranged above the upper gripping unit in the expanding device.

According to the present invention, as described above, when cooling the sheet member using the cold air supply section, the sheet member can be cooled while ensuring a path that allows access to the wafer from above.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of an expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wafer ring structure of an expanding apparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 101-101 in FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a debris cleaner of an expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the heat shrink portion of the expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an expanding device according to one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a semiconductor chip manufacturing process of an expanding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of a clamping portion of an expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion of an expanding device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a clamping section and a cold air supply section of an expanding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a clamping unit and a cold air supply unit in FIG. 11 . FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cold air supply section and a cooling unit of an expanding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the expanded state of the sheet member by the expanding section of the expanding device according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the first half of the expanding process of the expanding device according to one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the second half of the expanding process of the expanding device according to one embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a contact cooling process of an expanding device according to one embodiment. 10 is a side view showing a state in which a wafer ring structure is placed on a lower gripping portion of an expanding device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion of an expanding device according to an embodiment, with a wafer ring structure placed on the lower gripping portion. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a wafer ring structure is placed on a lower gripping part of an expanding device according to an embodiment and an upper gripping part is closed. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which a wafer ring structure is positioned by a position adjustment unit of an expanding apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which a wafer ring structure is gripped by a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion of an expanding device according to an embodiment. FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention is described based on the drawings.

With reference to Figures 1 to 22, the configuration of the expansion device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(Configuration of the expanding device)
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the expanding device 100 is configured to divide a wafer 210 to form multiple semiconductor chips. The expanding device 100 is also configured to form sufficient gaps between the multiple semiconductor chips. A modified layer is formed in advance on the wafer 210 by irradiating the wafer 210 with a laser having a wavelength that is transparent to the wafer 210 along the dividing lines (streets). The modified layer refers to cracks, voids, etc. formed inside the wafer 210 by the laser. This method of forming a modified layer on the wafer 210 is called stealth dicing.

Therefore, in the expanding device 100, by expanding the sheet member 220, the wafer 210 is divided along the modified layer. In addition, by expanding the sheet member 220 in the expanding device 100, the gaps between the multiple semiconductor chips formed by division are widened.

The expansion device 100 comprises a base plate 1, a cassette section 2, a lift-up hand section 3, a suction hand section 4, a base 5, an expansion section 6, a cold air supply section 7, a cooling unit 8, a debris cleaner 9, a heat shrink section 10, and an ultraviolet irradiation section 11.

Here, the horizontal direction in which the cassette unit 2 and the heat shrink unit 10 are aligned is the X direction, the X direction toward the cassette unit 2 in the X direction is the X1 direction, and the X direction toward the heat shrink unit 10 in the X direction is the X2 direction. Furthermore, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction is the Y direction, the Y direction toward the cassette unit 2 in the Y direction is the Y1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Y1 direction is the Y2 direction. Furthermore, the vertical direction is the Z direction, with the upward direction being the Z1 direction and the downward direction being the Z2 direction.

<Base plate>
The base plate 1 is a base on which the cassette unit 2 and the suction hand unit 4 are placed. The base plate 1 has a rectangular shape that is long in the Y direction in a plan view.

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

The wafer 210 is a thin, circular plate made of crystals of a semiconductor material that is used to make semiconductor integrated circuits. As described above, a modified layer that modifies the interior of the wafer 210 is formed along the dividing line. In other words, the wafer 210 is configured to be divisible along the dividing line. The sheet member 220 is a stretchable adhesive tape. An adhesive layer is provided on the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220. The wafer 210 is attached to the adhesive layer of the sheet member 220. The ring-shaped member 230 is a metal frame that is ring-shaped in a plan view. Notches 240 and 250 are formed on the outer surface 230a of the ring-shaped member 230. The ring-shaped member 230 is attached to the adhesive layer of the sheet member 220, surrounding the wafer 210.

1 and 2, the cassette unit 2 includes a Z-direction movement mechanism 21, a wafer cassette 22, and a pair of mounting sections 23. The Z-direction movement mechanism 21 is configured to move the wafer cassette 22 in the Z direction using a motor 21a as a drive source. The Z-direction movement mechanism 21 also has a mounting table 21b that supports the wafer cassette 22 from below. The wafer cassette 22 is manually loaded and mounted on the mounting table 21b. The wafer cassette 22 has a storage space capable of accommodating multiple wafer ring structures 200. Multiple (five) of the pair of mounting sections 23 are arranged inside the wafer cassette 22. The ring-shaped members 230 of the wafer ring structure 200 are mounted on the pair of mounting sections 23 from the Z1 direction side. One of the pair of mounting sections 23 protrudes in the X2 direction from the inner surface of the wafer cassette 22 on the X1 direction side. The other of the pair of mounting portions 23 protrudes in the X1 direction from the inner surface of the wafer cassette 22 on the X2 direction side.

<Lift-up hand part>
The lift-up hand unit 3 is configured to be able to remove the wafer ring structure 200 from the cassette unit 2. The lift-up hand unit 3 is also configured to be able to store the wafer ring structure 200 in the cassette unit 2.

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

<Suction hand section>
The suction hand unit 4 is configured to suck the ring-shaped member 230 of the wafer ring structure 200 from the Z1 direction side.

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

<base>
The base 5 is a base on which the expanding section 6, the cooling unit 8, and the ultraviolet irradiation section 11 are installed. The base 5 has a rectangular shape that is long in the Y direction in a plan view.

<Expanding section>
The expanding section 6 is configured to expand the sheet member 220 of the wafer ring structure 200 to divide the wafer 210 along the dividing line.

Specifically, the expansion unit 6 includes a Z-direction movement mechanism 61, a Y-direction movement mechanism 62, a clamp unit 63, and an expansion ring 64. The Z-direction movement mechanism 61 is configured to move the clamp unit 63 in the Z direction using a motor 61a as its drive source. The Y-direction movement mechanism 62 is configured to move the Z-direction movement mechanism 61, the clamp unit 63, and the expansion ring 64 in the Y direction using a motor 62a as its drive source.

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

The expand ring 64 is configured to support the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side, thereby expanding the sheet member 220. The expand ring 64 has a ring shape in a plan view.

<Cold air supply section>
The cool air supply unit 7 is configured to supply cool air to the sheet member 220 from the Z1 direction side when the expanding unit 6 expands the sheet member 220.

Specifically, the cold air supply unit 7 has multiple nozzles 71. Each nozzle 71 has a cold air supply port 71a (see Figure 5) through which cold air supplied from a cold air supply source (not shown) flows out. The nozzles 71 are attached to the debris cleaner 9. The cold air supply source is a cooling device for generating cold air. The cold air supply source supplies air cooled by, for example, a cooling device equipped with a heat pump or the like. Such a cold air supply source is installed on the base 5. The cold air supply source and each of the multiple nozzles 71 are connected by hoses (not shown).

<Cooling unit>
The cooling unit 8 is configured to cool the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side when the expanding section 6 expands the sheet member 220.

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

The cooling unit 8 is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a cylinder 82. This allows the cooling unit 8 to move to a position in contact with the sheet member 220 and to a position spaced apart from the sheet member 220.

Debris Cleaner
The fragment cleaner 9 is configured to suck up fragments of the wafer 210 when the sheet member 220 is expanded by the expanding section 6 .

As shown in Figure 5, the debris cleaner 9 includes a ring-shaped member 91 and multiple suction ports 92. The ring-shaped member 91 is a member having a ring shape when viewed from the Z1 direction side. The multiple suction ports 92 are openings for sucking up debris from the wafer 210. The multiple suction ports 92 are formed on the underside of the ring-shaped member 91 on the Z2 direction side. The ring-shaped member 91 is an example of a "fixed member" in the claims.

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

<Heat shrink section>
The heat shrink unit 10 is configured to shrink the sheet member 220 expanded by the expanding unit 6 by heating while maintaining the gaps between the plurality of semiconductor chips.

As shown in Figure 1, the heat shrink unit 10 includes a Z-direction movement mechanism 110, a heating ring 111, an air suction ring 112, and an expansion maintenance ring 113. The Z-direction movement mechanism 110 is configured to move the heating ring 111 and the air suction ring 112 in the Z direction using a motor 110a as a drive source.

As shown in FIG. 6, the heating ring 111 has a ring shape in a plan view. The heating ring 111 also has a sheath heater that heats the sheet member 220. The suction ring 112 is integrally formed with the heating ring 111. The suction ring 112 has a ring shape in a plan view. Multiple suction ports 112a are formed on the underside of the suction ring 112 on the Z2 direction side. The expansion maintaining ring 113 is configured to press the sheet member 220 from the Z1 direction side to prevent the sheet member 220 near the wafer 210 from shrinking due to heating by the heating ring 111.

The expansion maintaining ring 113 has a ring shape when viewed in a plane. The expansion maintaining ring 113 is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a cylinder (not shown). This allows the expansion maintaining ring 113 to move to a position where it presses against the sheet member 220 and to a position away from the sheet member 220.

<Ultraviolet irradiation section>
The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 11 is configured to irradiate the sheet member 220 with ultraviolet rays in order to reduce the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer of the sheet member 220. Specifically, the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 11 has an ultraviolet ray illuminator.

(Control configuration of the expanding device)
As shown in Figure 7, the expansion device 100 includes a first control unit 12, a second control unit 13, a third control unit 14, a fourth control unit 15, a fifth control unit 16, an expansion control calculation unit 17, a handling control calculation unit 18, and a memory unit 19.

The first control unit 12 is configured to control the heat shrink unit 10. The first control unit 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory unit having a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The first control unit 12 may also include a memory unit such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that retains stored information even after the voltage is cut off. The HDD may also be shared by the first control unit 12, second control unit 13, third control unit 14, fourth control unit 15, and fifth control unit 16.

The second control unit 13 is configured to control the cold air supply unit 7, the cooling unit 8, and the debris cleaner 9. The second control unit 13 includes a CPU and a storage unit having ROM, RAM, etc. The third control unit 14 is configured to control the expansion unit 6. The third control unit 14 includes a CPU and a storage unit having ROM, RAM, etc. Note that the second control unit 13 and the third control unit 14 may include a storage unit such as an HDD that retains stored information even after the voltage is cut off.

The fourth control unit 15 is configured to control the cassette unit 2 and the lift-up hand unit 3. The fourth control unit 15 includes a CPU and a storage unit having ROM, RAM, etc. The fifth control unit 16 is configured to control the suction hand unit 4. The fifth control unit 16 includes a CPU and a storage unit having ROM, RAM, etc. Note that the fourth control unit 15 and the fifth control unit 16 may include a storage unit such as an HDD that retains stored information even after the voltage is cut off.

The expansion control calculation unit 17 is configured to perform calculations related to the expansion process of the sheet member 220 based on the processing results of the first control unit 12, the second control unit 13, and the third control unit 14. The expansion control calculation unit 17 includes a CPU and a memory unit having ROM, RAM, etc.

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

The memory unit 19 stores a program for operating the expansion device 100. The memory unit 19 includes ROM, RAM, etc.

(Semiconductor chip manufacturing process using an expanding device)
The overall operation of the expanding device 100 will now be described.

In step S1, the wafer ring structure 200 is removed from the cassette unit 2. That is, after the wafer ring structure 200 housed in the cassette unit 2 is supported by the lift-up hand 32, the lift-up hand 32 is moved in the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism 31, thereby removing the wafer ring structure 200 from the cassette unit 2. In step S2, the wafer ring structure 200 is transferred to the expansion unit 6 by the suction hand 43. That is, the wafer ring structure 200 removed from the cassette unit 2 is moved in the X2 direction by the X-direction movement mechanism 41 while being sucked by the suction hand 43. Then, the wafer ring structure 200 moved in the X2 direction is transferred from the suction hand 43 to the clamp unit 63, and then gripped by the clamp unit 63.

In step S3, the sheet member 220 is expanded by the expansion unit 6. At this time, the sheet member 220 of the wafer ring structure 200 held by the clamp unit 63 is cooled by both the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8. The wafer ring structure 200, cooled to a predetermined temperature, is lowered by the Z-direction movement mechanism 61 while still held by the clamp unit 63. Then, the sheet member 220 is expanded by the expansion ring 64, dividing the wafer 210 along the division line. At this time, the wafer 210 is divided while the debris is suctioned by the debris cleaner 9.

In step S4, the expansion unit 6 is moved in the Z2 direction toward the heat shrink unit 10 while maintaining the expanded state of the sheet member 220. That is, after the wafer 210 is divided, the wafer ring structure 200 with the expanded sheet member 220 is moved in the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism 62. In step S5, the heat shrink unit 10 heats and shrinks the sheet member 220. At this time, the wafer ring structure 200 moved in the Y1 direction is heated by the heating ring 111 while sandwiched between the expansion maintaining ring 113 and the expansion ring 64. At this time, air is drawn in by the suction ring 112, and ultraviolet light is irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 11.

In step S6, the expansion section 6 is returned to its original position. That is, the wafer ring structure 200, with the sheet member 220 deflated, is moved in the Y2 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism 31. In step S7, the wafer ring structure 200 is transferred from the expansion section 6 to the lift-up hand section 3 by the suction hand 43, and then moved in the X1 direction by the X-direction movement mechanism 41 and handed over to the lift-up hand 32. In step S8, the wafer ring structure 200 is accommodated in the cassette section 2. Then, the wafer ring structure 200 supported by the lift-up hand 32 is moved in the Y1 direction by the Y-direction movement mechanism 31, and the wafer ring structure 200 is accommodated in the cassette section 2. This completes the processing performed on one wafer ring structure 200.

(Detailed configuration of clamping section, cold air supply section and cooling unit)
The detailed configurations of the clamping section 63, the cold air supplying section 7, and the cooling unit 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Detailed configuration of the lower gripping portion>
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lower grip portion 63a has a support body 163a, a position adjustment portion 163b, a positioning pin 163c, and a positioning pin 163d.

The support 163a supports the ring-shaped member 230 of the wafer ring structure 200 from the Z2 direction side. A through-hole 163e is formed in the support 163a. The through-hole 163e penetrates the support 163a in the Z direction. The through-hole 163e is formed to allow the cooling body 81a to contact the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side. In the horizontal direction (XY direction), the dimensions of the through-hole 163e are larger than those of the cooling body 81a. In the horizontal direction (XY direction), the dimensions of the through-hole 163e are slightly smaller than those of the ring-shaped member 230.

The position adjustment unit 163b is configured to move the wafer ring structure 200, which is placed on the support 163a, toward the positioning pins 163c and 163d. The position adjustment unit 163b is configured to be movable in the Y direction in the E1 direction toward the positioning pins 163c and 163d. The position adjustment unit 163b is configured to be movable in the Y direction in the E2 direction away from the positioning pins 163c and 163d.

By moving in the E1 direction, the position adjustment unit 163b abuts the positioning pin 163c against the notch 240 of the wafer ring structure 200 placed on the support 163a. Furthermore, by moving in the E1 direction, the position adjustment unit 163b abuts the positioning pin 163d against the notch 250 of the wafer ring structure 200 placed on the support 163a. This positions the wafer ring structure 200 horizontally. After positioning the wafer ring structure 200, the position adjustment unit 163b moves in the E2 direction to return to its original position.

Positioning pin 163c and positioning pin 163d are pins that protrude in the Z1 direction from the upper surface of support body 163a on the Z1 direction side. Positioning pin 163c is positioned at a position corresponding to notch 240. Positioning pin 163d is positioned at a position corresponding to notch 250.

<Detailed configuration of upper grip portion>
9 and 10 , the upper gripping portion 63b has a plurality of (four) slide movable bodies. The slide movable bodies are slidable inward toward the wafer 210 (hereinafter referred to as the D1 direction) and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer 210 (hereinafter referred to as the D2 direction) in the horizontal direction. The slide movable bodies are a first slide movable body 263a, a second slide movable body 263b, a third slide movable body 263c, and a fourth slide movable body 263d.

The first slide moving body 263a and the second slide moving body 263b are arranged in opposing positions in the Y direction. Each of the first slide moving body 263a and the second slide moving body 263b can move in the D1 direction in the Y direction toward the wafer 210, and in the D2 direction in the Y direction away from the wafer 210.

The third slide moving body 263c and the fourth slide moving body 263d are arranged in opposing positions in the X direction. Each of the third slide moving body 263c and the fourth slide moving body 263d can move in the D1 direction in the X direction toward the wafer 210, and in the D2 direction in the X direction away from the wafer 210.

The first slide mover 263a, the second slide mover 263b, the third slide mover 263c, and the fourth slide mover 263d each move in the D1 direction to be positioned (inner position) to press the ring-shaped member 230 from the Z1 direction. The first slide mover 263a, the second slide mover 263b, the third slide mover 263c, and the fourth slide mover 263d each move in the D2 direction to be positioned (outer position) to not press the ring-shaped member 230 from the Z1 direction. In the outer position, the wafer ring structure 200 can move in the Z direction inside the first slide mover 263a, the second slide mover 263b, the third slide mover 263c, and the fourth slide mover 263d.

Each of the first slide moving body 263a, the second slide moving body 263b, the third slide moving body 263c, and the fourth slide moving body 263d moves in the D1 and D2 directions using an actuator such as a motor or cylinder as a driving source (not shown).

<Detailed configuration of the cold air supply unit>
11 , the cold air supply unit 7 of this embodiment is configured to retain cold air near the sheet member 220 of the wafer ring structure 200, rather than supplying cold air into a sealed housing. Note that in FIG. 11 , the cold air is indicated by imaginary hatching. That is, the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to hold the ring-shaped member 230 with the clamp unit 63, and to supply cold air to the recess 120 surrounded by the clamp unit 63 and the wafer ring structure 200, with the space on the Z1 direction side of the clamp unit 63 open and not sealed, thereby retaining the cold air in the recess 120.

Specifically, the cold air supply unit 7 includes multiple (two) nozzles 71 and a temperature sensor 72. Although two nozzles 71 are provided, one, or three or more nozzles may be provided.

Each of the multiple nozzles 71 is configured to flow cold air toward the Z2 direction. Each of the multiple nozzles 71 has a cold air supply port 71a. When the ring-shaped member 230 is gripped by the clamp portion 63, the cold air supply port 71a is positioned on the Z1 side of the wafer 210 and is configured to supply cold air from the Z1 direction toward the Z2 direction. The cold air supply port 71a is open toward the Z2 direction. The cold air flowing from the cold air supply port 71a heads toward the wafer 210 and, upon hitting the wafer 210, flows toward the sheet member 220 around the wafer 210.

The temperature sensor 72 is configured to measure the ambient temperature within the recess 120. The temperature sensor 72 is electrically connected to the second control unit 13. As a result, the temperature measurement value of the temperature sensor 72 is sent to the second control unit 13. The temperature sensor 72 is attached to the outer surface of the ring-shaped member 91 of the debris cleaner 9.

As shown in FIG. 12, the recess 120 is a concave-shaped space recessed from the upper end of the clamp portion 63 toward the Z2 direction. The recess 120 has an inner surface 120a and a bottom surface 120b. The inner surface 263e and the inner surface 230b are each formed on the wafer 210 side in the horizontal direction. The inner surface 120a is formed by the inner surface 263e of the upper gripping portion 63b of the clamp portion 63 and the inner surface 230b of the ring-shaped member 230. The inner surface 263e is a surface formed when each of the first slide moving body 263a, the second slide moving body 263b, the third slide moving body 263c, and the fourth slide moving body 263d is moved in the D1 direction. The bottom surface 120b is a surface formed on the Z2 direction side of the cold air supply unit 7. The bottom surface 120b is formed by the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220. In this way, in the recess 120, cold air, which is denser than air at room temperature, stagnates near the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220. This stagnant cold air is prevented from escaping from the recess 120 by the inner surface 263e of the upper gripping portion 63b of the clamp unit 63, the inner surface 230b of the ring-shaped member 230, and the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220.

In the Z direction, the depth F of the recess 120 is greater than the length L of the ring-shaped member 91. In the horizontal direction (XY direction), the width W1 of the recess 120 is greater than the width W2 of the ring-shaped member 91. Thus, the recess 120 is large enough to accommodate the ring-shaped member 91. Furthermore, the recess 120 has an approximately hexagonal shape in a plan view (see Figure 1).

The cold air supply unit 7 is configured to be movable in the Z direction together with the ring-shaped member 91 by a cylinder (not shown). This allows the cold air supply unit 7 to move to a lower position Dw (see Figure 11) close to the wafer 210, and to an upper position Up (see Figure 2) where it can avoid the suction hand 43 moving in the X direction. Therefore, the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to supply cold air to the recess 120 when moved in the Z2 direction and positioned within the recess 120 (lower position Dw).

<Detailed configuration of the cooling unit>
13 , the cooling unit 8 is a unit used to cool the sheet member 220 in addition to the cooling of the sheet member 220 by the cold air supply unit 7. In this way, by using both the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8, it is possible to prevent a shortage of cooling capacity. This makes it possible to more reliably cool the sheet member 220, for example, even when using a sheet member 220 in which a film member (such as a die attach film) is placed under the wafer 210, or when using a sheet member 220 made of a material that is somewhat soft and therefore difficult to cool.

The cooling unit 8 is configured to cool the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side when the ring-shaped member 230 is gripped by the clamp portion 63. As described above, the cooling unit 8 includes a cooling member 81 having a cooling element 81a and a Peltier element 81b, and a cylinder 82. In the cooling unit 8, the cooling element 81a, cooled by the Peltier element 81b, is raised in the Z1 direction by the cylinder 82 and contacts the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side.

<Detailed Configuration of Second Control Unit and Third Control Unit>
11 , the second control unit 13 is configured to control the cooling of the space within the recess 120 to a predetermined temperature using cold air supplied from the cold air supply unit 7 based on the temperature measurement value of the temperature sensor 72. The predetermined temperature is, for example, approximately 0° C. As shown in FIG. 13 , the second control unit 13 is configured to control the cooling of the sheet member 220 by bringing the cooling element 81 a into contact with the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction side for a preset time period.

11 and 13, the second control unit 13 is configured to control cooling by both the cold air supply unit 7, which stores cold air in the recess 120 and cools the sheet member 220 from the Z1 direction, and the cooling unit 8, which cools the sheet member 220 from the Z2 direction, based on a setting of whether cooling by both the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8 is required, which is preset according to the type of sheet member 220. Whether cooling by both the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8 is required is preset by the user according to the type of sheet member 220.

As shown in Figure 14, the second control unit 13 is configured to stop cooling by the cooling unit 8 based on the elapse of a set time, and then control the cooling member 81 to move in the Z2 direction and position it at a lower position.

The second control unit 13 is also configured to control the start of suction by the debris cleaner 9 based on the temperature inside the recess 120 reaching a predetermined temperature. The third control unit 14 is configured to control the movement of the clamp unit 63 in the Z2 direction based on receiving a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that suction by the debris cleaner 9 has begun. As a result, the sheet member 220 is expanded by the expansion ring 64, and the wafer 210 is divided along the division line, resulting in the formation of multiple semiconductor chips.

The second control unit 13 is configured to control the cold air supply unit 7 to stop the supply of cold air and the debris cleaner 9 to stop the intake of air based on receiving notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that the clamp unit 63 has been positioned at the lower end position in the Z2 direction. The second control unit 13 is configured to control the cold air supply unit 7 to move in the Z1 direction and position it in the upper position Up based on the cold air supply unit 7 stopping the supply of cold air.

(Expanding process)
15 and 16, the expanding process in the expanding device 100 will be described. The expanding process is a process carried out in step S3 in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process.

As shown in Figure 15, in step S301, the second control unit 13 places the wafer ring structure 200 on the lower gripping unit 63a, causing the suction hand 43 to rise in the Z1 direction. At this time, the first slide mover 263a, the second slide mover 263b, the third slide mover 263c, and the fourth slide mover 263d of the upper gripping unit 63b are each moved in the D2 direction (see Figures 18 and 19). A ring-shaped member 230 is placed on the support 163a of the lower gripping unit 63a (see Figures 18 and 19).

In step S302, the third control unit 14 receives a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that the suction hand 43 has been raised, and based on this, the first slide movable body 263a, the second slide movable body 263b, the third slide movable body 263c, and the fourth slide movable body 263d of the upper gripping unit 63b are moved in the direction D1 (see Figure 20). In step S303, the third control unit 14 moves the position adjustment unit 163b in the direction E1. At this time, the notch 240 of the wafer ring structure 200 abuts against the positioning pin 163c, and the notch 250 of the wafer ring structure 200 abuts against the positioning pin 163d (see Figure 21). This positions the wafer ring structure 200 in the horizontal direction. Then, the third control unit 14 moves the position adjustment unit 163b in the direction E1, and then moves the position adjustment unit 163b in the direction E2 to return to its original position.

In step S304, the third control unit 14 returns the position adjustment unit 163b to its original position, and then moves (raises) the lower gripping unit 63a in the Z1 direction, so that the ring-shaped member 230 of the wafer ring structure 200 is gripped by the upper gripping unit 63b and the lower gripping unit 63a (see Figure 22).

In step S305, the second control unit 13 lowers the debris cleaner 9 based on receiving a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that the raising of the lower gripping portion 63a has been completed (see Figure 11). In step S306, the second control unit 13 determines whether or not cooling of the sheet member 220 is necessary. If cooling of the sheet member 220 is necessary, the process proceeds to step S307, and if cooling of the sheet member 220 is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S309 in Figure 16.

In step S307, the second control unit 13 starts the supply of cold air by the cold air supply unit 7 (see Figure 11), and then the process proceeds to step S400. In step S400, the second control unit 13 performs a contact cooling process. The contact cooling process will be described later.

In step S308, the second control unit 13 determines whether the ambient temperature inside the recess 120 measured by the temperature sensor 72 has reached a predetermined temperature. If the predetermined temperature has been reached, the process proceeds to step S309 in FIG. 16; if the predetermined temperature has not been reached, step S308 is repeated.

As shown in FIG. 16, in step S309, the second control unit 13 starts suction by the debris cleaner 9. Here, the suction volume of the debris cleaner 9 is smaller than the volume of cold air supplied from the cold air supply unit 7. In step S310, based on the fact that the third control unit 14 receives a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that suction by the debris cleaner 9 has started, the clamp unit 63 is rapidly lowered and expansion is performed using the expansion ring 64 (see FIG. 14).

In step S311, the second control unit 13 stops cooling by the cold air supply unit 7 based on receiving a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that expansion has been completed. Note that if cooling of the sheet member 220 by the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8 is not required, the process proceeds to step S312 without performing step S311.

In step S312, the second control unit 13 stops suction by the debris cleaner 9 based on the fact that cooling by the cold air supply unit 7 has been stopped. In step S313, the second control unit 13 raises the debris cleaner 9 based on the fact that suction by the debris cleaner 9 has been stopped, and then the expansion process ends. Note that if cooling of the sheet member 220 by the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8 is not required, the second control unit 13 will stop suction by the debris cleaner 9 based on receiving a notification from the expansion control calculation unit 17 that expansion has been completed.

<Contact cooling treatment>
17, the contact cooling process in the expanding device 100 will be described. The contact cooling process is a process indicating cooling by the cooling unit 8 that is performed in addition to cooling by the cold air supply section 7.

In step S401, the second control unit 13 starts cooling the cooling body 81a using the Peltier element 81b based on the fact that the cooling body 81a has been raised (see Figure 13). In step S402, it is determined whether the set time has elapsed. If the set time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S403; if the set time has not elapsed, step S402 is repeated. In step S403, the second control unit 13 lowers the cooling body 81a. In step S404, the second control unit 13 stops cooling the cooling body 81a using the Peltier element 81b, and then the contact cooling process ends.

(Effects of this embodiment)
In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, as described above, the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to supply cold air to the recess 120 surrounded by the clamp unit 63 and the wafer ring structure 200 while the ring-shaped member 230 is held by the clamp unit 63 and the space above the clamp unit 63 is open and not sealed, thereby accumulating the cold air in the recess 120. This allows the cold air to accumulate in the recess 120 and cool the sheet member 220 without supplying cold air to an enclosed space such as a housing. Therefore, when the sheet member 220 is cooled by the cold air supply unit 7, the sheet member 220 can be cooled while maintaining a path that allows access to the wafer 210 from the Z1 direction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the recess 120 includes the inner surface 263e of the clamp portion 63, the inner surface 230b of the ring-shaped member 230, and a bottom surface 120b consisting of the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220. As a result, the recess 120 is formed using the inner surface 263e of the clamp portion 63, the inner surface 230b of the ring-shaped member 230, and the upper surface 220a of the sheet member 220, so the recess 120 can be formed simply by the clamp portion 63 gripping the ring-shaped member 230. As a result, the recess 120 that is open in the Z1 direction can be easily formed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the cold air supply unit 7 is positioned on the Z1 side of the wafer 210 when the ring-shaped member 230 is gripped by the clamp unit 63, and includes a cold air supply port 71a that supplies cold air from the Z1 side toward the Z2 side. This allows the cold air supplied from the cold air supply port 71a to flow directly toward the bottom of the recess 120, thereby allowing the cold air to be efficiently stored in the recess 120.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to be movable in the Z direction. The cold air supply unit 7 is configured to supply cold air to the recess 120 when moved in the Z2 direction and positioned within the recess 120. This prevents cold air from flowing outside the recess 120, unlike when cold air is supplied to the recess 120 with the cold air supply unit 7 positioned (fixed) outside the recess 120, and therefore allows cold air to be reliably supplied into the recess 120.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the expansion device 100 is provided with a ring-shaped member 91 to which the cold air supply unit 7 is fixed. In the Z direction, the depth F of the recess 120 is greater than the length L of the ring-shaped member 91. This ensures that the depth F of the recess 120 is sufficient, allowing more cold air to be stored within the recess 120.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the expanding device 100 is equipped with a cooling unit 8 that can cool the sheet member 220 from below when the ring-shaped member 230 is gripped by the clamp portion 63. The cooling unit 8 has a Peltier element 81b and includes a cooling member 81 that contacts the sheet member 220 from below while cooled by the Peltier element 81b. This allows the sheet member 220 to be cooled not only by the cold air supply unit 7 but also by the cooling member 81, thereby more effectively cooling the sheet member 220.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the expanding device 100 further includes a second control unit 13 that controls both the cooling by the cold air supply unit 7, which stores cold air in the recess 120 and cools the sheet member 220 from above, and the cooling by the cooling unit 8, which cools the sheet member 220 from below. With this configuration, the second control unit 13 can cool the sheet member 220 using both the cold air supply unit 7 and the cooling unit 8, allowing the sheet member 220 to be sufficiently cooled.

In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the clamp unit 63 includes a lower gripping portion 63a that supports the ring-shaped member 230 from the Z2 direction, and an upper gripping portion 63b that forms the portion of the inner surface 120a of the recess 120 that is closer to the Z1 direction than the ring-shaped member 230 and presses the ring-shaped member 230 from the Z1 direction. As a result, the recess 120 is formed using the inner surface 263e of the upper gripping portion 63b when the ring-shaped member 230 is gripped by the lower gripping portion 63a and the upper gripping portion 63b. This allows the configuration for forming the recess 120 and the configuration for gripping the ring-shaped member 230 to be shared. As a result, the increase in the number of components required for the expansion device 100 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the upper gripping unit 63b has the first slide moving body 263a, the second slide moving body 263b, the third slide moving body 263c, and the fourth slide moving body 263d that are slidable in the horizontal direction in the D1 direction toward the wafer 210 and in the D2 direction opposite the wafer 210. This prevents interference between the first slide moving body 263a, the second slide moving body 263b, the third slide moving body 263c, and the fourth slide moving body 263d and components arranged further to the Z1 side of the upper gripping unit 63b, thereby preventing a reduction in the degree of freedom of arrangement of components arranged further to the Z1 side of the upper gripping unit 63b in the expanding device 100.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the cold air supply port 71a supplies cold air from the Z1 direction side to the Z2 direction side (from above to below), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cold air supply port may also supply cold air horizontally.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to supply cold air to the recess 120 while being moved in the Z2 direction (downward) and positioned within the recess 120, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cold air supply unit may also be configured to supply cold air to the recess while being positioned outside the recess.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the depth F of the recess 120 was greater than the length L of the ring-shaped member 91 (fixing member), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the depth of the recess may be smaller than the length of the fixing member.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the expansion device 100 is equipped with a cooling unit 8, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the expansion device does not have to be equipped with a cooling unit.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the cooling member 81 has a Peltier element 81b, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cooling body may be cooled by a cooling element other than a Peltier element.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the cold air supply unit 7 has a nozzle 71, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cold air supply unit may be a cylindrical part rather than a tapered part like a nozzle.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the temperature sensor 72 is attached to the outer surface of the ring-shaped member 91 of the debris cleaner 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the temperature sensor may be attached to another location, such as the clamp portion, as long as it is capable of measuring the ambient temperature inside the recess.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the cold air supply port 71a was formed in the nozzle 71, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cold air supply port may also be formed in the clamp portion, etc.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the cold air supply unit 7 is configured to be movable in the Z direction together with the ring-shaped member 91 by a cylinder (not shown), but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the cold air supply unit may be located in a fixed location without moving.

In addition, in the above embodiment, for the sake of convenience, an example was shown in which the control processing of the second control unit 13 (control unit) was explained using a flow-driven flowchart in which processing is performed sequentially according to a processing flow, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control processing of the control unit may be performed using event-driven processing in which processing is performed on an event-by-event basis. In this case, the control processing may be performed completely event-driven, or may be performed in a combination of event-driven and flow-driven processing.

6 Expanding section 7 Cold air supplying section 8 Cooling unit 13 Second control section (control section)
63 Clamping portion 63a Lower gripping portion 63b Upper gripping portion 71a Cold air supply port 72 Temperature sensor 81 Cooling member 81b Peltier element 91 Ring-shaped member (fixing member)
100 Expanding device 120 Recess 120a Inner surface 120b Bottom surface 200 Wafer ring structure 210 Wafer 220 Sheet member 220a Upper surface 230 Ring-shaped member 230b Inner surface 263a First sliding body (sliding body)
263b Second sliding body (sliding body)
263c Third sliding body (sliding body)
263d Fourth sliding body (sliding body)
263e Inner surface F (depth of recess) L (length of fixing member)

Claims (10)

An expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a wafer-ring structured sheet member including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where the wafer is surrounded,
an expanding unit including a clamp unit that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the division line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamp unit;
a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the expanding unit expands the sheet member,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the ring-shaped member is held by the clamp unit and a space above the clamp unit is left open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess,
a fixing member to which the cold air supply unit is fixed;
a control unit that controls the cooling of the space in the recess to a predetermined temperature by the cold air supplied from the cold air supply unit based on a temperature measurement value of a temperature sensor that is disposed on the fixing member and measures an ambient temperature in the recess ,
The cold air supply unit is configured to be movable in the vertical direction,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to the recessed portion when moved downward and positioned within the recessed portion,
An expanding device , wherein the depth of the recess in the vertical direction is greater than the length of the fixing member . An expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a wafer-ring structured sheet member including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where the wafer is surrounded,
an expanding unit including a clamp unit that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the division line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamp unit;
a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the expanding unit expands the sheet member,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the ring-shaped member is held by the clamp unit and a space above the clamp unit is left open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess,
The cold air supply unit is configured to be movable in the vertical direction,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to the recessed portion when moved downward and positioned within the recessed portion,
Further provided is a fixing member to which the cold air supply unit is fixed,
An expanding device, wherein the depth of the recess in the vertical direction is greater than the length of the fixing member. An expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a wafer-ring structured sheet member including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where the wafer is surrounded,
an expanding unit including a clamp unit that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the division line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamp unit;
a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the expanding unit expands the sheet member,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the ring-shaped member is held by the clamp unit and a space above the clamp unit is left open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess,
The clamp portion is
a lower gripping portion that supports the ring-shaped member from below;
an upper gripping portion that forms a portion of the inner surface of the recess that is above the ring-shaped member and that holds the ring-shaped member from above;
The expanding device has a plurality of sliding bodies that are horizontally slidable inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side. An expanding device that divides a wafer by expanding a wafer-ring structured sheet member including a wafer that can be divided along a dividing line, a stretchable sheet member to which the wafer is attached, and a ring-shaped member that is attached to the sheet member in a state where the wafer is surrounded,
an expanding unit including a clamp unit that grips the ring-shaped member, and that divides the wafer along the division line by expanding the sheet member while the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamp unit;
a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the sheet member when the expanding unit expands the sheet member,
the cold air supply unit is configured to supply cold air to a recess surrounded by the clamp unit and the wafer ring structure while the ring-shaped member is held by the clamp unit and a space above the clamp unit is left open and not sealed, thereby storing the cold air in the recess,
a fixing member to which the cold air supply unit is fixed;
a control unit that controls the cooling of the space in the recess to a predetermined temperature by the cold air supplied from the cold air supply unit based on a temperature measurement value of a temperature sensor that is disposed on the fixing member and measures an ambient temperature in the recess,
The clamp portion is
a lower gripping portion that supports the ring-shaped member from below;
an upper gripping portion that forms a portion of the inner surface of the recess that is above the ring-shaped member and that holds the ring-shaped member from above;
The expanding device has a plurality of sliding bodies that are slidable inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side in the horizontal direction. The recessed portion is
an inner surface of the clamping portion and an inner surface of the ring-shaped member;
The expanding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a bottom surface formed by the upper surface of the sheet member. The expanding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cold air supply unit is positioned above the wafer when the ring -shaped member is gripped by the clamp unit, and includes a cold air supply port that supplies cold air from above downward. a cooling unit capable of cooling the sheet member from below in a state in which the ring-shaped member is gripped by the clamp portion,
The expanding device according to claim 1 or 4 , wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling member having a Peltier element and contacting the sheet member from below while being cooled by the Peltier element. The expanding device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control both cooling by the cold air supply unit, which stores cold air in the recess and cools the sheet member from above, and cooling by the cooling unit, which cools the sheet member from below . The clamp portion is
a lower gripping portion that supports the ring-shaped member from below;
The expanding device according to claim 2 , further comprising an upper gripping portion that forms a portion of the inner surface of the recess that is above the ring-shaped member and that presses the ring-shaped member from above. The expanding device according to claim 9 , wherein the upper gripping portion has a plurality of sliding bodies that are slidable inward toward the wafer side and outward toward the opposite side from the wafer side in the horizontal direction.