JPH0246333B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for checking semiconductor wafers and printed circuit boards for processing, inspection, etc.

[Prior Art] In order to perform processing, inspection, and other operations on semiconductor wafers, printed circuit boards, and the like, it is necessary to fix the workpiece, and a chuck device is used to fixedly support the workpiece. As this chuck device, one configured to chuck a workpiece by vacuum suction has been widely used.

This type of chuck device includes, for example, the
As shown in Publication No. 50-66174, etc., a vacuum suction head is provided with a large number of small holes in the top plate of a table having a cavity for supporting a wafer, and a vacuum suction head is provided in the cavity of the vacuum suction head. It is constructed by switchably connecting a vacuum suction machine and an air compressor. When supporting the workpiece, the hollow part is connected to a vacuum suction machine so that the workpiece can be vacuum-suctioned, and the workpiece can be processed and
When the work such as inspection is completed, the cavity is connected to an air compressor, and the workpiece is lifted off the table so that it can be carried outside.

By using this kind of vacuum suction, it is possible to suction and fix the workpiece without touching the surface of the workpiece, and it is also possible to chuck the workpiece without damaging or distorting it by touching the surface with foreign matter. It is extremely convenient as a mechanism for checking workpieces such as PCBs and printed circuit boards.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, the chuck device according to the prior art described above uses a vacuum suction machine with a relatively small flow rate and high pressure, so that the chuck device is not provided with a hole in the table. If all of the small holes are not covered by the workpiece, sufficient suction force will not be exerted, and this poses a problem in that the vacuum suction head must be replaced each time the dimensions of the workpiece change. In addition, it is difficult to adjust the suction force of a vacuum suction machine, and if the vacuum suction machine is connected to the vacuum suction head as is,
If the adsorption force becomes too strong, for example when handling thin film-like workpieces or fragile workpieces,
This may cause deformation or damage to the workpiece. Therefore, when chucking such a fragile workpiece, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for adjusting the suction pressure consisting of an accumulator, a pressure regulating valve, etc., and for this reason, the structure of the vacuum suction mechanism is complicated and There is a drawback of increasing the size.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and its purpose is to have a simple structure, and even if the dimensions and shape of the workpiece change, the workpiece can be adsorbed without having to change the setup. It is an object of the present invention to provide a chuck device that can perform chucking and desorption, and can chuck with appropriate suction force.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a flexible hose that comprehensively communicates with a large number of small holes formed in a table, and on the other hand, a flexible hose that communicates comprehensively with a large number of small holes formed in a table. The end surfaces of the intake pipe and the discharge pipe that communicate with each other are arranged side by side so that they are almost on the same plane, and the end of the flexible hose is attached to the free end of a lever and the lever is rotated to connect the end of the flexible hose to the intake pipe. The flexible hose can be connected to selectively face either the end of the body pipe or the end of the discharge pipe, and further, when the flexible hose and the intake pipe are connected, the rotation angle of the lever is regulated by a regulating means. The present invention is characterized in that the suction pressure through each of the small holes can be adjusted by making variable the cross-sectional area of the flow path where both openings overlap.

[Function] Here, the blower refers to a single-stage rotary vane type air pump, and by using this blower, suction can be performed at low pressure and at a large flow rate. Therefore,
Even if the workpiece does not cover all of the small holes provided on the table, the suction force for the workpiece will not be lost.

When the chuck device is used to suction and hold a workpiece, the flexible hose is connected to the intake pipe of the blower. As a result, the atmospheric gas is sucked through the small hole, and the workpiece on the table can be suctioned. Here, since the pump flow rate by the blower is large, even if some of the many small holes provided in the table are not covered and some leakage occurs, it is necessary to fix it to the workpiece. It is possible to bring out the attractive power.

On the other hand, after predetermined processing, inspection, etc. are performed on the work while the work is suctioned and fixed as described above, the flexible hose is connected to the discharge pipe side. As a result, air is blown out from the small hole and the workpiece is lifted off the table, so that the workpiece can be easily carried out.

When chucking a workpiece using a chuck device, the workpiece must be fixed in a stable state during processing operations, so it is necessary to increase the suction force to some extent. If the force is too strong, there is a risk of deformation or damage depending on the nature of the workpiece. Therefore, the adsorption force of the workpiece by this chuck device must be adjusted with some degree of strictness. For this reason, in the present invention, when connecting the flexible hose to the intake pipe, the flexible hose is arranged opposite to the intake pipe, rather than being connected by fitting.
Moreover, the rotation angle of the lever for switching between the state in which the flexible hose is connected to the intake pipe and the state in which it is connected to the discharge pipe is regulated by the regulating means, so that the flexible hose and the intake pipe are connected. When connected, the flow path cross-sectional area of the communicating portion where both opening portions overlap can be changed. Therefore, by simply adjusting the rotational angle position of the lever using this regulating means, the suction force can be adjusted to an optimal state without providing a pressure adjustment mechanism such as an accumulator or a pressure adjustment valve.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on FIG. 1.

In the figure, 1 indicates a table constituting a suction bed on which a workpiece 2 is installed, and the table 1
A cavity 1b constituting an operating pressure chamber is formed in the top plate, and a large number of small holes 1a, 1 are formed in the top plate.
a, 1a, . . . are formed. A flexible hose 3 is installed in the cavity 1b of the table 1.
is connected. Reference numeral 4 denotes a blower, 4a its suction port, and 4b its discharge port. An intake pipe 5 is connected to the suction port 4a, and a discharge pipe 6 is connected to the discharge port 4b.

The flexible hose 3 can be switched between a state where it is connected to the intake pipe 5 and a state where it is connected to the discharge pipe 6. When the flexible hose 3 is connected to the intake pipe 5, negative pressure is created in the cavity 1b. As a result, outside air is sucked through the small hole 1a provided in the top plate of the table 1, and therefore, when a workpiece 2 is placed on the table 1, the workpiece 2 is attracted. In addition, flexible hose 3
When it is switched to the state where it is connected to the discharge pipe 6, the pressure inside the cavity 1b increases and air is blown out from the small hole 1a, so that the workpiece 2 placed on the table 1 can be lifted up and removed. It's getting old.

The intake pipe 5 and the discharge pipe 6 are each fixedly fixed so as to penetrate the support plate 7, and the intake pipe 5 and the discharge pipe 6 are made to protrude from the support plate 7 by an equal length. Therefore, the ends 5a and 6a of the intake pipe 5 and the discharge pipe 6 are aligned and arranged side by side on the same plane. On the other hand, the tip of the flexible hose 3 is fixed to the lever 10. This lever 10
is pivotally connected to a shaft 9 extending through a bearing 8 mounted on the support plate 7, and by rotating the shaft 9 around the axis and rotating the lever 10, the flexible hose 3 The end portion 3a of can be connected to the end portion 5a of the intake pipe 5 or the end portion 6a of the discharge pipe 6. For this purpose, the shaft 9 is connected via a coupling ring 11 to a drive shaft 12a of an actuator 12, and by actuating the actuator 12, the lever 10 is rotated. In addition, 12b, 12
c is an air hose for driving the actuator 12.

Here, the end 3a of the flexible hose 3 is not fitted to the end 5a of the intake pipe 5 and the end 6a of the discharge pipe 6, but is connected by making them face each other in close proximity. Then, in order to be able to adjust the suction force from the intake pipe 5 when connected to the intake pipe 5,
A suction force adjustment mechanism is provided.

This suction force adjustment mechanism includes a stopper 13 as a regulating means for regulating the rotation angle of the lever 10 (or the amount of movement of the flexible hose 3),
The lever 10 can be rotated to a position where it comes into contact with this stopper 13. This stopper 13 is screwed into a bracket 13a fixedly provided on the support plate 7, and when the stopper 13 is screwed as appropriate to change its protrusion length, the rotation stroke end position of the lever 10 is adjusted. can be regulated as desired.

When the lever 10 is rotated by the stopper 13 to a position where the end 3a of the flexible hose 3 completely faces the end 5a of the intake pipe 5, the connection between the intake pipe 5 and the flexible hose 3 is The passage cross-sectional area of the connecting part is maximized, and the maximum suction force is exerted. From this position, lever 1
When the end position of the rotation stroke 0 is shifted, the connection portion between the intake pipe 5 and the flexible hose 3 is shifted, and only the portion where the two overlap becomes the flow path cross-sectional area, and the suction flow rate from the flexible hose 3 is reduced. Therefore, the suction force can be adjusted by operating the stopper 13 and regulating the rotation angle position of the lever 10.

The present embodiment is constructed as described above, and since the blower 4 has the characteristics of low pressure and large flow rate, even when the small holes 1a formed in the table 1 are not completely closed, the workpiece 2 It is possible to exert the necessary adsorption force against. Therefore, even when handling workpieces with different dimensions, shapes, etc., the workpieces can be chucked in a stable state without replacing the table 1.

When the workpiece 2 is placed on the table 1 by an appropriate conveyance means, the actuator 1
2 is activated, the lever 10 is rotated, and the flexible hose 3 is connected to the intake pipe 5. As a result, the interior of the cavity 1b is brought into a negative pressure state due to the suction force of the blower 4, and the workpiece 2 is suctioned and fixed onto the table 1 by the suction force. Therefore, necessary processing such as processing, exposure, and inspection can be performed on this workpiece 2. When this process is completed, the lever 10 is rotated so that the flexible hose 10 is connected to the discharge pipe 6.
As a result, air is supplied to the flexible hose 10, and the inside of the cavity 1b becomes pressurized. As a result, air is blown out from the small hole 1a of the table 1, and the workpiece 2 is pushed onto the table 1.
The table 1 is lifted up from the upper surface of the table 1 and separated from the table 1. Therefore, the workpiece 2 can be transported outside using an appropriate transfer means.

Here, in order to suction workpiece 2 and perform the required processing work, it is necessary to fix it in a stable state, so it is necessary to increase the suction force to some extent, but this suction force must not be made too strong. If the workpiece 2 is a thin or brittle member, it may be deformed or damaged if the workpiece 2 is a thin or fragile member. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent this suction force from becoming too large. Therefore, the suction force of the workpiece 2 caused by the suction of the blower 4 must be adjusted to some extent strictly. Adjustment of such adsorption force cannot be controlled depending on the rotational speed of the rotor blades constituting the blower 4.

Therefore, in the present invention, the flow rate of the blower 4 itself is kept constant, and the connection position of the flexible hose 3 to the intake pipe 5 is adjusted by appropriately screwing the stopper 13 that constitutes the suction force adjustment mechanism. The suction force is adjusted by changing the cross-sectional area of the passage where the two communicate. This makes it possible to easily and precisely adjust the suction force.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention connects the ends of a flexible hose to an intake pipe and a discharge pipe that communicate with the intake port and discharge port of a low-pressure, high-flow blower, respectively, using a lever. The suction force can be adjusted by selectively connecting the valve, and by regulating the rotation angle of the lever when connecting to the intake pipe and making the cross-sectional area of the flow path where both openings overlap variable. This structure eliminates the need for setup changes even if the dimensions and shape of the workpiece changes, and the simple structure allows for easy adjustment to achieve the most appropriate adsorption force for the workpiece. become.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a partially exploded perspective view of a chuck device showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1: table, 1a: small hole, 1b: cavity,
2: Work, 3: Flexible hose, 4: Blower, 5: Intake pipe, 6: Discharge pipe, 9: Shaft, 10: Lever, 12: Actuator, 13: Stopper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a chuck device having a structure in which a large number of small holes are arranged in a table on which a semiconductor product is to be placed, and atmospheric gas is sucked through the large number of small holes to attract the semiconductor product to the table surface, the large number of small holes are A flexible hose that communicates comprehensively is provided, and the end surfaces of an intake pipe and a discharge pipe that communicate with the intake port and discharge port of the blower are arranged in parallel so that they are almost flush, and the end of the flexible hose is connected to a lever. attached to the free end of the flexible hose so that the end of the flexible hose can be selectively connected to either the end of the intake pipe or the end of the discharge pipe by rotating the lever; When the lever is connected to the intake pipe, the rotation angle of the lever is regulated by a regulating means, and the cross-sectional area of the flow path where both openings overlap is made variable, thereby making it possible to adjust the suction pressure through each of the small holes. A chuck device characterized by having the following configuration.