JP6230477B2 - Cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a cutting apparatus, and more particularly to a support structure that supports a main body of a chuck table when setting up a cutting blade.

  A semiconductor wafer (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a wafer) in which a large number of devices such as IC and LSI are formed on the surface and each device is partitioned by a line to be divided (hereinafter simply abbreviated as a wafer) has a back surface formed by a grinding machine. After grinding and processing to a predetermined thickness, the line to be divided is cut by a cutting device (dicing device) and divided into individual devices. The divided devices are widely used in various electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers. Has been.

  The cutting apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a wafer, a cutting means for rotatably supporting a spindle on which a cutting blade for cutting the wafer held by the chuck table is mounted, and the cutting means relative to the chuck table. And a notch feeding means for moving in the notch direction.

  In such a cutting apparatus, when a new cutting blade is mounted on the spindle, it is necessary to set up to detect the origin position (reference position) of the cutting blade. The cutting blade is set up by bringing the cutting blade and the upper surface of the chuck table (the conductive part flush with the holding surface) into contact with each other, thereby establishing the height position of the upper surface of the chuck table and the origin position of the cutting blade. To detect.

  Since the electrical continuity forms a closed circuit connecting the cutting blade, spindle, and chuck table, it is necessary to insulate the chuck table from other conductive parts during setup. For this reason, the main body (frame) of the conventional chuck table is supported by an insulating base made of alumina ceramic or the like.

JP 2009-238928

  Since the conventional insulating base that supports the main body of the chuck table is made of alumina ceramics, it has a feature that it has sufficient insulation and is less deformed by temperature changes. However, the insulating base formed from alumina ceramics is a relatively expensive part and may be broken by an impact.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, The place made into the objective is to provide the cutting device provided with the cheap and highly rigid insulation base.

  According to the present invention, a chuck table having a holding surface for holding a workpiece, a cutting means for cutting the workpiece held on the chuck table with a cutting blade, and the cutting means relative to the chuck table. A cutting device comprising: a cutting feed means for automatically moving in the cutting direction; and a setup means for detecting a reference position in the cutting direction by electrical conduction by bringing the cutting blade into contact with the surface of the chuck table, The chuck table includes a conductive main body having a set-up portion flush with the holding surface, and an insulating base that supports the main body, and the insulating base has a surface that is insulated by a ceramic coating. A cutting device is provided.

  Preferably, the insulating base is formed by ceramic coating of stainless steel. Preferably, the chuck table is composed of a dress table holding a dress board for dressing the cutting blade.

  Since the cutting apparatus of the present invention uses an insulating base that supports the chuck table, the surface of the stainless steel is ceramic coated and the surface is processed to be insulative, so that an inexpensive and highly rigid insulating base can be provided. There is an effect.

It is a perspective view of the cutting device concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial cross section side view explaining the setup of a chuck table.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a cutting device having an insulating base according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. On the front side of the cutting apparatus 2, an operation panel 4 is provided for an operator to input instructions to the apparatus such as machining conditions. In the upper part of the apparatus, a display monitor 6 such as a CRT on which a guidance screen for an operator and an image captured by an imaging unit described later are displayed is provided.

  A plurality of semiconductor wafers (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as wafers) 11 are attached to a dicing tape T attached to an annular frame F, and then housed in a wafer cassette 8. The wafer cassette 8 is placed on a cassette elevator 9 that can move up and down.

  Behind the wafer cassette 8, a loading / unloading unit 10 is provided for unloading the wafer 11 from the wafer cassette 8 and loading the wafer after cutting into the wafer cassette 8.

  Between the wafer cassette 8 and the carry-in / out unit 10, a temporary placement area 12, which is an area on which the wafer 11 to be carried in / out, is temporarily placed, is provided. An alignment mechanism 14 is provided for aligning the position at a certain position.

  A transport unit 16 having a swivel arm that sucks and transports the wafer 11 is disposed in the vicinity of the temporary placement area 12, and the wafer 11 that has been transported to the temporary placement area 12 and aligned is transported by the transport unit 16. Is sucked and conveyed onto the chuck table 18 and sucked and held by the chuck table 18.

  The chuck table 18 is configured to be rotatable and reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction by a machining feed mechanism (not shown). An area to be cut of the wafer 11 is formed above the movement path of the chuck table 18 in the X-axis direction. An alignment unit 22 for detection is provided. Reference numeral 20 denotes a clamp for clamping the annular frame F.

  The alignment unit 22 includes an imaging unit 24 that images the surface of the wafer 11, and can detect a region to be cut by processing such as pattern matching based on an image acquired by imaging. The image acquired by the imaging unit 24 is displayed on the display monitor 6.

  On the left side of the alignment unit 22, a cutting unit 26 for cutting the wafer 11 held on the chuck table 18 is disposed. The cutting unit 26 is configured integrally with the alignment unit 22, and both move together in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

  The cutting unit 26 is configured by mounting a cutting blade 30 having a cutting edge on the outer periphery of the end of a rotatable spindle 28 and is movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The cutting blade 30 is located on the extended line of the imaging unit 24 in the X-axis direction. The movement of the cutting unit 26 in the Y-axis direction is achieved by an index feed mechanism (not shown).

  Reference numeral 34 denotes a spinner cleaning unit that cleans the wafer 11 that has been subjected to the cutting process. The wafer 11 that has been subjected to the cutting process is transported to the spinner cleaning unit 34 by the transport unit 32, and is subjected to spin cleaning and spin drying by the spinner cleaning unit 34. .

  Adjacent to the chuck table 18, a dress table 36 for sucking and holding a dress board for dressing the cutting blade 30 is disposed. The dress table 36 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and a suction groove for sucking and holding the dress board is formed on the surface of the dress table 36.

  Next, the setup of the chuck table 18 and the dress table 36 will be described with reference to FIG. The chuck table 18 includes a main body portion (frame body) 38 formed of SUS and a suction holding portion 40 formed of a porous member such as porous ceramics. The surface of the suction holding unit 40 and the surface 38a which is a set-up unit of the main body unit 38 are formed flush with each other.

  The chuck table 18 is rotationally driven by a motor 44 mounted on the base 42. The chuck table 18 is mounted on an insulating base 46 disposed on the motor 44. The insulating base 46 is made of a metal such as SUS, and its surface is insulated by a ceramic coating as indicated by reference numeral 50.

  On the other hand, the dress table 36 is mounted on an insulating base 54, and the insulating base 54 is fixed to an upper end portion of a column 52 erected on the base 42. The insulating base 54 is made of a metal such as SUS, and its surface is insulated by a ceramic coating as indicated by reference numeral 58.

  The ceramic coating of the insulating base 46 that supports the chuck table 18 is performed by ceramic spraying. Similarly, ceramic coating of the insulating base 54 that supports the dress table 36 is performed by ceramic spraying.

  Next, the setup for the chuck table 18 of the cutting blade 30 will be described. At the time of this setup, the switch 62 is switched to the contact A side. Then, the cutting feed means for moving the cutting unit 26 in the Z-axis direction is actuated to lower the rotating cutting blade 30 and bring it into contact with the setup portion 38 a of the chuck table 18.

  Thus, a closed circuit 64 that connects the cutting blade 30, the spindle 28, and the main body 38 of the chuck table 18 is formed. Since the power source 66 and the ammeter 68 are connected in series to the closed circuit 64, the operator observes the current flowing through the closed circuit 64 with the ammeter 68, so that the cutting blade 30 and the chuck table 18 are connected. It can be confirmed that electrical conduction has been achieved. The height of the cutting blade 30 when the electrical continuity is taken is detected as an origin position (reference position) in the Z direction, and this origin position is stored in the memory of the controller of the cutting device 2.

  The setup means 60 for the chuck table 18 of the cutting blade 30 is configured by a closed circuit 64 formed by bringing the cutting blade 30 into contact with the setup portion 38 a of the chuck table 18.

  On the other hand, when the cutting blade 30 is set up for the dress table 36, the switch 62 is switched to the contact B side. Then, the cutting feed means is operated to lower the cutting unit 26 and bring the rotating cutting blade 30 into contact with the surface of the dress table 36.

  As a result, a closed circuit 72 that connects the cutting blade 30, the spindle 28, and the dress table 36 is formed. By observing the ammeter 68, it can be detected that a current has flowed through the closed circuit 72. It can be confirmed that electrical continuity is taken with the dress table 36. The height position in the Z direction of the cutting blade 30 at this time is stored in the memory of the controller as the origin position of the cutting blade 30 with respect to the dress table 36.

  The set-up means 70 for the dressing table 36 of the cutting blade 30 is constituted by a closed circuit 72 formed by bringing the cutting blade 30 into contact with the dressing table 36.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the insulating base 46 that supports the chuck table 18 and the insulating base 54 that supports the dress table 36 are formed from a metal such as SUS, and the surface thereof is insulated by ceramic coating. High insulating bases 46 and 54 can be realized.

18 Chuck table 26 Cutting unit 28 Spindle 30 Cutting blade 36 Dress table 38 Main body (frame)
38a Setup part 40 Suction holding part 44 Motor 46, 54 Insulation base 50, 58 Ceramic coating 60, 70 Setup means 62 Switch 64, 72 Closed circuit

Claims (3)

A chuck table having a holding surface for holding a workpiece, a cutting means for cutting the workpiece held on the chuck table with a cutting blade, and the cutting means in a cutting direction relative to the chuck table A cutting device comprising: a cutting feed means for moving; and a setup means for detecting a reference position in a cutting direction by electrical conduction by bringing the cutting blade into contact with the surface of the chuck table,
The chuck table
A conductive body having a set-up portion flush with the holding surface;
An insulating base that supports the main body,
The insulating base has a surface that is insulated with a ceramic coating.   The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insulating base is formed by ceramic coating of stainless steel.   The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chuck table includes a dress table that holds a dress board that dresses the cutting blade.