JP2002299288A - Dicing device with bar-code reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dicing device which can automatically update type information, such as a type number, etc., of a wafer to be treated without lowering an operation rate. SOLUTION: A bar-code reader, which reads bar-codes indicating type information and attached to a cassette in which a large number of wafers are contained, is provided at a prescribed position of a cassette housing unit in which the cassette is housed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, such as a dicing apparatus for cutting a wafer in a grid pattern, and more particularly, to the type information of a semiconductor wafer provided in a cassette. The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with a bar code reader for reading.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Semiconductor wafers are loaded into a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a state of being housed in a large number of cassettes and subjected to necessary processing. For example, in a dicing apparatus, a semiconductor wafer is housed in a cassette in a state of being integrally attached to a frame via a dicing sheet coated with an adhesive on one side, and the cassette is set in the dicing apparatus. Then, the wafer is divided into individual chips by a processing unit of the dicing apparatus.

A conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, for example, a conventional dicing apparatus for cutting a semiconductor wafer into individual chips will be described. This dicing apparatus cleans and dries a cut section provided with a cutting blade and a cut wafer. It has a washing unit, a cassette storage unit, and a transport unit.
The cassette storage section stores a cassette in which a large number of wafers are stored. The wafers stored in the cassette are pulled out one by one by the transfer means and transferred to the cutting section. In this cutting section, the wafer is positioned at a predetermined cutting position, and then cut in a grid pattern by the cutting blade of the cutting section. Then, the cut wafer is transported to the cleaning section by a transport unit, and is washed and dried. Next, the dried wafer is transported to the cassette storage section and stored in a predetermined shelf of the cassette. The above is 1 for the conventional dicing machine.
5 is a flow of a process for processing a single wafer W.

In this conventional processing step, the kind information required for processing, such as the kind number, diameter, thickness and other processing information of the wafer to be processed, is manually input by the operator from the operation panel of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. I was For this reason, it is necessary to re-enter the type information every time the type of the wafer to be supplied to this processing step is changed, which is troublesome and causes troubles due to input errors.

In order to solve this problem, a bar code in which the kind information is written is attached to a cassette in which the wafer is stored, and an operator manually operates a bar code reader to read and read the bar code. An improvement plan has been attempted in which the obtained product information is stored in a storage unit of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0006]

However, even in this conventional improvement plan, although the complexity due to manual input is somewhat improved and the trouble due to an input error is eliminated, an operator manually operates the bar code reader every time the type is changed. Has to be read to read the bar code, which is also complicated and lowers the operating rate of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is required for processing the kind number, diameter, thickness, and other processing information of a wafer to be processed without lowering the operation rate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of automatically updating various product information.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor wafer is mounted on a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device as described in claim 1. A processing section having a mounting table and processing means for processing the wafer; a cassette storage section for storing a cassette containing a large number of wafers; and a wafer between the cassette storage section and the mounting table. And a bar code reader for reading a bar code provided on the cassette at a predetermined position of the cassette storage section.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, wafer type information can be automatically read by setting a cassette containing a large number of wafers in the cassette storage section of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, the type information can be updated automatically. In addition, it is possible to automatically check mixing of different kind cassettes. Furthermore, send the read data to the host computer,
It can be used as data for production management such as progress data.

[0010] According to the present invention, the bar code reader is provided on a door of the cassette storage section.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the bar code reader is provided on the door of the cassette storage section, no special mounting member is required, and maintenance is easy.

The present invention is further characterized in that the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is a dicing apparatus.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, not only the kind number, diameter and thickness of wafers to be diced and alignment information but also kind information specific to dicing such as complicated cutting information can be obtained. You can update automatically.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As a preferred embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with a bar code reader according to the present invention, an example of application to a dicing apparatus will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same members are given the same numbers or symbols.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, a semiconductor wafer to be diced by the dicing apparatus with a bar code reader according to the present invention is a dicing sheet having an adhesive on the back surface of a wafer W and the back surface of a rigid frame F. S
And the wafer W and the frame F are integrated via the dicing sheet S.

Thereafter, the wafer W and the frame F are put into a dicing apparatus in an integrated state,
After being washed and dried, it is processed in this state until a chip mounting step.

A large number of wafers W integrated with the frame F are stored in a cassette C shown in FIG. 5 and set in a dicing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 5, the cassette C is composed of side plates 34 and 34 having a large number of grooves serving as shelves for supporting the frame F, a top plate 35, a bottom plate (not shown), and a back plate 36. A handle 37 is provided in the recess on the upper surface of the top plate 35 so as to be erected when in use and buried in the recess when not in use. Further, the back plate 36 is provided with a bar code B in which kind information necessary for dicing, such as kind number, diameter and thickness, alignment information and cutting information of the wafer W to be diced is described. The cutting information includes types of cutting such as full cut, semi-full cut, and bevel cut, cutting modes such as one-way cut and reciprocating cut, and cutting quality such as allowable kerf center deviation and allowable chipping size.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a dicing apparatus with a bar code reader for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the cassette storage section and the frame clamper of the transport means, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the moving mechanism of the frame clamper.

As shown in FIG. 1, a dicing apparatus 10 with a bar code reader according to the present invention mainly comprises a wafer W
And a work cutting unit 20 having cutting blades 23 and 23 for cutting the wafer W, and a cleaning liquid supplied while washing the cut wafer W at a high speed, and then cleaning the dried air. A cleaning unit 40 for supplying and drying; a cassette storage unit 30 for storing a cassette C containing a large number of frames F on which wafers W are mounted;
It comprises a transport means 50 for transporting the wafer W between the cassette storage section 30 and the suction table 21, a bar code reader 80 for reading a bar code B describing the type data of the wafer W, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting section 20 has a suction table 21 on which a wafer W is mounted by suction and moved in the X direction.
And high-frequency motor built-in spindles 22 facing each other in the Y direction, and cutting blades 23 mounted on the distal ends of the spindles 22. The spindles 22, 22 have a Y direction and a Z direction
In the direction, each is independently moved by the moving mechanism in each direction. In the present embodiment, a linear motor is used as the X-direction moving mechanism of the suction table 21 and the Y-direction moving mechanism of the spindles 22 and 22, and a stepping motor and a ball screw are used as the Z-direction moving mechanism of the spindles 22 and 22. Is used. The principle of the stepping motor, the ball screw and the linear motor, and the detailed structure are well known and will not be described here.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cassette storage section 30 can store two cassettes C, C in two upper and lower tiers. Each stage has a drawer plate 32 on which the cassette C is placed. The drawer plate 32 is guided by drawer guides 33, 33 so that the drawer plate 32 can be pulled out toward the apparatus and stored. Further, with the drawer plate 32 pulled out, the cassette C is positioned and mounted on the upper surface by a kinematic coupling (not shown). Further, a door 31 is provided at each stage, the door 31 is opened, the drawer plate 32 is pulled out, and the cassette C is taken in and out from the front of the apparatus. The door 31 is provided with a barcode reader 80 for reading the barcode B at a position corresponding to the barcode B describing the type information of the wafer W provided on the back plate 36 of the cassette C. The bar code reader 80 may be a commonly used bar code reader.

The upper part of the cassette storage unit 30 is
It is in the standby position D. In the standby position D, as shown in FIG. 1, the wafer W is pulled out from the cassette C, pre-aligned, placed at this position, and transported to the suction table 21 positioned at the load / unload position E. It is the position to wait for.

The transport means 50 includes a frame clamper 52 for horizontally or vertically moving the wafer W out of the cassette C or storing the wafer W, a standby position D, a load / unload position E, and a standby position D for the drawn wafer W. Cleaning unit 40
And a rotary arm 51 for transporting the rotating arm 51.

The frame clamper 52 shown in FIG. 3 has upper and lower two clamp claws 69 for clamping a frame F on which a wafer W is integrally bonded by a dicing sheet S. These clamp claws 69, 6
Reference numeral 9 is driven by an air cylinder (not shown) to clamp and unclam the frame F. The frame clamper 52 includes a frame clamper horizontal moving mechanism 60 (arrow Y-Y direction moving mechanism) and a frame clamper vertical moving mechanism 70 (arrow Z-
A horizontal movement and a vertical movement are performed by the Z-direction movement mechanism).

As shown in FIG. 3, the frame clamper horizontal moving mechanism 60 includes a guide rail 61 for guiding the horizontal movement of the frame clamper 52 and a linear bearing 6.
2, the frame clamper 52 is fixed on the linear bearing 62. The frame clamper horizontal movement mechanism 60 is provided with a timing belt 66 stretched between a driving pulley 64 fixed to a shaft of a stepping motor 63 and a driven pulley 65, and one end is fixed to the frame clamper 52. A connecting member 67 having a multi-end fixed to the timing belt 66 connects the two. Since the frame clamper horizontal movement mechanism 60 is configured as described above, the frame clamper 52 reciprocates in the horizontal direction (the direction of the arrow YY) by the reciprocating rotation of the stepping motor 63 by a certain angle. The mounting rails 68, 68 on which the frame F is mounted when the frame F is pulled out from the cassette C, are disposed on both sides of the guide rail 61.

As shown in FIG. 3, the frame clamper vertical movement mechanism 70 includes a lifting platform 71, a vertical guide rail 72, and linear bearings 73, 73.
The ball screw 7 supported at both ends by 8, 78 and connected to the stepping motor 74 by a coupling 75
6 and a nut 77 screwed into the ball screw 76. These linear bearings 73, 73 and nut 7
7 are fixed to the side surfaces of the elevator 71, respectively, so that the elevator 71 moves up and down by driving the stepping motor 74. Since the frame clamper horizontal moving mechanism 60 is installed on the upper surface of the lift 71, the stepping motor 63 of the frame clamper horizontal moving mechanism 60 and the stepping motor 74 of the frame clamper vertical moving mechanism 70 are driven. As a result, the frame clamper 52 moves horizontally and vertically.

This dicing apparatus 1 with a bar code reader
The step of cutting the wafer W by 0 will be described. First, the operator opens the door 31 of the cassette storage unit 30 of the dicing apparatus 10 with a bar code reader, pulls out the drawer plate 32, and places the cassette C containing a large number of wafers W on the upper surface of the drawer plate 32. Here, the cassette C is placed in a state where it is positioned by a kinematic coupling (not shown). Next, the operator operates the drawer plate 32.
Is pushed into the cassette storing section 30, and the door 31 is closed. When the door 31 is closed, the reading surface of the barcode reader 80 attached to the door 31 is moved to the back plate 36 of the cassette C.
, And the type information of the wafer W is read. The read type information is sent to a controller (not shown) of the dicing apparatus 10 with a barcode reader to check whether the type is a work type specified in advance and to set data necessary for dicing. Further, the kind number, production number, and the like read here are sent to a host computer for process management and used as data for production management such as progress management. Next, the wafer W is pulled out by the frame clamper 52 positioned at the pull-out position by the frame clamper vertical movement mechanism 70 and the frame clamper horizontal movement mechanism 60, pre-aligned, and placed on the mounting rail 6.
8, 68 and rise to the rising end. Next, it is transported to the standby position D by the rotating arm 51. next,
When the dicing of the previous wafer W is completed and the wafer W is conveyed to the cleaning unit 40, the wafer W waiting at the standby position D is mounted on the suction table 21 at the load / unload position E shown in FIG. Placed and held by suction.
The wafer W held by suction is conveyed toward the cutting section 20, and a pattern on the wafer W is imaged by a CCD camera (not shown) on the way, and is aligned at a predetermined cutting position by an alignment device using image recognition means. . The aligned wafer W is moved between the cutting blades 23 and 23 positioned in the Y-axis direction and the X of the suction table 21.
By the axial movement, two streets are cut at the same time. When the first two streets are cut, the spindles 22, 22 of the cutting section 20 are moved in the Y-axis direction by the pitch of the streets, and the suction table is again moved in the X-axis direction. This cuts the next two streets. This cutting operation is repeated, and when the cutting of all the streets in one direction (X direction) is completed, the suction table 21 is rotated by 90 ° to sequentially cut the streets in the other direction (Y direction) that are perpendicular to the cut street. I do. Thereby, the wafer W is finally cut in a grid pattern.

After the cut wafer W is returned to the load / unload position E by the suction table 21,
The wafer is conveyed to the spinner table of the cleaning unit 40 by the rotating arm 51 of the conveying unit 50. Here, the wafer W is washed by washing water and then dried by air blow. The dried wafer W is stored on a predetermined shelf of the cassette C by the rotating arm 51 of the transfer means 50 and the frame clamper 52.

The above is the process of cutting one wafer W by the dicing apparatus 10 with a bar code reader.

According to the dicing apparatus 10 with a bar code reader of the present invention, the type information of the wafer W can be automatically read without lowering the operation rate of the dicing apparatus.

In the dicing apparatus 10 with a bar code reader according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the cassette C stored in the cassette storage unit does not move in the vertical direction.
Although the configuration in which the frame clamper 52 moves up and down has been described, the invention is not limited thereto, and the frame C may be fixed vertically and the cassette C may move up and down. Further, the bar code reader 80 is connected to the door 3 of the cassette storage unit 30.
1, it may be provided at an appropriate position in the storage unit 30 according to the position of the barcode B provided on the cassette C.

[0032]

As described above, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with a bar code reader of the present invention, the type of wafer can be obtained simply by setting a cassette containing a large number of wafers in the cassette storage section of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Since the information can be automatically read, a new data set or update of the product type information can be automatically performed without lowering the operation rate of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. In addition, it is possible to automatically check mixing of different kind cassettes. Further, the read data is sent to a host computer, and can be used as data for production management such as progress data.

Since the bar code reader is provided on the door of the cassette storage unit, no special mounting member is required, and the maintenance is easy.

Further, when the present invention is applied to a dicing apparatus, the kind number, diameter and thickness of a wafer to be diced, and
It is possible to automatically update not only the alignment information, but also the kind information unique to dicing, such as complicated cutting information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a dicing apparatus with a bar code reader for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between a cassette storage part of a dicing apparatus with a bar code reader and a frame clamper of a conveying means for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating details of a frame clamper moving mechanism of the dicing apparatus with a bar code reader according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state of a wafer attached to a frame.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cassette provided with a bar code.

[Explanation of symbols]

B: bar code, C: cassette, F: frame, W: wafer, 10: dicing device with bar code reader, 2
0: cutting section, 21: suction table, 23: cutting blade, 30
... Cassette storage unit, 50 ... Transportation means, 80 ... Barcode reader

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takayuki Kaneko 9-7-1, Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo 3F022 AA08 EE05 FF10 JJ20 KK11 KK18 MM07 MM11 MM59 PP00 QQ11 5F031 CA02 DA08 DA17 EA16 GA16 GA20 GA47 GA48 GA49 GA50 HA12 HA57 HA59 HA78 JA02 JA04 JA33 JA49 LA08 LA09 LA12 LA13 LA15 MA15 MA34 PA08

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a processing section having a mounting table for mounting a semiconductor wafer and processing means for processing the wafer, and a large number of wafers are stored. A cassette storage unit for storing the cassette, and a transfer unit for transferring a wafer between the cassette storage unit and the table. The cassette is provided at a predetermined position in the cassette storage unit. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a bar code reader for reading a bar code. 2. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bar code reader is provided on a door of said cassette storage section. 3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is a dicing apparatus.