JP2003158094A - Cutting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate a changing operation of a cutting blade (142), to reduce a required space for equipping a cutting machine, and to easily and rationally execute an opening/closing operation of a door for opening a required area on a front surface of a housing (2) as needed by improving the cutting machine. SOLUTION: A one side door (4) mounted freely movably between a closing position at which it covers the front surface of a cleaning area (B) and an opening position at which it opens the front surface of the cleaning area by being displaced in one side direction of the housing, a center door (6) mounted on the one side door freely movably between the closing position at which it covers the front surface of a chucking area (A) and the opening position at which it opens the front surface of the chucking area by being displaced in the one side direction and at least largely positioned at the rear part or front part of the one side door, and the other side door (8) mounted freely movably between the closing position at which it covers the front surface of a cassette area (C) and the opening position at which it opens the front surface of the cassette area are arranged on the front surface of the housing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cutting machine particularly suitable for dicing semiconductor wafers, and more specifically, a chucking area located in the widthwise center in the front half of the housing, and one side of this chucking area. And a cassette loading area located on the other side of the chucking area, and a cutting area located in the widthwise center in the rear half of the housing. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-7058 discloses a cutting machine which is particularly suitable for highly efficiently dicing a semiconductor wafer. Such a cutting machine has a housing elongated in the front-rear direction, and an operation panel is arranged on the front surface of the housing. On one side of the housing, a cassette mounting area, a chucking area, and a cleaning area are sequentially arranged rearward. A cutting area is arranged in the center part in the front-rear direction on the other side of the housing. Cassette supporting means is arranged in the cassette mounting area, and cleaning means is arranged in the cleaning area. Two cutting means, a first cutting means and a second cutting means, are arranged on the other side of the housing. The first cutting means has a first rotary shaft and a cutting blade mounted on the first rotary shaft, and the second cutting means is mounted on the second rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft. With a cutting blade. The first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft extend in a straight line in the front-rear direction on the other side of the housing,
The first cutting blade and the second cutting blade are attached to the inner end or rear end of the first rotating shaft and the inner end or front end of the second rotating shaft, respectively, and are positioned to face each other. There is.

A cassette containing a plurality of workpieces, which may be a plurality of semiconductor wafers, is placed on the cassette supporting means, and the workpieces contained in the cassettes are successively carried out to a chucking area. It The workpiece to be carried out is chucked on the chuck means, transferred to the cutting area together with the chuck means, and cut by the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade in the cutting area. The work piece is then returned to the chucking area with the chucking means,
It is transferred from the chucking area to the cleaning area, and after being cleaned in the cleaning area, transferred to the chucking area and then loaded into the cassette.

[0004]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-705
The above-described cutting machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8 is different from the other types of cutting machines, for example, the cutting machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-26402 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-74228 in each region. It is made compact by devising the arrangement of. However, it is not yet fully satisfactory, and has the following problems. The cutting blade in the cutting means is worn by performing cutting and therefore needs to be replaced, but there is a considerable distance from the front surface of the housing to the mounting position of the cutting blade, and the cutting blade replacement operation is performed from the front surface of the housing. Things are extremely difficult, if not impossible. Usually, the operator is located on the side surface of the housing and has to perform a cutting blade replacement operation, which is relatively complicated. In addition, in order to allow the operator to be located on the side surface of the housing when exchanging the cutting blade, it is necessary to secure a required space near the side surface of the housing. The space required to equip the machine is relatively large. When using a cutting machine to cut a semiconductor wafer, it is necessary to equip the so-called clean room with the cutting machine, and it is not a negligible problem that the necessary space for equipping the cutting machine is relatively large.

As a cutting machine which solves the above-mentioned problems and facilitates the exchange operation of the cutting blade and reduces the space required for equipping the cutting machine, the Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-filed by the present applicant. In the specification and drawings of -162958 (hereinafter referred to as "prior application specification and drawings"), in the front half of the housing, a chucking area is arranged in the center in the width direction, and cleaning is performed on one side of this chucking area. There is disclosed a cutting machine in which the cassette mounting area is arranged on the other side of the area and the cutting area is arranged in the widthwise central portion in the rear half of the housing. In such a cutting machine, by opening a specific region on the front surface of the housing, the cutting blade of the cutting means can be accessed from the front surface of the housing, and the cutting blade replacement operation can be quickly performed in a container. It is not necessary to secure a space for the operator to enter on both sides or the rear surface of the housing, and therefore the space required for equipping the cutting machine can be made sufficiently small.

However, in the cutting machine disclosed in the specification and the drawings of the prior application, a sufficient examination is still required for the construction of a plurality of doors so that the front surface of the housing can be opened as required. The opening and closing operation of the door must be performed sufficiently reasonably when exchanging the cutting blade of the cutting means or when placing the cassette on the cassette supporting means in the cassette loading area. However, the problem remains that the door opening and closing operation is complicated. Also, when the operator has moved his or her upper body into the housing to replace the cutting blade of the cutting means, the operating means is inaccessible and also an indication indicating various states of the cutting machine. The problem remains that the means cannot be visually inspected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and its main technical problem is to provide a plurality of housings provided in the housing of the cutting machine of the above-described form disclosed in the specification of the prior application and the drawings. The structure of the door is improved so that the opening / closing operation of the door for opening the required area on the front surface of the housing can be performed sufficiently easily and rationally.

[0008] Another technical problem of the present invention is that, in addition to the achievement of the above-mentioned main technical problems, even when an operator moves the upper half of his body into the housing in order to replace the cutting blade of the cutting means, the operation is performed. The personnel should be able to access the various operating means with sufficient ease and also be able to easily view the displaying means for displaying various states of the cutting machine.

[0009]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The inventor of the present invention has three doors on the front surface of a housing, that is, a closed position that covers the front surface of the cleaning area, and the housing is displaced in one direction from the closed position to the front surface of the cleaning area. When one side door is movably mounted between the open position to open and the one side door is in the closed position,
Move freely between a closed position that covers the front surface of the chucking area and an open position that is displaced in one direction from this closed position and at least most of which is located behind or in front of the one-side door to open the front surface of the chucking area. The main technique described above by arranging a central door attached to one side door and another side door movably attached between a closed position that covers the front surface of the cassette area and an open position that opens the front surface of the cassette area. It was found that the objective task can be achieved.

That is, according to the present invention, as a cutting machine that achieves the above-mentioned main technical problems, a chucking region located in the center portion in the width direction in the front half of the housing, and located on one side of the chucking region. A cleaning area and a cassette mounting area located on the other side of the chucking area are arranged, and a cutting area located in the widthwise central portion is arranged in the rear half portion of the housing, and is arranged in the cleaning area. The cleaning means provided, the cassette supporting means arranged in the cassette mounting area, and the central portion in the width direction in the housing are movably arranged in the front-rear direction, and the chucking area and the cutting area are provided. Chucking means that can be selectively positioned in the housing, and cutting means that has a cutting blade that is positioned in the rear half of the housing and that is positioned in the cutting area. Workpiece The accommodated cassette is placed, and the workpieces accommodated in the cassette are sequentially carried out to the chucking area, chucked on the chuck means in the chucking area, and in the cutting area together with the chuck means. Transported, cut by the cutting blades of the cutting means in the cutting zone, then returned to the chucking zone with the chucking means, transported from the chucking zone to the cleaning zone for cleaning and into the cassette It is carried in and is movable on the front surface of the housing between a closed position that covers the front surface of the cleaning area and an open position that is displaced from the closed position in the one side direction of the housing to open the front surface of the cleaning area. The one-sided door mounted on the, and when the one-sided door is located at the closed position, the closed position covering the front surface of the chucking area and the one-sided direction displacement from the closed position. At least most of them are located behind or in front of the one-side door and are movably mounted between the central door and the front position of the chucking area and the front position of the cassette area. A cutting machine is provided, in which a other-side door movably mounted is arranged between a closed position for covering and an open position for opening a front surface of the cassette area.

The other side door is preferably rotatable between the closed position and the open position about a central axis of rotation which extends substantially vertically on the other side of the housing. In a cutting machine that achieves the other technical problem described above, when the central door is set to the open position, at least most of the central door is located behind the one-side door, and the front surface of the one-side door is A normal position that extends along the front surface of the one-side door and an extension position that extends forward from the one-side door with the turning center axis line that extends substantially vertically along the widthwise inner edge of the one-side door as a center. A supporting member is mounted so as to be rotatable between the two, and an operation panel is mounted on the supporting member. The operation panel is preferably composed of a touch panel. In a preferred embodiment, the cutting means includes a first cutting means and a second cutting means, the first cutting means including a first rotating shaft and a first rotating shaft mounted on the first rotating shaft. The second cutting means has a second rotating shaft and a second cutting blade mounted on the second rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft. The rotary shaft extends linearly in the width direction in the rear half of the housing, and the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade are respectively the width direction inner end of the first rotary shaft and the second cutting blade. Mounted on the inner end of the rotation shaft in the width direction and located opposite to each other. Temporary support means is disposed in the chucking area, and the workpiece carried out from the cassette to the chucking area is first placed on the temporary support means,
Then, the workpiece that has been conveyed from the temporary support means to the chuck means, and has been cut and washed is conveyed from the cleaning area to the chucking area and placed on the temporary support means, and then the cassette. Be delivered to. The temporary support means is composed of a pair of support members, and the pair of support members are located at a predetermined interval from each other and the operation position where the workpiece is placed across the two and the operation position. When the chuck means is positioned in the chucking area, it is movable in a direction away from each other and is movable between a non-acting position that allows the workpiece to be lowered therethrough. The chuck means is located below the temporary support means. The work piece is a semiconductor wafer, the cutting blade has a disk shape and contains diamond particles,
Dice a semiconductor wafer.

[0012]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following, a more detailed description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of a cutting machine constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows the entire cutting machine constructed according to the present invention. This cutting machine has a housing generally designated by the numeral 2. The illustrated housing 2 has a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. On the front surface of the housing 2, three doors that can be opened and closed, that is, one side door 4 located on one side in the width direction (the left side when viewed from the front in the illustrated embodiment), a central door 6 located at the center in the width direction, and It is important that the other side door 8 located on the other side in the width direction (the right side when viewed from the front in the illustrated embodiment) is provided. Portions of the housing 2 other than the one-side door 4, the central door 6, and the other-side door 8, that is, the housing body can be configured by connecting appropriate plate members and the like.

The one-side door 4 has an inverted L-shape, and is slightly projected forward and upward from the front surface and the upper surface of the other region of the housing 2. The one-end door 4 is a plane (front surface of the housing 2) that extends substantially horizontally and vertically between a closed position shown by a solid line and an open position shown by a chain double-dashed line by appropriate mounting means (not shown). It is attached to the housing body so as to be movable along. An appropriate lock mechanism (not shown) is attached to the one-side door 4,
The one-side door 4 can be releasably locked in both the closed position and the open position. A supporting member 10 is attached to a vertical intermediate region on the front surface of the one-side door 4. The supporting member 10 extends by a suitable mounting means around a turning center axis 11 that extends substantially vertically along the widthwise inner edge of the one-side door 4, at a position indicated by a solid line, that is, along the front surface of the one-side door 4. It is mounted so as to be rotatable between a normal position and a position indicated by a chain double-dashed line, that is, an extending position that extends substantially perpendicularly to the front surface of the one-side door 4.
Conveniently, such support member 10 can be maintained stationary at any angular position between the normal position and the extended position by means of maintenance means known per se (not shown). A rectangular touch panel 12 is mounted on the support member 10. The touch panel 12 constitutes display means for displaying various operating states of the cutting machine (for example, a flowing state of the cooling liquid, a flowing state of the compressed air, etc.), and an operating means for controlling the operation of the cutting machine. It constitutes the operation panel to contain. A handle 14 extending in the horizontal direction is disposed below the support member 10. When the support member 10 is swung, the handle 1 is rotated.
4 can be gripped.

The central door 6 has a substantially vertically extending flat plate shape, and is mounted on the one-side door 4 instead of the housing body by a suitable mounting means between a closed position shown by a solid line and an open position shown by a chain double-dashed line. A plane that extends substantially vertically (the central door 6
It is mounted movably substantially horizontally along a plane in which it extends. An appropriate locking mechanism (not shown) is attached to the central door 6, and the central door 6 can be releasably locked with respect to the one-sided door 4 in both the closed position and the open position. It is convenient. In the illustrated embodiment, the central door 6 is mounted on the rear surface of the one-side door 4, and when moved to the open position, its main portion (that is, other than the right side edge portion when viewed from the front) is of the one-side door 4. It is located behind. As will be further referred to later, when the one-side door 4 is moved to the open position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 in a state where the central door 6 is moved to the open position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Along with the movement, the central door 6 is also moved to establish the state shown in FIG. A handle 16 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the lower right side edge of the central door 6 when viewed from the front, and the handle 16 can be gripped when the central door 6 is moved.

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 1, the door 8 on the other side has an L-shaped cross section, and a closed position indicated by a solid line and a chain double-dashed line by an appropriate mounting means (not shown). The other side of the housing 2 (right side when viewed from the front) is mounted on the housing body so as to be rotatable about a rotation center axis line 18 that extends substantially vertically from the open position shown by. It is convenient that the other side door 8 is also provided with an appropriate lock mechanism (not shown) so that it can be releasably locked in both the closed position and the open position. A handle 20 extending in the vertical direction is arranged at the center of the left side edge of the other side door 8 when viewed from the front.
The handle 20 can be gripped when turning the.

Referring to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 1, a chucking area A is arranged at the center in the width direction in the front half portion of the housing 2, and one side of the chucking area A (left side when viewed from the front). ), A cleaning area B is arranged, and a cassette mounting area C is arranged on the other side of the chucking area A (right side when viewed from the front). Further, a cutting area D located at the center in the width direction is arranged in the rear half of the housing 2.
In this specification, for convenience of description, the front-back direction is referred to as the X-axis direction, the width direction is referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction is referred to as the Z-axis direction.
This is called the axial direction. It is preferable that the cleaning area B, the chucking area A, and the cassette mounting area C are arranged substantially in a straight line in the Y-axis direction. Moreover, it is preferable that the chucking area A and the cutting area D are arranged substantially in a straight line in the X-axis direction.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, cassette supporting means 34 is provided in the cassette mounting area C. The cassette supporting means 34, which may be of a form known per se, comprises an elevating table 40 which can be moved up and down. Two guide rails 42 extending substantially vertically are fixed in the housing 2, and a guided groove (not shown) is formed in the lifting table 40. By being slidably engaged with the guide rail 42, the elevating table 40 is mounted so as to be vertically movable along the guide rail 42. A male screw shaft 44 extending substantially vertically is further rotatably mounted in the housing 2, and a female screw member (not shown) screwed to the male screw shaft 44 is fixed to the elevating table 40. Has been done. An electric motor (not shown) is connected to the male screw shaft 44, and the elevating table 40 is moved up and down by rotating the male screw shaft 44 forward and backward by the electric motor.

On the lift table 40 of the cassette supporting means 34, a cassette 48 containing a plurality of workpieces 46 is placed. The workpiece 46 in the illustrated embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 4, the semiconductor wafer 54 is mounted via a mounting tape 52 on a frame 50 having a mounting opening 51 formed in the center. The mounting tape 52 extends across the mounting opening 51 of the frame 50, is attached to the back surface of the frame 50, and is placed in the mounting opening 51 of the frame 50.
The back surface of the device is attached to the mounting tape 52. Cutting lines, that is, streets 56 arranged in a lattice pattern are formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 54.
An electronic circuit is formed in each of the rectangular regions 58 partitioned by. The cassette 48 has a pair of side walls 60, and a plurality of storage grooves that extend horizontally at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction are formed on the inner surface of the side walls 60.
The workpiece 46 has a pair of side walls 6 on both side edges of the frame 50.
By being inserted into the pair of storage grooves of 0, they are stored in a state where they extend substantially horizontally at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. When viewed from the front surface of the cassette 48, that is, the front surface of the housing 2, the left side surface is open. By raising and lowering the elevating table 40, each pair of storage grooves of the cassette 48 is positioned at a predetermined height, and as will be further referred to later, a workpiece to be cut from each pair of storage grooves positioned at a predetermined height. Workpiece 4 in which object 46 has been unloaded, and also cut and cleaned
6 is carried in a pair of storage grooves positioned at a predetermined height.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, a temporary support means 64 is provided in the chucking area A. The temporary support means 64 includes a pair of support members 66 arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction. The pair of support members 66 are mounted so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and selectively positioned at a non-acting position shown by a solid line and an acting position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. As further mentioned below, a pair of support members 66
The cassette 48 when in the working position.
The workpiece 46 carried out from is placed across the pair of support members 66 (in other words, both side edges of the frame 50 in the workpiece 46 are supported by the pair of support members 66), When the support members 66 are moved to the non-acting position and separated from each other, it becomes possible to raise and lower the processed portion 46 through the pair of support members 66.

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 3, the chuck means 68 is disposed in the housing 2 so as to be movable substantially horizontally between the chucking area A and the cutting area D in the X-axis direction. There is. More specifically, a stationary support base 70 that extends substantially horizontally is disposed in the housing 2, and a pair of support blocks 72 (on the support base 70 are spaced apart in the X-axis direction). Only one of them is shown in FIG. 3) is fixed. A pair of guide rails 74 extending in the X-axis direction with a space in the Y-axis direction between the pair of support blocks 72.
Is fixed. A sliding block 76 is attached to the pair of guide rails 74. Sliding block 76
A pair of guided grooves extending in the X-axis direction are formed on the bottom surface of the guide rail 74.
The sliding block 76 is mounted so as to be movable in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 74 by engaging with the guide rail 74. A male screw shaft 78 extending in the X-axis direction is further rotatably mounted between the pair of support blocks 72. On the other hand, a female screw member (not shown) is fixed to the lower surface of the sliding block 76, and the female screw member is screwed onto the male screw shaft 78. An electric motor (not shown) is connected to the male screw shaft 78, and the forward and backward rotation of the electric motor causes the sliding block 76 to move along the guide rail 74 in the X-axis direction. A cylindrical supporting member 80 is fixed to the sliding block 76, and a chuck member 82 is rotatably mounted on the supporting member 80 about a central axis extending substantially vertically. A rotary drive source (not shown), which may be an electric motor, for rotating the chuck member 82 is disposed in the support member 80. The disk-shaped chuck member 82 is made of a porous material such as a porous ceramic. The chuck member 82 is provided with a pair of gripping mechanisms 84 protruding in the X-axis direction. Such a gripping mechanism 84
Each of the movable gripping pieces 86 includes a movable gripping piece 86.
Is selectively positioned by an actuating means (not shown), such as a pneumatic actuator, into a non-grasping position shown in FIG. 3 and a gripping position pivoted inwardly from such non-grasping position. When the chuck means 68 is positioned in the chucking area A as shown in FIG. 2, the chuck member 82 is located between the pair of support members 66 of the temporary support means 64 in the X-axis direction and is located in the Z-axis direction. It is located below the pair of supporting members 66 of the supporting means 64. The sliding block 76 is provided with a hollow protective duct 88 which can be appropriately deformed between the state shown by the solid line and the state shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3 according to the movement of the sliding block 76. The chuck member 82 formed of a porous material includes a support member 80, a sliding block 76 and a hollow protective duct 8.
A suction source (not shown) is selectively connected to an appropriate suction source (not shown) through a suction passage (not shown) disposed in the inside 8. The electric wiring for the actuating means for moving the movable gripping piece 86 of the gripping mechanism 84 also extends through the support member 80, the sliding block 76 and the hollow protective duct 88.

A cleaning means 90 is provided in the cleaning area B. As is clearly shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning means 90, which may be of a known form per se, comprises a cylindrical partition wall 94 fixed on a stationary support plate 92 and a rotatably arranged inside this partition wall 94. And a chucking mechanism 96 which is operated. The chucking mechanism 96 includes an elevating table 98 which can be moved up and down between a raised position shown in FIG. 3 and a lowered position lowered by a predetermined amount from the raised position. The lift base 98 is connected to a piston of a pneumatic cylinder mechanism 100 arranged substantially vertically, and is moved up and down by the action of the pneumatic cylinder mechanism 100.
A disk-shaped chuck member 10 is provided on the upper end of the lifting platform 98.
2 is rotatably arranged about a central axis extending substantially vertically. The chuck member 102 is made of a porous material such as porous ceramic, and is used for the lifting table 98.
It is selectively connected to a suitable suction source (not shown) through a suction passage (not shown) provided therein. Four gripping mechanisms 104 are also arranged around the chuck member 102. Each of the gripping mechanisms 104 includes a movable gripping piece 106 that pivots inwardly from the non-grasping position shown in FIG. 3 by an actuating means (not shown) such as an electromagnetic solenoid. It is selectively positioned at the gripped position. An electric motor (not shown) for rotating the chuck member 102 and the gripping mechanism 104 attached to the chuck member 102 is disposed in the lift 98. Cleaning means 90
Further includes a spray nozzle (not shown) for spraying a cleaning liquid, which may be pure water. As will be further referred to later, during cleaning, the chuck member 102 holding the workpiece 46 and the gripping mechanism 104 are rotated at a high speed, and the cleaning liquid is directed from the injection nozzle toward the workpiece 46 on the chuck member 102. Is jetted.

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 3, an upright support substrate 108 extending in the Y-axis direction is fixed on the support base 70. A relatively large notch 1 for receiving the chuck member 82 is formed in the central portion of the support substrate 108.
10 are formed. The support substrate 108 has a pair of cutting means, that is, a first cutting means 112a and a second cutting means 1.
12b and are attached. More specifically, a pair of guide rails 114 extending in the Y-axis direction are arranged on the front surface of the support substrate 108 at intervals in the vertical direction. The first cutting means 112a and the second cutting means 112b include sliding blocks 116a and 116b, respectively, on the rear surfaces of these sliding blocks 116a and 116b, a Y block is provided.
A pair of guided grooves (not shown) extending in the axial direction are formed, and the sliding block 1 is formed by engaging the pair of guided grooves with the pair of guide rails 114.
16a and sliding block 116b are a pair of guide rails 1
It is attached to 14 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. A male screw shaft 1 extending in the Y-axis direction is further provided on the front surface of the support substrate 108.
18a and 118b are rotatably mounted via bearing members 120a and 120b. The male screw shafts 118a and 118b are arranged on a straight line. On the other hand, female screw members (not shown) are fixed to the rear surfaces of the sliding blocks 116a and 116b, and these female screw members are screwed onto the male screw shafts 118a and 118b, respectively. The electric motor 1 is attached to the male screw shafts 118a and 118b.
22a and 122b are connected to each other, and the electric motor 12
2a and 122b allow male screw shafts 118a and 118
When b is rotated, the sliding blocks 116a and 116
b is moved in the Y-axis direction along the pair of guide rails 114. Lifting blocks 126a and 126b are attached to the sliding blocks 116a and 116b, respectively. On the front surface of each of the sliding blocks 116a and 116b, a pair of guide rails 124a and 124b are arranged at intervals in the Y-axis direction and extending substantially vertically, that is, in the Z-axis direction. A pair of guided grooves extending in the Z-axis direction are formed on the rear surfaces of the elevating blocks 126a and 126b, and the pair of guided grooves are connected to the pair of guide rails 124a.
And 124b to engage lift blocks 126a and 126b with sliding blocks 116a and 1b.
It is mounted on 16b so as to be vertically movable in the Z-axis direction. Further, male screw shafts 130a and 130b extending in the Z-axis direction are rotatably mounted on the sliding blocks 116a and 116b. On the other hand, the lifting blocks 126a and 126b
A female screw member (not shown) is fixed to the rear surface of the male screw shafts 130a and 1a.
It is screwed to 30b. Electric motors 132a and 132b are connected to the male screw shafts 130a and 130b, and when the male screw shafts 130a and 130b are rotated by the electric motors 132a and 132b, the elevating blocks 126a and 126b are moved to the pair of guide rails 124.
It is moved up and down along a and 124b.

Cutting units 136a and 136b are mounted on the elevating blocks 126a and 126b, respectively, via connecting brackets 134a and 134b. Each of the cutting units 112a and 112b includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 138a and 138b. A rotating shaft extending in the Y-axis direction (only the rotating shaft 140b mounted on the case 138b is shown in FIG. 3) is rotatably mounted on the cases 138a and 138b. The rotary shaft extends straight in the width direction. A cutting blade (a cutting blade 142 fixed to the rotating shaft 140b is provided at the widthwise inner end of the rotating shaft, that is, an end facing each other.
Only b is shown in FIG. 3) is fixed. The cutting blade can be constructed from a thin disc containing diamond abrasive grains. Electric motors 144a and 144b are connected to the outer ends of the rotating shafts 140a and 140b. Imaging means 146a and 146b including a microscope are also attached to the cases 138a and 138b.

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 3, the cutting machine shown in FIG. 3 is further provided with a first conveying means 148 and a second conveying means 150. Explaining the first transfer means 148, the support base 70 has four support columns 152 hanging downward (two of the four support columns 152 located on the front side are shown in FIG. 3). Is attached, and a support plate 154 protruding from the front book is fixed to each of the two support columns 152 located on the front side. A guide rod 156 that extends substantially horizontally in the width direction is fixed between the support plates 154 that are spaced apart from each other in the width direction, and a male screw shaft 158 that also extends substantially horizontally in the width direction is rotatably mounted. Has been done. An electric motor 160 is connected to the male screw shaft 158. The first conveying means 148 has a sliding block 162, and the sliding block 162 is formed with a guided hole into which a guide rod 156 is inserted and a female screw hole into which a male screw shaft 158 is screwed. . The sliding block 162 has an upright arm portion 164 extending substantially vertically upward and a horizontal arm portion 166 extending substantially horizontally rearward from an upper end of the upright arm portion 164, and a gripping means is provided at a tip end portion of the horizontal arm portion 166. 168
Is provided. The gripping means 168 may be of a well-known form having a pair of gripping pieces for selectively gripping one edge of the frame 50 in the workpiece 46. When the electric motor 160 is energized, the sliding block 162 is moved in the width direction, that is, the Y-axis direction, so that the gripping means 16 is moved.
8 is moved in the Y-axis direction. As will be further referred to later, the first conveying means 148 carries out the workpiece 46 from the cassette 48 placed on the cassette supporting means 34 onto the temporary supporting means 64, and also temporarily supports the workpiece 46. The workpiece 46 is loaded into the cassette 48 from above the means 64.

Explaining the second conveying means 150, a guide rod 170 extending substantially horizontally in the width direction is further fixed between the supporting plates 154, and also extends substantially horizontally in the width direction. A male screw shaft 172 is rotatably mounted. An electric motor 174 is connected to the male screw shaft 172. The second conveying means 150 has a sliding block 176, and the sliding block 176 is formed with a guided hole into which a guide rod 170 is inserted and a female screw hole into which a male screw shaft 172 is screwed. . The sliding block 176 is provided with a pneumatic cylinder mechanism having a piston 178 that extends substantially vertically upward, and a substantially L-shaped arm 180 is fixed to the tip of the piston 178. And the arm 180
A pair of support pieces 182 are provided on the lower surface of the portion extending in the front-back direction.
Are fixed, and suction devices 184 are mounted on the lower surface of each of the support pieces 182. Each of the suction devices 184 is selectively communicated with a suction source (not shown) via an appropriate suction path (not shown), so that the frame 50 of the workpiece 46 can be sucked. When the electric motor 174 is energized, the sliding block is moved in the width direction, that is, the Y-axis direction, so that the adsorber 184 is moved in the Y-axis direction, and the piston 17 of the pneumatic cylinder mechanism is moved.
When 8 is expanded or contracted, the adsorber 184 moves vertically, that is, Z
It can be raised and lowered in the axial direction. As will be further referred to later, the second conveying means 150 removes the workpiece 46 on the chuck member 82 of the chuck means 68 from the chuck member 1 of the cleaning means 90.
02, and also the workpiece 46 on the chuck member 102 of the cleaning means 90 is conveyed onto the temporary support means 64.

The operation of the cutting machine as described above will be summarized and described as follows. Cassette support means 34
The raising / lowering table 40 is raised (or lowered) to a required height, and a specific one of the plurality of workpieces 46 accommodated in the cassette 48 placed on the raising / lowering table 40 has a predetermined height. It is located in the In such a state, the first conveying means 148 is operated and its gripping means 168 is operated.
Grips the frame 50 of the specific one workpiece 46 in the cassette 48, conveys the workpiece 46 from the cassette mounting area C to the chucking area A, and temporarily supports the chucking area A. The work piece 46 is positioned on 64. Then, the gripping means 1 of the first conveying means 148
68 is disengaged from the workpiece 46, and the first transfer means 148 is moved to the standby position which is closer to the cleaning area B than the chucking area A. At this time, the second conveying means 150 is moved to the chucking area A in the Y-axis direction and is lowered in the chucking area A so that the suction device 184 is brought into close contact with the frame 50 of the workpiece 46. . Next, the suction device 184 is made to communicate with the suction source, and the workpiece 46 is suctioned to the suction device 184. After that, the pair of support members 66 of the temporary support means 64 are moved to the non-acting position shown by the solid line, and retracted from below the workpiece 46. Then, the second transport means 1
The suction device 184 of 50 is lowered, and the workpiece 46 adsorbed by the suction device 184 is positioned on the chuck member 82 of the chuck means 68. And the chuck member 8
2 is in communication with the suction source, which causes the chuck member 82
The semiconductor wafer 54 on the workpiece 46 is adsorbed on the top. In addition, the movable gripping pieces 86 of the pair of gripping mechanisms 84 attached to the chuck member 82 are set to the gripping positions and grip the frame 50. The suction device 184 of the second transport means 150 is lifted after being separated from the suction source to separate the workpiece 46.

Next, the chuck means 68 is moved backward over a required distance, and the image pickup means 14 attached to the first cutting means 112a and the second cutting means 112b.
The microscopes 6a and 146b are positioned on the chuck member 82 so as to face the surface of the semiconductor wafer 54, and an image of the surface of the semiconductor wafer 54 is captured. Based on this, the cutting blade of the first cutting means 112a (see FIG. Cutting blade 142 of the second cutting means 112b (not shown)
The semiconductor wafer 54 on the chuck member 82 is aligned to b with sufficient precision. At the time of such alignment, the chuck member 82 is moved in the X-axis direction as necessary, and is also rotated about the central axis. After that, the chuck means 68 is moved further rearward to be positioned in the cutting area D, and the cutting or dicing of the semiconductor wafer 54 adsorbed on the chuck member 82 is performed. During such dicing, the chuck member 82 is moved in the X-axis direction, and the cutting blade of the first cutting means 112a and the cutting blade 142b of the second cutting means 112b are simultaneously or with some time difference. Acting on the semiconductor wafer 54 and cutting along the streets 56 extending in the X-axis direction.
The cutting unit 136a of the first cutting means 112a and the cutting unit 136b of the second cutting means 112b are positioned at the required height and are periodically indexed in the Y-axis direction. When the cutting along the streets 56 extending in the X-axis direction is completed, the chuck member 82 is rotated 90 degrees, and the cutting along the streets 56 newly positioned in the Y-axis direction is started. Thus, the semiconductor wafer 5 on the chuck member 82 is
4 are cut along the streets 56 arranged in a grid pattern. The mounting tape 52 interposed between the frame 50 and the semiconductor wafer 54 is not cut, and therefore the frame 5 is not cut even after the semiconductor wafer 54 is cut.
0, mounting tape 52, and semiconductor wafer 5 diced
4 is maintained as one.

Then, the chuck means 68 is returned to the chucking area A. Then, the second conveying means 150 is lowered, and the suction device 184 is moved to the frame 50 of the workpiece 46.
Be closely attached to. The suction device 184 is made to communicate with the suction source, the workpiece 46 is sucked by the suction device 184, the chuck member 82 is separated from the suction source, and the suction of the semiconductor wafer 54 to the chuck member 82 is released. Further, the movable gripping pieces 86 of the pair of gripping mechanisms 84 attached to the chuck member 82 are returned to the non-gripping positions and the gripping of the frame 50 is released. After that, the second conveying means 150 is moved up a little, and then moved in the Y-axis direction to move the workpiece 46 to the cleaning area B.
Then, the second transport means 150 is lowered, and the workpiece 46 adsorbed by the adsorber 184 is cleaned by the cleaning means 90.
Is placed on the chuck member 102. Then, the chuck member 102 is made to communicate with the suction source, and the workpiece 46
Is adsorbed on the chuck member 102, and the adsorber 184 of the second transport means 150 is separated from the suction source,
The workpiece 46 is separated from the suction device 184. On the other hand, in the cleaning area C, the chuck member 102 that has adsorbed the workpiece 46 is made to communicate with the suction source, and the semiconductor wafer 54 is adsorbed on the chuck member 102. Also,
The movable gripping piece 106 of the gripping mechanism 104 attached to the chuck member 102 is moved to the gripping position to move the frame 5
0 is gripped. Next, the lifting table 98 is lowered, and the chuck member 102 that has adsorbed the workpiece 46 is lowered to the required position. Then, a cleaning liquid, which may be pure water, is ejected from the ejection nozzle (not shown) toward the workpiece 46, and the chuck member 102 is moved to 600 r.p.m.
p. m. It is rotated at a moderate speed, and the workpiece 46 to which the cutting chips generated by cutting are attached is washed. Then, the injection of the cleaning liquid from the injection nozzle is stopped, and the chuck member 102 is moved to 3000 r.p.m. p. m. The object to be processed 46 is spin-dried by rotating the object at a moderate speed.

When the cleaning is completed, the lifting table 98 is raised and the chuck member 102 is raised. Then, the chuck member 102 is separated from the suction source, the suction of the semiconductor wafer 54 is released, and the movable gripping piece 106 of the gripping mechanism 104 is returned to the non-gripping position and the frame 50 is held.
The grip is released. Next, the suction device 184 of the second transfer means 150 is made to communicate with the suction source, and the workpiece 46 is sucked by the suction device 184. Thereafter, the suction device 184 of the second transfer means 150 is raised to the required height and moved to the chucking area A in the Y-axis direction.
Next, the suction device 184 of the second transfer means 150 is lowered to some extent, and the workpiece 46 is positioned at the working position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. It is placed over the top. Then, the suction device 184 is separated from the suction source, and the workpiece 46 is separated from the suction device 184. Then, the adsorber 184
Is raised.

When the workpiece 46 cut and washed as described above is placed on the temporary support means 64, the first transfer means 148 is moved to the chucking area A to some extent, Then, the gripping means 168 of the first conveying means 148
The workpiece 46 on the temporary support means 64 is activated.
Hold one edge of the frame 50 at. Next, the first transporting means 148 is moved toward the cassette mounting area C, whereby the workpiece 46 is inserted into the cassette 48. Then, the gripping means 168 of the first carrying means 148 is disengaged from the workpiece 46, and the first carrying means 148 is returned to the standby position shown in FIG.

The next workpiece 46 to be cut contained in the cassette 48 is carried out from the cassette 48 onto the temporary support means 64 while the previous workpiece 46 is being cleaned in the cleaning zone B. Then, it can be chucked on the chuck member 82 of the chuck means 68, and can be conveyed to the cutting area D after the required alignment, and the cutting by the first cutting means 112a and the second cutting means 112b can be started.

As will be clearly understood by comparing and referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, when the one-side door 4 is in the closed position shown by the solid line in FIG.
The cleaning area B arranged on one side in the width direction in the first half portion of the inside is covered by the one-side door 4. In addition to the one-end door 4 being located at the closed position, the central door 6 mounted on the one-end door 4 is also located at the closed position shown by the solid line in FIG. The chucking area A (and the cutting area D arranged in the widthwise central portion in the rear half of the housing 2, that is, behind the chucking area A) in the front half of the central door is the central door. Covered by 6. Furthermore, when the other side door 8 is located at the closed position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the cassette loading area C is covered by the other side door 8.

When the cassette 48 is placed on the cassette supporting means 34 disposed in the cassette mounting area C and when the cassette 48 is taken out from the cassette supporting means 34, the other side door 8 is provided with the handle 20. Is gripped and swung to the open position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. In this way, the front surface of the cassette mounting area C is opened, so that the cassette 48 can be mounted on the cassette supporting means 34 or the cassette 48 can be taken out from the cassette supporting means 34 with sufficient ease.

When the semiconductor wafer 54 is repeatedly cut by the first cutting means 112a and the second cutting means 112b, the cutting blade of the first cutting means 112a and the cutting blade 142b of the second cutting means 112b are worn. , Will need to be replaced. At this time, the central door 6 is moved to the open position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. Further, if necessary, the one-side door 4 to which the center door 6 is attached is moved together with the center door 6 to the open position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 1, thus establishing the state shown in FIG. At this time, the handle 16 of the central door 6 can be grasped and moved together with the central door 6 to the one-side door 4 in the opening direction. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the chucking area A arranged in the widthwise central portion of the front half of the housing 2 and the cutting area D located behind the chucking area A are opened forward, and the cleaning area B is also opened. It is opened to the front. Therefore, the operator moves the upper half of the body into the housing 2 from the front surface of the housing 2 to cut the cutting area D.
The cutting blade located at the position can be easily accessed, and the replacement operation of the cutting blade can be performed easily and quickly. When it is necessary to operate the cutting machine or visually check the operating state of the cutting machine during such work, the support member 1 disposed on the one-side door 4 is used.
The handle 0 is gripped by its handle 14 and swung to the extended position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this way, the operator can perform a necessary operation of the cutting machine by touching a desired portion of the touch panel 12 provided on the supporting means 10 or perform a necessary operation of the cutting machine, even with the upper half of the body in the housing 2. It is possible to recognize the required operating state of the cutting machine by visually observing the required portion of.

Although the preferred embodiments of the cutting machine constructed according to the present invention have been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and revisions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that is possible. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the cassette loading area C is arranged on the right side of the chucking area A and the cleaning area B is arranged on the left side of the chucking area A when viewed from the front side. It is also possible to arrange the cassette mounting area C on the left side of A and the cleaning area B on the right side. In this case, it is desirable that the arrangement of the one-side door 4, the center door 6 and the other-side door 8 is line-symmetrical to the case shown in the figure. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the workpiece 46 that has been cut but not washed is transferred from the chucking area A to the cleaning area B.
While the second transfer means 150 is used to transfer the cleaned work piece 46 to the chucking area A from the cleaning area B, the second transfer means 150 is also used. In order to completely avoid the possibility that the workpiece 46 after cleaning is contaminated by the conveying means, the cleaned workpiece 46 is washed from the cleaning area B to the chucking area A if desired.
It is also possible to provide a third transporting means for transporting to.

[0037]

In the cutting machine of the present invention, the operation of exchanging the cutting blades can be easily and quickly performed, and the space required for equipping the cutting machine is sufficiently small. The opening / closing operation of the door for opening the required area on the front surface of the door can be performed sufficiently easily and rationally.

In the cutting machine of the present invention, the operator can easily access various operating means even when the operator moves the upper half of the body into the housing in order to replace the cutting blade of the cutting means. And also the display means for displaying the various states of the cutting machine can be easily viewed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a cutting machine configured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cutting machine shown in FIG. 1 in a state in which a central door is in an open position and a one-end door on which the central door is mounted is in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cutting machine of FIG. 1 with a housing and the like omitted to show the internal structure thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a workpiece (semiconductor wafer mounted on a frame via a mounting tape) cut by the cutting machine of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

2: Housing 4: Single-ended door 6: Central door 8: Other side door 10: Support member 12: Touch panel 34: cassette supporting means 46: Workpiece 48: cassette 54: Semiconductor wafer 64: Temporary support means 68: Chuck means 90: Cleaning means 112a: First cutting means 112b: Second cutting means 136a: First cutting unit 136b: Second cutting unit 140b: rotating shaft 142b: Cutting blade A: Chucking area B: Washing area C: cassette loading area D: Cutting area

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference)

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A chucking area located in the center in the width direction in the front half of the housing, a cleaning area located on one side of the chucking area, and a cassette loading area located on the other side of the chucking area. And a cutting area located at the center in the width direction is arranged in the rear half of the housing. Cleaning means arranged in the cleaning area and a cassette arranged in the cassette mounting area. Supporting means, chucking means movably arranged in the front-rear direction in the widthwise central part in the housing, and selectively positionable in the chucking area and the cutting area, and the rear half part in the housing. And a cutting means having a cutting blade positioned in the cutting area, a cassette containing a plurality of workpieces is placed on the cassette supporting means, and the cassette is housed in the cassette. Work piece Sequentially carried out to the chucking area, chucked on the chuck means in the chucking area, transferred to the cutting area together with the chuck means, cut by the cutting blade of the cutting means in the cutting area, and then It is returned to the chucking area together with the chuck means, conveyed from the chucking area to the cleaning area for cleaning, and then loaded into the cassette, and a closed position on the front surface of the housing for covering the front surface of the cleaning area. And a one-side door movably mounted between the closed position and an open position for displacing the housing in the one-side direction to open the front surface of the cleaning area, and the one-side door is positioned in the closed position. And a closed position covering the front surface of the chucking area and displacing from the closed position in the one-sided direction so that at least most of them are located behind or in front of the one-side door. Freely movable between an open position for opening the front surface and a central door mounted on the one side door, and a closed position for covering the front surface of the cassette area and an open position for opening the front surface of the cassette area. The cutting machine is characterized in that the other side door attached to is arranged. 2. The cutting according to claim 1, wherein the other-side door is swingable between the closed position and the open position around a swing center axis line that extends substantially vertically on the other side of the housing. Machine. 3. When the central door is in the open position, at least most of the central door is located behind the one-sided door, and the front side of the one-sided door has a widthwise inner edge of the one-sided door. A support member is rotatably provided between a normal position extending along the front surface of the one-side door and an extension position extending forward from the one-side door about a turning center axis extending substantially vertically in the section. The cutting machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting machine is attached and an operation panel is attached to the support member. 4. The cutting machine according to claim 3, wherein the operation panel comprises a touch panel. 5. The cutting means includes a first cutting means and a second cutting means, the first cutting means including a first rotating shaft and a first rotating shaft mounted on the first rotating shaft. A cutting blade, the second cutting means has a second rotating shaft and a second cutting blade mounted on the second rotating shaft, and the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft. The shaft extends linearly in the width direction in the rear half of the housing, and the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade are respectively the width direction inner end of the first rotating shaft and the second cutting blade. The cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is mounted on an inner end of the rotary shaft in the width direction and is positioned so as to face each other. 6. A temporary support means is provided in the chucking area, and the workpiece carried out from the cassette to the chucking area is first placed on the temporary support means, and then the workpiece. The workpiece that has been conveyed from the temporary support means to the chuck means, and has been cut and washed is conveyed from the cleaning area to the chucking area, placed on the temporary support means, and then carried into the cassette. The cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is performed. 7. The temporary supporting means is composed of a pair of supporting members, and the pair of supporting members are located at a predetermined distance from each other and the work piece is placed across the two members. The chuck means is movable between an acting position and a non-acting position which is moved in a direction away from the acting position to allow a workpiece to be lowered therethrough. 7. The cutting machine according to claim 6, wherein the chuck means is located below the temporary support means when the chuck means is located at. 8. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer, the cutting blade has a disk shape and contains diamond particles, and the semiconductor wafer is diced. Cutting machine.