JP2005247600A - System and method of cutting brittle material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of carrying out high grade cutting work of a brittle material. <P>SOLUTION: The cutting system 1 is provided with a laser oscillator 11 for irradiating a substrate 30 to be worked with laser beam LB to locally heat, a cooling unit 12 for cooling the locally heated zone and a working stage 20 for relatively moving the substrate 30 to be worked to the laser beam oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12. The cooling unit 12 has a cooling nozzle 14 for jetting a cooling agent C supplied from a main body 13 to the locally heated zone and a a guide member 16 for regulating the flow of the cooling agent C. The guide member 16 is fixed to the cooling unit main body 13 with a flange 15 and moves with the cooling nozzle 14 relatively to the substrate 30 to be worked to be in contact with and to slide on the substrate 30 to be worked. The guide member 16 has a wall part in which the cross-section along the substrate 30 to be worked is V-shaped and which has a symmetric shape with respect to a cutting planned line 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention locally heats and cools a substrate to be processed made of a brittle material (hard and brittle material), and generates a crack in the substrate to be processed by thermal stress (tensile stress) generated at that time to perform cleaving. The present invention relates to a cleaving system and method.

  Conventionally, as a method of cleaving glass substrates used in liquid crystal display panels and plasma display panels, a substrate to be processed such as a glass substrate is locally heated and cooled, and thermal stress (tensile stress) generated at that time Has proposed a method of cleaving by generating cracks in the substrate to be processed.

In such a conventional method, for example, the processing substrate is locally heated by irradiating the processing substrate with a laser beam, and the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated in the locally heated region. To crack the substrate to be processed. In addition, by moving the region heated locally on the substrate to be processed along the planned cutting line, the crack generated in the processed substrate is propagated along the planned cutting line. In this case, when a locally heated region of the substrate to be processed is locally cooled, the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated in the region can be further increased, and the progress of cracks is promoted. Can do. In addition, as a method for cooling the substrate to be processed in this manner, for example, a method of injecting a cooling gas toward a region where heating is locally performed on the substrate to be processed is known (see Patent Document 1). ).
JP 2003-34545 A

  However, in the conventional method described above, as a method for cooling the substrate to be processed, a method of injecting a cooling gas toward a region that is locally heated on the substrate to be processed is used. There is a problem in that it is difficult to control the pattern of the cooling region in contact with the cooling gas, and the shape of the leading edge of the cooling region tends to be asymmetric with respect to the planned cutting line.

  Here, cracks formed by locally heating and cooling the substrate to be processed generally occur at the forefront portion of the cooling region where the cooling gas contacts on the substrate to be processed. When the pattern of the cooling region becomes asymmetric with respect to the planned cutting line, the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated in the cooling region also becomes asymmetric. FIG. 4 shows the state of thermal stress (tensile stress) during heating and cooling of a non-processed substrate by a conventional method. Reference numeral 33 denotes a laser beam irradiation spot, reference numeral 34 denotes a cooling gas injection spot, reference numeral Reference numeral 36 denotes a distribution of thermal stress (tensile stress) caused by laser beam irradiation, and reference numeral 37 denotes a distribution of thermal stress (tensile stress) caused by jetting of the coolant. As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated in the cooling region (region centered on the injection spot 34) where the cooling gas contacts on the workpiece substrate 30 becomes asymmetric with respect to the planned cutting line 31 ( As a result, the straightness of cracks generated at the most distal portion of the cooling region is deteriorated, and the quality of the cleaving process is inevitably lowered.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a brittle material cleaving system and method capable of realizing high-quality cleaving of a brittle material.

  As a first solution, the present invention provides a cleaving process in which a substrate to be processed made of a brittle material is locally heated and cooled, and the substrate to be processed is cracked by thermal stress generated at that time. In the system, a heating device that locally heats the substrate to be processed, a cooling device that locally cools a region heated locally on the substrate to be processed by the heating device, the heating device, and the A moving device that moves the substrate to be processed relative to a cooling device, and moves a region that is locally heated and cooled on the substrate to be processed along a planned cutting line. Is a cooling nozzle that injects a fluid coolant toward a region where heating is locally performed on the substrate to be processed, and the coolant sprayed by the cooling nozzle is on the substrate to be processed. Scheduled cutting line Providing splitting processing system characterized by having a guide member for regulating the flow of the cooling agent on the substrate to be processed to flow symmetrically regarding.

  In the first solving means of the present invention described above, the guide member is a wall that moves relative to the substrate to be processed together with the cooling nozzle in a state in which the guide member is slidably in contact with the substrate to be processed. It is preferable that the wall portion has a symmetrical shape with respect to the planned cutting line. Specifically, the wall portion of the guide member preferably has a V-shaped or U-shaped cross section along the substrate to be processed.

  Further, in the first solving means of the present invention described above, the roller member is rotatably attached to the guide member of the cooling device, and is in the vicinity of the planned cutting line on the surface of the substrate to be processed. A separation member that supports a portion of the substrate to be processed that corresponds to the planned cutting line located on the surface opposite to the surface pressed by the roller member, the roller member; It is preferable to further include a separation support that applies mechanical stress to a portion corresponding to the breaking line of the substrate to be processed by the cooperation of the above.

  As a second solution, the present invention provides a cleaving process in which a substrate to be processed made of a brittle material is locally heated and cooled, and the substrate to be processed is cracked by thermal stress generated at that time. In the method, a step of preparing a substrate to be cleaved and a region in which heating and cooling are locally performed on the substrate to be processed while the substrate to be processed is locally heated and cooled. And a step of moving along a predetermined line, and when the substrate to be processed is locally cooled, a coolant having fluidity toward a region heated locally on the substrate to be processed There is provided a cleaving method characterized by spraying and regulating the flow of the coolant on the substrate to be processed so that the coolant flows symmetrically on the substrate to be processed with respect to the planned cutting line. .

  According to the present invention, the flow of the coolant on the substrate to be processed is regulated by the guide member so that the coolant sprayed by the cooling nozzle of the cooling device flows symmetrically on the substrate to be processed on the planned cutting line. Therefore, the shape of the leading edge of the cooling area where the coolant contacts on the substrate to be processed is symmetric with respect to the planned cutting line, and this causes the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated at the leading edge of the cooling area. Can also be symmetric with respect to the planned cutting line. For this reason, it is possible to improve the straightness of cracks generated at the most distal portion of the cooling region and improve the quality of the cleaving process.

  Further, according to the present invention, the flow of the coolant on the substrate to be processed (particularly, the flow at the most distal portion of the cooling region where the coolant contacts on the substrate to be processed) is regulated by the guide member. Therefore, a sufficiently symmetric cooling distribution and stress distribution can be obtained without precisely positioning the coolant jetting position and jetting angle by the cooling nozzle with respect to the planned cutting line. It is possible to easily improve the straightness of the crack generated at the tip.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the overall configuration of the cleaving system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaving system 1 locally heats and cools a substrate 30 made of a brittle material such as glass, and cracks in the substrate 30 due to thermal stress (tensile stress) generated at that time. 32 is generated to perform the cleaving process. A laser oscillator (heating device) 11 that irradiates the substrate 30 to be processed with a laser beam LB to locally heat the substrate to be processed 30, and a workpiece to be processed by the laser oscillator 11. A cooling unit (cooling device) 12 for locally cooling the region by spraying a fluid coolant C toward the region heated locally on the substrate 30, the laser oscillator 11, and the cooling unit 12, a processing stage (moving device) 20 that moves the substrate 30 to be processed relative to the processing substrate 30 is provided.

  Among them, the cooling unit 12 is disposed at a position separated from the laser oscillator 11 by a predetermined distance (for example, about several tens of millimeters), and receives the cooling unit body 13 and the coolant C supplied from the cooling unit body 13. It has the cooling nozzle 14 injected toward the area | region heated locally on the process board | substrate 30, and the guide member 16 which regulates the flow of the coolant C injected by the cooling nozzle 14. FIG. The coolant C sprayed by the cooling nozzle 14 may be liquid, gas, or a solid aggregate as long as it has fluidity, for example, liquid such as water or alcohol (including mist), water vapor A gas solid such as carbon dioxide particles or an aggregate of fine particle solids such as carbon dioxide particles can be used.

  Here, the guide member 16 is fixed to the cooling unit main body 13 via the flange 15, and is relative to the workpiece substrate 30 together with the cooling nozzle 14 in a state where the guide member 16 is slidably contacted with the workpiece substrate 30. To move to. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the guide member 16 has a wall portion 16 a having a V-shaped cross section along the substrate to be processed 30 and a symmetrical shape with respect to the planned cutting line 31. The coolant C sprayed by the cooling nozzle 14 flows symmetrically with respect to the cutting line 31 on the substrate 30 (particularly, the coolant C is cooled on the substrate 30). The flow at the foremost part of the cooling region in contact with the agent C) is regulated. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 34 denotes an injection spot of the coolant C, and reference numeral 35 denotes an inner region of the wall portion 16a of the guide member 16 that regulates the flow of the coolant C. As the material of the guide member 16, it is preferable to use a material that is soft enough not to damage the workpiece substrate 30 made of a brittle material such as glass and has a strength that does not cause the shape of the guide member 16 to collapse. For example, a resin such as Teflon (registered trademark) can be used.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

  First, the substrate 30 to be cut is positioned on the processing stage 20.

  Next, the processing substrate 30 is moved by the processing stage 20, and the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 are positioned above the planned cutting line 31 of the processing substrate 30. The laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 are aligned in advance so that they are arranged at appropriate intervals along the planned cutting line 31 when positioned above the planned cutting line 31 of the substrate 30 to be processed. ing.

  In this state, when the processing substrate 30 is moved relative to the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 by the processing stage 20, the laser beam LB emitted from the laser oscillator 11 causes local movement on the processing substrate 30. A region where heating is performed (a region corresponding to the irradiation spot 33 of the laser beam LB) and a region where cooling is locally performed on the substrate 30 by the coolant C sprayed from the cooling unit 12 (jetting of the coolant C) The cooling region in contact with the coolant C on the substrate to be processed 30 around the spot 34 is relatively moved in this order along the planned cutting line 31.

  Specifically, first, the laser oscillator 11 moves relatively along the planned cutting line 31 on the workpiece substrate 30, and the workpiece substrate 30 is locally heated by the laser beam LB emitted from the laser oscillator 11. To do. Thereby, thermal stress (tensile stress) is sequentially applied to the region corresponding to the irradiation spot 33 of the laser beam LB in the substrate 30 to be processed.

  Next, the cooling unit 12 moved relatively along the planned cutting line 31 on the substrate 30 to be processed following the laser oscillator 11, and the laser oscillator 11 locally heated the substrate 30 to be processed. The coolant C is sprayed toward the area to locally cool the area. As a result, thermal stress (tensile stress) is applied to the cooling region of the substrate 30 to be contacted by the coolant C, and is superposed on the tensile stress generated by heating by the laser oscillator 11. At this time, in the cooling unit 12, the coolant C sprayed from the cooling nozzle 14 is sprayed onto the spray spot 34 of the substrate 30 to be processed, and such coolant C is guided by the movement of the processing stage 20. It is scraped by 16 wall portions 16a. Thereby, the flow of the coolant C on the substrate to be processed 30 is regulated according to the inner region 35 of the wall portion 16a of the guide member 16, and the leading edge of the cooling region where the coolant C contacts on the substrate to be processed 30. The shape of the part is symmetrical with respect to the planned cutting line 31.

  As described above, when heating by the laser oscillator 11 and cooling by the cooling unit 12 are sequentially performed on the substrate to be processed 30 along the planned cutting line 31, thermal stress (tensile stress) generated by heating the substrate to be processed 30 is performed. ) And thermal stress (tensile stress) generated by cooling the workpiece substrate 30, and the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 are relative to each other along the planned cutting line 31 on the workpiece substrate 30. The crack 32 progresses along the planned cutting line 31 as it moves to.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the coolant C sprayed by the cooling nozzle 14 of the cooling unit 12 flows symmetrically with respect to the planned cutting line 31 on the substrate 30 to be processed by the guide member 16. Since the flow of the coolant C above is regulated, the shape of the most distal portion of the cooling region in contact with the coolant C on the substrate 30 to be processed is symmetrical with respect to the planned cutting line 31. As a result, the thermal stress (tensile stress) generated at the foremost portion of the cooling region can be made symmetrical with respect to the planned cutting line 31. For this reason, it is possible to improve the straightness of the crack 32 generated at the most distal portion of the cooling region, and to improve the quality of the cleaving process.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the flow of the coolant C on the substrate 30 to be processed by the guide member 16 (particularly, the flow at the most distal portion of the cooling region where the coolant C contacts on the substrate 30 to be processed). Therefore, it is possible to obtain a sufficiently symmetric cooling distribution and stress distribution without strictly positioning the ejection position and the ejection angle of the coolant C by the cooling nozzle 14 with respect to the planned cutting line 31. For this reason, it is possible to easily improve the straightness of the crack 32 generated at the most distal portion of the cooling region.

  In the above-described embodiment, the guide member 16 having the wall portion 16a having a V-shaped cross section is used as the guide member for regulating the flow of the coolant C injected by the cooling nozzle 14 of the cooling unit 12. However, it is possible to use an arbitrary shape as long as the wall portion is symmetrical with respect to the planned cutting line 31. For example, as shown in FIG. You may make it use the guide member 16 'which has a certain wall part 16a'. In the case of the guide member 16 ′ shown in FIG. 2 (b), the inner wall surface of the wall portion 16a ′ has an arc shape. Therefore, compared with the case of the guide member 16 shown in FIG. 2 (a), There is an advantage that the positional shift generated between the center portion of the wall portion 16a ′ and the planned cutting line 31 has little influence on the shape of the most distal portion of the cooling region.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the processing substrate 30 is cleaved only by the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 has been described as an example. However, in this case, only the surface of the processing substrate 30 is described. May be cleaved, and the cut section may not reach from the front surface to the back surface of the substrate 30 to be processed. For this reason, as another embodiment of the present invention, a cleaving process system 1 having a configuration as shown in FIG. 3 may be used. That is, the roller member 18 is rotatably attached to the guide member 16 of the cooling unit 12 via the support member 17 so as to press the vicinity of the planned cutting line 31 on the surface of the substrate 30 to be processed. Further, on the processing stage 20, mounting blocks 21 and 22 that support the substrate to be processed 30, and a planned cutting line 31 that is positioned on the surface of the substrate to be processed 30 opposite to the side pressed by the roller member 18. And a separation support 23 having a triangular cross section for supporting a portion corresponding to the above. As a result, mechanical stress is applied to the portion corresponding to the planned cutting line 31 of the substrate to be processed 30 by the cooperation of the roller member 18 and the separation support 23, and the substrate to be processed 30 is cleaved from the front surface to the back surface. You are prompted to do so.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the processing stage 20 moves the processing substrate 30 side with respect to the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12, so that the laser oscillator 11, the cooling unit 12, and the processing substrate 30 are moved. Although the relative movement is realized, the present invention is not limited to this, and by moving the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 side, the relative movement between the laser oscillator 11 and the cooling unit 12 and the substrate to be processed 30 is achieved. You may make it implement | achieve a movement.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the guide member 16 of the cooling unit 12 is moved relative to the substrate to be processed 30 while being slidably contacted with the substrate to be processed 30. However, the guide member 16 may move relative to the substrate to be processed 30 with a slight gap with respect to the substrate to be processed 30.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate 30 is irradiated with the laser beam LB by the laser oscillator 11 to locally heat the substrate 30, but the substrate 30 is heated. If it is, it will not be restricted to this, Arbitrary heating means, such as a warm air heating means, can be used.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coolant C sprayed from the cooling nozzle 14 of the cooling unit 12 is directly sprayed onto the substrate 30 to be processed. The coolant C thus applied may be sprayed onto the wall portion 16a of the guide member 16 so as to flow along the wall portion 16a onto the substrate 30 to be processed.

The perspective view which shows the whole structure of the cleaving processing system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the guide member used with the cleaving processing system shown in FIG. The perspective view which shows the whole structure of the cleaving processing system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the mode of the thermal stress (tensile stress) at the time of the heating of the to-be-processed substrate by the conventional method, and cooling.

Explanation of symbols

1 Cleaving processing system 11 Laser oscillator (heating device)
12 Cooling unit (cooling device)
13 Cooling unit body 14 Cooling nozzle 15 Flange 16, 16 'Guide member 17 Support member 18 Roller member 20 Processing stage (moving device)
21 and 22 Mounting block 23 Separation support 30 Substrate 31 Cutting line 32 Crack 33 Laser beam irradiation spot 34 Coolant spray spot 35, 35 'Wall region 36 Thermal stress generated by laser beam irradiation ( Tensile stress) distribution 37 Thermal stress (tensile stress) distribution caused by jetting of coolant LB Laser beam C Coolant

Claims (6)

In the cleaving processing system that heats and cools a substrate to be processed made of a brittle material, and generates a crack in the substrate to be processed by thermal stress generated at that time.
A heating device for locally heating the substrate to be processed;
A cooling device for locally cooling a region heated locally on the substrate to be processed by the heating device;
A moving device that moves the substrate to be processed relative to the heating device and the cooling device, and moves a region that is locally heated and cooled on the substrate to be processed along a planned cutting line. Prepared,
The cooling device includes: a cooling nozzle that injects a fluid coolant toward a region that is locally heated on the substrate to be processed; and the coolant that is injected by the cooling nozzle is the substrate to be processed. A cleaving system comprising: a guide member that regulates the flow of the coolant on the substrate to be processed so as to flow symmetrically with respect to the planned cutting line.   The guide member has a wall portion that moves relative to the substrate to be processed together with the cooling nozzle in a state in which the guide member is slidably contacted with the substrate to be processed. The cleaving system according to claim 1, wherein the cleaving system has a symmetrical shape.   The cleaving system according to claim 2, wherein the wall portion of the guide member has a V-shaped cross section along the substrate to be processed.   The cleaving system according to claim 2, wherein the wall portion of the guide member has a U-shaped cross section along the substrate to be processed. A roller member rotatably attached to the guide member of the cooling device, the roller member pressing the vicinity of the planned cutting line of the surface of the substrate to be processed;
A separation support for supporting a portion of the substrate to be processed corresponding to the planned cutting line located on the surface opposite to the surface pressed by the roller member, and in cooperation with the roller member, the workpiece to be processed The cleaving system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a separation support that applies mechanical stress to a portion corresponding to a cleaving line of the substrate. In a cleaving method for locally heating and cooling a substrate made of a brittle material, and performing a cleaving process by generating a crack in the substrate to be processed by thermal stress generated at that time,
Preparing a substrate to be processed for cleaving,
Moving the region to be heated and cooled locally on the substrate to be processed along the planned cutting line while locally heating and cooling the substrate to be processed,
When the substrate to be processed is locally cooled, a coolant having fluidity is sprayed toward a region that is locally heated on the substrate to be processed, and the coolant is the substrate to be processed. A cleaving method characterized by restricting the flow of the coolant on the substrate to be processed so as to flow symmetrically with respect to the planned cutting line.

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