JP2008034558A - Dress cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cassette capable of conducting a dressing and an inspection by a single manipulation. <P>SOLUTION: A dress cassette is equipped with a cassette body having a dress board mounting unit with the dress board mounted in a horizontal posture. The cassette body comprises an inspection wafer mounting unit with the inspection wafer mounted in the horizontal pusture, and the dress board and the inspection wafer can be taken out and put in from the front of the inspection wafer mounting unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dress cassette, and more particularly to a dress cassette for storing a dress board used for dressing the cutting blade of a dicing apparatus that cuts a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer with a cutting blade that rotates at high speed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a dicing apparatus that cuts a semiconductor wafer into individual chips with a cutting blade that rotates at high speed is known (see Patent Document 1).

  The dicing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a cassette mounting portion on which a cassette in which a plurality of wafers are stored in a vertical direction in a horizontal posture is mounted, an elevator mechanism that raises and lowers the cassette mounting portion, a wafer transport mechanism, and A cutting blade is provided. This dicing apparatus operates as follows.

  First, the wafer cutting operation will be described. When the wafer is cut, the cassette mounting portion is first moved up and down to a position where the wafer can be pulled out by the elevator mechanism and stopped at the position. Next, the wafer is pulled out from the cassette mounting portion stopped at the position by the wafer transport mechanism and transported to a predetermined cutting position. And it cut | disconnects with the cutting blade in the predetermined cutting position. The cut wafer is transported and stored to the original cassette mounting portion by the wafer transport mechanism.

  Next, the dressing operation of the cutting blade will be described. In the dicing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a dress cassette in which a dress board is stored in a horizontal posture is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, and dressing of a cutting blade is possible using the dress board.

  When dressing the cutting blade, first, the cassette placing portion is moved up and down to the position where the dressboard can be pulled out by the elevator mechanism and stopped at the position. Next, the dressboard is pulled out by the wafer transfer mechanism from the cassette mounting portion stopped at the position and transferred to a predetermined cutting position. Then, cutting for dressing is performed by the cutting blade at the predetermined cutting position. The dressing board after the dressing is transported and stored to the original cassette mounting portion by the wafer transport mechanism.

  Next, the inspection operation will be described. In the dicing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, an inspection cassette in which an inspection wafer (inspection wafer) is stored in a horizontal posture is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, and inspection can be performed using the inspection wafer. Yes.

At the time of inspection, first, the cassette mounting portion is moved up and down to a position where the inspection wafer can be pulled out by the elevator mechanism and stopped at the position. Next, the inspection wafer is pulled out by the wafer transfer mechanism from the cassette mounting portion stopped at this position and transferred to a predetermined cutting position. Then, cutting for inspection is performed by the cutting blade at the predetermined cutting position. The inspection wafer after the inspection is transported and stored to the original cassette mounting portion by the wafer transport mechanism.
JP 2002-299286 A

  However, since the dressing cassette and the inspection cassette are separate cassettes in the dicing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, each cassette must be mounted on the cassette mounting portion, which increases the man-hours and the operation procedure. There was a problem of becoming complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a cassette capable of performing dressing and inspection by a single operation.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a dress cassette including a cassette body having a dressboard placement portion on which the dressboard is placed in a horizontal posture, wherein the inspection wafer is placed in a horizontal posture. The inspection wafer mounting portion is provided, and the dressboard and the inspection wafer can be taken in and out from the front thereof.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the cassette main body includes both the dressboard mounting portion and the inspection wafer mounting portion, the cassette main body is simply mounted on the cassette mounting portion (ie, a single unit). In operation), it is possible to perform both dressing and inspection.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the inspection wafer mounting portion is provided on an upper stage of the dressboard mounting portion, and the inspection wafer is disposed on an upper surface of the cassette body. When the inspection wafer is placed on the placement portion and the inspection wafer placement portion, the space occupied by the placed inspection wafer is exposed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the inspection wafer mounting part is provided on the upper stage of the dressboard mounting part, and the inspection wafer mounting part and the inspection wafer mounting are arranged from the upper surface of the cassette body. When the inspection wafer is placed on the part, the space occupied by the placed inspection wafer is exposed. Is possible.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the cassette body is detachably mounted on a cassette mounting portion that is moved up and down by an elevator mechanism.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cassette body can be detachably mounted on the cassette mounting portion that is raised and lowered by the elevator mechanism.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, an opening for mounting positioning is formed for each cassette size at a cassette mounting planned place of the cassette mounting portion, and the cassette body is A mounting positioning convex portion to be inserted into the opening formed at a position corresponding to the cassette size of the opening is provided.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, an opening for positioning positioning is formed for each cassette size at a cassette mounting planned place of the cassette mounting portion, and the cassette body has its own cassette size among the openings. Since the mounting positioning convex portion to be inserted into the opening formed at the corresponding position is provided, the present cassette can be mounted at an appropriate mounting location according to the cassette size.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the cassette mounting portion of the cassette mounting portion is provided with a mounting positioning projection for each cassette size. Is characterized in that a mounting positioning opening into which a convex portion provided at a position corresponding to the cassette size of the convex portion is to be inserted is formed.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the cassette mounting portion is provided with the convex portion for mounting positioning for each cassette size at the cassette mounting planned place, and the cassette body has its own convex portion. Since the mounting positioning opening into which the convex portion provided at a position corresponding to the cassette size is to be inserted is formed, the present cassette can be mounted at an appropriate mounting location according to the cassette size.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cassette capable of performing dressing and inspection by a single operation.

  Hereinafter, a dress cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention and a dicing apparatus to which the dress cassette is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a dicing apparatus to which the dress cassette of this embodiment is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the dicing apparatus 10 includes a work cutting unit 20 including cutting blades 22, 22, a cleaning unit 30, a dress cassette 40, a cassette mounting unit 50, an elevator mechanism 60, a work conveying means 70, and the like. Yes.

  First, a work to be diced by the dicing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the workpiece. As shown in FIG. 2, the work to be diced by the dicing apparatus 10 includes a frame F and a wafer W (semiconductor wafer) disposed at the approximate center thereof, and a tape T on the back surface of the frame F and the wafer W. The two are integrally formed by sticking. The dress board and inspection wafer stored in the dress cassette 40 have substantially the same configuration as the workpiece shown in FIG. 2, but a diamond grindstone is arranged in place of the wafer W for the dress board.

  Next, the dress cassette 40 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dress cassette 40, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the dress cassette 40.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the dress cassette 40 is a cassette for storing a dress board and an inspection wafer, and a pair of side plates 41, 41 arranged at regular intervals and each of the pair of side plates 41, 41. A dress cassette main body 43 including a back plate 42 connecting one end edge is provided. The dress board and the inspection wafer are stored in a space K1 defined by the pair of side plates 41 and 41 and the back plate 42.

  The lower end edges of the pair of side plates 41, 41 are connected by reinforcing rods R1, R2 (two are illustrated in FIG. 3), thereby improving the rigidity of the dress cassette 40. In addition, grip handles 44 and 44 for the dress cassette 40 are provided on the outer sides of the pair of side plates 41 and 41, so that the dress cassette 40 can be easily carried. In addition, convex portions 45 and 45 for mounting positioning (two convex portions are illustrated in FIG. 3) are provided on the lower end edge of one of the pair of side plates 41 and 41 (the right side is illustrated in FIG. 3). Thus, the dress cassette 40 can be mounted in an appropriate posture.

  A dressboard placement surface 41a extending in the horizontal direction is provided on the inner side surface of each side plate 41, 41 at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction (FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate three dressboard placement surfaces 41a as examples. ), A pair of left and right dressboard placement surfaces 41a located on the same stage is placed with a single dressboard in a horizontal position. The dress board can be taken in and out from the front of the dress cassette main body 43.

  Further, an inspection wafer mounting surface 41b extending in the horizontal direction is provided on the inner side surface of each side plate 41, 41 at a predetermined interval above the dressboard mounting surface 41a (in FIG. 3 and FIG. The inspection wafer mounting surface 41b is exemplified), and one inspection wafer is mounted on the pair of left and right inspection wafer mounting surfaces located on the same stage. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper surface of the dress cassette body 43 is not closed (that is, the upper surface of the dress cassette body 43 is open).

  For this reason, from the upper surface of the dress cassette main body 43, when the inspection wafer is placed on the inspection wafer placement surface 41b and the inspection wafer placement surface 41b, the space K2 occupied by the placed inspection wafer is exposed. is doing.

  Therefore, the inspection wafer can be taken in and out not only from the front of the dress cassette main body 43 but also from the top surface of the dress cassette main body 43.

  When carrying the dress cassette 40, it is assumed that the dress board or inspection wafer is dropped from the front of the dress cassette main body 43. In order to prevent this, it is desirable to provide a stopper for preventing the dressboard from being placed on the front side of the dress cassette main body 43 of the dressboard placement surface 41a and the inspection wafer placement surface 41b.

  Next, the cassette mounting part 50 will be described with reference to the drawings. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the cassette mounting portion.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette mounting unit 50 is a unit to which the dress cassette 40 and the like are mounted, and includes a cassette mounting unit main body 51, a drawer 52 and the like to which the dress cassette 40 is mounted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cassette mounting portion main body 51 has a box-like appearance as a whole, and on the top surface thereof is a bottom surface of a work cassette C in which a plurality of workpieces are stored in multiple stages in the vertical direction while maintaining a horizontal posture. There are provided mounting positioning projections 53 (three projections 53 are illustrated in FIG. 5) inserted into the provided openings. Thereby, it is possible to mount the work cassette C in an appropriate posture on the upper surface of the cassette placing portion main body 51.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the cassette mounting portion main body 51 includes a drawer storage space K <b> 3 defined by its both side surfaces 54, 54 and a top plate in the upper internal space. Guide rails 54a and 54a extending in the horizontal direction are provided on both side surfaces 54 and 54 of the cassette mounting portion main body defining the space K3, and both side surfaces 52a and 52a of the drawer portion 52 are provided on the guide rails 54a and 54a. It is connected. For this reason, the drawer | drawing-out part 52 can be slid along the guide rails 54a and 54a. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the drawer portion 52 is pulled out from the back surface of the cassette mounting portion main body 51.

  A dress cassette 40 is attached to the drawer 52. The drawer portion 52 mainly includes a horizontal plate 52b in a horizontal posture and a vertical plate 52c that forms a part of the back surface of the cassette mounting portion main body 51. Both ends of the horizontal plate 52b are folded back for reinforcement. The horizontal plate 52 b is provided with mounting positioning openings h 1 and h 2 into which the mounting positioning projections 45 and 45 of the dress cassette 40 are inserted for each size of the dress cassette 40. FIG. 6 shows that the openings h1 and h1 are 8 inch positioning cassette 40 mounting positioning openings, and the openings h2 and h2 are 12 inch dressing cassette 40 mounting positioning openings. By inserting convex portions 45, 45 for positioning the dress cassette 40 into the openings h1, h2 of the horizontal plate 52b, the dress cassette 40 can be mounted on the drawer portion 52 in an appropriate posture. .

  As shown in FIG. 7, an opening 55 leading to the drawer storage space K3 is formed on the front surface of the cassette placement section main body 51, and the drawer 52 with the dress cassette 40 mounted thereon is slid as described above. When positioned in the drawer storage space K3, the front face of the dress cassette 40 is exposed from the opening 55 on the front face of the cassette placing part main body 51, and the dressboard and inspection wafer can be taken in and out through the opening 55. Yes.

  The cassette mounting portion 50 having the above-described configuration is moved up and down by the elevator mechanism 60 to a pullable position. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a ball screw 62 that extends in the vertical direction and is driven to rotate by a stepping motor 61 is engaged with the ball screw 62, and the ball screw 62 is driven to rotate in the vertical direction. It is conceivable that an elevator mechanism 60 is constituted by a lift 64 that is lifted and lowered along a pair of extending guide rails 63, 63, and the cassette mounting portion 50 is fixed to the lift 64.

  Since the workpiece cutting unit 20, the cleaning unit 30, and the workpiece transfer means 70 are the same as known ones, the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the dicing apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the dicing apparatus 10 to which the dress cassette of this embodiment is applied.

  First, the dress board and the inspection wafer are stored in the dress cassette 40. That is, the dressboard is placed on the dressboard placement surface 41a of each stage of the dress cassette 40, and the inspection wafer is placed on the inspection wafer placement surface 41b.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the inspection wafer is mounted on the inspection wafer mounting surface 41b and the inspection wafer mounting surface 41b from the upper surface of the dress cassette main body 43, the mounted inspection wafer is The occupied space K2 is exposed. Therefore, the inspection wafer can be taken in and out from the top surface of the dress cassette main body 43 very easily.

  Next, the dress cassette 40 is set on the cassette placement unit 50 (step S1). That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the drawer portion 52 is pulled out from the dress cassette mounting portion 50, and the convex portions 45, 45 for positioning the dress cassette 40 are formed in the openings h1, h2 of the horizontal plate 52b of the drawer portion 52. Of these, it is inserted into the opening for the dress cassette size (for example, openings h1, h1). As a result, the dress cassette 40 can be mounted on the drawer 52 in an appropriate posture.

  When an inspection instruction or wearing of the dress cassette 40 is detected (step S2), auto dressing is started (step S3).

  When the auto dressing is started, the cassette placing unit 50 is moved up and down to the position where the dress board can be pulled out by the elevator mechanism 60 and stopped at the position. Next, the dress board is pulled out by the clamp arm 71 from the cassette mounting portion 50 (dress cassette 40) stopped at the position, and conveyed to a predetermined cutting position by the rotating arm 72 or the like. Then, the dress board is grooved by the cutting blade 22 that rotates at a high speed at the predetermined cutting position. Thereby, the cutting blade 22 is dressed.

  When the above automatic dressing is completed (step S4), the dressboard after the autodressing is conveyed and stored to the original dressboard placement surface 41a of the dress cassette 40 by the clamp arm 71, the rotating arm 72, and the like.

  Next, when the inspection wafer is stored in the dress cassette 40, the inspection work is started using the inspection wafer (step S5).

  When the inspection work is started, the cassette mounting portion 50 is moved up and down by the elevator mechanism 60 to a position where the inspection wafer can be pulled out and stopped at the position. Next, the inspection wafer is pulled out by the clamp arm 71 from the cassette mounting portion 50 (dress cassette 40) stopped at this position (step S6) and conveyed to a predetermined cutting position by the rotating arm 72 or the like. Then, the wafer is grooved in the inspection wafer by the cutting blade 22 that rotates at a high speed.

  The inspection wafer is conveyed to and stored in the inspection wafer mounting surface 41b of the dress cassette 40 by the clamp arm 71, the rotating arm 72, and the like (step S7). Thereby, the inspection work is finished (step S8).

  Next, the quality of the inspection wafer after the inspection work is visually inspected by an operator or the like (step S9). Since the inspection wafer after the inspection work is placed on the inspection wafer placement surface 41b of the dress cassette 40, the quality of the inspection wafer after the inspection work is visually inspected by pulling out the drawer 52 from the cassette placement part 50. It becomes possible to do. In other words, unlike the conventional method, it is not necessary to take out the inspection wafer after the inspection work from the cassette and visually inspect it while holding it by hand. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the inspection wafer is placed on the inspection wafer placement surface 41b and the inspection wafer placement surface 41b from the upper surface of the dress cassette main body 43, the placement inspection is carried out. A space K2 occupied by the wafer is exposed. Therefore, the inspection wafer can be taken in and out from the upper surface of the dress cassette main body 43 very easily (inspection wafer exchange, etc.).

  If the result of the visual inspection is NG, auto dressing is performed again (step S9: NG). If the result of the visual inspection is OK, the process proceeds to production (step S10).

  On the other hand, if the inspection wafer is not stored in the dress cassette 40, the inspection work is started using the work in the work cassette C (step S11).

  When the inspection work is started, the cassette placing unit 50 is moved up and down to a work drawable position by the elevator mechanism 60 and stopped at the position. Next, the workpiece is pulled out by the clamp arm 71 from the cassette mounting portion 50 (work cassette C) stopped at this position (step S12) and conveyed to a predetermined cutting position by the rotating arm 72 or the like. Then, the workpiece is grooved by the cutting blade 22 rotating at high speed.

  The workpiece is transported and accommodated to the dress cassette 40 inspection wafer mounting surface 41b by the clamp arm 71, the rotating arm 72, and the like (step S13). Thereby, the inspection work is completed (step S14).

  Next, the quality of the work after the inspection work is visually inspected by an operator or the like (step S15). Since the work after the inspection work is placed on the inspection wafer placement surface 41b of the dress cassette 40, the quality of the work after the inspection work is visually inspected by pulling out the drawer 52 from the cassette placement part 50. Is possible. In other words, unlike the conventional method, it is not necessary to take out the work after the inspection work from the cassette and visually inspect it while grasping it with the hand.

  If the result of the visual inspection is NG, auto dressing is performed again (step S15: NG). If the result of the visual inspection is OK, the work after the inspection work is pulled out from the cassette mounting portion 50 (dress cassette 40) by the clamp arm 71 (step S16) and conveyed to the original stage of the work cassette C. Accommodated (step S17). Then, it shifts to production (step S18).

  As described above, according to the dress cassette of the present embodiment, since the cassette body 43 includes both the dressboard mounting portion 41a and the inspection wafer mounting portion 41b, the present dress cassette 40 is replaced with the cassette mounting portion. It is possible to perform both dressing and inspection by simply attaching to 50 (ie, with a single operation).

  The inspection wafer mounting portion 41b is provided on the upper stage of the dressboard mounting surface 41a, and the inspection wafer is mounted on the inspection wafer mounting surface 41b and the inspection wafer mounting surface 41b from the upper surface of the cassette body 43. Since the space K2 occupied by the mounted inspection wafer is exposed when the is mounted, the inspection wafer can be taken in and out not only from the front of the cassette body 43 but also from the upper surface. It becomes. Further, since the dressboard placement surface 41a and the inspection wafer placement surface 41b are disposed adjacent to each other, the distance for raising and lowering the cassette placement unit 50 from the end of autodressing to the start of inspection can be shortened.

  Further, openings for positioning and positioning h1 and h2 are formed for each cassette size in the cassette mounting planned place (horizontal plate 52b) of the cassette mounting portion 50, and the cassette body 43 is self-aligned among the openings h1 and h2. Since the mounting positioning convex portion 45 to be inserted into the opening formed at the position corresponding to the cassette size is provided, the dress cassette 40 can be mounted at an appropriate mounting location according to the cassette size. It becomes. In addition, a convex portion for mounting and positioning is provided for each cassette size at a cassette mounting planned place (horizontal plate 52b) of the cassette mounting portion 50, and the cassette body 43 is positioned at a position corresponding to its own cassette size among the convex portions. You may make it form the opening for mounting positioning in which the provided convex part should be inserted. This also makes it possible to mount the dress cassette 40 at an appropriate mounting location according to the cassette size.

  The above embodiment is merely an example in all respects. The present invention is not construed as being limited to these descriptions. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

It is a figure for demonstrating the whole structure of the dicing apparatus with which the dress cassette of this embodiment is applied. It is a perspective view of a workpiece. 3 is a perspective view of a dress cassette 40. FIG. 3 is a front view of a dress cassette 40. FIG. It is a perspective view of a cassette mounting part. It is a perspective view of a cassette mounting part. 2 is a perspective view of an elevator mechanism 60. FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the dicing apparatus 10 with which the dress cassette 40 of this embodiment is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Dicing apparatus, 20 ... Work cutting part, 22 ... Cutting blade, 30 ... Cleaning part, 40 ... Dress cassette, 41 ... Side plate, 41a ... Dress board mounting surface, 41b ... Inspection wafer mounting surface, 42 ... Back plate 43 ... Dress cassette body, 44 ... Handle, 45 ... Convex part, 50 ... Cassette placement part, 51 ... Cassette placement part body, 52 ... Drawer part, 52a ... Side, 52b ... Horizontal plate, 52c ... Vertical plate, 53 ... Projection, 54 ... Side, 54a ... Guide rail, 55 ... Opening, 60 ... Elevator mechanism, 61 ... Stepping motor, 62 ... Ball screw, 63 ... Guide rail, 64 ... Lifting platform, 70 ... Work transfer means, 71 ... Clamp arm, 72 ... Rotating arm, C ... Work cassette, F ... Frame, h1 ... Opening, h2 ... Opening, K1 ... Space, K2 ... Space, 3 ... space, R1 ... reinforcing rod, T ... tape, W ... wafer

Claims (5)

In a dress cassette including a cassette body having a dressboard placement portion on which the dressboard is placed in a horizontal posture,
The said cassette main body is equipped with the inspection wafer mounting part by which an inspection wafer is mounted with a horizontal attitude | position, and it is comprised so that the said dress board and an inspection wafer can be taken in / out from the front. The inspection wafer mounting part is provided on the upper stage of the dressboard mounting part,
From the upper surface of the cassette body, when the inspection wafer is placed on the inspection wafer placement portion and the inspection wafer placement portion, a space occupied by the placed inspection wafer is exposed. The dress cassette according to claim 1.   The dress cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cassette body is detachably mounted on a cassette mounting portion that is moved up and down by an elevator mechanism. An opening for mounting positioning is formed for each cassette size in the cassette mounting planned place of the cassette mounting portion,
4. The dress cassette according to claim 3, wherein the cassette body includes a mounting positioning convex portion to be inserted into an opening formed at a position corresponding to the cassette size of the opening. 5. In the cassette mounting planned place of the cassette mounting part, a convex part for mounting positioning is provided for each cassette size,
4. The mounting positioning opening into which the convex portion provided at a position corresponding to the cassette size of the convex portion is to be inserted is formed in the cassette body. 5. Dress cassette.

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