JP2009176992A - Wafer processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer processing apparatus equipped with a dehumidification means of performing efficient dehumidification. <P>SOLUTION: The wafer processing apparatus includes a pressure reduction pipe 30 which places a chuck table 26 in air sucking operation and a dehumidifying device 80 which dehumidifies compressed air supplied to air bearing mechanisms of cutting units 47 and 57. The dehumidifying device 80 is supplied with purging air for discharging water separated through the dehumidification to the outside, and compressed air discharged from the pressure reduction pipe 30 and cutting units 47 and 57 is recycled as the purging air. Loss such that part of the compressed air having been dehumidified is used as the purging air is not generated unlike before to make the dehumidification efficient. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus for processing a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer. Examples of the processing of the wafer include cutting such as cutting and grooving, grinding for thinning, polishing of the ground surface, and the like.

  A semiconductor device has a rectangular semiconductor wafer with a plurality of rectangular areas defined by grid-like division lines on the surface, and electronic circuits such as IC and LSI are formed on the surface of these rectangular areas, and then the back surface is ground. After the necessary processing such as polishing, all the lines to be divided are cut and cut, that is, obtained by dicing. The semiconductor device obtained in this way is packaged by resin sealing and widely used in various electric / electronic devices such as mobile phones and PCs (personal computers).

  In order to obtain a large number of semiconductor devices from a semiconductor wafer, the wafer is subjected to various processes such as grinding, polishing and cutting as described above. In many cases, an air actuator is used. Further, a vacuum suction type that sucks air and sucks the wafer is applied to a chuck table that holds the processing surface of the wafer exposed and a wafer holding pad of a transfer mechanism that picks up and transfers the wafer. . An air bearing mechanism that supports a spindle shaft with air pressure is used for a spindle that rotates a cutting tool or the like at high speed. Furthermore, air is also used for cleaning and drying the wafer after processing. In this way, the wafer processing apparatus is equipped with various mechanisms using air pressure, and therefore, compressed air is supplied to each mechanism.

  By the way, in this kind of wafer processing apparatus, dew condensation may occur mainly due to adiabatic expansion of the supplied compressed air depending on the usage environment and season. The occurrence of condensation should be avoided because it inhibits the stable operation of the mechanism. For this purpose, it is conceivable to dehumidify the compressed air supplied to each mechanism. For dehumidification of compressed air, for example, a dehumidifying device described in Patent Document 1 can be applied.

Japanese Patent No. 2891953

  The dehumidifying device described in Patent Document 1 is a device in which hollow fiber membranes made of a polymer permeable membrane are bundled and accommodated in a housing, and compressed air is supplied to a high pressure region set in the housing to be hollow. By passing through the thread membrane, moisture in the compressed air is separated and dehumidified, and the dehumidified air is sent out of the housing. The water separated by the hollow fiber membrane flows into the low pressure region set in the housing, but by supplying the purge air to this low pressure region, the water is quickly discharged and the dehumidifying effect is enhanced. Yes.

  However, in this dehumidifying device, the purge air supplied to the low pressure region uses a part of the air that has been dehumidified after passing through the hollow fiber membrane. Therefore, the entire amount of compressed air sent into the dehumidifier before dehumidification cannot be used as dehumidified air, and there is a problem that loss occurs.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a wafer processing apparatus equipped with a dehumidifying means that can use all of the supplied compressed air before dehumidification as the dehumidified compressed air, and achieves significant efficiency of dehumidification. The purpose is that.

  The present invention is a wafer processing apparatus comprising at least a holding means for holding a wafer, a processing means for processing the wafer held by the holding means, and a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying compressed air, wherein the dehumidifying means is A dehumidifying member in which a large number of hollow fiber membranes made of a polymer permeable membrane are bundled in a predetermined shape, and a housing that houses the dehumidifying member, and the space in the housing is pressurized by a dehumidifying member. The housing is divided into a low pressure region, a housing is a compressed air supply port that supplies compressed air to the high pressure region, and a compressed air that is supplied from the compressed air supply port to the high pressure region and dehumidified through the dehumidifying member. Dehumidified air delivery port for delivering air out of the housing, purge air supply port for supplying purge air to the low pressure region, and purge air for discharging purge air from the low pressure region And a gas inlet, a purge air supplied to the low pressure region from the purge air supply port of the housing, is characterized in that exhaust air discharged from the wafer processing apparatus is utilized.

  According to the dehumidifying means of the present invention, compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply port of the housing to the high pressure region in the housing, passes through the dehumidifying member made of a hollow fiber membrane, and is sent out of the housing from the compressed air delivery port. It is. While passing through the dehumidifying member, moisture contained in the compressed air permeates through the hollow fiber membrane and separates into the low pressure region, whereby the compressed air sent out of the housing through the high pressure region is dehumidified. .

  In the dehumidifying means, the water separated into the low pressure region is quickly discharged out of the housing by the air supplied from the purge air supply port to the low pressure region and discharged from the purge air exhaust port, thereby enhancing the dehumidifying effect. It is done. Here, the point of the present invention is that the exhaust air discharged from the wafer processing apparatus is used as the purge air supplied to the purge air supply port, and the compressed air dehumidified as in the prior art is used. Some are not used as purge air. For this reason, all of the supplied compressed air before dehumidification can be used as the dehumidified compressed air. Therefore, the efficiency of the dehumidifying means is greatly improved.

  The exhaust air from the wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured to include the exhaust air from the decompression unit that generates the suction force by the air suction action. Further, as a specific example of the processing means, there is one having an air bearing mechanism that supports the spindle shaft inserted into the spindle housing so as to be rotatable with air pressure. In this case, the exhaust air from the wafer processing apparatus is air bearings. It is configured to include exhaust air from the mechanism. Examples of the processing means of the present invention include a cutting means for cutting a wafer, a grinding means for grinding a wafer, a polishing means for polishing a wafer, and the like.

  According to the wafer processing apparatus of the present invention, since the compressed air dehumidified by the dehumidifying means is supplied to the wafer processing apparatus, dew condensation is effectively prevented. According to the dehumidifying means of the present invention, since the exhaust air from the wafer processing apparatus is used as purge air, the entire amount of compressed air supplied to the dehumidifying means before dehumidification is used as the dehumidified compressed air. All can be used. As a result, the dehumidified compressed air can be used efficiently.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a dicing apparatus (wafer processing apparatus) 10 according to an embodiment. The dicing apparatus 10 divides a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) 1 into individual semiconductor devices by a cutting blade 60 rotated at a high speed, and is a biaxially opposed type in which a pair of cutting blades 60 are arranged to face each other.

  Reference numeral 11 in FIG. 1 is a base frame, and a portal column 12 is fixed to the base frame 11. A pair of X-axis linear guides 21 extending in the horizontal X direction are provided at the center of the base frame 11, and an X-axis slider 22 is slidably attached to these X-axis linear guides 21. The X-axis slider 22 is reciprocated along the X-axis linear guide 21 by a ball screw feed mechanism 24 operated by an X-axis feed motor 23. A disk-shaped chuck table (holding means) 26 is provided on the X-axis slider 22 via a table base 25.

  The chuck table 26 is supported on the table base 25 so as to be rotatable about the Z direction (vertical direction) as a rotation axis, and is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by a rotation driving mechanism (not shown). The chuck table 26 is of a vacuum suction type, and most of the periphery of the horizontal upper surface is a circular porous vacuum suction portion 26a. The chuck table 26 is formed with an air suction path (not shown) leading to the vacuum suction section 26a, and when a vacuum operation is performed in which air above the vacuum suction section 26a is sucked through the air suction path. The wafer 1 placed on the vacuum suction portion 26a is held in a suction state. The wafer 1 is reciprocated in the X direction along with the movement of the X-axis slider 22 together with the chuck table 26.

  The air suction action of the chuck table 26 is generated by a T-shaped pressure reducing pipe (pressure reducing means) 30 shown in FIG. The decompression pipe 30 is formed with a linear air flow path 33 that extends from the supply port 31 to the exhaust port 32 and a decompression flow path 34 that intersects the air flow path 33 in a T-shape. In the decompression pipe 30, a suction port 35, which is an opening of the decompression flow path 34, is connected to the air suction path of the chuck table 26 via a suction line 36. According to the pressure reducing pipe 30, when air is pumped from the supply port 31 toward the exhaust port 32 to the air flow path 33, the pressure reducing flow path 34 becomes negative pressure, and the air flows from the suction port 35 toward the air flow path 33. Sucked. By this air suction action, the wafer 1 is sucked and held by the vacuum suction portion 26 a of the chuck table 26. A supply line 37 is connected to the supply port 31 of the decompression pipe 30, and an exhaust line 38 is connected to the exhaust port 32.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer 1 is held on the chuck table 26 while being held inside the annular dicing frame 3 via the dicing tape 2. Around the chuck table 26, a plurality of clamps 27 for detachably holding the dicing frame 3 are disposed. These clamps 27 are attached to the table base 25.

  The portal column 12 has a pair of leg portions 12a arranged in the horizontal Y direction with the X-axis linear guide 21 interposed therebetween, and a beam portion 12b horizontally spanned between the upper ends of the leg portions 12a. Yes. A pair of upper and lower Y-axis linear guides 13 extending in the Y direction are provided on one side surface of the beam portion 12b. The first Y-axis slider 41 and the second Y-axis slider 51 slide on the Y-axis linear guide 13, respectively. It is attached movably. The first Y-axis slider 41 is reciprocated along the Y-axis linear guide 13 by a first Y-axis ball screw feed mechanism 43 operated by a first Y-axis feed motor (not shown). On the other hand, the second Y-axis slider 51 is reciprocated along the Y-axis linear guide 13 by a second Y-axis ball screw feed mechanism 53 operated by a second Y-axis feed motor 52.

  The first Y-axis slider 41 and the second Y-axis slider 51 are each provided with a pair of Z-axis linear guides 14 extending in the Z direction. The first Z-axis linear guide 14 of the first Y-axis slider 41 has a first Z-axis slider 44. However, the second Z-axis slider 54 is slidably attached to the Z-axis linear guide 14 of the second Y-axis slider 51. The first Z-axis slider 44 is moved up and down along the Z-axis linear guide 14 by a first Z-axis ball screw feed mechanism (not shown) operated by a first Z-axis feed motor 45. On the other hand, the second Z-axis slider 54 is moved up and down along the Z-axis linear guide 14 by a second Z-axis ball screw feed mechanism (not shown) operated by the second Z-axis feed motor 55.

  A first cutting unit 47 is fixed to a lower end portion of the first Z-axis slider 44 via a first bracket 46, and a second cutting portion is connected to a lower end portion of the second Z-axis slider 54 via a second bracket 56. The unit 57 is fixed.

  Each of the cutting units 47 and 57 has the same configuration, and as shown in FIG. 3, a spindle housing 61 that is cylindrical and has an opening on the tip side (left side in FIG. 3), and is coaxial within the spindle housing 61. And a spindle shaft 62 inserted rotatably, and a servo motor 63 for rotating the spindle shaft 62 at high speed. A blade fixing portion 62a provided at the tip of the spindle shaft 62 protrudes from the tip opening 61b of the spindle housing 61, and the disc-shaped cutting blade 60 shown in FIG. 1 is fixed to the blade fixing portion 62a.

  The spindle shaft 62 is rotatably supported in the spindle housing 61 by a known air bearing mechanism that supports a radial / thrust direction with a uniform minute gap between the spindle shaft 62 and the inner surface of the housing 21. A thrust bearing 62 a is formed at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the spindle shaft 62, and this thrust bearing 62 a is fitted into an annular groove 61 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the spindle housing 61, whereby the spindle shaft 62 The thrust direction is supported.

  The servo motor 63 is a known permanent magnet type, and is a cylindrical shape made of a permanent magnet integrally fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the end portion of the spindle shaft 62 opposite to the blade fixing portion 62a (right side in FIG. 3). A rotor 63a and a cylindrical stator 63b fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the spindle housing 62 so as to surround the rotor 63a are provided. In the servo motor 63, when a voltage is applied to the stator 63b, the rotor 63a rotates, and thereby the spindle shaft 62 rotates about its axis.

  A supply port 64 is formed near the tip opening 61 b of the spindle housing 61, and a connection pipe 65 is attached to the supply port 64. A supply line 66 is connected to the connection pipe 65. On the other hand, an exhaust port 67 is formed at the end of the spindle housing 61 opposite to the tip opening 61 b, and a connection pipe 68 is also attached to the exhaust port 67. An exhaust line 69 is connected to the connection pipe 68 on the exhaust side.

  When the cutting units 47 and 57 are operated and the cutting blade 60 rotates, compressed air is supplied from the supply port 64 into the spindle housing 61, and a constant pressure is applied to the minute gap between the spindle housing 61 and the spindle shaft 62. The air bearing mechanism is configured in a state of being filled with air. The compressed air supplied into the spindle housing 61 is led from the exhaust port 67 to the exhaust line 69 and discharged.

  In these cutting units 47 and 57, as shown in FIG. 1, the spindle housing 61 is fixed to the lower ends of the brackets 46 and 56 so that the axial direction is parallel to the Y direction and the spindle shaft 62 is coaxially opposed. Has been. The cutting units 47 and 57 are moved in the Y direction by the movements of the Y-axis sliders 41 and 51, respectively, and approach or separate from each other in the Y direction.

  Compressed air is pumped from the air compressor 70 shown in FIG. 1 to the supply port 31 of the pressure reducing pipe 30 and the supply port 64 of the cutting units 47 and 57. The compressed air fed from the air compressor 70 is dehumidified by a dehumidifying device (dehumidifying means) 80 and then sent to the decompression pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the dehumidifying device 80 has a cylindrical housing 81. In the housing 81, a dehumidifying member 82 formed by bundling hollow fiber membranes made of a polymer permeable membrane such as polyimide in a solid cylindrical shape is accommodated substantially coaxially. As shown in FIG. 5, a support ring 83 is sandwiched between upper and lower end surfaces of the dehumidifying member 82 and inner surfaces of both end portions of the housing 81, and the dehumidifying member 82 is housed in the housing by these support rings 83. 81 is housed in a fixed state. High pressure regions 84 a and 84 b are partitioned by a dehumidifying member 82 and a support ring 83 above and below the housing 81. In the housing 81, the outside of the dehumidifying member 82 is a low pressure region 85. The high pressure region 84 a and the high pressure region 84 b communicate with each other via the dehumidifying member 82.

  A compressed air supply port 86 communicating with the high-pressure region 84a is formed at one end (the upper end in FIGS. 4 and 5) of the housing 81, and the other end (the lower end in FIGS. 4 and 5). A compressed air delivery port 87 communicating with the high pressure region 84b is formed. A supply line (pre-dehumidification supply line) 91 for compressed air from the air compressor 70 is connected to the compressed air supply port 86. Compressed air pressure-fed in the pre-dehumidification supply line 91 enters the high-pressure region 84 a from the compressed air supply port 86, passes through the dehumidification member 82, reaches the high-pressure region 84 b on the downstream side, and passes through the compressed air delivery port 87 to the outside. Sent out. A supply line (dehumidified supply line) 92 for compressed air that has been dehumidified is connected to the compressed air delivery port 87. The dehumidified supply line 92 branches and is connected to the supply line 37 of the decompression pipe 30 and the supply lines 66 of the cutting units 47 and 57.

  Further, a purge air supply port 88 and a purge air exhaust port 89 communicating with the low pressure region 85 are formed at one end and the other end of the housing 81, respectively. A purge air supply line 93 is connected to the purge air supply port 88. The purge air supply line 93 is connected to the exhaust line 38 of the decompression pipe 30 and the exhaust lines 69 of the cutting units 47 and 57. An external exhaust line 94 that discharges discharged air to the atmosphere is connected to the purge air exhaust port 89 of the housing 81.

  The above is the configuration of the dicing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. Next, an operation example when the wafer 1 is divided into a large number of semiconductor devices by the dicing apparatus 10 will be described. The wafer 1 held by the dicing frame 3 via the dicing tape 2 is attracted and held concentrically on the chuck table 26, and the dicing frame 3 is held by a clamp 27.

  As a method for efficiently cutting the wafer 1, there is a method for simultaneously cutting two divided lines by one cutting feed in the X direction. When adopting this method, first, the first and second cutting units 47 and 57 are made to have the same Z-direction position, and are closer to each other in the Y-direction, and the interval between the cutting blades 60 that are coaxially opposed is set. The distance between the axes corresponding to two parallel scheduled dividing lines among the lattice-shaped scheduled dividing lines set on the wafer 1 is set to the minimum distance. The interval between the cutting blades 60 set to the minimum interval is set to an interval that sandwiches about three or four semiconductor devices.

  Holding this state, the cutting units 47 and 57 are lowered, and the position in the Z direction is set to a position corresponding to the cutting depth at which the cutting blade 60 can cut the wafer 1 held on the chuck table 26. Next, from the state in which each cutting blade 60 is rotated, the X-axis slider 22 is moved in the X direction to perform cutting feed, and each cutting blade 60 is cut into the planned dividing line of the wafer 1 on the chuck table 26. Disconnect. The cutting depth of the cutting blade 60 is adjusted so as to penetrate the wafer 1 and slightly enter the dicing tape 2 so as not to contact the chuck table 26. In order to position the cutting blade 60 on the planned division line, a known alignment means using a camera or the like is used.

  When the first two planned dividing lines in the X direction are cut, the cutting units 47 and 57 are moved in the Y direction by the length of the interval between the planned dividing lines in order to cut the next two planned dividing lines. Perform index feed. Next, this time, the chuck table 26 is moved backward in the reverse direction to cut the scheduled division line adjacent to the two previously scheduled division lines.

  By repeating the above-described cutting feed in the X direction and index feed in the Y direction, all the division lines extending in the X direction are cut. When this is completed, the chuck table 26 is rotated by 90 °, and the uncut segmentation lines that have been extended in the Y direction so far are switched again to be parallel to the X direction. Then, the above procedure is repeated to cut all division lines extending in the X direction. As a result, all of the grid-like multiple division lines are cut, and the wafer 1 is divided into individual semiconductor devices.

  Many separated semiconductor devices are still attached to the dicing tape 2, and the form as the wafer 1 is maintained. Thereafter, the semiconductor device is transferred to an appropriate pick-up process, etc. The device is ejected.

Next, the operation of the dehumidifier 80 will be described.
Compressed air fed from an air compressor 70 is supplied to the pressure reducing pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57 connected to the chuck table 26 via the suction line 36. The air sucked by the chuck table 26 is generated by the compressed air supplied, and the wafer 1 is adsorbed and held on the chuck table 26. Moreover, the air bearing mechanism of the cutting units 47 and 57 functions by the supplied compressed air. Therefore, when dicing the wafer 1 as described above, the air compressor 70 is operated from the beginning. In this case, the compressed air supplied to the decompression pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57 is dehumidified by the dehumidifier 80.

  That is, the compressed air generated by the air compressor 70 is pumped through the supply line 91 before dehumidification and is introduced into the dehumidifier 80 from the compressed air supply port 86. The compressed air enters the high pressure region 84 a in the dehumidifying device 80, passes through the dehumidifying member 82, reaches the high pressure region 84 b, and is sent from the compressed air delivery port 87 to the post-dehumidified supply line 92.

  Here, while the compressed air passes through the dehumidifying member 82, moisture (gaseous moisture) contained in the compressed air permeates the dehumidifying member 82 and is separated into the outer low pressure region 85. As a result, the compressed air that has reached the high pressure region 84b is dehumidified. The moisture separated into the low pressure region 85 is quickly discharged out of the housing 81 by the air supplied from the purge air supply port 88 to the low pressure region 85 and discharged from the purge air exhaust port 89, thereby enhancing the dehumidifying effect. .

Note that the principle of dehumidification by the dehumidifier 80 is expressed by the following equation.
Q = ρΑ (Ρ1, Μ1-Ρ2, Μ2)
Where Q is the permeation flow rate of moisture flowing from the dehumidifying member 82 to the low pressure region 85, ρ is the permeation rate constant of gaseous moisture, Α is the permeation area of the dehumidifying member 82, Ρ1 is the pressure on the high pressure regions 84a and 84b side, and Ρ2 is The pressure on the low pressure region 85 side, Μ1 is the molar fraction of moisture on the high pressure region 84a, 84b side, and Μ2 is the molar fraction of moisture on the low pressure region 85 side. The permeation rate constant ρ of gaseous moisture is several times to several hundred times larger than oxygen and nitrogen, which are constituent gases of air, and preferentially permeates the dehumidifying member 82.

  The compressed air dehumidified by the dehumidifier 80 is branched from the supply line 92 after dehumidification into a supply line 37 connected to the decompression pipe 30 and a supply line 66 connected to the cutting units 47 and 57. The compressed air sent to the supply line 37 on the pressure reducing pipe 30 side is pressure-fed through the air flow path 33 of the pressure reducing pipe 30 from the supply port 31 toward the exhaust port 32, and is discharged from the exhaust port 32 to the exhaust line 38. As a result, the chuck table 26 is in a vacuum operation state as described above, and the wafer 1 is attracted and held on the chuck table 26.

  On the other hand, the compressed air sent to the supply line 66 on the cutting unit 47, 57 side is introduced into the spindle housing 61 from the supply port 64 through the connecting pipe 65, and a minute gap between the spindle housing 61 and the spindle shaft 62. Is maintained at a predetermined pressure to constitute an air bearing mechanism. The compressed air supplied into the spindle housing 61 is discharged from the exhaust port 67 through the connection pipe 68 to the exhaust line 69.

  The compressed air discharged from the decompression pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57 enters the purge air supply line 93 from the exhaust lines 38 and 69. Then, the air is guided to the purge air supply line 93 and introduced into the low pressure region 85 from the purge air supply port 88 of the dehumidifier 80. The compressed air sent to the low pressure region 85 passes through the low pressure region 85, is led from the purge air exhaust port 89 to the external exhaust line 94, and is released to the atmosphere. By the compressed air passing through the low pressure region 85 and being discharged, the moisture separated into the low pressure region 85 by the dehumidifying member 82 is quickly discharged.

  The above is the operation of the dicing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. According to the dicing apparatus 10, the compressed air dehumidified by the dehumidifying apparatus 80 is supplied to the decompression pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57. Condensation caused by is effectively prevented. As a result, the occurrence of malfunctions caused by condensation such as stoppage of the mechanism and unstable operation is prevented.

  In the dehumidifying device 80, the compressed air discharged from the decompression pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57 is reused as purge air supplied to the low pressure region 85. Conventionally, a part of the dehumidified compressed air is used as purge air, but in this embodiment, the entire amount of supplied compressed air before dehumidification can be used as the dehumidified compressed air. . For this reason, the dehumidified compressed air can be utilized efficiently.

  In the above embodiment, the exhaust from the pressure reducing pipe 30 for generating the air suction action on the chuck table 26 and the cutting units 47 and 57 having the air bearing mechanism is supplied to the dehumidifier 80 as purge air and reused. is doing. However, in the present invention, exhaust to be supplied to the dehumidifier 80 and reused is not limited to these. For example, exhaust from an air actuator such as an air cylinder, or the wafer 1 is placed on the chuck table 26 or the chuck table 26 is used. It is possible to use air discharged from a vacuum suction type wafer holding pad or the like provided in a transfer mechanism that is picked up from the outside. Furthermore, any exhaust air from the dicing device 10 can be used, including exhausting air to increase the cleanliness of the air in the dicing device 10.

  Moreover, although the said one embodiment showed the dicing apparatus 10 provided with the cutting blade 60 which cuts the wafer 1 as a wafer processing apparatus of this invention, the grinding means which grinds a wafer as a wafer processing apparatus is shown. The present invention can also be applied to a wafer grinding apparatus provided and a wafer polishing apparatus provided with a polishing means for polishing a wafer. FIG. 6 shows another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wafer grinding apparatus.

  A wafer grinding apparatus (wafer processing apparatus) 100 shown in FIG. 6 has a table base 102 provided on a base 101 so as to be movable in the Y direction. A chuck formed on the table base 102 in a disk shape. A table (holding means) 103 is rotatably supported. The chuck table 103 is a vacuum suction type as in the above-described embodiment, and sucks and holds the wafer 1 on the vacuum suction portion 103a on the horizontal upper surface. A pressure reducing pipe (not shown) similar to the pressure reducing pipe 30 is used for the air suction action of the chuck table 103. A bellows-like cover 104 that prevents grinding dust and the like from falling on the movement path 102 is provided on the movement path of the table base 102 so as to be extendable and contractible.

  A column 105 is erected at one end (end on the back side) in the Y direction on the upper surface of the base 101. On the front surface of the column 105 (the surface along the X / Z direction facing the base 101 side), a grinding unit 110 is mounted so as to be movable up and down.

  The grinding unit 110 includes a cylindrical spindle housing 111 whose axial direction extends in the Z direction, a spindle shaft 112 coaxially and rotatably supported in the spindle housing 111, and coaxially with the lower end of the spindle shaft 112. And a fixed disk-like flange 113. A grindstone wheel 114 having a plurality of grindstones 114 a arranged in an annular shape is detachably attached to the lower surface of the flange 113. The grinding unit 110 includes an air bearing mechanism that supports the spindle shaft 112 in the spindle housing 111 so as to be rotatable by air pressure, like the cutting units 47 and 57 of the above-described embodiment. A motor that rotationally drives the spindle shaft 112 is provided in the spindle housing 111.

  As the grindstone 114a, a material corresponding to the material of the wafer 1 is used. For example, a material obtained by mixing diamond abrasive particles having an appropriate particle size in a bond material, and sintering the material is used. The grinding wheel outer diameter of the grinding wheel 114, that is, the diameter of the outer peripheral edge of the plurality of grinding wheels 114a is set to be equal to or larger than at least the radius of the wafer 1 and generally equal to the diameter of the wafer 1.

  In the grinding unit 110, a spindle housing 111 is fixed to a slider 121 attached to a column 105 so as to be movable up and down. The slider 121 is slidably mounted on a pair of guide rails 122 extending in the Z direction. The slider 121 is moved in the Z direction by the operation of a ball screw type Z-axis feed mechanism 124 driven by a servo motor 123. With this configuration, the grinding unit 110 moves up and down together with the slider 121. The grinding unit 110 is fixed so that the axis of the spindle 112 extends in the Z direction with respect to the slider 121, and the lower surface, which is the blade surface of the grindstone 114a, is set horizontally.

  According to the grinding apparatus 100 configured as described above, the wafer 1 held on the chuck table 103 by the movement of the table base 102 is sent to a processing position below the grinding unit 110. Then, the grindstone wheel 114 is lowered by the Z-axis feed mechanism 124 while rotating, and the grindstone 114a presses the exposed surface of the wafer 1 to be ground, whereby the wafer 1 is ground. The wafer 1 is ground by the grinding unit 110 in a rotating state as the chuck table 103 rotates.

  The grinding device 100 is also equipped with the same dehumidifying device 80 as in the above embodiment. In FIG. 6, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component same as the said one Embodiment. The compressed air dehumidified from the air compressor 70 through the dehumidifying device 80 is supplied from the supply line 92 after dehumidification into the decompression pipe connected to the chuck table 103 and the housing 111 of the grinding unit 110. The compressed air discharged from the decompression pipe and the grinding unit 110 enters the purge air supply line 93 from the exhaust lines 38 and 69, respectively. Then, it is led to the purge air supply line 93 and introduced into the low pressure region 85 from the purge air supply port 88 of the dehumidifier 80, and the external exhaust gas is discharged while the moisture in the low pressure region 85 is discharged from the purge air exhaust port 89. It is released to the atmosphere via line 94.

  Also in the grinding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, since the compressed air dehumidified by the dehumidifying apparatus 80 is supplied to the pressure reducing pipe of the chuck table 103 and the grinding unit 110, dew condensation is effectively prevented. And the effect for returning the exhaust of the compressed air used for the operation of the apparatus (vacuum operation of the chuck table 103 and the air bearing mechanism of the grinding unit 110) to the dehumidifying device 80 and reusing it as purge air, It is obtained in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

  In addition, the dehumidifying apparatus 80 of the said embodiment is an example of the dehumidifying means of this invention, and this invention is not limited to this. FIG. 7 shows a dehumidifying device 80B which is another configuration example of the dehumidifying means. The dehumidifying device 80B includes a housing 81 similar to the dehumidifying device 80, but the dehumidifying member 82B accommodated in the housing 81 is formed by bundling hollow fiber membranes in a cylindrical shape, with a hollow portion at the center. 82b. The dehumidifying member 82B is fixed in the housing 81 via upper and lower support rings 83 in the drawing.

  The middle cylinder 71 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the dehumidifying member 82B, and sealing members 72 and 73 for sealing the hollow portion 82b are fixed to the upper and lower ends of the middle cylinder 71. An opening 72 a is formed in the upper sealing member 72. An intermediate ring 74 is sandwiched and fixed between the sealing member 72 and the upper end of the housing 81 inside the upper support ring 83. The inside of the middle ring 74 communicates with the opening 72 a of the sealing member 72. A plurality of vent holes 71a for allowing air to pass from the hollow portion 82b to the dehumidifying member 82B are formed in the upper portion of the middle cylinder 71, that is, the side close to the sealing member 72.

  In the dehumidifying device 80B, an annular space between the upper support ring 83 and the middle ring 74 in the housing 81 serves as an upstream high pressure region 84a, and the lower support ring 83, the dehumidifying member 82B, and the middle cylinder A space surrounded by 71 and the sealing member 73 is a high-pressure region 84b on the downstream side. The outside of the dehumidifying member 82B is a low pressure region 85. The high pressure region 84 a and the high pressure region 84 b communicate with each other via the dehumidifying member 82.

  The upper end of the housing 81 has a compressed air supply port 86 communicating with the high pressure region 84a, a purge communicating with the hollow portion 82b of the dehumidifying member 82B through the inside of the intermediate ring 74 and the opening 72a of the sealing member 72. A working air supply port 88 is formed. A compressed air delivery port 87 communicating with the high pressure region 84 b and a purge air exhaust port 89 communicating with the low pressure region 85 are formed at the lower end of the housing 81, respectively.

  According to this dehumidifier 80B, compressed air is introduced from the compressed air supply port 86 to the upstream high pressure region 84a, moisture is separated and dehumidified while passing through the dehumidifying member 82B, and reaches the high pressure region 84b. It is discharged from the air delivery port 87. Further, purge air is introduced into the inside through a purge air supply port 88. The purge air enters the hollow portion 82b of the dehumidifying member 82B through the opening 72a of the sealing member 72 inside the middle ring 74, and then permeates the dehumidifying member 82B through the plurality of vent holes 71a of the middle cylinder 71. To do. The air then passes through the outer low pressure region 85 of the dehumidifying member 82B and is discharged to the outside through the purge air exhaust port 89. The moisture separated by the dehumidifying member 82B is promptly guided to the low pressure region 85 by the purge air passing through the dehumidifying member 82B from the hollow portion 82b, and is discharged to the outside from the purge air exhaust port 89.

  Even in the dehumidifying device 80B, the purge air supplied from the purge air supply port 88 uses exhaust air from the wafer processing apparatus. For example, when the dehumidifying device 80B is installed in the dicing device 10 shown in FIG. 1, a supply line 91 before dehumidification from the air compressor 70 is connected to the compressed air supply port 86 as shown in FIG. A supply line 92 is connected to the compressed air delivery port 87. The purge air supply line 93 is connected to the purge air supply port 88, and the external exhaust line 94 is connected to the purge air exhaust port 89. Thereby, the compressed air discharged from the pressure reducing pipe 30 and the cutting units 47 and 57 can be used as purge air.

It is a perspective view of the dicing apparatus concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the pressure reduction pipe | tube which makes a vacuum suction effect | action generate | occur | produce in the chuck table which the dicing apparatus of one Embodiment comprises. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline | summary of the cutting unit which the dicing apparatus of one Embodiment comprises. It is a perspective view of the dehumidification apparatus which the dicing apparatus of one Embodiment comprises. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dehumidifier. It is a perspective view of the grinding device concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the dehumidification apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Wafer 10 ... Dicing machine (wafer processing machine)
26, 103 ... chuck table (holding means)
30 ... Pressure reducing pipe (pressure reducing means)
47, 57 ... Cutting unit (processing means, cutting means)
61 ... Spindle housing 62 ... Spindle shaft 70 ... Air compressor 80, 80B ... Dehumidifier (dehumidifier)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 81 ... Housing 82, 82B ... Dehumidification member 84a, 84b ... High pressure area 85 ... Low pressure area 86 ... Compressed air supply port 87 ... Compressed air delivery port 88 ... Purge air supply port 89 ... Purge air exhaust port 100 ... Grinding device ( Wafer processing equipment)
110 ... Grinding unit (processing means, grinding means)

Claims (4)

Holding means for holding the wafer;
Processing means for processing the wafer held by the holding means;
A wafer processing apparatus comprising at least a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying compressed air,
The dehumidifying means includes a dehumidifying member in which a plurality of hollow fiber membranes made of a polymer permeable membrane are bundled in a predetermined shape, and a housing that houses the dehumidifying member, and a space in the housing includes The high pressure region and the low pressure region are partitioned by the dehumidifying member,
The housing includes a compressed air supply port that supplies compressed air to the high pressure region, and a dehumidifier that sends the compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply port to the high pressure region and dehumidified through the dehumidifying member. An air delivery port, a purge air supply port for supplying purge air to the low pressure region, and a purge air exhaust port for discharging purge air from the low pressure region,
A wafer processing apparatus characterized in that exhaust air discharged from the wafer processing apparatus is used as purge air supplied to the low pressure region from the purge air supply port of the housing.   The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust air includes exhaust air from a decompression unit that generates a suction force by an air suction action.   The processing means includes an air bearing mechanism that rotatably supports a spindle shaft inserted into a spindle housing by air pressure, and the exhaust air includes exhaust air from the air bearing mechanism. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is any one of a cutting unit that cuts a wafer, a grinding unit that grinds the wafer, and a polishing unit that polishes the wafer. .

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