JP2013098386A - Carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrying device which is capable of carrying even a disk-shaped tabular material unit where a disk-shaped tabular material is off-center, in alignment with a chuck table as a destination of carrying.SOLUTION: A carrying device 2 which carries a disk-shaped tabular material unit where a disk-shaped tabular material is stuck to an annular frame F, to a chuck table as a destination includes a sucking, holding, and aligning mechanism for sucking and holding the disk-shaped tabular material unit and aligning it with the chuck table and a moving mechanism for moving the sucking, holding, and aligning mechanism. The sucking, holding, and aligning mechanism includes: a sucking and holding part 46 which sucks and holds the annular frame F; means which positions the center of the disk-shaped tabular material unit to the center of the chuck table by moving a plurality of claws 30 acting on an outer peripheral side surface of the disk-shaped tabular material of the disk-shaped tabular material unit, between a standby position and an action position close to each other in a radial direction; and sucking and holding part positioning means 18 which positions the sucking and holding part 46 between a sucking and holding position and a retreat position above it.

Description

  The present invention processes a disk-shaped plate-shaped material comprising a disk-shaped plate-shaped material, an adhesive tape adhered to the disk-shaped plate-shaped material, and an annular frame to which the outer periphery of the adhesive tape is adhered. The present invention relates to a transport device that transports to a chuck table that is held for application.

  When a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer is cut into individual device chips by cutting with a cutting device, the wafer is adhered to an adhesive tape to completely cut the wafer and facilitate handling. A wafer unit is formed by adhering the outer periphery of the tape to an annular frame, and the wafer unit is put into a cutting apparatus in the form of a wafer unit.

  In laser processing equipment, the wafer is generally not completely cut, but a laser processing groove or a modified layer having a lower strength than the surroundings is formed on the surface, and an external force is applied to the wafer to divide it into individual device chips. doing.

  In order to make it easy to apply an external force to the wafer, the wafer is also attached to the adhesive tape in the laser processing apparatus, and the outer peripheral portion of the adhesive tape is attached to the annular frame to the laser processing apparatus in the form of a wafer unit. It is thrown.

  After forming the laser-processed groove or the modified layer, the wafer unit is set in an expanding device, the adhesive tape is expanded in the radial direction to apply an external force to the wafer, and the wafer is divided into individual device chips.

  As a transport device that transports a disk-shaped plate-like object unit such as a wafer unit, a transport device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-243383 is widely used. The transport device transports the disk-shaped plate unit while the upper surface of the annular frame is sucked and held. Accordingly, the transported plate unit is placed on the chuck table in a state where the center of the annular frame and the center of the chuck table as the transport destination are aligned.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-244383

  However, it is very difficult to completely match the center of the disc-shaped plate and the center of the annular frame when the disc-shaped plate is attached to the adhesive tape and attached to the annular frame. In the disc-like plate unit in which the center of the disc-like plate and the center of the annular frame are deviated, the center of the disc-like plate and the center of the chuck table at the transport destination are misaligned after transport. There is a problem of end.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is a disk-shaped plate unit in which the center of the disk-shaped plate and the center of the annular frame are shifted. Another object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus capable of transporting the center of the chuck table as the transport destination and the center of the disc-shaped plate-shaped object in alignment.

  According to the present invention, a disk-like plate-like object comprising a disk-like plate-like object, an adhesive tape attached to the disk-like plate object, and an annular frame to which the outer periphery of the adhesive tape is attached. A conveying device that conveys the disk-like plate unit to a chuck table that holds the disk-like plate unit when processing the unit, and sucks and holds the disk-like plate unit At the same time, the suction holding position adjusting mechanism for aligning the center of the disk-like plate-like object of the disk-like plate-like object unit with the center of the chuck table, and the suction holding position adjusting mechanism are moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. A suction holding unit for sucking and holding an upper surface of the annular frame of the disk-like plate unit, and a disk of the disk-like plate unit. The center of the plate-like object is positioned at the center of the chuck table Center positioning means, and suction holding portion positioning means for positioning the suction holding portion at a suction holding position for sucking and holding the upper surface of the annular frame and a retraction position above the suction holding position, the center positioning means Are simultaneously moved between a plurality of claws acting on the outer peripheral side surface of the disk-like plate-like object of the disk-like plate-like object unit, and a position where the plurality of claws are close to each other in the radial direction. And a claw moving means for moving the claw moving means.

  According to the present invention, after the disk-shaped plate unit is transported to the chuck table as the transport destination while the upper surface of the annular frame is sucked and held, the plurality of claws are positioned at the height of the outer peripheral side surface of the disk-shaped plate. The center of the disk-shaped plate and the center of the chuck table can be aligned by simultaneously moving from the standby position on the radially outer side to the working position on the radially inner side.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view explaining formation of a wafer unit. It is a perspective view of a wafer unit. It is a principal part side view of the conveying apparatus of the state which attracted and held the wafer unit. It is a top view of the conveying apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6A is a side view showing a state in which the wafer unit of the first embodiment is placed on the chuck table and the vacuum pad is positioned at the retracted position, and FIG. 6B is a view showing a plurality of claws on the outer peripheral side surface of the wafer. It is a side view of the state positioned in height. FIG. 5 is a side view of a state where a plurality of claws are simultaneously moved radially inward to align the center of the wafer with the center of the chuck table. FIG. 8A is a side view of a state in which the wafer unit according to the second embodiment is sucked and held and brought close to a chuck table having a protruding holding portion, and FIG. 8B is a side view of a state in which the vacuum pad is raised to the retracted position. FIG. A side view of a state in which a plurality of claws are simultaneously moved radially inward to align the center of the wafer with the center of the chuck table and the circular recess formed on the back surface of the wafer is fitted to the protruding holding portion of the chuck table. is there.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a transport apparatus 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The conveyance device 2 includes a horizontal movement unit 4 including a ball screw 6 and a pulse motor 8.

  The ball screw 6 of the horizontal movement unit 4 is screwed with a nut (not shown) attached to the horizontal movement member 10. When the pulse motor 8 is driven, the ball screw 6 rotates and the horizontal movement member 10 is moved in the horizontal direction.

  A pair of guide rails 12 extending in the vertical direction are fixed to the horizontal moving member 10. The ball screw 14 and the pulse motor 16 that rotates the ball screw 14 constitute a vertical movement mechanism 18, and a nut (not shown) built in an L-shaped vertical movement member 20 is screwed to the ball screw 14.

  When the pulse motor 16 is driven, the ball screw 14 rotates and the vertical movement member 20 is moved in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the horizontal movement unit 4 and the vertical movement mechanism 18 constitute a movement mechanism.

  A cylindrical member 24 is fixed to the lower end of the vertical direction moving member 20. Three claw support members 26 separated from each other by 120 degrees are attached to the cylindrical member 24 so as to be movable in the radial direction.

  A claw 30 is attached to the tip of each claw support member 26 via a pulse motor 34. The pulse motor 34 is connected to a ball screw 32, and the ball screw 32 is screwed into a nut (not shown) fixed in the cylindrical member 24.

  Therefore, when the pulse motor 34 is driven, the ball screw 32 rotates and the claw support member 26 is moved in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, the three claw moving mechanisms 36 composed of the ball screw 32 and the pulse motor 34 are driven simultaneously.

  In other words, the plurality of claws 30 are simultaneously moved by the claw moving mechanism 36 between a standby position spaced radially outward from each other and an action position approaching each other in the radial direction. The claw 30 and the claw moving mechanism 36 constitute a center positioning means 35.

  Further, two vacuum pad support members 28 separated from each other by 180 degrees are mounted on the cylindrical member 24 at positions that do not interfere with the three claw support members 26. A block 38 is fixed to the tip of the vacuum pad support member 28, and a piston rod 42 of an air cylinder 40 is fixed to the block 38 as best shown in FIG.

  A pair of vacuum pad support plates 44 are attached to both sides of the air cylinder 40 so as to be orthogonal to the vacuum pad support member 28. A vacuum pad 46 is attached to the tip of each vacuum pad support plate 44.

  Next, the wafer unit 15 to be transported by the transport device 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In order to form the wafer unit 15, the back surface of the wafer 11 is adhered to the adhesive tape T, and the outer peripheral portion of the adhesive tape T is adhered to the annular frame F so as to close the opening 13 of the annular frame F. A wafer unit 15 as shown is formed.

  In such a wafer unit 15, it is difficult to attach the wafer 11 to the adhesive tape T with the center of the annular frame F and the center of the wafer 11 being coincident with each other. is there. On the surface side of the wafer 11, devices 19 are formed in each region partitioned by the predetermined division lines 17 formed so as to be orthogonal to each other.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the transport device 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a side view of the main part of the transfer device 2 in a state where the vacuum frame 46 sucks and holds the annular frame F of the wafer unit 15. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the state shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, the two claw holding members 26 are drawn so as to extend in the opposite direction from the cylindrical member 24 disposed in the center, but actually, the two claw holding members 26 are As apparent from FIG. 5, the cylindrical member 24 is attached obliquely. Further, the wafer unit 15 is shown in a cross section for convenience of explanation.

  The horizontal movement unit 4 and the vertical movement mechanism 18 are driven in a state where the annular frame F of the wafer unit 15 is sucked and held by the vacuum pad 46, and as shown in FIG. The wafer unit 15 is placed on the chuck table 50 by being positioned on the chuck table 50 and releasing the vacuum of the vacuum pad 46.

  At this time, the transport device 2 is designed so that the center of the wafer unit 15 is aligned with the center 50 a of the chuck table 50. Therefore, when the wafer 11 is adhered to the adhesive tape T with the center 11a of the wafer 11 being shifted from the center of the annular frame F, the center 11a of the wafer 11 is shown in FIG. The wafer unit 15 is placed on the chuck table 50 while being eccentric from the center 50 a of the chuck table 50.

  6A, the pulse motor 16 of the vertical direction moving mechanism 18 is driven, and the claw 30 is opposed to the outer peripheral side surface of the wafer 11 of the wafer unit 15 as shown in FIG. 6B. The nail | claw 30 is lowered | hung to. At this time, the air cylinder 40 is also lowered simultaneously, but the vacuum pad 46 is set so as not to contact the upper surface of the annular frame F.

  From this state, the pulse motors 34 of a plurality (three in this embodiment) of the claw moving mechanism 36 are simultaneously driven to move the plurality (three in this embodiment) of the claw 30 to the operation positions that approach each other in the radial direction. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when each claw 30 moves to a position where it comes into contact with the outer periphery of the wafer 11, the wafer unit 15 is moved with respect to the chuck table 50 by being pushed by the claw 30, and the center 11a of the wafer 11 is chucked. It coincides with the center 50a of the table 50.

  In this state, the chuck table 50 is connected to a negative pressure suction source, the wafer 11 of the wafer unit 15 is sucked and held via the adhesive tape T, and the wafer 11 is cut by the cutting blade.

  Since the center of the wafer 11 coincides with the center of the chuck table 50 and the wafer 11 is sucked and held by the chuck table 50, the wafer 11 can be reliably secured without causing any uncut residue when the wafer 11 is cut by the cutting blade. It can cut efficiently.

  Next, an embodiment in which the wafer unit 15A according to the second embodiment of the present invention is conveyed to the chuck table 50A having the protruding holding portion 52 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the wafer unit 15 </ b> A of this embodiment, a circular recess 23 is formed on the back surface of the wafer 21, and an annular protrusion 25 surrounding the circular recess 23 is formed on the outer peripheral portion.

  The wafer unit 15A sucked and held by the vacuum pad 46 is driven to the chuck table 50A of the cutting apparatus as shown in FIG. 8A by driving the horizontal direction moving unit 4 and the vertical direction moving mechanism 18 of the conveying apparatus 2. Then, the vacuum of the vacuum pad 46 is released, the piston rod 42 of the air cylinder 40 is further contracted, and the wafer unit 15A is placed on the chuck table 50A as shown in FIG. 8B.

  After driving the pulse motor 16 of the vertical direction moving mechanism 18 of the conveying device 2 to position the claw 30 at a height facing the outer peripheral side surface of the wafer 21, the pulse motors 34 of the plurality of claw moving mechanisms 36 are simultaneously driven. Then, the claws 30 are moved to the working positions close to each other in the radial direction, the claws 30 are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the wafer 21, and the wafer unit 15A is moved relative to the chuck table 50A. The center of the wafer 21 is moved to the chuck table 50A. Match the center of the.

  In this state, the center of the circular recess 23 formed on the back surface of the wafer 21 coincides with the center of the protrusion holding portion 52 of the chuck table 50A, so that the circular recess 23 of the wafer 21 is formed on the chuck table 50A as shown in FIG. Is fitted into the protruding recess 52.

  In this state, the protrusion holding portion 52 of the chuck table 50A is connected to a negative pressure suction source, the wafer unit 15A is sucked and held by the chuck table 50A, and the wafer 21 is cut by the cutting blade. This cutting process includes, for example, a circular cutting process in which a boundary portion between the circular concave portion 23 and the annular convex portion 25 of the wafer 21 is cut into a circular shape.

  According to this embodiment, the position of the circular recess 23 of the wafer 21 is corrected so that the center of the circular recess 23 coincides with the center of the protrusion holding portion 52 of the chuck table 50A. Since the wafer 21 can be prevented from being damaged from the boundary between the circular recess 23 and the annular projection 25 during suction holding, the boundary between the circular recess 23 and the annular projection 25 can be made circular, for example. The cutting process for cutting can be performed accurately.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the transport device 2 of the present invention is applied to a cutting device has been described. However, the transport device 2 of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a laser processing device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-61137. The annular convex part removal device disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. Gazette can be used for a device integrated with a cutting device.

  In the above-described embodiment, three claws 46 are provided 120 degrees apart from each other. However, the number of claws is not limited to this, and four or more nails 46 are spaced apart from each other at equal intervals. May be.

2 Conveying device 4 Horizontal direction moving unit 11 Wafer 15 Wafer unit 18 Vertical direction moving mechanism 30 Claw 35 Center positioning means 36 Claw moving mechanism 40 Air cylinder 46 Vacuum pad 21 Wafer 23 Circular concave part 25 Annular convex part 52 Projection holding part T Adhesive tape F ring frame

Claims (2)

Processing is performed on a disk-like plate-like unit comprising a disk-like plate-like object, an adhesive tape attached to the disk-like plate, and an annular frame to which the outer periphery of the adhesive tape is attached. A transport device for transporting the disk-shaped plate unit to a chuck table that holds the disk-shaped plate unit,
A suction holding position adjusting mechanism for sucking and holding the disk-like plate unit and aligning the center of the disk-like plate of the disk-like plate unit with the center of the chuck table;
A moving mechanism for moving the suction and holding position adjusting mechanism in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction;
The suction holding position adjusting mechanism includes a suction holding portion that sucks and holds the upper surface of the annular frame of the disk-like plate unit;
Center positioning means for positioning the center of the disk-like plate-like object of the disk-like plate-like object unit at the center of the chuck table;
A suction holding part positioning means for positioning the suction holding part at a suction holding position for sucking and holding the upper surface of the annular frame, and a retracting position above the suction holding position;
The center positioning means includes a plurality of claws that act on the outer peripheral side surface of the disk-like plate-like object of the disk-like plate-like object unit, and a plurality of claws that are close to the standby position and the action positions that are close to each other in the radial direction. And a claw moving means for moving them simultaneously. The disk-like plate-like object of the disk-like plate-like product unit has a circular recess formed on the back surface and an annular protrusion surrounding the circular recess, and the adhesive tape is the back surface of the disk-like plate material. Pasted on,
The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the chuck table has a protruding holding portion that fits into the circular concave portion of the disk-shaped plate-like object.

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