JP2014027170A - Sheet sticking apparatus and sheet sticking method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet sticking apparatus in which the processing capacity per unit period of the apparatus can be prevented from decreasing by eliminating the replacement operation of transport means.SOLUTION: A sheet sticking apparatus 1 includes support means 3 for supporting at least a frame member RF out of the frame member RF integrated with a stuck body WF via an adhesive sheet AS and the stuck body WF, transport means 4 for transporting the frame member RF to a predetermined transfer position P1, transfer means 7 for transferring the frame member RF transported to the transfer position P1 to the support means 3, and sticking means 9 for abutting the adhesive sheet AS against the frame member RF supported by the support means 3, or against the frame member RF and the stuck body WF and sticking the adhesive sheet AS thereto. The transport means 4 is provided so that the frame member RF can be transported to the transfer position P1 in a state where the frame members RF are scattered on the transportation path.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet sticking apparatus and a sheet sticking method.

Conventionally, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a sheet sticking apparatus for sticking an adhesive sheet to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a wafer) or a ring frame is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
The sheet sticking apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a mount mechanism for sticking a mounting sheet as an adhesive sheet to a wafer and a ring frame, and a wagon (conveying means) in which a plurality of ring frames are accommodated and casters are provided at the bottom. And a transport mechanism for transporting the ring frame from the wagon to the mount mechanism. When the ring frame accommodated in the wagon is used up, the wagon is disconnected from the sheet sticking device, refilled with the ring frame, and again in the sheet sticking device. It is configured to place.

JP-A-2005-33119

  However, in the conventional sheet sticking apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, when the ring frame accommodated in the wagon is used up, the wagon is retracted, and then another or the same wagon accommodating the ring frame is attached to the ring frame. Since an operation to be arranged in the supply unit (hereinafter referred to as “conveying device replacement operation”) has to be performed, it takes a long time to replace the transporting device. Since the operation of the apparatus must be stopped during such a replacement operation of the conveying means, the processing performance per unit period of the sheet sticking apparatus is reduced. Even if the wagon is changed to one that can automatically run, the replacement operation of the transport means is indispensable.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet sticking apparatus and a sheet sticking method that can eliminate the replacement operation of the conveying means and prevent the processing capacity per unit period of the apparatus from being lowered.

  In order to achieve the above object, a sheet sticking apparatus of the present invention includes a frame member integrated with an adherend via an adhesive sheet, and a support means for supporting at least the frame member of the adherend, Conveying means for conveying the frame member to a predetermined transfer position, transferring means for transferring the frame member conveyed to the transfer position to the supporting means, and a frame member or frame supported by the supporting means And a sticking means for bringing the adhesive sheet into contact with the member and an adherend, and the transport means transports the frame member to the transfer position in a state where the frame members are scattered on the transport path. The configuration of being provided is possible.

  On the other hand, the sheet sticking method of the present invention includes a step of transferring at least the frame member of the frame member and the adherend transferred to a predetermined transfer position to the support means, and the frame member supported by the support means. Or a step of forming a wafer support by affixing an adhesive sheet to the frame member and the adherend, and a step of transporting the wafer support to a wafer processing step; The step of removing the processed wafer from the wafer support, the step of removing the adhesive sheet from the frame member, and the frame member in a state where the frame members from which the adhesive sheet has been removed are scattered on the conveyance path And a step of transporting to the transfer position.

According to the present invention as described above, since the transport means transports the frame member in a state where the frame member is scattered on the transport path, the frame member can be moved to the transfer position without performing the replacement operation of the transport means as in the prior art. It is possible to prevent the processing capacity per unit period of the apparatus from being lowered.
Further, after the step of removing the adhesive sheet from the frame member, the semi-permanent automatic operation can be realized by conveying the frame member to the transfer position by the conveying means.

The top view of the sheet sticking apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Note that the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis in this embodiment are orthogonal to each other, the X axis and the Y axis are axes in a horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis that is orthogonal to the horizontal plane. Further, in the present embodiment, when viewed from the direction of the arrow AR parallel to the Y axis, when indicating the direction, “up” is the arrow direction of the Z axis, “down” is the opposite direction, and “left”. Is the arrow direction of the X axis, “right” is the opposite direction, “front” is the arrow direction of the Y axis, and “rear” is the opposite direction.

  In FIG. 1, a sheet sticking apparatus 1 includes a wafer accommodating means 2 capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers WF as adherends, a ring frame RF as a frame member integrated with the wafer WF via an adhesive sheet AS, and a wafer. Support means 3 for supporting at least the ring frame RF of the WF, transport means 4 for transporting the ring frame RF to a predetermined transfer position P1, and ring frame RF transported to the transfer position P1 to the support means 3. A transfer means 7 for transferring and a ring frame RF supported by the support means 3 or an attaching means 9 for attaching the adhesive sheet AS to the ring frame RF and the wafer WF for attachment are supported by the frame 11. ing.

  The wafer accommodating means 2 includes a wafer cassette 21 that can accommodate wafers WF having a protective sheet PS attached on the surface in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and is supported to be detachable from the frame 11.

  The support means 3 includes a table 32 having a support surface 31 capable of attracting and holding the wafer WF and the ring frame RF by suction means such as a decompression pump and a vacuum ejector (not shown), and linear as drive equipment for supporting the table 32 with a slider 33. And a motor 34.

The conveying means 4 is supported by a pair of frames 46 and is rotatably provided by a rotation motor 42 as a drive device, a driven pulley 44 rotatably supported by the frame 46, and a drive Between the pair of endless belts 45 wound around the pulley 43 and the driven pulley 44, a pair of guide plates 47 for guiding the side surface of the ring frame RF placed on the endless belt 45, and the pair of endless belts 45 The ring frame RF is composed of a so-called belt conveyor provided with the lifter 48 arranged, and the ring frame RF placed on the carry-in position P2 is scattered on the transport path (on the endless belt 45). It is provided in the transfer position P1 so that conveyance is possible.
The pair of guide plates 47 is disposed on the pair of endless belts 45 at an interval larger than the dimension between the opposed flat surface portions RF2 of the ring frame RF and smaller than the dimension between the opposed curved surface portions RF3. The front-rear direction can be adjusted depending on the size (the dimension between the opposing flat surface portions RF2 of the ring frame RF).
The lifter 48 includes a direct acting motor 481 as a driving device and a mounting plate 483 supported by an output shaft 482 of the direct acting motor 481. The mounting plate 483 can be moved up and down between a position where the lower surface of the mounting plate 483 is above the upper surface of the endless belt 45 and a position where the upper surface of the mounting plate 483 is lower than the upper surface of the endless belt 45. ing.
Further, in front of the transport means 4, a linear motion motor as a driving device (not shown) is supported so as to be movable up and down with respect to the frame 11, and the uppermost position of the ring frame RF transported to the transfer position P 1 can be detected. A first detection means 16 having a first sensor 16A is provided. Examples of the first sensor 16A include non-contact sensors such as area sensors and line sensors, optical sensors, contact sensors such as limit switches, and imaging devices such as cameras.

  The transfer means 7 includes an articulated robot 71 as a driving device and a holding means 72 provided at the tip of the articulated robot 71. The wafer WF and the ring frame RF held by the holding means 72 are articulated. The robot 71 can be transported. The articulated robot 71 is a so-called six-axis robot having joints that can rotate at six locations, and the wafer WF and the ring frame RF held by the holding means 72 within the work range of the articulated robot 71 are located at any position. It is configured to be movable even at an angle of. The holding means 72 includes a suction plate 77 having a suction surface 79 provided with a plurality of suction holes 78, and the suction plate 77 is connected to the articulated robot 71 so that a decompression pump, a vacuum ejector, etc. (not shown) are used. The wafer WF and the ring frame RF can be sucked and held. The suction plate 77 has two systems, a system for attracting and holding the wafer WF and a system for attracting and holding the ring frame RF.

  On the left side of the transfer means 7 are the outer edge position of the wafer WF, orientation marks such as V notches and orientation flats (not shown) formed on the wafer WF, circuit patterns, street or outer edge and inner edge positions of the ring frame RF, ring A second detection means 17 having a second sensor 17A composed of an optical sensor, an imaging device or the like that can detect the notch RF1 and the like provided on the outer periphery of the frame RF is provided.

  The sticking means 9 includes a support shaft 91 that supports the original fabric RS in which the adhesive sheet AS is temporarily attached to one surface of the strip-like release sheet RL, as shown in the view from the AR direction indicated by reference numeral AA in FIG. , A peeling plate 92 that folds the peeling sheet RL and peels the adhesive sheet AS, a pressing roller 93 as pressing means that affixes the peeled adhesive sheet AS to the wafer WF, and a rotation motor as a driving device. A driving roller 95 that is rotationally driven by 94, a pinch roller 96 that sandwiches the release sheet RL with the drive roller 95, and a recovery roller 97 that recovers the release sheet RL.

  In the case of the present embodiment, a peeling means 12 for peeling the protective sheet PS attached to the wafer WF and an unnecessary member housing box 13 for collecting the peeled protective sheet PS are provided. Detailed explanation is omitted because it is not an essential requirement. Incidentally, as the peeling means 12, for example, those described in the prior art of peeling devices such as Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-285228 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-55508 can be exemplified, and the unnecessary member storage box 13 contains a protective sheet PS. There is no limitation as long as it can be collected.

In the sheet sticking apparatus 1 described above, a procedure for sticking the adhesive sheet AS to the wafer WF and the ring frame RF will be described.
First, as shown in the diagram indicated by the symbol AA in FIG. 1, the original fabric RS is set on the sticking means 9, and the wafer cassette 21 is set at the position shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the lifter 48 drives the linear motion motor 481 to raise the mounting plate 483, and the ring frame RF on which the transport arm 18 is stacked is delivered to the mounting plate 483. Thereafter, after the transfer arm 18 is retracted to the left side, the lifter 48 drives the linear motion motor 481 to lower the placement plate 483, so that the stacked ring frame RF is moved to the loading position P <b> 2 on the endless belt 45. Placed. In addition, the conveyance arm 18 can illustrate what is used in the process of removing the adhesive sheet AS from the ring frame RF in a separate process.

  Next, the conveying means 4 drives the rotation motor 42 to rotate the endless belt 45 to convey the ring frame RF to the right along the endless belt 45 that is the conveying path, and to a new ring frame at the loading position P2. When a sensor (not shown) detects that a space where RF can be placed is formed, the rotation motor 42 is stopped. Thereafter, the transport arm 18 and the transport unit 4 repeat the same operation as described above, and when it is detected by a sensor (not shown) that the ring frame RF located at the head in the transport direction of the transport unit 4 has reached the transfer position P1, The means 4 stops driving the rotation motor 42. As a result, the transport unit 4 transports the ring frame RF to the transfer position P1 in a state where the ring frame RF is scattered on the endless belt 45. Thereafter, the first detection means 16 drives a linear motion motor (not shown) to raise and lower the first sensor 16A. Thereby, the uppermost position of the ring frame RF is detected.

  Then, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71, the holding means 72 is inserted into the wafer cassette 21 and the suction surface 79 is brought into contact with the wafer WF, and then the suction means (not shown) is driven to drive the wafer. Adsorb and hold WF. Next, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71 to move the wafer WF to a position that can be detected by the second detection means 17 and rotate the wafer WF by a predetermined angle. As a result, the second detection means 17 detects the outer edge position of the wafer WF and the V notch position (not shown), and these data are output to the control means (not shown). When various data of the wafer WF are input, a control means (not shown) obtains the center position of the wafer WF from the various data, and then the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71, which is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. As described above, the wafer WF is placed on the support surface 31 of the table 32 so that a center position of the wafer WF and a V notch position (not shown) are in a predetermined position. When the wafer WF is placed, the support unit 3 drives a suction unit (not shown) to hold the wafer WF by suction.

  Next, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71 and moves the holding means 72 to the transfer position P1 to bring the suction surface 79 into contact with the uppermost ring frame RF, and then suction (not shown). The means is driven to hold the ring frame RF by suction. Next, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71 to move the wafer WF to a position that can be detected by the second detection means 17, and performs the same operation as when the second detection means 17 is the wafer WF described above, Thereafter, the center position of the opening of the ring frame RF matches the center position of the wafer WF supported on the table 32, and the V notch RF1 of the ring frame RF faces a predetermined direction. The ring frame RF is placed on the support surface 31 of the table 32. When the ring frame RF is placed, the support means 3 drives a suction means (not shown) to hold the ring frame RF by suction.

  Next, the support unit 3 drives the linear motor 34 to move the table 32 to the left, and when the detection unit (not shown) detects that the wafer WF and the ring frame RF have reached predetermined positions, In synchronization with the movement, the sticking means 9 drives the rotation motor 94 to feed out the original fabric RS. Thereby, the adhesive sheet AS is peeled off from the release sheet RL by the release plate 92, the peeled adhesive sheet AS is pressed against the wafer WF and the ring frame RF by the pressing roller 93, and the wafer WF passes through the adhesive sheet AS. Thus, the wafer support WK integrated with the ring frame RF is formed. When the wafer support WK is thus formed, it is detected by a detection means (not shown), and the support means 3 stops driving the linear motor 34. Then, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71 to lift the wafer support WK upside down and transfer it to a delivery means (not shown) having a suction support surface facing the support surface 31, and the delivery means supports the wafer. The body WK is lowered and placed on the support surface 31 again. Thereby, the wafer support WK is supported on the support surface 31 with the protective sheet PS facing upward. Next, the support means 3 drives the linear motor 34 and moves the table 32 to the left. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the wafer support WK has reached a predetermined position, the peeling means 12 applies a peeling tape (not shown) to the protective sheet PS and pulls the peeling tape to protect it from the wafer WF. The sheet PS is peeled (for details, see the prior art of the peeling device). When the protective sheet PS is peeled off from the wafer WF, the transfer means 7 drives the articulated robot 71 to bring the suction surface 79 into contact with the peeled protective sheet PS and drive the suction means (not shown). Is sucked and held in the unnecessary member storage box 13. Then, the protective sheet PS is peeled off, and the wafer support WK is formed by a step of cutting the wafer WF by a conveying means (not shown), a step of removing the cut wafer WF from the adhesive sheet AS, and bonding it to another one, It is conveyed to the process etc. which remove adhesive sheet AS from RF, the table 32 returns to the position shown with a dashed-two dotted line in FIG. 1, and the same operation | movement is repeated after that. Then, the ring frame RF from which the adhesive sheet AS has been removed is placed again at the carry-in position P2 via the transport arm 18, the lifter 48, and the like.

  As described above, when all the ring frames RF in the transfer position P1 are used up, the conveying means 4 drives the rotation motor 42 and rotates the endless belt 45, so that the leftmost position of the transfer position P1. The ring frame RF located on the side is transported to the transfer position P1, and the same operation as described above is repeated.

According to the present embodiment as described above, the following effects are obtained.
That is, since the conveying means 4 conveys the ring frame RF in a state of being scattered on the endless belt 45, the ring frame RF is arranged at the transfer position P1 without performing the replacement operation of the conveying means 4 as in the conventional case. It is possible to prevent the processing capacity per unit period of the sheet sticking apparatus 1 from being lowered.
Further, if the conveying means 4 is configured to extend within the working range of the apparatus for removing the adhesive sheet AS from the ring frame RF, the ring frame RF is transferred by the conveying means 4 after the adhesive sheet AS is removed from the ring frame RF. Since it can convey to the mounting position P1, the semi-permanent automatic driving | operation of the said sheet sticking apparatus 1 is realizable.
Further, since the processing capability of the sheet sticking apparatus 1 is lowered, it is possible to reduce the complexity that the operator has to quickly supply the ring frame RF to the sheet sticking apparatus 1.

  As described above, the best configuration, method and the like for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the invention has been illustrated and described with particular reference to certain specific embodiments, but without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art in terms of material, quantity, and other detailed configurations. In addition, the description of the shape, material, and the like disclosed above is exemplary for ease of understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The description by the name of the member which remove | excluded the limitation of one part or all of such restrictions is included in this invention.

For example, the conveying means 4 may be constituted by a belt conveyor having one or three or more endless belts, or may be constituted by a roller conveyor, a curve conveyor, a chain conveyor, a vibration conveyor, a lift conveyor, etc. in addition to the belt conveyor. However, they may be configured by appropriately combining them.
Further, the transfer arm 18 may deliver the ring frame RF to the lifter 48 one by one with the ring frame RF directed in a predetermined direction.

  Further, when the position of the V notch RF1 of the ring frame RF is detected at any position on the endless belt 45 and the transfer means 7 places the ring frame RF on the support means 3 by the holding means 72. Further, based on the detection result, the V notch RF1 may be directed in a predetermined direction.

  Alternatively, only the ring frame RF may be placed on the table 32, and the adhesive sheet AS may be attached to the ring frame RF.

  In addition, the type and material of the adhesive sheet AS in the present invention are not particularly limited. For example, the adhesive sheet AS has an intermediate layer provided between the base sheet and the adhesive layer, or has three other layers. The above may be used. The semiconductor wafer can be exemplified by a silicon semiconductor wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, and the like. The adhesive sheet to be attached to such a semiconductor wafer is not limited to a protective sheet, dicing tape, and die attach film, but any other sheet or film. A sheet having an arbitrary use and shape such as a tape can be applied. Further, the adherend may be an optical disk substrate, and the adhesive sheet may have a resin layer constituting the recording layer. Moreover, as a to-be-adhered body, not only a glass plate, a steel plate, a resin plate, a board | substrate etc., and other members but the member, articles | goods, etc. of arbitrary forms can also be made into object. Furthermore, it is also possible to target a wafer in which a pattern circuit is formed on the surface of the wafer.

  The drive device in the embodiment employs an electric device such as a rotation motor, a linear motion motor, a linear motor, a single-axis robot, and an articulated robot, an actuator such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a rodless cylinder, and a rotary cylinder. In addition, it is possible to adopt a combination of them directly or indirectly (some of them overlap with those exemplified in the embodiment).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sheet sticking apparatus 3 ... Supporting means 4 ... Conveying means 7 ... Transfer means 9 ... Sticking means AS ... Adhesive sheet P1 ... Transfer position RF ... Ring frame (frame member)
WF ... Wafer (Substrate)

Claims (2)

A frame member integrated with the adherend via an adhesive sheet, and a support means for supporting at least the frame member of the adherend;
Conveying means for conveying the frame member to a predetermined transfer position;
Transfer means for transferring the frame member conveyed to the transfer position to the support means;
A frame member supported by the support means, or a sticking means for sticking the adhesive sheet to the frame member and an adherend,
The sheet sticking apparatus, wherein the conveying means is provided so as to be able to convey the frame member to the transfer position in a state where the frame member is scattered on a conveying path. A step of transferring at least the frame member of the frame member and the adherend conveyed to a predetermined transfer position to the support means;
A step of forming a wafer support by affixing a frame member supported by the support means or an adhesive sheet in contact with the frame member and an adherend; and
Transporting the wafer support to a wafer processing step;
Removing the wafer that has been subjected to the predetermined processing in the wafer processing step from the wafer support;
Removing the adhesive sheet from the frame member;
And a step of conveying the frame member to the transfer position in a state where the frame member from which the adhesive sheet has been removed is scattered on the conveyance path.

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