JP3390130B2 - Spherical object supply device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of processing a spherical object used for a spherical semiconductor chip or the like, and periodically transporting the spherical object to each processing step. Related to the device. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a semiconductor chip has a circuit pattern formed on a plate-like single-crystal silicon wafer. In recent years, however, a circuit pattern has been formed on a spherical silicon having a diameter of about 1 mm or less. A technology for manufacturing a semiconductor device has been developed. In order to efficiently manufacture the spherical semiconductor element, it is necessary to connect the spherical silicon processing / transporting steps to form a line so as to be continuous. However, when such a line is formed, if the spherical silicon conveyed from the previous step is irregularly supplied to the next step, the amount of the supplied spherical silicon fluctuates in the next step. For this reason, the processing conditions must be changed in accordance with the fluctuation amount, and efficient processing cannot be performed. Therefore, spherical objects such as spherical silicon need to be periodically supplied to the next step at certain intervals. [0004] Such a supply operation requires high-speed processing and high reliability also in terms of productivity and quality, but no such technique has been proposed so far. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to supply a spherical material such as spherical silicon at regular intervals, preferably at a high speed, at a constant interval. It is to provide a device. [0006] In the present invention, a plurality of spherical object storage chambers are provided at intervals on an outer peripheral step formed by providing a step on the outer peripheral part. A rotation successor, and supporting the rotation succession horizontally rotatably,
A receiving path of spheres supplied by the conveyor atmosphere flow communicating with the accommodating chamber, Ru extension on near the axis of the receiving passage intake
The take-out passage is located at a position symmetrical to the position of the suction passage
A road, and a supporting device having <br/> a fluid discharge passage is on the extension of the axis of said mounting out passage, a vacuum suction device for sucking the atmosphere via the suction passage, pressurized before Symbol fluid discharge passage A fluid supply device for supplying a pressurized fluid, an acceleration conduit connected to the take-out passage, a branch conduit branched from the acceleration conduit, and a fluid supply device for introducing a pressurized fluid into the branch conduit. Be prepared
Further, an acceleration device for further accelerating the spherical object by the pressurized fluid injected into the acceleration pipe via the branch pipe is provided. In the present specification, the term “atmosphere” or “fluid” does not mean only a gas such as an active gas or an inert gas, but refers to water or various solutions. Including liquid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments in which the present invention is applied to the transport of spherical semiconductor elements. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a front view of a spherical object supply apparatus of the present invention with a lid removed, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line D-D, and FIG. It is an enlarged view of A part of FIG. FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views of portions B and C in FIG. 2, respectively. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a rotatable disk-shaped rotary transfer device, which is provided with a step on its outer peripheral portion to form an outer peripheral step portion 1a. As shown in detail in FIG. 3, a spherical semiconductor element 3 is formed on the outer peripheral step portion 1a along the outer peripheral surface thereof.
Are provided at a plurality of locations at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotary transfer device 1. Containment room 2
May have a semi-cylindrical shape having a substantially semi-circular cross-section opening on the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral step portion 1a as shown in FIG. 3 (a), or an outer peripheral step as shown in FIG. It may be a cylindrical shape having a circular cross section that is perforated at a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral surface of the portion 1a on the center side of the rotary transfer device 1. This accommodation room 2
Has a space that can accommodate the semiconductor elements 3 one by one. By adjusting the height of the outer peripheral step 1a, a plurality of semiconductor elements 3 can be accommodated in the accommodation chamber. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation successor 1 is rotatably supported inside a support 4. This support 4
Is a container part 5 serving as a housing for the rotary successor 1.
And a lid portion 6 serving as a cover for the container portion 5. The container portion 5 has a recess 7 for accommodating the rotary transfer device 1 and fitting the lid portion 6. The rotary shaft 8 formed integrally with the rotary transfer device 1 is provided with a rotary shaft 8. A bearing 9 for rotatably supporting is provided. A receiving tube 10 is provided at a predetermined location on the outer peripheral portion of the container portion 5 for receiving the semiconductor element 3 supplied by a carrier atmosphere flow from a previous step (not shown). In this embodiment, the semiconductor element 3 is supplied from the previous process by an air flow. The receiving tube 10 is for supplying the semiconductor element 3 to the accommodation chamber 2 of the rotary successor 1, and the distal end thereof is connected to the accommodation chamber 2 pierced through the container part 5. One end of the receiving passage 12 having the same diameter is connected to and integrated with one end. The other end of the receiving passage 12 is open at a position facing the accommodation room 2 provided in the outer peripheral step portion 1 a, and the semiconductor element 3 can be introduced into the accommodation room 2 through the reception passage 12. The semiconductor element 3 is moved from the receiving passage 12 to the accommodation chamber 2.
When the semiconductor element 3 is introduced into the storage chamber, the receiving passage 12 may be positioned above the storage chamber 2 and natural fall of the semiconductor element 3 due to gravity may be used. It is preferable to employ a housing mechanism utilizing a suction force as described below. That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a suction passage 13 is formed in the cover 6 at a position extending the axis of the receiving passage 12 and sandwiching the accommodation chamber 2, One end is open toward the accommodation room 2. The other end of the suction passage 13 is connected to a suction tube 14 connected to a vacuum suction device (not shown), and the atmosphere is sucked through the suction passage 13 by the operation of the vacuum suction device. And the receiving passage 12. It should be noted that the semiconductor element 3 is mistakenly
The diameter of the suction passage 13 is set slightly smaller than the diameter of the semiconductor element 3 so as not to enter. If necessary, the suction passage 13 may be provided with a filter for removing fine dust contained in the atmosphere around the semiconductor element 3. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a take-out passage for taking out the semiconductor element 3 from the housing chamber 2 is provided at a position symmetrical to the position where the suction passage 13 is formed in the lid portion 6. 11 are drilled. One end of the take-out passage 11 is open to the storage chamber 2, and the other end is connected to a delivery pipe 15 for carrying the semiconductor element 3 toward a next step (not shown). The diameter of the extraction passage 11 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the storage chamber 2 for smooth transfer of the semiconductor element 3 to the extraction passage 11. When the semiconductor element 3 is taken out of the accommodation chamber 2 through the extraction passage 11, the extraction passage 11 may be located below the accommodation chamber 2 and the natural fall of the semiconductor element 3 by gravity may be used. In order to reliably and quickly discharge the semiconductor element 3 from the storage chamber, it is preferable to employ a discharge mechanism using the ejection force of a high-pressure fluid as described below. That is, in the present embodiment, the discharge passage 16 is formed in the container portion 5 at a position on the extension of the axis of the take-out passage 11 and sandwiching the storage chamber 2, and one end of the discharge passage 16 is formed in the storage chamber. Opening toward 2. And the discharge passage 16
Is a jet pipe 1 connected to a fluid supply device (not shown).
7, so that the ejection force of the high-pressure fluid supplied by the operation of the fluid supply device is exerted on the storage chamber 2 and the discharge passage 11 via the discharge passage 16. Further, the ejection pressure of the high-pressure fluid is increased, and
So as not to accidentally enter the discharge passage 16.
The diameter of the discharge passage 16 is set smaller than the diameter of the semiconductor element 3. In the present embodiment, a high-pressure air supply device is used as the fluid supply device. The receiving passage 12 or the take-out passage 11 may be provided with a position detecting means for confirming the presence of the semiconductor element 3. As the position detecting means, a sensor including an optical fiber sensor provided to face each other with the passages interposed therebetween may be used, but other known sensors may be used. When the position detecting means is provided in this way, it is possible to confirm the periodic supply of the semiconductor element 3. The lid 6 is attached to the container 5 in an airtight manner, and the outer peripheral surface of the rotary transfer device 1 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion 7 of the container 5. It is slidable. As the material of the rotation transfer device 1 and the support device 6, a resin or stainless steel or a material obtained by coating stainless steel with Teflon (registered trademark) resin in accordance with the transport atmosphere of the semiconductor element 3, for example, water, an inert gas, or the like is used. be able to. The support 4 is attached to a drive shaft holder 19 via a flange 18. A drive shaft 20 is provided through the drive shaft holder 19 so as to pass through the holder. The drive shaft 20 is connected to the rotation shaft 8 of the rotation receiver 1 via a joint 21. Rotational driving force from a motor 23 is transmitted to the drive shaft 20 via a driving force transmission mechanism 22 whose detailed description is omitted. In the apparatus for supplying spherical objects according to the present embodiment,
An accelerator 24 is provided at a position separated from the support 4 by a predetermined distance. The accelerating device 24 has an accelerating line 25 therein.
One end of the acceleration pipe 25 is connected to the delivery pipe 15 extending from the support 4, and the other end is connected to a transport pipe 27 extending to the next step (not shown). A branch line 25a branches from a predetermined portion of the acceleration line 25 in the acceleration device 24 at a branch angle θ, and the branch line 25a is connected to a fluid supply pipe 26 connected to a fluid supply device (not shown). And a high-pressure fluid can be supplied into the acceleration pipeline 25. Here, the branch angle θ needs to be an acute angle, but is preferably 45 degrees or less in order to prevent the high-pressure fluid supplied from the branch pipe 25a from flowing back to the delivery pipe 15. , 30
It is more preferable that the temperature be equal to or less than the degree. Note that the fluid supply device may be common to the fluid supply device that supplies the high-pressure fluid to the ejection pipe 17, or may be a separate body. In this embodiment, high-pressure air is used as the high-pressure fluid. In the present embodiment, the delivery pipe 15, the acceleration pipe 25 and the transport pipe 27 are connected in a straight line, so that the semiconductor element 3 moves from the delivery pipe 15 of the support 4 to the next step (not shown). , Supplied without changing its course. In addition, it is also possible to arrange the conveying pipe 17 on an extension of the branch pipe line 25a. In this case, branch line 2
Since the path of the high-pressure fluid, that is, the high-pressure air supplied from 5a is not changed, the semiconductor element 3 can be transported at a higher speed to a distant place. Hereinafter, the operation of the above-mentioned sphere supplying device will be described. The rotation receiver 1 is rotationally driven by a motor 23, and a plurality of spherical semiconductor elements 3 processed in a preceding step (not shown) are irregularly supplied from the reception tube 10 to the rotation receiver 1. Come. As a method for supplying the semiconductor element 3, it is preferable to use a conveying force by high-speed air, but the supply means is not particularly limited. Normally, the supply speed of the semiconductor element 3 is extremely high. Therefore, the supply speed of the semiconductor element 3 to the receiving tube 10 is higher than the storage rate of the semiconductor element 3 in the storage chamber 2. Is deposited in the receiving pipe 10 at a position facing the outer peripheral step 1a of the rotary transfer device 1 in a state of being connected to each other as shown in FIG. A suction force is applied from the suction pipe 14 by the operation of a suction device (not shown). The suction force reaches the position of the outer peripheral step portion 1a via the suction passage 13. When the rotary transfer device 1 rotates in this state and the position of the storage chamber 2 coincides with the positions of the receiving passage 12 and the suction passage 13, the suction force from the suction passage 13 is received through the storage chamber 2. It extends to passage 12. Therefore, receiving passage 1
The semiconductor element 3 deposited in the interior 2 is sucked into the accommodation chamber 2. However, since the accommodation room 2 has a capacity of only one semiconductor element and cannot enter the suction passage 13, the semiconductor elements 3 are accommodated one by one in the accommodation room 2. At this time, a shutter may be provided at the opening end of the receiving passage 12 and the shutter may be closed when the semiconductor element 3 is housed in the housing chamber 2. In this case, the semiconductor elements 3 can be more reliably accommodated one by one in the accommodation chamber 2, and the semiconductor elements 3 accommodated in the accommodation chamber 2 when the rotation receiver 1 rotates can be used. It is possible to prevent wear of the surface of the semiconductor element 3 due to contact friction with the semiconductor element 3 waiting in the receiving passage 12. The rotation speed of the rotary transfer device 1 determines the housing speed of the semiconductor element 3 in the housing chamber 2. Is set. However, when the rotation speed of the rotation receiver 1 is excessively high, the speed at which the semiconductor element 3 is accommodated in the accommodation room 2 exceeds the supply speed of the semiconductor element 3, and the semiconductor element 3 to be accommodated in the accommodation room 2 The rotation speed of the rotary successor 1 is limited to the
The upper limit is a speed at which at least one or more semiconductor elements 3 are always present in 2. When the rotation receiver 1 rotates, the semiconductor element 3 moves along the circumference of the rotation receiver 1 while being held in the accommodation chamber 2 according to the rotation. When the position of the storage chamber 2 coincides with the positions of the discharge passage 11 and the discharge passage 16, high-pressure air supplied from a fluid supply device (not shown) is injected into the storage chamber 2 through the discharge pipe 17 and the discharge passage 16. The semiconductor element 3 in the storage chamber 2 is sent out to the take-out passage 11 by the jetting force of the air, and then supplied to the next step through the sending pipe 15. In this embodiment, since the acceleration device 24 is installed on the extension of the delivery pipe 15, the semiconductor device 3 that has reached the acceleration pipe 25 in the acceleration device 4 via the delivery pipe 15 is The fluid is further accelerated by high-pressure air supplied from a fluid supply device (not shown) through the fluid supply pipe 26 and the branch conduit 25a and transferred to the transport pipe 27. Therefore, it is possible to send the semiconductor element 3 to the next step at a higher speed. The present invention has the following effects. (1) By separating spherical objects such as spherical semiconductor elements one by one, the spherical objects can be separated at regular intervals.
It can be supplied to the next step periodically. Therefore, in the next step, the processing for the spherical object can be executed with a certain quality. (2) Since spherical objects such as spherical semiconductor elements are separated one by one by sucking and ejecting a fluid such as air, reliable operation of the spherical objects is possible. (3) Since a spherical object such as a spherical semiconductor element is sent out by a high-speed pressurized fluid, the spherical object can be transported at a high speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of a pacemaker of the present invention with a lid removed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line DD. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion B in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion C in FIG. 2; [Explanation of Signs] 1 Rotary successor 15
Delivery tube 1a Outer peripheral step 16
Discharge passage 2 accommodation room 17
Ejector tube 3 Semiconductor element 18
Flange 4 support 19
Drive shaft holder 5 Container part 20
Drive shaft 6 Lid 21
Joint 7 recess 22
Driving force transmission mechanism 8 Rotating shaft 23
Motor 9 Bearing 24
Accelerator 10 Receiving pipe 25
Acceleration pipeline 11 extraction passage 25a
Branch pipe 12 Receiving passage 26
Fluid supply pipe 13 suction passage 27
Transfer tube 14 Suction tube

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-48-9471 (JP, A) JP-A-6-135542 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model 1983-112485 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 47/84-47/86 B65G 47/00-47/22

Claims (1)

(1) A rotary successor having a plurality of spherical chambers provided at intervals on an outer peripheral step formed by providing a step on an outer peripheral portion; vessel together with horizontally rotatably supported, the receive path of spheres supplied by the conveyor atmosphere flow communicating with the accommodating chamber, the suction passage Ru extension on near the axis of the receive path
Path and a take-out path located symmetrically with respect to the position of the suction path
A support having a fluid discharge passage on an extension of the axis of the take-out passage; a vacuum suction device for sucking an atmosphere through the suction passage; and a pressurization in the fluid discharge passage. A fluid supply device for supplying a fluid, an acceleration conduit connected to the take-out passage, a branch conduit branched from the acceleration conduit, and a fluid supply device for introducing a pressurized fluid into the branch conduit.
Provided further supply device for spherical object, characterized in that a accelerator to further accelerate the spheres by the pressurized fluid injected into the accelerating tube passage through said branch pipe.