JP4938650B2 - Scribing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a scribing apparatus that engraves a scribe line on a workpiece made of a brittle material such as glass or semiconductor.

  As a method of cutting a workpiece made of a brittle material, for example, a dicing method in which the workpiece is fed into a rotary blade and cut into a die shape, or a scribe line is engraved on the surface of the workpiece with a cutter and then bent along the scribe line. A scribe / break method is known in which a workpiece is cut by applying a load.

As a scribing device that engraves a scribe line on a workpiece, a scribing device that engraves a scribe line on the surface of a workpiece by pressing a rotatable abacus cutter on the workpiece, pressing the workpiece with the cutter and rolling the cutter (for example, patent) Document 1) and a scribing device that moves the cutter while applying vibration to the cutter and engraves a scribe line on the work surface (for example, see Patent Document 2) have been proposed.
JP 2003-212578 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-101967

  In any of the scribing apparatuses, it is necessary to lower the cutter and place it on the surface of the workpiece before the scribe line is cut on the workpiece surface with the cutter.

  However, when the cutter is lowered, the state where the cutter is in contact with the surface of the workpiece (so-called zero point position) is detected, and stopping the lowering of the cutter at the zero point position is a rough motion that determines the approximate height of the cutter. The mechanism alone is difficult. Therefore, the present invention is to provide a scribing device capable of accurately stopping a cutter at a zero point position by combining a coarse movement mechanism and a fine movement mechanism.

  Further, if the first and second linear motion guides are provided in the coarse motion mechanism and the fine motion mechanism, respectively, the number of parts is increased, and the scribe device is easily increased in size. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a scribing apparatus that can make the entire apparatus compact.

  The present invention will be described below. In addition, in order to make an understanding of this invention easy, the reference number of an accompanying drawing is attached in parenthesis writing, However, This invention is not limited to the form of illustration.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a scribing device for engraving a scribe line on a work (1), and a base (3) movable parallel to the surface of the work (1). A moving table (4) that moves up and down with respect to the base (3), and a cutter (2) for scribing a scribe line to the work (1) at the lower end, together with the moving table (4) The ascending / descending head (6), the common track rail (8) provided on the base (3), and the common track rail (8) are slidably disposed, and the movable table (4) is raised and lowered. A first moving block (9) for guiding the movement, and a second moving block (10) which is slidably disposed on the common track rail (8) and guides the head (6) to move up and down. And the mobile stand ( ) And while the head (6) is being lowered, even if the cutter (2) comes into contact with the work (1) and the descent of the head (6) is stopped, the movable table (4) is slightly lowered. The head (6) includes a head body (18) attached to the second moving block (10), a holder (30) for holding the cutter (2), and the head body ( housed in 18), an actuator (28) for vibrating the holder (30), characterized in that it have a.

The invention according to claim 2 is the scribing device according to claim 1 , wherein the scribing device is further slidably arranged on the common track rail (8), and the holder (30) vibrates. A third moving block (11) for guiding is provided.

The invention according to claim 3 is the scribing device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the scribing device further includes an air cylinder (21) for adjusting a pressure applied to the work (1) from the cutter (2). A cylinder main body (21a) of the air cylinder (21) is attached to the movable table (4), and a rod (21b) extending and contracting from the cylinder main body (21a) is connected to the head (6). Features.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the scribing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the scribing apparatus is further spanned between the movable table (4) and the head (6), A spring (27) for reducing the weight of the head (6) is provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first moving block for guiding the moving base to rise and lower and the second moving block for guiding the head to rise and lower are arranged on the common track rail. Therefore, the apparatus can be made compact. In addition, the number of parts can be reduced.

According to the invention described in claim 2 , since the third moving block for guiding the holder to vibrate is also arranged on the common track rail, the apparatus can be made more compact and the number of parts can be reduced. Can be reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressure applied to the workpiece from the cutter can be controlled by adjusting the air pressure applied to the air cylinder.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of the head of the pressure applied from the cutter to the workpiece.

1 is a side view (including a partial cross-sectional view) of a scribing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The front view of the said scribe apparatus. The side view which shows the spring spanned between a movable stand and a head. The front view of a linear guide. The side view of a linear guide.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Work 2 ... Cutter 3 ... Base 4 ... Moving stand 6 ... Head 8 ... Common track rail 9, 10, 11 ... Moving block 8, 9 ... 1st linear motion guide 8, 10 ... 2nd linear motion guide 18 ... head body 21 ... air cylinder 21a ... cylinder body 21b ... rod 27 ... spring 28 ... actuator 30 ... holder

  Hereinafter, a scribing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same machine elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 1 shows a side view of the scribe device, and FIG. 2 shows a front view of the scribe device. The scribing device is a device for scribing scribe lines on the surface of a thin plate-shaped workpiece made of a brittle material such as glass, semiconductor, ceramics or the like. The workpiece 1 is fixed to the upper surface of the work table 7 of the scribe device by vacuum suction or a jig. When the cutter 2 is pressed against the surface of the workpiece 1 and the cutter 2 is moved in the horizontal direction along the surface of the workpiece 1, a scribe line is engraved on the surface of the workpiece 1. The scribe line is a line in which a vertical crack formed on the surface layer of the workpiece 1 propagates along the surface of the workpiece 1.

  The scribing device is roughly classified into a type that does not vibrate the cutter and a type that vibrates the cutter. In the following embodiments, a scribing apparatus that vibrates the cutter will be described. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to a scribing apparatus that does not vibrate the cutter.

  The scribing device includes a base 3 that moves in parallel to the workpiece 1 in the horizontal direction (XY axis direction), a moving base 4 that moves up and down in the Z-axis direction with respect to the base 3, and a moving base 4 that moves up in the Z-axis direction. A head 6 that descends is provided. At the lower end of the head 6, a cutter 2 having a wheel shape or a diamond tip shape is provided. For the cutter 2, for example, a wheel tool formed in an abacus bead shape, or a diamond tool formed into a quadrangular pyramid, a triangular pyramid, or a shape in which the tip of the triangular pyramid is flattened is used. For example, when the workpiece 1 is a semiconductor wafer, a diamond tool is used, and when the workpiece 1 is glass, a wheel tool formed in an abacus ball shape is used.

  The base 3 is coupled to the XY axis table 5. The XY axis table 5 is moved in the horizontal direction by an XY axis moving mechanism (not shown). The XY axis moving mechanism has a motor / ball screw mechanism or a linear motor as a drive source, and also has an XY axis linear motion guide 12 for guiding the XY axis table 5 to slide. When the X-axis or Y-axis moving mechanism is provided on the work table 7 side, the XY-axis table 5 side may be either the X-axis or Y-axis moving mechanism. By moving the XY axis table 5 in the horizontal direction parallel to the work table 7, a scribe line extending in the horizontal direction can be engraved on the surface of the work 1.

  The base 3 is provided with a moving table 4 that moves up and down in the Z-axis direction. A common track rail 8 extending in the Z-axis direction is attached to the base 3. A first moving block 9 is slidably disposed on the common track rail 8. The moving table 4 is attached to the first moving block 9. The first linear motion guide constituted by the common track rail 8 and the first moving block 9 guides the moving base 4 to slide in the Z-axis direction with respect to the base 3.

  The moving table 4 is connected to a Z-axis moving mechanism 16 including a Z-axis motor 13 and ball screw mechanisms 14 and 15, and is driven in the Z-axis direction. When the Z-axis motor 13 is driven to rotate, the screw shaft 14 rotates, and the nut 15 that is screwed to the screw shaft 14 and the movable table 4 that is coupled to the nut 15 move in the axial direction of the screw shaft 14.

  The base 3 is provided with a slidable head 6 that moves up and down in the Z-axis direction together with the movable table 4. A second moving block 10 is slidably disposed on the common track rail 8. The head 6 (more precisely, the head main body 18) is attached to the second moving block 10. The second linear motion guide composed of the common track rail 8 and the second moving block 10 guides the head 6 to slide in the Z-axis direction with respect to the base 3. The structure of the head 6 will be described later.

  A cylindrical cylinder main body 21a of the air cylinder 21 is attached to the movable table 4 with the rod 21b facing in the Z-axis direction. A Z pressure shaft 23 is attached to the tip of the rod 21b of the air cylinder 21 via a sensor such as a load cell or a switch 22 such as a contact switch. The Z pressure shaft 23 passes through a destination plate 24 fixed to the movable table 4. When the rod 21b extends from the cylinder body 21a by a predetermined amount or more, the large diameter portion 23a on the upper side of the Z pressure shaft 23 comes into contact with the upper surface of the plate 24, and the amount of the rod 21b extending is limited. A bracket 25 is attached to the upper part of the second moving block 10 together with the head body 18, and a Z pressure shaft 23 is connected to the bracket 25. Thus, the rod 21b of the air cylinder 21 is connected to the head body 18.

  When the air cylinder 21 is operated in a state where the cutter 2 is in contact with the workpiece 1, pressure is applied from the cutter 2 to the workpiece 1. This pressure is kept constant while scribing the scribe line. The electropneumatic regulator connected to the air cylinder 21 is electrically operated by a program to control the air pressure supplied from the electropneumatic regulator to the air cylinder, and thus the pressure applied to the workpiece 1 from the cutter 2 is controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a tension coil spring 27 as a spring is stretched between the movable table 4 and the bracket 25. The pulling force of the spring 27 acts to lift the weight of the head 6, and reduces the weight of the head 6 out of the pressure applied to the work 1 from the cutter 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an actuator 28 that generates vibration is provided in the box-shaped head body 18. As the actuator 28, for example, a piezoelectric element (piezoactuator) that generates distortion when an external electric field is applied is used. When the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is changed at a predetermined frequency, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts periodically. Further, as the actuator 28, a magnetic material such as a giant magnetostrictive element that generates a distortion in a magnetic material when a magnetic field is applied may be used. When the magnetic field applied to the giant magnetostrictive element is changed at a predetermined frequency, the giant magnetostrictive element periodically expands and contracts.

  The actuator 28 is sandwiched between a pair of actuator guides 29a and 29b in the vertical direction. The upper actuator guide 29 a is attached to the second moving block 10, and the lower actuator guide 29 b is attached to the third moving block 11. The third moving block 11 is slidably disposed on the common track rail 8. A holder 30 that holds the cutter 2 is attached to the third moving block 11.

  The third linear motion guide constituted by the common track rail 8 and the third moving block 11 guides the holder 30 to vibrate in the Z-axis direction. When the air cylinder 21 is operated, the position of the head main body 18 side becomes difficult to change. For this reason, when the actuator 28 is expanded and contracted, not the head main body 18 side but the holder 30 side vibrates. The third guide guides the vibration of the holder 30 in the Z-axis direction.

  The actuator 28 that vibrates the cutter 2 expands and contracts in the Z-axis direction, but it expands and contracts not only in the Z-axis direction but also in the XY-axis direction. When the cutter 2 vibrates in the XY axis direction, the scribe line formed on the workpiece 1 is adversely affected. In order to correct the vibration of the actuator 28 in the Z-axis direction, the third moving block 11 guides the holder 30 to vibrate in the Z-axis direction.

  Between the lower actuator guide 29 b and the head main body 18, a plate-shaped leaf spring 31 that biases the actuator guide 29 b toward the actuator 28 is provided. When the screw 32 screwed into the lower portion of the head body 18 is rotated and the screw 32 is moved up and down, the amount of bending of the leaf spring 31 is adjusted. Thereby, the pressure (namely, preload) which sandwiches actuator 28 with a pair of actuator guides 29a and 29b is adjusted. By applying a preload to the actuator 28, the vibration of the holder 30 can follow the expansion and contraction of the actuator 28.

  4 and 5 show a linear guide composed of a common track rail 8 and first to third moving blocks 9, 10, and 11. FIG. 4 shows a front view of the linear guide, and FIG. 5 shows a side view of the linear guide. The moving blocks 9, 10, and 11 are slidably assembled to the common track rail 8 through a number of balls as rolling elements. A roller may be used as a rolling element instead of a ball.

  The common track rail 8 is elongated in a rectangular shape with a flat cross section. A plurality of ball rolling grooves 8 a extending along the longitudinal direction are formed on the left and right edges and the left and right side surfaces of the upper surface of the common track rail 8.

  The moving blocks 9, 10, 11 are formed in a bowl shape, and a central portion 31 that faces the upper surface of the common track rail 8, and a side wall that extends downward from the left and right sides of the central portion 31 and faces the left and right sides of the common track rail 8. Unit 32. A plurality of load ball rolling grooves 31 a facing the ball rolling grooves 8 a of the common track rail 8 are formed on the bottom surface of the central portion 31 and the inside of the side wall portion 32 of the moving blocks 9, 10, 11.

  A plurality of balls are arranged between the ball rolling groove 8a and the loaded ball rolling groove 31a. When the moving blocks 9, 10, and 11 slide with respect to the common track rail 8, the plurality of balls roll and move while receiving a load between the ball rolling groove 8a and the load ball rolling groove 31a.

  The balls that have rolled to one end of the load ball rolling groove 31a of the moving blocks 9, 10, and 11 pass through a U-shaped direction change path in the end plate 33, and then extend parallel to the load ball rolling groove 31a. Enter the load ball return passage. The ball that has passed through the unloaded ball return path passes through the direction change path of the opposite end plate 33 and then enters the loaded ball rolling groove 31a again. A circuit-shaped ball circulation path is formed by the loaded ball rolling groove 31a, the direction changing path, and the unloaded ball return path.

  In addition to the above-described LM guide (registered trademark of THK), a ball spline, a ball bush, a sliding bearing, or the like can be used for the linear motion guide.

  Next, based on FIG. 1, the usage method of the scribing apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated. First, the work 1 is set on the upper surface of the work table 7 of the scribing apparatus. Next, the head 6 is moved above the workpiece 1 by the XY axis moving mechanism. Next, the Z-axis motor 13 is rotationally driven to lower the movable table 4 and the head 6 toward the workpiece. The rotation angle of the Z-axis motor 13 is measured by the encoder 36 so that the descending amount of the movable table 4 and the head 6 can be controlled.

  When the head 6 is lowered and the cutter 2 at the lower end of the head 6 comes into contact with the workpiece 1, the head 6 is no longer lowered and stops. Even so, the Z-axis motor 13 tries to further lower the movable table 4 without stopping the rotation, so that the movable table 4 slightly lowers and approaches the head 6. A gap is formed between the contact plate 24 and the bracket 25 so that the movable table 4 approaches the head 6. The sensor or switch 22 detects that the movable table 4 has approached the head 6 and sends a signal to the control device. When receiving the signal from the switch 22, the control device stops the rotational driving of the Z-axis motor 13, and stores that the position of the cutter 2 at that time is the zero point position.

  Then, the operator inputs the cutting depth, the cutting pressure, and the horizontal cutter trajectory to the control device. The electropneumatic regulator supplies air to the air cylinder 21 in accordance with the set cutting pressure. The operator may set the cutting pressure again after looking at the test cut status.

  When the cutting depth is set, the Z-axis motor 13 further rotates by the cutting depth, and the movable table 4 further approaches the head 6 by the cutting depth. When the air cylinder 21 is operated in this state, the cutter 2 enters the work 1 by the depth of cut.

  The pressure applied to the workpiece 1 from the cutter 2 is measured by a load cell provided at a position away from the workpiece 1 in the horizontal direction. After moving the cutter 2 onto the load cell, the cutter 2 is brought into contact with the load cell, and the pressure applied to the tip of the cutter 2 is measured by the load cell. If a load cell is used instead of the switch 22 provided at the tip of the rod 21b, the load cell can be used for both detecting the zero point and measuring the pressure applied to the workpiece 1 from the cutter 2.

  When the setting of the cutting depth, the cutting pressure, and the locus of the cutter in the horizontal direction is completed, the operation of actually marking the scribe line on the workpiece 1 with the cutter 2 is started. The scribing line is engraved by moving the cutter 2 to a position shifted from the workpiece 1 in the horizontal direction, and then moving the cutter 2 toward the workpiece 1 so that the cutter 2 rides on the workpiece 1. There are a method of marking a scribe line from the end and a method of marking the scribe line by bringing the cutter 2 into direct contact with the surface of the workpiece 1 and moving the cutter 2 in the horizontal direction from that position. In the former notching method, a value before riding and a value after riding are set as the cutting depth. When the cutter 2 on the outer side in the horizontal direction of the workpiece 1 is moving toward the workpiece 1, the cutting depth before the ride is set, and the cutter 2 moves while being lifted from the table 7. When the cutter 2 rides on the workpiece 1, the depth of cut after the ride is set, and the cutter 2 is bitten into the workpiece 1 by a predetermined depth of cut. When the cutter 2 is moved along the surface of the workpiece 1 while periodically vibrating the actuator 28 by applying a high frequency electric field or the like, a scribe line in which a vertical crack propagates is engraved on the surface layer portion of the workpiece 1. In the latter notching method, only the value after riding is set as the cutting depth. Then, the cutter 2 is bitten into the workpiece 1 by a predetermined cutting depth, and the cutter 2 is moved along the surface of the workpiece 1 while periodically vibrating the actuator 28 by applying a high frequency electric field or the like.

  When the processing is completed, the Z-axis motor 13 raises the movable table 4 and the head 6. The rising height of the head 6 is determined by the position sensor 37. The work 1 engraved with the scribe line is removed from the work table 7 and cut along the scribe line by a breaker (not shown). In the case of cutting a thin workpiece, a vertical crack reaching the back surface of the workpiece may be formed simply by scoring a scribe line on the surface of the workpiece, so that this break process may be omitted.

  In the cutting of a semiconductor wafer by a conventional dicing cutter, there is a problem that when the semiconductor wafer is cut in a dice shape with a rotary blade, heat is generated in the semiconductor wafer or fine powder is generated by volume removal. If the method of cutting after scribing a scribe line as in this embodiment is adopted, heat is not generated and fine powder is not generated. Furthermore, since no heat is generated, processing in a dry state is possible without using a coolant.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the said embodiment, It can implement in various embodiment, without changing the summary. For example, the common track rail 8 may be divided in the length direction, and the first to third track rails may be provided corresponding to the first to third moving blocks, respectively. Further, instead of the third moving block 11, the holder 30 may be guided to vibrate by a ball spline. In this case, the holder 30 is formed in a shaft shape. Of course, the third moving block 11 is unnecessary in a scribing apparatus of a type that does not vibrate the cutter 2. Further, when a plurality of scribe lines are formed simultaneously, a plurality of heads may be provided in one scribe device.

  This specification is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-084998 of March 23, 2005 application. All this content is included here.

Claims (4)

A scribing device that engraves a scribe line on a workpiece,
A base movable parallel to the surface of the workpiece;
A moving base that moves up and down relative to the base;
A cutter is provided at the lower end for scribing a scribe line to the workpiece, and a head that rises and falls with the moving table,
A common track rail provided on the base;
A first moving block that is slidably disposed on the common track rail and guides the moving table to rise and fall;
A second moving block that is slidably disposed on the common track rail and guides the head to rise and descend,
Even if the cutter comes into contact with the workpiece while the moving table and the head are being lowered, the moving table is allowed to slightly move down even if the descent of the head is stopped .
The head is
A head body attached to the second moving block;
A holder for holding the cutter;
Wherein it is housed in the head body, a scribing apparatus, characterized in that have a, and an actuator for vibrating said holder. The scribing device further includes
Said common on the track rail are slidably disposed, the scribing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holder is characterized in that it comprises a third mobile block for guiding to vibration. The scribing device further includes
An air cylinder for adjusting the pressure applied to the workpiece from the cutter;
The cylinder body of the air cylinder is attached to the moving table,
Scribing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rod that expands and contracts from the cylinder body to the head is connected. The scribing device further includes
The scribing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a spring that spans between the moving table and the head and reduces the weight of the head.

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