JP5654845B2 - Grinding equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a grinding apparatus for grinding a workpiece.

  In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer on which a plurality of circuits such as IC / LSI are formed is ground to a predetermined thickness by grinding the back surface of the semiconductor wafer before it is divided into individual chips. . A grinding device for grinding the backside of a semiconductor wafer is sequentially ground by a transfer robot for unloading a workpiece from a cassette, a turntable arranged to rotate along a workpiece attachment / detachment region and a grinding region, and rotation of the turntable. A plurality of chuck tables that move to the area, and a grinding means that includes a grinding wheel that is disposed in the grinding area and that grinds the workpiece held on the chuck table positioned in the grinding area ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  The transfer robot has a plurality of axes, and in order to transfer a workpiece to a desired position by precise position control, it is necessary to perform so-called origin determination in which the origin of operation is determined in advance for each axis. If this work is performed with the workpiece held, the workpiece may collide with the device or be damaged, so the position of each axis is stored before holding the workpiece. A battery is used so that the transport robot can maintain the memory of the position of each axis even when the power is turned off.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-086048

  However, there is a problem that when the remaining amount of the battery runs out, the memory of the position of each axis in the transfer robot suddenly disappears.

  The present invention has been made in view of these facts, and its main technical problem is that the memory of the position of each axis in the transfer robot disappears when the remaining battery of the transfer robot is exhausted. An object of the present invention is to provide a grinding apparatus without any problem.

The present invention relates to a holding means for holding a work, a grinding means for grinding the work held by the holding means, and a transfer robot for carrying out the work from a cassette containing the work in order to carry the work into the holding means. The transfer robot is configured to hold a workpiece, a plurality of shaft portions that move the holding portion, a storage portion that stores the position of the shaft portion, and when the power is turned off. A battery unit for maintaining the memory of the storage unit, the battery unit is a main battery unit that is normally used, and a spare battery unit that is used when the remaining amount of the main battery unit is low or no longer used The main battery unit and the spare battery unit are respectively housed in housing units located on the front side of the apparatus and outside the transfer robot, and a power supply source to the storage unit is spared from the main battery unit. When switched to battery Includes a warning unit for informing that the reserve battery portion is used for operator.

  In the present invention, since the battery unit is provided with a spare battery unit to be used when the remaining amount of the main battery unit is low or no longer used, the power from the spare battery unit can be obtained even when the remaining amount of the main battery unit runs out. The stored contents of the storage unit can be maintained by the supply. Therefore, information regarding the position of the shaft portion of the transfer robot is constantly maintained in the storage unit. In addition, since the power supply source to the storage unit is switched from the main battery unit to the spare battery unit, a warning unit is provided to inform the operator that the spare battery unit is being used. After that, the main battery part can be replaced quickly.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of a grinding processing apparatus. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the conveyance robot of the C section of FIG.

  A grinding apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that holds a workpiece (workpiece) by a holding means 2 and performs grinding by the grinding means 3 on a surface to be ground of the workpiece held by the holding means 2. is there.

  The front part of the apparatus is provided with two cassette support bases 4a and 4b for supporting cassettes 40a and 40b for accommodating workpieces. A cassette 40a that accommodates the workpiece before grinding is placed on the cassette support 4a, and a cassette 40b that accommodates the workpiece after grinding is placed on the other cassette support 4b.

  On the rear side of the cassette support bases 4a and 4b, a transfer robot 5 is provided for carrying out the workpiece from the cassette 40a for loading the workpiece into the holding means 2 and loading the workpiece into the cassette 40b. The transfer robot 5 includes a holding unit 50 that can move by sucking and holding a workpiece.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer robot 5 includes a plurality of shaft portions 51 a, 51 b, 51 c, and 51 d for moving the holding unit 50. The shaft portions 51a, 51b, 51c have a vertical axis. On the other hand, the shaft portion 51d has a horizontal axis.

  The shaft 51a is rotatable with respect to the base 52 and is connected to the first arm 53a, and the first arm 53a can be rotated by the rotation of the shaft 51a.

  A second arm 53b is connected to the tip of the first arm 53a via a shaft 51b. The second arm 53b is rotatable with respect to the first arm 53a.

  A shaft portion 51c is connected to the distal end portion of the second arm 53b, and a shaft support portion 51e is disposed above the shaft portion 51c so as to be rotatable with respect to the shaft portion 51c. The shaft support portion 51e rotatably supports a shaft portion 51d that is a rotating shaft in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction with respect to the shaft portion 51c, and a holding portion 50 on a flat plate is connected to the shaft portion 51d. Yes. The holding part 50 can be rotated about the horizontal rotation axis by the rotation of the shaft part 51d to adjust the inclination.

  The horizontal position of the holding portion 50 is determined by the positions of the shaft portions 51a, 51b, and 51c, and the inclination of the holding portion 50 is determined by the rotation angle of the shaft portion 51d. The transport robot 5 includes a storage unit 54 including a storage element such as a memory for storing information on at least the positions of the shaft portions 51a, 51b, 51c, and 51d.

  The storage unit 54 holds the stored contents by the power from the power supply while the apparatus is powered on. Even when the power of the apparatus is turned off, the storage contents of the storage unit 54 are maintained by receiving power supply from the battery unit 55.

  The battery unit 55 is configured by connecting in parallel a main battery unit 55a that is normally used and a spare battery unit 55b that is used when the remaining amount of the main battery unit 55a is low or no longer used. When the remaining amount of the main battery unit 55a is larger than the predetermined reference amount, power is supplied from the main battery unit 55a to the storage unit 54.

  The storage unit 54 is connected to the main battery unit 55a and the spare battery unit 55b via a switching unit 56 including switching elements. The main battery unit 55 a and the spare battery unit 55 b selectively supply power to the storage unit 54 by switching in the switching unit 56. The switching unit 56 normally connects the main battery unit 55a to the storage unit 54, and automatically connects to the spare battery unit 55b when the remaining amount of the main battery unit 55a becomes less than a predetermined amount. Switch.

  The backup battery unit 55b has a warning unit 57 that detects that the power supply to the storage unit 54 has been switched from the main battery unit 55a to the backup battery unit 55b and notifies the operator that the backup battery unit 55b is being used. It is connected. The warning unit 57 issues a warning when the lamp is turned on. Further, the warning unit 57 may issue a warning by emitting a warning sound together with the lighting of the lamp or instead of the lighting of the lamp.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main battery part 55a and the spare battery part 55b are accommodated in the accommodating parts 58a and 58b on the front surface of the apparatus, respectively. Further, a warning unit 57 made of a lamp is disposed on the front surface of the apparatus. The main battery part 55a and the spare battery part 55b are accommodated not in the transport robot 5 but in the external accommodating parts 58a and 58b, so that the main battery part 55a or the spare battery part 55b can be easily replaced from the front side of the apparatus. be able to.

  As shown in FIG. 1, centering means 6 for aligning the center position of the work carried out from the cassette 40 a by the transport robot 5 to a fixed position is disposed in the movable range of the holding unit 50. The centering means 6 includes a mounting table 60 on which a workpiece is mounted, and a plurality of protrusions 61 that are arranged in an arc shape in a state of protruding upward from the mounting table 60 and are movable in directions approaching each other. .

  A cleaning means 7 for cleaning the workpiece after grinding is disposed in the movable range of the holding unit 50. The cleaning means 7 includes a rotary table 70 that rotates while holding a workpiece, and a nozzle (not shown) that ejects cleaning liquid onto the workpiece held by the rotary table 70.

  In the vicinity of the centering means 6, a first transporting means 8 a that transports the work from the centering means 6 to the holding means 2 and a second transport that transports the work from the holding means 2 to the cleaning means 7. Means 8b are provided. The first transport unit 8a includes an arm portion 80a that swings and moves up and down, and a suction portion 81a that sucks a workpiece. Similarly, the second conveying means 8b includes an arm portion 80b that moves and moves up and down, and an adsorption portion 81b that adsorbs a workpiece.

  The holding means 2 is rotatable and movable in the horizontal direction, and is an attachment / detachment that is an area in which the work is attached / detached by the first conveying means 8a and the second conveying means 8b with respect to the holding means 2. It is configured to be able to move between the area A and the grinding area B, which is an area where the workpiece is ground by the grinding means 3.

  The grinding means 3 includes a rotary shaft 30 having a vertical axis, a wheel mount 31 formed at the lower end of the rotary shaft 30 and rotatable, a motor 32 that rotationally drives the rotary shaft 30 and the wheel mount 31, a wheel The grinding wheel 33 is mounted on the mount 31, and a plurality of grinding wheels 34 are fixed to the lower surface of the grinding wheel 33 in an annular shape.

  The grinding means 4 is driven by the grinding feed means 9 and can be moved up and down. The grinding feed means 9 includes a rotatable ball screw 90 having a vertical axis, a pair of guide rails 91 arranged in parallel to the ball screw 90, and a pulse motor 92 that rotates the ball screw 90 forward and backward. And a base 93 having a nut (not shown) screwed into the ball screw 90 and having a side portion slidably in contact with the guide rail 91, and a support portion 94 fixed to the base 93 and fixedly supporting the grinding means 3 It is configured. The grinding feed means 9 is configured such that the base 93 is guided up and down by the guide rail 91 by the rotation of the ball screw 90 driven by the pulse motor 92, and the grinding means 3 is raised and lowered accordingly.

  Next, the operation of the grinding apparatus 1 when the workpiece is ground in the grinding apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The workpiece W before grinding is accommodated in the cassette 40a and placed on the cassette support 4a. On the other hand, the cassette 40b in which the workpiece after grinding is accommodated is placed on the cassette support 4b. The workpiece is not particularly limited. For example, a semiconductor wafer such as silicon wafer, gallium arsenide, or silicon carbide, an adhesive member such as DAF (Die Attach Film) provided on the back surface of the wafer for chip mounting, or a package for semiconductor products. In addition, various electronic parts such as ceramics, glass, sapphire inorganic material substrates, liquid crystal display drivers and the like, and various processing materials requiring processing position accuracy on the order of microns can be mentioned.

  When the cassettes 40a and 40b are respectively placed on the cassette support bases 4a and 4b, the holding portion 50 of the transport robot 5 enters the cassette 40a by the rotation of the shaft portions 51a to 51d, and is accommodated in the cassette 40a. A single workpiece is adsorbed.

  In order to carry the workpiece W out of the cassette 40a, it is necessary to accurately control the position and inclination of the holding unit 50. Therefore, before grinding the workpiece W, the position information of the origins of the shaft parts 51a to 51d of the transfer robot 5 is stored in advance in the storage unit 54 shown in FIG. 2, and the position information of the origins is used as a reference. Operation is controlled.

  When holding the workpiece, the holding unit 50 retracts from the cassette 40a, conveys the workpiece to the centering means 6, places the workpiece on the mounting table 60, and releases the suction. And the workpiece | work is aligned to a fixed position by moving in the direction in which the some projection part 61 approaches.

  Next, the first transport unit 8 a sucks the work W and transports the work to the holding unit 2 located in the attachment / detachment area A. The holding means 2 moves to the processing area B after sucking and holding the placed work.

  In the machining area B, the workpiece W held by the holding means 2 moves to below the grinding means 3. Then, while the holding means 2 is rotated, the grinding feed means 9 lowers the grinding means 3 while the grinding wheel 33 is rotated, and the rotating grinding wheel 34 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the workpiece W for grinding. . And when the workpiece | work W is formed in desired thickness, the grinding feed means 9 will raise the grinding process means 3, and will complete | finish grinding.

  After the grinding, the holding means 3 holding the workpiece returns to the attachment / detachment area A. Then, the workpiece is conveyed and held by the second conveying means 8b on the rotary table 70 of the cleaning means 7, and the rotary table 70 rotates and the cleaning water is jetted onto the workpiece, whereby the workpiece is cleaned and the grinding dust is removed. Removed. After cleaning, the rotary table 70 rotates and air is blown to the work to dry the work.

  After the workpiece is cleaned and dried in this manner, the holding unit 50 constituting the transfer robot 5 holds the workpiece, and transfers and stores it inside the cassette 40b.

  As described above, all the workpieces accommodated in the cassette 40a are carried out from the cassette 40a, ground, washed and dried, and accommodated in the cassette 6b in the same manner as described above.

  Even when the grinding process is completed as described above and the power of the apparatus is turned off, the content of the information stored in the storage unit 54 is retained by the power supplied from the main battery unit 55a. Further, when the remaining amount of the main battery unit 55a is reduced or lost, the stored contents are held by the power supplied from the spare battery unit 55b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position information of the origins of the shaft portions 51a to 51d from being lost.

  When the power supply source to the storage unit 54 is switched from the main battery unit 55a to the spare battery unit 55b, the lamp of the warning unit 57 is turned on to notify the operator that the spare battery unit 55b is used.

  The operator who has received a warning in the warning unit 57 opens the storage unit 58a shown in FIG. 1 and replaces the main battery unit 55a. Then, the power supply source to the storage unit 54 is switched from the spare battery unit 55b to the main battery unit 55a automatically or manually. After such switching, it is desirable to replace the spare battery unit 55b with a new one.

1: Grinding apparatus A: Removable area B: Grinding area 2: Holding means 3: Grinding means 30: Rotating shaft 31: Wheel mount 32: Motor 33: Wheel mount 34: Grinding wheel 4a, 4b: Cassette support 40a, 40b: cassette 5: transport robot 50: holding portions 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d: shaft portion 51e: shaft support portion 52: base portion 53a: first arm 53b: second arm 54: storage portion 55: battery portion 55a: main battery Part 55b: spare battery part 56: switching part 57: warning part
58a, 58b: accommodating portion 6: centering means 60: placing portion 61: protrusion 7: cleaning means 70: rotating table
8a: first transport means 80a: arm part 81a: suction part 8b: second transport means 80b: arm part 81b: suction part 9: grinding feed means 90: ball screw 91: guide rail 92: pulse motor 93: base Table 94: Support section

Claims (1)

Holding means for holding the workpiece;
Grinding means for grinding the work held by the holding means;
A transport robot for unloading the workpiece from a cassette containing the workpiece for loading the workpiece into the holding means;
A grinding apparatus including:
The transfer robot
A holding unit for holding the workpiece;
A plurality of shaft portions for moving the holding portion;
A storage unit for storing the position of the shaft unit;
A battery unit for maintaining the memory of the storage unit even when the power is turned off,
The battery part is
A main battery part to be used normally, and a spare battery part to be used when the remaining amount of the main battery part is reduced or lost,
The main battery part and the spare battery part are respectively housed in housing parts located on the front side of the apparatus and outside the transport robot;
A grinding apparatus having a warning unit for notifying an operator that the spare battery unit is being used when a power supply source to the storage unit is switched from the main battery unit to the spare battery unit.

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