JP6388547B2 - Cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus that performs a cutting process on a workpiece such as a wafer.

  In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a circuit such as an IC or LSI is formed in a large number of regions arranged in a lattice pattern on the surface of a semiconductor wafer having a substantially disk shape, and a lattice shape that partitions the regions where the circuits are formed The individual semiconductor chips are manufactured by dividing the wafer along a plurality of division lines formed in (1).

  As a device for dividing a semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor chips, a cutting device is generally used. The cutting apparatus includes a chuck table that holds a wafer, a cutting unit that rotatably supports a cutting blade that cuts the wafer held on the chuck table along a line to be divided, and a process that moves the chuck table in a processing feed direction. A feed unit and an index feed unit for indexing and feeding the cutting unit in a direction orthogonal to the machining feed direction are provided.

  The cutting unit includes a spindle that is rotationally driven by a motor, and a cutting blade that is detachably attached to the tip of the spindle. The cutting blade includes a hub base composed of a circular base having a circular hub, a cutting edge (grinding stone part) fixed to the outer periphery of the circular base, and a washer type blade consisting entirely of a cutting edge (grinding part). There is.

  Since the cutting blade has subtle variations in the size and shape produced in the manufacturing stage, these pieces of information are converted into bar codes, printed on a sticker, etc., and attached to the case of the cutting blade.

  Thus, every time the cutting blade is replaced, the cutting is actually performed to analyze the shape of the workpiece, and trial and error are repeated to determine the degree of variation for each cutting blade and to determine the cutting conditions. Complex work is avoided (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 43387010).

  Especially for hub blades consisting of a circular base and a cutting blade fixed to the outer periphery of the circular base, information before use is recorded with a two-dimensional barcode on the side of the circular base with a laser marker. Measures are also taken against the wrong insertion of the cutting blade and the case.

  In a cutting machine, one cutting blade is not always used up and then replaced, and there are cases where different workpieces are processed while using multiple cutting blades that can still be used, or processing is performed under different processing conditions. .

  In such a case, for example, how much the cutting blade is worn from the state before use and how much remaining cutting edge is left can be used to determine the use limit when the cutting blade is used next time. It becomes important information.

  The cutting device generally has a function of measuring the cutting edge position of the cutting blade mounted on the spindle, and the amount of wear of the cutting blade alone is measured by measuring the cutting blade position of the cutting blade before and after use. Can be calculated.

  This wear amount value is associated with the serial number of the cutting blade and stored in the controller of the cutting device. When the blade is stored in the blade storage rack of the auto blade changer after the cutting blade is replaced, When the cutting blade is used again, the previous wear amount data can be called up and used.

Japanese Patent No. 4387010 JP-A-7-276227

  However, when the cutting blade used in a certain cutting device is removed and reused in another cutting device, the previous use history data cannot be called and used. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to exchange data by connecting a plurality of cutting devices with a communication cable by providing the cutting device with a communication function. However, the cost is increased by adding a communication function to the cutting device and installing a communication cable. It becomes the factor of.

  In addition, it is conceivable for the operator to write the usage history data including the previous wear data on the circular base of the hub blade or the case of the blade by handwriting. Occurs, and the work becomes complicated and the work efficiency decreases. Furthermore, there is a possibility that mistakes in data entry may occur in manual entry.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to replace the hub blade type cutting blade before it reaches the limit of use and use it in another cutting device. It is providing the cutting device which has a function which makes it possible to use other usage history data also by another cutting device.

  According to the present invention, the chuck table that holds the workpiece, the spindle that is rotationally driven by the driving means, and the outer periphery of the circular base that is mounted on the tip of the spindle and has a mounting hole formed in the center is fixed. A cutting device including a cutting blade having a cutting blade and cutting a workpiece held on the chuck table, the cutting device having storage means for storing use history data relating to the cutting blade Control means, and laser marking means for printing with a laser beam on a side surface of the circular base of the cutting blade, the laser marking means including the usage history data stored in the storage means. A cutting device is provided which records on the side surface of the circular base.

  Preferably, it further comprises blade edge position detecting means for detecting the blade edge position of the cutting blade mounted on the spindle, and the control means includes the blade edge position of the cutting blade before use and the blade edge of the cutting blade after use. The position is stored in the storage means, and the amount of wear of the cutting blade is calculated from the difference between the cutting edge position of the cutting blade before use and the cutting edge position of the cutting blade after use stored in the storage means. A wear amount calculation unit is included, and the usage history data includes at least the wear amount calculated by the wear amount calculation unit.

  Preferably, the control unit includes a conversion unit that converts the usage history data of the cutting blade into two-dimensional barcode data, and the laser marking unit uses the conversion unit converted into two-dimensional barcode data by the conversion unit. History data is recorded on the circular base of the cutting blade.

  Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an accommodation rack disposed at a printing position for accommodating the cutting blade removed from the spindle, and the laser marking means prints on the circular base of the cutting blade accommodated in the accommodation rack. I do.

  According to the cutting apparatus of the present invention, the control means of the cutting apparatus has storage means for storing the use history data relating to the cutting blade, and the use history data stored in the storage means is stored on the circular base of the cutting blade by the laser marking means. Since it is recorded on the side of the machine, it is not necessary to add a communication function etc. to the cutting device, and it is not necessary for the operator to write the usage history data such as the wear amount at the time of the previous use by hand. Can also be used with other cutting devices.

It is a perspective view of the cutting device concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a mode that a hub blade is attached to a spindle. It is a perspective view of a laser marking means. It is a block diagram of a control means. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that use log | history data is printed on the circular base of the hub blade accommodated in the accommodation rack by the laser marking means. It is a front view of a hub blade on which a two-dimensional barcode is printed on a circular base.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a cutting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Reference numeral 4 denotes a base of the cutting device 2, and a chuck table 6 is disposed in a recess 4a of the base 4 so as to be rotatable and reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction by a processing feed mechanism (not shown).

  A plurality of (four in this embodiment) clamps 8 and a water cover 10 are arranged around the chuck table 6, and a bellows for protecting the shaft portion of the processing feed mechanism across the water cover 10 and the base 4. 12 are connected.

  A gate-shaped column 14 is erected on the rear side of the base 4. A pair of guide rails 15 extending in the Y-axis direction are fixed to the column 14. A Y-axis moving block 16 is mounted on the column 14 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 15 by a Y-axis moving mechanism (index feed mechanism) 20 including a ball screw 18 and a motor (not shown).

  A pair of guide rails 22 extending in the Z-axis direction are fixed to the Y-axis moving block 16. On the Y-axis moving block 16, a Z-axis moving block 26 is mounted on the Y-axis moving block 16 so as to be guided by the guide rail 22 and moved in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving mechanism 32 including a ball screw 28 and a pulse motor 30. .

  A cutting unit 34 and an imaging unit 36 are attached to the Z-axis moving block 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting unit 34 has a spindle that is rotatably accommodated in a spindle housing 38, and has a tapered shape in which a spindle tip 40 protruding from the spindle housing 38 becomes narrower as it goes to the tip. Is formed. A screw hole 42 is formed in the end face of the spindle tip 40.

  Reference numeral 44 denotes a blade mount, which includes a cylindrical boss portion 46 and a flange portion (saddle portion) 48 formed integrally with the cylindrical boss portion. The flange portion 48 has a support surface (end surface) 48 a that contacts the cutting blade 56 and supports the cutting blade 56.

  A male screw 50 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical boss portion 46, and a female screw 52 is formed on the inner periphery thereof. The blade mount 44 further has a tapered engagement hole 54 corresponding to the tapered shape of the spindle tip 40.

  The blade mount 44 is tapered by inserting the engagement hole 54 of the blade mount 44 into the tapered spindle tip 40 and screwing the screw 58 into the screw hole 42 through the engagement hole 54 of the blade mount 44 and tightening. Is attached to the spindle tip 40 of the motor.

  The cutting blade 56 is a hub blade having a cutting edge 56a electroformed on the outer periphery of a circular base 57 made of an aluminum alloy. A mounting hole 59 is formed at the center of the circular base 57. Reference numeral 60 denotes a fixed nut, and an internal thread 62 is formed on the inner periphery thereof to be engaged with the external thread 50 formed on the cylindrical boss portion 46 of the blade mount 44.

  In order to mount the cutting blade 56 on the tapered spindle tip portion 40, the mounting hole 59 of the cutting blade 56 is inserted into the cylindrical boss portion 46 of the blade mount 44, and the female screw 62 of the fixing nut 60 is blade mounted from the outside. The cutting blade 56 is clamped by the flange portion 48 of the blade mount 44 and the fixing nut 60 to be screwed into the tapered spindle tip portion 40 by being screwed into and tightened with the male screw 50 formed on the cylindrical boss portion 46. Installed.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the cutting blade 56 mounted on the spindle is covered with a wheel cover 66 at substantially the upper half thereof. A laser marking means (laser marking unit) 68 and a storage rack 86 having a protrusion 87 are disposed at the printing position of the base 4. The operation of each part of the cutting apparatus 2 and the operation of the laser marking means 68 are controlled by the control means 90.

  The water cover 10 disposed around the chuck table 6 is provided with a blade edge position detecting means 84 for detecting the blade edge position of the cutting blade 56 mounted on the spindle of the cutting unit 34. The cutting edge position detecting means has a conventionally known configuration, and detects the cutting edge position of the cutting blade 56 by a photo interrupter having a light emitting part and a light receiving part.

  Next, the configuration of the laser marking means 68 will be described with reference to FIG. The casing 70 of the laser marking means 68 contains a laser oscillator such as a YAG laser oscillator or a YVO4 laser oscillator, and a means for setting the repetition frequency of the laser oscillator and adjusting the pulse width. A laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is irradiated through a condenser (laser head) 72.

  The casing 70 of the laser marking means 68 is supported by a piston member 84 of an air cylinder 76 so as to be movable up and down. A pair of guide rails 74 extending in the X-axis direction are fixed to the base 4 of the cutting apparatus 2, and the laser marking means 68 supported by the air cylinder 76 is connected to one end of the ball screw 78 and the ball screw 78. The X-axis moving mechanism 82 constituted by the pulse motor 80 can be moved in the X-axis direction guided by the guide rail 74.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control means (controller) 90 is stored in the CPU 92, a storage means 94 for storing usage history data relating to the cutting blade (hub blade) 56 attached to the tip of the spindle, and the storage means 94. A wear amount calculation unit for calculating the wear amount of the cutting blade 56 from the difference between the cutting edge position of the cutting blade 56 before the start of use and the cutting edge position of the cutting blade 56 after use, and the cutting blade 56 stored in the storage means 94. A conversion unit 98 for converting the usage history data into a two-dimensional barcode.

  Next, a method of printing the use history data of the cutting blade 56 on the circular base 57 of the cutting blade 56 by the laser marking means 68 configured as described above will be described. First, when a new cutting blade or a cutting blade used in another cutting apparatus is mounted on the spindle of the cutting unit 34, the cutting edge position detecting means 84 uses the cutting edge position detecting means 84 before cutting the workpiece with the cutting blade. The cutting edge position is detected, and the data of the cutting edge position and other data related to the cutting blade are stored in the storage means 94 of the control means 90.

  When it is necessary to remove the cutting blade 56 from the spindle after continuing the cutting of the workpiece with this cutting blade, the cutting edge position after use of the cutting blade 56 is detected by the cutting edge position detecting means 84 before the cutting blade 56 is removed. The blade edge position after use is stored in the storage means 94. After detecting the position of the blade edge, the cutting blade 56 is removed from the spindle and hooked on the protrusion 87 of the storage rack 86 and stored in the storage rack 86 as shown in FIG.

  The wear amount calculation unit 96 of the control means 90 calculates the wear amount of the cutting blade 56 from the difference between the cutting edge position of the cutting blade 56 before use and the cutting edge position of the cutting blade 56 after use stored in the storage means 94. The amount of wear is stored in the storage means 94.

  The conversion unit 98 converts the use history data of the cutting blade 56 including the wear amount of the cutting blade 56 into two-dimensional barcode data, and outputs the two-dimensional barcode data to the laser marking means 68.

  In the laser marking means 68, the X-axis moving mechanism 82 and the air cylinder 76 are driven, and as shown in FIG. 5, a predetermined location on the circular base 57 of the cutting blade 56 in which the condenser 72 is accommodated in the accommodation rack 86. The light collector 72 is positioned so as to face.

  Then, the laser oscillator is driven based on the two-dimensional barcode data, and the laser beam emitted from the condenser 72 while moving the condenser 72 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is shown in FIG. As described above, the use history data of the cutting blade 56 is printed as the two-dimensional barcode 100 on the circular base 57 of the cutting blade 56 (laser marking).

  According to the above-described embodiment, since the use history data including the wear amount of the cutting blade 56 is laser-marked as the two-dimensional bar code 100 on the circular base 57 of the cutting blade 56, the cutting blade 56 removed after use is changed to a different one. Even when the cutting apparatus is reused, the previous use history data can be used with a new cutting apparatus by reading the two-dimensional barcode 100 with a barcode reader.

2 Cutting device 34 Cutting unit 40 Tapered spindle tip 44 Blade mount 56 Cutting blade 56a Cutting blade 57 Circular base 68 Laser marking means 72 Condenser 76 Air cylinder 84 Cutting edge position detection means 86 Storage rack

Claims (4)

A chuck table that holds a workpiece, a spindle that is rotationally driven by a driving unit, and a cutting blade that is attached to the outer periphery of a circular base that is attached to the tip of the spindle and has a mounting hole formed in the center. A cutting device including a cutting blade and cutting means for cutting a workpiece held on the chuck table,
Control means having storage means for storing use history data relating to the cutting blade;
Laser marking means for printing with a laser beam on the side surface of the circular base of the cutting blade;
The laser marking unit records the usage history data stored in the storage unit on a side surface of the circular base of the cutting blade. A blade edge position detecting means for detecting a blade edge position of the cutting blade mounted on the spindle;
The control means stores the cutting edge position of the cutting blade before starting use and the cutting edge position of the cutting blade after use in the storage means, and the cutting edge of the cutting blade before starting use stored in the storage means A wear amount calculation unit that calculates the wear amount of the cutting blade from the difference between the position and the cutting edge position of the cutting blade after use,
The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage history data includes at least the wear amount calculated by the wear amount calculation unit.   The control means has a conversion unit for converting the usage history data of the cutting blade into two-dimensional barcode data, and the laser marking means converts the usage history data converted into two-dimensional barcode data by the conversion unit. 3. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording is performed on the circular base of the cutting blade. A storage rack disposed at a printing position for storing the cutting blade removed from the spindle;
4. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser marking means performs printing on the circular base of the cutting blade housed in the housing rack.

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