JP7440288B2 - processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to processing equipment.

There is a wafer whose surface includes a plurality of devices and streets provided between adjacent devices (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this processing apparatus for processing a wafer, chips are formed by, for example, dividing a wafer held by a chuck table along streets using a processing means.

In such a processing device, it is preferable to separate the chips obtained by the division from the chuck table all at once. For this purpose, the wafer is held on a chuck table in the form of a work set supported by a ring frame via a dicing tape, and processed by processing means.

In this case, the processing device includes, in addition to the chuck table and processing means described above, a cassette for accommodating the work set, a cassette stage for placing the cassette, and a temporary holder for temporarily placing the work set taken out from the cassette. and a conveyance means for conveying the work set from the temporary storage means to the chuck table. The cassette includes a plurality of vertically arranged shelves for accommodating work sets.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-181951

The above-described processing apparatus requires a cassette for accommodating the work set and a temporary storage means for temporarily storing the work set. For this reason, it is difficult to downsize the processing device.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to downsize a processing device.

A processing device according to a first aspect of the present invention (first processing device) is formed by integrating a ring frame having an opening and a workpiece placed in the opening by pasting tape. A processing device comprising: holding means for holding a workpiece by a holding surface; processing means for processing a workpiece held by the holding means; a column having a convex portion at its tip that is formed on the lower surface and can be inserted into the concave portion, and the convex portion of the ring frame of another work set is inserted into the concave portion of the ring frame. By doing so, it is possible to form a stacked work set in which a plurality of work sets are stacked with gaps between them, and a stage on which the stacked work sets can be placed, and a holding means to hold the work sets. further comprising a conveying means for carrying in or carrying out the work set held by the holding means from the holding means, the conveying means transporting one of the stacked work sets to the holding means. and the processing means processes the workpiece of the work set held by the holding means , the conveying means has a first conveying means and a second conveying means, and the first conveying means has a first conveying means and a second conveying means. The conveying means includes a pair of opposing first lower supports that support the lower surface of the work set, a first opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the first lower supports, and a first opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the first lower supports perpendicular to the holding surface. and a first vertical moving means for moving the work set in the vertical direction, and the second conveying means includes a pair of opposing second lower supports that support the lower surface of the work set, and a second lower support that opens and closes the second lower supports. a second opening/closing mechanism that moves the second lower support part in an up-down direction perpendicular to the holding surface, and the holding means are arranged in opposite directions that support the upper surface of the work set. a pair of upper support parts that open and close the opposing pair of upper support parts, a first transport control part that controls the operation of the first transport means, and an operation of the second transport means. The apparatus further includes a second conveyance control section that controls .

In the first processing device , the first conveyance control section supports the lowest work set of the stacked work sets placed on the stage by the first lower support section of the first conveyance means. , carrying the stacked work set into the holding means, supporting the lowest work set of the stacked work sets carried into the holding means by the upper support part of the holding means; , the first vertical moving means of the first conveying means may control the first lower support part to be moved upwardly away from the holding surface, and the second conveyance control section The work set held by the means may be supported by the second lower support part of the second conveying means, and stacked and placed on the stage, and the first part of the stacked work set may be controlled. The lower work set may be held by the holding means, and the work set after processing may be stacked on the stage.

In the first processing device , the first transport control section uses the first transport means to place one unprocessed work set on the top of the stage, and places the other unprocessed work sets on the top of the stage. The second conveyance control section may control supporting of the stacked work set consisting of It may be possible to control carrying one unprocessed work set into the holding means and stacking the processed work set on the stage.

A processing device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a work set formed by integrating a ring frame having an opening and a workpiece placed in the opening by pasting tape onto the holding surface. A processing device comprising a holding means for holding a workpiece by a holding means, and a processing means for processing a workpiece held by the holding means, the workpiece set having a recess formed in the upper surface of the ring frame, a column having a convex portion formed on the lower surface and insertable into the concave portion at the tip thereof, and by inserting the convex portion of the ring frame of another work set into the concave portion of the ring frame, a plurality of It is possible to form a stacked work set in which the work sets are stacked with gaps between them, and a stage on which the stacked work sets can be placed, and a stage on which the stacked work sets can be placed, and a stage in which the work sets are carried into the holding means, or the work sets are carried into the holding means. Further comprising a conveying means for transporting the work set held by the means from the holding means, the conveying means causes the holding means to hold one of the work sets among the stacked work sets, and the conveying means carries out the processing. means for machining a workpiece of the workset held by the holding means, the stage comprising a first stage and a second stage, and the conveyance means configured to support a lower surface of the workset; a pair of lower support parts, an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the lower support parts, and an up-and-down movement means for moving the lower support parts in an up-down direction perpendicular to the holding surface; It includes a pair of upper supports that support the upper surface of the set and that oppose each other, and a support mechanism that opens and closes the pair of opposing upper supports, and further includes a control means, and the control means controls the first stage. Carrying the mounted work set from the first stage to the holding means using the transport means, and transporting the work set held by the holding means from the holding means by the transport means. It controls carrying out, piling up and placing on the second stage.

In the present invention, it is possible to form a stacked work set by stacking work sets. This stacked work set can be placed on a stage of a processing device, for example. Therefore, according to the present invention, there is no need for a cassette for accommodating the work set, so that the processing apparatus can be downsized.

It is a perspective view showing a work set. It is an explanatory diagram showing a stacked work set. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a processing device. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the entire stacked work set is supported by the first lower support part of the first conveyance means. It is an explanatory view showing a state in which the stacked work set is lowered onto the chuck table. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the stacked work set is lowered onto the chuck table and the first lower support part is opened; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the lowest work set of the stacked work sets is held on the chuck table. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a stacked work set consisting of other work sets has been moved upward away from the holding surface of the chuck table. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how a wafer of a work set is being cut. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the work set on the chuck table is supported by the second lower support portion of the second conveyance means. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a work set is placed on a spinner cleaning unit. It is an explanatory view showing a state where a work set after processing is placed on a stage. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which work sets after processing are stacked on a stage. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a processing device having two stages. It is a perspective view which shows the work set of another aspect. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing blocks for stacking the work sets shown in FIG. 15; FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing how the blocks shown in FIG. 16 are stacked. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a stacked work set including the work set shown in FIG. 15 and the blocks shown in FIG. 16. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the work set of still another aspect. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing blocks for stacking the work sets shown in FIG. 19; FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing how the blocks shown in FIG. 20 are stacked. It is an explanatory view showing a grinding mechanism as processing means.

[Embodiment 1]
As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer 100, which is a workpiece according to the present embodiment, has a generally circular shape, and grid-like dividing lines 101 are formed on the surface. Various devices are formed in each area divided by the planned dividing line 101.

A tape 103 is attached to the back surface of the wafer 100. A ring frame 105 is attached to the outer periphery of the tape 103. Ring frame 105 has an opening 104. A work set 107 is formed by integrating the ring frame 105 and the wafer 100 placed in its opening 104 with a tape 103 interposed therebetween. In this manner, the wafer 100 is processed in the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3 with the work set 107 supported by the ring frame 105 via the tape 103.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the ring frame 105 of the work set 107 includes four recesses 111 formed on the upper surface and four pillars 115 formed on the lower surface. Each column 115 is formed directly below (on the back side) of each recess 111, and has a protrusion 117 at its tip that can be inserted into the recess 111. Thereby, a plurality of ring frames 105 can be stacked by inserting the protrusion 117 of the column 115 of another ring frame 105 into the recess 111 of one ring frame 105.

Therefore, a work set 107 having such a ring frame 105 can have a plurality of parts as shown in FIG. It is possible to form a stacked work set 109 in which the work sets 107 are stacked with gaps in between.

As shown in FIG. 3, the processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a support stand 10, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 12 erected on the support stand 10, and each part of the processing apparatus 1 built in the housing 12. It has control means 70 for controlling the members.

A stage 16 is provided at one end of the support base 10. A stacked work set 109 consisting of a plurality of work sets 107 shown in FIG. 2 can be placed on the stage 16.

A conveying means 30 is provided on the front surface of the casing 12. The transport means 30 carries the work set 107 into the chuck table 20 or carries out the work set 107 held on the chuck table 20 from the chuck table 20.

The conveying means 30 includes a first conveying means 31 and a second conveying means 41, as shown in FIG.
The first conveyance means 31 includes a pair of opposing first lower support parts 33 that support the lower surface of the work set 107, a first opening/closing mechanism 35 that opens and closes the first lower support parts 33, and a chuck table. 20 and a first horizontal movement mechanism 39 that moves the first lower support part 33 horizontally in the Y-axis direction. The first lower support portion 33 has an L-shaped (hook-shaped) tip, and can support the lower surface of the work set 107 with this tip.

On the other hand, the second conveyance means 41 includes a pair of opposing second lower support parts 43 that support the lower surface of the work set 107, a second opening/closing mechanism 45 that opens and closes the second lower support parts 43, and a second lower support part 43. It is provided with a second vertical movement means 47 that moves the chuck table 20 in an up and down direction perpendicular to the holding surface 23, and a second horizontal movement mechanism 49 that moves the second lower support part 43 horizontally in the Y-axis direction. The second lower support portion 43 has an L-shape (hook shape) at its tip, and can support the lower surface of the work set 107 with this tip.

The conveying means 30 having such a configuration causes the chuck table 20 to hold one work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109.
The chuck table 20 has a holding surface 23 and is an example of a holding means that holds the work set 107 by the holding surface 23. The chuck table 20 is fixed on a movable plate 21. The movable plate 21 covers the opening at the center of the upper surface of the support base 10 together with the bellows-shaped waterproof cover 19 . Below the movable plate 21 and the waterproof cover 19, a processing feed means 60 (see FIG. 9) for moving the movable plate 21 and chuck table 20 in the X-axis direction is provided.

The chuck table 20 has a holding surface 23 made of porous material. The negative pressure generated on the holding surface 23 suctions and holds the wafer 100 in the work set 107. The chuck table 20 includes a pair of clamps 22 facing each other around a holding surface 23. The ring frame 105 of the work set 107 is clamped and fixed by each clamp 22 .

The chuck table 20 , holding the wafer 100 , is carried along with the moving plate 21 from above the support base 10 to the processing space inside the housing 12 by the processing feed means 60 . In the processing space, the wafer 100 is cut by a cutting mechanism 65 (see FIG. 9).

After the wafer 100 is cut, the chuck table 20 and the moving plate 21 are returned onto the support table 10 by the processing feed means 60. Then, the work set 107 is sent from the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning unit 50 on the back side of the chuck table 20 and cleaned by the conveying means 30.

A touch panel 40 is installed on the side surface of the housing 12. On the touch panel 40, various information such as processing conditions regarding the processing apparatus 1 is displayed. The touch panel 40 is also used to set various information such as processing conditions. In this way, the touch panel 40 functions as an input means for inputting information, and also functions as a display means for displaying the input information.

The control means 70 executes various processes and centrally controls each component of the processing apparatus 1. For example, the control means 70 receives detection results from various sensors (not shown). Further, the control means 70 controls the processing feed means 60 and the cutting mechanism 65 to perform cutting on the wafer 100.

Further, the control means 70 controls the transport means 30 to control the transport of the work set 107 and the stacked work set 109. For this purpose, the control means 70 includes a first conveyance control section 71 that controls the operation of the first conveyance means 31 and a second conveyance control section 73 that controls the operation of the second conveyance means 41.

The processing operation of the wafer 100 in the processing apparatus 1 will be explained below.
At the start of machining, as shown in FIG. 2, a stacked work set 109 consisting of a plurality of work sets 107 before machining is placed on the stage 16.

In this state, the first conveyance control unit 71 of the control means 70 controls the first conveyance means 31 to move the lowest work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109 to the first lower support of the first conveyance means 31. The stacked work set 109 is supported by the section 33 and carried into the chuck table 20.

That is, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first opening/closing mechanism 35 of the first conveyance means 31 to open and close the pair of first lower supports 33, thereby moving the object on the stage 16 as shown in FIG. The tip of the first lower support part 33 is inserted into the lower surface of the ring frame 105 in the lowest work set 107 of the stacked work set 109. As a result, the entire stacked work set 109 is supported by the first lower support section 33.

Thereafter, the first conveyance control section 71 lifts the first lower support section 33 supporting the stacked work set 109 upward using the first vertical movement means 37 and moves it onto the chuck table 20 using the first horizontal movement mechanism 39. Transport to. Then, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first vertical movement means 37 again to lower the stacked work set 109 onto the chuck table 20, as shown in FIG.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first opening/closing mechanism 35 to open the first lower support section 33 as shown by the arrow 300, and opens the bottom work set 107. is placed on the holding surface 23 of the chuck table 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first vertical movement means 37 to move the first lower support section 33 upward as shown by an arrow 301. Thereafter, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first opening/closing mechanism 35 to close the first lower support section 33 as shown by the arrow 302, so that the first lower support section 33 is placed on the holding surface 23. The work set 107 that is one level above the work set 107 that has been placed is supported.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the first conveyance control section 71 moves the first lower support section 33 supporting the stacked work set 109 from the holding surface 23 of the chuck table 20 using the first vertical movement means 37. It is moved in an upward direction, away from the camera, as shown by an arrow 301. Then, the first conveyance control section 71 waits while the stacked work set 109 is supported by the first lower support section 33.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, each clamp 22 of the chuck table 20 opens and closes a pair of upper support parts 221 facing each other that support the upper surface of the work set 107, and a pair of upper support parts 221 facing each other. It includes a support mechanism 223 and a pair of support stands 225 that are arranged below the upper support part 221 and hold the work set 107 together with the upper support part 221. Further, the clamp 22 is supported by a lifting means 24 that raises and lowers the clamp 22.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first conveyance control unit 71 transfers the bottom work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109 carried into the chuck table 20 to the upper support part 222 of the clamp 22 of the chuck table 20. Supported by.

That is, when the lowermost work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109 is placed on the holding surface 23, the first conveyance control unit 71 uses the support mechanism 223 to perform upper support, as shown in FIG. Section 221 is left open. Then, after the work set 107 is placed on the holding surface 23, the first conveyance control section 71 closes the upper support section 221, as shown by an arrow 303 in FIG. As a result, the work set 107 is held between the upper support portion 221 and the support base 225, as shown in FIG.

After that, the first conveyance control section 71 controls the elevating means 24 to move the clamp 22 downward. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the work set 107 is firmly held (fixed) by the chuck table 20.

In this state, the control means 70 uses the processing feed means 60 to transport the chuck table 20 from the support base 10 to the processing space inside the housing 12 (see FIG. 3). Further, the control means 70 uses a cutting mechanism 65 having a spindle 66 and a cutting blade 67 to cut the wafer 100 of the work set 107 along the dividing line 101.
This cutting mechanism 65 is an example of processing means for processing the wafer 100 of the work set 107 held on the chuck table 20.

After cutting, the control means 70 returns the chuck table 20 onto the support base 10 using the processing feed means 60. Then, the second conveyance control section 73 shown in FIG. They are supported by the section 43, pass through the spinner cleaning unit 50, and are stacked and placed on the stage 16.

That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the second conveyance control section 73 raises the clamp 22 using the elevating means 24 and opens the upper support section 221 using the support mechanism 223 of the clamp 22. As a result, the fixation of the work set 107 to the chuck table 20 is released.

Thereafter, the second transport control section 73 uses the second opening/closing mechanism 45 of the second transport means 41 to open and close the pair of second lower supports 43, thereby controlling the work set 107 held on the chuck table 20. The tip of the second lower support part 43 is inserted into the lower surface of the ring frame 105 at. Thereby, the work set 107 is supported by the second lower support part 43.

Thereafter, the second transport control section 73 lifts the second lower support section 43 supporting the work set 107 upward using the second vertical movement means 47, and moves the second horizontal movement mechanism 49 to move the second lower support section 43 supporting the work set 107 upward. transport upwards. Then, the second conveyance control section 73 uses the second vertical movement means 47 again to lower the work set 107 onto the spinner cleaning unit 50, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the second conveyance control section 73 uses the second vertical movement means 47 to retract the second lower support section 43 upward.

The spinner cleaning unit 50 includes a spinner table 52 having a spinner holding surface 51 made of a porous material, a spindle 53 connected to the center of the lower surface of the spinner table 52, and a motor 54 for rotating the spindle 53. The spinner cleaning unit 50 cleans the work set 107 by jetting cleaning water while rotating the work set 107 suctioned and held by the spinner holding surface 51 at high speed as shown by an arrow 304, and then jetting dry air. to dry the work set 107.

Thereafter, the second transport control section 73 uses the second opening/closing mechanism 45 of the second transport means 41 to open and close the pair of second lower supports 43, thereby controlling the workpiece set held on the spinner holding surface 51. The tip of the second lower support portion 43 is inserted into the lower surface of the ring frame 105 at 107 . Thereby, the work set 107 is supported by the second lower support part 43.

Thereafter, the second transport control section 73 lifts the second lower support section 43 supporting the work set 107 upward using the second vertical movement means 47 and moves it onto the stage 16 using the second horizontal movement mechanism 49. transport. Then, the second conveyance control section 73 uses the second vertical movement means 47 again to lower and place the work set 107 on the stage 16, as shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the first conveyance control section 71, which was waiting while holding the stacked work set 109 on the first lower support part 33, moves the stacked work set 109 onto the chuck table 20 using the first vertical movement means 37. The lowermost work set 107 is placed on the holding surface 23 of the chuck table 20. Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the placed work set 107 is cut and cleaned, and the processed work set 107 is transported onto the stage 16 by the second transport control section 73 and the second transport means 41. Ru.

Then, the second conveyance control section 73 uses the second vertical movement means 47 of the second conveyance means 41 to move the work set 107 supported by the second lower support section 43 to the stage, as shown in FIG. The work set 107 is placed on the work set 107 placed on the work set 16. In this way, the work sets 107 after processing are stacked on the stage 16, and a stacked work set consisting of the work sets 107 after processing is formed.

As described above, in the processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to form the stacked work set 109 by stacking the work sets 107 and to place this stacked work set 109 on the stage 16. It is. Therefore, a cassette for accommodating the work set 107 is not required. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processing apparatus 1 can be downsized.

Further, in this embodiment, the stacked work sets 109 are integrally transported to the chuck table 20 by the first transport means 31, and one work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109 is placed on the chuck table 20. It is possible to place Therefore, temporary storage means for temporarily storing the work set 107 is not required. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to further downsize the processing apparatus 1.

[Embodiment 2]
In the present embodiment, in the configuration shown in the first embodiment, the first transport control section 71 and the second transport control section 73 perform a transport process for the work set 107 that is different from the process shown in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, first, the first transport control unit 71 uses the first transport means 31 to place one unprocessed workpiece set 107 on the top of the stage 16, and also places other unprocessed workpieces on the top of the stage 16. A stacked work set 109 consisting of the set 107 is supported by the first lower support part 33.

Next, the second transport control unit 73 uses the second transport means 41 to transport one unprocessed workpiece set 107 placed on the top of the stage 16 to the chuck table 20. Further, the second transport control unit 73 stacks the processed work set 107 on the stage 16.

For example, the first conveyance control unit 71 controls the first conveyance means 31 in a state where a stacked work set 109 consisting of a plurality of unprocessed work sets 107 is placed on the stage 16 (see FIG. 2). Then, the second work set 107 from the bottom in the stacked work set 109 is supported by the first lower support part 33, and the first lower support part 33 is raised by the first vertical movement means 37. As a result, the bottom one work set 107 is left on the stage 16, and the stacked work set 109 consisting of the other unprocessed work sets 107 is moved by the first lower support part 33 of the first conveying means 31. For example, it is supported above the stage 16.

Thereafter, the second conveyance control section 73 uses the second conveyance means 41 to support one unprocessed workpiece set 107 placed on the stage 16 by the second lower support section 43, and It is carried into and placed on the chuck table 20 by the vertical movement means 47 and the second horizontal movement mechanism 49. The second transport control unit 73 fixes the work set 107 to the chuck table 20 using the clamp 22 and the lifting means 24 (see FIG. 9).

After the cutting mechanism 65 performs the cutting process on the work set 107, the second conveyance control unit 73 controls the second conveyance means 41 to transfer the work set 107 after cutting to the chuck table 20. The work set 107 is then transported to the spinner cleaning unit 50, and the spinner cleaning unit 50 performs cleaning processing on the work set 107 (see FIG. 11). Thereafter, the second transport control unit 73 controls the second transport means 41 to transport the processed work set 107 from the spinner cleaning unit 50 and place it on the stage 16 (see FIG. 12).

Next, the first conveyance control section 71 controls the first conveyance means 31 to move the lowest work set 107 of the stacked work sets 109 supported by the first lower support section 33 onto the stage 16. It is placed on the work set 107 after processing. Further, the first conveyance control section 71 uses the first lower support section 33 to support a stacked work set 109 consisting of another unprocessed work set 107 above the stage 16 .

Thereafter, the second transport control unit 73 controls the second transport means 41 to support the unprocessed work set 107 placed on the processed work set 107 on the stage 16 and transport it to the chuck table 20. Then, the work set 107 that has been subjected to cutting and cleaning is placed on the processed work set 107 on the stage 16 (see FIG. 13).

In this manner, in the present embodiment, the first conveying means 31 places the work sets 107 one by one on the top of the stage 16 from the stacked work set 109 consisting of the work sets 107 before processing. Then, the second transport means 41 carries the unprocessed work set 107 to the chuck table 20 and the spinner cleaning unit 50, and places the processed work set 107 on the stage 16.

In this embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, a cassette for accommodating the work set 107 and a temporary storage means for temporarily storing the work set 107 can be eliminated, so that the processing apparatus 1 can be miniaturized. can do.
Note that the above-mentioned top of the stage 16 means the top of the stage 16 or the top of the processed work set 107 stacked on the stage 16.

[Embodiment 3]
As shown in FIG. 14, the processing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment includes a first stage 17 and a second stage 18 in place of the stage 16 in the structure of the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 2, the control means 70 does not include the first conveyance control section 71 and the second conveyance control section 73. Further, in the processing device 2, the conveyance means 30 includes a lower support section 83, an opening/closing mechanism 85, an up/down movement means 87, and a horizontal movement mechanism 89 instead of the first conveyance means 31 and the second conveyance means 41.

The lower support part 83, the opening/closing mechanism 85, the vertical movement means 87, and the horizontal movement mechanism 89 of the conveyance means 30 shown in FIG. It has the same structure and function as the first opening/closing mechanism 35, the first vertical movement means 37, and the first horizontal movement mechanism 39.

In this embodiment, the control means 70 transports the work set 107 placed on the first stage 17 from the first stage 17 to the chuck table 20 using the transport means 30 . Furthermore, the control means 70 carries out the work set 107 held on the chuck table 20, passes through the spinner cleaning unit 50, and stacks it on the second stage 18.

That is, in the present embodiment, for example, the control means 70 controls the transport means in a state where the stacked work set 109 consisting of a plurality of work sets 107 before processing is placed on the first stage 17 (see FIG. 2). 30 , the uppermost work set 107 in the stacked work set 109 is supported by the lower support part 83 , and carried into and placed on the chuck table 20 by the vertical movement means 87 and the horizontal movement mechanism 89 . The control means 70 fixes the work set 107 to the chuck table 20 using the clamp 22 and the lifting means 24.

After the cutting mechanism 65 performs cutting on the work set 107, the control means 70 controls the conveying means 30 to transfer the cut work set 107 from the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning unit 50. The workpiece set 107 is then transported to a spinner cleaning unit 50 to perform cleaning processing on the workpiece set 107. Thereafter, the control means 70 controls the conveyance means 30 to carry out the processed work set 107 from the spinner cleaning unit 50 and place it on the second stage 18.

In this way, in this embodiment, the conveying means 30 supports one work set 107 from the stacked work set 109 consisting of the unprocessed work set 107 supported on the first stage 17, and chucks it. The work set 107 is carried into the table 20 and the spinner cleaning unit 50, and the processed work set 107 is placed on the second stage 18.

In this embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, a cassette for accommodating the work set 107 and a temporary storage means for temporarily placing the work set 107 can be made unnecessary. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration of the conveying means 30 can be simplified compared to the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3.

Note that in the first to third embodiments described above, the ring frame 105 of the work set 107 includes the recess 111 and the pillar 115, as shown in FIG. Instead, a work set 207 as shown in FIG. 15 may be used.

This work set 207 is composed of a wafer 100 and tape 103 similar to those shown in FIG. 1, and a ring frame 205. The ring frame 205 has the same structure as the ring frame 105 shown in FIG. 1 without the recess 111 and pillars 115.

The outer peripheral edge of the ring frame 205 of this work set 207 is supported by a pair of blocks 90. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the block 90 includes a fitting portion 91 that fits into the outer peripheral edge of the ring frame 205, a stepped recess 92 formed on the upper surface, and a recess 92 formed on the lower surface. A protrusion 93 that can be inserted into the fitting part 91 and a claw 94 formed on the opposite side of the fitting part 91 are provided. The blocks 90 can be stacked in the vertical direction by fitting the convex part 93 of another block 90 into the concave part 92 of one block 90, as shown in FIG.

In the work set 207, as shown in FIG. 15, a pair of blocks 90 are fitted onto the outer peripheral edge of the ring frame 205 so as to face each other. With the work sets 207 thus supported by the blocks 90, the work sets 207 can be stacked via the blocks 90, as shown in FIG.

As a result, a stacked work set 209 is formed in which a plurality of work sets 207 are stacked up with gaps in between. As shown in FIG. 18, this stacked work set 209 can be placed on the stage 16 of the processing device 1 (see FIG. 3) or the first stage 17 of the processing device 2 (see FIG. 14). be.

In the stacked work set 209, the first lower support part 33 of the first transport means 31, the second lower support part 43 of the second transport means 41 (see FIG. 3), and the lower support part 83 of the transport means 30 ( By supporting the pawls 94 of the block 90 using the block 90 (see FIG. 14), it is possible to integrally support the stacked work set 209 or to support the work sets 207 individually.

Further, it is also possible to hold the work set 207 by the chuck table 20 by supporting the claws 94 of the block 90 using the upper support portion 221 and the support base 225 of the clamp 22 of the chuck table 20.

Therefore, even when using a stacked work set 209 including such a work set 207 and a block 90, it is possible to cut the wafer 100 of the work set 207 by using the configuration and steps shown in Embodiments 1 to 3. It is.
Also, in this configuration, a more general ring frame 205 can be used.

Note that the number of blocks 90 fitted into one ring frame 205 is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

Furthermore, instead of block 90, it is also possible to use block 95 as shown in FIGS. 19 to 21.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the block 95 has a fitting part 96 fitted to the outer peripheral edge of the ring frame 205, two recesses 97, a hole formed in the upper surface, and a recess formed in the lower surface. 97, and a claw 94 formed on the opposite side of the fitting part 91.

These blocks 95 can also be stacked in the vertical direction by fitting the convex part 98 of another block 95 into the concave part 97 of one block 95, as shown in FIG. Therefore, by using such a block 95 and work set 207, it is also possible to form a stacked work set 209 as shown in FIG.

Note that in the first to third embodiments, the cutting mechanism 65 is used as a processing means for processing the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 20 (see FIG. 9). The present invention is not limited to this, and the processing means may be, for example, a grinding mechanism 120 as shown in FIG. 22.

The grinding mechanism 120 includes, for example, a spindle 121, a mount 122 attached to the tip of the spindle 121, and a plurality of grinding wheels 123 arranged annularly on the lower surface of the mount 122.

In this case, the chuck table 20 includes a spindle 25 and a motor 26 and is configured to be rotated as shown by an arrow 310. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the work set 207 supported by the block 90 shown in FIG. 15 is held on the holding surface 23 of the chuck table 20.

When the grinding mechanism 120 is used as a processing means, the grinding wheel 123 of the grinding mechanism 120 is rotated as shown by an arrow 311. This grinding wheel 123 grinds the wafer 100 of the work set 207 held on the holding surface 23 of the rotating chuck table 20.

1: processing device, 10: support stand, 12: housing, 16: stage,
2: Processing device, 17: First stage, 18: Second stage 20: Chuck table, 23: Holding surface, 24: Lifting means,
22: Clamp, 221: Upper support part, 223: Support mechanism, 225: Support stand,
30: conveyance means,
83: lower support part, 85: opening/closing mechanism, 87: vertical movement means, 89: horizontal movement mechanism,
31: first conveyance means, 33: first lower support section, 35: first opening/closing mechanism,
37: first vertical movement means, 39: first horizontal movement mechanism,
41: second conveyance means, 43: second lower support section, 45: second opening/closing mechanism,
47: second vertical movement means, 49: second horizontal movement mechanism,
60: Processing feeding means,
65: cutting mechanism, 66: spindle, 67: cutting blade,
120: Grinding mechanism, 121: Spindle, 122: Mount, 123: Grinding wheel,
70: control means, 71: first transport control section, 73: second transport control section,
90: Block, 91: Fitting portion, 92: Recess, 93: Convex portion, 94: Claw,
95: Block, 96: Fitting portion, 97: Recess, 98: Convex portion,
100: wafer, 103: tape, 104: opening, 105: ring frame,
107: Work set, 109: Stacked work set,
111: recess, 115: pillar, 117: protrusion,
205: Ring frame, 207: Work set,
209: Stacked work set,

Claims (4)

a holding means for holding, by a holding surface, a work set formed by integrating a ring frame having an opening and a workpiece placed in the opening by pasting tape; A processing device comprising processing means for processing a processed workpiece,
The work set includes a recess formed on the upper surface of the ring frame, and a column having a protrusion formed on the lower surface at its tip that can be inserted into the recess, and another pillar is provided in the recess of the ring frame. By inserting the convex portion of the ring frame of the work set, it is possible to form a stacked work set in which a plurality of work sets are stacked with gaps between them,
a stage on which the stacked work set can be placed;
a conveying means for carrying the work set into the holding means or carrying out the work set held by the holding means from the holding means;
Furthermore,
The conveying means causes the holding means to hold one of the stacked work sets,
The processing means processes the workpiece of the work set held by the holding means,
The conveyance means has a first conveyance means and a second conveyance means,
The first conveying means includes a pair of opposing first lower supports that support the lower surface of the work set, a first opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the first lower supports, and a first opening/closing mechanism that holds the first lower supports. A first vertical movement means for moving in the vertical direction perpendicular to the surface,
The second conveying means includes a pair of opposing second lower supports that support the lower surface of the work set, a second opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the second lower supports, and a second opening/closing mechanism that holds the second lower supports. a second vertical movement means for moving in the vertical direction perpendicular to the surface;
The holding means includes a pair of mutually opposing upper supports that support the upper surface of the work set, and a support mechanism that opens and closes the opposing pair of upper supports,
a first conveyance control section that controls the operation of the first conveyance means;
further comprising a second conveyance control section that controls the operation of the second conveyance means;
Processing equipment. The first conveyance control section supports the lowest work set of the stacked work sets placed on the stage by the first lower support section of the first conveyance means, and controls the stacked work sets. loading into the holding means;
supporting the lowest work set of the stacked work sets carried into the holding means by the upper support portion of the holding means;
controlling the first vertical movement means of the first conveyance means to move the first lower support part upward away from the holding surface;
The second transport control section controls supporting the work set held by the holding means by the second lower support section of the second transport means and stacking and placing it on the stage;
holding the lowest work set of the stacked work sets in the holding means, and stacking the processed work sets on the stage;
The processing device according to claim 1 . The first conveyance control unit uses the first conveyance means to place one unprocessed workpiece set on the top of the stage, and also places the stacked workpiece set consisting of other unprocessed workpieces. is supported by the first lower support part;
The second transport control unit is configured to use the second transport means to transport the unprocessed work set placed on the top of the stage into the holding means; controlling the stacking of the work set after processing;
The processing device according to claim 1 . a holding means for holding, by a holding surface, a work set formed by integrating a ring frame having an opening and a workpiece placed in the opening by pasting tape; A processing device comprising processing means for processing a processed workpiece,
The work set includes a recess formed on the upper surface of the ring frame, and a column having a protrusion formed on the lower surface at its tip that can be inserted into the recess, and another pillar is provided in the recess of the ring frame. By inserting the convex portion of the ring frame of the work set, it is possible to form a stacked work set in which a plurality of work sets are stacked with gaps between them,
a stage on which the stacked work set can be placed;
a conveying means for carrying the work set into the holding means or carrying out the work set held by the holding means from the holding means;
Furthermore,
The conveying means causes the holding means to hold one of the stacked work sets,
The processing means processes the workpiece of the work set held by the holding means,
The stage includes a first stage and a second stage,
The conveying means includes a pair of opposing lower supports that support the lower surface of the work set, an opening/closing mechanism that opens and closes the lower supports, and an up-and-down mechanism that moves the lower supports in an up-down direction perpendicular to the holding surface. Equipped with means of transportation,
The holding means includes a pair of mutually opposing upper supports that support the upper surface of the work set, and a support mechanism that opens and closes the opposing pair of upper supports,
further comprising control means;
The control means includes:
Carrying the work set placed on the first stage from the first stage to the holding means using the transport means, and transporting the work set held by the holding means to the transport means. controlling carrying out from the holding means and piling up and placing on the second stage by;
Processing equipment.

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