JPH07221050A - Dicing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively use the space of a clean room where a dicing device is provided by narrowing the space between the dicing devices. CONSTITUTION:Cassettes 12A and 12B where a wafer W is housed are provided while being superposed in multiple stages at the front of a device body 24 and a loading/unloading means 26 for carrying the wafer W between loading/ unloading positions and the cassettes 12A and 12B Is provided. Also, a raising/ lowering means 28 for raising or lowering either one of the cassettes 12A and 12B and the loading/unloading means 26 is provided. Therefore, while the wafer W in the cassette 12A is machined and treated, an operator stores the wafer W in the cassette 12B taken out of the front of the device body 24, machines all wafers W in the cassette 12A, and then immediately machines the wafer W in the cassette 12B.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dicing machine,
In particular, the present invention relates to a dicing device that efficiently transfers a wafer to a wafer cutting unit, a wafer cleaning unit, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a wafer is cut by a dicing machine, a wafer is accommodated in a second cassette during processing of the wafer in a first cassette set in the dicing machine body, and the second cassette is placed in the dicing machine body. It is known that after all the wafers in the first cassette have been processed, the wafers stored in the second cassette are processed. As described above, by alternately processing the wafers in the first cassette and the wafers in the second cassette, the dicing device can be operated efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 5, this dicing device is provided with a first cassette 2 and a second cassette 4 on the same plane on the right side, and while the wafer in the first cassette 2 is being processed, Wafers are stored in the cassette 4, and the wafers in the first cassette 2 and the wafers in the second cassette 4 are alternately processed. In FIG. 5, 6 is a blade for grooving the wafer taken out from the first cassette 2 and the second cassette 4.

[0004]

However, in the case of the conventional dicing apparatus 1, since the first cassette 2 and the second cassette 4 are provided on the same plane on the right side of the dicing apparatus 1, they are arranged in the front. First cassette 2
When the wafer is stored in the second cassette 4 arranged at the rear while the wafer inside is processed, the operator needs to move to the right side of the dicing apparatus 1. Therefore, when arranging a plurality of dicing devices 1 in a clean room, it is necessary to secure a space S for the operator to enter between the dicing devices 1, so that the space of the clean room can be effectively used. There is a problem that you cannot do it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a dicing device that can effectively use the space of a clean room by eliminating the space for the operator to enter on the right side of the dicing device. With the goal.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is to load uncut wafers taken out from a cassette and to unload wafers after cutting into a cassette. In a dicing apparatus having a loading / unloading position, a cutting table position for supplying a wafer to a wafer cutting unit, and a cleaning position for cleaning the cut wafer, the cassettes are stacked in multiple stages on the front surface of the apparatus main body. The front surface of the apparatus main body is provided so as to be attachable / detachable together, and has a loading / unloading means for taking a wafer out of the cassette or storing the wafer in the cassette between the loading / unloading position and the cassette located on the front surface of the apparatus main body. When taking out the uncut wafer from the cassette located at When storing the wafer after cutting in the cassette and the cassette, either the cassette located on the front surface of the apparatus main body or the loading / unloading means is moved up and down to move the loading / unloading means to a desired position of the cassette. The feature is that an elevating means for positioning is provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a cassette for accommodating a plurality of wafers stacked at a predetermined interval is provided on the front surface of the main body of the apparatus in multiple stages. In addition, a loading / unloading means is provided between the loading / unloading position and the plurality of cassettes to take out the wafer from the cassette or store the wafer in the cassette. Further, an elevating means for elevating or lowering one of the plurality of cassettes and the loading / unloading means is provided.

Therefore, during the processing of the wafers in one of the cassettes stacked in multiple stages on the front surface of the apparatus body, the operator stores the wafers in the other cassette taken out from the front of the apparatus body. Therefore, after processing all the wafers in one cassette, the wafers in the other cassette can be processed immediately.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A dicing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the dicing device. In the dicing apparatus 10, the supply wafer W (see FIG. 2) housed in the cassettes 12A and 12B is held by fingers (not shown) and moved to the loading / unloading position 14. The wafer W moved to the loading / unloading position 14 is attracted by a chuck (not shown) and loaded on the cutting table 16.

The wafer W loaded on the cutting table 16 moves together with the cutting table 16 and is finely aligned at the cutting position.
Then, kerfs are processed by the blade 18 on the streets of the finely aligned wafer. The wafer W having the kerf processed by the blade 18 is cleaned by the cleaning unit, and the cleaned wafer W is attracted by the chuck and loaded on the spinner unit 20. Then, the wafer W loaded on the spinner unit 20 is stored in the cassettes 12A and 12B via the loading / unloading position 14. Incidentally, reference numeral 22 in FIG. 1 denotes a fine alignment section for finely aligning the wafer W.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the dicing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are a front view and a plan view of the dicing apparatus according to the present invention, respectively. The dicing device 10 includes a cassette 12A, a cassette 1 at the front end on the right side inside the device body 24.
2B is detachably stored in a state in which it is stacked in two stages. The wafers W are stacked and stored in the cassette 12A and the cassette 12B, and the cassettes 12A and 12B can be individually removed from the apparatus main body 24.

A loading / unloading means 26 is movably supported at the rear of the cassette 12A and the cassette 12B via an elevating means 28. The loading / unloading means 26 is a cassette 12A, 12B.
It has a finger (not shown) for holding the wafer W therein and a means for moving the finger in the direction of arrow AB. The elevating means 28 is provided in the apparatus main body 24 and supports the loading / unloading means 26 so as to be vertically movable.

As described above, the loading / unloading means 26 is moved up and down to be positioned at the wafer receiving position and the storing position of the cassette 12A or the cassette 12B. Then, after positioning the loading / unloading means 26 at the wafer receiving position of the cassette 12A or the cassette 12B, the wafer of the cassette 12A or the cassette 12B is held by fingers (not shown) and moved to a predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26. . Then, the loading / unloading means 26 is raised to the height of the plane H, so that the wafer moved to the predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26 becomes substantially the plane H (that is, the loading / unloading position 14 shown in FIG. 1). Be positioned at.

Next, the wafer positioned on the substantially plane H is cut by a chuck (not shown) on the cutting table 16.
(See FIG. 1). The wafer W loaded on the cutting table 16 moves together with the cutting table 16 and is finely aligned at the cutting position. Then, on the streets of the finely aligned wafer W, a cutting groove for separating the wafer W into required semiconductor chips is processed by the blade 18.

Wafer W having a kerf processed by blade 18
Is cleaned by the cleaning unit via the arm unit, and the cleaned wafer W is loaded on the spinner unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 via the chuck. Then, the wafer W of the spinner unit 20 is loaded on the elevating means 28, and the elevating means 28 is lowered to position the wafer W of the elevating means 28 at a predetermined position of the cassette 12A or the cassette 12B.
2A or cassette 12B.

The operation of the dicing apparatus according to the present invention constructed as above will be described. First, the wafer W is stored in the cassette 12A, and the cassette 12A is set in the apparatus body 24 above the right front end. Next, the elevating means 28 is operated to position the loading / unloading means 26 at the wafer receiving position of the cassette 12A. And
The cassette 1 for loading / unloading means 26
After positioning to the wafer receiving position of 2A, the cassette 12
The wafer A is held by fingers and moved to a predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26. Then, the loading / unloading means 26 is moved to the plane H.
The wafer moved to the predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26 is positioned at the loading / unloading position 14 by ascending to the height. And loading / unloading position 14
The wafer W positioned at is loaded on the cutting table 16 by the chuck. The wafer W loaded on the cutting table 16 moves together with the cutting table 16 and is finely aligned at the cutting position. Then, in the finely aligned wafer W, a kerf for separating the wafer W into required semiconductor chips is processed by the blade 18.

Wafer W having a kerf processed by blade 18
Are cleaned by the cleaning unit via the arm unit, and the cleaned wafer W is loaded on the spinner unit 20 via the arm unit. Then, the wafer W of the spinner unit 20 is unloaded to the loading / unloading means 26, the elevating means 28 is lowered to be positioned at a predetermined position of the cassette 12A, and the wafer W of the elevating means 28 is stored in the cassette 12A. . Hereinafter, the above steps are sequentially repeated to process all the wafers W stored in the cassette 12A.

On the other hand, while processing all the wafers W stored in the cassette 12A, the wafers W, W ... Are stored in the cassette 12B, and the cassette 1 in which the wafers W are stored.
2B is set below the right front end in the apparatus body 24.
Then, after the processing of all the wafers W stored in the cassette 12A is completed, the elevating means 28 is operated to elevate the loading / unloading means 26 to position the cassette 12B at the wafer receiving position, and the cassette 1
The 2B wafer is held by fingers (not shown) and moved to a predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26. Next, loading / unloading means 26
Is moved up to the height of the plane H, the wafer moved to the predetermined position of the loading / unloading means 26 is positioned on the substantially plane H. Below cassette 12A
By repeating the same process as the process described in 1., the kerfs are processed in the wafers W, W ...

As described above, since the wafers can be stored in the cassette 12B during the processing of the wafers in the cassette 12A, the wafers W in the cassette 12B are immediately processed after all the wafers in the cassette 12A are processed. W ... can be processed. Further, during the processing of the wafer W in the cassette 12B, the wafer W is placed in the cassette 12A.
Since all the wafers W, W ... In the cassette 12B are processed, the cassette 12 can be stored immediately.
The wafer W in A can be processed.

Although the loading / unloading means 26 can be moved up and down by the elevating means 28 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cassette 12A or the cassette 12 can be operated without elevating the loading / unloading means 26.
B may be moved up and down by the lifting means. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the dicing device of the type in which the cassette is housed in the front part of the device body has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention arranges the cassette so as to project from the front part of the device body. It is also possible to apply it to a dicing device of the above type.

[0021]

As described above, according to the dicing apparatus of the present invention, the operator takes out the wafer from the front of the main body of the apparatus during the processing of the wafer in one of the plurality of cassettes. By storing the wafers in one cassette, it is possible to process all the wafers in one cassette and then immediately process the wafers in the other cassette.

As described above, since the operator can store the wafer in the cassette from the front of the apparatus main body, the operator does not need to go to the side of the apparatus main body when storing the wafer in the cassette. When a plurality of units are arranged, it is not necessary to secure a space for an operator to enter between the dicing devices. Therefore, the space between the dicing device and the dicing device can be narrowed, so that the space of the clean room in which the dicing device is installed can be effectively used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a dicing device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a dicing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of conventional dicing devices are arranged.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Dicing device 12A, 12B ... Cassette 26 ... Loading / unloading means 28 ... Elevating means W ... Wafer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A loading / unloading method for loading uncut wafers taken out of a cassette and for loading the cut wafers in a cassette.
In a dicing apparatus having an unloading position, a cutting table position for supplying a wafer to a wafer cutting unit, and a cleaning position for cleaning the cut wafer, the cassettes are superposed on the front surface of the apparatus body in multiple stages. A detachable mounting / removing means is provided between the loading / unloading position and the cassette located on the front surface of the apparatus main body to take out the wafer from the cassette or store the wafer in the cassette. When the uncut wafers are taken out from the cassette and when the cut wafers are stored in the cassette, either the cassette located on the front surface of the apparatus main body or the loading / unloading means is moved up and down to perform the loading. / Unloading means Dicing apparatus characterized in that a lifting means for positioning at a desired position of the set.