TWI841001B - Semiconductor component picking device and operation control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a semiconductor component pickup device and a working control method thereof, which is a technology that can accurately calibrate the vacuum pickup's descent height according to various situations by mastering the working state of the vacuum pickup's motor and judging the vacuum pickup's descent height based on the working state.

Description

Semiconductor component picking device and operation control method thereof

The present invention relates to a semiconductor element pickup device and a working control method thereof, and more specifically, to a scheme for accurately correcting the descent height of the vacuum pickup according to various situations by grasping the working state of the motor of the vacuum pickup and judging the descent height of the vacuum pickup based on the working state.

Generally, semiconductor elements are formed on a silicon wafer used as a semiconductor substrate by repeatedly performing a series of manufacturing processes. The semiconductor elements formed as described above can be manufactured into a semiconductor strip made of a plurality of semiconductor packages through a dicing process, a wafer bonding process, and a molding process.

The semiconductor strips thus manufactured can be individualized into a plurality of semiconductor packages through a cutting and sorting process, and can be sorted according to good or bad judgment. For example, after the semiconductor strips are loaded on the chuck table, they can be individualized into a plurality of semiconductor packages using a cutting blade, and the individualized semiconductor packages can be inspected by a vision module after being cleaned and dried. In addition, according to the inspection results obtained by the vision module, they can be sorted into good and bad products.

Specifically, the semiconductor package can be transferred to the good and bad product trays via a buffer for performing a drying process and an inspection process, a turning table for turning over the semiconductor package, and a pallet for classification. At this time, the transfer of the semiconductor package can be performed by a package picker and a vacuum picker. The package picker can be used to pick up the individualized semiconductor packages at the same time and transfer them to the buffer and the pallet in sequence, and the vacuum picker can be used to pick up the semiconductor package individually and transfer it to the tray.

When the vacuum pickup transfers the semiconductor package on the pallet table and places it on the pocket of the tray, if the vacuum pickup over-presses the semiconductor package and places it on the pocket of the tray, the semiconductor package may be damaged. On the contrary, if the pickup state is released from the floating state of the pocket of the tray, the semiconductor package cannot be properly placed inside the pocket and is suspended. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the accurate height of the vacuum pickup.

As a method for measuring the height of a vacuum pickup, when a vacuum pressure is applied to the vacuum pickup and the pickup is lowered, the bottom height is determined when the vacuum pressure varies by a certain amount or more. The offset is adjusted and applied as the pickup height during actual mass production.

However, there is a problem that since the vacuum pressure contact position is not the actual contact surface of the semiconductor package, the offset is set based on the manager's experience, making it impossible to accurately set the height of the vacuum pickup.

(Patent Document 0001) Korean Patent Registration Gazette No. 10-2096567

(Patent Document 0002) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0065621

The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and its purpose is to solve the problem of damage occurring when picking up semiconductor packages by calibrating the exact height of a vacuum pickup in a semiconductor component picking device for transferring semiconductor packages, and to solve the problem of being unable to properly place the semiconductor packages in the pockets of a tray.

In particular, the purpose is to solve the following problem: in the previous method of determining the height by measuring the internal vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup, since the vacuum pressure contact height is not the actual contact surface of the semiconductor package, the deviation is set depending on the situation based on the manager's experience, making it impossible to accurately set the descent height of the vacuum pickup.

The purpose of the present invention is not limited to what has been described above, and other purposes and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood through the following description.

It can be that an embodiment of the working control method of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention includes: a vacuum pickup lowering step, which makes the motor of the vertical driving part work toward the semiconductor component, thereby lowering the vacuum pickup; a contact height judgment step, which monitors the working status related to the motor of the vertical driving part through an encoder, and compares the working setting value of the motor and the measured value of the encoder to judge whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor component; and a height setting step, which sets the height at the time point when the vacuum pickup is judged to contact the semiconductor component as the descending height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor component.

Preferably, in the height setting step, an offset distance is added to the height at which the vacuum pickup is judged to be in contact with the semiconductor element, thereby setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup with respect to the semiconductor element.

More preferably, in the vacuum pickup lowering step, the motor of the vertical drive unit may be moved in steps without applying the vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup.

Furthermore, in the contact height determination step, a descent measurement value of the vacuum pickup obtained by a position detection sensor that measures the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup is also considered to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element.

As an example, in the contact height determination step, a linear scale display portion provided on the outer side of the vacuum pickup may be identified by a reader, thereby measuring the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup.

Preferably, in the height setting step, the descending height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element is set by taking into account the variation of an elastic component provided on the vacuum pickup based on the variation related to the descending degree of the vacuum pickup.

As an example, in the contact height determination step, a comparison between a measured torque amount and a set torque amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit is also considered to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element.

As an example, in the contact height determination step, a comparison between a measured load amount and a set load amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit is also considered to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element.

Furthermore, it may be that in the vacuum pickup lowering step, the vacuum pickup is lowered toward the semiconductor component placed on the pallet table, and in the height setting step, the lowering height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor component on the pallet table is set.

Alternatively, in the vacuum pickup lowering step, the vacuum pickup is lowered toward the semiconductor component placed in the pocket of the tray, and in the height setting step, the lowering height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor component on the pocket of the tray is set.

In addition, an embodiment of the semiconductor element picking device according to the present invention may include: a vacuum pickup that uses vacuum pressure to absorb and transfer semiconductor elements; a vertical drive unit that raises and lowers the vacuum pickup; and a control unit that monitors the working status of the motor of the vertical drive unit through an encoder and determines whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element, thereby setting the height at which the vacuum pickup is lowered relative to the semiconductor element.

Preferably, the control unit may include: a vacuum control unit for controlling the vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup; a pickup height control unit for controlling the vertical drive unit to adjust the height of the vacuum pickup; and a pickup height determination unit for determining whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element while monitoring the working status of the motor of the vertical drive unit through an encoder, thereby setting a descending height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element.

Furthermore, the pickup height determination unit may add an offset distance to the height at which the vacuum pickup is determined to be in contact with the semiconductor element, thereby setting a descending height of the vacuum pickup with respect to the semiconductor element.

As an example, the semiconductor component picking device may further include: a position detection sensor for measuring the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup, and the pickup height determination unit may also consider the descent measurement value of the vacuum pickup obtained by the position detection sensor to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor component.

Here, the position detection sensor may include: a linear scale display portion disposed on the outer side of the vacuum pickup; and a reader for identifying the linear scale display portion.

As an example, the semiconductor element picking device may further include: a torque meter for measuring the torque associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit, and the pickup height determination unit may also consider a comparison between the torque measurement amount and the torque setting amount associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element.

As an example, the semiconductor element pickup device may further include: a load measuring instrument for measuring the load associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit; the pickup height determination unit may also consider a comparison between a measured load amount and a set load amount associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element.

As an example, the vacuum pickup may include: a chuck that uses vacuum pressure to absorb the semiconductor element; and an elastic component that absorbs the impact applied to the chuck, and the pickup height determination unit considers the amount of change of the elastic component configured on the vacuum pickup to set the lowering height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element.

Furthermore, the vacuum pickup may transfer the semiconductor components from a pallet on which the semiconductor components that have completed the cleaning and drying processes are placed to a tray having pockets for storing the semiconductor components that have completed the visual inspection, and the control unit may set the height at which the vacuum pickup descends from the pallet or the semiconductor components on the tray.

Furthermore, the working control method of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention may include: a vacuum pickup lowering step, in which the motor of the vertical drive unit is moved stepwise toward the semiconductor component placed on the pallet table or the semiconductor component placed in the pocket of the pallet without applying vacuum pressure to the vacuum pickup, thereby lowering the vacuum pickup; and a contact height judgment step, in which the working state related to the motor of the vertical drive unit is monitored by an encoder, and an encoder measurement result is determined based on a comparison between the working setting value of the motor and the measured value of the encoder. The method comprises the steps of: determining a sensor measurement result of measuring the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup by using a reader to identify a linear scale display portion arranged on the outer side of the vacuum pickup, and determining whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor element by taking into account a change in an elastic component arranged on the vacuum pickup; and a height setting step of adding an offset distance to the height of the time point when the vacuum pickup is determined to contact the semiconductor element, thereby setting the descent height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element on the pallet table or the semiconductor element on the tray.

According to the present invention as described above, by calibrating the exact height of the vacuum pickup in the semiconductor component picking device that transfers the semiconductor component, the semiconductor component can be accurately placed in the pocket of the tray without damaging the semiconductor component when picking up the semiconductor component.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited or restricted by the embodiments.

In order to illustrate the present invention and the advantages of the present invention and the objectives achieved by the implementation of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of example and will be described with reference to the embodiments.

First, the terms used in this application are only used to illustrate specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As long as there is no obviously different meaning in the context, a singular expression may include a plural expression. In addition, it should be understood in this application that the terms such as "including" or "having" are used to specify the existence of features, numbers, steps, tasks, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof recorded in the specification, without excluding the existence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, tasks, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof in advance.

When describing the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of a related disclosed structure or function would obscure the main points of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

The present invention proposes a technology for grasping the working state of a motor when grasping the height of a vacuum pickup of a semiconductor component pickup device, and judging the descent height of the vacuum pickup based on the working state of the motor, thereby being able to correct the accurate descent height of the vacuum pickup according to various situations.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor package cutting and sorting device to which the present invention is applicable.

The semiconductor package cutting and sorting device 10 can be used to cut a semiconductor strip 1 composed of a plurality of semiconductor packages 2 to individualize the semiconductor packages 2, and to inspect the individualized semiconductor packages 2 and then sort them according to the inspection results.

The semiconductor package cutting and sorting device 10 may include: a cutting module 20 for cutting the semiconductor strip 1 and individualizing it into semiconductor packages 2; and a sorting module 30 for inspecting the semiconductor package 2 and sorting the semiconductor package 2 according to the inspection result.

A magazine 15 for accommodating a plurality of semiconductor strips may be disposed on one side of the semiconductor package cutting and sorting device 10 .

In addition, although not shown in detail, a gripper (not shown) for extracting the semiconductor strip 1 from the magazine 15 may be provided, and the semiconductor strip 1 extracted from the magazine 15 may be guided by a guide rail.

The semiconductor strip 1 can be picked up by the strip picker 25 and then transferred to the vacuum chuck 40. The strip picker 25 can be configured to be rotatable in order to adjust the arrangement direction of the semiconductor strip 1. For example, the strip picker 25 can rotate the semiconductor strip 1 after picking up the semiconductor strip 1 extracted from the magazine 15, and then transfer the rotated semiconductor strip 1 to the vacuum chuck 40.

The vacuum chuck 40 may be supported by a chuck table 41, and the chuck table 41 may move the semiconductor strip 1 to the cutting module 20. The cutting module 20 may include a cutting spindle 22 for cutting the semiconductor strip 1, and the chuck table 41 may move the semiconductor strip 1 below the cutting spindle 22 by an additional drive portion (not shown).

The semiconductor package 2 individualized by the cutting module 20 can be picked up and transferred by the package picker 55. The semiconductor package cutting and sorting device 10 may include a package transfer unit 50 for moving the package picker 55, and the package transfer unit 50 may include a package picker holder 52 for gripping the package picker 55. For example, the package transfer unit 50 may include an orthogonal coordinate robot for moving the package picker holder 52 in the horizontal and vertical directions.

The semiconductor package cutting and sorting device 10 may include a cleaning unit 60 for cleaning individualized semiconductor packages 2. After the semiconductor package 2 is picked up by the package picker 55, the package transfer unit 50 may move the package picker 55 to the top of the cleaning unit 60, and the cleaning unit 60 may remove foreign matter from the semiconductor package 2 using a brush and a cleaning liquid. In addition, the cleaning unit 60 may dry the semiconductor package 2 by spraying air toward the semiconductor package 2.

After the semiconductor package 2 is cleaned and dried, the package transfer unit 50 can transfer the semiconductor package 2 to the classification module 30. For example, the classification module 30 can include a pallet table 31 for supporting the semiconductor package 2, and the package transfer unit 50 can transfer the semiconductor package 2 to the pallet table 31.

The classification module 30 may include: a stage transfer unit 32 for moving the pallet stage 31 in a horizontal direction; and a visual unit 35, which is arranged above the transfer path of the pallet stage 31 and is used to inspect the semiconductor package 2 on the pallet stage 31.

The sorting module 30 may include a tray 71 for storing semiconductor packages 2 determined as good products by the visual unit 35 and a container 75 for storing semiconductor packages 2 determined as defective products. In addition, the sorting module 30 may include a tray transfer unit 72 for moving the tray 71.

The stage transfer unit 32 and the tray transfer unit 72 can move the pallet stage 31 and the tray 71 to the sorting area, and the sorting module 30 can include: a wafer picker 85 for storing the semiconductor package 2 in the tray 71 and the container 75; a wafer picker transfer unit 80 for moving the wafer picker 85. In addition, the sorting module 30 can include a tray supply unit 70 for supplying the tray 71.

The semiconductor component picking device and the operation control method thereof proposed in the present invention can be applied to the semiconductor package cutting and sorting equipment as described above.

Below, the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention is applied to the semiconductor package cutting and sorting equipment 10 described above, which is used to store the semiconductor package 2 from the pallet table 31 of the sorting module 30 to the tray 71 and the chip picker 85 of the container 75. However, this is not limited to this. The present invention can be appropriately modified and applied to various process conditions for transferring semiconductor packages.

The semiconductor device pickup device according to the present invention will be described in more detail through embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

The semiconductor components mentioned below are materials picked up and transferred by the semiconductor component picking device, and may include semiconductor packages.

The semiconductor element pickup device 100 may include: a vacuum pickup 110 for picking up semiconductor elements using vacuum pressure; a vertical driving unit 120 for moving the vacuum pickup 110 in a vertical direction; and a control unit 150 for controlling the operation of the vacuum pickup 110 and the vertical driving unit 120.

The vertical driving unit 120 includes a linear motor (not shown) for moving the vacuum pickup 110 up and down. The control unit 150 controls the operation of the linear motor, thereby controlling the lifting operation of the vacuum pickup 110.

In addition, the semiconductor component picking device 100 may include a horizontal driving unit 130 for moving the vacuum pickup 110 to above the semiconductor component to be picked up, and the operation of the horizontal driving unit 130 may be controlled by the control unit 150.

The vacuum pickup 110 may include a pickup body 112 mounted on the vertical driving portion 120 and a chuck 114 connected to the lower portion of the pickup body 112 and used for vacuum adsorption of semiconductor components.

The vacuum pressure applied to the chuck 114 may be controlled by measuring the vacuum pressure of the control unit 150. For example, the control unit 150 may include a vacuum control unit (not shown) that provides vacuum pressure to the vacuum pickup 110 and measures the internal vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup 110 to control it.

Meanwhile, the control unit 150 may include a structure for measuring the working state of the linear motor of the vertical driving unit 120 and determining the height of the vacuum pickup 110 according to the working state, thereby being able to control the lifting and lowering of the vacuum pickup 110.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing an embodiment of a control unit of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

The control unit 150 of the semiconductor element pickup device 100 may include a vacuum control section 151, a pickup height control section 153, a pickup height determination section 155, and the like.

In addition, the control unit 150 can also control other components of the semiconductor device pickup device 100, such as the horizontal driving unit 130.

The vacuum control unit 151 can control the vacuum pressure level while providing vacuum pressure to the vacuum pickup 110. To this end, the vacuum control unit 151 can include: a vacuum pressure providing device for providing vacuum pressure to the vacuum pickup 110; and a vacuum pressure measuring device for measuring the internal vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup 110.

Furthermore, the vacuum control unit 151 may be linked with the pickup height control unit 153 to control the vacuum pressure used by the vacuum pickup 110 to absorb and pick up the semiconductor element or to place the semiconductor element at the transfer position.

The pickup height control unit 153 can control the lifting height of the vacuum pickup 110. For example, by controlling the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120, the vacuum pickup 110 can be lowered to a specific height or raised to a specific height.

The pickup height determination unit 155 can set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110. For example, the pickup height determination unit 155 can set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 for semiconductor components placed on the pallet table after completing the cleaning and drying process. In addition, the pickup height determination unit 155 can set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 for placing semiconductor components in the pocket of the tray 71 after completing the visual inspection.

In order to set the descent height of the vacuum pickup 110, the pickup height determination unit 155 can monitor the working status of the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 that lifts and lowers the vacuum pickup 110 through an encoder, and at the same time, determine whether the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element, thereby setting the descent height of the vacuum pickup 110.

In this regard, an example of encoder measurement values according to the operating state of the motor in the present invention is explained with reference to FIG. 4.

The pickup height control unit 153 can operate the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 based on the preset working setting value corresponding to the corresponding position, thereby lowering the vacuum pickup 110. Preferably, the pickup height control unit 153 can step the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 by a small amount, thereby accurately controlling it.

The pickup height determination unit 155 can monitor the working state of the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 through the encoder. The pickup height determination unit 155 can determine the time point of contact of the vacuum pickup 110 with the semiconductor element by comparing the height change A of the vacuum pickup 110 according to the working setting value and the height change B of the vacuum pickup 110 according to the measured value of the encoder, and set the height determined as the contact time point as the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110. For example, while the vacuum pickup 110 is descended according to the working setting value, while comparing the measured value of the encoder, the point P where the difference between the working setting value and the measured value of the encoder is generated can be set as the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 with respect to the corresponding position.

Preferably, the pickup height determination unit 155 may set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 by adding an offset distance according to a corresponding position.

In addition, in the present invention, the pickup height determination unit 155 can set the descent height of the vacuum pickup 110 by adding various methods, and this is explained through various embodiments.

If the pickup height determination unit 155 sets the lowering height of the vacuum pickup for the semiconductor element at the corresponding position, then the pickup height control unit 153 will apply the lowering height of the vacuum pickup set at the corresponding position as the working setting value related to the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 during the execution of the actual process, thereby realizing the picking up and transfer of the semiconductor element.

Furthermore, in the vacuum pickup of the semiconductor component picking device, an elastic component for relieving impact can be provided above the clamp. FIG. 5 shows a working diagram of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention with the elastic component.

The vacuum pickup 110 may include: a pickup body 112 mounted on a vertical driving portion 120; and a chuck 114 connected to a lower portion of the pickup body 112 and used for vacuum adsorption of semiconductor components, and an elastic member 116 may be configured between the chuck 114 and the pickup body 112.

When the vacuum pickup 110 descends and the chuck 114 contacts the semiconductor element, the chuck 114 should be in close contact with the semiconductor element 2 in order to absorb the semiconductor element 2 with the vacuum pressure of the chuck 114. To this end, as the chuck 114 contacts the semiconductor element 2, the pickup body 112 is further descended so that the semiconductor element 2 can be in close contact with the chuck 114. At this time, when the chuck 114 contacts the semiconductor element 2, an impact may be generated. The elastic member 116 absorbs the impact applied to the chuck 114 and the semiconductor element 2 when the chuck 114 contacts and contacts the semiconductor element 2, thereby preventing the chuck 114 and the semiconductor element 2 from being damaged.

The elastic member 116 may be a coil spring or other suitable member. In addition, various other members capable of absorbing shock may also be used.

By providing the elastic member 116 in the vacuum pickup 110, it is necessary to further accurately measure the degree of compression deformation of the elastic member 116 when measuring the working state related to the motor of the vertical drive unit 120 by the encoder. That is, as the vacuum pickup 110 descends, after the chuck 114 contacts the semiconductor element 2, the vacuum pickup 110 may further descend as the elastic member 116 deforms. When the elastic member 116 deforms above a certain level, the load caused by the descent is applied to the chuck 114 and the semiconductor element 2 intact, which may cause damage. Therefore, it is necessary to further accurately control the descent of the vacuum pickup 110 according to the degree of deformation of the elastic member 116.

To this end, the semiconductor component picking-up device according to the present invention may further include an additional structure for grasping the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup, which is explained through various embodiments of the semiconductor component picking-up device according to the present invention.

6 and 7 show another embodiment of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

In the embodiments of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , by being applicable to a vacuum pickup having an elastic component, the degree of deformation of the elastic component can be considered to further accurately determine the descent of the vacuum pickup, but it can also be applicable to a vacuum pickup without an elastic component to further accurately determine the descent of the vacuum pickup.

FIG. 6 shows a case where a position detection sensor is applied to additionally grasp the descent of the vacuum pickup.

As the position detection sensor, a linear scale display portion 145 provided on the outer side of the vacuum pickup 110 and a reader 140 for recognizing the linear scale display portion 145 can be applied.

A linear scale display 145 that displays the degree of elevation in micro units may be provided on the outside of the pickup body 112 of the vacuum pickup 110. In addition, the reader 140 may emit light and use reflected light to identify the unit scale of the linear scale display 145 as the vacuum pickup 110 descends. Alternatively, the reader 140 may also enlarge and photograph the linear scale display 145 with a camera to identify the unit scale as the vacuum pickup 110 descends.

The control unit 150 can determine the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup 110 based on the unit scale of the linear scale display portion 145 recognized by the reader 140 or the amount of change in the unit scale caused by descent.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the descent of the vacuum pickup is additionally grasped by using either a torque meter or a load meter or both of them.

The torque meter 160 may measure the torque amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit 120, and the control unit 150 may compare the torque setting amount with the torque measurement amount to determine whether the vacuum pickup 110 is in contact with the semiconductor element as it descends.

The load measuring instrument 170 measures the load amount applied to the motor of the vertical driving unit 120, and the control unit 150 compares the load setting amount with the load measurement amount to determine whether the semiconductor element is in contact with the lowering of the vacuum pickup 110. Here, the load amount can be measured based on the current applied to the motor of the vertical driving unit 120.

As described above, according to the semiconductor component pickup device of the present invention, the encoder measurement value related to the motor of the vertical drive unit can be measured. In addition, the descent height can be measured by a position detection sensor, or the contact of the vacuum pickup can be judged based on the torque measurement amount and the load measurement amount by a torque meter and a load meter.

Preferably, various measurement results are additionally reflected based on the encoder measurement value, so that the descent height of the vacuum pickup can be set with higher reliability.

Furthermore, the present invention proposes a working control method of the semiconductor component picking device described above. The working control method of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention is described below with reference to the embodiment of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention described above.

FIG8 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a method for controlling the operation of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

It can be that the control unit 150 moves the vacuum pickup 110 to a specific position for picking up or putting down the semiconductor component through the semiconductor component picking device when executing the process, and controls the motor of the vertical driving part 120 to make the vacuum pickup 110 descend (S100), while monitoring the descending degree of the vacuum pickup 110 (S200).

Here, the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup 110 may be monitored by measuring the motor operation of the vertical drive unit 120 using an encoder, by using a position detection sensor, or by measuring the torque or load of the motor of the vertical drive unit 120 .

The control unit 150 may determine whether the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element while lowering the vacuum pickup 110 (S300), and set the height at the time when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element as the lowering height of the vacuum pickup 110 at the corresponding position (S400).

Alternatively, the control unit 150 stores the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 according to the corresponding position, and controls the vacuum pickup 110 at the set descending height according to the corresponding position when performing the actual process.

Through various embodiments, the specific process of the working control method of the semiconductor component picking device according to the present invention is further explained.

FIG. 9 shows an example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup device according to the present invention.

The control unit 150 may move the vacuum pickup 110 to a corresponding position and lower the vacuum pickup 110 in a state where no vacuum pressure is applied to the vacuum pickup 110 .

Preferably, the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 may be moved in a stepwise manner by a small amount, so that the vacuum pickup 110 is lowered in stages (S110).

The control unit 150 may measure the working state of the linear motor of the vertical driving unit 120 through the encoder while lowering the vacuum pickup 110 (S210).

In addition, the control unit 150 can compare the working setting value related to the linear motor of the vertical drive unit 120 and the measured value of the encoder to understand whether there is a difference between the working measured value and the encoder measured value, thereby judging the time point when the difference between the working measured value and the encoder measured value exceeds a certain level as the time point when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element at the corresponding position (S310).

The control unit 150 may set the height determined as the contact time of the vacuum pickup 110 as the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 to the semiconductor element at the corresponding position. At this time, an offset may be additionally added in consideration of various conditions and process steps at the corresponding position (S410).

That is, the control unit 150 may add an offset to the height determined as the contact time point of the vacuum pickup 110 at the corresponding position, thereby setting it as the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 (S420).

For example, when setting the descent height for the vacuum pickup 110 to pick up a semiconductor element at a corresponding position, the vacuum pickup 110 needs to be sufficiently close in order to adsorb the semiconductor element, so an offset with a positive value is added to the height of the contact time point judged as the vacuum pickup 110, thereby setting it as the descent height of the vacuum pickup 110.

In addition, when setting the descent height for the vacuum pickup 110 to place the semiconductor element at the corresponding position, an offset with a negative value is added to the height judged as the contact time point of the vacuum pickup 110, thereby setting it as the descent height of the vacuum pickup 110, so that the vacuum pickup 110 will not descend to the bottom and be squeezed when adsorbing the semiconductor element.

Here, the offset can be set in consideration of various factors such as various conditions at the corresponding position and the process.

FIG. 10 shows another example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup device according to the present invention.

The semiconductor component pickup device may be provided with a position detection sensor, and the position detection sensor may be used to monitor the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup, thereby determining whether the vacuum pickup is in contact.

When the semiconductor device pickup apparatus as shown in FIG. 6 described above is applied, the control unit 150 may monitor the lowering degree of the vacuum pickup 110 by recognizing the linear scale display portion 145 using the reader 140 ( S220 ).

In particular, for the vacuum pickup 110 having the elastic member 116 as shown in FIG. 5 , the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup 110 can be determined by considering the amount of change of the elastic member 116 when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element ( S330 ).

For example, before the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element, the elastic member 116 is not pressurized and deformed, so the vacuum pickup 110 descends at a certain speed. In this state, if the linear scale display unit 145 is recognized by the reader 140, no change in the descending speed occurs. On the contrary, when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element and the elastic member 116 is pressurized and deformed, the descending speed of the vacuum pickup 110 changes. In this state, if the linear scale display unit 145 is recognized by the reader 140, the change can be recognized as a decrease in the descending speed.

Therefore, the control unit 150 considers the change amount of the elastic member based on the descending measurement value of the position detection sensor, thereby determining the descending change amount of the vacuum pickup 110 (S330), and based on this, determining whether the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element (S340).

Furthermore, the control unit 150 may additionally apply this embodiment to the embodiment of FIG. 9 , so as to more accurately set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 .

FIG. 11 shows another example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

The semiconductor device pickup device may include one or more of a torque meter or a load meter, and monitor the torque measurement amount or the load measurement amount to determine whether the vacuum pickup is in contact.

When the semiconductor device pickup device as shown in FIG. 7 described above is applied, the control unit 150 can measure the torque or load related to the motor of the vertical drive unit 120 through the torque meter 160 or the load meter 170 (S230), and monitor the descent degree of the vacuum pickup 110 based on this.

For the vacuum pickup 110 having the elastic member 116 as shown in FIG. 5 , the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup 110 can be determined by understanding the amount of change in the elastic member 116 when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element based on the torque amount or the load amount.

For example, before the vacuum pickup 110 comes into contact with the semiconductor element, the elastic member 116 is not deformed under pressure, so the torque amount or load amount associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit 120 that lowers the vacuum pickup 110 can be maintained at a certain level.

On the contrary, when the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor element and the elastic member 116 is pressurized and deformed, the torque amount or load amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit 120 that lowers the vacuum pickup 110 may change, and its value may gradually increase.

Therefore, the control unit 150 may compare the torque measurement value with the torque setting value, or compare the load measurement value with the load setting value (S350), and based on this, determine whether the vacuum pickup 110 contacts the semiconductor device (S360).

Here, the torque setting amount and the load setting amount can be set in consideration of various factors such as various conditions at corresponding positions, physical properties of each component included in the vacuum pickup, and corresponding manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, the control unit 150 may additionally apply this embodiment to the embodiment of FIG. 9 , so as to more accurately set the descending height of the vacuum pickup 110 .

The above-described method for controlling the operation of the semiconductor component pickup device according to the present invention can be applied to setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup when the vacuum pickup is lowered to pick up the semiconductor component placed on the pallet table. Alternatively, it can also be applied to setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup to place the semiconductor component in the pocket of the tray.

Furthermore, the embodiment of FIG. 9 may also be applied simultaneously to the embodiment of FIG. 10 and the embodiment of FIG. 11 to set the descending height of the vacuum pickup.

According to the present invention, by calibrating the exact height of the vacuum pickup in a semiconductor component picking device for transferring semiconductor components, the semiconductor components can be accurately placed in the pockets of the tray without causing damage to the semiconductor components when picking them up.

The above description is merely an example to illustrate the technical concept of the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can make various modifications and variations within the scope of the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical concept of the present invention but to illustrate the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted by the attached patent application scope, and all technical concepts within the equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present invention.

1: semiconductor strip 2: semiconductor package 10: sorting equipment 15: magazine 20: cutting module 22: cutting mandrel 25: strip picker 30: sorting module 31: pallet table 32: table transfer unit 35: vision unit 40: vacuum chuck 41: chuck table 50: package transfer unit 52: package picker bracket 55: package picker 60: cleaning unit 70: tray supply unit 71: tray 72: tray transfer unit 75: container 80: wafer picker transfer unit 85: wafer picker 100: semiconductor component picking device 110: vacuum picker 112: Pickup body 114: Chuck 116: Elastic component 120: Vertical drive unit 130: Horizontal drive unit 140: Reader 145: Linear scale display unit 150: Control unit 151: Vacuum control unit 153: Pickup height control unit 155: Pickup height determination unit 160: Torque meter 170: Load meter A: Height change B: Height change P: Point of difference S100, S200, S300, S400: Steps S110, S210, S310, S410, S420: Steps S220, S330, S340: Steps S230, S350, S360: Steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor package cutting and sorting device to which the present invention is applicable.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing an embodiment of a control unit of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an example of encoder measurement values according to the operating state of the motor in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the semiconductor component pickup device according to the present invention according to the elastic member.

FIG6 shows another embodiment of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG8 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of a method for controlling the operation of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup device according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows another example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup device according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows another example of determining the contact of the vacuum pickup and setting the descending height in the operation control method of the semiconductor device pickup apparatus according to the present invention.

S100: Step

S200: Steps

S300: Steps

S400: Steps

Claims (20)

A method for controlling the operation of a semiconductor element pickup device comprises: A vacuum pickup lowering step, in which a motor of a vertical driving unit is operated toward a semiconductor element, thereby lowering the vacuum pickup; A contact height determination step, in which an encoder is used to monitor the working state of the motor of the vertical driving unit, and a working setting value of the motor is compared with a measured value of the encoder, thereby determining whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor element; and A height setting step, in which the height at the time point when the vacuum pickup is determined to contact the semiconductor element is set as the descending height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element. The working control method of the semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the height setting step, an offset distance is added to the height of the time point at which the vacuum pickup is judged to contact the semiconductor component, thereby setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup to the semiconductor component. The method for controlling the operation of the semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the step of lowering the vacuum pickup, the motor of the vertical drive unit is moved in steps without applying the vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup. The working control method of the semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the contact height judgment step, the descent measurement value of the vacuum pickup obtained by the position detection sensor that measures the descent degree of the vacuum pickup is also considered to judge whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor element. The method for controlling the operation of a semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 4, wherein: In the contact height determination step, a reader is used to identify a linear scale display portion disposed on the outer side of the vacuum pickup, thereby measuring the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup. The method for controlling the operation of the semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 5, wherein: In the height setting step, based on the variation related to the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup, the variation of the elastic component configured on the vacuum pickup is considered, thereby setting the descent height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element. The working control method of the semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the contact height judgment step, the comparison between the torque measurement amount and the torque setting amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit is also considered to judge whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor component. The working control method of the semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the contact height judgment step, the comparison between the load measurement amount and the load setting amount related to the motor of the vertical drive unit is also considered to judge whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor element. The method for controlling the operation of a semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the vacuum pickup lowering step, the vacuum pickup is lowered toward the semiconductor component placed on the pallet table, In the height setting step, the lowering height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor component on the pallet table is set. The method for controlling the operation of a semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 1, wherein: In the vacuum pickup lowering step, the vacuum pickup is lowered toward the semiconductor component placed in the pocket of the tray, In the height setting step, the lowering height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor component on the pocket of the tray is set. A semiconductor element pickup device includes: a vacuum pickup that uses vacuum pressure to absorb and transfer semiconductor elements; a vertical drive unit that causes the vacuum pickup to rise and fall; and a control unit that uses an encoder to monitor the working state of a motor related to the vertical drive unit and determines whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element, thereby setting the height at which the vacuum pickup is lowered to the semiconductor element. A semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 11, wherein: The control unit includes: A vacuum control unit that controls the vacuum pressure of the vacuum pickup; A pickup height control unit that controls the vertical drive unit to adjust the height of the vacuum pickup; and A pickup height determination unit that determines whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor element while monitoring the working state of the motor of the vertical drive unit through the encoder, thereby setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup with respect to the semiconductor element. A semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 12, wherein: The pickup height determination unit adds an offset distance to the height of the time point at which the vacuum pickup is determined to be in contact with the semiconductor element, thereby setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup with respect to the semiconductor element. A semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 12, wherein: The semiconductor component pickup device further includes: A position detection sensor for measuring the degree of descent of the vacuum pickup, The pickup height determination unit also considers the descent measurement value of the vacuum pickup obtained by the position detection sensor to determine whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor component. A semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 14, wherein: The position detection sensor includes: A linear scale display portion disposed on the outer side of the vacuum pickup; and A reader for identifying the linear scale display portion. The semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 12, wherein: The semiconductor component pickup device further includes: A torque meter for measuring the torque associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit, The pickup height determination unit also considers the comparison between the torque measurement amount and the torque setting amount associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit, thereby determining whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor component. The semiconductor component pickup device as described in claim 12, wherein: The semiconductor component pickup device further includes: A load measuring instrument for measuring the load associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit, The pickup height determination unit also considers the comparison between the load measurement amount and the load setting amount associated with the motor of the vertical drive unit, thereby determining whether the vacuum pickup is in contact with the semiconductor component. A semiconductor element pickup device as described in claim 12, wherein: The vacuum pickup includes: A chuck that absorbs the semiconductor element with vacuum pressure; and An elastic component that absorbs the impact applied to the chuck, The pickup height determination unit considers the amount of change of the elastic component configured in the vacuum pickup, thereby setting the descending height of the vacuum pickup relative to the semiconductor element. The semiconductor component picking device as described in claim 11, wherein: The vacuum pickup transfers the semiconductor component from the pallet table on which the semiconductor component that has completed the cleaning and drying process is placed to a tray having a pocket for storing the semiconductor component that has completed the visual inspection, The control unit sets the height at which the vacuum pickup descends from the pallet table or the semiconductor component on the tray. A method for controlling the operation of a semiconductor component pickup device, comprising: A vacuum pickup lowering step, in which a motor of a vertical drive unit is moved stepwise toward a semiconductor component placed on a pallet table or a semiconductor component placed in a pocket of a tray without applying vacuum pressure to the vacuum pickup, thereby lowering the vacuum pickup; A contact height judgment step, monitoring the working state of the motor of the vertical drive unit through an encoder, based on the encoder measurement result comparing the working setting value of the motor and the measured value of the encoder, and the sensor measurement result of using a reader to identify the linear scale display part set on the outer side of the vacuum pickup to measure the descent degree of the vacuum pickup, considering the change amount of the elastic component arranged on the vacuum pickup, thereby judging whether the vacuum pickup contacts the semiconductor element; and a height setting step, adding an offset distance to the height of the time point judged as the contact of the vacuum pickup with the semiconductor element, thereby setting the descent height of the vacuum pickup with respect to the semiconductor element on the pallet table or the semiconductor element on the tray.