Dicing device and dressing method

Abstract

To provide a dicing device which eliminates a need for positioning of a dress board which was needed for setting a dressing range, and to provide a dressing method.SOLUTION: A dicing device grinds a dress board disposed in a dress stage with a blade to perform dressing of the blade. The dressing device includes: an imaging unit for acquiring an image of the dress board disposed in the dress stage; and a control unit for obtaining an attitude of the dress board based on the image and setting a dressing range which can be ground with the blade based on the obtained attitude.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dicing apparatus and a dressing method. [Background technology]

[0002] The grinding ability of the blade of a dicing device decreases when it cuts a workpiece held on a holding table. Therefore, the blade is dressed (i.e., sharpened) by grinding it with a dressing board to restore the blade's grinding ability. Truing is also performed using the dressing board to shape the blade. The position of the outer periphery of the dressing board is detected while it is held on the holding table. The dressing board is rotated on the holding table based on the position information of the detected outer periphery. Therefore, the posture (orientation) of the dressing board can be positioned to match the direction of movement of the blade. This allows the dressing or truing of the blade to be performed appropriately using the dressing board (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Here, blade dressing and truing may be required while the blade is grinding a workpiece placed on a holding table. To address this issue, a dicing machine is known that has a dressing board located adjacent to the holding table. By locating the dressing board adjacent to the holding table, the blade can be dressed using the dressing board while the workpiece is placed on the holding table. Therefore, the blade can be dressed using the dressing board while the workpiece is being ground using the blade (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-13984 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-218571 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-203358 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, automation has progressed in the cutting process of workpieces using dicing machines, and automatic exchange of dress boards is also required. However, when automatically exchanging the dress board, it is difficult to position the dress board, and for example, the posture of the dress board may be shifted. For this reason, it is difficult to determine the grinding range of the dress board (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the dressing range).

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a dicing apparatus and a dressing method that can eliminate the need to position a dress board, which was previously necessary to determine the dressing range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. <1> A dicing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is a dicing apparatus that dresses a dress board placed on a dress stage by grinding the dress board with a blade, and is equipped with an imaging unit that acquires an image of the dress board placed on the dress stage, and a control unit that determines the posture of the dress board based on the image and determines the dressing range that can be ground with the blade based on the determined posture.

[0008] In the dicing device, an image of the dressing board is acquired by an imaging unit. The control unit determines the orientation of the dressing board based on the image. Furthermore, the dressing range that can be ground with the blade is determined based on the determined orientation. Therefore, even if the orientation of the dressing board is deviated from the specified position, the dressing range that can be ground with the blade can be determined. This eliminates the need to position the dressing board, which was previously required to determine the dressing range.

[0009] <2> A dressing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring an image of a dress board placed on a dress stage, determining the posture of the dress board based on the image, and determining a dressing range that can be ground by a blade based on the determined posture.

[0010] According to the dressing method, after the step of acquiring an image of the dressing board, the posture of the dressing board is determined based on the image. In a subsequent step, the dressing range that can be ground with the blade is determined. Therefore, even if the posture of the dressing board is deviated from the specified position, the dressing range that can be ground with the blade can be determined. This eliminates the need to position the dressing board, which was previously required to determine the dressing range.

[0011] <3> the above <2> In the dressing method according to the present invention, when the dressing board is used again to dress the blade, the dressing position at which the blade is to be dressed may be determined taking into account the dressing groove previously cut by the blade.

[0012] According to the dressing method, when the dressing board is used again, the dressing position where the blade is ground and dressed is determined taking into account the dressing groove cut the previous time. That is, when the first dressing is performed with the dressing board, the dressing position where grinding of the dressing board starts is determined within the dressing range determined based on the posture of the dressing board. Here, the dressing board that has been dressed the first time may be used again. In this case, the dressing board that has been dressed the first time is temporarily placed in the temporary placement area. When the dressing board is used again for dressing, the dressing position where the blade is ground and dressed is determined taking into account the dressing groove cut the first time (i.e., the previous time). This allows the dressing board to be used efficiently.

[0013] <4> the above <2> In the dressing method according to the above, imaging conditions for the dress board may be determined based on surface information of the dress board.

[0014] Here, the appearance of the surface of the dress board when it is imaged varies depending on the type of dress board. Therefore, the imaging conditions for the dress board are determined based on the surface information of the dress board. Therefore, for example, the brightness of the lighting can be adjusted depending on the type of dress board. This allows the dress board to be properly imaged, and the dressing range to be properly determined according to the type of dress board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the need to position the dressing board, which has been necessary to determine the dressing range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a dicing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a dicing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a workpiece mounted on a frame. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a dress board is housed in a second cassette according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second frame in which a tray having a dress board according to the first embodiment is arranged. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the dress board is placed on the tray. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 5 taken along line AA. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the process of placing the dress board on the dress stage using a tray. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the process of dressing the blade using a dressing board. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a process of transporting a second cassette to the placement surface of the load port. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a process of transporting a first cassette above a second cassette. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a step of temporarily positioning the dress board. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a process of holding the tray from the second frame with the arm portion. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a process of transporting a tray to a dressing stage by an arm portion. [Figure 17] 10 is a plan view illustrating a step of determining the dressing range E of the dress board. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified example of the tray. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified example of the second frame. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A dicing apparatus and a method for replacing a dress board according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, when the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc. of components are mentioned, unless otherwise specified or when they are clearly limited to a specific number in principle, they are not limited to that specific number and may be more or less than the specific number.

[0018] Furthermore, when referring to the shape or positional relationship of components, etc., it includes things that are substantially similar or approximate to those shapes, etc., unless otherwise specified or when it is clearly considered otherwise in principle.

[0019] In addition, the drawings may exaggerate characteristic parts to make the features easier to understand, and the dimensional proportions of the components may not be the same as in reality. In addition, in cross-sectional views, hatching of some components may be omitted to make the cross-sectional structure of the components easier to understand.

[0020] [First embodiment] <Dicing equipment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dicing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dicing apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dicing apparatus 1 cuts (cuts) a wafer (workpiece) W held on a holding table 2 with a blade 22, and cuts a dress board 32 held on a dressing stage 3 with the blade 22 to dress the blade 22. The dicing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a holding table (suction table) 2, a dressing stage 3, a workpiece cutting unit 4, a load port 5, and a workpiece transport unit 6 (see FIGS. 4, 13, and 14). The dicing apparatus 1 also includes, for example, a first cassette 7 and a second cassette 8. The dicing apparatus 1 also includes, for example, an imaging unit 9 and a control unit 10.

[0021] <Retention table> The holding table 2 suction-holds the wafer W on a holding surface 2a. The holding table 2 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction between below the work cutting section 4 and a loading / unloading position (not shown). The holding table 2 is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0022] <Dress Stage> The dressing stage 3 suction-holds a dressing board 32 (described later) on a holding surface 3a. The dressing stage 3 is disposed adjacent to the holding table 2 and downstream of the holding table 2. Specifically, the dressing stage 3 is disposed so that the holding table 2 is disposed on the opposite side of the rotation direction of the blade 22 at the contact portion between the blade 22 and the dressing board 32. With this arrangement, cutting chips from the dressing board 32 can be prevented from coming into contact with the wafer W held on the holding table 2 when the dressing board 32 is dressed by cutting the dressing board 32 with the blade 22.

[0023] The dressing stage 3 is provided integrally with the holding table 2 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction between below the workpiece cutting section 4 and a loading / unloading position (not shown). The dressing stage 3 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape. The holding surface 3a of the dressing stage 3 is disposed, for example, at the same height as the holding surface 2a of the holding table 2.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dressing stage. The holding surface 3a of the dressing stage 3 is composed of multiple precision surfaces 3b. The surfaces of each precision surface 3b are at the same height. Grooves 3d are provided between each precision surface 3b and between the precision surface 3b arranged on the outermost periphery and the edge 3c of the dressing stage 3. The grooves 3d are connected to a negative pressure pump (not shown). The dressing board 32 arranged on the holding surface 3a is adsorbed to the holding surface 3a by depressurizing the grooves 3d with the negative pressure pump. Therefore, the dressing board 32 is stably held on the holding surface 3a.

[0025] <Work cutting section> The work cutting unit 4 includes a spindle 21 and a blade 22. The spindle 21 is moved in the Y direction and the Z direction by a moving mechanism (not shown). The spindle 21 has a blade 22 attached to its tip. The blade 22 cuts the wafer W. The blade 22 is generally a diamond grinding wheel using fine diamond abrasive grains to cut the wafer W. A diamond grinding wheel is made by bonding superabrasive diamond grains with a metal such as nickel as a bond material. Generally, when grinding using a diamond grinding wheel, the sharpness is not always consistent. The grinding ability of this grinding wheel is higher the more the abrasive grains embedded in the bond material completely protrude. Furthermore, when the abrasive grains of the grinding wheel wear down due to grinding, they cannot withstand the grinding resistance and fall off, and new abrasive grains continually emerge from the bond material, maintaining the grinding ability through what is known as a self-sharpening effect.

[0026] However, since a new blade 22 does not have enough abrasive grains protruding from the bond material, it is necessary to perform a dressing process called dressing. Furthermore, clogging may occur during cutting of the wafer W, gradually reducing the grinding ability. In this case, dressing the blade 22 can also restore the grinding ability of the blade 22. Dressing the blade 22 is performed, for example, by grinding a dedicated workpiece called a dress board 32. The dress board 32 will be described in detail later.

[0027] <Loading port> The first cassette 7 and the second cassette 8 are placed on the placement surface 5a of the load port 5. The load port 5 raises and lowers the first cassette 7 and the second cassette 8 placed on the placement surface 5a in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The first cassette 7 and the second cassette 8 can be automatically transported by an external transport device 25 (see FIG. 11), such as an AGV (automatic guided vehicle) or an OHT (overhead track guided vehicle). The transported first cassette 7 and second cassette 8 are placed, for example, in a positioned state on the placement surface 5a of the load port 5.

[0028] <1st cassette> The first cassette 7 contains a large number of wafers W arranged in first frames (dicing frames) (see FIG. 4). The large number of first frames in which the wafers W are arranged are arranged at intervals in the Z-axis direction inside the first cassette 7. The large number of first frames can be inserted and removed from the opening of the first cassette 7 by a finger portion 41 (described later) of the work transport unit 6. The first cassette 7 is positioned by raising and lowering the load port 5 at a first insertion and removal position where the first frames in which the wafers W are arranged can be inserted and removed.

[0029] <Second cassette> FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second frame 31 is housed in the second cassette. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the second cassette 8 is located below the first cassette 7, with the second cassette 8 placed on the mounting surface 5a of the load port 5. The second cassette 8 accommodates a large number of trays 50 arranged in second frames 31. A dress board 32 is disposed on the trays 50. The large number of second frames 31 on which the trays 50 are arranged are arranged at intervals in the Z-axis direction inside the second cassette 8. The large number of second frames 31 can be inserted and removed through the opening 8a of the second cassette 8 by the finger portion 41 of the work transport unit 6. The second cassette 8 is positioned at a second insertion and removal position where the second frames 31 can be inserted and removed by raising and lowering the load port 5.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second frame 31 in which a tray having a dress board is arranged. The second frame 31 has the same shape as the dicing frame. Note that the shape of the second frame 31 is not limited to the same shape as the dicing frame and may be, for example, a rectangular flat plate. For example, a dressing board 32 before dressing the blade 22 (see FIG. 1) and a dressing board 33 after dressing the blade 22 are arranged on the surface of the second frame 31. Hereinafter, the dressing board 32 before dressing may be simply referred to as the "dressing board 32." Furthermore, the dressing board 33 after dressing may be referred to as the "used dressing board 33." Details of the dressing board 32 will be described later.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , a tray 50 and a dressing board 32 mounted on the tray 50 are arranged on the surface of the second frame 31. The second frame 31 has support pins 34 protruding from the surface of the second frame 31 at positions facing the four sides of the tray 50. A large number of trays 50 are stacked on the surface of the second frame 31. The stacked trays 50 are held by the support pins 34. The support pins 34 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. This allows the area of ​​contact of the support pins 34 with the four sides to be kept small. The shape of the support pins 34 can be selected arbitrarily, and the support pins 34 may have a tapered tip. The tray 50 arranged on the second frame 31 is lifted by suction with a suction pad and then transported to the dressing stage 3. The dressing board 32 transported to the dressing stage 3 is held by suction on the holding surface 3 a. As shown in FIG. 6 , the second frame 31 may have multiple areas for holding the trays 50. In other words, a plurality of regions surrounded by four support pins may be provided.

[0032] As described above, trays 50 with dress boards 32 arranged thereon are stacked on the second frame 31. When only dress boards are stacked, if an attempt is made to lift the top dress board by suction, the dress board directly below may also be sucked up, resulting in lifting two dress boards. However, in the above example, the dress boards 32 are stacked together with the trays 50, and the trays 50 are sucked up and transported. Therefore, the dress boards 32 can be transported reliably one by one.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tray 50. The tray 50 holds the dress board 32 with support pins 52. The support pins 52 protrude in the Z-axis direction from the surface of the tray 50 at positions facing the four sides of the dress board 32. The support pins 52 are, for example, circular in XY cross section and are formed with a shape that tapers in diameter from any position in the Z direction toward the tip. Because the XY cross section is circular, the area of ​​contact of the support pins 52 with the four sides can be kept small. Furthermore, the tip of the support pin 52 tapers in diameter in the Z direction. When the dress board 32 is placed on the tray 50, the dress board 32 may come into contact with the support pins 52 due to misalignment. However, because the tip of the support pin 52 tapers in diameter in the Z direction, the impact on the dress board 32 in the event of contact can be alleviated and the dress board 32 can be guided into the opening 51. The shape of the support pins 52 is not limited to the above shape and can be selected arbitrarily. Like the dressing boards 32, the used dressing boards 33 are held by the support pins 52 and arranged on the surface of the second frame 31 together with the trays 50 in a stacked manner.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the state in which the dressing board 32 is placed on the tray 50. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the tray 50 taken along line AA in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a process of placing the dressing board 32 on the dressing stage 3 using the tray 50. FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating a process of dressing a blade using the dressing board. Note that the support pins 52 are omitted from FIGS. 8 to 11. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the dressing board 32 is placed on the surface 50a of the tray 50. The tray 50 has a rectangular outer shape. The tray 50 has an opening 51 formed in the center. The opening 51 is rectangular so that it can be fitted into the dressing stage 3 (see FIG. 9). The dressing board 32 is placed in the opening 51 when placed on the surface 50a of the tray 50. The tray 50 is placed, for example, stacked on the second frame 31 together with the dressing board 32.

[0035] 10, in the process of transporting the dressing board 32, the tray 50 is held by a suction pad or clamp (not shown). The dressing board 32 is placed on the tray 50. The tray 50 is transported to the dressing stage 3 and descends toward the dressing stage 3. The opening 51 of the tray 50 is fitted into the dressing stage 3, and the tray 50 is positioned below the dressing stage 3.

[0036] Meanwhile, the dressing board 32 placed in the opening 51 of the tray 50 is placed on the holding surface 3a of the dressing stage 3. The placed dressing board 32 is adsorbed and held on the holding surface 3a. At this time, the dressing board 32 protrudes from the holding surface 3a. The dressing board 32 is held at a position somewhat displaced (inclined) from the specified position. A dressing range E (see FIG. 17) of the dressing board 32 is determined. The dressing range E will be described later.

[0037] As shown in Figure 11, in the dressing process of the blade 22, grinding of the dress board 32 by the blade 22 is started from the dressing position. That is, the blade 22 is moved in the Y-axis direction and placed at the dressing position. In this state, the dress board 32 is moved in the X-axis direction toward the blade 22 by the dress stage 3. Grinding is started from the dressing position by the blade 22 in the dressing range E of the dress board 32. By grinding the dressing range E of the dress board 32 with the blade 22, dressing of the blade 22 is performed in the dressing range E.

[0038] After dressing the blade 22, the tray 50 is held by a suction pad, a clamp, or the like. The held tray 50 is lifted up to place the dress board 32 on the tray 50. In this state, the tray 50 and the dress board 32 are transported together.

[0039] The dressing board 32 placed on the dressing stage 3 has numerous dressing grooves 54 formed in the blade 22 by dressing the blade 22. Therefore, for example, when the dressing board 32 is transported by being sucked by a suction pad, the dressing grooves 54 may prevent the dressing board 32 from being sucked. Furthermore, the numerous dressing grooves 54 may also prevent the dressing board 32 from being sucked by a suction pad due to a decrease in the rigidity of the dressing board 32 after use. Therefore, the tray 50 is sucked by a suction pad and transported. This allows the tray 50 to be suctioned stably by the suction pad. This allows for more efficient automatic exchange of the dressing board 32.

[0040] The dress board 32 is formed, for example, as a rectangular flat plate and has four corners 32a (see FIG. 17). An identification mark (not shown), for example, is displayed on the surface of the dress board 32. The identification mark is, for example, a barcode or a two-dimensional code. Information about the dress board 32, such as the type, shape, and size of the dress board 32, is recorded on the identification mark. The identification mark may also record information linked to the corresponding dress board information stored in a recording unit (not shown) in the dicing apparatus 1. The information recorded on the identification mark is obtained by reading it with a reader 37 (see FIG. 14).

[0041] The information on the dressboard 32 may be acquired by a dressboard acquisition unit (not shown). The dressboard acquisition unit may acquire the information on the target dressboard 32 by a user operating an operation unit (not shown). The operation unit is an input device operated by the user, such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a reader that reads barcodes or two-dimensional codes.

[0042] <Work transport section> 5 and 15, the workpiece transport unit 6 includes, for example, a finger unit 41 and an arm unit 42. When the first cassette 7 is placed at the first insertion / extraction position by the load port 5, the finger unit 41 extracts the first frame in which the wafers W are placed from inside the first cassette 7. The finger unit 41 places the extracted first frame on the frame transport positioning rails 45. By placing the first frame on the frame transport positioning rails 45, the wafers are temporarily positioned.

[0043] Furthermore, when the second cassette 8 is placed at the second insertion / removal position by the load port 5, the finger portion 41 extracts the second frame 31 from inside the second cassette 8. The finger portion 41 places the extracted second frame 31 on the frame transport positioning rail 45. By placing the second frame 31 on the frame transport positioning rail 45, the dress board 32 is temporarily positioned.

[0044] The arm unit 42 (see FIG. 15) transports the first frame, which has been extracted to the temporary positioning position by the finger unit 41, together with the wafer W to the holding table 2. The arm unit 42 places the wafer W on the holding surface 2a of the holding table 2. The wafer W is held by suction on the holding surface 2a of the holding table 2. That is, the workpiece transport unit 6 transports the wafer W between the load port 5 and the holding table 2.

[0045] Furthermore, the arm unit 42 transports the dress board 32 together with the tray 50 from the second frame 31, which has been extracted to the temporary positioning position by the finger unit 41, to the dress stage 3. Specifically, the arm unit 42 sucks and lifts the tray 50, and places the dress board 32 on the holding surface 3a of the dress stage 3. The tray 50 is sucked and held on the holding surface 3a of the dress stage 3. In other words, the workpiece transport unit 6 transports the tray 50 having the dress board 32 between the load port 5 and the dress stage 3.

[0046] <Image capture unit> The imaging unit 9 captures an image of the wafer W held by suction on the holding surface 2a of the holding table 2. The imaging unit 9 also captures an image of the dress board 32 held by suction on the holding surface 3a of the dress stage 3. Specifically, the imaging unit 9 captures, for example, images of two of the four corners 32a of the dress board 32. An alignment microscope, for example, is used as the imaging unit 9. Hereinafter, the imaging unit 9 will be described as an alignment microscope 9. Note that the imaging unit 9 is not limited to the alignment microscope 9.

[0047] <Control unit> The control unit 10 positions the wafer W at a predetermined cutting position based on the information acquired by the imaging unit 9. After positioning the wafer W at the cutting position, the control unit 10 moves the holding table 2 in the X-axis direction toward the workpiece cutting unit 4. As a result, the wafer W is cut by the blade 22.

[0048] The control unit 10 also determines the orientation of the dress board 32 based on information acquired by the imaging unit 9, such as the two corners 32a of the dress board 32, and information acquired from the barcode, such as the shape (size) of the dress board 32. Furthermore, the control unit 10 determines a dressing range E (see FIG. 17) that can be ground by the blade 22 based on the determined orientation of the dress board 32. After determining the dressing range E of the dress board 32, the control unit 10 moves the dress stage 3 in the X-axis direction toward the workpiece cutting unit 4. As a result, the dressing range E of the dress board 32 is ground by the blade 22.

[0049] Here, the dressing method will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the process of transporting the second cassette 8 to the mounting surface 5a of the load port 5. As shown in FIG. 12, in the process of transporting the second cassette 8, the second cassette 8 is automatically transported to the mounting surface 5a of the load port 5 by an external transport device 25. Inside the second cassette 8, a number of second frames 31 are arranged at intervals in the Z-axis direction. A number of dress boards 32 are stacked on the surface of the second frame 31.

[0050] Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the process of transporting the first cassette 7 above the second cassette. As shown in Fig. 13, in the process of transporting the first cassette 7, the first cassette 7 is automatically transported above the second cassette by the external transport device 25 (see Fig. 12). Therefore, the second cassette 8 is located below the first cassette 7 while being placed on the placement surface 5a of the load port 5.

[0051] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating the process of arranging the dress board in a temporary position. 14, in the process of temporarily positioning the dress board 32, the second cassette 8 is placed at a second insertion / removal position where the second cassette 8 can be inserted and removed from the opening 8a by the load port 5. The second frame 31 is removed from the opening 8a of the second cassette 8 placed at the second insertion / removal position by the finger portion 41 using the frame transport positioning rail 45 as a guide. In this state, the dress board 32 placed on the second frame 31 is temporarily positioned. The barcode of the dress board 32 placed at the temporary position is read by the reader 37, and the type, shape, size, etc. of the dress board 32 are obtained.

[0052] 15 is a perspective view illustrating the process of holding a tray from the second frame with the arm section. As shown in FIG. 15, in the process of holding the tray 50, the suction pad 43 of the arm section 42 is moved above the uppermost tray 50 of the trays 50 arranged in the temporary positioning position. The uppermost dress board 32 is sucked and held by the suction pad 43 of the arm section 42. By moving the arm section 42, the tray 50 sucked by the suction pad 43 is lifted up. The means for holding the tray 50 is not limited to suction. For example, the tray 50 may be held by clamping the edges of the tray 50.

[0053] 16 is a perspective view illustrating the process of transporting a tray to the dressing stage by the arm unit. As shown in FIG. 16, in the process of transporting the dressing board 32 together with the tray 50, the tray 50 is lifted by the suction pad 43, and then the arm unit 42 is moved to transport it to the dressing stage 3. The dressing board 32 transported to the dressing stage 3 is placed on the holding surface 3a. The placed dressing board 32 is held by suction on the holding surface 3a. Here, the dressing board 32 is held, for example, at a position somewhat displaced (inclined) from a specified position.

[0054] Fig. 17 is a plan view illustrating the process of determining the dressing range E of the dress board. In Fig. 17, the state in which the dress board 32 is placed at a specified position is shown by imaginary lines. The state in which the dress board 32 is placed at an angle relative to the specified position is shown by solid lines. As shown in Figures 1 and 17, in the process of acquiring an image of the dress board 32, for example, two of the four corners 32a of the dress board 32 arranged at an angle are acquired as images by the alignment microscope 9.

[0055] Next, in the process of determining the attitude of the dress board 32, the attitude of the dress board 32 is determined based on the two corners 32a obtained by the alignment microscope 9 and the shape and size of the dress board 32 obtained by the barcode. Next, in the process of determining the dressing range E of the dress board 32, a margin M where the blade 22 cannot cut in the index direction of the blade 22 (ie, the Y-axis direction) is determined based on the determined attitude of the dress board 32. This determines the dressing range E of the dress board 32 in the index direction of the blade 22. Furthermore, based on the determined dressing range E, a dressing position at which the first grinding of the dress board 32 by the blade 22 starts is determined.

[0056] Here, the appearance of the imaged surface of the dress board 32 changes depending on the type. Therefore, for example, surface information of the dress board 32 is recorded in a barcode, and the surface information is acquired by a reader 37. Based on the acquired surface information of the dress board 32, the imaging conditions of the dress board 32 are determined. This makes it possible to adjust the brightness of the illumination according to the type of the dress board 32, for example. By adjusting the brightness of the illumination, an image of the dress board 32 can be appropriately acquired. Therefore, the dressing range E can be appropriately determined according to the type of the dress board 32.

[0057] As shown in Figures 2 and 17, in the dressing process of the blade 22, the first grinding of the dress board 32 by the blade 22 is started from the dressing position. That is, the blade 22 is moved in the Y-axis direction and placed at the first dressing position. In this state, the dress board 32 is moved in the X-axis direction by the dress stage 3 toward the workpiece cutting section 4. Grinding is started with the blade 22 from the dressing position in the dressing range E of the dress board 32. The first dressing of the blade 22 is performed in the dressing range E by grinding the dressing range E of the dress board 32 with the blade 22.

[0058] Here, it is possible to reuse the dressing board 32 after the first dressing has been performed. The process of reusing the dressing board 32 will be described below. When the dressing board 32 is to be used again, the dressing board 32 that has been subjected to the first dressing is temporarily placed in a temporary placement area (not shown). When the temporarily placed dressing board 32 is to be used again, the dressing board 32 is transported from the temporary placement area to the dressing stage 3 and held by suction on the holding surface 3a. A new dressing range E of the dressing board 32 held by suction on the holding surface 3a is determined. A new dressing position where grinding will begin with the blade 22 is determined, avoiding the determined new dressing range E and the first dressing groove (not shown) cut previously. In detail, first, the dressing board 32 is positioned relative to the dressing stage 3 so that it faces the same direction as in the previous dressing. Next, images of at least two of the four corners 32a are taken to determine the posture of the dressing board 32. Thereafter, the position of the previous dressing groove is determined from the previous dressing information, and a position (margin) that does not overlap with the position of the previous dressing groove is determined, and a new dressing position where grinding will begin is determined.

[0059] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the used dressing board 33 that has been dressed by the blade 22 is returned together with the tray 50 to the second frame 31 by the work transport unit 6 (see Figures 14 to 16). The used dressing boards 33 are stacked on the second frame 31 in place of the dressing boards 32. The second frames 31 on which the used dressing boards 33 are stacked are sequentially stored inside the second cassette 8.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 13 , the second cassette 8 is positioned below the first cassette 7 when placed on the load port 5. Therefore, when replacing the second cassette 8, it is necessary to move the first cassette 7 from above the second cassette 8. Therefore, when used dress boards 33 are accommodated inside the second cassette 8, for example, when cutting of all wafers W accommodated in the first cassette 7 (see FIG. 1 ) is completed, the second cassette 8 is replaced in conjunction with the replacement of the first cassette 7. Therefore, the second cassette 8 can be replaced using the external transfer device 25 (see FIG. 12 ) that replaces the first cassette 7. However, the completion of cutting of all wafers W does not necessarily coincide with the completion of use of all dress boards 33. Therefore, the second cassette 8 may be replaced when the number of unused dress boards 33 falls below a predetermined number or when the first cassette 7 has been replaced a predetermined number of times.

[0061] According to the dicing apparatus 1 described above, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the dress board 32 is placed on the second frame 31, and the second frame 31 is housed in the second cassette 8. The second cassette 8 housing the second frame 31 is placed on the load port 5 by automatic transport. The first cassette 7 is then placed above the second cassette 8 by automatic transport. This allows the second cassette 8 to be automatically transported using the external transport device 25 that automatically transports the first cassette 7. The second cassette 8 is positioned below the first cassette 7.

[0062] 1 and 14 to 16, the dress board 32 housed in the second cassette 8 is placed on the dress stage 3 by the work transport unit 6. Therefore, the work transport unit 6 that transports the wafer W can also be used to transport the dress board 32. This allows the dress board 32 to be automatically replaced without increasing the size of the dicing apparatus 1.

[0063] Furthermore, the second frame 31 is extracted from the second cassette 8 by the finger portion 41 of the workpiece transport unit 6. By extracting the second frame 31 from the second cassette 8, the dressing board 32 placed on the second frame 31 can be easily transported to the dressing stage 3.

[0064] 5 and 6, the dressing boards 32 are stacked together with the trays 50 on the second frame 31. This allows a large number of dressing boards 32 or a wide variety of dressing boards to be applied to the second frame 31 with a minimal configuration. This reduces the frequency with which the first cassette 7 needs to be replaced.

[0065] 1 and 17, an image of the dressing board 32 is acquired by the alignment microscope 9, and the attitude of the dressing board 32 is determined based on the image by the control unit 10. The dressing range E that can be ground by the blade 22 is determined based on the determined attitude. Therefore, even if the attitude of the dressing board 32 is deviated from the specified position, the dressing range E that can be ground by the blade 22 can be determined. This makes it unnecessary to position the dressing board 32, which was previously necessary to determine the dressing range E.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the above-described method for dressing the blade 22 provided in the dicing apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 17, after a process of acquiring an image of the dress board 32, the posture of the dress board 32 is determined based on the image. In a subsequent process, the dressing range E that can be ground by the blade 22 is determined. Therefore, even if the posture of the dress board 32 is deviated from the specified position, the dressing range E that can be ground by the blade 22 can be determined. This eliminates the need to position the dress board 32, which was previously required to determine the dressing range E.

[0067] Furthermore, when the dressing board 32 is reused, the dressing position where the blade 22 starts grinding is determined taking into account the first dressing groove (not shown) cut previously. In this way, by determining the dressing position where grinding starts newly taking into account the dressing groove cut previously, the dressing board 32 can be used efficiently.

[0068] In addition, the imaging conditions for the dress board 32 are determined based on the surface information of the dress board 32. Therefore, for example, the brightness of the illumination can be adjusted depending on the type of the dress board 32. This allows an image of the dress board 32 to be properly acquired, and the dressing range E can be properly determined according to the type of the dress board 32.

[0069] 12 and 13, the replacement of the second cassette 8 is synchronized with the replacement of the first cassette 7. Therefore, the external transport device 25 that replaces the first cassette 7 can be used to replace the second cassette 8. In other words, the external transport device 25 that replaces the first cassette 7 can also be used to replace the second cassette 8. This allows the dress board 32 to be automatically replaced without increasing the size of the dicing device 1, and allows the replacement of the second cassette 8 to be carried out efficiently.

[0070] Here, a modified example of the tray 50 will be described. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the modified example of the tray. The tray 50A shown in FIG. 18 has a step portion 53 on the outer periphery of the opening 51. The outer dimensions of the step portion 53 are larger than the outer dimensions of the dress board 32, and the step portion 53 is formed so that the dress board 32 can be fitted into the step portion 53. Since the dress board 32 is fitted into the step portion 53, the dress board 32 is held without any significant misalignment in position. Furthermore, the inner dimensions of the step portion 53 are larger than the outer dimensions of the dress stage 3. Therefore, the dress stage 3 can be fitted into the opening 51.

[0071] When using the tray 50 or 50A, the opening 51 of the tray 50 or 50A is fitted into the dressing stage 3, and the tray 50 or 50A is positioned below the dressing stage 3, similar to the process shown in FIG. 10 . Meanwhile, the dressing board 32 is positioned protruding from the holding surface 3a of the dressing stage 3 and held by suction. Dressing boards typically have a rougher surface than wafers, resulting in poor adhesion to the dressing stage. Therefore, water may seep in through the gap between the dressing board and the dressing stage, destabilizing the suction. The suction of water containing abrasive grains may damage the piping system, including piping, control valves, and vacuum generators. However, because the dressing board 32 protrudes from the holding surface 3a, water is not sprayed directly between the dressing board 32 and the holding surface 3a, preventing the suction from becoming unstable and the damage to the piping system.

[0072] Next, a modified example of the second frame will be described with reference to FIG. 19. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the modified example of the second frame. As shown in FIG. 19, a tray 50A and a dressing board 32 fitted into a stepped portion 53 of the tray 50A are arranged on the surface of the second frame 31A. The second frame 31A has a recess 31a that can fit with the tray 50A. The tray 50A is arranged by fitting into the recess 31a. The arranged dressing board 32 is at least one of an unused dressing board 32 and a used dressing board 33. The tray 50A arranged on the second frame 31A is sucked and lifted by the suction pad 43, and then transported to the dressing stage 3. The dressing board 32 transported to the dressing stage 3 is sucked and held on the holding surface 3a. The second frame 31A may be provided with multiple recesses 31a.

[0073] Furthermore, multiple trays 50, 50A on which dress boards 32 are arranged may be stored in a storage cassette 11 as shown in Fig. 20. The multiple trays 50, 50A are arranged at intervals in the Z-axis direction inside the storage cassette 11. The multiple trays 50, 50A can be inserted and removed from an opening 11a of the storage cassette 11 by the finger portion 41 of the workpiece transport unit 6. The storage cassette 11 is positioned by raising and lowering the load port 5 to a position where the trays 50, 50A can be inserted and removed.

[0074] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0075] For example, in Fig. 6, tray 50 is arranged on second frame 31, but tray 50A may be arranged on second frame 31. Also, in Fig. 19, tray 50A is arranged on second frame 31A having recess 31a, but tray 50 may be arranged on second frame 31A.

[0076] In addition, the components in this embodiment can be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 Dicing equipment 2 holding table 3 Dress Stage 4 Work cutting section 5 Loading Port 6 Work transport section 7 Cassette 1 8 Second Cassette 9. Imaging unit 10 Control Unit 22 blades 31, 31A 2nd frame 31a Recess 32 Dress Board 34 Support pin 41 Finger part 42 Arm section 50, 50A tray 51 Opening 52 Support pin 53 Step W Wafer (work)

Claims

1. A dicing apparatus that dresses a blade by grinding a dress board arranged on a dress stage with the blade, an imaging unit for acquiring an image of the dress board placed on the dress stage; a control unit that determines the posture of the dress board based on the image and determines a dressing range that can be ground by the blade based on the determined posture, A dicing device characterized by:

2. acquiring an image of a dress board placed on a dress stage; determining the orientation of the dress board based on the image; and determining a dressing range that can be ground by the blade based on the determined attitude. A dressing method characterized by:

3. When the dressing board is used again to dress the blade, determining a dressing position for dressing the blade in consideration of a dressing groove previously cut by the blade; 3. The dressing method according to claim 2, wherein the dressing is performed by a step of:

4. determining imaging conditions for the dress board based on the surface information of the dress board; 3. The dressing method according to claim 2, wherein the dressing is performed by a step of:

Images