Expansion device and expansion method

Abstract

[The technical problem to be solved] An extension device is provided that can reduce the possibility of generating undivided areas in the workpiece. Technical means to solve the problem An expansion device is provided for expanding an expansion sheet to divide a workpiece to which a modified layer with a dividing start point has been formed. The expansion device includes: an expansion mechanism, an expansion expansion sheet; and a cooling unit for cooling the region between the inner edge of the annular frame of the expansion sheet and the outer edge of the workpiece to a lower temperature than the region of the expansion sheet that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an expansion device and method for expanding a sheet of workpiece to divide the workpiece by expanding it. Prior Technology

[0002] An expansion device that divides the workpiece by attaching an expansion piece to the back of the workpiece along a predetermined dividing line and expanding the expansion piece is already in use (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The expansion device shown in Patent Document 1 cools the workpiece during expansion to improve its segmentability when the workpiece contains a ductile material such as DAF (Denim Adhesive Film) or a metal film. Previous technical documents Patent documents

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-186437 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0006] On the other hand, the expansion piece already attached to the workpiece also has ductility, and this ductility is suppressed by cooling. If the expansion piece is expanded only in the area where the workpiece is attached, and not in the area outside the workpiece, the area of ​​the expansion piece on the outer periphery of the workpiece can be expanded, but the expansion piece in the area where the workpiece is attached is not expanded sufficiently, resulting in areas of the workpiece that are not divided.

[0007] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an expansion device and expansion method that can reduce the possibility of generating undivided areas in the workpiece. The means to solve the problem

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, an expansion device is provided for expanding a sheet of workpiece to which a dividing point has been formed to divide the workpiece. The expansion device includes: an expansion mechanism for expanding the sheet; and a cooling unit for cooling the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached to it to a lower temperature than the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is attached.

[0009] Preferably, the expansion mechanism comprises: a sheet clamping unit having a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion that clamp the sheet in a first direction, facing each other across the workpiece, and respectively clamping a third clamping portion and a fourth clamping portion that clamp the sheet in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, facing each other across the workpiece, and respectively clamping a third clamping portion and a fourth clamping portion; a first moving unit for moving the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion in the first direction in a direction away from each other; and a second moving unit for moving the third clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion in the second direction in a direction away from each other. The cooling unit includes a cooling worktable having an abutting surface that abuts against the sheet held by the sheet clamping unit and cools the sheet. The abutting surface is composed of a first region and a second region. The first region corresponds to the region where the workpiece is attached, and the second region is the region surrounding the first region and corresponding to the region between the workpiece and the first, second, third, and fourth clamping parts. The first region can be set to a first temperature, and the second region can be set to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, an expansion method is provided for expanding a sheet of workpiece to which a dividing point has been formed to divide the workpiece, the aforementioned expansion method comprising the following steps: The sheet cooling step involves cooling the areas of the sheet not covered with the workpiece to a lower temperature than the areas of the sheet covered with the workpiece; and The segmentation step involves expanding the sheet after the sheet cooling step to segment the workpiece.

[0011] Preferably, the sheet cooling step is performed by bringing a cooling worktable into contact with the sheet. The cooling worktable has a contact surface formed by a first region and a second region. The first region corresponds to the region where the workpiece is attached, and the second region surrounds the first region and corresponds to the region between the workpiece and the first, second, third, and fourth clamping parts. The first region can be set to a first temperature, and the second region can be set to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. In this splitting step, the first clamping part and the second clamping part, which are facing each other and clamping the sheet in the first direction with respect to the workpiece, are moved away from each other in the first direction. The third clamping part and the fourth clamping part, which are facing each other and clamping the sheet in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the workpiece, are moved away from each other in the second direction, thereby expanding the sheet. Invention Effects

[0012] The present invention will have the following effect: it can reduce the possibility of producing undivided areas in the workpiece. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the extension device in the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a workpiece that can be divided by the extension device shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing another example of a workpiece that can be divided by the extension device shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of the extended method of the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the sheet cooling steps of the extended method shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the segmentation steps of the expansion method shown in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the extension device in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a plan view showing the sheet clamping unit and cooling worktable of the extension device shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling workbench of the extension device shown in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the cooling steps of the extension method in the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the expansion piece before expansion in the segmentation step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the expanded sheet in the division step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the cooling workbench after the segmentation steps of the expansion method in the second embodiment. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling workbench of the extended device in the second embodiment. Implementation

[0014] Forms used to implement inventions

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the constituent elements described below include constituent elements that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, and substantially the same constituent elements. In addition, the configurations described below are adaptably combinable. Moreover, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration can be made as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

[0016] [First Implementation Form] The expansion device and expansion method of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the expansion device of the first embodiment. FIG2 is a perspective view showing an example of a workpiece that can be divided by the expansion device shown in FIG1. ​​FIG3 is a perspective view showing other examples of workpieces that can be divided by the expansion device shown in FIG1. ​​FIG4 is a flowchart showing the process of the expansion method of the first embodiment.

[0017] The expansion device 1 shown in FIG1 of the first embodiment is an apparatus that expands the sheet 201 on which the workpiece 200 is attached, as shown in FIG2, and divides the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202. As shown in FIG2, the workpiece 200 of the expansion device 1 of the first embodiment is a wafer such as a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer containing a substrate 203 formed of silicon, sapphire, gallium arsenide or SiC (silicon carbide).

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, in the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 has a device 206 formed in each region defined by a plurality of intersecting predetermined dividing lines 205 on the front side 204 of the substrate 203. The device 206 is, for example, an integrated circuit such as IC (Integrated Circuit) or LSI (Large Scale Integration), an image sensor such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

[0019] The workpiece 200 forms a modified layer 207 (shown as a dashed line in FIG. 2) at the dividing start point inside the substrate 203 along the predetermined dividing line 205. The modified layer 207 refers to a region where the density, refractive index, mechanical strength, or other physical properties differ from those of the surrounding area. It can be a melt-processed region, a crack region, an insulation failure region, a refractive index change region, or a region that combines these regions. In the first embodiment, the mechanical strength of the modified layer 207 is lower than that of other parts of the substrate 203.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in FIG2, in the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 has a DAF (Die Attach Film) 209 attached to the extension sheet 201 on the back side 208 of the substrate 203, and an annular frame 210 is provided on the outer edge of the extension sheet 201, so that the extension sheet 201 can be supported in the opening 211 on the inner side of the annular frame 210. With the DAF 209 and the extension sheet 201 attached to the back side 208 of the substrate 203, the workpiece 200 is divided into individual wafers 202 along the modified layer 207 by the expansion device 1, together with the DAF 209.

[0021] The chip 202 includes a portion of the substrate 203 and a device 206 formed on the front side 204 of the substrate 203, and a portion of the DAF 209 can be attached to the back side 208. The DAF 209 is configured to fix the chips 202, which have been divided into individual pieces from the workpiece 200, to the substrate, etc. In the first embodiment, the DAF 209 is formed into a circular plate with a diameter larger than that of the workpiece 200, and has been attached to the back side 208 of the substrate 203 and the extension sheet 201.

[0022] The extended sheet 201 is elastic and is formed, for example, by stretching heated synthetic resin along a first direction 212 while extending it in a second direction 213 orthogonal to the first direction 212. The extended sheet 201 includes a substrate layer made of an elastic synthetic resin and an adhesive layer laminated on the substrate layer and made of an elastic and adhesive synthetic resin. In the first embodiment, the first direction 212 is the machine direction (MD, longitudinal direction), and the second direction 213 is the transverse direction (TD, transverse direction). Furthermore, the elasticity of the extended sheet 201 decreases upon cooling, and its elongation decreases with decreasing temperature.

[0023] Furthermore, the workpiece 200 processed by the expansion device 1 shown in FIG. 1 can also be a wafer as follows: As shown in FIG. 3, a metal film 214 is formed on the back side 208 of the substrate 203, and an expansion sheet 201 is attached to the metal film 214. An annular frame 210 is installed on the outer edge of the expansion sheet 201, and the expansion sheet 201 is supported in the opening 211 on the inner side of the annular frame 210. The workpiece 200 shown in FIG. 3 is in a state where the expansion sheet 201 has been attached to the metal film 214 on the back side 208 of the substrate 203. The expansion device 1 divides the substrate 203 and the metal film 214 along the modified layer 207 into individual wafers 202. Furthermore, in the case of the workpiece 200 shown in FIG. 3, the wafer 202 includes a portion of the substrate 203, a device 206 formed on the front side 204 of the substrate 203, and a portion of the metal film 214 formed on the back side 208. Figure 3 will add the same symbols to the parts that are the same as those in Figure 2, while omitting the description.

[0024] The workpiece 200 shown in Figure 2 is more difficult to diced into individual wafers 202 than a workpiece with a modified layer 207 formed along the predetermined dicing line 205 and without DAF 209 attached to the back surface 208. Furthermore, the workpiece 200 shown in Figure 3 is more difficult to diced into individual wafers 202 than a workpiece with a modified layer 207 formed along the predetermined dicing line 205 and without a metal film 214 formed on the back surface 208. Thus, the workpiece 200 is representative of wafers that are difficult to diced into wafers 202, either as shown in Figure 2 with DAF 209 attached to the back surface 208 or as shown in Figure 3 with a metal film 214 formed on the back surface 208.

[0025] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, although the modified layer 207 is formed on the workpiece 200 as the starting point for the division, it is not limited to the modified layer 207. For example, a cutting groove formed by cutting from the front side 204 by a cutting blade, or a laser processing groove formed by irradiating the workpiece 200 from the front side 204 by a laser beam with a wavelength that absorbs the workpiece 200, can also be formed on the workpiece 200 as the starting point for the division.

[0026] The expansion device 1 of the first embodiment is a device that expands the expansion sheet 201 of the workpiece 200 to which the modified layer 207 has been formed, thereby dividing the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202, and dividing the DAF 209 into individual wafers 202. As shown in FIG1, the expansion device 1 of the first embodiment includes an expansion mechanism, namely an expansion unit 10, a cooling unit 20, and a control unit 30.

[0027] The expansion unit 10 is a unit for expanding the expansion piece 201. The expansion unit 10 includes a disk-shaped base 11, a frame holding unit 12, an expansion cylinder 13, and a lifting unit 14.

[0028] The frame holding unit 12 is a unit for holding the annular frame 210. The frame holding unit 12 has an annular frame holding member 15 disposed on the base 11, and a plurality of clamps 16 disposed on the outer edge of the frame holding member 15. The inner diameter of the frame holding member 15 is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular frame 210 and larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece 200. The outer diameter of the frame holding member 15 is the same as the outer diameter of the annular frame 210. The upper surface of the frame holding member 15 serves as a mounting surface 17 for placing the annular frame 210. The mounting surface 17 is horizontal and flat. The clamps 16 clamp the annular frame 210 already placed on the mounting surface 17, thus fixing the annular frame 210 to the frame holding member 15. In the first embodiment, four clamps 16 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0029] An expansion cylinder 13 is disposed on the base 11 and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The expansion cylinder 13 is disposed inside the frame retaining member 15 and is coaxial with the frame retaining member 15. The inner diameter and outer diameter of the expansion cylinder 13 are smaller than the inner diameter of the annular frame 210 and the frame retaining member 15, and larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece 200.

[0030] The lifting unit 14 is a unit that moves the frame holding unit 12 and the expanding cylinder 13 relative to each other in the vertical direction. In the first embodiment, the lifting unit 14 moves the frame holding unit 12 up and down to a position where the mounting surface 17 is located on the same plane as the upper end of the expanding cylinder 13, and a position where the mounting surface 17 is lower than the upper end of the expanding cylinder 13. In the first embodiment, the lifting unit 14 is a cylinder having a cylinder 18 and a piston rod 19. The cylinder 18 is mounted on the base 11, and the piston rod 19 extends and retracts freely from the cylinder 18 and has a frame holding member 15 mounted on its upper end. In the first embodiment, a plurality of lifting units 14 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the base 11.

[0031] The cooling unit 20 cools the expansion piece 201 in such a way that the area of ​​the expansion piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is not attached, namely the area 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 (shown in Figures 2 and 3), becomes cooler than the area of ​​the expansion piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached, namely the area 216 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) further inward than the area of ​​the expansion piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached, namely the area 216 (shown in Figures 2 and 3). In the first embodiment, the cooling unit 20 is formed as a disc with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the frame retaining member 15. In the first embodiment, the cooling unit 20 is positioned above the expansion cylinder 13 and the frame retaining member 15, coaxial with the expansion cylinder 13 and the frame retaining member 15.

[0032] The cooling unit 20 includes: a first cooling air ejection port 21, and a region 216 on which the extension piece 201 attached to the annular frame 210 held in the frame holding unit 12 is located further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200, i.e., the workpiece 200 attached to the extension piece 201 faces each other in the vertical direction; and a second cooling air ejection port 22, and a region 215 on which the extension piece 201 attached to the annular frame 210 held in the frame holding unit 12 faces each other in the vertical direction between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200. A plurality of the first cooling air ejection ports 21 and the second cooling air ejection ports 22 are provided.

[0033] The first cooling air nozzle 21 sprays cooling air 23 (indicated by arrows in FIG. 5) at a first temperature lower than room temperature (e.g., -5°C in the first embodiment) toward the region 216 of the extension piece 201 attached to the annular frame 210 held in the frame holding unit 12, which is inside the outer edge of the workpiece 200. The first cooling air nozzle 21 cools the region 216 of the extension piece 201, inside the outer edge of the workpiece 200, to the first temperature through the workpiece 200.

[0034] The second cooling air nozzle 22 sprays cooling air 24 (indicated by arrows in FIG. 5) at a second temperature (e.g., -10°C in the first embodiment), which is lower than both room temperature and the first temperature, towards the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the extension piece 201 attached to the annular frame 210 held on the frame retaining unit 12 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200. The second cooling air nozzle 22 cools the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the extension piece 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to the second temperature.

[0035] The control unit 30 is a unit that controls each component of the expansion device 1 and causes the expansion device 1 to perform the expansion operation of expanding the expansion piece 201. Furthermore, the control unit 30 is a computer having a processing unit, a memory device, and an input / output interface device. The aforementioned processing unit has a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), and the aforementioned memory device has memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory). The processing unit of the control unit 30 performs calculations according to the computer program stored in the memory device, and outputs control signals for controlling the expansion device 1 to each component of the expansion device 1 through the input / output interface device.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 30 is connected to a display unit (not shown) and an input unit (not shown). The display unit is a liquid crystal display device or the like that that displays the status or images of the processing operation. The input unit is used when the operator enters processing information. The input unit is composed of at least one of an external input device such as a touch panel provided on the display unit and a keyboard.

[0037] Next, the expansion method of the first embodiment will be described. The expansion method of the first embodiment is to expand the expansion sheet 201 of the workpiece 200 to which the modified layer 207 has been formed, and to divide the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202. The expansion method of the first embodiment is implemented by controlling the various components of the expansion device 1 by the control unit 30, and as shown in FIG4, it includes a holding step 1001, a sheet cooling step 1002, and a dividing step 1003.

[0038] (Keep the steps) Step 1001 is a step in which the frame holding unit 12 of the extension device 1 holds the outer edge of the extension piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached, and the annular frame 210 already attached to the outer edge of the extension piece 201. In step 1001, the extension device 1 extends the piston rod 19 of the lifting unit 14 so that the mounting surface 17 of the frame holding member 15 and the upper end of the expansion cylinder 13 are arranged on the same plane.

[0039] In holding step 1001, the expansion device 1 places the annular frame 210, which is attached to the expansion piece 201, and the outer edge of the expansion piece 201 onto the mounting surface 17 of the frame holding member 15. In holding step 1001, the expansion device 1 uses a clamp 16 to hold the annular frame 210 and the outer edge of the expansion piece 201 attached to the expansion piece 201 onto the mounting surface 17 of the frame holding member 15, thereby fixing them to the frame holding member 15. At this time, the upper end of the expansion cylinder 13 abuts against the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201 attached to the annular frame 210 held by the frame holding unit 12 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200.

[0040] (Sheet cooling step) Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the sheet cooling step of the expansion method shown in Figure 4. Sheet cooling step 1002 is a step of cooling the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion sheet 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a lower temperature than the region 216 of the expansion sheet 201 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200.

[0041] In the first embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, as shown in FIG. 5, the expansion device 1, through the cooling unit 20, sprays cooling air 23 at a first temperature from the first cooling air ejection hole 21 towards the region 216 of the expansion piece 201, which is attached to the annular frame 210 held by the frame holding unit 12, that is, the workpiece 200 attached to the expansion piece 201, for a predetermined time. In the first embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, the expansion device 1 cools the region 216 of the expansion piece 201, which is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece 200, to the first temperature through the workpiece 200.

[0042] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, as shown in FIG. 5, the expansion device 1 simultaneously sprays cooling air 24 at a second temperature from the second cooling air outlet 22 at the same time as the injection of cooling air 23 from the first cooling air outlet 21 towards the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201, which is attached to the annular frame 210 held by the frame holding unit 12, and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 for a predetermined time. In the first embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, the expansion device 1 cools the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a second temperature lower than the first temperature. In this way, because the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, the expansion piece 201 is such that the region 216, which is more inner than the outer edge of the workpiece 200, becomes easier to expand than the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200.

[0043] (Segmentation steps) Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the segmentation steps of the expansion method shown in Figure 4. Segmentation step 1003 is the step of expanding the expansion sheet 201 after performing the sheet cooling step 1002, thereby segmenting the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202. In the first embodiment, in segmentation step 1003, the expansion device 1 stops the jetting of cooling air 23, 24 from the cooling unit 20, and as shown in Figure 6, the piston rod 19 of the lifting unit 14 is reduced, causing the frame holding unit 12 to descend, and the frame holding unit 12 and the expansion cylinder 13 move relative to each other in the vertical direction.

[0044] In this way, because the area 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201, which is attached to the annular frame 210 held by the frame holding unit 12, and the outer edge of the workpiece 200, has contacted the upper end of the expansion cylinder 13, the expansion piece 201 can be expanded in the facing direction. In the dividing step 1003, as a result of the expansion, a radial tensile force will act on the expansion piece 201.

[0045] When the tensile force acts radially on the extension sheet 201 attached to the back side 208 of the substrate 203 of the workpiece 200 via the DAF 209, because the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, the region 216 of the extension sheet 201 that is more inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200 will be expanded more than the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the extension sheet 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200. In the first embodiment, in the slitting step 1003, as shown in FIG6, the workpiece 200 is slid into individual devices 206 with the modified layer 207 formed along the predetermined slitting line 205 as the fracture starting point, and is individualized into individual wafers 202. Since the workpiece 200 fractures along the modified layer 207, the DAF 209 also fractures along the modified layer 207.

[0046] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, although the frame holding unit 12 is lowered in the slitting step 1003 to expand the expansion piece 201, the present invention is not limited to this. The expansion cylinder 13 can also be raised. In short, it is sufficient to raise the expansion cylinder 13 relative to the frame holding unit 12 and lower the frame holding unit 12 relative to the expansion cylinder 13. In this way, the first embodiment expands the expansion piece 201 in the slitting step 1003 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202.

[0047] As explained above, the first embodiment of the expansion device 1 includes a cooling unit 20. The cooling unit 20 cools the region 216 of the expansion piece 201 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a first temperature, and cools the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. Therefore, the first embodiment of the expansion device 1 can cool the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 at a lower temperature than the region 216 of the expansion piece 201 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200. This allows the expansion piece 201 to be expanded while the elasticity of the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion piece 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 is more suppressed than that of the region 216 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200.

[0048] As a result, the expansion device 1 of the first embodiment will have the following effect: the region 216 of the expansion piece 201 that is more inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200 can be fully expanded, and the possibility of generating an undivided region in the workpiece 200 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the expansion method, since the sheet cooling step 1002 is performed to cool the region 216 of the expansion sheet 201 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a first temperature, and to cool the region 215 between the inner edge of the annular frame 210 of the expansion sheet 201 and the outer edge of the workpiece 200 to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature, the following effect is achieved: the region 216 of the expansion sheet 201 that is further inward than the outer edge of the workpiece 200 can be sufficiently expanded, and the possibility of undivided regions being generated in the workpiece 200 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0050] [Second Implementation] The expansion device and expansion method of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the expansion device of the second embodiment. FIG8 is a plan view showing the sheet clamping unit and cooling worktable of the expansion device shown in FIG7. FIG9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling worktable of the expansion device shown in FIG7. FIG10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the cooling step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. FIG11 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the expansion sheet before expansion in the dividing step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. FIG12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of the expansion sheet after expansion in the dividing step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. FIG13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the cooling worktable after the dividing step of the expansion method of the second embodiment. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are added to the parts in FIG7 to 13 that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

[0051] The second embodiment of the expansion device 1-2 is a device that expands the expansion sheet 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached in the first direction 212 and the second direction 213 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202, and divides the DAF 209 into individual wafers 202. Alternatively, the expansion device 1-2 can be a device that, after expanding the expansion sheet 201 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202, attaches an annular frame 210 to the expansion sheet 201 to support the workpiece 200 within the opening 211 of the annular frame 210.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, the expansion device 1-2 includes a flat fixed base 31, a cooling unit 40, a workpiece conveying unit (not shown), an expansion mechanism (i.e., expansion unit 60), a frame conveying unit (not shown), a sheet cutting unit (not shown), and a control unit 100.

[0053] The cooling unit 40 includes a cooling worktable 41 disposed at the center of the fixed base 31. As shown in FIG8, the cooling worktable 41 is shaped as a quadrilateral (square in the second embodiment), and an expansion piece 201, which is held by the sheet clamping unit 61 of the expansion unit 60 and has DAF209 attached, is placed on its upper surface, i.e., the abutment surface 42. That is, the cooling worktable 41 has an abutment surface 42, which abuts against the expansion piece 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61. The cooling worktable 41 is movably disposed in the vertical direction by means of a moving mechanism. The abutment surface 42 is formed flat in the horizontal direction and can hold the workpiece 200 through the expansion piece 201. The abutment surface 42 holds the workpiece 200 through the expansion piece 201.

[0054] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the contact surface 42 of the cooling workbench 41 is composed of a first region 43 and a second region 44. The first region 43 corresponds to the area where the workpiece 200 is attached to the expansion piece 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61. The second region 44 surrounds the first region 43 and corresponds to the area between the workpiece 200 of the expansion piece 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 and the area between the first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3, and the fourth clamping part 62-4 of the sheet clamping unit 61 of the expansion unit 60.

[0055] The first region 43 is the region overlapping with the region 217 (shown in FIG. 8) of the extension sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 where the workpiece 200 is attached, and in the second embodiment, it is located at the center of the contact surface 42, and its planar shape is a quadrilateral (a square in the second embodiment). Furthermore, the region 217 of the extension sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 where the workpiece 200 is attached corresponds to the region of the extension sheet 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached.

[0056] The second region 44 is the region overlapping with region 218 (shown in FIG8), and in the second embodiment, it is provided on the outer edge of the abutment surface 42 and is formed into a frame with inner and outer edges that are quadrilateral (square in the second embodiment). The aforementioned region 218 is the region 217 of the extension sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 for attaching the workpiece 200, and the region between the first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3 and the fourth clamping part 62-4 of the sheet clamping unit 61. Furthermore, the area 217 of the extended sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 for attaching the workpiece 200, and the area 218 between the first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3 and the fourth clamping part 62-4 of the sheet clamping unit 61, is the area of ​​the extended sheet 201 where the workpiece 200 is not attached.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the cooling worktable 41 includes a worktable base 45, a first Peltier element layer 46-1 disposed on the worktable base 45, a second Peltier element layer 46-2 disposed on the worktable base 45 and surrounding the outer edge of the first Peltier element layer 46-1, and a cooling plate 47 disposed on the Peltier element layers 46-1 and 46-2. The planar shapes of the worktable base 45 and the cooling plate 47 are equal to the planar shape of the cooling worktable 41. The upper surface of the cooling plate 47 is the aforementioned contact surface 42.

[0058] The first Peltier element layer 46-1 and the second Peltier element layer 46-2 each have at least one Peltier element, which is powered by the power supply circuit 48. The first Peltier element layer 46-1 is disposed below the first region 43 of the contact surface 42, and the second Peltier element layer 46-2 is disposed below the second region 44 of the contact surface 42.

[0059] Each power supply circuit 48 has a pair of polarity switching units 49-1 and 49-2. The polarity switching units 49-1 and 49-2 have a DC power supply 50 and a switch 51. When the power supply circuit 48 supplies the DC power supply 50 of one polarity switching unit 49-1 to the Peltier element layers 46-1 and 46-2, it will cool the contact surface 42, i.e., the regions 43 and 44, to a lower temperature than room temperature. When the power supply circuit 48 supplies the DC power supply 50 of the other polarity switching unit 49-2 to the Peltier element layers 46-1 and 46-2, it will heat the contact surface 42, i.e., the regions 43 and 44, to a higher temperature than room temperature.

[0060] A polarity switching unit 49-1 on one side of the power supply circuit 48 that supplies power to the first Peltier element layer 46-1 supplies power at a first voltage to the first Peltier element layer 46-1, thereby cooling the first region 43 to a first temperature. A polarity switching unit 49-1 on one side of the power supply circuit 48 that supplies power to the second Peltier element layer 46-2 supplies power at a second voltage, which is higher than the first voltage, thereby cooling the second region 44 to a second temperature. This process is repeated to set the first region 43 of the contact surface 42 of the cooling worktable 41 to the first temperature and the second region 44 to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature.

[0061] The workpiece conveying unit is positioned above the sheet clamping unit 61 and holds the workpiece 200 on its lower surface. The workpiece conveying unit is vertically movable via a lifting unit and horizontally movable via a horizontal moving unit. The horizontal moving unit positions the workpiece 200, held on the lower surface, to a position vertically opposite the first region 43 of the cooling worktable 41. Furthermore, the workpiece conveying unit descends via the lifting unit, thereby attaching the workpiece 200 to the DAF209 on the extension sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61.

[0062] The expansion unit 60 includes a sheet clamping unit 61 for clamping the expansion piece 201 and a moving unit 70.

[0063] The sheet clamping unit 61 has a first clamping part 62-1, a second clamping part 62-2, a third clamping part 62-3, and a fourth clamping part 62-4. The first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3, and the fourth clamping part 62-4 are configured to clamp the outer periphery of the workpiece 200 to which the extension sheet 201 of the workpiece 200 is attached.

[0064] The first clamping part 62-1 and the second clamping part 62-2 face each other across the workpiece 200 in the first direction 212 of the extension piece 201. The third clamping part 62-3 and the fourth clamping part 62-4 face each other across the workpiece 200 in the second direction 213 of the extension piece 201. Since the first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3, and the fourth clamping part 62-4 have approximately the same structure, the same reference numerals will be used to describe the same parts.

[0065] The first clamping part 62-1, the second clamping part 62-2, the third clamping part 62-3, and the fourth clamping part 62-4 are provided with a columnar movable base 63 provided on a fixed base 31, a pair of clamping members 64 which are movably disposed on the movable base 63 in a vertical direction, and a moving mechanism 65 that moves the pair of clamping members 64 in a direction that approaches each other and in a direction that separates each other.

[0066] A moving mechanism 65 is mounted on a moving base 63. The moving mechanism 65 includes a motor that allows a pair of clamping members 64 to move freely in the vertical direction, a ball screw that rotates about an axis by the motor, and a nut screwed into the ball screw and connected to the pair of clamping members 64 via a support arm 66. The moving mechanism 65 uses the motor to rotate the ball screw about an axis, thereby moving the nut, support arm 66, and clamping members 64 in the vertical direction.

[0067] The moving mechanism 65 rotates a ball screw around its axis using a motor, causing a pair of clamping members 64 to move closer together and clamping the extension piece 201 between them. Alternatively, the moving mechanism 65 can rotate a ball screw around its axis using a motor, causing the pair of clamping members 64 to move further apart and releasing the extension piece 201 from between them. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 65 can also rotate a ball screw around its axis using a motor, causing the pair of clamping members 64 to move in the same vertical direction. Each clamping part 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4, equipped with a pair of clamping members 64 and a moving base 63 for the moving mechanism 65, is mounted on a fixed base 31 in a manner that allows free movement in either the first direction 212 or the second direction 213.

[0068] The moving unit 70 includes a first moving unit 71 and a second moving unit 72.

[0069] The first moving unit 71 is a unit in which the moving base 63 of the first clamping part 62-1 and the moving base 63 of the second clamping part 62-2 move along the first direction 212, thereby moving the moving base 63 of the first clamping part 62-1 and the moving base 63 of the second clamping part 62-2 in both directions away from each other and towards each other in the first direction 212. The first moving unit 71 may also be a unit in which the clamping member 64 of the first clamping part 62-1 and the clamping member 64 of the second clamping part 62-2 move in a manner that allows them to move closer together and further apart in the first direction 212, by moving the moving base 63 of the first clamping part 62-1 and the moving base 63 of the second clamping part 62-2 along the first direction 212. The first moving unit 71 includes a first moving mechanism 73-1 that moves the moving base 63 of the first clamping part 62-1 in the first direction 212, and a second moving mechanism 73-2 that moves the moving base 63 of the second clamping part 62-2 in the first direction 212.

[0070] The second moving unit 72 is a unit in which the moving base 63 of the third clamping part 62-3 and the moving base 63 of the fourth clamping part 62-4 move along the second direction 213, thereby moving the moving base 63 of the third clamping part 62-3 and the moving base 63 of the fourth clamping part 62-4 in both directions away from and towards each other in the second direction 213. The second moving unit 72 may also be a unit in which the clamping member 64 of the third clamping part 62-3 and the clamping member 64 of the fourth clamping part 62-4 move in a manner that allows them to move closer together and further apart in the second direction 213, by moving the moving base 63 of the third clamping part 62-3 and the moving base 63 of the fourth clamping part 62-4 along the second direction 213. The second moving unit 72 includes a third moving mechanism 73-3 that moves the moving base 63 of the third clamping part 62-3 in the second direction 213, and a fourth moving mechanism 73-4 that moves the moving base 63 of the fourth clamping part 62-4 in the second direction 213.

[0071] Since the first moving mechanism 73-1, the second moving mechanism 73-2, the third moving mechanism 73-3, and the fourth moving mechanism 73-4 are substantially identical in configuration, the same symbols will be added to the same parts for description.

[0072] The first moving mechanism 73-1, the second moving mechanism 73-2, the third moving mechanism 73-3, and the fourth moving mechanism 73-4 each have: a motor that enables the moving base 63 of the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 to move in a first direction 212 or a second direction 213; and a ball screw that rotates around an axis by the motor and causes the moving base 63 to move in the first direction 212 or the second direction 213.

[0073] The first moving mechanism 73-1, the second moving mechanism 73-2, the third moving mechanism 73-3, and the fourth moving mechanism 73-4 expand the extension piece 201 held by the clamping parts 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 by moving the clamping parts 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 in directions away from each other.

[0074] The frame conveying unit is positioned above the sheet clamping unit 61 and holds the annular frame 210 on its lower surface. The frame conveying unit is vertically movable via a lifting unit and horizontally movable via a horizontal moving unit (not shown). The frame conveying unit positions the annular frame 210 at a position where the opening 211 of the annular frame 210, held on the lower surface, and the workpiece 200, attached to the extension sheet 201 placed on the cooled worktable 41, are vertically facing each other. Furthermore, the frame conveying unit can be lowered via the lifting unit to attach the annular frame 210 to the extension sheet 201.

[0075] The sheet cutting unit is a unit that cuts the extension sheet 201, which has been attached to the annular frame 210, along the annular frame 210. The sheet cutting unit cuts the extension sheet 201 between the inner and outer edges of the annular frame 210 after the annular frame 210 has been attached to the extension sheet 201.

[0076] The control unit 100 is a unit that controls the various components of the expansion device 1-2 and enables the expansion device 1-2 to perform actions such as attaching the workpiece 200 to the expansion piece 201, expanding the expansion piece 201, and attaching the annular frame 210 to the expansion piece 201. Furthermore, the control unit 100 is a computer having a processing unit, a memory unit, and an input / output interface. The processing unit has a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), and the memory unit has memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory). The processing unit of the control unit 100 performs calculations according to the computer program stored in the memory unit and outputs control signals for controlling the expansion device 1-2 to the various components of the expansion device 1-2 through the input / output interface.

[0077] Furthermore, the control unit 100 is connected to a display unit (not shown) and an input unit (not shown). The display unit is a liquid crystal display device or the like that that displays the status or images of the processing operation. The input unit is used when the operator enters processing information. The input unit is composed of at least one of an external input device such as a touch panel provided on the display unit and a keyboard.

[0078] The second embodiment of the expansion method involves expanding the workpiece 200 to which the modified layer 207 has been attached, thereby dividing the workpiece 200 into individual wafers 202. The second embodiment of the expansion method is implemented by the control unit 100 controlling each component of the expansion device 1-2, and similarly includes a holding step 1001, a sheet cooling step 1002, and a dividing step 1003, as in the first embodiment.

[0079] In the second embodiment, the holding step 1001 is a step in which the expansion piece 201 is clamped and held by the sheet clamping unit 61 of the expansion device 1-2. In the second embodiment, in the holding step 1001, the expansion piece 201 with attached DAF209 is placed on the abutment surface 42 of the cooling worktable 41, and the expansion device 1-2 clamps the expansion piece 201 placed on the abutment surface 42 of the cooling worktable 41 with the clamping parts 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 of the sheet clamping unit 61. In the second embodiment, in the holding step 1001, the workpiece transport unit attaches the workpiece 200 to the DAF209 of the expansion piece 201 that is clamped by the clamping parts 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 of the sheet clamping unit 61.

[0080] In the second embodiment, the sheet cooling step 1002 can be performed by abutting the extension sheet 201 against the contact surface 42 of the cooling worktable 41. In the second embodiment, in the sheet cooling step 1002, the extension device 1-2, as shown in FIG10, supplies power of a first voltage to the first Peltier element layer 46-1 via the polarity switching section 49-1 of one side of the power circuit 48, thereby cooling the first region 43 to a first temperature, and supplies power of a second voltage to the second Peltier element layer 46-2 via the polarity switching section 49-1 of one side of the power circuit 48, thereby cooling the second region 44 to a second temperature.

[0081] In the second embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, the extending device 1-2 sets the first region 43 of the contact surface 42 to a first temperature and the second region 44 to a second temperature. The region 217 of the extending sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61, where the workpiece 200 is attached, is cooled to the first temperature, and the region 218 between the region 217 of the extending sheet 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61, where the workpiece 200 is attached, and the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 are cooled to the second temperature. Thus, in the second embodiment, during the sheet cooling step 1002, the extension device 1-2 cools the area 217 of the extension piece 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 where the workpiece 200 is attached and the area 218 between the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 to a lower temperature than the area 217 of the extension piece 201 held by the sheet clamping unit 61 where the workpiece 200 is attached.

[0082] In the second embodiment, during the segmentation step 1003, the expansion device 1-2, in the state shown in FIG11, moves the first clamping part 62-1 and the second clamping part 62-2 in the first direction 212 away from each other by the first moving unit 71, thereby expanding the expansion piece 201 in the first direction 212. The second moving unit 72 moves the third clamping part 62-3 and the fourth clamping part 62-4 in the second direction 213 away from each other, thereby expanding the expansion piece 201 in the second direction 213.

[0083] In this way, during the division step 1003, due to the radial tensile force, the expansion piece 201 will be expanded further than the area 217 of the expansion piece 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached, and because the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. In the second embodiment, during the division step 1003, the workpiece 200, because it has a modified layer 207 formed along the predetermined division line 205, will be divided into individual devices 206 with the modified layer 207 as the fracture starting point, and will be individualized into individual wafers 202. Since the workpiece 200 fractures along the modified layer 207, the DAF 209 will also fracture along the modified layer 207.

[0084] After the segmentation step 1003, the expansion device 1-2 attaches the annular frame 210 to the expanded expansion piece 201 using a frame conveying unit, and cuts the annular frame 210 between the inner and outer edges of the expansion piece 201 using a sheet cutting unit, and removes the workpiece 200 according to each expansion piece 201 and annular frame 210. After the workpiece 200 is removed, as shown in FIG13, the polarity switching part 49-2 on the other side of the power supply circuit 48 supplies power to the first Peltier element layer 46-1 to heat the first region 43 to room temperature, and the polarity switching part 49-2 on the other side of the power supply circuit 48 supplies power to the second Peltier element layer 46-2 to heat the second region 44 to room temperature.

[0085] The second embodiment of the expansion device 1-2 includes a cooling unit 40. The cooling unit 40 cools the region 217 of the expansion piece 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached to to a first temperature, and cools the region 218 between the region 217 of the expansion piece 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached and the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 to a second temperature lower than the first temperature. Therefore, the second embodiment of the expansion device 1-2 can cool the region of the expansion piece 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached and the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, and 62-4 to a lower temperature than the region of the expansion piece 201 where the workpiece 200 is attached.

[0086] As a result, the expansion device 1-2 of the second embodiment will have the same effect as the first embodiment: the area 217 of the expansion piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached can be sufficiently expanded, and the possibility of undivided areas being generated in the workpiece 200 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0087] Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the expansion method, since the sheet cooling step 1002 is performed, which cools the area 217 of the expansion sheet 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached to a first temperature, and cools the area 218 between the area 217 of the expansion sheet 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached and the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, 62-4 to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, the following effect is achieved: the area of ​​the expansion sheet 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached can be sufficiently expanded, and the possibility of undivided areas being generated in the workpiece 200 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0088] [Variation Example] The extended device of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cooling workbench of the extended device of the second embodiment. Furthermore, in FIG14, the same reference numerals are added to the parts that are the same as those in the second embodiment, and the description is omitted.

[0089] The extension device 1-2 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment except that the configuration of the cooling worktable 41-1 is different. As shown in FIG14, the cooling worktable 41-1 of the extension device 1-2 of the second embodiment has only one Peltier element layer 46 disposed on the worktable base 45. The aforementioned Peltier element layer 46 has at least one Peltier element that can be powered by the power supply circuit 48, and the cooling plate 47 is constructed as a first cooling plate 47-1 and a second cooling plate 47-2.

[0090] The planar shape of the Peltier element layer 46 is the same as the planar shape of the cooling stage 41-1. The power supply circuit 48 also has a pair of polarity switching sections 49-1 and 49-2, just like in the second embodiment.

[0091] The first cooling plate 47-1 has an upper surface of region 43 and is made of resin. The second cooling plate 47-2 has an upper surface of region 44 and is made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the material constituting the first cooling plate 47-1, namely resin (i.e., easier to conduct heat), namely metal.

[0092] When the power supply circuit 48 supplies power from the DC power supply 50 of the polarity switching section 49-1 on one side to the Peltier element layer 46, the cooling worktable 41-1 will cool the contact surface 42, i.e., areas 43 and 44, to a lower temperature than normal. When the power supply circuit 48 supplies power from the DC power supply 50 of the polarity switching section 49-2 on the other side to the Peltier element layer 46, the contact surface 42, i.e., areas 43 and 44, will be heated to a higher temperature than normal.

[0093] Furthermore, when the power supply circuit 48 supplies power from the DC power supply 50 of the polarity switching section 49-1 on one side to the Peltier element layer 46, the cooling stage 41-1 will cool the first region 43 to a first temperature and the second region 44 to a second temperature. In this way, the first region 43 of the contact surface 42 of the cooling stage 41-1 shown in FIG. 14 can be set to the first temperature, and the second region 44 can be set to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

[0094] The modified extension device 1-2, having a cooling unit 40, cools the area 217 of the extension piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached to to a first temperature, and cools the area 217 of the extension piece 201 to a second temperature lower than the first temperature between the area 217 of the extension piece 201 to which the workpiece 200 is attached and the clamping portions 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, 62-4, to a second temperature lower than the first temperature. Therefore, it can achieve the same effect as the second embodiment: the possibility of creating an indivisible area on the workpiece 200 can be suppressed to a lower level.

[0095] Furthermore, in this invention, the cooling workbench 41-1 of the modified example may also have the same cooling plate 47 as the second embodiment, and is configured such that: a heat insulation material is provided between the cooling plate 47 in the first region 43 and the Peltier element layer 46, and no heat insulation material is provided between the cooling plate 47 in the second region 44 and the Peltier element layer 46.

[0096] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the essential points of the present invention. In the aforementioned embodiments, although the workpiece 200 with DAF 209 attached to the back surface 208 or the workpiece 200 with a metal film 214 formed on the back surface 208 is divided into individual wafers 202, it is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may also pre-divide the workpiece 200 already attached to the extension sheet 201 into individual wafers 202 and attach DAF 209 to the back surface 208, and then expand the extension sheet 201 to divide the DAF 209 into each wafer 202.

[0097] 1,1-2: Extended device 10,60: Expansion Unit (Expansion Mechanism) 11:Abutment 12: Holding unit 13: Expanding cylinder 14: Lifting Unit 15: Frame retaining components 16: Fixture 17: Placement Surface 18: Cylinder 19: Piston rod 20, 40: Cooling unit 21: First cooling air ejector hole 22: Second cooling air ejector hole 23, 24: Cooling air 30,100: Control Unit 31: Fixed base 41,41-1: Cooling workbench 42: Contact surface 43: Area 1 44: Area 2 45: Workbench base 46: Peltier element layer 46-1: First Peltier element layer 46-2: Second Peltier element layer 47: Cooling plate 47-1: First Cooling Plate 47-2: Second Cooling Plate 48: Power supply circuit 49-1, 49-2: Polarity switching section 50: DC power supply 51: Switch 61: Sheet clamping unit 62-1: First clamping part 62-2: Second clamping part 62-3: Third clamping part 62-4: Fourth clamping part 63: Mobile base station 64: Clamping components 65: Mobile mechanism 66: Support arm 70: Moving Unit 71: First moving unit 72: Second moving unit 73-1: First Moving Mechanism 73-2: Second moving mechanism 73-3: Third moving mechanism 73-4: Fourth moving mechanism 200: Workpiece 201: Extended Sheet (Sheet Material) 202: Chip 203:Substrate 204: Front 205: Pre-defined dividing line 206: Devices 207: Modified layer (segmentation starting point) 208: Back 209:DAF 210: Circular frame 211: Opening 212: Direction 1 213: Second Direction 214:Metal film 215, 218: Areas (areas where no workpiece is attached) 216, 217: Area (the area where the workpiece is attached) 1001: Maintain the steps 1002: Sheet Cooling Steps 1003: Segmentation Steps

Claims

1. An expansion device for expanding a sheet of workpiece to which a dividing point has been formed, thereby dividing the workpiece, wherein the workpiece is supported by the sheet on the inside of an annular frame, and the outer edge of the sheet is mounted on the annular frame, the expansion device comprising: a frame holding unit having a frame holding member on its upper surface for mounting the annular frame; an expansion mechanism for expanding the sheet; and a cooling unit for cooling the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached to it to a lower temperature than the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is attached. The cooling unit is a disc-shaped device with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the frame holding member. It is positioned above the workpiece, which is held in place by the ring frame holding member, and is spaced apart from the workpiece. It has a first cooling air nozzle and a second cooling air nozzle. The first cooling air nozzle faces the workpiece attached to the sheet and sprays cooling air at a first temperature lower than room temperature toward the workpiece. The second cooling air nozzle faces the area of ​​the sheet where the workpiece is not attached and sprays cooling air at a second temperature lower than the first temperature toward the area of ​​the sheet where the workpiece is not attached.

2. An expansion device for expanding a sheet of workpiece to which a dividing point has been formed to divide the workpiece, the expansion device comprising: an expansion mechanism for expanding the sheet; and a cooling unit for cooling the area of ​​the sheet where the workpiece is not attached to it to a lower temperature than the area of ​​the sheet where the workpiece is attached, the expansion mechanism comprising: a sheet clamping unit having a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion that clamp the sheet in a first direction facing each other across the workpiece and respectively, and a third clamping portion and a fourth clamping portion that clamp the sheet in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and facing each other across the workpiece and respectively; a first moving unit for moving the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion in the first direction in a direction away from each other; and a second moving unit for moving the third clamping portion and the fourth clamping portion in the second direction in a direction away from each other, the cooling unit comprising: A cooling worktable has an abutting surface that abuts against the sheet held by the sheet clamping unit and cools the sheet. The abutting surface is composed of a first region and a second region. The first region corresponds to the region where the workpiece is attached, and the second region is the region surrounding the first region and corresponding to the region between the workpiece and the first, second, third, and fourth clamping parts. The cooling worktable has a first Peltier element layer and a second Peltier element layer. The first Peltier element layer overlaps the first region, and the second Peltier element layer overlaps the second region and is independently powered. Power of a first voltage is supplied to the first Peltier element layer, and the first region is set to a first temperature. Power of a second voltage higher than the first voltage is supplied to the second Peltier element layer, and the second region is set to a second temperature lower than the first temperature.

3. An expansion method for dividing a workpiece to be divided by expanding a sheet to which a dividing point has been formed, wherein the workpiece is supported by the sheet on the inside of an annular frame, and the outer edge of the sheet is mounted on the annular frame, the expansion method comprising the steps of: a sheet cooling step, wherein an area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached is cooled to a lower temperature than an area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is attached; and a dividing step, wherein after performing the sheet cooling step, the sheet is expanded to divide the workpiece. In the sheet cooling step, cooling air at a first temperature lower than room temperature is sprayed from the first cooling air nozzle of the cooling unit toward the workpiece, and cooling air at a second temperature lower than the first temperature is sprayed from the second cooling air nozzle of the cooling unit toward the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached. The cooling unit is a disc-shaped unit with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the frame holding member on the upper surface for mounting the annular frame. It is positioned above the workpiece in the state where the annular frame is held and is arranged opposite to the workpiece with a gap. The first cooling air nozzle faces the workpiece attached to the sheet, and the second cooling air nozzle faces the area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached.

4. An expansion method for dividing a sheet of workpiece to which a dividing point has been formed by expanding the sheet, the expansion method comprising the following steps: a sheet cooling step, wherein an area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is not attached is cooled to a lower temperature than an area of ​​the sheet to which the workpiece is attached; and a dividing step, wherein, after performing the sheet cooling step, the sheet is expanded to divide the workpiece, the sheet cooling step being performed by bringing a cooling worktable against the sheet, the cooling worktable having a contact surface formed by a first region and a second region, the first region being a region corresponding to the region to which the workpiece is attached, and the second region being a region surrounding the first region and corresponding to the region between the workpiece and the first, second, third, and fourth clamping portions. The cooling workbench has a first Peltier element layer and a second Peltier element layer. The first Peltier element layer overlaps the first region, and the second Peltier element layer overlaps the second region and is independently powered. Power of a first voltage is supplied to the first Peltier element layer, and the first region is set to a first temperature. Power of a second voltage higher than the first voltage is supplied to the second Peltier element layer, and the second region is set to a second temperature lower than the first temperature. In the splitting step, the first clamping part and the second clamping part, which are facing each other and clamping the sheet in the first direction with respect to the workpiece, are moved away from each other in the first direction. The third clamping part and the fourth clamping part, which are facing each other and clamping the sheet in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the workpiece, are moved away from each other in the second direction, thereby expanding the sheet.

Images