Processing method of workpiece

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a processing method for a workpiece that reliably peels off a sheet fixed to the workpiece by thermoforming. [Solution] A processing method for a workpiece includes: a thermoforming step in which a first sheet made of thermoplastic resin is disposed on the front side of the workpiece and heated to thermoform the first sheet to the front side of the workpiece; a processing step in which the workpiece and the first sheet are processed together; and a peeling step in which a second sheet made of thermoplastic resin is disposed on the processed first sheet and heated to thermoform the second sheet to the first sheet, and then the first sheet is peeled off from the workpiece by moving the second sheet.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of processing a workpiece such as a wafer.

Prior technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of a device wafer, a wafer in which devices are formed in a plurality of regions divided by a plurality of dicing lanes (planned dividing lines) arranged in a grid is used. By dividing this wafer along dicing lines, a plurality of element wafers each having an element can be obtained. Component chips are installed in various electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers.

[0003] A dicing device can be used for dividing a wafer. The cutting device includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece and a cutting unit for cutting the workpiece, and an annular cutting blade is installed in the cutting unit. The wafer is diced and divided by holding the wafer on the chuck table and cutting the dicing blade into the wafer while rotating.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, the development of a process for dividing a wafer by laser processing using a laser processing device is also progressing. The laser processing device includes a chuck table holding a workpiece and a laser irradiation unit for irradiating a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength. By holding the wafer on the chuck table and irradiating the wafer with a laser beam from the laser irradiation unit, ablation processing and the like are performed on the wafer, and the wafer is divided.

[0005] When a wafer is processed by a processing device such as a dicing device or a laser processing device, chips (processing chips) generated by processing the wafer are scattered. For example, if a wafer is diced by a dicing device, dicing debris of the wafer will be generated in the contact area between the wafer and the dicing blade. In addition, if laser processing is performed on a wafer with a laser processing device, molten matter (fragments) will be generated in a region of the wafer irradiated with a laser beam. If processing waste such as dicing chips and chips is scattered, there is a possibility that the front side of the wafer (the surface side on which components are formed) will be contaminated by the processing waste.

[0006] Therefore, when processing the wafer with a processing device, a protective film (adhesive film) is attached to the front side of the wafer (see Patent Document 1). The protective adhesive film includes a base material and an adhesive coated on the front side of the base material, and the adhesive side is attached in a manner of contacting the front side of the wafer. Then, the workpiece is processed together with the protective film while the front side is covered with the protective film. This prevents processing chips from adhering to the front side of the wafer.

[0007] The protective film is peeled off and removed from the workpiece after the workpiece is processed. At this time, part of the adhesive may remain on the front side of the wafer, and the adhesive residue may contaminate the front side of the wafer. Therefore, a processing method using adhesive-free thermocompression bonding sheets instead of protective adhesive films has been proposed (see Patent Document 2). If a thermocompression bonding sheet is used, even if the thermocompression bonding sheet is peeled off after processing the wafer, the adhesive will not remain on the wafer, so contamination caused by adhesive residue can be avoided. [Known technical documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-134390 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-77812

Content of invention

[0010] However, if the sheet is thermocompression-bonded to the workpiece, the softened sheet will deform along the shape of the front side of the workpiece and firmly adhere to the workpiece. Therefore, even if the peeling tape is attached to a sheet and the sheet is peeled off from the workpiece, the bonding between the workpiece and the sheet may be stronger than the bonding between the sheet and the peeling tape, and the film may be peeled off in the middle of peeling. Separate from the flakes. That is, if the sheet is thermocompression-bonded to the workpiece, there is a problem that it is difficult to peel the sheet from the processed workpiece. The present invention was made in view of this problem, and its object is to provide a processing method that can reliably peel off a workpiece from a sheet fixed to the workpiece by thermocompression bonding. [Technical Means for Solving the Problems] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing method of a workpiece, which processes the workpiece and includes a thermocompression bonding step by using a thermoplastic resin. The first sheet is arranged on the front side of the workpiece and heated, so that the first sheet is thermocompression bonded to the front side of the workpiece; the processing step is to combine the workpiece and the first sheet Processing; and a peeling step, by arranging a second sheet made of thermoplastic resin on the processed first sheet and heating it, so that the second sheet is thermocompression bonded to the first sheet, by The second sheet is moved to peel the first sheet from the workpiece.

[0013] In addition, preferably, in the processing step, by cutting the cutting blade into the workpiece and the first sheet, or by irradiating the laser beam to the workpiece and the first sheet, or by cutting the workpiece and the first sheet. Gas in a plasma state is supplied to the workpiece and the first sheet, and the workpiece and the first sheet are processed together.

[0014] Furthermore, preferably, the processing method of the workpiece further includes a step of arranging a support member before the processing step, and the step of arranging the support member is to arrange the support member on the back side of the workpiece. Furthermore, preferably, the processing method of the workpiece further includes an integration step before the peeling step, and the integration step is to heat and melt the processed first sheet so as to make the processed first sheet First sheet integration.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferable that an element is formed on the front side of the workpiece. [Effects of the Invention] In a method for processing a workpiece according to one aspect of the present invention, after the second sheet is thermocompression-bonded to the processed first sheet, the second sheet is moved from the processed object to the processed object. The object peels off the first thin slice. Thereby, it is possible to peel the first sheet while the adhesion between the first sheet and the second sheet is high, and to prevent the first sheet and the second sheet from being separated during peeling. As a result, the first sheet firmly fixed to the workpiece by thermocompression bonding can be reliably peeled off.

Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a structural example of a workpiece that can be processed by the workpiece processing method of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a workpiece 11 .

[0019] For example, the workpiece 11 is a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor material such as single crystal silicon, and includes a front side (first side) 11a and a back side (second side) 11b substantially parallel to each other. The workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of rectangular areas by cutting lanes (planned dividing lines) 13 arranged in a grid shape so as to cross each other. In addition, IC (Integrated Circuit, integrated circuit), LSI (Large Scale Integration, large scale integrated circuit), LED (Light Emitting Diode, light-emitting Diode), MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) components and other components 15.

[0020] However, the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 11 are not limited. For example, the workpiece 11 may be a wafer (substrate) made of semiconductors other than silicon (GaAs, InP, GaN, SiC, etc.), sapphire, glass, ceramics, resin, metal, and the like. Furthermore, the type, quantity, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of the components 15 are not limited.

[0021] By dividing the workpiece 11 along the dicing lanes 13, component wafers each having the components 15 are manufactured. In addition, a structure such as a TEG (Test Element Group) for inspecting the element 15 may be provided on the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 . Furthermore, the workpiece 11 may be provided with an electrode (through-hole electrode) penetrating the workpiece 11 in the thickness direction.

[0022] For example, the workpiece 11 is processed by using a processing device such as a dicing device, a laser processing device, or a plasma processing device, and divided into a plurality of element wafers. Hereinafter, a specific example of the processing method of the workpiece 11 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing method of the workpiece 11 .

[0023] First, a thermocompression bonding step (step S1) of thermocompression bonding a first sheet made of thermoplastic resin to the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 is performed. 3(A) and 3(B) show the workpiece 11 in the thermocompression bonding step. In the thermocompression bonding step, a sheet (thermocompression bonding sheet, first sheet) 17 is thermocompression bonded to the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 .

[0024] FIG. 3(A) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 on which the sheet 17 is disposed. The sheet 17 is a sheet capable of thermocompression bonding to the workpiece 11 . Specifically, the sheet 17 is made of a thermoplastic resin with a lower melting point than the workpiece 11 and does not contain an adhesive (paste layer).

[0025] As the sheet 17, for example, an olefin-based sheet, a styrene-based sheet, a polyester-based sheet, or the like can be used. Examples of olefin-based sheets include polyethylene sheets, polypropylene sheets, and the like. As an example of a styrene-type sheet, a polystyrene sheet etc. are mentioned. Examples of polyester-based sheets include polyethylene terephthalate sheets, polyethylene naphthalate sheets, and the like.

[0026] The shape and size of the sheet 17 are set so that the entirety of the surface side (the front side 11a side) of the workpiece 11 on which the sheet 17 is fixed can be covered by the sheet 17 . For example, the sheet 17 is formed in a circular shape, and the diameter of the sheet 17 is equal to or greater than the diameter of the workpiece 11 . Furthermore, the sheet 17 is disposed so as to cover the entire front 11 a side of the workpiece 11 . Thereby, the plurality of elements 15 are covered and protected by the sheet 17 .

[0027] FIG. 3(B) is a perspective view of the processed object 11 with the thin sheet 17 bonded by thermocompression. The sheet 17 disposed on the front 11 a side of the workpiece 11 is heated and bonded to the workpiece 11 by thermocompression. For example, the sheet 17 is heated and pressed by the heating unit 2 .

[0028] The heating unit 2 includes: a chuck table (not shown) that supports the workpiece 11; and a heatable roller (heating roller) 4. The roller 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a height equal to or greater than the diameter of the workpiece 11 and has a heat source inside. When the workpiece 11 is held by the chuck table, and the roller 4 heated to a predetermined temperature is brought into contact with the sheet 17 and rotates on the sheet 17, the sheet 17 is pushed against the surface of the workpiece 11 while being heated. Front side 11a.

[0029] The sheet 17 is heated until the temperature of the sheet 17 becomes above the softening point of the sheet 17 and below the melting point of the sheet 17. However, sometimes the flakes 17 do not have a definite softening point. In this case, the sheet 17 is heated until the temperature of the sheet 17 becomes a predetermined temperature (for example, 20° C.) lower than the melting point of the sheet 17 or higher and not higher than the melting point of the sheet 17 .

[0030] For example, in the case where the sheet 17 is a polyethylene sheet, the heating temperature can be set to be above 120°C and below 140°C, and if the sheet 17 is a polypropylene sheet, the heating temperature can be set to be above 160°C and below 180°C. below ℃. Furthermore, when the sheet 17 is a polystyrene sheet, the heating temperature can be set to 220°C or more and 240°C or less. Furthermore, in the case where the sheet 17 is a polyethylene terephthalate sheet, the heating temperature can be set at 250° C. to 270° C., and in the case of the polyethylene naphthalate sheet 17, the heating temperature Can be set to 160℃ or above and 180℃ or below.

[0031] When the sheet 17 is pushed against the workpiece 11 while being heated, the sheet 17 softens and deforms along the shape of the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11, and is in close contact with the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11. . Thereby, the sheet 17 is thermocompression bonded and fixed to the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11.

[0032] In addition, the method of heating and pressing the sheet 17 is not limited. For example, a plate-shaped pressing member (plate) having a heat source inside may be used instead of the roller 4 . In this case, by pushing the pressing member heated to a predetermined temperature against the sheet 17, the sheet 17 is pushed against the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 while being heated.

[0033] Next, a support member arrangement step (step S2) is performed in which the support member is arranged on the back surface 11b side of the workpiece 11. FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 and the support member 19 in the support member arrangement step.

[0034] The support member 19 is a member that supports the back surface 11b side of the workpiece 11, and includes, for example, an annular frame 21 and a circular rubber film 23. The frame 21 is made of metal such as SUS (stainless steel), and is provided with a cylindrical opening 21 a in the center of the frame 21 that penetrates the frame 21 in the thickness direction. The diameter of the opening 21a is larger than the diameter of the workpiece 11.

[0035] The adhesive film 23 includes: a film-like base material, which is formed into a circular shape; and an adhesive (paste layer), which is provided on the base material. For example, the base material is made of polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate and other resins. Furthermore, the adhesive is made of an epoxy-based, acrylic-based or rubber-based adhesive. In addition, the adhesive may be an ultraviolet curable resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays.

[0036] With the processed object 11 disposed inside the opening 21a of the frame 21, the central portion of the adhesive film 23 is attached to the back side 11b side of the processed object 11, and the outer peripheral portion of the adhesive film 23 is attached to the Frame 21. Thereby, the workpiece 11 is supported by the frame 21 through the adhesive film 23 .

[0037] FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 and the support member 19 after the support member arrangement step. When the workpiece 11 is processed by the processing apparatus, the workpiece 11 is supported by the supporting member 19 in order to facilitate handling (transportation, holding, etc.) of the workpiece 11 . However, when the workpiece 11 can be processed independently without supporting the support member 19, the support member arrangement step may be omitted.

[0038] Next, a processing step (step S3) is performed in which the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are processed together. For example, in the processing step, the object 11 is divided by cutting the object 11 along the cutting path 13 (see FIG. 1 and the like) using a cutting device.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cutting device 10. In addition, in FIG. 5 , the X 1-axis direction (machining feed direction, first horizontal direction) and the Y 1-axis direction (index feed direction, second horizontal direction) are directions perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the Z 1 -axis direction (vertical direction, up-and-down direction, height direction) is a direction perpendicular to the X 1 -axis direction and the Y 1 -axis direction.

[0040] The cutting device 10 is provided with a chuck table (holding table) 12 that holds the workpiece 11. The upper surface of the chuck table 12 is a flat surface substantially parallel to the horizontal plane (X 1 Y 1 plane), and constitutes a circular holding surface for holding the workpiece 11 . The holding surface of the chuck table 12 is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as an ejector through a flow path (not shown), a valve (not shown), and the like formed inside the chuck table 12 .

[0041] The chuck table 12 is connected to a ball screw type moving mechanism (not shown) and a rotational drive source (not shown) such as a motor. The moving mechanism moves the chuck table 12 along the X1 axis direction. The rotation drive source rotates the chuck table 12 around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z 1 -axis direction.

[0042] Furthermore, the cutting device 10 includes a cutting unit 14 arranged above the chuck table 12. The cutting unit 14 is provided with a cylindrical housing 16 , and a cylindrical main shaft (not shown) arranged along the Y 1 -axis direction is accommodated in the housing 16 . The front end (one end) of the main shaft is exposed outside the housing 16 , and a rotational drive source (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the base end (the other end) of the main shaft.

[0043] The annular cutting blade 18 is installed on the front end of the spindle. The cutting blade 18 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Y1-axis direction by power transmitted from a rotation drive source through the main shaft.

[0044] As the cutting blade 18, for example, a hub-type cutting blade (hub-type blade) is used. The hub-type blade has an annular abutment made of metal, and an annular cutting blade formed along the outer periphery of the abutment. The cutting edge of the hub-type blade is formed by an electroformed grindstone, and the electroformed grindstone includes a bonding material such as abrasive grains made of diamond and a nickel-plated layer that fixes the abrasive grains. Furthermore, a washer-type cutting blade (washer-type blade) may be used as the cutting blade 18 . The washer-type blade is constituted only by a ring-shaped cutting blade including abrasive grains made of diamond, etc., and a bond material made of metal, ceramics, resin, etc., which fixes the abrasive grains.

[0045] The cutting blade 18 installed on the cutting unit 14 is covered by a blade cover 20, which is fixed to the front end of the housing 16. The blade cover 20 includes a pair of connection parts 22 connected to a pipe (not shown) that supplies liquid (cutting fluid) such as pure water, and a pair of nozzles 24 connected to the pair of connection parts 22 . The pair of nozzles 24 is disposed so as to sandwich the cutting blade 18 on both sides (front and rear sides) of the lower end portion of the cutting blade 18 . Furthermore, the pair of nozzles 24 are each formed with a supply port (not shown) opening toward the cutting blade 18 .

[0046] When the cutting fluid is supplied to the pair of connection parts 22, the cutting fluid flows into the pair of nozzles 24, and the cutting fluid is supplied from the supply port of the nozzle 24 toward both surfaces (front and back) of the cutting blade 18. This cutting fluid cools the workpiece 11 and the cutting blade 18 and washes away chips (cutting chips) generated by the cutting process.

[0047] The cutting unit 14 is connected to a ball screw-type moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the cutting unit 14 along the Y 1 -axis direction and the Z 1 -axis direction. The position of the cutting blade 18 in the indexing feed direction, the cutting depth of the cutting blade 18 into the workpiece 11, etc. are adjusted by the moving mechanism.

[0048] When cutting the workpiece 11 with the cutting device 10, first, the workpiece 11 is placed on the chuck table 12 through the adhesive film 23. At this time, the workpiece 11 is arranged so that the front surface 11 a side (the sheet 17 side) faces upward and the back surface 11 b side (the adhesive film 23 side) faces the holding surface of the chuck table 12 . In this state, if the suction force (negative pressure) of the suction source acts on the holding surface of the chuck table 12 , the workpiece 11 will be sucked and held by the chuck table 12 through the adhesive film 23 .

[0049] Next, the chuck table 12 is rotated so that the length direction of the predetermined cutting path 13 (see FIG. 1) is aligned with the X1 axis direction. Furthermore, the position of the cutting unit 14 in the Y 1 -axis direction is adjusted so that the cutting blade 18 is arranged on the extension line of the predetermined cutting path 13 . Furthermore, the height of the cutting unit 14 (position in the Z 1 -axis direction) is adjusted so that the lower end of the cutting blade 18 is disposed below the back surface 11 b of the workpiece 11 (the upper surface of the adhesive film 23 ).

[0050] Then, while rotating the cutting blade 18, the chuck table 12 is moved in the X1-axis direction. Thereby, the chuck table 12 and the cutting blade 18 move relatively along the X 1 -axis direction, and the cutting blade 18 cuts into the workpiece 11 along the cutting path 13 . As a result, the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are cut and divided along the cutting path 13 . Furthermore, in the area of ​​the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 cut by the cutting blade 18 , a groove (cutting groove) 25 is formed along the cutting path 13 from the upper surface of the sheet 17 to the back surface 11 b of the workpiece 11 .

[0051] Thereafter, by repeating the same procedure, the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are cut along all the cutting paths 13 to form the grooves 25 . As a result, the workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of element wafers, each of which has an element 15 (see FIG. 1 etc.) and a single body of the sheet 17 attached thereto.

[0052] When the workpiece 11 is cut with the cutting blade 18, cutting chips are generated in the contact area between the workpiece 11 and the cutting blade 18, and the cutting chips are caught in the rotation of the cutting blade 18 and scattered. However, since the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 is covered with the sheet 17 , cutting chips do not adhere to the front surface 11 a of the workpiece 11 or the component 15 . Thereby, contamination of the workpiece 11 and the component 15 caused by cutting chips can be avoided.

[0053] In addition, in the processing step, a laser processing device may also be used to divide the workpiece 11 along the cutting path 13 (see FIG. 1 and so on). FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the laser processing device 30. In FIG. 6 , the X 2-axis direction (processing feed direction, first horizontal direction) and the Y 2-axis direction (indexing feed direction, second horizontal direction) are mutually perpendicular directions. Furthermore, the Z 2-axis direction (vertical direction, up-and-down direction, and height direction) is a direction perpendicular to the X 2-axis direction and the Y 2-axis direction.

[0054] The laser processing device 30 is provided with a chuck table (holding table) 32 that holds the workpiece 11. The structure and function of the chuck table 32 are the same as those of the chuck table 12 of the cutting device 10 (see FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, a ball screw type moving mechanism (not shown) and a rotational drive source (not shown) such as a motor are connected to the chuck table 32 . The moving mechanism moves the chuck table 32 along the X 2-axis direction and the Y 2-axis direction. The rotation drive source rotates the chuck table 32 around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z2-axis direction.

[0055] Furthermore, the laser processing device 30 includes a laser irradiation unit 34 that irradiates a laser beam. The laser irradiation unit 34 includes a laser oscillator (not shown) such as a YAG laser, a YVO 4 laser, and a YLF laser, and a laser processing head 36 disposed above the chuck table 32 . The laser processing head 36 houses an optical system that guides the pulsed oscillation laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator toward the workpiece 11 . The optical system includes a condenser lens that condenses the laser beam, etc. Optical element. Laser processing is applied to the workpiece 11 by the laser beam 38 irradiated from the laser irradiation unit 34 .

[0056] When processing the workpiece 11 with the laser processing device 30, first, the workpiece 11 is placed on the chuck table 32 through the adhesive film 23. At this time, the workpiece 11 is arranged so that the front surface 11 a side (the sheet 17 side) faces upward and the back surface 11 b side (the adhesive film 23 side) faces the holding surface of the chuck table 32 . In this state, if the suction force (negative pressure) of the suction source acts on the holding surface of the chuck table 32 , the workpiece 11 will be sucked and held by the chuck table 32 through the adhesive film 23 .

[0057] Next, the chuck table 32 is rotated so that the length direction of the predetermined cutting path 13 (see FIG. 1) is aligned with the X2-axis direction. Then, the position of the chuck table 32 in the Y 2 -axis direction is adjusted so that the area irradiated with the laser beam 38 overlaps with the extension line of the predetermined cutting lane 13 . Furthermore, the optical system of the laser irradiation unit 34 is adjusted so that the focusing point of the laser beam 38 is positioned at the same height (position in the Z 2 -axis direction) as the front surface 11 a or the inside of the workpiece 11 .

[0058] Then, while irradiating the laser beam 38 from the laser processing head 36, the chuck table 32 is moved in the X2-axis direction. Thereby, the chuck table 32 and the laser beam 38 relatively move along the X 2 -axis direction, and the laser beam 38 irradiates the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 along the cutting path 13 .

[0059] In addition, the irradiation conditions of the laser beam 38 are set to perform ablation processing on the workpiece 11, for example. Specifically, the wavelength of the laser beam 38 is set so that at least a part of the laser beam 38 is absorbed by the workpiece 11 . That is, the laser beam 38 is a laser beam that has absorptive properties for the object 11 to be processed. In addition, other irradiation conditions of the laser beam 38 are also set appropriately so that the ablation process can be appropriately performed on the workpiece 11 . For example, when the workpiece 11 is a single crystal silicon wafer, the irradiation conditions of the laser beam 38 can be set as follows. Wavelength: 355nm Average output: 2W Repetition frequency: 200kHz Processing feed speed: 400mm / s

[0060] When the laser beam 38 is irradiated to the workpiece 11 along the cutting path 13, the area (processed area) in the workpiece 11 to which the laser beam 38 is irradiated is removed by ablation. In addition, the area of ​​the sheet 17 that overlaps with the processed area of ​​the workpiece 11 is also broken due to the irradiation of the laser beam 38, the collision of flying objects generated by the ablation of the workpiece 11, and the like. As a result, the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are divided along the cutting path 13 . Furthermore, in the area processed by the laser beam 38 among the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17, a groove (laser processing groove) from the upper surface of the sheet 17 to the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is formed along the cutting path 13 )27.

[0061] Thereafter, by repeating the same procedure, the laser beam 38 is irradiated along all the cutting lanes 13 to form the grooves 27. As a result, the workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of element wafers, each of which has an element 15 (see FIG. 1 etc.) and a single body of the sheet 17 attached thereto. In addition, when it is difficult to divide the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 by scanning the laser beam 38 once, the laser beam 38 may be irradiated multiple times along each cutting lane 13 .

[0062] When ablation processing is performed on the workpiece 11, melts (fragments) of the workpiece 11 are generated and scattered. However, since the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 is covered with the sheet 17 , debris does not adhere to the front surface 11 a of the workpiece 11 or the component 15 . Thereby, contamination of the workpiece 11 and the component 15 caused by debris can be avoided.

[0063] In addition, in the processing step, the workpiece 11 may also be subjected to plasma treatment. For example, by performing plasma etching on the workpiece 11 using a plasma processing device, the workpiece 11 is divided (plasma cut) along the cutting path 13 (see FIG. 1 and the like).

[0064] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the plasma processing apparatus (plasma etching apparatus) 40. The plasma processing device 40 includes a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped chamber 42 . The chamber 42 includes a bottom wall 42a, an upper wall 42b, a first side wall 42c, a second side wall 42d, a third side wall 42e, and a fourth side wall (not shown). The interior of the chamber 42 corresponds to the processing space 44 where plasma processing is performed.

[0065] The second side wall 42d is provided with an opening 46 for loading and unloading the workpiece 11. A gate (opening and closing door) 48 for opening and closing the opening 46 is provided outside the opening 46 . The gate 48 is connected to the switch mechanism 50 , and the switch mechanism 50 moves the gate 48 in the vertical direction (up and down direction). For example, the switch mechanism 50 is composed of a cylinder 52 including a piston rod 54. The cylinder 52 is fixed to the bottom wall 42a of the chamber 42 through the bracket 56, and the upper end of the piston rod 54 is connected to the gate 48.

[0066] If the gate 48 is lowered by the switch mechanism 50, the opening 46 will be exposed. Thereby, the workpiece 11 can be carried into the processing space 44 through the opening 46 , or the workpiece 11 can be carried out from the processing space 44 through the opening 46 .

[0067] The bottom wall 42a of the chamber 42 is formed with an exhaust port 58 that connects the inside of the chamber 42 with the outside. An exhaust mechanism 60 for depressurizing the processing space 44 is connected to the exhaust port 58 . The exhaust mechanism 60 is composed of a vacuum pump, for example.

[0068] In the processing space 44, the lower electrode 62 and the upper electrode 64 are arranged to face each other. The lower electrode 62 is made of a conductive material and includes a disc-shaped holding part 66 and a cylindrical supporting part 68 protruding downward from the center part of the lower surface of the holding part 66 .

[0069] The support portion 68 is inserted into the opening 70 formed in the bottom wall 42a of the chamber 42. An annular insulating member 72 is arranged between the bottom wall 42 a and the support portion 68 in the opening 70 , and the chamber 42 and the lower electrode 62 are insulated by the insulating member 72 . Furthermore, the lower electrode 62 is connected to the high-frequency power supply 74 outside the chamber 42 .

[0070] A recessed portion is formed on the upper surface side of the holding portion 66, and a disc-shaped table 76 for holding the workpiece 11 is provided in the recessed portion. The upper surface of the table 76 forms a flat holding surface 76a for holding the workpiece 11. The holding surface 76 a is connected to a suction source 80 such as an injector through a flow path (not shown) formed inside the table 76 and a flow path 78 formed inside the lower electrode 62 .

[0071] Furthermore, a cooling flow path 82 is formed inside the holding portion 66. One end side of the cooling flow path 82 is connected to the refrigerant circulation mechanism 86 through the refrigerant introduction path 84 formed in the support portion 68 . Furthermore, the other end side of the cooling flow path 82 is connected to the refrigerant circulation mechanism 86 through the refrigerant discharge path 88 formed in the support portion 68 . When the refrigerant circulation mechanism 86 is operated, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant introduction path 84 , the cooling flow path 82 , and the refrigerant discharge path 88 in sequence, thereby cooling the lower electrode 62 .

[0072] The upper electrode 64 is made of a conductive material and includes: a disc-shaped gas ejection part 90; and a cylindrical support part 92, which is directed from the center of the upper surface of the gas ejection part 90 toward Protruding above. The support portion 92 is inserted into the opening 94 formed in the upper wall 42b of the chamber 42. An annular insulating member 96 is arranged between the upper wall 42b and the support portion 92 in the opening 94, and the chamber 42 and the upper electrode 64 are insulated by the insulating member 96. Furthermore, the upper electrode 64 is connected to the high-frequency power supply 98 outside the chamber 42 .

[0073] A support arm 102 connected to the lifting mechanism 100 is installed on the upper end of the support portion 92. When the support arm 102 is raised and lowered by the raising and lowering mechanism 100, the upper electrode 64 moves (raises and lowers) in the vertical direction (up and down direction).

[0074] A plurality of ejection ports 104 are provided on the lower surface side of the gas ejection part 90. The ejection port 104 is connected to the first gas supply source 110 and the second gas supply source 112 through the flow path 106 formed inside the gas ejection part 90 and the flow path 108 formed inside the support part 92 . The first gas supply source 110 and the second gas supply source 112 may supply gases with different compositions to the flow path 108 .

[0075] Each component of the plasma processing apparatus 40 (switching mechanism 50, exhaust mechanism 60, high-frequency power supply 74, suction source 80, refrigerant circulation mechanism 86, high-frequency power supply 98, lifting mechanism 100, first gas supply source 110, the second gas supply source 112, etc.) are connected to the control unit (control unit, control device) 114 that controls the plasma processing device 40. The control unit 114 generates a control signal that controls the operation of each component of the plasma processing device 40 .

[0076] For example, the control unit 114 is composed of a computer and includes: a calculation unit that performs calculations required for the operation of the plasma processing device 40; and a memory unit that memorizes data used for the operation of the plasma processing device 40. Various information (data, programs, etc.). The calculation unit is composed of processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Furthermore, the memory unit is composed of memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0077] When the plasma processing device 40 performs plasma etching on the workpiece 11, first, the shutter 48 of the plasma processing device 40 is lowered using the switch mechanism 50 to expose the opening 46. Then, the workpiece 11 is carried into the processing space 44 of the chamber 42 through the opening 46 by a transport mechanism (not shown), and placed on the workbench 76 . In addition, when loading the workpiece 11, it is preferable to raise the upper electrode 64 with the lifting mechanism 100 to expand the distance between the lower electrode 62 and the upper electrode 64 in advance.

[0078] Next, the negative pressure of the suction source 80 is applied to the holding surface 76a of the table 76, so that the workpiece 11 is sucked and held by the table 76. Then, the shutter 48 is raised using the switch mechanism 50 to close the opening 46 and seal the processing space 44 . Furthermore, the elevation mechanism 100 is used to adjust the height of the upper electrode 64 so that the upper electrode 64 and the lower electrode 62 have a predetermined positional relationship suitable for plasma etching. Then, the exhaust mechanism 60 is actuated to bring the processing space 44 into a reduced pressure state (for example, 50 Pa or more and 300 Pa or less).

[0079] In addition, when the processing space 44 is depressurized and it becomes difficult to hold the workpiece 11 on the table 76 by the negative pressure of the suction source 80, it is possible to use electrical force (typically The workpiece 11 is held on the workbench 76 by electrostatic attraction) or the like. For example, a plurality of electrodes are embedded in the workbench 76 . By applying a predetermined voltage to this electrode, Coulomb force acts between the worktable 76 and the workpiece 11 , so that the workpiece 11 can be adsorbed to the worktable 76 . That is, the table 76 functions as an electrostatic chuck table.

[0080] Then, the gas for etching (etching gas) is supplied from the first gas supply source 110 or the second gas supply source 112 to the lower electrode through the flow path 108, the flow path 106, and the plurality of ejection ports 104. 62 and the upper electrode 64. Then, predetermined high-frequency power (for example, 1000W or more and 3000W or less) is applied to the lower electrode 62 and the upper electrode 64 . As a result, the etching gas existing between the lower electrode 62 and the upper electrode 64 becomes a plasma state containing ions or radicals. Then, gas in a plasma state is supplied to the object 11 to be processed, and plasma etching is performed on the object 11 .

[0081] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the workpiece 11 subjected to plasma etching. When plasma etching is performed on the workpiece 11 , the mask 29 is formed on the sheet 17 . For example, the mask 29 is formed by coating a resist made of photosensitive resin on the sheet 17 and patterning the resist to expose an area overlapping the scribe line 13 of the sheet 17 .

[0082] However, the material and formation method of the mask 29 are not limited. For example, a film made of water-soluble resin such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), PEG (polyethylene glycol), PEO (polyoxyethylene), PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone), etc. can be coated on the sheet 17, This film is patterned by irradiation with a laser beam, etc., thereby forming a mask 29 made of water-soluble resin.

[0083] The workpiece 11 is placed on the workbench 76 with the front side 11a (sheet 17 side) facing upward and the back side 11b (adhesive film 23 side) facing the holding surface 76a. Then, the plasma-state gas (etching gas) 116 is supplied to the sheet 17 and the workpiece 11 through the opening of the mask 29 . Thereby, the area of ​​the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 that overlaps with the cutting lane 13 is removed by etching, and a groove 31 is formed along the cutting lane 13 from the upper surface of the sheet 17 to the back surface 11 b of the workpiece 11 . As a result, the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are divided along the cutting lane 13 .

[0084] In addition, the plasma processing device 40 shown in FIG. 7 can use etching gases with different components to etch the object 11 and the sheet 17. For example, the plasma processing device 40 plasmas the gas supplied from the first gas supply source 110 and uses it for etching the sheet 17 , and plasmas the gas supplied from the second gas supply source 112 and uses it for etching the workpiece 11 . .

[0085] When plasma etching is performed on the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17, part of the components of the etching gas may adhere to and accumulate on the workpiece 11. However, since the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 is covered with the sheet 17 , the deposits do not adhere to the front surface 11 a of the workpiece 11 or the component 15 . Thereby, contamination of the workpiece 11 and the component 15 caused by deposits can be avoided.

[0086] Furthermore, after plasma etching of the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17, the mask 29 is removed. At this time, since the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 is covered with the sheet 17 , it is possible to prevent the chemical solution for removing the mask 29 from adhering to the front surface 11 a of the workpiece 11 or the component 15 .

[0087] As described above, in the processing step, the cutting blade 18 (see FIG. 5 ) is used to cut into the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 , or the laser beam 38 is irradiated to the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 (see FIG. 5 ). 6), or the plasma-state gas 116 is supplied to the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 (see FIG. 8 ), and the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 are processed together. However, the type and content of the processing performed on the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 in the processing step are not limited to the above.

[0088] Next, an integration step (step S4) is performed, which integrates the processed sheet 17. In the integration step, the sheet 17 divided into a plurality of individual units is heated and melted to connect the plurality of units and integrate the sheet 17 .

[0089] FIG. 9(A) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 in the integration step. For example, the sheet 17 is heated by the heating unit 120 . The heating unit 120 includes a chuck table (not shown) that supports the workpiece 11 and a heat source 122 that heats the sheet 17 . In addition, the heating unit 120 can also be installed in the processing device that processes the object 11 in the processing step, or can be installed independently from the processing device.

[0090] For example, the heat source 122 includes a heating mechanism such as a heating wire and an air blowing mechanism such as a fan, and heats gas such as air and sprays it as hot air 124. The workpiece 11 is held on the chuck table, and hot air 124 is blown from the heat source 122 to the sheet 17 to heat the sheet 17 .

[0091] The sheet 17 is heated until the temperature of the sheet 17 reaches the melting point of the sheet 17. Thereby, the individual pieces of the sheet 17 are melted and connected to each other, and the grooves 25 formed in the sheet 17 disappear. As a result, the sheet 17 is integrated into a circular member.

[0092] FIG. 9(B) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17 after the integration step. When the integration step is performed, the sheets 17 are integrated and returned to the same state as before processing (see FIG. 4(B) ). In addition, the heating method of the sheet 17 is not limited. For example, an infrared lamp can also be used as the heat source 122, and the sheet 17 is heated by irradiating infrared rays from the infrared lamp to the sheet 17.

[0093] Next, a peeling step (step S5) is performed in which the sheet 17 is peeled off the workpiece 11. In the peeling step, after the second sheet made of thermoplastic resin is thermocompression-bonded to the sheet 17 , the sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 by moving the second sheet. The sheet 17 can be peeled off using a peeling device, for example.

[0094] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the peeling device 130. In FIG. 10 , the X 3 -axis direction (first horizontal direction) and the Y 3 -axis direction (second horizontal direction) are mutually perpendicular directions. Furthermore, the Z 3-axis direction (vertical direction, up-and-down direction, and height direction) is a direction perpendicular to the X 3-axis direction and the Y 3-axis direction. In addition, the peeling device 130 may be installed in a processing device that processes the object 11 in the processing step, or may be installed independently from the processing device.

[0095] The peeling device 130 includes: a chuck table (holding table) 132 that holds the workpiece 11; and a peeling unit 134 that peels the sheet 17 from the workpiece 11. In the peeling device 130, the workpiece 11 to which the sheet 17 is fixed is held by the chuck table 132, and the sheet (peeling sheet, second sheet) 33 made of thermoplastic resin is thermocompression-bonded to the sheet 17 and separated from the workpiece 17. The processed object 11 peels off the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 .

[0096] The upper surface of the chuck table 132 is a flat surface substantially parallel to the horizontal plane (X3Y3 plane), and constitutes a circular holding surface for holding the workpiece 11. The holding surface of the chuck table 132 is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as an injector through a flow path (not shown), a valve (not shown), etc. formed inside the chuck table 132 .

[0097] The peeling unit 134 is provided with a holding mechanism 136 that holds the sheet 33. For example, the holding mechanism 136 has a cylinder 138 equipped with a piston rod 140, and the cylinder 138 moves the piston rod 140 up and down along the Z3-axis direction.

[0098] A rectangular parallelepiped-shaped support member 142 is fixed to the lower end of the piston rod 140. Furthermore, the support member 142 is provided with a holding mechanism 144 for holding the sheet 33 . The holding mechanism 144 includes a flat side wall 144a and a pair of flat holding members 144b and 144c protruding from the side surface of the side wall 144a in the Y3-axis direction.

[0099] The grip members 144b and 144c are arranged substantially parallel to each other along the Y3-axis direction. Furthermore, the gripping member 144b is connected to the lower end of the side wall 144a, and the gripping member 144c is disposed so as to overlap the gripping member 144b above the gripping member 144b. Furthermore, a moving mechanism (not shown) is connected to the holding member 144c, and the moving mechanism slides the holding member 144c in the Z3-axis direction along the side wall 144a. With the end of the sheet 33 inserted between the pair of gripping members 144b and 144c, the gripping member 144c is lowered and approached to the gripping member 144b, so that the gripping members 144b and 144c grip the sheet 33. Ends.

[0100] The sheet 33 is a sheet made of thermoplastic resin that can be thermocompressed to the sheet 17, and does not contain an adhesive (paste layer). Examples of the material of the sheet 33 are the same as those of the sheet 17 . That is, as the sheet 33, an olefin-based sheet, a styrene-based sheet, a polyester-based sheet, or the like can be used. For example, the material of the sheet 17 is the same as the material of the sheet 33 . Alternatively, the material of the sheet 17 is different from the material of the sheet 33 , and the melting point of the sheet 33 can also be lower than the melting point of the sheet 17 .

[0101] For example, the sheet 33 is formed into a belt shape, and is fixed and wound around a roller (not shown). Then, the leading end portion of the sheet 33 fed out from the roller is held by a pair of holding members 144b and 144c.

[0102] Furthermore, the peeling unit 134 is provided with a heating mechanism 146 for heating the sheet 33. For example, the heating mechanism 146 has a cylinder 148 equipped with a piston rod 150, and the cylinder 148 moves the piston rod 150 up and down along the Z3-axis direction. Furthermore, the cylinder 148 is provided adjacent to the cylinder 138 in the Y3-axis direction.

[0103] A heating member (heating plate) 152 is fixed to the lower end of the piston rod 140. For example, the heating member 152 is a flat-plate-shaped member made of metal, and is arranged substantially parallel to the X 3 -axis direction and the Z 3 -axis direction. Furthermore, a heat source such as a heating wire is provided inside the heating member 152, and the heating member 152 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat generated by the heat source. When the sheet 33 is held by the holding mechanism 136 , a part of the sheet 33 is disposed in a position overlapping the heating member 152 .

[0104] Furthermore, the peeling unit 134 is provided with a cutting mechanism 154 for cutting the sheet 33. For example, the cutting mechanism 154 has an air cylinder 156 equipped with a piston rod 158, and the air cylinder 156 moves the piston rod 158 up and down along the Z3-axis direction.

[0105] A cutter (blade) 160 is installed at the lower end of the piston rod 158. The cutter 160 is a disc-shaped member made of metal or the like, and is arranged substantially parallel to the X 3 -axis direction and the Z 3 -axis direction. Furthermore, a rotational drive source (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the cutter 160, and the rotational drive source rotates the cutter 160 around a rotational axis substantially parallel to the Y3-axis direction.

[0106] Furthermore, the cutting mechanism 154 is provided with a support base 162 that supports the sheet 33. For example, the support base 162 is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped member made of metal, resin, or the like, and is arranged below the sheet 33 . Furthermore, on the upper surface side of the support base 162, a groove 162a is provided along the Y3-axis direction. The width of the slot 162a is wider than the width of the cutter 160, and the lower end of the cutter 160 can be inserted into the slot 162a.

[0107] The peeling unit 134 is connected to a ball screw-type moving mechanism (not shown) included in the peeling device 130 . The moving mechanism moves the holding mechanism 136 and the heating mechanism 146 along the Y3-axis direction. Furthermore, the moving mechanism moves the cutting mechanism 154 in the X 3 -axis direction and the Y 3 -axis direction independently of the holding mechanism 136 and the heating mechanism 146 .

[0108] When peeling off the sheet 17 from the workpiece 11 using the peeling device 130, first, the workpiece 11 is placed on the holding surface of the chuck table 132 through the adhesive film 23. In this state, if the suction force (negative pressure) of the suction source acts on the holding surface of the chuck table 132 , the workpiece 11 will be sucked and held by the chuck table 132 through the adhesive film 23 .

[0109] Next, the holding mechanism 136 and the heating mechanism 146 are moved, and the sheet 33 and the heating member 152 are arranged above the workpiece 11. In addition, one end side of the sheet 33 is held by the holding mechanism 144, and the other end side of the sheet 33 is rolled up by a roller (not shown). Then, the sheet 33 is positioned in a position overlapping the sheet 17 fixed to the workpiece 11 while being stretched between the holding mechanism 144 and the roller. Furthermore, the heating member 152 is positioned to overlap the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 .

[0110] Next, while heating the heating member 152 to a predetermined temperature, the piston rod 150 is lowered. Thereby, the heating member 152 comes into contact with the sheet 33 located directly below, and the heating member 152 performs heating. The sheet 33 is heated. Furthermore, the sheet 33 is pushed against the sheet 17 fixed to the workpiece 11 by the heating member 152 . Thereby, the sheet 33 is heated and pressurized, and is thermocompression bonded to the sheet 17 .

[0111] In addition, the heating temperature of the sheet 33 is appropriately set so that the sheet 33 is thermocompression bonded to the sheet 17. A specific example of the heating temperature of the sheet 33 is the same as the heating temperature of the sheet 17 in the thermocompression bonding step (see FIG. 3(B) ).

[0112] Next, the positions of the holding mechanism 136 and the support stand 162 are adjusted so that the sheet 33 is supported on the upper surface side of the support stand 162. Furthermore, the position of the cutting mechanism 154 is adjusted so that the cutter 160 overlaps the groove 162a of the support base 162. Then, the piston rod 158 is lowered, and the lower end of the cutter 160 is inserted into the groove 162a of the support base 162. Thereafter, the cutter 160 is caused to cut into the sheet 33 by moving the cutting mechanism 154 along the X 3 -axis direction while rotating the cutter 160 . Thereby, the sheet 33 is cut, and the front end side (the gripping mechanism 144 side) of the sheet 33 is cut.

[0113] FIG. 11(A) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the sheet 17 to which the sheet 33 is thermocompression bonded. When the heating member 152 (see FIG. 10 ) heats the sheet 33 and pushes it against the sheet 17 , the sheet 33 and the area 17 a of the sheet 17 that is in contact with the sheet 33 are heated, and the sheet 33 is thermocompression-bonded to the area 17 a of the sheet 17 . Thereby, the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 are joined, and the sheet 33 is firmly in close contact with the sheet 17 .

[0114] FIG. 11(B) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the sheet 17 peeled off from the workpiece 11. After the sheet 33 is thermocompression-bonded to one end of the sheet 17, and the holding mechanism 144 is moved toward the other end side of the sheet 17, the sheet 33 is stretched by the holding mechanism 144, and the one end of the sheet 17 follows the sheet 33. Move toward the other end side of the sheet 17. Thereby, the sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 .

[0115] However, the direction in which the sheet 33 is stretched is not limited. For example, the holding mechanism 144 may be raised along the Z 3 -axis direction to stretch the sheet 33 upward and peel off the sheet 17 .

[0116] The sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 through the peeling step described above. In addition, since the sheet 17 is made of thermoplastic resin without adhesive (paste layer), the adhesive will not remain on the front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 after the sheet 17 is peeled off. Thereby, contamination of the workpiece 11 and the component 15 (see FIG. 1 ) caused by adhesive residue can be avoided.

[0117] Furthermore, in the peeling step, the sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 using the sheet 33 fixed to the sheet 17 by thermocompression bonding. Thereby, even if the sheet 17 is firmly in close contact with the workpiece 11 by thermocompression bonding, the adhesion between the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 can be equal to or greater than the adhesion between the workpiece 11 and the sheet 17, so that The sheet 33 is prevented from being separated from the sheet 17 during peeling of the sheet 17.

[0118] As described above, in the processing method of the workpiece of this embodiment, after the sheet 33 is thermocompression-bonded to the processed sheet 17, the sheet 33 is moved to separate the sheet 17 from the workpiece 11. Thereby, the sheet 17 can be peeled off while the adhesiveness between the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 is high, and separation of the sheet 17 and the sheet 33 during peeling can be prevented. As a result, the sheet 17 firmly fixed to the workpiece 11 by thermocompression bonding can be reliably peeled off.

[0119] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 after the integration step of integrating the processed sheet 17 (refer to FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B) ). An example will be used to illustrate this, but the integration step may be omitted. In this case, by fixing the peeling sheet to the entire processed sheet 17 , the entire sheet 17 is peeled off from the workpiece 11 . Other examples of the peeling step will be described with reference to FIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B) .

[0120] FIG. 12(A) is a perspective view showing the sheet 17 to which the sheet (peeling sheet, second sheet) 35 is thermocompression bonded. After performing the processing steps (refer to FIGS. 5 to 8 ), the sheet 35 made of thermoplastic resin is thermocompression-bonded to the processed sheet 17 .

[0121] The sheet 35 is a sheet made of thermoplastic resin that can be thermocompressed to the sheet 17, and does not contain an adhesive (paste layer). Examples of the material of the sheet 35 are the same as those of the sheet 17 . That is, as the sheet 35, an olefin-based sheet, a styrene-based sheet, a polyester-based sheet, or the like can be used. For example, the material of the sheet 17 is the same as the material of the sheet 35 . Alternatively, the material of the sheet 17 and the sheet 35 may be different, and the melting point of the sheet 35 is lower than the melting point of the sheet 17 .

[0122] The shape and size of the sheet 35 are set so that the entire sheet 17 can be covered with the sheet 35. For example, the sheet 35 is formed in a circular shape, and the diameter of the sheet 35 is larger than the diameter of the sheet 17 . However, the shape of the sheet 35 is not limited. For example, the sheet 35 may be formed in a rectangular shape with a length and a width greater than or equal to the diameter of the sheet 17 .

[0123] In the peeling step, the sheet 35 is thermocompression bonded to the sheet 17 divided into a plurality of individual pieces. Specifically, first, the sheet 35 is disposed on the front surface 11 a side of the workpiece 11 as a single body covering all the sheets 17 . Next, the sheet 35 is pushed against the sheet 17 while being heated. For example, the sheet 35 is heated and pressed by the aforementioned heating unit 2 (see FIG. 3(B) ). Thereby, the sheet 35 will soften and come into close contact with the sheet 17 , and the sheet 35 will be thermocompression-bonded to the sheet 17 .

[0124] In addition, the heating temperature of the sheet 35 is appropriately set so that the sheet 35 is thermocompression-bonded to the sheet 17. A specific example of the heating temperature of the sheet 35 is the same as the heating temperature of the sheet 17 in the thermocompression bonding step (see FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) ).

[0125] FIG. 12(B) is a perspective view showing the sheet 17 peeled off from the workpiece 11. After the sheet 35 is thermocompression-bonded to the sheet 17 , for example, the edge of the sheet 35 is held and moved in a direction away from the workpiece 11 . Thereby, the sheet 17 follows the sheet 35 and is peeled off from the workpiece 11 .

[0126] In addition, the structures, methods, etc. of the above-described embodiments can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Simple explanation of the diagram]

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the object to be processed. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method of processing a workpiece. FIG. 3(A) is a perspective view of the workpiece on which the first sheet is arranged, and FIG. 3(B) is a perspective view of the workpiece on which the first sheet is thermocompression bonded. FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view of the workpiece and the support member during the support member arrangement step, and FIG. 4(B) is a perspective view of the workpiece and the support member after the support member placement step. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cutting device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the laser processing device. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the plasma processing apparatus. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a workpiece subjected to plasma etching. FIG. 9(A) is a perspective view of the workpiece and the first sheet during the integration step, and FIG. 9(B) is a perspective view of the workpiece and the first sheet after the integration step. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the peeling device. FIG. 11(A) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the first sheet to which the second sheet is thermocompressed, and FIG. 11(B) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the first sheet peeled off from the workpiece. FIG. 12(A) is a perspective view of the first sheet to which the second sheet is thermocompression bonded, and FIG. 12(B) is a perspective view of the first sheet peeled off from the workpiece.

Claims

1. A method for processing an object, characterized in that it comprises: a hot-pressing step, wherein a first sheet made of thermoplastic resin is disposed on the front side of the object and heated to hot-press the first sheet onto the front side of the object; a processing step, wherein the object and the first sheet are processed together; and a peeling step, wherein a second sheet made of thermoplastic resin is disposed on the processed first sheet and heated to hot-press the second sheet onto the first sheet, and then the first sheet is peeled off from the object by moving the second sheet, wherein... The second sheet is made of the same material as the first sheet, or has a lower melting point than the first sheet.

2. The processing method for the workpiece as described in claim 1, wherein, In this processing step, the workpiece and the first sheet are processed together by cutting the workpiece and the first sheet with a cutting blade, or by irradiating the workpiece and the first sheet with a laser beam, or by supplying plasma gas to the workpiece and the first sheet.

3. The processing method for the workpiece as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The process further includes a support member configuration step prior to this processing step, which involves configuring the support member on the back side of the workpiece.

4. The processing method for the workpiece as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The process further includes an integration step prior to the peeling step, which integrates the processed first sheet by heating and melting it.

5. The processing method for the workpiece as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, Elements are formed on the front side of the workpiece.

6. The processing method for the workpiece as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first sheet and the second sheet do not contain adhesive.

7. The processing method of the workpiece as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, In this peeling step, the second sheet is used to cover the entire first sheet.

Images