Protective component forming device

Abstract

A protective member forming apparatus is provided that determines whether a liquid resin has spread to a predetermined range when the liquid resin is pressed to spread. The protective member forming apparatus forms a protective member on the front surface of a substrate by laminating a UV-curable liquid resin and a cover sheet on a resin film. The apparatus comprises: a liquid resin supply unit that supplies the liquid resin to the resin film in close contact with the substrate; a pressing unit having a flat, light-transmissive pressing surface that presses the liquid resin with the pressing surface through the cover sheet to spread the liquid resin on the resin film; an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates the liquid resin with ultraviolet rays to harden it; and a determination unit that determines the state of the spread liquid resin. The determination unit comprises: a camera that images the liquid resin and the substrate; and a determination unit that detects the liquid resin and the substrate based on the image captured by the camera and determines whether the liquid resin has spread to a predetermined range relative to the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective member forming apparatus for forming a protective member on the front surface of a substrate having irregularities on the front surface. Background Art

[0002] Device chips used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers are formed by grinding a substrate on which multiple devices are arranged from the back side to thin it and then dividing the substrate into individual components. The substrate is ground using a grinding device. In the grinding device, a chuck table holds the substrate with the back side exposed upward, and a grinding tool moving on a circular track contacts the back side of the substrate to grind the substrate. To protect the front side of the substrate, a protective component composed of a base material layer and a paste layer is pre-attached to the front side of the substrate.

[0003] The front side of the substrate is provided with patterns that constitute the components and wiring. Furthermore, bumps that serve as component electrodes are sometimes pre-formed on the front side of the substrate. Consequently, the various patterns and bumps create uneven surfaces on the front side of the substrate. If the uneven surfaces on the front side of the substrate have large height differences, the paste layer of the protective component cannot fully absorb the unevenness, making the protective component unstable. Furthermore, the surface of the protective component on the base material layer side becomes uneven, making it impossible to evenly support the substrate on the chuck table of the grinding device. Consequently, the back side of the substrate becomes uneven during grinding.

[0004] Furthermore, the remaining peripheral area of ​​the substrate, where no devices are formed, lacks patterns or bumps and is lower than the device-forming area where devices are formed. Therefore, the protective member cannot be adequately applied to the substrate's periphery. Consequently, grinding the substrate can easily create gaps in the substrate's periphery. To fully absorb the unevenness of the substrate's front surface, a protective member with a thicker adhesive layer can be used. However, in this case, adhesive residue is likely to remain on the unevenness when the protective member is peeled off the substrate, potentially causing device chip failure.

[0005] Therefore, a protective component has been developed as follows: a liquid resin is applied to a cover sheet, a substrate is placed on the cover sheet with the front side of the substrate facing downward, and the substrate is pressed from above, causing the liquid resin to penetrate the substrate's uneven surface. The liquid resin then hardens to form the protective component (see Patent Document 1). When forming this protective component on the front side of the substrate, a film is pre-applied on the front side of the substrate. At this point, the film is brought into close contact with the front side of the substrate, mimicking the uneven surface of the substrate's front side. Furthermore, at least in the area that is in close contact with the substrate's device forming area, no paste layer is formed on the film, and the paste layer does not come into contact with the substrate's device forming area.

[0006] Here, if a film wider than the front surface of the substrate is used, the liquid resin that spreads outward from the front surface is contained by the film when it reaches the outside of the substrate, preventing it from flowing around to the back surface. The resulting protective member, consisting of the film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover sheet, has a flat surface on the cover sheet side. Furthermore, after grinding the substrate, if the protective member is removed from the front surface along with the film, no residue of the liquid resin or paste layer remains on the uneven surface of the front surface.

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-50536

[0008] However, when the liquid resin applied to the film in close contact with the front surface of the substrate is pressed and expanded, it may not fully expand to the specified range. If the liquid resin is cured to form the protective member without fully expanding, the substrate cannot be properly supported when it is loaded onto the chuck table of the grinding device. As a result, the desired grinding results cannot be achieved, which is a problem. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of this problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a protective member forming apparatus capable of determining whether or not the liquid resin has spread to a predetermined range when the liquid resin is pressed and spread.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a protective component forming device is provided, which forms a protective component flatter than the front surface of a substrate having unevenness on the front surface by laminating an ultraviolet-curing liquid resin and a covering sheet on a resin film, wherein the resin film is larger than the substrate and is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate in a manner that imitates the unevenness, and is characterized in that the protective component forming device comprises: a supporting workbench that supports the substrate with the resin film in close contact with the front surface; a liquid resin supplying unit that supplies the liquid resin to the resin film in close contact with the substrate supported by the supporting workbench; and a pressing unit that has a flat and light-transmissive pressing surface capable of keeping the covering sheet flat, and the pressing unit utilizes the pressing surface to press the covering sheet held by the pressing surface. a pressing surface for pressing the liquid resin provided to the resin film to spread the liquid resin on the resin film; an ultraviolet irradiation unit for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the liquid resin via the pressing surface and the cover sheet to harden the liquid resin, thereby forming the protective component including the resin film, the hardened liquid resin and the cover sheet; and a determination unit for determining the state of the liquid resin spread by the pressing unit, the determination unit comprising: a camera for photographing the liquid resin and the substrate from above via the pressing surface of the pressing unit; a determination unit for detecting the liquid resin and the substrate based on the image photographed by the camera to determine whether the liquid resin has spread to a specified range based on the substrate; and a notification unit for notifying the determination unit of the determination result.

[0011] In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a protective component forming device is provided, which stacks an ultraviolet curing liquid resin and a covering sheet on a resin film to form a protective component flatter than the front surface of a substrate having a concave and convex front surface, the resin film being larger than the substrate and being in close contact with the front surface of the substrate in a manner that imitates the concave and convex surface, and is characterized in that the protective component forming device comprises: a supporting workbench, whose supporting surface is formed by a light-transmitting component and can support the covering sheet by means of the supporting surface; a liquid resin supplying unit, which supplies the liquid resin to the upper surface of the covering sheet supported by the supporting workbench; and a pressing unit, which uses a flat pressing surface to press the substrate, with the front surface facing downward, to which the resin film is in close contact, from above, so that the resin film and the covering sheet are in close contact. The liquid resin is in close contact with the cover sheet supported by the support workbench; an ultraviolet irradiation unit, which irradiates ultraviolet rays to the liquid resin through the support surface of the support workbench and the cover sheet to harden the liquid resin, forming the protective component including the resin film, the hardened liquid resin and the cover sheet; and a judgment unit, which judges the state of the liquid resin expanded by the pressing unit, the judgment unit comprising: a camera, which photographs the liquid resin and the substrate from below through the support surface of the support workbench; a judgment unit, which detects the substrate and the liquid resin based on the image obtained by the camera, and judges whether the liquid resin has expanded to a specified range based on the substrate; and a notification unit, which notifies the judgment unit of the judgment result.

[0012] Preferably, the camera has a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens, which is arranged adjacent to the ultraviolet irradiation unit and set at a position corresponding to the center of the substrate it faces, and is used to perform photography.

[0013] In one embodiment of the protective member forming apparatus of the present invention, liquid resin is supplied onto a resin film in close contact with the front surface of a substrate. The liquid resin is pressed by a pressing surface of a pressing unit through a cover sheet, thereby spreading over the resin film. In this case, the pressing surface is oriented, for example, parallel to the back surface of the substrate. Furthermore, the protective member forming apparatus includes a determination unit having a camera that images the liquid resin and substrate from above through the pressing surface.

[0014] Alternatively, in a protective member forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, liquid resin is supplied onto a cover sheet, and the liquid resin is pressed through the resin film using a substrate in close contact with the resin film, thereby spreading the liquid resin onto the cover sheet. Furthermore, the protective member forming apparatus includes a determination unit having a camera that images the liquid resin and the substrate from below, through a support surface of a support table supporting the cover sheet.

[0015] By photographing the liquid resin and substrate with a camera, it is possible to determine whether the liquid resin has spread to a predetermined extent. Therefore, if the liquid resin has not fully spread, this can be detected before curing, allowing the liquid resin to be further pressed to expand. Since curing of the liquid resin is performed only after confirming that it has fully spread, a protective member can be appropriately formed on the front surface of the substrate.

[0016] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a protective member forming apparatus is provided that can determine whether or not the liquid resin has spread to a predetermined range when the liquid resin is pressed and spread. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a top view schematically showing a protective member forming device.

[0019] Figure 3 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a resin film close-contact unit, Figure 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an enlarged view of a substrate with a resin film in close contact with the front surface.

[0020] Figure 4 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a substrate held by a transport unit. Figure 4 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the suction holding of the resin film by the suction pad of the conveying unit that conveys the substrate onto the supporting table is released.

[0021] Figure 5 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the suction holding of the resin film by the non-contact suction pad of the conveying unit is released. Figure 5 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a substrate in which a liquid resin is supplied to the upper surface of the resin film.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a substrate to which a resin film is in close contact, a liquid resin, a pressing unit, and a determination unit.

[0023] Figure 7 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state where a liquid resin is pressed by a pressing unit. Figure 7 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a protective member formed on the front surface of the substrate.

[0024] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the pressing unit.

[0025] Figure 9 (A) is a top view schematically showing the liquid resin provided above the substrate 1. Figure 9 (B) is a top view schematically showing the pressed liquid resin. Figure 9 (C) is a plan view schematically showing the liquid resin being further pressed.

[0026] Figure 10 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state where the protective member formed on the front surface of the substrate is cut along the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0027] Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a determination unit according to a modified example.

[0028] Description of labels

[0029] 1: Substrate; 1a: Front surface; 1b: Back surface; 1c: Periphery; 3: Predetermined dividing line; 5: Device; 7: Bump; 9: Device forming area; 11: Peripheral remaining area; 13: Resin film; 15: Liquid resin; 17: Cover sheet; 19: Protective member; 2: Protective member forming device; 4: Base; 6a, 6b: Cassette mounting table; 8a, 8b: Cassette; 10a, 10b: Substrate transfer robot; 10c, 10d: Substrate holding portion; 12: Film-coated substrate Plate forming unit; 12a: Lower body; 12b: Upper body; 14: Substrate support; 14a: Support surface; 16, 18: Exhaust; 16a, 18a: Exhaust path; 16b, 18b: Suction source; 20a, 20b: Space; 22: Resin film supply unit; 24a, 24b: Transport unit; 26a, 26b: Guide rail; 28a, 28b: Arm; 30a, 30b: Base; 32a: Suction pad; 34a: Suction source; 36a : Switching portion; 38a: Suction path; 40a, 40b: Non-contact suction pad support portion; 42a: Non-contact suction pad; 44a, 44b: Through hole; 46a: Support portion; 48a: Air supply source; 52a: Air supply path; 54, 54a: Support table; 56: Liquid resin supply unit; 56a: Shaft; 56b: Arm; 56c: Nozzle; 58: Pressing unit; 60: Support column; 62a: Connecting portion; 62b: Support portion; 64: Pressing Part; 66, 66a: Ultraviolet irradiation unit; 68: Pressing surface; 70, 70a: Translucent component; 72, 72a: Camera; 74, 74a: Determination part; 76, 76a: Determination unit; 78, 78a: Notification part; 80: Cover sheet providing part; 82: Workbench; 82a: Holding surface; 84: Cutting unit; 86: Cutting part supporting part; 88: Rotating shaft; 90: Cutting part; 92: Cutting part moving unit; 94: Unnecessary part recovery part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] An embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a protective component forming apparatus forms a protective component on the front surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, on which multiple devices are formed. First, the substrate having the protective component formed on the front surface will be described. Figure 1 It is a perspective view schematically showing the substrate 1 .

[0031] The substrate 1 is, for example, a wafer formed of materials such as Si (silicon), SiC (silicon carbide), GaN (gallium nitride), GaAs (gallium arsenide), or other semiconductors. Alternatively, the substrate 1 is a generally circular plate-shaped substrate made of materials such as sapphire, glass, or quartz. Examples of the glass include alkali glass, alkali-free glass, soda-lime glass, lead glass, borosilicate glass, and quartz glass.

[0032] Figure 1 A perspective view schematically shows a substrate 1 , Figure 3 (A) schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the substrate 1, Figure 3 (B) schematically shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of substrate 1. Multiple intersecting dividing lines 3 are defined on front surface 1a of substrate 1. Devices 5, such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) and LSIs (Large Scale Integrations), are formed in the respective regions defined by dividing lines 3. When substrate 1 is ground and thinned from back surface 1b and divided along dividing lines 3, individual device chips are formed.

[0033] A plurality of metal protrusions, called bumps 7, are provided on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. The bumps 7 are electrically connected to the devices 5 and function as electrodes for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from the devices 5 when the substrate 1 is divided to form device chips. The bumps 7 are formed of a metal material, such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum. However, the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 does not necessarily need to have bumps 7.

[0034] The area surrounding the outer periphery of the area where the plurality of devices 5 are formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 is referred to as the outer peripheral remaining area 11. In the outer peripheral remaining area 11 of the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, no devices 5 are formed, nor are the bumps 7 serving as electrodes of the devices 5 formed. The area of ​​the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 surrounded by the outer peripheral remaining area 11 is referred to as the device forming area 9. The device forming area 9 of the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 is not flat, but has irregularities caused by the various patterns constituting the devices 5 and the bumps 7. On the other hand, the outer peripheral remaining area 11 of the front surface 1a is flat.

[0035] Furthermore, the substrate 1 forming the protective component is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a package substrate formed by sealing a plurality of devices arranged on a plane with a sealing resin. By grinding the sealing resin on the back side of the package substrate to thin the package substrate and dividing the package substrate into individual device chips, it is possible to form individual device chips of a predetermined thickness sealed with the sealing resin. Since bumps serving as electrodes for each device are formed on the front side of the package substrate, the front side of the package substrate is not flat but rather has irregularities.

[0036] When substrate 1 is ground from its back surface 1b using a grinding device to reduce its thickness, device chips thinned to a predetermined thickness are obtained when substrate 1 is divided. When substrate 1 is ground from its back surface 1b, a protective member is previously attached to the front surface 1a to protect it. When substrate 1 with the protective member attached to its front surface 1a is loaded into the grinding device, substrate 1 is appropriately supported by the support table through the protective member.

[0037] Hereinafter, the protective member forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 This is a schematic top view of the protective member forming apparatus 2. The protective member forming apparatus 2 includes a base 4 that supports various components. Cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b are provided at the ends of the base 4. These cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b mount cassettes 8a and 8b that house a plurality of substrates 1.

[0038] The substrate 1 before the protective member is formed is housed in, for example, a cassette 8a mounted on a cassette mounting table 6a and carried into the protective member forming apparatus 2. Furthermore, in the protective member forming apparatus 2, the substrate 1 with the protective member formed on the front surface 1a is housed in, for example, a cassette 8b mounted on a cassette mounting table 6b.

[0039] A substrate transport robot 10a is provided on the base 4 adjacent to the cassette mounting table 6a, and a substrate transport robot 10b is provided adjacent to the cassette mounting table 6b. The substrate transport robots 10a and 10b are, for example, multi-jointed robots having multiple arms rotatably connected at their ends. Substrate holders 10c and 10d capable of holding the substrate 1 are provided at the distal ends of the distal-most arms. Rotating the arms relative to each other allows the substrate holders 10c and 10d to move.

[0040] The substrate holding units 10c and 10d of the substrate transport robots 10a and 10b are inserted into the cassettes 8a and 8b placed on the cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b, respectively, to move substrates 1 into and out of the cassettes 8a and 8b. The substrate transport robots 10a and 10b include a shaft portion erected on the base 4 to support the arm portion, and a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the shaft portion. This lifting mechanism raises and lowers the substrate holding units 10c and 10d together with the shaft portion, aligning them with the height of the cassette storage areas, which are stacked together and are used to load and unload substrates 1, within the multiple cassette storage areas within the cassettes 8a and 8b.

[0041] The substrate transport robot 10 a has a function of transporting the substrate 1 accommodated in the cassette 8 a mounted on the cassette mounting table 6 a to a resin film adhesion unit 12 described below. Figure 3 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a resin film adhesion unit 12. The resin film adhesion unit 12 is, for example, a cavity-shaped unit having a space inside that can accommodate the substrate 1, and has the function of bringing the resin film 13 into close contact with the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. Here, the resin film 13 is, for example, a polyolefin sheet, a polyethylene sheet, or the like, and can be a single layer or a laminated layer, with a thickness of 20 μm to 80 μm.

[0042] The resin film adhesion unit 12 comprises a concave lower body 12a that opens upward, and a concave upper body 12b that is disposed above the lower body 12a and opens downward. The upper body 12b can be raised and lowered. The openings of the lower body 12a and the upper body 12b have the same shape. When the upper body 12b is lowered onto the lower body 12a so that their openings overlap, a space is formed within the upper and lower bodies 12b, 12a, that is isolated from the outside. Furthermore, each opening is larger than the substrate 1, allowing the substrate 1 to be accommodated within the space.

[0043] A table-shaped substrate support portion 14 for supporting the substrate 1 is provided in the lower body 12a. The upper surface of the substrate support portion 14 is a flat support surface 14a for supporting the substrate 1. The height of the substrate support portion 14 is adjusted so that when the substrate 1 is placed on the support surface 14a, the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 and the opening of the lower body 12a are approximately the same height. Alternatively, the height of the substrate support portion 14 is adjusted so that the opening of the lower body 12a is higher than the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. In these cases, as described later, when the resin film 13 is placed on the lower body 12a so as to be in close contact with the substrate 1, the resin film 13 will not be in unnecessarily wide contact with the side surfaces of the substrate 1.

[0044] An exhaust unit 16 is connected to the bottom wall or side wall of the lower body 12a. Exhaust unit 16 includes an exhaust path 16a, one end of which is connected to the lower body 12a and the other end is connected to a suction source 16b. Furthermore, an exhaust unit 18 is connected to the ceiling or side wall of the upper body 12b. Exhaust unit 18 includes an exhaust path 18a, one end of which is connected to the upper body 12b and the other end is connected to a suction source 18b.

[0045] When the resin film adhesion unit 12 is used to bring the resin film 13 into close contact with the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is loaded onto the substrate support 14 and supported by the substrate support 14, and then the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 is covered with the resin film 13. A resin film supply unit 22, which has a plurality of resin films 13 prepared, is provided on the base 4 of the protective member forming apparatus 2 adjacent to the resin film adhesion unit 12. The resin film 13 covering the substrate 1 is transported from the resin film supply unit 22 to a transport unit 24a, described later.

[0046] In the resin film supply unit 22, a resin film 13 is prepared that is larger than the opening of the lower body 12a. This allows a space 20a to be formed between the lower body 12a and the resin film 13 when the resin film 13 is transferred onto the substrate 1. After the resin film 13 is transferred onto the substrate 1, the upper body 12b is lowered so that it contacts the upper surface of the resin film 13. This forms a space 20b enclosed by the upper body 12b and the resin film 13.

[0047] At this point, the interior of the cavity-shaped resin film adhesion unit 12 is divided by the resin film 13 into an upper space 20b and a lower space 20a. Furthermore, by operating the suction source 16b of the exhaust unit 16 and the suction source 18b of the exhaust unit 18, both spaces 20a and 20b can be evacuated and depressurized. Then, after stopping only the suction source 18b that is depressurizing space 20b, space 20b is opened to the atmosphere.

[0048] As a result, a large pressure difference is instantaneously generated between the space 20a and the space 20b via the resin film 13. This pressure difference causes the resin film 13 to adhere closely to the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, following the unevenness of the front surface 1a. Figure 3 (B) is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate 1 showing the resin film 13 in close contact with the front surface 1a. As described above, using the resin film contact unit 12 allows the resin film 13 to be brought into close contact with the front surface of the substrate 1. After the resin film 13 is brought into close contact with the substrate 1, the exhaust unit 16 is stopped and the upper body 12b is raised.

[0049] Alternatively, a heating unit (not shown) capable of supplying heated gas may be connected to the ceiling or sidewall of the upper body 12b. This heating unit has the function of supplying heated gas to the space 20b of the upper body 12b. The gas may be, for example, air or nitrogen. For example, if the resin film 13 is made of a material whose flexibility is increased by heating, when the heated gas is supplied to the space 20b, the temperature of the resin film 13 rises due to the gas, causing the resin film 13 to soften.

[0050] When the resin film 13 is softened, the resin film 13 easily follows the shape of the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 and deforms, and the resin film 13 easily adheres to the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. For example, before depressurizing the spaces 20a and 20b, the heating unit may supply heated gas to the space 20b to preheat and soften the resin film 13. Alternatively, after depressurizing the spaces 20a and 20b and opening the space 20b to the atmosphere, the heating unit may be operated to heat the resin film 13, thereby accelerating the deformation of the resin film 13.

[0051] The protective member forming apparatus 2 includes a support stage 54 on the base 4 at a position adjacent to the resin film adhesion unit 12. The substrate 1 to which the resin film 13 is adhered is conveyed from the resin film adhesion unit 12 to the support stage 54 by the conveying unit 24a.

[0052] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated apparatus configuration, the resin film supply unit 22, the resin film adhesion unit 12, and the support table 54 are arranged in a straight line. The transport unit 24a transports the resin film 13 from the resin film supply unit 22 to the resin film adhesion unit 12. Furthermore, the transport unit 24a transports the substrate 1, to which the resin film 13 is adhered, from the substrate support unit 14 to the support table 54 while maintaining the resin film 13 stretched outwardly of the substrate 1.

[0053] Figure 2 A top view of the transport unit 24a is schematically shown. Figure 4 (A) Figure 4 (B) and Figure 5 (A) schematically shows a side view of the transport unit 24a. The transport unit 24a includes a guide rail 26a extending along the direction in which the resin film adhesion unit 12 and the support table 54 are arranged, and an arm 28a slidably mounted on the guide rail 26a. The transport unit 24a includes a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the arm 28a along the guide rail 26a.

[0054] The movement mechanism includes, for example, a ball screw (not shown) along the guide rail 26a and a pulse motor (not shown) that rotates the ball screw. A nut (not shown) that screws into the ball screw is provided at the base end of the arm 28a. When the pulse motor rotates the ball screw, the arm 28a moves along the guide rail 26a. A base 30a is fixed to the front end of the arm 28a, and the movement mechanism moves the base 30a along with the arm 28a.

[0055] A plate-shaped non-contact suction pad support portion 40 a is fixed to the central lower surface of the base portion 30 a via a plurality of columnar support portions 46 a . Figure 4 Figures (A) and the like show cross-sectional views of the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a. A through-hole 44a is formed in the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a. A plurality of non-contact suction pads 42a are provided on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a. The plurality of non-contact suction pads 42a are secured to the base portion 30a via the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a and the support portion 46a.

[0056] Multiple non-contact suction pads 42a are arranged on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a in the area overlapping the substrate 1, so that they can face the resin film 13 in close contact with the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. Furthermore, multiple suction pads 32a are fixed to the lower surface of the outer periphery of the base portion 30a. The multiple suction pads 32a are arranged on the lower surface of the base portion 30a, outside the substrate 1, so that they can face the resin film 13.

[0057] Here, the lower surfaces of the plurality of suction pads 32a are uniformly high, and the lower surfaces of the plurality of non-contact suction pads 42a are uniformly high. Furthermore, the lower surfaces of the suction pads 32a are slightly lower than the lower surfaces of the plurality of non-contact suction pads 42a. The lower surfaces of the suction pads 32a and the non-contact suction pads 42a serve as suction surfaces capable of attracting and retaining the resin film 13 in close contact with the substrate 1.

[0058] The conveying unit 24a includes a suction path 38a, one end of which reaches the bottom surface of each suction pad 32a, and the other end of which is connected to the suction source 34a. Furthermore, a switching portion 36a is provided on the suction path 38a. The switching portion 36a switches between a blocked state and a ventilated state for the suction path 38a. When the switching portion 36a is in the ventilated state, the suction source 34a generates negative pressure on the bottom surface of the suction pad 32a.

[0059] The transport unit 24a also includes an air supply path 52a, one end of which reaches the lower surface of each non-contact suction pad 42a, and the other end of which is connected to the air supply source 48a. Furthermore, a switch 50a is provided on the air supply path 52a. The switch 50a has the function of switching the air supply path 52a between an off state and a ventilated state. When the switch 50a is in the ventilated state, gas is ejected from the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad 42a by the action of the air supply source 48a.

[0060] Here, a plurality of ejection ports (not shown) are provided on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad 42a. Gas supplied to the non-contact suction pad 42a via the air supply path 52a is ejected from the ejection ports. Furthermore, the ejection ports are not oriented directly downward, but rather are oriented in a direction that is inclined from the downward direction toward the outside of each non-contact suction pad 42a, and the gas is ejected from the ejection ports in this direction.

[0061] The object to be sucked is positioned slightly below the non-contact suction pad 42a, and when the switching unit 50a is ventilated and gas is ejected from each ejection port, the ejected gas travels toward the outside of the non-contact suction pad 42a. Furthermore, a portion of the gas is discharged upward through the through-hole 44a of the non-contact suction pad support unit 40a.

[0062] The gas ejected from the nozzle of the non-contact suction pad support portion 40a entrains the surrounding air as it travels, thereby generating a negative pressure at the lower center of the non-contact suction pad 42a. The object being attracted is attracted and held by the non-contact suction pad 42a due to this negative pressure, but at this time, the non-contact suction pad 42a and the object are not in contact.

[0063] For example, if a contact-type suction pad is used instead of the non-contact suction pad 42a, the suction pad will come into contact with the resin film 13. In this case, contact marks from the suction pad may form on the upper surface of the resin film 13, or particles adhering to the lower surface of the suction pad, which serve as a source of contamination, may be transferred to the resin film 13, sometimes hindering the proper formation of the protective component. Furthermore, since the upper surface of the resin film 13, which is in close contact with the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, has a concave-convex shape, even if the contact-type suction pad is brought into contact with the resin film 13, a gap caused by this concave-convex shape will be generated between the suction pad and the resin film 13, causing negative pressure to leak. Consequently, the contact-type suction pad cannot properly attract and retain the resin film 13.

[0064] In contrast, such a problem does not occur when the non-contact suction pad 42a is used to attract and hold the resin film 13 in close contact with the substrate 1. Furthermore, since there is no need to form a protective member on the outside of the substrate 1 with high precision, the suction pad 32a that attracts and holds the outer periphery of the resin film 13 can be either non-contact or contact.

[0065] When the substrate 1, to which the resin film 13 is adhered, is transported from the substrate support 14 to the support table 54 by the transport unit 24a, the upper body 12b of the resin film adhesion unit 12 is raised, and the base 30a is moved above the substrate support 14. The transport unit 24a includes a lifting mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the base 30a. The lifting mechanism is then actuated to lower the base 30a toward the substrate 1 supported by the substrate support 14.

[0066] Next, the base portion 30a is positioned at a height where the lower surface of the suction pad 32a contacts the resin film 13 and the non-contact suction pad 42a can attract the resin film 13. The switching units 36a and 50a are then operated, so that the suction pad 32a attracts the outer periphery of the resin film 13, while the non-contact suction pad 42a attracts the substrate 1 through the resin film 13. The lifting mechanism is then operated, and the transport unit 24a lifts the substrate 1.

[0067] Then, the moving mechanism of the transport unit 24 a is operated to move the base portion 30 a to above the support table 54 . Figure 4 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the transport unit 24a transporting the substrate 1. After the base portion 30a is moved above the support table 54, the lifting mechanism is operated to place the substrate 1 on the support table 54. Then, first, only the switching portion 36a is operated to the off state, releasing the suction pad 32a from the resin film 13.

[0068] Figure 4 (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the transport unit 24a and substrate 1, showing the state in which the suction pads 32a have released their suction to the resin film 13. When the suction pads 32a release their suction to the resin film 13, the resin film 13 droops onto the upper surface of the support table 54. At this time, gas continues to be ejected from the non-contact suction pads 42a, and this gas travels along the upper surface of the resin film 13 toward the outside of the support table 54.

[0069] Therefore, when the suction pad 32a releases its attraction to the resin film 13, the flow of gas applies an outward force to the resin film 13. For example, if the resin film 13 is bent or wrinkled in the portion not in close contact with the substrate 1, the flow of gas stretches the resin film 13, removing the bend or wrinkle. Then, when the non-contact suction pad 42a releases its attraction to the resin film 13, the substrate 1 is placed on the support table 54 with the resin film 13 stretched.

[0070] For example, to quickly complete the transfer of the resin film 13, it is conceivable to simultaneously release the suction of all pads. However, in this case, even if the resin film 13 is bent or wrinkled when the suction is released, the gas flow is stopped, so the bend cannot be removed. If the substrate 1 is placed on the support table 54 with a bend or wrinkle in the resin film 13, subsequent steps cannot be performed properly, and there is a possibility that the protective member cannot be properly formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1.

[0071] In contrast, in the transport unit 24a of the protective member forming apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the suction pad 32a and the non-contact suction pad 42a can be independently operated. Consequently, the suction of the resin film 13 can be sequentially released with a time difference. Consequently, when the substrate 1 is transported to the support table 54, the formation of folds or wrinkles in the resin film 13 can be suppressed, thereby preventing poor formation of the protective member caused by folds or wrinkles in the resin film 13.

[0072] Figure 5 (A) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the suction and holding of the substrate 1 by the transport unit 24a is released and the base portion 30a is raised by the lifting mechanism. On the support table 54, liquid resin is supplied to the front surface 1a side of the substrate 1 through the resin film 13. The liquid resin is pressed from above, spreads on the resin film 13, and hardens.

[0073] A liquid resin supply unit 56 is provided on the base 4 of the protective member forming apparatus 2, adjacent to the support table 54. The liquid resin supply unit 56 is a tubular unit having a shaft 56a extending vertically, an arm 56b extending horizontally from the upper end of the shaft 56a, and a nozzle 56c extending downward from the front end of the arm 56b.

[0074] The shaft 56a is rotatable in the vertical direction. When the shaft 56a is rotated, the nozzle 56c moves along an arc-shaped track with the arm 56b as the radius. The length of the arm 56b is the length required to position the nozzle 56c above the center of the support table 54 by rotating the shaft 56a.

[0075] The liquid resin supply unit 56 has a function of supplying ultraviolet curable liquid resin onto the substrate 1 placed on the support table 54 through the shaft 56a, arm 56b and nozzle 56c. The ultraviolet curable liquid resin is a liquid resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. Figure 5 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the liquid resin supplied onto the resin film 13 in close contact with the substrate 1 .

[0076] When the liquid resin 15 is supplied to the upper surface of the resin film 13, the nozzle 56c is positioned above the center of the support table 54 by rotating the shaft portion 56a. Then, after the liquid resin 15 is supplied to the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, the nozzle 56c is positioned so as not to overlap with the support table 54 by rotating the shaft portion 56a again.

[0077] A pressing unit 58 is provided above the support table 54 . Figure 2 Schematically shows a top view of the pressing unit 58, Figure 6 and Figure 7 (A) schematically shows a side view of the pressing unit 58. The pressing unit 58 includes a pair of support columns 60 extending in the vertical direction, a connecting portion 62a slidably provided on each support column 60, a pair of supporting portions 62b extending horizontally from each connecting portion 62a, and a pressing portion 64 supported by the pair of supporting portions 62b.

[0078] The connecting portion 62a can be raised and lowered along the support column 60 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). This lifting mechanism can also be used to raise and lower the pressing portion 64. The pressing portion 64 has a flat pressing surface 68 on its lower surface. The direction of the pressing surface 68 is precisely set to be parallel to the upper surface of the support table 54. The pressing portion 64 also has an ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 inside, close to the pressing surface 68.

[0079] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 is composed of, for example, a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a ring shape in multiple layers. A flat plate-shaped light-transmitting member 70 that transmits ultraviolet rays and visible light is used at the lower end of the pressing portion 64 constituting the pressing surface 68 .

[0080] The pressing portion 64 can hold the cover sheet 17 using its pressing surface 68. The pressing unit 58 lowers the pressing portion 64 while the cover sheet 17 is held by the pressing surface 68, pressing the liquid resin 15 from above via the pressing surface 68. When the liquid resin 15 is cured by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66, the resin film 13, the cured liquid resin 15, and the cover sheet 17 are integrated to form a protective member. In other words, the cover sheet 17 constitutes the protective member.

[0081] like Figure 2 As shown, a cover sheet supply unit 80 is provided adjacent to the support table 54. This cover sheet supply unit 80 supplies the cover sheet 17 to be held on the pressing surface 68 of the pressing unit 64. For example, the cover sheet supply unit 80 is configured to roll up a plurality of cover sheets 17 and pull the cover sheets 17 one by one onto the support table 54 as needed. The pressing unit 64 is then lowered so that the pressing surface 68 contacts the upper surface of the cover sheet 17, thereby holding the cover sheet 17 on the pressing surface 68.

[0082] Here, the pressing portion 64 includes a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding the cover sheet 17 on the pressing surface 68. For example, the pressing surface 68 may be provided with a plurality of suction holes connected to a suction source, and the cover sheet 17 may be sucked through the suction holes, thereby being held by the pressing surface 68. Alternatively, the pressing portion 64 may include an electrostatic chuck mechanism near the pressing surface 68, and the electrostatic chuck mechanism may be activated to cause the pressing surface 68 to hold the cover sheet 17 using electrostatic force.

[0083] Alternatively, the pressing portion 64 may not have a retaining mechanism. In this case, for example, a layer of adhesive may be provided on the upper surface of the cover sheet 17, and the cover sheet 17 may be bonded to the pressing surface 68 via the adhesive layer. Alternatively, an adhesive may be applied to the upper surface of the cover sheet 17 or the pressing surface 68, and the cover sheet 17 may be retained on the pressing surface 68 by the adhesive.

[0084] On the support table 54 , after the liquid resin supply unit 56 supplies the liquid resin 15 onto the resin film 13 , the pressing unit 58 holding the cover sheet 17 by the pressing surface 68 is lowered to press the liquid resin 15 via the cover sheet 17 . Figure 7 (A) schematically shows a cross-sectional view of substrate 1, resin film 13, liquid resin 15, and cover sheet 17 when liquid resin 15 is pressed by pressing surface 68. When liquid resin 15 is pressed by pressing surface 68, liquid resin 15 spreads toward the outer periphery of substrate 1.

[0085] In other words, the pressing unit 58 has the function of covering the liquid resin 15 supplied by the liquid resin supply unit 56 with the cover sheet 17 and pressing the liquid resin 15 with the pressing surface 68 via the cover sheet 17 to spread the liquid resin 15 on the resin film 13 .

[0086] After the liquid resin 15 spreads toward the periphery of the substrate 1 so that a predetermined area of ​​the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 is covered with the resin film 13, the liquid resin 15, and the cover sheet 17, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 cures the liquid resin 15. At this time, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 irradiates the liquid resin 15 with ultraviolet rays through the pressing surface 68 and the cover sheet 17.

[0087] Then, when the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 is stopped and the pressing portion 64 is raised, the cover sheet 17 remains on the cured liquid resin 15. That is, the protective member 19, which is formed by integrating the resin film 13, the cured liquid resin 15, and the cover sheet 17, is formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. Here, because the upper surface of the support table 54 and the pressing surface 68 are parallel to each other, the back surface 1b of the substrate 1 and the upper surface of the protective member 19 are parallel to each other. Figure 7 (B) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing, in an enlarged manner, the protective member 19 formed on the substrate 1 having unevenness due to the bumps 7 on the front surface 1 a .

[0088] Conventionally, when the liquid resin 15 is pressed to expand, the liquid resin 15 may not fully expand to the specified range, failing to reach the outer edge of the specified range, or may become uneven. In such cases, when the liquid resin 15 is cured to form the protective member 19, and then the substrate 1 with the protective member 19 formed thereon is transported to the grinding device to grind the back side 1b of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is not properly supported by the protective member 19. Consequently, the back side 1b of the substrate 1 may be ground unevenly, or the back side 1b may be uneven.

[0089] Therefore, the protective member forming apparatus 2 of this embodiment includes a determination unit 76 that determines the state of the liquid resin 15 expanded by the pressing unit 58. When the liquid resin 15 is pressed and expanded, the determination unit 76 detects the liquid resin 15 and determines whether the liquid resin 15 has properly expanded to a predetermined range. The determination unit 76 is, for example, incorporated into the pressing unit 58. Next, the determination unit 76 will be described.

[0090] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 5A , the determination unit 76 includes a camera 72 disposed at the center of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 of the pressing portion 64. The camera 72 captures images of the liquid resin 15 and the substrate 1 from above, across the pressing surface 68 of the pressing unit 58. More specifically, the camera captures images of the substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15 through the light-transmitting member 70 constituting the pressing surface 68 and the cover sheet 17 held by the pressing surface 68.

[0091] To determine whether the liquid resin 15 has sufficiently spread on the substrate 1, the camera 72 preferably captures the outer periphery 1c of the substrate 1. For example, if the translucent member 70 has a certain thickness, the camera 72 can capture a wider area. On the other hand, the translucent member 70 is preferably thin enough to not impair the efficiency of ultraviolet radiation directed at the liquid resin 15. Therefore, the camera 72 uses a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens, positioned adjacent to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 and positioned at a position corresponding to the center of the substrate 1 it faces.

[0092] The required function of the camera 72 is not to obtain an image without distortion, but rather to obtain an image capable of discerning the presence or absence of the liquid resin 15 over the entire area of ​​the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. When a lens capable of capturing a wide range, such as a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens, is used, the camera 72 can capture the entire area of ​​the front surface 1a of the substrate 1, even if the light-transmitting member 70 is sufficiently thin. In other words, when a fisheye lens or the like is used for the camera 72, the light-transmitting member 70 can be made thinner, thereby improving the efficiency of irradiating the liquid resin 15 with ultraviolet light.

[0093] Here, in Figure 8 Schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pressing portion 64 of the pressing unit 58, which can be viewed when the horizontal plane including the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 and the camera 72 is divided. To capture the entire front surface 1a of the substrate 1, it is also possible to install multiple cameras 72 within the pressing unit 58. However, in this case, the area occupied by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 must be reduced by an amount equivalent to the area where the cameras 72 are installed. Consequently, there is a risk that the ultraviolet LEDs may not be adequately arranged, and the liquid resin 15 may not be irradiated with ultraviolet rays sufficiently and uniformly.

[0094] Therefore, when a fisheye lens or the like is used, the area occupied by the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 can be sufficiently ensured, and thus such a problem does not occur. However, in the protective member forming device 2 of this embodiment, if the performance of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 is sufficiently high, the determination unit 76 may include a plurality of cameras 72, and the cameras 72 may use lenses other than fisheye lenses or the like.

[0095] The determination unit 76 further includes a determination unit 74 connected to the camera 72. The determination unit 74 detects the liquid resin 15 and the substrate 1 based on the image captured by the camera 72, and determines whether the liquid resin 15 has spread to a predetermined range relative to the substrate 1. The functions of the determination unit 74 are implemented as software on, for example, an apparatus control computer that controls the various components of the protective member forming apparatus 2.

[0096] Here, the device control computer is composed of a computer including a processing device such as a CPU and a storage device such as a flash memory. Then, by operating the processing device according to software such as a program stored in the storage device, the software and the processing device (hardware resources) function as specific components that work together.

[0097] Next, the determination performed by the determination unit 74 will be described. The determination unit 74 performs determination based on images captured by the camera 72. For example, while the pressing unit 58 is pressing the liquid resin 15, the camera 72 periodically captures images of the substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15. Figure 9 (A) to Figure 9 (C) shows examples of images captured by the camera 72. In addition, the resin film 13 is omitted in each figure.

[0098] The substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15 appear in the image captured by the camera 72. Figure 9 (A) to Figure 9 In (C), for the sake of convenience, the device 5 and the like formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 that appear in the image through the liquid resin 15 are indicated by dotted lines. Figure 9 (A) is a diagram schematically showing an image obtained when the liquid resin 15 is supplied above the substrate 1 .

[0099] When the pressing portion 64 is lowered and the pressing surface 68 presses the liquid resin 15 , the liquid resin 15 spreads toward the outer periphery 1 c of the substrate 1 . Figure 9 (B) schematically shows an image obtained when the liquid resin 15 is pressed and spreads to a certain extent. When the pressing portion 64 is lowered, the liquid resin 15 spreads over the outer periphery 1c of the substrate 1. Figure 9 (C) is a diagram schematically showing an image obtained in a state where the liquid resin 15 is fully spread.

[0100] The determination unit 74 detects the substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15 based on the image captured by the camera 72. It then determines whether the liquid resin 15 has spread to a predetermined range relative to the substrate 1. This predetermined range is a range within which it can be determined that the liquid resin 15 has spread to a state where the formed protective member 19 can adequately protect the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 and the desired grinding can be performed on the back surface 1b of the substrate 1. The outer edge of this predetermined range is determined relative to the substrate 1 and is set to overlap, for example, the outer periphery 1c of the substrate 1.

[0101] Then, the determination unit 74 determines whether the liquid resin 15 has spread over a predetermined range. The camera 72 captures the substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15 and obtains the image. Figure 9In the case of an image such as that shown in (B), the determination unit 74 determines that the liquid resin 15 has not spread to the predetermined range. In addition, when the liquid resin 15 further spreads, the camera 72 captures the substrate 1 and the liquid resin 15 and obtains Figure 9 In the case of an image such as that shown in (C), the determination unit 74 determines that the liquid resin 15 has spread to a predetermined range.

[0102] The determination unit 76 includes a notification unit 78 for notifying the user or administrator of the protective member forming apparatus 2 of the determination result of the determination unit 74. For example, if the determination unit 74 determines that the liquid resin 15 has not spread to a predetermined range, the notification unit 78 notifies the user or administrator of the protective member forming apparatus 2 of the determination result. The notification unit 78 is, for example, a display unit or an alarm lamp provided on the housing of the protective member forming apparatus 2, and notifies the user or administrator of the determination result by displaying a warning screen on the display unit or lighting a red lamp of the alarm lamp.

[0103] The user or administrator, etc., who has been notified of the determination result of the determination unit 74 by the notification unit 78, for example, further presses the liquid resin 15 by the pressing unit 58, thereby further spreading the liquid resin 15. Furthermore, for the next and subsequent substrates 1 on which the protective member 19 is to be formed, the amount of liquid resin supplied by the liquid resin supply unit 56 is increased, thereby spreading the liquid resin 15 over a larger area.

[0104] On the other hand, if the determination unit 74 determines that the liquid resin 15 has expanded into the predetermined range, the display unit functioning as the notification unit 78 continuously displays an image indicating that the protective member forming device 2 is operating normally. Alternatively, the green light of the alarm lamp functioning as the notification unit 78 is continuously illuminated. In other words, the notification unit 78 notifying the determination unit 74 of the determination result includes the case where the notification unit 78 does not notify the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0105] As described above, in the protective member forming apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the determination unit 76 determines whether the liquid resin 15 has sufficiently spread to a predetermined range relative to the substrate 1. Therefore, if the liquid resin 15 has not spread to the predetermined range, the pressing unit 58 can be used to further press the liquid resin 15 before the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66 is activated to spread the liquid resin 15. As a result, the protective member 19 can be properly formed on the substrate 1, and the back surface 1b of the substrate 1 can be properly ground by the grinding device.

[0106] Alternatively, the determination unit 76 may obtain information related to the state of the liquid resin 15 based on the image captured by the camera 72, and determine whether the liquid resin 15 is uneven. If it is determined that the liquid resin 15 is uneven, the pressing unit 58 may be used to further press the liquid resin 15, or measures such as increasing the amount of liquid resin 15 supplied may be implemented.

[0107] The protective member forming device 2 includes a cutting unit 84 (see FIG. 1 ) for cutting off an unnecessary portion of the protective member 19 formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1. Figure 10 ). The cutting unit 84 cuts the protective member 19 on a workbench 82 provided on the base 4 at a position adjacent to the support workbench 54. The protective member forming apparatus 2 includes a conveying unit 24b capable of conveying the substrate 1 on which the protective member 19 is formed from the support workbench 54 to the workbench 82. Since the conveying unit 24b is constructed similarly to the conveying unit 24a, a portion of the description thereof will be omitted.

[0108] Figure 2 A schematic top view of the transport unit 24b is shown. The transport unit 24b includes a guide rail 26b extending along the alignment direction of the support table 54 and the work table 82, and an arm 28b slidably mounted on the guide rail 26b. The transport unit 24b includes a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the arm 28b and the base 30b along the guide rail 26b.

[0109] A base portion 30b is fixed to the front end of the arm portion 28b. A plate-shaped non-contact suction pad support portion 40b is fixed to the central lower surface of the base portion 30b via multiple columnar support portions. The non-contact suction pad support portion 40b has a through-hole 44b formed therein, and multiple non-contact suction pads are provided on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad support portion 40b. Furthermore, multiple suction pads are fixed to the outer peripheral lower surface of the base portion 30b.

[0110] When the substrate 1 provided with the protective member 19 is transported by the transport unit 24b, the base portion 30b is moved above the support table 54. The base portion 30b is then lowered, and the resin film 13 is held by suction using the suction pads, while the protective member 19 is held by suction using the non-contact suction pads. The base portion 30b is then raised, moved above the table 82, and lowered to place the substrate 1 provided with the protective member 19 on the table 82.

[0111] Then, first, the suction holding of the resin film 13 is released, and then the suction holding of the protective member 19 is released. In this case, the substrate 1 is placed on the work table 82 with the resin film 13 spread over the work table 82 by the flow of gas ejected from the non-contact suction pad. While the resin film 13 is being suctioned by the non-contact suction pad, the flow of gas from the non-contact suction pad cools the protective member 19, increasing its hardness. This makes it easier to remove unnecessary portions of the protective member 19.

[0112] Alternatively, the worktable 82 may include a holding mechanism capable of suction-holding the substrate 1. In this case, the upper surface of the worktable 82 serves as the holding surface 82a. For example, the worktable 82 may be a chuck table having a porous member exposed on the holding surface 82a and a suction source connected to the porous member. The substrate 1 placed on the holding surface 82a is suction-held by operating the suction source.

[0113] Next, the cutting unit 84 will be described. The cutting unit 84 includes a table 82 that supports the substrate 1 having the protective member 19 formed on the front surface 1a. The cutting unit 84 also includes a rotating shaft 88 extending perpendicularly to the holding surface 82a of the table 82; a circular cutting unit support 86 fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft 88; and a cutting unit 90 fixed to the outer circumference of the lower surface of the cutting unit support 86. The cutting unit 90 is, for example, a cutter with a sharpened lower end.

[0114] A rotational drive source (not shown) is connected to the upper end of the rotating shaft 88. When the rotational drive source is activated to rotate the rotating shaft 88, the cutting section 90, which is fixed to the lower surface of the cutting section support 86, moves on a circular track along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1. In other words, the rotational drive source, the rotating shaft 88, and the cutting section support 86 function as a cutting section moving unit 92 that moves the cutting section 90.

[0115] When cutting the protective member 19, the cutting unit 84 operates the cutting unit moving unit 92, thereby rotating the cutting unit 90 while lowering the rotating shaft 88, so that the cutting unit 90 cuts along the protective member 19. In other words, the cutting unit 84 uses the cutting unit moving unit 92 to move the cutting unit 90 along the outer periphery 1c of the substrate 1, thereby cutting the protective member 19 along the outer periphery 1c of the substrate 1.

[0116] When the unnecessary portion of the protective member 19 is cut off by the cutting unit 84, the substrate 1 is ready for grinding. An unnecessary portion recovery unit 94 is provided at a position adjacent to the work table 82 of the base 4 for recovering the unnecessary portion of the cut protective member 19. For example, the unnecessary portion of the protective member 19 is transported to the unnecessary portion recovery unit 94 by the transport unit 24b, the suction of the unnecessary portion is released, and the portion falls to the unnecessary portion recovery unit 94, where the unnecessary portion is suctioned and recovered.

[0117] After the unnecessary portion of the protective member 19 is cut off by the cutting unit 84, the substrate 1 with the protective member 19 formed on the front surface 1a is removed from the work table 82 by the substrate transport robot 10b and stored in the cassette 8b placed on the cassette placement table 6b. The cassette 8b is then transported to the grinding device, which grinds the substrate 1 from the back surface 1b side.

[0118] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid resin 15 is supplied from above to the front surface 1a of the substrate 1 and pressed from above via the cover sheet 17. However, the protective member forming apparatus 2 of one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the protective member forming apparatus 2 may supply the liquid resin 15 onto the cover sheet 17 and press the liquid resin 15 from above using the substrate 1 in close contact with the resin film 13, thereby causing the liquid resin 15 to spread.

[0119] Next, use Figure 11 A modified example of the protective member forming apparatus 2 will be described. In this modified example, the support surface of the support table 54a is formed of a light-transmitting member 70a, and this support surface can support the cover sheet 17. The liquid resin supply unit 56 then supplies the liquid resin 15 onto the upper surface of the cover sheet 17 supported by the support table 54a.

[0120] The pressing unit 58 disposed above the support table 54a can hold the substrate 1 with its front surface 1a, to which the resin film 13 is in close contact, facing downward using its pressing surface 68. The substrate 1, with its front surface 1a facing downward, is then pressed from above by the flat pressing surface 68, so that the resin film 13 comes into close contact with the liquid resin 15 on the cover sheet 17 supported by the support table 54a. The liquid resin 15 is thereby pressed and spread across the resin film 13.

[0121] An ultraviolet irradiation unit 66a is assembled on the upper portion of the support table 54a. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 66a irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the liquid resin 15 via the support surface of the support table 54a and the cover sheet 17, thereby curing the liquid resin 15. When the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66a is operated to cure the liquid resin 15, a protective member 19 including the resin film 13, the cured liquid resin 15, and the cover sheet 17 is formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1.

[0122] In this modified example, if the liquid resin 15 does not fully spread to the specified range, the protective member 19 cannot be properly formed. Therefore, a determination unit 76a is used. The determination unit 76a has the function of determining the state of the liquid resin 15 spread by the pressing unit 58. The determination unit 76a is configured similarly to the determination unit 76 of the above-described embodiment.

[0123] The determination unit 76a includes a camera 72a for capturing images of the liquid resin 15 and the substrate 1 from below, across the support surface of the support table 54a; and a determination unit 74a for determining whether the liquid resin 15 has expanded to a predetermined range based on the image captured by the camera 72a. Furthermore, the determination unit 76a includes a notification unit 78a for notifying the determination unit 74a of the result of the determination.

[0124] In this modified example, even before the ultraviolet irradiation unit 66a cures the liquid resin 15, the determination unit 76a can determine whether the liquid resin 15 has spread to a predetermined range relative to the substrate 1. Therefore, since the liquid resin 15 is cured after confirming that it has spread to the predetermined range, the protective member 19 is appropriately formed on the front surface 1a of the substrate 1.

[0125] Furthermore, the structures, methods, and the like of the above-described embodiment and modified examples can be implemented with appropriate changes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A protective member forming apparatus, comprising: laminating an ultraviolet curing liquid resin and a cover sheet on a resin film to form a protective member flatter than the front surface of a substrate having irregularities on the front surface; the resin film being larger than the substrate and in close contact with the front surface of the substrate so as to follow the irregularities; and The protective component forming device has: a supporting table for supporting the substrate with the resin film in close contact with the front surface; a liquid resin supply unit for supplying the liquid resin onto the resin film in close contact with the substrate supported by the support table; a pressing unit having a flat and light-transmissive pressing surface capable of holding the cover sheet, the pressing unit pressing the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with the pressing surface via the cover sheet held by the pressing surface, thereby spreading the liquid resin on the resin film; an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the liquid resin via the pressing surface and the cover sheet to cure the liquid resin, thereby forming the protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover sheet; and a determination unit that determines a state of the liquid resin expanded by the pressing unit, The determination unit has: a camera for photographing the liquid resin and the substrate from above through the light-transmitting pressing surface of the pressing unit; a determination unit that detects the liquid resin and the substrate based on the image captured by the camera and determines whether the liquid resin has spread over a predetermined range based on the substrate; and A notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit.

2. A protective member forming apparatus, comprising: laminating an ultraviolet curing liquid resin and a cover sheet on a resin film to form a protective member flatter than the front surface of a substrate having irregularities on the front surface; the resin film being larger than the substrate and in close contact with the front surface of the substrate in a manner that follows the irregularities; and The protective component forming device has: a supporting table having a supporting surface formed of a light-transmitting member and capable of supporting the cover sheet by the supporting surface; a liquid resin supply unit that supplies the liquid resin to the upper surface of the cover sheet supported by the support table; a pressing unit that uses a flat pressing surface to press the substrate with the front surface facing downward, to which the resin film is in close contact, from above, so that the resin film is in close contact with the liquid resin on the cover sheet supported by the support table; an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the liquid resin via the support surface of the support table and the cover sheet to cure the liquid resin, thereby forming the protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover sheet; and a determination unit that determines a state of the liquid resin expanded by the pressing unit, The determination unit has: a camera for photographing the liquid resin and the substrate from below through the light-transmitting support surface of the support table; a determination unit that detects the substrate and the liquid resin based on the image captured by the camera and determines whether the liquid resin has spread over a predetermined range based on the substrate; and A notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit.

3. The protective member forming device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The camera has a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens, which is arranged adjacent to the ultraviolet irradiation unit and is set at a position corresponding to the center of the substrate it faces, and uses the fisheye lens or the wide-angle lens to perform imaging.

Images