Workpiece management method and sheet cutting apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a processed object management method and a sheet cutting device that can suppress the difficulty of cause investigation of a device chip defect. The processed object management method includes: a frame unit formation step of forming a frame unit in which a processed object is supported in an opening of a ring-shaped frame by a resin sheet, the processed object having a front surface on which a device is formed in each region divided by a plurality of division predetermined lines that cross each other; a printing step of printing identification information of the processed object on the resin sheet of a region between an outer periphery of the processed object and an inner periphery of the ring-shaped frame after the frame unit formation step is performed; a processing step of processing the processed object by a processing device; a peeling step of peeling the processed object after processing from the resin sheet; and a storage step of storing the resin sheet from which the processed object is peeled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for managing workpieces and a sheet cutting apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Device chips are formed by dividing various plate-shaped workpieces such as semiconductor wafers, resin encapsulation substrates, glass substrates, and ceramic substrates, thus constituting electronic devices. However, in order to handle the workpieces without damage during manufacturing, frame units are constructed (a state in which the workpiece is supported in the opening of an annular frame using resin sheets such as adhesive tape) (for example, see Patent Document 1). In particular, frame units are mostly used in cutting processes (including cutting tool-based processes and laser beam-based processes), device inspection processes, and chip removal (pickup) processes.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-242083

[0004] In recent years, when defective components are produced in manufactured chips, it is necessary to record the status of the components during the manufacturing process in order to determine the cause. For example, barcodes are formed on the workpiece, and the barcodes are read by each processing device to record when and which processing device was used to process the workpiece. The log data of the processing devices is then checked to confirm the processing status of the workpiece that produced the defect.

[0005] When there is a lot of residue remaining on the dicing strip after pickup, there is a high probability of numerous defects appearing on the side surface of the dicing strip. Sometimes, the dicing strip after the pickup process is kept as a record to determine whether the workpiece has been processed. However, it is impossible to confirm which workpiece was fixed on the dicing strip, making it difficult to trace the detailed cause. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for managing workpieces and a sheet cutting apparatus that can reduce the difficulty of tracing the cause of defects in device chips.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for managing a workpiece is provided, comprising the following steps: a frame unit forming step, wherein a frame unit is formed in which the workpiece is supported by a resin sheet in an opening of an annular frame, the workpiece having a front surface on which devices are formed in each region divided by a plurality of intersecting predetermined dividing lines; a printing step, wherein, after performing the frame unit forming step, identification information of the workpiece is printed on the resin sheet in a region between the outer periphery of the workpiece and the inner periphery of the annular frame; a processing step, wherein the workpiece is processed using a processing apparatus; a peeling step, wherein the processed workpiece is peeled off from the resin sheet; and a storage step, wherein the resin sheet from which the workpiece has been peeled off is stored.

[0008] The preferred method for managing processed items also includes the following step of obtaining inspection results: after the printing step and the peeling step are performed, the processing status is checked based on the processing marks remaining on the resin sheet, the identification information of the inspected resin sheet is read, and the processing status of each processed item is obtained.

[0009] Preferably, the identification information includes the ID information of each workpiece, the processing conditions of the workpiece in the processing step, or information related to the date on which the processing step was performed.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a sheet cutting apparatus is provided, comprising: a box holding section for holding a box for housing a frame unit, wherein a workpiece supported in an opening of an annular frame by means of a resin sheet is processed with respect to the frame unit, and the processed workpiece is peeled off from the resin sheet, thereby forming a processing mark on the resin sheet; a removal unit for removing the frame unit from the box held in the box holding section; a printing unit for printing identification information of the peeled workpiece on the resin sheet of the frame unit removed from the box; a resin sheet detachment unit for detaching the resin sheet of the frame unit on which the identification information has been printed by the printing unit from the annular frame; and a sheet holding section for holding the resin sheet detached from the annular frame by the resin sheet detachment unit.

[0011] The workpiece management method and sheet cutting device of the present invention can reduce the difficulty of tracing the cause of defects in device chips. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of a workpiece that is the object of management in the workpiece management method of the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram showing the framework unit formation steps of the processing method for the management of processed materials.

[0015] Figure 4 It shows through Figure 2 A perspective view of the framework unit formed by the framework unit formation steps of the management method for the processed work shown.

[0016] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the printing steps of the method for managing the workpiece shown.

[0017] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the frame unit after the printing steps of the processing method for the workpiece shown.

[0018] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A top view showing the identification information of the frame unit.

[0019] Figure 8 Shown using partial cross-sections Figure 2 A side view of the processing steps of the method for managing the workpiece shown.

[0020] Figure 9 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the frame unit after the processing steps of the processing method for the workpiece shown.

[0021] Figure 10 Shown using partial cross-sections Figure 2 A side view of the stripping step in the processing method shown.

[0022] Figure 11 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the storage steps of the processing method shown.

[0023] Figure 12 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the box used in another example of the storage steps in the method for managing processed goods.

[0024] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 A three-dimensional diagram showing the steps for obtaining the inspection results of the management method for the processed work.

[0026] Figure 15 It is shown in Figure 13 The image shown is a diagram of the main part of the resin sheet obtained in the inspection step of the inspection result of the management method of the processed work.

[0027] Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the third embodiment.

[0028] Figure 17 It is shown Figure 16 A perspective view of the frame unit after the stripping step in the processing method shown.

[0029] Figure 18 It is a schematic illustration of the implementation. Figure 16 A top view of the structure of the sheet cutting device for the printing step of the processing method for the workpiece shown.

[0030] Figure 19 Shown in partial cross-section Figure 16 The side view shows the state in which the resin sheet is cut along the inner edge of the annular frame during the printing step of the processing method for the workpiece shown.

[0031] Figure 20 The partial cross-section shows the effect on the Figure 16 A side view of the state in which the cut resin sheet is held during the printing step of the processing method shown.

[0032] Figure 21 It is shown in Figure 16 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the resin sheet being stored in a storage box during the printing step of the processing method for the workpiece.

[0033] Label Explanation

[0034] 1: Workpiece; 3: Pre-defined dividing line; 4: Device; 5: Front view; 6: Workpiece ID information (ID information for each workpiece); 9: Processing condition ID information (information indicating processing conditions in the processing steps); 10: Date information (information related to the date); 14: Cutting groove (processing mark); 15: Annular frame; 16: Opening; 17: Resin sheet; 18, 18-1: Frame unit; 19: Identification information; 30: Processing device; 50: Box; 70: Sheet cutting device; 71: Box holding part; 72: Printing unit; 73: Cutting unit (resin sheet detachment unit); 75: Storage box (sheet storage part); 80: Transfer unit; 1001: Frame unit forming step; 1002: Printing step; 1003: Processing step; 1004: Peeling step; 1005: Storage step; 1006: Inspection result acquisition step. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the structural elements described below include substantially the same structural elements that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art. In addition, the structures described below can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the structure can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0036] [First Embodiment]

[0037] The method for managing processed workpiece according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of a workpiece that is the object of management in the workpiece management method of the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the first embodiment.

[0038] The processing work management method of the first embodiment is a management Figure 1 The method for managing the workpiece 1 shown. The workpiece 1 managed by the workpiece management method of the first embodiment is a wafer such as a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer with a substrate 2 of silicon (Si), sapphire (Al2O3), gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon carbide (SiC).

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the workpiece 1 has a front surface 5 in which devices 4 are formed in each region divided by multiple intersecting predetermined dividing lines 3. The devices 4 are, for example, integrated circuits such as IC (Integrated Circuit) or LSI (Large Scale Integration), image sensors such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

[0040] Additionally, in the workpiece 1, workpiece ID (identification) information is attached to the front side 5 of the substrate 2. The workpiece ID information 6 is information used to identify the workpieces 1 from one another, i.e., the ID information of each workpiece 1. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 1 is cut (equivalent to processing) along the predetermined dividing line 3 and divided into individual device chips 7. The device chip 7 includes a portion of the substrate 2 and a device 4.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the workpiece management method of the first embodiment includes a frame unit forming step 1001, a printing step 1002, a processing step 1003, a peeling step 1004, and a storage step 1005.

[0042] (Steps for forming a frame unit)

[0043] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram showing the framework unit formation steps of the processing method for the management of processed materials. Figure 4 It shows through Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of a frame unit formed by the frame unit forming step of the workpiece management method. Frame unit forming step 1001 is the step of forming frame unit 18, which supports the workpiece 1 in the opening 16 of the annular frame 15 by means of a resin sheet 17.

[0044] In the first embodiment, in the frame unit forming step 1001, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the outer edge of the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17, whose diameter is larger than that of the workpiece 1, faces the annular frame 15, whose inner diameter is larger than that of the workpiece 1. The back side 8 of the front side 5 of the workpiece 1 faces the center of the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17. The outer edge of the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 is adhered to the annular frame 15, and the back side 8 of the workpiece 1 is adhered to the center of the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17. Thus, in the first embodiment, in the frame unit forming step 1001, a frame unit is formed. Figure 4 The frame unit 18 shown is obtained by supporting the workpiece 1 with a ring frame 15 using a resin sheet 17 on the inside of the opening 16.

[0045] (Printing steps)

[0046] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the printing steps of the method for managing the workpiece shown. Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the frame unit after the printing steps of the processing method for the workpiece shown. Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A top view showing the identification information of the frame unit. Printing step 1002 is as follows: after performing frame unit forming step 1001, the identification information 19 of the workpiece 1 is printed on the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 in the area between the outer periphery of the workpiece 1 and the inner periphery of the annular frame 15.

[0047] In the first embodiment, in printing step 1002, the printing apparatus 20 holds the substrate layer side of the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18 using a holding table (not shown), and reads the workpiece ID information 6 using the reading unit 21. The control unit 23 of the printing apparatus 20 stores in advance the ID information of each workpiece 1 represented by the read workpiece ID information 6 and the processing conditions of the processing step in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 23 is a computer capable of implementing computer programs. This computer includes an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface device. The control unit 23 controls the various structural elements constituting the printing device 20, causing the printing device 20 to perform printing step 1002.

[0049] In the first embodiment, in printing step 1002, the control unit 23 of the printing device 20 extracts the processing conditions of the processing step corresponding to the ID information of each workpiece 1 represented by the read workpiece ID information 6, and generates identification information 19. In the first embodiment, in printing step 1002, as... Figure 5 As shown, the printing device 20 positions the printing unit 22 facing the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 in the area between the outer periphery of the workpiece 1 and the inner periphery of the annular frame 15, as... Figure 6 As shown, the identification information 19 generated by the control unit 23 is printed onto the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 in that area using the printing unit 22. In the first embodiment, the printing unit 22 irradiates the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 with a laser beam 24 to print the identification information 19, but this is not limited to this in the present invention. For example, ink can also be applied to the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 to print the identification information 19.

[0050] In the first embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the identification information 19 formed by printing step 1002 includes the workpiece ID information 6 represented by a white circle, the processing condition ID information 9 represented by a white triangle, and the date information 10 represented by a white quadrilateral. The workpiece ID information 6 is information used to identify each workpiece 1 from another, i.e., the ID information of each workpiece 1. The processing condition ID information 9 is information representing the processing conditions in processing step 1003, and is information used to identify each processing condition from another, i.e., the ID information of each processing condition.

[0051] Additionally, the processing condition ID information 9 of the identification information 19 indicates the processing conditions of the processing step corresponding to the ID information of each workpiece 1 represented by the workpiece ID information 6 read by the reading unit 21. The date information 10 is information related to the date on which processing step 1003 was performed or the date on which the identification information 19 was printed; in the first embodiment, it indicates the date on which processing step 1003 was performed. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the control unit 23 of the printing device 20 generates the identification information 19, which includes: the read workpiece ID information 6; the processing condition ID information 9, which indicates the processing conditions of the processing step corresponding to the ID information of each workpiece 1 represented by the read workpiece ID information 6; and the date information 10, which indicates the date on which processing step 1003 was performed.

[0052] Alternatively, in this invention, the identification information 19 can also be a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode containing the workpiece ID information 6, the processing condition ID information 9, and the date information 10. Furthermore, if the identification information 19 is a barcode, it can also replace the processing condition ID information and include the cutting tool 35 containing the processing conditions represented by the processing condition ID information 9. Figure 8 The types shown, the tool height indicating the height of the lower end of the cutting edge 36, the Y indexing indicating the distance the cutting tool 35 moves along the Y-axis, and the chuck table 31 (as shown) Figure 8 The machining feed rate (shown) indicates the moving speed of the spindle 34 (as shown). Figure 8 The spindle speed, etc. (as shown in the figure).

[0053] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the identification information 19 includes the workpiece ID information 6, the processing condition ID information 9, and the date information 10. However, in this invention, it is sufficient for the identification information 19 to include at least one of the workpiece ID information 6, the processing condition ID information 9, and the date information 10. That is, in this invention, the identification information 19 includes the workpiece ID information 6, the processing condition ID information 9, or the date information 10.

[0054] (Processing steps)

[0055] Figure 8 Shown using partial cross-sections Figure 2 A side view of the processing steps of the method for managing the workpiece shown. Figure 9 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram shows a perspective view of the frame unit after the processing steps of the workpiece management method. Processing step 1003 is a step in which the workpiece 1 is processed using the processing device 30.

[0056] In the first embodiment, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 30 attracts and holds the back side 8 of the workpiece 1 on the chuck table 31 through the resin sheet 17, and clamps the annular frame 15 using the clamping part 32. In processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 30 reads the identification information 19 using the reading unit 33 and extracts the processing conditions represented by the processing condition ID information 9 of the identification information 19. In processing step 1003, while moving the cutting tool 35, which rotates through the spindle 34, and the workpiece 1 relative to each other along the predetermined dividing line 3 according to the processing conditions extracted by the processing apparatus 30, the cutting edge 36 of the cutting tool 35 is positioned at the height of cutting into the resin sheet 17 and cuts into each predetermined dividing line 3, dividing the workpiece 1 into individual device chips 7.

[0057] In the first embodiment, such as Figure 9 As shown, in the frame unit 18 after processing step 1003, cutting grooves 14, serving as machining marks, are formed on each predetermined dividing line 3 of the workpiece 1. Additionally, as... Figure 9 As shown, in the frame unit 18 after processing step 1003, a cutting groove 14, which is a processing mark, is also formed on the resin sheet 17. Thus, in the first embodiment, the processing apparatus 30 that performs the processing step is a cutting apparatus that cuts the workpiece 1.

[0058] (Stripping step)

[0059] Figure 10 Shown using partial cross-sections Figure 2 The side view of the stripping step in the method for managing the workpiece shown. Stripping step 1004 is the step of stripping the processed workpiece 1 from the resin sheet 17.

[0060] In the first embodiment, in the stripping step 1004, as Figure 10 As shown, using a known pick-up device 37, the device chips 7 of the workpiece 1 are peeled off one by one from the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17, and all the device chips 7 are picked up. Furthermore, in practice, Figure 11 The frame unit 18 shown contains residual end-material chips, but... Figure 11 In this text, the end-material chip is omitted. Additionally, hereinafter, reference numeral 18-1 indicates the frame unit 18 from which the workpiece 1 has been stripped.

[0061] (Storage Procedure)

[0062] Figure 11 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the storage steps of the processing method shown. Figure 12 It is shown Figure 2A perspective view of the box used in another example of the storage step of the method for managing the processed work. Storage step 1005 is the step of storing the resin sheet 17 from which the processed work 1 has been peeled off.

[0063] In the first embodiment, during the storage step 1005, the frame unit 18-1 containing the resin sheet 17 of the workpiece 1, which has been peeled off, has an annular frame 15 attached to the outer edge of the resin sheet 17. Figure 11 The coins are stored in the coin stack box 40 and kept for a predetermined period of time. Figure 11 The stack box 40 shown is a storage container for storing multiple workpieces 1 stacked in the vertical direction. The workpieces 1 are inserted through the upper opening 42 and can be removed through the upper opening 42.

[0064] like Figure 11 As shown, the coin stack box 40 has: a cylindrical wall 41 with an upper opening 42; a cutout 43 formed in the cylindrical wall 41; and a base wall 44. The cylindrical wall 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape and can accommodate the frame unit 18-1 inside. The upper opening 42 is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 41, allowing the frame unit 18-1 to pass through inside. The cutout 43 is formed by cutting off a portion of the cylindrical wall 41 along its axis. The base wall 44 is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, provided at the lower end of the cylindrical wall 41 and closing the lower end of the cylindrical wall 41.

[0065] The coin stacking box 40 has resin sheets 17 (frame units 18-1) with annular frames 15 attached to their outer edges, and anti-adhesion sheets 12 made of a material softer than the workpiece 1, such as paper or synthetic resin, alternately stacked and housed inside the cylindrical wall 41. That is, the frame units 18-1 and anti-adhesion sheets 12 are stacked and housed in the coin stacking box 40. In addition, the coin stacking box 40 moves the frame units 18-1 and anti-adhesion sheets 12 in the vertical direction, so that the frame units 18-1 and anti-adhesion sheets 12 can enter and exit through the upper opening 42.

[0066] Additionally, in this invention, the frame unit 18-1, from which the workpiece 1 has been peeled off, can also be housed within... Figure 12 The units are stored in the box 50 shown. The box 50 stores multiple frame units 18-1 at intervals in the vertical direction. (As shown...) Figure 12As shown, the box 50 has: a bottom wall 51; a pair of side walls 52, 52, which are erected from both ends of the bottom wall 51 and are opposite to each other; a top wall 53, which is connected to the upper ends of the pair of side walls 52, 52 and is opposite to the bottom wall 51 in the vertical direction; and an inner wall 54, which is connected to the pair of side walls 52, 52, the bottom wall 51 and the top wall 53. The side walls 52, 52 have multiple layers of support frames 55 formed on their opposing inner surfaces, which support the ends of the annular frame 15 of the frame unit 18-1. The support frames 55 are straight in the horizontal direction and are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0067] Furthermore, the box 50 is surrounded by a pair of side walls 52, 52, a bottom wall 51, and a top wall 53, and has an opening 56 for the resin sheet 17 to enter and exit horizontally relative to the support frame 55. The box 50 supports the two ends of the annular frame 15 on the support frames 55 of each layer, and stores multiple frame units 18-1 layer by layer in the support frames 55 at intervals in the vertical direction. In addition, the box 50 allows the frame units 18-1 to enter and exit through the opening 56 by moving the frame units 18-1 in the horizontal direction.

[0068] The workpiece management method of the first embodiment described above has the following effects: By printing identification information 19 on the resin sheet 17, even after the workpiece 1 is peeled off from the resin sheet 17, it is known which workpiece 1 is fixed on which resin sheet 17. Therefore, the processing condition can be judged by using the cutting groove 14, which is a processing mark remaining on the resin sheet 17, thereby determining the processing condition of the workpiece 1 and the device chip 7. In particular, in the workpiece processing method, since contaminants (processing chips) generated during processing and the cutting groove 14 remain on the resin sheet 17, it is possible to judge the chipping of the back side 8, the bending of the cutting tool 35, etc. As a result, the workpiece management method has the effect of reducing the difficulty of tracing the cause of defects in the device chip 7.

[0069] [Second Implementation]

[0070] The method for managing processed workpiece according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the second embodiment. Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 A three-dimensional diagram showing the steps for obtaining the inspection results of the management method for the processed work. Figure 15 It is shown in Figure 13 The image shown is an illustration of the main portion of the resin sheet obtained during the inspection step of the processing method for the workpiece. Additionally, in... Figure 13 , Figure 14 as well as Figure 15In this document, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are marked with the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0071] like Figure 13 As shown, the workpiece management method of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the inspection result acquisition step 1006. The inspection result acquisition step 1006 is as follows: after the printing step 1002 and the peeling step 1004 are performed, the processing status is checked according to the cutting groove 14 remaining on the resin sheet 17, and the identification information 19 of the inspected resin sheet 17 is read, thereby obtaining the processing status of each workpiece 1.

[0072] In the second embodiment, the inspection result acquisition step 1006 is as follows: when a defect occurs on the device chip 7 manufactured by dividing the workpiece 1 into individual pieces, an inspection is performed near the cutting groove 14 of the resin sheet 17 stored in the storage step 1005 in order to investigate the cause of the defect. Therefore, the inspection result acquisition step 1006 does not necessarily need to be performed on all workpieces 1.

[0073] In the second embodiment, in the inspection result acquisition step 1006, the frame unit 18-1, on which the device chip 7 to be inspected is attached, is taken out from the coin box 40 stored in the storage step 1005, and the inspection device 60 holds the substrate layer side of the resin sheet 17 using a holding stage (not shown). In the first embodiment, in the inspection result acquisition step 1006, as... Figure 14 As shown, the inspection device 60 uses the imaging unit 61 to photograph the portion of the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 where the device chip 7 to be inspected is attached, and obtains the image. Figure 15 The illustrated image 62. In the first embodiment, in the inspection result acquisition step 1006, as... Figure 15 As shown, when the fragment 1-1 of the workpiece 1 is reflected at the edge of the cutting groove 14 in image 62, it is determined that a back edge chipping has occurred on the device chip 7 that is attached at the location where the resin fragment 1-1 is present (the edge of the cutting groove 14 on the back side 8 is damaged).

[0074] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, in the inspection result acquisition step 1006, the inspection device 60 uses a reading unit (not shown) to read the identification information 19 and obtain the workpiece ID information 6 and the processing condition ID information 9. In the inspection result acquisition step 1006, the inspection device 60 obtains the processing status of the workpiece 1 represented by the workpiece ID information 6.

[0075] In the workpiece management method of the second embodiment, by printing identification information 19 on the resin sheet 17, the processing status can be determined using the cutting grooves 14 remaining on the resin sheet 17, thereby determining the processing status of the workpiece 1 and the device chip 7. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, the workpiece management method effectively reduces the difficulty of tracing the cause of defects in the device chip 7.

[0076] [Third Implementation]

[0077] The method for managing processed workpiece according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of the workpiece management method according to the third embodiment. Figure 17 It is shown Figure 16 A perspective view of the frame unit after the stripping step in the processing method shown. Figure 18 It is a schematic illustration of the implementation. Figure 16 A top view of the structure of the sheet cutting device for the printing step of the processing method for the workpiece shown. Figure 19 Shown in partial cross-section Figure 16 The side view shows the state in which the resin sheet is cut along the inner edge of the annular frame during the printing step of the processing method for the workpiece shown. Figure 20 The partial cross-section shows the effect on the Figure 16 A side view of the state in which the cut resin sheet is held during the printing step of the processing method shown. Figure 21 It is shown in Figure 16 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the resin sheet being stored in a storage box during the printing step of the workpiece management method. Additionally, in... Figure 16 , Figure 17 , Figure 18 , Figure 19 , Figure 20 as well as Figure 21 In this document, parts that are the same as those in the first and second embodiments are marked with the same reference numerals and are omitted from the description.

[0078] like Figure 16 As shown, the workpiece management method of the third embodiment includes a frame unit forming step 1001, a processing step 1003, a peeling step 1004, a printing step 1002, a storage step 1005, and an inspection result acquisition step 1006. After the frame unit forming step 1001 is performed, the processing step 1003, the peeling step 1004, the printing step 1002, the storage step 1005, and the inspection result acquisition step 1006 are performed sequentially. In the workpiece management method of the third embodiment, the frame unit forming step 1001, the processing step 1003, and the peeling step 1004 are performed in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0079] In the processing management method of the third embodiment, such as Figure 17 As shown, frame ID (identification) information 11 is attached to the annular frame 15 of frame unit 18-1. The frame ID information 11 is information used to identify the frame units 18 from one another, that is, the ID information of each frame unit 18.

[0080] In the workpiece management method of the third embodiment, the printing step 1002 is performed by... Figure 18 The sheet cutting device 70 shown is used for implementation. The sheet cutting device 70 is used to cut the sheet material. Figure 17 The apparatus shown is for cutting the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18 after the peeling step 1004 along the inner edge of the annular frame 15 and storing the cut resin sheet 17 in the storage box 75.

[0081] like Figure 18 As shown, the sheet cutting device 70 includes a box holding section 71, a transfer unit 80, a printing unit 72, a cutting unit (equivalent to a resin sheet detachment unit) 73, a conveying unit 74, a sheet holding section 76 that holds a storage box 75 which serves as a sheet storage section, an anti-stick sheet storage section 77 that overlaps and stores the anti-stick sheet 12, and a control unit 78.

[0082] A box-mounting section 71 is provided at the corner of the device body 79 of the sheet cutting device 70. A box 50, which houses the frame unit 18-1 after the peeling step 1004, is mounted on its upper surface, and the box 50 is supported so that it can be raised and lowered freely in the vertical direction. Therefore, the box 50 houses the frame unit 18-1. Regarding the frame unit 18-1, the workpiece 1, supported by the resin sheet 17 and the opening 16 of the annular frame 15, is cut. The cut workpiece 1 is peeled off from the resin sheet 17, thereby forming a cutting groove 14 on the resin sheet 17. The box-mounting section 71 mounts the box 50 on its upper surface with the opening 56 of the box 50 facing the center of the device body 79.

[0083] The removal unit 80 removes the frame unit 18-1 from the box 50 placed in the box placement section 71 and places it on the holding table (not shown) of the printing unit 72.

[0084] The printing unit 72 prints identification information 19 of the peeled workpiece 1 on the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1, which is removed from the cartridge 50 by the transfer unit 80. The printing unit 72 includes: a holding table disposed near the cartridge mounting portion 71 of the device body 79 along the direction of movement when the frame unit 18-1 is removed from the cartridge 50 placed on the cartridge mounting portion 71, holding the frame unit 18-1 across the resin sheet 17; a reading unit 721 that reads the frame ID information 11 of the frame unit 18-1 held by the holding table; and a print head 722 that prints the identification information 19 on the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1. The print head 722 irradiates the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 with a laser beam to print the identification information 19, but this is not limited to this method in the present invention; for example, ink can also be applied to the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 to print the identification information 19.

[0085] The cutting unit 73 cuts the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1, on which the identification information 19 has been printed by the printing unit 72, along the inner edge of the annular frame 15, thereby detaching the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 from the annular frame 15. The cutting unit 73 is positioned near the printing unit 72 of the device body 79 in a direction intersecting the direction of movement when the frame unit 18-1 is removed from the box 50 placed in the box holder 71. Figure 19 As shown, the cutting unit 73 includes: a sheet holding worktable 731 that holds the portion of the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 that is inside the inner edge of the annular frame 15; a frame holding worktable 732 that holds the annular frame 15 of the frame unit 18-1; a cutting head 733 that cuts the resin sheet 17; and a moving unit not shown.

[0086] The cutting unit 73 uses a sheet holding table 731 to hold the portion of the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 that is inside the annular frame 15, and a frame holding table 732 to hold the annular frame 15 of the frame unit 18-1. A moving unit moves the cutting head 733 relative to the frame unit 18-1 along the inner edge of the annular frame 15, thereby cutting the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 along the inner edge of the annular frame 15. In the third embodiment, the cutting head 733 of the cutting unit 73 irradiates the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 with a laser beam 734 to perform the cutting. However, this is not a limitation in the present invention; for example, the cutting edge can also cut into the adhesive layer of the resin sheet 17 to perform the cutting. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, after the cutting unit 73 cuts the resin sheet 17, the frame holding table 732 rotates around its outer edge, causing the annular frame 15 held by the frame holding table 732 to fall and be stored in a box (not shown) below.

[0087] The conveying unit 74 moves the frame unit 18-1 from the holding table of the printing unit 72 to the holding tables 731 and 732 of the cutting unit 73, and moves the cut resin sheet 17 from the sheet holding table 731 of the cutting unit 73 to the storage box 75, and moves the anti-stick sheet 12 from the anti-stick sheet storage section 77 to the storage box 75. Figure 20 As shown, the conveying unit 74 includes: a suction pad 741; a holding member 742 that holds the suction pad 741; and a moving unit (not shown) that moves the holding member 742 in both vertical and horizontal directions. The suction pad 741 is a non-contact Bernoulli pad that is held in a manner that avoids contact with the resin sheet 17 and the anti-stick sheet 12 by spraying pressurized gas and using the negative pressure of the gas.

[0088] The anti-stick sheet storage section 77 is located near the cutting unit 73 of the device body 79, and the sheet holding section 76 is located near the box holding section 71 and the cutting unit 73 of the device body 79. Since the storage box 75 placed in the sheet holding section 76 has the same structure as the aforementioned coin stack box 40, the same reference numerals are used for the parts identical to those in the coin stack box 40, and descriptions are omitted. The cutout portion 43 of the storage box 75 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the resin sheet 17 cut by the cutting unit 73, and faces the cutting unit 73. The storage box 75 inserts the resin sheet 17 and the anti-stick sheet 12 through the cutout portion 43 using the conveying unit 74. Therefore, the storage box 75 stores the resin sheet 17 that has detached from the annular frame 15 by the cutting unit 73.

[0089] The control unit 78 is a computer capable of implementing computer programs. This computer includes an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device with a memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface device. The control unit 78 controls the various structural elements constituting the sheet cutting device 70, causing the sheet cutting device 70 to perform the printing step 1002.

[0090] In addition, the control unit 78 stores the frame ID information 11 read by the reading unit 721, the ID information of each workpiece 1 that was pasted on the resin sheet 17 of the frame unit 18-1 whose frame ID information 11 was read by the reading unit 721, and the processing conditions of the processing step 1003 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0091] In the printing step 1002 of the workpiece management method of the third embodiment, the sheet cutting device 70 uses the take-out unit 80 to remove one frame unit 18-1 after the peeling step 1004 from the box 50 and holds it using the holding table of the printing unit 72. The sheet cutting device 70 uses the reading unit 721 of the printing unit 72 to read the frame ID information 11, and the control unit 78 extracts the workpiece ID information 6, which represents the ID information of each workpiece 1 corresponding to the frame ID information 11, and the processing condition ID information 9, which represents the processing conditions of the processing step 1003 corresponding to the frame ID information 11. The control unit 78 of the sheet cutting device 70 generates identification information 19, which includes the workpiece ID information 6, the processing condition ID information 9, and the date information 10, which represents the date on which the processing step 1003 was performed.

[0092] The sheet cutting device 70 positions the print head 722 facing the portion of the resin sheet 17 closer to the inner periphery than the inner edge of the annular frame 15, and prints the generated identification information 19 onto the resin sheet 17 using the print head 722. The sheet cutting device 70 then uses the conveying unit 74 to transport the frame unit 18-1 containing the resin sheet 17 with the printed identification information 19 to the cutting unit 73, where it is held by the holding tables 731 and 732. Figure 19 As shown, the sheet cutting device 70 uses the cutting head 733 to cut the resin sheet 17 along the inner edge of the annular frame 15, as... Figure 20 As shown, the cut resin sheet 17 is held using the conveying unit 74. Figure 21 As shown, the sheet cutting device 70 uses the conveying unit 74 to store the cut resin sheet 17 in the storage box 75. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the storage box 75 alternately stacks the resin sheet 17 and the anti-stick sheet 12. The resin sheet 17 stored in the storage box 75 is stored for a predetermined period in the storage step 1005.

[0093] In the processing management method of the third embodiment, the inspection result acquisition step 1006 is performed in the same way as in the second embodiment.

[0094] In the workpiece management method of the third embodiment, by printing identification information 19 on the resin sheet 17, the processing status can be determined using the cutting grooves 14 remaining on the resin sheet 17, thereby determining the processing status of the workpiece 1 and the device chip 7. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, the workpiece management method has the effect of reducing the difficulty in tracing the cause of defects in the device chip 7.

[0095] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the above embodiments, the processing apparatus 30 performing processing step 1003 is a cutting apparatus that cuts the workpiece 1. However, in the present invention, it is not limited to a cutting apparatus; it can also be a laser processing apparatus that irradiates a laser beam with a wavelength that is transparent or absorbent to the workpiece 1, a grinding apparatus that grinds the workpiece 1, or a polishing apparatus that abrades the workpiece 1. In addition, in laser processing apparatus, grinding apparatus that grinds the workpiece 1, or polishing apparatus that abrades the workpiece 1, when processing defects occur, sometimes burning, known as processing marks, occurs, causing the resin sheet 17 to discolor due to heating, etc. When processing step 1003 is performed by these processing apparatuses, the burning, which is the processing mark on the resin sheet 17, is detected in inspection result acquisition step 1006. In addition, in the above embodiment, the resin sheet 17 is cut to detach the resin sheet 17 from the annular frame 15. However, in the present invention, the resin sheet 17 can also be peeled off from the annular frame 15 to detach the resin sheet 17.

Claims

1. A method for managing processed materials, characterized in that, The management method for the processed material includes the following steps: The frame unit forming step involves forming a frame unit in which a workpiece is supported in an opening of an annular frame by means of a resin sheet. The workpiece has a front side on which devices are formed in each region divided by multiple intersecting predetermined dividing lines. The printing step involves printing the identification information of the workpiece on the resin sheet in the area between the outer periphery of the workpiece and the inner periphery of the annular frame after the frame unit formation step is performed. The processing steps involve using a processing device to process the workpiece; The peeling step involves peeling the processed workpiece from the resin sheet; and The storage step involves storing the resin sheet from which the workpiece has been peeled off. The method for managing the processed workpiece also includes the following step for obtaining inspection results: after the printing step and the peeling step are performed, the processing status is checked based on the processing marks remaining on the resin sheet, the identification information of the inspected resin sheet is read, and the processing status of each of the processed workpieces is obtained.

2. The method for managing processed goods according to claim 1, wherein, The identification information includes the ID information of each workpiece, the processing conditions of the workpiece in the processing step, or information related to the date the processing step was performed.

3. A sheet cutting device, characterized in that, The sheet cutting device has the following features: The box-holding section holds the box containing the frame unit. Regarding the frame unit, the workpiece supported in the opening of the annular frame by means of a resin sheet is processed. The processed workpiece has been peeled off from the resin sheet, thereby forming a processing mark on the resin sheet. The removal unit removes the frame unit from the box placed in the box placement section; A printing unit that prints the identification information of the workpiece that has been peeled off onto the resin sheet of the frame unit that has been removed from the box; A resin sheet detachment unit that detaches the resin sheet of the frame unit, on which the identification information has been printed by the printing unit, from the annular frame; and The sheet storage section stores the resin sheet that has detached from the annular frame via the resin sheet detachment unit.

Images