Protective element training method and protective element training device

Abstract

Protective element formation method for forming a protective element (19) on an upper surface (1a) of a substrate (1) having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface (1a), wherein the protective element formation method comprises: a plastic film adhesion step comprising covering the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1) with a plastic film (13) and adhering the plastic film (13) to the substrate (1) to conform to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a liquid plastic feeding step of feeding a curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate (1) at the upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1); a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film (13) with a cover film (17) and of distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through a flat pressing surface (68) over the cover film (17); and a hardening step of hardening the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film (13) in the pressing step and of forming the protective element (19) comprising the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1).

Description

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective element formation method and a protective element formation device which forms a protective element on the upper surface of a substrate having projections and depressions on the upper surface. Description of the related technique

[0002] Component chips used in electronic devices such as mobile phones or computers are formed by grinding and thinning a substrate with multiple components arranged side-by-side on it from one side of a bottom surface, thereby dividing the substrate into each component. The grinding of the substrate is performed by a grinding device. The grinding device holds the substrate on a clamping table in a position where the side of the bottom surface of the substrate is exposed and grinds the substrate by bringing a grinding wheel moving in an annular orbit into contact with the side of the bottom surface of the substrate.To protect the side of the substrate's upper surface at this time, a protective element, in which a base material layer and an adhesive layer are laminated, is attached to the substrate's upper surface beforehand.

[0003] The surface of the substrate is textured with components, wiring patterns, and similar features. Additionally, bumps serving as electrodes for these components may be pre-formed on this surface. These various patterns, bumps, and other features create protrusions and depressions on the substrate's surface. If these protrusions and depressions have a significant height difference, the adhesive layer of the protective element will not adequately accommodate them, resulting in an unstable bond. Furthermore, the surface on the base material side of the protective element will become uneven, preventing the cutting device from providing uniform support. Consequently, the substrate's underside will not be flat when the substrate is ground.

[0004] Furthermore, a circumferential excess area where the components are not formed on an outer circumferential section of the substrate must not exhibit any patterns or bumps and is lower than a component formation area where the components are formed. Thus, the protective element cannot be adequately bonded to the outer circumferential section of the substrate. Therefore, there is a tendency for chipping to occur on the outer perimeter of the substrate when the substrate is sanded. A protective element with a thick adhesive layer could be used to accommodate the protrusions and depressions of the substrate's upper surface. In this case, adhesive residue tends to remain on the protrusions and depressions when the protective element is removed from the substrate, potentially causing defects in the component chips.

[0005] Accordingly, a protective element has been developed which is formed by applying a liquid plastic to a film, placing the substrate on the film with the upper surface of the substrate facing downwards, pressing the substrate downwards, thus causing the liquid plastic to penetrate the protrusions and depressions of the substrate, and allowing the liquid plastic to harden (see, for example, JP 2017-50536A). When the protective element is formed on the upper surface of the substrate, a film is pre-applied to the upper surface of the substrate. At this point, the film adheres to the upper surface of the substrate in such a way that it corresponds to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate.However, the film need not have the adhesive layer formed in at least one area adhering to the component formation area of ​​the substrate, so that the adhesive layer is not in contact with the component formation area of ​​the substrate. Here, if a film larger than the upper surface of the substrate is used, at the point when the liquid plastic distribution reaches the outside of the upper surface of the substrate due to pressure from above, the liquid plastic is held in place by the film at the bottom, preventing it from running onto the side of the lower surface of the substrate. The formed protective element comprises the film, the cured liquid plastic, and the foil. One surface on the foil side is flat.When the protective element with the film is then removed from the top surface of the substrate after the substrate has been sanded, no residue of the liquid plastic and the adhesive layer remains on the protrusions and depressions of the top surface of the substrate.

[0006] Further prior art that is helpful for understanding the present invention can be found in the following document:

[0007] JP 2010- 192 616 A relates to a method for forming a protective layer which can form the protective layer with a uniform thickness on a wafer. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] However, with the method that lowers the substrate to the film, to whose upper surface the liquid plastic is applied, it is not easy to distribute the liquid plastic evenly across the entire upper surface of the substrate when the protective element is formed there. This is because, as the upper surface of the substrate presses down on the liquid plastic, the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface act as a pressure surface, preventing a uniform distribution of the liquid plastic. Any non-uniformity occurring in the liquid plastic of the formed protective element poses a problem, as the substrate is not adequately supported on the clamping table of the grinding device.

[0009] Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a protective element formation method and a protective element formation device which, when a protective element is formed with a hardened liquid plastic on the upper surface of a substrate having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface, can suppress the occurrence of non-uniformity of the liquid plastic.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a protective element formation method is provided for forming a protective element on an upper surface of a substrate having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface, wherein the protective element formation method comprises: a plastic film adhesion step of covering the upper surface of the substrate with a plastic film and adhering the plastic film to the substrate to correspond to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate; a liquid plastic supply step of supplying a curable liquid plastic to an area that is superimposed on the substrate on an upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate;a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film with a cover film and distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film by pressing the liquid plastic through a flat pressing surface over the cover film; and a curing step of curing the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film in the pressing step and forming the protective element with the plastic film, the cured liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0011] Preferably, the protective element formation method further comprises a cutting step of an outer circumferential excess section of a cutting of the protective element along an outer circumference of the substrate after the hardening step has been carried out.

[0012] In addition, according to a further aspect of the present invention, a protective element formation device is provided for forming a protective element on an upper surface of a substrate having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface, wherein the protective element formation device comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit with a substrate support section carrying the substrate and a suction unit capable of suctioning out a space formed by covering the substrate supported by the substrate support section with a plastic film, wherein the plastic film adhesion unit is configured to suction out and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit and to adhere the plastic film to the upper surface to correspond to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate;a support table configured to support the substrate to which the plastic film adheres in a state where the plastic film is exposed at the top; a liquid plastic feed unit comprising a nozzle dispensing a curable liquid plastic and configured to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle onto an upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate supported by the support table; a pressure unit with a flat pressure surface configured to distribute the liquid plastic by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface over a cover film above the plastic film, while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit is covered by the cover film;and a hardening unit designed to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit and to form the protective element with the plastic film, the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0013] Preferably, the protective element forming device further comprises a transmission unit configured to transfer the substrate, to which the plastic film adheres, from the substrate support section to the support table, while the plastic film remains in a distributed state on an outside of the substrate, wherein the transmission unit comprises a non-contact suction pad configured to generate a vacuum while a fluid is ejected to the upper surface of the substrate, a suction pad configured to draw in and hold the plastic film on the outside of the substrate, a base section to which the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are attached, and a movement mechanism configured to move the base section, wherein the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are capable of being actuated independently of each other.

[0014] In addition, the protective element formation device further comprises a cutting unit with a table configured to support the substrate with the protective element formed on its upper surface, a cutting section configured to cut the protective element, and a cutting section movement unit configured to move the cutting section along an outer circumference of the substrate, wherein the cutting unit is able to cut the protective element by moving the cutting section by the cutting section movement unit along the outer circumference of the substrate, which is supported by the table and has the protective element formed on its upper surface.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a protective element formation method is provided for using a protective element formation device and for forming a protective element on an upper surface of a substrate having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface, wherein the protective element formation device comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit, comprising a substrate support section carrying the substrate and a suction unit capable of suctioning out a space formed by covering the substrate supported by the substrate support section with a plastic film, wherein the plastic film adhesion unit is configured to suction out and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit and to adhere the plastic film to the upper surface in such a way that it corresponds to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate;a support table configured to support the substrate to which the plastic film adheres in a state where the plastic film is exposed upwards; a liquid plastic feed unit with a nozzle dispensing a curable liquid plastic and configured to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle onto an upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate supported by the support table; a pressure unit with a flat pressure surface configured to distribute the liquid plastic over the plastic film by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface over a cover film, while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit is covered by the cover film;and a hardening unit designed to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit and to form the protective element with the plastic film, the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate;and a transmission unit configured to transfer the substrate to which the plastic film adheres from the substrate support section to the support table, while the plastic film remains in a distributed state on an outside of the substrate, the transmission unit comprising: a non-contact suction pad configured to generate a vacuum while expelling a fluid towards the top surface of the substrate, a suction pad configured to draw in and hold the plastic film on the outside of the substrate, a base section to which the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are attached, and a movement mechanism configured to move the base section, wherein the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are capable of being actuated independently of each other;wherein the protective element formation method comprises: a plastic film adhesion step of placing the substrate on the substrate support section of the plastic film adhesion unit in a state in which the upper surface of the substrate is facing upwards, covering the upper surface of the substrate with the plastic film and adhering the plastic film to the substrate to conform to the projections and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate; a first transfer step of transferring the substrate, to which the plastic film adheres, from the substrate support section of the plastic film adhesion unit to the support table using the transfer unit; a liquid plastic feeding step of feeding the curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate at the upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate on the support table;a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film with the cover film and distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film by pressing the liquid plastic through the flat pressing surface over the cover film; and a curing step of curing the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film in the pressing step and forming the protective element comprising the plastic film, the cured liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate;wherein the first transfer step involves suctioning and holding the plastic film by the suction pad in an area not superimposed on the substrate on the substrate support section, while the plastic film is suctioned and held by the non-contact type suction pad in the area superimposed on the substrate, then transferring the substrate to which the plastic film adheres to the support table by actuating the movement mechanism, releasing the suction and holding of the plastic film by the suction pad, and then releasing the suction and holding of the plastic film by the non-contact type suction pad.

[0016] Alternatively, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, a protective element formation method is provided for using a protective element formation device and for forming the protective element on an upper surface of a substrate having projections and depressions on the upper surface, wherein the protective element formation device comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit, comprising a substrate support section carrying the substrate and a suction unit capable of suctioning out a space formed by covering the substrate supported by the substrate support section with a plastic film, wherein the plastic film adhesion unit is configured to suction out and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit and to adhere the plastic film to the upper surface in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate;a support table configured to support the substrate to which the plastic film adheres in a state where the plastic film is exposed upwards; a liquid plastic feed unit with a nozzle dispensing a curable liquid plastic and configured to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle onto an upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate supported by the support table; a pressure unit with a flat pressure surface configured to distribute the liquid plastic over the plastic film by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface over a cover film, while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit is covered by the cover film;a hardening unit configured to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit and to form the protective element with the plastic film, the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate; a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate, to which the plastic film adheres, from the substrate support section to the support table, while the plastic film remains in a distributed state on one outside of the substrate;and a cutting unit comprising a table configured to support the substrate having the protective element formed on its upper surface, a cutting section configured to cut the protective element, and a cutting section movement unit configured to move the cutting section along an outer circumference of the substrate, wherein the cutting unit is able to cut the protective element along the outer circumference of the substrate by moving the cutting section by the cutting section movement unit along the outer circumference of the substrate supported by the table, which has the protective element formed on its upper surface;wherein the transmission unit comprises: a non-contact suction pad configured to generate a vacuum while expelling a fluid towards the upper surface of the substrate, a suction pad configured to draw in and retain the plastic film on the outside of the substrate, a base section to which the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are attached, and a movement mechanism configured to move the base section, wherein the non-contact suction pad and the suction pad are capable of being actuated independently, wherein the protective element formation method comprises: a plastic film adhesion step of covering the upper surface of the substrate with the plastic film and of adhering the plastic film to the substrate to conform to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface of the substrate;a liquid plastic feeding step of supplying the curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate at the upper surface of the plastic film adhering to the substrate; a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film with the cover film and distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film by pressing the liquid plastic through the flat pressing surface over the cover film; a curing step of curing the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film in the pressing step and forming the protective element comprising the plastic film, the cured liquid plastic and the cover film on the upper surface of the substrate; a second transfer step of transferring the substrate with the protective element formed on the upper surface from the support table to the table of the cutting unit using the transfer unit;and a cutting step of an outer circumferential excess section of a cutting of the protective element along the outer circumference of the substrate in the cutting unit; wherein the second transfer step suctions and holds the plastic film by the suction pad in an area not superimposed on the substrate on the support table, while the cover film is suctioned and held by the non-contact type suction pad in the area superimposed on the substrate, then a transfer of the substrate with the protective element formed on the upper surface onto the table of the cutting unit by actuating the movement mechanism, a release of the suction and holding of the plastic film by the suction pad and then a release of the suction and holding of the cover film by the non-contact type suction pad.;

[0017] In the protective element formation method and protective element formation device according to one aspect of the present invention, the upper surface of the substrate, including the projections and depressions on the upper surface, is covered with the plastic film, and the plastic film adheres to the upper surface of the substrate. Next, the curable liquid plastic is applied to the plastic film, and the liquid plastic is pressed from the flat printing surface over the cover film and distributed over the plastic film. At this point, the direction of the printing surface is, for example, adjusted so that the printing surface is parallel to the lower surface of the substrate. Subsequently, the protective element with the plastic film, the cured liquid plastic, and the cover film are formed by curing the liquid plastic on the upper surface of the substrate.

[0018] In one aspect of the present invention, when the liquid plastic is spread over the plastic film, it is forced downwards through the flat pressing surface. Therefore, unlike when the liquid plastic is forced through the upper surface of the substrate with its protrusions and depressions, the distribution of the liquid plastic is not impeded by these protrusions and depressions. The liquid plastic spreads without gaps, and any non-uniformity occurring in the liquid plastic is suppressed. In this case, the upper surface of the substrate is suitably protected by the protective element, and the substrate is suitably supported on the clamping table by the protective element when the side of the lower surface of the substrate is ground by a grinding device. Thus, the substrate can be suitably ground.Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, when the liquid plastic is pressed, instead of the substrate being supported and lowered from above, the pressing surface is lowered from above. Therefore, it is not necessary to raise or lower the substrate in a state where it is not supported from below. In a case where the liquid plastic is pressed by lowering the substrate, the substrate could, for example, fall off a lifting and lowering mechanism, and the substrate could be damaged. In another aspect of the present invention, the substrate is supported from below by the predefined support table. Thus, the substrate is not damaged due to falling off or the like, and the substrate can be handled more easily.

[0019] Consequently, according to one aspect of the present invention, a protective element formation method and a protective element formation device are provided which, when a protective element is formed with a hardened liquid plastic on the upper surface of a substrate having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface, can suppress the occurrence of non-uniformity of the liquid plastic.

[0020] The above and further aims, features and advantages of the present invention and the way in which they are realized will become more apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood by studying the following description and the attached claims with reference to the attached drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of the invention. SHORT FIGURE DESCRIPTION Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view that schematically represents a substrate; Fig. 2 is a top view that schematically represents a protective element formation device; Fig. 3A is a sectional view that schematically represents a plastic film adhesion unit; Fig. 3B is a sectional view that schematically depicts, on an enlarged scale, the substrate with a plastic film adhering to one of its upper surfaces; Fig. 4A is a sectional view that schematically represents the substrate held by a transmission unit; Fig. Figure 4B is a sectional view that schematically represents a state in which the suction and holding of the plastic film is solved by suction pads of the transfer unit that has transported the substrate to a support table; Fig. 5A is a sectional view that schematically represents a state in which the suction and holding of the plastic film has been solved by suction pads of the contactless type of transmission unit; Fig. 5B is a sectional view that schematically shows the substrate with liquid plastic being fed to the upper surface of the plastic film; Fig. Figure 6 is a side view that schematically shows the substrate to which the plastic film adheres, the liquid plastic and a pressure unit; Fig. Figure 7A is a side view that schematically represents a state in which the pressure unit is squeezing the liquid plastic; Fig. Figure 7B is a sectional view that schematically depicts a protective element formed on the upper surface of the substrate; Fig. 8 is a sectional view that schematically shows the substrate provided with the protective element held by a transfer unit; Fig. 9A is a sectional view that schematically represents a state in which an imaging unit is imaging the substrate from the side of the top surface; Fig. Figure 9B is a sectional view that schematically depicts a state of cutting the protective element formed on the upper surface of the substrate along the outer circumference of the substrate; and Fig. Figure 10 is a flowchart that represents a sequence of steps in a protective element training procedure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXECUTION FORM

[0021] One embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A protective element formation method and a protective element formation device according to the present embodiment form a protective element on the upper surface of a substrate such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer or the like, wherein the substrate has several components formed on its surface. The substrate with the protective element formed on its upper surface will first be described.

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically representing a substrate 1. The substrate 1 is, for example, a wafer made of a material such as silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or another semiconductor. Alternatively, the substrate 1 is a substantially disk-shaped substrate made of a material such as sapphire, glass, or quartz. The glass is, for example, alkali glass, non-alkali glass, soda-lime glass, lead glass, borosilicate glass, quartz glass, or the like.

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 schematically represents a perspective view of substrate 1. Fig. Figure 3A schematically represents a cross-sectional view of substrate 1. Fig. Figure 3B schematically represents an enlarged sectional view of the substrate 1. Several intersecting planned division lines 3 are defined on an upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. A component 5, such as an integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integration (LSI), is formed in each area separated by the planned division lines 3. Individual component chips can be formed by grinding the substrate 1 along the planned division lines 3 from one side of a lower surface 1b, thus thinning the substrate 1. Several protruding sections formed from a metal, designated as bumps 7, are provided on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1.Each of the bumps 7 is electrically connected to the component 5 and serves as an electrode for inputting or outputting an electrical signal to the component 5 after the component chips have been formed by dividing the substrate 1. The bumps 7 are made of a metallic material such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum. However, the bumps 7 need not necessarily be located on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1.

[0024] A region on an outer circumferential side, surrounding a region in which the multiple components 5 are formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, is referred to as a circumferential excess region 11. The circumferential excess region 11 of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 does not contain any components 5 formed therein, nor does it contain any bumps 7 forming the electrodes of the components 5. The region surrounded by the circumferential excess region 11 of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is referred to as a component formation region 9. The component formation region 9 of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is not planar and has projections and depressions resulting from each pattern forming the components 5 and the bumps 7. On the other hand, the circumferential excess region 11 of the upper surface 1a is planar.

[0025] It should be noted that the substrate 1 on which the protective element is formed is not limited to this. For example, the substrate 1 on which the protective element is formed could be a packing substrate formed by sealing several components arranged on a flat surface with a sealing plastic. Individual component chips of a predetermined thickness, sealed by the sealing plastic, can be formed if the packing substrate is made thin by grinding the sealing plastic on the side of the lower surface of the packing substrate, thus dividing the packing substrate on a component-by-component basis. Bumps serving as electrodes for individual components are formed on the upper surface of the packing substrate. Thus, the upper surface of the packing substrate is also not flat and exhibits protrusions and depressions.

[0026] When substrate 1 is thinned by grinding the lower surface 1b side of the substrate using a grinding device, and the substrate 1 is thus divided, thin component chips of a predetermined thickness are obtained. A protective element is pre-attached to the upper surface 1a side to protect the front surface 1a when the substrate 1 is ground from the lower surface 1b side. Typically, if the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a of substrate 1 are small, a protective element in the form of a strip obtained by laminating a base material layer and an adhesive layer is attached to the upper surface 1a of substrate 1.An exposed surface on the base material layer side of the protective element attached to substrate 1 is flat, and the substrate 1 is adequately supported on a support table when it is transferred to the grinding device. However, if the protrusions and depressions on the side of the upper surface 1a of substrate 1 become large, the adhesive layer of the protective element is unable to adequately accommodate them, and the exposed surface on the base material layer side of the protective element attached to substrate 1 is not flat. In this case, the support table does not adequately support the substrate 1 when it is transferred to the grinding device, and the lower surface 1b of substrate 1 is not flat when the substrate 1 is ground from the side of the lower surface 1b.Accordingly, the protective element formation method and the protective element formation device according to the present invention form a protective element by supplying a liquid plastic to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 and hardening the liquid plastic.

[0027] The protective element formation device according to the present invention will be described below.

[0028] Fig. Figure 2 is a top view schematically depicting a protective element formation device 2. The protective element formation device 2 has a base 4 that supports the components. An end section of the base 4 is provided with cassette mounting bases 6a and 6b, each equipped with cassettes 8a and 8b, which accommodate several substrates 1. For example, a substrate 1, prior to the formation of a protective element, is housed in cassette 8a located on cassette mounting base 6a and is conveyed into the protective element formation device 2. The substrate 1, with the protective element formed on its upper surface 1a in the protective element formation device 2, is then housed, for example, in cassette 8b located on cassette mounting base 6b.

[0029] A substrate transfer robot 10a is positioned next to the cassette mounting base 6a on base 4. A substrate transfer robot 10b is also positioned next to the cassette mounting base 6b. The substrate transfer robots 10a and 10b are, for example, articulated robots with multiple arm sections connected to each other so that they can be continuously rotated about common end sections. Substrate holding sections 10c and 10d, each capable of holding a substrate 1, are located at the distal ends of the arm sections at the most distal end face. The substrate holding sections 10c and 10d can be moved when the arm sections are rotated relative to each other. The substrate holding sections 10c and 10d of the substrate transfer robots 10a and 10b are inserted into the cassettes 8a and 8b placed on the cassette mounting bases 6a and 6b and convey substrates 1 into and out of the cassettes 8a and 8b.Here, the substrate transfer robots 10a and 10b have shaft sections erected at base 4 and supporting the arm sections; and lifting and lowering mechanisms that raise and lower the shaft sections. The lifting and lowering mechanisms raise and lower the substrate holding sections 10c and 10d together with the shaft sections, such that the substrate holding sections 10c and 10d coincide with the height of a cassette storage area of ​​several stacked cassette storage areas present in cassettes 8a and 8b, into and out of which a substrate is to be conveyed.

[0030] The substrate transfer robot 10a has a function of transferring a substrate 1 housed in the cassette 8a attached to the cassette base 6a to a plastic film adhesion unit 12 to be described next. Fig. Figure 3A is a sectional view schematically illustrating an example of the plastic film adhesion unit 12. The plastic film adhesion unit 12 is, for example, a chamber-shaped unit with an internal space capable of accommodating the substrate 1. The plastic film adhesion unit 12 functions to adhere a plastic film 13 to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. Here, the plastic film 13 is, for example, a polyolefin-based film, a polyethylene-based film, or the like; it could be a single layer or laminated, and has a thickness of 20 µm or greater and 80 µm or less. The plastic film adhesion unit 12 has a hollow lower main body 12a that opens upwards and a hollow upper main body 12b that is positioned above the lower main body 12a and opens downwards.The upper main body 12b can be raised and lowered. The opening of the lower main body 12a and the opening of the upper main body 12b have the same shape. When the upper main body 12b is lowered towards the lower main body 12a so that the openings align, an externally insulated space can be formed within the upper main body 12b and the lower main body 12a. Each of the openings is larger than the substrate 1, and the substrate 1 can be accommodated within this space.

[0031] The lower main body 12a is provided with a table-shaped substrate support section 14 that supports the substrate 1. The upper surface of the substrate support section 14 is a flat support surface 14a that supports the substrate 1. The height of the substrate support section 14 is adjusted such that the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 and the opening of the lower main body 12a are essentially at the same height when the substrate 1 is placed on the support surface 14a. Alternatively, the height of the substrate support section 14 is adjusted such that the opening of the lower main body 12a is higher than the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. In these cases, when the plastic film 13 is placed on the lower main body 12a and adhered to the substrate 1 as will be described later, it does not adhere unnecessarily wide to the side surface of the substrate 1.An extraction unit 16 is connected to a bottom wall or a side wall of the lower main body 12a. The extraction unit 16 has an extraction passage 16a with one end connected to the lower main body 12a and another end connected to a suction source 16b. Additionally, an extraction unit 18 is connected to a ceiling or a side wall of the upper main body 12b. The extraction unit 18 has an extraction passage 18a with one end connected to the upper main body 12b and the other end connected to a suction source 18b.

[0032] At the point when the plastic film 13 adheres to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 using the plastic film adhesion unit 12, the substrate 1 is loaded onto the substrate support section 14, the substrate support section 14 is brought to support the substrate 1, and then the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is covered by the plastic film 13. A plastic film feed unit 22, in which several plastic films 13 are prepared, is provided at a position next to the plastic film adhesion unit 12 at the base 4 of the protective element forming device 2. A transfer unit 24a, to be described later, transfers a plastic film 13 from the plastic film feed unit 22 to cover the substrate 1.Plastic films 13, which are larger than the opening of the lower main body 12a, are prepared in the plastic film feed unit 22 such that a space 20a enclosed by the lower main body 12a and the plastic film 13 can be formed when the plastic film 13 is transferred to the substrate 1. Then, after the plastic film 13 has been transferred to the substrate 1, the upper main body 12b is brought into contact with the upper surface of the plastic film 13 by lowering it. A space 20b enclosed by the upper main body 12b and the plastic film 13 is then formed.

[0033] Thus, when the plastic film 13 adheres to the substrate 1, the interior of the plastic film adhesion unit 12, in the form of a chamber, is divided by the plastic film 13 into upper chamber 20b and lower chamber 20a. Then, when the intake source 16b of the extraction unit 16 and the intake source 18b of the extraction unit 18 are activated, chambers 20a and 20b are evacuated and decompressed. Afterward, only the intake source 18b decompressing chamber 20b is stopped, and chamber 20b is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, a large pressure difference temporarily arises between chamber 20a and chamber 20b with the plastic film 13 positioned between them. This pressure difference then causes the plastic film 13 to adhere to the upper surface 1a, conforming to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. Fig. Figure 3B is a sectional view that schematically depicts, on an enlarged scale, the substrate 1 with the plastic film 13 adhering to its upper surface 1a. The plastic film 13 can be adhered to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 when the plastic film adhesion unit 12 is used as described above. After the plastic film 13 has adhered to the substrate 1, the suction unit 16 is stopped and the upper main body 12b is raised.

[0034] Meanwhile, a heating unit (not shown) capable of supplying a heated gas could be connected to the ceiling or side wall of the upper main body 12b. The heating unit serves to supply the heated gas to the space 20b of the upper main body 12b. The gas could be, for example, air, nitrogen gas, or the like. In a case where, for example, a material whose flexibility is enhanced by heating is used, such as the plastic film 13, the gas, when supplied to space 20b, increases the temperature of the plastic film 13 and thus softens it. When the plastic film 13 softens, it readily deforms to conform to the shape of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 and adheres to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1.For example, before chambers 20a and 20b are decompressed, the heating unit could supply the heated gas to chamber 20b to pre-heat and soften the plastic film 13. Alternatively, the heating unit could be activated to heat the plastic film 13 and assist in its deformation after chambers 20a and 20b are decompressed and chamber 20b is opened to the atmosphere.

[0035] The protective element formation device 2 has a support table 54 at a position next to the plastic film adhesion unit 12 at the base 4. The transfer unit 24a transfers the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, from the plastic film adhesion unit 12 to the support table 54. In a Fig. In the device configuration shown in Figure 2, the plastic film feed unit 22, the plastic film adhesion unit 12, and the support table 54 are arranged linearly side by side. The transfer unit 24 has the function of transferring the plastic film 13 from the plastic film feed unit 22 to the plastic film adhesion unit 12. The transfer unit 24a has a further function of transferring the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, from the substrate support section 14 to the support table 54, while the plastic film 13 remains in a distributed state on the outside of the substrate 1.

[0036] Fig. Figure 2 schematically depicts a top view of the transmission unit 24a. Additionally, Fig. 4A, Fig. 4B and Fig. Figure 5A schematically shows side views of the transmission unit 24a. The transmission unit 24a has a guide rail 26a along the direction in which the plastic film adhesion unit 12 and the support table 54 are arranged, and an arm section 28a slidably fitted to the guide rail 26a. The transmission unit 24a has a motion mechanism (not shown) that moves the arm section 28a along the guide rail 26a. The motion 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 proximal end face of the arm section 28a is provided with a nut section (not shown) screwed onto the ball screw. When the ball screw is rotated by the pulse motor, the arm section 28a moves along the guide rail 26a.A base section 30a is attached to a distal end of the arm section 28a. The movement mechanism moves the base section 30a together with the arm section 28a.

[0037] A plate-shaped, non-contact type suction pad support section 40a is attached to the central lower surface of the base section 30a via several column-like support sections 46a. Sectional views of the non-contact type suction pad support section 40a are shown in Fig. 4A and the like are shown. A through-hole 44a is formed in the non-contact suction pad support section 40a. Several non-contact suction pads 42a are provided on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad support section 40a. The several non-contact suction pads 42a are attached to the base section 30a via the non-contact suction pad support section 40a and the support sections 46a. The several non-contact suction pads 42a are each arranged on the lower surface of the non-contact suction pad support section 40a such that they are able to face the plastic film 13 adhering to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 in an area superimposed on the substrate 1. In addition, several suction pads 32a are attached to the lower surface of an outer circumferential section of the base section 30a.The multiple suction pads 32a are arranged on the lower surface of the base section 30a in order to be able to be directed towards the plastic film 13 outside the substrate 1.

[0038] Here, the lower surfaces of the multiple suction pads 32a and the lower surfaces of the multiple non-contact suction pads 42a have a uniform height. The height of the lower surfaces of the suction pads 32a is located at a position that is slightly lower than the height of the lower surfaces of the multiple non-contact suction pads 42a. The lower surfaces of the suction pads 32a and the non-contact suction pads 42a serve as suction surfaces that can attract and hold the plastic film 13 adhering to the substrate 1.

[0039] The transmission unit 24a has an intake passage 38a with one end reaching the lower surface of each of the intake pads 32a and the other end connected to an intake source 34a. The intake passage 38a is equipped with a switching unit 36a. The switching unit 36a has the function of switching between a blocked state and a vented state in the intake passage 38a. When the switching unit 36a is in the vented state, the intake source 34a acts to generate a negative pressure in the lower surfaces of the intake pads 32a. Additionally, the transmission unit 24a has an air supply passage 52a with one end reaching the lower surface of each of the non-contact type intake pads 42a and the other end connected to an air supply source 48a. The air supply passage 52a is equipped with a switching unit 50a.The switching unit 50a has a switching function between a blocked state and a vented state in the air supply passage 52a. When the switching unit 50a is in the vented state, the air supply source 48a acts to expel gas from the lower surfaces of the non-contact type intake pads 42a.

[0040] Here, the lower surfaces of the non-contact type intake pads 42a are provided with several ejection openings (not shown). The gas supplied to the non-contact type intake pads 42a through the air supply passage 52a is expelled from the ejection openings. The ejection openings are not oriented in a completely downward direction, but are inclined outwards from the respective non-contact type intake pads 42a in directions that deviate from a completely downward direction. The gas is expelled in these directions from the ejection openings. If an intake target object is positioned below the non-contact type intake pads 42a with a small gap formed between them, and the gas is expelled from each of the ejection openings by moving the switching unit 50a into the ventilation state, the expelled gas moves outwards from the non-contact type intake pads 42a.Then, a portion of the gas escapes upwards through the through-hole 44a of the non-contact type intake pad support section 40a. The gas expelled from the exhaust openings of the non-contact type intake pads 42a moves along, entraining surrounding air. This creates a negative pressure at the central lower sections of the non-contact type intake pads 42a. Due to this negative pressure, the intake target is drawn in and held by the non-contact type intake pads 42a. However, the non-contact type intake pads 42a are not in contact with the intake target at this point.

[0041] In the case where, for example, a contact-type suction pad is used instead of the non-contact-type suction pads 42a, the suction pad and the plastic film 13 come into contact with each other. In this case, there is a risk that a contact mark of the suction pad will form on the upper surface of the plastic film 13, or that particles or the like adhering to the lower surface of the suction pad will be transferred to the plastic film 13 as a source of contamination, thus preventing the proper formation of the protective element. Additionally, the upper surface of the plastic film 13 adhering to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 has an uneven shape. Therefore, even if the contact-type suction pad is brought into contact with the plastic film 13, gaps resulting from the uneven shape occur between the suction pad and the plastic film 13, and the vacuum leaks.The contact-type suction pad is therefore unable to adequately suction and hold the plastic film 13. In contrast, such problems do not occur when the non-contact-type suction pads 42a suction and hold the plastic film 13 adhering to the substrate 1. On the other hand, the protective element on the outside of the substrate 1 does not need to be formed with high precision. The suction pads 32a that suction and hold the outer circumferential section of the plastic film 13 could therefore be of either non-contact or contact type.

[0042] When the transfer unit 24a transfers the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, from the substrate support section 14 to the support table 54, the upper main body 12b of the plastic film adhesion unit 12 is raised and the base section 30a is moved to a position above the substrate support section 14. Here, the transfer unit 24a has a lifting and lowering mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the base section 30a. Next, the lifting and lowering mechanism is actuated to lower the base section 30a towards the substrate 1 supported by the substrate support section 14. The base section 30a is then positioned at such a height that the lower surfaces of the suction pads 32a are in contact with the plastic film 13, and that the non-contact suction pads 42a can draw in the plastic film 13.The switching units 36a and 50a are then actuated to draw the outer circumferential section of the plastic film 13 through the suction pads 32a and to draw the substrate 1 over the plastic film 13 through the non-contact suction pads 42a. The lifting and lowering mechanism is then actuated to lift the substrate 1 through the transmission unit 24a.

[0043] The movement mechanism of the transmission unit 24a is then activated to move the base section 30a to a position above the support table 54. Fig. Figure 4A is a sectional view schematically depicting a state in which the substrate 1 is transferred from the transfer unit 24a. After the base section 30a has moved to the position above the support table 54, the lifting and lowering mechanism is actuated to place the substrate 1 on the support table 54. Subsequently, only the switching unit 36a is actuated and moved into the locking position, thus releasing the suction of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a.

[0044] Fig. Figure 4B is a sectional view schematically depicting the transmission unit 24a and the substrate 1 in a state where the suction of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a is released. When the suction of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a is released, the plastic film 13 falls to the upper surface of the support table 54. At this point, the gas continues to be expelled by the non-contact suction pads 42a and moves across the upper surface of the plastic film 13 out of the support table 54. Therefore, when the suction of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a is released, an outward force is applied to the plastic film 13 due to the gas flow. For example, if the plastic film 13 is bent or folded in a part that is not adhering to the substrate 1, the flow of gas straightens the plastic film 13 and removes the bend or fold.When the suction of the plastic film 13 by the non-contact suction pads 42a is subsequently released, the substrate 1 is placed on the support table 54 in a state in which the plastic film 13 is distributed.

[0045] The suction through all pads can be released simultaneously, for example, to quickly complete the transfer of the plastic film 13. However, even if the plastic film 13 is bent or folded at the time the suction is released, the gas flow is stopped, and therefore the bend or similar distortion is not removed. If the substrate 1 is placed on the support table 54 in a state where the plastic film 13 is bent or folded, there is a risk that it will not be possible to carry out the steps sequentially and that it will not be possible to properly form the protective element on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. On the other hand, the transmission unit 24a of the protective element forming device 2, according to the present embodiment, allows each of the suction pads 32a and the non-contact suction pads 42a to be actuated independently.The suction of the plastic film 13 by each pad can therefore be released sequentially with a predetermined time offset. This makes it possible to suppress the formation of a bend or a fold in the plastic film 13 when the substrate 1 is transferred to the support table 54, and to prevent defective formation of the protective element due to the bend or fold in the plastic film 13.

[0046] Fig. Figure 5A is a sectional view schematically depicting a state in which the suction and holding of the substrate 1 by the transmission unit 24a is released and the base section 30a is lifted by the lifting and lowering mechanism. A liquid plastic is fed to the side of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 on the support table 54 with the plastic film 13 arranged between the liquid plastic and the side of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. The liquid plastic is distributed over the plastic film 13 by being pressed from above and is then hardened.

[0047] A liquid plastic feed unit 56 is positioned next to the support table 54 at the base 4 of the protective element forming device 2. The liquid plastic feed unit 56 is a tubular unit with a shaft section 56a extending vertically, an arm section 56b extending horizontally from an upper end of the shaft section 56a, and a nozzle 56c pointing downwards from a distal end of the arm section 56b. The shaft section 56a is rotatable in the vertical direction. When the shaft section 56a is rotated, the nozzle 56c moves in a curved orbit with the arm section 56b as one radius. The length of the arm section 56b is set such that the nozzle 56c can be positioned above the center of the support table 54 by rotating the shaft section 56a.The liquid plastic feeding unit 56 has the function of feeding a curable liquid plastic onto the substrate 1 placed on the support table 54 through the shaft section 56a, the arm section 56b and the nozzle 56c. The curable liquid plastic is, for example, an ultraviolet-curing plastic that can be cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, a thermosetting plastic that can be cured by heating, or the like. Fig. Figure 5B schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the liquid plastic supplied to the plastic film 13 adhering to the substrate 1.

[0048] When a curable liquid plastic 15 is fed to the upper surface of the plastic film 13, the nozzle 56c is positioned above the center of the support table 54 by rotating the shaft section 56a. Then, after the liquid plastic 15 has been fed to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, the nozzle 56c is positioned at a position that does not overlap the support table 54 by rotating the shaft section 56a again.

[0049] A pressure unit 58 is arranged above the support table 54. Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a top view of the pressure unit 58. Fig. 6 and Fig. Figure 7A schematically depicts side views of the pressing unit 58. The pressing unit 58 comprises: a pair of support columns 60 along the vertical direction; connecting sections 62a slidably arranged on the respective support columns 60; a pair of support sections 62b extending horizontally from the respective connecting sections 62a; and a pressing section 64 supported by the pair of support sections 62b. The connecting sections 62a can be raised and lowered along the support columns 60 by a lifting and lowering mechanism (not shown). The pressing section 64 can be raised and lowered using the lifting and lowering mechanism. The pressing section 64 has a flat pressing surface 68 as its lower surface. The direction of the pressing surface 68 is precisely defined such that the pressing surface 68 is parallel to the upper surface of the support table 54.The pressure section 64 has an internal hardness unit 66 near the pressure surface 68.

[0050] In a case where the liquid plastic 15 is an ultraviolet-curing plastic, for example, an ultraviolet irradiation unit in which several ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged side-by-side in a ring is prepared as the curing unit 66, and an element that transmits ultraviolet rays is used as a lower end of the printing section 64, the lower end forming the printing surface 68. Additionally, in a case where the liquid plastic 15 is, for example, a thermo-curing plastic, a heating unit, such as a heating device or the like, is prepared as the curing unit 66. The following description uses as an example a case where the liquid plastic 15 is an ultraviolet-curing plastic and the curing unit 66 is an ultraviolet irradiation unit.

[0051] The pressure section 64 can hold a cover film 17 through the pressure surface 68. The pressure unit 58 lowers the pressure section 64 in a position where the cover film 17 is held through the pressure surface 68 and forces the liquid plastic 15 through the pressure surface 68 and over the cover film 17 from above. When the liquid plastic 15 is subsequently cured by the curing unit 66, the plastic film 13, the cured liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17 are integrated together to form a protective element. That is, the cover film 17 is an element forming the protective element.

[0052] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a masking film feed unit 70, which feeds the masking film 17 to be held by the printing surface 68 of the printing section 64, is arranged at a position next to the support table 54. For example, several masking films 17 are wound in a roll and prepared in the masking film feed unit 70 and are pulled out individually onto the support table 54 as required. Then, the printing surface 68 is brought into contact with the upper surface of a masking film 17 by lowering the printing section 64, and the masking film 17 is held by the printing surface 68.

[0053] Here, the printing section 64 has a holding mechanism (not shown) for retaining the cover film 17 by the printing surface 68. For example, the printing surface 68 is provided with several suction holes connected to a suction source, and the cover film 17 is held by suction through these suction holes to the printing surface 68. Alternatively, the printing section 64 could have an electrostatic clamping mechanism near the printing surface 68, and this electrostatic clamping mechanism could be actuated to hold the cover film 17 by the printing surface 68 by an electrostatic force. Alternatively, the printing section 64 could have no holding mechanism. In this case, for example, an adhesive layer could be provided on the upper surface of the cover film 17, and the cover film 17 could be bonded to the printing surface 68 by the adhesive layer.Alternatively, the upper surface of the cover film 17 or the printing surface 68 could be coated with an adhesive agent and the cover film 17 could be held by the adhesive agent on the printing surface 68.

[0054] Above the support table 54, after the liquid plastic supply unit 56 supplies the liquid plastic 15 onto the plastic film 13, the pressure unit 58 holding the cover film 17 is lowered by the pressure surface 68 and the pressure surface 68 presses the liquid plastic 15 over the cover film 17. Fig. Figure 7A schematically shows a sectional view of the substrate 1, the plastic film 13, the liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17 when the liquid plastic 15 is pressed from the printing surface 68. When the liquid plastic 15 is pressed from the printing surface 68, it is distributed towards the outer circumference of the substrate 1. In other words, the printing unit 58 has the function of distributing the liquid plastic 15 over the plastic film 13 by pressing the liquid plastic 15 through the printing surface 68 over the cover film 17 while covering an upper part of the liquid plastic 15 supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit 56 with the cover film 17.

[0055] The curing unit 66 cures the liquid plastic 15 after the liquid plastic 15 has been distributed towards the outer perimeter of the substrate 1 and an entire area of ​​the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is covered by the plastic film 13, the liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17. For example, the curing unit 66 cures the liquid plastic 15 by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays transmitted through the printing surface 68 and the cover film 17. Afterwards, when the curing unit 66 is stopped and the printing section 64 is lifted, the cover film 17 remains attached to the cured liquid plastic 15. This means that a protective element 19, in which the plastic film 13, the cured liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17 are integrated, is formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. Here, the upper surface of the support table 54 and the pressing surface 68 are parallel to each other.The lower surface 1b of the substrate 1 and the upper surface 1 of the protective element 19 are therefore parallel to each other. Fig. Figure 7B is a sectional view that schematically shows, on an enlarged scale, the protective element 19 formed on the substrate 1 with the projections and depressions of the bumps 7 on the upper surface 1a.

[0056] In the protective element forming device 2 according to the present embodiment, the liquid plastic 15 is pressed from above over the cover film 17 through the flat pressing surface 68. If the liquid plastic 15 is pressed from above through a surface with protrusions and depressions, such as the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 or the like as in the prior art, the protrusions and depressions can inhibit a uniform distribution of the liquid plastic 15, and non-uniformity may occur in the liquid plastic 15. In this case, if the substrate 1 is supported by a table over the formed protective element and the substrate 1 is ground from the side of the lower surface 1b, the support of the substrate 1 might be insufficient, and thus the grinding might not be carried out properly.On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the protective element forming device 2 can press the liquid plastic 15 through the flat pressing surface 68. Thus, the liquid plastic 15 is distributed uniformly over the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, and the non-uniformity caused by the protrusions and depressions of the pressing surface does not occur in the liquid plastic 15. Therefore, when the substrate 1 is ground from the side of the lower surface 1b, the substrate 1 is suitably guided over the protective element 19 through the table, and the grinding of the substrate 1 is carried out appropriately.

[0057] The protective element training device 2 has a cutting unit 74 (see Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B), which cuts off an unnecessary part of the protective element 19 formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. The cutting of the protective element 19 by the cutting unit 74 is carried out on a table 72 provided at a position next to the support table 54 at the base 4. The protective element forming device 2 has a transfer unit 24b that can transfer the substrate 1, on which the protective element 19 is formed, from the support table 54 to the table 72. However, the transfer unit 24b is designed in a similar way to the transfer unit 24a, and therefore a description of it will be partially omitted. Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a top view of the transmission unit 24b. Fig. Figure 8 schematically shows a side view of the transmission unit 24b. The transmission unit 24b has a guide rail 26b along the direction in which the support table 54 and the table 72 are arranged, and an arm section 28b slidably fitted to the guide rail 26b. The transmission unit 24b has a movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the arm section 28b and a base section 30b along the guide rails 26b.

[0058] The base section 30b is attached to a distal end of the arm section 28b. A plate-shaped support section 40b for non-contact suction pads is attached to the central lower surface of the base section 30b via several column-like support sections 46b. Fig. Figure 8 shows a sectional view of a support section 40b for non-contact suction pads. A through-hole 44b is formed in the support section 40b for non-contact suction pads. Several non-contact suction pads 42b are provided on the lower surface of the support section 40b for non-contact suction pads. Additionally, several suction pads 32b are attached to the lower surface of the outer circumferential section of the base section 30b. Here, the lower surfaces of the multiple suction pads 32b and the lower surfaces of the multiple non-contact suction pads 42b have a uniform height. The height of the lower surfaces of the suction pads 32b is lower than the height of the lower surfaces of the multiple non-contact suction pads 42b.

[0059] The lower surfaces of the intake pads 32b and the non-contact intake pads 42b serve as intake surfaces. The transmission unit 24b has an intake passage 38b with one end reaching the lower surface of each of the intake pads 32b and with the other end connected to the intake source 34b. The intake passage 38b is equipped with a switching unit 36b. Additionally, the transmission unit 24b has an air supply passage 52b with one end reaching the lower surface of each of the non-contact intake pads 42b and with the other end connected to an air supply source 48b. The air supply passage 52b is equipped with a switching unit 50b.

[0060] Fig. Figure 8 schematically shows a sectional view of the substrate 1 provided with the protective element 19 transmitted by the transmission unit 24b. When the transmission unit 24b transmits the substrate 1 with the protective element 19, the base section 30b is moved to a position above the support table 54. The base section 30b is then lowered to bring the lower surfaces of the suction pads 32b into contact with the plastic film 13 and to bring the lower surfaces of the non-contact suction pads 42b close to the protective element 19. The switching unit 36b and the switching unit 50b are then actuated to draw in and hold the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32b and the protective element 19 by the non-contact suction pads 42b.Then the base section 30b is raised, the base section 30b is moved to a position above the table 72 and the base section 30b is lowered to place the substrate 1, on which the protective element 19 is formed, on the table 72.

[0061] First, the switching unit 36b is activated to release the suction of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32b. Next, the switching unit 50b is activated to release the suction and holding of the protective element 19 by the non-contact suction pads 42b. In this case, the substrate 1 is positioned on the table 72 in a state where the plastic film 13 is distributed across the table 72 due to a flow of gas expelled from the non-contact suction pads 42a. While the non-contact suction pads 42b draw in the plastic film 13, the gas flow from the non-contact suction pads 42b cools the protective element 19 and increases its hardness. Therefore, it is easy to cut off the unnecessary part of the protective element 19.

[0062] Meanwhile, the table 72 could have a holding mechanism that can suction and hold the substrate 1. In this case, the upper surface of the table 72 is a holding surface 72a. The table 72 is, for example, a clamping table that has a porous element exposed on the holding surface 72a and a suction source connected to the porous element, and that suctions and holds the substrate 1 placed on the holding surface 72a by actuating the suction source. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 9A, an imaging camera 76, movable in a direction parallel to the holding surface 72a of the table 72, is provided above the table 72. When the protective element formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is cut along an outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is imaged by the imaging camera 76 through the protective element 19, and the position of the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 is checked. At this point, if the position of the substrate 1 is displaced from a planned position of the holding surface 72a and the orbit of a cutting section 82 of the cutting unit 74, to be described next, does not run along the outer circumference 1a of the substrate 1, the position of the substrate 1 could be adjusted by repositioning the substrate 1 using the transfer unit 24b. The cutting unit 74 then cuts as shown in Figure 9A. Fig. As shown in 9B, the protective element is 19.

[0063] Next, the cutting unit 74 will be described. The cutting unit 74 has a table 72 that supports the substrate 1 with the protective element 19 formed on its upper surface 1a. The cutting unit 74 further has a rotating shaft 80 extending in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface 72a of the table 72; a disc-shaped cutting section support section 78 attached to a lower end of the rotating shaft 80; and a cutting section 82 attached to an outer circumferential side of the lower surface of the cutting section support section 78. The cutting section 82 is, for example, a cutting device with a sharp lower edge. The rotating shaft 80 is movable in a direction parallel to the holding surface 72a of the table 72.When the substrate 1 is placed on the holding surface 72a of the table 72, the cutting unit 74 identifies the position of the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 by means of the imaging camera 76 and moves the rotating shaft 80 to a position above the center of the substrate 1. A rotary drive source (not shown) is connected to an upper end of the rotating shaft 80. When the rotary drive source is actuated to rotate the rotating shaft 80, the cutting section 82, attached to the lower surface of the cutting section support section 78, moves in an annular orbit along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1. That is, the rotary drive source, the rotating shaft 80, and the cutting section support section 78 act as a cutting section motion unit 84 that moves the cutting section 82.

[0064] When the cutting unit 74 cuts the protective element 19, it lowers the rotating shaft 80 by actuating the cutting element movement unit 84 while rotating and moving the cutting section 82. This causes the cutting section 82 to cut along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1. In other words, the cutting unit 74 can cut the protective element 19 along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 by moving the cutting section 82 along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 using the cutting element movement unit 84. After the cutting unit 74 has cut off the unnecessary part of the protective element 19, grinding of the substrate 1 is possible. A collection unit 86 for an unnecessary part, which collects the cut-off unnecessary part of the protective element 19, is provided at a position next to the table 72 at the base 4.For example, the unnecessary part of the protective element 19 is transferred from the transfer unit 24b to the collection unit 86. The unnecessary part is then dropped onto the collection unit by releasing the suction mechanism and is collected. After the cutting unit 74 has cut off the unnecessary part of the protective element 19, the substrate transfer robot 10b transports the substrate 1, with the protective element 19 formed on its upper surface 1a, from the table 72 and places it in the cassette 8b attached to the cassette mounting base 6b. The cassette 8b is then transferred to the grinding device, which grinds the substrate 1 from the side of its lower surface 1b.

[0065] Next, a description of a protective element formation method according to the present embodiment for forming the protective element 19 on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 will be described, wherein the protective element formation method is carried out by using the protective element formation device 2 described above. Fig. Figure 10 is a flowchart that represents a sequence of steps carried out in the protective element training procedure.

[0066] The protective element formation process first performs a plastic film adhesion step S10. In plastic film adhesion step S10, an upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is covered by the plastic film 13, and the plastic film 13 is adhered in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. The plastic film adhesion step S10 is performed, for example, by the plastic film adhesion unit 12 of the protective element formation device 2. Fig. Figure 3A is a sectional view schematically illustrating the plastic film adhesion step S10. Specifically, the upper main body 12b of the plastic film adhesion unit 12 is raised, and the substrate 1 is loaded onto the support surface 14a of the substrate support section 14 in the lower main body 12a. At this point, the upper surface 1a with its projections and recesses is oriented upwards, and the side of the lower surface 1b faces the support surface 14a. Next, the plastic film 13 is positioned on the lower main body 12a such that the plastic film 13 covers the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, and the opening of the lower main body 12a is closed by the plastic film 13. Afterward, the upper main body 12b is lowered and attached to the lower main body 12a with the plastic film 13 positioned between them.

[0067] Subsequently, the suction unit 16 is activated to decompress the space 20a enclosed by the lower main body 12a and the plastic film 13, and the suction unit 18 is activated to decompress the space 20b enclosed by the upper main body 12b and the plastic film 13. When the suction unit 18 is then stopped and the space 20b is opened to the atmosphere, a rapidly occurring pressure differential between the upper and lower sides of the plastic film 13 causes the plastic film 13 to adhere to the upper surface 1a in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. Here, if heated gas is supplied to the space 20b before or after the space 20b is decompressed, the plastic film 13 can be heated by the gas. In this case, the plastic film 13 softens.Thus, the plastic film 13 simply follows the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 and the plastic film 13 adheres more easily to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1.

[0068] After the plastic film adhesion step S10 is performed, a liquid plastic feeding step S20 is carried out. The liquid plastic feeding step S20 is performed, for example, on the support table 54 of the protective element forming device 2. Accordingly, a first transfer step of transferring the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, could be carried out by the transfer unit 24a before the liquid plastic feeding step S20 is carried out. The first transfer step is performed with reference to Fig. 4A, Fig. 4B and Fig. 5A will be described.

[0069] The first transmission step uses the transmission unit 24a with the suction pads 32a and the non-contact suction pads 42a. The non-contact suction pads 42a can create a vacuum at the centers of their lower surfaces by expelling gas to the outside of these lower surfaces. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4A, in the first transfer step, the suction pads 32a initially attract and hold the plastic film 13 in an area not superimposed on the substrate 1, and the non-contact suction pads 42a attract and hold the plastic film 13 in the area superimposed on the substrate 1. Subsequently, the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, is transferred to the support table 54 by actuating the movement mechanism of the transfer unit 24a. Then, the substrate 1, to which the plastic film 13 adheres, is placed on the support table 54 by releasing the suction and holding force of the plastic film 13 by the transfer unit 24a.

[0070] In the case of simultaneous release of the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a and of the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the non-contact type suction pads 42a, for example, a bend or a fold could remain on an outer circumferential section of the plastic film 13 adhering to the substrate 1 attached to the support table 54. In this case, a suitable protective element 19 is not formed if the liquid plastic feed step S20, a pressing step S30, and a curing step S40 are carried out as described later. Accordingly, as described in Fig. As shown in Figure 4B, the first transfer step of the protective element formation process according to the present embodiment is the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32 after the substrate 1 has been placed on the support table 54. Then, as shown in Figure 4B, the plastic film 13 is drawn into the support table 54 and held in place by the suction pads 32. Fig. 5A shows the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 42a of the non-contact type.

[0071] In this case, during the period from the release of suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32a to the release of suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the non-contact suction pads 42a, the gas emitted by the non-contact suction pads 42a moves across the plastic film 13. The gas flow then spreads the plastic film 13 outwards, thus reducing the bending or wrinkling in the plastic film 13 on the support table 54. This means that, once the first transfer step is performed, the liquid plastic feed step S20, the pressure step S30, and the curing step S40, which are described later, can be carried out appropriately, and the protective element 19 can be formed on the substrate 1 as intended.

[0072] The liquid plastic feeding step S20 is then carried out on the support table 54. Liquid plastic feeding step S20 feeds a curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate 1 at the upper surface of the plastic film 13 adhering to the substrate 1. Specifically, after the transfer unit 24a transfers the substrate 1 to the support table 54, the nozzle 56c is positioned above the center of the substrate 1 by rotating the shaft section 56a of the liquid plastic feeding unit 56. The liquid plastic 15 is then dispensed from the nozzle 56c to the superimposed area on the substrate 1 at the upper surface of the plastic film 13. Fig. Figure 5B schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of the substrate 1 onto which the liquid plastic 15 is dispensed. Here, the quantity of liquid plastic 15 dispensed by the nozzle 56c is such that a layer can be formed over the entire surface of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, capable of adequately covering the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a. The quantity of liquid plastic 15 supplied is preferably determined based on the size of the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a, the thickness of the protective element 19 to be formed on the upper surface 1a, the thickness of the plastic film 13 and the cover film 17, and the like. However, it is difficult to form the protective element 19 uniformly with a predetermined thickness if the quantity of liquid plastic 15 is insufficient. Therefore, the liquid plastic 15 is preferably supplied slightly in excess.

[0073] The protective element formation method according to the present embodiment performs a pressing step S30 after the liquid plastic supply step S20. Pressing step S30 covers the liquid plastic 15 supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film 13 with the cover film 17, presses the liquid plastic 15 through the flat pressing surface 68 over the cover film 17, and thereby distributes the liquid plastic 15 over the plastic film 13. The pressing unit 58 is used, for example, for pressing step S30. Fig. Figure 7A is a sectional view that schematically represents a state of the liquid plastic 15 being pressed by the pressing unit 58.

[0074] The injection step S30 will be described in detail. First, the cover film 17 is held by the injection surface 68 of the injection section 64 of the injection unit 58. Then, the injection surface 68 is brought into contact with the liquid plastic 15, with the cover film 17 positioned between it and the injection surface 68, by lowering the injection section 64. The injection section 64 is then lowered further to force the liquid plastic 15 through the injection surface 68. At this point, the height of the injection section 64 is determined in relation to a planned thickness of the protective element to be formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. That is, the injection surface 68 is positioned at a height at which the protective element 15 can be formed with a predetermined thickness. When the liquid plastic 15 is injected, it is distributed outwards from a central area on the substrate 1.A portion of the liquid plastic 15 applied to the plastic film 13, exceeding the amount required to form the protective element 19, collects on the outer surface of the substrate 1. If the liquid plastic 15 extends beyond the plastic film 13 and the cover film 17, it could extend around the side of the lower surface 1b of the substrate 1 and the side of the upper surface of the cover film 17. Therefore, it is preferred to use a sufficiently large plastic film 13 and a cover film 17.

[0075] Meanwhile, the pressure step S30 of the liquid plastic 15 is forced through the flat pressure surface 68. If the pressure surface 68, which forces the liquid plastic 15, is, for example, a surface with protrusions and depressions, the protrusions and depressions inhibit a uniform distribution of the forced liquid plastic 15. On the other hand, the protective element formation method according to the present embodiment can distribute the liquid plastic 15 uniformly. In addition, the protective element formation method according to the present embodiment forces the liquid plastic 15 through a lowering of the pressure section 64 instead of supporting the substrate 1 from above and forcing the liquid plastic 15 through a lowering of the substrate 1.In a case where the substrate 1 is raised and lowered in a state where it is not supported from below, there is a risk that the substrate 1 will fall and be damaged. However, the protective element design method according to the present embodiment supports the substrate 1 from below. Thus, there is no risk of damage to the substrate 1, and handling of the substrate 1 is facilitated.

[0076] A curing step S40 is performed after the injection molding step S30. Curing step S40 cures the liquid plastic 15 distributed over the plastic film 13 in injection molding step S30, thereby forming the protective element 19 on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, comprising the plastic film 13, the cured liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17. For example, if the liquid plastic 15 is an ultraviolet-curing plastic, it is cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the curing unit 66 with ultraviolet LEDs. Once the liquid plastic 15 is cured, the protective element 19, in which the plastic film 13, the cured liquid plastic 15, and the cover film 17 are integrated, is formed on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1.Meanwhile, the protective element formation method according to the present embodiment could further perform a cutting step S50 of an outer circumferential excess section of a cutting of the protective element 19 along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 after performing the hardening step S40.

[0077] The cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section is performed, for example, by the cutting unit 74. Cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section moves the rotating shaft 80 to a position above the center of the substrate 1, causing the cutting section 82 to cut into the protective element 19 along the outer circumference 1c of the substrate 1 by lowering the cutting section 82 while moving it in an annular orbit, thereby cutting off an excess section of the protective element 19. The protective element 19 is then formed to such a size that it is able to protect the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 without any excess or deficiency.

[0078] Meanwhile, the protective element formation method according to the present embodiment could perform a second transfer step of transferring the substrate 1, on which the protective element 19 is formed, from the support table 54 to the table 72 before performing the cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section. The second transfer step is described with reference to Fig.8. The second transfer step uses the transfer unit 24b with the suction pads 32b and the non-contact suction pads 42b. The non-contact suction pads 42b can create a vacuum at the centers of their lower surfaces by expelling gas to the outside of these surfaces. In the second transfer step, as in the first transfer step, the suction pads 32b attract and hold the plastic film 13 in the area not superimposed on the substrate 1, and the non-contact suction pads 42b attract and hold the cover film 17 in the area superimposed on the substrate 1. The movement mechanism of the transfer unit 24b is then actuated to transfer the substrate 1, on which the protective element 19 is formed, to the table 72 of the cutting unit 74. Then the substrate 1 is placed on the table 72 by releasing the suction and holding by the transmission unit 24b.

[0079] In a case where the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32b and the suction and holding of the cover film 17 by the suction pads 42b of the non-contact type are simultaneously released, a bend could, for example, remain in an outer circumferential section of the plastic film 13 or the cover film 17. In this case, when the cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section is performed, the bent part of the plastic film 13 or the cover film 17 could enter the orbit of the cutting section 82 and impede the movement of the cutting section 82. Accordingly, the second transfer step, after placing the substrate 1 on the table 72, releases the suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32b and then releases the suction and holding of the cover film 17 by the suction pads 42b of the non-contact type.In this case, the gas emitted by the non-contact suction pads 42b moves over the protective element 19 in a period from the release of suction and holding of the plastic film 13 by the suction pads 32b to the release of suction and holding of the cover film 17 by the non-contact suction pads 42b.

[0080] The gas flow then distributes the cover film 17 or the like outwards. The bend in the cover film 17 or the like is therefore eliminated. This means that the cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section can be suitably carried out when the second transfer step is performed. Meanwhile, the gas ejected from the non-contact type suction pads 42b continues to move across the protective element 19 while the second transfer step is performed. Consequently, the protective element 19 continues to be air-cooled and its hardness increases.

[0081] If the protective element 19 exhibits high flexibility at the time the cutting section 82 cuts into it during cutting step S50 of the outer circumferential excess section, a force acting on the protective element 19 from the cutting section 82 might not be able to act effectively, as the protective element 19 would be deformed. This could result in a problem such as a rough-cut surface on the protective element 19. However, if the protective element 19 is air-cooled and its hardness increases by performing the second transfer step using the transfer unit 24b with the non-contact suction pads 42b, the force can be effectively applied by the cutting section 82 to the protective element 19. Consequently, the protective element 19 is cut with a higher quality.

[0082] The substrate 1, with the protective element 19 formed on its upper surface 1a as a result of the above process, is then transferred to the grinding device. It is thinned to a predetermined thickness by grinding it from the side of its lower surface 1b within the grinding device. The protective element 19 is then peeled off the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. At this point, the hardened liquid plastic 15 forms on the upper surface 1a with the intervening plastic film 13 and is therefore not directly adhered to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. Consequently, no residue of the hardened liquid plastic 15 or the like remains on the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1. The protective element 19 can therefore be easily peeled off the substrate 1.

[0083] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the preceding embodiment and can be modified and implemented in different ways. For example, in the preceding embodiment, the plastic film adhesion unit 12 is a chamber-shaped unit comprising the lower main body 12a and the upper main body 12b. However, the plastic film adhesion unit 12 could have a different shape. For example, a clamping table that can suction and hold a holding object placed on its upper surface can be used. The clamping table, for example, has a porous element exposed at the top. The clamping table further has a suction passage with one end connected to the porous element and a suction source serving as a suction unit connected to the other end of the suction passage.When the suction source is activated, a vacuum can be created, acting on the holding object placed on the upper surface of the porous element via the suction passage and the porous element. The upper surface of the porous element serves as a suction holding surface of the clamping table, and the porous element serves as a substrate support section that carries the substrate 1. Here, the clamping table, in which the holding surface has a size larger than the substrate 1 and smaller than the plastic film 13, is prepared as a plastic film adhesion unit.

[0084] Then, when the plastic film 13 is adhered to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is first attached to the suction holding surface of the clamping table in such a way that the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 is exposed. The plastic film 13 is then positioned on the clamping table so that it covers the suction holding surface. At this point, the substrate, which is supported by the porous element serving as the substrate support section, is covered by the plastic film 13, and a space is formed between the plastic film 13 and the porous element.The space is then extracted and decompressed by activating the suction source of the clamping table, the suction source serving as the extraction unit, so that the plastic film 13 is attached to the upper surface 1a in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 supported by the porous element which serves as the substrate support section.

Claims

[1] Protective element formation method for forming a protective element (19) on an upper surface (1a) of a substrate (1) having protrusions and depressions on the upper surface (1a), wherein the protective element formation method comprises: a plastic film adhesion step comprising covering the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1) with a plastic film (13) and adhering the plastic film (13) to the substrate (1) to conform to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a liquid plastic feeding step of feeding a curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate (1) at the upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1); a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film (13) with a cover film (17) and of distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through a flat pressing surface (68) over the cover film (17); and a hardening step of hardening the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film (13) in the pressing step and of forming the protective element (19) comprising the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1). [2] Protective element formation method according to claim 1, further comprising: a cutting step of an outer circumferential excess section (11) of a cutting of the protective element (19) along an outer circumference of the substrate (1) after the hardening step has been carried out. [3] Protective element forming device (2) for forming a protective element (19) on an upper surface (1a) of a substrate (1) having projections and depressions on the upper surface (1a), wherein the protective element forming device (2) comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit (12) comprising a substrate support section (14) supporting the substrate (1) and a suction unit (16) capable of suctioning a space formed by covering the substrate (1) supported by the substrate support section (14) with a plastic film (13), wherein the plastic film adhesion unit (12) is configured to suction and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit (16) and to adhere the plastic film (13) to the upper surface (1a) in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a support table (54) designed to support the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres, in a state in which the plastic film (13) is exposed upwards; a liquid plastic supply unit (56) with a nozzle (56c) which dispenses a curable liquid plastic and is designed to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle (56c) onto an upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1) supported by the support table (54); a pressure unit (58) with a flat pressure surface (68) configured to distribute the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface (68) over a cover film (17), while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit (56) is covered by the cover film (17); and a hardening unit (66) which is designed to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit (58) and to form the protective element (19) with the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1). [4] Protective element formation device (2) according to claim 3, further comprising: a transfer unit (24) configured to transfer the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres from the substrate support section (14) to the support table (54), while the plastic film (13) remains in a distributed state on an outside of the substrate (1), wherein the transmission unit (24) comprises: a non-contact type suction pad (42b) designed to create a vacuum while expelling a fluid towards the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1), a suction pad (32b) designed to suction and hold the plastic film (13) on the outside of the substrate (1), a base section (30b) to which the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are attached, and a movement mechanism designed to move the base section (30b), wherein the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are able to be actuated independently of each other. [5] Protective element formation device (2) according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: a cutting unit (74) comprising a table configured to support the substrate (1) with the protective element (19) formed on its upper surface (1a), a cutting section (82) configured to cut the protective element (19), and a cutting section movement unit (84) configured to move the cutting section (82) along an outer circumference of the substrate (1), wherein the cutting unit (74) is able to cut the protective element (19) along the outer circumference of the substrate (1) by moving the cutting section (82) by the cutting section movement unit (84) along the outer circumference of the substrate (1) supported by the table, which has the protective element (19) formed on its upper surface (1a). [6] Protective element formation method for using a protective element formation device (2) and for forming a protective element (19) on an upper surface (1a) of a substrate (1) having projections and depressions on the upper surface (1a), wherein the protective element formation device (2) comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit (12) comprising a substrate support section (14) supporting the substrate (1) and a suction unit (16) capable of suctioning a space formed by covering the substrate (1) supported by the substrate support section (14) with a plastic film (13), wherein the plastic film adhesion unit (12) is configured to suction and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit (16) and to adhere the plastic film (13) to the upper surface (1a) in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a support table (54) designed to support the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres, in a state in which the plastic film (13) is exposed upwards; a liquid plastic supply unit (56) with a nozzle (56c) which dispenses a curable liquid plastic and is designed to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle (56c) onto an upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1) supported by the support table (54); a pressure unit (58) with a flat pressure surface (68) configured to distribute the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface (68) over the cover film (17), while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit (56) is covered by the cover film (17); and a hardening unit (66) configured to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit (58) and to form the protective element (19) with the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); and a transfer unit (24) configured to transfer the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres from the substrate support section (14) to the support table (54), while the plastic film (13) remains in a distributed state on an outside of the substrate (1), wherein the transmission unit (24) comprises: a non-contact type suction pad (42b) designed to create a vacuum while expelling a fluid towards the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1), a suction pad (32b) designed to suction and hold the plastic film (13) on the outside of the substrate (1), a base section (30b) to which the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are attached, and a movement mechanism designed to move the base section (30b), wherein the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are able to be actuated independently of each other; the protective element training procedure exhibits: a plastic film adhesion step comprising placing the substrate (1) on the substrate support section (14) of the plastic film adhesion unit (12) in a state in which the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1) is facing upwards, covering the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1) with the plastic film (13) and adhering the plastic film (13) to the substrate (1) to conform to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a first transfer step of transferring the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres, from the substrate support section (14) of the plastic film adhesion unit (12) to the support table (54) using the transfer unit (24); a liquid plastic feeding step of feeding the curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate (1) at the upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1) on the support table (54); a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film (13) with the cover film (17) and of distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through the flat pressing surface (68) over the cover film (17); and a hardening step comprising hardening the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film (13) in the pressing step and forming the protective element (19) comprising the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); wherein the first transfer step involves suctioning and holding the plastic film (13) by the suction pad (32b) in an area not superimposed on the substrate (1) on the substrate support section (14), while the plastic film (13) is suctioned and held by the non-contact suction pad (42b) in the area superimposed on the substrate (1), then transferring the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres, onto the support table (54) by actuating the movement mechanism, releasing the suction and holding of the plastic film (13) by the suction pad (32b) and then releasing the suction and holding of the plastic film (13) by the non-contact suction pad (42b). [7] Protective element formation method for using a protective element formation device (2) and for forming a protective element (19) on an upper surface (1a) of a substrate (1) having projections and depressions on the upper surface (1a), wherein the protective element formation device (2) comprises: a plastic film adhesion unit (12) comprising a substrate support section (14) supporting the substrate (1) and a suction unit (16) capable of suctioning a space formed by covering the substrate (1) supported by the substrate support section (14) with a plastic film (13), wherein the plastic film adhesion unit (12) is configured to suction and decompress the space by actuating the suction unit (16) and to adhere the plastic film (13) to the upper surface (1a) in such a way that it corresponds to the projections and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a support table (54) designed to support the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres, in a state in which the plastic film (13) is exposed upwards; a liquid plastic supply unit (56) with a nozzle (56c) which dispenses a curable liquid plastic and is designed to supply the liquid plastic from the nozzle (56c) onto an upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1) supported by the support table (54); a pressure unit (58) with a flat pressure surface (68) configured to distribute the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through the pressure surface (68) over a cover film (17), while the liquid plastic supplied by the liquid plastic feed unit (56) is covered by the cover film (17); and a hardening unit (66) designed to harden the liquid plastic distributed by the pressure unit (58) and to form the protective element (19) with the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a transfer unit (24) configured to transfer the substrate (1) to which the plastic film (13) adheres from the substrate support section (14) to the support table (54), while the plastic film (13) remains in a distributed state on an outside of the substrate (1); and a cutting unit (74) comprising a table configured to support the substrate (1) with the protective element (19) formed on its upper surface (1a), a cutting section (82) configured to cut the protective element (19), and a cutting section movement unit (84) configured to move the cutting section (82) along an outer circumference of the substrate (1), wherein the cutting unit (74) is able to cut the protective element (19) along the outer circumference of the substrate (1) by moving the cutting section (82) by the cutting section movement unit (84) along the outer circumference of the substrate (1) supported by the table, which has the protective element (19) formed on its upper surface (1a); wherein the transmission unit (24) comprises: a non-contact type suction pad (42b) designed to create a vacuum while expelling a fluid towards the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1), a suction pad (32b) designed to suction and hold the plastic film (13) on the outside of the substrate (1), a base section (30b) to which the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are attached, and a movement mechanism designed to move the base section (30b), wherein the non-contact suction pad (42b) and the suction pad (32b) are able to be actuated independently of each other, the protective element training procedure exhibits: a plastic film adhesion step comprising covering the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1) with the plastic film (13) and adhering the plastic film (13) to the substrate (1) to conform to the protrusions and depressions of the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a liquid plastic feeding step of feeding the curable liquid plastic to an area superimposed on the substrate (1) at the upper surface of the plastic film (13) adhering to the substrate (1); a pressing step of covering the liquid plastic supplied to the upper surface of the plastic film (13) with the cover film (17) and of distributing the liquid plastic over the plastic film (13) by pressing the liquid plastic through a flat pressing surface (68) over the cover film (17); and a hardening step comprising hardening the liquid plastic distributed over the plastic film (13) in the pressing step and forming the protective element (19) comprising the plastic film (13), the hardened liquid plastic and the cover film (17) on the upper surface (1a) of the substrate (1); a second transfer step of transferring the substrate (1) with the protective element (19) formed on the upper surface (1a) from the support table (54) to the table of the cutting unit (74) using the transfer unit (24); and a cutting step of an outer circumferential excess section (11) of a cutting of the protective element (19) along the outer circumference of the substrate (1) in the cutting unit (74); wherein the second transfer step involves suctioning and holding the plastic film (13) by the suction pad (32b) in an area on the support table (54) not overlapping the substrate (1), while the cover film (17) is suctioned and held by the non-contact suction pad (42b) in the area overlapping the substrate (1), then transferring the substrate (1) with the protective element (19) formed on the upper surface (1a) onto the table of the cutting unit (74) by actuating the movement mechanism, releasing the suction and holding of the plastic film (13) by the suction pad (32b) and then releasing the suction and holding of the cover film (17) by the non-contact suction pad (42b).

Images