Peeler device for peeling a protective element from a wafer

Abstract

A peeling device (1) which peels off a sheet-like protective element (91) formed on a surface (900) of a wafer (90) and which disposes of the protective element (91) by stacking the protective element in a waste container having an opening in an upper surface of the waste container (7), the peeling device (1) comprising: a holding unit (2) configured to hold another surface (903) of the wafer (90) on a holding surface (213) under suction; a peeling unit (4) configured to peel the protective element (91) formed on the wafer (90) held by the holding unit (2) from the wafer; and a disposal unit (5) which is arranged to dispose of the protective element (91) by stacking the protective element in the waste container (7), wherein the peeling unit (4) comprises: a gripping unit (40) adapted to grip a peripheral edge of the protective element (91), and a movement unit (42) which is configured to move the gripping unit (40) and the holding unit (2) relative to each other, so that the gripping unit (40) and the holding unit (2) are guided past each other parallel to the holding surface (213) and in a direction from a circumference to a center of the wafer (90), wherein the disposal unit (5) comprises: an inclined discharge unit (50) which is arranged to allow the protective element (91) gripped by the gripping unit (40) to fall obliquely downwards towards the opening (700) of the waste container (7), and a first inclined plate (51) and a second inclined plate (52) arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the protective element (91) when the protective element (91) falling obliquely downwards over the opening (700) is viewed from above, wherein the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52) are arranged such that a gap (57) through which the protective element (91) can pass is formed between a lower side of the first inclined plate (51) and a lower side of the second inclined plate (52), and the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52) are inclined such that a distance between an upper side (511) of the first inclined plate (51) and an upper side (523) of the second inclined plate (52) is greater than a distance between the lower side of the first inclined plate (51) and the lower side of the second inclined plate (52), and the protective member (91) is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container (7) when it falls obliquely downwards and enters the gap (57) between the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52), and the protective member (91) is stacked within the waste container (7) in a horizontal orientation after it has passed through the opening (700) of the waste container (7) and further fallen.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a peeling device for peeling a protective element from a wafer and for disposing of the protective element in a waste container. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED PRIOR ART

[0002] In a case where a wafer with a flat surface is to be produced in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, a cut disc-shaped wafer is obtained by thinly slicing, for example, a circular-cylindrical ingot of silicon or the like using a wire saw or the like. Ripples or warps are present on both sides of the wafer. The ripples or warps are removed by applying a rotating grindstone to the cut surface of the wafer.

[0003] To perform grinding processing, a protective member is formed on one surface of the disc-shaped wafer by a liquid resin. This serves to compensate for the waviness or deformation of the wafer by the protective member and to hold the wafer flat by a chuck table of a grinding apparatus under suction. Specifically, a predetermined amount of liquid resin or the like is supplied onto a circular sheet having a larger diameter than that of the wafer. Then, the other surface of the wafer is held under suction by a holding unit, and the wafer is pressed from above against the liquid resin on the sheet arranged to face one surface of the wafer. Thus, the liquid resin is spread, and the entire one surface of the wafer is covered with a resin layer.A protective element is then formed by curing the resin layer, for example, through ultraviolet irradiation. The protective element includes a protruding portion where the sheet material protrudes from the peripheral edge of the wafer.

[0004] The wafer is then held flat by the chuck of the grinding device so that the other surface, on which the protective element is not formed, faces upward. Grinding is then performed with a grindstone. The protective element is then peeled off the wafer by a tape peeler (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-198290), and the one surface of the wafer protected by the protective element is ground. Thus, a wafer with both surfaces flat can be produced.

[0005] The tape peeling device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-198290 peels the resin layer from the wafer and discards the peeled-off protective member into a waste bin. Specifically, the peeled-off protective member is slid down two inclined tubes, bent, and dropped from a space between the two inclined tubes into the waste bin located below the tubes. In this way, it is possible to discard many protective members into the waste bins by properly piling the protective members in the waste bins. Since the protective members are discarded into the waste bin in such a way that they are stacked in piles, the frequency of removing the protective members from the waste bin is reduced, and the workload on the worker is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In the tape peeling apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-198290A, the hardness of the cured resin or the thickness of the resin is varied by using different liquid resins depending on the degree of unevenness, waviness, or warpage of the cut wafer. When the hardness or thickness of the resins differs (for example, when the hardness and thickness are increased), the force required to bend the protective member under the self-weight of the protective member on the two tubes changes, and the degree of bending of the protective members is different when only the two tubes are used. Consequently, in some cases, the protective members cannot be passed between the tubes and properly stacked within the waste container.

[0007] In such a case, since the protective elements are not properly stacked in the waste container, a sensor designed to detect that the waste container is full of protective elements detects the improperly stacked protective elements in the waste container, even though the waste container is not filled with protective elements. As a result, the worker must remove the protective elements from the waste container more frequently, increasing the workload for the worker.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a peeling apparatus that peels a protective member from a wafer and that discards the protective member into a waste container, and more particularly, a peeling apparatus that can discard the protective member into the waste container by properly stacking the protective member even if the force required to bend the protective member may change due to a change in the hardness of a resin or a change in the thickness of the resin.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a peeling apparatus is provided that peels a sheet-like protective member formed on a surface of a wafer from a wafer and disposes of the protective member by stacking the protective member in a waste container having an opening in an upper surface of the waste container. The peeling apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold another surface of the wafer on a holding surface under suction, a peeling unit configured to peel the protective member formed on the wafer held by the holding unit from the wafer, and a disposal unit configured to dispose of the protective member by stacking the protective member in the waste container.The peeling unit includes a gripping unit configured to grip a peripheral edge of the protective member, and a moving unit configured to move the gripping unit and the holding unit relative to each other such that the gripping unit and the holding unit pass each other parallel to the holding surface and in a direction from a circumference to a center of the wafer. The disposal unit includes an inclined dropping unit configured to drop the protective member gripped by the gripping unit obliquely downwards toward the opening of the waste container, and a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the protective member when the protective member falling obliquely downwards over the opening is viewed from above.The first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are arranged such that a gap through which the protective member can pass is formed between a lower side of the first inclined plate and a lower side of the second inclined plate, and the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are inclined such that a distance between an upper side of the first inclined plate and an upper side of the second inclined plate is greater than a distance between the lower side of the first inclined plate and the lower side of the second inclined plate.The protective member is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container as it falls obliquely downward and enters the gap between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, and the protective member is stacked in a horizontal orientation inside the waste container after passing through the opening of the waste container and further falling.

[0010] Preferably, the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate each have a first air discharge opening configured to discharge air, the first air discharge opening being formed in each of the upper surfaces of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate.

[0011] Preferably, the disposal unit further includes two pipes individually arranged on a lower end side of the first inclined plate and a lower end side of the second inclined plate, each having a second air discharge port configured to discharge air, and the air discharged from the second air discharge port generates an airflow moving from bottom to top on an upper surface of the first inclined plate and an upper surface of the second inclined plate.

[0012] Preferably, the disposal unit is configured such that a distance between a lower end of the first inclined plate and a lower end of the second inclined plate on a side remote from the inclined discharge unit is smaller than the distance on a side near the inclined discharge unit.

[0013] In the disposal unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the disposal unit that disposes of the protective member by stacking the protective member in the waste container includes the inclined dropping unit that drops the protective member picked up by the gripping unit obliquely downward toward the opening of the waste container, and the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate arranged to oppose each other in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the protective member when the protective member falling obliquely downward over the opening is viewed from above. The gap through which the protective member can pass is formed between the lower side of the first inclined plate and the lower side of the second inclined plate.The first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are inclined such that the distance between the upper side of the first inclined plate and the upper side of the second inclined plate is greater than the distance between the lower side of the first inclined plate and the lower side of the second inclined plate. Even if the force required to bend the protective member may change due to a change in the hardness of the protective member or a change in the thickness of the protective member, since the protective member falling obliquely downward enters a space between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, the protective member is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container in contact with the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate.Furthermore, a bent part can be widened by the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate in accordance with a position where the protective member falls obliquely downward. Compared with the conventional puller in which only two pipes form the protective member into a shape protruding toward the opening of the waste bin, the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate assist the protective member in forming a shape protruding toward the opening of the waste bin from a state where the protective member is at a higher position than the opening of the waste bin. Then, the protective member passes through the opening of the waste bin in a protruding shape, assumes a horizontal orientation due to the inherent elasticity of the protective member as it further falls into the waste bin, and is then stacked in the waste bin.By properly stacking the protective elements in the waste container, it is possible to dispose of a sufficient number of protective elements.

[0014] In a case where the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate have the first air discharge holes, air is discharged from the first air discharge holes, and thus, when the protective member is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste bin, the air can reduce friction between the upper surfaces of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate and the protective member by causing the protective member to fall obliquely downward between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate. Thus, the protective member can be bent into a protruding shape above the waste bin with less resistance.

[0015] In a case where the two pipes arranged at the respective lower end sides of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate have second air discharge ports configured to discharge air, when the center of the guard member is bent into a shape protruding toward the waste container by the guard member falling obliquely downward between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, the air discharged from the second air discharge port generates a bottom-up airflow on the upper surface of the first inclined plate and the upper surface of the second inclined plate. Thus, the air can reduce the friction between the upper surfaces of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate and the guard member.The protective element can thus be bent into a protruding shape over the waste container towards the waste container with less resistance.

[0016] In a case where the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate and the lower end of the second inclined plate is smaller on the side far from the inclined discharge unit than on the side near the inclined discharge unit, the speed of the obliquely falling protective element is reduced by the smaller distance between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate. This prevents the protective element from overshooting the waste container, and the protective element may be bent into a protruding shape and fall into the waste container.

[0017] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention and the mode for carrying them out will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by studying the following description and the appended claims with reference to the attached drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a puller; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a state in which a gripping unit grips a protruding portion of a protective member; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a state in which the protective member is peeled off in a direction from the outer peripheral side to the center of a wafer by relatively moving the gripping unit and a holding unit by a peeling unit so that the gripping unit and the holding unit pass each other; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a state in which the peeling of the protective member from the wafer is made to proceed by relatively moving the gripping unit and the holding unit by the peeling unit so that the gripping unit and the holding unit are passed by each other; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a state in which peeling of the protective member from the wafer is completed by moving the gripping unit and the holding unit relative to each other by the peeling unit to pass the gripping unit and the holding unit by each other; Fig. 6A is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a manner in which the obliquely falling protective member enters a space between a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate, bends into a protruding shape toward a waste container, passes through the opening of the waste container, assumes a horizontal orientation upon further falling, and is stacked in the waste container. Fig. 6B is a plan view of assistance in explaining the manner in which the obliquely falling protective member enters the space between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, bends into a protruding shape toward the waste container, passes through the opening of the waste container, assumes a horizontal orientation upon further falling, and is stacked in the waste container; Fig. 7A is a sectional view of assistance in explaining a manner in which, in a case where a distance between a lower end of the first inclined plate and a lower end of the second inclined plate on a side remote from an inclined discharge unit is smaller than on a side near the inclined discharge unit, the obliquely downwardly falling protective member enters the space between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, bends into a protruding shape toward the waste container, passes through the opening of the waste container, assumes a horizontal orientation upon further falling, and is piled up in the waste container; and Fig. 7B is a plan view of assistance in explaining the manner in which, in a case where the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate and the lower end of the second inclined plate on the side farther from the inclined discharge unit is smaller than that on the side closer to the inclined discharge unit, the obliquely downwardly falling protective member enters the space between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, bends into a protruding shape toward the waste container, passes through the opening of the waste container, assumes a horizontal orientation as it continues to fall, and is piled up inside the waste container. DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. The peeling device 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is a device that peels a protective element 91 in sheet-like form from a wafer 90, such as a separated wafer. Fig. 1 and Fig. The protective element 91 illustrated in Figure 2 has a larger diameter, ie a larger area, than the wafer 90 and includes a resin layer 92 and a sheet material 93 which is bonded to a surface 900 (see Fig. 2) of the wafer 90. The sheet material 93 is, for example, a sheet material formed from a polyolefin resin. The resin layer 92 is, for example, a resin layer cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. As shown in Fig. 2, the resin layer 92 covers the entire one surface 900 of the wafer 90 and a part of an edge surface of the wafer 90. Furthermore, the sheet material 93 has a protruding portion 930 protruding from the edge region of the wafer 90.

[0019] A column 11 is mounted on a rear part (-X side) of a base 10 of the Fig. 1 is constructed. A holding unit moving mechanism 12 is provided at an upper portion of a front surface of the column 11 on one side in the +X direction. The holding unit moving mechanism 12 moves a movable plate 121 along a pair of guide rails 123 by rotating a ball screw 120 using a motor 122, and thus reciprocates a holding unit 2 disposed on the movable plate 121 in a Y-axis direction.

[0020] A holding unit vertical movement mechanism 13, which reciprocates the holding unit 2 in a Z-axis direction, is disposed on the movable platen 121. The holding unit vertical movement mechanism 13 reciprocates the holding unit 2 in the Z-axis direction by rotating a ball screw 130 using a motor 132. The holding unit 2 is disposed on a movable platen 131, which moves along a pair of guide rails 133 extending in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0021] The holding unit 2 holds under suction another surface 903, which is opposite to the one surface 900 of the wafer 90 on which the Fig. 2 illustrated protective element 91 is formed. The holding unit 2 includes an arm portion 20, one end of which is fixed on a proximal side to the Fig. 1, and a holding pad 21 arranged on the +X direction side on a lower surface of a distal end of the arm portion 20 and capable of holding the wafer 90 under suction. As shown in Fig. 2, the holding pad 21 includes a suction portion 210 formed of a porous plate or the like and connected to a suction source (not shown), and a frame body 211 supporting the suction portion 210. The holding pad 21 suction-holds the other surface 903 of the wafer 90 to a holding surface 213, which is an exposed surface of the suction portion 210 and is flush with a lower surface of the frame body 211.

[0022] As in Fig. 1, in a central portion of the front surface of the column 11 on the +X direction side, that is, below a moving path of the holding pad 21, a rotating roller 18, a gripping unit 40, and a moving unit 42 are arranged in order from the top. The rotating roller 18 has an axis in an X-axis direction. The gripping unit 40 grips the protruding portion 930, which is the peripheral edge of the protective member 91 fixed to the wafer 90 held by the holding unit 2. The moving unit 42 moves the gripping unit 40 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the holding surface 213 of the holding unit 2, thereby moving the gripping unit 40 and the holding unit 2 relative to each other, so that the gripping unit 40 and the holding unit 2 are guided past each other in a direction from the outer periphery to the center of the wafer 90.The gripping unit 40 and the moving unit 42 form a peeling unit 4, which peels off the protective element 91 formed on the wafer 90 held by the holding unit 2.

[0023] The moving unit 42 includes a ball screw 420 having an axis in the Y-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 421 arranged parallel to the ball screw 420, a motor 422 that rotates the ball screw 420, and a movable block 423 whose inner nut is screwed onto the ball screw 420 and whose side portions are in sliding contact with the guide rails 421. When the motor 422 rotates the ball screw 420, the movable block 423 is moved accordingly in the Y-axis direction while being guided by the guide rails 421, and the gripping unit 40 arranged on the movable block 423 is moved in the Y-axis direction as the movable block 423 is moved.

[0024] The gripping unit 40 includes a spindle 400 whose axial direction is the X-axis direction, a housing 401 that rotatably supports the spindle 400, and a gripping clamp 402 disposed at a distal end of the spindle 400 on the +X direction side. The gripping clamp 402 has a pair of gripping plates that can approach and separate from each other and can clamp a gripping object between the gripping plates. The gripping clamp 402 can change its angle with respect to the object to be gripped by rotating the spindle 400. Incidentally, the gripping unit 40 can be movable in an up-down direction, for example, on a front surface of the movable block 423.

[0025] The rotating roller 18 is rotated, for example, by a motor (not shown) about an axis in the X-axis direction. The rotating roller 18 has the task, for example, of folding the Fig. 2 by abutting the protective member 91. Folding may occur at the time of peeling off the protective member 91. Incidentally, the rotary roller 18 may be movable in the Y-axis direction.

[0026] A waste container 7 is arranged on the base 10, which holds the removed protective element 91. The waste container 7 has, for example, an outer shape that is substantially rectangular in shape. An opening 700 formed in the upper surface of the waste container 7 is located below a first inclined plate 51 and a second inclined plate 52 of a disposal unit 5 to be described later. As shown in Fig. As illustrated in Fig. 1, an optical transmission sensor 79 including, for example, a pair of a light-emitting unit 790 (-Y direction side) and a light-receiving unit 791 (+Y direction side) is arranged at an upper portion of the waste container 7. The protective member 91 peeled from the wafer 90 is dropped into the waste container 7 by the disposal unit 5. When the protective members 91 are stacked in the waste container 7 to a predetermined height, the inspection light between the light-emitting unit 790 and the light-receiving unit 791 is blocked by the protective members 91, and the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 791 is thereby reduced. The optical sensor 79 then detects that the interior of the waste container 7 is filled with the protective members 91.

[0027] The peeling device 1 includes the disposal unit 5 for disposing of the protective members 91 by piling the protective members 91 in the waste container 7. The disposal unit 5 includes an inclined dropping unit 50 that drops the protective member 91 gripped by the gripping unit 40 obliquely downward toward the opening 700 of the waste container 7 (inclined dropping), and the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 that are arranged to oppose each other in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to a moving direction (-Y direction) of the protective member 91 when the protective member 91 falling obliquely downward over the opening 700 is viewed from above (+Z direction side).

[0028] The inclined discharge unit 50 is arranged, for example, rearwardly above the waste container 7 and below the movement path of the gripping unit 40 and the holding pad 21 of the holding unit 2. The inclined discharge unit 50 includes a pair of a guide rail 501 and a guide rail 502 that are inclined downwardly toward the front.

[0029] The pair of guide rails 501 and 502 are formed, for example, in a rod-like shape having a circular cross section. The pair of guide rails 501 and 502 have, for example, substantially the same length as the outer diameter of the protective member 91. The distal end portions of the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 are located, for example, above one side of a rear part (in the +Y direction) of the waste bin 7. Moreover, the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of the waste bin 7 in the X-axis direction and parallel to each other at a distance sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the protective member 91.

[0030] It should be noted that the pair of guide rail 501 and guide rail 502 may have a plate shape instead of a rod shape, and the inclined discharge unit 50 may include an inclined solid plate.

[0031] The Fig. 1, Fig. 6A and Fig. The first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 illustrated in FIG. 6B are formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in plan view and extend above the opening 700 of the waste bin 7 in the Y-axis direction from one end to the other end. For example, the lower edge sides of the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 are located in a central region of the opening 700 of the waste bin 7 in the X-axis direction. A gap 57 with a predetermined width is formed between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52, through which the protective member 91 can pass. The rectangular shape of the opening 700 in plan view is located below the gap 57.

[0032] The first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 are inclined such that a distance D2 between the upper side of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper side of the second inclined plate 52 is greater than a distance D1 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 in Fig. 6B. That is, a space between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 is gradually widened in a +Z direction.

[0033] As in Fig. 1, Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, according to the present embodiment, the extractor 1 includes, for example, two pipes, that is, a pipe (horizontal pipe) 61 and a pipe (horizontal pipe) 62 having a straight pipe shape. The pipe 61 and the pipe 62 are horizontally arranged at the lower end sides of the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, respectively, and have second air discharge ports 63 for discharging air.

[0034] The two pipes, that is, the pipe 61 and the pipe 62, extend horizontally from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction above the opening 700 of the waste container 7. The pipe 61 and the pipe 62 are formed in a rod shape having, for example, a circular cross section, and extend to a length greater than the outer diameter of the protective member 91. One ends (rear ends) of the pipe 61 and the pipe 62 are fixed to an upper end part of one side of the waste container 7 at a rear side in the Y-axis direction. The other ends (front ends) of the pipe 61 and the pipe 62 are fixed to an upper end part of one side of the waste container 7 at a front side in the Y-axis direction.Moreover, in the present embodiment, the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 is connected to the peripheral surface of the pipe 61, and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is connected to the peripheral surface of the pipe 62. Incidentally, in a case where the extractor 1 does not include the pipe 61 or the pipe 62, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 may be directly connected to the upper surfaces of the side plates of the waste container 7.

[0035] Furthermore, the pipe 61 and the pipe 62 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the waste container 7 at a distance in the X-axis direction that is smaller than the outer diameter of the protective member 91, and extend, for example, parallel to the Y-axis direction. The gap 57 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is also a gap between the pipe 61 and the pipe 62. The protective member 91 passes through the gap 57 and falls into the waste container 7.

[0036] The second air discharge ports 63, which discharge air upward, are arranged at a plurality of locations on the upper surfaces of the tube 61 and the tube 62 in such a manner as to be longitudinally aligned with each other, for example. While the second air discharge ports 63 are formed in the shape of circular holes, the second air discharge ports 63 may be formed in the shape of narrow-width slits, or the second air discharge ports 63 may be formed in the shape of a slit extending continuously from substantially one end to substantially the other end in each of the upper surfaces of the two tubes, that is, the tube 61 and the tube 62. An air supply source, including a compressor or the like (not illustrated), communicates with each of the second air discharge ports 63.The air discharged from the second air discharge ports 63 flows upward along an upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 (upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52).

[0037] Furthermore, the bending of the protective member 91 can be facilitated by increasing the amount of air discharged from the second air discharge ports 63 and forming a large area between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 into which the protective member 91 enters after being guided by the pair of the guide rail 501 and the guide rail 502.

[0038] For example, the first inclined plate 51 has first air ejection openings 512 in the upper surface 511 as an inclined surface, wherein the first air ejection openings 512 eject air from the upper surface 511. Similarly, the second inclined plate 52 has first air ejection openings 524 in the upper surface 523 as an inclined surface, wherein the first air ejection openings 524 eject air from the upper surface 523.

[0039] The first air ejection openings 512 are opened in the upper surface 511 and arranged at a plurality of locations in such a way that they are aligned with each other, for example, in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The first air ejection openings 524 are opened in the upper surface 523 and arranged at a plurality of positions in such a way that they are aligned with each other, for example, in the longitudinal and transverse directions. While the first air ejection openings 512 and the first air ejection openings 524 in the Fig. 6B, the first air discharge openings 512 and the first air discharge openings 524 may be formed in the form of circular holes, or the first air discharge openings 512 and the first air discharge openings 524 may be formed in the form of narrow-width slits, or the first air discharge openings 512 and the first air discharge openings 524 may be formed in the form of a slit extending continuously from substantially one end to substantially the other end in the Y-axis direction in the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 or the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52. For example, the first air discharge openings 512 converge in a flow passage within the first inclined plate 51 and then communicate with an air supply source including a compressor or the like (not illustrated) via a joint, a resin pipe, or the like provided in the flow passage.For example, the first air discharge openings 524 merge into a flow passage within the second inclined plate 52 and then communicate with an air supply source including an unillustrated compressor or the like via a joint, a resin pipe, or the like provided in the flow passage.

[0040] Incidentally, the first air discharge openings 512 may be formed in approximately the same size as the second air discharge openings 63.

[0041] The following describes the operation of the puller 1 when the Fig. 1, the peeling device 1 peels the protective element 91 from the wafer 90 and discards the protective element 91.

[0042] First, the ground wafer 90, as in Fig. 1, mounted on a non-illustrated transfer table of the peeling device 1 such that the other, ground surface 903 is directed upwards. The holding unit moving mechanism 12 moves the holding unit 2 in the Y-axis direction and positions the holding unit 2 above the wafer 90 so that the center of the holding surface 213 of the holding pad 21, as shown in Fig. 2, substantially coincides with the center of the other surface 903 of the wafer 90. Further, the holding unit vertical movement mechanism 13 lowers the holding unit 2 and brings the holding surface 213 into contact with the other surface 903 of the wafer 90. The holding surface 213, to which a suction force is applied, holds the other surface 903 of the wafer 90 under suction, with the protective member 91 facing downward.

[0043] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 2, the holding unit moving mechanism 12 moves the holding unit 2, which holds the wafer 90 under suction, in the Y-axis direction until the holding unit 2 is positioned above the rotating roller 18. Further, the holding unit 2 is lowered, and the side surface of the rotating roller 18 is brought into contact with the vicinity of a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the plate 93 of the protective member 91 on the +Y direction side. Furthermore, the moving unit 42 moves the gripping unit 40 in a -Y direction, and the gripping clamp 402 grips the protruding portion 930.

[0044] For example, after the gripping clamp 402 grips the protruding portion 930, the protruding portion 930 is, as shown in Fig. 2, is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the +X direction side. The protective member 91 is thus pulled by the gripping clamp 402 in a -Z direction, while the resin layer 92 of the protective member 91 is slightly bent to conform to the side surface of the rotating roller 18 in a state where the rotating roller 18 supports the lower surface of the protective member 91. A part of the protective member 91 is then peeled off from one surface 900 of the wafer 90. That is, the protective member 91 is, as shown in Fig. 3, is bent substantially at a right angle while it rests against the rotating roller 18.

[0045] Next, the Fig. 1, the peeling unit 4 moves the gripping unit 40 and the holding unit 2 relative to each other, so that the gripping unit 40 and the holding unit 2 are guided past each other in the Y-axis direction. The peeling unit 4 thus peels the protective element 91 from the wafer 90 in a direction from the edge to the center of the wafer 90. That is, the moving unit 42 moves the gripping unit 40, as shown in Fig. 3, in the -Y direction, and the holding unit moving mechanism 12 (see Fig. 1) moves the holding unit 2 in a +Y direction. Further, the rotating roller 18 rotates around the axis in the X-axis direction, and the resin layer 92 of the protective member 91 is slightly bent to fit the side surface of the rotating roller 18. Thus, while maintaining a state in which sudden inhibition of resin folding is maintained, the protective member 91 is peeled off the wafer 90 in a direction from the peripheral edge of the wafer 90 on the +Y direction side to the -Y direction side. Incidentally, in a state in which either the holding unit 2 or the gripping unit 40 is stopped, the other unit moving in the Y-axis direction can peel the protective member 91 off the wafer 90.Alternatively, for example, the gripping unit 40 may be further moved downward without being moved in the Y-axis direction, and the protective member 91 may be peeled off from the wafer 90 in a state in which the protective member 91 is bent at a right angle.

[0046] When the gripping unit 40 is moved on the -Y direction side near the peripheral edge of the wafer 90, the gripping unit 40 is, as shown in Fig. 4, is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the +X direction side, and the resin layer 92 of the protective member 91 is thus oriented downward. Further, when the peeling unit 4 moves the gripping unit 40 and the holding unit 2 relative to each other in the Y-axis direction, the protective member 91 is rotated as shown in Fig. 5, is completely removed from the wafer 90. Subsequently, the protective element 91 gripped by the gripping unit 40 hangs downward from the gripping unit 40.

[0047] If the protective element 91, as described above and in Fig. 6A, is completely peeled off from the wafer 90, the gripping unit 40, which grips the protruding portion 930, is moved by the moving unit 42 (see Fig. 1) is positioned near the inclined drop unit 50, and the sheet material 93 of the protective member 91 is made to abut against the inclined surfaces of the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 of the inclined drop unit 50. Thus, the protective member 91 is inclined along the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 with respect to the Z-axis direction.

[0048] The gripping of the protruding portion 930 by the gripping unit 40 is released in a state where the protecting member 91 is placed along the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 of the inclined dropping unit 50. The protecting member 91 falls obliquely downward along the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 due to the self-weight of the protecting member 91 (oblique falling). At a position on the distal end side of the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 and above the opening 700 of the waste container 7, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 are arranged to oppose each other in the X-axis direction.Thus, the moving direction of the protective member 91 including the sheet material 93 in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 is gradually converted from an oblique downward direction to a horizontal direction (-Y direction) due to the momentum at the time of obliquely downward falling.

[0049] Moreover, when the protective member 91 falls obliquely downward in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, a central part of the protective member 91 sinks in the X-axis direction along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, which are inclined at a predetermined angle, due to the dead weight of the protective member 91, and the protective member 91 is thus bent into a U-shape, that is, in a protruding shape toward the waste container 7, as viewed from the front side in the Y direction.

[0050] In the present embodiment, for example, air is discharged from the first air discharge ports 512 of the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air discharge ports 524 of the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52. Consequently, friction acting between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91 and friction acting between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91 are reduced by the air flowing between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91 and between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91. Therefore, the protective member 91 can be easily bent into a protruding shape toward the waste container 7.

[0051] In the present embodiment, for example, air is discharged from the second air discharge ports 63 of the pipe 61 and the second air discharge ports 63 of the pipe 62, which are arranged in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B. The air thus flows upward along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52. Consequently, the friction acting between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91 and the friction acting between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91 are reduced by the air flowing between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91 and between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91. Therefore, the protective member 91 can be more easily bent into a protruding shape toward the waste container 7.In addition, the air flowing upward along the upper surface 511 and the upper surface 523 blows an outer peripheral part of the protective member 91 upward, thus further promoting the bending of the protective member 91 into a protruding shape toward the waste container 7.

[0052] Incidentally, air can be discharged from the second air discharge ports 63 of the pipe 61 and the pipe 62, while air is discharged from the first air discharge ports 512 of the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air discharge ports 524 of the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52.

[0053] As in Fig. 6A and Fig. As illustrated in Fig. 6B, the protective member 91, which is integrally attached to the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, falls while the center of the protective member 91 in the X-axis direction is bent into a protruding shape toward the opening 700 of the waste container 7. Then, the protective member 91 passes through the gap 57 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52, that is, through the opening 700 of the waste container 7, between the pipe 61 connected to the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the pipe 62 connected to the lower side of the second inclined plate 52.Then, as the protective member 91 falls into the waste container 7, the protective member 91 gradually returns from the bent shape in which the center of the protective member 91 in the X-axis direction has a protruding shape to an original horizontal shape, that is, a horizontal orientation parallel to a flat surface of the waste container 7, due to the elasticity. As a result, a plurality of protective members 91 can be stacked in the horizontal orientation within the waste container 7.

[0054] In the peeling device 1 for peeling the sheet-like protective member 91 formed on one surface 900 of the wafer 90 from the wafer 90 and disposing of the protective member 91 by stacking the protective member 91 in the waste container 7 having the opening 700 in an upper surface of the waste container 7, the disposal unit 5 that disposes of the protective member 91 by stacking the protective member 91 in the waste container 7 as described above includes the inclined dropping unit 50 that drops the protective member 91 gripped by the gripping unit 40 obliquely downward toward the opening 700 of the waste container 7, and the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 that are arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the protective member 91 when the obliquely downward above the opening 700 falling protective element 91 is viewed from above.The gap 57 through which the protective element 91 can pass is formed between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52. The first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 are inclined such that the distance between the upper side of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper side of the second inclined plate 52 is greater than the distance between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52.Thus, even if the force required to bend the protective member 91 may change due to a change in the hardness of the protective member 91 or a change in the thickness of the protective member 91, the protective member 91 is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container 7 in contact with the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, since the protective member 91 hanging obliquely downward enters a space between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52. Further, a bent part can be formed by the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52.

[0055] According to a position where the protective member 91 falls obliquely downward, it can be expanded. That is, compared with the conventional puller in which only two pipes on the waste container form the protective member 91 into a protruding shape toward the opening of the waste container, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 can assist the protective member 91 in forming a protruding shape toward the opening 700 of the waste container 7 from a state where the protective member 91 is located at a position higher than the opening 700. Then, the protective member 91 passes through the opening 700 of the waste container 7 in a protruding shape, assumes a horizontal orientation within the waste container 7 due to the inherent elasticity of the protective member 91 as it continues to fall, and is then stacked within the waste container 7.By correctly stacking the protective elements 91 in the waste container 7, it is thus possible to dispose of a sufficient number of protective elements 91.

[0056] It should be noted that the peeling device according to the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment, and the shape and the like of each embodiment of the peeling device 1 arranged in the accompanying drawings are also not limited thereto and can be appropriately changed within a range in which the effects of the present invention can be exerted.

[0057] For example, the protective element 91 can be dropped more easily along the guide rail 501 and the guide rail 502 by Fig. 1, Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the pair of guide rail 501 and guide rail 502 of the inclined discharge unit 50 has discharge holes formed therein for discharging air.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, the diameter size of the first air ejection holes 512 of the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air ejection holes 524 of the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, or the diameter size of the second air ejection holes 63 of the pipe 61 and the pipe 62 may be increased with increasing distance from the inclined discharge unit 50. In this way, the air is gradually increased with increasing distance from the inclined discharge unit 50, decelerating the protective member 91, thus preventing the protective member 91 from exceeding the waste container 7.

[0059] For example, a distance between a lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and a lower end of the second inclined plate 52 may be set to be smaller on the -Y direction side farther from the inclined discharge unit 50 than the distance on the +Y direction side closer to the inclined discharge unit 50. In particular, as shown in Fig. 7B illustrates, the pipe 61 to which the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 is connected and the pipe 62 to which the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is connected are arranged so that a distance D5 therebetween on a distal end side (-Y direction side farther from the inclined launching unit 50) is smaller than a distance D4 therebetween on a rear end side (+Y direction side closer to the inclined launching unit 50).

[0060] As in Fig. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the gripping unit 40 that grips the protective member 91 releases the gripping of the protruding portion 930 in a state where the protective member 91 stands along the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 of the sloping unit 50. The protective member 91 then falls obliquely downward along the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 due to the self-weight of the protective member 91 (oblique dropping). Two inclined plates, that is, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, facing each other in the X-axis direction are arranged on the distal end side of the pair of guide rails 501 and 502.Thus, the moving direction of the protective member 91 including the sheet material 93 in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 is gradually converted from an oblique downward direction to a horizontal direction due to the momentum at the time of oblique downward falling.

[0061] In addition, when the protective member 91 falls obliquely downward in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, a central part of the protective member 91 descends in the X-axis direction along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, which are inclined at a predetermined angle, due to the self-weight of the protective member 91, and the protective member 91 is thus bent toward the waste container 7 into a protruding shape. Furthermore, the friction of the protective member 91 against the upper surface 511 and the upper surface 523 can be reduced by air discharged from the first air discharge ports 512 of the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air discharge ports 524 of the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52.In addition, the friction of the protective member 91 on the upper surface 511 and the upper surface 523 can be reduced by air discharged from the second air discharge ports 63 of each of the air discharge ports shown in FIG. Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B illustrated tubes 61 and 62.

[0062] Since the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower end of the second inclined plate 52 is smaller on the side far from the inclined discharge unit 50 than on the side near the inclined discharge unit 50, the smaller distance between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 reduces the speed of the protective member 91 in the moving direction (-Y direction) in a horizontal plane, thus preventing the protective member 91 from passing over the waste container 7. Furthermore, the protective member 91 may be bent into a protruding shape and fall into the waste container 7.

[0063] Since the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower end of the second inclined plate 52 is smaller on the side farther from the inclined dropping unit 50 than on the side closer to the inclined dropping unit 50, when the protective member 91 is dropped while being bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container 7, the rear side (+Y direction side) of the protective member 91 in the moving direction thereof, viewed from the upper side, first sinks below the opening 700 between the pipe 61 and the pipe 62, and then the front side (-Y direction side) of the protective member 91 between the two pipes, that is, the pipe 61 and the pipe 62, sinks below the opening 700. Then, the protective member 91 falls inside the waste container 7 while gradually returning to the original horizontal shape due to elasticity inside the waste container 7.In this way, several protective elements 91 can be stacked in a horizontal orientation within the waste container 7.

[0064] The guide rail pair 501 and the guide rail 502 can be separated from each other by the same distance as the Fig. 6B or the distance D1 shown in Fig. 7B illustrates the distance D4. Furthermore, instead of the pair of guide rails, the protective element 91 can be guided into a position above the waste container 7 by an inclined plate.

Claims

[1] A peeling device (1) which peels off a sheet-like protective element (91) formed on a surface (900) of a wafer (90) from a wafer (90), and which disposes of the protective element (91) by stacking the protective element in a waste container having an opening in an upper surface of the waste container (7), the peeling device (1) comprising: a holding unit (2) configured to hold another surface (903) of the wafer (90) on a holding surface (213) under suction; a peeling unit (4) configured to peel the protective element (91) formed on the wafer (90) held by the holding unit (2) from the wafer; and a disposal unit (5) which is arranged to dispose of the protective element (91) by stacking the protective element in the waste container (7), wherein the peeling unit (4) comprises: a gripping unit (40) configured to grip a peripheral edge of the protective element (91), and a movement unit (42) which is configured to move the gripping unit (40) and the holding unit (2) relative to each other, so that the gripping unit (40) and the holding unit (2) are guided past each other parallel to the holding surface (213) and in a direction from a circumference to a center of the wafer (90), wherein the disposal unit (5) comprises: an inclined discharge unit (50) which is arranged to allow the protective element (91) gripped by the gripping unit (40) to fall obliquely downwards towards the opening (700) of the waste container (7), and a first inclined plate (51) and a second inclined plate (52) arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the protective element (91) when the protective element (91) falling obliquely downwards over the opening (700) is viewed from above, wherein the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52) are arranged such that a gap (57) through which the protective element (91) can pass is formed between a lower side of the first inclined plate (51) and a lower side of the second inclined plate (52), and the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52) are inclined such that a distance between an upper side (511) of the first inclined plate (51) and an upper side (523) of the second inclined plate (52) is greater than a distance between the lower side of the first inclined plate (51) and the lower side of the second inclined plate (52), and the protective member (91) is bent in a protruding shape toward the waste container (7) when it falls obliquely downwards and enters the gap (57) between the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52), and the protective member (91) is stacked within the waste container (7) in a horizontal orientation after it has passed through the opening (700) of the waste container (7) and further fallen. [2] The peeling device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52) each have a first air ejection opening (512, 524) configured to eject air, the first air ejection opening (512, 524) being formed in the upper surface (511, 523) of the first inclined plate (51) and the second inclined plate (52), respectively. [3] Pulling device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the disposal unit (5) further includes two pipes (61, 62) which are individually arranged on a lower end side of the first inclined plate (51) and a lower end side of the second inclined plate (52) and each having a second air discharge opening (63) which is arranged to discharge air, and the air discharged from the second air discharge opening (63) creates an air flow moving from bottom to top on an upper surface (511) of the first inclined plate (51) and an upper surface (523) of the second inclined plate (52). [4] The pulling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the disposal unit (5) is configured such that a distance between a lower end of the first inclined plate (51) and a lower end of the second inclined plate (52) on a side remote from the inclined discharge unit (50) is smaller than the distance on a side near the inclined discharge unit (50).

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