Sheet pasting apparatus and sheet pasting method

Abstract

To provide a sheet pasting apparatus and a sheet pasting method, capable of pasting an adhesive sheet at an accurate position with respect to an adherend.SOLUTION: A sheet pasting apparatus EA includes: sheet holding means 10 holding an adhesive sheet AS by an elastically deformable sheet holding member 12 whose central part is a reference position; holding force application means 20 applying, to the sheet holding member 12, a holding force to hold the adhesive sheet AS; and pressing means 30 deforming the sheet holding member 12 so that the central part forms a convex shape closest to an adherend WK, and pressing the adhesive sheet held by the sheet holding member 12 to the adherend to paste the adhesive sheet. The sheet holding member 12 includes a central holding region 12B including the central part, and an outside holding region 12C located outside the central holding region 12B. The holding force application means 20 applies a holding force so that a holding force applied to the central holding region 12B is greater than a holding force applied to the outside holding region 12C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet sticking device and a sheet sticking method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a sheet application device that deforms an elastically deformable sheet holding member and presses an adhesive sheet held by the sheet holding member against an adherend to apply the sheet to the adherend (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-183169 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the sheet application device 1 described in Patent Document 1, when the holding member 21 (sheet holding member) is deformed, the adhesive sheet AS (adhesive sheet) is dragged by the displacement of the sheet holding member area which has a strong holding force for holding the adhesive sheet AS (adhesive sheet), and the adhesive sheet is displaced from its reference position on the sheet holding member, which may make it impossible to apply the adhesive sheet to the wafer WF (adherend) in an accurate position.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet application device and a sheet application method that are capable of applying an adhesive sheet to an adherend in an accurate position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the configurations set forth in the claims. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a holding force is imparted to a sheet holding member, the central portion of which is set as a reference position, such that the holding force imparted to the central holding area is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding areas. Therefore, even if the sheet holding member is deformed, the portion of the adhesive sheet held by the central holding area does not shift from the reference position, and the adhesive sheet can be attached in an accurate position relative to the adherend. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are explanatory views of a sheet sticking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal, the X-axis and Y-axis are axes within a specified plane, and the Z-axis is an axis orthogonal to the specified plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the view from the front direction of Fig. 1(A) parallel to the Y-axis is used as a reference, and when indicating directions, "up" is the direction of the Z-axis arrow, "down" is the opposite direction, "left" is the direction of the X-axis arrow, "right" is the opposite direction, "front" is the direction toward the front of Fig. 1(A) parallel to the Y-axis, and "rear" is the opposite direction.

[0010] The sheet application apparatus EA comprises sheet holding means 10 which performs a sheet holding step of holding an adhesive sheet AS with an elastically deformable sheet holding member 12 whose central portion is set as a reference position, holding force imparting means 20 which performs a holding force imparting step of imparting a holding force to the sheet holding member 12 to hold the adhesive sheet AS, and pressing means 30 which performs a pressing step of deforming the sheet holding member 12 so that the central portion becomes convex closest to the adherend WK, and pressing the adhesive sheet AS held by the sheet holding member 12 against the adherend WK to apply it, and is located near adherend support means 40 which performs an adherend support step of supporting the adherend WK, and depressurization means 50 which performs a depressurization step of adhering the adhesive sheet AS to the adherend WK under reduced pressure.

[0011] The sheet holding means 10 includes an upper case 11 that is box-shaped and has an open bottom, and a sheet holding member 12 that is supported by the upper case 11 and has a bottom surface that serves as a holding surface 12A. The sheet holding member 12 has a central holding area 12B including a central portion, and an outer holding area 12C located outside the central holding area 12B. The sheet holding member 12 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and its outer periphery is supported by the upper case 11 to form a first sealed space SP1 (see FIG. 1(B)) together with the upper case 11. In this embodiment, the outer holding area 12C is formed by a first outer holding area 12D and a second outer holding area 12E as a plurality of holding areas.

[0012] The holding force imparting means 20 is configured to impart a holding force to the central holding region 12B such that the holding force imparted to the central holding region 12B is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding region 12C. In this embodiment, the holding force imparting means 20 imparts a holding force to the multiple holding regions 12D, 12E in the outer holding region 12C such that the holding force is greater in the region closer to the central holding region 12B. That is, the holding force imparting means 20 includes an electrostatic chuck 21 that imparts a holding force to the central holding region 12B of the sheet holding member 12, an electrostatic chuck 22 that imparts a holding force to the first outer holding region 12D of the sheet holding member 12, and an electrostatic chuck 23 that imparts a holding force to the second outer holding region 12E of the sheet holding member 12, and the electrostatic chucks 21 to 23 are configured to be capable of imparting a holding force to the sheet holding member 12 independently of each other. The electrostatic chucks 21 to 23 are provided in the corresponding regions 12B, 12D, and 12E of the sheet holding member 12.

[0013] The pressing means 30 includes a first pressure control means 31 such as a pressure increasing / decreasing pump, a vacuum ejector, a turbine, or the like, capable of increasing or decreasing the pressure in the first sealed space SP1 via a pipe 32. The first pressure control means 31 is capable of controlling the pressure in the first sealed space SP1 to a predetermined pressure based on the detection result of a first pressure detection means (not shown) such as a pressure sensor or a load cell.

[0014] The adherend support means 40 includes a support table 41 that supports the adherend WK on a support surface 41A.

[0015] The pressure reduction means 50 includes a linear motor 51 as a driving device that supports the upper case 11 with an output shaft 51A, a lower case 52 that is box-shaped with an open top and can form a second sealed space SP2 together with the upper case 11 to contain the support table 41, and a second pressure control means 53 such as a pressurizing / depressurizing pump, vacuum ejector, turbine, or the like that can increase or decrease the pressure in the second sealed space SP2 via piping 54. The second pressure control means 53 is capable of controlling the pressure in the second sealed space SP2 to a predetermined pressure based on the detection result of a second pressure detection means (not shown) such as a pressure sensor or a load cell.

[0016] The operation of the sheet sticking apparatus EA will now be described. First, a user of the sheet sticking apparatus EA (hereinafter, simply referred to as "user") inputs a signal to start automatic operation via an operation means such as an operation panel or a personal computer (not shown) to the sheet sticking apparatus EA in which each member is arranged at the initial position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1(A). Next, the user or a conveying means (not shown) such as an articulated robot or a belt conveyor places the adherend WK at a predetermined position on the support surface 41A. After that, when the user or the conveying means (not shown) abuts the adhesive sheet AS against the holding surface 12A as shown in FIG. 1(A), the holding force imparting means 20 drives the electrostatic chucks 21-23 to start electrostatic holding on the holding surface 12A. At this time, the holding force imparting means 20 imparts a holding force to the sheet holding member 12 so that the holding force imparted to the central holding region 12B is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding region 12C, and so that the holding force is greater in the region closer to the central holding region 12B among the multiple holding regions 12D and 12E in the outer holding region 12C.

[0017] Next, the pressure reducing means 50 drives the linear motor 51, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 1(A), the upper case 11 is lowered to form the second sealed space SP2 with the lower case 52, and then the pressing means 30 and the pressure reducing means 50 drive the first and second pressure control means 31 and 53, and reduce the pressure of the sealed spaces SP1 and SP2 while making the first and second sealed spaces SP1 and SP2 have the same pressure based on the detection results of the first and second pressure detection means (not shown). Then, when the first sealed space SP1 and the second sealed space SP2 are reduced in pressure to a predetermined pressure, the pressing means 30 and the pressure reducing means 50 stop driving the first and second pressure control means 31 and 53, and then the pressing means 30 drives the first pressure control means 31, and the pressure of the first sealed space SP1 relative to the pressure of the second sealed space SP2 is increased, for example, until the pressure of the first sealed space SP1 becomes equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure. As a result, the sheet holding member 12 is deformed, and as shown in FIG. 1(B), the central portion is closest to the adherend WK and is convex downward, and the adhesive sheet AS is pressed from the inner portion AS1 toward the outer peripheral portion AS2 to the adherend WK to be affixed. Here, the sheet holding member 12 is given a holding force such that the holding force given to the central holding region 12B is greater than the holding force given to the outer holding region 12C, so that the adhesive sheet portion held by the central holding region 12B does not shift from the reference position. In addition, the outer holding region 12C is given a holding force such that the holding force is greater in the region closer to the central holding region 12B, so that the holding force by the outer holding region 12C becomes smaller from the first outer holding region 12D toward the second outer holding region 12E, and the adhesive sheet AS is no longer pulled, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(B) marked with AA, the adhesive sheet AS is prevented from stretching and the outer peripheral portion AS2 is prevented from shifting in position.

[0018] Next, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(B), when the entire adhesive sheet AS is attached to the adherend WK, the holding force imparting means 20 stops driving the electrostatic chucks 21-23 and releases the electrostatic holding on the holding surface 12A. After that, the decompression means 50 drives the second pressure control means 53 and increases the pressure in the second sealed space SP2 until the pressure difference with the first sealed space SP1 disappears based on the detection result of the second pressure detection means (not shown). Next, the pressing means 30 and the decompression means 50 drive the first and second pressure control means 31 and 53 and increase the pressure in the first and second sealed spaces SP1 and SP2 to atmospheric pressure while maintaining the pressure difference between the first and second sealed spaces SP1 and SP2 based on the detection result of the first and second pressure detection means (not shown). Then, when the pressure reducing means 50 drives the linear motor 51 to return the upper case 11 to its initial position, the user or a conveying means (not shown) conveys the adherend WK with the adhesive sheet AS attached to it to the next process, and the same operations as described above are repeated thereafter.

[0019] According to the above embodiment, a holding force is applied to the sheet holding member 12, whose central portion is set as the reference position, so that the holding force applied to the central holding area 12B is greater than the holding force applied to the outer holding areas 12C. Therefore, even if the sheet holding member 12 is deformed, the portion of the adhesive sheet held by the central holding area 12B does not shift from the reference position, and the adhesive sheet AS can be attached in an accurate position relative to the adherend WK.

[0020] As described above, the best configuration, method, etc. for carrying out the present invention are disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention is mainly illustrated and described with respect to a specific embodiment, but a person skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiment in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. In addition, the description of the shape, material, etc. disclosed above, which is limited, is illustratively described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention, so that the description of the names of the members from which some or all of the limitations of the shape, material, etc. are removed is included in the present invention. Furthermore, the means and steps in the present invention are not limited in any way as long as they can perform the operations, functions, or steps described for those means and steps, and are in no way limited to the components and steps of a mere embodiment shown in the above embodiment. For example, the pressing means may be anything that can deform the sheet holding member so that the central part is convex and closest to the adherend, and press the adhesive sheet held by the sheet holding member onto the adherend to attach it, and is not limited in any way as long as it is within the technical scope in light of the common general technical knowledge at the time of filing (the same applies to other means and steps).

[0021] The sheet holding means 10 may have a ring-shaped base supported by the upper case 11, and the outer periphery of the sheet holding member 12 may be supported by the upper case 11 via the base, and the shape of the sheet holding member 12 may be any shape, such as a triangle or more polygon, a circle, an ellipse, etc., the lower part of the upper case 11 does not have to be open, and the adhesive sheet AS may be held by suction and adsorption by the sheet holding member 12. The sheet holding means 10 may be composed only of the sheet holding member 12 without the upper case 11. In this case, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the sheet holding member 12 is made hollow, or the like, and the first sealed space SP1 is formed only by the sheet holding member 12.

[0022] The holding force imparting means 20 may be configured to stop imparting holding force to the outer holding area 12C of the sheet holding member 12 when the inner portion AS1 of the adhesive sheet AS held by the sheet holding member 12 is affixed to the substrate WK, or may impart the same magnitude of holding force to the central holding area 12B, the first outer holding area 12D and the second outer holding area 12E of the sheet holding member 12 until the sheet holding member 12 holding the adhesive sheet AS is deformed, or may impart the same magnitude of holding force to the first outer holding area 12D and the second outer holding area 12E of the sheet holding member 12, or the outer holding area 12C of the sheet holding member 12 does not have to be divided into multiple holding areas. When the sheet holding member 12 sucks and adsorbs the adhesive sheet AS to be held, the holding force imparting means 20 may impart a holding force such that the holding force imparted to the central holding region 12B is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding region 12C by making the amount of suction in the central holding region 12B of the sheet holding member 12 greater than the amount of suction in the outer holding region 12C, or may impart a holding force such that the holding force imparted to the first outer holding region 12D is greater than the holding force imparted to the second outer holding region 12E by making the amount of suction in the first outer holding region 12D of the sheet holding member 12 greater than the amount of suction in the second outer holding region 12E.

[0023] The pressing means 30 may lower the pressure in the second sealed space SP2 relative to the pressure in the first sealed space SP1 and press the adhesive sheet AS against the adherend WK to apply it, or may apply the adhesive sheet AS to the adherend WK in a pressurized atmosphere or in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere, or may support a support table 41 with the output shaft of a linear motor as a driving device and raise the support table 41 when applying the adhesive sheet AS to the adherend WK, or may support the sheet holding member 12 with the output shaft of a linear motor as a driving device and lower the sheet holding member 12 when applying the adhesive sheet AS to the adherend WK.

[0024] The adherend support means 40 may be provided with an adherend holding device that adsorbs and holds the adherend WK or electrostatically holds it on the support table 41, or it may be provided in the sheet application apparatus EA of the present invention, or it may not be provided; if it is not provided in the sheet application apparatus EA of the present invention, the adherend WK may be supported by another device or the adherend WK may be supported on a base.

[0025] The upper part of the lower case 52 does not have to be open, and the pressure reducing means 50 may or may not be provided in the sheet application apparatus EA of the present invention. If the pressure reducing means 50 is not provided in the sheet application apparatus EA of the present invention, the adhesive sheet AS and the adherend WK may be bonded under atmospheric pressure, or another device may be used to create a reduced pressure or pressurized state, and the adhesive sheet AS and the adherend WK may be bonded under the reduced pressure or pressurized state.

[0026] The material, type, shape, etc. of the adhesive sheet AS and the adherend WK in the present invention are not particularly limited. For example, the adhesive sheet AS and the adherend WK may be circular, elliptical, polygonal such as a triangle or a rectangle, or other shapes, and the adhesive sheet AS may be pressure-sensitive, heat-sensitive, or other adhesive forms. When a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet AS is used, the adhesive sheet AS may be adhered by an appropriate method such as providing a heating means such as a suitable coil heater or the heating side of a heat pipe for heating the adhesive sheet AS. In addition, such an adhesive sheet AS may be, for example, a single layer of only an adhesive layer, a two-layered one in which a substrate and an adhesive layer are laminated, a three-layered one or more layers in which one or more intermediate layers are laminated between the substrate and the adhesive layer, a three-layered one or more layers in which one or more cover layers are laminated on the upper surface of the substrate, a substrate, an intermediate layer, or a cover layer is provided in a peelable manner, a double-sided adhesive sheet of a single layer consisting of only an adhesive layer, a double-sided adhesive sheet in which an adhesive layer is laminated on both outermost surfaces of one or more intermediate layers, etc. Furthermore, the adherend WK may be, for example, a single object such as food, a resin container, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon semiconductor wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer, a circuit board, an information recording substrate such as an optical disk, a glass plate, a steel plate, a ceramic plate, a wooden board, or a resin, or may be a composite formed of two or more of these, and may be any type of member or article, etc. The adhesive sheet AS may be, for example, any sheet, film, tape, etc., such as an information label, a decorative label, a protective sheet, a dicing tape, a die attach film, a die bonding tape, a recording layer-forming resin sheet, etc.

[0027] The driving equipment in the above-described embodiments may be electric equipment such as rotary motors, linear motors, single-axis robots, so-called multi-joint robots having joints on two or three or more axes, actuators such as air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, rodless cylinders, and rotary cylinders, which may be used alone, or a direct or indirect combination of such electric equipment and actuators may be used, and electric equipment, actuators, etc. may or may not be capable of torque control or speed control for the output parts of such electric equipment, actuators, etc. may be used.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, there is a certain object (hereinafter referred to as "object A") and an object (hereinafter referred to as "object B") that moves relative to object A. In other words, object A and object B that move relatively may be such that object B moves relative to object A, which does not move, or object A may move relative to object B, which does not move, or both objects A and B may move. As long as the result achieved by the movement is the same, either object A or object B may move. When a supporting (holding) means or a supporting (holding) member that supports (holds) a supported member (held member) is used, a configuration in which the supported member is supported (held) may be used as a gripping means such as a mechanical chuck or a chuck cylinder, Coulomb force, adhesive (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), pressure sensitive agent (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), magnetic force, Bernoulli adsorption, suction adsorption, a driving device, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] EA…Sheet attachment device 10...Sheet holding means 12...Sheet holding member 12B…Central holding area 12C…Outer holding area 20... Holding force imparting means 30...Pressing means AS…adhesive sheet WK...Adherent

Claims

1. a sheet holding means for holding an adhesive sheet by an elastically deformable sheet holding member having a central portion set as a reference position; a holding force imparting means for imparting a holding force for holding the adhesive sheet to the sheet holding member; a pressing means for deforming the sheet holding member so that the central portion assumes a convex shape closest to the adherend, and pressing the adhesive sheet held by the sheet holding member against the adherend to affix the sheet to the adherend, the sheet holding member includes a central holding area including the central portion and an outer holding area located outside the central holding area, The sheet sticking device, wherein the holding force imparting means imparts a holding force such that the holding force imparted to the central holding area is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding areas.

2. The outer retaining area is formed by a plurality of retaining areas, 2. The sheet sticking device according to claim 1, wherein the holding force applying means applies the holding force to the plurality of holding regions in the outer holding region such that the holding force is greater in the region closer to the central holding region.

3. a sheet holding step of holding an adhesive sheet with an elastically deformable sheet holding member having a central portion set as a reference position; a holding force imparting step of imparting a holding force for holding the adhesive sheet to the sheet holding member; a pressing step of deforming the sheet holding member so that the central portion assumes a convex shape closest to the adherend, and pressing the adhesive sheet held by the sheet holding member against the adherend to attach it thereto; the sheet holding member includes a central holding area including the central portion and an outer holding area located outside the central holding area, A sheet sticking method, characterized in that in the holding force imparting step, a holding force is imparted to the central holding area so that the holding force is greater than the holding force imparted to the outer holding areas.

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