Processing method and processing device

Abstract

To enable a suppression of deterioration of a detection accuracy of a processing failure.SOLUTION: A processing method is a method for processing a processed material in which a lamination material is formed onto a processing schedule line, containing: a diagnosis region setting step 1003 of setting a diagnosis region in order to perform diagnosis of a state of a cutting groove to be formed in the processed material onto a processing schedule line; a lamination material detection step 1005 of detecting a region of the lamination material contained in the diagnosis region by imaging the diagnosis region; a processing step of forming the cutting groove onto the processing schedule line after the lamination material detection step 1005; a diagnosis image formation step of forming the diagnosis image for performing the diagnosis of the state of the cutting groove by imaging the diagnosis region after the processing step; and a diagnosis step of performing the diagnosis of the state of the cutting groove in a region other than the region of the lamination material to be detected in the lamination material detection step from the diagnosis image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing a workpiece having a laminate formed on a planned processing line.

Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor wafers, package substrates, etc. are divided into a plurality of device chips by cutting using a cutting blade or laser processing by irradiating a laser beam.

[0003] In these processing apparatuses, in order to detect processing defects, the processing defects are detected by analyzing an image obtained by imaging a processing mark formed on a substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Depending on the type of device chip, a laminate such as a TEG (Test Element Group) for inspection may be formed on the planned processing line where processing marks are formed.

[0006] In such a device chip, due to the optical characteristics of the TEG, the detection accuracy of processing defects may decrease.

[0007] Also, even when the TEG is peeled off by processing, there is a risk of misidentifying the area where the TEG is peeled off as a processing defect area.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and an apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in the detection accuracy of processing defects.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a processing method of the present invention is a processing method for processing a workpiece having a laminate formed on a processing planned line, including: a diagnostic region setting step of setting, on the processing planned line, a diagnostic region for diagnosing a state of a processing mark formed on the workpiece; a laminate detection step of imaging the diagnostic region and detecting a region of the laminate included in the diagnostic region; a processing step of forming the processing mark on the processing planned line after the laminate detection step; a diagnostic image forming step of imaging the diagnostic region after the processing step and forming a diagnostic image for diagnosing the state of the processing mark; and a diagnostic step of diagnosing the state of the processing mark in a region other than the region of the laminate detected in the laminate detection step in the diagnostic image. The processing method is characterized by comprising the above steps.

[0010] In the above processing method, the laminate may be a TEG.

[0011] In the above processing method, in the processing step, a cutting groove may be formed on the processing planned line with a cutting blade while supplying cutting water, and in the laminate detection step, the diagnostic region may be imaged a plurality of times with a time difference, and the region of the laminate may be detected based on a plurality of captured images.

[0012] The processing apparatus of the present invention includes a holding unit that holds a workpiece, a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the holding unit, an imaging unit that images the workpiece held by the holding unit, and a controller. The controller includes a diagnosis area setting unit that sets a diagnosis area for diagnosing the state of a processing mark formed on the workpiece on a planned processing line, a laminate detection unit that images the diagnosis area and detects an area of a laminate included in the diagnosis area, a processing control unit that forms the processing mark on the planned processing line after detecting the area of the laminate, a diagnosis image forming unit that images the diagnosis area after forming the processing mark and forms a diagnosis image for diagnosing the state of the processing mark, and a diagnosis unit that diagnoses the state of the processing mark in an area other than the area of the laminate detected by the laminate detection unit in the diagnosis image.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] The present invention has an effect that it can suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of processing defects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the content described in the following embodiments. Also, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0016] 〔Embodiment 1〕 The processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a workpiece to be processed by the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of a portion III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 2.

[0017] (Workpiece) The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a cutting apparatus that cuts (corresponding to processing) the workpiece 200 shown in FIG. 2 and the like. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 to be processed by the processing apparatus 1 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer having a substrate such as silicon, sapphire, gallium arsenide, or SiC (silicon carbide).

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, devices 203 are formed in each region of the workpiece 200 partitioned by a plurality of division planned lines 202 formed in a lattice pattern on the surface 201.

[0019] The devices 203 are, for example, integrated circuits such as IC (Integrated Circuit) or LSI (Large Scale Integration), image sensors such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), various memories (semiconductor storage devices) such as MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), LEDs (light emitting elements: Light Emitting Diode), or power devices.

[0020] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, a laminate 204 is formed on the planned division line 202 of the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 has a TEG (Test Element Group) formed of a conductive metal as the laminate 204. The TEG is an evaluation element for detecting design and manufacturing problems occurring in the device 203. For each type of workpiece 200, the location where the laminate 204 is installed among the plurality of planned division lines 202 is determined, and for the same type of workpiece 200, it is formed at the same position.

[0021] A disk-shaped adhesive tape having a diameter larger than that of the workpiece 200 is attached to the back surface 210 on the back side of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200, and an annular frame is attached to the outer edge of the adhesive tape and supported within the opening of the annular frame. The workpiece 200 is supported within the opening of the annular frame and divided into individual devices 203 along the planned division line 202. Note that a planned processing line 205 (shown in FIG. 4) for performing cutting or the like is set at an arbitrary position in the width direction of each planned division line 202. In Embodiment 1, the planned processing line 205 is set at the center in the width direction of the planned division line 202. For this reason, the laminate 204 is formed on the planned processing line 205 of the workpiece 200.

[0022] (Processing apparatus) The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cutting apparatus for processing the workpiece 200 on which the laminate 204 is formed on the planned processing line 205. The processing apparatus 1 holds the workpiece 200 with the holding unit 10 and cuts it with the cutting blade 21 along the planned division line 202 (corresponding to processing) to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices 203. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a holding unit 10 that sucks and holds the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that is a processing unit for cutting the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 with the cutting blade 21, an imaging unit 30 that images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10, and a controller 100.

[0023] Further, the processing device 1 includes a moving unit (not shown) that relatively moves the holding unit 10 and the cutting unit 20. The moving unit includes an X-axis moving unit, which is a machining feed unit that feeds the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction; a Y-axis moving unit, which is an indexing feed unit that indexes and feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the X-axis direction; a Z-axis moving unit, which is a cutting feed unit that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction orthogonal to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction; and at least a rotational moving unit that rotates the holding unit 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 is a so-called facing dual-type cutting device with two cutting units 20, i.e., a two-spindle dicing saw. The moving unit of the processing device 1 includes two Y-axis moving units and two Z-axis moving units, respectively, and these two Y-axis moving units and Z-axis moving units correspond to the cutting units 20 respectively.

[0025] The X-axis moving unit is installed on the device main body 2 and relatively feeds the holding unit 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the X-axis direction by moving the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction, which is the machining feed direction, together with the rotational moving unit. The Y-axis moving unit is installed on a gantry-shaped support frame (not shown) erected from the device main body 2 and relatively indexes and feeds the holding unit 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Y-axis direction by moving the corresponding cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction. The Z-axis moving unit is installed on a moving frame (not shown) that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving unit and relatively feeds the holding unit 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Z-axis direction by moving the corresponding cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the cutting feed direction.

[0026] The X-axis moving unit, Y-axis moving unit, and Z-axis moving unit include a well-known ball screw rotatably provided around an axis, a well-known motor for rotating the ball screw around the axis, and a well-known guide rail for movably supporting the holding unit 10 or the cutting unit 20 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, or Z-axis direction. The rotational moving unit includes a well-known motor or the like for rotating the holding unit 10 around an axis.

[0027] The holding unit 10 has a disk shape, and a holding surface 11 for holding the workpiece 200 is formed of porous ceramic or the like. Further, the holding unit 10 is movably provided in the X-axis direction across a processing area below the cutting unit 20 and a loading / unloading area where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded while being separated from below the cutting unit 20 by the X-axis moving unit, and is rotatably provided around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by the rotational moving unit.

[0028] The holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown), and by being sucked by the vacuum suction source, the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11 is sucked and held. In Embodiment 1, the holding unit 10 sucks and holds the back surface 210 side of the workpiece 200 via an adhesive tape. Further, a plurality of clamping portions 12 for clamping an annular frame are provided around the holding unit 10.

[0029] The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit to which a cutting blade 21 for cutting the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 is detachably attached. The cutting unit 20 is attached to a second moving frame (not shown) that is movable in the Z-axis direction by a corresponding Z-axis moving unit, and is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving unit and movable in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis moving unit with respect to the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10. The cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at an arbitrary position on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 by the Y-axis moving unit and the Z-axis moving unit.

[0030] The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 attached to the lower end of the second moving frame and movably provided in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit and a Z-axis moving unit, a spindle (not shown) that is rotatably provided around the axis in the spindle housing 22, a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle around the axis, and a supply nozzle (not shown) that supplies cutting water to the cutting blade 21 during cutting.

[0031] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting grindstone having a substantially ring shape for cutting the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 includes an annular cutting edge for cutting the workpiece 200 and an annular base supported at the outer edge of the cutting edge and detachably attached to the spindle. The cutting edge is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin, and is formed to have a predetermined thickness. In the present invention, the cutting blade 21 may be a so-called washer blade composed only of the cutting edge.

[0032] The spindle housing 22 is attached to the lower end of the second moving frame and is movably supported in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit, and is movably supported in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit via the Z-axis moving unit and the moving frame. The spindle housing 22 houses a portion excluding the tip of the spindle and a spindle motor (not shown) and supports the spindle so as to be rotatable around the axis.

[0033] The spindle is one to which the cutting blade 21 is detachably fixed at the tip. The spindle is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown), and the tip portion thereof protrudes from the front end surface of the spindle housing 22. The tip portion of the spindle is gradually tapered toward the tip, and the cutting blade 21 is attached thereto. The axes of the spindle of the cutting unit 20 and the cutting blade 21 are parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0034] The cutting unit 20 rotates the cutting blade 21 around its axis by a spindle while supplying cutting water from a supply nozzle to the cutting blade 21. The cutting unit 20 causes the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 rotating around its axis to cut into the processing planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 until it reaches the adhesive tape, and cuts the processing planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 with the cutting blade 21 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices 203.

[0035] The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 and acquires an imaging image. The imaging unit 30 includes an imaging element that images the area of the workpiece 200 to be cut before cutting, which is held by the holding unit 10. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10, acquires an image for performing alignment for aligning the workpiece 200 and the cutting blade 21, etc., and outputs the acquired image to the controller 100.

[0036] In addition, in Embodiment 1, the image obtained by imaging by the imaging unit 30 defines the intensity of the light received by each pixel of the imaging element in a plurality of levels (for example, 256 levels). That is, the image acquired by imaging by the imaging unit 30 is an image in which the light intensity and darkness are shown in levels corresponding to the intensity of the light received by each pixel, that is, a grayscale image having shading.

[0037] Further, the processing apparatus 1 includes an X-axis direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction position detection unit and the Y-axis direction position detection unit can be composed of a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis direction position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction by the pulses of the motor.

[0038] The X-axis direction position detection unit, the Y-axis direction position detection unit, and the Z-axis direction position detection unit output the positions of the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction, the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction to the controller 100. The angle detection unit outputs the angle from the reference position around the axis of the holding unit 10 to the controller 100. In the first embodiment, the positions of the components of the processing apparatus 1 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown).

[0039] Further, the processing apparatus 1 includes a cassette elevator 50 for placing a cassette (not shown) containing the workpiece 200 before and after cutting and moving the cassette in the Z-axis direction, a cleaning unit (not shown) for cleaning the workpiece 200 after cutting, and a transfer unit (not shown) for transferring the workpiece 200 between the cassette, the holding unit 10, and the cleaning unit.

[0040] The controller 100 controls each component of the processing device 1 to cause the processing device 1 to perform a processing operation on the workpiece 200. The controller 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device having a memory such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the controller 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs a control signal for controlling the processing device 1 to each component of the processing device 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0041] The controller 100 is connected to a display unit 110 constituted by a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays the state of the processing operation, the captured image, etc., an input unit (not shown) used when an operator registers processing conditions, etc., and a notification unit (not shown). The input unit is constituted by at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit 110 and an external input device such as a keyboard. The notification unit emits at least one of sound and light to notify the operator. In the embodiment, the function of the notification unit is realized by a display lamp 120 that emits at least one of sound and light and a display unit 110 that displays characters or the like for notification.

[0042] Further, the controller 100 includes a diagnosis area setting unit 101, a laminate detection unit 102, a processing control unit 103, a diagnosis image formation unit 104, and a diagnosis unit 105. The diagnosis area setting unit 101 sets a diagnosis area 207 (shown in FIG. 7) for diagnosing the state of a cutting groove 206 (shown in FIG. 11), which is a processing mark formed on the workpiece 200, on the processing planned line 205, and stores the position of the diagnosis area 207. The position of the workpiece 200 is determined by the distance in a direction parallel to one of the division planned lines 202 parallel to each other from a predetermined reference position of the workpiece 200 and the distance in a direction parallel to the other division planned line 202 parallel to each other.

[0043] The laminate detection unit 102 images the diagnostic region 207 with the imaging unit 30 and detects the region 208 of the laminate 204 (shown in FIG. 8 etc.) included in the diagnostic region 207. The machining control unit 103 controls each component of the machining apparatus 1 to cause the machining apparatus 1 to perform a machining operation on the workpiece 200, and after the laminate detection unit 102 detects the region 208 of the laminate 204 included in the diagnostic region 207, forms a cutting groove 206 on the machining planned line 205.

[0044] After the machining control unit 103 forms the cutting groove 206, the diagnostic image forming unit 104 images the diagnostic region 207 with the imaging unit 30 and forms a diagnostic image 303 (shown in FIG. 12) for diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206. The diagnostic unit 105 diagnoses the state of the cutting groove 206 in a region other than the region 208 of the laminate 204 detected by the laminate detection unit 102 in the diagnostic image 303 formed by the diagnostic image forming unit 104.

[0045] Note that the function of the diagnostic region setting unit 101 is realized by a storage device. Further, the functions of the laminate detection unit 102, the machining control unit 103, the diagnostic image forming unit 104, and the diagnostic unit 105 are realized by an arithmetic processing device performing arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device.

[0046] (Machining method) Next, the machining method according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the machining method according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the remainder of the machining method according to Embodiment 1. The machining method according to Embodiment 1 is a method of cutting a workpiece 200 on which a laminate 204 is formed on a machining planned line 205, and is also a machining operation of the machining apparatus 1.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the processing method according to Embodiment 1 includes a diagnostic region setting step 1003, a laminate detection step 1005, processing steps 1006-1 and 1006-2, a diagnostic image formation step 1007, and a diagnostic step 1008.

[0048] In the processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, a cassette containing a plurality of workpieces 200 is placed on the cassette elevator 50, and the controller 100 receives and registers the processing conditions input by the operator from the input unit or the like. The processing conditions include the type of the workpiece 200 to be machined and the order of the planned division lines 202 for machining the workpiece 200. When the controller 100 of the processing apparatus 1 receives a processing start instruction input by the operator from the input unit or the like, the processing operation is started.

[0049] When the processing operation is started, in the processing apparatus 1, the spindle of the cutting unit 20, that is, the rotation of the cutting blade 21, is started by the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100, and the supply of cutting water to the cutting blade 21 is started. In the processing operation, the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 controls the cassette elevator 50 and the transfer unit or the like in the processing apparatus 1 to take out one workpiece 200 before cutting from the cassette and place it on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area.

[0050] In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 in the processing apparatus 1 sucks and holds the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area via an adhesive tape, and clamps the annular frame with the clamp unit 12 (step 1001). In Embodiment 1, in the processing operation, the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 in the processing apparatus 1 controls the moving unit to position the holding unit 10 holding the workpiece 200 in the processing area, and causes the imaging unit 30 to image the workpiece 200 to perform alignment (step 1002), and then proceeds to the diagnostic region setting step 1003.

[0051] In Embodiment 1, in alignment, the processing apparatus 1 positions one of the division planned lines 202 parallel to the X-axis direction based on the image captured by the imaging unit 30 by the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100. Further, in Embodiment 1, in alignment, the processing apparatus 1 has the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 image the outer edge of the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 by the imaging unit 30, detect three points on the outer edge, and calculate the center of the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, in alignment, the processing apparatus 1 has the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 obtain the relative position between the center of the workpiece 200 and the center of the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10, and store the obtained relative position.

[0052] (Diagnostic region setting step) FIG. 7 is a plan view of a workpiece showing an example of a diagnostic region set in the diagnostic region setting step of the processing method shown in FIG. 5. The diagnostic region setting step 1003 is a step of setting a diagnostic region 207 for diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206 formed in the workpiece 200 on the machining planned line 205.

[0053] In Embodiment 1, in the diagnostic region setting step 1003, the operator operates the input unit to relatively move the imaging unit 30 and the workpiece 200, and set the diagnostic region 207 on the image captured by the imaging unit 30. In Embodiment 1, in the diagnostic region setting step 1003, the processing apparatus 1 has the diagnostic region setting unit 101 of the controller 100 store the position of the diagnostic region 207 set by the operator (in Embodiment 1, the position on the workpiece 200, that is, the aforementioned distance from the reference position of the workpiece 200). Note that in Embodiment 1, the diagnostic region 207 may be set at any position of the workpiece 200 as long as it is on the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202. Further, the diagnostic region setting unit 101 calculates the position of the diagnostic region 207 on the workpiece 200 based on the detection results of the respective position detection units of the processing apparatus 1 and the relative position between the center of the workpiece 200 and the center of the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10.

[0054] Thereafter, the processing apparatus 1 extracts a planned division line 202 to be cut next by the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100, and determines whether a diagnosis region 207 is set in the processing planned line 205 of the extracted planned division line 202 (step 1004). When the processing apparatus 1 determines that the diagnosis region 207 is set in the processing planned line 205 of the planned division line 202 extracted by the processing control unit 103 of the controller 100 (step 1004: YES), it proceeds to the laminate detection step 1005.

[0055] (Laminate Detection Step) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a diagnosis region captured in the laminate detection step of the processing method shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a binary image obtained by binarizing the image shown in FIG. 8 in the laminate detection step of the processing method shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of an image of a diagnosis region captured in the laminate detection step of the processing method shown in FIG. 5.

[0056] The laminate detection step 1005 is a step of imaging the diagnosis region 207 and detecting a region 208 of the laminate 204 included in the diagnosis region 207. In Embodiment 1, in the laminate detection step 1005, the processing apparatus 1 causes the laminate detection unit 102 of the controller 100 to control the moving unit to image the diagnosis region 207 set on the processing planned line 205 of the planned division line 202 to be cut next, and obtains an image 300 of the diagnosis region 207 shown in FIG. 8. Note that FIG. 8 shows an image 300 obtained by imaging a diagnosis region 207 (hereinafter, denoted by reference numeral 207-1) in which laminates 204 are formed at both ends in FIG. 7.

[0057] In the laminate detection step 1005, in the image 300 of the diagnostic region 207 obtained, since the laminate 204 is composed of metal, the luminance of the region 208 of the laminate 204 is higher than that of other regions. In Embodiment 1, in the laminate detection step 1005, the processing apparatus 1 causes the laminate detection unit 102 of the controller 100 to perform binarization processing on the image 300 with a predetermined threshold value to generate a binary image 301 shown in FIG. 9. In Embodiment 1, the predetermined threshold value is a value lower than the luminance of the laminate 204 in the image 300 and higher than the luminance of other regions. In Embodiment 1, in the binary image 301, the region 208 of the laminate 204 is shown in white, and other regions are shown with dense parallel oblique lines.

[0058] In Embodiment 1, in the laminate detection step 1005, the processing apparatus 1 causes the laminate detection unit 102 of the controller 100 to detect the region 208 of the laminate 204 from the binary image 301, calculate the position of the detected region 208 of the laminate 204 (in Embodiment 1, the position on the workpiece 200, that is, the aforementioned distance from the reference position of the workpiece 200), and associate the calculated position with the type of the workpiece 200 and the ID of the diagnostic region 207 and store it in the storage device. The laminate detection unit 102 calculates the position of the region 208 of the laminate 204 based on the detection results of each position detection unit of the processing apparatus 1, the relative position between the center of the workpiece 200 and the center of the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10, and the position of the region 208 in the binary image 301, etc.

[0059] Note that in the laminate detection step 1005, mist 211 generated by the scattering of cutting fluid may exist between the workpiece 200 and the imaging unit 30 or the like. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 10(A), 10(B), and 10(C), the mist 211 is reflected in the image 300 obtained by the imaging unit 30. In this case, in the laminate detection step 1005, in order to prevent the laminate detection unit 102 of the controller 100 from erroneously detecting the region 208 of the laminate 204, as shown in FIGS. 10(A), 10(B), 10(C), and 10(D), it is preferable to image the diagnosis region 207 a plurality of times with a predetermined time difference and detect the region 208 of the laminate 204 based on the plurality of images 300. Thus, in the present invention, in the laminate detection step 1005, the diagnosis region 207 may be imaged a plurality of times with a time difference, and the region 208 of the laminate 204 may be detected based on the plurality of captured images, i.e., the images 300.

[0060] Also, in the present invention, in the laminate detection step 1005, as shown in FIG. 10(D), it is also possible to wait for the moving mist 211 to disappear and then image the diagnosis region 207. Further, in the present invention, in the laminate detection step 1005, for each of the images 300 shown in FIGS. 10(A), 10(B), 10(C), and 10(D), binarization processing or the like may be performed, and the region 208 of the laminate 204 may be detected by a majority vote of the plurality of binary images 301. Further, in the present invention, in the laminate detection step 1005, when the shape of the laminate 204 is characteristic, a key pattern may be registered in advance, and the region 208 of the laminate 204 may be detected by pattern matching.

[0061] In Embodiment 1, after the laminate detection step 1005, or when it is determined that the diagnosis region 207 is not set in the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 extracted by the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 (step 1004: NO), the process proceeds to the machining steps 1006-1 and 1006-2.

[0062] (Machining step) Processing steps 1006-1 and 1006-2 are steps of forming a cutting groove 206 on the machining planned line 205 after the laminate detection step 1005. In Embodiment 1, in processing steps 1006-1 and 1006-2, the machining apparatus 1 controls the moving unit and the cutting unit 20 by the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 to supply cutting water to the cutting blade 21, and then relatively moves the cutting unit 20 and the workpiece 200 along the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 while cutting the cutting blade 21 into the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 until reaching the adhesive tape.

[0063] In Embodiment 1, in processing steps 1006-1 and 1006-2, the machining apparatus 1 performs cutting along the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 of the workpiece 200 by the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 to form a cutting groove 206 on the machining planned line 205 over the entire length of the division planned line 202 of the workpiece 200. After processing step 1006-1, the process proceeds to the diagnostic image formation step 1007. Thus, in Embodiment 1, in processing steps 1006-1 and 1006-2, a cutting groove 206 is formed on the machining planned line 205 with the cutting blade 21 while supplying cutting water.

[0064] (Diagnostic Image Formation Step) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a diagnostic region captured in the diagnostic image formation step of the machining method shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic image generated from the image shown in FIG. 11 in the diagnostic image formation step of the machining method shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a diagnostic image generated from the image shown in FIG. 11 in the diagnostic image formation step of the machining method shown in FIG. 6.

[0065] The diagnostic image formation step 1007 is a step of imaging the diagnostic region 207 and forming a diagnostic image 303 for diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206 after the processing step 1006-1. In Embodiment 1, in the diagnostic image formation step 1007, the processing apparatus 1 controls the diagnostic image formation unit 104 of the controller 100 to move the moving unit to image the diagnostic region 207 set on the machining planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 machined in the immediately preceding machining step 1006-1, and obtains an image 302 of the diagnostic region 207 shown in FIG. 11. Note that FIG. 11 shows an image 302 obtained by imaging the diagnostic region 207-1 in which the laminated products 204 are formed at both ends in FIG. 7.

[0066] In Embodiment 1, in the image 302 of the diagnostic region 207 obtained in the diagnostic image formation step 1007, since the laminated product 204 is made of metal, the luminance of the laminated product 204 is higher than the luminance of the other regions of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 where the cutting groove 206 and the cutting groove 206 are not formed. Also, in Embodiment 1, in the image 302 shown in FIG. 11, the luminance of the cutting groove 206 indicated by dense parallel hatching is lower than the luminance of the other regions of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 where the cutting groove 206 is not formed. Further, in Embodiment 1, in the image 302 shown in FIG. 11, the luminance of the region 212 peeled off from the surface 201 of the laminated product 204 and the burr region 213 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11 is equal to the luminance of the cutting groove 206.

[0067] In Embodiment 1, in the diagnostic image formation step 1007, the processing apparatus 1 extracts a diagnostic image 303 shown in FIG. 12 including a cutting groove 206 that does not include the region 208 of the laminate 204 (in Embodiment 1, between the laminates 204) from the image 302 shown in FIG. 11 based on the position of the region 208 of the laminate 204 detected in the laminate detection step 1005 by the diagnostic image formation unit 104 of the controller 100. In the present invention, in the diagnostic image formation step 1007, the processing apparatus 1 may also mask the region 208 of the laminate 204 (indicated by intersecting parallel oblique lines in FIG. 13) based on the position of the region 208 of the laminate 204 detected in the laminate detection step 1005 in the image 302 shown in FIG. 11 by the diagnostic image formation unit 104 of the controller 100 to form a diagnostic image 303-1 shown in FIG. 13. When the diagnostic images 303 and 303-1 are formed in the diagnostic image formation step 1007, the process proceeds to the diagnostic step 1008.

[0068] (Diagnostic Step) FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a diagnostic image of the diagnostic step of the processing step shown in FIG. 6. The diagnostic step 1008 is a step of diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206 in a region other than the region 208 of the laminate 204 detected in the laminate detection step 1005 in the diagnostic image 303.

[0069] In Embodiment 1, in the diagnostic step 1008, the processing apparatus 1 extracts, as the state of the cutting groove 206, the width 206-1 of the cutting groove 206, the deviation between the center position 206-2 in the width direction of the cutting groove 206 and the machining planned line 205, the maximum chipping width 206-3, and the chipping area 206-4 from the diagnostic image 303 shown in FIG. 14 by the diagnostic unit 105 of the controller 100 and diagnoses (step 1008-1). Note that in the diagnostic image 303 shown in FIG. 14, an example where the center position 206-2 in the width direction of the cutting groove 206 is located on the same line as the machining planned line 205 is shown.

[0070] In Embodiment 1, in diagnosis step 1008, the processing apparatus 1 determines whether there is an abnormality in the cutting groove 206 based on whether the width 206-1 of the extracted cutting groove 206, the deviation between the center position 206-2 in the width direction of the cutting groove 206 and the planned machining line 205, the maximum chipping width 206-3, and the chipping area 206-4 are each within a predetermined allowable range (step 1008-2). Note that the allowable range is a criterion for determining whether there is an abnormality in the cutting groove 206. If the allowable range is exceeded, the cutting groove 206 is determined to be abnormal, and if the allowable range is not exceeded, the cutting groove 206 is determined to be normal.

[0071] In Embodiment 1, in diagnosis step 1008, when at least one of the width 206-1 of the extracted cutting groove 206, the deviation between the center position 206-2 in the width direction of the cutting groove 206 and the planned machining line 205, the maximum chipping width 206-3, and the chipping area 206-4 exceeds the allowable range, the processing apparatus 1 determines that the cutting groove 206 is abnormal (step 1008-2: YES), operates the notification unit to notify the operator, and stops the machining operation (step 1009).

[0072] In Embodiment 1, in diagnosis step 1008, when all of the width 206-1 of the extracted cutting groove 206, the deviation between the center position 206-2 in the width direction of the cutting groove 206 and the planned machining line 205, the maximum chipping width 206-3, and the chipping area 206-4 do not exceed the allowable range, the processing apparatus 1 determines that the cutting groove 206 is normal (step 1008-2: NO). In Embodiment 1, in diagnosis step 1008, when it is determined that the cutting groove 206 is normal (step 1008-2: NO), and after processing step 1006-2, the processing apparatus 1 determines whether machining has been completed by machining all of the planned division lines 202 by the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 (step 1010).

[0073] When the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 of the machining apparatus 1 determines that all the division planned lines 202 have not been machined by cutting and the machining has not been completed (step 1010: NO), the machining apparatus 1 then extracts the cutting groove 206 to be machined next and returns to step 1004. Also, when the machining control unit 103 of the controller 100 of the machining apparatus 1 determines that all the division planned lines 202 have been machined by cutting and the machining has been completed (step 1010: YES), the machining apparatus 1 controls the moving unit to position the holding unit 10 in the loading / unloading area, causes the transfer unit to transfer the workpiece 200 after cutting from the holding unit 10 to the cleaning unit 51, after cleaning with the cleaning unit, causes the transfer unit to accommodate the workpiece 200 in the cassette, and ends the machining method, that is, the machining operation.

[0074] Also, when the machining apparatus 1 described above holds the workpiece 200 in which the diagnosis area 207 has already been set in the diagnosis area setting unit 101 in step 1001, that is, when machining the workpiece 200 of the type that has been machined by cutting previously, as shown in FIG. 15, the machining method is carried out without performing the diagnosis area setting step 1003 and the laminate detection step 1005. Note that FIG. 15 is a flowchart when the diagnosis area setting step and the laminate detection step of the machining method shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are not carried out. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the machining methods shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0075] As described above, the processing method according to Embodiment 1 images the diagnostic region 207 for diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206 formed in the workpiece 200 before cutting, and includes a laminate detection step 1005 of detecting the region 208 of the laminate 204 included in the diagnostic region 207. After the processing step 1006-1 of forming the cutting groove 206 in the workpiece 200, a diagnostic image forming step 1007 of imaging the diagnostic region 207 to form a diagnostic image 303, and a diagnostic step 1008 of diagnosing the state of the cutting groove 206 in a region other than the region 208 of the laminate 204 detected in the laminate detection step 1005 in the diagnostic image 303. For this reason, even when a laminate 204 such as a TEG is formed on the processing planned line 205 of the workpiece 200, the processing method and the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 can accurately detect the state of the cutting groove 206, that is, processing defects, without being affected by the laminate 204.

[0076] As a result, the processing method and the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 have the effect of suppressing a decrease in the detection accuracy of processing defects.

[0077] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In Embodiment 1, the processing apparatus 1 is a cutting apparatus that cuts the processing planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 of the workpiece 200. However, in the present invention, the cutting apparatus is not limited, and for example, a laser processing apparatus that performs laser processing by irradiating the workpiece 200 with an absorbent laser beam may be used. In the present invention, when the processing apparatus 1 is a laser processing apparatus, a laser beam is irradiated from a laser beam irradiation unit, which is a processing unit, onto the processing planned line 205 of the division planned line 202 to form a laser processing groove, which is a processing mark, on the processing planned line 205.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1 Processing apparatus 10 Holding unit 20 Cutting unit (processing unit) 30 Imaging unit 100 Controller 101 Diagnostic Region Setting Unit 102 Laminate Detection Unit 103 Processing Control Unit 104 Diagnostic Image Formation Unit 105 Diagnostic Unit 200 Workpiece 204 Laminate 205 Planned Processing Line 206 Cutting Groove (Processing Mark) 207, 207-1 Diagnostic Region 208 Region of Laminate 303 Diagnostic Image 1003 Diagnostic Region Setting Step 1005 Laminate Detection Step 1006-1 Processing Step 1007 Diagnostic Image Formation Step 1008 Diagnostic Step

Claims

1. A processing method for processing a workpiece having a laminate formed on a planned processing line, comprising: a diagnostic region setting step of setting a diagnostic region for diagnosing the state of a processing mark formed on the workpiece on the planned processing line; a laminate detection step of imaging the diagnostic region and detecting a region of the laminate contained within the diagnostic region; a processing step of forming the processing mark on the planned processing line after the laminate detection step; a diagnostic image forming step of imaging the diagnostic region after the processing step and forming a diagnostic image for diagnosing the state of the processing mark; a diagnostic step of diagnosing the state of the processing mark in a region of the diagnostic image other than the region of the laminate detected in the laminate detection step.

2. The processing method according to claim 1, wherein the laminate is a TEG.

3. In the processing step, a cutting groove is formed on the planned processing line with a cutting blade while supplying cutting water. The processing method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the laminate detection step, the diagnostic region is imaged a plurality of times with a time difference, and the region of the laminate is detected based on a plurality of captured images.

4. A holding unit for holding a workpiece; a processing unit for processing the workpiece held by the holding unit; an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece held by the holding unit; a controller, wherein the controller comprises a diagnostic region setting unit for setting a diagnostic region for diagnosing the state of a processing mark formed on the workpiece on the planned processing line; a laminate detection unit for imaging the diagnostic region and detecting a region of a laminate contained within the diagnostic region; a processing control unit for forming the processing mark on the planned processing line after detecting the region of the laminate; a diagnostic image forming unit for imaging the diagnostic region after forming the processing mark and forming a diagnostic image for diagnosing the state of the processing mark; a diagnostic unit for diagnosing the state of the processing mark in a region of the diagnostic image other than the region of the laminate detected by the laminate detection unit.

Images