Processing apparatus and processing method

Abstract

To enable identification on whether or not an abnormality of a workpiece is caused by a malfunction of a processing apparatus.SOLUTION: A processing apparatus 1 comprises: a holding table 10 that holds a workpiece 200; a cutting unit 20 that performs cutting processing on the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10; a camera 30 that detects an abnormality of the workpiece 200; and a control unit 100 that controls at least the cutting unit 20 and the camera 30. The control unit 100 includes a registration part 102 that registers a first reference image in which the workpiece 200 before cutting processing is determined to be normal, and a comparison part 103 that compares the first reference image registered in the registration part 102 with a first comparison image 121 obtained by detecting the workpiece 200 with the camera 30 before the workpiece 200 is subjected to cutting processing by the cutting unit 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method for processing a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] By forming multiple devices on the surface of a thin wafer and dividing the wafer into individual devices, device chips to be mounted on electronic devices can be formed. To divide a workpiece such as a wafer, for example, a cutting device capable of cutting the workpiece with an annular cutting blade or a laser processing device that processes the workpiece by irradiating it with a laser beam is used. The processing device processes the workpiece under specified processing conditions to obtain a desired processing result.

[0003] However, there are cases where the workpiece is not processed properly by the processing equipment due to malfunctions of the processing equipment, etc. If manufacturing is continued with the workpiece or chips in a state where they are scratched or have contamination (debris) attached, the resulting chips may be defective.

[0004] Therefore, in order to confirm that the workpiece has been properly processed, the workpiece processed by the processing device is inspected by capturing an image of the workpiece with a camera unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-32588 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when scratches or contamination are found on a workpiece in the inspection described in Patent Document 1, etc., the cause is not necessarily a processing defect of the processing device, but may be scratches that were already formed on the workpiece or contamination that was attached to it before processing. In such cases, there is a problem that it takes time to identify the cause.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to be able to identify whether an abnormality on the surface of a workpiece is caused by a malfunction of the processing device that processes the workpiece.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a processing device and a processing method that can identify whether an abnormality in a workpiece is caused by a malfunction of the processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the processing apparatus of the present invention is a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece, and comprises a holding table for holding the workpiece, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held on the holding table, an abnormality detection unit for detecting abnormalities in the workpiece, and a control unit for controlling at least the processing unit and the abnormality detection unit, wherein the control unit is characterized by having a registration unit for registering first reference information that serves as a standard for judging the workpiece to be normal before processing, and a comparison unit for comparing the first reference information registered in the registration unit with first detection information obtained by detecting the workpiece with the abnormality detection unit before the workpiece is processed by the processing unit.

[0010] In the processing device, the registration section of the control unit may register second reference information that serves as a standard for determining whether the workpiece is normal after processing, and the comparison section of the control unit may compare the second reference information registered in the registration section with second detection information obtained by detecting the workpiece with the abnormality detection section after the workpiece has been processed by the processing unit.

[0011] The processing device may further include an alarm unit, and when the control unit determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece based on the comparison made by the comparison unit, it may cause the alarm unit to alarm the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0012] The processing device may further include a cleaning unit for cleaning the workpiece, and when the control unit determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece based on the comparison made by the comparison unit, it may cause the workpiece to be cleaned by the cleaning unit.

[0013] The processing device may further include a cassette table on which a cassette containing the workpiece is placed, and a transport unit that transports the workpiece from the cassette placed on the cassette table to the holding table, and the abnormality detection unit may be arranged on a transport path along which the transport unit transports the workpiece from the cassette to the holding table.

[0014] In the processing device, at least one of the first reference information and the second reference information may be the first detection information or the second detection information obtained by the previous detection by the abnormality detection unit.

[0015] In the processing device, the abnormality detection unit is a camera that images the workpiece, the first reference information is a partial area image obtained by imaging at least two or more partial areas of the workpiece with the camera, and the partial area image has a similarity equal to or greater than a threshold value among the multiple partial area images obtained, and the first detection information may be the partial area image obtained by imaging the partial area of ​​the workpiece with the camera.

[0016] The processing method of the present invention is a processing method for processing a workpiece, and is characterized by comprising: a holding step for holding the workpiece on a holding table; a processing step for processing the workpiece held on the holding table using a processing unit; an abnormality detection step for detecting an abnormality in the workpiece before the processing step; and a comparison step for comparing, before the processing step and after the abnormality detection step, registered reference information by which the workpiece before processing is determined to be normal with detection information obtained by newly detecting the workpiece in the abnormality detection step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention has an effect of being able to identify whether an abnormality in a workpiece is caused by a malfunction of a processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first reference image registered in a registration section of a control unit of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a second reference image registered in a registration section of a control unit of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a part of the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the remaining steps of the processing method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a first comparison image generated in the first imaging step of the processing method shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a second comparison image generated in the second imaging step of the processing method shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a first reference image registered in a registration section of a control unit of a processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the first reference image registered in the registration section of the control unit of the processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second reference image registered in a registration section of a control unit of a processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the second reference image registered in the registration section of the control unit of the processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a first comparison image generated in the first imaging step according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second comparison image generated in the second imaging step of the processing method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a modification of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Modes (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configuration can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] A processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a second reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing device shown in Fig. 1.

[0021] (workpiece) The processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is a cutting apparatus that cuts (corresponding to processing) a workpiece 200. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer, whose base material is silicon, sapphire, gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, or the like.

[0022] 2, the workpiece 200 has devices 204 formed in areas partitioned in a grid pattern by a plurality of planned division lines 203 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 201. The devices 204 are, for example, integrated circuits such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) or LSIs (Large Scale Integrations), image sensors such as CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) or CMOSs ​​(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors), or memories (semiconductor storage devices).

[0023] In embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 is supported within the inner opening of the frame 209 by adhering the central portion of a tape 210, which has a larger diameter than the workpiece 200 and has a ring-shaped frame 209 attached to its outer edge, to the back surface 205 behind the front surface 201.

[0024] (Processing equipment) 1 is a cutting device that holds a workpiece 200 on a holding table 10, cuts planned division lines 203 of the workpiece 200 with a cutting blade (not shown), forms cutting grooves 206 on the planned division lines 203, and divides the workpiece 200 into individual devices 204. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 includes a holding table 10 (corresponding to a suction table) that holds the workpiece 200 by suction on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that cuts the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 with a cutting blade, a camera 30 that is an abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the workpiece 200, an alignment camera 40 that photographs the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and a control unit 100.

[0025] The processing device 1 also includes a moving unit (not shown) that moves the cutting unit 20 relative to the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10. The moving unit includes an X-axis moving unit that moves the holding table 10 in a processing feed in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction, a Y-axis moving unit that indexes and feeds the cutting unit 20 in a Y-axis direction that is parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction, a Z-axis moving unit that moves the cutting unit 20 in a cutting feed in the Z-axis direction that is parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and a rotational moving unit that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0026] The X-axis movement unit moves the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, which is the processing feed direction, to perform processing feed between the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other along the X-axis. The Y-axis movement unit moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, to perform index feed between the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other along the Y-axis. The Z-axis movement unit moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the cutting feed direction, to perform cutting feed between the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other along the Z-axis.

[0027] The X-axis movement unit, Y-axis movement unit, and Z-axis movement unit each include a well-known ball screw rotatably mounted around its axis, a well-known motor for rotating the ball screw around its axis, and a well-known guide rail for supporting the holding table 10 or the cutting unit 20 movably in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotational movement unit includes a motor for rotating the holding table 10 around its axis.

[0028] The holding table 10 is disk-shaped, and a holding surface 11 for holding the workpiece 200 is formed from porous ceramic or the like. The holding table 10 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction by an X-axis movement unit between a processing area below the cutting unit 20 and a carry-in / out area spaced from below the cutting unit 20 where the workpiece 200 is carried in and out, and is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a rotation movement unit.

[0029] The holding table 10 has a holding surface 11 connected to a suction source (not shown), and the holding surface 11 is sucked by the suction source, thereby sucking and holding (also referred to as adsorption) the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11. In the first embodiment, the holding table 10 sucks and holds the back surface 205 side of the workpiece 200. The holding table 10 also has a plurality of clamps 12 on the outer periphery of the holding surface 11 that clamp a frame 209.

[0030] The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit that performs cutting processing on the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10. The cutting unit 20 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis movement unit relative to the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10, and is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis movement unit.

[0031] The cutting unit 20 is mounted on a gate-shaped support frame that stands upright from the device main body 2 via a Y-axis movement unit, a Z-axis movement unit, etc. The cutting unit 20 is capable of positioning the cutting blade at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the Y-axis movement unit and the Z-axis movement unit.

[0032] The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece 200, a spindle housing that is movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit and a Z-axis moving unit, a spindle that is rotatable about its axis on the spindle housing, and a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle about its axis.

[0033] The cutting blade is an extremely thin cutting grindstone having a substantially ring shape, and cuts the workpiece 200 along the planned dividing line 203 of the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10. In the first embodiment, the cutting blade includes an annular cutting blade that cuts the workpiece 200, and an annular base that supports the cutting blade at its outer edge and is detachably attached to the spindle.

[0034] The cutting blade is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material such as metal or resin, and is formed to a predetermined thickness. In the present invention, the cutting blade may be a so-called washer blade consisting only of the cutting blade.

[0035] The spindle housing is supported by the Z-axis moving unit so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and is supported by the Y-axis moving unit via the Z-axis moving unit so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The spindle housing accommodates the spindle except for the tip end, as well as a spindle motor (not shown), and supports the spindle so as to be rotatable around its axis.

[0036] The spindle has a cutting blade fixed to its tip. The spindle is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown), and its tip protrudes from the tip surface of the spindle housing. The tip of the spindle is gradually tapered toward the tip, and the cutting blade is fixed to it.

[0037] The axes of the spindle and cutting blade of the cutting unit 20 are set parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the alignment camera 40 is fixed to a fixed frame 4 provided on the apparatus main body 2, and is disposed between the loading / unloading area and the processing area. The alignment camera 40 is equipped with an imaging element that captures an image of the area to be divided of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 before cutting, i.e., a portion of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The alignment camera 40 captures an image of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 to obtain an image for performing alignment such as aligning the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the image captured by the alignment camera 40 is defined by a plurality of levels (for example, 256 levels) of gradation representing the intensity of light received by each pixel of the image sensor. That is, the image captured by the alignment camera 40 is an image in which the intensity of light is displayed in levels according to the intensity of light received by each pixel, i.e., a grayscale image having shading.

[0040] The processing apparatus 1 also includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and the Y-axis position detection unit may be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a read head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses. The X-axis position detection unit, the Y-axis position detection unit, and the Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction to the control unit 100. In the first embodiment, the positions of each component 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). The reference position in the Z-axis direction is the position of the cutting unit 20 where the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade is located on the same plane as the holding surface 11.

[0041] The processing device 1 also includes a cassette table 50 on which a cassette 51 containing the workpiece 200 before and after cutting is placed and which moves the cassette 51 in the Z-axis direction, a transport unit 60 which transports the workpiece 200 between the cassette 51 and the holding table 10, and a cleaning unit 70 which cleans the workpiece 200 after cutting.

[0042] The transport unit 60 transports the workpiece 200 from the cassette 51 placed on the cassette table 50 to the holding table 10 and the cleaning unit 70 in that order. The transport unit 60 includes a pair of guide rails 61 on which the workpiece 200 before cutting taken out of the cassette 51 and the workpiece 200 stored in the cassette 51 after cutting are placed, a carry-in / out unit 62 that takes the workpiece 200 before cutting from the cassette 51 and places it on the guide rails 61 and stores the workpiece 200 after cutting on the guide rails 61 in the cassette 51, a first transport unit 63 that transports the workpiece 200 before cutting on the guide rails 61 to the holding table 10 in the carry-in / out area and transports the cleaned workpiece 200 from the cleaning unit 70 onto the guide rails 61, and a second transport unit 64 that transports the workpiece 200 after cutting from the holding table 10 in the carry-in / out area to the cleaning unit 70.

[0043] The guide rails 61 and the holding table 10 in the carry-in / out area form a transport path for the workpiece 200 that is transported by the transport unit 60 from the cassette 51 to the holding table 10 .

[0044] The camera 30 detects abnormalities in the workpiece 200. The camera 30 captures an image of the workpiece 200. In the first embodiment, the camera 30 is disposed above the guide rail 61 in the Z-axis direction and is provided on the transport path of the workpiece 200. The camera 30 includes an imaging element that captures an image of the entire surface 201 of the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The camera 30 captures an image of the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the image captured by camera 30 is defined by a plurality of gradations (for example, 256 gradations) representing the intensity of light received by each pixel of the image sensor. That is, the image captured by camera 30 is an image in which the intensity of light is displayed in gradations according to the intensity of light received by each pixel, i.e., a grayscale image having shading.

[0046] The control unit 100 controls each component of the processing apparatus 1 to cause the processing apparatus 1 to perform a cutting operation on the workpiece 200. That is, the control unit 100 controls at least the holding table 10, the cutting unit 20, the cleaning unit 70, and the camera 30. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device with a microprocessor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device with memory such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device and outputs control signals for controlling the processing apparatus 1 to each component of the processing apparatus 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0047] The processing device 1 is also connected to a display unit configured with a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays the status and images of the processing operation, an input unit used by the operator to register processing conditions, and a notification unit 80. The display unit, input unit, and notification unit 80 are connected to the control unit 100. The input unit is configured with at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit and an external input device such as a keyboard. The notification unit 80 notifies the operator by emitting at least one of sound and light. In the first embodiment, the function of the notification unit 80 is realized by a screen display on the display unit, a warning light that emits light, or information transmission to a mobile terminal held by the operator.

[0048] The control unit 100 also includes a machining control unit 101, a registration unit 102, and a comparison unit 103. The machining control unit 101 controls each component of the machining device 1 to cause the machining device 1 to perform a cutting operation on the workpiece 200.

[0049] The registration unit 102 registers a first reference image 111 shown in Fig. 2 and a second reference image 112 shown in Fig. 3. The first reference image 111 is an image that serves as a reference for determining whether the workpiece 200 is normal before cutting processing, and is an image obtained by capturing an image of the entire surface 201 of the normal workpiece 200 before cutting processing with the camera 30. Note that a normal workpiece 200 refers to a workpiece 200 that has no foreign matter such as contamination attached to the surface 201 and is not scratched on the surface 201.

[0050] The second reference image 112 is an image that serves as a reference for determining whether the workpiece 200 is normal after cutting processing.The second reference image 112 is an image obtained by capturing the entire surface 201 of the workpiece 200 that is normal after cutting processing with the camera 30.

[0051] The comparison unit 103 compares the first reference image 111 registered in the registration unit 102 with a first comparison image 121 (an example of which is shown in FIG. 6 ) which is first detection information obtained by imaging the workpiece 200 with the camera 30 before the workpiece 200 is subjected to cutting processing by the cutting unit 20. The comparison unit 103 also compares the second reference image 112 registered in the registration unit 102 with a second comparison image 122 (an example of which is shown in FIG. 7 ) which is second detection information obtained by imaging the workpiece 200 with the camera 30 after the workpiece 200 has been subjected to cutting processing by the cutting unit 20 and cleaned by the cleaning unit 70.

[0052] The functions of the registration unit 102 are realized by the above-mentioned storage device. The functions of the processing control unit 101 and the comparison unit 103 are realized by the arithmetic processing device performing arithmetic processing in accordance with the computer program stored in the storage device.

[0053] (Processing method) Next, a processing method according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing part of the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the rest of the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a first comparison image generated in the first imaging step of the processing method shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a second comparison image generated in the second imaging step of the processing method shown in Fig. 5.

[0054] The processing method according to the first embodiment is a method in which the processing device 1 cuts the planned dividing lines 203 of the workpiece 200 with a cutting blade, forms cutting grooves 206 on the planned dividing lines 203, and divides the workpiece 200 into individual devices 204. The processing method according to the first embodiment is also a processing operation of the processing device 1 having the above-described configuration.

[0055] 4 and 5, the processing method according to the first embodiment includes a first imaging step 1003, which is an abnormality detection step, a first comparison step 1004, a holding step 1010, a processing step 1011, a second imaging step 1013, a second comparison step 1014, etc. In the processing method according to the first embodiment, in a reference image registration step 1001, an operator or the like registers processing conditions in the control unit 100, and a cassette 51 containing a workpiece 200 before cutting is placed on the cassette table 50. The processing conditions include a first reference image 111, which is first reference information, and a second reference image 112, which is second reference information. In the processing method according to the first embodiment, when the control unit 100 of the processing device 1 receives an instruction to start the processing operation from the operator, the processing device 1 starts the processing operation (step 1002).

[0056] In the processing method according to the first embodiment, when the processing device 1 starts a processing operation, it rotates the spindle around its axis at a rotation speed determined by the processing conditions and performs a first imaging step 1003. The first imaging step 1003 is an abnormality detection step in which the workpiece 200 is imaged by the camera 30 before the processing step 1011 to detect any abnormality in the workpiece 200.

[0057] In the first imaging step 1003, the processing device 1 causes the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 to control the transport unit 60 to remove the workpiece 200 before cutting from the cassette 51 and place it on the guide rail 61. In the first imaging step 1003, the processing device 1 causes the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 to control the camera 30 to image the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61, thereby obtaining a second comparison image 122, an example of which is shown in FIG. 6, and proceeds to the first comparison step 1004.

[0058] The first comparing step 1004 is a step that takes place before the processing step 1011 and after the first imaging step 1003, in which a first reference image 111 of the workpiece 200 before cutting, which is registered in the registration unit 102 and determined to be normal, is compared with a first comparison image 121 obtained by imaging the workpiece 200 before cutting, which is the processing target, in the first imaging step 1003. In the first comparing step 1004, the comparing unit 103 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 performs template matching (pattern matching) between the first reference image 111 and the first comparison image 121. For example, well-known algorithms such as SAD, SSD, NCC, and ZNCC can be used as template matching, which are basically algorithms that determine the difference in pixel values ​​by various methods. The comparison section 103 of the control unit 100 performs pattern matching between the first reference image 111 and the first comparison image 121, and determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting processing, depending on whether the similarity between them is greater than a predetermined value.

[0059] In the first comparison step 1004, if the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that the similarity is less than a predetermined value, the processing apparatus 1 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting (Yes), and proceeds to notification step 1005. Note that the first comparison image 121 shown in FIG. 6 includes two abnormal portions 207, so in the first comparison step 1004, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 before cutting. Note that the abnormal portions 207 are portions on the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 where foreign matter is attached or where there is a scratch.

[0060] The notification step 1005 is a step in which the notification unit 80 notifies the operator that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 to be machined before cutting. In the notification step 1005, the machining control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the machining apparatus 1 operates the notification unit 80 to notify the operator. Thus, in the notification step 1005, when the control unit 100 determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece 200 based on the comparison between the first reference image 111 and the first comparison image 121 by the comparison unit 103, the control unit 100 causes the notification unit 80 to notify the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0061] After the notification step 1005, the processing device 1 determines whether or not the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 will clean the workpiece 200 before cutting that is placed on the guide rail 61 (step 1006). In the first embodiment, if the workpiece 200 before cutting that is placed on the guide rail 61 has not been cleaned, it is determined that the workpiece 200 before cutting that is placed on the guide rail 61 will be cleaned (step 1006: Yes), and the process proceeds to the pre-insertion cleaning step 1007.

[0062] The pre-loading cleaning step 1007 is a step in which, if an abnormality occurs in the pre-cutting workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 in the immediately preceding first comparison step 1004, the pre-cutting workpiece 200 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70. In the pre-loading cleaning step 1007, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 controls the transport unit 60 to transport the pre-cutting workpiece 200 on the guide rail 61 to the cleaning unit 70, have the cleaning unit 70 clean the pre-cutting workpiece 200, and then place the pre-cutting workpiece 200 on the guide rail 61 again, and the process returns to the first imaging step 1003. Thus, in the pre-loading cleaning step 1007, if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the workpiece 200 based on the comparison between the first reference image 111 and the first comparison image 121 by the comparison unit 103, the workpiece 200 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70.

[0063] In the first comparison step 1004, if the comparison section 103 of the control unit 100 determines that the similarity is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and that no abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting (No), or in embodiment 1, if cleaning has been performed on the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting, the processing device 1 determines that cleaning will not be performed on the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 before cutting (step 1006: No), and proceeds to the holding step 1010.

[0064] The holding step 1010 is a step in which the workpiece 200 is held by the holding table 10. In the holding step 1010, the processing apparatus 1 causes the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 to control the moving unit to position the holding table 10 in the carry-in / out area, and causes the transport unit 60 to place the workpiece 200 on the guide rail 61 before cutting onto the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In the holding step 1010, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 causes the back surface 205 of the workpiece 200 to be suction-held onto the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and causes the clamp unit 12 to clamp the frame 209, and then proceeds to the processing step 1011.

[0065] The processing step 1011 is a step in which the cutting unit 20 performs cutting on the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10. In the processing step 1011, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 controls the movement unit to move the holding table 10 toward the processing area, the alignment camera 40 photographs the workpiece 200, and alignment is performed based on the image photographed by the alignment camera 40.

[0066] In the processing step 1011, the processing device 1 controls the moving unit, cutting unit 20, etc. by the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 to move the cutting edge of the cutting blade rotating around the axis of the cutting unit 20 relatively along the planned dividing lines 203 of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and causes the cutting edge of the cutting blade to cut into the workpiece 200 until it reaches the tape 210, thereby cutting all of the planned dividing lines 203 of the workpiece 200. In the processing step 1011, once the processing device 1 has cut all of the planned dividing lines 203 of the workpiece 200, the processing device 1 proceeds to the cleaning step 1012.

[0067] The cleaning step 1012 is a step in which the workpiece 200 cut in the processing step 1011 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70. In the cleaning step 1012, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 controls the movement unit to move the cutting unit away from the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 and move the holding table 10 to the carry-in / out area. In the cleaning step 1012, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 stops suction holding of the workpiece 200 on the holding table 10 and releases the clamp of the frame 209 of the clamp unit 12.

[0068] In the cleaning step 1012, the processing apparatus 1 controls the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 to control the transport unit 60 to transport the cut workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 in the carry-in / out area to the cleaning unit 70, and then causes the cleaning unit 70 to clean the workpiece 200 before cutting, and then proceeds to a second imaging step 1013. The second imaging step 1013 is a step in which the workpiece 200 is imaged by the camera 30 after the processing step 1011.

[0069] In the second imaging step 1013, the processing apparatus 1 causes the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 to control the transport unit 60 to place the cut workpiece 200 from the cleaning unit 70 onto the guide rail 61. In the second imaging step 1013, the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 controls the camera 30 to image the workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61, thereby obtaining a second comparison image 122, an example of which is shown in FIG. 7, and proceeds to the second comparison step 1014.

[0070] The second comparing step 1014 is a step in which, after the processing step 1011, the second reference image 112 of the workpiece 200 after cutting, registered in the registration unit 102, is determined to be normal, is compared with the second comparison image 122 obtained by imaging the workpiece 200 after cutting, which is a new object to be cut, in the second imaging step 1013. In the second comparing step 1014, the comparing unit 103 of the control unit 100 performs pattern matching such as normalized correlation between the second reference image 112 and the second comparison image 122, and determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 after cutting placed on the guide rail 61 depending on whether or not the similarity between them is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0071] In the second comparison step 1014, if the comparison section 103 of the control unit 100 determines that the similarity is less than a predetermined value, the processing device 1 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 after cutting that is placed on the guide rail 61 (Yes), and proceeds to a notification step 1015. Note that the second comparison image 122 shown in Fig. 7 includes two abnormal portions 207, so in the second comparison step 1014, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 after cutting.

[0072] The notification step 1015 is a step in which the notification unit 80 notifies the operator that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 after cutting of the processing target. In the notification step 1015, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 operates the notification unit 80 to notify the operator. Thus, in the notification step 1015, when the control unit 100 determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece 200 based on the comparison between the second reference image 112 and the second comparison image 122 by the comparison unit 103, the control unit 100 causes the notification unit 80 to notify the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0073] After the notification step 1015, the processing device 1 determines whether or not the processing control section 101 of the control unit 100 will clean the workpiece 200 after cutting and placed on the guide rail 61 (step 1016). In the first embodiment, if the workpiece 200 after cutting and placed on the guide rail 61 has not been cleaned after the cleaning step, it is determined that the workpiece 200 after cutting and placed on the guide rail 61 will be cleaned (step 1016: Yes), and the process proceeds to re-cleaning step 1017.

[0074] The re-cleaning step 1017 is a step in which the post-cut workpiece 200 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70 when an abnormality occurs in the post-cut workpiece 200 placed on the guide rail 61 in the immediately preceding second comparison step 1014. In the re-cleaning step 1017, the machining control unit 101 of the control unit 100 controls the transport unit 60 to transport the post-cut workpiece 200 on the guide rail 61 to the cleaning unit 70, have the cleaning unit 70 clean the post-cut workpiece 200, and then place the post-cut workpiece 200 on the guide rail 61 again, and the process returns to the second imaging step 1013. Thus, in the re-cleaning step 1017, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the workpiece 200 based on the comparison between the second reference image 112 and the second comparison image 122 by the comparison unit 103, the workpiece 200 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 70.

[0075] In the second comparison step 1014, if the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and that no abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 before cutting placed on the guide rail 61 (No), or in the first embodiment, if the workpiece 200 after cutting placed on the guide rail 61 has been cleaned after the cleaning step 1012, the processing apparatus 1 determines that cleaning will not be performed on the workpiece 200 after cutting placed on the guide rail 61 (step 1016: No), and the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 controls the transport unit 60 to store the workpiece 200 after cutting into the cassette 51. The processing apparatus 1 sequentially performs cutting on the workpieces 200 in the cassette 51, and ends the processing operation when cutting has been performed on the workpieces 200 in the cassette 51.

[0076] As described above, the processing device 1 of embodiment 1 is equipped with a control unit 100 having a registration unit 102 that registers a first reference image 111 in advance, which is determined to be normal for the workpiece 200 before cutting processing, and a comparison unit 103 that compares the first reference image 111 registered in the registration unit 102 with a first comparison image 121 obtained by newly capturing an image of the workpiece 200 with the camera 30 before the workpiece 200 is subjected to cutting processing by the cutting unit 20.

[0077] Therefore, the processing device 1 and processing method according to the first embodiment can identify whether or not there is an abnormality in the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 before the cutting process by the cutting unit 20.

[0078] As a result, the processing device 1 and processing method according to the first embodiment have the effect of being able to identify whether or not an abnormality in the workpiece 200 is caused by a malfunction of the processing device 1.

[0079] [Embodiment 2] A processing apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a first reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a first reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a second reference image registered in a registration unit of a control unit of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a first comparison image generated in a first imaging step according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second comparison image generated in a second imaging step of the processing method according to the second embodiment. In FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] In the processing device 1 according to the second embodiment, the first reference images 111-1 and 111-2, which are the reference information shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and which are registered in the registration unit 102, are different from the second reference images 112-1 and 112-2, which are the reference information shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the alignment camera 40, which is an anomaly detection unit, captures an image of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 held on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to detect an abnormality in the workpiece 200. In the second embodiment, the first reference images 111-1 and 111-2 are partial area images having a similarity equal to or greater than a threshold value among a plurality of partial area images obtained by capturing images of at least two or more partial areas of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 determined to be normal before cutting by the alignment camera 40. In the second embodiment, the first reference images 111-1 and 111-2 are two partial area images having the highest similarity among a plurality of partial area images obtained by capturing images of at least two or more partial areas of the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 determined to be normal before cutting by the alignment camera 40 and performing pattern matching on the plurality of partial area images obtained.

[0081] In the second embodiment, the second reference images 112-1 and 112-2 are partial area images having a similarity equal to or greater than a threshold value among a plurality of partial area images obtained by capturing images of at least two or more partial areas on the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 determined to be normal after cutting by the alignment camera 40. In the second embodiment, the second reference images 112-1 and 112-2 are two partial area images having the highest similarity among a plurality of partial area images obtained by capturing images of at least two or more partial areas on the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 determined to be normal after cutting by the alignment camera 40 and performing pattern matching such as normalized correlation on each other.

[0082] Moreover, in the processing method according to the second embodiment, in a first imaging step 1003, the alignment camera 40 images a partial area of ​​the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 before the cutting of the processing object, thereby obtaining a first comparison image 121-2, an example of which is shown in Fig. 12. Moreover, in the processing method according to the second embodiment, the alignment camera 40 images a partial area of ​​the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 after the cutting of the processing object, thereby obtaining a second comparison image 122-2, an example of which is shown in Fig. 13.

[0083] In the processing method according to the second embodiment, in the first comparing step 1004, if the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 before cutting held on the holding table 10 when the similarity between both of the first reference images 111-1, 111-2 and the first comparison image 121-2 is a predetermined value or more, the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 before cutting held on the holding table 10 when the similarity between at least one of the first reference images 111-1, 111-2 and the first comparison image 121-2 is less than a predetermined value.

[0084] Furthermore, in the processing method according to the second embodiment, in the second comparing step 1014, if the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the post-cutting workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 when the similarity between both of the second reference images 112-1, 112-2 and the second comparison image 122-2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the comparison unit 103 of the control unit 100 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the post-cutting workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 when the similarity between at least one of the second reference images 112-1, 112-2 and the second comparison image 122-2 is less than a predetermined value.

[0085] 12 and the second comparison image 122-2 shown in Fig. 13 include one abnormal portion 207, and therefore it is determined in comparison steps 1004 and 1014 that an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 200 before and after cutting. Thus, the first comparison image 121-2 and the second comparison image 122-2 are partial area images obtained by capturing images of a partial area of ​​the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 before and after cutting the object to be processed.

[0086] The processing device 1 of embodiment 2 is equipped with a control unit 100 having a registration unit 102 that registers the first reference images 111-1, 111-2, and a comparison unit 103 that compares the first reference images 111-1, 111-2 with a first comparison image 121-2 obtained by newly capturing an image of the workpiece 200 with the camera 30 before the workpiece 200 is subjected to cutting processing by the cutting unit 20.Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 before cutting processing by the cutting unit 20, and similar to embodiment 1, it is possible to determine whether or not the abnormality in the workpiece 200 is caused by a malfunction of the processing device 1.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the present invention, the camera 30 may be disposed above the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 in the Z-axis direction in the loading / unloading area, and may be provided on the transport path of the workpiece 200, as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a modification of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0088] In addition, in the present invention, the alignment camera 40 may capture images of multiple locations on the surface 201 of the workpiece 200 held on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and reference images 111, 112 and comparison images 121, 122 of the entire surface 201 of the workpiece 200 may be generated.

[0089] Furthermore, in the present invention, the processing device 1 may set at least one of the first reference images 111, 111-1, 111-2 and the second reference images 112, 112-1, 112-2 to be the first comparison images 121, 121-2 or the second comparison images 122, 122-2 captured in the previous imaging steps 1003, 1013. In this case, the first comparison images 121, 121-2 and the second comparison images 122, 122-2 determined to be free of abnormalities in the immediately preceding comparison steps 1004, 1014 are updated to the first reference images 111, 111-1, 111-2 or the second reference images 112, 112-1, 112-2.

[0090] Furthermore, in the present invention, the processing device 1 is not limited to a cutting device that performs cutting processing on the workpiece 200, but may be various processing devices such as a laser processing device that performs laser processing on the workpiece 200, a grinding device that performs grinding processing on the workpiece 200, or a polishing device that performs polishing processing on the workpiece 200.

[0091] In addition, in the present invention, the abnormality detection unit may be a particle counter that detects particles on the workpiece 200, or a thickness detection sensor that measures the thickness of the workpiece 200. In this case, the reference information is a reference threshold value (number) or a reference thickness, and the detection information is the number or thickness.

[0092] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the anomaly detection unit is a camera 30, the workpiece 200 may be imaged while being illuminated with narrowed oblique light in the LED-UV wavelength. Note that narrowing the light means that strong light is emitted in one direction, like a polaron light, making it easier to find small objects, and using UV wavelengths leads to the fluorescent material illuminating. Using an LED-UV light source results in a narrow spectrum output (short wavelength) of UV wavelengths, which makes the light more likely to scatter, and short wavelengths are suitable for shining light on and reflecting minute objects such as dust or foreign matter.

[0093] Furthermore, in the present invention, the pre-loading cleaning step 1007 and the re-cleaning step 1017 may be changed to cleaning conditions with stronger cleaning power compared to the cleaning conditions of the post-cutting cleaning step 1012 of the workpiece 200. For example, in the case of a cleaning unit 70 that supplies high-pressure (0.2 MPa (gauge pressure) or more and 0.5 MPa (gauge pressure) or less) pure water for cleaning, the cleaning conditions of the cleaning step 1012 may be changed to supply high-pressure pure water for only 60 seconds, and the pre-loading cleaning step 1007 and the re-cleaning step 1017 may be changed to cleaning conditions that extend the cleaning time to 120 seconds, which is twice as long as the post-cutting cleaning conditions.

[0094] 1 Processing equipment 10 Holding table 20 Cutting unit (processing unit) 30 Camera (Abnormality detection unit) 40 Alignment camera (abnormality detection unit, camera) 50 Cassette Table 51 cassette 60 Transport Unit 70 Cleaning Unit 80 Alarm unit 100 control unit 102 Registration Department 103 Comparison Section 111, 111-1, 111-2 First reference image (reference information, first reference information) 112, 112-1, 112-2 Second reference image (second reference information) 121, 121-2 First comparison image (detection information, first detection information) 122,122-2 Second comparison image (second detection information) 200 Workpiece 1003 First imaging step (abnormality detection step) 1004 First comparison step (comparison step) 1010 holding step 1011 Processing Steps 1012 Washing Step

Claims

1. A processing device for processing a workpiece, a holding table for holding the workpiece; a processing unit that processes the workpiece held on the holding table; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the workpiece; a control unit that controls at least the processing unit and the abnormality detection unit; Equipped with The control unit a registration unit that registers first reference information that serves as a reference for determining whether the workpiece before processing is normal; a comparison unit that compares the first reference information registered in the registration unit with first detection information obtained by detecting the workpiece with the abnormality detection unit before the workpiece is machined by the machining unit; A processing device comprising:

2. The registration section of the control unit registering second reference information that serves as a reference for determining whether the workpiece after processing is normal; The comparison unit of the control unit The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second reference information registered in the registration unit is compared with second detection information obtained by detecting the workpiece with the abnormality detection unit after the workpiece has been processed by the processing unit.

3. Further comprising an alarm unit, The control unit 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the workpiece based on the comparison made by the comparison section, the notification unit is made to notify the occurrence of the abnormality.

4. Further provided is a cleaning unit for cleaning the workpiece, The control unit 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the workpiece has an abnormality based on the comparison by the comparison unit, the workpiece is cleaned by the cleaning unit.

5. a cassette table on which a cassette containing the workpiece is placed; a transport unit that transports the workpiece from the cassette placed on the cassette table to the holding table; Furthermore, The abnormality detection unit 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is disposed on a transport path along which the transport unit transports the workpiece from the cassette to the holding table.

6. 3. The processing device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first reference information and the second reference information is the first detection information or the second detection information obtained by the abnormality detection unit during a previous detection.

7. the abnormality detection unit is a camera that captures an image of the workpiece, the first reference information is a partial region image having a similarity equal to or greater than a threshold value among a plurality of partial region images obtained by capturing images of at least two or more partial regions in the workpiece with the camera, 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first detection information is an image of the partial area of ​​the workpiece obtained by imaging the partial area with the camera.

8. A processing method for processing a workpiece, comprising: a holding step of holding the workpiece on a holding table; a processing step of processing the workpiece held on the holding table by a processing unit; an abnormality detection step of detecting an abnormality in the workpiece before the processing step; a comparison step, before the processing step and after the abnormality detection step, of comparing registered reference information for determining that the workpiece before processing is normal with detection information newly obtained by detecting the workpiece in the abnormality detection step; A processing method comprising:

Images