Blade diameter calculating method and processing device

Abstract

To provide a new blade diameter calculating method that calculates a blade diameter by performing image recognition of a groove formed on a plate-like object.SOLUTION: A blade diameter calculating method, which photographs a cut groove formed on a plate-like object and calculates a diameter of a cutting blade from the photographed image of the cut groove, includes: a photographing step of photographing a surface of the plate-like object; a groove detecting step of detecting the cut groove in the photographed image; a correcting step of correcting a reference position of the cut blade so that a depth of incision becomes lower by a predetermined amount, when the cut groove in the photographed image cannot be detected; a loop process which includes an additional incising step of incising the plate-like object by moving down the cutting blade from the reference position by the depth of incision corrected in the correcting step and a photographing step of photographing a surface of the plate-like object after the additional incising step; and a diameter calculating step of photographing the cut groove and calculating a diameter of the cutting blade from the photographed image, when the cut groove is detected in the groove detecting step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for calculating a blade diameter by image recognition of a groove formed in a plate-like object. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, chopper cut setup (hereinafter referred to as "CCS" (Chopper Cut Setup)) is known as a setup method in which a cutting blade is cut into a silicon measurement plate mounted on a sub-chuck table by up to 30 μm, the width of the cut is detected by image recognition, and the amount of wear is calculated.

[0003] The outer diameter of the cutting blade is registered in the device in advance, and the specified width value is calculated using Pythagoras' theorem from the depth distance of 30 μm, which is the amount cut into the plate-like object, and the estimated blade diameter is calculated from the gap with the actual cutting width measured using image recognition.

[0004] Patent Document 1 also discloses a non-contact setup (NCS) that uses a light-transmitting sensor to detect the cutting edge and roughly detect the diameter of the cutting blade. Since the CCS cuts into a plate-like object from above, rather than from the side, it is generally necessary to perform NCS before CCS after processes that involve a lot of wear, such as dressing, which is the sharpening process of a grinding wheel, to roughly calculate the degree of wear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-080757 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A drawback of detecting the cutting edge using a light transmission sensor such as the NCS mentioned above is that with thick cutting blades such as 3 mm, light is reflected from the bottom surface, which is wide in the thickness direction, and this reflection of light can cause the tip position to be misidentified, making it impossible to accurately measure the degree of wear.

[0007] The reference position of the cutting edge in CCS is determined by the cutting edge position in NCS, which is performed beforehand. Therefore, if the cutting edge is incorrectly detected by NCS, it will be mistakenly recognized as being further ahead than the actual cutting edge position, and will not be able to cut into the plate-like object in the subsequent CCS process, resulting in a so-called "miss." The device will then output an error stating that "the cutting edge cannot be detected by image recognition."

[0008] To eliminate this type of error, a conventional method has been to shift the position of an already cut groove so that it is in the microscope camera's view, causing the device to mistakenly recognize it as a newly cut groove.

[0009] However, this method is extremely cumbersome, placing a burden on the operator and hindering improvements in throughput, so improvements were needed.

[0010] In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a novel technique for calculating the blade diameter by image recognition of grooves formed in a plate-like object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blade diameter calculation method for imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating the diameter of a cutting blade from the captured image of the cutting groove, the blade diameter calculation method comprising: a loop process including an imaging step of imaging the surface of the plate-like object; a groove detection step of detecting the cutting groove in the captured image; a correction step of correcting the setting of the cutting edge position when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount if the cutting groove is not detected in the captured image; and an additional cutting step of lowering the cutting blade after the correction step and cutting into the plate-like object; and a diameter calculation step of calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image if the cutting groove is detected in the groove detection step.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blade diameter calculation method for imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating the diameter of a cutting blade from the captured image of the cutting groove, the blade diameter calculation method including a loop process including: a cutting step for making a cut in the plate-like object; a notch detection step for detecting whether or not the cutting blade has made a notch based on a change in the load on the cutting blade; and a correction step for correcting the setting of the cutting edge position when the cutting blade descends to be lower by a predetermined amount if no notch is detected in the notch detection step; and a diameter calculation step for imaging the cutting groove and calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image if a notch is detected in the notch detection step.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, during the additional cutting step, the presence or absence of cutting by the cutting blade is detected based on a change in the load applied to the cutting blade.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the reference position that serves as the reference for the cutting edge position during the downward movement is set by a non-contact setup that is carried out in advance.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing device capable of capturing an image of a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating the diameter of a cutting blade from the captured image of the cutting groove, the processing device comprising: a control unit, an imaging unit, a cutting unit having the cutting blade, and a holding table that holds the plate-like object, the control unit performing a loop process including: an imaging step of capturing an image of the surface of the plate-like object; a groove detection step of detecting the cutting groove in the captured image; a correction step of correcting the setting of the cutting edge position when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount if the cutting groove is not detected in the captured image; and an additional cutting step of lowering the cutting blade after the correction step and cutting into the plate-like object; and a diameter calculation step of calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image if the cutting groove is detected in the groove detection step.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing device capable of capturing an image of a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating the diameter of a cutting blade from the captured image of the cutting groove, the processing device comprising: a control unit, an imaging unit, a cutting unit having the cutting blade, a holding table for holding the plate-like object, and a detection means for detecting the current value of the cutting blade, wherein the control unit performs a loop process including: a cutting step for making a cut in the plate-like object; a notch detection step for detecting whether or not the cutting blade has made a notch based on a change in the load on the cutting blade; and a correction step for correcting the setting of the cutting edge position when the cutting blade descends to be lower by a predetermined amount if no notch is detected in the notch detection step; and a diameter calculation step for capturing an image of the cutting groove and calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image if a notch is detected in the notch detection step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The present invention provides the following effects. That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, even if a so-called "miss strike" occurs when the cutting blade does not cut into the plate-like object during chopper cut setup, automatic correction is performed. This allows the cutting blade to be reliably cut into the plate-like object, enabling reliable measurement of the cutting blade diameter. In particular, with non-contact setup, when the cutting blade is thick (e.g., 3 mm), the accurate tip position of the cutting blade may not be recognized due to light reflection, resulting in the reference position being set too high and causing a "miss strike." However, this method can prevent this problem. Furthermore, even when calculating the cutting blade diameter as an intermediate setup after repeated cutting or dressing has increased wear, automatic reliable measurement of the cutting blade diameter is possible.

[0019] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform both detection of the cutting groove based on the captured image and detection of the cutting groove based on the change in the load applied to the cutting blade, thereby making it possible to more reliably detect the cutting groove. For example, it is possible to deal with the situation where it is difficult to analyze the image because a clear captured image cannot be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a processing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a holding table. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating cutting into the second holding table. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing steps of a blade diameter calculation method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] (A) is a diagram for explaining the groove detection step, (B) is a diagram showing a captured image in which a cutting groove is not detected, (C) is a diagram for explaining the correction step, and (D) is a diagram showing a captured image in which a cutting groove is detected. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing steps constituting a blade diameter calculation method according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A is a diagram illustrating a cut detection step, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a correction step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that 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.

[0022] A processing device 1 for carrying out a cutting blade diameter measurement method according to one 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 1 for carrying out the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the processing device 1 of Fig. 1.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 includes a holding table 10, a cutting unit 20, an imaging unit 30, a processing feed unit 41, an indexing feed unit 42, a cutting feed unit 43, and a control unit 50.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, workpiece 100, which is the object to be processed by processing apparatus 1, is, for example, a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer made of a base material such as silicon, sapphire, silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide, or glass. Workpiece 100 has a flat surface 101 on which chip-sized devices 103 are formed in areas defined by a plurality of planned division lines 102 formed in a grid pattern. Workpiece 100 has adhesive tape 105 attached to a back surface 104 behind front surface 101, and an annular frame 106 attached to the outer edge of adhesive tape 105, but this is not particularly limited. Workpiece 100 may also be a rectangular package substrate, ceramic plate, glass plate, or the like, having a plurality of devices sealed with resin.

[0025] The plate-like object 150 is made of the same material as the workpiece 100 and is formed into a plate shape having an area perpendicular to the thickness direction that is smaller than that of the workpiece 100. The plate-like object 150 is, for example, a small piece of silicon. As will be described in detail later, the cutting blade cuts into the plate-like object 150 by a predetermined amount, thereby forming a cutting groove that is a transfer of the outer shape of the cutting blade.

[0026] The holding table 10 comprises a disk-shaped frame body with a recess formed therein and a disk-shaped suction part fitted into the recess. The suction part of the holding table is made of porous ceramic or the like with a large number of porous holes, and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) via a vacuum suction path (not shown).

[0027] The upper surface of the suction portion of the holding table 10 is configured as a holding surface 11 on which the workpiece 100 is placed and which suction-holds the placed workpiece 100. The holding surface 11 suction-holds the workpiece 100, which is placed with its surface 101 facing upward, via an adhesive tape 105. The holding table 10 is connected to a rotation drive source (not shown) independently of a second holding table 15 (described later), and is provided so as to be rotatable about a Z-axis which is vertical and perpendicular to the XY plane by the rotation drive source (not shown).

[0028] 1 and 2, the second holding table 15 is provided at a position adjacent to the holding table 10. The second holding table 15 has a holding surface 16 that is smaller than the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. A plate-like object 150 is placed on the holding surface 16 and is held by suction on the holding surface 16.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the processing device 1 is equipped with a setup unit 17. This setup unit 17 detects the cutting edge with a light transmission sensor, roughly calculates the diameter of the cutting edge of the cutting blade, and performs non-contact setup (NCS) to set a reference position H0 (Figure 5(A)) before lowering the cutting blade 21.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the setup unit 17 is provided adjacent to the holding table 10, similar to the second holding table 15. The setup unit 17 has a groove 18 formed along the X-axis direction, into which the cutting blade 21 can enter. A light-emitting unit 19a and a light-receiving unit 19b, each having an optical axis along the Y-axis direction, are disposed facing each other on both sides of the groove 18. As the tip of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 enters the groove 18, the amount of light intercepted by the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 between the light-emitting unit 19a and the light-receiving unit 19b increases, resulting in a decrease in the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 19b. Therefore, the setup unit 17 can roughly calculate the diameter D of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 by, for example, obtaining from the cutting feed unit 43 the position of the cutting unit 20 (FIG. 1) in the cutting feed direction (Z-axis direction) when the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 19b reaches a predetermined amount of light.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle 22, a rotation drive unit 23, and a load detection unit 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting blade 21 includes a cutting edge 21a provided on its outer periphery. The cutting edge 21a 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. The cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 wears as the cutting blade 21 cuts, thereby self-sharpening the cutting edge and always maintaining a certain level of sharpness. The diameter D of the outer edge of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 gradually decreases as the cutting edge 21a wears as the cutting blade 21 cuts.

[0032] 1, the imaging unit 30 includes an imaging element that captures an image of a planned dividing line 102 (FIG. 2) of a workpiece held on the holding table 10 before cutting. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 30 is fixed to the cutting unit so as to move integrally with the cutting unit.

[0033] The imaging unit 30 captures an image of the workpiece before cutting, acquires an image for performing alignment of the workpiece and the cutting blade, and outputs the image to the control unit 50. The imaging unit 30 also captures an image of the workpiece after cutting, acquires an image for performing a so-called kerf check, which automatically checks whether the processing marks (cutting marks) are within the planned dividing line and whether any large chips have occurred, and outputs the acquired image to the control unit 50.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the imaging unit 30 captures an image of the plate-like object 150 after cutting, which is held on the second holding table 15, and obtains images to perform so-called chopper cut setup, such as recognizing the diameter D of the outer edge of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 and the tip shape of the cutting edge 21a from the shape of the cutting groove, and outputs the obtained images to the control unit 50 (Figure 1).

[0035] The processing feed unit 41 moves the holding table 10 relative to the cutting blade 21, spindle 22, etc. along the processing feed direction of the holding table 10. Here, in this embodiment, the processing feed direction is another horizontal direction, the X-axis direction which is perpendicular to the Y-axis direction. The processing feed unit 41 detects the position of the holding table in the processing feed direction (X-axis direction) and outputs the detected position of the holding table 10 in the processing feed direction (X-axis direction) to the control unit 50.

[0036] The indexing feed unit 42 moves the cutting blade 21, spindle 22, etc. of the cutting unit along the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, relative to the workpiece on the holding table 10 and the plate-like object on the second holding table 15. The indexing feed unit 42 detects the position of the cutting unit in the indexing feed direction (Y-axis direction), and outputs the detected position of the cutting unit 20 in the indexing feed direction (Y-axis direction) to the control unit 50.

[0037] The cutting feed unit 43 moves the cutting blade 21 and spindle 22 of the cutting unit along the Z-axis direction, which is the cutting feed direction, relative to the workpiece on the holding table 10 and the plate-like object held on the second holding table 15.

[0038] The control unit 50 controls the operation of various components of the processing device 1 to cause the processing device 1 to perform cutting processing on the workpiece 100. The control unit 50 also controls the imaging unit 30 to acquire images for performing alignment captured by the imaging unit 30, and performs alignment based on these images.

[0039] The processing device 1 is equipped with a display unit 6 consisting of, for example, a touch panel. The display unit 6 displays a screen for setting cutting conditions for the processing device 1 and images captured by the imaging unit 30. The display unit 6 is also configured to enable various input operations by an operator's touch operation.

[0040] As described above, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, a processing device 1 is configured that can capture an image of the cutting groove formed in a plate-like object 150 and calculate the diameter of the cutting blade 21 from the captured image of the cutting groove, and that has a control unit 50, an imaging unit 30, a cutting unit 20 having the cutting blade 21, and a holding table 15 (second holding table) that holds the plate-like object.

[0041] Next, a description will be given of a method for calculating the blade diameter of a cutting blade using the processing device 1 configured as described above. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing steps constituting the blade diameter calculation method according to the first embodiment.

[0042] This calculation of the cutting blade diameter is performed in what is known as chopper cut setup (CCS), and is performed, for example, at any timing when it becomes necessary to calculate the amount of wear of the cutting blade after a predetermined period of use, or when the cutting blade is replaced with a new one. Before the chopper cut setup is performed, a non-contact setup is performed in advance to roughly calculate the diameter D of the cutting edge 21a, and based on this calculated diameter D, a reference position H0 (FIG. 5(A)) before the cutting blade 21 is lowered is set. [Example]

[0043] <Imaging steps> As shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), this is a step of capturing an image of the surface 150a of the plate-like object 150.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 50 positions the second holding table 15 directly below the imaging unit 30, and captures an image of the surface 150a of the plate-like object 150 (FIG. 2) held on the second holding table 15 to obtain an image 60.

[0045] <Groove detection step> As shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 5(D), this is a step for detecting cutting grooves in the captured image 60.

[0046] Specifically, the control unit 50 performs image analysis on the captured image 60 of the surface 150a of the plate-like object 150 held on the second holding table 15, and determines whether or not there is a cutting groove.

[0047] In Fig. 5(A), the cutting blade 21 does not reach the plate-like object 150 and no cutting groove is formed, so the cutting groove does not appear in the captured image 60 as shown in Fig. 5(B). The control unit 50 determines that there is no cutting groove and performs the next correction step.

[0048] In Fig. 5(C), the cutting blade 21 reaches the plate-like object 150 and forms a cutting groove 155, so that the cutting groove 155 appears in the captured image 60 as shown in Fig. 5(D). In this case, the control unit 50 determines that a cutting groove is "present" and performs a diameter calculation step, which will be described later.

[0049] <Correction step> As shown in Figure 5(A), when a cutting groove is not detected in the captured image 60, this is a step in which the setting of the cutting edge position 21b when the cutting blade 21 descends is corrected to be lower by a predetermined amount h, as shown in Figure 5(C).

[0050] Specifically, in the non-contact setup described above, a reference position H0 before the cutting blade 21 (spindle 22) is lowered is set in the control unit 50, and in the chopper cut setup, the cutting blade 21 is lowered by a specified amount K from the reference position H0 to form a cutting groove 155 of a predetermined cutting depth Z (FIG. 5(C)). However, if the cutting blade 21 does not reach the plate-like object 150 with this setting, the cutting groove will not be detected in the captured image 60 as shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0051] Therefore, the control unit 50 corrects the reference position H0 so as to set it lower by a predetermined amount h as shown in Fig. 5(C), and makes it possible to lower the cutting blade 21 by a specified amount K from the corrected reference position H1. As a result, the cutting edge position 21b of the lowered cutting blade 21 can reach a position lower by the predetermined amount h.

[0052] <Additional cutting step> As shown in FIG. 5(C), this is a step in which the cutting blade 21 is lowered from the reference position H1 corrected in the correction step to cut into the plate-like object 150.

[0053] Specifically, the control unit 50 positions the second holding table 15 directly below the cutting blade 21 and rotates the cutting blade 21 at high speed, controls the cutting feed unit 43 to lower the cutting blade 21 from the corrected reference position H1 to cut, and then raises the cutting blade 21 (chopper cut).

[0054] Here, even if cutting starts from the corrected reference position H1, if the cutting blade 21 does not reach the plate-like object 150, the cutting blade 21 will not cut into the plate-like object 150, and no cutting groove will be formed in the plate-like object 150.

[0055] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5 (C), when the cutting blade 21 reaches the plate-like object 150 by starting cutting from the corrected reference position H1, the cutting blade 21 cuts into the plate-like object 150, and a cutting groove 155 is formed in the plate-like object 150.

[0056] The series of steps from the imaging step to the additional cutting step described above are performed as a loop process, and the loop process is repeated until the cut groove 155 is detected in the groove detection step. Each time the loop process is repeated, the cutting blade 21 starts to descend from a lower position by a predetermined amount h, and eventually, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the cutting blade 21 cuts into the plate-like object 150, and the cut groove 155 is formed in the plate-like object 150.

[0057] <Diameter calculation step> As shown in FIG. 5(D), this is a step of calculating the diameter D (FIG. 5(C)) of the cutting blade 21 from the captured image 60 when the cutting groove 155 is detected in the groove detection step.

[0058] 5(C), the cutting depth Z, which is the cutting amount of the cutting blade 21, is a parameter that determines the depth of the cut groove 155, and when the cut groove 155 is formed by chopper cutting, the depth of the cut groove 155 roughly determines the length L of the cut groove 155 in the processing feed direction (X-axis direction), so it is also a parameter that determines the length L of the cut groove 155 formed by chopper cutting. The length L of the cut groove 155 increases monotonically as the depth of the cut groove 155 increases, and specifically, is roughly calculated by the following formula. L=2(DZ-Z 2 ) 1 / 2 (where 0≦Z≦D / 2) (Equation 1) In Formula 1, D is the diameter D of the outer edge of the cutting blade 21, and Z is the cutting depth Z of the cutting blade 21. In Formula 1, the length units of L, R, and Z are the same.

[0059] Then, the control unit calculates the diameter D based on the above relational expression (Equation 1). Specifically, the diameter D is calculated by the following relational expression (Equation 2). D=((L / 2) 2 +Z 2 ) / Z...(Formula 2)

[0060] According to the method described in Example 1, when chopper cut setup is performed, if the cutting blade does not cut into the plate-like object, resulting in a so-called "missing strike," the cutting blade is automatically corrected. This allows the cutting blade to be reliably cut into the plate-like object, enabling reliable measurement of the cutting blade diameter. In particular, with the non-contact setup described above, when the cutting blade is thick (e.g., 3 mm), the accurate tip position of the cutting blade may not be recognized due to light reflection, resulting in the reference position H0 (Figure 5(A)) being set too high, resulting in a "missing strike." However, this method can prevent this problem. Furthermore, even when calculating the cutting blade diameter as an intermediate setup after repeated cutting or dressing has increased wear, the cutting blade diameter can be automatically and reliably measured. [Example]

[0061] Next, a description will be given of a method for calculating the blade diameter of a cutting blade according to Example 2. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing steps constituting the method for calculating the blade diameter according to Example 2.

[0062] In this Example 2, whether or not a cutting groove has been formed is recognized based on a change in the load on the cutting blade, and other points are based on the same technical idea as in Example 1. That is, in Example 1, whether or not a cutting groove has been formed is determined based on a captured image, whereas in Example 2, the determination is made based on a change in the load on the cutting blade.

[0063] 3, the control unit 50 is configured to be able to refer to changes in the load on the cutting blade 21 by monitoring them through the load detection unit 24. The load detection unit 24 detects the current value (load current value) of the power supplied to the spindle motor 26 that rotates the spindle 22, and detects whether the cutting blade 21 has cut into the plate-like object 150 based on the change in the current value.

[0064] <Cutting step> As shown in FIG. 7(A), this is a step in which the plate-like object 150 is cut.

[0065] Specifically, the control unit 50 lowers the cutting blade 21 by a specified amount K from the reference position H0, and cuts into the plate-like object 150.

[0066] <Cut detection step> This is a step of detecting whether or not the cutting blade is cutting based on the change in the load on the cutting blade.

[0067] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 50 detects whether the cutting blade 21 has cut into the plate-like object 150 by detecting the current value (load current value) by the load detection unit 24.

[0068] In FIG. 7(A), the cutting blade 21 does not reach the plate-like object 150 and the notch cannot be detected, so the control unit determines that there is "no notch" and performs the next correction step.

[0069] In Figure 7(B), the cutting blade 21 reaches the plate-like object 150 and a cutting groove 155 is formed, thereby detecting a notch, so the control unit determines that a notch is present and performs the diameter calculation step described later.

[0070] <Correction step> As shown in Fig. 7(A), if no cut is detected in the cut detection step, this is a step of correcting the setting of cutting edge position 21b when cutting blade 21 descends so as to lower it by a predetermined amount h, as shown in Fig. 7(B). This allows cutting edge position 21b when cutting blade 21 descends to reach a position lower by the predetermined amount h. Note that the content of correcting the reference position to lower cutting edge position 21b by the predetermined amount h is the same as in Example 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] The series of steps from the cutting step to the correction step described above is performed as a loop process, and the loop process is repeated until it is detected that a cut has been made in the cut detection step. Each time the loop process is repeated, the cutting blade 21 starts to descend from a lower position by a predetermined amount h, so that the cutting blade 21 eventually cuts into the plate-like object 150, and a cut groove 155 is formed in the plate-like object 150, as shown in FIG. 7(B).

[0072] <Diameter calculation step> As shown in Fig. 7(B), when the cutting groove 155 is detected in the cut detection step, the cutting groove 155 is imaged and the diameter D of the cutting blade 21 is calculated from the imaged image 60. The method for imaging the cutting groove 155 and the image obtained by imaging are the same as those shown in Fig. 5(D) described in the first embodiment, and therefore further description will be omitted.

[0073] According to the method described in Example 2, when chopper cut setup is performed, if the cutting blade does not cut into the plate-like object, a so-called "missing strike" occurs, and automatic correction is performed. This allows the cutting blade to be accurately cut into the plate-like object, enabling reliable measurement of the cutting blade diameter. In particular, with the non-contact setup described above, when the cutting blade is thick (e.g., 3 mm), the accurate tip position of the cutting blade may not be recognized due to light reflection, resulting in the reference position H0 (Figure 5(A)) being set too high, resulting in a "missing strike." However, this method can prevent this problem. Furthermore, even when calculating the cutting blade diameter as an intermediate setup after repeated cutting or dressing has increased wear, automatic reliable measurement of the cutting blade diameter is possible.

[0074] Furthermore, during the additional cutting step in Example 1, the control unit 50 may detect whether or not the cutting blade 21 has cut into the plate-like object 150 by detecting the current value (load current value) using the load detection unit 24 (Figure 3).

[0075] This allows for both detection of the cutting groove based on the captured image and detection of the cutting groove based on the change in the load on the cutting blade, making it possible to more reliably detect the cutting groove. For example, this makes it possible to deal with situations where it is difficult to analyze the image because a clear captured image cannot be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Processing equipment 6 Display Unit 10 Holding table 11 Holding surface 15 Second holding table 16 Holding surface 17 Setup Unit 18 Groove 19a Light-emitting part 19b Light receiving section 20 Cutting unit 21 Cutting blade 21a cutting blade 22 Spindle 23 Rotation drive unit 24 Load detection unit 26 Spindle motor 30 Imaging unit 50 Control Unit 60 captured images 100 Workpiece 150 Plate-shaped objects 150a surface 155 Cutting groove D diameter h predetermined amount H0 reference position H1 Reference position after correction K specified amount

Claims

1. A blade diameter calculation method for imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating a diameter of a cutting blade from the captured image of the cutting groove, an imaging step of imaging the surface of the plate-like object; a groove detection step of detecting the cutting groove in the captured image; a correcting step of correcting the cutting edge position setting when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount when the cutting groove is not detected in the captured image; an additional cutting step of lowering the cutting blade after the correction step and cutting into the plate-like object; a loop including: a diameter calculation step of calculating a diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image when the cutting groove is detected in the groove detection step; A method for calculating blade diameter, including:

2. A blade diameter calculation method for imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating a diameter of a cutting blade from the image of the cutting groove, the method comprising: a cutting step of cutting the plate-like object; a cut detection step of detecting whether or not the cutting blade is in a cut based on a change in the load applied to the cutting blade; a correcting step of correcting a cutting edge position setting when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount when no cut is detected in the cut detection step; a loop including: a diameter calculation step of imaging the cutting groove and calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image when the cutting groove is detected in the cutting groove detection step; A method for calculating blade diameter, including:

3. During the additional cutting step, whether or not the cutting blade has cut is detected based on a change in load applied to the cutting blade.

2. The blade diameter calculation method according to claim 1 .

4. The reference position that serves as the reference for the cutting edge position during the descent is set by a non-contact setup that is performed in advance.

4. The blade diameter calculation method according to claim 1, wherein the blade diameter is calculated based on the calculated blade diameter.

5. A processing device capable of imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating a diameter of a cutting blade from the image of the cutting groove, a control unit, an imaging unit, a cutting unit having the cutting blade, and a holding table that holds the plate-like object; The control unit an imaging step of imaging the surface of the plate-like object; a groove detection step of detecting the cutting groove in the captured image; a correcting step of correcting the cutting edge position setting when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount when the cutting groove is not detected in the captured image; an additional cutting step of lowering the cutting blade after the correction step and cutting into the plate-like object; a loop including: a diameter calculation step of calculating a diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image when the cutting groove is detected in the groove detection step; Processing equipment that performs the above.

6. A processing device capable of imaging a cutting groove formed in a plate-like object and calculating a diameter of a cutting blade from the image of the cutting groove, a control unit, an imaging unit, a cutting unit having the cutting blade, a holding table for holding the plate-like object, and a detection means for detecting a current value of the cutting blade; The control unit a cutting step of cutting the plate-like object; a cut detection step of detecting whether or not the cutting blade is in a cut based on a change in the load applied to the cutting blade; a correcting step of correcting a cutting edge position setting when the cutting blade is lowered by a predetermined amount when no cut is detected in the cut detection step; a loop including: a diameter calculation step of imaging the cutting groove and calculating the diameter of the cutting blade from the captured image when the cutting groove is detected in the cutting groove detection step; Processing equipment that performs the above.

7. During the additional cutting step, whether or not the cutting blade has cut is detected based on a change in load applied to the cutting blade.

6. The processing device according to claim 5.

8. The reference position that serves as the reference for the cutting edge position during the descent is set by a non-contact setup that is performed in advance.

8. The processing device according to claim 5, wherein the processing device is a processing device for processing a substrate.

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