Tape expanding apparatus

Abstract

To provide a tape expansion device capable of simplifying the configuration of the device, reducing the cost and saving the space, and excellently separating a plurality of chips and peeling them from a tape by uniformly expanding the tape in terms of two-dimension.SOLUTION: A tape expanding device for expanding a tape TA in order to peel off a plurality of chips TI attached to the tape TA includes a first roll 4A and a second roll 4B spaced apart from each other in an X direction and rotatable about two axes extending parallel to each other in a Y direction, the first roll 4C and the second roll 4D holding an outer edge of the tape TA in the X direction in a wound state, a third roll 4A and a fourth roll 4D spaced apart from each other in the Y direction and rotatable about two axes extending parallel to each other in the X direction, the third roll LA and the fourth roll LA holding an outer edge of the tape TA in the Y direction in a wound state, and a plurality of drive mechanisms 5 for rotating the first to fourth rolls LA to LA in a winding direction to wind the tape TA and expand the tape TA.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape expanding device that expands a tape in order to peel off a plurality of chips attached to the tape. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of this type of conventional tape expansion device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This expansion device expands a sheet (tape) to which a wafer, such as a semiconductor wafer, is attached, thereby peeling off multiple chips from the wafer. The sheet is extensible and adhesive, and is formed in a rectangular shape, with the wafer attached to its center. The wafer has a lattice-like pattern of weak spots formed by laser-processed modified layers or by cutting grooves halfway through the wafer, and the areas surrounded by the weak spots form chips.

[0003] The sheet expansion mechanism has first and second clamping and moving units for clamping and expanding two opposing sides of the sheet in the X direction, and third and fourth clamping and moving units for clamping and expanding the other two opposing sides of the sheet in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. Each clamping and moving unit has a moving base, an upper clamping section and a lower clamping section (hereinafter collectively referred to as "upper and lower clamping sections") that are provided on the moving base so as to be movable vertically, a vertical moving unit consisting of a first motor, a ball screw, etc., for driving the upper and lower clamping sections relatively vertically, and an expansion and moving unit consisting of a second motor, a ball screw, etc., for driving the moving base horizontally.

[0004] With this configuration, after the sheet is set between the upper and lower clamping portions of each clamping and moving unit, the first motors are actuated to drive the upper and lower clamping portions relative to each other in the vertical direction, thereby clamping the four sides of the sheet between the upper and lower clamping portions. Next, the second motors of the first and second clamping and moving units are actuated to drive the moving bases horizontally outward, thereby expanding the sheet in the X direction via the upper and lower clamping portions. At the same time, the second motors of the third and fourth clamping and moving units are actuated to drive the moving bases horizontally outward, thereby expanding the sheet in the Y direction via the upper and lower clamping portions. By expanding the sheet in all directions in this way, the wafer adhered to it breaks along the lattice-shaped weak portions and is divided into individual chips, which are then separated and peeled off from the sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-15670 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above-mentioned conventional expanding device, each of the first to fourth clamping and moving units that clamp and expand the sheet must be provided with an upper and lower clamping section, a vertical moving unit consisting of a first motor for clamping the sheet between the upper and lower clamping sections, and an expanding moving unit consisting of a second motor for expanding the sheet.This results in a very large number of parts, a complex configuration, and increased manufacturing costs.In addition, because the upper and lower clamping sections of the first to fourth clamping and moving units each move outward, extra space is required to accommodate their strokes.

[0007] Furthermore, in conventional expanding devices, when expanding a sheet, the upper and lower clamping sections clamp the four sides of the sheet vertically, and then move the upper and lower clamping sections in parallel in the horizontal direction. Therefore, variations in the clamping force and movement of the upper and lower clamping sections can cause uneven tension in the sheet along one side, particularly between the two ends of the side. Such uneven tensions on each side of the sheet affect each other, preventing the sheet from expanding evenly in all directions. This uneven distribution of tension on the sheet makes it difficult to properly separate multiple chips from each other and peel them off the sheet.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tape expansion device that simplifies the configuration of the device, reduces costs, and saves space, and that can effectively separate multiple chips and peel them off from the tape by expanding the tape evenly in all directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve this object, the invention of claim 1 is a tape expansion device that expands a tape to peel off multiple chips attached to the tape, and is characterized by comprising: a first roll and a second roll that are spaced apart from each other in the X direction and rotatable about two axes that extend parallel to each other in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and that hold the outer edge of the tape in a wound state; a third roll and a fourth roll that are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction and rotatable about two axes that extend parallel to each other in the X direction, and that hold the outer edge of the tape in a wound state; and a roll driving means that rotates the first to fourth rolls in a predetermined winding direction to wind the tape, thereby expanding the tape.

[0010] The tape expansion device of the present invention includes first and second rolls that face each other in the X direction and are rotatable about two axes extending parallel to the Y direction, and third and fourth rolls that face each other in the Y direction and are rotatable about two axes extending parallel to the X direction. The first to fourth rolls of these four axes hold the outer edge of a tape having multiple chips attached thereto. The first to fourth rolls are then rotated in a predetermined winding direction to wind up the tape, thereby expanding the tape in all directions. As a result, the spacing between the multiple chips on the tape increases, causing the multiple chips to separate from one another, and the adhesive area between each chip and the tape decreases, causing the multiple chips to peel off from the tape.

[0011] As described above, in the present invention, the tape is expanded by winding it around the roll, and since the tape is wound evenly around the outer circumferential surface of the roll around the axis of the roll, the tension in the tape is automatically equalized along the length of the roll. As a result, by expanding the tape evenly in all directions in a balanced manner, the tension distribution in the tape becomes uniform, allowing multiple chips to be separated and peeled off from the tape smoothly.

[0012] In addition, because the tape is wound around a roll and held in place, there is no need for a drive mechanism such as a motor or ball screw to drive the upper and lower clamping parts that clamp the tape, as in conventional devices, and the number of parts is reduced accordingly, making it possible to simplify the configuration of the device and reduce costs.In addition, because the tape is expanded by the rotation of the roll, there is no need for space for the stroke of the upper and lower clamping parts to move outward, as in conventional devices, and space can be saved.

[0013] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that in the tape expanding device according to claim 1, the first to fourth rolls are provided with a plurality of pins that bite into the outer edge of the tape.

[0014] According to this configuration, the outer edge of the tape is engaged with the pins provided on the first to fourth rolls, which makes it possible to easily and reliably wind the tape around the first to fourth rolls without the need for a drive mechanism for this purpose.

[0015] The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the tape expansion device according to claim 2, among the multiple pins of the first to fourth rolls, the pin located in the center is arranged at a position shifted toward the front end in the winding direction relative to the other pins.

[0016] When a tape is wound onto a roll with multiple pins of the roll engaging with the outer edge of the tape, the tape is likely to loosen at the center of the roll's length. According to this configuration, the central pin of the multiple pins of each roll is positioned further forward in the winding direction of the roll than the other pins. This allows pre-tension to be applied to the center of the tape with multiple pins engaging with the outer edge of the tape. As a result, loosening at the center of the tape when the tape is wound onto a roll can be suppressed, allowing the tape to expand more evenly.

[0017] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the tape expansion device described in claim 2, each of the first to fourth rolls has a main body portion and a clamping portion that is rotatably attached to the main body portion and clamps the tape between the main body portion and the clamping portion when the main body portion is closed, and multiple pins are provided in the clamping portion, and the main body portion has multiple long holes formed therein that extend along the rotation direction of the clamping portion and into which the multiple pins engage and into which the portions of the tape around the pins get caught when the clamping portion rotates to the closing side.

[0018] According to this configuration, each of the first to fourth rolls has a main body portion and a clamping portion rotatably attached to the main body portion, and when the clamping portion rotates to close the main body portion, the tape is clamped between the main body portion and the clamping portion. Furthermore, multiple pins are provided in the clamping portion, and multiple elongated holes extending in the direction of rotation of the clamping portion are formed in the main body portion. When the clamping portion rotates to the closing side, the multiple pins engage with the multiple elongated holes, respectively, and the portions of the tape around the pins are caught in the inner walls of the elongated holes. This allows the tape to be held firmly without slipping.

[0019] The invention of claim 5 is characterized in that, in the tape expansion device described in claim 4, protrusions are provided on the outer surface of at least one of the main body and clamping parts of the first to fourth rolls to prevent the tape from slipping by digging into the tape while the tape is being wound up.

[0020] According to this configuration, while the tape is being wound by the first to fourth rolls, the protrusions provided on the outer surfaces of the main body and / or clamping part dig into and grip the tape, preventing the tape from slipping and allowing the tape to be expanded more effectively.

[0021] The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that in the tape expansion device according to claim 1, each of the first to fourth rolls has a main body portion and a clamping portion for clamping the tape between the main body portion and the clamping portion.

[0022] According to this configuration, in each of the first to fourth rolls, the tape can be effectively sandwiched between the main body portion and the sandwiching portion.

[0023] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the tape expansion device described in claim 6, a magnetic body is provided on one of the main body part and the clamping part, and a magnet is provided on the other of the main body part and the clamping part, which applies an adhesive force to the magnetic body to clamp the tape between the main body part and the clamping part.

[0024] With this configuration, the magnetic material provided on one of the main body and clamping portion is subjected to the adhesive force of the magnet provided on the other of the main body and clamping portion, thereby clamping the tape between the main body and clamping portion and holding the tape well.

[0025] The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the tape expansion device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 further comprises a reverse rotation prevention mechanism for preventing the first to fourth rolls that have rotated in the winding direction from rotating in the opposite direction.

[0026] With this configuration, after the roll has rotated in the winding direction to wind up the tape, the reverse rotation prevention mechanism prevents the roll from rotating in the reverse direction, thereby preventing the tape from loosening due to reverse rotation of the roll and maintaining the tension in the tape.

[0027] The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that in the tape expansion device according to claim 8, the reverse rotation prevention mechanism is provided on each of the first to fourth rolls and is composed of a one-way clutch that allows rotation only in the winding direction.

[0028] With this configuration, the one-way clutch can prevent the roll from rotating backward after the tape has been wound up, and this effect can be achieved at low cost using a relatively simple configuration such as a one-way clutch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a tape expansion device according to an embodiment in a state after a tape has been set. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view corresponding to FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tape expansion device in a state before a tape is set. [Figure 6]1 is a perspective view of a tape expansion device with a tape placed on the main body of a roll. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The tape expansion device 1 expands a tape TA to which multiple chips TI are attached in all directions, thereby separating the multiple chips from one another and peeling them off from the tape TA.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, the tape TA is square and has moderate extensibility and adhesiveness. Although not shown, the tape TA may have a two-layer structure consisting of, for example, a base layer and an adhesive layer, with a total thickness of 10 to 500 µm. The base layer has a thickness of 10 to 400 µm and is made of an extensible material, such as a synthetic resin such as a styrene resin, a urethane resin, an olefin resin, or an acrylic resin. The adhesive layer has a thickness of 1 to 100 µm and is made of, for example, an acrylic polymer, a rubber polymer, a urethane polymer, or a silicone polymer resin.

[0032] A large number of chips TI are attached to a rectangular area in the center of the tape TA. The chips TI are electronic components, such as MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor) chips. After attaching a sheet of MLCC raw material to the tape TA, it is cut into a grid pattern with a cutter, forming a large number of chips TI on the tape TA.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the tape expansion device 1 includes four support columns 3, four rolls 4 rotatably supported by the support columns 3, and a drive mechanism 5 for rotating each roll 4. The support columns 3 are arranged in a square shape and erected at the four corners of a square base 7 with support legs 6. Each support column 3 has two pieces that form an L-shape in plan view, with the corners of the L-shape positioned inside the base 7 and the two pieces arranged parallel to the two outer sides of the base 7. A shaft hole 3a is formed at the same height in the upper part of each of the two pieces of the support column 3.

[0034] The roll shafts 8 of the rolls 4 are rotatably attached to the shaft holes 3a of each of two adjacent support columns 3 and extend horizontally. With the above configuration, the four rolls 4 are arranged in a square shape when viewed in a plan view, and are rotatable around their respective axes (four-shaft roll configuration). The four rolls 4 have the same configuration. When distinguishing between the rolls 4, the two rolls 4 facing each other in the X direction in FIG. 1 are referred to as the first roll 4A and the second roll 4B, and the two rolls 4 facing each other in the Y direction are referred to as the third roll 4C and the fourth roll 4D.

[0035] Each roll 4 has a roll shaft 8, a main body 9 that is integrally provided midway on the roll shaft 8 and extends in the axial direction, and a clamping unit 10 that is rotatably attached to the main body 9 via a hinge. As shown in Fig. 4, the main body 9 and the clamping unit 10 have complementary shapes that form a circle in cross section and a cylinder as a whole, as their flat mating surfaces come together when the clamping unit 10 is closed.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the clamping section 10 of the roll 4 is provided with a plurality of pins 11. The pins 11 penetrate the clamping section 10 in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface and protrude slightly outward from the outer circumferential surface of the clamping section 10 and the mating surface. The plurality of pins 11 are arranged at equal intervals. Furthermore, the central pin 11 is arranged so that it is slightly shifted outward compared to the other pins 11 when the clamping section 10 is closed, and the other pins 11 are arranged in a straight line. Instead of this arrangement, the plurality of pins 11 may be arranged in a dogleg shape or an arc shape.

[0037] Meanwhile, a plurality of elongated holes 12 are formed in the mating surface of the main body 9 at positions corresponding to the pins 11. The elongated holes 12 extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the roll 4, and like the pins 11, only the central elongated hole 12 is positioned so as to be slightly offset outward. With the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the clamping unit 10 is opened and the edge of the tape TA is placed on the mating surface of the main body 9, and then the clamping unit 10 is closed, the plurality of pins 11 engage with the edge of the tape TA, thereby applying pretension near the center of the edge of the tape TA. Furthermore, the plurality of pins 11 rotate and engage with the plurality of elongated holes 12, and the portions of the tape TA around the pins 11 engage with the inner walls of the elongated holes 12, thereby firmly holding the tape TA.

[0038] 4 and 5, the outer peripheral surface of the main body 9 of the roll 4 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 13 (five in this example) arranged in three axial rows. The protrusions 13 are formed by protruding portions of pins embedded in the main body 9 from the outer peripheral surface. Another row of protrusions 13 is formed by protruding portions of pins 11 from the outer peripheral surface of the clamping section 10. These four rows of protrusions 13 are arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction when the clamping section 10 is closed. In each row, the five protrusions 13 are arranged at equal intervals, with the central protrusion 13 being arranged so as to be slightly offset toward the leading edge of the roll 4 in the winding direction relative to the other protrusions 13.

[0039] The drive mechanism 5 is provided at one end of the roll shaft 8 of each roll 4. The drive mechanism 5 incorporates a motor as a drive source and necessary reduction gears (neither of which are shown), and rotates the roll 4 in a predetermined winding direction (for example, the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) via the roll shaft 8, thereby winding the tape TA onto the roll 4. The motor is, for example, a stepping motor, and is connected to an external control device (not shown). In this configuration, the control device controls the drive signals of each motor, thereby controlling the rotation angles of the first to fourth rolls 4 independently of one another, and thereby controlling the tension of the tape TA.

[0040] 2, a one-way clutch 15 is provided between the roll shaft 8 of each roll 4 and the support 3. The one-way clutch 15 is configured to allow the roll shaft 8 to rotate only in the winding direction, thereby preventing the first to fourth rolls 4 that have rotated in the winding direction from rotating in the opposite direction.

[0041] Next, the operation of the tape expansion device 1 configured as described above will be described. First, when setting the tape TA in the tape expansion device 1, as shown in Fig. 5, the tape TA is placed on the main body 9 with the clamping portions 10 of the first to fourth rolls 4A to 4D in an open state. This state is shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0042] Next, each clamping portion 10 is rotated toward the closing side. As this rotation occurs, the multiple pins 11 bite into the sides of the tape TA and engage with the multiple elongated holes 12 in the main body portion 9. Thereafter, each clamping portion 10 is completely closed, completing the setting of the tape TA in the tape expansion device 1. This state is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0043] In this state, the multiple pins 11 of the clamping unit 10 engage with each side of the tape TA, thereby holding the four sides of the tape TA to the first to fourth rolls 4A to 4D. In this case, the central pin 11 of the multiple pins 11 on each roll is shifted outward, so pretension is applied near the center of the sides of the tape TA. Furthermore, the multiple pins 11 engage with the multiple elongated holes 12 in the main body 9, and the portions of the tape TA around the pins 11 engage with the inner walls of the elongated holes 12, so the tape TA is firmly held on the roll 4 without slipping.

[0044] Next, from this state, the drive mechanisms 5 are operated to rotate the first to fourth rolls 4A to 4D in the winding direction, respectively, and the tape TA is expanded in all directions, thereby separating the numerous chips TI attached to the tape TA from one another and peeling them off from the tape TA. In this case, the tape TA is wound and expanded around the four shafts of the first to fourth rolls 4A to 4D, so that the expansion of the tape TA can be performed evenly in a balanced manner.

[0045] In this case, by arranging the multiple pins 11 as described above, pretension is applied near the center of the edge of the tape TA, which effectively prevents slack in the tape TA near the center during winding. Also, as the tape TA is wound, the protrusions 13 on the outer peripheral surface of the roll 4 bite into (grip) the tape TA, preventing slippage of the tape TA. Furthermore, the one-way clutch 15 prevents reverse rotation of the roll 4 after the tape TA has been wound, preventing slack in the tape TA due to reverse rotation of the roll 4. As described above, by preventing slippage and slack in the tape TA during winding, the tension of the tape TA can be effectively maintained and the tape TA can be expanded more effectively.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the described embodiment and can be embodied in various forms. For example, in the embodiment, the pin 11 of the clamping unit 10 that is bitten into the tape TA is configured to engage with the elongated hole 12 of the main body 9 to firmly hold the tape TA on the roll 4. However, other configurations can be adopted instead of or in addition to this configuration. For example, although not shown, a magnetic material may be provided on one mating surface of the main body 9 and the clamping unit 10, and a magnet may be provided on the other mating surface, and the magnetic attraction force may be applied to the magnetic material to firmly clamp the tape TA between the main body 9 and the clamping unit 10.

[0047] In addition, in the embodiment, to prevent slippage or loosening of the tape TA during winding, a configuration is adopted in which multiple pins 11 that bite into the sides of the tape TA are arranged in a non-linear manner to apply pretension near the center of the sides of the tape TA, and a configuration in which the tape TA is gripped by protrusions 13 on the outer peripheral surface of the roll 4, but one or both of these configurations may be omitted. Furthermore, in the embodiment, a one-way clutch 15 is used as a reverse rotation prevention mechanism that prevents reverse rotation of the roll 4 that has rotated in the winding direction of the tape TA, but it goes without saying that any other appropriate mechanism configuration may be used.

[0048] In the embodiment, the drive mechanism 5 as the roll drive means is described as being composed of a motor, a reduction gear, etc., but other appropriate configurations can be adopted. Also, it is within the scope of the present invention to manually operate and rotate the roll 4.

[0049] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the tape TA is square, but is not limited thereto and may be rectangular or circular, or may be square-shaped with notches cut out at the four corners corresponding to the support posts 3. If the tape TA is rectangular, the lengths of the opposing first and second rolls 4A, 4B and the lengths of the third and fourth rolls 4C, 4D may be different accordingly. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the multiple chips TI are described as MLCC chips, but are not limited thereto and may of course be chips of other electronic components. Other detailed configurations may be modified as appropriate within the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Tape Expander 4 rolls 4A~4D 1st to 4th rolls 5. Driving mechanism (roll driving means) 9 Main body 10 Clamping part 11-pin 12 slots 13 protrusions 15 One-way clutch (anti-reverse mechanism) TA tape TI chips

Claims

1. A tape expanding device that expands a tape in order to peel off a plurality of chips attached to the tape, comprising: a first roll and a second roll that are spaced apart from each other in the X direction and that are rotatable about two axes that extend parallel to each other in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and that hold an outer edge portion of the tape in the X direction in a wound state; a third roll and a fourth roll that are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction and that are rotatable about two axes that extend parallel to each other in the X direction, and that hold the outer edge of the tape in the Y direction in a wound state; a roll driving means for rotating the first to fourth rolls in a predetermined winding direction to wind up the tape, thereby expanding the tape; A tape expansion device comprising:

2. 2. The tape expansion device according to claim 1, wherein the first to fourth rolls are provided with a plurality of pins that bite into the tape.

3. 3. The tape expansion device according to claim 2, wherein a central pin among the plurality of pins of the first to fourth rolls is positioned at a position shifted toward the front end in the winding direction relative to the other pins.

4. Each of the first to fourth rolls has a main body portion and a clamping portion rotatably attached to the main body portion, and clamps the tape between the main body portion and a clamping portion when the main body portion is closed, 3. The tape expansion device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of pins are provided in the clamping portion, and the main body portion is formed with a plurality of elongated holes extending along the rotation direction of the clamping portion, into which the plurality of pins engage and into which the portions of the tape around the pins are caught when the clamping portion rotates to the closing side.

5. The tape expansion device of claim 4, characterized in that a protrusion is provided on the outer surface of at least one of the main body portion and the clamping portion of the first to fourth rolls to prevent the tape from slipping by digging into the tape during winding.

6. 2. The tape expansion device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first to fourth rolls has a main body portion and a clamping portion for clamping the tape between the main body portion and the clamping portion.

7. 7. The tape expansion device according to claim 6, wherein a magnetic body is provided on one of the main body and the clamping portion, and a magnet is provided on the other of the main body and the clamping portion, which applies an adhesive force to the magnetic body to clamp the tape between the main body and the clamping portion.

8. 8. The tape expansion device according to claim 1, further comprising a reverse rotation prevention mechanism for preventing the first to fourth rolls rotated in the winding direction from rotating in the reverse direction.

9. The tape expansion device according to claim 8, wherein the reverse rotation prevention mechanism is configured as a one-way clutch provided on each of the first to fourth rolls and allowing rotation only in the winding direction.

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