Ultraviolet irradiation apparatus and method for determining treatment target object

Abstract

To provide an ultraviolet irradiation device and a determination method of an object to be treated capable of easily determining the object to be treated.SOLUTION: The ultraviolet treatment apparatus includes an irradiation unit that irradiates a treatment target with ultraviolet light, a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet light emitted from the irradiation unit, and a determination unit that makes a determination regarding the treatment target on the basis of data regarding the ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit as a result of the treatment target being irradiated with the ultraviolet light from the irradiation unit, the data being variable depending on a form or a state of the treatment target to be irradiated with the ultraviolet light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for irradiating an object with ultraviolet light and a method for determining an object to be treated. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of device chips incorporated into electronic devices, plate-shaped workpieces, such as semiconductor wafers and resin package substrates, are transported between various processing machines and processed one after another. In such manufacturing processes, the workpieces may be irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0003] During transportation and processing, wafer workpieces are often handled in the form of a frame unit in which the workpiece is held in a frame via adhesive tape. A frame unit is formed, for example, by attaching a circular adhesive tape to an annular frame called a ring frame, and attaching a disk-shaped workpiece to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape exposed in the center of the frame. The adhesive tape may be attached to one side of the workpiece or to both sides of the workpiece.

[0004] Hereinafter, in this specification, an article such as a frame unit that is handled as an object to be processed in processes such as cutting and ultraviolet irradiation will be referred to as a "processed object." Furthermore, among such processed objects, an article such as a wafer that is particularly subject to cutting or the like (a frame unit as an object to be processed that is held by adhesive tape and subjected to processing) will be referred to as a "processed object" as necessary.

[0005] The adhesive that forms the adhesive layer of adhesive tape may be a substance that hardens by absorbing light of a specific wavelength, such as ultraviolet light. When such an adhesive is used to hold an article such as a semiconductor wafer to the adhesive tape, its adhesive strength decreases when exposed to ultraviolet light.

[0006] After a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is subjected to a process such as cutting, it may be necessary to peel off the adhesive tape from the workpiece depending on the subsequent process or operation. Therefore, the adhesive tape attached to the workpiece is irradiated with ultraviolet light as needed to weaken the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape.

[0007] For example, after cutting (dicing) a semiconductor wafer to divide it into individual chips, when die bonding is to be performed on each chip, the workpiece is carried out from the cutting device and transported through a transport path to an ultraviolet irradiation device, where the workpiece is irradiated with ultraviolet light to weaken the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape, and then the workpiece is carried out from the irradiation device and transported through the transport path to a bonding device, where the individual chips are peeled off from the adhesive tape to which the workpiece is attached and die bonding is performed.

[0008] Patent Document 1, for example, describes a technique relating to ultraviolet irradiation when handling such objects to be treated.

[0009] In a series of processes for handling workpieces, it is of course desirable to carry out the necessary processes in accordance with the processing or treatment stage of each workpiece. For example, if the correct procedure for a series of processes for treating a certain workpiece is to carry out each process in the order of cutting, ultraviolet irradiation, and die bonding, if ultraviolet irradiation is carried out on the workpiece before cutting, there is a possibility that a problem will occur, such as the workpiece suddenly peeling off from the adhesive tape during cutting.

[0010] Process management can be achieved, for example, by attaching an identifier such as a tag, barcode, QR code (registered trademark), or RFID to each workpiece and processing each workpiece sequentially based on the information linked to the identifier. However, it would be even more convenient if there was a mechanism in each processing device that could identify each workpiece and determine whether it was an object that should be processed by that processing device.

[0011] For example, there are cases where an object that has already been irradiated with ultraviolet light or an object that is not yet at the stage where it should be irradiated with ultraviolet light is mistakenly put into an ultraviolet light irradiation device. In such cases, if the ultraviolet light irradiation device can determine this, the system including the ultraviolet light irradiation device can issue an alarm to notify the operator, and the operator who receives the alarm can take measures such as removing the object from the process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83916 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet irradiation device and a method for determining an object to be treated that can easily determine the object to be treated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultraviolet irradiation device comprising: an irradiation unit that irradiates an object to be treated with ultraviolet rays; a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation unit; and a judgment unit that makes a judgment regarding the object to be treated based on data regarding the ultraviolet rays received by the light receiving unit as the object is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the irradiation unit, the data being variable depending on the shape or state of the object to be irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0015] Preferably, the ultraviolet irradiation device further includes a matching data storage unit that stores matching data linking the shape or state of the workpiece with the pattern of data acquired by the light receiving unit when ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the workpiece, and the judgment unit is configured to make a judgment regarding the workpiece by comparing the data regarding ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit with the matching data stored in the matching data storage unit as ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the workpiece from the irradiation unit.

[0016] Preferably, the ultraviolet irradiation device further includes a moving unit that moves the workpiece and the irradiation unit relatively when irradiating the ultraviolet rays, and the matching data stored in the matching data storage unit includes data regarding fluctuations in the ultraviolet rays received by the light receiving unit due to the relative movement between the workpiece and the irradiation unit when ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the workpiece.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining an object to be treated, comprising: an ultraviolet irradiation step of irradiating an object with ultraviolet rays; a measurement step of acquiring data relating to the ultraviolet rays by a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation unit as the object is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the data being variable depending on the shape or state of the object to be treated that is to be irradiated with ultraviolet rays; and a determination step of making a determination regarding the object to be treated based on the data acquired in the measurement step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the ultraviolet irradiation device and the method for determining an object to be treated according to each aspect of the present invention, the object to be treated can be easily determined based on data acquired in association with the irradiation of the object with ultraviolet rays. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the shape of an object to be treated that is handled by an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ultraviolet irradiation device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view that schematically shows one step of a procedure relating to a method for determining an object to be treated using an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing another step in the procedure of the method for determining an object to be treated using an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing yet another step in the procedure of the method for determining an object to be treated using an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing yet another step in the procedure of the method for determining a treatment target using an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 8] Fig. 8(A) shows an example of the state of the object to be treated, and Fig. 8(B) is a graph showing an example of a data pattern obtained when the object to be treated shown in Fig. 8(A) is treated with an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 9] Fig. 9(A) shows another example of the state of the object to be treated, and Fig. 9(B) is a graph showing an example of a data pattern obtained when the object to be treated shown in Fig. 9(A) is treated with an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 10] Fig. 10(A) shows another example of the state of the object to be treated. Fig. 10(B) is a graph showing an example of a data pattern obtained when the object to be treated shown in Fig. 10(A) is treated with an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 11] Fig. 11(A) shows another example of the state of the object to be treated. Fig. 11(B) is a graph showing an example of a data pattern obtained when the object to be treated shown in Fig. 11(A) is treated with an ultraviolet irradiation device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of a method for determining an object to be processed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] 1 shows an example of the shape of a workpiece to be treated with the ultraviolet irradiation device of this embodiment. The workpiece 8 includes a plate-shaped article such as a semiconductor wafer as the workpiece 2, and is a frame unit formed by fixing the workpiece 2 to an adhesive tape 4 and fixing the adhesive tape 4 to a frame 6.

[0022] The workpiece 2 is, for example, a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon. The workpiece 2, which is a semiconductor wafer, is divided into multiple regions by multiple planned dividing lines (streets) arranged in a grid pattern, and devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits), LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes), and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) are formed on the surface (top) side of each region. By dividing the workpiece 2 along the planned dividing lines, multiple device chips, each equipped with a device, are obtained.

[0023] However, there are no restrictions on the material, shape, structure, size, type, use, etc. of the workpiece 2. For example, the workpiece 2 may be a wafer made of a semiconductor other than silicon (GaAs, InP, GaN, SiC, etc.), glass, ceramics, resin, metal, etc. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the type, number, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of devices formed on the workpiece 2, and the workpiece 2 may not even have devices formed thereon. Furthermore, the workpiece 2 may be a package substrate such as a CSP (Chip Size Package) substrate or a QFN (Quad Flat Non-leaded package) substrate.

[0024] The adhesive tape 4 is composed of a flexible sheet-like substrate made of a resin such as polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene terephthalate, and an adhesive layer provided on at least one side of the substrate. The adhesive layer forms an adhesive surface on at least one side of the substrate.

[0025] Although thin, planar components may be referred to as "sheets" or "films" depending on their thickness, etc., in this specification, thin, planar objects will be referred to as "sheets" regardless of the specific thickness value.

[0026] The adhesive layer of the adhesive tape 4 is made of an adhesive that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light (ultraviolet-curable adhesive). Note that "ultraviolet light" generally refers to light with a wavelength of about 100 to 400 nm, but depending on the material selected as the adhesive, it may also be hardened by electromagnetic waves of other wavelengths.

[0027] The frame 6 is, for example, an annular frame called a ring frame. The central region of the frame 6 is configured as an opening. The outer periphery of the circular adhesive tape 4 is fixed to the frame 6, and the workpiece 2 is fixed to part of the remaining portion (the central region). In this way, the workpiece 2, the adhesive tape 4, and the frame 6 form a frame unit 8 as the workpiece to be treated in the ultraviolet irradiation device.

[0028] The frame 6 as a component of the frame unit 8 does not necessarily have to be annular. The frame 6 may have any shape as long as it surrounds the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 4 for fixing the workpiece 2, and may be formed as, for example, a C-shaped member.

[0029] 2 and 3 show the configuration of an ultraviolet irradiation device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view. The ultraviolet irradiation device 10 irradiates the workpiece 8 shown in Fig. 1 with ultraviolet rays and also performs a determination regarding the workpiece 8.

[0030] The ultraviolet irradiation device 10 includes an irradiation section 12 that emits ultraviolet rays and irradiates the workpiece 8 with them, a cover 14 that covers the periphery of the workpiece 8 when the irradiation section 12 irradiates the workpiece 8 with ultraviolet rays, and a moving section 16 that moves the workpiece 8 and the irradiation section 12 relative to each other when irradiating the workpiece with ultraviolet rays.

[0031] For example, a high-pressure mercury lamp or metal halide lamp that emits ultraviolet rays by arc discharge on metal vapor, or a UV-LED that generates ultraviolet rays from an LED element can be used as the irradiation unit 12. In addition, various light source devices that can emit light with a wavelength that promotes curing of the adhesive in the adhesive tape 4 (see FIG. 1) can be used as the irradiation unit 12.

[0032] Generally, ultraviolet light refers to light with a wavelength of approximately 100 to 400 nm, but in this specification, the terms "ultraviolet light irradiation device" and "irradiation unit" refer to a mechanism or device that can output electromagnetic waves including light with a wavelength of 100 nm or more and 400 nm or less with sufficient intensity to produce a specific effect on the workpiece 8 (in this embodiment, the hardening of the adhesive in the adhesive tape 4).

[0033] The moving unit 16 includes a support unit 18 that supports the object 8 to be processed, and an operating unit 20 that moves the object 8 to be processed that is supported by the support unit 18 .

[0034] Supporting parts 18 are, for example, two rail-like members provided parallel to each other along a horizontal plane. The distance between the two rail-like members is set to be slightly narrower than the outer diameter of frame 6 constituting workpiece 8, and both ends of frame 6 of workpiece 8 in a plan view are placed on these members, so that the entire workpiece 8 is supported by supporting parts 18.

[0035] With the workpiece 8, which is a frame unit, supported on the supports 18, the adhesive tape 4 attached to the center of the frame 6 is exposed between the pair of rail-shaped supports 18 when viewed from below. The workpiece 2 is held on the upper surface of the central region of the adhesive tape 4.

[0036] The operating unit 20 is, for example, a pusher that is located between the two support units 18 and comes into contact with an end of the frame 6 that constitutes the workpiece 8 to move the workpiece 8 in the longitudinal direction of the support units 18. The operating unit 20 is fitted with a power mechanism (not shown) that is a power source such as an air cylinder, hydraulic mechanism, or motor, and the operating mechanism drives the operating unit 20 to move the workpiece 8.

[0037] The operating unit 20 may be, for example, a mechanism that clamps and moves the end of the frame 6, or a mechanism that moves the workpiece 8 by electromagnetism, etc. Also, the operating unit 20 may be configured as a mechanism that moves the workpiece 8 supported by the support unit 18 together with the support unit 18.

[0038] Furthermore, here, the moving unit 16 is exemplified as a mechanism for moving the workpiece 8 relative to the irradiation unit 12, but when providing a moving unit in the ultraviolet irradiation device, the irradiation unit 12 side may be moved, or both the workpiece 8 and the irradiation unit 12 may be moved.

[0039] The irradiation unit 12 is housed in a casing (not shown) and is disposed below the support unit 18. When, for example, a UV-LED is used as the irradiation unit 12, the irradiation unit 12 is installed, for example, as a rod-shaped light source having one or more rows of light-emitting elements 12a inside the casing. The arrangement direction of the light-emitting elements 12a may be, for example, perpendicular to the direction in which the workpiece 8 is moved by the moving unit 16 (the longitudinal direction of the support unit 18).

[0040] At least the portion (top surface) of the casing (not shown) that faces the workpiece 8 supported by the support portion 18 is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, so that ultraviolet light from the irradiation portion 12 can be irradiated onto the workpiece 8 through the material of the casing. Alternatively, for example, an opening may be provided on the top surface of the casing (the surface facing the workpiece 8), and ultraviolet light may be irradiated through the opening.

[0041] The cover 14 is a member that covers the periphery of the workpiece 8 when the workpiece 8 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the irradiation unit 12. In this embodiment, the cover 14 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped article with an open bottom. The cover 14 is configured to be raised and lowered relative to the support unit 18 with the open side facing downward by a lifting mechanism (not shown).

[0042] The cover 14 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. In the plan view, the dimensions of the sides of the cover 14 along the direction of movement of the workpiece 8 by the operating unit 20 are set to be smaller than the longitudinal dimensions (dimensions along the direction of movement of the workpiece 8) of the support units 18, which are a pair of rail-shaped members. In the plan view, the dimensions of the sides of the cover 14 along the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece 8 by the operating unit 20 are set to be larger than the widthwise dimensions of the support units 18 (dimensions along the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece 8). Furthermore, the dimensions of the cover 14 in the plan view are both larger than the workpiece 8 in both length and width.

[0043] When ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the irradiation section 12 to the workpiece 8, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover 14 descends from above to cover the entire workpiece 8 and part of the support section 18, which is supported by the support section 18.

[0044] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower end forming the edge of the open surface (bottom surface) of cover 14 has notches 14a at positions corresponding to a pair of support parts 18 (four positions in total), and by fitting support parts 18 into these notches 14a, cover 14 can cover the space below the upper ends of support parts 18.

[0045] Thus, during irradiation with ultraviolet rays, the object to be treated 8 is supported by the support part 18, with a casing (not shown) and the irradiation part 12 located below, and the sides and top of the object to be treated 8 covered by the cover 14. This prevents ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation part 12 from leaking into the surrounding space.

[0046] A light receiving unit 24 is provided in a central region of the ceiling of the cover 14, at a position opposite the irradiation unit 12 as viewed from the workpiece 8 supported by the support unit 18, in relation to the direction (up and down) of irradiation of ultraviolet rays from the irradiation unit 12 to the workpiece 8. The light receiving unit 24 is a device that receives ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation unit 12, and is a mechanism that detects light, such as an illuminance meter. Information about the received ultraviolet rays, such as illuminance, is input from the light receiving unit 24 to a controller 26, which will be described next, as a measurement signal.

[0047] As the light receiving unit 24, for example, an illuminance meter, a photon meter, or the like can be used, and also a wavelength meter that analyzes the wavelength of light, or the light receiving unit of an imaging device that acquires an image can be used.

[0048] Each of the components constituting the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, such as the irradiation unit 12, the moving unit 16, the lifting mechanism (not shown) for the cover 14, and the light receiving unit 24, is connected to a controller 26. The controller 26 is configured by, for example, a computer including a processing device and a storage device, and controls each of the above-mentioned components in accordance with a series of steps required for irradiating the object 8 with ultraviolet rays.

[0049] The controller 26 includes a judgment unit 26a that performs judgments regarding the workpiece 8, which will be described later, a photometric data storage unit 26b that stores data regarding ultraviolet rays received by the light receiving unit 24, and a matching data storage unit 26c that stores data (hereinafter referred to as "matching data") that the judgment unit 26a uses to make the necessary judgments based on the data stored in the photometric data storage unit 26b.

[0050] The data received by the light receiving unit 24 and stored in the photometric data storage unit 26b is data that can vary depending on the form or state of the workpiece 8 that is the target of ultraviolet irradiation. In other words, when ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the workpiece 8, the state of the ultraviolet light, its light quantity, spatial distribution, wavelength, etc. can change depending on the reflection, refraction, transmission, absorption of the ultraviolet rays in the workpiece 8, and the emission of fluorescence excited by the ultraviolet rays. In other words, the state of the ultraviolet rays around the workpiece 8 at the time of ultraviolet irradiation reflects the form or state of the workpiece 8. Therefore, if the light receiving unit 24 is disposed at an appropriate position around the workpiece 8 at the time of ultraviolet irradiation, it is possible to make a judgment regarding the workpiece 8 based on the state of the ultraviolet rays received by the light receiving unit 24.

[0051] This data and the collation data for determination stored in the collation data storage unit 26c will be explained again later.

[0052] The form or state of the workpiece 8 referred to here includes, for example, the shape, material, color, angle, position, whether or not the workpiece 8 or its constituent parts has been irradiated with ultraviolet light, etc.

[0053] The processing device constituting the controller 26 is typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which performs various processes required to control each component. The storage device includes, for example, a main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or flash memory. The functions of the controller 26 are realized, for example, by the processing device operating in accordance with a program (software) stored in the storage device.

[0054] The controller 26 displays various information related to the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, and is connected to an input / output unit 28 for inputting operations for each unit.

[0055] The input / output unit 28 is, for example, a touch panel display. The input / output unit 32 displays, for example, an operation screen for inputting various information, commands, etc. to the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, and the operator can input information to the controller 26 by touching the operation screen. Note that the input / output unit 28 may be configured by separately providing a device for displaying various information and a device for inputting operations, for example, a liquid crystal display connected to the controller 26, and input devices such as a mouse and keyboard also connected to the controller 26.

[0056] Furthermore, when an error such as an incorrect operation is detected in the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, the input / output unit 28 issues an alarm to notify the operator of the occurrence of the error. The alarm is issued as visual information such as characters and figures on a display constituting the input / output unit 28, for example.

[0057] The input / output unit 28 may be provided with a speaker or buzzer that outputs sound, and the alarm may be issued as sound.The input / output unit 28 may also be provided with a warning light for issuing an alarm, separate from the display, and the alarm may be issued by turning on the warning light.

[0058] The irradiation of ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 of this embodiment is carried out, for example, according to the procedure shown in Figures 4 to 7. Figures 4 to 7 are side cross-sectional views each schematically showing each stage in the procedure of the method for determining an object to be treated using the ultraviolet irradiation device.

[0059] First, as shown in Fig. 4, the workpiece 8 is supported on a support portion 18 extending left and right in the figure. At this time, the workpiece 8 is placed on the end of the support portion 18, for example, by a robot arm (not shown). A cover 14 is positioned above the support portion 18, but when the workpiece 8 is in its initial position (the right end of the support portion 18 in the figure) as shown in Fig. 4, the position of the workpiece 8 does not overlap with the cover 14 in a plan view (i.e., even if the cover 14 is lowered in this state, the workpiece 8 will not fit within the cover 14).

[0060] Next, the workpiece 8 is moved by the operating unit 20 to a position below the cover 14 (a region corresponding to the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the support unit 18).

[0061] When the workpiece 8 reaches a position below the cover 14, as shown in Fig. 5, the cover 14 is lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown) to a height at which the workpiece 8 is supported by the support portion 18. The sides and above of the workpiece 8 are covered by the cover 14. Next, the irradiation portion 12 is turned on, and ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the workpiece 8 from below.

[0062] With the irradiation unit 12 turned on, the workpiece 8 is moved by the operating unit 20 along the longitudinal direction of the support unit 18, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. In the irradiation unit 12, which is a UV-LED, light emitters 12a are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece 8 (see Figures 2 and 3), and ultraviolet light is emitted from these in a direction (upward) generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece 8.

[0063] By irradiating the ultraviolet rays in this manner, the area irradiated with the ultraviolet rays forms a band shape that spreads in a direction perpendicular to the trajectory of the workpiece 8 in a plan view as a whole (however, unless the ultraviolet rays are emitted as collimated light, part of the irradiated ultraviolet rays will also spread outside this area). As the workpiece 8 passes through the space irradiated with the ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated from one end to the other end of the workpiece 8 in the direction of movement by the operating unit 20.

[0064] While the workpiece 8 is being irradiated with ultraviolet rays and moving relative to the irradiation unit 12, the light receiving unit 24 provided on the ceiling of the cover 14 receives the light containing ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation unit 12. The light received by the light receiving unit 24 is, for example, light that is irradiated from the irradiation unit 12 and then passes through a part of the workpiece 8 or reaches the light receiving unit 24 after bypassing structures such as the workpiece 8 and the support unit 18 due to refraction, reflection, etc.

[0065] Once the workpiece 8 has been irradiated with ultraviolet light from one end to the other, the irradiation unit 12 is turned off, the cover 14 is raised, and the workpiece 8 is moved along the support unit 18 to the left position in the figure (the position opposite the initial position in the longitudinal direction of the support unit 18), where it is subjected to the next process.

[0066] The amount of ultraviolet light required for the workpiece 8 varies depending on the application and condition of the workpiece 8, the configuration of the adhesive tape 4, etc., but the amount of irradiation can be adjusted not only by the output of the irradiation unit 12 but also by the speed at which the workpiece 8 is moved by the operating unit 20. That is, if a higher irradiation amount is desired, the moving speed of the workpiece 8 can be reduced, and if a lower irradiation amount is desired, the moving speed can be increased. Furthermore, although it depends on the configuration of the device, it is also possible to increase the amount of irradiation by moving the workpiece 8 back and forth relative to the irradiation unit 12 several times.

[0067] In the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 of this embodiment, the workpiece 8 is positioned above the irradiation unit 12, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the workpiece 8 from below. However, the positional relationship between the irradiation unit 12 and the workpiece 8 is not limited to this. For example, the irradiation unit 12 may be positioned above or to the side of the workpiece 8, and ultraviolet rays may be irradiated onto the workpiece 8 from above or to the side. The relative movement direction between the irradiation unit 12 and the workpiece 8 is also not limited to the horizontal direction or a direction along this.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light receiving unit 24 does not move relative to the irradiation unit 12 during irradiation of ultraviolet rays, and receives ultraviolet rays at a fixed position, but the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 can also be configured so that, for example, as the workpiece 8 moves, the light receiving unit 24 receives ultraviolet rays while moving together with the cover 14. For example, when making a judgment regarding the workpiece 8 using the mechanism described below, theoretically, roughly the same judgment is possible even if the light receiving unit 24 receives ultraviolet rays while moving (however, the pattern of the intensity of ultraviolet rays detected may differ from the example described below).

[0069] The ultraviolet irradiation device 10 as described above can be configured as, for example, a part of a transfer device (remounter) that replaces the adhesive tape 4 attached to the workpiece 2. The transfer device targets the workpiece 8, which is, for example, a frame unit in which the workpiece 2 is held by the adhesive tape 4, and peels the adhesive tape 4 from the workpiece 2 and the frame 6 and attaches new adhesive tape 4.

[0070] In such a transfer device, in order to make it easier to peel off the old adhesive tape 4, ultraviolet light is first irradiated onto the adhesive tape 4, which has an ultraviolet-curing adhesive in its adhesive layer, to reduce the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer, and then the adhesive tape 4 is replaced.

[0071] Of course, the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 may be configured as a device that only has the function of irradiating ultraviolet rays as a processing function for the object to be treated 8, rather than being incorporated as part of such an apparatus.

[0072] An example of the mechanism for determination will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11. Here, the description will be made assuming that the determination of the workpiece 8 is performed by the light receiving unit 24, which is an illuminance meter, based on the illuminance of ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit 24. Note that determination using a similar mechanism is also possible by measuring physical quantities related to the amount of light, such as luminous intensity or brightness, in addition to illuminance.

[0073] 8(A) shows an example of an embodiment of the workpiece 8. The workpiece 8, which is a frame unit, includes an annular frame 6, an adhesive tape 4 attached to the frame 6, and a workpiece 2 attached to the adhesive tape 4.

[0074] The workpiece 2, which is a wafer made of silicon, is generally disk-shaped, but at one point on its edge, a shape known as an orientation flat is formed to indicate the crystal orientation (hereinafter referred to as the "notch 2a" in this specification).

[0075] The frame 6, which is a metal plate-like member, and the workpiece 2, which is a silicon plate-like member, are almost impervious to ultraviolet light. On the other hand, the adhesive tape 4, which is made of a resin sheet or the like, transmits a certain amount of ultraviolet light.

[0076] In other words, when viewing the workpiece 8 from the direction of ultraviolet irradiation (a direction perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece 8), there is an area in the center that is almost completely opaque to ultraviolet light, and surrounding the outside of that is an area that is completely opaque to ultraviolet light, and surrounding the outside of that is another area that is almost completely opaque to ultraviolet light.

[0077] When ultraviolet light is irradiated, the workpiece 8 moves in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the light emitters 12a of the linearly arranged irradiation section 12, and the amount of light received by the light receiving section 24 varies depending on the positional relationship of the workpiece 8 with respect to the irradiation section 12.

[0078] 8(B) is a graph showing an example of a data pattern obtained by the light receiving unit 24 when ultraviolet light is irradiated on the workpiece 8 shown in FIG. 8(A) by the ultraviolet irradiation device 10. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the illuminance of light measured by the light receiving unit 24.

[0079] For convenience, the object 8 shown in FIG. 8(A) is divided into five regions, A1 to A5, in order from the front in the direction of movement (left and right direction in the drawing) during ultraviolet irradiation.

[0080] Areas A1 and A5 are areas at both ends in the direction of movement of the workpiece 8, and members of frame 6 are located throughout the entire area in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction (up and down in the figure). Areas A2 and A4 are areas inside areas A1 and A5 in the direction of movement of the workpiece 8, and members of frame 6 are located outside in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the workpiece 8, but the center corresponds to an opening provided in the center of the annular frame 6, where there are no members of frame 6 and adhesive tape 4 is located.

[0081] Area A3 is located further inside areas A2 and A4 in the direction of movement of workpiece 8, and corresponds to the center of workpiece 8. Within area A3, members of frame 6 are located on the outside in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of workpiece 8, but further inside corresponds to an opening provided in the center of frame 6, where adhesive tape 4 is located. Further inside (the center in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of workpiece 8), workpiece 2 is located.

[0082] When such an object to be processed 8 is irradiated with ultraviolet light while being moved relative to the irradiation unit 12 as described above, the illuminance of the ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit 24 fluctuates, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(B).

[0083] As shown in Figure 5, when the workpiece 8 is supported on the support part 18 and the cover 14 is lowered to turn on the irradiation part 12, the workpiece 8 does not overlap the irradiation part 12 in a planar view. In this state, the workpiece 8 is not positioned between the irradiation part 12 and the light-receiving part 24 to block the light, so the amount of light received by the light-receiving part 24 is large (corresponding to the part indicated by symbol a0 in Figure 8(B)). This state continues until the workpiece 8 moves and approaches the position of the irradiation part 12 in a planar view (the field of view seen from the direction of ultraviolet light irradiation).

[0084] When the workpiece 8 reaches the position of the irradiation section 12 in a planar view, the part of the workpiece 8 corresponding to area A1 in Figure 8(A) first overlaps with the irradiation section 12 in a planar view, thereby blocking the ultraviolet rays and causing the amount of light received by the light receiving section 24 to decrease rapidly (corresponding to the part indicated by symbol a1 in Figure 8(B)).

[0085] Next, the portion of the workpiece 8 that corresponds to region A1 passes the position of the irradiation unit 12, and the portion that corresponds to region A2 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12. The center of region A2 corresponds to an opening in the frame 6, and the opening is covered with adhesive tape 4 that transmits ultraviolet light. Therefore, when the portion that corresponds to region A2 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12, part of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the irradiation unit 12 onto the workpiece 8 transmits through the adhesive tape 4, increasing the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 24 (corresponding to the portion indicated by symbol a2 in FIG. 8(B)).

[0086] As the workpiece 8 continues to move, the portion of the workpiece 8 that corresponds to region A3 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12. The central region of region A3 corresponds to the opening covered with adhesive tape 4, and since the workpiece 2 is located in the center of region A3, when the portion that corresponds to region A3 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 24 decreases (corresponding to the portion indicated by symbol a3 in FIG. 8(B)).

[0087] Next, when the portion corresponding to region A4 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12, the amount of light received increases because the workpiece 2 is not located in the center of region A4 (corresponding to the portion indicated by reference symbol a4 in FIG. 8(B)). Furthermore, when the portion corresponding to region A5 overlaps with the irradiation unit 12, the amount of light received decreases (corresponding to the portion indicated by reference symbol a5 in FIG. 8(B)). When the entire workpiece 8 passes above the irradiation unit 12, the amount of light received increases again (corresponding to the portion indicated by reference symbol a0 in FIG. 8(B)).

[0088] The pattern of fluctuation in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24 differs depending on the state of the workpiece 8. Figures 9(A), 10(A), and 11(A) each show an example of a different state of the workpiece 8. Figures 9(B), 10(B), and 11(B) each show an example of a pattern of data obtained by the light receiving unit 24 when the workpiece 8 shown in Figures 9(A), 10(A), and 11(A) is treated by the ultraviolet irradiation device 10.

[0089] In the workpiece 8 shown in Figure 9(A), the dimensions of the workpiece 2 are smaller than those of the workpiece 8 shown in Figure 8(A). Therefore, the area A3 is narrow, and the areas A2 and A4 on both sides of area A3 are correspondingly wider. Therefore, when ultraviolet light is irradiated to such workpiece 8 in the same manner as described above, as shown in Figure 9(B), a pattern is obtained in which the area with a low light intensity indicated by reference symbol a3 is narrow, and the areas with a high light intensity indicated by reference symbols a2 and a4 on both sides of that are wide (the areas indicated by two arrows in Figure 9(B); the dashed line indicates the same pattern as in Figure 8(B) for comparison).

[0090] In the workpiece 8 shown in Figure 10(A), the dimensions of the workpiece 2 are the same as those of the workpiece 8 shown in Figure 8(A), but the workpiece 2 is a machined wafer. The workpiece 2, which is a machined wafer, has a grid-like pattern of cutting marks that penetrate the workpiece 2 in the thickness direction, and some of the ultraviolet light passes through the workpiece 8 through the cutting marks. Therefore, when such a workpiece 8 is irradiated with ultraviolet light in the same manner as described above, a pattern is shown in which the amount of light is slightly larger in the portion indicated by symbol a3, as shown by the arrow in Figure 10(B) (the dashed line is the same pattern as in Figure 8(B)).

[0091] 11(A), the dimensions and state of the workpiece 2 are the same as those of the workpiece 8 shown in FIG. 8(A), but the orientation of the workpiece 2 is different. As described above, the workpiece 2, which is a semiconductor wafer, has a notch 2a called an orientation flat, and the pattern of fluctuations in the light intensity differs depending on the position of this notch 2a.

[0092] Specifically, in the workpiece 8 shown in Fig. 11(A), the notched portion 2a is located slightly further forward in the direction of movement of the workpiece 8 than in the workpiece 8 shown in Fig. 8(A). As a result, in the pattern shown in Fig. 11(B), the timing at which the light intensity rises is earlier in the transition from the portion indicated by reference symbol a3 to the portion indicated by reference symbol a4 (see the arrows in the figure; the dashed line is the same pattern as in Fig. 8(B)).

[0093] In this way, the pattern of data measured by the light receiving unit 24 in response to ultraviolet irradiation differs depending on the form and state of the workpiece 8. By utilizing this, it is possible to determine the form and state of the workpiece 8.

[0094] For example, the photometric data storage unit 26b of the controller 26 stores data acquired by the light receiving unit 24 in response to ultraviolet irradiation, which data indicates a pattern similar to part of the patterns shown in Figures 8(B), 9(B), 10(B) and 11(B), or data indicating a pattern not similar to any of the patterns.

[0095] On the other hand, the matching data storage unit 26c of the controller 26 stores data as matching data linking patterns related to fluctuations in ultraviolet rays as shown in Figures 8(B), 9(B), 10(B) and 11(B) with the shape and state of the workpiece 8 as shown in Figures 8(A), 9(A), 10(A) and 11(A).

[0096] The determination unit 26a reads out and compares the data from the photometric data storage unit 26b and the collation data storage unit 26c to determine the form and state of the workpiece 8 that has been subjected to ultraviolet irradiation. In this way, the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 of this embodiment can easily make a determination regarding the workpiece 8 based on the data acquired by the light receiving unit 24 as the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 irradiates the workpiece 8 with ultraviolet rays.

[0097] Of course, the patterns shown in Figures 8(B), 9(B), 10(B), and 11(B) are merely examples. Various shapes and states of the workpiece 8 can be assumed other than those shown in Figures 8(A), 9(A), 10(A), and 11(A), and the patterns of data measured by the light receiving unit 24 and the patterns of data stored as verification data in the verification data storage unit 26c will also differ accordingly.

[0098] Furthermore, the pattern of data measured by the light-receiving unit 24 may naturally differ depending on the state of the irradiating unit 12, the state of movement of the workpiece 8 relative to the irradiating unit 12 and the light-receiving unit 24 during ultraviolet irradiation, the mechanism for measuring ultraviolet rays in the light-receiving unit 24, etc. The controller 26 stores appropriate collation data for judgment in accordance with these conditions, and compares it with the data measured by the light-receiving unit 24 to judge the workpiece 8.

[0099] 8(B), 9(B), 10(B), and 11(B), data including other information, such as identification information attached to the workpiece 8, may be used as the matching data. For example, a possible method of making a determination is to identify the type of the target workpiece 8 using the identification information, and then select matching data corresponding to that type from the matching data stored in the matching data storage unit 26c, and use this to determine the state of the workpiece 8 (such as the orientation of the workpiece 2).

[0100] In addition to the above-mentioned examples, other possible mechanisms for determination include, for example, determination by image processing. The light receiving unit 24 is configured as a light receiving unit of an imaging device that receives ultraviolet light and acquires an image, and the object 8 is determined by image analysis or the like from the image data obtained by irradiating the ultraviolet light.

[0101] Alternatively, for example, if the wavelength of the ultraviolet light absorbed by the adhesive tape 4 is different before and after irradiation with ultraviolet light, it is theoretically possible to use a wavemeter that measures the wavelength of the light received as the light receiving unit 24, and determine whether the target workpiece 8 had been irradiated with ultraviolet light at the time before irradiation with ultraviolet light, based on the wavelength of the light received by the light receiving unit 24 upon irradiation with ultraviolet light.

[0102] As a result of the determination, for example, if it is determined that the target workpiece 8 is an object that should not be irradiated with ultraviolet light at the current stage, an alarm is issued from the input / output unit 28. Also, for example, if there is no data in the matching data stored in the matching data storage unit 26c that matches the pattern of the data acquired in the previous measurement step, an alarm is issued from the input / output unit 28.

[0103] The operator who receives the alert removes the target object 8 from the process. If the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 is configured as part of a transfer device or the like, the target object 8 is discharged outside the device.

[0104] It is also conceivable that the processing performed after ultraviolet irradiation may differ depending on, for example, the shape or state of the workpiece 8, or the type of workpiece 8 identified from these. In such a case, for example, in a system that manages the process related to the workpiece 8, data related to the result of the above-mentioned determination is linked to the identification data of the target workpiece 8, and this data is used to manage the workpiece 8. For example, depending on the result of the determination performed in the ultraviolet irradiation device 10, the handling of the target workpiece 8 (such as the next transport destination) is determined.

[0105] The procedure for determining the object to be treated 8 using the ultraviolet irradiation device 10 as described above can be summarized as shown in, for example, Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure for the method for determining the object to be treated using the ultraviolet irradiation device 10.

[0106] First, an ultraviolet irradiation step (step S10) is performed in which ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the workpiece 8. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the workpiece 8 is supported by a support part 18 constituting the moving part 16, and the irradiation part 12 is turned on and the workpiece 8 is moved relative to the irradiation part 12 by the operating part 20. While the irradiation part 12 is turned on, the periphery of the workpiece 8 is covered by a cover 14.

[0107] Accompanying the execution of the ultraviolet irradiation step (step S10), a measurement step (step S20) is executed in which data relating to the irradiated ultraviolet light is acquired by the light receiving unit 24. In the measurement step, the light receiving unit 24, which is, for example, an illuminance meter, acquires data such as fluctuation patterns of ultraviolet light as shown in Figures 8(B), 9(B), 10(B), and 11(B), as well as similar and dissimilar patterns.

[0108] Based on the data acquired in the measurement process (step S20), a determination process (step S30) is executed to make a determination regarding the object to be treated 8. The data acquired in the measurement process is compared with the collation data stored in the collation data storage unit 26c, and the form, state, etc. of the object to be treated 8 are determined. Depending on the result of the determination, an alarm is issued, a decision is made on how to handle the object to be treated 8, etc.

[0109] The structures, methods, etc. according to the above-described embodiments are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 2: Workpiece, 2a: Chip, 4: Adhesive tape, 6: Frame 8: Workpiece (frame unit) 10: ultraviolet irradiation device, 12: irradiation unit, 12a: light emitter, 14: cover, 14a: notch 16: Moving part, 18: Supporting part, 20: Operating part, 24: Light receiving part 26: Controller, 26a: Determination unit, 26b: Photometric data storage unit 26c: Matching data storage section 28: Input / output section

Claims

1. an irradiation unit that irradiates the object to be treated with ultraviolet light; a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet light emitted from the irradiation unit; a determination unit that performs a determination regarding the object to be treated based on data regarding the ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit as the object to be treated is irradiated with ultraviolet light from the irradiation unit, the data being variable depending on the shape or state of the object to be treated that is the target of ultraviolet light irradiation; An ultraviolet irradiation device comprising:

2. a collation data storage unit that stores collation data in which the shape or state of the object to be processed is linked to a pattern of data acquired by the light receiving unit when ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the object to be processed; The determination unit is configured to compare data relating to ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit with the collation data stored in the collation data storage unit as the ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the object to be treated from the irradiation unit, and make a determination regarding the object to be treated.

2. The ultraviolet irradiation device according to claim 1,

3. Further provided is a moving unit that moves the object to be treated and the irradiation unit relatively during irradiation with ultraviolet rays, The ultraviolet irradiation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the matching data stored in the matching data storage unit includes data regarding fluctuations in the ultraviolet light received by the light receiving unit due to relative movement between the workpiece and the irradiation unit when ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the workpiece.

4. an ultraviolet irradiation step of irradiating an object with ultraviolet light; a measuring step of acquiring data relating to ultraviolet rays by a light receiving unit that receives the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the irradiation unit in association with the irradiation of the object to be treated with ultraviolet rays, the data being variable depending on the shape or state of the object to be treated with ultraviolet rays; a determination step of making a determination regarding the object to be treated based on the data acquired in the measurement step; A method for determining an object to be treated, comprising:

Images