Processing method

Abstract

This makes it possible to estimate when an abnormality occurred in the processed material. [Solution] A processing method for processing a substrate 10, comprising: a first processing step S10 of processing the substrate 10 with a tape application device 1; a first detection step S20 of detecting first information of the substrate; a transport step S30 of transporting the substrate to a cutting device 200 after the first detection step; a second processing step S70 of processing the substrate 10 with the cutting device 200; a second detection step S40 of detecting second information of the substrate 10 after the transport step S30 and before the second processing step S70; a comparison step S50 of comparing the first information detected in the first detection step S20 and the second information detected in the second detection step S40; and a determination step S60 of determining an abnormality in the substrate 10 based on the result of the comparison step S50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for processing an object to be conveyed.

Background Art

[0002] When a plurality of devices are formed on the surface of a thin plate-like wafer and the wafer is divided for each device, device chips to be mounted on an electronic device can be formed. For wafer dicing, first, a wafer is attached to an annular frame via an adhesive tape by a tape attaching device to form a work unit. Then, after the work unit is conveyed to a cutting device, the wafer of the work unit held by the holding table of the cutting device is diced by a cutting blade or the like.

[0003] However, in wafer dicing, the wafer may not be properly processed due to a defect in the cutting device or the like. And if manufacturing is carried out in a state where the wafer or the device chip is damaged or contaminated (chips) are attached, the obtained device chip may become a defective product. Therefore, in order to confirm that the wafer has been properly processed, the wafer processed by the cutting device is imaged and inspected by a camera unit (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In inspections that involve imaging wafers after processing with a cutting device such as the one described in Patent Document 1, when scratches or contamination are found on the wafer, the cause is not necessarily due to a processing defect in the cutting device. It may also be due to scratches or contamination that were already present on the wafer before processing. Therefore, it is desirable to estimate when the abnormality in the processed material, such as scratches or contamination, occurred.

[0006] The present invention provides a processing method that can estimate when an abnormality occurred in the processed object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is, A processing method for processing an object to be processed, A first processing step involves processing the workpiece in the first processing apparatus, A first detection step for detecting first information of the object to be processed, After the first detection step, a transport step is performed to transport the object to be processed to a second processing device, A second processing step of processing the workpiece with the second processing apparatus, A second detection step is performed after the transport step and before the second processing step to detect second information about the object to be processed, A comparison step that compares the first information detected in the first detection step with the second information detected in the second detection step, The system includes a determination step of determining an abnormality in the workpiece based on the results of the comparison step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to estimate at what point in time an abnormality occurred in the processed object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a tape application device 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a work unit 13 including a substrate 10, a ring frame 11, and adhesive tape 12. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of cassette C. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing another example of cassette C. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an image showing an example of the first piece of information. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the cutting device 200. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an image illustrating an example of the second piece of information. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes a processing method of one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0011] The processing method in this embodiment involves processing an object to be processed in a first processing device, transporting it to a second processing device, and then processing it in the second processing device. If an abnormality occurs in the object to be processed during this process, the timing of the abnormality is estimated. Before explaining the processing method, the first and second processing devices will be described. In the following description, the X-axis direction is a single direction in the horizontal plane. The Y-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the horizontal plane. The Z-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0012] [Tape application device] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tape application device 1, which is an example of a first processing apparatus. In this embodiment, the tape application device 1 forms a work unit 13 by applying adhesive tape 12 to a substrate 10, which is the workpiece to be processed, and a ring frame 11 having an opening large enough to accommodate the substrate 10.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a work unit 13 including a substrate 10, a ring frame 11, and an adhesive tape 12. The substrate 10 is, for example, a substantially disc-shaped wafer or an optical device wafer made of a material such as Si (silicon), SiC (silicon carbide), GaN (gallium nitride), GaAs (gallium arsenide), or other semiconductors.

[0014] On the surface 10a of the substrate 10, a plurality of streets 14 intersecting each other are used as planned division lines, and a plurality of regions partitioned by the planned division lines are formed in a lattice pattern. Devices 15 such as ICs (Integrated Circuits), LSIs (Large Scale Integrated circuits), and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) are formed in each of the partitioned regions. When the substrate 10 is divided along the planned division lines by a second processing device (for example, a cutting device) described later, individual device chips are formed.

[0015] The substrate 10 is integrated with a ring frame 11 and an adhesive tape 12 pasted so as to close the opening of the ring frame 11, and a work unit 13 is formed. The work unit 13 unitized in this way is transported to a processing device that performs a next process such as cutting in a state of being accommodated in a cassette C2 described later.

[0016] The ring frame 11 is, for example, formed of metal or resin and is an annular plate member having an opening larger than the outer diameter of the substrate 10. The adhesive tape 12 has expandability and is in a sheet shape having an outer diameter larger than the opening of the ring frame 11. The adhesive tape 12 is pasted on the back side of the ring frame 11 so as to cover the opening of the ring frame 11. The substrate 10 is positioned at a predetermined position of the opening of the ring frame 11 and is fixed to the ring frame 11 and the adhesive tape 12 by pasting the back surface 10b side of the substrate 10 to the adhesive tape 12.

[0017] Returning to Figure 1, the configuration of the tape application device 1 will be described. The tape application device 1 mainly comprises a base 20, a cassette table 30, a transport unit 40, a holding unit 50, a tape application unit 60, and a control unit 100.

[0018] The cassette table 30 is located on the base 20 at one end in the X-axis direction and includes three first mounting spaces 30a, a second mounting space 30b, and a third mounting space 30c, all aligned in the Y-axis direction. For example, a cassette C1 containing substrates 10 before adhesive tape 12 is applied by the tape application device 1 is placed in the first mounting space 30a. For example, a cassette C2 containing a work unit 13 including substrates 10 and a ring frame 11 after adhesive tape 12 has been applied by the tape application device 1 is placed in the second mounting space 30b. For example, a cassette C3 containing a ring frame 11 before adhesive tape 12 is applied by the tape application device 1 is placed in the third mounting space 30c. Each of the cassettes C1, C2, and C3 can accommodate multiple substrates 10.

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a cassette applicable to cassette C2 and cassette C3. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a cassette applicable to cassette C1. Here, cassettes C1, C2, and C3 are not distinguished and are simply referred to as cassette C. As described above, cassette C can accommodate multiple circuit boards 10, etc., but in the example shown in Figure 3, for convenience, an example in which one work unit 13 is accommodated is shown. Cassette C has an opening in the X-axis direction to allow the work unit 13 to be loaded and unloaded.

[0020] Cassette C comprises a pair of side walls 31 extending downward in the Z-axis direction and facing each other in the Y-axis direction, and a connecting portion 32 connecting the pair of side walls 31. Support portions 33 are provided on the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 31, extending in the X-axis direction, capable of supporting the outer periphery of the work unit 13 when it is housed inside Cassette C. That is, the work unit 13 housed inside Cassette C is supported on both sides in the Y-axis direction by the support portions 33 extending in the X-axis direction. Multiple support portions 33 are formed at predetermined intervals in the Z-axis direction in which the work units 13 are stacked, making it possible to house multiple work units 13 in a horizontal position.

[0021] The cassette shown in Figure 4 contains one circuit board 10. The example shown in Figure 4 differs from the example in Figure 3 in that the outer periphery of the circuit board 10 is supported instead of the outer periphery of the work unit 13, and a top plate 34 is provided instead of the connecting part 32.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the transport unit 40 is provided adjacent to the cassette table 30. The transport unit 40 includes a first transport unit 40a that transports the substrate 10 from cassette C1 to the holding unit 50, and a second transport unit 40b that transports the ring frame 11 from cassette C3 to the holding unit 50, and also transports the work unit 13 from the holding unit 50 to cassette C2.

[0023] The first transport unit 40a comprises a base 41a and a pivotable arm 42a supported on the base 41a. The base 41a is configured to be movable, for example, in the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, for example, a known ball screw type moving mechanism (not shown) enables the Y-axis movement of the first transport unit 40a. The first transport unit 40a supports the substrate 10 housed in the cassette C1 with the arm 42a and transports the substrate 10 from the cassette C1 into the holding unit 50.

[0024] Similarly, the second transport unit 40b comprises a base 41b and a pivotable arm 42b supported on the base 41b. The base 41b is configured to be movable in the Y-axis direction by, for example, a known ball screw type moving mechanism. The second transport unit 40b supports the ring frame 11 housed in the cassette C3 with the arm 42b and transports the ring frame 11 from the cassette C3 into the holding unit 50. The second transport unit 40b also supports the integrated work unit 13 with the arm 42b and transports the work unit 13 from the holding unit 50 into the cassette C2.

[0025] The holding unit 50 holds the substrate 10 transported from cassette C1 by the first transport unit 40a, the ring frame 11 transported from cassette C3 by the second transport unit 40b, and the work unit 13 assembled by the tape application unit 60, which will be described later. Specifically, the holding unit 50 has an annular frame holding portion 51 for holding the ring frame 11 and a substrate holding portion 52 for holding the substrate 10. An opening is formed in the center of the upper surface of the frame holding portion 51, and the substrate holding portion 52 is positioned in this opening.

[0026] The holding unit 50 is supported by the moving unit 70 and is movable along the X-axis direction by the moving unit 70. When the holding unit 50 moves to one end in the X-axis direction, the substrate 10, ring frame 11, and work unit 13 are transported between the transport unit 40 and the holding unit 50. When the holding unit 50 moves to the other end in the X-axis direction, the adhesive tape 12 is attached by the tape attachment unit 60, which will be described later. The adhesive tape 12 is attached to the back surface 10b of the substrate 10 and the back surface of the ring frame 11 by the tape attachment unit 60, which will be described later, to form the work unit 13. Therefore, the holding unit 50 holds the surface 10a of the substrate 10 on which the device 15 etc. is formed, and the surface of the ring frame 11. Therefore, for example, when transporting the substrate 10 and the ring frame 11 to the holding unit 50, the transport unit 40 may adjust the orientation of the substrate 10 and the ring frame 11, such as reversing them, so that the surface 10a of the substrate 10 and the surface of the ring frame 11 are held by the holding unit 50.

[0027] The moving unit 70 includes a pair of guide rails 71 aligned with the X-axis direction, a ball screw 72 parallel to the guide rails 71 and connected to a nut portion provided on the lower surface of the holding unit 50, and a pulse motor 73 connected to one end of the ball screw 72. When the ball screw 72 is rotated by the pulse motor 73, the holding unit 50 moves along the X-axis direction.

[0028] The holding unit 50 is configured so that the position of the ring frame 11 can be adjusted so that the adhesive tape 12 can be properly attached to the ring frame 11. Specifically, the frame holding portion 51 includes a first fixing portion 53 that restricts the movement of the ring frame 11 in the X-axis direction. The first fixing portion 53 is formed, for example, in a long shape along the Y-axis direction. The frame holding portion 51 also includes a first movable portion 54 that faces the first fixing portion 53 and moves back and forth in the X-axis direction to sandwich the ring frame 11 between itself and the first fixing portion 53. The first movable portion 54 is provided in a position facing the first fixing portion 53 with the substrate holding portion 52 in between, and is composed, for example, of two pins protruding from the upper surface of the frame holding portion 51.

[0029] Similarly, the frame holding portion 51 includes a second fixing portion 55 that restricts the movement of the ring frame 11 in the Y-axis direction. The second fixing portion 55 is formed, for example, in a long shape along the X-axis direction. The frame holding portion 51 also includes a second movable portion 56 that faces the second fixing portion 55 and moves back and forth in the Y-axis direction to sandwich the ring frame 11 between itself and the second fixing portion 55. The second movable portion 56 is provided in a position facing the second fixing portion 55 with the substrate holding portion 52 in between, and is composed, for example, of two pins protruding from the upper surface of the frame holding portion 51.

[0030] In the frame holding section 51 configured in this way, the position of the ring frame 11 is adjusted to an appropriate position by sandwiching the ring frame 11 between the first fixing section 53 and the first movable section 54, and by sandwiching the ring frame 11 between the second fixing section 55 and the second movable section 56.

[0031] In this embodiment, a camera 80 is provided to image the substrate 10 and detect "first information" of the substrate 10. In this embodiment, the image captured by this camera 80 becomes a reference image for the image captured by the cutting device 200 described later. The camera 80 is positioned above the guide rail 71 in the Z-axis direction and is provided on the transport path of the substrate 10. The camera 80 has an image sensor that images the entire surface 10a of the substrate 10 before or after processing, which is held by the holding unit 50 on the guide rail 71. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The camera 80 images the substrate 10 held by the holding unit 50 on the guide rail 71 and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100. The image output to the control unit 100 is recorded in the storage unit 120.

[0032] As described above, the camera 80 is capable of imaging the surface 10a of the substrate 10 before or after processing, which is held by the holding unit 50. That is, it can image the substrate 10 before the adhesive tape 12 is applied in the tape application device 1, or image the substrate 10 after the adhesive tape 12 has been applied. Whether to image the substrate 10 before or after processing may be set by, for example, an operator.

[0033] The tape application unit 60 applies adhesive tape 12 to the ring frame 11 and the substrate 10. The tape application unit 60 includes a tape dispensing roller 62 that stores multiple adhesive tapes 12 that are supported by a release tape 61, and a take-up roller 63 that winds up and collects the release tape 61 from which the adhesive tapes 12 have been peeled off. The adhesive tape 12 is supported by the release tape 61 in a state that has been cut to a predetermined shape that closes the opening of the ring frame 11, for example.

[0034] Furthermore, the tape application unit 60 includes a first guide roller 64 for guiding the release tape 61 pulled out from the tape dispensing roller 62, a peeling section 65 for bending the release tape 61 guided by the first guide roller 64 to peel it off from the adhesive tape 12, and a second guide roller 66 for guiding the release tape 61 peeled off from the adhesive tape 12 by the peeling section 65 towards the winding roller 63.

[0035] Furthermore, the tape application unit 60 is movable up and down above the holding unit 50 and is equipped with an application roller 67 that presses the adhesive tape 12, from which the release tape 61 has been peeled off, from above to adhere it to the ring frame 11. The application roller 67 presses the adhesive tape 12 by raising and lowering the tape application unit 60.

[0036] The tape application unit 60 rotates the tape dispensing roller 62, the first guide roller 64, the second guide roller 66, and the winding roller 63 in conjunction, and while transferring the release tape 61 from the tape dispensing roller 62 to the winding roller 63, the adhesive tape 12 is applied to the ring frame 11 and the substrate 10.

[0037] More specifically, with the end of the ring frame 11 positioned below the adhesive roller 67 of the tape application unit 60, the tape application unit 60 is lowered to a predetermined height. Next, the winding roller 63, etc., is rotated to peel the release tape 61 from the adhesive tape 12 at the peeling section 65. After that, with the exposed adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 12 facing the back surface of the ring frame 11, the adhesive tape 12 is applied to the ring frame 11. Then, while pressing the portion of the adhesive tape 12 applied to the ring frame 11 from above with the adhesive roller 67, the holding unit 50 is moved from one end to the other by the moving unit 70. As a result, the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 12 sequentially contacts the back surface of the ring frame 11 from one end to the other, and the adhesive tape 12 is applied to the ring frame 11. At this time, when the back surface 10b of the substrate 10 is positioned below the adhesive roller 67, the adhesive tape 12 is also attached to the back surface 10b of the substrate 10. Then, when the adhesive roller 67 reaches the other end of the ring frame 11, the attachment of the adhesive tape 12 to the ring frame 11 and the substrate 10 is completed.

[0038] Then, after the substrate 10, ring frame 11, and adhesive tape 12 are integrated to form the work unit 13, the moving unit 70 moves the holding unit 50 towards the transport unit 40. Then, the second transport unit 40b transports the work unit 13 from the holding unit 50 to the cassette C2, and the work unit 13 is placed in the cassette C2. The cassette C2 containing the work unit 13 is then transported to the cutting device 200, which will be described later, by a transport device (not shown).

[0039] The control unit 100 controls each of the above-mentioned components in the tape application device 1 to perform processes such as imaging the substrate 10 and applying the adhesive tape 12. The control unit 100 is a known computer that includes a control unit 110 that performs various calculations, a storage unit 120 having a storage medium, and an input / output interface (not shown) that controls the input and output of data to and from the inside and outside of the control unit 100.

[0040] The memory unit 120 records the first information captured by the camera 80. Figure 5 shows an example of this first information, which is an image obtained by capturing the entire surface of the substrate 10 after the adhesive tape 12 has been applied using the camera 80. As mentioned above, this image in the first information is a reference image that is compared to the image obtained by the camera 230 of the cutting device 200, which will be described later. In this case, there are no scratches or foreign matter such as contamination on the surface 10a of the substrate 10, and the substrate 10 is in a state where no abnormality has occurred.

[0041] The control unit 110 performs various calculations based on a predetermined program stored in the memory unit 120. According to the calculation results, the control unit 110 outputs various control signals to the aforementioned components via the input / output interface, thereby controlling the tape application device 1. The specific processing of the control unit 110 will be described in the processing method section below.

[0042] [Cutting equipment] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a cutting apparatus 200, which is an example of a second processing apparatus. In this embodiment, the cutting apparatus 200 holds the work unit 13 transported from the tape application apparatus 1 described above on a holding table 210, and uses a cutting blade (not shown) to divide the substrate 10 along the planned division lines to form individual device chips.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the cutting apparatus 200 includes a holding table 210 that holds the workpiece unit 13 by suction on a holding surface 211, a cutting unit 220 that cuts the substrate 10 held by the holding table 210 with a cutting blade, a camera 230 capable of detecting abnormalities in the substrate 10, an alignment camera 240 that images the substrate 10 held on the holding table 210, and a control unit 300.

[0044] The cutting device 200 also includes a moving unit (not shown) for moving the cutting unit 220 relative to the substrate 10 held by the holding table 210. The moving unit includes a Y-axis moving unit for moving the holding table 210 in the Y-axis direction, an X-axis moving unit for moving the cutting unit 220 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis moving unit for moving the cutting unit 220 in the Z-axis direction, and a rotational moving unit for rotating the holding table 210 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0045] The X-axis movement unit, Y-axis movement unit, and Z-axis movement unit may be composed of, for example, known ball screw type movement units. The rotational movement unit may be configured to be rotated by, for example, a motor that rotates the holding table 210 around its axis.

[0046] The holding table 210 has a holding surface 211 for holding the substrate 10, which is made of porous ceramic or the like. The holding table 210 is provided to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit, spanning from the machining area below the cutting unit 220 to the loading / unloading area where the substrate 10 is loaded and unloaded, separated from below the cutting unit 220, and is also provided to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a rotational moving unit.

[0047] The holding table 210 has a holding surface 211 connected to a suction source (not shown), and the holding surface 211 is sucked by the suction source, thereby sucking up the substrate 10 placed on the holding surface 211.

[0048] The cutting unit 220 is a processing unit that performs cutting on a substrate 10 held by a holding table 210. It comprises a cutting blade for cutting the substrate 10, a spindle housing (not shown), a spindle (not shown) rotatably mounted on the spindle housing around its axis, and a spindle motor (not shown) for rotating the spindle around its axis. The cutting blade is an extremely thin cutting wheel with a substantially ring shape, and cuts the substrate 10 along the planned division line of the substrate 10 held by the holding table 210. The cutting unit 220 can position the cutting blade at any position on the holding surface 211 of the holding table 210, for example, by using an X-axis movement unit and a Z-axis movement unit.

[0049] The alignment camera 240 is fixed to a fixed frame 202 provided on the main body 201 of the apparatus and is positioned between the loading / unloading area and the processing area. The alignment camera 240 is equipped with an image sensor that images a portion of the area to be divided of the substrate 10 before cutting, which is held on the holding table 210, i.e., a portion of the surface 10a of the substrate 10. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The alignment camera 240 images the substrate 10 held on the holding table 210 to obtain an image for performing alignment, such as aligning the position of the substrate 10 with the cutting blade, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 300.

[0050] The cutting device 200 also includes a cassette table 203 on which a cassette (in this embodiment, a cassette C2 transported from the tape application device 1) containing the substrates 10 before and after cutting is placed and which moves the cassette C2 in the Z-axis direction; a transport unit 250 for transporting the substrates 10 between the cassette C2 and the holding table 210; and a cleaning unit 260 for cleaning the substrates 10 after cutting.

[0051] The transport unit 250 transports the substrate 10 sequentially from the cassette C2 placed on the cassette table 203 to the holding table 210 and then to the washing unit 260. The transport unit 250 includes a pair of guide rails 251 on which the substrate 10 before machining is placed after being removed from the cassette C2 and the substrate 10 after machining is placed in the cassette C2; ​​an loading / unloading unit 252 that removes the substrate 10 before machining from the cassette C2 and places it on the guide rails 251, and places the substrate 10 after machining on the guide rails 251 into the cassette C2; ​​a third transport unit 253 that transports the substrate 10 before machining on the guide rails 251 to the holding table 210 in the loading / unloading area, and transports the substrate 10 after washing from the washing unit 260 onto the guide rails 251; and a fourth transport unit 254 that transports the substrate 10 after machining from the holding table 210 in the loading / unloading area to the washing unit 260.

[0052] The guide rail 251 and the holding table 210 in the loading / unloading area constitute the transport path for the substrate 10, which is transported from cassette C2 to the holding table 210 by the transport unit 250.

[0053] Camera 230 images the substrate 10 and detects "second information," which is information about the substrate 10 before machining. In this embodiment, the image captured by camera 230 becomes a comparison image with the image captured by the tape application device 1 described above. In this embodiment, camera 230 is positioned above the guide rail 251 in the Z-axis direction and is provided on the transport path of the substrate 10. Camera 230 is equipped with an image sensor that images the entire surface 10a of the substrate 10 before machining, which is placed on the guide rail 251. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. Camera 230 images the substrate 10 placed on the guide rail 251 and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 300. The image output to the control unit 300 is recorded in the storage unit 320.

[0054] The control unit 300 controls each component of the cutting device 200 to cause the cutting device 200 to perform various operations on the substrate 10. Specifically, the control unit 300 controls the holding table 210, the cutting unit 220, the cleaning unit 260, and the camera 230. The control unit 300 may have the same configuration as the control unit 100 in the tape application device 1 described above, and may include, for example, a control unit 310 and a storage unit 320.

[0055] The memory unit 320 records the second information captured by the camera 230. Figure 7 shows an example of this second information, which is an image obtained by the camera 230 capturing the entire surface of the substrate 10 before cutting in the cutting device 200. As mentioned above, this image in the second information is a comparison image that is compared with the image obtained by the camera 80 of the tape application device 1, and the example shown here includes two abnormal areas 400 such as contamination or dirt.

[0056] The control unit 310 performs various calculations based on a predetermined program stored in the memory unit 320. According to the calculation results, the control unit 310 outputs various control signals to the aforementioned components via the input / output interface, thereby controlling the cutting device 200. The specific processing of the control unit 310 will be described in the processing method section below.

[0057] Furthermore, the cutting device 200 is connected to a display unit (not shown) that can receive input such as machining conditions from the operator via a touch panel and display the status of the machining operation and images, and to a notification unit 270. The display unit and the notification unit 270 are each connected to a control unit 300. The notification unit 270 notifies the operator by emitting at least one of sound and light. In this embodiment, the functions of the notification unit 270 are realized by screen display on the display unit, warning lights that emit light and sound, or transmission of information to a portable terminal held by the operator.

[0058] [Processing method] Next, a method for processing the transported object in the embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing method. The processing method includes a first processing step S10, a first detection step S20, a transport step S30, a second detection step S40, a comparison step S50, a determination step S60, a second processing step S70, a washing step S80, a notification step S90, an abnormality resolution determination step S100, and an abnormality resolution step S110. Each of these steps is performed, for example, by the control unit 110 and the control unit 310.

[0059] For example, the first processing step S10 and the first detection step S20 are performed by the control unit 110, and the comparison step S50, the determination step S60, the second processing step S70, the cleaning step S80, the notification step S90, the abnormality resolution determination step S100, and the abnormality resolution step S110 are performed by the control unit 310. The transport step S30 is performed by a transport device (not shown).

[0060] In the first processing step S10, the control unit 110 performs the process of attaching the adhesive tape 12 to the substrate 10 and the ring frame 11, which are the targets for the adhesive tape 12, using the tape attachment device 1. Specifically, the first transport unit 40a transports the substrate 10 from the cassette C1 and loads it into the holding unit 50. The second transport unit 40b loads the ring frame 11 from the cassette C3 into the holding unit 50. Then, the tape attachment unit 60 attaches the adhesive tape 12 to the ring frame 11 and the substrate 10.

[0061] In the first detection step S20, the control unit 110 images the surface 10a of the substrate 10 to which the adhesive tape 12 is attached in the first processing step S10, and detects first information of the substrate 10. That is, in the first processing step S10, the control unit 110 moves the work unit 13 to which the adhesive tape 12 is attached below the camera 80 using the moving unit 70, and images the substrate 10 included in the work unit 13 that has been moved below. The captured image is stored in the storage unit 120 as "first information" as shown in Figure 5 above. The image in Figure 5 shows a state where there is no foreign matter such as contamination attached. When the imaging in the first detection step S20 is completed, the unitized substrate 10 is transported to the cassette C2.

[0062] Furthermore, in the processing method shown in Figure 8, the first detection step S20 is configured to image the substrate 10 after processing in the tape application device 1. However, as described above, the substrate 10 may be imaged before processing in the tape application device 1. In other words, the order of the first processing step S10 and the first detection step S20 may be reversed. In that case, the image of the substrate 10 obtained by imaging with the camera 230 will be an image of the substrate 10 after being discharged from the cassette C1 and before the adhesive tape 12 is applied, and the information of the substrate 10 obtained from that image will be the first information. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, "first information" will refer to the substrate 10 after the adhesive tape 12 has been applied in the tape application device 1.

[0063] In the transport step S30, a transport device (not shown) transports the cassette C2 containing the work unit 13 to the cutting device 200. The cassette C2 transported to the cutting device 200 is placed on the cassette table 203 in the cutting device 200. The transport device consists of, for example, an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) or an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) located above the tape application device 1 or the cutting device 200.

[0064] In the second detection step S40, the control unit 310 images the surface 10a of the substrate 10 included in the work unit 13 transported in the transport step S30 and detects the second information of the substrate 10. Specifically, the control unit 310 takes the work unit 13 before cutting from the cassette C2 placed on the cassette table 203 and places it on the guide rail 251. In the second detection step S40, the control unit 310 controls the camera 230 to image the substrate 10 included in the work unit 13 placed on the guide rail 251 and detects the image of the second information shown in the example in Figure 7 above. The detected image is stored in the storage unit 320.

[0065] In the comparison step S50, the control unit 310 compares the image of the first information detected in the first detection step S20 with the image of the second information detected in the second detection step S40. Specifically, in the comparison step S50, the control unit 310 refers to the storage unit 320 to identify the image of the first information in Figure 5 detected in the first detection step S20 and the image of the second information in Figure 7 detected in the second detection step S40, and performs, for example, template matching (pattern matching). As template matching, for example, known methods such as SAD (Sum of Absolute Difference), SSD (Sum of Squared Difference), NCC (Normalized Cross-Correlation), and ZNCC (Zero-mean Normalized Cross-Correlation) can be used. These are algorithms that determine the difference in pixel values ​​by looking at them in various ways. In this way, the control unit 310 compares the image of the first information detected in the first detection step S20 with the image of the second information detected in the second detection step S40 by template matching, and determines that the images are similar if the similarity between them is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and determines that they are dissimilar if the similarity between them is less than a predetermined value. In this embodiment, the similarity of the images is defined, for example, by contamination or dirt adhering to the substrate 10.

[0066] In the comparison step S50, when comparing the first information and the second information, the first information is transmitted, for example, from the tape application device 1 to the cutting device 200 via communication and recorded in the storage unit 320. The communication means may be, for example, transmitted directly from the tape application device 1 to the cutting device 200, or transmitted via a server or the like, or via peer-to-peer communication.

[0067] In the determination step S60, the control unit 310 determines an abnormality in the substrate 10 based on the comparison result of the comparison step S50. That is, if the images are similar based on the result of the comparison step S50, it is determined that there is no abnormality, and conversely, if the images are not similar, it is determined that there is an abnormality. In this embodiment, the first information in Figure 5 shows no contamination or dirt, while the second information in Figure 7 includes two abnormal locations 400 such as contamination or dirt. Therefore, the images are not similar, and it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10 that was transported to the cutting device 200.

[0068] As described above, the image in the first information obtained by detection in the first detection step S20 is an image after the adhesive tape 12 application process in the tape application device 1 has been performed. Therefore, it can be estimated that the abnormality in the substrate 10 occurred between the processing of the first detection step S20 and the processing of the second detection step S40. In this embodiment, it can be estimated that after imaging the substrate 10 in the first detection step S20, an abnormality may have occurred while the work unit 13 was being transported to the cassette C2 in the tape application device 1, or while the cassette C2 was being transported from the tape application device 1 to the cutting device 200. In other words, it can be estimated that after imaging the substrate 10 in the first detection step S20, an abnormality may have occurred in the substrate 10 during transport to the cutting device 200.

[0069] If it is determined in the determination step S60 that an abnormality has occurred in the circuit board 10 (Yes in determination step S60), the control unit 310 proceeds to the notification step S90. Conversely, if it is determined in the determination step S60 that no abnormality has occurred in the circuit board 10 (No in determination step S60), the control unit 310 proceeds to the second processing step S70. The second processing step S70 will be explained first.

[0070] In the second processing step S70, the control unit 310 performs cutting on the substrate 10 using the cutting device 200. That is, since no abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10, cutting is performed on the substrate 10. Specifically, the substrate 10 is placed on the holding surface of the holding table 210 and the substrate 10 is held in place by suction. Then, the substrate 10 is imaged with the alignment camera 240 and alignment is performed based on the image captured. Then, the cutting unit 220 is controlled to move the cutting blade and the holding table relative to each other and perform cutting along the planned division line.

[0071] In the cleaning step S80, the control unit 310 cleans the substrate 10 that has been machined in the second processing step S70. This is to clean off any cutting debris that has adhered to the substrate 10. Specifically, the control unit 310 uses the transport unit 250 to transport the substrate 10 from the holding table 210 to the cleaning unit 260, and the cleaning unit 260 cleans the substrate 10 after machining.

[0072] On the other hand, as described above, if it is determined in the determination step S60 that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10 (Yes in the determination step S60), the control unit 310 proceeds to the notification step S90.

[0073] In notification step S90, the control unit 310 notifies the operator that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10 to be cut. For example, the control unit 310 activates a notification unit 270, such as a display unit or a warning light, to notify the operator that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10. This allows the operator to understand that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10 and to avoid performing cutting on the substrate 10 while the abnormality is present.

[0074] In the abnormality resolution determination step S100, the control unit 310 determines whether the abnormality of the substrate 10 can be resolved by executing the abnormality resolution step S110 described later. After the abnormality resolution process in the abnormality resolution step S110 is performed, the process returns to the second detection step S40, the substrate 10 that has undergone the abnormality resolution process is imaged, and then the images are compared in the comparison step S50. In the initial routine, the abnormality resolution step S110 has not yet been executed, so in that case, the abnormality resolution determination step S100 may be configured to be positively determined (Yes in the abnormality resolution determination step S100).

[0075] On the other hand, if, after returning to the second detection step S40 and imaging the substrate 10 after the abnormality elimination process, it is determined that an abnormality still exists (Yes in the determination step S60), and it is determined that the abnormality cannot be eliminated even if the abnormality elimination step S110 is executed (No in the abnormality elimination determination step S100), the control unit 310 terminates the processing method shown in Figure 8. In other words, if the dirt or other substances attached to the substrate 10 cannot be removed even after executing the abnormality elimination step S110, the process is terminated without performing cutting. To put it another way, if the similarity between the image of the first information and the image of the second information does not reach a predetermined value even after executing the abnormality elimination step S110, the process is terminated.

[0076] Furthermore, the cases in which the abnormality resolution determination step S100 is determined negatively may be defined, for example, by the number of times. For example, if there is a possibility that the abnormality of the substrate 10 can be resolved by the abnormality resolution step S110 up to two times, including the first time, the abnormality resolution determination step S100 may be determined positively (Yes in the abnormality resolution determination step S100), and then determined negatively (No in the abnormality resolution determination step S100) from the third time onward.

[0077] In the abnormality resolution step S110, the control unit 310 performs processing to resolve the abnormality in the substrate 10 that was determined to be abnormal in the determination step S60. For example, the processing to resolve the abnormality includes cleaning to remove contamination and dirt adhering to the substrate 10. Specifically, the control unit 310 transports the substrate 10 to the cleaning unit 260 using the transport unit 250 and cleans the substrate 10. Note that the cleaning in the abnormality resolution step S110 may be changed to cleaning conditions that have a stronger cleaning force compared to, for example, the cleaning conditions in the cleaning step S80 after cutting the substrate 10. For example, in the cleaning unit 260 that supplies pure water for cleaning, the cleaning conditions in the abnormality resolution step S110 may be changed to cleaning conditions where the cleaning time is longer than the cleaning conditions in the cleaning step S80 after cutting (for example, twice the cleaning time). Alternatively, the supply pressure of the pure water may be changed to a higher pressure than the cleaning conditions in the cleaning step S80 after cutting.

[0078] Furthermore, in addition to cleaning, the abnormality resolution step S110 may also include a suction process to remove contaminants and dirt adhering to the substrate 10, or a blower process to blow away contaminants and dirt adhering to the substrate 10.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the first information before processing in the tape application device 1, or the first information after processing, is compared with the second information before processing in the cutting device 200, and based on the comparison result, it is determined whether an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10. Therefore, if an abnormality has occurred in the substrate 10, it is possible to infer that the abnormality occurred in the tape application device 1, or while the substrate 10 was being transported from the tape application device 1 to the cutting device 200. Furthermore, if such an abnormality occurs, it is possible to identify the abnormality before performing the cutting process, thus avoiding cutting the substrate 10 while it is in an abnormal state.

[0080] Although each embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these are also understood to naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the image in the first information is an image obtained by imaging with the camera 80 in the tape application device 1. However, this image in the first information may be obtained by means other than the tape application device 1. For example, if the image to be detected as the first information is an image before the adhesive tape 12 is applied by the tape application device 1, the image before the adhesive tape 12 is applied may be recorded in the storage unit 120 in advance, and that image may be used as the first information.

[0082] Furthermore, while the image in the second information was detected by the camera 230 in the above-described embodiment, it may also consist of an image detected by the alignment camera 240. For example, the alignment camera 240 may capture images of multiple locations on the surface 10a of the substrate 10 held on the holding surface 211 of the holding table 210 to generate an image of the entire surface 10a of the substrate 10 as the second information.

[0083] Furthermore, as explained with reference to Figure 6, the camera 230 may be positioned above the guide rail 251 in the Z-axis direction, or it may be positioned above the holding surface 211 of the holding table 210 in the Z-axis direction and provided on the transport path of the substrate 10.

[0084] Furthermore, the applicable devices are not limited to the tape application device 1 or the cutting device 200, as long as the first and second processing devices are configured to detect when an abnormality occurs between the processing of the first and second processing devices. For example, it may be applied to various processing devices such as a laser processing device that performs laser processing on the substrate 10, a grinding device that performs grinding on the substrate 10, or a polishing device that performs polishing on the substrate 10.

[0085] Furthermore, the means for detecting the information of the substrate 10 described above may be a particle counter for detecting particles on the substrate 10, or a thickness detection sensor for measuring the thickness of the substrate 10, in addition to the cameras 80 and 230. In this case, the first reference information will be a reference threshold (number) or a reference thickness.

[0086] Furthermore, if the means for detecting the information of the substrate 10 is a camera 80,230, imaging may be performed while illuminating the substrate 10 with oblique light focused at the UV wavelength of an LED light source. Focusing the light means generating a strong light in one direction, like a Polarion light, to make it easier to find small objects. This is because using the UV wavelength leads to the emission of fluorescent materials, and using an LED light source results in a narrow spectral output (short wavelength) of UV light, which makes the light more easily scattered. Short wavelengths are suitable for illuminating and reflecting light from tiny objects such as dust and foreign matter.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the processing method explained with reference to Figure 8 was configured such that the control unit 110 in the tape application device 1 and the control unit 310 in the cutting device 200 cooperated to execute each step. However, the process may be executed by only one of the control units, or it may be controlled by another control unit or server that comprehensively controls both the tape application device 1 and the cutting device 200.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the initial routine is judged positively in the abnormality resolution determination step S100 of the processing method in Figure 8. However, in the comparison step S50, if the similarity between the images of the first information and the second information is significantly lower than a predetermined value, such as being less than a second predetermined value, it may be determined that the abnormality cannot be resolved even if the abnormality resolution step S110 is executed, and the initial routine may be judged negatively.

[0089] Furthermore, the processing method described in the above-described embodiment can be realized by executing a pre-prepared control program on a computer. This control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed when read from the storage medium. This control program may also be provided in the form of a non-transient storage medium such as flash memory, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes this control program may be included in the processing unit, or it may be included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer that can communicate with the processing unit, or it may be included in a server device that can communicate with these processing units and electronic devices.

[0090] This specification contains at least the following information. Note that the components etc. in parentheses indicate those corresponding to the embodiments described above, but are not limited thereto.

[0091] (1) A processing method for processing an object to be processed (substrate 10), A first processing step (first processing step S10) in which the object to be processed is processed by a first processing device (tape application device 1), A first detection step (first detection step S20) for detecting first information of the object to be processed, After the first detection step, a transport step (transport step S30) is performed to transport the workpiece to a second processing device (cutting device 200), A second processing step (second processing step S70) in which the workpiece to be processed is processed by the second processing apparatus, After the transport step and before the second processing step, a second detection step (second detection step S40) is performed to detect second information of the object to be processed, A comparison step (comparison step S50) is performed to compare the first information detected in the first detection step with the second information detected in the second detection step. The system includes a determination step (determination step S60) for determining an abnormality in the workpiece based on the results of the comparison step, Processing method.

[0092] According to (1), the comparison results of the first information and the second information allow us to estimate that an abnormality occurred in the workpiece during the first processing step or transport step, such as damage or contamination. In other words, if the abnormality was determined after the second processing step, as in the conventional method, it was not possible to determine whether the determined abnormality occurred before or during the second processing step. However, by using the second information detected after the transport step and before the second processing step, it becomes possible to identify abnormalities that occurred before the second processing step before the second processing step. This makes it possible to prevent the workpiece with abnormalities from being processed in the second processing step. Furthermore, if an abnormality is determined after the second processing step, it can be determined that the abnormality occurred in the second processing step, thus making it possible to appropriately determine the timing of the abnormality's occurrence.

[0093] (2) The processing method described in (1), The first piece of information mentioned above is, This is information after the first processing step described above. Processing method.

[0094] According to (2), the comparison results between the first and second pieces of information suggest that an abnormality occurred in the processed object during the transport step. In other words, compared to (1) above, the accuracy of identifying when an abnormality may have occurred can be improved.

[0095] (3) The processing method described in (1) or (2), The second processing step is: If, in the determination step, it is determined that there is no abnormality in the workpiece, the second processing apparatus performs processing on the workpiece. Processing method.

[0096] According to (3), if there is no abnormality in the material to be processed, processing by the second processing device can be carried out appropriately.

[0097] (4) The processing method described in (1) or (2), The system further includes a notification step (notification step S90) for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality in the processed object, The notification step is to notify the occurrence of an abnormality in the workpiece if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece. Processing method.

[0098] According to (4), if there is an abnormality in the material to be processed, notification of the abnormality can be provided, thereby preventing operators from continuing to process the material with the second processing device while it is in an abnormal state.

[0099] (5) The processing method described in (1) or (2), The system further includes an abnormality resolution step (abnormality resolution step S110) for resolving the abnormality of the workpiece, The abnormality resolution step resolves the abnormality in the workpiece if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece. Processing method.

[0100] According to (5), if there is an abnormality in the object to be processed, the abnormality can be resolved, and then the processing by the second processing device can be performed.

[0101] (6) The processing method described in (5), The process further includes a cleaning step (cleaning step S80) in which the workpiece is cleaned by a cleaning unit (cleaning unit 260) after the second processing step, The abnormality resolution step involves, if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the object to be processed, washing the object to be processed with the washing unit. Processing method.

[0102] According to (6), by using the cleaning unit for the cleaning step in the abnormality resolution step, a separate mechanism for resolving abnormalities becomes unnecessary, meaning that the abnormality resolution step can be performed using the existing configuration without creating a new configuration.

[0103] (7) The processing method described in (6), The cleaning conditions in the abnormality resolution step are stronger than the cleaning conditions in the cleaning step. Processing method.

[0104] According to (7), by changing the cleaning conditions between the abnormality resolution step and the normal cleaning step, cleaning can be performed in a manner that suits the purpose. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 1. Tape application device (first processing device) 10. Substrate (object to be processed) 200 Cutting machine (second processing unit) 260 Washing Units S10 First processing step S20 First detection step S30 Conveying Step S40 Second detection step S50 Comparison Steps S60 Judgment Step S70 Second processing step S80 Cleaning Step S90 Hochi Step S110 Anomaly Resolution Step

Claims

1. A processing method for processing an object to be processed, A first processing step involves processing the object to be processed with a first processing apparatus, A first detection step for detecting first information of the object to be processed, After the first detection step, a transport step is performed to transport the object to be processed to a second processing device, A second processing step of processing the workpiece with the second processing apparatus, A second detection step is performed after the transport step and before the second processing step to detect second information about the object to be processed, A comparison step that compares the first information detected in the first detection step with the second information detected in the second detection step, The system includes a determination step of determining an abnormality in the workpiece based on the results of the comparison step. Processing method.

2. The processing method according to claim 1, The first piece of information mentioned above is, This is information after the first processing step described above. Processing method.

3. A processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The second processing step is: If, in the determination step, it is determined that there is no abnormality in the workpiece, the second processing apparatus performs processing on the workpiece. Processing method.

4. A processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The system further includes a notification step for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality in the processed object, The notification step is to notify the occurrence of an abnormality in the workpiece if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece. Processing method.

5. A processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The process further includes an abnormality resolution step for resolving the abnormality of the workpiece, The abnormality resolution step resolves the abnormality in the workpiece if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the workpiece. Processing method.

6. The processing method according to claim 5, The process further comprises a washing step in which the workpiece is washed in a washing unit after the second processing step, The abnormality resolution step involves, if the determination step determines that there is an abnormality in the object to be processed, washing the object to be processed with the washing unit. Processing method.

7. The processing method according to claim 6, The cleaning conditions in the abnormality resolution step have a stronger cleaning power than the cleaning conditions in the cleaning step. Processing method.

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