Clamping device, processing device, and workpiece processing method

Abstract

Reduce the power consumption of clamps that are powered by electricity. [Solution] By supplying power to the solenoid 36 and moving the second plate 41 in the +Y direction, the relative positions of the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are changed between opposing and non-opposing configurations, thereby opening and closing the gap between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41, and controlling the clamping of the workpiece. Therefore, since the clamping device 30 can be properly driven by electricity, it is possible to use the clamping device 30 properly even in production plants that do not have an air supply source. In addition, since power is supplied to the solenoid 36 only when the clamping operation is being performed, the power consumption related to the clamping device 30 can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamping device, a processing device, and a method for processing a workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a cutting device that cuts a wafer with a cutting blade. In this device, a workpiece set in which a tape is adhered to a ring frame and a wafer is accommodated in a cassette is taken out from the cassette and conveyed to a chuck table. Thereafter, the wafer of the workpiece set held on the chuck table is cut by the cutting blade. When taking out the workpiece set from the cassette, the ring frame of the workpiece set is gripped by a clamping device, and the workpiece set is pulled out from the cassette to a guide rail.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above cutting device, for example, an air bearing is used as a bearing of a spindle unit that rotates a cutting blade. Further, the opening and closing of the clamping device is controlled, for example, by supplying air to an air cylinder.

[0005] [[ID=四十]] When the production factory facility where the cutting device is installed does not have an air supply source, a ball bearing is used as a bearing of the spindle unit instead of the air bearing. Further, the opening and closing of the clamping device is also performed using an actuator driven by electric power.

[0006] However, conventionally, when using electricity to drive a clamping device, it is necessary to constantly supply power to the actuator while gripping a workpiece. This results in high power consumption.

[0007] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to reduce the power consumption of a clamping device that is driven by electricity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first clamping device of the present invention is a clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and comprises: a first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and a first magnet; a second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a magnetic attachment member; a solenoid that receives power to move the first plate or the second plate, thereby switching the relative positions of the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member between an opposing arrangement where they face each other and a non-opposing arrangement where they are offset from each other; and a support member that supports the first plate and the second plate such that when the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member are in the opposing arrangement, the first claw and the second claw move closer together due to the magnetic force acting between the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member, and when the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member are in the non-opposing arrangement, the first claw and the second claw move further apart.

[0009] In the first clamping device, the magnetic attachment member may be a second magnet, which is a magnet provided on the second plate, and it is preferable that the side of the second magnet facing the first magnet has a polarity opposite to that of the side of the first magnet facing the second magnet.

[0010] In the first clamping device, the magnetic attachment member may be a magnetic material.

[0011] The first clamping device may include a biasing member that biases the first plate or the second plate, which is moved by the solenoid, in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is moved by the solenoid.

[0012] The second clamping device of the present invention is a clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite the first surface, and comprises: a first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and an electromagnet; a second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a magnetic attachment member; a power supply that supplies power to the electromagnet; and a support member that supports the first plate and the second plate such that the first claw and the second claw are close together when the electromagnet has a magnetic force, and the first claw and the second claw are separated when the electromagnet does not have a magnetic force.

[0013] In the second clamping device, the magnetic attachment member may be a magnetic material, and when the electromagnet does not have a magnetic force, the first claw and the second claw may be separated by the weight of the second plate.

[0014] In the second clamping device, the magnetic attachment member may be a third magnet, which is a magnet provided on the second plate, and power may be supplied to the electromagnet from the power source such that the side of the electromagnet facing the third magnet has a polarity opposite to the polarity of the side of the third magnet facing the electromagnet.

[0015] In the second clamping device, the magnetic attachment member may be a third magnet which is a magnet provided on the second plate, and the device may further have a switching unit that switches the polarity of the face of the electromagnet on the third magnet side of the electromagnet when power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source between the same polarity as the face of the third magnet on the electromagnet side and the opposite polarity to the polarity of that face.

[0016] The third clamping device of the present invention is a clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite the first surface, and comprises: a first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and an electromagnet; a second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a permanent magnet; a power supply that supplies power to the electromagnet; and a support member that supports the first plate and the second plate such that the first claw and the second claw are separated when the electromagnet has magnetic force, and the first claw and the second claw are brought closer together when the electromagnet does not have magnetic force, wherein power is supplied from the power supply to the electromagnet such that the surface of the electromagnet on the side of the electromagnet has the same polarity as the surface of the permanent magnet on the side of the permanent magnet.

[0017] The third clamping device may further include a switching unit that switches the polarity of the face of the electromagnet on the permanent magnet side when power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source between the same polarity as the face of the permanent magnet on the electromagnet side and the opposite polarity to the polarity of that face.

[0018] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus (this processing apparatus) which comprises any of the first to third clamping devices and is a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece, wherein the workpiece includes a ring frame, a wafer, and tape that is attached to the ring frame and the wafer to integrate the ring frame and the wafer, and comprises a cassette stage on which a cassette containing the workpiece is placed, an loading / unloading mechanism for loading and unloading the workpiece to and from the cassette using the clamping device, and a processing unit for processing the workpiece unloaded from the cassette or the tape or wafer of the workpiece loaded into the cassette using the loading / unloading mechanism.

[0019] In this processing apparatus, the processing unit may be disposed above the workpiece unloaded from the cassette by the loading / unloading mechanism or the workpiece loaded into the cassette, and includes a chamber having a length greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer, a lifting mechanism for lifting the chamber, a nitrogen supply source and a nitrogen supply unit connected to the chamber for supplying nitrogen into the chamber, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed vertically opposite to the chamber.

[0020] The workpiece processing method (this processing method) of the present invention is a workpiece processing method using this processing apparatus, and includes an unloading step of unloading the workpiece from the cassette using the loading / unloading mechanism, and a processing step of processing the tape or the wafer of the workpiece unloaded from the cassette in the unloading step by the processing unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0021] In the first clamping device, by supplying power to the solenoid to move the first plate or the second plate, the relative positional relationship between the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member is changed between the opposed arrangement and the non-opposed arrangement. Thereby, it is possible to open and close between the first claw of the first plate and the second claw of the second plate to clamp the workpiece and to release the clamping of the workpiece.

[0022] Therefore, since the first clamping device can be appropriately driven by electric power, even in a production factory not equipped with an air supply source, it is possible to appropriately use the first clamping device or to reduce the air consumption. Further, in the first clamping device, power is supplied to the solenoid only when the clamping operation is performed, so that the power consumption can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cutting device. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ultraviolet irradiation unit. [Figure 3]It is a top view showing the configuration of the clamping device. [Figure 4] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the clamping device. [Figure 5] Figs. 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the first magnet and the second magnet. [Figure 6] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in an idling state. [Figure 7] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has moved in the +Y direction. [Figure 8] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted downward. [Figure 9] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has moved in the -Y direction. [Figure 10] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted upward. [Figure 11] It is a side view showing the first ultraviolet irradiation process. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing the first ultraviolet irradiation process. [Figure 13] It is a side view showing the first ultraviolet irradiation process. [Figure 14] It is a side cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the clamping device. [Figure 15] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in an idling state. [Figure 16] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has moved in the +Y direction. [Figure 17] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted downward. [Figure 18] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has moved in the -Y direction. [Figure 19] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted upward. [Figure 20] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted downward. [Figure 21] It is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has pivoted upward. [Figure 22] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has rotated downwards. [Figure 23] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has rotated downwards. [Figure 24] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has rotated upward. [Figure 25] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the clamping device in a state where the second plate has rotated downwards. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The cutting apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece. The workset 110 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a workpiece and includes a ring frame 111, a wafer 100, and a tape (dicing tape) 113 that is attached to the ring frame 111 and the wafer 100 to integrate them.

[0025] The ring frame 111 is formed in an annular shape and has an opening 112 capable of accommodating a wafer 100. The workset 110 is formed by integrating the ring frame 111 and the wafer 100 positioned in the opening 112 of the ring frame 111 with a tape 113.

[0026] In this embodiment, wafer 100 is a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer having grid-like division lines 102 on its surface. Devices (not shown) are formed in each region demarcated by the division lines 102. Wafer 100 is cut using a cutting device 1.

[0027] The configuration of the cutting device 1 is described below. The cutting device 1 comprises a support base 10, a rectangular parallelepiped housing 12 erected on the support base 10, and a control unit 7 built into the housing 12 that controls each component of the cutting device 1.

[0028] On the -Y direction side of the support base 10, there is a cassette stage 16 on which a cassette 11 containing a work set 110 is placed. Inside the support base 10 below the cassette stage 16, there is a stage moving member 13 for moving the cassette stage 16 and the cassette 11 in the vertical direction.

[0029] Cassette 11 has multiple shelves 131 inside (see Figure 11), and one workset 110 is housed in each shelf 131. Cassette 11 has an opening 132 on the +Y direction side, and the worksets 110 are loaded and unloaded through this opening 132.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, a loading / unloading mechanism (push-pull mechanism) 17 is provided on the +Y direction side of the cassette 11 for loading and unloading the work set 110 to and from the cassette 11 using a clamping device 30. The loading / unloading mechanism 17 includes a clamping device 30 for clamping the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, a push-pull arm 171 with the clamping device 30 at its tip, and a push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 for reciprocating the clamping device 30 and the push-pull arm 171 in the Y-axis direction.

[0031] The loading / unloading mechanism 17 is configured to load and unload the work set 110 to the cassette 11 by moving the clamping device 30 in the Y-axis direction using the push-pull arm 171 and the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 while the work set 110 is clamped (gripped) by the clamping device 30. The stage moving member 13 is configured to adjust the vertical position of the cassette 11 relative to the clamping device 30 of the loading / unloading mechanism 17, thereby adjusting the height of the work set 110 being unloaded from the cassette 11 to the same height as the clamping device 30, and also adjusting the height of the shelf in the cassette 11 into which the work set 110 is loaded to the same height as the clamping device 30.

[0032] Furthermore, an ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 is provided on the +Y direction side of the cassette 11. As shown in Figure 2, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 has a chamber 71 positioned above the work set 110 and a UV light source 72 positioned below the work set 110. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 uses ultraviolet light from multiple UV light sources 72 arranged in a straight line to cure the adhesive of the tape 113 that bonds the wafer 100 and the tape 113 in the work set 110.

[0033] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 irradiates the work set 110, which is being unloaded from the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17, with ultraviolet light, thereby partially curing the adhesive of the tape 113 in a way that does not reduce its adhesive strength.

[0034] Furthermore, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 irradiates the work set 110, which has been loaded into the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17, with ultraviolet light, thereby substantially curing the adhesive of the tape 113 to reduce its adhesive strength. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 may selectively emit light from its UV light source 72 in accordance with the position of the workset 110 being transported by the loading / unloading mechanism 17, so as to completely cure only the adhesive of the tape 113 attached to the wafer 100. In other words, when irradiating the central part of the wafer 100 with ultraviolet light, all of the UV light sources 72 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 are made to emit light, and when irradiating the outer edge of the wafer 100 with ultraviolet light, only the central UV light source 72 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 is made to emit light.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, a guide rail (temporary placement member) 18 for temporarily placing the work set 110 is provided near the chuck table 20. The loading / unloading mechanism 17 transports and places the UV-irradiated work set 110, which has been unloaded from the cassette 11, onto the guide rail 18. The loading / unloading mechanism 17 positions the work set 110 in the Y-axis direction. Subsequently, the guide rail 18 positions the work set 110 in the X-axis direction.

[0036] A first transport mechanism 50 is provided on the front of the housing 12 at the top of the chuck table 20. The first transport mechanism 50 includes a first frame holding part 51 that holds the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, a first moving mechanism 52 that moves the first frame holding part 51 in the Y-axis direction, and a first lifting mechanism 53 that raises and lowers the first frame holding part 51 in the Z-axis direction.

[0037] The first transport mechanism 50 holds the work set 110 on the guide rail 18 and transports and places it on the chuck table 20. The first transport mechanism 50 also transports and places the work set 110 on the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 55 provided on the +Y direction side of the support base 10.

[0038] The chuck table 20 holds the wafer 100 by its holding surface 22 and is positioned on the movable plate 14. The movable plate 14, along with a bellows-shaped waterproof cover 15, covers the opening in the center of the upper surface of the support base 10.

[0039] The chuck table 20 has a holding surface 22 made of porous material. This holding surface 22 is connected to a suction source (not shown) and holds the wafer 100 of the workset 110 by suction via the tape 113. The chuck table 20 also has four clamps 28. Each clamp 28 holds and secures the ring frame 111 of the workset 110 from all four sides. In this way, the chuck table 20 holds the workset 110.

[0040] The chuck table 20, while holding the work set 110, is transported together with the moving plate 14 from the support base 10 into the housing 12 by an X-axis movement mechanism (not shown). A processing unit 90 is provided inside the housing 12. The processing unit 90 is an example of a processing unit that processes the wafers 100 of the work set 110 that have been unloaded from the cassette 11. The processing unit 90 cuts the wafers 100 of the work set 110 along the planned division line 102. This forms processing grooves (cutting grooves) on the wafers 100.

[0041] After machining, the chuck table 20 and the moving plate 14 are returned to the support base 10 by the X-axis moving mechanism 29. Then, the wafer 100 of the workpiece set 110 held on the chuck table 20 is sent from the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 55 on the +Y direction side of the chuck table 20 by the first transport mechanism 50.

[0042] The spinner cleaning mechanism 55 has a spinner table 56 that holds the workset 110. In the spinner cleaning mechanism 55, the wafers 100 of the workset 110 held by the spinner table 56 are cleaned and dried.

[0043] A second transport mechanism 60 is provided on the front of the housing 12 above the spinner cleaning mechanism 55. The second transport mechanism 60 includes a second frame holding part 61 that holds the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, a second moving mechanism 63 that moves the second frame holding part 61 in the Y-axis direction, and a second lifting mechanism 65 that raises and lowers the second frame holding part 61 in the Z-axis direction.

[0044] The second transport mechanism 60 unloads the workset 110, which includes the wafers 100 that have been cleaned and dried by the spinner cleaning mechanism 55, from the spinner cleaning mechanism 55 and places it on, for example, the guide rail 18. The workset 110 placed on the guide rail 18 is then loaded into the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17.

[0045] Furthermore, after the wafer 100 has been cut, the second transport mechanism 60 may transport the workpiece set 110 from the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 55, instead of the first transport mechanism 50.

[0046] Furthermore, a touch panel 80 is installed on the side of the housing 12. The touch panel 80 displays various information such as the conditions (processing conditions) related to cutting and ultraviolet irradiation of the wafer 100. The touch panel 80 is also used to set various information such as processing conditions. Thus, the touch panel 80 functions as both an input component for inputting information and a display component for displaying information.

[0047] The control unit 7 includes a CPU that performs calculations according to a control program, and a storage medium such as memory. The control unit 7 executes various processes and comprehensively controls each component of the cutting device 1 to perform cutting and other processes on the wafer 100.

[0048] Here, the configuration of the clamping device 30 in the loading / unloading mechanism 17 will be described in detail. The clamping device 30 clamps the work set 110 by contacting the upper surface of the ring frame 111, which is the first surface of the work set 110, and the lower surface of the ring frame 111, which is the second surface opposite the first surface.

[0049] Figure 3 is a top view of the clamping device 30, and Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the clamping device 30. As shown in these figures, the clamping device 30 includes an electric solenoid 36, a fixing plate 39 screw-fixed to the solenoid 36, a rod 37 that passes through the fixing plate 39 and is attached to the solenoid 36, a first plate 31 which is an upper plate attached to the upper end of the fixing plate 39, and a second plate 41 which is a lower plate attached to the rod 37. The rod 37 is an example of a connecting member that connects the solenoid 36 and the second plate 41.

[0050] The first plate 31 has a first claw 32 on the leading edge of its lower surface. This first claw 32 is positioned at the leading edge of the first plate 31 and is the part that contacts the upper surface of the ring frame 111, which is the first surface of the work set 110, when the work set 110 is clamped by the clamping device 30. The first claw 32 has a gripping portion 320 at its tip that contacts the upper surface of the ring frame 111, and a recessed portion 321 between the gripping portion 320 (see Figure 3).

[0051] Furthermore, a first magnet 33, which is a permanent magnet, is attached to the base end of the first claw 32 on the lower surface of the first plate 31. In addition, a first slide plate 34 is attached to the +Y direction side (solenoid 36 side) of the first magnet 33 on the lower surface of the first plate 31. The thickness of the first slide plate 34 is set to be the same as, for example, the thickness of the first magnet 33.

[0052] The second plate 41 has a second claw 42 on the leading edge of its upper surface. This second claw 42 is positioned at the leading edge of the second plate 41 and is the part that contacts the lower surface of the ring frame 111, which is the second surface of the work set 110, when the work set 110 is clamped by the clamping device 30. The second claw 42 has a gripping portion 420 at its tip that contacts the lower surface of the ring frame 111, and a recessed portion 421 between the gripping portion 420 (see Figure 3).

[0053] Furthermore, a second magnet 43, which is a permanent magnet as an example of a magnetic attachment member, is attached to the base end of the second plate 41 on its upper surface. Note that the side of the second magnet 43 facing the first magnet 33 has the opposite polarity (N pole) to the side of the first magnet 33 facing the second magnet 43 (see Figures 5(a) and (b)). In this embodiment, the magnetic attachment member refers to a member that interacts magnetically with a magnet, and includes, for example, permanent magnets and substances that are not permanent magnets but are attracted to magnetic force (magnetic materials).

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 have, for example, the same width (length in the Y-axis direction), the same width (length in the X-axis direction), and the same thickness (length in the Z-axis direction). However, when the magnetic attachment member is a magnetic material, the size of the magnetic material does not have to be the same as that of the first magnet 33 as described above.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a second slide plate 44 is attached to the upper surface of the second plate 41 on the +Y direction side (solenoid 36 side) of the second magnet 43. The mounting position of the second slide plate 44 on the second plate 41 is set such that at least a portion of the first slide plate 34 and the second slide plate 44 on the first plate 31 overlap when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The thickness of the second slide plate 44 is set to be the same as, for example, the thickness of the second magnet 43.

[0056] The first sliding plate 34 and the second sliding plate 44 are for assisting the movement (sliding) of the second claw 42 in the Y-axis direction relative to the second plate 41. In addition, the first sliding plate 34 and the second sliding plate 44 can also prevent the first plate 31 and the second plate 41 from getting too close to each other.

[0057] Furthermore, the second plate 41 integrally has a connecting portion 45 at its base end, which is the part connected to the rod 37. The connecting portion 45 is formed in the shape of a plate extending in the ZY plane. A shaft 38 extending in the X direction passes through this connecting portion 45 and the rod 37. Therefore, the connecting portion 45 is connected to the rod 37 via this shaft 38. As a result, the second plate 41, including the connecting portion 45, is movable in the Y direction together with the rod 37 and is also pivotable relative to the rod 37 via the shaft 38.

[0058] Furthermore, a stopper 35 is provided at the tip of the first plate 31, which wraps around the recess 321 at the tip of the first claw 32 and extends downward. The stopper 35 is provided to contact the outer edge of the ring frame 111 and to keep the area where the ring frame 111 is clamped by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 constant.

[0059] Furthermore, the stopper 35 may be configured to prevent the distance between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 from becoming too large. For example, the tip of the stopper 35 may wrap around to the underside of the second claw 42 via the recess 321 at the tip of the first claw 32 and the recess 421 of the second claw 42 in the second plate 41, thereby supporting the second claw 42 from below.

[0060] The solenoid 36 generates a magnetic force when power is supplied to its internal coil, causing the magnetic rod 37 to move (attract) in the +Y direction. However, when no power is supplied to the internal coil, it is configured not to substantially hinder the movement of the rod 37 in the Y-axis direction. As described above, the second plate 41 is attached to the rod 37. Therefore, by moving the rod 37 in the Y-axis direction, the solenoid 36 can move the second plate 41 in the Y-axis direction relative to the first plate 31 (i.e., in the plane direction of the first plate 31, which is a fixed plate).

[0061] Specifically, the solenoid 36 is configured to switch (change) the relative positional relationship (relative to the Y-axis) between the first magnet 33 on the first plate 31 and the second magnet 43 on the second plate 41 between an opposing arrangement where they face each other and a non-opposing arrangement where they are offset from each other, by receiving power to move the second plate 41. In particular, in this embodiment, the solenoid 36 is configured to change the relative positional relationship between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 from an opposing arrangement where they face each other to a non-opposing arrangement where they are offset from each other, by receiving power to move the second plate 41 in the +Y direction, which is the plane direction (horizontal direction) of the first plate 31.

[0062] Furthermore, the rod 37, shaft 38, fixing plate 39, and connecting portion 45 function as support members for the first plate 31 and the second plate 41 such that when the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 (magnetic attachment member) are in opposing positions, the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 move closer together due to the magnetic force acting between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43, and when the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are not in opposing positions, the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 move further apart from each other.

[0063] Here, we will explain the clamping operation of the workpiece set 110 by the clamping device 30.

[0064] When the clamping device 30 is not in use (idling state), no power is supplied to the solenoid 36, and as shown in Figure 6, the first magnet 33 on the first plate 31 and the second magnet 43 on the second plate 41 are positioned at the same location along the Y-axis (they are in an opposing arrangement facing each other).

[0065] Therefore, due to the attractive (magnetic) force acting between them, the second plate 41 holding the second magnet 43 rotates upward around the shaft 38 so that the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 move closer to each other, and the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 come into contact with each other (see also Figure 5(a)). As a result, the second plate 41 is in a closed state (idling state), and the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 are positioned close to each other.

[0066] Furthermore, the first slide plate 34 of the first plate 31 and the second slide plate 44 of the second plate 41 are also positioned at the same location along the Y-axis and are in contact with each other.

[0067] When the clamping operation of the workpiece set 110 using the clamping device 30 is initiated, the control unit 7 moves the rod 37 in the +Y direction by supplying power to the solenoid 36. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the second plate 41 moves in the +Y direction together with the rod 37, as indicated by the arrow 300, while sliding the first slide plate 34 and the second slide plate 44 against each other.

[0068] As a result, the solenoid 36 fixes the position of the second plate 41 in the Y-axis direction so that the first magnet 33 of the first plate 31 and the second magnet 43 of the second plate 41 are offset from each other along the Y-axis direction by the width of the first magnet 33 (and the second magnet 43) (i.e., they are in a non-facing arrangement) (see also Figure 5(b)).

[0069] In this case, as shown in Figure 5(c), a second magnetic field line 331 returns to itself from the first magnet 33 on the first plate 31, a second magnetic field line 431 returns to itself from the second magnet 43 on the second plate 41, and a first magnetic field line 330 attracts the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43. Then, as these second magnetic field lines 331 and 431 repel each other, a repulsive force is generated between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43.

[0070] Due to this repulsive force and the weight of the second plate 41, the second plate 41, which holds the second magnet 43, rotates downward around the shaft 38 (arrow 301) so that the second magnet 43 and the first magnet 33 move away from each other in the Z-axis direction, as shown in Figure 8.

[0071] Furthermore, between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43, not only is there a repulsive force, but also an attractive force (magnetic force) caused by the first magnetic field line 330 (see Figure 5(c)). For this reason, the first plate 31 having the first magnet 33 and the second plate 41 having the second magnet 43 are stably positioned in such a way that this attractive force balances the aforementioned repulsive force and the weight of the second plate 41. As a result, the second plate 41 opens up, and the space between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens. Therefore, even when external forces such as vibrations are applied, or when the orientation of the clamping device 30 is changed, the second plate 41 is prevented from opening or closing toward the first plate 31, that is, the opening angle of the second plate 41 (the angle between the second plate 41 and the first plate 31) is prevented from changing. The opening angle of the second plate 41 is also prevented by the stopper 35 of the first plate 31.

[0072] In this state, as shown in Figure 8, the control unit 7 brings the stopper 35 of the clamping device 30 into contact with the outer edge of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, and adjusts the position of the clamping device 30 using the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 (see Figure 1) so that the upper surface of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 contacts the lower surface of the first claw 32 (gripping portion 320) of the first plate 31.

[0073] Subsequently, the control unit 7 cuts off the power supply to the solenoid 36. As a result, the effect of the solenoid 36 on the second plate 41 is eliminated, and the position of the second plate 41 in the Y-axis direction is released. Therefore, due to an attractive force (magnetic force) greater than the repulsive force between the first magnet 33 of the first plate 31 and the second magnet 43 of the second plate 41, that is, due to the first magnetic field line 330 between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43, the second magnet 43 is attracted to the first magnet 33, and the second plate 41 and the rod 37 move in the -Y direction (arrow 302) so that the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are positioned facing each other, as shown in Figure 9.

[0074] Furthermore, as the second plate 41 and rod 37 move in the -Y direction, the attractive force exerted by the first magnetic field line 330 between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 increases, as shown in Figure 10. This causes the second plate 41 to pivot upward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis so that the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 come into contact with each other (arrow 303). As a result, the second plate 41 closes, the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 move closer together, and the second claw 42 comes into contact with the lower surface of the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110. Consequently, the ring frame 111 can be clamped by these first claw 32 and second claw 42.

[0075] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp on the workpiece set 110 by the clamping device 30, the control unit 7 supplies power to the solenoid 36, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, to move the rod 37 and the second plate 41 in the +Y direction. This causes the repulsive force between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 and the weight of the second plate 41 to open the second plate 41, widening the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42. As a result, the clamp on the ring frame 111 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 is released.

[0076] As described above, in the clamping device 30 according to this embodiment, by supplying power to the solenoid 36 to move the second plate 41 in the +Y direction, the relative positions of the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are made non-facing, and by cutting off the power supply to the solenoid 36, the relative positions of the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are made opposing due to the attractive force of the first magnetic field lines 330 between the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43, thereby opening and closing the space between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41, the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 is released, and the ring frame 111 is clamped. Therefore, since the clamping device 30 can be properly driven by electricity, it is possible to use the cutting device 1 properly or reduce air consumption even in production plants that do not have an air supply source.

[0077] Furthermore, in the clamping device 30, power is not supplied to the solenoid 36 when it is idling and not performing a clamping operation on the workpiece set 110, and power is supplied to the solenoid 36 only when a clamping operation is performed. This reduces the power consumption of the clamping device 30.

[0078] Here, we will explain the processing method for the workpiece set 110 using the cutting device 1.

[0079] [Export process] First, an unloading process is performed. In this process, the work set 110 is unloaded from the cassette 11 using the loading / unloading mechanism 17 shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the unloading process may include a first ultraviolet irradiation process in addition to unloading the work set 110. That is, in an unloading process that includes a first ultraviolet irradiation process, the control unit 7 irradiates the work set 110 with ultraviolet light using the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 while unloading the work set 110 from the cassette 11 using the loading / unloading mechanism 17. This ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 is an example of a processing unit that processes the tape 113 of the work set 110 unloaded from the cassette 11 using the loading / unloading mechanism 17, and the tape 113 of the work set 110 being loaded into the cassette 11 using the loading / unloading mechanism 17.

[0080] As shown in Figure 11, the UV light source (ultraviolet irradiation section) 72 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 is positioned below the work set 110 that is being loaded into and unloaded from the cassette 11, between the cassette 11 and the guide rail 18.

[0081] Furthermore, the chamber 71 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 has an inner chamber 711 with an open bottom. The chamber 71 is positioned above the UV light source 72 on the +Y direction side of the cassette 11, that is, above the work set 110 that has been unloaded from the cassette 11 or the work set 110 that is being loaded into the cassette 11. Therefore, the UV light source 72 is positioned perpendicularly to the chamber 71. Also, the chamber 71 has a length greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer 100 of the work set 110.

[0082] Furthermore, the chamber 71 is configured to be raised and lowered by a chamber lifting mechanism 73. By being lowered by the chamber lifting mechanism 73, the chamber 71 is positioned directly above the work set 110 that is being loaded into and out of the cassette 11, and together with the UV light source 72, it can be positioned to sandwich the work set 110 from above and below.

[0083] Furthermore, the chamber 71 is connected to the nitrogen supply source 201 via nitrogen piping 74, and is configured to supply nitrogen gas from the nitrogen supply source 201 to the inner chamber 711. In other words, the nitrogen piping 74 is connected to the nitrogen supply source 201 and the chamber 71, and functions as a nitrogen supply unit that supplies nitrogen into the chamber 71.

[0084] In the unloading process, as shown in Figure 12, the control unit 7 controls the push-pull arm movement mechanism 172 of the loading / unloading mechanism 17 to move the clamping device 30 provided on the push-pull arm 171 to a position where it can clamp the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 to be unloaded from the cassette 11 (arrow 304).

[0085] Then, the control unit 7 clamps the cassette 11 of the work set 110 with the clamping device 30, and as shown in Figure 13, controls the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 to move the clamping device 30 in the +Y direction (arrow 305), thereby unloading the work set 110 from the cassette 11 and placing it on the guide rail 18 to position the work set 110.

[0086] Furthermore, when the work set 110 is unloaded from the cassette 11 (before it is placed on the guide rail 18), the control unit 7 controls the chamber lifting mechanism 73, as shown in Figure 13, to lower the chamber 71 so that it is positioned directly above the unloaded work set 110 (arrow 306). This brings the lower surface of the open inner chamber 711 of the chamber 71 into contact with the unloaded work set 110. In addition, the control unit 7 connects the chamber 71 to the nitrogen supply source 201 via the nitrogen piping 74 and supplies nitrogen gas to the inner chamber 711 of the chamber 71. At the same time, the control unit 7 irradiates the lower surface of the unloaded work set 110 with ultraviolet light using the UV light source 72 (first ultraviolet irradiation step).

[0087] This ultraviolet irradiation causes the adhesive of the tape 113, which bonds the wafer 100 to the tape 113 in the workset 110, to become semi-cured. Furthermore, the area of ​​the workset 110 that is irradiated with ultraviolet light is in contact with the lower surface of the inner chamber 711 of the nitrogen gas supply chamber 71, and therefore nitrogen gas is supplied to this area. Consequently, the first ultraviolet irradiation process can be carried out in a state with low oxygen levels, which can hinder the curing of the adhesive. This allows for effective curing of the adhesive by ultraviolet light.

[0088] [Holding process] After the unloading process, a holding process is performed. In this process, the control unit 7 places the workset 110 on the holding surface 22 of the chuck table 20 using the first transport mechanism 50 shown in Figure 1, and holds the wafer 100 of the workset 110 by suction using the holding surface 22. Furthermore, the control unit 7 holds the ring frame 111 of the workset 110 with the clamp 28 and pulls it downward relative to the holding surface 22. In this way, the workset 110, including the wafer 100, is held by the chuck table 20.

[0089] Subsequently, the control unit 7 moves the chuck table 20 holding the workpiece set 110 into the housing 12 where the machining unit 90 is located, using an X-axis movement mechanism (not shown).

[0090] [Cutting process] After the holding process, a cutting process is performed. In this process, the processing unit 90 forms processing grooves in the wafer 100.

[0091] Specifically, the control unit 7 cuts the wafer 100 by forming a cutting groove of a depth that cuts the wafer 100 along the planned division line 102 of the wafer 100 using a cutting blade (not shown) of the processing unit 90. The control unit 7 divides the wafer 100 by forming cutting grooves along all of the planned division lines 102 to form multiple chips.

[0092] Alternatively, the cutting blade's cutting depth for the wafer 100 along the planned division line 102 may be set to a depth that does not cut the wafer 100, thereby half-cutting the wafer 100. In this case, by expanding the tape 113 in a later process, the wafer 100 can be divided along the planned division line 102 to form multiple chips.

[0093] This cutting process is an example of a processing process in which the processing unit 90, acting as a processing unit, processes the tape 113 or wafer 100 of the workpiece set 110 that was unloaded from the cassette 11 in the unloading process.

[0094] [Washing process] After the cutting process, a cleaning process is performed. In this process, the control unit 7 returns the chuck table 20 to the support base 10, and then, using the first transport mechanism 50, sends the workset 110, including the wafer 100, from the chuck table 20 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 55, where it is held by the spinner table 56. The control unit 7 then rotates the spinner table 56 at high speed and sprays cleaning water from a nozzle (not shown) onto the surface of the wafer 100 of the rapidly rotating workset 110 to clean the surface of the wafer 100. After that, the control unit 7 dries the surface of the wafer 100 of the rapidly rotating workset 110 by spraying drying air from a nozzle (not shown) onto the surface of the wafer 100.

[0095] [Delivery process] After the cleaning process, a loading process is performed in which the workset 110 is loaded into a cassette on the cassette stage 16. In this process, the control unit 7 uses the second transport mechanism 60 to unload the workset 110, which includes the cleaned and dried wafers 100, from the spinner cleaning mechanism 55 and place it, for example, on the guide rail 18. Then, the control unit 7 uses the clamping device 30 of the loading / unloading mechanism 17 to clamp the workset 110 on the guide rail 18 and loads the workset 110 into a cassette on the cassette stage 16.

[0096] The loading process may also include a second ultraviolet irradiation process. In this case, when loading the work set 110 into the cassette 11, the control unit 7 controls the chamber lifting mechanism 73 as shown in Figure 13 to lower the chamber 71 so that it is positioned directly above the work set 110 being loaded, and supplies nitrogen gas into the chamber 71. At the same time, the control unit 7 irradiates the lower surface of the work set 110 being loaded with ultraviolet light using the UV light source 72 (second ultraviolet irradiation process).

[0097] This ultraviolet irradiation causes the adhesive of the tape 113, which bonds the wafer 100 to the tape 113 in the workset 110, to be substantially completely cured. Furthermore, since the area of ​​the workset 110 that is irradiated with ultraviolet light is in contact with the lower surface of the inner chamber 711 of the chamber 71 to which nitrogen gas is supplied, nitrogen gas is supplied to this area. Therefore, the second ultraviolet irradiation process can be carried out in a state with little oxygen, which hinders the curing of the adhesive, particularly in a state where oxygen is eliminated from the cutting grooves formed in the wafer 100. This allows for effective curing of the adhesive by ultraviolet light.

[0098] The second ultraviolet irradiation step and the first ultraviolet irradiation step described above are examples of processing steps in which the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70, acting as a processing unit, processes the tape 113 or wafer 100 of the work set 110 that was unloaded from the cassette 11 in the unloading step.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above example, the first ultraviolet irradiation process is performed in the unloading process in which the work set 110 is unloaded from the cassette 11 to partially cure the adhesive of the tape 113, and the second ultraviolet irradiation process is performed in the unloading process to substantially completely cure the adhesive of the tape 113. In this regard, the first ultraviolet irradiation process may be omitted, and only the second ultraviolet irradiation process in the loading process in which the work set 110 is loaded into the cassette 11 may be performed.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cutting device 1 for cutting the wafer 100 of the workset 110 is exemplified as the processing apparatus, and this cutting device 1 is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation unit 70. In this regard, the processing apparatus according to this embodiment may be an ultraviolet irradiation device for irradiating the workset 110 with ultraviolet light. This ultraviolet irradiation device is configured to include, for example, a cassette 11 that houses the workset 110, an loading / unloading mechanism 17 that includes a clamping device 30 for loading and unloading the workset 110 to and from the cassette 11, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 for irradiating the workset 110 that is loaded and unloaded to and from the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17 with ultraviolet light.

[0101] In this ultraviolet irradiation device, the control unit irradiates a predetermined portion (for example, the entire surface) of the work set 110 with ultraviolet light using the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 while the work set 110 is being unloaded from the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17 (see Figure 13). After irradiating the predetermined portion of the work set 110 with ultraviolet light, the control unit loads the work set 110 that was unloaded from the cassette 11 back into the cassette 11. Alternatively, after unloading the work set 110 from the cassette 11 by the loading / unloading mechanism 17, the control unit may load the work set 110 back into the cassette 11 while irradiating a predetermined portion of the work set 110 with ultraviolet light using the ultraviolet irradiation unit 70.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the solenoid 36 receives power and moves the second plate 41 in the +Y direction, thereby changing the relative positions of the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 from an opposing arrangement where they face each other to a non-opposing arrangement where they are offset from each other. In other words, the relative positions of the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are opposing when power is not supplied to the solenoid 36, and non-opposing when power is supplied to the solenoid 36.

[0103] In other words, as shown in Figures 6 and 10, when the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 are in contact with each other and the second plate 41 is closed, no power is supplied to the solenoid 36. In other words, when the control unit 7 starts clamping the ring frame 111 of the workset 110, it supplies power to the solenoid 36 to move the rod 37 in the +Y direction, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, and move the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 to non-facing positions. Subsequently, the control unit 7 cuts off the power supply to the solenoid 36 and moves the rod 37 in the -Y direction, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, and moves the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 to facing positions, thereby clamping the ring frame 111. Furthermore, when releasing the clamped ring frame 111, the control unit 7 supplies power to the solenoid 36 to move the rod 37 in the +Y direction as shown in Figure 7, moving the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 to non-facing positions. Once the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 are separated from the ring frame 111, the power supply to the solenoid 36 is cut off, moving the first magnet 33 and the second magnet 43 to opposing positions, and the unit waits in an idling state.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the first plate 31 is positioned above the second plate 41 and fixed to the solenoid 36, while the lower second plate 41 is moved by the solenoid 36 and rotates in the vertical direction. In this regard, the lower second plate 41 may be fixed to the solenoid 36, and the upper first plate 31 may be moved by the solenoid 36 and rotate in the vertical direction.

[0105] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the second plate 41 has a second magnet 43, which is a permanent magnet, as a magnetic attachment member. In this regard, the magnetic attachment member of the second plate 41 is not limited to a permanent magnet, and may be a magnetic material (such as iron, which is not a permanent magnet but is attracted to magnetic force) 46, for example, as shown in Figure 14. Also, if the magnetic attachment member of the second plate 41 is a magnetic material 46, the clamping device 30 may be equipped with a biasing member 47 as shown in Figure 14.

[0106] In this embodiment, the biasing member 47 is a coil spring attached between the protruding plate 371 and the fixed plate 39, which are provided at the lower end of the rod 37, and biases the rod 37 in the -Y direction. This biasing member 47 is used to bias the second plate 41, which is moved by the solenoid 36, in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is moved by the solenoid 36. The coil spring (biasing member) may be located inside the solenoid 36.

[0107] Here, we will describe the clamping operation of the workpiece set 110 by a clamping device 30 including a second plate 41 equipped with a magnetic material 46 and a biasing member 47.

[0108] In the idling state when the clamping device 30 is not in use, no power is supplied to the solenoid 36, and the rod 37 is moved in the -Y direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 47. As a result, as shown in Figure 15, the first magnet 33 of the first plate 31 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41 are positioned at the same location along the Y axis (they are in a facing arrangement).

[0109] Therefore, due to the attractive force (magnetic force) acting between them, the second plate 41 holding the magnetic material 46 rotates upward around the shaft 38 so that the magnetic material 46 approaches the first magnet 33, causing the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46 to come into contact (magnetically attached) with each other. As a result, the second plate 41 closes (idles), and the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 are positioned close to each other.

[0110] Furthermore, the first slide plate 34 of the first plate 31 and the second slide plate 44 of the second plate 41 are also positioned at the same location along the Y-axis and are in contact with each other.

[0111] When the clamping operation of the workpiece set 110 using the clamping device 30 is initiated, the control unit 7 supplies power to the solenoid 36, thereby moving the rod 37 in the +Y direction to resist the biasing force of the biasing member 47. As a result, as shown in Figure 16, the second plate 41 moves in the +Y direction together with the rod 37, as indicated by the arrow 300, while sliding the first slide plate 34 and the second slide plate 44 against each other.

[0112] As a result, the solenoid 36 fixes the position of the second plate 41 in the Y-axis direction so that the first magnet 33 of the first plate 31 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41 are offset from each other along the Y-axis direction by the width of the first magnet 33 (and magnetic material 46) (i.e., they are in a non-facing arrangement).

[0113] In this case, the attractive force (magnetic force) between the first magnet 33 of the first plate 31 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41 weakens. As a result, the second plate 41, which holds the magnetic material 46, rotates downward around the shaft 38 (arrow 301) due to its own weight, which is greater than the magnetic force, so that the magnetic material 46 and the first magnet 33 move away from each other in the Z-axis direction, as shown in Figure 17. This causes the second plate 41 to open, widening the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42. The downward rotation range of the second plate 41 may be restricted by the stopper 35 of the first plate 31.

[0114] In this state, as shown in Figure 17, the control unit 7 brings the stopper 35 of the clamping device 30 into contact with the outer edge of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, and adjusts the position of the clamping device 30 using the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 (see Figure 1) so that the upper surface of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 contacts the lower surface of the first claw 32 of the first plate 31.

[0115] Subsequently, the control unit 7 cuts off the power supply to the solenoid 36. As a result, the solenoid 36's effect on the second plate 41 disappears, releasing the positional fixation of the second plate 41 in the Y-axis direction. Due to the biasing force of the biasing member 47, the rod 37 and the second plate 41 move in the -Y direction (arrow 302), as shown in Figure 18, causing the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46 to face each other, and increasing the attractive force (magnetic force) acting between the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46.

[0116] Therefore, as shown in Figure 19, the attractive force (magnetic force) acting between the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46 causes the second plate 41 to pivot upward around the shaft 38 (arrow 303). As a result, the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46 come closer together (magnetically attach), and the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 clamp the ring frame 111.

[0117] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp on the workpiece set 110 by the clamping device 30, the control unit 7 supplies power to the solenoid 36, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, to move the rod 37 and the second plate 41 in the +Y direction, thereby widening the gap between the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46 and reducing the attractive force (magnetic force) between the first magnet 33 and the magnetic material 46. As a result, the second plate 41 rotates downward around the shaft 38 due to its own weight. This releases the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42.

[0118] In this configuration, the biasing force provided by the biasing member 47 can be used to move the second plate 41 in the -Y direction. Therefore, without using a permanent magnet as the magnetic attachment member for the second plate 41, the power supply to the solenoid 36 can be controlled to open and close the gap between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41, thereby releasing the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 and clamping the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110.

[0119] Furthermore, even when a second magnet 43 (see Figure 4) is used as the magnetic attachment member for the second plate 41, a biasing member 47 may be provided between the stopper 35 and the fixed plate 39, as shown in Figure 14. This allows the second plate 41 to be returned to the -Y direction effectively by interrupting the power supply to the solenoid 36, even when the magnetic force of the second magnet 43 is weak.

[0120] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the first plate 31 is equipped with a first magnet 33 and the second plate 41 is equipped with a magnetic material 46, but the configuration is not limited to this. The first plate 31 may be equipped with a magnetic material instead of the first magnet 33, and the second plate 41 may be equipped with a permanent magnet instead of the magnetic material 46.

[0121] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figure 14 above, the clamping device 30 is equipped with a biasing member 47. However, the clamping device 30 does not necessarily have to be equipped with a biasing member 47. If the biasing member 47 is not provided, the solenoid 36 may have the function of moving the rod 37 and the second plate 41 in the +Y direction by supplying power as described above, as well as the function of moving the rod 37 and the second plate 41 in the -Y direction by supplying power.

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an ultraviolet irradiation unit 70 and a processing unit 90 are shown as processing units for processing a workset 110 discharged from the cassette 11 using the loading / unloading mechanism 17, or the tape 113 or wafer 100 of the workset 110 being loaded into the cassette 11. In this regard, other examples of processing units include a laser processing unit for laser processing the wafer 100 discharged from the cassette, a grinding unit for grinding the wafer 100 discharged from the cassette, and a polishing unit for polishing the wafer 100 discharged from the cassette. Therefore, the processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a cutting apparatus, but may also be a laser processing apparatus having a laser processing unit, a grinding apparatus having a grinding unit, and a polishing apparatus having a polishing unit, etc.

[0123] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the first plate 31 has a first magnet 33 which is a permanent magnet. In this regard, the magnet of the first plate 31 is not limited to a permanent magnet, and may be an electromagnet 81 as shown in Figure 20. In this case, the first plate 31 has a first claw 32 at its tip that contacts the upper surface of the ring frame 111, which is the first surface of the work set 110, and also has an electromagnet 81. Also, as shown in this figure, the first plate 31 does not have to be equipped with a first slide plate 34 as shown in Figure 17, etc.

[0124] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 20, the second plate 41 is equipped with a magnetic material 46. As mentioned above, the magnetic material 46 is a substance such as iron that is not a permanent magnet but is attracted to magnetic force. Therefore, the second plate 41 has a second claw 42 at its tip that contacts the lower surface of the ring frame 111, which is the second surface of the work set 110, and also has a magnetic material 46 as a magnetic attachment member. Also, as shown in this figure, the second plate 41 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the second slide plate 44 shown in Figure 17, etc.

[0125] In this configuration, the clamping device 30 has a power supply 82 and a switch 83 connected in series with the electromagnet 81. The power supply 82 is for supplying power to the electromagnet 81. Switch 83 is configured such that when it is in the ON state, it connects the power supply 82 and the electromagnet 81, thereby supplying power from the power supply 82 to the electromagnet 81, while when it is in the OFF state, it disconnects the power supply 82 and the electromagnet 81, thereby cutting off the power supply from the power supply 82 to the electromagnet 81. Furthermore, the electromagnet 81 is configured to be in a magnetic state when the switch 83 is turned ON and connected to the power supply 82, and to be in a non-magnetic state when the switch 83 is turned OFF.

[0126] Furthermore, in this configuration, no power is supplied to the solenoid 36, and the rod 37 remains fixed. As a result, the electromagnet 81 on the first plate 31 and the magnetic material 46 on the second plate 41 are always positioned at the same location along the Y-axis (they are in a facing arrangement). Therefore, the clamping device 30 in this configuration does not necessarily have to include a solenoid 36, and the rod 37 may be fixed to the fixing plate 39.

[0127] The clamping operation of the work set 110 by a clamping device 30 including a first plate 31 equipped with an electromagnet 81 will be described below. In this configuration as well, the clamping device 30 clamps the work set 110 by contacting the upper surface of the ring frame 111, which is the first surface of the work set 110, and the lower surface of the ring frame 111, which is the second surface opposite the first surface.

[0128] In the idling state when the clamping device 30 is not in use, the switch 83 is in the OFF state, and no power is supplied to the electromagnet 81 of the first plate 31, so the electromagnet 81 does not have a magnetic force. As a result, no magnetic force acts between the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41, and the second plate 41, due to its own weight, rotates downward around the shaft 38 so that the magnetic material 46 and the electromagnet 81 move away from each other in the Z-axis direction, as shown in Figure 20. As a result, the second plate 41 opens, and the space between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens.

[0129] When starting the clamping operation of the work set 110 using the clamping device 30, the control unit 7 adjusts the position of the clamping device 30 using the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 (see Figure 1) so that the stopper 35 of the clamping device 30 contacts the outer edge of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, and the upper surface of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 contacts the lower surface of the first claw 32 of the first plate 31.

[0130] Next, the control unit 7 turns on the switch 83, as shown in Figure 21. This connects the electromagnet 81 to the power supply 82, and it receives power from the power supply 82 and becomes magnetic. As a result, a magnetic force (attraction) acts between the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41, causing the second plate 41 to rotate upward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis (arrow 303). This brings the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic material 46 closer together (magnetically attached), and the ring frame 111 is clamped by the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 as they come into contact.

[0131] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp on the workpiece set 110 by the clamping device 30, the control unit 7 turns the switch 83 to the OFF state, as shown in Figure 22. This cuts off the power supply from the power source 82 to the electromagnet 81, causing the electromagnet 81 to lose its magnetism, and thus the magnetic force (attraction) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic material 46 of the second plate 41 disappears. As a result, the second plate 41 rotates downward around the shaft 38 due to its own weight (arrow 301), and the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens. This releases the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42.

[0132] In this configuration, the power supply to the electromagnet 81 is controlled by the switch 83, which opens and closes the gap between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41, thereby clamping the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 and releasing the clamp from the ring frame 111. Therefore, since the clamping device 30 can be properly driven by electricity, it is possible to use the cutting device 1 properly or reduce air consumption even in a production plant that does not have an air supply source. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to move the second plate 41 along the Y-axis using the solenoid 36 to drive the clamping device 30, the power consumption related to the clamping operation can be further reduced.

[0133] Furthermore, in this configuration, the rod 37, shaft 38, fixing plate 39, and connecting portion 45 function as support members for the first plate 31 and the second plate 41 such that when the electromagnet 81 has magnetic force, the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 move closer together due to the magnetic force acting between the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic material 46, and when the electromagnet 81 does not have magnetic force (when the electromagnet 81 has lost its magnetism), the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 move further apart.

[0134] In the configuration shown in Figures 20-22, the second plate 41 may have a third magnet 48, which is a permanent magnet, as a magnetic attachment member instead of the magnetic material 46. The third magnet 48 is, for example, a permanent magnet similar to the second magnet 43 (see Figure 6) described above.

[0135] In this case, the electromagnet 81 and the power supply 82 are configured such that when the switch 83 is turned ON, the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 (the side that faces the third magnet 48) has the opposite polarity to the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81 (the side that faces the electromagnet 81). Therefore, in this configuration, when the switch 83 is turned ON, a relatively strong magnetic force (attraction force) acts between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48, including the magnetic force of the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic force of the third magnet 48.

[0136] In this configuration, when the clamping device 30 is not in use and the device is idling, as shown in Figure 20, the switch 83 is in the OFF state and no power is supplied to the electromagnet 81 of the first plate 31, so the electromagnet 81 does not have a magnetic force. Therefore, the magnetic force (attractive force) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41 is relatively weak (only the magnetic force of the third magnet 48 remains), so the second plate 41, due to its own weight which is greater than the magnetic force of the third magnet 48, rotates downward around the shaft 38 so that the third magnet 48 and the electromagnet 81 move away from each other in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the second plate 41 opens, and the space between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens.

[0137] When starting the clamping operation, the control unit 7, as shown in Figure 20, brings the stopper 35 of the clamping device 30 into contact with the outer edge of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, and adjusts the position of the clamping device 30 using the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 (see Figure 1) so that the upper surface of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 contacts the lower surface of the first claw 32 of the first plate 31.

[0138] Next, the control unit 7 turns on the switch 83, as shown in Figure 21. As a result, the electromagnet 81 has magnetic force, and the magnetic force (attraction) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 becomes stronger, causing the second plate 41 to rotate upward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis (arrow 303). As a result, the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 come closer together (magnetically attached), and the ring frame 111 is clamped by the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 as they come closer together.

[0139] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp, the control unit 7 turns the switch 83 OFF, as shown in Figure 22. As a result, the electromagnet 81 loses its magnetism, and the magnetic force (attraction) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41 weakens. Consequently, the second plate 41 rotates downward around the shaft 38 due to its own weight (arrow 301), widening the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42. This releases the clamp of the workpiece set 110 to the ring frame 111 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42.

[0140] In this configuration as well, by switching the ON and OFF states of the switch 83, the gap between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 can be opened and closed, thereby releasing the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 and clamping the ring frame 111. Furthermore, since clamping is performed using a relatively strong magnetic force (attraction) including the magnetic force of the electromagnet 81 and the magnetic force of the third magnet 48, the clamping force can be increased.

[0141] Furthermore, if the magnetic attachment member of the second plate 41 is the third magnet 48, the clamping device 30 may have a switching unit 84, as shown in Figure 23. The switching unit 84 is configured to switch the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 when power is supplied from the power supply 82 to the electromagnet 81 between the same polarity as the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81 and the opposite polarity to that side.

[0142] In this configuration, when the clamping device 30 is not in use and the device is idling, the switch 83 in Figure 23 is in the OFF state, and no power is supplied to the electromagnet 81 of the first plate 31, so the electromagnet 81 does not have any magnetic force. As a result, the magnetic force (attraction) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41 is relatively weak (only the magnetic force of the third magnet 48 remains), so the second plate 41, due to its own weight, rotates downward around the shaft 38 so that the third magnet 48 and the electromagnet 81 move away from each other in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the second plate 41 opens, and the space between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens.

[0143] When starting the clamping operation, the control unit 7, as shown in Figure 23, brings the stopper 35 of the clamping device 30 into contact with the outer edge of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110, and adjusts the position of the clamping device 30 using the push-pull arm moving mechanism 172 (see Figure 1) so that the upper surface of the ring frame 111 of the work set 110 contacts the lower surface of the first claw 32 of the first plate 31.

[0144] Next, the control unit 7 turns on the switch 83, as shown in Figure 23. This causes the electromagnet 81 to receive power from the power supply 82 and generate a magnetic field. At this time, the control unit 7 controls the switching unit 84 to set the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 to the opposite polarity to the polarity of the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81.

[0145] As a result, the magnetic force (attraction) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41 becomes stronger, causing the second plate 41 to rotate upward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis (arrow 303). As a result, as shown in Figure 24, the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 move closer together (magnetically attracted), and the ring frame 111 is clamped by the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 as they move closer together. Furthermore, if the magnetic force of the third magnet 48 is large and / or if the second plate 41 is light, the iron core constituting the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 will magnetically attach when the ring frame 111 is clamped, so that the second plate 41 does not rotate downward due to its own weight and the clamped state of the ring frame 111 can be maintained. In this case, the control unit 7 may turn the switch 83 to the OFF state after the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 have magnetically attached.

[0146] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp, the control unit 7 turns on the switch 83, as shown in Figure 24, and controls the switching unit 84 to set the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 to the same polarity as the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81.

[0147] As a result, a magnetic force (repulsive force) acts between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41, and due to this repulsive force and the weight of the second plate 41, the second plate 41 rotates downward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis (arrow 301). Consequently, as shown in Figure 25, the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens, and the clamp of the workpiece set 110 to the ring frame 111 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 is released.

[0148] Subsequently, the control unit 7 turns the switch 83 to the OFF state, as shown in Figure 25. This cuts off the power supply from the power source 82 to the electromagnet 81, causing the electromagnet 81 to lose its magnetism, and the second plate 41 maintains its downward rotation due to its own weight.

[0149] In this configuration, when releasing the clamp on the workset 110, the switching unit 84 sets the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 to the same polarity as the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81, thereby applying a repulsive force between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 from remaining stuck together by the magnetic force of the third magnet 48 when they are not energized. As a result, the second plate 41 can be rotated downwards reliably and quickly. Therefore, the release of the clamp can be performed smoothly.

[0150] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figures 20-22, when the electromagnet 81 does not have a magnetic force, the second plate 41 separates the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 due to its own weight. In this regard, if the second plate 41 has a third magnet 48 which is a permanent magnet, the second plate 41 may be configured to rotate upward by the magnetic force acting between the third magnet 48 and the electromagnet 81 (the magnetic force of the third magnet 48) when the switch 83 is in the OFF state and the electromagnet 81 does not have a magnetic force. This can be achieved, for example, by using a permanent magnet with a relatively strong magnetic force as the third magnet 48, and by making the second plate 41 lighter.

[0151] In this case, when the switch 83 is turned ON, power is supplied from the power supply 82 to the electromagnet 81 such that the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 has the same polarity as the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81. Furthermore, the rod 37, shaft 38, fixing plate 39, and connecting portion 45 function as support members for the first plate 31 and the second plate 41 such that the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 are separated when the electromagnet 81 is magnetic, and the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 are brought closer together when the electromagnet 81 is not magnetic.

[0152] In this configuration, when the switch 83 is in the OFF state and the electromagnet 81 does not have magnetic force, the magnetic force acting between the third magnet 48 and the electromagnet 81 (the magnetic force of the third magnet 48) causes the second plate 41 to rotate upward, bringing the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 closer together (magnetically attached), and the workpiece set 110 is clamped by the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 as they come into contact.

[0153] Furthermore, when releasing the clamp on the workpiece set 110, the control unit 7 turns on the switch 83 to set the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 to the same polarity as the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81. As a result, a repulsive force acts between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41, causing the second plate 41 to pivot downward. Consequently, the gap between the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 widens, releasing the clamp on the workpiece set 110 by the first claw 32 and the second claw 42.

[0154] In this configuration as well, by controlling the power supply to the electromagnet 81 with the switch 83, the gap between the first claw 32 of the first plate 31 and the second claw 42 of the second plate 41 can be opened and closed to release the clamp on the ring frame 111 of the workpiece set 110 and to clamp the ring frame 111. Therefore, since it is not necessary to move the second plate 41 along the Y-axis using the solenoid 36 to drive the clamping device 30, power consumption can be reduced.

[0155] Furthermore, this configuration may also include a switching unit 84 as shown in Figure 23, etc. In this case, when the control unit 7 changes the state from one where the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 are separated to one where the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 are close together, the control unit 7 keeps the switch 83 in the ON state and controls the switching unit 84 to set the polarity of the side of the electromagnet 81 facing the third magnet 48 to the opposite polarity of the side of the third magnet 48 facing the electromagnet 81.

[0156] As a result, the magnetic force (attractive force) acting between the electromagnet 81 and the third magnet 48 of the second plate 41 becomes stronger than when the switch 83 is OFF and the electromagnet 81 has no magnetic force (when only the magnetic force of the third magnet 48 is present). Consequently, the second plate 41 rotates upward around the shaft 38 as the pivot axis more reliably and quickly, bringing the first claw 32 and the second claw 42 closer together. Therefore, clamping can be performed effectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1: Cutting device, 7: Control unit, 10: Support base, 11: Cassette, 12: Housing, 13: Stage moving parts, 14: Moving plate, 15: Waterproof cover, 16: Cassette stage, 17: Loading / unloading mechanism, 18: Guide rail, 20: Chuck table, 22: Holding surface, 28: Clamp, 29: X-axis movement mechanism, 30: Clamping device, 31: First plate, 32: First claw, 33: First magnet, 34: First sliding plate, 35: Stopper, 36: Solenoid, 37: Rod, 38: Shaft, 39: Fixing plate, 41: Second plate, 42: Second claw, 43: Second magnet, 44: Second sliding plate, 45: Connecting part, 46: Magnetic material, 47: Biasing member, 48: Third magnet, 50: First transport mechanism, 51: First frame holding part, 52: First moving mechanism, 53: First lifting mechanism, 55: Spinner cleaning mechanism, 56: Spinner table, 60: Second transport mechanism, 61: Second frame holding part, 63: Second moving mechanism, 65: Second lifting mechanism, 70: UV irradiation unit, 71: Chamber, 72: UV light source, 73: Chamber lifting mechanism, 74: Nitrogen piping, 80: Touch panel, 81: Electromagnet, 82: Power supply, 83: Switch, 84: Switching mechanism 90: Processing unit, 100: Wafer, 102: Planned splitting line, 110: Workset, 111: Ring frame, 112: Opening, 113: Tape, 131: Shelf, 132: Opening, 171: Push-pull arm, 172: Push-pull arm moving mechanism, 201: Nitrogen supply source, 320: Gripping part, 321: Recess, 330: First magnetic field line, 331: Second magnetic field line, 371: Protruding plate, 420: Grip part, 421: Recess, 711: Inner room

Claims

1. A clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite the first surface, A first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and a first magnet, A second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a magnetic attachment member, A solenoid that, by receiving power and moving the first plate or the second plate, switches the relative positional relationship between the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member between a facing arrangement where they face each other and a non-facing arrangement where they are offset from each other. The first plate and the second plate are supported by a support member such that when the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member are in the opposing arrangement, the first claw and the second claw are brought closer together by the magnetic force acting between the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member, and when the first magnet and the magnetic attachment member are not in the opposing arrangement, the first claw and the second claw are separated. Clamping device.

2. The magnetic attachment member is a second magnet, which is a magnet provided on the second plate. The side of the second magnet facing the first magnet has a polarity opposite to that of the side of the first magnet facing the second magnet. The clamping device according to claim 1.

3. The magnetic attachment member is a magnetic material. The clamping device according to claim 1.

4. The device includes a biasing member that biases the first plate or the second plate, which is moved by the solenoid, in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is moved by the solenoid. The clamping device according to claim 1.

5. A clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite the first surface, A first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and an electromagnet, A second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a magnetic attachment member, A power source that supplies power to the electromagnet, The device includes a support member that supports the first plate and the second plate such that the first claw and the second claw are brought close together when the electromagnet is magnetic, and the first claw and the second claw are separated when the electromagnet is not magnetic. Clamping device.

6. The magnetic attachment member is a magnetic material, When the electromagnet does not possess magnetic force, the first claw and the second claw separate due to the weight of the second plate. The clamping device according to claim 5.

7. The magnetic attachment member is a third magnet, which is a magnet provided on the second plate. Power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source such that the side of the electromagnet facing the third magnet has a polarity opposite to the polarity of the side of the third magnet facing the electromagnet. The clamping device according to claim 5.

8. The magnetic attachment member is a third magnet, which is a magnet provided on the second plate. The electromagnet further includes a switching unit that switches the polarity of the side of the electromagnet facing the third magnet between the same polarity as the side of the third magnet facing the electromagnet and the opposite polarity to that side when power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source. The clamping device according to claim 5.

9. A clamping device that clamps a workpiece by contacting a first surface of the workpiece and a second surface opposite the first surface, A first plate having a first claw at its tip that contacts the first surface of the workpiece and an electromagnet, A second plate having a second claw at its tip that contacts the second surface of the workpiece and a permanent magnet, A power source that supplies power to the electromagnet, The device comprises a support member that supports the first plate and the second plate such that the first claw and the second claw are separated when the electromagnet is magnetic, and the first claw and the second claw are brought closer together when the electromagnet is not magnetic. Power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source such that the side of the electromagnet facing the permanent magnet has the same polarity as the side of the permanent magnet facing the electromagnet. Clamping device.

10. The electromagnet further includes a switching unit that switches the polarity of the permanent magnet-side surface of the electromagnet between the same polarity as the electromagnet-side surface of the permanent magnet and the opposite polarity to that surface when power is supplied to the electromagnet from the power source. The clamping device according to claim 9.

11. A processing apparatus for processing a workpiece, comprising a clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The workpiece includes a ring frame, a wafer, and tape that is attached to the ring frame and the wafer to integrate the ring frame and the wafer. A cassette stage on which a cassette containing the workpiece is placed, A loading / unloading mechanism for loading and unloading the workpiece into and out of the cassette using the clamping device, A processing unit that processes the workpiece unloaded from the cassette using the loading / unloading mechanism, or the tape or wafer of the workpiece being loaded into the cassette, A processing apparatus equipped with the following features.

12. The processing unit is, A chamber positioned above the workpiece that has been unloaded from the cassette by the loading / unloading mechanism or the workpiece being loaded into the cassette, having a length greater than or equal to the diameter of the wafer, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the chamber, A nitrogen supply unit connected to a nitrogen supply source and the chamber, which supplies nitrogen into the chamber, It comprises an ultraviolet irradiation unit positioned perpendicularly to the chamber, The apparatus according to claim 11.

13. A method for processing a workpiece using the processing apparatus described in claim 11, An unloading process including unloading the workpiece from the cassette using the loading / unloading mechanism, The processing unit includes a processing step of processing the tape or wafer of the workpiece that has been unloaded from the cassette in the unloading step, Method for processing workpieces.

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