Processing apparatus and processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a processing apparatus and processing method that can shape blades while suppressing wear on the dresser board. [Solution] The processing apparatus 10 includes a first rotating part 21 that rotates the blade 11 with a first axis 25 as the center of rotation, a second rotating part 22 that rotates the dresser board 12 with a second axis 30 as the center of rotation, a relative movement mechanism 31 that moves the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 relative to each other, and a control device 40 that performs a shaping process to move the outer edge of the blade 11 along the surface of the dresser board 12 based on processing conditions including peripheral speed ratio information between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12. The peripheral speed ratio has a blade priority range in which the blade 11 is preferentially worn and a board priority range in which the dresser board 12 is preferentially worn. The control device 40 performs a blade shaping process to shape the outer edge of the blade 11 with the dresser board 12 using the peripheral speed ratio in the blade priority range.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method for shaping a blade that cuts a semiconductor wafer. [Background Art]

[0002] In a semiconductor wafer, semiconductor circuits are arranged in rectangular regions partitioned by lattice-shaped streets. Semiconductor chips are manufactured by cutting along the streets with a cutting blade.

[0003] When a blade repeatedly cuts semiconductor wafers, uneven wear, in which wear is unevenly distributed on the outer periphery, and edge wear, in which the edge portion of the outer periphery wears, occur. When a semiconductor wafer is cut using such a worn blade, the tip shape of the blade is transferred to the divided chips, and a protruding portion is formed on the back surface side of the semiconductor chip. For this reason, Patent Document 1 discloses a processing apparatus that flattens the outer edge of a blade by shaping. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-000588 [Summary of Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] Incidentally, in conventional blade shaping processing, since the wear amount of the dresser board is larger than the wear amount of the blade, the dresser board has been replaced frequently. Therefore, it is required to shape the blade while suppressing the wear amount of the dresser board. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] A processing apparatus for solving the above problems comprises: a first rotating part to which a cutting blade is attached and configured to rotate the blade with a first axis, which is the central axis of the blade, as the center of rotation; a second rotating part to which a dresser board is attached and configured to rotate the dresser board with a second axis, which is the central axis of the dresser board, as the center of rotation; a relative movement mechanism configured to move the blade and the dresser board relative to each other; and a control device configured to rotate the blade and the dresser board based on peripheral speed ratio information, which is information regarding the peripheral speed ratio between the peripheral speed of the blade and the peripheral speed of the dresser board, and to perform a shaping process in which the outer edge of the blade is moved along the surface of the dresser board during rotation. The peripheral speed ratio has a blade priority range in which the blade wears preferentially and a board priority range in which the dresser board wears preferentially. The shaping process includes a blade shaping process in which the control device shapes the outer edge of the blade with the dresser board using the peripheral speed ratio of the blade priority range.

[0007] A processing method to solve the above problems involves shaping the outer edge of the blade by rotating the blade and the dresser board and moving the outer edge of the blade along the surface of the dresser board during rotation. In this processing method, the peripheral speed ratio between the peripheral speed of the blade and the peripheral speed of the dresser board is switched between a blade-priority range where the blade wears preferentially and a dresser board-priority range where the dresser board wears preferentially, thereby shaping the outer edge of the blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to shape the blade while suppressing the amount of wear on the dresser board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] In the first embodiment, Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the processing apparatus. [Figure 2]In the first embodiment, Figure 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] In the first embodiment, Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the information processing device that constitutes the control device. [Figure 4] In the first embodiment, Figure 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the functions of an example of a control device. [Figure 5] In the first embodiment, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the blade detector. [Figure 6] In the first embodiment, Figure 6(a) schematically shows how the distance to the dresser board is measured, and Figure 6(b) schematically shows how the distance to the processing table is measured. [Figure 7] In the first embodiment, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the blade wear amount detector. [Figure 8] In the first embodiment, Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating some of the processing conditions. [Figure 9] In the first embodiment, Figure 9 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between peripheral speed ratio and wear volume ratio obtained by a wear test. [Figure 10] In the first embodiment, Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a shaping process. [Figure 11] In the first embodiment, Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the case where a blade shaping process is performed following a board shaping process. [Figure 12] In the first embodiment, Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the rotation direction of the blade and the rotation direction of the dresser board. [Figure 13] In the first embodiment, Figure 13 schematically shows the scanning position of the blade relative to the dresser board. [Figure 14] In the first embodiment, Figure 14(a) schematically shows the starting position of the blade in the blade shaping process, and Figure 14(b) schematically shows the processing position of the blade in the next step. [Figure 15] In the second embodiment, FIG. 15(a) is a diagram schematically showing the tip shape of a fret-shaped blade, FIGS. 15(b) and 15(c) are diagrams schematically showing the tip shape of a blade partially having a tapered shape, and FIG. 15(d) is a diagram schematically showing the tip shape of a blade entirely having a tapered shape. [Figure 16] In the second embodiment, FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram for explaining functions of an example of a control device. [Figure 17] In the second embodiment, FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of shaping processing. [Figure 18] In the third embodiment, FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) are cross-sectional views schematically showing an example of a dresser board having an inclined surface formed thereon. [Figure 19] In the third embodiment, FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram for explaining functions of an example of a control device. [Figure 20] In a modification, FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically showing another example of the scanning direction of a blade. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of a processing apparatus and a processing method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 10 performs various shaping processes by causing the outer edge of a cutting blade 11 used for cutting a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to cut into the surface of a dresser board 12, and performing scanning in which the blade 11 is relatively moved along the surface of the dresser board 12. As the shaping processes, the processing apparatus 10 performs blade shaping for shaping the outer edge of the blade 11, and board shaping for shaping the surface of the dresser board 12. Further, as another process, the processing apparatus 10 performs dicing processing in which a semiconductor wafer 13, which is a workpiece, is diced by the blade 11.

[0011] A processing apparatus 10 includes a base table 15, a processing table 16, a first rotating portion 21, and a second rotating portion 22. The base table 15 supports the processing table 16 and a dressing stage 29 described later. The processing table 16 is configured to be capable of holding a semiconductor wafer 13 to be diced. The processing table 16 is supported by the base table 15 rotatably about a central axis 17 of the processing table 16 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet (Z direction).

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first rotating portion 21 includes a first spindle 23 and a first drive source 24. The circular plate-shaped blade 11 is detachably attached to the first spindle 23. The first spindle 23 is rotatably supported by the first drive source 24 about a first axis 25 that extends in the X direction along the central axis of the blade 11. The first drive source 24 is constituted by a motor or the like. The first rotating portion 21, driven by the first drive source 24, rotates the blade 11 attached to the first spindle 23 about the first axis 25 as the center of rotation. Regardless of whether the blade 11 is rotating or not, the end of the blade 11 on the base table 15 side, that is, the lower end of the blade 11 shown in FIG. 2, is referred to as the tip of the blade 11.

[0013] The second rotating portion 22 is attached to the base table 15. The second rotating portion 22 includes a second spindle 27, a second drive source 28, and a dressing stage 29. The second spindle 27 is supported by the second drive source 28 so as to be rotatable about a second axis 30 that extends in the Z direction along the central axis of the dresser board 12. The Z direction is perpendicular to the X direction. The second spindle 27 is positioned to penetrate the base table 15 in the Z direction. The second drive source 28 is composed of a motor or the like. The second drive source 28 is attached to the base table 15 via mounting material (not shown). When the second drive source 28 is driven, the second spindle 27 rotates about the second axis 30. The second spindle 27 is fitted into the dressing stage 29. The dressing stage 29 is supported by the base table 15 so as to be rotatable about the second axis 30. The dressing stage 29 is configured to have a removable circular plate-shaped dresser board 12. The dresser board 12 is attached to the dressing stage 29 so as to have its central axis coincide with the second axis 30. The second rotating part 22 rotates the dresser board 12 attached to the dressing stage 29 around the second axis 30 as the center of rotation, driven by the second drive source 28. In this embodiment, the dresser board 12 is ring-shaped.

[0014] The processing apparatus 10 includes a relative movement mechanism 31. The relative movement mechanism 31 moves the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 relative to each other. In other words, when the blade 11 is attached to the first rotating part 21 and the dresser board 12 is attached to the second rotating part 22, the relative movement mechanism 31 moves the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 relative to each other. Also, when the blade 11 is attached to the first rotating part 21, the relative movement mechanism 31 moves the blade 11 and the processing table 16 relative to each other.

[0015] The relative movement mechanism 31 is configured to allow relative movement between the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 along the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. The Y direction is the direction of the third axis that is perpendicular to the X direction and parallel to the dresser board 12.

[0016] The relative movement mechanism 31 may move the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 relative to each other by moving the first rotating part 21, as shown by the solid line 32. The relative movement mechanism 31 may move the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 relative to each other by moving the base table 15, as shown by the solid line 33.

[0017] The relative movement mechanism 31 may move the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 relative to each other by moving both the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21. As an example, the relative movement mechanism 31 is configured to allow the first rotating part 21 to move in the Y direction and the Z direction. The relative movement mechanism 31 is configured to allow the base table 15 to move in the X direction.

[0018] The processing device 10 is equipped with a tip detector 34. The tip detector 34 is used to detect the position of the tip of the blade 11. The processing apparatus 10 has a control device 40 that provides overall control of the processing apparatus 10.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the control device 40 is centered around the information processing device H10. The information processing device H10 includes a communication device H11, an input device H12, an output device H13, a storage device H14, and a processor H15. Note that this hardware configuration is just one example, and it can also be implemented with other hardware.

[0020] Communication device H11 is an interface that establishes a communication path with other devices and performs data transmission and reception, such as a network interface card or a wireless interface.

[0021] Input device H12 is a device that accepts input of various types of information. Input device H12 can be, for example, a touch panel, a mouse, or a keyboard. Output device H13 includes a display and speaker that show various types of information.

[0022] The storage device H14 stores data and various programs for executing the various functions of the control device 40. Examples of storage devices H14 include ROM, RAM, hard disk, and SSD.

[0023] The processor H15 controls each process using programs and data stored in the memory device H14. Examples of processor H15 include CPUs and MPUs. This processor H15 loads programs stored in ROM or other memory into RAM and executes various instructions corresponding to various processes. For example, when the application program for the processing device 10 is started, the processor H15 executes instructions corresponding to each process described later.

[0024] Processor H15 is not limited to performing software processing for all of the processes it executes. For example, processor H15 may have dedicated hardware circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits: ASICs) that perform hardware processing for at least some of the processes it executes. That is, processor H15 can be configured as a circuit including (1) one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software), (2) one or more dedicated hardware circuits that perform at least some of the various processes, or (3) a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, where memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. Memory, or non-temporary computer-readable media, includes any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0025] (Functions of the control device) As shown in Figure 4, the control device 40 has a first rotation control unit 41, a second rotation control unit 42, a relative movement control unit 43, and a position information acquisition unit 44 as functional units that operate by program execution.

[0026] The first rotation control unit 41 controls the rotation of the blade 11 in the first rotating unit 21 by controlling the drive of the first drive source 24. The second rotation control unit 42 controls the rotation of the dresser board 12 in the second rotation unit 22 by controlling the drive of the second drive source 28.

[0027] The relative movement control unit 43 controls the relative position between the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21 by controlling the relative movement mechanism 31. In other words, the relative movement control unit 43 controls the relative position between the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 through the relative movement between the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21. Furthermore, the relative movement control unit 43 controls the relative position between the machining table 16 and the first rotating part 21 through the relative movement between the base table 15 and the first rotating part 21.

[0028] The position information acquisition unit 44 acquires the position of the machining table 16, the position of the first rotating part 21 (first axis 25), and the position of the second rotating part 22 (second axis 30) as position information through the control of the relative movement mechanism 31.

[0029] Furthermore, the control device 40 has a contact position acquisition unit 45, a relative height acquisition unit 46, a tip position acquisition unit 47, a blade wear amount acquisition unit 48, a post-processing height acquisition unit 49, and a judgment unit 50 as functional units that operate by program execution.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the contact position acquisition unit 45 performs a contact position acquisition process. In the contact position acquisition process, the contact position acquisition unit 45 acquires the position in the Z direction of the first rotating part 21 (first axis 25) where the blade 11 contacts the processing table 16 as the contact position. In relation to the contact position acquisition process, the processing apparatus 10 is provided with a blade detector 51. The blade detector 51 detects contact between the processing table 16 and the blade 11 by electrical conductivity between the processing table 16 and the blade 11. When the processing table 16 and the blade 11 come into contact, as shown by the dashed line in the figure, the blade detector 51 inputs a contact signal to the control device 40.

[0031] In the contact position acquisition process, the contact position acquisition unit 45 drives the blade detector 51 and moves the processing table 16 and the first rotating part 21 relative to each other in the Z direction via the relative movement control unit 43. When a contact signal is input from the blade detector 51, the contact position acquisition unit 45 acquires the position of the first rotating part 21 in the Z direction, which has been acquired by the position information acquisition unit 44, as the contact position.

[0032] The relative height acquisition unit 46 performs a relative height acquisition process to acquire the relative position in the Z direction of the surface of the dresser board 12 with respect to the surface of the processing table 16 as the relative height. In connection with the relative height acquisition process, the processing apparatus 10 is provided with a measuring instrument 52. The measuring instrument 52 is attached to the first rotating unit 21. The measuring instrument 52 consists of, for example, a laser displacement meter, an air-type sensor, or a camera capable of measuring distance using its focal length.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6(a), in the relative height acquisition process, the relative height acquisition unit 46 places the measuring instrument 52 directly above the dresser board 12 via the relative movement control unit 43. Then, the relative height acquisition unit 46 acquires the distance D2 to the surface of the dresser board 12 based on the measurement result of the measuring instrument 52 relative to the dresser board 12. Also, as shown in Figure 6(b), the relative height acquisition unit 46 places the measuring instrument 52 directly above the processing table 16 via the relative movement control unit 43. Then, the relative height acquisition unit 46 acquires the distance D3 to the surface of the processing table 16 based on the measurement result of the measuring instrument 52 relative to the processing table 16. Finally, the relative height acquisition unit 46 acquires the difference (=|D2-D3|) between the distance D2 to the surface of the dresser board 12 and the distance D3 to the surface of the processing table 16 as the relative height.

[0034] The tip position acquisition unit 47 acquires the blade tip position, which is the position of the tip of the blade 11. The blade tip position is the position of the tip of the blade 11 relative to the first rotating part 21 (first axis 25) in the Z direction. The tip position acquisition unit 47 executes a first tip position acquisition process to acquire the first blade tip position, which is the blade tip position before the shaping process (step S105) described later. The tip position acquisition unit 47 executes a second tip position acquisition process to acquire the second blade tip position, which is the blade tip position after the shaping process (step S105) described later.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the tip position acquisition unit 47 acquires the blade tip position based on the position of the first rotating part 21 when the tip detector 34 detects the tip of the blade 11. Specifically, the tip detector 34 has an emitting part 34a that emits detection light L within a predetermined range in the Z direction and a light receiving part 34b that receives the detection light L. The tip position acquisition unit 47 controls the relative movement mechanism 31 through the relative movement control unit 43 to position the blade 11 opposite the tip detector 34. Next, the tip position acquisition unit 47 drives the tip detector 34 and moves the first rotating part 21 in the Z direction. Then, the tip position acquisition unit 47 acquires the blade tip position based on the position of the first rotating part 21 when the incidence of detection light L to the light receiving part 34b is blocked by the blade 11.

[0036] The blade wear amount acquisition unit 48 executes a blade wear amount acquisition process to acquire the blade wear amount A1. In the blade wear amount acquisition process, the blade wear amount acquisition unit 48 acquires the difference between the first blade tip position and the second blade tip position as the blade wear amount A1.

[0037] Furthermore, the blade wear amount acquisition unit 48 performs a process to acquire the total blade wear amount, which is the total amount of wear on the blade 11. In this process, the blade wear amount acquisition unit 48 acquires the total blade wear amount by, for example, accumulating the difference between the previous blade tip position acquired by the tip acquisition unit and the current blade tip position. The total blade wear amount is reset when the dresser board 12 is replaced.

[0038] The post-processing height acquisition unit 49, acting as a board wear amount acquisition unit, acquires the board wear amount Ab, which is the wear amount of the dresser board 12, and also performs a post-processing height acquisition process to acquire the post-processing height, which is the relative position in the Z direction of the surface of the dresser board 12 with respect to the surface of the processing table 16 after shaping. In the post-processing height acquisition process, the post-processing height acquisition unit 49 acquires the board wear amount Ab by subtracting the blade wear amount A1 from the total pitch amount of the processing conditions 56 described later. The post-processing height acquisition unit 49 acquires the post-processing height by performing a calculation that adds the board wear amount Ab to the relative height for each shaping process.

[0039] The determination unit 50 performs a determination process to determine whether or not the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced. In the determination process, the determination unit 50 calculates the remaining thickness T2 of the dresser board 12 by subtracting the amount of board wear Ab from the initial thickness T1 of the dresser board 12. Then, the determination unit 50 compares the remaining thickness T2 with the replacement thickness T3, which will be described later, to determine whether or not the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced. If it is determined that the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced, the determination unit 50 notifies the operator that the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced via the output device H13 or the like.

[0040] Furthermore, board information 55 and processing conditions 56 are input to the control device 40. Board information 55 is input when the dresser board 12 is replaced, etc. The board information includes the initial thickness T1 of the dresser board 12 and the replacement thickness T3 when the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced. Processing conditions 56 include conditions corresponding to various shaping processes. Based on the processing conditions 56, the control device 40 performs various shaping processes by rotating the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 while relatively moving the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22. The board information 55 and processing conditions 56 may be input by an operator's input operation to the input device H12, or they may be input from another device through the communication device H11. The board information 55 is stored in the storage device H14.

[0041] (Processing conditions) The control device 40 receives information regarding the feed rate, pitch amount, number of scans, and peripheral speed ratio as machining conditions 56. For each scan, the machining conditions 56 include information on the feed rate, pitch amount, and peripheral speed ratio.

[0042] As shown in Figure 8, the feed rate is the relative movement speed between the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 in the Y direction. The dashed line indicates the position of the blade 11 at a certain time, and the solid line indicates the position of the blade 11 after the dresser board 12 has rotated n times (n≧1). The feed rate is set so that the dresser board 12 rotates at least once while the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 move relative to each other by the blade thickness t in the Y direction. In other words, the feed rate is set so that a portion of the contact range of the blade 11 overlaps before and after the dresser board 12 has rotated once. Preferably, the feed rate is set so that the dresser board 12 rotates four or more times while the relative movement is by the blade thickness t. In other words, when the feed rate is v and the number of rotations of the dresser board 12 is R, it is preferable that the overlap rate A, calculated as A=(tv / R) / t×100, is 25 or more. This prevents the surface of the dresser board 12 from wearing down in a spiral pattern due to the shaping process.

[0043] The pitch amount is the amount D of the blade 11 cutting into the dresser board 12 in each scan. The pitch amount may be the same for all scans, or it may be a different value for each scan.

[0044] The scan count indicates the number of scans performed by the blade 11 relative to the dresser board 12. If the dresser board 12 is ring-shaped, a single scan may be a relative movement from the outer edge to the inner edge of the dresser board 12, as indicated by arrow 61, or a relative movement back and forth between the outer edge and the inner edge of the dresser board 12, as indicated by arrows 61 and 62. Alternatively, a single scan may be a relative movement from one outer edge to the other outer edge of the dresser board 12, as indicated by arrow 63, or a relative movement back and forth between one outer edge and the other outer edge via the inner perimeter of the dresser board 12, as indicated by arrows 63 and 64. These scanning modes are included in the programs for various shaping processes.

[0045] If the dresser board 12 is disc-shaped, its position is adjusted so that its position in the X direction coincides with the first axis 25 and the second axis 30. One scan is a relative movement from one outer edge to the other outer edge of the dresser board 12, as indicated by arrow 63, or a relative movement back and forth between one outer edge and the other outer edge, as indicated by arrows 63 and 64. This helps to suppress uneven wear of the dresser board 12.

[0046] The peripheral speed ratio information is information regarding the peripheral speed ratio (=vb / vd), which is the ratio of the peripheral speed vb of the blade 11 to the peripheral speed vd of the dresser board 12. For example, peripheral speed vb is the rotational speed at the outer edge of the blade 11, and peripheral speed vd is the rotational speed at the outer edge of the dresser board 12. For another example, peripheral speed vb is the rotational speed at the outer edge of the blade 11, and peripheral speed vd is the rotational speed of the dresser board 12 in the part where the blade 11 is sliding. The peripheral speed ratio information may consist of the rotational speed of the first spindle 23 and the rotational speed of the second spindle 27. Alternatively, the peripheral speed ratio information may be a value that represents the peripheral speed ratio itself. In this case, the programs for various shaping processes include data that specifies the rotational speed of the first spindle 23 and the rotational speed of the second spindle 27 according to the peripheral speed ratio.

[0047] The inventors of the present invention have been diligently researching a method for shaping a material while rotating the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 relative to each other, and have found that the peripheral speed ratio has a blade-priority range in which the blade 11 wears preferentially (i.e., the amount of wear on the blade 11 is greater than the amount of wear on the dresser board 12) and a board-priority range in which the dresser board 12 wears preferentially (i.e., the amount of wear on the dresser board 12 is greater than the amount of wear on the blade 11).

[0048] Specifically, Figure 9 is a graph showing an example of the results of a wear test conducted while rotating the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 relative to each other. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents the peripheral speed ratio, and the vertical axis represents the wear volume ratio. The wear volume ratio is calculated as Vb / Vd, where Vb is the wear volume of the blade 11 and Vd is the wear volume of the dresser board 12. As shown in the figure, in the range where the peripheral speed ratio is less than the mode switching ratio Rs, the blade 11 wore preferentially over the dresser board 12, and in the range where the peripheral speed ratio is greater than or equal to the mode switching ratio Rs, the dresser board 12 wore preferentially over the blade 11. The mode switching ratio Rs was a value corresponding to various combinations of blades 11 and various dresser boards 12.

[0049] Incidentally, when using a blade 11 with vitrified bonding agent and a mesh of #1000 to #3000, and a dresser board 12 with vitrified bonding agent and a mesh of GC600 to 4000, the mode switching ratio Rs was approximately 100.

[0050] (Shaping and processing) Referring to Figure 10, an example of the shaping process procedure will be described. Here, an example of the shaping process procedure performed for the first time (first time) after the replacement of the dresser board 12 will be described. It is assumed that the control device 40 has board information 55 and processing conditions 56 input.

[0051] As shown in Figure 10, during the shaping process, the control device 40 acquires the contact position of the first rotating part 21 by executing a contact position acquisition process (step S101). The control device 40 also acquires the relative height by executing a relative height acquisition process (step S102). The control device 40 also acquires the position of the first blade tip by executing a first tip position acquisition process (step S103).

[0052] Next, the control device 40 reads out the machining conditions (step S104). Specifically, the control device 40 reads out the feed rate, pitch amount, scan count, and peripheral speed ratio information. Note that if blade shaping is performed in the next step S105, the machining conditions include peripheral speed ratio information such that the peripheral speed ratio is less than the mode switching ratio Rs. On the other hand, if board shaping is performed in the next step S105, the machining conditions include peripheral speed ratio information such that the peripheral speed ratio is greater than or equal to the mode switching ratio Rs.

[0053] Next, the control device 40 performs shaping (step S105). During shaping, the control device 40 adjusts the positions of the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 based on information acquired by various acquisition units. In position adjustment, the control device 40 adjusts the positions of the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 in the X direction based on position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 44, so that the blade 11 cuts into the dresser board 12 by relative movement in the Y direction. Also, in position adjustment, the control device 40 adjusts the positions of the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 in the Z direction based on the contact position, relative height, pitch amount, and number of scans, so that the tip of the blade 11 cuts into the dresser board 12 by the pitch amount. Then, the control device 40 rotates the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 at a peripheral speed ratio based on peripheral speed ratio information while moving the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 relative to each other in the Y direction. In the shaping process, the control device 40 repeatedly adjusts the position and relative movement of the rotating parts 21 and 22 for the number of scans.

[0054] When the shaping process (step S105) is completed, the control device 40 acquires the position of the second blade tip by executing a second tip position acquisition process (step S106). In the next step S107, the control device 40 acquires the blade wear amount A1 by executing a blade wear amount acquisition process. In the first shaping process, the control device 40 acquires the blade wear amount A1 as the total blade wear amount. In the next step S108, the control device 40 acquires the board wear amount Ab and the height after processing by executing a post-processing height acquisition process.

[0055] Next, the control device 40 determines whether the remaining thickness T2, obtained by subtracting the board wear amount Ab from the initial thickness T1 of the dresser board 12, is greater than the replacement thickness T3 (step S111). If the remaining thickness T2 is greater than the replacement thickness T3 (step S111: YES), the control device 40 terminates the series of processes. On the other hand, if the remaining thickness T2 is less than or equal to the replacement thickness T3 (step S110: NO), the control device 40 notifies the operator via the output device H13 or the like that the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced (step S112), and terminates the series of processes.

[0056] In subsequent shaping processes, the control device 40 skips steps S101 and S102 and starts the shaping process from step S103.

[0057] In subsequent shaping processes, the control device 40 acquires the total blade wear amount when it obtains the first blade tip position in step S103. The control device 40 acquires the total blade wear amount as the cumulative value of the difference between the previously acquired blade tip position and the currently acquired blade tip position.

[0058] For example, even if a wafer processing process is performed between two shaping processes, the control device 40 obtains the total blade wear amount based on the position of the second blade tip in the preceding shaping process and the position of the first blade tip in the subsequent shaping process. In other words, the control device 40 obtains the total blade wear amount that takes into account the wear in the wafer processing process. As a result, even in the second and subsequent shaping processes, the relative position between the tip of the blade 11 and the surface of the dresser board 12 in the Z direction can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0059] The control device 40 may also calculate the total blade wear amount as the difference between the first blade tip position obtained in the first shaping process and the first blade tip position obtained in the second and subsequent shaping processes.

[0060] In step S105, the control device 40 adjusts the positions of the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 in the Z direction based on the contact position, total blade wear, post-processing height, pitch amount, and scan count, so that the tip of the blade 11 cuts into the dresser board 12 by the pitch amount. That is, when the first rotating part 21 is in the contact position, the control device 40 adjusts the position by assuming that the tip of the blade 11 and the surface of the dresser board 12 are separated in the Z direction by the sum of the total blade wear and the post-processing height.

[0061] In addition, during the initial shaping process, the order of the processes in steps S101, S102, and S103 may be changed so that the relative movement of the first rotating part 21 is performed efficiently.

[0062] The operation and effects of the first embodiment will be described. (1-1) The control device 40 performs a blade shaping process in which the peripheral speed ratio is less than the mode switching ratio Rs as a shaping process, thereby shaping the blade 11 while suppressing the amount of wear on the dresser board 12.

[0063] (1-2) The control device 40 can flatten the surface of the dresser board 12 by performing a board shaping process in which the peripheral speed ratio is equal to or greater than the mode switching ratio Rs as a shaping process.

[0064] (1-3) As shown in Figure 11, the control device 40 may perform a board shaping process (step S201) followed by a blade shaping process (step S202) as a shaping process as described using Figure 10, etc. In this case, the control device 40 receives the processing conditions for the board shaping process and the processing conditions for the blade shaping process.

[0065] With this configuration, since the blade 11 is shaped after the surface of the dresser board 12 is shaped, the blade 11 can be shaped when the surface of the dresser board 12 is in a flatter state.

[0066] (1-4) The control device 40 includes a blade wear amount acquisition unit 48 that acquires the blade wear amount A1 during the shaping process, and a post-processing height acquisition unit 49 that acquires a value obtained by subtracting the blade wear amount A1 from the total pitch amount of the blade 11 to the dresser board 12 during the shaping process (total pitch amount = k × z, where z is the pitch and k is the number of scans), which is the board wear amount Ab, which is the wear amount of the dresser board 12. With this configuration, the degree of wear of the dresser board 12 can be grasped.

[0067] (1-5) The control device 40 has a determination unit 50 that determines whether or not the dresser board 12 needs to be replaced based on the amount of board wear Ab. With this configuration, the need or absence of replacement of the dresser board 12 is determined automatically, so that the dresser board 12 can be replaced at an appropriate time.

[0068] (1-6) The processing apparatus 10 includes a processing table 16 that holds a semiconductor wafer 13 to be diced by a blade 11. The control device 40 includes a contact position acquisition unit 45 that acquires the contact position which is the position of the first rotation unit 21 in the direction of the second axis 30 when the blade 11 contacts the processing table 16, and a relative height acquisition unit 46 that acquires the relative height between the surface of the dresser board 12 and the surface of the processing table 16 in the direction of the second axis 30.

[0069] With this configuration, by moving the first rotating part 21 by a relative height from the contact position, the tip of the blade 11 and the surface of the dresser board 12 are positioned at the same location in the Z direction. Therefore, the relative position between the tip of the blade 11 and the surface of the dresser board 12 in the Z direction can be calculated with high accuracy. As a result, in each scan, the relative movement between the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22, which cuts the blade 11 into the dresser board 12 by a pitch amount, can be achieved with high accuracy.

[0070] (1-7) The control device 40 moves the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 relative to each other in the Y direction at a feed rate such that the dresser board 12 rotates at least once while the blade moves relative to each other by the blade thickness t in the Y direction. With this configuration, the dresser board 12 is worn evenly during the shaping process, thus suppressing uneven wear of the dresser board 12.

[0071] (1-8) The control device 40 may control the peripheral speed of the blade 11 or the peripheral speed of the dresser board 12 so as to maintain the peripheral speed ratio at the contact portion between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12, according to the relative position of the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 in the relative direction of movement during the shaping process. With this configuration, changes in the peripheral speed ratio at the contact portion between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 can be suppressed. In other words, scanning can be performed while the change in the peripheral speed ratio is suppressed.

[0072] (1-9) As shown in Figure 12, on the right side of the second axis 30, the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 rotate in the same direction. On the left side of the second axis 30, the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 rotate in opposite directions. In the reverse step, where the blade rotates in opposite directions, the amount of wear on the blade 11 tends to be greater, while in the forward step, where the blade rotates in the same direction, it becomes easier to sharpen the tip of the blade 11. For this reason, the control device 40 may perform the reverse step and the forward step consecutively in a single scan during the blade shaping process, for example, as shown by arrow 64 in Figure 8. This allows the tip of the blade 11 to be shaped to a certain extent before sharpening. As a result, the tip shape of the blade 11 can be shaped with high precision.

[0073] (1-10) In the shaping process, the control device 40 scans so that the tip of the blade 11 passes through the outer and inner edges of the dresser board 12. The control device 40 scans so that the tip of the blade 11 passes through the inner opening of the dresser board 12 and through one outer edge and the other outer edge of the dresser board 12. With this configuration, the dresser board 12 is worn evenly, so uneven wear of the dresser board 12 can be suppressed.

[0074] For example, as shown in Figure 13, if the tip of the blade 11 passes through the outer and inner edges of the dresser board 12 in the Y direction, the first axis 25 and the second axis 30 may be misaligned in the X direction.

[0075] (1-11) The blade shaping process in step S202 may be carried out in the following procedure, since the blade 11 is worn to some extent during the board shaping process in step S201. That is, as shown in Figure 14(a), the outer edge of the dresser board 12 is set as the starting position, the blade 11 is rotated at a low speed, the dresser board 12 is rotated at a high speed, and the blade shaping process is started with a small pitch amount. The peripheral speed ratio at this time is, for example, less than or equal to the mode switching ratio Rs. Then, as shown in Figure 14(b), the blade 11 may be temporarily retracted from the dresser board 12, the blade 11 may be moved in the Y direction by a predetermined step width Sw, and then the blade shaping process with a small pitch amount may be performed again. With this configuration, when the blade shaping process is performed immediately after the board shaping process, the blade 11 can be shaped while suppressing the amount of wear on the dresser board 12.

[0076] (1-12) The machining conditions 56 include feed rate, pitch amount, and peripheral speed ratio information for each scan. This allows the feed rate, pitch amount, and peripheral speed ratio information to be adjusted according to the progress of the shaping process.

[0077] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the processing apparatus and processing method will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17. Note that the processing apparatus and processing method of the second embodiment have the same main configuration as those of the processing apparatus and processing method of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described in detail, while parts that are the same as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed description will be omitted.

[0078] As shown in Figure 15(a), when cutting a semiconductor wafer 13, a flat tip shape (cross-sectional shape of the outer edge) of the blade 11 is sometimes preferable. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 15(b) and 15(c), a tapered tip shape with a predetermined taper angle in a part of it is sometimes preferable. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(d), a tapered tip shape with a predetermined taper angle throughout the entire blade is sometimes preferable. For these reasons, in the processing apparatus and processing method of this embodiment, a shaping process (blade shaping process) is performed so that the tip shape of the blade 11 becomes the desired shape.

[0079] As shown in Figure 16, the control device 40 has a blade shape acquisition unit 66. The blade shape acquisition unit 66 performs a blade shape acquisition process to acquire the tip shape of the blade 11. In the blade shape acquisition process, the blade shape acquisition unit 66 performs chopping on the dresser board 12 by controlling the first drive source 24 and the relative movement mechanism 31 through the first rotation control unit 41 and the relative movement control unit 43. Chopping is a process that forms grooves (calves) of a predetermined depth in the dresser board 12 with the blade 11 without scanning. The processing device 10 is equipped with an imager 67 that images the calves formed in the dresser board 12. The imager 67 is attached, for example, to the first rotation unit 21. After chopping, the blade shape acquisition unit 66 causes the imager 67 to image the calves and acquires image data of the calves from the imager 67. The blade shape acquisition unit 66 acquires the tip shape of the blade 11 based on the dimensions of the calves measured from the image data. The blade shape acquisition unit 66 then determines whether the acquired tip shape is the desired shape.

[0080] The determination may be performed automatically by the blade shape acquisition unit 66. In this case, the processing conditions 56 include information regarding the desired tip shape. Alternatively, the determination may be performed by an operator. In this case, the blade shape acquisition unit 66 displays the acquired tip shape to the operator via the output device H13. The operator then uses the input device H12 to determine whether the displayed tip shape is the desired shape.

[0081] Referring to Figure 17, an example of the blade shaping procedure will be described. When performing taper shaping as shown in Figures 15(b) to 15(d) in this blade shaping process, the machining condition 56 includes a larger peripheral speed ratio as peripheral speed ratio information than when performing flat shaping as shown in Figure 15(a).

[0082] As shown in Figure 17, in the blade shaping process, once the post-processing height acquisition process (step S108) is completed, the control device 40 executes the blade shape acquisition process (step S109). Then, the control device 40 determines whether the tip shape acquired in step S109 is the desired shape (step S110).

[0083] If the tip shape is the desired shape (step S110: YES), the control device 40 proceeds to the process in step S111. On the other hand, if the tip shape is not the desired shape (step S110: NO), the control device 40 repeatedly executes the processes from step S105 to step S110.

[0084] According to the second embodiment, in addition to the actions and effects described in (1-1) to (1-10) above, the following actions and effects can be obtained. (2-1) The processing apparatus 10 has an imaging device 67 that images the calf formed on the dresser board 12 by chopping. The control device 40 has a blade shape acquisition unit 66 that acquires the tip shape of the blade 11 based on the calf image data acquired from the imaging device 67. With this configuration, the tip shape of the blade 11 can be shaped to a desired shape.

[0085] (2-2) When tapering is performed to make the tip shape of the blade 11 tapered, the processing conditions include a larger peripheral speed ratio as peripheral speed ratio information than when flat shaping is performed. With this configuration, shaping is performed at a peripheral speed ratio that reduces the amount of wear on the blade 11, making it less likely for the blade 11 to be flattened in a single scan. As a result, the desired tapered shape is more easily obtained.

[0086] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the processing apparatus and processing method will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. The processing apparatus and processing method of the third embodiment have the same main configuration as those of the processing apparatus and processing method of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described in detail, while parts that are the same as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed description will be omitted.

[0087] The dresser board 12 wears down from its outer edge during various shaping processes. As a result, an upward slope towards the inner edge may form on the surface of the dresser board 12. For example, as shown in Figure 18(a), one example of an upward slope is a slope 70 that continues from the outer edge to the inner edge of the dresser board 12. Slope 70 is likely to form when the dresser board 12 is more prone to wear than the blade 11. Another example of an upward slope is a slope 71 that continues from the outer edge to the area between the outer and inner edges of the dresser board 12. In this case, a flat portion 72 is formed on the surface of the dresser board 12, extending to the inner edge. Slope 71 is likely to form when the blade 11 is more prone to wear than the dresser board 12. In the flat portion 72, the tip of the blade 11 moves along the surface of the dresser board 12. The inclination angle and range of these inclinations 70 and 71 are useful information for determining whether or not to perform board shaping processing and for calculating the wear volume ratio between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12.

[0088] As shown in Figure 19, the processing apparatus 10 is equipped with a load detector 75 that detects the load of the first drive source 24 in order to obtain surface information such as the inclination angle and range of the inclinations 70 and 71. The control device 40 is also equipped with a surface information acquisition unit 76 that acquires surface information based on the load detected by the load detector 75.

[0089] The load detector 75 detects the load current of the first drive source 24 during the shaping process. The load detector 75 inputs the detected load current to the control device 40. The load current decreases in the flat areas where the tip of the blade 11 moves along the surface of the dresser board 12.

[0090] The surface information acquisition unit 76 calculates the inclination angle and inclination range, as well as the flat area range, on the surface of the dresser board 12 based on the relative positions of the rotating parts 21 and 22 during the shaping process and the transition of the load current of the first drive source 24. The surface information acquisition unit 76 acquires the calculated inclination angle and inclination range, as well as the flat area range, as surface information. The surface information acquisition unit 76 may display the surface information to the operator through the output device H13. The surface information acquisition unit 76 may store the surface information in the storage device H14.

[0091] According to the third embodiment, in addition to the actions and effects described in (1-1) to (1-10) above, the following actions and effects can be obtained. (3-1) The processing apparatus 10 is equipped with a load detector 75 that detects the load current of the first rotating section 21 in the shaping process. The control device 40 has a surface information acquisition unit 76 that acquires surface information indicating the surface shape of the dresser board 12 based on the changes in the load current detected by the load detector 75.

[0092] With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether to perform the board shaping process based on surface information. This allows the blade shaping process to be performed when the surface of the dresser board 12 is flatter. As a result, the tip shape of the blade 11 is more easily shaped to the desired shape. In addition, the wear volume ratio between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 can be calculated based on the surface information. As a result, the mode switching ratio Rs can be updated to a more accurate value. The determination of whether to perform the board shaping process and the updating of the mode switching ratio Rs may be performed automatically by the surface information acquisition unit 76 or by an operator.

[0093] The first to third embodiments can be implemented with the following modifications. The first to third embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0094] As shown in Figure 20, the control device 40 may perform shaping by moving the first rotating part 21 and the second rotating part 22 relative to each other in the X direction. Even with this configuration, the operations and effects described in (1-1) to (1-6), (1-8), and (1-10) above can be obtained. Furthermore, even if inclinations 70 and 71 are formed on the surface of the dresser board 12, the flat shaping of the blade 11 can be performed with fewer scans. As a result, wear of the dresser board 12 due to blade shaping can be further suppressed.

[0095] In the shaping process, the relative movement direction between the blade 11 and the dresser board 12 may be a direction that intersects the X and Y directions in the XY plane, which includes the X and Y directions.

[0096] The contact position acquisition unit 45 and the relative height acquisition unit 46 acquire the contact position and relative height based on the processing table 16. However, the contact position acquisition unit 45 and the relative height acquisition unit 46 may acquire the contact position and relative height based on the base table 15 if the processing device 10 does not have a processing table 16. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10... Processing device, 11... Blade, 12... Dresser board, 13... Semiconductor wafer, 15... Base table, 16... Processing table, 17... Central axis, 21... First rotating part, 22... Second rotating part, 23... First spindle, 24... First drive source, 25... First axis, 27... Second spindle, 28... Second drive source, 29... Dressing stage, 30... Second axis, 31... Relative movement mechanism, 34... Tip detector, 34a... Emission part, 34b... Light receiving part, 40... Control device, 41... 42...1st rotation control unit, 43...2nd rotation control unit, 44...Relative movement control unit, 45...Position information acquisition unit, 46...Relative height acquisition unit, 47...Tip position acquisition unit, 48...Blade wear amount acquisition unit, 49...Post-processing height acquisition unit, 50...Decision unit, 51...Blade detector, 52...Measuring instrument, 55...Board information, 56...Processing conditions, 66...Blade shape acquisition unit, 67...Imaginer, 70...Incline, 71...Incline, 72...Flat section, 75...Load detector, 76...Surface information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A first rotating part to which a cutting blade is attached and configured to rotate the blade with a first axis, which is the central axis of the blade, as the center of rotation, A second rotating part is configured to rotate the dresser board, with the dresser board attached to the second axis, which is the central axis of the dresser board, as the center of rotation. A relative movement mechanism configured to move the blade and the dresser board relative to each other, The control device is configured to rotate the blade and the dresser board based on peripheral speed ratio information, which is information regarding the peripheral speed ratio between the peripheral speed of the blade and the peripheral speed of the dresser board, and to perform a shaping process in which the outer edge of the blade is moved along the surface of the dresser board during rotation. The peripheral speed ratio has a blade-priority range in which the blade wears preferentially and a board-priority range in which the dresser board wears preferentially. The shaping process includes a blade shaping process in which the control device shapes the outer edge of the blade with the dresser board using the peripheral speed ratio of the blade priority range. Processing equipment.

2. The shaping process includes a board shaping process in which the control device shapes the surface of the dresser board with the blade using a peripheral speed ratio within the board priority range. The processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control device is configured to perform the blade shaping process after the board shaping process has been performed. The processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. A blade wear amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the amount of blade wear in the shaping process, The system includes a board wear amount acquisition unit configured to acquire a value obtained by subtracting the blade wear amount from the amount of cutting the blade into the dresser board during the shaping process, which is the amount of wear on the dresser board. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A machining table for holding the workpiece, A contact position acquisition unit is configured to acquire a contact position, which is the position of the first rotating part in the direction of the second axis when the blade contacts the processing table. The system includes a relative height acquisition unit configured to acquire the relative height, which is the relative position of the surface of the dresser board with respect to the surface of the processing table in the direction of the second axis. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The relative movement mechanism is configured to move the blade and the dresser board relative to each other in the direction of the first axis, The control device moves the blade and the dresser board relative to each other in the direction of the first axis at a relative speed such that the dresser board rotates at least once around the second axis as its center of rotation while the blade and the dresser board move relative to each other by the thickness of the blade. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. A load detector configured to detect the load on the first rotating part in the shaping process, The dresser board includes a surface information acquisition unit configured to acquire the shape of the surface of the dresser board based on the changes in the load. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The relative movement mechanism is configured to move the blade and the dresser board relative to each other in the direction of a third axis that is perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the dresser board. The control device moves the blade and the dresser board relative to each other in the direction of the third axis and performs the shaping process during the relative movement. The processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. A processing method for shaping the outer edge of a blade by rotating the blade and the dresser board and moving the outer edge of the blade along the surface of the dresser board during rotation, The peripheral speed ratio between the peripheral speed of the blade and the peripheral speed of the dresser board is switched between a blade-priority range where the blade wears preferentially and a dresser board-priority range where the dresser board wears preferentially, thereby shaping the outer edge of the blade. Processing method.

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