Peeling device

Abstract

To appropriately stack and discard protective members in a trash can even when a force required for bending the protective members changes in a peeling device.SOLUTION: A peeling device 1 includes a unit 4 for peeling off a wafer protective member, and a protective member discarding unit 5. The peeling unit 4 includes a unit 42 for moving a protective member gripper 40 and a holding unit 2 while passing each other. The discarding unit 5 includes: an inclined drop portion 50 for sloping and dropping the protective member into an opening of a trash can 7; and a first slope plate 51 and a second slope plate 52 arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the sloped and dropped protection member as viewed from above. A gap 57 is provided between lower sides of both the slope plates 51 and 52 so that the protective member can pass therethrough, and both the slope plates 51 and 52 are inclined so that a distance between upper sides of both the slope plates 51 and 52 is larger than a distance between the lower sides of both the slope plates 51 and 52. The sloped and dropped protective member intrudes into the gap between both the slope plates 51 and 52 to be bent in a convex shape in the trash can 7, is set in a horizontal posture while passing through the opening of the trash can 7 and dropping, and then is stacked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a peeling device that peels off a protective member from a wafer and discards the protective member in a waste bin. [Background technology]

[0002] When producing a wafer with a flat surface in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, for example, a cylindrical ingot of silicon or the like is thinly sliced ​​with a wire saw or the like to obtain a disk-shaped as-sliced ​​wafer. Since both sides of this wafer have undulations and warping, a rotating grinding wheel is brought into contact with the cut surface of the wafer to remove the undulations and warping.

[0003] In order to perform the grinding process, a protective member is formed on one side of a disk-shaped wafer using liquid resin. This is to absorb the swell and warp of the wafer with the protective member and to hold the wafer flat by suction on the chuck table of the grinding device. That is, a predetermined amount of liquid resin or the like is supplied onto a circular sheet having a diameter larger than the wafer. Then, the other side of the wafer is suction-held by a holding unit, and the wafer is pressed against the liquid resin from above on a sheet arranged to face the one side of the wafer, so that the liquid resin is spread out and the entire one side of the wafer is covered with a resin layer. After that, the resin layer is cured, for example, by ultraviolet irradiation, to form a protective member. The protective member has a protruding portion where the sheet protrudes from the outer periphery of the wafer.

[0004] The wafer is then suctioned and held flat on the chuck table of the grinding device with the other side without the protective member facing up, and is ground with a grinding wheel. The protective member is then peeled off from the wafer using a tape peeling device (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and one side of the wafer that was protected by the protective member is ground, thereby producing a wafer with flat surfaces on both sides.

[0005] In the tape peeling device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the resin layer is peeled off and the peeled protective member is disposed of in a trash can. That is, the peeled protective member is slid down on two inclined pipes and curved between the two inclined pipes and dropped into a trash can positioned below the pipes, and the protective members are appropriately stacked in the trash can, making it possible to place many protective members in the trash can. In this way, the protective members are stacked and placed in the trash can, reducing the frequency of the task of removing the protective members from the trash can and reducing the burden on the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-198290 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a tape peeling device such as that described in Patent Document 1, different liquid resins are used depending on the unevenness, waviness, and warpage of the as-sliced ​​wafer, and the hardness or thickness of the cured resin is changed. If the hardness or thickness of the resin differs (for example, becomes harder and thicker), the force required to bend the protective member on the two pipes under its own weight differs, and there are cases where the protective member cannot be properly stacked in the trash can by passing between the pipes using only two pipes because the degree of bending differs.

[0008] Because the protective materials are not stacked properly inside the trash can, a sensor that detects when the trash can is full of protective materials detects the protective materials stacked improperly inside the trash can even when the trash can is not full, which causes a problem that the worker has to remove the protective materials from the trash can more frequently, which increases the burden on the worker.

[0009] Therefore, in a peeling device that peels the protective member off of the wafer and discards it in a trash can, there is a problem to be solved of being able to properly stack the protective members in the trash can and discard them, even if the hardness or thickness of the resin changes and the force required to bend the protective member changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a peeling device that peels off a sheet-like protective material formed on one side of a wafer from the wafer and stacks and discards it in a trash can with an opening on an upper surface, the peeling device comprising: a holding unit that suction-holds the other side of the wafer with a holding surface; a peeling unit that peels off the protective material formed on the wafer held by the holding unit; and a disposal unit that stacks and discards the protective material in the trash can, the peeling unit comprising a gripping part that grips an outer periphery of the protective material, and a moving unit that moves the gripping part and the holding unit so as to pass each other relatively in a direction from the outer periphery of the wafer toward the center parallel to the holding surface, the disposal unit comprising an inclined drop part that causes the protective material held by the gripping part to fall at an angle towards the opening of the trash can, and a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate that are arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the protective material falling at an angle over the opening when viewed from above, the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate each have a first air outlet for ejecting air from an upper surface thereof, This peeling device has a gap between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate through which the protective member can pass, and the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are inclined so that the distance between the upper edge of the first inclined plate and the upper edge of the second inclined plate is greater than the distance between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate, and the protective member falls with an inclination and enters between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, causing the center of the protective member to bend convexly toward the trash can, passes through the opening of the trash can, falls further and assumes a horizontal position, and is then stacked inside the trash can.

[0012] In the peeling device of the present invention, it is preferable that two horizontal pipes are arranged on the lower end sides of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, respectively, and have second air outlets for ejecting air, and that the air ejected from the second air outlets generates an airflow from the bottom up on the upper surface of the first inclined plate and the upper surface of the second inclined plate.

[0013] It is preferable that the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate and the lower end of the second inclined plate be gradually narrowed from the side closer to the inclined drop portion to the side farther from the inclined drop portion. Effect of the Invention

[0014] In the peeling device according to the present invention, a disposal unit that stacks and discards protective members in a trash can includes an inclined drop section that causes the protective members held by the gripping section to fall at an angle toward the opening of the trash can, and a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate that are arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the protective members when viewed from above as they fall at an angle above the opening. A gap is provided between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate through which the protective members can pass. The first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are inclined so that the distance between the upper edge of the first inclined plate and the upper edge of the second inclined plate is greater than the distance between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate. Even if the hardness or thickness of the protective member changes and the force required to bend the protective member changes, the protective member that has fallen at an angle enters between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, so that the center of the protective member that comes into contact with the first and second inclined plates is curved convexly toward the trash can, and the curved portion is further widened by the first and second inclined plates depending on the position of the protective member as it falls at an angle. That is, compared to a conventional peeling device that uses only two pipes to make the protective member convex toward the opening of the trash can, this device can support the protective member so that it convex toward the opening of the trash can with the first and second inclined plates from a state in which the protective member is in a higher position than the opening of the trash can. Then, the convex protective member passes through the opening of the trash can and falls further inside the trash can, becoming horizontal due to its own elasticity, and then being stacked inside the trash can, so that a sufficient number of protective members can be discarded by appropriately stacking them in the trash can.

[0015] In the peeling device of the present invention, the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate spray air from a first air outlet formed on their upper surfaces, so that when the protective member falls at an angle and enters between the first and second inclined plates, causing the center of the protective member to curve convexly toward the trash can, the air can reduce friction between the upper surfaces of the first and second inclined plates and the protective member, thereby enabling the protective member to curve convexly toward the trash can with less resistance on the trash can.

[0016] The peeling device of the present invention is equipped with two horizontal pipes each arranged on the lower end side of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate and having a second air outlet for ejecting air, so that when the protective member falls at an angle and enters between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, causing the center of the protective member to bend convexly toward the trash can, the air ejected from the second air outlet creates an airflow from bottom to top on the upper surface of the first inclined plate and the upper surface of the second inclined plate, thereby reducing friction between the upper surfaces of the first and second inclined plates and the protective member by the air, thereby making it possible for the protective member to bend convexly toward the trash can without resistance above the trash can.

[0017] In the peeling device of the present invention, the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate and the lower end of the second inclined plate is gradually narrowed from the side closer to the inclined drop portion to the side farther from the inclined drop portion, so that the protective member falling at an angle slows down due to the narrowing of the distance between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, allowing the protective member to be stopped on the trash can and prevent it from passing over the trash can, and further allows the protective member to be curved in a convex shape and fall into the trash can. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a peeling device. [Diagram 2] 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a protruding portion of a protective member is gripped by a gripping portion. FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the protective member begins to be peeled off in a direction from the outer periphery of the wafer toward the center by the peeling unit moving the gripper and the holding unit so as to pass each other relatively. FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the peeling unit moves the gripper and the holding unit so as to pass each other relatively to progress peeling of the protective member from the wafer. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the protective member has been peeled off from the wafer by the peeling unit moving the gripper and the holding unit so as to pass each other relatively. FIG. [Figure 6]Fig. 6(A) is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the protective member, which has fallen at an angle, enters between the first and second inclined plates, curves in a convex shape toward the trash can at its center, passes through the opening of the trash can, falls further while becoming horizontal, and is then stacked in the trash can. Fig. 6(B) is an example of a plan view illustrating a state in which the protective member, which has fallen at an angle, enters between the first and second inclined plates, curves in a convex shape toward the trash can at its center, passes through the opening of the trash can, falls further while becoming horizontal, and is then stacked in the trash can. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(A) is an example of a cross-sectional view from the side illustrating a state in which a protective member that has fallen at an angle enters between the first and second inclined plates, its center curves convexly toward the trash can, passes through the opening of the trash can while falling further, and then is stacked in the trash can, when the gap between the lower end of the first inclined plate and the lower end of the second inclined plate is gradually narrower from the side closer to the inclined drop portion toward the side farther from the inclined drop portion. Fig. 7(B) is an example of a plan view from the side illustrating a protective member that has fallen at an angle enters between the first and second inclined plates, its center curves convexly toward the trash can, passes through the opening of the trash can while falling further, and then is stacked in the trash can, when the gap between the lower end of the first and second inclined plate is gradually narrower from the side closer to the inclined drop portion toward the side farther from the inclined drop portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The peeling device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for peeling off a sheet-like protective member 91 from a wafer 90 such as an as-sliced ​​wafer. The protective member 91 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is formed to have a larger diameter, i.e., a larger area, than the wafer 90, and is formed by fixing a sheet 93 to one surface 900 of the wafer 90 (see FIG. 2) via a resin layer 92. The sheet 93 is, for example, a sheet made of a polyolefin resin, and the resin layer 92 is, for example, a resin layer hardened by irradiation with ultraviolet light. As shown in FIG. 2, the resin layer 92 covers the entire surface of one surface 900 of the wafer 90 and a part of the outer circumferential surface of the wafer 90. The sheet 93 also has a protruding portion 930 that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the wafer 90.

[0020] A column 11 is erected on the rear side (-X direction side) of a base 10 of the peeling device 1 shown in FIG. 1, and a holding unit moving mechanism 12 is disposed on the upper front surface of the column 11 on the +X direction side, which causes a ball screw 120 to rotate by a motor 122, thereby sliding a movable plate 121 on a pair of guide rails 123, thereby moving the holding unit 2 disposed on the movable plate 121 back and forth in the Y axis direction.

[0021] A holding unit up-down movement mechanism 13 that reciprocates the holding unit 2 in the Z-axis direction is disposed on the movable plate 121. The holding unit up-down movement mechanism 13 rotates a ball screw 130 by a motor 132, thereby reciprocating the holding unit 2 disposed on the movable plate 131 that slides on a pair of guide rails 133 extending in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) in the Z-axis direction.

[0022] The holding unit 2 for suction-holding the other surface 903 of the wafer 90, which is the surface opposite to the one surface 900 of the wafer 90 on which the protective member 91 shown in Fig. 2 is formed, includes an arm portion 20 having one end on the base side fixed on the movable plate 131 shown in Fig. 1, and a holding pad 21 arranged on the lower surface of the tip end on the +X direction side of the arm portion 20 and capable of suction-holding the wafer 90. As shown in Fig. 2, the holding pad 21 includes an adsorption portion 210 made of a porous plate or the like and communicating with a suction source (not shown), and a frame 211 for supporting the adsorption portion 210, and suction-holds the other surface 903 of the wafer 90 with a holding surface 213 which is the exposed surface of the adsorption portion 210 and is flush with the lower surface of the frame 211.

[0023] 1, that is, below the moving path of the holding pad 21, are arranged, in order from above, in the middle part of the front surface on the +X direction side of the column 11 shown in Fig. 1, a rotating roller 18 having an axis in the X-axis direction, a gripping part 40 which grips a protruding part 930 which is the outer periphery of a protective member 91 attached to a wafer 90 held by the holding unit 2, and a moving unit 42 which moves the gripping part 40 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the holding surface 213 of the holding unit 2, thereby moving the gripping part 40 and the holding unit 2 so that they relatively pass each other in a direction from the outer periphery of the wafer 90 toward the center. The gripping part 40 and the moving unit 42 form a peeling unit 4 which peels off the protective member 91 formed on the wafer 90 held by the holding unit 2.

[0024] The moving unit 42 is composed of a ball screw 420 having an axis in the Y-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 421 arranged parallel to the ball screw 420, a motor 422 that rotates the ball screw 420, and a movable block 423 whose internal nut screws into the ball screw 420 and whose side is in sliding contact with the guide rails 421. When the motor 422 rotates the ball screw 420, the movable block 423 moves in the Y-axis direction while being guided by the guide rails 421, and the gripper 40 arranged on the movable block 423 moves in the Y-axis direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable block 423.

[0025] The gripping unit 40 includes a spindle 400 whose axial direction is the X-axis direction, a housing 401 that rotatably supports the spindle 400, and a gripping clamp 402 disposed at the tip of the spindle 400 on the +X direction side. The gripping clamp 402 can clamp an object to be gripped between a pair of gripping plates that can move toward and away from each other, and can change the angle with respect to the object to be gripped by rotating the spindle 400. Note that, for example, the gripping unit 40 may be movable in the vertical direction on the front surface of the movable block 423.

[0026] The rotating roller 18 is rotated around an axis in the X-axis direction by, for example, a motor (not shown). The rotating roller 18 abuts against the protective member 91, thereby preventing, for example, folding of the resin layer 92 shown in Fig. 2 that may occur when the protective member 91 is peeled off. The rotating roller 18 may be movable in the Y-axis direction.

[0027] A trash can 7 for storing peeled protective members 91 is disposed on the base 10. The trash can 7 has, for example, an outer shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and an opening 700 formed on the upper surface is located below a first inclined plate 51 and a second inclined plate 52 of a disposal unit 5 described later. As shown in FIG. 1, a transmission type optical sensor 79 having, for example, a pair of a light emitting unit 790 (-Y direction side) and a light receiving unit 791 (+Y direction side) is disposed on the upper portion of the trash can 7. The protective members 91 peeled off from the wafer 90 are dropped into the trash can 7 by the disposal unit 5, and the protective members 91 are piled up in the trash can 7 to a predetermined height, and the inspection light between the light emitting unit 790 and the light receiving unit 791 is blocked by the protective member 91, and the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 791 decreases, so that the optical sensor 79 detects that the inside of the trash can 7 is filled with the protective members 91.

[0028] The peeling device 1 includes a disposal unit 5 that stacks and discards protective members 91 in a trash can 7. The disposal unit 5 includes an inclined drop part 50 that drops the protective member 91 held by the gripping part 40 at an incline toward an opening 700 of the trash can 7, and a first inclined plate 51 and a second inclined plate 52 that are disposed opposite each other in a direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the traveling direction (-Y direction) of the protective member 91 falling at an incline above the opening 700 when viewed from above (+Z direction side).

[0029] The inclined drop section 50 is provided, for example, at the upper rear of the trash can 7, below the movement path of the gripping section 40 and the holding pad 21 of the holding unit 2, and is equipped with a pair of guide rails 501, 502 that incline downward as they approach the front.

[0030] The pair of guide rails 501, 502 are formed, for example, in a rod shape having a circular cross section, and have a length approximately equal to the outer diameter of protective member 91. For example, the tip portions of the pair of guide rails 501, 502 are located above one side on the rear side (+Y direction side) of trash can 7. Furthermore, the pair of guide rails 501, 502 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of trash can 7 in the X-axis direction, and in parallel with each other at an interval sufficiently smaller than the diameter of protective member 91. The pair of guide rails 501 and 502 may be plate-shaped instead of rod-shaped, and the inclined drop portion 50 may be formed of a single inclined plate.

[0031] 1 and 6(A) and (B) is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and extends so as to straddle from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction above the opening 700 of the trash can 7. The lower side of the first inclined plate 51 (second inclined plate 52) is positioned, for example, in the central region in the X-axis direction of the opening 700 of the trash can 7, and a gap 57 of a predetermined width through which the protective member 91 can pass is formed between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52. The opening 700, which is rectangular in a plan view, is located below the gap 57.

[0032] 6B, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 are inclined such that a distance D2 between an upper side of the first inclined plate 51 and an upper side of the second inclined plate 52 is larger than a distance D1 between a lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and a lower side of the second inclined plate 52. That is, the space between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 gradually becomes wider toward the +Z direction.

[0033] The peeling device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in, for example, Figures 1, 6(A) and (B), is equipped with two horizontal pipes 61 and 62 arranged on the lower end sides of the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, respectively, and having second air outlets 63 for ejecting air.

[0034] The two horizontal pipes 61 and 62 extend horizontally so as to straddle the opening 700 of the trash can 7 in the Y-axis direction from end to end, and are formed, for example, in a rod shape having a circular cross section, and extend with a length greater than the outer diameter of the protective member 91. One end (rear end) of the horizontal pipes 61 and 62 is fixed to the upper end portion of one side of the trash can 7 on the rear side in the Y-axis direction, and the other end (front end) is fixed to the upper end portion of one side of the trash can 7 on the front side in the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal pipe 61, and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal pipe 62. Note that, in cases where the peeling device 1 does not include the horizontal pipes 61 and 62, the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 may be directly connected to the upper surface of the side plate of the trash can 7.

[0035] Furthermore, the horizontal pipes 61 and 62 are disposed symmetrically about the center line of the trash can 7 in the X-axis direction, with a gap smaller than the outer diameter of the protective member 91, and extend, for example, parallel to the Y-axis direction. A gap 57 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is also the gap between the horizontal pipes 61 and 62, and the protective member 91 falls into the trash can 7 through this gap 57.

[0036] The second air outlets 63 that eject air upward are provided, for example, aligned in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface side of the horizontal pipes 61 and 62. The second air outlets 63 are formed in a round hole shape, but may be formed in a narrow slit shape, or may be formed in a single slit shape that extends continuously from approximately one end to the other on the upper surface side of the two horizontal pipes 61 and 62. An air supply source such as a compressor (not shown) is connected to each second air outlet 63. The air ejected from the second air outlets 63 flows upward along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 (the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52). In addition, the amount of air ejected from the second air outlet 63 may be increased to enlarge the portion where the protective member 91 enters between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, guided by a pair of guide rails 501, 502, making it easier to bend the protective member 91.

[0037] For example, the first inclined plate 51 (second inclined plate 52) is provided with a first air outlet 512 (first air outlet 524) that ejects air from the upper surface 511 (upper surface 523) on the upper surface 511 (upper surface 523) which is an inclined surface. The first air outlets 512 (first air outlets 524) are opened on the upper surface 511 (upper surface 523) in a row, for example, vertically and horizontally. In the example shown in FIG. 6B, the first air outlet 512 (first air outlet 524) is formed in a round hole shape, but may be formed in a narrow slit shape, or the first air outlet 512 (first air outlet 524) may be formed in a single slit shape that continuously extends from approximately one end to approximately the other end in the Y-axis direction on the upper surface 511 (upper surface 523) of the first inclined plate 51 (second inclined plate 52). The first air outlet 512 (first air outlet 524), for example, merges into one flow path inside the first inclined plate 51 (second inclined plate 52), and the flow path is then connected to an air supply source constituted by a compressor or the like (not shown) via a fitting, a resin tube, or the like. It is preferable that the first air outlet 512 is formed to have the same size as the second air outlet 63.

[0038] The operation of the peeling apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 when peeling and discarding the protective member 91 from the wafer 90 will be described below. First, as shown in Fig. 1, the ground wafer 90 is placed on a transfer table (not shown) of the peeling device 1 so that the other surface 903, which is the surface that has already been ground, faces upward. The holding unit 2 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the holding unit moving mechanism 12, and is positioned above the wafer 90 so that the center of the holding surface 213 of the holding pad 21 approximately coincides with the center of the other surface 903 of the wafer 90, as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the holding unit 2 is lowered by the holding unit vertical movement mechanism 13 to bring the holding surface 213 into contact with the other surface 903 of the wafer 90, and the other surface 903 of the wafer 90 with the protective member 91 facing downward is suction-held by the holding surface 213 to which the suction force is transmitted.

[0039] 2, the holding unit 2 holding the wafer 90 by suction is moved in the Y-axis direction by the holding unit moving mechanism 12 until it is positioned above the rotating roller 18. Furthermore, the holding unit 2 is lowered to bring the side of the rotating roller 18 into contact with the vicinity of the outer periphery on the +Y-direction side of the lower surface of the sheet 93 of the protective member 91. In addition, the gripping portion 40 is moved in the -Y direction by the moving unit 42, and the gripping clamp 402 grips the protruding portion 930.

[0040] For example, after the holding clamps 402 hold the protruding portion 930, the protruding portion 930 rotates 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from the +X direction side as shown in Fig. 2, so that while the rotating roller 18 supports the lower surface side of the protective member 91, the resin layer 92 of the protective member 91 is gently bent along the side surface of the rotating roller 18, and the protective member 91 is pulled in the -Z direction by the holding clamps 402, whereby a part of the protective member 91 is peeled off from one surface 900 of the wafer 90. That is, the protective member 91 is bent at approximately a right angle while abutting against the rotating roller 18 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0041] Next, the peeling unit 4 shown in Fig. 1 moves the gripping part 40 and the holding unit 2 so as to pass each other relatively in the Y-axis direction, and peels off the protective member 91 from the outer periphery of the wafer 90 toward the center. That is, as shown in Fig. 3, the moving unit 42 moves the gripping part 40 toward the -Y direction, and the holding unit moving mechanism 12 (see Fig. 1) moves the holding unit 2 in the +Y direction, and further, the rotating roller 18 rotates about its axis in the X-axis direction, and the resin layer 92 of the protective member 91 is gently bent along the side of the rotating roller 18, and the protective member 91 is peeled off from the outer periphery of the wafer 90 toward the -Y direction while maintaining a state in which abrupt resin folding is suppressed. Note that, with either the holding unit 2 or the gripping part 40 stopped, the other moving in the Y-axis direction may peel off the protective member 91 from the wafer 90. Alternatively, for example, the gripping portion 40 may continue to move downward without moving in the Y-axis direction, and peeling may proceed while the protective member 91 is bent at a right angle.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4, when the gripping part 40 moves close to the outer periphery on the -Y direction side of the wafer 90, the gripping part 40 rotates 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from the +X direction side, so that the resin layer 92 side of the protective member 91 faces downward. Furthermore, the peeling unit 4 moves the gripping part 40 and the holding unit 2 relatively in the Y axis direction, so that the protective member 91 is completely peeled off from the wafer 90, as shown in Fig. 5. Then, the protective member 91 gripped by the gripping part 40 hangs down from the gripping part 40.

[0043] 6(A), when protective member 91 is completely peeled off from wafer 90, gripping portion 40 gripping protruding portion 930 is positioned near inclined drop portion 50 by moving unit 42 (see FIG. 1), and sheet 93 side of protective member 91 is abutted against the inclined surfaces of a pair of guide rails 501, 502 of inclined drop portion 50. As a result, protective member 91 is tilted with respect to the Z-axis direction so as to follow the pair of guide rails 501, 502.

[0044] With the protective member 91 aligned along the pair of guide rails 501, 502 of the inclined drop section 50, the gripping of the protruding portion 930 by the gripping section 40 is released. The protective member 91 falls obliquely downward along the pair of guide rails 501, 502 due to its own weight. Since the first and second inclined plates 51, 52 facing each other in the X-axis direction are located at positions above the opening 700 of the trash can 7 on the tip side of the pair of guide rails 501, 502, the protective member 91 with the sheet 93 in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 gradually changes its moving direction from obliquely downward to horizontal (-Y direction) due to the momentum of the inclined drop.

[0045] In addition, when the protective member 91 in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 falls at an incline, the central portion in the X-axis direction falls under its own weight along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, which are inclined at a predetermined angle, and is curved in a U-shape when viewed from the front from the -Y direction side, i.e., convexly toward the trash can 7.

[0046] In this embodiment, for example, by ejecting air from the first air outlet 512 on the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air outlet 524 on the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, the friction acting between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91, and the friction acting between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91 are reduced by the air flowing between them, making it easier for the protective member 91 to be curved convexly toward the trash can 7.

[0047] In this embodiment, for example, by ejecting air from the second air ejection port 63 of the horizontal pipe 61 and the second air ejection port 63 of the horizontal pipe 62 shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the air flows upward along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, and therefore the friction acting between the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the protective member 91 and the friction acting between the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 and the protective member 91 are reduced by the air flowing therebetween, and the protective member 91 is more likely to be curved in a convex shape toward the trash can 7. In addition, the outer peripheral portion of the protective member 91 is blown up by the air flowing upward along the upper surfaces 511 and 523, which further promotes the curvature of the protective member 91 in a convex shape toward the trash can 7. In addition, air may be ejected from the first air nozzle 512 on the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air nozzle 524 on the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, while air is ejected from the second air nozzles 63 of the horizontal pipe 61 and the horizontal pipe 62.

[0048] As shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the protective member 91 placed entirely on the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 falls toward the opening 700 of the trash can 7 while the center in the X-axis direction is curved in a convex shape. Then, the protective member 91 passes through the gap 57 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52, that is, the opening 700 of the trash can 7 between the horizontal pipe 61 connected to the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the horizontal pipe 62 connected to the lower side of the second inclined plate 52. Then, while falling inside the trash can 7, the convex shape in the center in the X-axis direction is gradually restored to its original horizontal shape, that is, a horizontal position parallel to the flat bottom surface of the trash can 7, due to elasticity. As a result, a plurality of protective members 91 can be stacked in the trash can 7 in a horizontal position.

[0049] As described above, in the peeling device 1 according to the present invention, which peels off the sheet-like protective member 91 formed on one surface 900 of the wafer 90 from the wafer 90 and discards it by stacking it in the trash can 7 having the opening 700 on the upper surface, the disposal unit 5 which stacks and discards the protective member 91 in the trash can 7 includes an inclined drop part 50 which causes the protective member 91 held by the gripping part 40 to fall at an angle towards the opening 700 of the trash can 7, and a first inclined plate 51 and a second inclined plate 52 which are arranged opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the protective member 91 falling at an angle above the opening 700 as viewed from above, and includes a gap 57 between the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 through which the protective member 91 can pass, and a gap 57 between the first inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 which allows the protective member 91 to pass through. By inclining the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 so that the distance between the upper side of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper side of the second inclined plate 52 is greater than the distance between the lower side of the inclined plate 51 and the lower side of the second inclined plate 52, even if the hardness or thickness of the protective member 91 changes and the force required to bend the protective member 91 changes, the protective member 91 that has fallen at an angle enters between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, and the center of the protective member 91 that comes into contact with the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 is curved convexly toward the trash can 7, and the curved portion is further widened by the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 depending on the position at which it falls. That is, compared to a conventional peeling device that uses only two pipes on the trash can to make the protective member 91 convex toward the opening of the trash can, this device can support the protective member 91 so that it convex toward the opening 700 of the trash can 7 from a state in which the protective member 91 is located higher than the opening 700 by the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52. Then, the convex protective member 91 passes through the opening 700 of the trash can 7 and falls further inside the trash can 7 until it becomes horizontal due to its own elasticity, after which it is stacked inside the trash can 7, making it possible to properly stack the protective members 91 in the trash can 7 and discard a sufficient number of sheets.

[0050] The peeling device 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the shapes of each component of the peeling device 1 illustrated in the attached drawings are not limited to these and can be appropriately modified within the scope in which the effects of the present invention can be achieved.

[0051] For example, injection holes for injecting air may be formed in a pair of guide rails 501 and 502 of the inclined drop section 50 shown in Figures 1, 6 (A) and (B) to make it easier for the protective member 91 to fall along the guide rails 501 and 502. In addition, for example, the diameter of the first air outlet 512 on the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air outlet 524 on the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, or the diameter of the second air outlet 63 of the horizontal pipe 61 and the horizontal pipe 62 may be made larger the farther away from the inclined drop portion 50, so that the protective member 91 is stopped from passing through the trash can 7 by the air, which gradually becomes stronger the farther away from the inclined drop portion 50.

[0052] For example, the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower end of the second inclined plate 52 may be set to be gradually narrower from the +Y direction side closer to the inclined drop portion 50 toward the -Y direction side farther from the inclined drop portion 50. That is, for example, as shown in Fig. 7(B), the horizontal pipe 61 to which the lower side of the first inclined plate 51 is connected and the horizontal pipe 62 to which the lower side of the second inclined plate 52 is connected are arranged so that the distance D5 on the front end side (the -Y direction side farther from the inclined drop portion 50) is smaller than the distance D4 on the rear end side (the +Y direction side closer to the inclined drop portion 50).

[0053] 7(A), in a state where the protective member 91 is aligned along the pair of guide rails 501, 502 of the inclined drop section 50, the gripping of the protruding portion 930 by the gripping section 40 that had been gripping the protective member 91 is released, and the protective member 91 falls obliquely downward along the pair of guide rails 501, 502 due to its own weight. Since the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52 that face each other in the X-axis direction are located at the tip side of the pair of guide rails 501, 502, the protective member 91 with the sheet 93 in contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 gradually changes its moving direction from obliquely downward to horizontal due to the momentum of the inclined fall.

[0054] In addition, when the protective member 91 comes into contact with the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 is inclined at a predetermined angle, the central portion in the X-axis direction falls by its own weight along the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52, and is curved in a convex shape toward the trash can 7. Air may be ejected from the first air ejection port 512 of the upper surface 511 of the first inclined plate 51 and the first air ejection port 524 of the upper surface 523 of the second inclined plate 52 to reduce friction between the protective member 91 and the upper surface 511 and the upper surface 523 by the air. In addition, air may be ejected from the second air ejection port 63 of each of the horizontal pipes 61 and 62 shown in Figs. 7(A) and 7(B) to reduce friction between the protective member 91 and the upper surface 511 and the upper surface 523 by the air.

[0055] Furthermore, the distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower end of the second inclined plate 52 is gradually narrowed from the side closer to the inclined drop section 50 to the side farther from the inclined drop section 50. Due to this narrowing between the first inclined plate 51 and the second inclined plate 52, the speed of the protective member 91 in the direction of travel (-Y direction) in the horizontal plane is reduced, preventing the protective member 91 from passing over the trash can 7 and further enabling the protective member 91 to be curved in a convex shape and fall into the trash can 7.

[0056] The protective member 91, which falls while curving in a convex shape toward the trash can 7, has a distance between the lower end of the first inclined plate 51 and the lower end of the second inclined plate 52 which gradually narrows from the side closer to the inclined drop section 50 to the side farther from the inclined drop section 50, so that the rear side (+Y direction side) in the traveling direction when the protective member 91 is viewed from above first falls below the opening 700 between the horizontal pipes 61 and 62, and then the front side (-Y direction side) falls below the opening 700 between the two horizontal pipes 61 and 62. The protective member 91 falls inside the trash can 7 while gradually returning its convex shape to its original horizontal shape due to its elasticity, so that a plurality of protective members 91 can be stacked in the trash can 7 in a horizontal position. The distance between the pair of guide rails 501 and 502 may be the same as the distance D1 shown in Fig. 6(B) or the distance D4 shown in Fig. 7(B). Also, the protective member 91 may be guided to above the trash can 7 by a single inclined plate instead of a pair of guide rails. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 90: Wafer 900: One side 91: Protective member 92: Resin layer 93: Sheet 930: Protruding part 1: Peeling device 10: Base 11: Column 18: Rotating roller 40: Grip part 400: Spindle 402: Grip clamp 42: Moving unit 420: Ball screw 422: Motor 423: Movable block 12: Holding unit moving mechanism 120: Ball screw 121: Movable plate 122: Motor 13: Holding unit up / down movement mechanism 2: Holding unit 20: Arm portion 21: Holding pad 210: Suction portion 211: Frame body 213: Holding surface 7: Trash can 79: Light sensor 5: Disposal unit 50: Inclined drop section 501, 502: Pair of guide rails 51: 1st inclined plate 512: 1st air outlet 52: 2nd inclined plate 524: 2nd air outlet 61, 62: Horizontal pipe 63: Second air outlet

Claims

1. A peeling device that peels off a sheet-like protective material formed on one side of a wafer from the wafer and discards the sheet-like protective material by stacking it in a trash can having an opening on an upper surface, a holding unit that holds the other surface of the wafer by suction with a holding surface; a peeling unit that peels off the protective material formed on the wafer held by the holding unit, and a disposal unit that piles up the protective material in the waste bin and discards it, the peeling unit includes a gripping part that grips an outer periphery of the protective member, and a moving unit that moves the gripping part and the holding unit so as to pass each other relatively in a direction from the outer periphery of the wafer toward the center of the wafer parallel to the holding surface; The waste unit comprises: an inclined drop part that causes the protective member held by the grip part to drop toward the opening of the trash can; a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate disposed opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the protective member falls in an inclined manner over the opening when viewed from above; the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate each have a first air outlet for ejecting air from an upper surface thereof, a gap is provided between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate through which the protective member can pass, and the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate are inclined so that the distance between the upper edge of the first inclined plate and the upper edge of the second inclined plate is greater than the distance between the lower edge of the first inclined plate and the lower edge of the second inclined plate; The protective member falls at an angle and enters between the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, causing the center of the protective member to bend convexly toward the trash can, and after passing through the opening of the trash can and falling further to a horizontal position, the protective member is stacked inside the trash can.

2. two horizontal pipes each having a second air outlet for ejecting air, the two horizontal pipes being disposed on the lower end sides of the first inclined plate and the second inclined plate, 2. The peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the air ejected from the second air ejection port generates an air current from bottom to top on the upper surface of the first inclined plate and the upper surface of the second inclined plate.

3. 3. The peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the lower end of said first inclined plate and the lower end of said second inclined plate is gradually narrowed from the side closer to said inclined drop portion to the side farther from said inclined drop portion.

Images