Cutting device

Abstract

To appropriately perform gas-liquid separation even when an amount of mist of cutting waste liquid is increased.SOLUTION: A cutting device 1 is such that a cutting mechanism 6 comprises a nozzle 66 for supplying cutting water to a region for cutting a workpiece, and a unit 7 arranged adjacently to a blade 63 so as to receive cutting waste liquid mist discharged due to the rotation of the blade 63, and performing gas-liquid separation; the gas-liquid separation unit 7 of a box shape includes a mist entrance port 76 of a front plate 72 to be at a mist discharge side from the cutting region, an exhaust port 700 of an upper plate 70, a drain port 710 of a lower plate 71, and a plurality of strip-shaped guide plates 77 having one ends connected to a first side plate 74 and the other ends connected to a second side plate 75, and also having gaps 770 in a circular arc shape from the entrance port 76 to the exhaust port 700; mist L2 entering from the entrance port 76 abuts on the guide plates 77 and is guided to the exhaust port 700; water droplets L4 are generated from the mist L2 by the guide plates 77 and subjected to gas-liquid separation; and the water droplets L4 are passed through the gaps 770, and drained from the drain port 710, and gas L3 is exhausted from the exhaust port 700.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device for cutting a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. [Background technology]

[0002] The cutting machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a gas-liquid separation unit that separates the mist of cutting waste fluid into gas and liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-237206 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the amount of cutting water supplied to the cutting device is increased, the amount of mist increases and the mist cannot be separated into gas and liquid. Therefore, in a cutting device, there is a problem of being able to appropriately separate the mist into gas and liquid even if the amount of mist increases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cutting device comprising: a chuck table for holding a workpiece; a cutting mechanism for rotating a cutting blade to cut the workpiece held on the chuck table; and a cutting feed mechanism for relatively moving the chuck table and the cutting mechanism in a cutting feed direction, the cutting mechanism comprising: a spindle for mounting the cutting blade at its tip; a spindle housing for rotatably supporting the spindle; a blade cover disposed on the spindle housing and covering the cutting edge of the cutting blade; a cutting water nozzle for supplying cutting water to a cutting area where the cutting blade cuts the workpiece; and a gas-liquid separation unit disposed adjacent to the cutting blade so as to be able to receive a mist of cutting waste fluid discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade and for separating the mist into gas and liquid, the gas-liquid separation unit comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and a gas-liquid separation unit disposed adjacent to the cutting blade so as to be able to receive a mist of cutting waste fluid discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade. a front plate connecting the upper plate and the lower plate, a rear plate connecting the upper plate and the lower plate and facing the front plate, a first side plate and a second side plate connected to the upper plate, the lower plate, the front plate and the rear plate and facing each other, an inlet opening in the front plate which is the side from which the mist of the cutting waste fluid is discharged from the cutting area by the rotation of the cutting blade and through which the mist enters, an exhaust port formed in the upper plate, a drain port formed in the lower plate, and a rectangular-shaped outlet having one end connected to the first side plate. and a plurality of guide plates, each of which has its end connected to the second side plate and the other end connected to the second side plate, arranged with gaps between them so as to form an arc from the entrance toward the exhaust port, wherein the mist that enters from the entrance hits the plurality of guide plates and is guided to the exhaust port, and when it hits the guide plates, water droplets are generated from the mist and separated into gas and liquid, and the water droplets pass through the gaps to be discharged from the drain port, and the gas is discharged from the exhaust port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The cutting machine according to the present invention is equipped with a gas-liquid separation unit that causes the mist to rise while the separated liquid falls and is discharged through a drain outlet. This allows only the gas separated from the mist to be exhausted through an exhaust port, thereby reducing the suction force required to draw air from the gas-liquid separation unit compared to conventional devices. This also prevents the exhaust source that generates this suction force from being damaged by sucking in the mist. This also makes it possible to separate a larger amount of cutting waste liquid mist into gas and liquid than conventional devices. Furthermore, by changing the angle and number of guide plates according to the amount of mist being discharged, gas-liquid separation can be performed under optimal conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cutting device. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the gas-liquid separation unit attached to the blade cover as viewed from the side. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas-liquid separation unit as seen obliquely from above on the front panel side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas-liquid separation unit as seen obliquely from above on the rear plate side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] 1 according to the present invention is an apparatus that can cut a workpiece 90 held on a chuck table 30 using a cutting mechanism 6 equipped with a rotating cutting blade 63. The cutting apparatus 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and may be of a type that can perform dual cutting (simultaneous cutting on two axes) on the workpiece 90.

[0009] 1 is, for example, a silicon wafer, and a plurality of planned dividing lines 901 are set on a surface 900 of the workpiece 90 so as to intersect with each other at right angles. Devices 902 are formed in each of the lattice-like regions partitioned by the planned dividing lines 901. Note that the workpiece 90 is not limited to a silicon wafer, and may be made of gallium arsenide, sapphire, gallium nitride, resin, ceramics, silicon carbide, or the like in addition to silicon, or may be a rectangular package substrate, etc.

[0010] A dicing tape 91 having a larger diameter than the workpiece 90 is adhered to the back surface 903 of the workpiece 90, and the outer periphery of the adhesive surface of the dicing tape 91 is adhered to the annular frame 92. The workpiece 90 is supported by the annular frame 92 via the dicing tape 91, thereby forming a work set 9 that can be handled by the annular frame 92.

[0011] 1 is provided on a base 10 of the cutting device 1. The cutting feed mechanism 13 moves the chuck table 30 and the cutting mechanism 6 relatively in the cutting feed direction (X-axis direction). The cutting feed mechanism 13 is composed of a ball screw 130 having an axis in the X-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 131 arranged parallel to the ball screw 130, a motor 132 that rotates the ball screw 130, and a movable plate 133 whose internal nut is threadedly engaged with the ball screw 130 and whose bottom is in sliding contact with the guide rails 131. When the motor 132 rotates the ball screw 130, the movable plate 133 is accordingly guided by the guide rails 131 and moves in the X-axis direction, and the chuck table 30, which is arranged on the movable plate 133 and holds the workpiece 90 by suction, is fed for cutting in the X-axis direction as the movable plate 133 moves.

[0012] The chuck table 30 has, for example, a circular outer shape in a plan view, and holds the workpiece 90 by suction on a flat holding surface 302 made of a porous material or the like and connected to a suction source (not shown). Four fixing clamps 303 that clamp and fix the annular frame 92 are equally spaced apart around the periphery of the chuck table 30. The chuck table 30 can be rotated about a rotation axis in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) by a rotation unit 32 disposed below the chuck table 30.

[0013] A gate-type column 11 is erected on the rear (-X direction side) of the base 10 so as to straddle the movement path of the chuck table 30. An indexing feed mechanism 15 is disposed in front of the gate-type column 11, which moves the cutting mechanism 6 back and forth in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction) that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction in a horizontal plane.

[0014] The indexing feed mechanism 15 includes, for example, a ball screw 150 having an axis in the Y-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 151 arranged parallel to the ball screw 150, a motor 152 connected to one end of the ball screw 150, and a movable plate 153 having an internal nut that screws onto the ball screw 150 and a side portion that slides against the guide rail 151. When the motor 152 rotates the ball screw 150, the movable plate 153 is accordingly guided by the guide rail 151 and moves in the Y-axis direction, and the cutting mechanism 6 arranged on the movable plate 153 via the cutting feed mechanism 17 is indexed and fed in the Y-axis direction.

[0015] The cutting feed mechanism 17 can move the cutting mechanism 6 up and down in the Z-axis direction, and is equipped with a ball screw 170 having an axis in the Z-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 171 arranged parallel to the ball screw 170, a motor 172 connected to the ball screw 170, and a support member 173 that supports the cutting mechanism 6 and has an internal nut that screws onto the ball screw 170 and a side that slides against the guide rails 171. When the motor 172 rotates the ball screw 170, the support member 173 moves in the Z-axis direction while being guided by the pair of guide rails 171, and accordingly, the cutting mechanism 6 is fed for cutting in the Z-axis direction.

[0016] The cutting mechanism 6 includes a spindle 60 whose axial direction is in the Y-axis direction, a spindle housing 61 whose upper surface is fixed to the lower end side of the support member 173 and which supports the spindle 60 so that it can rotate freely, a motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 60, a circular cutting blade 63 attached to the tip of the spindle 60, a blade cover 65 arranged on the spindle housing 61 and covering the cutting edge of the cutting blade 63, a cutting water nozzle 66 that supplies cutting water to the cutting area (contact area between the workpiece 90 and the cutting blade 63) where the cutting blade 63 cuts the workpiece 90, and a gas-liquid separation unit 7 that is arranged on the blade cover 65 in this embodiment and receives the mist of cutting waste fluid discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade 63 and separates the mist into gas L3 and liquid L4.

[0017] An alignment unit 64 is disposed on the side of the spindle housing 61 to detect a target dividing line 901 along which the workpiece 90 held on the chuck table 30 is to be cut. The alignment unit 64 performs image processing such as pattern matching based on the image captured by the camera, and can detect the coordinate position of the dividing line 901. The alignment unit 64 and the cutting mechanism 6 are integrated, and the two move in conjunction with each other in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions.

[0018] 1 and 2 has a substantially circular opening in its central region, and the cutting blade 63 attached to the tip side of the spindle 60 is housed in the substantially circular opening. In this embodiment, the blade cover 65 is removably attached to the front surface of the spindle housing 61, which is substantially rectangular and has its longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, an optical detection sensor 659 for detecting the state of the cutting blade 63 is disposed in the center of the blade cover 65.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , a cooling water nozzle support block 650 is attached to the side surface of the blade cover 65 on the −X direction side. The cooling water nozzle support block 650 supports a pair of cooling water nozzles 68 (only one of which is shown) that are approximately L-shaped when viewed from the Y direction. The pair of cooling water nozzles 68 extend parallel to each other in the X direction, sandwiching the lower part of the cutting blade 63 from both sides in the blade thickness direction (Y direction). The upper ends of each of the pair of cooling water nozzles 68 are connected via piping (not shown) to a water supply source 69, such as a pump capable of delivering pure water, for example. The pair of cooling water nozzles 68 have multiple slits on their inner surfaces facing the side surfaces of the cutting blade 63. Cooling water sprayed from the slits can cool the cutting blade 63 during cutting. The cooling water nozzle support block 650 is attached to the blade cover 65 by bolts 652 that can be adjusted up and down within elongated holes 651 in the blade cover 65, making its height position adjustable in the Z direction.

[0020] A cutting water nozzle support block 665 is attached to the side surface of the blade cover 65 on the +X direction side. The cutting water nozzle support block 665 is attached to the blade cover 65 with bolts 664 that can be moved up and down within long holes 661, making its height position in the Z axis direction adjustable. A nozzle 660 at the lower end of the cutting water nozzle 66 supported by the cutting water nozzle support block 665 faces diagonally downward toward the cutting blade 63, and the upper end of the cutting water nozzle 66 is connected to a water supply source 69 via piping or the like (not shown). Cutting water is sprayed from the nozzle 660 from above the outer periphery of the cutting blade 63 and supplied to the cutting region where the cutting blade 63 and workpiece 90 come into contact.

[0021] 1 and 2 in this embodiment is attached to the side surface on the -X direction side of the blade cover 65, and is located at a position rearward in the X-axis direction of the cutting blade 63, the cooling water nozzle support block 650, and the pair of cooling water nozzles 68, but it may be attached to the spindle housing 61 via a bar or the like (not shown) and located at a position similar to the above. That is, the gas-liquid separation unit 7 only needs to be located at a position adjacent to the cutting blade 63 so as to be able to receive the mist of cutting waste fluid discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade 63.

[0022] 2, 3, and 4 is formed in a box shape, for example, with a rectangular upper plate 70, a rectangular lower plate 71, a rectangular front plate 72 connecting the upper plate 70 and the lower plate 71, a rear plate 73 connecting the upper plate 70 and the lower plate 71 and facing the front plate 72, and a first side plate 74 and a second side plate 75 connected to and facing the upper plate 70, the lower plate 71, the front plate 72, and the rear plate 73. The plates are connected with bolts, for example.

[0023] The front plate 72, which is located on the side where the mist of cutting waste fluid is discharged from the cutting area by the rotation of the cutting blade 63 shown in Fig. 2, is formed to have a shorter vertical length than the first side plate 74 and the second side plate 75 as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, and a rectangular inlet 76 is opened between the front plate 72 and the lower plate 71. The inlet 76, which is located downstream with respect to the rotation direction of the cutting blade 63, serves as an inlet for allowing the mist to enter the box of the gas-liquid separation unit 7.

[0024] An exhaust port 700 is formed through, for example, in the central region of the upper plate 70, for exhausting gas L3 from inside the box of the gas-liquid separation unit 7, and the exhaust port 700 is connected to an exhaust source 701, such as an ejector mechanism, via piping or the like.

[0025] A drain outlet 710, for example, of a rectangular shape, is formed through the central region of the lower plate 71, and a drain hose or the like (not shown) is connected to the drain outlet 710. A plurality of guide plates 77 are arranged directly above the drain outlet 710. Note that a drain hose does not have to be connected to the drain outlet 710. For example, the chuck table 30 shown in FIG. 1 is surrounded by a cover (not shown), and a bellows cover that is expandable in the X-axis direction is connected to the cover. Drain outlets that lead to a water case are formed on both sides of the bellows cover in the Y-axis direction, so that the liquid that flows down from the drain outlet 710 of the gas-liquid separation unit 7 may be directly flowed into the water case.

[0026] The gas-liquid separation unit 7 is provided with a plurality of rectangular guide plates 77 arranged within the box, with one end connected to the first side plate 74 and the other end connected to the second side plate 75, and arranged with gaps 770 between them so as to form an arc from the inlet 76 toward the exhaust port 700.

[0027] For example, in this embodiment, one end and the other end of the rectangular guide plate 77 extending in the Y-axis direction are screw-connected or fitted-connected to two support plates 781 and 782, which are roughly crescent-shaped in side view and disposed inside the box of the gas-liquid separation unit 7. Note that one end and the other end of the rectangular guide plate 77 may be directly connected to the first side plate 74 and the second side plate 75. The two support plates 781 and 782 are bolted to the first side plate 74 and the second side plate 75. For example, when cleaning the inside of the gas-liquid separation unit 7, the bolts that secure the support plates 781 and 782 to the first side plate 74 and the second side plate 75 can be released, and the plurality of guide plates 77 together with the support plates 781 and 782 can be easily removed from the gas-liquid separation unit 7 all at once. Furthermore, if it is desired to change the number of guide plates 77 or the curvature of the arc formed by the multiple guide plates 77 depending on the amount of grinding waste liquid mist entering the gas-liquid separation unit 7, this can be easily changed / set using support plates 781 and 782 outside the gas-liquid separation unit 7.

[0028] In the example of Figures 2 to 4, a total of 10 guide boards are arranged, including nine guide boards 77 of equal vertical width and a guide board 77 that is positioned at the highest position and has a vertical width greater than the other guide boards 77, but the number of guide boards arranged is not limited to this, and all guide boards 77 may have the same vertical width.

[0029] The gap 770 formed between one guide plate 77 and the adjacent guide plate 77 which is at a higher height is formed so that the front edge (the side closer to the entrance 76) of the guide plate 77 at the higher height is lower than the rear edge of the guide plate 77 at the lower height, and after the mist of grinding waste liquid rising inside the box of the gas-liquid separation unit 7 comes into contact with the guide plate 77 and is separated into gas L3 and liquid L4, the liquid L4 which flows down along the inner surface of the higher guide plate 77 does not get on the front edge of the lower guide plate 77, but passes through the gap 770 and falls into the drain outlet 710.

[0030] The arc shape formed by the guide plates 77 arranged from the inlet 76 toward the exhaust port 700 is an arc shape that is concave toward the back when viewed from the inlet 76 side. The curvature of the arc and the number of guide plates 77 can be changed as appropriate depending on the amount of mist entering the gas-liquid separation unit 7. In other words, the guide plates 77 arranged in an arc shape have radial gaps 770 and are arranged so that portions (the front and rear sides of two adjacent guide plates 77) overlap in the circumferential direction, with the gaps 770 sandwiched between them.

[0031] The operation of each part of the cutting device 1 when cutting the workpiece 90 shown in FIG. 1 using the cutting device 1 will be described below. First, the workpiece 90, which is the work set 9, is placed on the holding surface 302 of the chuck table 30 with the surface 900 facing upward. Then, a suction force generated by a suction source (not shown) is transmitted to the holding surface 302, causing the chuck table 30 to suction-hold the workpiece 90 on the holding surface 302. In addition, the annular frame 92 is clamped and fixed by the fixing clamps 303.

[0032] After the workpiece 90 is held by the chuck table 30, the cutting feed mechanism 13 shown in FIG. 1 feeds the chuck table 30 in the -X direction, and the alignment unit 64 performs imaging and pattern matching of the workpiece 90, and the coordinate position of the intended dividing line 901 along which the cutting blade 63 of the cutting mechanism 6 should cut is detected.

[0033] As the coordinate position of the planned division line 901 is detected, the cutting mechanism 6 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the indexing feed mechanism 15, and the planned division line 901 to be cut and the cutting blade 63 are aligned in the Y-axis direction.

[0034] As described above, after the intended division line 901 to be cut and the cutting blade 63 are aligned in the Y-axis direction, the chuck table 30 holding the workpiece 90 is further fed in the -X direction at a predetermined cutting feed speed. The cutting mechanism 6 is then lowered by the cutting feed mechanism 17, and the cutting mechanism 6 is positioned at a predetermined height where the cutting blade 63 cuts through the back surface 903 of the workpiece 90 and reaches the dicing tape 91, as shown in FIG. 2. Note that FIG. 2 does not show a portion of the configuration of the chuck table 30, the annular frame 92 supporting the workpiece 90, and the like.

[0035] A motor (not shown) rotates the spindle 60 shown in Fig. 2 at high speed, for example, clockwise as viewed from the +Y direction (the front side of the page), and the cutting blade 63 attached to the spindle 60 rotates at high speed accordingly while cutting into the workpiece 90 moving in the -X direction, cutting (down-cutting) along the planned dividing line 901 (see Fig. 1). Cutting water L1 is sprayed from the nozzle 660 of the cutting water nozzle 66 positioned diagonally above the contact area between the cutting blade 63 and the workpiece 90, cooling and cleaning the contact area. Cooling water is supplied to the cutting blade 63 from a pair of cooling water nozzles 68, cooling the cutting blade 63.

[0036] During cutting, cutting water L1 comes into contact with the cutting blade 63, which is rotating clockwise as viewed from the +Y direction, at the contact area, and turns into mist L2 of waste cutting fluid containing fine cutting chips, which flies diagonally upward in the -X direction. Then, mist L2 enters the box through inlet 76 in the front plate 72 of the gas-liquid separation unit 7.

[0037] The exhaust source 701 suctions the interior of the gas-liquid separation unit 7, drawing air through the exhaust port 700, creating an upward airflow within the box. Then, within the box of the gas-liquid separation unit 7, mist L2 enters from the inlet 76 toward the guide plates 77 and ascends along the arc-shaped guide plates 77 toward the exhaust port 700. As the mist L2 collides with the inner surfaces of the arc-shaped guide plates 77, water droplets L4 are generated, gradually separating the mist L2 into gas L3 and liquid L4. The liquid L4, including cutting chips adhering to the inner surfaces of the arc-shaped guide plates 77, flows down the inner surfaces of the guide plates 77 due to gravity and falls through the gaps 770 between the guide plates 77 toward the drain port 710 to be discharged. Furthermore, as the mist L2 ascends, the liquid L4 is separated from the mist L2, and the gas L3 is drawn into the exhaust port 700 by the exhaust source 701 and discharged from the box. The suction force of the exhaust source 701 is large enough to draw in only the gas L3 of the mist L2.

[0038] As described above, the cutting device 1 according to the present invention includes the gas-liquid separation unit 7 that causes the mist L2 to rise while the separated liquid L4 falls and is discharged through the drain port 710. This allows only the gas L3 to be exhausted from the exhaust port 700, thereby enabling the suction force of the exhaust source 701 to be reduced compared to conventional devices. Furthermore, because the exhaust source 701 draws in air with a small suction force, it is possible to separate the liquid L4 from the mist L2 by its own weight without sucking in the mist L2. That is, in conventional cutting devices, the gas-liquid separation unit performs gas-liquid separation using a so-called cyclone method, in which the suction force of the exhaust source causes the mist to circulate in a horizontal plane within the gas-liquid separation unit and bring the mist into contact with the inverted cone wall surface, thereby achieving gas-liquid separation. Therefore, the exhaust source required a large suction force. In addition, because the mist, which contains a constant amount of liquid and gas, continues to circulate around the inverted cone wall due to the strong suction force, the liquid from the mist that once adhered to the wall and separated may come into contact with the mist again and become included in the mist again, which may prevent sufficient gas-liquid separation. As a result, the exhaust source may suck in a small amount of mist, which may cause damage to the exhaust source. In contrast, in the cutting device 1 according to the present invention, as the mist L2 rises and contacts the guide plates 77 within the gas-liquid separation unit 7, the liquid L4 separates from the mist L2, leaving only the gas L3. The liquid L4 then falls through the gaps 770 between the guide plates 77 and is discharged through the drainage port 710. This prevents the mist L2 entering the gas-liquid separation unit 7 through the inlet 76 from coming into contact with the separated liquid L4 and remixing them. Therefore, even if the amount of mist L2 discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade 63 increases, the mist L2 can be appropriately separated into gas and liquid. Since the exhaust source 701 does not suck in the mist L2 containing fine cutting chips, damage to the exhaust source 701 due to cutting chips or moisture is prevented. Furthermore, by changing the angle and number of the guide plates 77 and the overall curvature of the arc depending on the amount of mist L2 being discharged, gas-liquid separation can be performed optimally. For example, when the amount of mist L2 discharged increases, it is advisable to increase the number of guide plates 77 or widen the width of the guide plates 77 to increase the contact area of the mist L2. The surface of guide plate 77 opposite the surface facing entrance 76 does not have to be flat. Also, the lower end of guide plate 77 may be formed so that the portions connecting to first side plate 74 and second side plate 75 are lower than the central portion, for example, to make it easier for liquid L4 to fall.

[0039] When the workpiece 90 advances in the -X direction to a predetermined position in the X-axis direction where the cutting blade 63 shown in Figures 1 and 2 finishes cutting the division lines 901, the cutting feed mechanism 13 temporarily stops cutting the workpiece 90, the infeed feed mechanism 17 raises the cutting blade 63 away from the workpiece 90, and the cutting feed mechanism 13 then feeds the chuck table 30 in the +X direction to return to the cutting start position. In parallel with this, the cutting mechanism 6 indexes and feeds in the Y-axis direction at intervals between adjacent division lines 901, thereby sequentially performing similar cutting, thereby cutting all of the division lines 901 in the same direction. Furthermore, when the chuck table 30 is rotated 90 degrees and similar cutting is performed, all of the division lines 901 are fully cut vertically and horizontally, and the workpiece 90 is divided into individual chips each having a device 902.

[0040] The cutting device 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of its technical concept. Furthermore, the steps of cutting the workpiece 90 are not limited to the above embodiment, and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the cutting device 1 according to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1: Cutting device 10: Base 11: Gate column 13: Cutting feed mechanism 130: Ball screw 132: Motor 15: Indexing feed mechanism 17: Cutting feed mechanism 30: Chuck table 302: Holding surface 303: Fixed clamp 32: Rotation unit 6: Cutting mechanism 60: Spindle 61: Spindle housing 63: Cutting blade 64: Alignment unit 65: Blade cover 650: Cooling water nozzle support block 66: Cutting water nozzle 660: Jet nozzle 665: Cutting water nozzle support block 68: Pair of cooling water nozzles 69: Water supply source 7: Gas-liquid separation unit 70: Upper plate 700: Exhaust port 701: Exhaust source 71: Lower plate 710: Drain port 72: Front plate 73: Rear plate 74: First side plate 75: Second side plate 76: Entry port 77: Signboard 770: Gap between signs 781,782: Support plate 9: Work set 90: Workpiece 900: Surface 901: Planned division line 902: Device 903: Backside 91: Dicing tape 92: Annular frame

Claims

[Claim 1] A cutting device comprising: a chuck table for holding a workpiece; a cutting mechanism for rotating a cutting blade to cut the workpiece held on the chuck table; and a cutting feed mechanism for moving the chuck table and the cutting mechanism relatively in a cutting feed direction, The cutting mechanism comprises a spindle having the cutting blade attached to its tip, a spindle housing rotatably supporting the spindle, a blade cover disposed on the spindle housing and covering the cutting edge of the cutting blade, a cutting water nozzle that supplies cutting water to a cutting area where the cutting blade cuts a workpiece, and a gas-liquid separation unit that is disposed next to the cutting blade so as to be able to receive a mist of cutting waste fluid discharged by the rotation of the cutting blade and separates the mist into gas and liquid, The gas-liquid separation unit is formed in a box shape by an upper plate, a lower plate, a front plate connecting the upper plate and the lower plate, a rear plate connecting the upper plate and the lower plate and facing the front plate, and a first side plate and a second side plate connected to the upper plate, the lower plate, the front plate, and the rear plate and facing each other, the cutting blade is rotated to discharge the mist from the cutting area, and the mist is discharged from the front plate through an inlet opening, an exhaust port formed in the upper plate, a drain port formed in the lower plate, and a plurality of rectangular guide plates, one end of which is connected to the first side plate and the other end of which is connected to the second side plate, arranged with gaps between them so as to form an arc from the inlet opening toward the exhaust port; The mist that enters from the inlet hits the plurality of guide plates and is guided to the exhaust port, and when it hits the guide plates, water droplets are generated from the mist, which are separated into gas and liquid, and the water droplets pass through the gaps and are drained from the drain port, and the gas is exhausted from the exhaust port, in this cutting device.

Images