Expanding Retaining Ring Inspection Fixture

Abstract

To provide an expanded retaining ring inspection fixture that can quantitatively determine the usage limit of an expanded retaining ring.SOLUTION: An expanded retaining ring inspection fixture includes a rotation mechanism portion 12, a roller 14, an elastic member 16, and a displacement sensor 18, and with the roller 14 pressed against a lip portion 104 by the elastic member 16, the displacement sensor 18 detects the amount of displacement of the roller 14 when the rotation mechanism portion 12 rotates an expanded retaining ring 100, and the usage limit of the expanded retaining ring 100 is determined on the basis of the detected amount of displacement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an expansion retaining ring inspection jig, and more particularly to an expansion retaining ring inspection jig for determining the service limit of an expansion retaining ring. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacture of semiconductor chips (hereinafter referred to as chips), a work division device has been known that divides (also referred to as singulation) a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as wafer), into which a division line has been pre-processed by laser irradiation or the like, into individual chips along the division line (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The wafer is attached to a dicing tape, and the dicing tape is fixed at its outer periphery to a frame. The workpiece dividing device divides the wafer into individual chips by expanding the dicing tape with an expanding ring, and then holds the dicing tape in the expanded state with an expanding retaining ring.

[0004] In addition, the expansion retaining ring disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a main ring whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the frame and whose inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the expand ring, and an elastically deformable resin fitting portion (hereinafter referred to as the lip portion) attached to the outer periphery of the main ring and whose outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-176201 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-64811 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, repeated use of an expansion retaining ring can cause plastic deformation, scratches, wear, etc., especially in the lip portion made of resin. If the lip portion is used in such a state, the fitting force of the lip portion to the frame decreases, and the expansion retaining ring may fall off the frame. Because expansion retaining rings have a limited use, conventionally, the number of times the expansion retaining ring can be used (a specified number of times) is set, or the opacity of the material and deformation of the shape due to plastic deformation are visually checked to determine whether the ring can be used.

[0007] However, since the load on the lip varies depending on the expansion conditions and the type of dicing tape, it is difficult to determine the service limit of the expansion retaining ring based on the number of uses.In addition, it is not possible to quantitatively measure scratches and deformations, so the evaluation results may vary depending on the evaluator.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide an expansion retaining ring inspection jig that can quantitatively determine the service limit of an expansion retaining ring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the expansion retaining ring inspection jig of the present invention comprises an expansion retaining ring having an elastically deformable ring-shaped lip portion formed on its outer surface, a contactor that is movable forward and backward relative to the lip portion, a rotation means for rotating the expansion retaining ring and the contactor relatively around the central axis of the expansion retaining ring, a pressing means for pressing the contactor against the lip portion, and a displacement detection means for detecting the amount of displacement of the contactor when the expansion retaining ring and the contactor are rotated relatively by the rotation means while the pressing means presses the contactor against the lip portion.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the contact is preferably a rotating body that makes rolling contact by abutting against the lip portion.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the pressing means is preferably an elastic member that urges the contact toward the lip portion.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the pressing means preferably has a drive mechanism that drives the contact in a direction in which the contact is pressed against the lip portion with a constant drive force.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the driving mechanism preferably has a linear motion mechanism that moves the contacts in the radial direction of the expansion holding ring.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the drive mechanism preferably has a rotation mechanism that rotates the contact so as to contact the lip portion.

[0015] In one aspect of the present invention, the displacement amount detecting means preferably detects the displacement amount of the contact based on an encoder value output from an encoder included in the drive mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to quantitatively determine the service limit of an expansion retaining ring. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inspection jig according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the inspection jig shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expanded retaining ring. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of the expansion retaining ring shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion retaining ring shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a wafer unit provided with a dicing tape. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a workpiece dividing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a graph of detection values ​​detected by a displacement sensor. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an expanded retaining ring inspected for damage. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a graph of detection values ​​detected by a displacement sensor. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an inspection jig according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a main part of an inspection jig according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a main part of the inspection jig shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an expansion retaining ring inspection jig according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an expansion retaining ring inspection jig (hereinafter referred to as "inspection jig") 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the inspection jig 10 shown in FIG.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment includes a rotation mechanism 12, a roller 14, an elastic member 16, and a displacement sensor 18.

[0021] Here, an example of the expansion retaining ring 100 to be inspected by the inspection jig 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be described. Figure 3 is an overall perspective view of the expansion retaining ring 100. Figure 4 is an assembled perspective view of the expansion retaining ring 100 shown in Figure 3. Also, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion retaining ring 100 shown in Figure 3.

[0022] 3 to 5, the expansion retaining ring 100 includes a ring body 102 and a ring-shaped lip portion 104. The ring body 102 is made of, for example, a highly rigid resin or metal. The lip portion 104 is attached to an outer peripheral surface 102A of the ring body 102 and protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface 102A of the ring body 102.

[0023] The lip portion 104 is made of, for example, an elastically deformable resin. One example of the resin material that makes up the lip portion 104 is polypropylene, but it is not limited to polypropylene, and any flexible resin material can be used. As such, the expandable retaining ring 100 of this example has a configuration in which the elastically deformable ring-shaped lip portion 104 is formed on its outer circumferential surface. Note that, while the expandable retaining ring 100 in this example is configured with the ring body 102 and the lip portion 104 as separate bodies, it is not limited to this, and may also be an expandable retaining ring configured with the ring body 102 and the lip portion 104 as a single body.

[0024] Next, an example of a wafer unit 2 to which the expandable retaining ring 100 is applied will be described. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wafer unit 2, where VIA in Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wafer unit 2 and VIB in Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer unit 2. This wafer unit 2 includes a dicing tape 4 that is held in an expanded state by the expandable retaining ring 100 described above.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6, the wafer unit 2 includes a wafer 1, a film-like adhesive 3, a dicing tape 4, and a frame 5. The wafer 1 is attached to the dicing tape 4, which has a thickness of approximately 100 μm and an adhesive layer formed on its surface, via the film-like adhesive 3. The dicing tape 4 has an outer periphery fixed to a rigid ring-shaped frame 5. The dicing tape 4 also has a central region 4A, which is circular in plan view, to which the wafer 1 is attached, and an annular region 4B, which is donut-shaped in plan view, between the outer edge of the central region 4A (the outer edge of the wafer 1) and the inner edge of the frame 5. The wafer 1, in the form of the wafer unit 2, is loaded into a work dividing device 50 (see FIG. 7) and divided into individual chips 6 by the work dividing device 50.

[0026] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the workpiece dividing device 50. The chip dividing operation by the workpiece dividing device 50 will be briefly described below.

[0027] First, as shown in VIIA in Figure 7, the frame 5 of the wafer unit 2 is fixed to the frame fixing part 52 of the work dividing device 50. Next, the expand ring 54 is raised to push up the annular region 4B of the dicing tape 4 from the back surface of the dicing tape 4 (the surface opposite to the surface to which the wafer 1 is attached). This raising action of the expand ring 54 expands the dicing tape 4, and the wafer 1 is divided into individual chips 6 (see VIIB in Figure 7). Note that a roller 56 is rotatably provided on the upper surface of the expand ring 54 that pushes up the annular region 4B to reduce the frictional force between the expand ring 54 and the annular region 4B.

[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the expansion retaining ring 100 is raised, and the lip portion 104 is fitted onto the surface 5A of the frame 5 via the annular region 4B (see FIG. 7C). This raising of the expansion retaining ring 100 holds the dicing tape 4 in an expanded state. Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the expansion ring 54 is lowered. At this time, the expansion of the dicing tape 4 by the expansion ring 54 is released, but since the lip portion 104 of the expansion retaining ring 100 is fitted onto the surface 5A of the frame 5, the dicing tape 4 is held in an expanded state without loosening.

[0029] 1 and 2, the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment will be further described. As described above, the inspection jig 10 includes the rotation mechanism 12, the roller 14, the elastic member 16, and the displacement sensor 18.

[0030] The rotation mechanism 12 rotates the expansion retaining ring 100 about its central axis P1. The rotation mechanism 12 includes a motor 20, a table 22 that rotates due to the torque of the motor 20, and three chucks 24 protruding from the table 22 for alignment. The rotation mechanism 12 first uses the three chucks 24 to perform an alignment operation to align (align) the central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100 with the rotation axis of the table 22. Specifically, the three chucks 24 are moved radially from the rotation axis of the table 22 to press against the inner peripheral surface 102B of the ring body 102. This alignment operation aligns the central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100 with the rotation axis of the table 22. The table 22 is then rotated by the motor 20, causing the expansion retaining ring 100 held by the chucks 24 to rotate about the central axis P1. The rotation mechanism 12 is an example of a rotation means of the present invention. The above-described configuration of the rotation mechanism 12 is an example. Any device that can rotate the expansion retaining ring 100 around the central axis P1 can be used as the rotation mechanism 12.

[0031] The roller 14 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat relative to the lip portion 104, and contacts the outer peripheral surface 104A of the lip portion 104 when advancing. The roller 14 is rotatably supported by the roller holding member 26. The central axis P2 of the roller 14 is parallel to the central axis of rotation of the table 22 (central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100). When the expansion retaining ring 100 is rotated in the direction of arrow A (clockwise in FIG. 1), the roller 14, which is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 104A of the lip portion 104, rotates in the direction of arrow B (counterclockwise) in conjunction with the rotation of the expansion retaining ring 100. The roller 14 is an example of a contactor of the present invention and an example of a rotating body of the present invention.

[0032] The elastic member 16 is an example of a pressing means of the present invention and biases the roller 14 toward the lip portion 104. In this example, the elastic member 16 is configured as a coil spring. One end 16A of the elastic member 16 is fixed to the roller holding member 26, and the other end 16B is fixed to the fixed portion 28. The longitudinal direction of the elastic member 16 (the direction in which the elastic member 16 expands and contracts) coincides with the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100. As a result, the roller 14 is biased by the elastic member 16 in the direction toward the lip portion 104 and pressed against the outer peripheral surface 104A of the lip portion 104 with a constant biasing force (load). Furthermore, because the longitudinal direction of the elastic member 16 coincides with the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100 (i.e., because the two are aligned), the biasing force generated by the elastic member 16 can effectively press the roller 14 toward the lip portion 104.

[0033] The longitudinal direction of the elastic member 16 does not necessarily have to coincide with the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100, and may be inclined relative to the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100. Furthermore, the elastic member 16 may be an elastic member other than a coil spring, as long as it can bias the roller 14 toward the lip portion 104.

[0034] The displacement sensor 18 is an example of a displacement amount detection means of the present invention, and detects the amount of displacement of the roller 14 when the expansion retaining ring 100 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 12 while the roller 14 is pressed against the lip portion 104 by the elastic member 16. In this example, a non-contact laser distance sensor is used as the displacement sensor 18. The displacement sensor 18 is fixed to the fixed portion 28. The laser light emitting surface 18A of the displacement sensor 18 faces a target plate 30 for measuring the amount of displacement (distance) that is integral with the roller holding member 26. The displacement sensor 18 receives reflected light of the laser light emitted from the laser light emitting surface 18A (the laser light reflected by the target plate 30) to detect the distance between the displacement sensor 18 and the target plate 30 in a non-contact manner, thereby detecting the amount of displacement of the roller 14 pressed against the lip portion 104 by the elastic member 16. The displacement sensor 18 may be a displacement sensor other than a laser distance sensor, as long as it can detect the amount of displacement of the roller 14 pressed against the lip portion 104 by the elastic member 16. For example, a non-contact ultrasonic distance sensor may also be used.

[0035] Next, the operation of the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0036] 1 and 2, the roller 14 is pressed against the lip portion 104 with a constant biasing force by utilizing the biasing force of the elastic member 16. Next, the rotation mechanism 12 is driven to rotate the expansion retaining ring 100 at least once in the direction indicated by arrow A.

[0037] Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a graph of the detection value of the displacement sensor 18 when the expansion retaining ring 100 is rotated once (0° to 360°). The vertical axis of Fig. 8 indicates the detection value of the displacement sensor 18 (the distance between the displacement sensor 18 and the target plate 30), and the horizontal axis indicates the rotational position (circumferential position) of the expansion retaining ring 100. The graph of Fig. 8 is displayed, for example, on a monitor (not shown) provided on the inspection jig 10 and confirmed by the assessor.

[0038] According to the graph in FIG. 8, the initial value detected by the displacement sensor 18, i.e., the distance before rotation (0°) of the expansion retaining ring 100, is L1. However, once rotation begins, this distance changes (displaces) due to the condition (wear or plastic deformation) of the lip portion 104. A lip portion 104 that has undergone wear or plastic deformation has reduced rigidity compared to a new lip portion 104, and therefore experiences a greater amount of elastic deformation when pressed against by the roller 14. In other words, in this case, the elastic deformation of the lip portion 104 increases the displacement of the roller 14, resulting in a larger detection value from the displacement sensor 18. In this example, as shown in FIG. 8, a threshold value L2 for determining the service limit of the expansion retaining ring 100 (lip portion 104) is preset. An expansion retaining ring 100 with a displacement exceeding this threshold value L2 is determined to be at its service limit. As an example, an evaluator visually inspects the graph shown in FIG. 8 and makes the determination. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the detected value of the rotation position near 230° exceeds the threshold value L2, so it can be determined that this expansion retaining ring 100 has reached its usable limit.

[0039] Fig. 9 shows an expansion retaining ring 100 having a lip portion 104 with a notch-like flaw 104B on its outer circumferential surface 104A, and shows the state in which this expansion retaining ring 100 is inspected by an inspection jig 10. Fig. 10 is a graph showing the detection values ​​of the displacement sensor 18 when the expansion retaining ring 100 with the flaw 104B is rotated once (0° to 360°).

[0040] 10, the detected values ​​of displacement sensor 18 are continuous from 0° to approximately 160° rotation positions and from 180° to 360° rotation positions, but the detected values ​​at rotation positions around approximately 170° (the position where scratch 104B occurs) are not continuous and change suddenly. By checking these detected values ​​on the monitor, the assessor can easily confirm that scratch 104B has occurred at the position corresponding to the rotation position of approximately 170°, and can determine that the expansion retaining ring 100 has reached its limit of use.

[0041] In this way, the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment employs a configuration that determines the service limit of the expansion retaining ring 100 based on the amount of displacement of the roller 14 when the expansion retaining ring 100 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 12 with the roller 14 pressed against the lip portion 104 by the elastic member 16, making it possible to quantitatively determine the service limit of the expansion retaining ring 100. Furthermore, because the service limit can be determined by simply rotating the expansion retaining ring 100 at least once by the rotation mechanism 12, the service limit can be determined in a short time and with a simple operation.

[0042] In addition, by determining the usage limit of the expansion retaining ring 100 based on the amount of displacement of the roller 14 when the expansion retaining ring 100 is rotated two or more times, it is possible to suppress the effects of errors and vibrations that temporarily occur when inspecting the expansion retaining ring 100, and to accurately determine the usage limit of the expansion retaining ring 100.

[0043] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an inspection jig 60 according to the second embodiment. Note that the same or similar members as those in the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0044] First, the difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described. The inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment employs a configuration in which an elastic member 16 is used as a pressing means, whereas the inspection jig 60 of the second embodiment employs a configuration in which a linear driving mechanism 61 is used as a pressing means.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 11, a linear motion drive mechanism 61 is an example of a drive mechanism (including a linear motion mechanism) of the present invention, and has a motor 62. The motor 62 is a motor whose torque can be controlled by a current supplied from a power supply unit 63, and a stepping motor or a servo motor, for example, is preferably used. A feed screw 64 is connected to a rotary shaft 68 of the motor 62. A nut 70 is threadedly engaged with the feed screw 64, and a roller holding shaft 72 is connected to the nut 70. The feed screw 64 and the nut 70 are an example of a linear motion mechanism of the present invention.

[0046] The roller 14 is rotatably supported on the roller holding shaft 72. The central axis of rotation of the roller 14 (the axial direction of the roller holding shaft 72) is parallel to the central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100 (see FIG. 1). This allows the roller 14 to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100. Note that the longitudinal axis of the feed screw 64 coincides with the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and it may be in an oblique direction inclined relative to the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100.

[0047] According to the linear motion drive mechanism 61 configured as described above, the rotational force of the torque-controlled motor 62 is converted into linear motion by the feed screw 64 and the nut 70, and this linear motion is transmitted to the roller 14 via the roller holding shaft 72. This allows the roller 14 to be driven with a constant driving force in a direction pressing it against the lip portion 104.

[0048] The encoder 66 is an example of the encoder of the present invention, and detects the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 68 of the motor 62. The encoder 66 may be built into the motor 62 or may be externally attached.

[0049] Next, the operation of the inspection jig 60 of the second embodiment will be described.

[0050] First, as shown in Figure 11, a constant current is supplied from power supply unit 63 to motor 62, causing rotary shaft 68 to rotate with a constant torque, thereby rotating feed screw 64. The rotational force of rotary shaft 68 is converted into linear motion by feed screw 64 and nut 70 and transmitted to roller 14. As a result, roller 14 is moved in a direction toward lip portion 104 and pressed against lip portion 104 with a constant driving force (a force corresponding to the torque of rotary shaft 68). Next, rotation mechanism unit 12 (see Figure 1) is driven to rotate expansion retaining ring 100 at least once in the direction indicated by arrow A (see Figure 1).

[0051] As described above, a lip portion 104 that has undergone wear or plastic deformation has lower rigidity than a new lip portion 104, and therefore experiences a larger amount of elastic deformation when pressed against the roller 14. At this time, by reading the output of the encoder 66, it is possible to indirectly detect the amount of displacement of the roller 14 in accordance with the elastic deformation of the lip portion 104. The output of the encoder 66 exhibits the same trends as the graphs shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.

[0052] Therefore, in the inspection jig 60 of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to quantitatively determine the use limit of the expansion retaining ring 100.

[0053] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment of the inspection jig 60, the torque of the rotating shaft 68 can be set over a wide range by appropriately changing the current value supplied from the power supply unit 63 to the motor 62, making it possible to inspect the expansion retaining ring 100 over a wide measurement range.

[0054] Fig. 12 is a plan view of a main portion of an inspection jig 80 according to the third embodiment, and Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a main portion of the inspection jig 80 shown in Fig. 12. Note that the same or similar members as those in the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0055] First, the differences between the first and third embodiments will be described. The inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment uses an elastic member 16 as a pressing means, whereas the inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment uses a rotation drive mechanism 81 as a pressing means.

[0056] 12 and 13, an inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment includes a rotation drive mechanism 81, which is an example of a drive mechanism (including a rotation mechanism) of the present invention. The rotation drive mechanism 81 is a drive mechanism for rotating (pivoting) the roller 14 around a rotation center axis set at an arbitrary position away from the expansion retaining ring 100 within a plane perpendicular to the central axis P1 (see FIG. 1) of the expansion retaining ring 100, and is configured with a motor 82 and a swing arm 84.

[0057] The motor 82 is a motor whose torque can be controlled by a current supplied from a power supply unit 83, and preferably a stepping motor or a servo motor, for example. One end of a swing arm 84 is connected to a rotary shaft 86 of the motor 82. A roller holding shaft 88 is attached to the other end of the swing arm 84, and the roller 14 is rotatably supported on the roller holding shaft 88. In other words, the roller 14 is rotatably provided on the other end (tip) of the swing arm 84 via the roller holding shaft 88.

[0058] The central axis of rotation of the roller 14 (the axial direction of the roller holding shaft 88) is parallel to the central axis P1 (see FIG. 1) of the expansion holding ring 100. This allows the roller 14 to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the central axis P1 of the expansion holding ring 100.

[0059] According to the rotation drive mechanism 81 configured as described above, the rotational force of the torque-controlled motor 82 is transmitted to the swing arm 84, and the rotational movement (pivoting movement) of the swing arm 84 about the rotation shaft 86 is transmitted to the roller 14 via the roller holding shaft 88. This allows the roller 14 to be driven in a direction pressing it against the lip portion 104 with a constant driving force.

[0060] The encoder 90 is an example of the encoder of the present invention, and detects the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 86 of the motor 82. The encoder 90 may be built into the motor 82 or may be externally attached.

[0061] Next, the operation of the inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment will be described.

[0062] First, as shown in Figure 12, a constant current is supplied from power supply unit 83 to motor 82, causing rotation shaft 86 to rotate with a constant torque, thereby rotating (pivoting) swing arm 84 in the direction of arrow C. The rotational force (pivoting force) of swing arm 84 is transmitted to roller 14 via roller holding shaft 88. As a result, roller 14 is moved in a direction toward lip portion 104 and pressed against lip portion 104 with a constant driving force (a force corresponding to the torque of rotation shaft 86). Next, rotation mechanism unit 12 (see Figure 1) is driven to rotate expansion holding ring 100 at least once in the direction indicated by arrow A (see Figure 1).

[0063] As described above, a lip portion 104 that has undergone wear or plastic deformation has lower rigidity than a new lip portion 104, and therefore experiences a larger amount of elastic deformation when pressed against the roller 14. At this time, by reading the output of the encoder 90, it is possible to indirectly detect the amount of displacement of the roller 14 by following the elastic deformation of the lip portion 104. The output of the encoder 90 shows the same trends as the graphs shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.

[0064] Therefore, in the inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to quantitatively determine the use limit of the expansion retaining ring 100.

[0065] Furthermore, the inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment employs a configuration in which the rotational motion of the swing arm 84 is directly transmitted to the lip portion 104. Therefore, although it is not possible to press the roller 14 in a direction strictly relative to the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100, by appropriately setting the shape of the swing arm 84 (for example, the length D of the swing arm 84 from the rotation axis 86 to the roller retaining axis 88), it is possible to approximate the pressing direction of the roller 14 to the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring 100. This makes it possible to ensure sufficient measurement accuracy. Furthermore, the inspection jig 80 that employs the swing arm 84 has the advantage of improving measurement accuracy because it does not require conversion of rotational motion or guiding of linear motion.

[0066] In the inspection jigs 10, 60, 80 of the first to third embodiments described above, the judge determines the service limit of the expansion retaining ring 100 by visually checking the graph displayed on the monitor, but this is not limited to this. For example, each inspection jig 10, 60, 80 may be provided with a determination unit that compares the detection value detected by the displacement sensor 18 or encoder 66, 90 with a pre-stored threshold value L2, thereby automatically determining the service limit of the expansion retaining ring 100.

[0067] A computer can be used as the determination unit, and the computer includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: not shown) and memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory: not shown) and a RAM (Random Access Memory: not shown). The computer executes programs stored in the memories to realize the various functions of the inspection jigs 10, 60, and 80. The ROM also stores various data necessary for control, etc. The RAM is used as a working area when the computer performs various processes.

[0068] In addition, displacement data (master data) of a new expansion retaining ring 100 can be obtained in advance using each inspection jig 10, 60, 80, and the amount of change in displacement can be confirmed by comparing the master data with the inspected displacement data.

[0069] Modifications of the present invention will be briefly described below.

[0070] <First Modification> In the inspection jigs 10, 60, and 80 of the first to third embodiments, the contact of the present invention is exemplified as a configuration using the roller 14 that makes rolling contact by abutting against the lip portion 104, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a non-rotatable contact may also be applied. In this case, it is preferable to form a lubricating layer such as a fluororesin coating on the outer surface of the contact to reduce frictional resistance between the rotating lip portion 104 and the contact.

[0071] <Second Modification> In the inspection jig 10 of the first embodiment, a configuration using a non-contact displacement sensor (laser distance sensor, ultrasonic distance sensor) 18 as the displacement amount detection means of the present invention is exemplified, but this is not limited to this and a contact-type distance sensor can also be applied.

[0072] <Third Modification> In the inspection jigs 10, 60, and 80 of the first to third embodiments, a configuration has been exemplified in which the rotation means of the present invention uses a rotation mechanism 12 that rotates the expansion retaining ring 100 around the central axis of the expansion retaining ring 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the contacts (rollers 14) may be rotated around the central axis of the expansion retaining ring 100 while the expansion retaining ring 100 is fixed, or both the expansion retaining ring 100 and the contacts (rollers 14) may be rotated around the central axis of the expansion retaining ring 100. In other words, any rotation means that rotates the expansion retaining ring 100 and the contacts (rollers 14) relatively around the central axis of the expansion retaining ring 100 is applicable.

[0073] <Fourth Modification> In the inspection jig 80 of the third embodiment, a configuration using a rotation drive mechanism 81 that rotates the contacts (rollers 14) in a plane perpendicular to the central axis P1 of the expansion retaining ring 100 has been exemplified as the rotation mechanism of the present invention, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration. For example, the rotation mechanism may be one that rotates the contacts (rollers 14) in a plane inclined at an angle to the above-mentioned perpendicular plane so that they come into contact with the lip portion.

[0074] The above describes an example of an expansion retaining ring inspection jig according to the present invention, but the technology of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and several improvements or modifications may be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...wafer, 2...wafer unit, 3...film-like adhesive, 4...dicing tape, 5...frame, 10...inspection jig, 12...rotation mechanism, 14...roller, 16...elastic member, 18...displacement sensor, 20...motor, 22...table, 24...chuck portion, 26...roller holding member, 28...fixing portion, 30...target plate, 50...workpiece dividing device, 52...frame fixing portion, 54...expanding ring, 56 ...roller, 60...inspection jig, 61...linear drive mechanism, 62...motor, 63...power supply unit, 64...feed screw, 66...encoder, 68...rotating shaft, 70...nut, 72...roller holding shaft, 80...inspection jig, 81...rotating drive mechanism, 82...motor, 83...power supply unit, 84...swing arm, 86...rotating shaft, 88...roller holding shaft, 90...encoder, 100...extension retaining ring, 102...ring body, 104...lip portion

Claims

1. a contactor provided on an expansion retaining ring having an elastically deformable ring-shaped lip portion formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the contactor being movable toward and away from the lip portion; a rotating means for relatively rotating the expansion retaining ring and the contacts about a central axis of the expansion retaining ring; a pressing means for pressing the contact against the lip portion; a displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the contact when the expansion retaining ring and the contact are rotated relatively by the rotating means in a state in which the contact is pressed against the lip portion by the pressing means; Equipped with Expanding retaining ring inspection fixture.

2. The contactor is a rotating body that makes rolling contact by abutting against the lip portion.

10. The expansion retaining ring inspection fixture of claim 1.

3. The pressing means is an elastic member that urges the contact toward the lip portion.

3. The expansion retaining ring inspection tool of claim 1 or 2.

4. The pressing means has a driving mechanism that drives the contact in a direction in which the contact is pressed against the lip portion with a constant driving force.

3. The expansion retaining ring inspection jig of claim 1 or 2.

5. The drive mechanism has a linear motion mechanism that moves the contact in the radial direction of the expansion retaining ring.

5. The expansion retaining ring inspection fixture of claim 4.

6. The drive mechanism has a rotation mechanism that rotates the contact so that the contact comes into contact with the lip portion.

5. The expansion retaining ring inspection fixture of claim 4.

7. the displacement amount detection means detects the displacement amount of the contact based on an encoder value output from an encoder included in the drive mechanism.

7. The expansion retaining ring inspection fixture of claim 4.

Images