Cutting apparatus and dressing method

Abstract

To make it possible to suppress deterioration of a processed quality of a work-piece.SOLUTION: A cutting device 1 comprises: a holding table 10 for holding a work-piece 200; a cutting unit 20 having a spindle 23 to which a cutting blade 21 for cutting the work-piece 200 is attached; a sub table 50 for holding a dressing material 210; a control unit 100 for controlling at least the cutting unit 20; and an eccentricity detection unit 60 for detecting eccentricity of the cutting blade 21. The control unit 100 has: a dressing condition storage part 101 which stores dressing conditions of the cutting blade 21; an allowable threshold storage part 102 for storing an allowable threshold of the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21; and a dressing execution command part 103 which executes dressing under the dressing conditions stored by the dressing condition storage part 101 when the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, which has been detected by the eccentricity detection unit 60, exceeds the allowable threshold stored by the allowable threshold storage part 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device and a dressing method.

Background Art

[0002] When replacing the cutting blade in a cutting device, so-called true circularity adjustment is performed to align the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade with the rotation center of the cutting blade, and dressing is carried out to dress the cutting edge. Further, dressing is also carried out in order to promote the self-edge generation of the cutting blade and adjust the condition of the cutting blade when chipping or clogging of the cutting edge occurs during cutting of the workpiece (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional cutting devices have started cutting the workpiece after performing dressing under dressing conditions according to the variety and thickness of the cutting blade.

[0005] However, conventional cutting devices sometimes cut the workpiece with insufficient dressing, resulting in large chips, chipping, cracks, etc. on the workpiece, and improvement is eagerly desired.

[0006] On the other hand, whether an abnormality such as clogging or blockage of the cutting blade occurs during machining of the workpiece has been determined by stopping cutting at a certain timing during machining of the workpiece and checking whether the machining quality has deteriorated, such as large chipping or chipping occurring in the cutting groove. However, there is a desire to detect an abnormality of the cutting blade before the machining quality deteriorates.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a cutting apparatus and a dressing method that can suppress deterioration of the processing quality of a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a cutting apparatus comprising a cutting unit having a holding table for holding a workpiece, a spindle on which a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece held by the holding table is mounted, a sub-table for holding dressing material, and a controller for controlling at least the cutting unit, wherein the cutting apparatus comprises an eccentricity detection unit for detecting the eccentricity of the cutting blade, the controller having a dressing condition storage unit for storing the dressing conditions of the cutting blade, an allowable threshold storage unit for storing an allowable threshold for the eccentricity of the cutting blade, and a dressing execution command unit that, when the eccentricity of the cutting blade detected by the eccentricity detection unit exceeds the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit, cuts the dressing material on the sub-table with the cutting blade under the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit to perform dressing. The allowable threshold is a value that, if the eccentricity exceeds the allowable threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is not suitable for cutting the workpiece, and if the eccentricity is below the allowable threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is suitable for cutting the workpiece. The dressing execution command unit performs the dressing when the eccentricity of the cutting blade detected by the eccentricity detection unit exceeds the allowable threshold after the completion of cutting a predetermined number of division lines of the workpiece since the last detection of the eccentricity. It is characterized by the following:

[0009] The present invention provides a dressing method for a cutting blade using a cutting apparatus comprising a holding table for holding a workpiece, a cutting unit having a spindle on which a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece held by the holding table is mounted, a sub-table for holding a dressing material, and an eccentricity detection unit for detecting the eccentricity of the cutting blade, comprising: an eccentricity detection step in which the eccentricity of the cutting blade is detected by the eccentricity detection unit, and a dressing step in which, when the eccentricity detected in the eccentricity detection step exceeds a preset allowable threshold, the cutting blade is made to cut into the dressing material held by the sub-table and dressing is performed. The allowable threshold is a value that, if the eccentricity exceeds the allowable threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is not suitable for cutting the workpiece, and if the eccentricity is less than or equal to the allowable threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is suitable for cutting the workpiece. The eccentricity detection step is performed after the previous eccentricity detection step has been performed and after the cutting of a predetermined number of division lines of the workpiece has been completed. It is characterized by the following:

[0010] In the dressing method described above, the eccentricity detection step may be performed while the workpiece held on the holding table is being cut by the cutting blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This invention has the effect of suppressing the deterioration of the processing quality of the workpiece. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a cutting apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the eccentricity detection unit of the cutting device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 schematically shows the detection results of the eccentricity detection unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing a partial cross-section of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 performing cutting on a workpiece. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the dressing method according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic side view illustrating the dressing steps of the dressing method shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic side view showing the eccentricity detection step of the dressing method shown in Figure 5. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the dressing method according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing the eccentricity detection step of the dressing method shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing the dressing steps of the dressing method shown in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the content described in the following embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] A cutting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the cutting device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the eccentricity detection unit of the cutting device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the detection result of the eccentricity detection unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing, in partial cross-section, a state in which the cutting device shown in FIG. 1 cuts a workpiece.

[0015] (Cutting device) The cutting device 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a processing device that cuts the workpiece 200 shown in FIG. 1. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer having a base material such as silicon, sapphire, gallium nitride, or gallium arsenide. A device 203 is formed in a region of the workpiece 200 partitioned in a grid pattern by a plurality of division planned lines 202 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 201.

[0016] The device 203 is, for example, an integrated circuit such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or a memory (semiconductor memory device).

[0017] Also, the workpiece 200 of the present invention may be a so-called TAIKO (registered trademark) wafer with a thinned central portion and a thick portion formed on the outer peripheral portion. In addition to the wafer, a rectangular package substrate having a plurality of devices sealed with resin, a ceramic substrate, a ferrite substrate, or a substrate containing at least one of nickel and iron may also be used. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 has its back surface 204 adhered to an adhesive tape 206 to which an annular frame 205 is attached at the outer peripheral edge, and is supported by the annular frame 205.

[0018] The cutting device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a processing device that holds the workpiece 200 on a holding table 10 and performs cutting (equivalent to processing) with a cutting blade 21 along a division planned line 202 to divide it into individual devices 203. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 includes a holding table 10 that sucks and holds the workpiece 200 on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that cuts the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 with a cutting blade 21, an imaging unit 30 that images the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and a control unit 100 that is a controller.

[0019] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 includes a moving unit 40 that relatively moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20. The moving unit 40 includes an X-axis moving unit 41 that feeds the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction, a Y-axis moving unit 42 that indexes and feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the X-axis direction, a Z-axis moving unit 43 that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction orthogonal to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a rotational moving unit 44 that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0020] The X-axis movement unit 41 moves the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, which is the machining feed direction, thereby feeding the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the X-axis direction. The Y-axis movement unit 42 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, thereby feeding the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis movement unit 43 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the in-cut feed direction, thereby feeding the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relatively along the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The X-axis moving unit 41, Y-axis moving unit 42, and Z-axis moving unit 43 are equipped with a well-known ball screw rotatably mounted around its axis, a well-known motor for rotating the ball screw around its axis, and a well-known guide rail for supporting the holding table 10 or cutting unit 20 so as to be movable in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction.

[0022] The holding table 10 is disc-shaped, and its holding surface 11 for holding the workpiece 200 is made of porous ceramic or the like. The holding table 10 is also provided by an X-axis moving unit 41 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction across the machining area below the cutting unit 20 and the loading / unloading area where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded, separated from below the cutting unit 20, and is also provided by a rotational moving unit 44 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0023] The holding table 10 is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown), and by being sucked by the vacuum suction source, it sucks and holds the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11. In Embodiment 1, the holding table 10 sucks and holds the back side 204 of the workpiece 200 via adhesive tape 206. In addition, as shown in Figure 1, multiple clamping parts 12 for clamping the annular frame 205 are provided around the holding table 10.

[0024] The cutting unit 20 is a cutting means having a spindle 23 to which a cutting blade 21 for cutting a workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 is detachably mounted. The cutting unit 20 is provided to move in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 42 and is also provided to move in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit 43 relative to the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10.

[0025] The cutting unit 20 is mounted on a gate-shaped support frame 3 erected from the main body 2 of the device, via a Y-axis movement unit 42, a Z-axis movement unit 43, and the like. The cutting unit 20 allows the cutting blade 21 to be positioned at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and the Z-axis movement unit 43.

[0026] The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 that is movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a Y-axis movement unit 42 and a Z-axis movement unit 43, a spindle 23 that is rotatable about its axis in the spindle housing 22, a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 23 about its axis, and a cutting fluid supply nozzle 24 that supplies cutting fluid to the cutting blade 21 and the like.

[0027] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting wheel having a substantially ring shape. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 comprises an annular cutting edge for cutting the workpiece 200 and an annular base that supports the cutting edge on its outer edge and is detachably mounted on the spindle 23. The cutting edge 211 is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin, and is formed to a predetermined thickness. In this invention, the cutting blade 21 may also be a so-called washer blade consisting only of a cutting edge.

[0028] The spindle housing 22 is supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis movement unit 43, and is also supported so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 42 via the Z-axis movement unit 43. The spindle housing 22 houses the portion of the spindle 23 excluding the tip and a spindle motor (not shown), and supports the spindle 23 so as to be rotatable around its axis.

[0029] The spindle 23 secures the cutting blade 21 to its tip. The spindle 23 is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown), and its tip protrudes from the tip surface of the spindle housing 22. The tip of the spindle 23 is gradually tapered towards the end, and the cutting blade 21 is mounted thereon. The cutting fluid supply nozzle 24 supplies cutting fluid to the cutting blade 21 during the cutting process.

[0030] The axes of the spindle 23 and cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 are set parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0031] The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the cutting unit 20 so as to move integrally with the cutting unit 20. The imaging unit 30 is equipped with an image sensor that captures the area to be divided of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 before cutting. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 captures the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 to obtain an image for performing alignment, such as aligning the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0032] Furthermore, the cutting device 1 includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and the Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses. The X-axis position detection unit, the Y-axis position detection unit, and the Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or Z-axis direction to the control unit 100. In Embodiment 1, the positions of each component of the cutting device 1 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown). The reference position in the Z-axis direction is the position of the cutting unit 20 where the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 is on the same plane as the holding surface 11.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the cutting device 1 further comprises a subtable 50 and an eccentricity detection unit 60. The subtable 50 is positioned adjacent to the holding table 10 and holds the dressing material 210 by suction on a flat dressing material holding surface 51. The dressing material 210 is cut by the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, thereby sharpening the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 that has become clogged or dulled and whose cutting ability has decreased, and removing cutting debris adhering to the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, thereby restoring the cutting ability of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0034] Furthermore, the dressing material 210 is cut by the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, thereby wearing down the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 and aligning the rotation center of the spindle 23 with the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge (or reducing the distance between the centers). Cutting the dressing material 210 with the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 is called dressing. In other words, the dressing material 210 is used to dress the cutting blade 21. The dressing material 210 consists of abrasive grains fixed with a bonding agent, and in Embodiment 1, its planar shape is formed into a rectangular flat plate.

[0035] The subtable 50 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement unit 41, together with the holding table 10 and the rotational movement unit 44. The subtable 50 rotates around its axis together with the holding table 10 by the rotational movement unit 44.

[0036] The subtable 50 has a top surface that is flat along the horizontal direction and is a dressing material holding surface 51 on which the dressing material 210 is placed. The subtable 50 has a suction groove 52 formed on the dressing material holding surface 51 which is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown). The suction groove 52 is sucked by the vacuum suction source, thereby sucking and holding the dressing material 210 placed on the dressing material holding surface 51. With the dressing material 210 held on the dressing material holding surface 51, the cutting blade 21, which is rotated by the spindle 23 while the subtable 50 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis moving unit 41, cuts into the dressing material 210, thereby dressing the cutting blade 21.

[0037] The eccentricity detection unit 60 detects the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21. The eccentricity detection unit 60 also performs a so-called setup, which involves setting a reference position in the Z-axis direction. Setup is the process of detecting the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, determining the position of the cutting unit 20 when the height of the lower end of the cutting edge is the same as the height of the upper surface of the holding table 10, and setting this as the reference position in the Z-axis direction. The eccentricity detection unit 60 is located below the cutting unit 20 and adjacent to the Y-axis direction of the movement path of the holding table 10 and sub-table 50 of the main body 2 by the X-axis movement unit 41. The eccentricity detection unit 60 is fixed to the main body 2. As shown in Figure 2, the eccentricity detection unit 60 comprises a detection mechanism 61 and a cover 69.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the detection mechanism 61 comprises a rectangular base 62 and a mounting member 63 erected from the base 62. The mounting member 63 is formed in a U shape with a horizontal portion 631 on the base 62 and a pair of vertical portions 632 erected from both ends of the horizontal portion 631 and spaced apart from each other along the Y-axis direction, and a blade entry portion 633 is formed between the pair of vertical portions 632 into which the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 enters.

[0039] Furthermore, one vertical section 632 is provided with a light-emitting section 64 that emits light, and the other vertical section 632 is provided with a light-receiving section 65 that faces the light-emitting section 64 with the blade entry section 633 facing the light-emitting section 64 and receives light from the light-emitting section 64. The light-emitting section 64 is connected to a light source (not shown) via an optical fiber or the like, and emits light from the light source towards the light-receiving section 65. The light-receiving section 65 is connected to a photoelectric conversion section (not shown) via an optical fiber, receives light from the light-emitting section 64, and outputs the received light to the photoelectric conversion section. The light source conversion section outputs information to the control unit 100 according to the amount of light received. Furthermore, as the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 penetrates deeper into the blade entry portion 633 (downward in this embodiment), the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting unit 64 that is blocked by the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 decreases. Therefore, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 65 decreases as the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 penetrates deeper into the blade entry portion 633.

[0040] The detection mechanism 61 outputs information to the control unit 100 corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65, which changes as the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 rotated by the spindle 23 enters the blade entry portion 633, i.e., between the light-emitting portion 64 and the light-receiving portion 65. The information corresponding to the amount of light received output to the control unit 100 by the photoelectric conversion portion of the detection mechanism of the eccentricity detection unit 60 may change sinusoidally, as shown in Figure 3. The horizontal axis in Figure 3 represents time, and the vertical axis in Figure 3 represents the amount of light received. Here, if the rotation center of the spindle 23 and the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 are misaligned, the amount of light received 66 will change sinusoidally as shown in Figure 3, and the amplitude 661 of the sinusoidal change in the amount of light received 66 will increase as the distance between the rotation center of the spindle 23 and the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 increases.

[0041] For this reason, in Embodiment 1, if the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21 is defined as the amplitude 661 of the light-receiving amount 66, then the amplitude 661 of the light-receiving amount 66, which is the eccentricity, increases as the distance between the rotation center of the spindle 23 and the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 increases. When the rotation center of the spindle 23 and the center of the outer edge of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 coincide, the amplitude 661 of the light-receiving amount 66 also becomes zero. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the position where the light-receiving amount 66 is at an intermediate value 664 between the maximum value 662 and the minimum value 663 corresponds to the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0042] In this way, the detection mechanism 61 outputs information to the control unit 100 corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 65, which changes as the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 rotated by the spindle 23 enters the blade entry portion 633, that is, between the light-emitting portion 64 and the light-receiving portion 65. This allows the detection mechanism to detect the amplitude 661 of the light-receiving amount 66, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, and to detect the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0043] Furthermore, the detection mechanism 61 is provided on the base 62 and includes a cleaning water supply nozzle 67 that supplies temperature-controlled cleaning water to the end faces of the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, and an air supply nozzle 68 that supplies air to the end faces of the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65. By spraying cleaning water and air onto the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, it is possible to prevent cutting water and other substances from adhering to the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0044] The base 62 is fixed to the main body 2 of the device. The cover 69 has the base 62 of the detection mechanism 61 attached to its upper end via a hinge 70. The hinge 70 is attached to the outer edge of the base 62, allowing the cover 69 to rotate freely relative to the base 62.

[0045] When the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 enters the blade entry portion 633, the eccentricity detection unit 60 rotates the cover 69 with the hinge 70 so that the detection mechanism 61 is positioned so that the mounting member 63 and nozzles 67 and 68 are exposed, as shown in Figure 2. The eccentricity detection unit 60 irradiates light from the light source from the light-emitting unit 64 toward the light-receiving unit 65, and the light-receiving unit 65 receives the light from the light-emitting unit 64 and outputs information corresponding to the amount of light received to the control unit 100. When the cutting edge 212 of the cutting blade 21 enters the blade entry portion 633, the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21 is detected, as well as the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0046] Furthermore, when the eccentricity detection unit 60 does not detect the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, such as during cutting of the workpiece 200, and does not detect the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, the mounting member 63 and nozzles 67, 68 are covered and housed with the cover 69, and the detection mechanism 61 is positioned with the base 62 covered by the cover 69. In this state, when the eccentricity detection unit 60 is housed with the mounting member 63 and nozzles 67, 68 covered and housed with the cover 69, and the opening is closed with the cover 69, during cutting of the workpiece 200, cleaning water is continuously supplied from the cleaning water supply nozzle 67 to the end faces of the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65, preventing cutting water containing cutting debris from adhering to the light-emitting unit 64 and the light-receiving unit 65.

[0047] The control unit 100 controls each component of the cutting device 1 to cause the cutting device 1 to perform machining operations on the workpiece 200. In other words, the control unit 100 controls at least the cutting unit 20. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the control unit 100 performs calculations according to the computer program stored in the storage device and outputs control signals for controlling the cutting device 1 to each component of the cutting device 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0048] The control unit 100 is connected to a display unit consisting of a liquid crystal display device that displays the status of machining operations and images, an input unit used by the operator to register machining content information, and a notification unit. The input unit consists of at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit and an external input device such as a keyboard. The notification unit notifies the operator by emitting at least one of sound and light.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the control unit 100 includes a dressing condition storage unit 101, an allowable threshold storage unit 102, a dressing execution command unit 103, and an operation control unit 104. The dressing condition storage unit 101 stores the conditions for dressing the cutting blade 21 (hereinafter referred to as dressing conditions). The dressing conditions include the rotational speed of the spindle 23 during dressing, the processing feed rate which is the relative movement speed between the subtable 50 and the cutting blade 21, the depth of cut of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 into the dressing material 210, and the number of times the subtable 50 is moved in the X-axis direction while the cutting blade 21 is cutting into the dressing material 210.

[0050] The tolerance threshold storage unit 102 stores the tolerance threshold for the amplitude 661, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21. The tolerance threshold indicates that if the amplitude 661 exceeds the tolerance threshold, the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 is not suitable for cutting the workpiece 200, and if the amplitude is below the tolerance threshold, the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 is suitable for cutting the workpiece 200.

[0051] The dressing execution command unit 103 controls each component of the cutting device 1 when the amplitude 661, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21 detected by the eccentricity detection unit 60, exceeds the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102, and performs dressing by cutting the dressing material 210 held on the subtable 50 with the cutting blade 21 according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101.

[0052] The motion control unit 104 controls each component of the cutting device 1 to cause the cutting device 1 to perform machining operations on the workpiece 200. The motion control unit 104 also detects the amplitude 661, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, based on information corresponding to the amount of light received from the eccentricity detection unit 60, and determines whether the detected amplitude 661 exceeds an allowable threshold.

[0053] The functions of the dressing condition storage unit 101 and the allowable threshold storage unit 102 are realized by the aforementioned storage device. The functions of the dressing execution command unit 103 and the operation control unit 104 are realized by the arithmetic processing unit performing calculations according to the computer program stored in the storage device.

[0054] In the cutting apparatus 1 with the configuration described above, the operator registers the machining conditions in the control unit 100, the dressing conditions are registered in the dressing condition storage unit 101, the workpiece 200 before cutting is placed on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and the dressing material 210 is placed on the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50. The cutting apparatus 1 starts the machining operation when the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 receives a machining operation start instruction from the operator.

[0055] When the cutting device 1 starts the machining operation, the motion control unit 104 of the control unit 100 suction-holds the back side 204 side to the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 via adhesive tape 206, and clamps the annular frame 205 with the clamping part 12, suction-holding the dressing material 210 to the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50. Also, when the cutting device 1 starts the machining operation, the motion control unit 104 of the control unit 100 rotates the spindle 23 around its axis and supplies cutting fluid to the cutting blade 21 with the cutting fluid supply nozzle 24.

[0056] During the machining operation, the cutting device 1 uses the motion control unit 104 of the control unit 100 to control the moving unit 40 to move the holding table 10 toward the machining area, the imaging unit 30 to photograph the workpiece 200, and the imaging unit 30 to perform alignment based on the images obtained from the imaging unit 30. The cutting device 1 uses the motion control unit 104 of the control unit 100 to control the moving unit 40 and the cutting unit 20, etc., to move the workpiece 200 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other along the division lines 202 as shown in Figure 4, while cutting the cutting blade 21 into each division line 202 to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices 203. The cutting device 1 terminates the machining operation when it has cut all of the division lines 202 of the workpiece 200.

[0057] Furthermore, during the machining operation, the cutting device 1 performs a setup at a predetermined timing, in which the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, rotated by the spindle 23, enters the blade entry portion 633 of the eccentricity detection unit 60 to set a reference position in the Z-axis direction. When setting the reference position in the Z-axis direction, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 enters the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, rotated by the spindle 23, into the blade entry portion 633 of the eccentricity detection unit 60 from above, and detects the position in the Z-axis direction of the cutting unit 20 where the midpoint value 664 between the maximum value 662 and the minimum value 663 of the received light is a predetermined amount of light. The operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 sets the detected position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction as the reference position.

[0058] The predetermined amount of light received is the amount of light received when the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 is on the same plane as the holding surface 11. The predetermined timing is, for example, immediately after dressing, and each time a predetermined number of division lines 202 are cut. Furthermore, in this invention, the cutting device 1. As the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 wears down during cutting, the setup is performed at a predetermined timing in order to cut to the desired depth of cut.

[0059] (How to dress) Next, the dressing method according to Embodiment 1 will be described based on the drawings. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the dressing method according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a schematic side view showing the dressing step of the dressing method shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 is a schematic side view showing the eccentricity detection step of the dressing method shown in Figure 5.

[0060] The dressing method according to Embodiment 1 is a method for dressing the cutting edge of a cutting blade 21 using the cutting device 1 with the configuration described above. The dressing method according to Embodiment 1 is performed after the cutting blade 21 mounted on the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 has been replaced, that is, after a new cutting blade 21 has been mounted on the spindle 23, but before the workpiece 200 is cut.

[0061] The dressing method according to Embodiment 1 is performed after the dressing conditions are registered in the dressing condition storage unit 101 by an operator or the like, the dressing material 210 is placed on the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50, and the dressing material 210 is held in place by suction on the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50. As shown in Figure 5, the dressing method according to Embodiment 1 comprises a dressing step 301 and an eccentricity detection step 302.

[0062] The dressing step 301 is a step in which the cutting blade 21 is used to cut into the dressing material 210 held by the subtable 50 to perform dressing. In the dressing step 301, as shown in Figure 6, the dressing execution command unit 103 moves the subtable 50 in the X-axis direction according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101, causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the dressing material 210, thereby performing dressing according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101.

[0063] The eccentricity detection step 302 is a step in which the eccentricity detection unit 60 detects the amplitude 661 of the received light amount 66, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21. In Embodiment 1, in the eccentricity detection step 302, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 causes the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, which has been rotated by the spindle 23, to enter the blade entry portion 633 of the eccentricity detection unit 60, as shown in Figure 7. In Embodiment 1, in the eccentricity detection step 302, the eccentricity detection unit 60 outputs information corresponding to the received light amount to the control unit 100. In the eccentricity detection step 302, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 detects the amplitude 661 of the received light amount 66, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, based on the information corresponding to the received light amount from the eccentricity detection unit 60.

[0064] The operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines whether the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 exceeds the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102 (step 303). If the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines that the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 exceeds the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102 (step 303: Yes), it returns to the dressing step 301. In addition, the cutting device 1 also performs setup in the eccentricity detection step 302.

[0065] The returned dressing step 301 is a step in which the cutting blade 21 is made to cut into the dressing material 210 held by the subtable 50 when the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected in the eccentricity detection step 302, exceeds a preset allowable threshold, thereby performing dressing. In this dressing step 301, the dressing execution command unit 103 moves the subtable 50 in the X-axis direction according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101, causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the dressing material 210, thereby performing dressing according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101, and proceeding to the eccentricity detection step 302. In this invention, the dressing conditions of the first dressing step 301 and the dressing conditions of the dressing step 301 returned from step 303 may be the same or different. If the dressing conditions are different, it is desirable to store multiple dressing conditions and the timing of the execution of each dressing condition in association with each other in the dressing condition storage unit 101.

[0066] The operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines that the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 does not exceed the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102 (step 303: No), and terminates the dressing method. Thereafter, the cutting device 1 performs machining operations such as cutting the workpiece 200. In this way, the dressing method according to Embodiment 1 repeats the eccentricity detection step 302 and the dressing step 301 until the amplitude of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity, becomes less than or equal to the allowable threshold.

[0067] As described above, in the cutting apparatus 1 and dressing method according to Embodiment 1, if the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected by the eccentricity detection unit in the eccentricity detection step 302, exceeds an allowable threshold, the cutting blade 21 is dressed in the dressing step 301. For this reason, the cutting apparatus and dressing method according to Embodiment 1 can suppress an increase in the eccentricity of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, and can suppress chipping and cracking that occur in the workpiece 200. As a result, the cutting apparatus and dressing method according to Embodiment 1 has the effect of suppressing deterioration of the processing quality of the workpiece 200.

[0068] Furthermore, in the cutting apparatus 1 and dressing method according to Embodiment 1, if the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected by the eccentricity detection unit 60 in the eccentricity detection step 302, exceeds an allowable threshold, the cutting blade 21 is dressed in the dressing step 301. As a result, the cutting apparatus 1 and dressing method according to Embodiment 1 have the effect of suppressing deterioration of the processing quality of the workpiece 200 by performing dressing before the processing quality deteriorates.

[0069] [Embodiment 2] The dressing method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the dressing method according to Embodiment 2. Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing the eccentricity detection step of the dressing method shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing the dressing step of the dressing method shown in Figure 8. In Figures 8, 9, and 10, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0070] The dressing method according to Embodiment 2 is a method for dressing the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 using the cutting device 1 with the configuration described above, similar to Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the dressing method according to Embodiment 2 is performed at predetermined timings during the machining operation of the cutting device 1, and the flowchart shown in Figure 8 is repeatedly performed during the machining operation of the cutting device 1. That is, in the dressing method according to Embodiment 2, the eccentricity detection step 302 is performed while the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 is being cut by the cutting blade 21.

[0071] The dressing method according to Embodiment 2 is performed while the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 is being cut by the cutting blade 21. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1, the dressing conditions are registered in the dressing condition storage unit 101 by an operator or the like, the dressing material 210 is placed on the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50, and the method is performed after the dressing material 210 is held in place by suction on the dressing material holding surface 51 of the subtable 50. As shown in Figure 8, the dressing method according to Embodiment 2 comprises an eccentricity detection step 302 and a dressing step 301.

[0072] In the dressing method according to Embodiment 2, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines whether a predetermined timing has been reached after the completion of cutting of each division line 202 during the machining operation, i.e., during cutting (step 304). The predetermined timing is, for example, after the completion of cutting of a predetermined number of division lines 202 since the previous eccentricity detection step 302. If the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines that the predetermined timing has been reached (step 304: Yes), the process proceeds to the eccentricity detection step 302. For this reason, in Embodiment 2, the eccentricity detection step 302 is performed while the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 is being cut by the cutting blade 21.

[0073] In Embodiment 2, in the eccentricity detection step 302, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 inserts the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21, which has been rotated by the spindle 23, into the blade entry portion 633 of the eccentricity detection unit 60, as shown in Figure 9, and detects the amplitude 661 of the received light amount 66, which is the eccentricity of the cutting blade 21, based on the amount of light received from the eccentricity detection unit 60, similar to Embodiment 1.

[0074] In Embodiment 2, the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines whether the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 exceeds an allowable threshold (step 303). If the operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 determines that the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 exceeds an allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102 (step 303: Yes), the process proceeds to the dressing step 301. In addition, the cutting device 1 also performs setup in the eccentricity detection step 302.

[0075] In Embodiment 2, the dressing step 301 is a step in which the cutting blade 21 is made to cut into the dressing material 210 held by the subtable 50 when the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected in the eccentricity detection step 302, exceeds a preset allowable threshold, thereby performing dressing. In Embodiment 2, in the dressing step 301, as shown in Figure 10, the dressing execution command unit 103 moves the subtable 50 in the X-axis direction according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101, causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the dressing material 210, thereby performing dressing according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit 101. In Embodiment 2, after the dressing step 301, the process returns to the eccentricity detection step 302.

[0076] The operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 terminates the dressing method if it determines that the amplitude 661 of the detected light received amount 66 does not exceed the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit 102 (step 303: No). The operation control unit 104 of the control unit 100 also terminates the dressing method if it determines that it is not the predetermined timing (step 304: No). After that, the cutting device 1 cuts the planned division line 202 of the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21.

[0077] Thus, the dressing method according to Embodiment 2 repeats the eccentricity detection step 302 and the dressing step 301 until the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity, falls below an acceptable threshold. In the dressing method according to Embodiment 2, the dressing conditions for the second and subsequent dressing steps 301 and the dressing conditions for the first dressing step 301 may be the same or different, as in Embodiment 1. If the dressing conditions are different, it is desirable to store multiple dressing conditions and the timing of each dressing condition in the dressing condition storage unit 101, as in Embodiment 1.

[0078] In the cutting apparatus 1 and dressing method according to Embodiment 2, if the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected by the eccentricity detection unit in the eccentricity detection step 302, exceeds an allowable threshold, the cutting blade 21 is dressed in the dressing step 301. Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1, chipping and cracks occurring in the workpiece 200 can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the processing quality of the workpiece 200 can be suppressed.

[0079] Furthermore, in the cutting apparatus 1 and dressing method according to Embodiment 2, if the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity detected by the eccentricity detection unit 60 in the eccentricity detection step 302 at a predetermined timing during cutting, exceeds an allowable threshold, the cutting blade 21 is dressed in the dressing step 301. This has the effect of performing dressing before the processing quality deteriorates, thereby suppressing deterioration of the processing quality of the workpiece 200.

[0080] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core of the present invention. For example, in the present invention, if the amplitude 661 of the light received amount 66, which is the eccentricity, does not fall below an acceptable threshold even after repeating the eccentricity detection step 302 and the dressing step 301 a predetermined number of times, it is desirable to interrupt the dressing method and activate a notification unit or the like to notify the operator. In addition, in the present invention, a reference position in the Z-axis direction may be set in the eccentricity detection step 302. In addition, in the present invention, as dressing, so-called flat dressing may be performed in which the cutting blade 21 is cut into the dressing material 210 while the cutting unit 20 is moved along the Y-axis direction. In addition, in the present invention, the cutting device 1 may perform the dressing method described above both immediately after the replacement of the cutting blade 21 and at predetermined timings during the processing operation of the cutting device 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Cutting equipment 10 Retention Table 20 cutting units 21 Cutting blades 23 spindles 50 Subtables 60 Eccentricity detection unit 100 Control Unit (Controller) 101 Dress condition memory unit 102 Allowable threshold storage unit 103 Dress Implementation Command 200 Workpiece 210 Dressing materials 301 Dress Step 302 Eccentricity detection step 661 Amplitude (value corresponding to eccentricity)

Claims

1. A cutting apparatus comprising a holding table for holding a workpiece, a cutting unit having a spindle on which a cutting blade for cutting the workpiece held by the holding table is mounted, a sub-table for holding a dressing material, and at least a controller for controlling the cutting unit, It is equipped with an eccentricity detection unit that detects the eccentricity of the cutting blade, The controller is, A dressing condition storage unit that stores the dressing conditions for the cutting blade, A tolerance threshold storage unit that stores the allowable threshold for the eccentricity of the cutting blade, When the eccentricity of the cutting blade detected by the eccentricity detection unit exceeds the allowable threshold stored in the allowable threshold storage unit, a dressing execution command unit performs dressing by cutting the dressing material of the subtable with the cutting blade according to the dressing conditions stored in the dressing condition storage unit. It has, The permissible threshold is a value that, if the eccentricity exceeds the permissible threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is unsuitable for cutting the workpiece, and if the eccentricity is below the permissible threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is suitable for cutting the workpiece. The dressing execution command unit executes the dressing when, after the previous detection of the eccentricity and after the completion of cutting a predetermined number of division lines of the workpiece, the eccentricity of the cutting blade detected by the eccentricity detection unit exceeds the allowable threshold. cutting equipment.

2. A dressing method for a cutting blade, comprising a cutting device having a holding table for holding a workpiece, a cutting unit having a spindle on which a cutting blade is mounted for cutting the workpiece held by the holding table, a sub-table for holding a dressing material, and an eccentricity detection unit for detecting the eccentricity of the cutting blade, wherein the cutting device dresses the cutting blade, An eccentricity detection step in which the eccentricity of the cutting blade is detected by the eccentricity detection unit, A dressing step in which, when the eccentricity detected in the eccentricity detection step exceeds a preset allowable threshold, the cutting blade is used to cut into the dressing material held in the subtable and dressing is performed, Equipped with, The permissible threshold is a value that, if the eccentricity exceeds the permissible threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is unsuitable for cutting the workpiece, and if the eccentricity is below the permissible threshold, indicates that the cutting blade is suitable for cutting the workpiece. The eccentricity detection step is performed after the previous eccentricity detection step has been performed and after the cutting of a predetermined number of division lines of the workpiece has been completed. How to dress.

3. The dressing method according to claim 2, wherein the eccentricity detection step is performed while the workpiece held in the holding table is being cut by the cutting blade.

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