Method for dividing a package substrate

Abstract

To provide a dividing method for a package substrate that can reduce generation of burrs around a half-cut groove without damaging an upper surface of the package substrate.SOLUTION: A dividing method for a package substrate comprises a first measurement step of measuring the height of an upper surface of the package substrate 100 held by a holding table 10 to generate fist height data; a half-cut groove formation step of forming a half-cut groove with a first cutting blade 21 positioned at height based on the first height data for forming the groove having a predetermined depth; a burr reducing step of moving a burr removing tool and the holding table 10 relatively in a state where the burr removing tool is positioned at height from the upper surface of the package substrate 100 to reduce height of burrs generated around the half-cut groove; and a division step of dividing the package substrate with a second cutting blade having a blade thickness thinner than the package substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for dividing a package substrate.

Background Art

[0002] In the process of forming a processing groove in a package substrate, there is a problem that burrs are generated around the processing groove. In order to remove at least a part of the burrs or reduce the height of the burrs, a processing method is known in which a cutting blade is scanned on the upper surface of the processing groove to remove the burrs or press them downward to reduce the height of the burrs (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] However, when the processing groove is a half-cut groove, the warpage of the package substrate may not be sufficiently relaxed. If the cutting blade is not positioned at a height considering the warpage, there is a risk of damaging the package substrate in the step of reducing the burrs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a method for dividing a package substrate that can reduce burrs generated around a half-cut groove without damaging the upper surface of the package substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a method for dividing a package substrate, which divides a package substrate attached to an opening in an annular frame via dicing tape into a plurality of chips, comprising: a holding step of holding the package substrate on a holding table; a first measuring step of measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate held on the holding table along a division line at least once to generate first height data; a half-cut groove forming step of forming a half-cut groove along the division line with a first cutting blade positioned at a height to form a groove of a predetermined depth based on the first height data; a burr reduction step of moving the deburring tool and the holding table relative to each other along the division line with the deburring tool positioned at a predetermined height from the upper surface of the package substrate based on the first height data to reduce the height of burrs generated around the half-cut groove; and a division step of dividing the package substrate along the half-cut groove with a second cutting blade having a blade thickness narrower than the half-cut groove to generate a plurality of chips after the burr reduction step has been performed.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a method for dividing a package substrate, which divides a package substrate attached to an opening of an annular frame via dicing tape into a plurality of chips, comprising: a holding step of holding the package substrate on a holding table; a first measuring step of measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate held on the holding table along the division line at least one line and generating first height data; a half-cut groove forming step of forming a half-cut groove along the division line with a first cutting blade positioned at a height to form a groove of a predetermined depth based on the first height data; and the half-cut groove The present invention is characterized by comprising: a second measurement step, after the groove forming step, measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate along the division line at least once to generate second height data; a burr reduction step, based on the second height data, positioning the deburring tool at a predetermined height from the upper surface of the package substrate, and moving the deburring tool and the holding table relative to each other along the division line to reduce the height of burrs generated around the half-cut groove; and a division step, after the burr reduction step, dividing the package substrate along the half-cut groove with a second cutting blade having a blade thickness narrower than the half-cut groove to generate multiple chips.

[0008] Prior to the holding step, the system may further include a protective member covering step in which a protective member is covered on the upper surface of the package substrate.

[0009] The second measurement step may measure the height of the burr in addition to the height of the top surface of the package substrate, and the burr reduction step may be performed on the portion where the height of the burr exceeds a threshold based on the second height data.

[0010] The deburring tool may also be the first cutting blade.

[0011] The deburring tool may also be a cutting tool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] This invention reduces the height of burrs by moving the deburring tool while adjusting its height according to its position on the planned division line based on the first height data obtained in the first measurement step, thereby reducing the height of burrs generated around the half-cut groove without damaging the top surface of the package substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a top view showing a package substrate, which is the target of the division method for the package substrate according to Embodiment 1, supported by an annular frame. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a package chip obtained by dividing the package substrate shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing apparatus for implementing the package substrate splitting method according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the method of dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the holding step and the first measurement step in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the half-cut groove forming step shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the half-cut groove forming step shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the state of the package substrate after the half-cut groove formation step shown in Figure 4. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the burr reduction step in Figure 4. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the burr reduction step in Figure 4. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the burr reduction step in Figure 4. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the division steps in Figure 4. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the package substrate dividing method according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing apparatus for implementing the package substrate dividing method according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a configuration example of a main part of the processing apparatus of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the burr reduction step of Embodiment 3.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] The mode (embodiment) for carrying out 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. In addition, 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.

[0015] 〔Embodiment 1〕 The package substrate dividing method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. First, this specification will describe the package substrate 100 that is the processing target of the package substrate dividing method according to Embodiment 1 using the drawings. FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which the package substrate 100 that is the dividing target of the package substrate dividing method according to Embodiment 1 is supported by an annular frame 132. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the package chip 140 obtained by dividing the package substrate 100 of FIG. 1.

[0016] The package substrate 100 has a region on its surface demarcated by a plurality of division lines 112 formed along a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction (orthogonal in Embodiment 1), in which a device is arranged, and the device is sealed with resin. In Embodiment 1, the package substrate 100 comprises a metal frame 110 and a molded resin 120, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The metal frame 110 is made of metal and is a flat plate with a rectangular planar shape. As shown in Figure 1, the package substrate 100 has a chip mounting region 113 formed on its surface 111 (the back surface in Figure 1) along the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively, by a plurality of division lines 112. By dividing the package substrate 100 along the division lines 112, a plurality of package chips 140 can be obtained. The package chip 140 is an example of a chip according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, which illustrates the package chip 140 after division, the package substrate 100 has the device chip 114 positioned in the chip mounting area 113, even before division. The metal frame 110 is made of a ductile material, and therefore, it is expected that burrs 300 (see Figure 8) will be generated on the processed surface (back surface 117) by cutting with the first cutting blade 21, which will be described later. The molding resin 120 is made of, for example, a thermosetting resin. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the molding resin 120 seals the device chip 114 mounted in the chip mounting area 113 of the metal frame 110 on the surface 111 of the metal frame 110.

[0017] In the package substrate 100 of Embodiment 1, multiple (16 in the example shown in Figure 1) chip mounting areas 113 are arranged adjacent to each other, separated by a division line 112. In Embodiment 1, the metal frame 110 of the package substrate 100 is a leadless QFN package (Quad For Non-lead package) substrate in which electrode pads are formed as connection terminals instead of leads. It comprises multiple chip mounting areas 113, electrode portions 115 corresponding to the electrode pads of the QFN package, arranged around each chip mounting area 113 and protruding towards the division line 112, and a surplus area 116 surrounding the multiple chip mounting areas 113 that are arranged adjacent to each other and where no device chips 114 are mounted. As shown in Figure 1, the electrode portion 115 is formed on the back surface 117 of the metal frame 110, opposite to the front surface 111, extending from the outer periphery of the device chip 114 mounted in the chip mounting area 113 to the adjacent chip mounting area 113 or surplus area 116, across the division line 112, and is formed to a thickness of 142 or more as shown in Figure 2. Both the chip mounting area 113 and the electrode portion 115 of the package substrate 100 are covered with mold resin 120 on the front surface 111 side, while the back surface 117 side is not covered with mold resin 120 and is exposed.

[0018] The molded resin 120 is formed to cover the surface 111 side of a plurality of chip mounting areas 113 that are arranged adjacent to each other. In the example shown in Figure 1, the package substrate 100 has a cluster of multiple chip mounting areas 113 arranged in the longitudinal direction in three locations, and the molded resin 120 is formed in three locations arranged in the longitudinal direction corresponding to these clusters of multiple chip mounting areas 113.

[0019] The package substrate 100 has a curvature, which, when viewed from the side, is convex towards the metal frame 110 side and concave towards the molded resin 120 side, due to the difference in thermal shrinkage rates between the metal frame 110 and the molded resin 120. Depending on the combination of the metal frame 110 and the molded resin 120, the bonding state between the metal frame 110 and the molded resin 120, and the processing conditions of the half-cut groove 201, the package substrate 100 can be of a type in which the distribution of curvature changes only slightly even when the half-cut groove 201 is formed by the cutting process described later, or of a type in which the distribution of curvature changes significantly. In Embodiment 1, the package substrate 100 is of a type in which the distribution of curvature changes only within a small range, while in Embodiment 2, described later, it is of a type in which the distribution of curvature changes significantly.

[0020] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, the package substrate 100 is attached to the surface 111 side on which the molded resin 120 is formed by attaching the dicing tape 131, and the outer edge of the dicing tape 131 is attached to the annular frame 132, so that the back surface 117 side is exposed and the package substrate 100 is attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131 and supported. The dicing tape 131 is an adhesive tape with a two-layer structure having a base layer that is flexible and non-adhesive and an adhesive layer that is laminated on the base layer and is flexible and adhesive, or a sheet made of thermoplastic resin that does not have an adhesive layer is used. If the dicing tape 131 is a thermoplastic resin sheet that does not have adhesive properties, polyolefin sheets, polyethylene sheets, polypropylene sheets, and polystyrene sheets are preferred, and it is attached to the annular frame 132 and the package substrate 100 by heat pressing.

[0021] The package substrate 100 is divided into the package chip 140 shown in Figure 2 by a method of dividing the package substrate described later. After half-cut grooves 201 (see Figure 7) with a depth of 142 are formed along the planned division lines 112 of each chip mounting area 113, the central part in the width direction of the half-cut grooves 201 is cut. The package chip 140 is a QFN package chip, and as shown in Figure 2, it has a chip mounting area 113 on which a device chip 114 is mounted in the center, and an electrode portion 115 corresponding to the electrode pad of a QFN package chip is placed on the outer edge. The electrode portion 115 of the package chip 140 is fixed to a wiring board such as a printed circuit board, for example, via solder. The package chip 140 is a so-called wettable flank type chip in which a stepped portion 141 with a depth of 142 is formed on the outer edge from the back surface 117 over the entire circumference by the half-cut grooves 201 with a depth of 142, and the outer edge including the cut surface of the electrode portion 115 is formed in a stepped shape, thereby increasing the contact area of ​​solder on the electrode portion 115.

[0022] Next, this specification will describe a processing apparatus 1 for implementing the package substrate splitting method according to Embodiment 1 with reference to the drawings. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus 1 for implementing the package substrate splitting method according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 3, the processing apparatus 1 comprises a holding table 10, a processing unit 20, an imaging unit 30, a height measuring unit 40, an X-axis movement unit 51, a Y-axis movement unit 52, a Z-axis movement unit 53, and a control unit 60.

[0023] The holding table 10 has a disc-shaped frame with a recess formed therein, and a disc-shaped suction part fitted into the recess. The suction part of the holding table 10 is made of a porous ceramic or the like and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) via a vacuum suction path (not shown). The upper surface of the suction part of the holding table 10 is a holding surface 11 on which the package substrate 100 is placed and which holds the placed package substrate 100 by suction. In Embodiment 1, the package substrate 100 is placed with its back surface 117 facing upward, and the placed package substrate 100 is held by suction from the front surface 111 side via the dicing tape 131. The holding surface 11 and the upper surface of the frame of the holding table 10 are arranged on the same plane and are formed parallel to the horizontal XY plane. The holding table 10 is movable in the X-axis direction, which is one direction horizontally, by the X-axis movement unit 51, and is rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction, which is vertical and perpendicular to the holding surface 11, by a rotation drive source (not shown).

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the holding table 10 is equipped with four frame holding parts, which are clamps 12, arranged on the outer periphery of the frame, and holding and fixing the annular frame 132 that is attached to the package substrate 100 via the dicing tape 131.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the processing unit 20 comprises processing unit 20-1 and processing unit 20-2. Both processing unit 20-1 and processing unit 20-2 process the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10. The processing apparatus 1 is equipped with two sets of processing units 20-1 and 20-2, that is, it is a two-spindle dicer, a so-called facing dual type processing apparatus (cutting apparatus). Hereinafter, when distinguishing parts relating to processing unit 20-1 from parts relating to processing unit 20-2, "-1" will be added after the reference numeral, and when distinguishing parts relating to processing unit 20-2 from parts relating to processing unit 20-1, "-2" will be added after the reference numeral. When it is not necessary to distinguish between processing unit 20-1 and processing unit 20-2, the corresponding parts will be considered common to both and will be omitted as appropriate without adding "-1" or "-2" after the reference numeral.

[0026] In Embodiment 1, the processing unit 20, as shown in Figure 3, is a cutting unit that cuts the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10, and is equipped with a spindle 23 to which a first cutting blade 21 or a second cutting blade 22 is mounted at its tip. The first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 are each attached to the tip of the spindle 23 in a detachable and replaceable manner. Both the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 are subjected to rotational motion by the spindle 23 around an axis that is in another horizontal direction, perpendicular to the X-axis direction and parallel to the Y-axis direction, in order to cut the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10. The processing unit 20 is provided to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis movement unit 52 and movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis movement unit 53 relative to the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10.

[0027] In Embodiment 1, the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 each have annular cutting edges formed with a first cutting edge thickness 25 (see Figure 7) and a second cutting edge thickness 26 (see Figure 12), respectively. The cutting edge of the second cutting blade 22 is thinner than the cutting edge of the first cutting blade 21; that is, the second cutting edge thickness 26 is smaller than the first cutting edge thickness 25.

[0028] In Embodiment 1, the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 have cutting edges of a so-called metal bond type blade, which consists of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin. The first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 may be hub blades with a hub or hubless blades without a hub. The present invention is not limited to these, and the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 may have cutting edges of an electroformed bond type blade in which abrasive grains are fixed to a plating layer, or they may have cutting edges of a saw-tooth metal saw formed from a thin steel plate blade made of high-speed steel or a cemented carbide obtained by sintering tungsten carbide, cobalt, nickel, etc.

[0029] The processing apparatus 1 uses the X-axis movement unit 51, the Y-axis movement unit 52, and the Z-axis movement unit 53 to set the first cutting blade 21 or the second cutting blade 22, which is mounted on the tip of the spindle 23, in a predetermined position relative to the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10. By rotating the first cutting blade 21 or the second cutting blade 22 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23 and moving it relative to the package substrate 100 along the planned division line 112, the first cutting blade 21 or the second cutting blade 22 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23 cuts the package substrate 100 along the planned division line 112 to form a half-cut groove 201 or a processed groove 202 (see Figure 12). In this way, in the processing apparatus 1, the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22 function as cutting tools.

[0030] The processing apparatus 1 uses the X-axis movement unit 51, the Y-axis movement unit 52, and the Z-axis movement unit 53 to set the first cutting blade 21, mounted on the tip of the spindle 23, in a predetermined position relative to the package substrate 100 after cutting, which is held on the holding table 10. By rotating the first cutting blade 21 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23 and moving it relative to the package substrate 100 in a direction intersecting the half-cut groove 201 formed along the division line 112, the processing apparatus 1 performs burr reduction processing to reduce the height of burrs 300 generated upward (+Z direction) from the half-cut groove 201 formed on the package substrate 100 by cutting with the first cutting blade 21 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23. In this way, the processing apparatus 1 functions as a deburring tool to perform further burr reduction processing.

[0031] In Embodiment 1, the processing apparatus 1 has a first cutting blade 21 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23-1 of the processing unit 20-1, and the processing unit 20-1 cuts and deburrs the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10 with the first cutting blade 21, and the processing unit 20-2 has a second cutting blade 22 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23-2, and the processing unit 20-2 cuts the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10 with the second cutting blade 22. However, the processing apparatus 1 is not limited to this in the present invention, and the processing apparatus 1 may also have a second cutting blade 22 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23-1 of the processing unit 20-1, or a first cutting blade 21 mounted on the tip of the spindle 23-2 of the processing unit 20-2.

[0032] In Embodiment 1, the imaging unit 30 is fixed to the processing unit 20 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20. The imaging unit 30 is equipped with an image sensor that images the back surface 117 (exposed surface) and the planned division lines 112 of the package substrate 100 before cutting, which is held on the holding table 10. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 images the back surface 117, etc., of the package substrate 100 before cutting, which is held on the holding table 10, to obtain an image for performing alignment, such as aligning the package substrate 100 with the first cutting blade 21 or the second cutting blade 22 attached to the tip of the spindle 23, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 60.

[0033] In Embodiment 1, the height measuring unit 40 is fixed to the imaging unit 30 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20 and the imaging unit 30. The height measuring unit 40 measures the height of the upper surface (back surface 117 in Embodiment 1) of the package substrate 100 held by the holding table 10. In Embodiment 1, the height measuring unit 40 is a laser displacement meter that irradiates a laser beam toward the upper surface of the package substrate 100 to measure the distance to the upper surface of the package substrate 100. The height measuring unit 40 is positioned at a preset position in the Z-axis direction and measures the distance to the upper surface of the package substrate 100, thereby measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate 100 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 60. If a burr 300 is formed on the package substrate 100, the height measuring unit 40 can measure the height of the upper end of the burr 300 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In this invention, the height measurement unit 40 is not limited to a laser displacement meter. For example, it may be a back pressure sensor that blows air onto the upper surface of the package substrate 100 to measure the height from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 on the upper surface of the package substrate 100, or it may be a contact-type touch sensor that uses a contactor that contacts the upper surface of the package substrate 100 to measure the height from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 on the upper surface of the package substrate 100.

[0034] The X-axis movement unit 51 moves the holding table 10 along the X-axis relative to the machining unit 20, imaging unit 30, and height measuring unit 40. The Y-axis movement unit 52 moves the machining unit 20, imaging unit 30, and height measuring unit 40 along the Y-axis relative to the holding table 10. The Z-axis movement unit 53 moves the machining unit 20, imaging unit 30, and height measuring unit 40 along the Z-axis relative to the holding table 10. The X-axis movement unit 51, Y-axis movement unit 52, and Z-axis movement unit 53 are each configured, for example, with a well-known ball screw rotatably mounted around an axis in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, a well-known pulse motor for rotating the ball screw around its axis, and a well-known guide rail for supporting the holding table 10 or machining unit 20 so that it can move along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The X-axis movement unit 51, Y-axis movement unit 52, and Z-axis movement unit 53 detect the relative positions of the holding table 10, the processing unit 20, the imaging unit 30, and the height measuring unit 40 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and output the detected relative positions to the control unit 60.

[0035] The control unit 60 controls the operation of various components of the processing apparatus 1 to cause the processing apparatus 1 to perform the package substrate splitting method according to Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 includes a computer system. The computer system included in the control unit 60 includes an arithmetic processing unit having a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device having 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 60 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device of the control unit 60 and outputs control signals for controlling the processing apparatus 1 to each component of the processing apparatus 1 via the input / output interface device of the control unit 60.

[0036] The processing apparatus 1 further comprises a cassette mounting table 70, a cleaning unit 80, and a transport unit (not shown). The cassette mounting table 70 is a mounting table on which a cassette 75, which is a container for housing multiple package substrates 100, is placed, and the placed cassette 75 is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction. The cleaning unit 80 cleans the package substrates 100 after machining and removes foreign matter such as cutting debris attached to the package substrates 100. The transport unit (not shown) transports the package substrates 100 from inside the cassette 75 onto the holding table 10 before machining, transports the package substrates 100 from the holding table 10 to the cleaning unit 80 after machining, and transports the washed package substrates 100 from the cleaning unit 80 back into the cassette 75.

[0037] Next, this specification will describe a method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1 with reference to the drawings. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing steps for the method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the holding step 1002 and the first measurement step 1003 of Figure 4. Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views illustrating the half-cut groove forming step 1004 of Figure 4. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the state of the package substrate 100 after the half-cut groove forming step 1004 of Figure 4 has been performed. Figures 9, 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views illustrating the burr reduction step 1005 of Figure 4. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the dividing step 1006 of Figure 4. The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1 is an example of an operation performed by a processing apparatus 1, and as shown in Figure 4, comprises a protective member coating step 1001, a holding step 1002, a first measurement step 1003, a half-cut groove forming step 1004, a burr reduction step 1005, and a dividing step 1006. The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1 is a method that is implemented when dividing a type of package substrate 100 in which it is known that the distribution of the warpage of the package substrate 100 changes only slightly by forming a half-cut groove 201 in the half-cut groove forming step 1004.

[0038] In the method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1, first, a dicing tape 131 is attached to the surface 111 side of the package substrate 100, and an annular frame 132 is attached to the outer edge of the dicing tape 131, so that the package substrate 100 is attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131 with the back surface 117 side exposed.

[0039] The protective member covering step 1001 is a step in which a protective member is applied to the upper surface (back surface 117 in Embodiment 1) of the package substrate 100 before the holding step 1002. The protective member applied in the protective member covering step 1001 can consist of an adhesive sheet, a heat-softening wax, a temporary fixing adhesive, an ultraviolet-curing resin, etc. By covering the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100 with this protective member, the generation of burrs 300 that tend to extend upward from the processed surface (back surface 117) (in the direction protruding from the processed surface in the thickness direction of the package substrate 100) can be effectively suppressed.

[0040] In the protective member coating step 1001, for example, the package substrate 100 is placed on a hot plate, a thermosetting wax made of the material constituting the protective member is placed on the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100, and the temperature on the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100 is increased by heating on the hot plate, thereby melting the thermosetting wax on the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100, covering the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100 with the molten thermosetting wax, and forming a protective member with the molten thermosetting wax. Note that the protective member coating step 1001 is not limited to the method using thermosetting wax, and an adhesive sheet may be attached to the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100 as a protective member, or a temporary adhesive or UV-curing resin may be applied to the back surface 117 of the package substrate 100 as a protective member.

[0041] In Embodiment 1, the package substrate 100 is attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131 before the protective member is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the protective member may be applied first, and then the package substrate 100 may be attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131.

[0042] In Embodiment 1, a package substrate 100, which is attached to the opening of an annular frame 132 via a dicing tape 131 and has a protective member covering its back surface 117, is housed in a cassette 75, and the cassette 75 is placed on a cassette mounting base 70 to carry out the holding step 1002 and subsequent steps.

[0043] In Embodiment 1, the protective member covering step 1001 is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this and is not essential, so it may be omitted. If the protective member covering step 1001 is omitted, the package substrate 100 attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131 is placed inside the cassette 75, and the cassette 75 is placed on the cassette mounting base 70, and the holding step 1002 and subsequent steps are performed.

[0044] The holding step 1002 is the step of holding the package substrate 100 on the holding table 10. In the holding step 1002, as shown in Figure 5, the control unit 60 uses the transport unit to place the package substrate 100, which is attached to the opening of the annular frame 132 via the dicing tape 131, on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 with its back surface 117 facing upwards. The holding table 10 then uses suction to hold the package substrate 100 placed on the holding surface 11 from the front surface 111 side via the dicing tape 131, and the clamp 12 holds the annular frame 132 attached to the package substrate 100 via the dicing tape 131.

[0045] In the holding step 1002, the control unit 60 further detects the division line 112 using the imaging unit 30 and performs alignment to align the detected division line 112 with the processing unit 20. In the holding step 1002, in Embodiment 1, the detected division line 112 is aligned with the processing units 20-1 and 20-2.

[0046] The first measurement step 1003 is a step of measuring the height of the back surface 117, which is the upper surface of the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10, along the division line 112 for at least one line, and generating first height data. In Embodiment 1, the first measurement step 1003 is performed by a height measuring unit 40 fixed to move integrally with the processing unit 20-1, as shown in Figure 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be performed by a height measuring unit 40 fixed to move integrally with the processing unit 20-2.

[0047] Here, the first height data is a database containing height data along at least one planned division line 112 on the upper surface of the pre-machining package substrate 100 held in the holding table 10, and the height distribution of all planned division lines 112. The height data along the planned division lines 112 is data that associates the X and Y coordinates representing each position on the planned division line 112 with the measured height data of the upper surface of the package substrate 100 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 at each position. This height data along the planned division lines 112 can be represented graphically, for example, with the direction along the planned division line 112 as the horizontal axis and the measured height data as the vertical axis. Furthermore, due to the nature of the package substrate 100 having a curvature that is convex towards the back surface 117 when viewed from the side, this height data along the planned division lines 112 is an upward-convex curve.

[0048] In the first measurement step 1003, as shown in Figure 5, the control unit 60 positions the height measuring unit 40 above a desired division line 112 of the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10, and moves the height measuring unit 40 relative to the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10 along the division line 112 using the X-axis movement unit 51, thereby measuring the height along the division line 112 with the height measuring unit 40 and obtaining height data along the division line 112. In the first measurement step 1003, the control unit 60 similarly obtains first height data by obtaining height data along all division lines 112 of the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10 using the height measuring unit 40. In Embodiment 1, the first height data acquired in the first measurement step 1003 is used in the burr reduction step 1005. Therefore, it is preferable to acquire highly accurate first height data by using the height measurement unit 40 to acquire height data along all planned division lines 112 of the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10.

[0049] In the first measurement step 1003, instead of measuring the height data along all planned division lines 112 of the package substrate 100 held in the holding table 10 using the height measurement unit 40, the control unit 60 may measure the height data along some of the planned division lines 112, at least one of the planned division lines 112, using the height measurement unit 40. Based on the data obtained from this measurement, the control unit 60 may generate the first height data by using a height calculation program previously stored in the control unit 60's storage device to generate height data along the planned division lines 112 that were not measured by the height measurement unit 40. Here, the height calculation program estimates and calculates the height of the top surface of the package substrate 100 based on the height data obtained from the measurement and the pre-entered tendency of the warp of the package substrate 100. Alternatively, the height data may be obtained by measuring the height of multiple planned division lines 112 at intervals, and the height data for the planned division lines 112 that were not measured may be generated by calculating the slope between the measured height data using the height calculation program and interpolating it.

[0050] The half-cut groove forming step 1004 is a step in which a first cutting blade 21, positioned at a height to form a half-cut groove 201 of a predetermined depth 142, based on the first height data generated in the first measurement step 1003, forms a half-cut groove 201 along the planned division line 112. In Embodiment 1, the half-cut groove forming step 1004 is performed by the first cutting blade 21 mounted on the spindle 23-1 of the processing unit 20-1, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0051] In the half-cut groove forming step 1004, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the control unit 60 rotates the first cutting blade 21 and adjusts the height of the first cutting blade 21 according to its position on the division line 112 based on the first height data using the Z-axis movement unit 53, while moving the first cutting blade 21 relative to the package substrate 100 along the division line 112 using the X-axis movement unit 51. By cutting the package substrate 100 from the back surface 117 side along the division line 112 with the first cutting blade 21, a half-cut groove 201 with a depth of 142 and a width corresponding to the first blade thickness 25 is formed along the division line 112 of the package substrate 100. In the half-cut groove forming step 1004, the control unit 60 adjusts the height of the lower end of the cutting edge of the first cutting blade 21 to a height 142 units lower than the top surface of the package substrate 100 based on the first height data. In the half-cut groove forming step 1004, the control unit 60 moves the first cutting blade 21 relative to the package substrate 100 along an upwardly convex curve based on the first height data.

[0052] As shown in Figure 8, when the package substrate 100 is cut in the half-cut groove forming step 1004 to form the half-cut groove 201, burrs 300 are generated on the processed surface (back surface 117) upward from the half-cut groove 201 due to the ductile nature of the metal frame 110 on the processed surface (back surface 117). Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, when the package substrate 100 is cut in the half-cut groove forming step 1004 to form the half-cut groove 201, the distribution of warpage changes only slightly, and the height distribution of the back surface 117, which is the upper surface of the package substrate 100 held by the holding table 10, remains unchanged only slightly.

[0053] The burr reduction step 1005 is a step in which, based on the first height data generated in the first measurement step 1003, the deburring tool is positioned at a predetermined height from the top surface of the package substrate 100, and the deburring tool and the holding table 10 are moved relative to each other along the planned division line 112 to reduce the height of the burrs 300 that have been generated upward from the half-cut groove 201. In Embodiment 1, the burr reduction step 1005 is performed by using the first cutting blade 21 mounted on the spindle 23-1 of the processing unit 20-1 as the deburring tool, as shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11. The burr reduction step 1005 may also be performed using the second cutting blade 22 or a third cutting blade different from both the first cutting blade 21 and the second cutting blade 22.

[0054] In burr reduction step 1005, first, the control unit 60 rotates the first cutting blade 21 and positions it at either the center in the width direction of the division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed, or at a position shifted in either the width direction from the center of the division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed (see Figures 10 and 11). The Z-axis movement unit 53 then adjusts the height of the first cutting blade 21 based on the first height data, according to the position on the division line 112 closest to the first cutting blade 21. In burr reduction step 1005, the control unit 60 adjusts the height of the lower end of the cutting edge of the first cutting blade 21 to a height that is 310 units higher than the upper surface of the package substrate 100 based on the first height data, thereby increasing the burr allowance. Here, the burr allowable height 310 is the height of the burr that prevents the wiring from getting caught during wire bonding, and is also the height that does not come into contact with the upper surface of the package substrate 100 based on the first height data in the burr reduction step 1005. In Embodiment 1, this is, for example, 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

[0055] In burr reduction step 1005, the control unit 60 rotates the first cutting blade 21, and the Z-axis movement unit 53 adjusts the height of the first cutting blade 21 based on the first height data according to its position on the division line 112 closest to the first cutting blade 21. At the same time, the X-axis movement unit 51 moves the first cutting blade 21 relative to the package substrate 100 along the division line 112 (scanning with the first cutting blade 21). In this way, the rotating first cutting blade 21 removes burrs 300 that exceed the allowable burr height 310, or extends them horizontally, thereby reducing the height of the burrs 300 to burrs 320 that are 310 or less. In this manner, in burr reduction step 1005, the height of burrs 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201 is reduced without the first cutting blade 21 contacting the upper surface of the package substrate 100.

[0056] To explain in more detail, in the burr reduction step 1005, the control unit 60 positions the first cutting blade 21 at the center in the width direction of the division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed, and scans with the rotating first cutting blade 21. If this scan reduces the height of the burr 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201, the burr reduction step 1005 for the division line 112 is terminated. On the other hand, if the burr 300 extends outward in the width direction from the half-cut groove 201, and scanning with the first cutting blade 21 positioned at the center in the width direction on the division line 112 is insufficient to reduce the height of the burr 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201, the control unit 60, as shown in Figure 10, positions the first cutting blade 21 offset to one side from the center in the width direction of the division line 112 (see Figure 10) and scans with the rotating first cutting blade 21 to reduce the height of the burr 300 generated on one side of the half-cut groove 201. Subsequently, the Y-axis movement unit 56 moves the first cutting blade 21 to the other side (see Figure 11), and by scanning with the rotating first cutting blade 21, the height of the burr 300 generated on the other side of the half-cut groove 201 is reduced. By sequentially performing this operation along each division line 112, in the burr reduction step 1005, this scanning process with the first cutting blade 21 is performed for all division lines 112 that have formed all the half-cut grooves 201, thereby reducing the height of the burr 300 generated around all the half-cut grooves 201.

[0057] The splitting step 1006 is a step in which, after the burr reduction step 1005 has been performed, the package substrate 100 is split along the half-cut groove 201 with a second cutting blade 22 having a second cutting blade thickness 26 that is narrower than the width of the half-cut groove 201 (corresponding to the width of the first cutting blade thickness 25) to generate multiple package chips 140. In Embodiment 1, the splitting step 1006 is performed by the second cutting blade 22 mounted on the spindle 23-2 of the processing unit 20-2, as shown in Figure 12.

[0058] In the splitting step 1006, as shown in Figure 12, the control unit 60 rotates the second cutting blade 22 and moves the second cutting blade 22 relative to the package substrate 100 along the planned splitting line 112 using the X-axis movement unit 51. By cutting the package substrate 100 from the back surface 117 side along the planned splitting line 112 with the second cutting blade 22, the central portion in the width direction of the half-cut groove 201, which was formed in the half-cut groove forming step 1004 and has a depth of 142 and a width corresponding to the first blade thickness 25, is cut, forming a processed groove 202 that reaches from the back surface 117 to the front surface 111 of the package substrate 100 and has a width corresponding to the second blade thickness 26. In the splitting step 1006, the package substrate 100 is split along the planned splitting line 112 to manufacture the package chip 140 by cutting along all of the planned splitting lines 112 of the package substrate 100 and forming the processed grooves 202.

[0059] In addition, a plating step may be performed between the burr reduction step 1005 and the splitting step 1006 to apply plating to the electrode portion 115. In the plating step, for example, the package substrate 100, which has been performed after the burr reduction step 1005 and before the splitting step 1006, is immersed in an electrolytic plating bath for a predetermined time by applying a predetermined voltage to the electrode portion 115, thereby forming a plating film of a metal such as nickel on the exposed portion of the electrode portion 115. Here, the exposed portion of the electrode portion 115 is the portion of the electrode portion 115 that is exposed on the back surface 117 of the metal frame 110 and on the side and bottom surfaces of the half-cut groove 201.

[0060] The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1, having the configuration described above, is effective when dividing a type of package substrate 100 in which it is known that the distribution of warping changes only slightly when a half-cut groove 201 is formed. In the half-cut groove forming step 1004 and the burr reduction step 1005, the first cutting blade 21 is moved while adjusting its height according to its position on the planned division line 112 based on the first height data obtained in the first measurement step 1003, thereby forming a half-cut groove 201 and reducing the height of the burr 300. This has the effect of forming a half-cut groove 201 with little variation in depth 142, and reducing the height of the burr 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201 without damaging the upper surface of the package substrate 100.

[0061] Furthermore, the method for dividing the package substrate according to Embodiment 1 further includes a protective member covering step 1001 in which a protective member is covered on the upper surface of the package substrate 100 before the holding step 1002. Therefore, the protective member can effectively suppress the generation of burrs 300 that would otherwise extend upward from the upper surface of the package substrate 100.

[0062] Furthermore, in the method for dividing the package substrate according to Embodiment 1, since the deburring tool used in the burr reduction step 1005 is the first cutting blade 21, the half-cut groove forming step 1004 and the burr reduction step 1005 can be efficiently performed with the first cutting blade 21 mounted on a single spindle 23.

[0063] [Embodiment 2] A method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 2. In Figure 13, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in Embodiment 1, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0064] The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 2 is the same as the method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 1, but with the addition of a second measurement step 1007 between the half-cut groove formation step 1004 and the burr reduction step 1005, as shown in Figure 13, and the burr reduction step 1005 is modified accordingly. The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 2 is used for types of package substrates 100 in which it is known that the distribution of warping of the package substrate 100 changes significantly when the half-cut groove 201 is formed in the half-cut groove formation step 1004, or when dividing using predetermined processing conditions.

[0065] The second measurement step 1007 is a step in which, after the half-cut groove formation step 1004, the height of the top surface of the package substrate 100 is measured along at least one line of the division line 112 to generate second height data. The second measurement step 1007 is the same as the first measurement step 1003 except that it is performed after the half-cut groove formation step 1004 and acquires second height data. The second height data acquired by the control unit 60 in the second measurement step 1007 is a database containing height data along all division line 112 on the top surface of the package substrate 100 after the formation of the half-cut groove 201 held in the holding table 10, and the height criteria are the same as for the first height data.

[0066] In the second measurement step 1007, the control unit 60 can also measure the height of the burr 300 in addition to the height of the top surface of the package substrate 100, and include the height data of the burr 300 in the second height data. Thus, in the second measurement step 1007, the height of the burr 300 can also be measured, so it is preferable to obtain highly accurate second height data for both the height of the top surface and the height of the burr 300 by acquiring height data along all the planned division lines 112 of the package substrate 100 held on the holding table 10 using the height measurement unit 40. In the second measurement step 1007, the control unit 60 measures the height of the burr 300 using the height measurement unit 40, converts the measured height of the burr 300 into a height based on the height of the top surface of the package substrate 100 near the location where the burr 300 is located, and includes it in the second height data. In the second height data, the data for the height of the burr 300 is data that correlates the X and Y coordinates representing the location of the burr 300 on the upper surface of the package substrate 100 with the height of the burr 300 relative to the height of the upper surface of the package substrate 100 at that location.

[0067] In Embodiment 2, the burr reduction step 1005 is modified so that, in the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 1, the control unit 60 adjusts the height of the first cutting blade 21 based on the second height data instead of the first height data using the Z-axis movement unit 53, according to the position on the nearest planned division line 112 from the first cutting blade 21. In Embodiment 2, the burr reduction step 1005 further reduces the height of the burr 300 by performing a scanning process with the first cutting blade 21 on the portion where the height of the burr 300 exceeds the threshold value of the allowable burr height 310, based on the second height data which includes the height data of the burr 300. In other respects, the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 2 is the same as the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 1.

[0068] The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 2, which has the above configuration, is a method for dividing a package substrate 100 of a type in which the warping distribution is known to change significantly by the formation of a half-cut groove 201, and is the same as Embodiment 1, but with a second measurement step 1007 added between the half-cut groove formation step 1004 and the burr reduction step 1005, and the burr reduction step 1005 modified accordingly. Therefore, in the package substrate division method according to Embodiment 2, in the half-cut groove forming step 1004, the height of the first cutting blade 21 is adjusted according to the position on the division line 112 based on the first height data obtained in the first measurement step 1003, and the first cutting blade 21 is moved to form a half-cut groove 201. In the burr reduction step 1005, the height of the first cutting blade 21 is adjusted according to the position on the division line 112 based on the second height data obtained in the second measurement step 1007, and the height of the burr 300 is reduced. As a result, even when dividing a package substrate 100 in which the warping distribution changes significantly due to the formation of the half-cut groove 201, it is possible to form a half-cut groove 201 with a desired depth 142 and little variation, and to reduce the height of the burr 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201 without damaging the upper surface of the package substrate 100.

[0069] Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the package substrate division method, in the second measurement step 1007, in addition to the height of the top surface of the package substrate 100, the height of the burr 300 is also measured and included in the second height data, and in the burr reduction step 1005, based on the second height data, scanning processing with the first cutting blade 21 is performed to reduce the height of the burr 300 in the portion where the height of the burr 300 exceeds a threshold. As a result, the second embodiment of the package substrate division method has the effect of being able to reduce the height of the burr 300 generated around the half-cut groove 201 more efficiently.

[0070] [Embodiment 3] A method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing apparatus 1-2 for carrying out the method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 3. Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the processing apparatus 1-2 in Figure 14. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 3. Figures 14, 15, and 16 use the same reference numerals for the same parts as Embodiments 1 and 2, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0071] The processing apparatus 1-2 for implementing the package substrate division method according to Embodiment 3 is, as shown in Figure 14, a modified version of the processing apparatus 1 for implementing the package substrate division method according to Embodiments 1 and 2, further equipped with a processing unit 20-3, with the other configurations being the same as those of the processing apparatus 1. The processing unit 20-3, as shown in Figure 15, comprises a cutting tool 27 with a pointed lower end, a cutting tool holder 29 for holding the cutting tool 27, a Z-axis movement unit 55 for moving the cutting tool holder 29 along the Z-axis relative to the holding table 10, a Y-axis movement unit 56 for moving the cutting tool holder 29 along the Y-axis relative to the holding table 10, and distance recognition means (not shown) for recognizing the distance between the tip of the cutting tool 27 and the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. The cutting tool 27 is a sharp cutting tool with a blade thickness 28 greater than the width of the half-cut groove 201 (width corresponding to the first blade thickness 25), for example, a corner angle of 120 degrees at the lower end, and is fixed to the cutting tool holder 29 by means of a screw, for example. The distance recognition means, for example, if the Z-axis movement unit 55 is configured with a ball screw mechanism, recognizes the height position of the tool holder 29 in the Z-axis direction by the rotation speed of the motor that rotates the ball screw, thereby recognizing the distance between the tip of the tool blade 27 and the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10.

[0072] The method for dividing the package substrate according to Embodiment 3 is a modification of the burr reduction step 1005 in Embodiments 1 and 2, with the other configurations being the same as in Embodiments 1 and 2. The burr reduction step 1005 in Embodiment 3 is a modification of the burr reduction step 1005 in Embodiment 1, with the deburring tool being changed from the first cutting blade 21 to the biting blade 27, with the other configurations being the same as in Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0073] In the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 3, as shown in Figure 16, the control unit 60 adjusts the height of the cutting blade 27 according to its position on the planned division line 112 based on the first height data (or second height data) using the Z-axis movement unit 55, and moves the cutting blade 27 relative to the package substrate 100 along the planned division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed using the X-axis movement unit 51. By performing burr reduction processing on the package substrate 100 from the back surface 117 side along the planned division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed using the cutting blade 27, the height of the burr 300 generated on the planned division line 112 where the half-cut groove 201 is formed is reduced. In the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 3, the control unit 60 positions the height of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 27 at a height higher than the upper surface of the package substrate 100 based on the first height data (or second height data) by a burr allowance of 310. In the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 3, the control unit 60 moves the cutting tool 27 relative to the package substrate 100 along an upwardly convex curve based on the first height data (or second height data). In addition, in the burr reduction step 1005 of Embodiment 3, since the cutting tool 27 has a blade thickness 28 that is greater than the width of the half-cut groove 201 (corresponding to the width of the first blade thickness 25), it is not necessary to repeatedly scan the line scanned by the first cutting blade 21 for the division line 112 that has formed one half-cut groove 201, as in Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0074] The method for dividing a package substrate according to Embodiment 3, which has the above configuration, is a modification of Embodiments 1 and 2 in which the burr reduction step 1005 is changed to use a cutting tool blade 27 as a deburring tool, thereby providing the effect of reducing the height of the burrs 300 more favorably and efficiently.

[0075] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core principles of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10 Retention Table 21. First cutting blade (an example of a deburring tool according to the present invention) 22 Second cutting blade 25 1st blade thickness 26 2nd blade thickness 27 Cutting edge (an example of a deburring tool according to the present invention) 100 Package Substrates 112 planned division lines 117 Reverse side (an example of the upper surface of the present invention) 131 Dicing Tape 132 Ring Frame 140 Package chip (an example of a chip according to the present invention) 201 Half-cut groove 300,320 Bali 310 Burr tolerance height (an example of a predetermined height according to the present invention)

Claims

1. A method for dividing a package substrate, which is attached to an opening in an annular frame via dicing tape, into multiple chips, A holding step in which the package substrate is held in a holding table, A first measurement step involves measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate held in the holding table along at least one line of the planned division line and generating first height data, A half-cut groove forming step in which a first cutting blade positioned at a height to form a groove of a predetermined depth based on the first height data forms a half-cut groove along the planned division line, A burr reduction step is performed in which, based on the first height data, the deburring tool is positioned at a predetermined height from the top surface of the package substrate, and the deburring tool and the holding table are moved relative to each other along the planned division line to reduce the height of burrs generated upward around the half-cut groove. After the burr reduction step is performed, a splitting step is performed in which the package substrate is divided along the half-cut groove with a second cutting blade having a blade thickness narrower than the half-cut groove to generate multiple chips, A method for dividing a package substrate, characterized by having the following features.

2. A method for dividing a package substrate, which is attached to an opening in an annular frame via dicing tape, into multiple chips, A holding step in which the package substrate is held in a holding table, A first measurement step involves measuring the height of the upper surface of the package substrate held in the holding table along at least one line of the planned division line and generating first height data, A half-cut groove forming step in which a first cutting blade positioned at a height to form a groove of a predetermined depth based on the first height data forms a half-cut groove along the planned division line, A second measurement step is performed after the half-cut groove forming step, in which the height of the upper surface of the package substrate is measured along the planned division line at least once, and second height data is generated. Based on the second height data, the deburring tool is positioned at a predetermined height from the top surface of the package substrate, and the deburring tool and the holding table are moved relative to each other along the planned division line to reduce the height of the burrs generated around the half-cut groove in a burr reduction step. After the burr reduction step is performed, a splitting step is performed in which the package substrate is divided along the half-cut groove with a second cutting blade having a blade thickness narrower than the half-cut groove to generate multiple chips, A method for dividing a package substrate, characterized by having the following features.

3. A method for dividing a package substrate according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a protective member covering step of covering the upper surface of the package substrate with a protective member before the holding step.

4. The second measurement step measures the height of the burr in addition to the height of the top surface of the package substrate. The method for dividing a package substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that the burr reduction step is performed on the portion where the height of the burr exceeds a threshold value based on the second height data.

5. The method for dividing a package substrate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deburring tool is the first cutting blade.

6. The method for dividing a package substrate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deburring tool is a cutting tool.

Images