Method for cutting semiconductor materials

Abstract

To provide a method for cutting semiconductor materials that prevents dimensional accuracy of the package after cutting from being reduced due to shrinkage caused by cooling of the workpiece due to spraying of cutting fluid during blade dicing.SOLUTION: A method shrinks a semiconductor material by spraying cutting fluid in advance to create an environment similar to the cutting fluid spray environment during the cutting process, aligns the position of the planned dividing line of the semiconductor material in that state, and cuts the semiconductor material based on this alignment to ensure that the planned dividing line position of the semiconductor material does not deviate from the actual dividing line position and to improve the cutting quality.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for cutting semiconductor materials into individual semiconductor packages using a cutting device for semiconductor materials.

Background Art

[0002] A cutting device for semiconductor materials inspects a planned division line of a semiconductor material through a vision while the semiconductor material is adsorbed on a chuck table. The semiconductor material can be cut by a blade along the planned division line inspected through the vision.

[0003] When cutting a semiconductor material, cutting fluid can be sprayed onto the blade and the semiconductor material side through a cutting fluid supply nozzle. At this time, the cutting fluid is sprayed toward the blade and the semiconductor material to cool the frictional heat generated on the blade, and after the cutting fluid collides with the surface of the semiconductor material and scatters to take away the surrounding heat, the semiconductor material will have a temperature lower than the temperature before the cutting process is executed by such cutting fluid.

[0004] Therefore, the surface temperature of the semiconductor material becomes lower and shrinks compared to the time when the semiconductor material is inspected by vision.

[0005] On the other hand, the chuck table can adsorb the semiconductor material through suction holes. At this time, even when the semiconductor material is adsorbed on the chuck table, a gap can exist at the interface between the suction holes and the semiconductor material. Cutting fluid and air can quickly flow into such a gap. As a result, the temperature of the chuck table becomes even lower and is cooled. The temperature of the semiconductor material adsorbed on the chuck table becomes even lower due to the cooled chuck table.

[0006] Thus, semiconductor materials are cooled and shrunk by the low temperature of the cutting fluid and chuck table. In particular, when a semiconductor material cutting device is configured with multiple chuck tables, while one chuck table is cutting the semiconductor material, the remaining chuck tables perform vision checks. Since there is a waiting period between the completion of the vision check on the remaining chuck tables and the completion of the cutting on the chuck table currently being cut, there is a risk that the semiconductor material will shrink even more.

[0007] Incidentally, when cutting semiconductor materials, the blade cuts the semiconductor material along the initial planned division line, which has been inspected by the vision inspection process. In other words, the blade performs the cutting process along the planned division line of the semiconductor material before its temperature is lowered by the cutting fluid and chuck table.

[0008] During the cutting process, the semiconductor material shrinks due to the cooling state of the cutting fluid and chuck table, and this shrinkage changes the position of the planned division line of the semiconductor material. However, the blade performs the cutting process based on the planned division line of the semiconductor material inspected during the vision inspection process before shrinkage. As a result, the cutting of the semiconductor material is performed based on the position of the initial planned division line inspected through vision, and therefore the position offset value of the planned division line of the shrunk semiconductor material during actual cutting cannot be reflected. This leads to a change in the position of the actually cut division line, resulting in a decrease in cutting quality and a reduction in cutting precision. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1519470 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] This invention was created to solve the aforementioned problems, and aims to ensure cutting precision by performing vision inspection (alignment) in an environment identical to the environment in which the semiconductor material is actually cut when detecting the planned division line on the semiconductor material.

[0011] In other words, the semiconductor material cutting method of the present invention aims to improve cutting quality by pre-cooling the semiconductor material before executing the cutting process, so that the cutting process is executed based on the planned division line position of the cooled and shrunk semiconductor material, thereby preventing any discrepancy between the planned division line position of the semiconductor material and the actual cut division line position.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a method for cutting semiconductor materials that does not reduce UPH by simultaneously performing a vision inspection while cutting the semiconductor material transferred to the upper part of one of a pair of chuck tables, and cooling and shrinking the semiconductor material transferred to the other chuck table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A semiconductor material cutting method according to one feature of the present invention is a semiconductor material cutting apparatus comprising: a pair of chuck tables on which semiconductor material is vacuum-adsorbed at the top and which are movable and rotatable in the Y-axis direction; a strip picker for transferring semiconductor material to the chuck tables; a cutting unit for cutting the semiconductor material by spraying cutting fluid onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material adsorbed on the chuck tables; and a cleaning nozzle provided at the top of the movement path of the chuck tables, wherein the semiconductor material cutting apparatus comprises: Step A involves a strip picker transferring the semiconductor material to the top of one of a pair of chuck tables, Step B involves imaging the semiconductor material transmitted to the chuck table by vision to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material with the cutting unit along the detected division line. While step B is being performed, step C is performed, in which the strip picker transfers the semiconductor material to the top of the remaining chuck table of the pair of chuck tables, the remaining chuck table moves to the bottom of the cleaning nozzle, and cleaning solution is sprayed onto the top surface of the semiconductor material vacuum-adsorbed to the top of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material, and air is sprayed onto the top surface of the cooled semiconductor material to remove moisture from the semiconductor material, and The method is characterized by including step D, which involves imaging the cooled semiconductor material using vision to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material along the detected division line using the cutting unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the method further includes step B0, in which, before performing step B, the chuck table moves to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle, a cleaning solution is sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material, and air is sprayed onto the cooled upper surface of the semiconductor material to remove moisture from the semiconductor material.

[0015] Furthermore, step B0 or ​​step C further includes a step of measuring the temperature of the semiconductor material that has been cooled by spraying cleaning solution using a temperature sensor before or after removing moisture, and if the measured temperature reaches a preset temperature range, step B or step D is executed, and if it does not reach a preset temperature range, additional cleaning solution is sprayed onto the surface of the semiconductor material.

[0016] Furthermore, step A01 includes preparing correlation data between the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material, depending on the type of semiconductor material, before executing step A, and step A02 includes setting the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution based on the correlation data in order to cool the semiconductor material to be cut to a predetermined temperature, and step C is characterized in that the cleaning solution is sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material according to the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution set in step A02.

[0017] Furthermore, the method further includes a step in which the first semiconductor material to be cut in step A02 is selected as a reference material, the temperature of the reference material is measured, and the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution to cool the semiconductor material to a predetermined temperature is set to a reference value for the semiconductor material to be cut based on the measured temperature. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The semiconductor material cutting method according to the present invention allows for a more rapid cooling process of the semiconductor material using a cleaning nozzle before the cutting process is performed. This creates an environment similar to the cutting fluid spray environment during cutting, allowing the semiconductor material to shrink in advance during the cooling process. Furthermore, by aligning the planned division lines of the semiconductor material while it is cooled and shrunk, and cutting based on this alignment, the planned division lines during vision inspection can be matched with the actual planned division lines that are cut, thereby improving the precision of the cutting.

[0019] Also, by performing the cooling process and the vision inspection process of such semiconductor materials in a state where the semiconductor materials wait before being cut, the productivity of the entire cutting process is not reduced. That is, while cutting the semiconductor material transferred to the upper part of one of the pair of chuck tables, the semiconductor material transferred to the upper part of the remaining one chuck table is cooled, and by inspecting the planned division line of the cooled semiconductor material, separate time for cooling and vision inspection of the semiconductor material becomes unnecessary, and an effect of ensuring the cutting quality of the material without reducing the UPH is produced.

[0020] Therefore, the method for cutting a semiconductor material according to the present invention provides the vision inspection result (planned division line position) of the shrunk semiconductor material, and then the cutting process is executed based on the planned division line position of the shrunk semiconductor material, thereby preventing the deviation between the planned division line position of the semiconductor material and the actually cut division line position, and an effect of improving the cutting quality is produced.

[0021] Also, the method for cutting a semiconductor material according to the present invention can also confirm a sufficient cooling state of the semiconductor material by including a process of measuring the temperature using a temperature sensor, and can also set the injection time and the injection frequency of the optimal cleaning liquid for cooling the semiconductor material. Thereby, in a state where the semiconductor material is sufficiently cooled, the cutting process is executed, and the change in the position of the planned division line due to the cutting fluid is prevented, and an effect of improving the cutting precision and the cutting quality is produced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] The schematic diagram of the cutting device for semiconductor materials according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] The schematic diagram of the side sectional view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] The sequence diagram of the method for cutting a semiconductor material according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] The following is merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art can implement the principles of the present invention and invent a variety of devices that fall within the concept and scope of the present invention, even if they are not explicitly described or shown in the figures herein. Furthermore, all conditional terms and examples listed herein are, in principle, for the purpose of illustrating the concepts of the present invention and should be understood as not being explicitly intended to limit the examples and conditions thus specifically listed.

[0024] The aforementioned objectives, features, and advantages will become even clearer through the detailed description of the drawings herein, thereby enabling a person with ordinary skill in the art to readily implement the technical concept of the present invention.

[0025] The embodiments described herein are explained with reference to cross-sectional and / or perspective views, which are ideal illustrative diagrams of the present invention. The thickness of the areas shown in such drawings is exaggerated for the purpose of effectively illustrating the technical content. The form of the illustrative diagrams may be modified by manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific forms shown, and include variations in form that result from the manufacturing process. The technical terms used herein are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “includes” or “composes” herein should be understood not to preclude the existence or additional possibility of features, figures, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein.

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a side cross-section of the semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2, the strip picker (110), cleaning unit (150), and unit picker (160) are omitted.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) of the present invention comprises a strip picker (110), a first chuck table (CT1), a second chuck table (CT2), a cleaning nozzle (NZ), a cutting unit (120), a vision (130), a temperature sensor (140), a cleaning unit (150), and a unit picker (160).

[0029] The strip picker (110) can pick up semiconductor materials (SR) that are sequentially supplied from a material supply unit (not shown) where multiple semiconductor materials (SR) are stacked. The strip picker (110) can move in the X-axis direction and transfer the picked-up semiconductor materials (SR) to at least one of the first chuck table (CT1) and the second chuck table (CT2). In this case, the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to and fixed to the first chuck table (CT1) may be the first semiconductor material (SR1), and the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to and fixed to the second chuck table (CT2) may be the second semiconductor material (SR2). Therefore, the semiconductor material (SR) may include the first semiconductor material (SR1) fixed to the first chuck table (CT1) and the second semiconductor material (SR2) fixed to the second chuck table (CT2).

[0030] The chuck tables may be a pair. The pair of chuck tables includes a first chuck table (CT1) and a second chuck table (CT2), each of which is movable in the Y-axis direction and can rotate from the X-axis direction to the Y-axis direction or from the Y-axis direction to the X-axis direction in Figure 1. For example, the first chuck table (CT1) can be positioned in the X-axis or Y-axis direction in Figure 1. The first chuck table (CT1) detects the division line by imaging the semiconductor material (SR) with a vision (130) while the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the upper part is held in vacuum. Along the detected division line, the cutting unit (120) performs a cutting process along the division line in the Y-axis or X-axis direction of the first semiconductor material (SR1) fixed to the first chuck table (CT1). Next, the semiconductor material cutting device (100) can change the cutting direction of the semiconductor material (SR) by rotating the first chuck table (CT1) from the Y-axis direction to the X-axis direction or from the X-axis direction to the Y-axis direction so that the cutting unit (120) is positioned on the planned division line in the X-axis or Y-axis direction of the first semiconductor material (SR1).

[0031] The cutting unit (120) may be movable in the X-axis direction. The cutting unit (120) moves in the X-axis direction and performs the cutting process along the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) fixed to the first chuck table (CT1) and the second chuck table (CT2), respectively.

[0032] The cutting unit (120) includes a blade for cutting semiconductor material (SR) and a cutting fluid spray nozzle for spraying cutting fluid from the blade and the semiconductor material (SR). The blade is mounted on a rotatable spindle to cut the semiconductor material (SR) and is movable in the X-axis direction through mating with the chuck table so that it can cut along all planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0033] The cutting unit (120) is equipped with a cutting fluid spray nozzle that extends along the side of the blade, and the cutting fluid spray nozzle is connected to a pipe that sprays cutting fluid to supply the cutting fluid. The cutting fluid spray nozzle supplies cutting fluid to the blade and the semiconductor material (SR) to cool the heat generated in the blade during the cutting of the semiconductor material (SR), to discharge the scrap generated during cutting, and to prevent the whitening phenomenon that occurs on the surface of the semiconductor material (SR) during the cutting process.

[0034] The cleaning nozzle (NZ) is located above the movement path of the chuck table and sprays cleaning fluid onto the surface of the cut semiconductor material (SR) to remove scrap generated during cutting and clean the surface of the semiconductor material (SR). In addition to cleaning the top surface of the cut semiconductor material (SR), the cleaning nozzle (NZ) also performs a function of cooling the semiconductor material (SR) before cutting is performed.

[0035] In other words, the cleaning solution is sprayed onto the semiconductor material (SR) to lower its temperature and perform a cooling function. When the cleaning solution is sprayed while the semiconductor material (SR) is adsorbed onto the chuck table, an environment similar to that when the semiconductor material (SR) is cut is created, except for the process of cutting. Specifically, when the cleaning solution is sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR), its temperature is lowered, and a gap is created between the semiconductor material (SR) and the vacuum adsorption surface of the chuck table. Through this gap, the cleaning solution and air flow in quickly, further lowering the temperature of the chuck table, and the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the upper part of the chuck table becomes even lower.

[0036] Specifically, the cleaning fluid of the cleaning nozzle (NZ) may be the same temperature and composition as the cutting fluid for the blade provided in the cutting unit (120). For example, it may be water from which ions have been removed to prevent static electricity generation during the cutting process, or water cooled by a chiller. The cleaning nozzle (NZ) is arranged to spray the cleaning fluid independently onto the first semiconductor material (SR1) provided on the first chuck table (CT1) and the second semiconductor material (SR2) provided on the second chuck table (CT2).

[0037] The cleaning fluid sprayed through the cleaning nozzle (NZ) may be the same substance as the cutting fluid present in the cutting unit and sprayed onto the surface of the blade and the semiconductor material (SR). If the temperature of the cleaning fluid is lower than the temperature at which it can perform a cooling function, the cleaning fluid can be used as cooling water and sprayed towards the semiconductor material (SR) through the cleaning nozzle (NZ). Conversely, if the temperature of the cutting fluid is higher than the temperature at which it can perform a cooling function, cooling water at a lower temperature than the cutting fluid can be sprayed towards the semiconductor material (SR) through the cleaning nozzle (NZ).

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cleaning nozzle (NZ) can be fixedly installed on the top of the first chuck table (CT1) and the second chuck table (CT2), respectively. The cleaning nozzle (NZ) may include a first cleaning nozzle (NZ1) fixedly installed on the top of the first chuck table (CT1) and a second cleaning nozzle (NZ2) fixedly installed on the top of the second chuck table (CT2).

[0039] The cleaning nozzle (NZ) may have functions for spraying cleaning fluid and spraying air. The air spray function of the cleaning nozzle (NZ) is used to dry semiconductor materials (SR) that may still have moisture remaining from the cleaning fluid before inspecting the line to be divided using vision.

[0040] The cleaning nozzle (NZ) can selectively spray one or more of cleaning fluid and / or air onto the semiconductor material (SR). Specifically, when the cleaning nozzle (NZ) is used to cool the semiconductor material (SR) by lowering its temperature, it can spray only cleaning fluid or both cleaning fluid and air. Conversely, when the cleaning nozzle (NZ) is used to dry the moist semiconductor material (SR) with cleaning fluid, it can spray only air. The sprayed air may be compressed air or cooled air.

[0041] A semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may further include an air nozzle that sprays only air. In this case, the semiconductor material (SR) can be cooled by a cleaning solution sprayed from a cleaning nozzle (NZ) and then dried by air sprayed from the air nozzle.

[0042] The vision device (130) is movable in the X-axis direction above the chuck table to detect the planned splitting lines of the semiconductor material. It can inspect the planned splitting lines of the first semiconductor material (SR1) held by the first chuck table (CT1) and the second semiconductor material (SR2) held by the second chuck table (CT2).

[0043] The planned division line refers to the cutting line where the semiconductor material will be cut. Inspection of the planned division line involves sequentially capturing images of recognition marks placed at pre-set positions on the semiconductor material (SR) held in suction to the top of the chuck table using a vision device (130), acquiring images, and calculating positional information for the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) based on the acquired images.

[0044] In the step of cutting the semiconductor material (SR), the cutting unit (120) can be used to cut the semiconductor material (SR) along the planned division line acquired through the vision (130).

[0045] A temperature sensor (140) may be mounted on one side of the vision (130). The temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) before the cutting process is performed. Preferably, the temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) before the cutting process is performed. More preferably, it can measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) located at the inspection point of the vision (130) in order to perform inspection through the vision (130). The temperature sensor (140) may transmit the measured temperature value to a control unit (not shown). Based on the temperature value received from the temperature sensor (140), the control unit determines whether to cut the semiconductor material (SR) or to perform an additional cooling process to bring it to an even lower temperature.

[0046] Of course, a separate temperature sensor (140) may be provided, and the temperature can be measured in advance in a separate space.

[0047] The unit picker (160) can pick up semiconductor material (SR) cut by the cutting unit (120) from the chuck table and return it to the sorting and material selection device (not shown) via the washing unit (150).

[0048] The cleaning unit (150) may include a brush and a cleaning spray nozzle (not shown). The cleaning unit (150) can clean the underside of the cut semiconductor material (SR) with a brush, clean the underside of the semiconductor material (SR) by spraying a cleaning solution onto it, or clean the underside of the semiconductor material (SR) by providing both a brush and a cleaning spray nozzle. The cut semiconductor material (SR) may be divided into individual semiconductor material units. The cleaning spray nozzle is positioned on the underside of the cut semiconductor material (SR) and can effectively clean the underside of the semiconductor material (SR) picked up by the unit picker.

[0049] The following describes the method of cutting semiconductor materials using the semiconductor material cutting device described above.

[0050] The present invention provides a method for cutting semiconductor materials, Step A involves a strip picker (110) transferring semiconductor material (SR) to the top of one of a pair of chuck tables (CT1, CT2), Step B involves imaging the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to the chuck table by the vision (130) to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material (SR) along the detected division line with the cutting unit (120), While step B is being performed, the strip picker (110) transfers the semiconductor material (SR) to the top of the remaining chuck table of the pair of chuck tables, the remaining chuck table moves to the bottom of the cleaning nozzle (NZ), and cleaning solution is sprayed onto the top surface of the semiconductor material (SR) vacuum-adsorbed to the top of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material (SR), and air is sprayed onto the top surface of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) to remove moisture from the semiconductor material (SR) in step C, and Step D includes imaging the cooled semiconductor material (SR) with a vision device (130) to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material (SR) along the detected division line with the cutting unit (120).

[0051] In other words, according to the semiconductor material cutting method of the present invention, while the cutting step of one of the chuck tables of a pair of chuck tables is being performed, the steps of cooling the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the top of the other chuck table and removing moisture may be performed.

[0052] In this case, one of the chuck tables may be either the first chuck table (CT1) or the second chuck table (CT2), and the remaining chuck table may be either the second chuck table (CT2) or the first chuck table (CT1).

[0053] In this case, the first chuck table (CT1) or the second chuck table (CT2) are merely distinguished on the drawing for the sake of clarity and are not limitations.

[0054] A method for cutting semiconductor materials (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be performed by components of a semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to such a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram of a preferred embodiment of the semiconductor material cutting method (1) according to the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the semiconductor material cutting method (1) includes step S10 of transferring the semiconductor material (SR) to the upper part of the first chuck table (CT1), Step S20 involves imaging the first semiconductor material (SR1) transmitted to the first chuck table (CT1) by vision (130) to detect the division line, and cutting the first semiconductor material (SR1) along the detected division line using a cutting unit (120), While step S20 is being performed, step S30 is performed to transfer the second semiconductor material (SR2) to the top of the second chuck table (CT2), to cool the second semiconductor material (SR2) by spraying cleaning solution onto the top surface of the second semiconductor material (SR2) transferred to the top of the second chuck table (CT2), and to remove moisture from the second semiconductor material (SR2) by spraying air onto the cooled top surface of the second semiconductor material (SR2). The process may also include step S40, in which the cooled second semiconductor material (SR2) is imaged by a vision device (130) to detect the division line, and the second semiconductor material (SR2) is cut along the detected division line by a cutting unit (120).

[0056] The method for cutting semiconductor materials according to the present invention will be described in more detail below, with reference to the drawings.

[0057] In step S10, the strip picker (110) can pick up one of the semiconductor materials (SR) supplied from the material supply unit and transfer it to one of the pair of chuck tables. Here, one of the chuck tables can be referred to as the first chuck table (CT1). The strip picker (110) can vacuum-adsorb the first semiconductor material (SR1) onto the first chuck table (CT1). The first semiconductor material (SR1) initially fixed to the first chuck table (CT1) by the strip picker (110) may be fixed in the Y-axis direction of Figure 1, or it may be crimped in the X-axis direction of Figure 1.

[0058] However, the strip picker (110) may have a longer length in the X-axis direction of Figure 1. In this case, the initial position of the first chuck table (CT1) may preferably be in the X-axis direction corresponding to the X-axis direction of the strip picker (110). When the direction of the initial position of the first chuck table (CT1) is the same as the direction of the strip picker (110), the semiconductor material (SR) picked up by the strip picker (110) can be transmitted to the first chuck table (CT1) without rotation of the first chuck table (CT1) in the Y-axis direction. This eliminates the unnecessary rotation process of the first chuck table (CT1) in the Y-axis direction, improving the transmission efficiency of the semiconductor material (SR) to the strip picker (110).

[0059] Next, step S20 can be performed in which the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to the chuck table is imaged to detect the planned division line, and the semiconductor material (SR) is cut by the cutting unit (120) along the detected planned division line. In step S20, the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) is first inspected by vision (130). At this time, the first chuck table (CT1), which has an initial position in the X-axis direction, can undergo vision inspection while the first semiconductor material (SR1) is vacuum-adsorbed. Vision inspection can be performed by vision (130). Vision inspection can acquire an image of the recognition mark provided at a preset position on the first semiconductor material (SR1) adsorbed on the first chuck table (CT1), and the position information of the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) can be calculated based on the acquired image. Therefore, vision inspection may be a position inspection of the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0060] Next, the cutting unit (120) can be used to cut the first semiconductor material (SR1) along the detected division line. The cutting unit (120) can cut the first semiconductor material (SR1) by moving the chuck table in the Y-axis direction while rotating the blade. At this time, the cutting unit (120) can cut the first semiconductor material (SR1) according to the inspection result inspected by the vision (130), that is, the position of the division line of the first semiconductor material (SR1).

[0061] The cutting unit (120) can cut the first semiconductor material (SR1) along the planned division line of the first semiconductor material (SR1) which is fixed in the X-axis direction corresponding to the first chuck table (CT1) which has its initial position in the X-axis direction in Figure 1. At this time, the cutting unit (120) may be provided on the upper part of the first semiconductor material (SR1) corresponding to the planned division line in the Y-axis direction of the first semiconductor material (SR1) which is fixed in the X-axis direction along the planned division lines in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the first semiconductor material (SR1). The cutting unit (120) can cut the first semiconductor material (SR1) along the planned division line of the first semiconductor material (SR1) at the corresponding position.

[0062] Here, we have described a method of performing cutting without rotating the first chuck table (CT1), which initially has its position in the X-axis direction. However, as one embodiment, after the semiconductor material (SR) is transferred, the first chuck table (CT1) is rotated to orient the first semiconductor material in the Y-axis direction, that is, the long side is cut first, followed by the short side, thereby minimizing the displacement of the semiconductor material (SR) that occurs during the cutting process.

[0063] The first chuck table (CT1), located in the X-axis direction in Figure 1, can be rotated in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1 after completing the cutting process on the first semiconductor material (SR1) in the X-axis direction. As an example, Figure 1 shows the first chuck table (CT1) after completing the cutting process in the X-axis direction and rotating in the Y-axis direction.

[0064] The strip picker (110) transfers semiconductor material to one of the pair of chuck tables, and then transfers new semiconductor material (SR) to the other chuck table. The strip picker (110) can pick up other semiconductor material (SR) that is cut in the material supply section and transfer it to the second chuck table (CT2). This allows the second semiconductor material (SR2) to be transferred to and picked up by the second chuck table (CT2).

[0065] Therefore, in step S10, after the first semiconductor material (SR1) has been transferred to the first chuck table (CT1), or in step S20, when the process of imaging the first semiconductor material (SR1) transferred to the first chuck table (CT1) to detect the division line is performed, the strip picker (110) may perform the step of transferring the second semiconductor material (SR2) to the remaining chuck table, i.e., the second chuck table (CT2). Once the second semiconductor material (SR2) has been transferred to the second chuck table (CT2), the second chuck table (CT2) may move to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle (NZ), and cleaning fluid may be sprayed onto the upper surface of the second semiconductor material (SR2) that is vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the second chuck table (CT2) to cool the second semiconductor material (SR2). After that, air can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the cooled second semiconductor material (SR2) to remove moisture from the second semiconductor material (SR2).

[0066] Specifically, step S30 may be performed while the process of cutting the first semiconductor material (SR1) in step S20 is being carried out, and in step S30, the transfer, cooling, and drying steps of the second semiconductor material (SR2) may be performed. Of course, the transfer, cooling, drying, and vision inspection of the second semiconductor material (SR2) may be performed depending on the cutting time of the first semiconductor material (SR1).

[0067] On the other hand, in step S30, the second semiconductor material (SR2) may be cooled by a cleaning solution sprayed through a cleaning nozzle (NZ). In this case, the cleaning nozzle (NZ) may be a second cleaning nozzle (NZ2) fixedly installed on the upper part of the second semiconductor material (SR2). While step S30 is being performed, the cutting step of the first semiconductor material (SR1) adsorbed onto the upper part of the first chuck table (CT1) may continue to be performed. Accordingly, the second semiconductor material (SR2) may have a lower temperature due to being cooled by the cleaning solution sprayed through the cleaning nozzle (NZ) while the cutting process is being performed on the first semiconductor material (SR1).

[0068] The reason for cooling the semiconductor material (SR) at this time is to create an environment identical to the one in which the semiconductor material (SR) is cut. When the semiconductor material (SR) is cut by the cutting unit (120), a low-temperature cutting fluid is sprayed onto the semiconductor material (SR), lowering the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR). This creates a gap between the chuck table, which is vacuum-adsorbing the semiconductor material (SR), and the semiconductor material (SR). Cutting fluid and air then rapidly flow through this gap, cooling the chuck table, and further lowering the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) adsorbed on the top of the chuck table, thus cooling it down.

[0069] Conventionally, the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) during vision inspection before cutting was approximately 22°C to 25°C. However, when cutting the semiconductor material (SR), its temperature drops to 12°C to 15°C. The semiconductor material (SR) shrinks at lower temperatures, and this shrinkage accumulates throughout the entire semiconductor material (SR). Therefore, when cutting the semiconductor material (SR), the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) shrinks and changes from the position of the initial planned division line inspected during vision inspection. Conventionally, however, the semiconductor material (SR) supplied from the material supply unit was quickly vision-inspected to detect the planned division line, and cutting was performed along the detected planned division line. As a result, a cutting offset occurs due to the amount of shrinkage of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0070] Therefore, the present invention aims to detect the position of the shrunk division line by pre-cooling and shrinking the semiconductor material (SR) in the state at the time of cutting before visual inspection of the semiconductor material (SR). That is, before cutting the semiconductor material (SR), the position of the shrunk division line can be detected through visual inspection while the semiconductor material (SR) is cooled and shrunk to the same state as the environment at the time of cutting. Preferably, while cutting is performed on the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to one chuck table, the semiconductor material (SR) adsorbed on the remaining chuck table can be pre-cooled to the temperature at the time of cutting while waiting to be cut. At this time, the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) can be lowered by spraying a cleaning solution from the top side of the semiconductor material (SR) to the same state as the environment at the time of cutting for cooling.

[0071] In contrast, in step S30, the second semiconductor material (SR2) can be cooled and shrunk by the cleaning solution from the cleaning nozzle (NZ). As a result, the planned division lines of the second semiconductor material (SR2) can be changed in position due to the shrunk state of the second semiconductor material (SR2). Next, air can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the second semiconductor material (SR2) to dry and remove any remaining moisture on the semiconductor material (SR). The air spraying is a process to remove moisture that will be used to eliminate noise during subsequent vision inspection, and the cooled and shrunk state of the semiconductor material (SR) remains unchanged even after the air is sprayed.

[0072] On the other hand, before or after removing moisture, a further step can be performed in which a temperature sensor (140) is used to measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) that has been cooled by the spraying of cleaning solution.

[0073] At this time, if the measured temperature reaches a preset temperature range, the cooled semiconductor material (SR) is imaged with a vision device (130) to detect the division line, and the semiconductor material (SR) can be cut along the detected division line.

[0074] If the measured temperature does not reach a preset temperature range, cleaning solution can be added and sprayed onto the top surface of the semiconductor material (SR) using the cleaning nozzle (NZ). After adding and spraying the cleaning solution, air must be sprayed to completely remove the moisture; therefore, preferably, the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) is measured with a temperature sensor (140) before removing the moisture.

[0075] If the measured temperature reaches a preset temperature range, it is preferable to completely remove moisture from the semiconductor material (SR) by spraying air, and then detect the planned division lines of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) with the vision (130).

[0076] Alternatively, after cooling the semiconductor material (SR), the temperature of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) can be measured by a temperature sensor (140) to confirm whether the semiconductor material (SR) has been sufficiently cooled to a preset temperature range. In addition, the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution can be set so that the semiconductor material (SR) is sufficiently cooled to a preset temperature range.

[0077] Therefore, before performing the semiconductor material cutting method, the present invention can provide correlation data between the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material, depending on the type of semiconductor material (SR).

[0078] For example, data on the temperature change of semiconductor material (SR) and the cleaning solution spray time or number of sprays required to cool it to a predetermined temperature, such as the spray time or number of sprays of cleaning solution required to lower the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) by 1°C, or the spray time or number of sprays required to lower the temperature by 2°C, can be prepared in advance, entered, and saved.

[0079] Therefore, in order to cool the semiconductor material (SR) to be cut to a predetermined temperature, the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution can be set based on correlation data between the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material (SR). At this time, the set spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution can be determined as a reference value for cooling the semiconductor material (SR).

[0080] Preferably, the first semiconductor material (SR) to be cut can be selected as a reference material, and its temperature can be measured. At this time, the temperature measurement of the reference material can be performed in a vision inspection area located near the cleaning nozzle (NZ), as shown in Figure 1, or it may be performed with the semiconductor material (SR) being transferred to the chuck table by installing a temperature sensor (140) in the area where the strip picker (110) transfers the semiconductor material (SR), or it may be measured in a separate space.

[0081] Based on the temperature measured through the temperature sensor (140), the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution to cool the semiconductor material (SR) to a predetermined temperature can be set to a reference value for the semiconductor material (SR) to be cut.

[0082] Meanwhile, the cooled semiconductor material (SR) is imaged with a vision system to detect the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR). When inspecting the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) with the vision system (130), any moisture remaining on the semiconductor material (SR) becomes noise during the vision inspection. Therefore, the second semiconductor material (SR2), which has been cleaned before the semiconductor material (SR) is imaged with the vision system (130) to detect the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR), is dried by a cleaning nozzle (NZ) to remove moisture.

[0083] The cleaning nozzle (NZ) may have functions for spraying cleaning fluid and spraying air. Accordingly, the process of drying the second semiconductor material (SR2) can be carried out through the air spraying function of the cleaning nozzle (NZ). The air sprayed through the cleaning nozzle (NZ) may include compressed air and cooled air.

[0084] A semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can supply both cleaning solution and air by spraying them together through a cleaning nozzle (NZ) when cooling the semiconductor material (SR). After the cooling of the semiconductor material (SR) is completed by controlling the cleaning nozzle (NZ), the supply of cleaning solution can be shut off and only air can be sprayed to dry the semiconductor material (SR). Of course, the semiconductor material (SR) may be dried by controlling the cleaning nozzle (NZ), but an air nozzle (not shown) that sprays only air can also be added separately from the cleaning nozzle (NZ).

[0085] In this case, the step of removing moisture from the semiconductor material (SR) in step S30 can be performed through an air nozzle. The air nozzle only has the function of spraying air and does not need to be controlled to block the spraying of cleaning solution from the cleaning nozzle (NZ), and there is no concern that residual water inside the cleaning nozzle (NZ) will leak out while air is being sprayed onto the second semiconductor material (SR2), which is advantageous for drying the second semiconductor material (SR2).

[0086] The air sprayed through the air nozzle may include compressed air and cooled air.

[0087] Next, the step of performing a vision inspection of the second semiconductor material (SR2) in step S40 can be performed. The second semiconductor material (SR2) can undergo the vision inspection of step S40 while it is cooled and shrunk by step S30. The vision inspection can be performed through vision (130). Vision (130) can be moved in the X-axis direction and can inspect the position of the planned division lines of the second semiconductor material (SR2) while moving in the X-axis direction over the second semiconductor material (SR2).

[0088] For reference, in step S40, when the process of detecting the planned division line of the second semiconductor material (SR2) is performed, the cutting step of the first semiconductor material (SR1) in step S20 can still be performed. That is, once the cutting step of the first semiconductor material (SR1) is completed, the cutting step of the second semiconductor material (SR2) can be performed. Therefore, once the cutting step of the first semiconductor material (SR1) is completed, the cutting unit moves in the X-axis direction in Figure 1 after completing step S20, and is positioned above the second chuck table (CT2), and can cut the second semiconductor material (SR2) along the planned division line of the second semiconductor material (SR2) detected by vision. Of course, at this time, the planned division line of the second semiconductor material (SR2) detected by vision is the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) that has been cooled and shrunk in step S30. Therefore, since the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) are detected by vision while the semiconductor material (SR) is pre-cooled, the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) that are actually cut may be the same as the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) detected by vision.

[0089] On the other hand, when cutting the second semiconductor material (SR2), the first semiconductor material (SR1) that has been cut on the first chuck table (CT1) is picked up by the unit picker (160) and moved to the cleaning unit (150). A new semiconductor material (SR) is then transferred to the first chuck table (CT1) by the strip picker (110), and with the first chuck table (CT1) moved below the cleaning nozzle (NZ), the cooling, drying, and vision inspection of the semiconductor material (SR) are performed continuously.

[0090] In other words, the semiconductor material cutting method of the present invention is performed continuously, and while the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the top of one of a pair of chuck tables is being cut, the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the remaining chuck table, which is waiting to be cut, is pre-cooled by a cleaning nozzle (NZ) to a state similar to the environment during cutting, and the cooled and shrunk semiconductor material (SR) is then inspected against the line to be divided.

[0091] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for cutting semiconductor material (1) in which, before performing the step of cutting the semiconductor material (SR), the semiconductor material (SR) is cooled through a cleaning nozzle (NZ), moisture is removed from the cooled semiconductor material (SR), and then the semiconductor material (SR) is imaged by vision to detect the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0092] In the semiconductor material (SR) cutting step, the cutting is performed along the planned division line of the cooled and shrunk semiconductor material (SR). Therefore, the cutting unit (120) receives input for the planned division line position of the semiconductor material (SR) that has already been cooled and shrunk through the sequential execution of steps S30 and S40.

[0093] If, unlike the semiconductor material cutting method (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vision inspection of the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to the chuck table is performed without a cooling and shrinking step, and the cutting process is performed sequentially based on the results of the vision inspection, then during the cutting process, a low-temperature cutting fluid is sprayed toward the blade and the semiconductor material (SR), and cutting fluid and air rapidly flow in through the gap between the semiconductor material (SR) and the chuck table during vacuum adsorption, causing the temperature of the chuck table to drop further and the semiconductor material (SR) to shrink.

[0094] Specifically, because the cutting fluid has a low temperature to cool the blade, when sprayed onto the semiconductor material (SR), it can lower the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR). Even if the temperature of the cutting fluid does not decrease, the cutting fluid may still lower the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) by scattering after colliding with the surface of the blade and absorbing heat from the surroundings, causing the semiconductor material (SR) to shrink during the cutting process.

[0095] However, when the semiconductor material (SR) shrinks due to the cutting fluid, the planned division line position determined by the vision inspection results changes from the actual division line position during the cutting process. That is, the vision (130) detects the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) before it shrinks, and the cutting unit (120) performs the cutting process on the semiconductor material (SR) based on the planned division line position before shrinkage. As a result, the actual cut division line position and the planned division line position that should have been cut change. This not only causes problems with reduced cutting quality but also leads to the mass production of defective products.

[0096] However, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for cutting semiconductor material (1) allows for the creation of a shrinkage environment for the semiconductor material (SR) by the cleaning solution in advance of the cutting step by performing the cooling step before the cutting step. This allows the semiconductor material (SR) to shrink before the cutting step.

[0097] Furthermore, since the planned division lines of the semiconductor material (SR) are detected by vision (130) while the material is contracted, the actual division lines to be cut and the detected planned division lines become the same, thereby improving the precision of cutting the semiconductor material (SR).

[0098] Therefore, the semiconductor material cutting method (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention differs from a semiconductor material cutting method that does not perform a prior cooling step in that the semiconductor material cutting step detects the planned division line of the cooled semiconductor material (SR), and the cutting unit (120) performs cutting along the detected planned division line at the planned division line position of the semiconductor material (SR), thereby enabling correspondence between the planned division line and the actual division line position to be cut.

[0099] Once the cutting is complete, the semiconductor material (SR) can be picked up by a unit picker (160), cleaned through a cleaning spray nozzle in a cleaning unit (150), and then returned to a sorting and material selection device.

[0100] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for cutting semiconductor material (1) in which, while performing the cutting process on the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to one of a pair of chuck tables, the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the other chuck table is cooled and pre-shrunk, and then the cutting process is performed based on the planned division line position of the already shrunk semiconductor material (SR). This prevents a discrepancy between the planned division line position obtained through vision inspection and the actual division line position cut by the cutting unit (120) during the cutting process of the semiconductor material (SR). Accordingly, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for cutting semiconductor material (1) in which the cutting process of the semiconductor material (SR) can be improved by increasing the cutting precision of the semiconductor material (SR) and improving the cutting quality.

[0101] On the other hand, when performing the semiconductor material cutting method (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the degree to which the temperature of the chuck table decreases relatively is sometimes weak when cutting the first semiconductor material (SR). Generally, as the semiconductor material (SR) is repeatedly cut on the chuck table, cutting fluid is sprayed, and the degree of cooling of the chuck table increases during the cutting process. However, when cutting the first semiconductor material (SR), even if cutting fluid is sprayed during the cutting process, the cutting time is relatively short, and the chuck table may not cool down during the cutting process.

[0102] Furthermore, in the case of the first semiconductor material (SR), cutting is performed immediately after the vision inspection without any waiting time. Therefore, the amount of shrinkage may be smaller than that of the second semiconductor material (SR), which must wait on the chuck table until the cutting of the first semiconductor material (SR) is complete. Consequently, the first semiconductor material (SR) may not need to be cooled beforehand.

[0103] Therefore, step A involves the strip picker (110) transferring the semiconductor material (SR) to the top of one of the pair of chuck tables, Step B involves imaging the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to the chuck table by the vision (130) to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material (SR) along the detected division line with the cutting unit (120), While step B is being performed, step C is performed, in which the strip picker (110) transfers the semiconductor material (SR) to the upper part of the remaining chuck table of the pair of chuck tables, the remaining chuck table moves to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle (NZ) and sprays cleaning solution onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material (SR), and air is sprayed onto the cooled upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) to remove moisture from the semiconductor material (SR), and A method for cutting semiconductor materials, which includes step D of imaging the cooled semiconductor material (SR) with a vision device (130) to detect a division line and cutting the semiconductor material (SR) along the detected division line with the cutting unit (120), is described as a typical case where the semiconductor materials (SR) are cut sequentially starting from the first one.

[0104] When the semiconductor material (SR) is small or the cutting path is short, the cutting time may be short and the time it is exposed to the cutting fluid may be short. Therefore, when cutting the first piece of semiconductor material (SR), the cutting time may be short and it may not be able to shrink due to the cutting fluid.

[0105] Therefore, even if the first semiconductor material (SR) is cut based on the results of a vision inspection (planned division line position) while it is not cooled, it does not cause a problem where the planned division line position of the first semiconductor material (SR) and the division line position actually cut by the cutting unit (120) are misaligned.

[0106] However, if the initial semiconductor material (SR) is large, the cutting path is long and requires a long cutting time, or if a cold fluid is used as a cutting fluid, the semiconductor material (SR) may cool and shrink during the cutting process.

[0107] Furthermore, when the uniformity of the cut semiconductor material (SR) is important, even small shrinkage can affect the size of the cut semiconductor material (SR), so it is necessary to maintain the same cutting environment from the initial semiconductor material (SR).

[0108] In such cases, before performing step B, step B0 can be further performed, in which the chuck table moves to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle (NZ), and cleaning solution is sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) that is vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material (SR), and air is sprayed onto the cooled upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) to remove moisture from the semiconductor material (SR).

[0109] Specifically, after the strip picker (110) transfers the first semiconductor material (SR) to the top of one of a pair of chuck tables, the chuck table moves to the bottom of the cleaning nozzle (NZ), and the cleaning solution is sprayed onto the top surface of the semiconductor material (SR) for a preset spraying time or number of sprays to cool the first semiconductor material (SR), and air is sprayed onto the top surface of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) to remove moisture from the semiconductor material (SR). After that, the cooled semiconductor material (SR) is imaged by the vision (130) to detect the planned division line of the first semiconductor material (SR), and the first semiconductor material (SR) can be cut along the detected planned division line by the cutting unit (120).

[0110] Furthermore, while the step of cutting the first semiconductor material (SR) is being performed, the second semiconductor material (SR) is transferred to the top of the remaining chuck table, and the second semiconductor material (SR) can be cooled, dried, and visually inspected. Here, once the cutting of the first semiconductor material (SR) is complete, the chuck table is moved to a position for transferring the semiconductor material (SR), and during the movement, a cleaning nozzle (NZ) can be used to clean any foreign matter remaining on the top surface of the semiconductor material (SR). While the chuck table to which the first semiconductor material (SR) was transferred moves to a position for transferring the cut semiconductor material (SR), the cutting unit (120) moves to the top of the chuck table to which the second semiconductor material (SR) was transferred and cutting is performed. While the second semiconductor material (SR) is being cut, the first semiconductor material (SR) is removed from the chuck table, and the third semiconductor material (SR) is transferred onto the removed chuck table, and the third semiconductor material (SR) can be cooled, dried, and visually inspected.

[0111] In other words, the cooling and drying steps for the initial semiconductor material (SR) can be performed selectively. Therefore, the initial semiconductor material (SR) may be uncooled or cooled before the cutting step is performed. Of course, the cooling and drying process may be performed by the cleaning nozzle (NZ) in the same way as in step S30, or it may be cooled by the cleaning nozzle (NZ) and dried by the cleaning nozzle (NZ) or a separate air nozzle.

[0112] Of course, even in the case of the initial semiconductor material (SR), a further step may be performed in which a temperature sensor (140) is used to measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) after it has been cooled by spraying cleaning solution, either before or after the moisture has been removed. At this time, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor (140) reaches a preset temperature range, the cutting step of the semiconductor material (SR) is performed. If the temperature does not reach the preset temperature range, additional cleaning solution can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) to cool it so that it reaches the preset temperature range.

[0113] Although we have described the steps sequentially by dividing the process into a pair of chuck tables, the cooling, dehydration, vision inspection, and cutting steps are all performed using the same steps and methods, so we will omit redundant explanations.

[0114] For reference, it is preferable that the cleaning nozzles (NZ) are provided above the first chuck table (CT1) and the second chuck table (CT2), respectively, and that the timing of the cleaning fluid injection is independently controlled by the operation and position of each chuck table. That is, the cleaning fluid is injected when cooling of the semiconductor material (SR) transmitted to the chuck table is necessary, and the cleaning fluid is injected during the process of discharging the semiconductor material (SR) after cutting is complete.

[0115] On the other hand, in the case of the first semiconductor material (SR1) described above, it may be the first semiconductor material (SR1, hereinafter referred to as the first semiconductor material) that is initially attached to the first chuck table (CT1) at the start of operation of the semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, or it may be the first semiconductor material (SR1) that is newly attached to the first chuck table (CT1) while the cutting process of the second semiconductor material (SR2) is being carried out.

[0116] Accordingly, in the explanation with reference to Figure 3, the semiconductor material (SR) in step S10 may preferably be the first semiconductor material (SR1).

[0117] In contrast, the semiconductor material (SR) in step S10 of Figure 3 may be the first semiconductor material (SR1) that has been newly attached to the first chuck table (CT1) and is waiting while the second semiconductor material (SR2) is being cut. In this case, the first semiconductor material (SR1) may undergo a cooling and drying process through a cleaning nozzle (NZ) prior to the cutting step in step S10.

[0118] A semiconductor material cutting apparatus (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may include a temperature sensor (140). The temperature sensor (140) may be used to measure the temperature of the cooled and shrunk semiconductor material (SR), or it may be used to set the spray time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution from the cleaning nozzle (NZ).

[0119] Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method for cutting semiconductor materials (1) is performed before step A, Step A01 involves preparing correlation data between the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution depending on the type of semiconductor material (SR) and the temperature change of the semiconductor material (SR), and Step A02 may further include setting the spray time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution based on the correlation data in order to cool the semiconductor material (SR) to be cut to a predetermined temperature. Furthermore, the spray time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution set in step A02 is applied when spraying the cleaning solution in step C. That is, step C is characterized by spraying the cleaning solution onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) with the spray time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution set in step A02.

[0120] In the present invention, step A02 further includes the step of selecting the first semiconductor material (SR) to be cut as a reference material and measuring the temperature of the reference material, in order to determine the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution. At this time, based on the measured temperature of the reference material, the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution to cool the semiconductor material (SR) to a predetermined temperature can be set to a reference value for the semiconductor material (SR) to be cut.

[0121] To explain in more detail, a temperature sensor (140) is used to measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR). The cooling temperature required to cool the semiconductor material (SR) during subsequent cutting can then be calculated.

[0122] In this case, the present invention is in a state where correlation data between the spraying time of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material (SR), or correlation data between the number of sprays of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material (SR), are prepared in advance, depending on the type of semiconductor material (SR).

[0123] Therefore, the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution may be set based on correlation data, and if the temperature difference that needs to be cooled is large, the cleaning solution can be sprayed onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material (SR) by increasing the spraying time or the number of sprays of the cleaning solution.

[0124] At this time, in order to minimize the time required for the semiconductor material cutting method, the pre-cutting temperature of the first semiconductor material (SR) to be cut is measured, and the spraying time or number of sprays of cleaning solution to cool the semiconductor material (SR) to the normal cooling temperature or a predetermined target temperature at the time of cutting is set. Then, the set spraying time or number of sprays of cleaning solution is set as a base value, and the base value (spraying time or number of sprays of cleaning solution) set collectively is applied to the cooling step for the remaining semiconductor materials (SR).

[0125] Furthermore, in other embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) can be measured by a temperature sensor (140) to individually check whether or not it has reached a preset temperature range. Of course, such temperature checks can be performed individually for each semiconductor material (SR), but the cooling state can also be checked each time a predetermined number of semiconductor materials (SR) are cut according to the setting value.

[0126] Of course, the temperature sensor (140) can also measure the temperature of the cooled and shrunk semiconductor material (SR). Preferably, the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) can be measured before or after the cooling is performed by spraying a cleaning solution in the cooling step to remove moisture from the cooled semiconductor material (SR). The temperature sensor (140) can transmit the measured temperature value to a control unit (not shown). If the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) measured by the temperature sensor (140) reaches a preset temperature range, the steps of inspecting the cooled semiconductor material (SR) with a vision (130) and cutting it along the inspected division line are performed sequentially. If the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) is measured before moisture removal, the steps of removing moisture from the semiconductor material (SR), inspecting the moisture-free semiconductor material (SR) with a vision (130), and cutting it along the inspected division line can be performed sequentially.

[0127] On the other hand, when the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) is measured by the temperature sensor (140), if it does not reach a preset temperature range, additional cleaning solution can be sprayed to further cool the semiconductor material (SR). After spraying the additional cleaning solution, the moisture can be removed, and the dehydrated semiconductor material (SR) can be inspected by the vision (130), and then cut along the inspected planned division line can be performed.

[0128] For reference, a preset temperature range can be set in the control unit. The preset temperature range may be changed depending on the type of semiconductor material (SR) and the temperature of the cleaning solution, for example, it may be 12°C to 15°C.

[0129] If the temperature measurement value transmitted by the temperature sensor (140) is within the preset temperature range of 12°C to 15°C, the control unit determines that the cooling state of the semiconductor material (SR) is sufficient and can perform a vision inspection of the planned division line of the cooled semiconductor material (SR).

[0130] Referring to Figure 1, the temperature sensor (140) is located on one side of the vision (130) and can move along with the vision (130) in the X-axis direction.

[0131] Of course, the temperature sensor (140) can also check the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) during the vision inspection in step S40, and simultaneously perform the vision inspection using the vision sensor (130) located on one side. In this case, the temperature measurement time can be shortened to measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR), and then the number of times the cleaning solution is sprayed or the spraying time of the cleaning solution can be changed during the cooling step of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0132] For reference, the temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature of the semiconductor material (SR) by measuring the temperature at specific locations in a point configuration across the entire upper surface area of ​​the semiconductor material (SR). For example, the temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature at three locations on the semiconductor material (SR) in a 3-point configuration. Alternatively, the temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature at five locations on the semiconductor material (SR) in a 5-point configuration.

[0133] The temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature at three locations within the entire upper surface area of ​​the semiconductor material (SR). The three locations may be a virtual center point of the semiconductor material (SR) and outline points on both sides of the virtual center point of an object located on the same horizontal line as the virtual center point.

[0134] Alternatively, the temperature sensor (140) can measure the temperature at five locations within the entire upper surface area of ​​the semiconductor material (SR). These five locations may be a virtual center point of the semiconductor material (SR) and points located at the four corners of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0135] When measuring the temperature of multiple regions using a temperature sensor (140), the temperature of the relevant semiconductor material (SR) can be determined by the average value of these measurements, and the temperature measurement locations and number of locations for the semiconductor material (SR) may be changed. However, the specified locations described above may be positions where the central and outline sides of the semiconductor material (SR) are measured uniformly in order to improve the accuracy of the temperature measurement of the semiconductor material (SR).

[0136] When the temperature measurement of the semiconductor material (SR) measured by the temperature sensor (140) reaches a preset temperature range set in the control unit, the semiconductor material cutting method (1) can dry the cooled semiconductor material (SR) and then perform a vision inspection of the planned division line of the semiconductor material (SR) using the vision (130). Subsequently, the semiconductor material (SR) can be cut according to the results of the vision inspection (planned division line position).

[0137] In contrast, if the temperature measurement of the semiconductor material (SR) measured by the temperature sensor (140) does not reach a preset temperature range set in the control unit, the semiconductor material cutting method (1) can re-execute the cooling step or the cooling and drying step. If the temperature measurement of the semiconductor material (SR) received from the temperature sensor (140) does not reach a preset temperature range, the control unit can determine that the cooling and shrinkage state of the semiconductor material (SR) is insufficient to perform the cutting process.

[0138] Furthermore, if the semiconductor material (SR) is not sufficiently cooled and shrunk, the semiconductor material (SR) can be further cooled and shrunk by spraying additional cleaning solution. When the semiconductor material (SR) is not sufficiently cooled and shrunk, the results of the vision inspection (planned division line position) and the division line position may change. This can cause a discrepancy between the planned division line position of the semiconductor material (SR) and the position of the division line actually cut by the cutting unit (120), thereby reducing the cutting quality.

[0139] Therefore, the control unit can repeat the cleaning solution spraying step to sufficiently cool and shrink the semiconductor material (SR).

[0140] Once the additional cleaning solution spraying step is complete, the semiconductor material (SR) to which the cleaning solution has been sprayed can be dried, and then a vision inspection can be performed with the vision (130). Next, based on the results of the vision inspection (planned division line position), the semiconductor material (SR) can be cut by the cutting unit (120).

[0141] On the other hand, if the temperature measurement of the semiconductor material (SR) measured by the temperature sensor (140) exceeds the set temperature range preset in the control unit, the spraying time of the cleaning solution can be shortened or the number of sprays of the cleaning solution can be reduced in order to prevent overcooling and shorten the time of the cooling and moisture removal steps.

[0142] A preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for cutting semiconductor material (1), includes a process of measuring the temperature using a temperature sensor, which allows for confirmation of the sufficient cooling state of the semiconductor material (SR), and also allows for setting the optimal spraying time and number of sprays of the cleaning solution for cooling the semiconductor material (SR). This enables the cutting process to be performed with the semiconductor material (SR) sufficiently cooled, preventing changes in the position of the planned division line due to the cutting fluid, and improving the cutting precision and quality.

[0143] Thus, in the preferred embodiment of the semiconductor material cutting method (1) of the present invention, a cooling process through a cleaning nozzle (NZ) is performed before the cutting process, but while the step of cutting the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to one of a pair of chuck tables is performed, the cooling process through the cleaning nozzle (NZ) and a vision inspection of the cooled semiconductor material (SR) are performed while the semiconductor material (SR) transferred to the other chuck table waits for cutting.

[0144] Therefore, the semiconductor material (SR) can be cooled more quickly by using a cleaning nozzle (NZ) before the cutting process. The cleaning nozzle (NZ) can cool the semiconductor material (SR) by spraying a cleaning solution. Since the environment in which the cleaning solution is sprayed is similar to the environment in which the cutting fluid is sprayed during the cutting process, the semiconductor material (SR) can be pre-cooled and shrunk in the cleaning solution spraying environment while waiting to be cut.

[0145] In other words, the semiconductor material cutting method (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can pre-shrink the semiconductor material (SR) by creating an environment similar to the cleaning solution spraying environment during the cutting process during a cooling process prior to the cutting process. Next, after providing the results of a vision inspection of the shrunken semiconductor material (SR) (planned division line position), the cutting process is performed based on the planned division line position of the shrunken semiconductor material (SR). This prevents a discrepancy between the planned division line position of the semiconductor material (SR) and the actual division line position, thereby improving the cutting quality. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1. Method for cutting semiconductor materials. 100 Cutting equipment for semiconductor materials, 110 strip pickers, 120 cutting units, 130 Visions, 140 temperature sensors, 150 Cleaning section, 160 unit pickers, NZ cleaning nozzle, SR Semiconductor Materials

Claims

1. A semiconductor material cutting apparatus comprising: a pair of chuck tables on which semiconductor material is vacuum-adsorbed at the top and which are movable and rotatable in the Y-axis direction; a strip picker for transferring semiconductor material to the chuck tables; a cutting unit for cutting the semiconductor material by spraying cutting fluid onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material adsorbed on the chuck tables; and a cleaning nozzle located above the movement path of the chuck tables, wherein the apparatus provides a method for cutting semiconductor material. Step A involves a strip picker transferring the semiconductor material to the top of one of a pair of chuck tables, Step B involves imaging the semiconductor material transmitted to the chuck table by vision to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material with the cutting unit along the detected division line. While step B is being performed, step C is performed, in which the strip picker transfers the semiconductor material to the upper part of the remaining chuck table of the pair of chuck tables, the remaining chuck table moves to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle and sprays cleaning solution onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material, and air is sprayed onto the cooled upper surface of the semiconductor material to remove moisture from the semiconductor material, and Step D includes imaging the cooled semiconductor material with a vision device to detect the division line, and cutting the semiconductor material along the detected division line using the cutting unit, Before performing step B, Step B0 further includes moving the chuck table to the lower part of the cleaning nozzle, spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material vacuum-adsorbed to the upper part of the chuck table to cool the semiconductor material, and spraying air onto the cooled upper surface of the semiconductor material to remove moisture from the semiconductor material. Methods for cutting semiconductor materials.

2. In step B0 or ​​step C, The method further includes the step of using a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the semiconductor material that has been cooled by spraying it with a cleaning solution, either before or after removing the moisture. If the measured temperature reaches a preset temperature range, step B or step D is executed. The method for cutting a semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein if a preset temperature range cannot be reached, a cleaning solution is added to the upper surface of the semiconductor material and sprayed.

3. Before performing step A, Step A01 involves preparing correlation data between the spraying time of the cleaning solution or the number of sprays of the cleaning solution and the temperature change of the semiconductor material, depending on the type of semiconductor material, and The process further includes step A02, which involves setting the spray time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution based on the correlation data in order to cool the semiconductor material to be cut to a predetermined temperature. The method for cutting a semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein step C is the method for cutting a semiconductor material by spraying a cleaning solution onto the upper surface of the semiconductor material according to the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution set in step A02.

4. In step A02, The process further includes selecting the first semiconductor material to be cut from the aforementioned semiconductor materials as a reference material, and measuring the temperature of the reference material. The method for cutting a semiconductor material according to claim 3, wherein the spraying time or number of sprays of the cleaning solution for cooling the semiconductor material to a predetermined temperature is set to a reference value for the semiconductor material to be cut, based on the measured temperature.

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