Cutting methods
The cutting method with an auxiliary member addresses the issue of burr protrusion from ductile materials by redirecting burrs to the auxiliary member, minimizing defects and processing time.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DISCO CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing cutting methods for ductile materials like resin or metal generate burrs that protrude from the sides of a workpiece, leading to product defects, which conventional methods fail to effectively address.
A cutting method that uses an auxiliary member in contact with the side surface of the workpiece to suppress burr protrusion, employing a rotating cutting blade that moves relative to the workpiece with the auxiliary member held in place, reducing burr formation by directing burrs to protrude from the auxiliary member instead.
Reduces the amount of burrs protruding from the workpiece sides, eliminating the need for additional burr removal steps and shortening processing time.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting method for cutting a rectangular workpiece having a ductile material.
Background Art
[0002] When performing cutting on a workpiece, usually, the workpiece held by suction on a chuck table is moved along the machining feed direction with respect to a cutting blade that rotates at high speed with a spindle as the rotation axis, thereby cutting the workpiece.
[0003] However, when a ductile material such as resin or metal exists in the cutting area, the ductile material extends as the cutting blade rotates and moves, and burrs are generated. Since burrs lead to product characteristic defects and appearance defects, they become a problem.
[0004] Therefore, a method of reducing the size of burrs generated during cutting by reducing the machining feed speed, and a method of removing burrs by tracing the cutting groove again with the cutting blade after forming a cutting groove in the workpiece with the cutting blade have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0005] Also, when cutting a plurality of streets (i.e., a plurality of planned division lines) set in a grid pattern, a plurality of first streets along a first direction and a plurality of second streets along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, respectively, a method of removing burrs generated at intersections of the first and second streets has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
[0006] Specifically, when forming half-cut grooves along each of the first streets and then forming half-cut grooves along each of the second streets, burrs are formed along the second direction at each intersection.
[0007] Therefore, by further cutting and shaping the first street with a cutting blade, some of the burrs generated at each intersection are removed, and then by further cutting and shaping the second street with a cutting blade, the remaining burrs at each intersection are almost completely removed.
[0008] Incidentally, when cutting a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece with a cutting blade, burrs may be generated protruding from the first side of the workpiece where the cutting blade enters the workpiece (i.e., the starting side of the cut) and from the second side of the workpiece where the cutting blade exits the workpiece (i.e., the ending side of the cut). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-77055 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-41261 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0010] However, even when applying the methods described in the two aforementioned documents, it is not possible to remove burrs protruding from the side of the workpiece.
[0011] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims to reduce the amount of burrs that are formed to protrude from the side surface of a workpiece when a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece is cut along a predetermined direction from one end to the other. [Means for solving the problem]
[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cutting method for cutting a cutting area of a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece having a ductile material by moving a rotating cutting blade relatively in a predetermined direction from one end to the other of the workpiece, wherein the auxiliary member is in contact with the side surface of the workpiece at the base end side in the direction of protrusion of a burr that is formed to protrude from the side surface of the workpiece when the workpiece is cut without the use of an auxiliary member, and the auxiliary member is held in a holding table, and after the holding step, the rotating cutting blade is moved relatively in the predetermined direction of the workpiece. The auxiliary member suppresses the protrusion of burrs from the side surface of the workpiece, A cutting method is provided, comprising: an auxiliary member; a cutting area of the workpiece; and a cutting step for cutting the workpiece.
[0013] Preferably, in the holding step and the cutting step, the auxiliary member having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the workpiece is used.
[0014] Preferably, in the holding step and the cutting step, a dressing board having abrasive grains and a binder for fixing the abrasive grains is used as the auxiliary member.
[0015] Preferably, if the rotation direction of the cutting blade is a down-cut direction having a component in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction of the velocity vector of the cutting blade at the machining point where the cutting blade and the workpiece come into contact, the protruding direction is the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, and in the holding step, the auxiliary member is positioned on the one end side of the workpiece.
[0016] Preferably, if the rotation direction of the cutting blade is an up-cut direction having a component in the forward direction of the predetermined direction of the velocity vector of the cutting blade at the machining point where the cutting blade and the workpiece come into contact, the protruding direction is the forward direction of the predetermined direction, and in the holding step, the auxiliary member is positioned on the other end side of the workpiece.
[0017] Preferably, in the holding step, a first auxiliary member is arranged in a manner of contacting the side surface of one end side of the workpiece, and a second auxiliary member is arranged in a manner of contacting the side surface of the other end side of the workpiece. In the cutting step, the first auxiliary member, the second auxiliary member, and the cutting region are cut.
Advantages of the Invention
[0018] In the cutting method according to one aspect of the present invention, an auxiliary member is brought into contact with a side surface of a workpiece where burrs would protrude when the workpiece is cut without using the auxiliary member. Then, the cutting blade is relatively moved in a predetermined direction to cut the auxiliary member and the workpiece.
[0019] Burrs protrude from the free end surface of the auxiliary member, but since the auxiliary member is in contact with the side surface of the workpiece, the amount of burrs protruding from the side surface can be reduced. Also, the step of removing burrs from the side surface of the workpiece becomes unnecessary, so the processing time of the workpiece can be shortened compared to the case where no auxiliary member is used.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0020] [Figure 1] It is a flowchart of the cutting method. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(A) is a perspective view showing the workpiece and the auxiliary member separated, and FIG. 2(B) is a perspective view of the workpiece unit. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of the cutting device. [Figure 4] It is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the holding step. [Figure 5] It is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step in the down cut according to the comparative example. [Figure 7] It is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step in the up cut according to the comparative example. [Figure 9]This is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the holding step S10 of the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10(A) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a first modified example of the auxiliary member, and Figure 10(B) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a second modified example of the auxiliary member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0021] An embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a flowchart of the cutting method for a workpiece 11 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the workpiece 11 is cut through a holding step S10 and a cutting step S20. First, the workpiece 11 to be cut will be described.
[0022] As shown in Figure 2(A), the workpiece 11 is rectangular in shape. In this embodiment, the workpiece 11 is square with sides of 100 mm and a thickness of 1 mm. Furthermore, the entire workpiece 11 in this embodiment is made of a thermoplastic resin (ductile material) such as polypropylene.
[0023] However, thermoplastic resin may be provided in at least the cutting region 11i of the workpiece 11. Furthermore, the material of the workpiece 11 and the cutting region 11i is not limited to thermoplastic resin.
[0024] The workpiece 11 may be a rectangular strip substrate (not shown) in which multiple device chips and a semiconductor package substrate are integrated with molded resin. By cutting the strip substrate, it is divided into package devices (not shown), such as a QFN (Quad Flat Non-leaded package).
[0025] When a strip substrate is cut to divide it into multiple QFNs, terminals made of metal (ductile material), which are part of the semiconductor package substrate, are cut along with the molding resin. Since these terminals are located in the street (cutting area) of the strip substrate, they can become a source of burrs when cut by the cutting blade 18b (see Figure 3).
[0026] As shown in Figure 2(A), in the workpiece 11 of this embodiment, the distance between the surface 11a and the back surface 11b defines the thickness 11c of the workpiece 11. The two ends 11d and 11e located at both ends of the surface 11a are a pair of substantially parallel sides.
[0027] One end 11d forms one side of a substantially flat, rectangular first side surface 11d1 that connects the front surface 11a and the back surface 11b. In other words, the side surface of the workpiece 11 on the side of one end 11d is the first side surface 11d1.
[0028] Furthermore, the other end 11e forms one side of a substantially flat, rectangular second side surface 11e1 that connects the front surface 11a and the back surface 11b. In other words, the side surface of the workpiece 11 on the other end 11e side is the second side surface 11e1. The first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11e1 are a pair of substantially parallel surfaces.
[0029] In this embodiment, a rectangular prism-shaped auxiliary member 13 is placed on the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11. Figure 2(A) is a perspective view showing the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 separately. In Figures 2(A) and later, the auxiliary member 13 is indicated with dots for easier understanding.
[0030] The material of the auxiliary member 13 is not particularly limited, but in a preferred example, it is the same as the material of the workpiece 11. For example, the auxiliary member 13 is formed by cutting a portion of a rectangular plate that is made of the same material as the workpiece 11 and is larger in size than the workpiece 11.
[0031] The distance between the front surface 13a and the back surface 13b of the auxiliary member 13 defines the thickness 13c of the auxiliary member 13. In this embodiment, the thickness 13c of the auxiliary member 13 is approximately the same as the thickness 11c of the workpiece 11.
[0032] However, the thickness 13c may be 11c or greater. As will be described later, if the thickness 13c is 11c or greater, the amount of burrs 21 (see Figures 6 and 8) that protrude from the first side surface 11d1 and / or the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 during the cutting step S20 can be reduced more effectively.
[0033] The two ends 13d and 13e of the surface 13a are a pair of substantially parallel sides. The width of the auxiliary member 13 (i.e., the length of one end 13d or the other end 13e) is approximately equal to the width of the workpiece 11 (i.e., the length of one end 11d or the other end 11e).
[0034] One end 13d forms one side of a substantially flat, rectangular third side surface 13d1 that connects the front surface 13a and the back surface 13b. The other end 13e forms one side of a substantially flat, rectangular fourth side surface 13e1 that connects the front surface 13a and the back surface 13b. The third side surface 13d1 and the fourth side surface 13e1 are a pair of substantially parallel surfaces.
[0035] The vertical width 13f defined between the third side surface 13d1 and the fourth side surface 13e1 of the auxiliary member 13 is sufficiently smaller than the vertical width 11f defined between the first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11. In this way, the auxiliary member 13 has a smaller size in the vertical direction compared to the workpiece 11.
[0036] When cutting the workpiece 11, first, the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are supported by the ring frame 17 via the dicing tape 15, forming a workpiece unit 19 in which the first side surface 11d1 or second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 and the third side surface 13d1 or fourth side surface 13e1 of the auxiliary member 13 are in contact.
[0037] In this embodiment shown in Figure 2(B), the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 and the third side surface 13d1 of the auxiliary member 13 are in contact. Figure 2(B) is a perspective view of the workpiece unit 19. The dicing tape 15 has a laminated structure including a resin base layer and a resin adhesive layer provided on one surface of the base layer.
[0038] The base layer is formed from, for example, polyolefin, vinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, etc., and the adhesive layer is formed from, for example, acrylic, epoxy, or rubber-based materials. A preferred example of the adhesive layer is an ultraviolet (UV) curing resin.
[0039] As shown in Figure 2(B), the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are attached to the center of the adhesive layer side of the dicing tape 15. In addition, one side of a ring frame 17 made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy is attached to the outer circumference of the dicing tape 15.
[0040] The inner diameter of the ring frame 17 is greater than the sum of the vertical widths of the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 (i.e., the sum of the vertical widths 11f and 13f), and also greater than the horizontal width of either the workpiece 11 or the auxiliary member 13.
[0041] The workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are in contact with each other without any adhesive, glue, or other adhesive material being interposed between the first side surface 11d1 and the fourth side surface 13e1. The workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 may be attached to the dicing tape 15 simultaneously while in contact with each other.
[0042] Alternatively, the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 may be attached to the dicing tape 15 so that they come into contact with each other individually at different timings. In any case, the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 can be removed from the dicing tape 15 individually or together.
[0043] Here, we will explain the burrs 21 and the like that generated during cutting. When cutting the workpiece 11, if the workpiece 11 is cut with a cutting blade 18b (see Figure 3) along a predetermined direction 11g from one end 11d to the other end 11e without using an auxiliary member 13, burrs 21 will be formed so as to protrude from the first side surface 11d1 or the second side surface 11e1.
[0044] The direction in which the burr 21 protrudes is predetermined according to the rotation direction 18c of the cutting blade 18b. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, when the workpiece 11 is cut by down-cutting along a predetermined direction 11g, the burr 21 protrudes from the first side surface 11d1 in the opposite direction 11h to the predetermined direction 11g (i.e., the opposite direction 11h is the direction in which the burr 21 protrudes).
[0045] Therefore, in this case, as shown in Figure 5, the auxiliary member 13 is placed on the first side surface 11d1 located on the base end side in the reverse direction 11h. As a result, the burr 23 is formed so that it protrudes from the free end surface of the auxiliary member 13 (i.e., the third side surface 13d1) rather than from the workpiece 11. Therefore, the amount of burr 21 that protrudes from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 can be reduced.
[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the workpiece 11 is cut with an upcut along a predetermined direction 11g, a burr 21 protrudes from the first side surface 11d1 in the predetermined direction 11g (i.e., the predetermined direction 11g is the direction in which the burr 21 protrudes). In this case, as shown in Figure 7, an auxiliary member 13 is placed on the second side surface 11e1 located on the base end side in the predetermined direction 11g.
[0047] As a result, the burr 23 is formed so that it protrudes from the free end face (i.e., the fourth side surface 13e1) of the auxiliary member 13, rather than from the workpiece 11. Therefore, the amount of burr 21 that protrudes from the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 can be reduced.
[0048] The workpiece 11 is cut using the cutting device 2 (see Figure 3) in the form of a workpiece unit 19. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cutting device 2. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions shown in Figure 3 are orthogonal to each other.
[0049] The X-axis direction is parallel to the machining feed direction, the Y-axis direction is parallel to the indexing feed direction, and the Z-axis direction is parallel to the depth of cut feed direction (height direction). In Figure 3, some of the components are shown as functional blocks.
[0050] The cutting device 2 includes a base 4 that supports each component. A rectangular opening 4a is formed in the front corner of the base 4. A cassette elevator (not shown) that moves up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown) is provided inside the opening 4a. A cassette 6 for accommodating one or more workpiece units 19 is placed on the upper surface of the cassette elevator.
[0051] An opening 4b is formed on the far side of opening 4a (one side in the Y-axis direction), with its longitudinal portion aligned along the X-axis direction. A ball screw type X-axis direction movement mechanism 8 is provided inside opening 4b. Note that in Figure 3, the approximate position of the X-axis direction movement mechanism 8 is indicated by an arrow, and the specific structure of the X-axis direction movement mechanism 8 is omitted.
[0052] The X-axis movement mechanism 8 has a movable table (not shown) that is movable in the X-axis direction. The movable table is slidably supported by a pair of guide rails (not shown) that are arranged substantially parallel to the X-axis direction.
[0053] A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the underside of the movable table, and a screw shaft (not shown) arranged approximately parallel to the X-axis direction is rotatably connected to the nut portion via multiple balls (not shown).
[0054] A first drive source (not shown), such as a stepping motor, is provided at one end of the screw shaft. When the first drive source is operated, the moving table moves along the X-axis direction. A table cover 10 is provided on the top of the moving table.
[0055] On both sides of the table cover 10 in the X-axis direction, there are bellows-shaped cover members 12 that can expand and contract along the X-axis direction. A disc-shaped chuck table (holding table) 14 capable of suction-holding the workpiece unit 19 is provided on the table cover 10.
[0056] The chuck table 14 is configured to rotate around a rotation axis (θ axis) that is substantially parallel to the Z axis. By rotating the chuck table 14 around this rotation axis, the orientation of the workpiece 11, etc., held by the chuck table 14 is adjusted.
[0057] In addition, the chuck table 14 moves along the X-axis direction by the X-axis direction movement mechanism 8 described above. The chuck table 14 has a disc-shaped frame made of metal such as stainless steel. A disc-shaped recess is formed in the center of the upper surface of the frame.
[0058] A disc-shaped porous plate made of porous ceramics is fixed in this recess. A suction source (not shown), such as a vacuum pump, is connected to the porous plate via a predetermined channel formed in the frame.
[0059] When the suction source is activated and the solenoid valve (not shown) provided in this predetermined flow path is opened, negative pressure is transmitted to the upper surface of the porous plate. The upper surface of the frame and the upper surface of the porous plate are substantially flush and function as a holding surface 14a that holds the workpiece 11 by suction. The holding surface 14a is substantially flat and substantially parallel to the XY plane.
[0060] Clamp units 16 are provided at four different locations on the outer circumference of the frame. Each clamp unit 16 grips the ring frame 17 of the workpiece unit 19, which is held in place by suction at the holding surface 14a.
[0061] Above the opening 4b, a first transport unit (not shown) is provided for transporting the workpiece unit 19 to the chuck table 14. The workpiece 11, transported to the chuck table 14 by the first transport unit, is cut by the cutting unit 18.
[0062] The cutting unit 18 has a spindle housing 18a whose longitudinal portion is arranged along the Y-axis. A portion of a cylindrical spindle (not shown) is rotatably housed in the spindle housing 18a. The longitudinal direction of the spindle is arranged along the Y-axis.
[0063] A second drive source (not shown), such as a servo motor, is provided near the base end of the spindle. The tip of the spindle protrudes from the spindle housing 18a in the Y-axis direction.
[0064] A cutting blade 18b having an annular cutting edge is mounted at the tip of the spindle. The cutting blade 18b may be of the hubless type (i.e., washer type), or it may be of the hub type in which the cutting edge is fixed to a disc-shaped base made of aluminum alloy.
[0065] The cutting unit 18 is movably mounted to a cantilevered support structure 20 located at the back of the opening 4b. A Y-axis movement mechanism 22 for moving the cutting unit 18 in the Y-axis direction is provided on one side of the upper part of the support structure 20.
[0066] The Y-axis movement mechanism 22 includes a pair of Y-axis guide rails 24 arranged substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction on one surface of the support structure 20. A movable plate 26 is slidably attached to the Y-axis guide rails 24.
[0067] A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the other side of the movable plate 26. A ball screw 28, arranged along the Y-axis, is rotatably connected to this nut portion via a plurality of balls (not shown).
[0068] A third drive source, such as a stepping motor (not shown), is provided at one end of the ball screw 28. When the third drive source is operated, the movable plate 26 moves along the Y-axis. A Z-axis movement mechanism 30 is provided on one side of the movable plate 26 to move the cutting unit 18 in the Z-axis direction.
[0069] The Z-axis movement mechanism 30 has a pair of Z-axis guide rails 32 arranged substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction on one surface of the movable plate 26. The movable plate 34 is slidably attached to the pair of Z-axis guide rails 32.
[0070] A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the other side of the movable plate 34. A ball screw 36, arranged along the Z-axis direction, is rotatably connected to this nut portion via a plurality of balls (not shown).
[0071] A fourth drive source 38, such as a stepping motor (not shown), is provided at the upper end of the ball screw 36. When the fourth drive source 38 is operated, the movable plate 34 moves along the Z-axis direction. The aforementioned cutting unit 18 is fixed to the lower end of the movable plate 34.
[0072] Furthermore, an imaging unit 40 is fixed to the lower end of the movable plate 34. The imaging unit 40 has a microscope camera (camera) positioned to face the holding surface 14a. The imaging unit 40 includes a lens (not shown) positioned so that its optical axis is substantially perpendicular to the holding surface 14a, and an image sensor (not shown) positioned on the optical axis of the lens.
[0073] After the workpiece 11 is cut by the cutting device 2, the workpiece unit 19 is transported by a second transport unit (not shown) to a cleaning device 42 located on the base 4. After the workpiece 11 is cleaned, the workpiece unit 19 is returned from the cleaning device 42 to the cassette 6 by the first transport unit.
[0074] The operation of the cutting device 2 is controlled by the control unit 44. The control unit 44 is composed of a computer that includes, for example, a processor (processing unit) represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory (storage device).
[0075] Memory includes main memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), and auxiliary memory such as flash memory, hard disk drives, and solid-state drives.
[0076] Software is stored in the auxiliary storage device. The functions of the control unit 44 are realized by operating the processing unit and other devices according to this software. Next, the cutting method for the workpiece 11 using the cutting device 2 will be explained.
[0077] First, one workpiece unit 19 is transported from the cassette 6 to the chuck table 14 using the first transport unit (not shown) described above. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the workpiece unit 19 is held by suction on the holding surface 14a (holding step S10). Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the holding step S10.
[0078] After the holding step S10, the orientation of the chuck table 14 is adjusted using the imaging unit 40 so that the linear cutting area 11i (see Figure 2(B)) set on the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 is approximately parallel to the X-axis direction.
[0079] Next, the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are cut (cutting step S20). Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step S20 of the first embodiment. In cutting step S20, first, the spindle is driven to rotate the cutting blade 18b in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed (for example, 20,000 rpm).
[0080] Next, the cutting blade 18b is positioned on the extension of the cutting area 11i and outside the third side surface 13d1 of the auxiliary member 13 (see the cutting blade 18b shown by the dashed line). Then, while supplying cutting fluid such as pure water to the cutting blade 18b from a cutting fluid supply nozzle (not shown), the cutting unit 18 is moved relative to the chuck table 14 along a predetermined direction 11g.
[0081] In this embodiment, the chuck table 14 is moved in the opposite direction 11h to the predetermined direction 11g at a predetermined machining feed rate (for example, 20 mm / s), thereby causing the cutting blade 18b to cut into the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13.
[0082] As shown in Figure 5, the rotation direction 18c of the cutting blade 18b in this embodiment is a down-cut direction having a component in the opposite direction 11h of the velocity vector of the cutting blade 18b at the machining point 25 where the cutting blade 18b and the workpiece 11 come into contact.
[0083] Although Figure 5 shows one of the machining points 25 as an example, the velocity vector at other machining points also has components in the reverse direction 11h and the downward direction.
[0084] If the auxiliary member 13 is not used, the burr 21 protrudes in the opposite direction 11h from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step S20 in a down cut according to a comparative example.
[0085] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the auxiliary member 13 is placed on one end 11d side of the workpiece 11, and the cutting area 11i of the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 is cut by down cutting.
[0086] Although burrs 23 protrude from the third side surface 13d1 (free end surface) of the auxiliary member 13, the amount of burrs 21 protruding from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 can be reduced because the auxiliary member 13 is in contact with the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11.
[0087] Furthermore, since the step of removing burrs 21 from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 is eliminated, the processing time of the workpiece 11 can be shortened compared to when the auxiliary member 13 is not used. The same effect can be obtained even when the workpiece 11 is the aforementioned strip substrate which is divided into multiple package devices.
[0088] Incidentally, in order to achieve the above-mentioned effect, it is sufficient that the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 and the fourth side surface 13e1 of the auxiliary member 13 are in contact in the cutting region 11i. Furthermore, in a more preferable embodiment, the first side surface 11d1 and the fourth side surface 13e1 may be flattened so that the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are in close contact with each other.
[0089] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step S20 of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the workpiece 11 is cut by an up-cut. This is a difference from the first embodiment.
[0090] As shown in Figure 7, the rotation direction 18c of the cutting blade 18b in this embodiment is an up-cut direction in which the velocity vector of the cutting blade 18b at the machining point 25 where the cutting blade 18b and the workpiece 11 come into contact has a component that is in the forward direction of the predetermined direction 11g.
[0091] Although Figure 7 shows one of the machining points 25 as an example, the velocity vector at other machining points also has components in the predetermined direction 11g and the upward direction.
[0092] If the auxiliary member 13 is not used, the burr 21 protrudes in a predetermined direction 11g from the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the cutting step S20 in an up-cut according to a comparative example.
[0093] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the auxiliary member 13 is placed on the other end 11e side of the workpiece 11, and the cutting area 11i of the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 is cut using an upcut.
[0094] Although burrs 23 protrude from the fourth side surface 13e1 (free end surface) of the auxiliary member 13, the amount of burrs 21 protruding from the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 can be reduced because the auxiliary member 13 is in contact with the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11.
[0095] Furthermore, since the step of removing burrs 21 from the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 is eliminated, the processing time of the workpiece 11 can be shortened compared to when the auxiliary member 13 is not used. The same effect can be obtained even when the workpiece 11 is the aforementioned strip substrate which is divided into multiple package devices.
[0096] (Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the holding step S10 of the third embodiment. The first auxiliary member 13-1 and the second auxiliary member 13-2 are each made of the same material as the auxiliary member 13 and have substantially the same shape.
[0097] In the holding step S10 of the third embodiment, the workpiece unit 19, including the workpiece 11, the first auxiliary member 13-1, and the second auxiliary member 13-2, is held in place by suction at the holding surface 14a with the first auxiliary member 13-1 positioned so as to be in close contact with the first side surface 11d1, and the second auxiliary member 13-2 positioned so as to be in close contact with the second side surface 11e1.
[0098] However, the workpiece 11 and the first auxiliary member 13-1 only need to be in contact in at least the cutting area 11i, and similarly, the workpiece 11 and the second auxiliary member 13-2 only need to be in contact in at least the cutting area 11i.
[0099] Then, in the subsequent cutting step S20, the cutting areas 11i of the workpiece 11, the first auxiliary member 13-1, and the second auxiliary member 13-2 are cut. In this embodiment as well, the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from the first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 can be reduced.
[0100] Furthermore, since the process of removing burrs 21 from the first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11e1 of the workpiece 11 is eliminated, the processing time for the workpiece 11 can be shortened compared to when the auxiliary member 13 is not used.
[0101] In particular, in this embodiment, regardless of whether a down cut or an up cut is applied, the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from the first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11e1 can be reduced.
[0102] (First Modification) Next, a first modification of the auxiliary member 13 will be described with reference to Figure 10(A). Figure 10(A) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the first modification of the auxiliary member 13. In the first modification, the thickness 13c of the auxiliary member 13 is greater than the thickness 11c of the workpiece 11.
[0103] As shown in the comparative examples in Figures 6 and 8, when the auxiliary member 13 is not used, burrs 21 occur near one end 11d and the other end 11e along the predetermined direction 11g and the opposite direction 11h. Also, if the thickness 13c is smaller than the thickness 11c, the burrs 21 may extend onto the surface 13a of the auxiliary member 13.
[0104] Therefore, in the first modified example, the thickness 13c of the auxiliary member 13 is set to be greater than or equal to the thickness 11c of the workpiece 11. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 during the cutting step S20.
[0105] However, even if the thickness 13c of the auxiliary member 13 is approximately the same as the thickness 11c of the workpiece 11, the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from the first side surface 11d1 of the workpiece 11 can be sufficiently reduced compared to the case where the auxiliary member 13 is not used. Of course, if the auxiliary member 13 is placed on the second side surface 11d2, the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from the second side surface 11d2 can be reduced.
[0106] (Second Modification) Next, a second modification of the auxiliary member 13 will be described with reference to Figure 10(B). Figure 10(B) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the second modification of the auxiliary member 13. The auxiliary member 13 of the second modification has the same shape as the auxiliary member 13 shown in Figure 2(A), but is made of a different material than the workpiece 11.
[0107] Specifically, the auxiliary member 13 of the second modified example is a dressing board. A dressing board is also sometimes called a dresser board, dressing board, or dressing plate. The dressing board has abrasive grains and a binder that fixes the abrasive grains.
[0108] The abrasive grains are formed from, for example, white alundum (WA) and green carbon (GC), and have a smaller average particle size compared to the average particle size of the abrasive grains used in the cutting blade 18b. Furthermore, as a binder (bonding agent), for example, vitrified bond or resin bond is used.
[0109] The auxiliary member 13 (dress board) may be provided on the first side surface 11d1 side (i.e., the cutting start side) of the workpiece 11 as shown in Figure 10(B), or on the second side surface 11e1 side (i.e., the cutting end side) of the workpiece 11 as shown in Figure 7.
[0110] Furthermore, the auxiliary member 13 (dress board) may be provided on both sides of the workpiece 11 in a predetermined direction 11g (i.e., the first side surface 11d1 side and the second side surface 11e1 side), as shown in Figure 9.
[0111] In the holding step S10 and the cutting step S20, by using a dressing board for the auxiliary member 13, the amount of burrs 21 that protrude from at least one of the first side surface 11d1 and the second side surface 11d2 can be reduced, and the cutting blade 18b can also be sharpened on at least one of the starting side and the ending side of the workpiece 11.
[0112] Furthermore, the structures, methods, etc., according to the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.
[0113] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 may be cut in the direction of thickness 11c and thickness 13c. That is, a full cut may be made to cut the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 from the front surfaces 11a, 13a to the back surfaces 11b, 13b.
[0114] Alternatively, grooves of a predetermined depth may be formed in the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 in the direction of thicknesses 11c and 13c, such that the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 are not cut. That is, a half-cut may be performed to form grooves of a predetermined depth in the workpiece 11 and the auxiliary member 13 that do not reach the back surfaces 11b and 13b from the front surfaces 11a and 13a. [Explanation of symbols]
[0115] 2: Cutting device, 4: Base, 4a, 4b: Opening, 6: Cassette 8: X-axis movement mechanism, 10: Table cover, 12: Cover member 11: Workpiece, 11a: Surface, 11b: Back surface, 11c: Thickness 11d: One end, 11d1: First side 11e: other end, 11e1: second side 11f: Vertical width, 11g: Specified direction, 11h: Reverse direction, 11i: Area to be cut 13: Auxiliary member, 13-1: First auxiliary member, 13-2: Second auxiliary member 13a: Front side, 13b: Back side, 13c: Thickness 13d: One end, 13d1: Third side 13e: other end, 13e1: fourth side, 13f: vertical width 14: Chuck table (holding table), 14a: Holding surface, 16: Clamp unit 15: Dicing tape, 17: Ring frame, 19: Workpiece unit 18: Cutting unit, 18a: Spindle housing 18b: Cutting blade, 18c: Rotation direction 20: Support structure, 22: Y-axis movement mechanism, 24: Y-axis guide rail 21, 23: Burr, 25: Machining point 26: Movable plate, 28: Ball screw 30: Z-axis movement mechanism, 32: Z-axis guide rail, 34: Moving plate 36: Ball screw, 38: Fourth drive source 40: Imaging unit, 42: Cleaning device, 44: Control unit S10: Holding step, S20: Cutting step
Claims
1. A cutting method for cutting a region of a workpiece containing a ductile material, wherein a rotating cutting blade is moved relative to a rectangular plate-shaped workpiece having a ductile material in a predetermined direction from one end to the other, A holding step in which the auxiliary member and the workpiece are held on a holding table, such that the auxiliary member contacts the side of the workpiece at the base end of the protrusion direction of a burr that is formed to protrude from the side of the workpiece when the workpiece is cut without the auxiliary member being used, and the protrusion direction is determined according to the rotation direction of the cutting blade, and the auxiliary member contacts the side of the workpiece in the direction of the protrusion. After the holding step, the rotating cutting blade is moved relative to the workpiece in the predetermined direction, and the auxiliary member is used to suppress the protrusion of burrs from the side surface of the workpiece, while performing a cutting step of cutting the auxiliary member and the cutting area of the workpiece. A cutting method characterized by comprising the following:
2. The cutting method according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding step and the cutting step use the auxiliary member having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the workpiece.
3. The cutting method according to claim 1, characterized in that a dress board having abrasive grains and a binder for fixing the abrasive grains is used as the auxiliary member in the holding step and the cutting step.
4. If the rotation direction of the cutting blade is a down-cut direction in which the velocity vector of the cutting blade at the machining point where the cutting blade and the workpiece come into contact has a component in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, then the protruding direction is the opposite direction to the predetermined direction. The cutting method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the holding step, the auxiliary member is positioned on the one end side of the workpiece.
5. If the rotation direction of the cutting blade is an up-cut direction having a component in the forward direction of the predetermined direction of the velocity vector of the cutting blade at the machining point where the cutting blade and the workpiece come into contact, then the protruding direction is the forward direction of the predetermined direction. The cutting method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the holding step, the auxiliary member is positioned on the other end side of the workpiece.
6. In the holding step, a first auxiliary member is positioned so as to contact the side surface of one end of the workpiece, and a second auxiliary member is positioned so as to contact the side surface of the other end of the workpiece. The cutting method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cutting step involves cutting the first auxiliary member, the second auxiliary member, and the area to be cut.