Expansion retention ring

Abstract

To provide an expansion holding ring which can keep an annular shape of a ring body and at the same time ensures flexibility of a ring-shaped lip.SOLUTION: An expansion holding ring comprises: a ring body 12; and a ring-shaped lip 14, made of a material softer than that of the ring body 12, which can be detachably attached to an outer peripheral surface 12A of the ring body 12 and protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface 12A of the ring body 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an expansion holding ring, and particularly to an expansion holding ring for holding a dicing tape to which a semiconductor wafer is attached in an expanded state.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacture of semiconductor chips (hereinafter referred to as chips), for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) in which division planned lines are pre-processed inside by laser irradiation or the like is divided into individual chips (also referred to as singulation) along the division planned lines. A work dividing device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The wafer is attached to a dicing tape, and the outer peripheral portion of the dicing tape is fixed to a frame. The work dividing device expands the dicing tape by an expand ring, divides the wafer into individual chips, and then holds the dicing tape in an expanded state by an expansion holding ring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For example, in an expansion holding ring in which a ring body and a ring-shaped lip are integrally structured, it may be difficult to achieve both the maintenance of the annular shape of the ring body when the dicing tape is expanded and the flexibility of the ring-shaped lip.

[0006] In other words, in order to maintain the annular shape of the ring body, it is necessary to apply a highly rigid material, such as a hard resin. However, this makes the ring-shaped lip rigid, which can cause the dicing tape to break when it is expanded. As a measure to prevent damage to the dicing tape, it is conceivable to reduce the thickness of the ring-shaped lip to lower its rigidity, but this has the problem of shortening the service life of the ring-shaped lip. Another measure to prevent damage is to apply a soft resin with low rigidity, but in this case, the annular shape of the ring body cannot be maintained with a dicing tape under high tension, and the expansion retaining ring may detach from the frame.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide an expandable retaining ring that can achieve both the maintenance of the annular shape of the ring body and the flexibility of the ring-shaped lip. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The expansion retaining ring of the present invention is an expansion retaining ring for holding a tape, whose outer circumference is fixed to a frame, in an expanded state in order to achieve the object of the present invention, and comprises a ring body and a ring-shaped lip made of a softer material than the ring body, which can be detachably attached to the outer surface of the ring body and protrudes outward from the outer surface of the ring body.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the ring-shaped lip is larger than the inner diameter of the frame.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ring body is made of metal and the ring-shaped lip is made of resin.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ring body has an annular recessed portion formed along the outer circumference of the ring body, and the ring-shaped lip has an annular body portion that is inserted into and positioned in the annular recessed portion.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the dimensions of the annular body portion in the direction of the central axis of the ring-shaped lip are smaller than the dimensions of the annular recessed portion.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a fluororesin coating layer is provided on the outer surface of the ring body.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ring-shaped lip is colored differently from the ring body.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ring-shaped lip is colored differently depending on the type of ring-shaped lip.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a tapered surface is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the ring body, which is inclined obliquely with respect to the central axis of the ring body.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the dimensions of the ring body in the direction of the central axis of the ring body are determined according to the required expansion ratio of the tape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both the maintenance of the annular shape of the ring body and the flexibility of the ring-shaped lip. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is an overall perspective view of the expansion retaining ring according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an assembly perspective view of the expansion retaining ring. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion retaining ring. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram of a wafer unit equipped with dicing tape. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of a workpiece splitting device. [Figure 6]It is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lip body is tilted with respect to the ring body. [Figure 7] It is an overall perspective view of a conveying device that conveys an expansion retaining ring. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged view of a main part of the conveying device shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is an enlarged view of a main part in which an expansion retaining ring is held by a conveying device. [Figure 10] It is an enlarged view of a main part showing the positional relationship between the conveyed expansion retaining ring and the expand ring. [Figure 11] It is an enlarged view of a main part when the expansion retaining ring is held in an improper posture. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory view showing an adsorption pad adsorbed on a tapered surface. [Figure 13] It is a cross-sectional view showing another form of the expansion retaining ring.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of an expansion retaining ring according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an expansion retaining ring 10 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the expansion retaining ring 10 shown in FIG. 1. Further, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion retaining ring 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the expansion retaining ring 10 of the embodiment includes a ring body 12 and a ring-shaped lip 14. The ring body 12 is an example of the ring body of the present invention, and the ring-shaped lip 14 is an example of the ring-shaped lip of the present invention. First, an example of a tape held in an expanded state by the expansion retaining ring 10 will be described.

[0023] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wafer unit 2, where IVA in Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wafer unit 2 and IVB in Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer unit 2. This wafer unit 2 includes a dicing tape (corresponding to a tape) 4 that is held in an expanded state by the expansion holding ring 10 described above.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the wafer unit 2 comprises a wafer 1, a film-like adhesive 3, a dicing tape 4, and a frame 5. The wafer 1 is attached to a dicing tape 4, which has an adhesive layer formed on its surface and is approximately 100 μm thick, via the film-like adhesive 3. The outer periphery of the dicing tape 4 is fixed to a rigid, ring-shaped frame 5. The dicing tape 4 also has a circular central region 4A on a plan view to which the wafer 1 is attached, and a donut-shaped annular region 4B on a plan view between the outer edge of the central region 4A (the outer edge of the wafer 1) and the inner edge of the frame 5. The wafer 1, in the form of the wafer unit 2, is loaded into a workpiece splitting device 50 (see Figure 5), where it is split into individual chips 6.

[0025] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the workpiece splitting device 50. The chip splitting operation by the workpiece splitting device 50 will be briefly described below.

[0026] First, as shown by VA in Figure 5, the frame 5 of the wafer unit 2 is fixed to the frame fixing part 52 of the workpiece splitting device 50. Next, the expand ring 54 is raised to push up the annular region 4B of the dicing tape 4 from the back side (the side opposite to the surface to which the wafer 1 is attached). This upward movement of the expand ring 54 expands the dicing tape 4, and the wafer 1 is divided into individual chips 6 (see VB in Figure 5). A roller 56 is rotatably provided on the upper surface of the expand ring 54 that pushes up the annular region 4B in order to reduce the frictional force between it and the annular region 4B.

[0027] Next, as shown in VB of Figure 5, the expansion retaining ring 10 is raised so that the ring-shaped lip 14 is fitted to the surface 5A of the frame 5 via the annular region 4B (see VC in Figure 5). This upward movement of the expansion retaining ring 10 holds the dicing tape 4 in an expanded state. Next, as shown in VC in Figure 5, the expand ring 54 is lowered. At this time, the expansion of the dicing tape 4 by the expand ring 54 is released, but because the ring-shaped lip 14 of the expansion retaining ring 10 is fitted to the surface 5A of the frame 5, it is held in an expanded state without slack.

[0028] Returning to Figures 1 to 3, the expansion retaining ring 10 of the embodiment will be described further. As previously stated, the expansion retaining ring 10 comprises a ring body 12 and a ring-shaped lip 14.

[0029] The ring-shaped lip 14 is made of a softer material than the ring body 12. As will be described later, the ring-shaped lip 14 can be detachably attached to the outer circumferential surface 12A of the ring body 12 and protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface 12A of the ring body 12. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the ring-shaped lip 14 is larger than the inner diameter of the opening 5B of the frame 5 (see Figure 3). With this configuration, when the ring-shaped lip 14 of this example passes through the opening 5B of the frame 5 shown in Figure 5, it is pressed against the inner edge of the opening 5B, elastically deforms, and shrinks in diameter. After passing through the opening 5B, it elastically returns to its original shape, expands in diameter, and fits onto the surface 5A of the frame 5 via the annular region 4B (see VC in Figure 5).

[0030] The ring body 12 is made of metal, for example. Aluminum is one example of a metal material that constitutes the ring body 12, but it is not limited to aluminum. Any highly rigid metal material that does not deform easily when the dicing tape 4 is expanded (state VB in Figure 5) and when it is held expanded (state VC in Figure 5) can be used. The ring-shaped lip 14 is made of resin, for example. Polypropylene is one example of a resin material that constitutes the ring-shaped lip 14, but it is not limited to polypropylene. Any flexible resin material that is easily elastically deformed when the dicing tape 4 is expanded (state VB in Figure 5) can be used.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, a fluororesin coating layer 16 is provided on the outer surface of the ring body 12. This fluororesin coating layer 16 reduces the frictional force between the upper surface 12B of the ring body 12 (the surface that pushes up the annular region 4B) and the annular region 4B (see Figure 5). As a result, as shown by VB in Figure 5, when the annular region 4B is pushed up by the expansion retaining ring 10, the annular region 4B becomes more slippery against the upper surface 12B of the ring body 12, thus preventing damage to the dicing tape 4.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the ring body 12 has an annular recessed portion 18 formed along the outer circumferential surface 12A of the ring body 12. The ring-shaped lip 14 has an annular main body portion 20 that is inserted into the annular recessed portion 18. In other words, the ring-shaped lip 14 in this example is detachably attached to the ring body 12 by inserting the annular main body portion 20 into the annular recessed portion 18.

[0033] The ring-shaped lip 14 has the annular main body portion 20 described above, and a lip portion 22 that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface 20A of the annular main body portion 20 and is capable of fitting onto the surface 5A of the frame 5.

[0034] In Figure 3, when the insertion direction of the expansion retaining ring 10 into the frame 5 is upward, the lip portion 22 is formed in a shape that expands in diameter from the connection portion with the annular main body portion 20 to the lower tip. With an expansion retaining ring 10 having such a lip portion 22, the expansion retaining ring 10 can pass through the frame 5 when moving in the insertion direction (upward), but it cannot pass through the frame 5 when moving in the opposite direction (downward) after passing through the opening 5B.

[0035] The expansion retaining ring 10 of the embodiment configured as described above offers the following advantages. Specifically, since the ring-shaped lip 14 is formed from a softer material than the ring body 12 and is configured to be detachably attached to the outer circumferential surface 12A of the ring body 12, it is possible to maintain both the annular shape of the ring body 12 and the flexibility of the ring-shaped lip 14 when the dicing tape 4 is expanded (state VB in Figure 5). Note that in VB of Figure 5, the dicing tape 4 is shown after being expanded by the expand ring 54 and then further expanded by the expansion retaining ring 10. In other words, it shows the state in which the tension of the dicing tape 4 is at its highest.

[0036] Furthermore, since the ring body 12 is made of metal, it is easier to maintain the annular shape of the ring body 12. This prevents the expansion retaining ring 10 from falling off the frame 5 even when applied to a dicing tape 4 with high tension. In addition, since the ring-shaped lip 14 is made of resin, the ring-shaped lip 14 is more easily deformed. This reduces the risk of damage to the dicing tape 4 when it is expanded.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, in the embodiment, the expansion retaining ring 10 is configured such that the dimension a of the annular body portion 20 of the ring-shaped lip 14 in the thickness direction of the expansion retaining ring 10 is smaller than the dimension b of the annular concave portion 18. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to suppress the amount of elastic deformation of the lip portion 22 to a small amount. Note that the thickness direction of the expansion retaining ring 10 and the direction of the central axis C of the ring-shaped lip 14 are in the same direction.

[0038] To explain in more detail, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the expansion retaining ring 10 in Figure 6, the ring-shaped lip 14, while passing through the opening 5B of the frame 5 (during elastic deformation), is pressed relative to the inner edge of the frame 5. As a result, the ring-shaped lip 14 tilts in the direction indicated by arrow A (downward), with the outer peripheral edge 20B of the annular body portion 20, which is in contact with the outer peripheral end 18A of the annular concave portion 18, acting as a fulcrum. The lip portion 22 then follows this tilting and elastically deforms in the same direction indicated by arrow A, and elastically returns to its original shape after passing through the opening 5B, fitting onto the surface 5A of the frame 5.

[0039] Here, in the case of an expanded retaining ring in which, for example, the dimension a of the annular body portion 20 and the dimension b of the annular concave portion 18 are equal, the tilting motion of the annular body portion 20 (tilting in the direction indicated by arrow A of the annular body portion 20) described above does not occur. Therefore, the amount of elastic deformation of the lip portion 22 while passing through the opening 5B is the sum of the amount of elastic deformation of the lip portion 22 shown in Figure 6 and the amount of tilting motion of the annular body portion 20, so a large load is placed on the lip portion 22. Therefore, the expanded retaining ring 10 of the embodiment adopts a configuration in which the dimension a of the annular body portion 20 is smaller than the dimension b of the annular concave portion 18, so that the amount of elastic deformation of the lip portion 22 can be kept to a small amount, and as a result the service life of the ring-shaped lip 14 can be extended. Furthermore, by adopting the above configuration, the load on the dicing tape 4 from the lip portion 22 can be reduced, so that damage to the dicing tape 4 can be suppressed.

[0040] Furthermore, since the expansion retaining ring 10 of this embodiment employs a configuration in which the ring-shaped lip 14 can be detachably attached to the ring body 12, even if the expansion retaining ring 10 is repeatedly used in the workpiece splitting device 50 (see Figure 5), and the lip portion 22 wears down or plastically deforms due to repeated use and reaches its usage limit, the ring-shaped lip 14 can be removed from the ring body 12 and replaced with a new ring-shaped lip 14. Therefore, with the expansion retaining ring 10 of this embodiment, only the ring-shaped lip 14 needs to be replaced, which reduces the cost of replacement compared to an expansion retaining ring in which the ring body and ring-shaped lip are integrated.

[0041] As described above, the ring-shaped lip 14 has a usage limit for the lip portion 22. In that case, if the ring-shaped lip 14 can be managed by manufacturing lot, then if one of the ring-shaped lip 14 manufactured in that manufacturing lot reaches its usage limit, it can be determined that all the ring-shaped lip 14 manufactured in that manufacturing lot have reached their usage limit.

[0042] Therefore, in the expanded retaining ring 10 of this embodiment, the ring-shaped lip 14 is colored differently from the ring body 12. For example, if the ring body 12 is black, the ring-shaped lip 14 is colored blue. Furthermore, each ring-shaped lip 14 is colored differently depending on the manufacturing lot. This allows the manufacturing lot of a ring-shaped lip 14 to be identified by looking at the color applied to it. As a result, if a ring-shaped lip 14 that has exceeded its usage limit is discovered, the use of all other ring-shaped lips 14 (i.e., expanded retaining rings 10) manufactured in the same manufacturing lot as that ring-shaped lip 14 can be immediately stopped. This prevents the expansion retaining ring 10 from falling off the frame 5. One method for coloring the ring-shaped lip 14 is to add a pigment to the resin material of the ring-shaped lip 14.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the expansion retaining ring 10 of this embodiment has a tapered surface 24 formed on the inner circumferential surface 12C of the ring body 12, which is inclined obliquely with respect to the central axis C of the ring body 12. In Figure 3, when the insertion direction of the expansion retaining ring 10 into the frame 5 is upward, the tapered surface 24 is inclined in a direction that expands the diameter of the opening 13 (see Figure 9) of the ring body 12 from top to bottom. This tapered surface 24 is effectively utilized when transporting the expansion retaining ring 10, as will be described later. Below, an example of a transport device for transporting the expansion retaining ring 10 will be described.

[0044] Figure 7 is an overall perspective view of the conveying device 70 that transports the expansion retaining ring 10, and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the main part of the conveying device 70 shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the conveying device 70 comprises a conveying arm 72 and three chucking mechanisms 74.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, each chucking mechanism 74 has a bracket 76 connected to the transport arm 72, and each bracket 76 extends radially from the pivot point P of the transport arm 72. As shown in Figure 8, a cylinder 80 is attached to the tip of each bracket 76, and a clamping claw 78 is attached to the tip of the piston 82 of each cylinder 80.

[0046] Each clamping claw 78 is arranged at equal intervals (120-degree intervals) on a concentric circle centered on the holding pivot point P shown in Figure 7, and moves back and forth along the radial direction of the concentric circle by the extension and retraction of the piston 82 shown in Figure 8. As the piston 82 extends, each clamping claw 78 moves radially outward from the position shown in Figure 8 (retracted position) and to the position shown in Figure 9 (holding position), at which point each clamping claw 78 is pressed against the tapered surface 24 of the expansion holding ring 10. Through this operation, the expansion holding ring 10 is held (chucked) by each chucking mechanism 74. The expansion holding ring 10 is then transported by the transport arm 72 to, for example, the position above the expand ring 54 shown in Figure 10.

[0047] Figure 10 is a close-up view of the main part showing the positional relationship between the transported expansion retaining ring 10 and the expand ring 54. As shown in Figure 10, when the expansion retaining ring 10 is transported to a position above the expand ring 54, each clamping claw 78, which is in the holding position shown in Figure 9, is moved radially inward by the contraction of the piston 82 and is positioned in the retracted position shown in Figure 8. This action releases the holding (chucking) of the expansion retaining ring 10 by each chucking mechanism 74, and the expansion retaining ring 10 falls toward the expand ring 54.

[0048] As shown in Figure 10, the expand ring 54 is equipped with a roller ring 90 having multiple rollers 56 and a roller ring receiving portion 92 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the roller ring 90, and the fallen expansion retaining ring 10 sits on the upper surface 92A of the roller ring receiving portion 92. The roller ring receiving portion 92 is provided with seating sensors (for example, three locations) not shown, and the seating sensors detect whether or not the expansion retaining ring 10 is properly seated on the upper surface 92A. In the case of a workpiece splitting device equipped with an expand ring 54 having a roller ring receiving portion 92, the expansion retaining ring 10 also rises along with the upward movement of the expand ring 54, and expands the dicing tape 4 in cooperation with the expand ring 54.

[0049] By the way, in the conveying device 70 shown in Figures 7 to 9, each chucking mechanism 74 detects whether or not the expansion holding ring 10 is being held in the correct position. The correct position is the position that allows the ring to be properly set on the expand ring 54 shown in Figure 10, and in this case, the position shown in Figures 8 and 9 (the position where the lip portion 22 is hanging downwards) is the correct position. In contrast to this correct position, in the incorrect position shown in Figure 11 (the position where the lip portion 22 is extending upwards), the expansion holding ring 10 cannot be properly set on the expand ring 54. Therefore, if the expansion holding ring 10 is being held in an incorrect position, it is necessary to detect this and stop the conveying of the expansion holding ring 10. To this end, the conveying device 70 uses the tapered surface 24 of the expansion holding ring 10 to detect the above incorrect position. Below, an example of a detection device for detecting an incorrect position will be briefly described.

[0050] In this example, the detection device employs a configuration that uses a suction pressure sensor (not shown) and a cylinder sensor (not shown) to detect an incorrect posture. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the chucking mechanism 74 has a suction pad 84 that operates integrally with the clamp claws 78 (see Figure 8) by a piston 82. This suction pad 84 is positioned so that it can be attracted to the tapered surface 24 when the clamp claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24. When the suction pad 84 is attracted to the tapered surface 24, a negative pressure is generated between the suction pad 84 and the tapered surface 24, and this negative pressure is detected by the suction pressure sensor.

[0051] Furthermore, the chucking mechanism 74 has the cylinder sensor described above for detecting the amount of extension of the piston 82. In this example, the cylinder sensor is set to detect the amount of extension of the piston 82 when the clamping claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24 in the correct orientation (see Figure 9), and to detect the amount of extension of the piston 82 when the clamping claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24 in an inverted or incorrect orientation (see Figure 11), and to detect the amount of extension of the piston 82 outside the sensor range.

[0052] To explain in more detail, as shown in Figure 9, when the expansion retaining ring 10 is held in the correct position, the tapered surface 24 of the expansion retaining ring 10 is inclined in a direction that expands the diameter of the opening 13 of the ring body 12 from top to bottom. In the correct position shown in Figure 9, the clamping claws 78 are pressed against the upper part of the tapered surface 24 (the small diameter portion of the opening 13). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, in the inverted position, the clamping claws 78 are pressed against the large diameter portion located below the small diameter portion in Figure 9. In other words, the amount of extension of the piston 82 is greater when held in the inverted position than when held in the correct position. By using the tapered surface 24 to create a difference in the amount of extension of the piston 82 in this way, as described above, it is possible to set the amount of extension of the piston 82 when held in the correct position (see Figure 9) within the sensor range, and the amount of extension of the piston 82 when held in the inverted position (see Figure 11) outside the sensor range.

[0053] According to the detection device in this example, when the clamp claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24 in the correct position (see Figure 9), a negative pressure is detected by the suction pressure sensor, and the amount of extension of the piston 82 is detected by the cylinder sensor. In other words, since both sensors turn ON, it is determined that the expansion retaining ring 10 is being held in the correct position, and transport of the expansion retaining ring 10 is permitted.

[0054] On the other hand, if the clamp claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24 in an inverted or incorrect position (see Figure 11), the amount of extension of the piston 82 will be greater compared to when the clamp claws 78 are pressed against the tapered surface 24 in the correct position (see Figure 9). In this case, although the suction pressure sensor detects negative pressure, the cylinder sensor does not react because it is outside the sensor range. In other words, since neither sensor turns ON, it is determined that the expansion holding ring 10 is being held in an incorrect position, and transport of the expansion holding ring 10 is not permitted. In this case, it is preferable to display an error pop-up on the operation screen of the workpiece splitting device 50 to issue a warning.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 3, the extension holding ring 10 will be further described. The dimension d (d1) of the ring body 12 in the thickness direction of the extension holding ring 10 (the direction of the central axis C of the ring-shaped lip 14) is determined according to the required expansion rate of the dicing tape 4.

[0056] Here, the extension holding ring 100 of another embodiment shown in FIG. 13 will be described. In describing the extension holding ring 100, members that are the same as or similar to the extension holding ring 10 shown in FIG. 3 will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0057] In the case of the dicing tape 4 that requires a high expansion rate, a ring body 102 in which the dimension d is changed from d1 (see FIG. 3) to d2 (d1 < d2) is used as in the extension holding ring 100 shown in FIG. 13. Specifically, a ring body 102 in which the dimension e between the mounting surface 18B on which the ring-shaped lip 14 is mounted and the upper surface 12B among the inner surfaces of the annular concave portion 18 is changed from e1 (see FIG. 3) to e2 (e1 < e2) is used. And the ring-shaped lip 14 is mounted on the annular concave portion 18 of the ring body 102 without change.

[0058] According to the extension holding ring 100 shown in FIG. 13, since it includes the ring body 102 having the above dimensions (d2, e2), it is suitable for the dicing tape 4 that requires a high expansion rate. In the case of the dicing tape 4 that requires a low expansion rate, the above dimensions (d, e) may be reduced according to the required expansion rate.

[0059] As described above, the extension holding rings 10 and 100 of the above-described embodiments adopt a configuration in which the ring-shaped lip 14 can be detachably mounted on the ring bodies 12 and 102. Therefore, the ring body 12 is selected and used according to the required expansion rate, but the ring-shaped lip 14 can be used in common. That is, according to the extension holding rings 10 and 100 of each embodiment, it is only necessary to prepare the mold for manufacturing the ring bodies 12 and 102 according to the required expansion rate, and one type of mold for manufacturing the ring-shaped lip 14 can be used to cope with it.

[0060] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above have described expansion holding rings 10 and 100 for holding the dicing tape 4 in an expanded state, it is also possible to expand the dicing tape 4 using these expansion holding rings 10 and 100 and divide the wafer 1 into individual chips. In other words, the function of an expand ring 54 may also be added to the expansion holding rings 10 and 100. In this case, by moving the expansion holding rings 10 and 100 up and down relative to the wafer unit 2, the ring bodies 12 and 102 of the expansion holding rings 10 and 100 push up the annular region 4B of the dicing tape 4. This makes it possible to divide the wafer 1 into individual chips 6 using the expansion holding rings 10 and 100. After that, the dicing tape 4 is held in an expanded state by the expansion holding rings 10 and 100.

[0061] Although an example of an expansion retaining ring according to the present invention has been described above, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and several improvements or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 1...Wafer, 2...Wafer unit, 3...Film-type adhesive, 4...Dicing tape, 5...Frame, 10...Expanded retaining ring, 12...Ring body, 14...Ring-shaped lip, 16...Fluororesin coating layer, 18...Annular concave part, 20...Annular body part, 22...Lip part, 24...Tapered surface, 50...Workpiece splitting device, 52...Frame fixing part, 54...Expanded ring, 56...Roller, 70...Transport device, 72...Transport arm, 74...Chucking mechanism part, 76...Bracket, 78...Clamping claw, 80...Cylinder, 82...Piston, 84...Suction pad, 90...Roller ring, 92...Roller ring receiving part, 100...Expanded retaining ring, 102...Ring body

Claims

1. An expansion retaining ring for holding a tape, whose outer periphery is fixed to a frame, in an expanded state, The ring body and A ring-shaped lip formed of a softer material than the ring body, which can be detachably attached to the outer surface of the ring body, and which protrudes outward from the outer surface of the ring body, Equipped with, The ring body has an annular recessed portion formed along the outer circumference of the ring body, The ring-shaped lip has an annular body portion that is inserted into the annular recessed portion, The dimensions of the annular body portion in the direction of the central axis of the ring-shaped lip are smaller than the dimensions of the annular recessed portion. Expansion retention ring.

2. The ring-shaped lip is colored differently from the ring body. The expansion retaining ring according to claim 1.

3. The ring-shaped lip is colored differently depending on the type of ring-shaped lip. The expansion retaining ring according to claim 2.

4. The inner circumferential surface of the ring body has a tapered surface that is inclined at an angle with respect to the central axis of the ring body. The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. An expansion retaining ring for holding a tape, whose outer periphery is fixed to a frame, in an expanded state, The ring body and A ring-shaped lip formed of a softer material than the ring body, which can be detachably attached to the outer surface of the ring body, and which protrudes outward from the outer surface of the ring body, Equipped with, The ring-shaped lip is a different color from the ring body, and is colored differently depending on the type of ring-shaped lip. Expansion retention ring.

6. The inner circumferential surface of the ring body has a tapered surface that is inclined at an angle with respect to the central axis of the ring body. The expansion retaining ring according to claim 5.

7. An expansion retaining ring for holding a tape, whose outer periphery is fixed to a frame, in an expanded state, The ring body and A ring-shaped lip formed of a softer material than the ring body, which can be detachably attached to the outer surface of the ring body, and which protrudes outward from the outer surface of the ring body, Equipped with, The inner circumferential surface of the ring body has a tapered surface that is inclined at an angle with respect to the central axis of the ring body. Expansion retention ring.

8. The ring-shaped lip is colored differently from the ring body. The expansion retaining ring according to claim 7.

9. The ring body has an annular recessed portion formed along the outer circumference of the ring body, The ring-shaped lip has an annular body portion that is inserted into the annular recessed portion, The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. The outer diameter of the ring-shaped lip is larger than the inner diameter of the frame. The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The ring body is made of metal. The aforementioned ring-shaped lip is made of resin. The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A fluororesin coating layer is provided on the outer surface of the ring body. The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The dimensions of the ring body in the direction of the central axis of the ring body are determined according to the required expansion ratio of the tape. The expansion retaining ring according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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