Cutting method, method for manufacturing cut products, and cutting apparatus

Abstract

To provide a cutting method, a method for manufacturing a cut product, and a cutting device that prevent the generation of burr on a protective film.SOLUTION: A cutting method for cutting an object 60 having a substrate 63 to which elements are fixed and a protective film 67 bonded to the substrate 63 to protect the elements includes: a temperature decreasing step of decreasing the temperature of the protective film 67 by pouring fluid over the protective film from a fluid discharge part 34; a film cutting step of cutting the protective film 67 after the temperature decreasing step; and a substrate cutting step of cutting the substrate 63 while pouring cutting water at a higher temperature than the fluid over the substrate after the film cutting step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting method, a method for manufacturing a cut product, and a cutting device.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a substrate on which semiconductor chips or the like are fixed is resin-sealed and then cut by a cutting device into individual pieces to be used as electronic components. Conventionally, a cutting method for cutting a resin-sealed substrate is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a cutting method for cutting a substrate (wafer in Patent Document 1) to which a protective film (adhesive film in Patent Document 1) is adhered. The cutting method of the substrate includes a film sticking step of sticking a protective film to the back side of the substrate, a film cutting step of cutting at least the protective film from the back side of the substrate, a modified layer forming step of irradiating a laser beam into the substrate to form a modified layer, and a dividing step of dividing the substrate using a braking roller. In the film cutting step, the protective film is cut using a cutting blade while supplying cutting water to the protective film on the back side of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When cutting materials, viscous fracture is generally dominant at high temperatures, while brittle fracture is dominant at low temperatures. Viscous fracture is also called ductile fracture. When viscous fracture is dominant, the material stretches during cutting, and the stretched state is maintained after cutting. This stretched portion of the material becomes a burr. On the other hand, when brittle fracture is dominant, the material stretches during cutting, but returns to its original state after cutting, and burrs are less likely to form. When cutting a protective film in the film cutting step of the cutting method described in Patent Document 1, if the cooling of the protective film with cutting fluid is insufficient, viscous fracture becomes dominant in the cutting of the protective film, and burrs may form on the protective film after cutting.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a cutting method that is less likely to generate burrs on the protective film, a method for manufacturing cut products, and a cutting apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the cutting method according to the present invention is a cutting method for cutting an object having a substrate on which an element is fixed and a protective film adhered to the substrate and protecting the element, and includes a cooling step of lowering the temperature of the protective film by showering it with a fluid from a fluid discharge part, a film cutting step of cutting the protective film after the cooling step, and a substrate cutting step of cutting the substrate while showering it with cutting water at a temperature higher than the fluid after the film cutting step.

[0008] The method for manufacturing a cut product according to the present invention involves manufacturing a cut product by cutting the object according to the cutting method described above.

[0009] One embodiment of the cutting apparatus according to the present invention is a cutting apparatus used in the cutting method described above, comprising a first cutting mechanism used in the film cutting process and a second cutting mechanism used in the substrate cutting process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a cutting method that is less likely to generate burrs on a protective film, a method for manufacturing cut products, and a cutting apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the process of bonding a protective film to a circuit board. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the cutting device. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the cutting device. [Figure 4A] This is a plan view illustrating the process of cutting the protective film using the first cutting mechanism. [Figure 4B] This is a front view illustrating the process of cutting the protective film using the first cutting mechanism. [Figure 4C] This is a left side view illustrating the process of cutting the protective film using the first cutting mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the substrate after the protective film has been cut by the first cutting mechanism. [Figure 6A] This is a plan view illustrating the process of cutting the substrate using the second cutting mechanism. [Figure 6B] This is a front view illustrating the process of cutting the substrate using the second cutting mechanism. [Figure 6C] This is a left side view illustrating the process of cutting the substrate using the second cutting mechanism. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing an electronic component with a protective film attached. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of forming a shielding layer on an electronic component. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing an electronic component after the protective film has been removed. [Figure 10] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a circuit board with a protective film attached, but with different specifications. [Figure 11] This is a front view showing the first cutting device with a nozzle of a different specification attached. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a cutting method, a method for manufacturing a cut product, and a cutting device according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

[0013] After an element such as a semiconductor chip is fixed to a substrate, the substrate is resin-sealed and then cut and fragmented to be used as an electronic component. A dedicated cutting device is used to cut the resin-sealed substrate.

[0014] The resin sealing of the substrate is performed by placing the substrate on a mold (not shown) of a resin molding device and supplying liquid molten resin into the mold. The molten resin may be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. The thermosetting resin has a reduced viscosity when heated, and further polymerization and curing occur when heated further, resulting in a cured resin. When resin-sealing a substrate on which an element such as a semiconductor chip is fixed, it is desirable to use a thermosetting resin. The element fixed to the substrate is protected by the sealed resin.

[0015] 〔Configuration of Object〕 As shown in FIG. 1, the object 60 to be cut by the cutting device in the present embodiment is obtained by resin-sealing a substrate 63 to which a plurality of elements 61 are fixed and forming a resin package 65 on the side of the elements 61, and then adhering a protective film 67 to the side of the substrate 63. The element 61 is, for example, an integrated circuit (semiconductor chip). The protective film 67 has an adhesive layer (not shown) made of an adhesive or the like on the back surface, and can be adhered to the substrate 63 thereby. The electrode 61a is a part of the element 61 and is exposed on the side opposite to the resin package 65 with respect to the substrate 63. That is, the protective film 67 covers the substrate 63 and protects the electrode 61a of the element 61. In the present embodiment, a plurality of elements 61 are fixed to one substrate 63, and one element 61 has a plurality of electrodes 61a. In the example of FIG. 1, the number of elements 61 fixed to one substrate 63 is 21, and the number of electrodes 61a that one element 61 has is 4. The dashed line in FIG. 1 represents the location to be cut by the cutting device described later.

[0016] [Overall configuration of the cutting device] The following describes a cutting device 1 that cuts resin-encapsulated substrates into individual pieces. Figures 2 and 3 show a front view and a top view, respectively, of the cutting device 1 according to this embodiment. The cutting device 1 comprises a device body 10, a table pan moving mechanism 20, a first cutting mechanism 30, a second cutting mechanism 40, and a control unit 3 that controls these. In this embodiment, the cutting device 1 fixes an object 60 to the table pan moving mechanism 20, moves the table pan moving mechanism 20 in a straight line using the first cutting mechanism 30 to cut the protective film 67 of the object 60, and then cuts the substrate and resin package of the object 60 into individual pieces using the second cutting mechanism 40. Unless otherwise specified, the operation of the cutting device 1 described below is performed based on operation commands from the control unit 3. In the following description, the operation commands of the control unit 3 will be omitted in principle and explained as necessary.

[0017] The cutting device 1 of this embodiment is configured to use either the first cutting mechanism 30 or the second cutting mechanism 40 by swapping them with a common device body 10 and table pan moving mechanism 20. The first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 differ in blade position and nozzle shape, but their basic configuration is the same. Therefore, in Figures 2 and 3, the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 are shown in a schematic, common shape.

[0018] [Configuration of the main unit of the device] The main body of the device 10 includes a frame 12, a pouring pan 13, a collection box 14, a bellows cover 16, and a shutter 18. The pouring pan 13 is attached to the frame 12 by welding or other means and is positioned on both sides (both sides in the vertical direction in Figure 3) of the table pan moving mechanism 20 of the cutting device 1 along the direction of movement of the table pan moving mechanism 20. The pouring pan 13 is for sending the scrap material 69 generated when the object 60 is cut by the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 to the collection box 14. The pouring pan 13 is located below the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 of the cutting device 1 in the direction of gravity and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). The inclination angle of the pouring pan 13 in the cutting device 1 of this embodiment is approximately 5 degrees. The pouring pan 13 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and water flows into the pouring pan 13 from an unshown water supply unit located above the pouring pan 13. Therefore, the scrap material 69 that has been cut by the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 and fallen into the pouring pan 13 is carried downstream by water over the pouring pan 13 (towards the lower left in Figure 2). Hereafter, in Figures 2 and 3, the left side will be referred to as downstream and the right side as upstream. The inclination angle of the pouring pan 13 may be greater than or less than 5 degrees, as long as the scrap material 69 is carried smoothly downstream.

[0019] At the downstream end of the pouring pan 13, a collection box 14 is positioned in conjunction with the pouring pan 13, attached to the frame 12 by welding or other means. The scrap material 69 sent downstream of the pouring pan 13 falls into the collection box 14 and is collected. The collection box 14 is configured to collect scrap material 69 sent to both of the two pouring pans 13, which are positioned on both sides of the table pan moving mechanism 20. In addition to being attached to the frame 12 by welding or other means, the pouring pan 13 and the collection box 14 may also be integrally formed with the frame 12. Furthermore, separate collection boxes 14 may be positioned corresponding to each of the two pouring pans 13.

[0020] The bellows cover 16 is made of a material such as resin or rubber and is positioned on both sides along the direction of movement of the table pan 21 of the table pan moving mechanism 20, and between the two pans 13. That is, the bellows cover 16 is positioned on the upstream and downstream sides of the table pan 21. Hereinafter, the upstream bellows cover 16 will be referred to as the first bellows cover 16a, and the downstream bellows cover 16 as the second bellows cover 16b. When referring to the first bellows cover 16a and the second bellows cover 16b collectively, they will be referred to as the bellows cover 16.

[0021] The bellows cover 16 is provided above the ball screw 23 in the vertical direction (above in Figure 2) to cover the entire ball screw 23, in order to prevent the ball screw 23 of the table pan moving mechanism 20 (described later) from being wetted by the cutting fluid used when the object 60 is cut using the second cutting mechanism 40. The first bellows cover 16a and the second bellows cover 16b are each fixed at one end to the table pan 21 and at the other end to the frame 12. The bellows cover 16 is arranged to expand and contract as the table pan 21 moves. Specifically, when the table pan 21 moves downstream (left side in Figures 2 and 3), the first bellows cover 16a expands and the second bellows cover 16b contracts. Also, when the table pan 21 moves upstream (right side in Figures 2 and 3), the first bellows cover 16a contracts and the second bellows cover 16b expands. Even when the bellows cover 16 expands or contracts, one end is fixed to the table pan 21 and the other end is fixed to the frame 12, so it can always cover the entire ball screw 23.

[0022] The shutter 18 is positioned above the second bellows cover 16b and covers the entire second bellows cover 16b. The shutter 18 is provided to prevent damage to the second bellows cover 16b from the scrap material 69 that falls after being cut by the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40. The shutter 18 is constructed by arranging multiple elongated metal plates 18a so that some overlap. The amount of overlap of the multiple plates 18a can be changed, thereby accommodating the expansion and contraction of the second bellows cover 16b. One end of the shutter 18 is fixed to the table pan 21, and the other end is fixed to the frame 12 while protruding vertically above the collection box 14. In addition, each of the multiple plates 18a is overlapped so that it is positioned above the adjacent plate 18a on the downstream side. As a result, when the overlap of the thin plates 18a of the shutter 18 increases and the shutter shortens, the scrap material 69 that has fallen onto the shutter 18 can be pushed downstream, and ultimately dropped into the collection box 14.

[0023] [Configuration of the pan transfer mechanism] The table pan moving mechanism 20 comprises a table pan 21, a shaft 22, a ball screw 23, a nut 24, a slider 25, and a drive source 26. The table pan 21 has the shaft 22 attached to its lower surface and a cutting table 28 attached to its upper surface. The shaft 22 extends vertically downward from the table pan 21. The shaft 22 extends below the pouring pan 13, and the lower end of the shaft 22 is connected to a nut 24 coupled to the ball screw 23. The table pan 21 is also fixed to a slider 25 positioned around the shaft 22. The slider 25 is supported by a rail (not shown) located on the frame 12 of the main body of the device 10. The table pan 21, shaft 22, nut 24, and slider 25 are configured to move together along the rail in both upstream and downstream directions. The operation of the table pan moving mechanism 20 is controlled by the control unit 3.

[0024] The drive source 26 is a rotary actuator such as a motor, which provides driving force to the ball screw 23, allowing the ball screw 23 to rotate in both forward and reverse directions around its axis. Since the shaft 22 is connected to the nut 24, the nut 24 does not rotate even when the ball screw 23 rotates around its axis. Therefore, as the ball screw 23 rotates around its axis, the nut 24 connected to the ball screw 23 moves either upstream or downstream. The table pan 21, shaft 22, and slider 25, which are integrated with the nut 24, then move along the rail either upstream or downstream as the nut 24 moves.

[0025] [Configuration of the first and second cutting mechanisms] The first cutting mechanism 30 includes a first blade 32, a first nozzle 34 (an example of a fluid discharge unit), and a first fluid supply unit 36. The first blade 32 is disc-shaped and rotates by a drive unit (not shown) controlled by the control unit 3 to cut the protective film 67. The first nozzle 34 is for blowing low-temperature air (an example of a fluid) onto the surface of the protective film 67 to cool it when cutting the protective film 67. The reason for cooling the protective film 67 is to make brittle fracture dominant by lowering the temperature when cutting the protective film 67, thereby suppressing the generation of burrs due to cutting.

[0026] The first fluid supply unit 36 ​​cools the air that is blown onto the protective film 67 and supplies it to the first nozzle 34. Specifically, in the first fluid supply unit 36, the air is cooled to below 0 degrees Celsius. Hereinafter, the air cooled to below 0 degrees Celsius in the first fluid supply unit 36 ​​will also be referred to as low-temperature air. The temperature of the low-temperature air is, for example, -20 degrees Celsius. As a method of cooling the air, for example, a method of indirect cooling by absorbing heat from the air through the compression and expansion of a refrigerant can be used. Since the method of sending the low-temperature air from the first nozzle 34 by a pump or the like is well known, a detailed explanation will be omitted. The first fluid supply unit 36 ​​sends the low-temperature air cooled to below 0 degrees Celsius to the first nozzle 34 and blows the low-temperature air onto the protective film 67. The temperature of the low-temperature air blown onto the protective film 67 is preferably below 0 degrees Celsius on the surface of the protective film 67, but it may be 0 degrees Celsius or higher. Alternatively, the air may be cooled directly by the compression and expansion of a refrigerant, or the air may be cooled indirectly with liquid nitrogen.

[0027] The second cutting mechanism 40 includes a second blade 42, a second nozzle 44, and a second fluid supply unit 46. The second blade 42 is disc-shaped and rotates by a drive unit (not shown) controlled by the control unit 3, cutting the substrate and the resin package in one go. The thickness (width) of the second blade 42 is thinner than the thickness of the first blade 32. The second nozzle 44 is used to spray cutting water onto the surface of the substrate and the resin package in order to cool them when cutting the substrate and the resin package. Cooling the substrate and the resin package is done to suppress the frictional heat generated between the substrate and the resin package and the second blade 42 during cutting, thereby preventing deformation and deterioration of the substrate and the resin package.

[0028] The second fluid supply unit 46 cools the cutting fluid that is sprayed onto the substrate and resin package from the second nozzle 44 and supplies it to the second nozzle 44. Specifically, in the second fluid supply unit 46, the temperature of the cutting fluid is, for example, 10 to 25 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than cold air. The cutting fluid may or may not be cooled. Since methods for cooling the cutting fluid and methods for pressurizing and sending out the cutting fluid are well known, a detailed explanation is omitted. The second fluid supply unit 46 sends cooled or uncooled cutting fluid to the second nozzle 44, spraying the cutting fluid onto the substrate and resin package.

[0029] [Low temperature process] Next, a cutting method for cutting the protective film 67 of the object 60 using the first cutting mechanism 30 of the cutting device 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 4A to 4C. Note that in Figures 4A to 4C, the main body of the device 10, the table pan 21 of the table pan moving mechanism 20, the ball screw 23, etc., are omitted from the illustration.

[0030] The object 60 is fixed to the cutting table 28 by means of air suction (not shown) or adhesive tape for fixing. The first blade 32 and first nozzle 34 of the first cutting mechanism 30 of the cutting device 1 are positioned downstream of the object 60 before the protective film 67 of the object 60 is cut (before the cutting table 28 moves downstream). The cutting point of the object 60 is the boundary portion that will become an adjacent electronic component after being cut.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first nozzle 34 of the first cutting mechanism 30 branches into five before reaching the first outlet 34a, and the five first outlets 34a are spaced apart from each other and arranged in a straight line along the cutting direction of the protective film 67.

[0032] Before driving the table pan moving mechanism, the first fluid supply unit 36 ​​cools the air to below 0 degrees Celsius, and the cooled low-temperature air is simultaneously and linearly blown onto the surface of the protective film 67 from the five first outlets 34a of the first nozzle 34. This cools at least the area around the part of the protective film 67 that will be cut by the first blade 32 (low-temperature step).

[0033] If the temperature of the low-temperature air is lower than the temperature of the cutting fluid, brittle fracture may be the dominant method of cutting the protective film 67. When brittle fracture is dominant in cutting the protective film 67, the temperature of the low-temperature air is not limited to below 0 degrees Celsius. Note that if the temperature of the cutting fluid falls below 0 degrees Celsius, the cutting fluid will solidify. Therefore, it is not possible to lower the temperature of the cutting fluid to below 0 degrees Celsius. For this reason, when it is necessary to lower the temperature below 0 degrees Celsius to make brittle fracture dominant in cutting the protective film 67, it is preferable to use the temperature of the low-temperature air.

[0034] [Film cutting process] After exposing the protective film 67 to low-temperature air for a predetermined time, or after the temperature of the protective film 67 falls below a predetermined temperature according to known temperature detection means, the control unit 3 drives the table pan moving mechanism to bring the object 60 closer to the first blade 32 and rotate the first blade 32. When viewed in the direction shown in Figure 4B, the first blade 32 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the cut end material 69 of the protective film 67 is thrown to the left of the object 60, that is, towards the second bellows cover 16b covered by the shutter 18 (see also Figure 2).

[0035] Next, the drive source 26 of the table pan moving mechanism 20 is driven to rotate the ball screw 23, moving the table pan 21 from Figure 4A to the left in Figure 4B. Consequently, the cutting table 28 and the object 60 on the cutting table 28 also move to the left. Then, as shown in Figure 4C, the periphery of the first blade 32 cuts the protective film 67 (film cutting process).

[0036] Low-temperature air is blown onto the surface of the protective film 67 while the first blade 32 is cutting the protective film 67. In other words, while the object 60 is being moved, low-temperature air is simultaneously blown onto multiple points on the protective film 67. As a result, the points on the protective film 67 being cut remain at a low temperature, so that brittle fracture becomes dominant during cutting, and the generation of burrs on the cut surface is suppressed. In the examples in Figures 4A and 4B, there are five points on which low-temperature air is simultaneously blown. The temperature of the low-temperature air can be lowered to a temperature lower than that of the cutting fluid. Low-temperature air is used when it is not possible to lower the temperature of the protective film 67 to a low temperature where brittle fracture becomes dominant using cutting fluid, in relation to the fracture of the protective film 67 during cutting.

[0037] After the protective film 67 is cut in one direction, the control unit 3 reverses the rotation of the ball screw 23 to move the table pan 21 containing the object 60 to the right, returning the positional relationship between the first blade 32 and the object 60 to the state shown in Figures 4A and 4B. Then, using a moving mechanism (not shown), the first blade 32 is moved upward or downward in Figure 4A (left or right in Figure 4C) to face the next cutting point on the object 60. The first blade 32 then cuts the next cutting point. This process is repeated.

[0038] In this embodiment, after the above cutting is repeated twice, the orientation of the object 60 on the cutting table 28 is changed by 90 degrees using a handling means (not shown), and then the same cutting is repeated six times. As a result, the object 60 is divided into multiple pieces, with only the protective film 67 cut and the film still attached to the substrate 63, as shown in Figure 5. In the example in Figure 5, the protective film 67 of the object 60 is divided into 21 pieces.

[0039] [Substrate cutting process] Next, a cutting method for cutting the substrate 63 and resin package 65 of the object 60 using the second cutting mechanism 40 of the cutting device 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 6A to 6C. First, in the cutting device 1 after the film cutting process is completed, the first cutting mechanism 30 is replaced with the second cutting mechanism 40. The second blade 42 and second nozzle 44 of the second cutting mechanism 40 are positioned downstream of the object 60 before the substrate 63 and resin package 65 of the object 60 are cut (before the cut table 28 moves downstream). The cutting location of the object 60 is the boundary portion that will become an adjacent electronic component after cutting, and is the portion where the protective film 67 was cut and removed in the film cutting process.

[0040] Unlike the first nozzle 34, the second nozzle 44 of the second cutting mechanism 40 in this embodiment has only one second outlet 44a. The second outlet 44a of the second nozzle 44 is positioned to spray cutting fluid towards the point closest to the second blade 42 (the end of the object 60) where the protective film 67 has been cut and removed by the first cutting mechanism 30.

[0041] Before driving the table pan movement mechanism, the cutting fluid is cooled in the second fluid supply unit 46, and the cooled cutting fluid is sprayed from the second outlet 44a of the second nozzle 44 onto the surface of the substrate 63. This cools at least the area around the part of the substrate 63 that will be cut by the second blade 42. The substrate 63 and resin package 65 have higher hardness and thicker cut thicknesses compared to the protective film 67. Therefore, the amount of heat generated per unit time when cutting the substrate 63 and resin package 65 is greater than the amount of heat generated per unit time when cutting the protective film 67. Low-temperature air, being a gas, has a smaller mass supplied per unit time to the cutting area (substrate 63 and resin package 65 in this embodiment) compared to cutting fluid, which is a liquid. The amount of heat absorbed by the supplied substance is proportional to the mass of the substance. Therefore, when using low-temperature air, the heat generated when cutting the substrate 63 and resin package 65 cannot be sufficiently dissipated. For this reason, cutting fluid is used for cutting. By spraying a large amount of cutting fluid, heat can be efficiently dissipated.

[0042] Simultaneously with or after spraying the cutting fluid, the table pan moving mechanism is driven to bring the workpiece 60 closer to the second blade 42 and rotate the second blade 42. When viewed in the direction shown in Figure 6B, the second blade 42 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the cut substrate 63 and the scraps 69 of the resin package 65 are thrown to the left of the workpiece 60, i.e., towards the second bellows cover 16b covered by the shutter 18 (see also Figure 2).

[0043] Next, the drive source 26 of the table pan moving mechanism 20 is driven to rotate the ball screw 23, moving the table pan 21 from Figure 6A to the left in Figure 6B. Consequently, the cutting table 28 and the object 60 on the cutting table 28 also move to the left. Then, as shown in Figure 6C, the periphery of the second blade 42 cuts the substrate 63 and the resin package 65 (substrate cutting process). Note that the cutting table 28 has a relief groove 28a, so the second blade 42, which cuts the substrate 63 and the resin package 65, does not cut the cutting table 28.

[0044] Cutting fluid is sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 63 while the second blade 42 is cutting the substrate 63 and the resin package 65. As a result, the cutting area of ​​the substrate 63 and the resin package 65 remains at a low temperature, suppressing the generation of frictional heat due to cutting. The cutting fluid sprayed from the second outlet 44a of the second nozzle 44 and sprayed onto the substrate 63 bounces off the surface of the substrate 63 and wets the cutting device 1, but the ball screw 23, nut 24, and drive source 26 are covered by the first bellows cover 16a and the second bellows cover 16b and are not wet (see also Figure 2). As mentioned above, the thickness (width) of the second blade 42 is thinner than the thickness of the first blade 32, so the first cutting width d1 of the protective film 67 cut by the first blade 32 is greater than the second cutting width d2 of the substrate 63 and resin package 65 cut by the second blade 42 (see Figures 4C and 6C). Therefore, the protective film 67 is not cut by the second blade 42. The first cutting width d1 may be the same as the second cutting width d2.

[0045] After the substrate 63 and resin package 65 are cut in one direction, the table pan moving mechanism 20 reverses the ball screw 23 to move the table pan 21 containing the object 60 to the right, returning the positional relationship between the second blade 42 and the object 60 to the state shown in Figures 6A and 6B. Then, the second blade 42 is moved upward or downward in Figure 6A (left or right in Figure 6C) by a moving mechanism (not shown) to face the next cutting point on the object 60. The second blade 42 then cuts the next cutting point. This process is repeated.

[0046] In this embodiment, after the above cutting is repeated twice, the orientation of the object 60 on the cutting table 28 is changed by 90 degrees using a handling means (not shown), and then the same cutting is repeated six times. As a result, the object 60 is broken down into individual pieces, and as shown in Figure 7, multiple electronic components 60a (an example of cut pieces) with a protective film 67 attached are obtained. When the object 60 shown in Figure 5 is broken down into individual pieces, 21 electronic components 60a are obtained. The obtained multiple electronic components 60a are transported from the cutting table 28 by a transport mechanism (not shown).

[0047] As mentioned above, when cutting is performed using the cutting device 1, burrs are less likely to form on the cut surface of the protective film 67. As a result, among the multiple electronic components 60a obtained by separating the object 60 into individual parts, there are almost no electronic components 60a with burrs. The multiple electronic components 60a obtained by separating the object 60 into individual parts are picked up by the transport mechanism. For electronic components 60a with burrs, there is a possibility that the burrs may prevent proper pick-up. When cutting is performed using the cutting device 1, there are almost no electronic components 60a with burrs, so transport problems are less likely to occur.

[0048] [Shield layer formation process] Next, the electronic component 60a with the protective film 67 attached is placed in the chamber of a known sputtering apparatus (not shown), and sputtering is performed using a sputtering target 50 made of a conductive material, as shown in Figure 8, to form a shield layer 52 on the surface of the electronic component 60a. By forming the shield layer 52, the element 61 built into the electronic component 60a can be protected from external noise and the like. After the formation of the shield layer 52, the electronic component 60a is removed from the sputtering apparatus and the protective film 67 is peeled off. As a result, the electronic component 60a is completed, as shown in Figure 9. The electrode 61a of the element 61 built into the electronic component 60a was covered with the protective film 67 during sputtering, so the shield layer 52 is not formed on the electrode 61a.

[0049] [Another embodiment] The following describes another embodiment of the above-described embodiment. For the same components as in the above-described embodiment, the same terms and reference numerals will be used for explanation to facilitate understanding.

[0050] <1> In the embodiment described above, the electrode 61a exposed from the substrate 63 on which the element 61 is fixed is protected by a protective film 67, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 10, in a configuration in which an integrated circuit 71 (an example of an element) is fixed in an exposed state in each of a plurality of recesses 75a formed in a resin housing 75 formed on a substrate 73, the object 70 may be constructed by adhering a protective film 67 to the surface of the resin housing 75 to protect the integrated circuit 71. By configuring it in this way, when cutting the substrate 73 and the resin housing 75 to obtain an electronic component, it is possible to prevent cutting fluid from entering the recesses 75a and wetting the integrated circuit 71. An example of an integrated circuit 71 is a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System).

[0051] <2> In the embodiment described above, the first nozzle 34 of the first cutting mechanism 30 had a plurality of (five in this embodiment) first outlets 34a that branched out, were spaced apart from each other, and arranged linearly along the cutting direction of the protective film 67, but it is not limited to this. As shown in Figure 11, the first nozzle 34 may have only one first outlet 34a that is formed in a linear (elongated rectangular) shape. Even if the first outlet 34a has such a shape, the protective film 67 can be cooled by blowing low-temperature air linearly along the cutting direction of the first blade 32.

[0052] <3> In the embodiment described above, the film cutting process and the substrate cutting process were performed by exchanging the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 in a single cutting device 1, but the invention is not limited to this. The cutting device 1 having the first cutting mechanism 30 and the cutting device 1 having the second cutting mechanism 40 may be separate and independent devices. In this case, after the film cutting process, the object 60 from which the protective film 67 has been cut is transported from the cutting device 1 having the first cutting mechanism 30 to the cutting device 1 having the second cutting mechanism 40. After the substrate cutting process, the obtained electronic components 60a are transported from the cutting device 1 having the second cutting mechanism 40. Even in this case, since there are almost no electronic components 60a with burrs among the obtained electronic components 60a, transport problems are less likely to occur.

[0053] <4> In the embodiments described above, the protective film 67 was cut by moving the objects 60 and 70 while the first blade 32 and first nozzle 34 of the first cutting mechanism 30 were fixed. Similarly, the substrate 63 and resin package 65 were cut by moving the objects 60 and 70 while the second blade 42 and second nozzle 44 of the second cutting mechanism 40 were fixed. However, the cutting of the objects 60 and 70 is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the objects 60 and 70 may be cut by moving the first blade 32 and first nozzle 34, the second blade 42 and second nozzle 44, or the objects 60 and 70, instead of moving them, or in conjunction with the movement of the objects 60 and 70. In other words, it is sufficient that the first blade 32 and first nozzle 34, the second blade 42 and second nozzle 44, and the objects 60 and 70 can move relative to each other, thereby changing their relative positional relationship.

[0054] <5> In the embodiment described above, the table pan 21 was moved linearly by a ball screw 23 and a nut 24, but the invention is not limited to this. The table pan 21 may also be configured to move directly in a linear direction using a linear actuator.

[0055] <6> In the embodiment described above, the protective film 67 was cooled by exposing it to low-temperature air, but in addition to this, the cutting table 28 may also be configured to be cooled by a known method. By cooling the cutting table 28, the resin package 65 is also cooled when the protective film 67 is cooled. As a result, both sides of the substrate 63 are cooled, so warping of the substrate 63 that may occur when only one side (protective film 67) is cooled can be suppressed.

[0056] <7> In the embodiment described above, the air was cooled by a refrigerant in the first fluid supply unit 36, but the system may also be configured to supply liquid nitrogen (an example of a fluid) itself to the first nozzle 34. Since the boiling point of liquid nitrogen is -196 degrees Celsius, even if liquid nitrogen is supplied to the first nozzle 34, it will vaporize before being sprayed from the first outlet 34a. This allows the protective film 67 to be cooled to an even lower temperature.

[0057] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following describes the cutting method, the method for manufacturing the cut product, and an overview of the cutting apparatus 1 as described in the above embodiment.

[0058] (1) The cutting method is characterized by being a cutting method for cutting objects 60, 70 having substrates 63, 73 on which elements 61 and integrated circuits 71 are fixed, and a protective film 67 that is adhered to the substrates 63, 73 to protect the elements 61 and integrated circuits 71, and includes a cooling step of lowering the temperature of the protective film 67 by spraying it with fluid from a fluid discharge section (first nozzle 34), a film cutting step of cutting the protective film 67 after the cooling step, and a substrate cutting step of cutting the substrates 63, 73 while spraying them with cutting water that is hotter than the fluid after the film cutting step.

[0059] In this cutting method, since the film cutting process is performed after a low-temperature step in which the protective film 67 is cooled, brittle fracture becomes dominant in the cutting of the protective film 67, and burrs are less likely to occur on the cut surface of the protective film 67. Furthermore, since the substrate cutting process is performed after the film cutting process, the protective film 67 and the substrates 63 and 73 can be cut under optimized conditions compared to when they are cut simultaneously.

[0060] (2) In the cutting method described in (1) above, the fluid may be low-temperature air that has been cooled to below 0 degrees Celsius and then blown onto the protective film 67.

[0061] With this method, the cold air that is exposed to the protective film 67 becomes cold, so brittle fracture becomes the dominant method of cutting the protective film 67, and burrs are less likely to form on the cut surface of the protective film 67.

[0062] (3) In the cutting method described in (1) or (2) above, in the low-temperature step, the object 60, 70 may be moved relative to the fluid discharge section (first nozzle 34) while the fluid is simultaneously applied to multiple locations on the protective film 67.

[0063] With this method, the cutting point of the protective film 67 can be sufficiently cooled before the protective film 67 is cut.

[0064] (4) In the cutting method described in (1) or (2) above, in the low-temperature step, the fluid may be sprayed linearly onto the protective film 67 while the objects 60 and 70 are moved relative to the fluid discharge section (first nozzle 34).

[0065] With this method, the cutting point of the protective film 67 can be continuously cooled from before the protective film 67 is cut.

[0066] (5) In the cutting method described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the first cutting width d1 of the protective film 67 cut in the film cutting step may be greater than the second cutting width d2 of the substrates 63, 73 cut in the substrate cutting step.

[0067] With this method, the cut edge of the protective film 67 is not cut during the substrate cutting process.

[0068] (6) In the cutting method described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the object 60 further has a resin package 65 that covers the substrate 63 on the opposite side of the protective film 67, and the method further includes a shield layer forming step after the substrate cutting step in which a shield layer 52 is formed on the surface of the object 60 excluding the protective film 67.

[0069] With this method, the shielding layer 52 will not be formed in the area covered by the protective film 67. In addition, the protective film 67 prevents the shielding material from adhering to the substrate 63.

[0070] (7) The cutting product (electronic component 60a) is manufactured by cutting the object 60 in accordance with any one of the cutting methods described in (1) to (6) above.

[0071] This manufacturing method makes it possible to produce cut products (electronic components 60a) in which burrs are less likely to occur on the cut surface of the protective film 67.

[0072] (8) The characteristic configuration of the cutting apparatus 1 used in any one of the cutting methods described in (1) to (6) above is that it comprises a first cutting mechanism 30 used in the film cutting process and a second cutting mechanism 40 used in the substrate cutting process.

[0073] With this configuration, compared to cutting the protective film 67 and substrates 63 and 73 at the same time, the first cutting mechanism 30 and the second cutting mechanism 40 can each be configured to cut the protective film 67 and substrates 63 and 73 in a way that is optimized for each of them. [Industrial applicability]

[0074] This invention can be used in cutting methods, methods for manufacturing cut products, and cutting apparatus. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1: Cutting device 30: 1st cutting mechanism 34: First nozzle (fluid discharge section) 40:Second cutting mechanism 52: Shield layer 60: Object 60a: Electronic components (cut pieces) 61: Element 63: Circuit board 65: Resin packaging 67: Protective film 70: Object 71: Integrated circuits (devices) 73: Circuit board d1: 1st cutting width d2: 2nd cutting width

Claims

1. A cutting method for cutting an object having a substrate on which an element is fixed, and a protective film that is adhered to the substrate and protects the element, A cooling step in which the protective film is cooled by exposing it to gas from a fluid discharge section, Following the low-temperature step, a film cutting step is performed to cut the protective film, A cutting method comprising, after the film cutting step, a substrate cutting step of cutting the substrate while spraying it with cutting water at a temperature higher than the gas.

2. The cutting method according to claim 1, wherein the gas is low-temperature air that has been cooled to -196 degrees Celsius or higher and below 0 degrees Celsius before being exposed to the protective film.

3. The cutting method according to claim 1, wherein in the low-temperature step, the object is moved relative to the fluid discharge section while the gas is simultaneously applied to multiple locations on the protective film.

4. The cutting method according to claim 1, wherein in the low-temperature step, the object is moved relative to the fluid discharge section while the gas is sprayed linearly onto the protective film.

5. The cutting method according to claim 1, wherein the first cutting width of the protective film cut in the film cutting step is greater than the second cutting width of the substrate cut in the substrate cutting step.

6. The object further comprises a resin package that covers the substrate on the opposite side of the protective film, The cutting method according to claim 1, further comprising a shield layer forming step of forming a shield layer on the surface of the object excluding the protective film after the substrate cutting step.

7. A method for manufacturing a cut product, comprising manufacturing a cut product by cutting an object according to the cutting method described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A cutting device used in the cutting method described in any one of claims 1 to 6, A first cutting mechanism used in the aforementioned film cutting process, A cutting apparatus comprising a second cutting mechanism used in the aforementioned substrate cutting process.

Images