JP7734057B2 - Processing method and dicing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing method for a package substrate on which multiple intersecting planned division lines are set, and a dicing device for dicing the package substrate.

In dicing machines, tape is applied to the workpiece before dicing to facilitate handling of the workpiece after separation, and the tape is discarded after the workpiece is picked up from the tape after dicing. Meanwhile, to reduce tape costs, a dicing machine has been proposed that processes package substrates by directly holding them by suction on a holding table without using tape (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-078253

In the dicing device described in Patent Document 1 and elsewhere, cutting chips generated when dicing a package substrate with a cutting blade are absorbed into the cutting fluid, scattered within the dicing device, and adhere to the side walls, ceiling, cutting unit, etc. within the dicing device's processing chamber.

In the dicing device described in Patent Document 1 and elsewhere, cutting fluid containing cutting debris drips and accumulates on the holding table after the package substrate is removed. This causes dirt to get between the next package substrate to be processed and the holding surface of the holding table, resulting in the formation of a gap between the holding table and the held surface of the package substrate.

In the dicing device described in Patent Document 1 and elsewhere, negative pressure leaks from this gap, preventing the package substrate from being adequately suction-held, which can cause the package substrate to move during dicing, resulting in processing defects. Furthermore, if dirt adheres to and accumulates in the suction holes in the holding table, this can lead to a decrease in suction force, causing similar problems.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and dicing device that can reduce processing defects.

To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the processing method of the present invention is a method for processing a package substrate on which a plurality of intersecting planned division lines are set, and is characterized by comprising: a dirt confirmation step in which a holding table is imaged with a camera and the holding table has relief grooves for a cutting blade formed in areas corresponding to the planned division lines and suction holes for suction-holding the package substrate formed in each area partitioned by the relief grooves to confirm dirt on the holding table; a cleaning step in which, if dirt is confirmed in the dirt confirmation step, a cleaning liquid is supplied to the holding table to clean the holding table; a holding step in which the package substrate is held on the holding table; and a dicing step in which the package substrate held on the holding table is cut along the planned division lines with a cutting blade to divide it.

The processing method may also include a carrying-out step of carrying out the separated package substrate from the holding table after the dicing step is performed.

In the above-described processing method, the cleaning step may involve spraying the cleaning liquid onto the holding table from a cleaning liquid supply nozzle disposed adjacent to the cutting blade to clean the holding table.

In the above processing method, the cleaning liquid may consist of a mixture of two fluids: water and air.

The dicing device of the present invention is a dicing device for dicing a package substrate on which a plurality of intersecting planned division lines are set. It includes a holding table in which relief grooves for the cutting blade are formed in areas of the package substrate to be diced that correspond to the planned division lines and in which suction holes for suction-holding the package substrate are formed in each area defined by the relief grooves; a cutting blade for dicing the package substrate held on the holding table; a camera for capturing images of the holding table; a cleaning liquid supply nozzle for supplying cleaning liquid to the holding table; and a controller for controlling at least the cleaning liquid supply nozzle. The controller checks for contamination on the holding table based on the captured image formed by capturing an image of the holding table with the camera, and if contamination is detected, supplies the cleaning liquid to the holding table from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle.

The present invention has the effect of reducing processing defects.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a dicing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a package substrate to be processed by the processing method and dicing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the package substrate shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the back surface side of the package substrate shown in FIG. 5 is a plan view of the holding table of the dicing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the holding table shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a front view of the cutting unit of the dicing machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a reference image stored in the storage unit of the controller of the dicing machine shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a captured image formed in the stain checking step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the cleaning step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view, partly in section, showing the holding step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a side view, partly in section, showing the dicing step of the processing method shown in FIG.

Modes for carrying out the present invention (embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the content described in the following embodiment 1. Furthermore, the components described below include those that would be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
A dicing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the dicing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a package substrate that is an object to be processed by the processing method and dicing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the package substrate shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the back side of the package substrate shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a holding table of the dicing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of the holding table shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a front view of a cutting unit of the dicing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a reference image stored in a memory unit of a controller of the dicing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

The dicing device shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment is a processing device that dices (cuts) the package substrate 200 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 to separate the package substrate 200 into individual package chips 201.

(Package substrate)
The package substrate 200 to be processed by the dicing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is formed in a rectangular, flat plate shape in plan view, as shown in Fig. 2. The package substrate 200 includes a rectangular, flat base substrate 202, and has a device region 204 and a peripheral excess region 205 surrounding the device region 204 on a surface 203 of the base substrate 202. The base substrate 202 is made of a metal such as a metal containing copper (i.e., a copper alloy).

The device region 204 has multiple planned division lines 206 that intersect with each other. One of the multiple planned division lines 206 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base substrate 202, while the other planned division line 206 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base substrate 202 and parallel to the width direction of the base substrate 202. Device chips 208 are arranged in regions 207 defined by these multiple planned division lines 206 that intersect with each other. The planned division lines 206 penetrate the base substrate 202. The region 207 is formed by a portion of the base substrate 202, and the device chips 208 are arranged on the back surface 210 (shown in FIG. 4, etc.) behind the front surface 203. Electrodes 209 are provided on each planned division line 206 for connecting the package chip 201 to a wiring substrate or the like.

The electrodes 209 are formed from a portion of the base substrate 202, and in embodiment 1, are each provided at the center of the width of the planned division lines 206 and are formed linearly in a direction perpendicular to each planned division line 206. The electrodes 209 are connected to the device chip 208 by wires or the like (not shown).

In embodiment 1, multiple device regions 204 (three in embodiment 1) are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base substrate 202. The peripheral surplus region 205 is an area in which no device chips 208 are arranged, and is formed by the base substrate 202. It surrounds the entire periphery of each device region 204 and connects adjacent device regions 204 together.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the package substrate 200 also includes a sealing resin 211 that seals (coats) the back surface 210 of each device region 204. The sealing resin 211 is made of a thermoplastic resin and seals (coats) the device chips 208 and wires arranged on the back surface 210 of region 207 of the base substrate 202, and is also filled within the planned division lines 206. On the back surface 210 side of the base substrate 202, the sealing resin 211 seals (coats) the entire device regions 204. On the front surface 203 side of the base substrate 202, the sealing resin 211 seals the planned division lines 206, leaving the region 207 where the device chips 208 are arranged and the electrodes 209 exposed.

The package substrate 200 is cut at the center of the width of each planned division line 206 in each device region 204, dividing the electrodes 209 into two and separating them into individual package chips 201. Thus, the package substrate 200 processed by the processing method and dicing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 is a QFN substrate in which metal electrodes 209 are arranged along the planned division lines 206 cut by the cutting blade 21. Note that, in embodiment 1, the package substrate 200 is a QFN (Quad Flat Non-leaded Package) substrate in which the electrodes 209 are arranged along the planned division lines 206, but is not limited to this and may also be a CSP (Chip Scale Packaging) substrate. Also, in embodiment 1, the package chips 201 separated from the package substrate 200 are small chips, with each side measuring approximately 1 mm x 1 mm.

In addition, in embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the package substrate 200 has alignment marks 212 that indicate the cutting positions of the planned division lines 206 during cutting processing, at both ends of the planned division lines 206 on the surface 203 of the base substrate 202. In embodiment 1, the alignment marks 212 are positioned in line with the center of each planned division line 206 in the width direction.

(Dicing equipment)
The dicing device 1 according to the first embodiment is a processing device that holds a package substrate 200 on a holding table 10 and performs dicing (cutting) along a plurality of planned division lines 206 to divide the package substrate 200 into individual package chips 201. In the first embodiment, the dicing device 1 is a processing device (a so-called jig dicer) that holds the package substrate 200, to which no dicing tape is attached, directly on the holding table 10 and performs a so-called full cut on the package substrate 200 to divide it into package chips 201.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dicing device 1 includes a holding table 10 (shown in FIG. 5) that holds the package substrate 200 by suction on its holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 having a cutting blade 21 that dices the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10, a camera 30 that photographs the holding table 10 and the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10, and a controller 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dicing device 1 also includes a movement unit 40 that moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to one another. The movement unit 40 includes an X-axis movement unit 41, a Y-axis movement unit 42, a Z-axis movement unit 43, and a rotational movement unit 44.

The X-axis movement unit 41 moves the holding table 10 and the rotational movement unit 44 in the X-axis direction, which is parallel to the horizontal direction, which is the processing feed direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and holding table 10 relatively along the X-axis. The X-axis movement unit 41 supports the table base 50 (shown in Figures 1 and 6) on which the rotational movement unit 44 and holding table 10 are mounted, and moves them in the X-axis direction.

The Y-axis movement unit 42 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is parallel to the horizontal direction (indexing feed direction) and perpendicular to the X-axis direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and the holding table 10 relatively along the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis movement unit 43 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (cutting feed directions), thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and the holding table 10 relatively along the Z-axis direction.

The rotational movement unit 44 supports the table base 50, is supported by the X-axis movement unit 41, and is arranged so that it can move freely in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 10 attached to the table base 50. The rotational movement unit 44 rotates the holding table 10 attached to the table base 50 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The X-axis movement unit 41, Y-axis movement unit 42, and Z-axis movement unit 43 each include a well-known ball screw rotatable about its axis, a well-known motor that rotates the ball screw about its axis, and a well-known guide rail that supports the holding table 10 or cutting unit 20 so that it can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotational movement unit 44 also includes a motor that rotates the table base 50, on which the holding table 10 is mounted, about its axis.

The holding table 10 is attached to the table base 50 and holds the package substrate 200 by suction on the holding surface 11. The holding table 10 is attached to the table base 50 and is rotated around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by the rotational movement unit 44. The holding table 10 is attached to the table base 50 and is moved in the X-axis direction together with the rotational movement unit 44 by the X-axis movement unit 41.

The table base 50 is supported by the rotary movement unit 44 and, together with the rotary movement unit 44, is supported by the X-axis movement unit 41. The table base 50 is formed in a rectangular shape with an outer shape larger than the package substrate 200. As shown in FIG. 5 , a suction path 54 connected to a suction source 53 via an on-off valve 52 opens at the center of the top surface 51 of the table base 50. The suction path 54 opens to an area corresponding to the device area 204 of the package substrate 200 held by the holding table 10 attached to the top surface 51, and penetrates the table base 50. Note that in this specification, the corresponding area refers to an area that overlaps in the thickness direction (in the Z-axis direction in Embodiment 1). Furthermore, a holding table suction path 56 connected to the suction source 53 via an on-off valve 55 opens at the outer edge of the top surface 51 of the table base 50. The holding table suction path 56 penetrates the table base 50.

The holding table 10 has a rectangular shape that is larger than the package substrate 200 and has a constant thickness. In embodiment 1, the outer shape of the holding table 10 is the same as the outer shape of the table base 50. The holding table 10 is placed on the upper surface 51 of the table base 50, and is fixed to the upper surface 51 of the table base 50 by opening the on-off valve 55 and applying suction to the holding table suction path 56 with the suction source 53. The holding table 10 is attached to the table base 50 in this manner.

The holding table 10 holds the package substrate 200 to be diced by suction on its upper holding surface 11. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the holding table 10 has formed on its holding surface 11 an escape groove 12 into which the cutting blade 21 enters during dicing, and suction holes 13 for sucking the package substrate 200 and package chip 201. The escape groove 12 is formed in an area corresponding to the planned division line 206 of the package substrate 200 to be diced (i.e., an area that overlaps in the thickness direction), and extends linearly from the escape groove 12 in a concave shape along the planned division line 206.

The suction holes 13 are formed in the area defined by the clearance grooves 12 on the holding surface 11, i.e., the area corresponding to the package chips 201 individually separated from the package substrate 200 (i.e., the area overlapping in the thickness direction), and penetrate the holding table 10 in the thickness direction. In embodiment 1, the suction holes 13 correspond one-to-one to the package chips 201. When the holding table 10 is attached to the table base 50, the suction holes 13 connect to the suction source 53 via the suction path 54 and the on-off valve 52.

As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the holding table 10 has recesses 14 formed around the suction holes 13 in each area defined by the clearance grooves 12 on the holding surface 11. The recesses 14 are recessed from the holding surface 11 and are formed around the entire periphery of the suction holes 13. The recesses 14 form steps 15 around the suction holes 13 in each area defined by the clearance grooves 12 on the holding surface 11.

The sealing resin 211 side of the package substrate 200 is placed on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. The holding table 10 suction-holds the package substrate 200 and package chip 201 on the holding surface 11 by opening the on-off valve 52 and applying suction to the suction holes 13 with the suction source 53. The holding table 10 has steps 15 formed around the suction holes 13 in each region defined by the clearance grooves 12 on the holding surface 11. This increases the contact area with the package chip 201 by the suction force from the suction source 53, increasing the recess 14 (i.e., the step 15) compared to when there are no steps. In embodiment 1, the holding table 10 is a so-called jig table that directly suction-holds the package substrate 200, to which no dicing tape is attached, on the holding surface 11.

The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit in which the cutting blade 21 is attached to the spindle 23 shown in FIG. 8 and which dices the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10. When the cutting unit 20 dices the package substrate 200, it generates cutting chips. The cutting unit 20 is movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis movement unit 42 and in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis movement unit 43 relative to the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 20 is mounted on a support frame 3 erected from the device main body 2 via the Y-axis movement unit 42 and Z-axis movement unit 43. The cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the Y-axis movement unit 42 and Z-axis movement unit 43.

The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 that is movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions by a Y-axis movement unit 42 and a Z-axis movement unit 43, a spindle 23 that is rotatable about its axis on the spindle housing 22 and has the cutting blade 21 attached to its tip, a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 23 about its axis, a blade cover 24 that is attached to the tip surface of the spindle 23, and a cutting water nozzle 25 that supplies cutting water to the cutting blade 21.

The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting wheel with a roughly ring shape. The cutting blade 21 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 23. In embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 8, the cutting blade 21 is a so-called hub blade that includes an annular circular base and an annular cutting blade disposed on the outer periphery of the circular base and used to cut the package substrate 200. The cutting blade is formed to a predetermined thickness and is made of abrasive grains such as SiC, alumina, diamond, or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride), and a bond (binding material) such as metal or resin that secures the abrasive grains. Note that in the present invention, the cutting blade 21 may also be a so-called washer blade composed only of a cutting blade.

The cutting blade 21 is attached to the tip of the spindle 23, and is rotated around its axis by a spindle motor, causing the cutting blade 21 to rotate. The spindle motor is equipped with a rotor that is attached to the spindle 23 and rotates integrally with the spindle 23, and a stator that is disposed on the outer periphery of the rotor and in the spindle housing 22, and rotates the rotor when power is supplied from a power source. In the spindle motor, the stator rotates the rotor, causing the spindle 23 to rotate around its axis.

The blade cover 24 covers at least the upper part of the cutting blade 21. The blade cover 24 is fixed to the tip surface of the spindle housing 22.

The cutting water nozzle 25 supplies cutting water to the cutting blade 21 when the cutting blade 21 dices the package substrate 200 held on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. As shown in Figure 8, the cutting water nozzle 25 includes a shower nozzle 26 and a pair of blade nozzles 27.

Nozzles 26 and 27 are attached to the blade cover 24 and are supplied with cutting water from a cutting water supply source (not shown). The shower nozzle 26 has an outlet 261 that faces the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 in the X-axis direction, and supplies cutting water from the outlet 261 to the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 during cutting.

The blade nozzles 27 extend parallel to the X-axis direction and are spaced apart from one another in the Y-axis direction. The blade nozzles 27 position the lower ends of the cutting edges of the cutting blades 21 between them and are equipped with injection ports 271 that face the lower ends of the cutting edges of the cutting blades 21. The blade nozzles 27 supply cutting water from the injection ports 271 to the lower ends of the cutting edges of the cutting blades 21 during cutting.

The camera 30 is fixed to the cutting unit 20 or the like so that it moves integrally with the cutting unit 20. The camera 30 is equipped with an imaging element that captures an image of the area to be divided of the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10 before cutting. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The camera 30 captures an image of the package substrate 200 held on the holding table 10, forms an image for performing alignment between the package substrate 200 and the cutting blade 21, and outputs the formed image to the controller 100. The image captured and formed by the controller 100 is a grayscale image defined by multiple levels of brightness (e.g., 256 levels). The brightness of each pixel in this image is determined.

The dicing device 1 also includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis or Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses. The X-axis position detection unit, Y-axis position detection unit, and Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the lower end of the cutting blade of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis or Z-axis direction to the controller 100.

In embodiment 1, the positions of the holding table 10 and cutting unit 20 of the dicing apparatus 1 in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown).

In addition, in embodiment 1, the dicing apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60, as shown in FIG. 8. In embodiment 1, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 is attached to the blade cover 24 and disposed adjacent to the cutting blade 21. In embodiment 1, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 is equipped with an injection port 61 that can face the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 along the Z-axis direction. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 supplies cleaning liquid 63 supplied from a cleaning liquid supply source 62 to the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by injecting the cleaning liquid 63 from the injection port 61. In embodiment 1, the cleaning liquid 63 is a two-fluid mixture of water and pressurized air, but the present invention is not limited to a two-fluid mixture.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dicing apparatus 1 also includes a carry-out unit 70. The carry-out unit 70 carries out the multiple package chips 201, which have been individually separated from the package substrate 200, from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. The carry-out unit 70 has a lower surface 71 made of a porous material such as porous ceramics, connected to a suction source (not shown), and the lower surface 71 is sucked by the suction source, thereby suction-holding the multiple package chips 201 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to the lower surface 71. In embodiment 1, the carry-out unit 70 suction-holds all package chips 201 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to the lower surface 71, and carries them out from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10.

The controller 100 controls each component of the dicing apparatus 1 and causes the dicing apparatus 1 to perform processing operations on the package substrate 200. That is, the controller 100 controls at least the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60. The controller 100 is a computer that includes an arithmetic processing device with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input/output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the controller 100 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the dicing apparatus 1 to each component of the dicing apparatus 1 via the input/output interface device.

The controller 100 is connected to a display unit, such as an LCD display, which displays the status of the machining operation and images, and an input unit that the operator uses to register machining content information. The input unit is made up of a touch panel attached to the display unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 100 also includes a control unit 101, a memory unit 102, and a cleaning evaluation unit 103. The control unit 101 controls each component of the dicing device 1, causing the dicing device 1 to perform processing operations on the package substrate 200.

The memory unit 102 stores a reference image 300, as shown in FIG. 9 . The reference image 300 is formed by the camera 30 capturing an image of the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, where no foreign matter such as cutting chips is attached. For this reason, the reference image 300 is a grayscale image defined by multiple levels of brightness (e.g., 256 levels). The brightness of each pixel in the reference image 300 is determined. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 9 , the reference image 300 is an image formed by capturing an image of a portion of the holding surface 11. However, in the present invention, if the camera 30 is capable of capturing an image of the entire holding surface 11 at once, the image may be formed by capturing an image of the entire holding surface 11. In the first embodiment, the memory unit 102 stores multiple images formed by the camera 30 capturing an image of a portion of the holding surface 11, and stores an image of the entire holding surface 11 using multiple reference images 300. In other words, in the first embodiment, the memory unit 102 stores the entire holding surface 11 divided into multiple reference images 300.

The determining cleaning unit 103 checks for dirt on the holding table 10 based on the captured image 301 (shown in FIG. 11 ) formed by the camera 30 capturing an image of the holding surface 11, and if dirt is detected, supplies cleaning liquid 63 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 to the holding surface 11. Similar to the reference image 300, the captured image 301 is a grayscale image defined by multiple levels of brightness (e.g., 256 levels), and the brightness of each pixel is set.

The determining cleaning unit 103 compares the reference image 300 with the captured image 301 formed by the camera 30 capturing the same position on the holding surface 11 as in the reference image 300, and determines whether cutting debris is attached to the holding surface 11, thereby checking for dirt on the holding table 10. Specifically, the determining cleaning unit 103 calculates the difference in brightness of the same pixel between the reference image 300 and the captured image 301 formed by the camera 30 capturing the same position on the holding surface 11 as in the reference image 300, and determines whether the calculated difference in brightness exceeds a predetermined value.

If the calculated brightness difference exceeds a predetermined value for even one pixel, the determining cleaning unit 103 determines that cutting debris is attached to the holding surface 11, i.e., that the holding table 10 is dirty. If the calculated brightness difference for all pixels is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the determining cleaning unit 103 determines that cutting debris is not attached to the holding surface 11, i.e., that the holding table 10 is not dirty. When the determining cleaning unit 103 determines that cutting debris is attached to the holding surface 11, i.e., that the holding table 10 is dirty, it controls the movement unit 40 to position the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 directly above the location on the holding surface 11 where the cutting debris is attached, i.e., the dirty location on the holding table 10, and supplies cleaning liquid 63 from the nozzle 61 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 to the holding surface 11, thereby removing the cutting debris from the holding surface 11 and the dirt from the holding table 10. The determining cleaning unit 103 supplies cleaning liquid 63 only to areas of the holding surface 11 where cutting debris is attached, i.e., only to the dirty areas of the holding table 10, and cleans only the areas of the holding surface 11 where cutting debris is attached, i.e., only to the dirty areas of the holding table 10.

The functions of the control unit 101 and the determination cleaning unit 103 are realized by the calculation processing device performing calculations in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device. The functions of the storage unit 102 are realized by the storage device.

(Processing method)
Next, a processing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. The processing method according to the first embodiment is a processing method for dividing the package substrate 200 into individual package chips 201, and is also a processing operation of the dicing apparatus 1.

In the dicing apparatus 1, the holding table 10 is placed on the upper surface 51 of the table base 50, and the controller 100 receives and stores processing conditions input from an input unit or the like. When the controller 100 receives a command to start processing from an operator or the like, the control unit 101 rotates the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20, i.e., the cutting blade 21, about its axis, drives the suction source 53, opens the on-off valve 55, attaches the holding table 10 to the table base 50, and performs the processing operation, i.e., the processing method according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 10 , the processing method according to embodiment 1 includes a contamination confirmation step 1001, a holding step 1004, a dicing step 1005, and a carrying-out step 1006.

(Contamination check step)
Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image formed in the dirt checking step of the processing method shown in Fig. 10. The dirt checking step 1001 is a step of checking for dirt on the holding table 10. In the dirt checking step 1001, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 controls the moving unit 40 to position the holding table 10 that is not holding a package substrate 200 below the camera 30, and the entire holding surface 11 is divided into multiple parts and imaged by the camera 30 to form, for example, the captured image 301 illustrated in Fig. 11.

In the dirt confirmation step 1001, the determination cleaning unit 103 of the controller 100 compares the reference image 300 with the captured image 301 to determine whether cutting debris is attached to the holding surface 11 and check for dirt on the holding table 10. In embodiment 1, in the dirt confirmation step 1001, the determination cleaning unit 103 of the controller 100 compares the multiple reference images 300 with the multiple captured images 301 to determine whether there are any dirty areas on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, i.e., whether dirt on the holding surface 11 has been confirmed (step 1002).

In the dirt confirmation step 1001, if the determination and cleaning unit 103 of the controller 100 determines that there is a dirty area on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, i.e., that dirt on the holding surface 11 has been confirmed (step 1002: Yes), the process proceeds to the cleaning step 1003. Also, in the dirt confirmation step 1001, if the determination and cleaning unit 103 of the controller 100 determines that there is no dirty area on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, i.e., that dirt on the holding surface 11 has not been confirmed (step 1002: No), the process proceeds to the holding step 1004.

For example, the captured image 301 shown in FIG. 11 includes pixels whose brightness difference from the reference image 300, shown shaded in the figure, exceeds a predetermined value. For this reason, when the captured image 301 shown in FIG. 11 is formed, the determination cleaning unit 103 of the controller 100 determines that there is a dirty portion on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, i.e., that dirt on the holding surface 11 has been confirmed (step 1002: Yes).

(Washing step)
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the cleaning step of the processing method shown in Fig. 10. Cleaning step 1003 is a step in which cleaning liquid 63 is supplied to holding table 10 to clean holding table 10 when contamination is confirmed in contamination confirmation step 1001.

In cleaning step 1003, the cleaning determination unit 103 of the controller 100 controls the moving unit 40 to position the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 directly above the area on the holding surface 11 where cutting debris is attached, i.e., the dirty area on the holding table 10. In cleaning step 1003, as shown in FIG. 12, the cleaning determination unit 103 of the controller 100 supplies cleaning liquid 63 from the nozzle 61 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 to the dirty area on the holding surface 11 for a predetermined period of time, thereby removing the dirt from the dirty area on the holding surface 11 and cleaning the dirty area on the holding surface 11. In this way, in cleaning step 1003, cleaning liquid 63 is sprayed onto the holding table 10 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 60 attached to the blade cover 24 and arranged adjacent to the cutting blade 21, thereby cleaning the holding table 10.

(holding step)
10. Holding step 1004 is a step of holding package substrate 200 on holding table 10. In holding step 1004, control unit 101 of controller 100 controls movement unit 40 to move holding table 10 away from below camera 30, i.e., cutting unit 20, and position holding table 10 at a position spaced apart from below camera 30, i.e., cutting unit 20.

In the holding step 1004, for example, an operator places the sealing resin 211 of the package substrate 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In the holding step 1004, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 opens the on-off valve 52 to suction-hold the package substrate 200 on the holding surface 11, as shown in FIG. 13 .

(dicing step)
Fig. 14 is a side view, partially in cross section, showing the dicing step of the processing method shown in Fig. 10. In the dicing step 1005, the package substrate 200 held by the holding table 10 is cut along the planned division lines 206 with the cutting blade 21 to divide the package substrate 200 into individual package chips 201.

In the dicing step 1005, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 controls the moving unit 40 to move the holding table 10 to below the camera 30, captures an image of the mark 212 on the package substrate 200 with the camera 30, and performs alignment to align the cutting blade 21 with the planned division lines 206. In the dicing step 1005, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 controls each component to move the holding table 10 and the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 relatively along the planned division lines 206, as shown in FIG. 14, and cuts the cutting blade 21 into the package substrate 200 until it enters the clearance grooves 12, thereby dicing the planned division lines 206. In the dicing step 1005, the dicing apparatus 1 dices all of the planned division lines 206 of the package substrate 200 held by suction on the holding table 10, dividing the package substrate 200 into individual package chips 201.

(Carry-out step)
The carry-out step 1006 is a step of carrying out, after the dicing step 1005, individually separated package chips 201 from the separated package substrate 200 from the holding table 10. In the carry-out step 1006, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 controls the carry-out unit 70 to suction-hold the package chip 201 held on the holding surface 11 onto the lower surface 71 of the carry-out unit 70. In the carry-out step 1006, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 closes the on-off valve 52 to stop suction-holding of the package chip 201 on the holding surface 11. In the carry-out step 1006, the control unit 101 of the controller 100 controls the carry-out unit 70 to carry out the package chip 201 held on the lower surface 71 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, thereby completing the processing operation of the dicing apparatus 1, i.e., the processing method.

As described above, the processing method according to embodiment 1 includes a dirt checking step 1001 in which dirt on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 is checked, and a cleaning step 1003 in which, if dirt is found in the dirt checking step 1001, a cleaning liquid 63 is supplied to the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to clean the holding table 10. Therefore, in the holding step 1004, the package substrate 200 is held by the cleaned holding table 10, and in the dicing step 1005, the package substrate 200 can be diced with the cutting blade 21.

For this reason, the processing method according to embodiment 1 allows the package substrate 200 to be diced by suction-holding it on the holding table 10, the holding surface 11 of which has been cleaned or reduced in contamination, and prevents a decrease in the suction-holding force of the package substrate 200 on the holding table 10 during dicing, thereby preventing misalignment of the package substrate 200 and package chip 201 during dicing.

As a result, the processing method according to embodiment 1 can solve problems caused by dirt adhering to the holding table 10, thereby reducing processing defects.

Furthermore, the dicing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 performs the above-described processing method, thereby solving problems caused by dirt adhering to the holding table 10 and reducing processing defects.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the present invention, after performing the cleaning step 1003, the dirt checking step 1001 may be performed again, and the cleaning step 1003 and the dirt checking step 1001 may be repeated until the dirt on the holding surface 11 is completely removed.

Furthermore, in the present invention, in the contamination confirmation step 1001, it is also possible to check whether or not there is contamination on only a portion of the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10.

Furthermore, in the present invention, in the cleaning step 1003, the cleaning liquid 63 may be supplied to the entire holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to clean the entire holding surface 11.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 dicing device 10 holding table 12 relief groove 13 suction hole 21 cutting blade 30 camera 60 cleaning liquid supply nozzle 63 cleaning liquid 100 controller 200 package substrate 206 planned division line 301 captured image 1001 contamination confirmation step 1003 cleaning step 1004 holding step 1005 dicing step 1006 carrying out step

Claims (5)

A processing method for a package substrate on which a plurality of intersecting planned division lines are set, comprising:
a dirt confirmation step of photographing a holding table with a camera, the holding table having relief grooves for the cutting blade formed in areas corresponding to the planned division lines and suction holes for suction-holding the package substrates in the areas partitioned by the relief grooves; and
a cleaning step of supplying a cleaning liquid to the holding table to clean the holding table when the dirt is confirmed in the dirt confirmation step;
a holding step of holding the package substrate on the holding table;
a dicing step of cutting and dividing the package substrate held by the holding table along the planned division lines with a cutting blade. The processing method described in claim 1 further includes a carrying-out step of carrying out the separated package substrate from the holding table after the dicing step is performed. The processing method described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning step involves spraying the cleaning liquid onto the holding table from a cleaning liquid supply nozzle disposed adjacent to the cutting blade to clean the holding table. The processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning liquid is a mixture of two fluids: water and air. A dicing device for dicing a package substrate on which a plurality of intersecting planned division lines are set,
a holding table in which relief grooves for a cutting blade are formed in areas of the package substrate to be diced corresponding to the planned dividing lines, and in which suction holes for suction-holding the package substrate are formed in the areas partitioned by the relief grooves;
a cutting blade for dicing the package substrate held by the holding table;
a camera for capturing an image of the holding table;
a cleaning liquid supply nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid to the holding table;
a controller that controls at least the cleaning liquid supply nozzle,
The controller checks for dirt on the holding table based on an image formed by capturing an image of the holding table with the camera, and supplies the cleaning liquid to the holding table from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle if dirt is detected.