EP0186201A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semiconductor wafer dicing machine
Assignee: Disco Corp
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Filing: 1985-12-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-12-27
Abstract
Abstract @ A dicing machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer (W) along cutting lines arranged in a lattice pattern. The dicing machine comprises a cutting station (2), at least one alignment station (4A, 4B), a cutting means (8) disposed in the cutting station, a detecting means (10A, 108) disposed in the alignment station for detecting the cutting lines of the water (W), and a wafer transferring means (6). The wafer transferring means includes two wafer supporting means (50A, 5;B) and the dicing machine is capable of positioning one of the two wafer supporting means in the alignment station and performing alignment of a semiconductor wafer (W) supported with said one of the wafer supporting means while positioning the other of the wafer supporting means in the cutting station and cutting a semiconductor wafer supported with said the other of the supporting means by the cutting means. The cutting means includes two cutting blades (158A, 158B) and a cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) for setting up the interval of these cutting blades.
Inventors
- 👤 Takatoshi Ono
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:36
CPC Classifications
B; B27; B27B; B27B31/00; B27B31/06; B28; B28D; B28D5/00; B28D5/0058; B28D5/02; B28D5/022; B28D5/024; B28D5/029; H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0428
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A dicing machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer along cutting lines arranged in a lattice pattern, said dicing machine comprising a cutting station (2), at least one alignment station (4A, 4B), cutting means (8) disposed in the cutting station, detecting means (10A, 10B) disposed in the alignment station for detecting the cutting lines of the wafer, and wafer transferring means (6) including two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) mounted rotatably and movably between the alignment station and the cutting station, a main moving means (20A, 20B) for moving the wafer supporting means, and two rotating means respectively annexed to the two wafer supporting means for rotating the two wafer supporting means respectively, and said dicing machine being capable of positioning one of the two wafer supporting means in the alignment station (4A, 4B), detecting the cutting lines of a semiconductor wafer supported with said one of the wafer supporting means by the detecting means (10A, 10B) and performing alignment including rotating said one of the two wafer supporting means on the basis of this detection while positioning the other of the wafer supporting means in the cutting station and cutting a semiconductor wafer supported with said the other of the supporting means by the cutting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
A dicing machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer along cutting lines arranged in a lattice pattern, said dicing machine comprising a cutting station (2), at least one alignment station (4A, 4B), cutting means (8) disposed in the cutting station, detecting means (10A, 10B) disposed in the alignment station for detecting the cutting lines of the wafer, and wafer transferring means (6) including two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) mounted rotatably and movably between the alignment station and the cutting station, a main moving means (20A, 20B) for moving the wafer supporting means, and two rotating means respectively annexed to the two wafer supporting means for rotating the two wafer supporting means respectively, and said dicing machine being capable of positioning one of the two wafer supporting means in the alignment station (4A, 4B), detecting the cutting lines of a semiconductor wafer supported with said one of the wafer supporting means by the detecting means (10A, 10B) and performing alignment including rotating said one of the two wafer supporting means on the basis of this detection while positioning the other of the wafer supporting means in the cutting station and cutting a semiconductor wafer supported with said the other of the supporting means by the cutting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
The dicing machine of claim 1 wherein the dicing machine has two of the alignment stations (4A, 4B), and one of the two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) is movable between one of the two alignment stations (4A, 4B) and the cutting station (2) while the other of the wafer supporting means is movable between the other of the alignment stations and the cutting station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The dicing machine of claim 2 wherein the cutting station (2) is arranged between the two alignment stations (4A, 4B).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The dicing machine of claim 3 wherein each of the two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) is linearly movable between each of the two alignment stations (4A, 4B) and the cutting station (2).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
165 words
The dicing machine of claim 4 wherein the linear moving direction of one (50A) of the two wafer supporting means and the linear moving direction of the other (50B) of the wafer supporting means correspond to each other, the wafer transferring means includes two of the main moving means (20A, 20B) separately and independently annexed to the two wafer supporting means respectively, the cutting means (8) includes a rotatably mounted rotating shaft (152A, 152B), a cutting blade (158A, 158B) fixed to the rotating shaft and a blade rotating means (154A, 154B) for rotating the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft (152A, 152B) of the cutting means extends in the y-axis direction perpendicular to the x-axis direction where the linear moving direction of the wafer supporting means is the x-axis direction, and each.of the two wafer supporting means is adapted to be moved in the x-axis direction when cutting the wafer supported with each of the wafer supporting means by the cutting means in the cutting station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
115 words
The dicing machine of claim 5 wherein the wafer transferring means further includes two main movable frames (14A, 14B) mounted linearly movably in the x-axis direction, the two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) are rotatably mounted on the two main movable frames respectively, each of the two main moving means (20A, 20B) is drivingly connected to each of the main movable frames (14A, 14B) to linearly move the main movable frame in the x-axis direction to thus linearly move each of the wafer supporting means in the x-axis direction, and each of the two rotating means is drivingly connected to each of the wafer supporting means to directly rotate the wafer supporting means (50A, 50B).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
The dicing machine of claim 6 wherein the wafer transferring means further includes two subsidiary movable frames (30A, 30B) respectively mounted on the two main movable frames (14A, 14B) for linear movement in the y-axis direction and two subsidiary moving means (38A, 38B) drivingly connected respectively to the subsidiary movable frames (30A, 30B) for linearly moving the subsidiary movable frames in the y-axis direction respectively, and the two wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) are rotatably mounted on the subsidiary movable frames (30A, 30B) respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
The dicing machine of claim 5 wherein the rotating shaft (152A, 152B) of the cutting means is mounted for linear movement in the y-axis direction and for movement in the z-axis direction perpendicular to both the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, and the cutting means further includes a y-axis direction moving means (106) for linearly moving the rotating shaft in the y-axis direction and a z-axis direction moving means (160A, 160B) for moving the rotating shaft in the z-axis direction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
The dicing machine of claim 8 wherein the cutting means includes two of the rotating shafts (152A, 152B) and two of the cutting blades (158A, 1588), one of the two rotating shafts is mounted linearly movably relative to the other in the y-axis direction, and the cutting means further includes a cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) for linearly moving said one of the rotating shafts relative to said the other in the y-axis direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
176 words
The dicing machine of claim 9 wherein the cutting means further includes a main support frame (96) mounted linearly movably in the y-axis direction, a first subsidiary support frame (134) mounted on the main support frame and a second subsidiary support frame (136) mounted on the main support frame (96) for linear movement in the y-axis direction; said the other of the two rotating shafts is rotatably mounted on the first subsidiary support frame (134); said one of the rotating shafts is rotatably mounted on the second subsidiary support frame (136); the y-axis direction moving means (106) is drivingly connected to the main support frame (96) to linearly move the main support frame in the y-axis direction to thus linearly move both of the two rotating shafts in the y-axis direction; and the cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) is drivingly connected to the second subsidiary support frame (136) to linearly move the second subsidiary support frame in the y-axis direction to thus linearly move said one of the two rotating shafts in the y-axis direction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
.The dicing machine of claim 10 wherein the cutting means includes two of the blade rotating means (154A, 154B) separately annexed to the two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) respectively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The dicing machine of claim 10 wherein the main support frame (96) has a support shaft (120) extending in the y-axis direction, and the first subsidiary support frame (134) and second subsidiary support frame (136) are mounted on the support shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
133 words
The dicing machine of claim 12 wherein the first subsidiary support frame (134) and the second subsidiary support frame (136) are separately and independently mounted pivotably about the central axis of the support shaft (120) as a center, the z-axis direction moving means includes a first pivoting means (160A) and a second pivoting means (160B) separately and independently annexed to the first subsidiary support frame (134) and the second subsidiary support frame (136) respectively, the first pivoting means (160A) and the second pivoting means (160B) respectively cause the first subsidiary support frame (134) and the second subsidiary support frame (136) to pivot about the central axis of the support shaft (120) as a center to thus move said the other and said-one of the rotating shafts (152A, 152B) in the z-axis direction respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
180 words
A dicing machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer along cutting lines arrange in a lattice pattern, said dicing machine comprising a cutting means (8) and a wafer supporting means (50A, 50B), and said cutting means and wafer supporting means being adapted to be linearly moved relative to each other in a predetermined direction whereby the wafer (W) supported with the wafer supporting means is cut by the cutting means, said.cutting means including two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) extending in the y-axis direction perpendicular to the x-axis direction where the relative linear moving direction of the cutting means and wafer supporting means is the x-axis direction, two cutting blades (158A, 158B) fixed to the two rotating shafts respectively and a blade rotating means (154A, 154B) for rotating the two rotating shafts, one of said two rotating shafts being mounted linearly movably relative to the other in the y-axis direction, and said cutting means further including a cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) for linearly moving said one of the two rotating shafts relative to said the other in the y-axis direction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
180 words
A dicing machine for cutting a semiconductor wafer along cutting lines arrange in a lattice pattern, said dicing machine comprising a cutting means (8) and a wafer supporting means (50A, 50B), and said cutting means and wafer supporting means being adapted to be linearly moved relative to each other in a predetermined direction whereby the wafer (W) supported with the wafer supporting means is cut by the cutting means, said.cutting means including two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) extending in the y-axis direction perpendicular to the x-axis direction where the relative linear moving direction of the cutting means and wafer supporting means is the x-axis direction, two cutting blades (158A, 158B) fixed to the two rotating shafts respectively and a blade rotating means (154A, 154B) for rotating the two rotating shafts, one of said two rotating shafts being mounted linearly movably relative to the other in the y-axis direction, and said cutting means further including a cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) for linearly moving said one of the two rotating shafts relative to said the other in the y-axis direction.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
The dicing machine of claim 14 wherein the wafer supporting means (50A, 50B) is mounted movably in the x-axis direction, a moving means for moving the wafer supporting means in the x-axis direction is provided, and the wafer supporting means is moved in the x-axis direction by the moving means when the wafer supported with the wafer supporting means is cut by the cutting means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
82 words
The dicing machine of claim 15 wherein the two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) of the cutting means are mounted for linear movement in the y-axis direction and for movement in the z-axis direction perpendicular to both the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, and the cutting means further includes a y-axis direction moving means (106) for linearly moving the rotating shafts in the y-axis direction and a z-axis direction moving means (160A, 160B) for moving the rotating shafts in the z-axis direction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
175 words
The dicing machine of claim 16 wherein the cutting means further includes a main support frame (96).mounted linearly movably in the y-axis direction, a first subsidiary support frame (134) mounted on the main support frame and a second support frame (136) mounted on the main support frame for linear movement in the y-axis direction; said the other of the two rotating shafts is rotatably mounted on the first subsidiary support frame (134); said one of the rotating shafts is rotatably mounted on the second subsidiary support frame (136); the y-axis direction moving means (106) is drivingly connected to the main support frame (96) to linearly move the main support frame in the y-axis direction to thus linearly move both of the two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) in the y-axis direction; and the cutting blade interval setting-up means (122) is drivingly connected to the second subsidiary support frame (136) to linearly move the second subsidiary support frame in the y-axis direction to thus linearly move said one of the two rotating shafts in the y-axis direction.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The dicing machine of claim 17 wherein the cutting means includes two of the blade rotating means (154A, 154B) separately annexed to the two rotating shafts (152A, 152B) respectively.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The dicing machine of claim 17 wherein the main support frame (96) has a support shaft (120) extending in the y-axis direction, and the first subsidiary support frame (134) and second subsidiary support frame (136) are mounted on the support shaft (120).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
130 words
The dicing machine of claim 19 wherein the first subsidiary support frame (134) and the second subsidiary support frame (136) are separately and independently mounted pivotably about the central axis of the support shaft (120) as a center, the z-axis direction moving means includes a first pivoting means (160A) and a second pivoting means (160B) separately and independently annexed to the first subsidiary support frame (134) and the second subsidiary support frame (136) respectively, the first pivoting means and the second pivoting means respectively cause the first subsidiary support frame and the second subsidiary support frame to pivot about the central axis of the support shaft (120) as a center to thus move said the other and said one of the rotating shafts (152A, 152B) in the z-axis direction respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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