Patent Application
20250205907
The present invention relates to a lifting head and a lifting device that lift at least one of a plurality of chips divided into a prescribed shape on a holding sheet.
In a process of dividing a semiconductor wafer into a prescribed shape to form semiconductor chips, the semiconductor wafer is divided into semiconductor chips of the prescribed shape in a state of being attached to a holding sheet. The divided semiconductor chip needs to be individually detached from the holding sheet in order to carry out processing, such as wiring onto a substrate. In this scenario, a lifting head is known, which lifts one semiconductor chip to be detached from the holding sheet side to detach the semiconductor chip from the holding sheet. The lifting head lifts a prescribed semiconductor chip using a needle corresponding to the size of the semiconductor chip, in a state in which the holding sheet, to which the semiconductor chip is attached, is suctioned and held. As a result, the lifting head is able to move, in the lifting direction, only the prescribed semiconductor chip, which is surrounded by other semiconductor chips without any gaps.
In such a lifting head, the position of the needle that lifts the semiconductor chip must be changed for each type of semiconductor chip. Therefore, in order to accommodate changes in the semiconductor chip type, the lifting head is configured such that a needle cap that has a stage that uses suction to hold a holding sheet can be removed to move the position of the needle. Incidentally, in order to accommodate the diversification of electronic devices, semiconductor chips are produced in small quantities but in a variety of types. Therefore, the lifting head needs to change the position of the needle in accordance with changes in the type of the semiconductor chip. In order to quickly respond to such frequent changes in type, a lifting head is known in which the needle cap, and a needle holding member that holds the needle and that can be raised and lowered, constitute a single unit that can be attached to/detached from a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. For example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2013-172122 (Patent Document 1).
The lifting head disclosed on Patent Document 1 comprises an adapter that is connected to a housing of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a lifting shaft that is held by the adapter so as to be movable in an axial direction, a support member that is connected to the lifting shaft, a lifting pin that is supported by the support member, and a dome that covers the support member and the lifting pin. The lifting head is replaced as a single unit in which the dome is fixed to the adapter in which the lifting pin is positioned. While the lifting head is being held by the housing, the inside of the dome is suctioned through a vacuum port inside the adapter.
The lifting head of Patent Document 1 is fitted into the housing by a replacement arm of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The lifting head is coupled by a protrusion provided in the housing engaging with a recess provided on the lifting head. Accordingly, there will be play between the lifting head and the housing that corresponds to the gap between the protrusion and the recess. In addition, in order to make the lifting head attachable to/detachable from the housing with the replacement arm, an opening of the vacuum port is coupled with an opening of a vacuum port on the housing side to allow communication therebetween. Thus, there is the possibility that the lifting head would move slightly inside the housing due to the effect of air that leaks from the coupled vacuum port portion caused by fluctuations in the negative pressure inside the dome.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a lifting head and a lifting device that make it possible to maintain the position of a needle positioned on the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
The present inventors considered configurations that would make it possible to maintain the position of a needle positioned in a lifting device in an easily-detachable state, in a lifting head and a lifting device of the lifting head, said lifting head configured to lift, with the needle, at least one of a plurality chips attached to a holding sheet, in a chip lifting device included in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. As a result of extensive investigation, the present inventors conceived of the following configuration.
The lifting head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a lifting head that lifts, with a needle, at least one of a plurality chips attached to a holding sheet, in a lifting device included in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
The lifting head comprises: a base member that is configured to be detachable with respect to an attachment member of the lifting device and that has a suctioned surface that is gripped onto the attachment member; a raising/lowering shaft that is supported by the base member in a state of being movable in an axial direction as well as being rotationally fixed about the axis, and that has a raising/lowering axial channel that communicates from one end to another end in the axial direction; a contact member that is fixed to one end of the raising/lowering shaft in a state in which the raising/lowering axial channel is in communication with the outside, and that comes in contact with, from a raising/lowering direction, a push-up member of a raising/lowering drive mechanism of the lifting device; a needle support member that is fixed to the other end of the raising/lowering shaft in a state in which the raising/lowering axial channel is in communication with the outside, and that supports the needle in the axial direction so as to be detachable; and a needle cap, which is a tubular member having, at one end thereof, a stage on which the holding sheet is placed and to which is provided a through-hole through which the needle is inserted, and the other end thereof is fixed to the base member so that, when the needle support member and the needle are located therein, the through-hole overlaps with the needle when viewed in the axial direction.
The suctioned surface of the base member is gripped by a suction force of a first negative pressure passage of the attachment member in a state in which the base member is positioned on the attachment member. When the contact member comes in contact with the raising/lowering drive mechanism, the inside of the needle cap is gripped by a suction force of a second negative pressure passage of the raising/lowering drive mechanism via the raising/lowering axial channel.
In the configuration described above, the lifting head is configured as a single unit in which a raising/lowering shaft, a needle support member that is fixed to the raising/lowering shaft, a needle that is supported by the needle support member, and a needle cap that has a stage, are supported by a base member. In addition, the lifting head does not move relative to the attachment member because the base member is gripped onto the attachment member by the suction force of the first negative pressure passage provided in the attachment member of the lifting device. Furthermore, in the lifting head, the inside of the needle cap is gripped by the suction force of the second negative pressure passage of the raising/lowering drive mechanism of the lifting device. That is, the lifting head is configured such that gripping of the base member and the suctioning inside the needle cap are respectively carried out by the suction forces of different negative pressure passages. Therefore, fluctuations in the negative pressure inside the needle cap of the lifting head do not affect the gripping state of the base member. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
According to another aspect, the lifting head of the present disclosure preferably includes the following configuration. A tubular suction elastic member that communicates with the raising/lowering axial channel is fixed to the raising/lowering shaft or the contact member. The suction elastic member communicates with the second negative pressure passage when the contact member comes in contact with a push-up member of the raising/lowering drive mechanism.
In the configuration described above, when the base member is attached to the attachment member of the lifting device, the second negative pressure passage of the raising/lowering drive mechanism and the raising/lowering axial channel of the raising/lowering shaft are placed in communication with each other by the suction elastic member. The suction elastic member is composed of an elastic body, such as rubber, and therefore grips the raising/lowering drive mechanism by the suction force of the second negative pressure passage. That is, the suction elastic member can prevent leakage from the connection portion between the second negative pressure passage and the raising/lowering axial channel of the raising/lowering shaft. On the other hand, the suction elastic member will not grip the raising/lowering drive mechanism by making the pressure inside the second negative pressure passage positive. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
According to another aspect, the lifting head of the present disclosure preferably includes the following configuration. The lifting head comprises a pressing elastic member that presses the contact member against the push-up member of the raising/lowering drive mechanism. The contact member is pressed against the push-up member of the raising/lowering drive mechanism by the elastic member.
In the configuration described above, a force is constantly applied to the contact member of the lifting head by the pressing elastic member, composed of a spring or the like, pressing the contact member against the raising/lowering drive mechanism. Thus, even when the contact member of the lifting head is raised or lowered by the raising/lowering drive mechanism, the contact member does not separate from the push-up member of the raising/lowering drive mechanism. That is, the lifting head can prevent leakage from the connection portion between the second negative pressure passage and the raising/lowering axial channel of the raising/lowering shaft. In addition, the pressing elastic member applies force in a direction in which the base member of the lifting head moves away from the attachment member of the lifting device. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
According to another aspect, the lifting head of the present disclosure preferably includes the following configuration. The base member has an arm engagement portion that engages with a replacement arm of the lifting device.
In the configuration described above, the lifting head is transported in a state in which the replacement arm of the lifting device is engaged with the arm engagement portion. Therefore, the lifting head does not move relative to the replacement arm during transportation. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
A lifting device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a lifting device of the lifting head described above. The lifting device comprises an attachment member to which the lifting head is attached so as to be detachable, a raising/lowering drive mechanism that raises/lowers a contact member of the lifting head, and a lifting head replacement mechanism that attaches/detaches the lifting head to/from the attachment member.
The attachment member has a first negative pressure passage that is suctioned by a vacuum source. When a base member of the lifting head is attached to the attachment member, the attachment member suctions a suctioned surface of the base member with the suction force of the first negative pressure passage. The raising/lowering drive mechanism has a push-up member that pushes up a contact member of the lifting head and a second negative pressure passage that is suctioned by a vacuum source. When the contact member of the lifting head comes in contact with the push-up member, the raising/lowering drive mechanism suctions the inside of a needle cap of the lifting head with the suction force of the second negative pressure passage via the raising/lowering axial channel of the lifting head.
In the configuration described above, the lifting device grips the suctioned surface of the base member of the lifting head with the suction force of the first negative pressure passage of the attachment member. Furthermore, the lifting device suctions the inside of the needle cap in the lifting head with the second negative pressure passage of the raising/lowering drive mechanism. Therefore, the lifting device grips the base member and suctions the inside the lifting head through different passages, so neither is affected by fluctuations in the negative pressure. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
According to another aspect, the lifting device of the present disclosure preferably includes the following configuration. In the raising/lowering drive mechanism, a tubular suction elastic member that communicates with the second negative pressure passage is fixed to an opening of the second negative pressure passage. The suction elastic member communicates with the raising/lowering axial channel of the lifting head when the contact member of the lifting head comes in contact with the push-up member.
In the configuration described above, in the lifting device, when the base member of the lifting head is attached to the attachment member, the second negative pressure passage of the raising/lowering drive mechanism and the raising/lowering axial channel of the raising/lowering shaft are placed in communication with each other by the suction elastic member. The suction elastic member is composed of an elastic body, such as rubber, and therefore comes in close contact with the raising/lowering shaft or the contact member of the lifting head by the suction force in the second negative pressure passage. That is, the suction elastic member can prevent leakage from the connection portion between the second negative pressure passage and the raising/lowering axial channel of the raising/lowering shaft. On the other hand, the suction elastic member will not come in close contact with the lifting head by making the pressure inside the second negative pressure passage positive. At this time, the lifting device does not raise and lower the lifting head with the suction elastic member, but rather by bringing the push-up member, which is a rigid body, in contact with the contact member of the lifting head. Thus, the lifting device can ensure reproducibility of the raised position of the needle. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
According to another aspect, the lifting device of the present disclosure preferably includes the following configuration. The lifting head replacement mechanism has a plurality of replacement arms, the plurality of replacement arms respectively hold the lifting heads, and, of the lifting heads respectively held by the plurality of replacement arms, a replacement arm holding a selected lifting head is used to attach the selected lifting head onto the attachment member, and a lifting head attached to the attachment member is removed with a corresponding replacement arm.
In the configuration described above, in the lifting device, the plurality of replacement arms of the lifting head replacement mechanism respectively hold the lifting heads corresponding to different types of chips. The lifting device is able to adjust the pressure of the first negative pressure passage and the second negative pressure passage to automatically attach/detach, using the replacement arms, any one of the lifting heads held by the plurality of replacement arms to/from the attachment member. As a result, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
The technical language used in the present disclosure is used only for the purpose of defining specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure with the technical language.
In the present disclosure, use of the terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variants thereof specifies the presence of the indicated features, steps, elements, components, and/or equivalents thereof, but may include one or more of the steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
In the present disclosure, the terms “attached,” “connected,” “coupled,” and/or equivalents thereof are used in the broad senses thereof, and encompass both “direct and indirect” attachment, connection, and coupling. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not limited to a physical or mechanical connection or coupling, and may encompass direct or indirect, electrical connection or coupling.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as meanings commonly understood by a person skilled in the art of the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs.
In the present disclosure, a semiconductor chip refers to a single cut piece obtained by dicing a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer, on which circuit patterns have been imprinted, into a grid-like pattern. The cut semiconductor chip is transported in a state of being attached to a holding sheet. A plurality of semiconductor chips are positioned so as to be adjacent to each other without any gaps therebetween.
In the present disclosure, a holding sheet refers to a sheet for stably transporting the semiconductor chip that has been cut. The holding sheet is made of a resin film. An adhesive substance is applied to one surface of the holding sheet. A plurality of semiconductor chips are adhered, in a detachable manner, onto the surface of the holding sheet to which the adhesive substance is applied.
According to the lifting head and lifting device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to maintain the position of the needle positioned relative to the lifting device in a readily detachable state.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below, with reference to the drawings. Identical or corresponding parts in the drawings have been assigned the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof are not repeated. In addition, the dimensions of the component members in the drawings do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the component members or the dimensional ratios of each component member. In the explanation of the lifting head 1, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the direction parallel to the axis of the raising/lowering shaft is referred to as the “raising/lowering direction,” “up-down direction,” or the “Z direction,” the two directions that are perpendicular to the axis of the raising/lowering shaft and that are perpendicular to each other are referred to as “X direction” and the “Y direction,” and the rotation direction around the axis of the raising/lowering shaft is referred to as the “circumferential direction.” However, definitions of these directions are not intended to limit the orientation of the lifting head 1 during use.
The lifting head 1, which lifts at least one semiconductor chip C (refer to
As shown in
As shown in
The other end surface of the base member 2 constitutes an attachment surface 2d to which the needle cap 9 is fixed. In addition, the other end surface of the base member 2 has an annular needle cap fitting portion 2e that protrudes in the axial direction. The needle cap fitting portion 2e is configured such that the needle cap 9 can be attached thereto/detached therefrom. The center of the needle cap fitting portion 2e overlaps with the center of the base member fitting portion 2b when viewed in the axial direction. That is, the needle cap fitting portion 2e is configured to be concentric with the base member fitting portion 2b when viewed in the axial direction. In the base member 2, the position of the needle cap 9 in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the base member 2 is determined by the needle cap fitting portion 2e that fits into the needle cap 9. Furthermore, the attachment surface 2d of the base member 2 has a needle cap positioning pin 2f. The needle cap positioning pin 2f is configured to be attachable to/detachable from a needle cap positioning pin groove 9d of the needle cap 9. In the base member 2, the circumferential position of the needle cap 9 with respect to the base member 2 is determined by the needle cap positioning pin 2f that fits into the needle cap positioning pin groove 9d.
The base member 2 has an arm engagement portion 2g with which a replacement arm 18 of the lifting device 10 engages. The arm engagement portion 2g is the portion with which the replacement arm 18 of the lifting device 10 engages. The arm engagement portion 2g is configured by forming recesses in the radial direction in portions of the outer circumferential surface of the base member 2 that face each other across the axis of the base member 2. A side surface of the arm engagement portion 2g on the needle cap 9 side, which is the upper side surface, is configured as a replacement arm contact surface 2h with which the upper surface of the replacement arm 18 comes into contact. The base member 2 is held by the replacement arm 18 by the upper surface of the replacement arm 18 coming in contact with the replacement arm contact surface 2h from below. In addition, the arm engagement portion 2g has a pair of projecting portions 2i at positions facing each other across the axis. The pair of projecting portions 2i are configured to engage with the replacement arm 18. The base member 2 is configured to be capable of being held by the replacement arm 18 in a state in which the movement thereof in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the replacement arm 18 is restricted by the replacement arm contact surface 2h and the projecting portions 2i.
The spline nut 3 is a component that supports the spline shaft 4, which is the raising/lowering shaft, so as to be movable in the axial direction and to be immovable around the axis. The spline nut 3 supports the spline shaft 4 via undiagrammed rolling elements. The spline nut 3 is fixed inside the base member 2 such that the axis of the spline shaft 4, which the spline nut 3 supports, coincides with the axis of the base member 2. That is, the spline shaft 4 is supported by the base member 2 at the center of the base member 2 so as to be movable up and down in the axial direction, and to be rotationally fixed around the axis. The spline shaft 4 is a hollow shaft having a raising/lowering axial channel 4a that extends in the axial direction and that communicates from one end to the other end.
The contact member 5 is a member that comes in contact with the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 in the lifting device 10. The contact member 5 is a disk-shaped member having a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the spline shaft 4. The contact member 5 is fixed to one end of the spline shaft 4 on the lifting device 10 side. In addition, the contact member 5 is positioned on the lifting device 10 side of the base member 2. The spline shaft 4 passes through the contact member 5. That is, the contact member 5 does not block the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4. An end surface of the contact member 5 is configured so as to be capable of coming in contact with a push-up member 14 of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11.
The compression spring 6, which is a pressing elastic member, is an elastic member that presses the contact member 5 against the push-up member 14 of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. The compression spring 6 is positioned between the base member 2 and the contact member 5. One end of the compression spring 6 is in contact with the contact member 5. The other end of the compression spring 6 is in contact with the base member 2. The compression spring 6 applies a force to the base member 2 for pressing the contact member 5 toward the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 of the lifting device 10, in a state in which the gap between the base member 2 and the contact member 5 is smaller than the natural length of the spring 6.
The needle support member 7 is a member that supports the needles 8 in a prescribed arrangement. The needle support member 7 is a columnar member having an outer diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the spline shaft 4 and smaller than the inner diameter of the needle cap 9. The needle support member 7 is fixed to the other end of the spline shaft 4 on the needle cap 9 side. The other end of the spline shaft 4 is inserted into one end of the needle support member 7. The needle support member 7 has a needle support member flow channel 7a that connects the raising/lowering axial channel 4a and the outside. The needle support member flow channel 7a extends in the radial direction of the needle support member 7 and connects the raising/lowering axial channel 4a with the outside.
The needle support member 7 has, at the other end thereof, a plurality of needle holding holes that hold the needles 8. The plurality of needle holding holes extend in the axial direction of the spline shaft 4. The plurality of needle holding holes are configured such that the proximal ends of the needles 8 can be inserted therein in the axial direction. In addition, the plurality of needle holding holes are configured such that the proximal ends of the needles 8 can be attached thereto/detached therefrom. Thus, the needle support member 7 can hold the needles 8 in a state in which the axes of the needles 8 are aligned with the axis of the spline shaft 4 by the needle holding holes.
The needles 8 are rod-like members that lift a prescribed semiconductor chip C from among a plurality of semiconductor chips C on the holding sheet S. When viewed in the axial direction, the needles 8 are configured such that the projected areas of the distal ends are smaller than the cross sectional area of the semiconductor chip C to be lifted. In addition, the needles 8 are configured such that the proximal ends can be attached to/detached from the plurality of needle holding holes of the needle support member 7 in the axial direction. The needles 8 are disposed at positions on the needle support member 7 corresponding to the position of the semiconductor chip C to be lifted.
The needle cap 9 is a tubular member that covers the needle support member 7 as well as the needles 8 and that constitutes a stage 9a on which the semiconductor chip C is placed. The needle cap 9 is a cylindrical member that has, on one end, the stage 9a on which the semiconductor chip C is placed, and that is open on the other end. The stage 9a is a planar surface that is perpendicular to the axis of the needle cap 9. The stage 9a has a plurality of stage through-holes 9b that suction the holding sheet S onto which the semiconductor chip C is attached, or through which the needles 8 pass. The needle cap 9 has, at the other end, an annular fixing flange 9c that extend in the radial direction. The fixing flange 9c has the needle cap positioning pin groove 9d. In addition, the inner diameter of the fixing flange 9c is configured such that the needle cap fitting portion 2e of the base member 2 can be fitted therein.
In the needle cap 9, the fixing flange 9c is fixed to the attachment surface 2d of the base member 2. At this time, in the needle cap 9, the needle cap fitting portion 2e of the base member 2 is fitted into the annular fixing flange 9c. The fixing flange 9c into which the needle cap fitting portion 2e is fitted determines the position of the needle cap 9 in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the base member 2. In addition, in the needle cap 9, the needle cap positioning pin 2f of the base member 2 is fitted into the needle cap positioning pin groove 9d. The needle cap positioning pin groove 9d into which the needle cap positioning pin 2f is fitted determines the circumferential position of the needle cap 9 with respect to the base member 2.
In addition, the needle cap 9 is fixed to the base member 2 in a state in which the needle support member 7 and the needles 8 are positioned therein. That is, the needle cap 9 covers the needle support member 7 and the needles 8. At this time, the stage through-holes 9b of the needle cap 9 overlap with the needles 8 when viewed in the axial direction of the spline shaft 4. In addition, the inside of the needle cap 9 is in communication with the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4 via the needle support member flow channel 7a of the needle support member 7.
In the lifting head 1 configured in this manner, the X-direction and Y-direction positions of the spline nut 3 and the spline shaft 4, as well as the positions thereof about the axis of the spline shaft 4, are determined relative to the base member 2. In addition, in the lifting head 1, the X-direction and Y-direction positions of the needle support member 7 and the needles 8, as well as the positions thereof about the axis of the spline shaft 4, are determined relative to the spline shaft 4. That is, in the lifting head 1, the X-direction and Y-direction positions of the needle support member 7 and the needles 8, as well as the positions thereof about the axis of the spline shaft 4, are determined relative to the base member 2. In addition, in the lifting head 1, the X-direction and Y-direction position of the needle cap 9, as well as the position thereof about the axis of the spline shaft 4, are determined relative to the base member 2. In addition, in the lifting head 1, the spline nut 3, the spline shaft 4, the needle support member 7, the needles 8, and the needle cap 9 are supported by the base member 2. In this manner, the lifting head 1 is configured to be integrally detachable as a single unit that includes the base member 2, the spline nut 3, the spline shaft 4, the needle support member 7, the needles 8, and the needle cap 9.
In addition, in the lifting head 1, the contact member 5 is moved in the axial direction of the spline shaft 4, thereby moving the needle support member 7 and the needles 8, which are fixed to the spline shaft 4, in the axial direction. In the lifting head 1, when the contact member 5 is in the raised position, the needles 8 are inserted into the stage through-holes 9b of the needle cap 9. As a result, in the lifting head 1, the distal ends of the needles 8 protrude from the stage 9a by a prescribed amount. In the lifting head 1, when the contact member 5 is in the lowered position, the needles 8 come out of the stage through-holes 9b of the needle cap 9. As a result, in the lifting head 1, the distal ends of the needles 8 does not protrude from the stage 9a.
An exemplary first embodiment of the lifting device that lifts the lifting head 1 according to the present invention will be described next, with reference to
As shown in
The raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the needles 8 of the lifting head 1. The raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 is provided in an undiagrammed semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 has an undiagrammed electric motor, which is an actuator, a power conversion device 13, the push-up member 14, and a suction elastic member 15.
The electric motor is a servo motor capable of being rotated at any rotational position, rotational speed, and rotational torque. The electric motor is connected to the power conversion device 13. The electric motor is configured to be capable of transmitting rotational force to the power conversion device 13.
The power conversion device 13 is a device that converts the rotational motion of the electric motor to a raising/lowering motion. The power conversion device 13 converts the rotational motion that is input from the electric motor to a linear motion using a cam mechanism. The power conversion device 13 is arranged with a linearly moving output part 13a oriented in the Z direction (up-down direction). The push-up member 14, which moves the contact member 5 of the lifting head 1 upward is fixed to the output part 13a. The power conversion device 13 raises the push-up member 14 by the rotation of the electric motor in one direction. In addition, the power conversion device 13 lowers the push-up member 14 by the rotation of the electric motor in the other direction.
The push-up member 14 has support portions 14a that come in contact with the contact member 5 of the lifting head 1. The support portions 14a are a pair of rectangular block bodies that protrude toward the contact member 5, from the surface of the push-up member 14 on the contact member 5 side. The support portions 14a face each other across the center of the push-up member 14. The support portions 14a are configured to be capable of supporting the contact member 5.
The push-up member 14 has a second negative pressure passage 14b, which is a flow channel for gas. One end of the second negative pressure passage 14b has an opening between the pair of block bodies that constitute the support portions 14a. That is, one end of the second negative pressure passage 14b is open toward the contact member 5 at essentially the center of the surface of the push-up member 14 on the contact member 5 side. In addition, the other end of the second negative pressure passage 14b has an opening on a side surface of the push-up member 14 that is parallel to the raising/lowering direction. As a result, the second negative pressure passage 14b is configured as a flow channel that connects the side surface of the push-up member 14 that is parallel to the raising/lowering direction with the surface of the push-up member 14 on the contact member 5 side. The opening at the other end of the second negative pressure passage 14b is connected to a vacuum source of the undiagrammed semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
The suction elastic member 15 is a cylindrical member that connects the second negative pressure passage 14b with the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the lifting head 1. The suction elastic member 15 is made of a flexible member, such as rubber. The suction elastic member 15 is fixed, with the axial direction thereof oriented in the raising/lowering direction, to the surface of the push-up member 14 on the contact member 5 side. In addition, the suction elastic member 15 is positioned such that, as viewed in the axial direction, the opening at one end of the second negative pressure passage 14b is included inside the suction elastic member 15. Thus, the suction elastic member 15 is in communication with the second negative pressure passage 14b. Furthermore, the suction elastic member 15 is positioned such that, as viewed in the axial direction, the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the lifting head 1 that is attached to the attachment member 16 is included inside the suction elastic member 15. The end of the suction elastic member 15 on the contact member 5 side protrudes farther toward the contact member 5 side than the support portions 14a of the push-up member 14. As a result, the end of the suction elastic member 15 on the contact member 5 side comes in contact with the contact member 5, when the contact member 5 of the lifting head 1 is in contact with the support portions 14a of the push-up member 14.
The attachment member 16 is an essentially cuboid member to which the lifting head 1 is attached. The attachment member 16 has a through-hole 16a that penetrates from one side surface to the other side surface that face each other. The attachment member 16 is fixed to the end of the power conversion device 13 on the output part 13a side, with the one side surface thereof having the opening of the through-hole 16a facing the power conversion device 13. That is, the attachment member 16 is fixed to the power conversion device 13 at a position in which the through-hole 16a extends in the raising/lowering direction. The output part 13a of the power conversion device 13 is inserted into the through-hole 16a from the opening on one side surface of the attachment member 16.
The attachment member 16 has, on the other side surface thereof having the opening, a placement surface 16b on which the lifting head 1 is placed. The opening of the mounting surface 16b is configured to be the base member fitting hole 16c into which the base member fitting portion 2b of the base member 2 of the lifting head 1 is detachably fitted. In addition, the placement surface 16b has the base member positioning pin 16d that is fitted into the base member positioning pin groove 2c of the base member 2.
The attachment member 16 has the first negative pressure passage 16e, which is a flow channel for gas. The first negative pressure passage 16e has an opening in the periphery of the base member fitting hole 16c on the placement surface 16b. An opening at one end of the first negative pressure passage 16e is opened at a position that overlaps with the suctioned surface 2a of the lifting head 1 that is attached to the attachment member 16, when viewed in the raising/lowering direction. Thus, the opening at one end of the first negative pressure passage 16e is covered by the suctioned surface 2a when the lifting head 1 is attached to the attachment member 16. In addition, the other end of the first negative pressure passage 16e has an opening on a side surface of the attachment member 16 that is parallel to the raising/lowering direction. As a result, the first negative pressure passage 16e is configured as a flow channel that connects the placement surface 16b with the side surface of the attachment member 16 that is parallel to the raising/lowering direction. The opening at the other end of the first negative pressure passage 16e is connected to a vacuum source of the undiagrammed semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
As shown in
The replacement arms 18 have holding portions 18a, which are a pair of rod-like members. The proximal ends of the pair of holding portions 18a are connected to each other. The pair of holding portions 18a have upper surfaces 18b that can come in contact with the replacement arm contact surfaces 2h of the base members 2 of the lifting heads 1. In addition, the pair of holding portions 18a have inner side surfaces 18c that are parallel to each other and face each other. The pair of holding portions 18a are arranged between the opposing inner side surfaces 18c with a gap therebetween, into which the base member 2 can be inserted. Furthermore, the pair of holding portions 18a each has, at the distal end thereof, a pawl portion 18d that projects toward the opposing holding portion 18a.
The replacement arms 18 are configured to be able to hold the base members 2 of the lifting heads 1 between the pair of holding portions 18a. The replacement arms 18 can bring the upper surfaces 18b in contact with the replacement arm contact surfaces 2h to move the lifting heads 1 in the raising/lowering direction (up-down direction). In addition, the replacement arms 18 bring the inner side surfaces 18c in contact with the projecting portions 2i of the base members 2, thereby determining the X direction and Y direction positions of the lifting heads 1, as well as the circumferential position about the center of the lifting heads 1 with respect to the replacement arms 18. The replacement arms 18 can bring the inner side surfaces 18c in contact with the projecting portions 2i of the base members 2 to move the replacement arms 18 in the circumferential direction. In addition, the replacement arms 18 can bring the pawl portions 18d in contact with the projecting portions 2i of the base members 2 to restrict the movement of the lifting heads 1 in the radial direction relative to the replacement arms 18.
The attachment/detachment of the lifting head 1 by the lifting device 10 will be described next, with reference to
As shown in
In the lifting head 1 that is supported by the replacement arm 18, the base member fitting portion 2b of the base member 2 is fitted into the base member fitting hole 16c of the attachment member 16 with the lowering of the base part 19 by the lifting head replacement mechanism 17. As a result, the X direction and the Y direction positions the lifting head 1 are determined relative to the attachment member 16. At the same time, in the lifting head 1, the base member positioning pin 16d of the attachment member 16 is fitted into the base member positioning pin groove 2c of the base member 2. As a result, the position of the lifting head 1 is determined relative to the attachment member 16 in the circumferential direction about the center of the base member fitting hole 16c.
The lifting head 1 is supported by the attachment member 16 in a state in which the suctioned surface 2a of the base member 2 is in contact with the placement surface 16b of the attachment member 16. At this time, the suctioned surface 2a covers the opening of the first negative pressure passage 16e of the placement surface 16b. Further, in the lifting head 1, the compression spring 6 presses the contact member 5 against the push-up member 14 of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. The contact member 5 comes in contact with the support portions 14a of the push-up member 14. In addition, the contact member 5 is pressed against the suction elastic member 15 protruding farther upward than the support portions 14a. The suction elastic member 15 is compressed by the contact member 5 toward the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. At this time, the opening of the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4 that penetrates the contact member 5 is included inside the suction elastic member 15. Thus, the raising/lowering axial channel 4a is in communication with the second negative pressure passage 14b via the suction elastic member 15, which is in communication with the second negative pressure passage 14b of the lifting device 10.
Subsequently, the lifting device 10 reduces the pressure inside the first negative pressure passage 16e to a negative pressure using the vacuum source. In the lifting head 1, the suctioned surface 2a, which covers the opening of the first negative pressure passage 16e, is gripped by the suction force from the first negative pressure passage 16e. The suctioned surface 2a is pressed against the placement surface 16b by the suction force. The position of the lifting head 1 with respect to the placement surface 16b is maintained by frictional force generated between the suctioned surface 2a and the placement surface 16b due to the suction force. The lifting head 1 may be configured to be fixed by an engagement member that is pressed by a spring, or the like, in addition to the fixing by the suction force.
Subsequently, the lifting device 10 reduces the pressure inside the second negative pressure passage 14b to a negative pressure using the vacuum source. The suction elastic member 15 that communicates with the second negative pressure passage 14b is in close contact with the contact member 5 of the lifting head as a result of the reduction in the internal pressure. In the lifting head 1, the pressure inside the raising/lowering axial channel 4a that is in communication with the suction elastic member 15 becomes negative. Furthermore, in the lifting head 1, the interior of the needle cap 9 is suctioned via the needle support member flow channel 7a of the needle support member 7, which is in communication with the raising/lowering axial channel 4a. As a result, in the lifting head 1, suction force that suctions the holding sheet S (refer to
As shown in
As shown in
On the other hand, the first negative pressure passage 16e is a passage of a separate system, independent of the second negative pressure passage 14b, and thus is not affected by fluctuations in the pressure in the second negative pressure passage 14b. That is, the suction force of the lifting head 1 imparted by the first negative pressure passage 16e does not fluctuate due to fluctuations in the pressure in the second negative pressure passage 14b. Thus, it is possible to maintain the position of the lifting head 1 with respect to the attachment member 16.
As shown in
Subsequently, the lifting device 10 raises the pressure inside the first negative pressure passage 16e to atmospheric pressure. The suctioned surface 2a of the lifting head 1, which covers the opening of the first negative pressure passage 16e, will no longer be gripped. The lifting head 1 is pressed against the placement surface 16b of the attachment member 16 by gravity alone. The lifting head 1 is switched to a state of being movable with respect to the placement surface 16b.
As shown in
As shown in
The lifting head 1 configured in this manner is configured as a single unit in which the base member 2 supports the other members. In addition, in the lifting head 1, the base member 2 is gripped onto the attachment member 16 by the suction force of the first negative pressure passage 16e of the attachment member 16 of the lifting device 10. Thus, the lifting head 1 does not move relative to the attachment member 16. Furthermore, in the lifting head, the inside of the needle cap 9 is suctioned by the suction force of the second negative pressure passage 14b of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 of the lifting device 10. That is, the lifting head 1 is configured such that the base member 2 is gripped, and the inside of the needle cap 9 is suctioned, by the suction forces of different negative pressure passages. Therefore, fluctuations in the negative pressure inside the needle cap 9 of the lifting head 1 does not affect the gripped state of the base member 2.
In addition, the compression spring 6 constantly applies a force to press the contact member 5 of the lifting head 1 against the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. Thus, even when raised or lowered by the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11, the contact member 5 does not separate from the push-up member 14 of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. That is, the lifting head 1 can prevent leakage from the connection portion of the suction elastic member 15 which connects the second negative pressure passage 14b and the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4. In addition, the compression spring 6 applies a force in a direction in which the base member 2 separates from the attachment member 16.
In addition, the lifting head 1 is transported in a state in which the movement thereof in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction (raising/lowering direction) with respect to the replacement arm 18 is restricted by the replacement arm contact surface 2h and the projecting portions 2i, provided in the arm engagement portion 2g of the base member 2. Thus, the lifting head 1 does not move relative to the replacement arm 18 during transportation. As a result, the lifting head 1 is able to maintain the positions of the needles 8 positioned relative to the lifting device 10 in a readily detachable state.
The lifting device 10 according to the present embodiment grips the suctioned surface 2a of the base member 2 of the lifting head 1 with the suction force of the first negative pressure passage 16e of the attachment member 16. Furthermore, the lifting device 10 suctions the inside of the needle cap 9 in the lifting head 1 with the second negative pressure passage 14b of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. Therefore, the lifting device 10 grips the lifting head 1 and suctions the inside of the lifting head 1 through different passages, so neither is affected by fluctuations in the negative pressure.
In addition, in the lifting device 10, when the base member 2 of the lifting head 1 is attached to the attachment member 16, the second negative pressure passage 14b of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 and the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4 in the lifting head 1 are placed in communication with each other by the suction elastic member 15. The suction elastic member 15 is made of an elastic body, such as rubber, and therefore comes in close contact with the spline shaft 4 or the contact member 5 of the lifting head 1 by the suction force in the second negative pressure passage 14b. The suction elastic member 15 separates from the lifting head 1 by making the pressure inside the second negative pressure passage 14b positive. Thus, the lifting device 10 can prevent leakage from the connection portion between the second negative pressure passage 14b and the raising/lowering axial channel 4a.
In addition, in the lifting device 10, the plurality of the replacement arms 18 of the lifting head replacement mechanism 17 respectively hold the lifting heads 1 corresponding to different types of chips. The lifting device 10 is able to automatically attach/detach, using the replacement arms 18, any one of the lifting heads 1 respectively held by the plurality of replacement arms 18, to/from the attachment member 16. As described above, the lifting device 10 can adjust the pressure of the first negative pressure passage 16e and the second negative pressure passage 14b to maintain the positions of the needles 8 positioned relative to the lifting device 10 in a readily detachable state.
In all of the embodiments described above, the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the spline shaft 4 in the lifting head 1 is in communication with the second negative pressure passage 14b via the suction elastic member 15 of the lifting device 10. However, the suction elastic member 15 may be provided in the lifting head 1. When the suction elastic member 15 is attached to the attachment member 16 of the lifting device 10, the suction elastic member 15 is pressed against the push-up member 14 of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. In addition, the lifting head 1 and the lifting device 10 may each have the suction elastic member 15.
If the lifting head 1 has the suction elastic member 15, the second negative pressure passage 14b of the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 and the raising/lowering axial channel 4a of the raising/lowering shaft is placed in communication with each other by the suction elastic member 15. The suction elastic member 15 is made of an elastic body, such as rubber, and thus is in close contact with the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 by the suction force of the second negative pressure passage 14b. Thus, the suction elastic member 15 can prevent leakage from the connection portion between the second negative pressure passage 14b and the raising/lowering axial channel 4a. On the other hand, the suction elastic member 15 separates from the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11 by making the pressure inside the second negative pressure passage 14b positive. As a result, it is possible to maintain the positions of the needles 8 positioned relative to the lifting device 10 in a readily detachable state.
In the embodiments described above, the base member 2 of the lifting head 1 is positioned relative to the attachment member 16 by the base member positioning pin 16d. In addition, the needle cap 9 of the lifting head 1 is positioned relative to the base member 2 by the needle cap positioning pin 2f. However, it is not necessary for the positioning of the base member relative to the attachment member and the positioning of the needle cap 9 relative to the base member to be achieved with positioning pins.
In addition, in the embodiments described above, the lifting device 10 converts the rotational motion of the electric motor to a linear motion using the raising/lowering drive mechanism 11. However, the lifting device may be configured to raise and lower the lifting head 1 with a linear actuator, such as a linear motor.
In addition, in the embodiments described above, the replacement arm 18 of the lifting head replacement mechanism 17 holds the lifting head 1 with the holding portions 18a, which are a pair of rod-like members. However, the replacement arm may hold the lifting head using other forms and structures.
In addition, in the embodiments described above, the lifting device 10 is configured to be capable of replacing the lifting head 1 in accordance with type of the semiconductor chip C (refer to
Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the embodiments described above are merely examples for implementing the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be implemented by modifying the embodiments described above as appropriate to the extent of not departing from the essence of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-054523 | Mar 2022 | JP | national |
This application is a U.S. National stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/011096 filed on Mar. 22, 2023. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-054523 filed on Mar. 29, 2022 with Japan Patent Office.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2023/011096 | 3/22/2023 | WO |
