The present invention relates to a substrate processing table to break a substrate along a scribe line formed thereon, along the scribe line, and a substrate processing device in which the substrate processing table is used.
There exist, as substrates, brittle substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, a quartz substrate and a ceramic substrate. There also exists, as a substrate other than the above substrates, a laminated substrate formed by laminating two substrates. This substrate has often been used particularly for a panel for a liquid crystal display (LCD) as a kind of a flat panel display (FPD). Further, the laminated substrate has also been used for a plasma display panel (PDP) as another FPD, a transparent liquid crystal projector substrate and a reflective liquid crystal projector substrate which are included in a liquid crystal projector, an organic EL element, and the like. The laminated substrates to be used in such applications come in various sizes from a small sized substrate like a panel for a liquid display to be used for a mobile phone to a large sized substrate for a television or display. A large sized mother substrate is divided into substrates having a predetermined size, which are used to produce individual FPDs. In producing the FPDs, a yield in the step of dividing the laminated substrate is reflected to production cost for the FPDs.
Description will be given taking a single-plate glass substrate and a laminated glass substrate as examples of the substrate in the present invention. First, taking the case where a substrate is a single-plate glass substrate as one example, a method for dividing this substrate will be described by use of
First, in a scribing device 1, a glass substrate 3 as an object to be processed is placed on a scribing table 2. Then, a cutter wheel 4 having an obtuse distal end is press-contacted onto the glass substrate 3 with predetermined pressure. Subsequently, with the predetermined pressure kept applied, the cutter wheel 4 is rolled, so that a scribe line S is formed on the surface of the glass substrate 3.
Next, as shown in
A breaking bar 9 has a structure of attaching a pressure application portion 9a to a distal end of a stick-like member made of steel. The pressure application portion 9a is obtained by, for example, forming hard urethane rubber into wedge form. The breaking bar 9 is provided by means of a vertical movement mechanism which is not shown in the figure so as to be movable in a vertical direction. The vertical movement mechanism vertically moves by electrical driving means using a motor or mechanical driving means using a cam or the like. Further, a moving velocity of the breaking bar 9 when moving is freely changeable and adjustable by means of a velocity variable mechanism. In the case of a vertical movement mechanism by means of a cylinder using compressed air, the downward and upward movement of the breaking bar 9 is performed by supply/discharge of the compressed air to/from a cylinder 10. The movements including the pressure application operation using the compressed air are controlled by a solenoid valve. Setting of pressure force for pressing a glass substrate by the breaking bar 9 is performed by supplying, into the cylinder 10, compressed air suited for the breaking conditions as appropriate, in accordance with the thickness, the material and the like of the glass substrate 3. It should be noted that the thickness of the rubber plate 7 is from 2 to 4 mm, and the thickness of the metal plate 8 is from 0.7 to 6 mm.
The glass substrate 3 is positioned such that the stick-like breaking bar 9 is located along the scribe line S on the under surface of the glass substrate 3. The breaking bar 9 is moved downward by the drive of the cylinder 10 to press the glass substrate 3 from above. In this manner, the glass substrate 3 is slightly distorted by the breaking bar 9 into V-shape on the elastic rubber plate 7, and a bending moment is applied along the scribe line S. Subsequently, a crack (vertical crack) which is a vertical constituent of the scribe line S to contribute to the breaking of the glass substrate 3 is extended, and the glass substrate 3 is broken along the scribe line S.
Next, the steps of the dividing method, in the case of breaking a laminated glass such as a mother substrate to be used for a panel for a liquid crystal display, will be described by use of
1. First, in the scribing device 1 in
2. Next, in
3. Subsequently, as in
4. Thereafter, as shown in
In the foregoing description, the example is shown in which the scribing device used in the scribe steps, where the respective scribe lines are formed on the glass substrate A and the glass substrate B, and the breaking device used in the break steps, and where the glass substrate A and the glass substrate B are broken along the respective scribe lines is the same device. However, either the scribing device or the breaking device used in the scribe/break steps may be a different one.
In order to fix the glass substrate 3 or the laminated glass substrate 11 as described above onto the scribing table of the scribing device and the table of the breaking device, a table based upon a so-called vacuum chuck system is used. Herein, a table for breaking is referred to as a processing table.
The first sub-table 21 is a base material freely attachable to/detachable from a working table which is not shown in the figure of a breaking device. The second sub-table 22 is a table of the identical plane shape to that of the first sub-table 21. The second sub-table 22 is provided with a portion with a reduced thickness, which is a substrate adsorbing cavity portion 22a and a large number of substrate adsorbing holes 22b are formed from the substrate adsorbing cavity portion 22a toward the top surface of the second sub-table 22. Assuming that the plane shape of the second sub-table 22 is rectangle or square, the substrate adsorbing holes 22b are formed in a vertical direction at a grid position in the second sub-table 22. Further, each of the rubber plate 23 and the metal plate 24 is also provided with the substrate adsorbing holes 22b at the same grid position as the position on the second sub-table 22, in the state of penetrating to the outside of the metal plate 24. Such substrate adsorbing holes 22b are formed in the placement range of the substrate 20. The substrate adsorbing cavity portion 22a is connected to a discharge pump which is not shown in the figure to discharge air from the substrate adsorbing cavity portion 22a and the substrate adsorbing holes 22b, so that the substrate 20 can be fixed by sucking onto the processing table 25.
When a substrate 20 of a large shape is placed on the processing table 25 for suction/adsorption by use of the above-mentioned vacuum chuck, as shown in
It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing table capable of resolving break failure including oblique breaking of a substrate, breaking of a substrate with a plurality of points acted as starting points, and occurrence of the co-broken phenomenon when breaking a laminated substrate, and also to provide a substrate processing device.
A substrate processing table of the present invention comprises a first sub-table, a second sub-table which is placed on a top surface of the first sub-table, an elastic sheet which has a predetermined thickness and is provided on a top surface of the second sub-table, and a hard sheet which is provided on a top surface of the elastic sheet and on which a substrate to be processed is placed. Particularly, the substrate processing table comprises a plurality of substrate adsorbing holes which penetrate through the second sub-table, the elastic sheet and the hard sheet, to suck the substrate. The substrate processing table also comprises a plurality of hard-sheet adsorbing holes which penetrate through the second sub-table and the elastic sheet, to suck the hard sheet. The substrate processing table also comprises a communication portion for communicating the lower ends of the substrate adsorbing holes and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes to a vacuum source.
Herein, the communication portion may be formed on either the first sub-table or the second sub-table, and may include a cavity portion which communicates each of the lower ends of the plurality of substrate sucking holes and the plurality of hard-sheet sucking holes with the vacuum source.
Herein, formation ranges of the substrate adsorbing holes and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes may be changed according to the shape of the substrate.
Herein, the respective upper ends of the substrate adsorbing holes and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes may be arranged in line in at least one concentric position.
Herein, the respective upper ends of the substrate adsorbing holes and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes may be alternately arranged in at least one concentric position.
Herein, the cavity portion may include a substrate sucking cavity portion which communicates a substrate adsorbing hole group arranged in a concentric position to the vacuum source, and a hard-sheet sucking cavity portion which communicates the hard-sheet adsorbing hole group arranged in a concentric position to the vacuum source. Further, the substrate sucking cavity portion and the hard-sheet sucking cavity portion may be grooves formed on either the first sub-table or the second sub-table.
Herein, the substrate adsorbing holes and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes may be collectively formed so as to be parted with a plurality of regions, and the regions may be formed in a pattern having regularity. Further, the pattern formed in this region may be checkered pattern.
Herein, a switching valve may be provided on each communication portion extending from the substrate adsorbing hole and the hard-sheet adsorbing hole to the vacuum source.
Herein, the substrate sucking holes and the hard-sheet sucking holes may be arranged in a pattern having regularity.
Herein, the substrate sucking holes and the hard-sheet sucking holes may be formed in grid form, and each of the sucking holes may be arranged on a line connecting points of the grid.
A substrate processing device of the present invention comprises, in addition to the above-mentioned substrate processing table, a discharge device which keeps at negative pressure specific adsorbing holes among a plurality of substrate adsorbing holes and hard-sheet adsorbing holes provided in the substrate processing table, and break means which is held in a vertically movable manner with respect to the substrate processing table to break a substrate on which a subscribe line is formed.
A substrate processing device of the present invention comprises, in addition to the above-mentioned substrate processing table, a discharge device which keeps at negative pressure specific adsorbing holes among a plurality of substrate adsorbing holes and hard-sheet adsorbing holes provided in the substrate processing table, scribe means which forms a scribe line on a substrate held on the substrate processing table, and break means which breaks the substrate along the scribe line.
(Embodiment 1)
A substrate processing table in Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described by use of
The first sub-table 31 is to be fixed onto a working table of a later-described substrate processing device, and is freely attachable to/detachable from the working table. A cavity portion 32a having a thickness reduced from the thickness of the second sub-table 32 is provided in the central portion of the bottom face of the second sub-table 32, and a large number of substrate adsorbing holes HX and hard-sheet adsorbing holes Hx are formed from the cavity portion 32a toward the top surface.
The substrate adsorbing holes HX serve to adsorb a substrate 20A. These holes HX are located across the placement range of the substrate 20A, in a grid position on each of the second sub-table 32, the rubber plate 33 and the metal plate 34, and penetrate through those in the vertical direction. The hard-sheet adsorbing holes Hx serve to adsorb the metal plate 34. These holes Hx are provided out of the placement range of the substrate 20A, in the grid position on each of the second sub-table 32 and the rubber plate 33, and penetrate through those in the vertical direction. The cavity portion 32a is connected to a discharge device including a discharge pump which is not shown in the figure via a piping member. It is to be noted that the cavity portion 32a may be provided on the upper side of the first sub-table 31, instead of being provided in the second sub-table 32.
The rubber plate 33 is an elastic sheet for resiliently absorbing deformation of the substrate 20A that occurs when the substrate is broken. The metal plate 34 is constituted, for example, of a stainless (SUS) plate, or an aluminum plate, and the substrate 20A is directly placed on the metal plate 34.
The substrate 20A or 20B is placed on the processing table 30A or 30B having the above-described structure, and a discharge device is activated to make pressure negative in the insides of the substrate adsorbing holes HX and the hard-sheet adsorbing holes Hx, so as to perform suction/adsorption. In this manner, the substrate 20A or 20B is sucked toward the metal plate 34 or 35, and suction force also is applied to the metal plate 34 or 35 as a whole. Therefore, the substrate 20A or 20B and the metal plate 34 or 35 are not downwardly warped, but firmly fixed onto the processing table 30A or 30B. It is thereby possible to significantly reduce warping of the substrate 20A or 20B so as to suppress break failure.
(Embodiment 2)
Next, a substrate processing table in Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described by use of
On the under surface of the second sub-table 42, a plurality of square-shaped or C-shaped grooves are provided in concentric positions as shown in
Next, in order to discharge air from the substrate adsorbing grooves CA, CB . . . to the outside, substrate adsorbing discharge grooves DA, DB . . . are provided on the under surface of the second sub-table 42. Further, in order to discharge air from the hard-sheet adsorbing grooves Ca, Cb . . . to the outside, hard-sheet adsorbing discharge grooves Da, Db . . . are provided on the under surface of the second sub-table 42. If the material for the second sub-table 42 is, for example, a metal such as SUS, these discharge grooves are cut by machining to have a small thickness or processed by half-etching. It is to be noted that the substrate adsorbing discharge grooves and the hard-sheet adsorbing discharge grooves may be provided on the upper side of the first sub-table 41 in place of being provided on the second sub-table 42.
A switching valve is provided between each of the discharge grooves of the processing table 40 and a discharge pump which is not shown in the figure. Substrate adsorbing discharge valves are indicated by VA, VB . . . with respect to the substrate adsorbing grooves CA, CB . . . Further, hard-sheet adsorbing discharge valves are indicated by Va, Vb . . . with respect to the hard-sheet adsorbing grooves Ca, Cb . . . These discharge valves V are controlled to open or close in accordance with the shape of the substrate 20. In an example shown in
According to the processing table 40 having such a configuration, for example, when the shape of the substrate 20 is almost square, the discharge valve V is selectively set to open or close in accordance with the size of the substrate 20, so that the substrate 20 of any size as a whole can be adsorbed. Further, the metal plate 44 is also sucked via the hard-sheet adsorbing holes Ha and Hb, and can thus be made flat without warping. This can significantly reduce the warping of the substrate 20, thereby suppressing the break failure. Moreover, although the case of the substrate 20 in square shape has been described, a change in shapes of the substrate adsorbing grooves and the hard-sheet adsorbing grooves to be provided on the second sub-table 42 or the first sub-table 41 enables adsorption/fixing of substrates of various shapes without exerting stress due to inward bowing of the substrates.
In the case of continuously producing substrates of the same shape, the shape of the substrate 20 to be placed on the processing table and the position for fixing the substrate 20 are previously determined. In such a case, the open or close state of each of the discharge valves V remains unchanged unless the substrate model is changed. In this case, a screw valve is applicable as the discharge valve V.
(Embodiment 3)
Next, a substrate processing table in Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described by use of
In this embodiment, the adsorbing holes in the second sub-table 62A are grouped into matrix form. When a region in the central position is indicated by GA, eight regions surrounding the substrate adsorption region GA are indicated by, counter-clockwise, GB, Gb, GC, Gc, GD, Gd, GE and Ga. The substrate adsorption regions GA, GB, GC, GD and GE are regions where a plurality of substrate adsorbing holes are formed for adsorbing the substrate 20. The hard-sheet adsorption regions Ga, Gb, Gc and Gd are regions where a plurality of hard-sheet adsorbing holes are formed for adsorbing the metal plate 64. There also exist similarly grouped adsorbing holes outside the above-mentioned regions. Distributing the adsorbing hole groups in a checkered pattern is the feature of this embodiment.
A substrate adsorbing hole in the substrate adsorption region GA is indicated by HA, a substrate adsorbing hole in the substrate adsorption region GB is indicated by HB, a substrate adsorbing hole in the substrate adsorption region GC is indicated by HC, a substrate adsorbing hole in the substrate adsorption region GD is indicated by HD, and a substrate adsorbing hole in the substrate adsorption region GE is indicated by HE. As shown in
Next, a hard-sheet adsorbing hole in the hard-sheet adsorption region Ga is indicated by Ha, a hard-sheet adsorbing hole in the hard-sheet adsorption region Gb is indicated by Hb, a hard-sheet adsorbing hole in the hard-sheet adsorption region Gc is indicated by Hc, and a hard-sheet adsorbing hole in the hard-sheet adsorption region Gd is indicated by Hd. As shown in
In the second sub-table 62A, the adsorbing holes in each of the adsorbing hole groups are connected to a common cavity portion. In
It should be noted that
According to the configuration as described above, the shape of the substrate 20 is not restricted to square, but, for example, in the case of the rectangle shape, the pressure is made negative inside the adsorbing hole group in a region within the outline of the substrate 20, and discharge valve related to adsorbing holes in a region outside the outline is set to close. In this case, the effect of allowing effective adsorption/fixing of the substrate 20 in rectangular or landscape shape can be obtained. Since the discharge valve can be open or closed for each adsorbing hole group in the above-mentioned manner, even when the shape and size of the substrate 20 change, corresponding to its changes, adsorption of the substrate 20 to be allowed. Further, since each of the adsorption regions is provided with the discharge valve, the open/close level of the discharge valve can be adjusted to change the adsorption pressure to the substrate 20 and the metal plate 64 in each of the adsorption regions, so as to maintain the flat level of the substrate 20. Moreover, since each of the adsorption regions is provided with the discharge valve, it is possible to cancel the adsorption of the broken substrate by closure of the discharge valve in the region to adsorb the substrate after completion of breaking, consequently, carrying the substrate after completion of breaking to the outside of the dividing device as needed is also possible.
(Embodiment 4)
Next, a substrate processing table in Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described by use of
In this embodiment, individual adsorbing holes are arranged in checkered form. Substrate adsorbing holes to adsorb the substrate 20 are indicated by HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4, HA5 . . . , and arranged in grid form (first grid position) as indicated by double circles in
In the example shown in
(Embodiment 5)
Next, a substrate processing device in Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described.
The substrate 20 to be broken is placed on the upper side of the processing table 82. The substrate 20 is fixed by means of the vacuum chuck function of the processing table 82, as described above. A discharge device which is not shown in the figure is arranged, and by an instruction from a control switch of an operational portion 83, a specific adsorbing hole, among a plurality of substrate adsorbing holes and hard-sheet adsorbing holes provided in the processing table 82, can be held at negative pressure. Thereby, the pressure of the predetermined adsorbing hole is made negative, and the substrate 20 is fixed onto the processing table 82 together with the metal plate. The processing table 82 is positioned by adjustment of the working table 81 in the x-direction, y-direction and ∴-direction. An operation for such positioning can be instructed from the operational portion 83.
In the breaking device 80, as shown in
A stopper mechanism 87 is attached to the breaking bridge 84 in order to regulate the lowermost end position of the breaking bar 85.
Further, the working table 81 can be rotated by exactly 90° by a rotation mechanism which is not shown in the figure within the x-y flat face. The substrate 20 with orthogonal scribe lines formed thereon can be broken along each of the orthogonal scribe lines.
(Embodiment 6)
Next, a substrate processing device in Embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described.
In common with the processing device shown in
The position of the working table 81 in the processing device is adjustable by the operational portion 94. When the scribe mechanism is set out in a processing position on the substrate 20 held in the working position described above, the breaking bridge 84 is retracted backward guided by a slide portion guide which is not shown in the figure. Further, when the break mechanism is set out in the processing position, the scribing bridge 91 is retracted forward to the near side.
For dividing the substrate 20 consisting of one layer, with the use of the processing device having the structure shown in
When using such a processing device, the installation range of the processing device as a whole is narrowed so that only one substrate conveyance device can deal with such processing steps. Further, a substrate positioning system can be commonly used in the scribe step and the break step, thereby exerting the effect of reducing cost related to the substrate positioning mechanism.
It should be noted that, although the cutter wheel and the cutter wheel tip are used as the scribe means for forming a scribe line on a substrate in each of the above embodiments, a scribe cutter using a rare stone such as diamond or sapphire, or the like, may also be used as the scribe means. Further, the following means can also be used as the scribe means. Heating a substrate by use of heating means such as a laser or a heater, or cooling the vicinity of a region on the substrate, which has been heated by the above-mentioned heating means, with a mixed fluid of water and compressed air or the like, to cause heat distortion of the substrate, thereby forming a scribe line (vertical crack line). As break means for breaking a substrate where a scribe line has been formed, the above description has been mainly given by taking the means of pressing the breaking bar onto a substrate as an example. However, it may also be applied that the surface of a substrate is heated by rolling/sliding a plurality of rollers along a scribe line on the main face of the substrate, or by applying a laser to the substrate, or by spraying heat fluid from a nozzle. Thereafter, using stress for swelling of the substrate surface, a vertical crack along the scribe line is extended in the thickness direction of the substrate to break the substrate.
As thus described, according to the present invention, since the whole of a substrate can be adsorbed to a processing table without distortion of the substrate, a broken section almost perpendicular to the substrate surface can be obtained without oblique breaking from the substrate surface at the time of breaking. Further, in the case of dividing a laminated glass substrate, break failure such as the co-broken phenomenon, which has tended to occur at the time of breaking, can be prevented.
Moreover, even when the shape and size of the substrate are changed, those changes can be readily dealt with so as to adsorb the substrate while maintaining the flat level of the substrate surface. Since the adsorption to the broken substrate can be cancelled, the substrate after completion of breaking can be carried to the outside of a dividing device as needed.
A substrate processing table according to the present invention can be preferably used for a processing device to scribe and break a brittle substrate. Such a processing device can be applied to processing of substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, a quartz substrate and a ceramic substrate, and can be used for devices for producing flat panel displays (FPD) including a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a plasma display panel (PDP).
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-044077 | Feb 2003 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP04/02036 | 2/20/2004 | WO | 7/10/2006 |