Abstract:
A carrier supporting apparatus is configured to support a carrier containing a plurality of plate-like objects to be processed, such that each object to be processed is arranged vertically at an interval in a horizontal attitude. The carrier includes multiple sets of supporting stages each arranged vertically at an interval, wherein each set of the supporting stages are configured to support the periphery of a bottom face of one object to be processed. The carrier supporting apparatus comprises a placing table adapted to place the carrier thereon, a lifting member that can be raised and lowered relative to the placing table, and a drive mechanism adapted to drive the lifting mechanism. When raised, the lifting member raises a bottom face of the object to be processed, which is supported on a set of the lowermost supporting stages in the carrier, and lifts it up from the supporting stages.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a carrier supporting apparatus for supporting a carrier containing, therein, a plurality of substantially plate-like objects to be processed, for example, semiconductor wafers, such that each wafer is arranged vertically at an interval in a horizontal attitude. 
     2. Background Art 
     For example, in the case of carrying out a test for a semiconductor wafer by using a testing device, such as a probe, the wafer is carried out from a carrier and then carried into the testing device, by using a carrying arm, so as to perform the test without providing any adjustment to the wafer. In this case, the wafer itself is not cut into individually separated chips, but all chips to be subjected to a cutting process will remain integrally to collectively constitute the wafer. 
     In some cases, the semiconductor wafer is attached to a film and a test is carried out for the wafer while the film is supported by a dicing frame around the wafer. (Hereinafter, the wafer, film and dicing frame in such a state as describe above will be collectively referred to as “an object to be processed”, and, for convenience, such an object to be processed will also be simply referred to as “a dicing frame”). In this case, the wafer associated with the dicing frame is typically fixed onto the film while cut (or diced) into individual chips. Upon testing, for example, 25 sheets, of dicing frames are placed, in advance, in an exclusive carrier while they are each arranged vertically in the carrier at an interval, taking a horizontal attitude. Thereafter, the carrier is placed on a carrier supporting apparatus located adjacent a testing device. In this way, each dicing frame is carried between the carrier and the testing device by using a carrying arm. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a carrier C used exclusively for the dicing frames has a pair of left and right side plates  1 ,  1 , and a plurality of connecting rods  2  for connecting top ends of the side plates  1 ,  1  together. The carrier C also includes at least one guide rod  3  for connecting bottom ends of the side plates  1 ,  1  together. The guide rod  3  is composed of a flat bar  3 A and a piece of projection  3 B formed along a bottom face of the flat bar  3 A. The carrier C is positioned and placed at a predetermined location on a carrier supporting apparatus via the projection  3 B of the guide rod  3 . 
     A typical example of the carrier C has 25 sets of supporting stages  1 A,  1 A provided vertically at an interval. Each set of the supporting stages  1 A,  1 A are configured to support left and right edges at a bottom face of each one dicing frame D. Specifically, in an inner face of each side plate  1 , 25 grooves  1 A are provided vertically at an interval. The bottom face of each groove  1 A constitutes each supporting stage. 
     Upon placing the dicing frames D in the carrier C, each dicing frame D supported by the carrying arm  20  is inserted horizontally between one set of grooves  1 A,  1 A, and thereafter the carrying arm is lowered. In this manner, the dicing frame D is supported on each supporting stage which is a bottom face of the one set of grooves  1 A,  1 A, in which the dicing frame D is inserted. Upon taking out each dicing frame D from the carrier C, the carrying arm  20  is inserted below a targeted dicing frame D, and is then lifted upward, thereby to raise the dicing frame D from the supporting stages  1 A,  1 A. Thereafter, the dicing frame D is pulled out from the carrier C while being supported by the carrying arm  20 . 
     In the carrier C described above, as shown in  FIG. 3(   b ), a gap δ 1  (e.g., 3.49 mm) between the lowermost stages (i.e., bottom faces of the lowermost grooves  1 A) and a top face of the flat bar  3 A of the guide rod  3  is narrower than a gap δ 2  (e.g., 4.85 mm) between each adjacent pair of the supporting stages. In addition, the former gap δ 1  is slightly larger than a thickness T (e.g., 2.50 mm) of the carrying arm. Therefore, upon taking out the lowermost dicing frame D, the final gap (δ 1 −T) to be defined between the dicing frame D and guide rod  3  and the carrying arm  20  is significantly small (which is, for example, 3.49−2.50=0.99 mm). Therefore, the control of the carrying arm  20  is very difficult, and there is a risk of damaging the carrying arm  20  and/or dicing frame D. Accordingly, it is virtually impossible to support and carry out the lowermost dicing frame D by using the carrying arm  20 . 
     As such, although the carrier C, apparently, has a capacity for containing 25 sheets of dicing frames D therein, the lowermost supporting stages  1 A,  1 A have not been used in the past, and only 24 sheets of dicing frames D were contained in the carrier C. Thus, the storage efficiency of the carrier C for the dicing frames D has been insufficient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier supporting apparatus for supporting a carrier containing, therein, a plurality of substantially plate-like objects to be processed, such as dicing frames, such that each dicing frame is arranged vertically at an interval in a horizontal attitude, wherein even a lowermost object to be processed in the carrier can also be supported and carried out by using a carrying arm. 
     In order to achieve the object above, the present invention is a carrier supporting apparatus for supporting a carrier containing, therein, a plurality of substantially plate-like objects to be processed, such that each object to be processed is arranged vertically at an interval in a horizontal attitude, the carrier including multiple sets of supporting stages each arranged vertically at an interval, and each set of the supporting stages being configured to support the periphery of a bottom face of each one object to be processed, wherein the carrier supporting apparatus comprises: 
     a placing table adapted for placing the carrier thereon; 
     a lifting member provided such that the lifting member can be raised and lowered relative to the placing table and such that, when raised, the lifting member can raise the bottom face of the object to be processed, which is supported on the set of the lowermost supporting stages in the carrier, and lift up the bottom face from the supporting stages; and 
     a drive mechanism adapted to drive the lifting member to be raised and lowered. 
     According to this carrier supporting apparatus, a bottom face of the lowermost dicing frame supported on the lowermost stages in the carrier can be raised and lifted up from the supporting stages, due to the lifting member which is driven to be raised and lowered by the drive mechanism. Thus, a sufficient gap for inserting the carrying arm therein can be secured under the lowermost dicing frame. Accordingly, even the lowermost dicing frame in the carrier can also be supported and carried out securely by using the carrying arm, without causing the carrying arm and/or the dicing frame to be damaged. 
     In one embodiment, the placing table has an upper plate having an opening formed therein, and the lifting member is configured to be raised and lowered through the opening of the upper plate. 
     In this case, it is preferred that an elongated hole is formed in the lifting member, and a shaft member extending through the elongated hole and adapted to guide the lifting member is fixed to the upper plate. 
     It is preferred that the carrier supporting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of lifting members, and that the drive means includes: 
     an endless belt, to which each lifting member is connected, and 
     a cylinder mechanism connected to the belt. 
     Typically, the object to be processed comprises a semiconductor wafer, a film onto which the wafer is attached, and a dicing frame for supporting the film around the wafer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically showing one embodiment of a carrier supporting apparatus according to the present invention, wherein  FIG. 1(   a ) is a plan view showing an internal mechanism in a perspective, and  FIG. 1(   b ) is a longitudinal cross section thereof. 
         FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross section showing a key portion, in the order of  FIG. 2(   a ) to  FIG. 2(   c ), of a process of carrying out a lowermost dicing frame in a carrier supported by the carrier supporting apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a typical carrier exclusively used for the dicing frames, wherein  FIG. 3(   a ) is a front view,  FIG. 3(   b ) is an enlarged view of a portion B of  FIG. 3(   a ) in which a dicing frame is placed in the carrier, and  FIG. 3(   c ) is a side view of the carrier. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Examples 
     Hereinafter, a carrier supporting apparatus  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , for supporting a carrier C used exclusively for dicing frames as shown in  FIG. 3 , will be described as one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, dicing frames corresponding to an 8-inch wafer and to a 6-inch wafer will be referred to as an 8-inch dicing frame and as a 6-inch dicing frame, respectively. 
     The carrier supporting apparatus  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes a placing table  11  adapted for placing the carrier C thereon and a plurality of lifting members  12  each configured to be optionally raised and lowered relative to the placing table  11 . In addition, the carrier supporting apparatus  10  includes drive mechanisms  13 ,  14  each provided in the placing table  11  and adapted to drive upwardly and downwardly the respective lifting members  12 . The carrier supporting apparatus  10  is located, for example, in a loader chamber located adjacent a testing chamber in a probe system (not shown), constituting a part of the probe system. In this case, a carrying arm  20  ( FIG. 2 ) for carrying each dicing frame D is provided in the loader chamber. The dicing frame D is supported by using the carrying arm  20 , and is then carried between the carrier C and the testing chamber. In the testing chamber, wafer chips each held by the dicing frame D are checked for the electrical properties. 
     The carrier supporting apparatus  10  is configured to be adaptable to the carrier for containing 8-inch dicing frames therein as well as to the carrier for containing 6-inch dicing frames therein. Specifically, the carrier supporting apparatus  10  includes four lifting members  12  used for the 8-inch dicing frames and four lifting members  12  used for the 6-inch dicing frames. 
     Each lifting member  12  is provided as an elongated plate-like bar. In an upper portion of each lifting member  12 , an elongated hole  12 A ( FIG. 1(   b )) is formed to extend longitudinally. As shown in  FIG. 1 , each lifting member  12  can be raised and lowered due to lifting operations provided by the respective drive mechanisms  13 ,  14 , such that its upper portion can be projected out and retracted into each slit-like opening  11 B formed in an upper plate  11 A of the placing table  11 . 
     The drive mechanism  13  for driving the four lifting member  12  used for the 8-inch dicing frames includes an endless belt  13 B, with which the lifting members  12  are respectively connected, and a cylinder mechanism  13 C having a rod connected to the belt  13 B. The endless belt  13 B is provided along four pulleys  13 A located at four corners of the placing table  11 . With control of the operation of the cylinder mechanism  13 C due to a controller (not shown), reciprocal rotations of the endless belt  13 B can be achieved. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1(   b ), a bottom end of each lifting member  12  is connected with the endless belt  13 B via a shaft member  13 D. In addition, a shaft member  13 E crossing a longitudinally central portion of each opening  11 B is provided to be fixed to the upper plate  11 A. Each shaft member  13 E extends through the elongated hole  12 A of the corresponding lifting member  12  so as to provide relative guide to the lifting member  12 . 
     A bearing  13 H is attached to the shaft member  13 D connecting the bottom end of each lifting member  12  with the endless belt  13 B. Each bearing  13 H is supported by a supporting member  13 F such that it can be rolled horizontally. Each supporting member  13 F is fixed to a plate member  13 G, which is horizontally attached to an interior of the placing table  11 . Each pulley  13 A of the drive mechanism  13  is also attached to the plate member  13 G. 
     With reciprocal rotations of the endless belt  13 B, the four lifting members  12  are each swayed between an inclined state designated by a dashed line and a vertical state depicted by a sold line, at the same time, as such the top end can be projected out and retracted into each opening  11 B. As shown in  FIG. 2 , when each lifting member  12  is projected out, to the greatest extent, from the opening  11 B, in the vertical state, the lowermost dicing frame D contained in the carrier C is raised up to the possibly uppermost level. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1(   a ), the drive mechanism  14  for the 6-inch dicing frames is provided inside the drive mechanism  13  for the 8-inch dicing frames. The drive mechanism  14  includes pulleys  14 A, an endless belt  14 B, and a cylinder mechanism  14 C, which are all similar to those in the aforementioned drive mechanism  13 . Since the configuration for driving each corresponding lifting member  12  due to the drive mechanism  14  is substantially similar to the configuration as depicted in  FIG. 1(   b ), the description thereof is omitted here. 
     Although not shown, in the placing table  11 , a clamp mechanism is provided, which is adapted to fix the carrier C positioned on the upper plate  11 A via the guide rod  3  ( FIGS. 1(   b ) and  3 ) to the upper plate  11 A. 
     Next, operation of the carrier supporting apparatus  10  will be described, with reference to the case of using the carrier C for the 8-inch dicing frames, by way of example. 
     First, the carrier C is positioned on the placing table  11  of the carrier supporting apparatus  10  via the guide rod  3 . Then, the carrier C is fixed onto the upper plate  11 A of the placing table  11  due to the clamp mechanism. In the carrier C, 25 sheets of dicing frames D are contained. Upon checking the electrical properties of the dicing frames D, each dicing frame D is carried out from the carrier C and carried into the testing chamber, by using the carrying arm  20 . 
     When taking out the dicing frame D other than the one supported on the lowermost stages of the carrier C, the carrying arm  20  can be directly inserted under each dicing frame D, thereby to support the dicing frame D, carry out it from the carrier C, and then carry it into the testing chamber, without any positional adjustment for the dicing frame D. On the other hand, when taking out the dicing frame D placed on the lowermost stages, it is difficult, as described above, to carry out the dicing frame without any positional adjustment thereof, because there is not a sufficient gap for inserting the carrying arm  20  between the dicing frame D and the guide rod  3 . 
     To address this challenge, when carrying out the dicing frame D placed on the lowermost stages in the carrier C, the controller actuates the cylinder mechanism  13 C of the drive mechanism  13 . Once the cylinder mechanism  13 C is actuated and a cylinder rod thereof is extended, the endless belt  13 B is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction in  FIG. 1(   a ). Consequently, the bottom end of each lifting member  12  is moved horizontally, as such the lifting member  12  rises gradually from the state as designated by the dashed line in  FIG. 1(   b ) (or  FIG. 2(   a )). In this manner, each lifting member  12  rises completely, and its top end is projected upward from the opening  11 B of the upper plate  11 A of the placing table, thereby to push up a bottom face of the dicing frame D located on the lowermost stages in the carrier C. Thus, the dicing frame D supported on the lowermost set of supporting stages  1 A,  1 A in the carrier C can be gradually raised while keeping its horizontal attitude. 
     Once each lifting member  12  reaches the vertical state as depicted by the sold line in  FIG. 1(   b ), the dicing frame D will abut the top faces of the lowermost grooves  1 A,  1 A as shown in  FIG. 2(   b ) or will be stopped just prior to the abutment. Consequently, a sufficient gap can be secured for inserting the carrying arm  20  between the lowermost dicing frame D and the guide rod  3 . Thereafter, the carrying arm  20  is advanced into the gap between the lowermost dicing frame D and the guide rod  3 . 
     Subsequently, the controller actuate the cylinder mechanism  13 C of the drive mechanism  13  to be moved in the reverse direction, so as to rotate the endless belt  13 B in the clockwise direction in  FIG. 1(   a ). As a result, each lifting member  12  is retracted into the opening  11 B of the upper plate  11 A of the placing table, as such the lowermost dicing frame D is placed on the carrying arm  20 . Thereafter, the dicing frame D is carried out from the carrier C and carried into the testing chamber, by using the carrying arm  20 . 
     The dicing frame D after tested is then returned onto the set of lowermost supporting stages  1 A,  1 A of the carrier C by using the carrying arm  20 . At the time, a sufficient gap for inserting the carrying arm  20  therein is provided between the dicing frame D located on the second lowermost stages and the guide rod  3 . Therefore, the dicing frame D having been located on the lowermost stages can be returned into the carrier C in the same manner as the operation for the other dicing frames D. 
     As stated above, according to the present invention, by using the plurality of lifting members  12  each vertically driven by the drive mechanisms  13 ,  14 , the bottom face of the lowermost dicing frame D supported by the set of lowermost supporting stages  1 A,  1 A in the carrier C can be raised and lifted up from the set of lowermost supporting stages  1 A,  1 A. Thus, a sufficient gap for inserting the carrying arm  20  therein can be secured between the lowermost dicing frame D and the guide rod  3 . Accordingly, even the lowermost dicing frame D in the carrier C can also be supported and carried out securely by using the carrying arm  20 , without causing the carrying arm  20  and/or the dicing frame D to be damaged. 
     In addition, according to the present invention, for each lifting member  12 , the shaft member  13 E for guiding the lifting member  12  extends through its elongated hole  12 A and is fixed to the upper plate  11 A. Therefore, each lifting member  12  can be raised and lowered stably through the opening  11 B formed in the upper plate  11 A, while being guided relative to the upper plate  11 A. Since the drive mechanisms  13 ,  14  includes the endless belts  13 B,  14 B to which the plurality of lifting members  12  are connected, and the cylinder mechanisms  13 C,  14 C connected to the endless belts  13 B,  14 B, respectively, each lifting member  12  can be securely driven to be raised and lowered in synchronism. 
     It should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiment described above. For example, the substantially plate-like object to be processed is not limited to the dicing frame, but may be a single semiconductor wafer or glass plate. Additionally, the drive mechanism for vertically driving each lifting member is not limited to the one employing the endless belt and the cylinder mechanism, but may be a system employing a cylinder mechanism directly connected with each lifting member.