Patent Publication Number: US-8538576-B2

Title: Method of configuring a dicing device, and a dicing apparatus for dicing a workpiece

Description:
FIELD OF THIS INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method of configuring a dicing device, and also to a dicing apparatus for dicing a workpiece. The method is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for controlling a dicing device that dices a semiconductor wafer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical dicing device  101  having a spindle system  103  and a chuck table  105 . The spindle system  103  comprises two high-speed rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b , which are operable to move along a spindle axis  113 . The rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  comprise left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  for dicing a workpiece  111  (for example, a semiconductor wafer) along a direction orthogonal to the spindle axis  113 . Alignment cameras  115   a ,  115   b  are also mounted on the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b . Dicing means that the workpiece  111  is either fully or partially cut by the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . Whilst  FIG. 1  shows the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  being arranged facing each other, they may instead be arranged parallel to each other without facing each other. 
     The chuck table  105  is operable to move along a table axis  116  to facilitate dicing of the workpiece  111  by the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . The chuck table  105  additionally defines a workpiece axis  117 —the relative position of the workpiece axis  117  and the table axis  116  changes accordingly as the chuck table  105  rotates about a particular point along the table axis  116 . 
     During dicing, the dicing device  101  may first arrange the chuck table  105  such that the workpiece axis  117  is orthogonal to the table axis  116  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  and the chuck table  105  then move along the respective spindle axis  113  and the table axis  116  so that dicing is performed along a first direction in relation to the workpiece  111 . Once the required dicing is completed along the first direction, the dicing device  101  then rotates the chuck table  105  such that its workpiece axis  117  is now parallel to the table axis  116 . The rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  and the chuck table  105  then move along the respective spindle axis  113  and the table axis  116  as usual, so that dicing is now performed along a second direction in relation to the workpiece  111 . Dicing then continues until the required dicing along this second direction is completed. 
     Specifically, a certain dicing order for dicing the workpiece  111  has to be numerically configured in a sequential fashion. The dicing order typically depends on the workpiece configuration, the workpiece warpage, and the spindle system configuration. The configuring of the dicing order requires inputting the relevant order numbers, the cut line numbers corresponding to cutting lines along the length and width of the workpiece  111 , and the appropriate dicing blade for dicing. 
     Control of the dicing device in respect of configuring the dicing order is often time-consuming and increases the likelihood of errors. In the presence of errors, the configuring of the dicing order would also likely increase due to lengthy debugging time. Furthermore, the configuring of the dicing order may also have be restarted if a change of the cut lines of the dicing order is needed. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to at least ameliorate some of these limitations relating to the configuring of a dicing order for a dicing device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, a method of configuring a dicing device—which dices along a cutting line of workpiece according to a dicing step—is proposed. The proposed method comprises the step of depicting a graphical user interface, which includes a layout of the workpiece that further includes a plurality of cut lines relating to respective cutting lines along the workpiece. The proposed method further comprises the step of graphically contacting a cut line from the layout through a user-interface device, to allow selection of the cut line before the selected cut line is assigned to the dicing step of the dicing device. 
     By providing the plurality of cut lines on the layout that are graphically contactable by the user-interface device, the proposed method advantageously allows faster and easier control of the dicing device in respect of configuring its dicing step. 
     Some optional features of the apparatus are defined in the dependent claims. 
     For example, the method of configuring the dicing device may further require a sequence table in the graphical user interface depicting the dicing step of the dicing device. By graphically contacting the graphical user interface through the user-interface device, the selected cut line may be introduced into or deleted from the sequence table. In addition, an existing order between two consecutive dicing steps as depicted by the sequence table may be switched by graphically contacting the graphical user interface through the user-interface device. Accordingly the selected cut line may be appended to, or deleted from, the sequence table without any need to delete existing cut lines from the dicing order to append or to delete the selected cut line. Advantageously, this may allow a user to cure errors in a dicing order of the dicing device. 
     Moreover, the step of performing a step simulation of the dicing step and/or a complete simulation of a full dicing order may allow a user to verify that the cut lines corresponding to the dicing step and/or the full dicing order have been suitably selected to meet operational requirements of the dicing device. Again, such simulation may allow the user to cure errors in the dicing order and/or duplications of the cut lines in the sequence table at an early stage of configuring the dicing order, thereby saving lengthy debugging time at a late stage of the configuration. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium is proposed for configuring a dicing device, which is capable of dicing a workpiece. Specifically, the computer-readable medium comprises a computer program for instructing a computer to perform the method of configuring the dicing device as described above. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, a dicing apparatus for dicing a workpiece is proposed. The dicing apparatus comprises: i) a dicing device for dicing along a cutting line of the workpiece according to a dicing step; and ii) a display for depicting a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface specifically includes a layout of the workpiece, and the layout includes a plurality of cut lines relating to respective cutting lines along the workpiece. Each of the plurality of cut lines is graphically contactable through a user-interface device, to allow selection of a cut line from the layout before the selected cut line is assigned to the dicing step of the dicing device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a conventional dicing device  101 ; 
         FIG. 2  shows a display layout of an embodiment for controlling the dicing device  101 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows dicing steps of an exemplary dicing order for the workpiece  111  as configured by the embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     A dicing apparatus for dicing a workpiece  111  comprises the dicing device  101  for dicing along a cutting line of the workpiece  111  according to a workpiece. The dicing apparatus also includes a personal computer having a touch screen  201 , which displays a graphical user interface (shown in  FIG. 2  as a cut line editor  202 ). The cut line editor  202  comprises: i) a layout  203  of the workpiece  111  comprising a plurality of cut lines relating to respective cutting lines along the workpiece  111 ; ii) ‘Spindle Left’ and ‘Spindle Right’ panels  205 ,  207  for assigning cut lines selected form the layout  203  to the respective left or right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  for dicing; iii) a ‘Line Index’ panel  208  having arrows in the left, right, up, and down directions; and iv) a sequence table  209  for showing a dicing order. 
     A user first inputs basic dimensions of the workpiece  111  such as its length, width, number of blocks on the workpiece, and unit configuration within each block into the apparatus. The apparatus then generates the layout  203  in accordance with these dimensions of the workpiece  111 . Each of these cut lines is assigned a unique cut line number. Specifically, cut lines L 01 -L 04  in the layout  203  are associated with cutting lines along different lengths of the workpiece  111 , whereas cut lines W 01 -W 12  are associated with cutting lines along different widths of the workpiece  111 . 
     The sequence table  209  includes various columns as follows: i) a ‘Saw Seq’ column showing the various step numbers of the dicing order; ii) ‘Spin (Left)’ and ‘Spin (Right)’ columns showing the selected cut line numbers corresponding to the cutting lines along the workpiece  111  to be diced; iii) an ‘Align Check’ column; iv) a ‘Half-Cut’ column; and v) a ‘Kerf Chk’ column. 
     The ‘Align Check’ column is used for checking whether corresponding cut lines of a certain step of the dicing order have been suitably chosen to meet the operational requirements of the dicing device  101 . The ‘Half-Cut’ column enables the user to partially cut the workpiece  111  by marking the relevant cell under the ‘Half-Cut’ column that corresponds to the step of the sequence table  209  for which the partial cut(s) is desired. If the dicing order involves a number of partial cuts, the ‘Kerf Chk’ column further allows the user to perform intermittent quality checks that the line width of some (but not all) of the linear grooves formed by the partial dicing of the cutting lines along the workpiece  111  does not exceed a maximum threshold value. Such intermittent checks can be configured by marking the relevant cells within the ‘Kerk Chk’ column that correspond to the step of the dicing order for which the check of the linear grooves should be performed after each partial dicing has been completed. It should be appreciated that these intermittent checks of the line width provides a trade-off between checking the line width of every single linear groove formed after the partial dicing has been done which thereby lowers throughput, and not checking the line width at all which thereby compromises quality of the partial dicing. 
     To reduce the space occupied by the sequence table  209  in the cut line editor  202 , the sequence table  209  includes a scroll bar  211  that the user can manipulate to reveal hidden steps of the dicing order. 
     From the sequence table  209  in  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that a first step of the dicing order involves cut lines W 01  and W 05 . The user inserts cut line W 01  into the first step of the dicing order by selecting it from the layout  203 —this is done by graphically contacting cut line W 01  through a user-interface device (shown in  FIG. 2  as the touch screen  201 ). Once chosen, cut line W 01  accordingly highlights to a colour different from that of the layout  203  for easy identification. 
     If cut line W 01  has not been correctly chosen from the layout  203 , the user may touch the appropriate arrows in the ‘Line Index’ panel  208  through the touch screen  201 , to select the desired cut line from the layout  203 . Optionally, the user may touch a ‘Confirm’ button (not shown) depicted on the cut line editor  203  through the touch screen  201  to confirm selection of a cut line. 
     If cut line W 01  has been correctly chosen from the layout  203 , the user then touches an ‘Add Line’ button at the ‘Spindle Left’ panel  205  through the touch screen  201  to add cut line W 01  into the relevant cell under the ‘Spin (Left)’ column of the sequence table  209  along the first step of the dicing order. 
     Thereafter, the user touches cut line W 05  from the layout  203  on the touch screen  201 , followed by an ‘Add Line’ button at the ‘Spindle Right’ panel  207  to add cut line W 05  into the relevant cell under the ‘Spin (Right)’ column of the sequence table  209 . 
     The following steps of the dicing order involving at least the various cut line combinations of ‘W 04 , W 09 ’, ‘W 08 , W 12 ’, ‘L 04 , L 01 ’, ‘L 03 , &lt;space&gt;’, and ‘L 02 , &lt;space&gt;’ as shown in the sequence table  209  of  FIG. 2  are also sequentially inputted in the same way as described above. 
     The user can manually run a simulation of each step of the dicing order by touching a ‘Step Simulation’ button of the cut line editor  202  through the touch screen  201 . The step simulation allows the user to ensure the cut lines of a certain step of the dicing order have been suitably chosen to meet the operational requirements of the dicing device  101 . For instance, the cut line editor  202  checks whether the cut lines of each dicing step have been suitably chosen for dicing by the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . Such a check may be necessary because the distance (or pitch) between the selected cutting lines may be shorter than the minimum pitch between the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . Since the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  cannot overlap each other to change sides, the cut line editor  202  also checks to verify that a cutting line meant for dicing by the left dicing blade  109   a  has not been wrongly assigned for dicing by the right dicing blade  109   b , and vice versa. If the cut lines have been suitably chosen for that certain step of the dicing order, the relevant cell under the ‘Align Check’ column of the sequence table  209  is marked with a tick. Otherwise, the cell is marked with a cross. 
     If configuring of the entire dicing order has been completed, the user can manually run a simulation of the entire dicing order by touching a ‘Full Simulation’ button of the cut line editor  202  on the touch screen  201 . The full simulation allows the user to perform an overall check to ensure all the cut lines have been suitably chosen for accuracy and efficiency of the dicing process. 
     Optionally, the cut line editor  202  may automatically run the step simulation and/or the full simulation once a certain step of the dicing order and/or the full dicing order has been completed by the user. 
     Instead of choosing a single cut line for each step of the dicing order, the user may choose a group of multiple cut lines for dicing by the either or both of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . The user first double touches the first cut line of the group from the layout  203  on the touch screen  201 . This first cut line accordingly highlights to a prominent colour in the layout  203  for easy identification, and the first cut line number is shown on the cut line editor  202  so that the user can verify that it has been correctly chosen. If not, the user may again use the appropriate arrows in the ‘Line Index’ panel  208  to select the desired cut line. The last cut line of the group is then chosen from the layout  203  in the same way as the first cut line. 
     After the group of cut lines has been chosen, the user then assigns them to one of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . If the user wishes to assign another group of cut lines to the respective other of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  so that dicing of the two groups of cut lines are performed simultaneously, he could also do so in the same way as what has been done for the first group of cut lines. Such functionality of assigning multiple cut lines to each of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  advantageously allows the user to save time in configuring the dicing order. 
     In the presence of errors, the user can freely insert and/or delete any step of the dicing order by touching an ‘Append Mode’ button through the touch screen  201 . This switches the cut line editor  202  from the default ‘Sequential’ mode to an ‘Append’ mode. If the mode of the cut line editor  202  stays in the default ‘Sequential’ mode, the configuring of the dicing order proceeds in a sequential fashion. 
     In the ‘Append’ mode, a cut line from the layout  203  can be added or deleted from the sequence table  209  by selecting the relevant buttons of ‘Add Line’, ‘Delete Line’, and ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ arrows of the ‘Spindle Left’ panel  205  and/or the ‘Spindle Right’ panel  207  of the cut line editor  202 . 
     The ‘Add Line’ button of the ‘Spindle Left’ or the ‘Spindle Right’ panel  205 ,  207  inserts a cut line chosen from the layout  203  into a cell under the corresponding column of the sequence table  209 . By manipulating the appropriate ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ arrows from the panels  205 ,  207 , the chosen cut line may be inserted before an existing cut line in the sequence table  209  to modify the dicing order. Specifically, an existing order between two consecutive steps of the dicing order depicted by the sequence table  209  may be switched. 
     To delete an existing cut line from the sequence table  207 , the user first selects the corresponding row in the sequence table  209  having the cut line to be deleted. If the cut line to be deleted was previously assigned to the left dicing blade  109   a , the user should select the ‘Delete Line’ button at the ‘Spindle Left’ panel  205  to delete the cut line. If the cut line to be deleted was previously assigned to the right dicing blade  109   b , then the user should select the ‘Delete Line’ button at the ‘Spindle Right’ panel  207  to delete the cut line. Alternatively, the user may delete an existing cut line from the sequence table  207  by choosing the relevant cut line from the layout  203  and touching the relevant ‘Delete Line’ button of the relevant panels  205 ,  207  of the cut line editor  202  on the touch screen  201  to delete the chosen cut line from the sequence table. 
     The ‘Add Space’ buttons at the ‘Spindle Left’ panel  205  or the ‘Spindle Right’ panel  207  allows the user to create an empty space in the corresponding column of the sequence table  209 . This is used in cases where either of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  should not contact the workpiece  101  during dicing. 
       FIGS. 3   a  to  3   k  show an operation of the dicing device  101  after the dicing order has been configured by the user of the cut line editor  202 . Various devices  301  are mounted on the workpiece  111  and dicing separates those devices  301  from one another. 
       FIG. 3   a  shows the arrangement of the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  just before the first step of the dicing order begins. In particular, the dicing device  101  moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113  so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with cutting lines of the workpiece  111  that correspond to cut lines W 01  and W 05  of the layout  203 . 
       FIG. 3   b  shows the workpiece  111  after the first step of the dicing order is finished. A left edge of the workpiece  111  is now removed by the left dicing blade  109   a , and the remaining workpiece is spilt into two halves by the right dicing blade  109   b . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with cutting lines of the workpiece  111  that correspond to cut lines W 04  and W 09  of the layout  203  before the second step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   c  shows the workpiece  111  after the second step of the dicing order is finished. A workpiece portion relating to the corresponding portion of the layout  203  between the cut lines W 04  and W 05  is now removed, and the remaining workpiece on the right is further split into two halves by the right dicing blade  109   b . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with respective cutting lines of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut lines W 08  and W 12  of the layout  203  before the third step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   d  shows the workpiece  111  after the third step of the dicing order is finished. A workpiece portion relating to the corresponding portion of the layout  203  between the cut lines W 08  and W 09  is now removed, and a right edge of the remaining rightmost workpiece  111  also removed by the right dicing blade  109   b.    
       FIG. 3   e  shows the workpiece  111  being rotated in such a way that the workpiece axis  117  is now parallel to the table axis  116 . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with respective cutting lines of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut lines L 04  and L 01  of the layout  203  before the fourth step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   f  shows the workpiece  111  after the fourth step of the dicing order is finished. The left and right edges of the workpiece  111  are now removed by the dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shaft  107   a  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left dicing blade  109   a  is aligned with a cutting line of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut line L 03  of the layout  203  before the fifth step of the dicing order begins. Since the right dicing blade  109   b  is not involved in this step of dicing, the dicing device  101  moves it away to avoid contact with the workpiece. 
       FIG. 3   g  shows the workpiece  111  after the fifth step of the dicing order is finished. The workpiece  111  is yet further split into two halves by the left dicing blade  109   a . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shaft  107   a  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left dicing blade  109   a  is aligned with a cutting line of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut line L 02  of the layout  203  before the sixth step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   h  shows the workpiece  111  being rotated in such a way that the workpiece axis  117  is once again orthogonal to the table axis  116 . A workpiece portion relating to the corresponding portion of the layout  203  between cut lines L 02  and L 03  is now removed. The dicing device  101  moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with respective cutting lines of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut lines W 02  and W 07  of the layout  203  before the seventh step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   i  shows the workpiece  111  after the seventh step of the dicing order is finished. The two leftmost columns of the workpiece  111  are each split into two halves by the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with respective cutting lines of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut lines W 03  and W 10  of the layout  203  before the eighth step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   j  shows the workpiece  111  after the eighth step of the dicing order is finished. A workpiece portion relating to the corresponding portion of the layout  203  between the cut lines W 02  and W 03  is now removed, and the two rightmost columns of the workpiece  111  are also each split into two halves by the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b . The dicing device  101  then moves the rotary shafts  107   a ,  107   b  along the spindle axis  113 , so that the left and right dicing blades  109   a ,  109   b  are aligned with cutting lines of the workpiece  111  corresponding to cut lines W 06  and W 11  of the layout  203  before the final ninth step of the dicing order begins. 
       FIG. 3   k  shows the workpiece  111  after the final ninth step of the dicing order is finished. The workpiece portions relating to the corresponding portions of the layout  203  between cut lines W 06  and W 07  and between cut lines W 10  and W 11  are now removed. Accordingly, all the devices arranged on the workpiece  111  are separated from one another. 
     By providing the cut line editor  202  that displays the workpiece layout  203  with various user-selectable cut lines along its length and width, the process of configuring a dicing order of a dicing device  101  is made faster and easier compared with conventional cut line editors that involve input of numerical cut line numbers. This is because a user is able to associate each cutting line of the workpiece  111  easily with a corresponding cut line from the workpiece layout on the cut line editor  202 . The error-checking function of the cut line editor  202  also reduces chances of errors such as incorrect and/or duplicated cut lines in the dicing order, and thereby reducing debugging time. Additionally, the ability to switch an existing order between two consecutive steps of the dicing order as depicted by the sequence table  209 , or to remove an existing cut line from the sequence table  209 , without the need to delete existing cut lines from the sequence table  209  also allows the user to save time. 
     It should be appreciated that various configurations of the described embodiment may be possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. For example, the use of the cut line editor  202  to configure a dicing order may be carried out from a desktop personal computer even when the latter is disconnected from the dicing device  101 ; this means that off-line configuring of a dicing order is supported by the cut line editor  202 . Also, although it has been described that the user interacts with the cut line editor  202  through the touch screen  201 , the user may alternatively interact with the cut line editor  202  in a similar way through use of other user-interface devices such as a computer mouse or a human voice recognition system. Furthermore, although the cut line editor  202  toggles between the ‘Sequential’ and ‘Append’ modes, it may instead operate in one single mode that supports all the functionalities described above. Moreover, although it has been described that the cut line editor  202  configures the dicing order for full dicing of the workpiece  111 , the cut line editor  202  may obviously also be used for partial dicing.