U.S. patent application number 10/805407 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-23 for method and apparatus for handling arrayed components.
Invention is credited to Inutsuka, Ryoji, Kanayama, Shinji, Shida, Satoshi, Shimizu, Takashi, Takahashi, Kenji, Yoshida, Hiroyuki.
Application Number | 20040183910 10/805407 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26535244 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040183910 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shida, Satoshi ; et
al. |
September 23, 2004 |
Method and apparatus for handling arrayed components
Abstract
Handling of each arrayed component is implemented in pickup
operation within a movement range of a supporting body against the
size of a supporting region of the arrayed component smaller than
that in the prior art. Each component supported on a supporting
body in array is moved to a pickup position with a movement of the
supporting body in X and Y two component array directions, and is
fed to pickup operation by a tool with push-up operation by a
push-up pin involved, in which after each unit region (D1 to D4)
dividedly set around the pickup position of the supporting body is
positioned at a pickup standby position by rotation of the
supporting body in a switching manner, the component in the
positioned unit region is moved in each component array direction
of the supporting body and fed to pickup operation in sequence.
Inventors: |
Shida, Satoshi; (Osaka,
JP) ; Kanayama, Shinji; (Kashihara-shi, JP) ;
Shimizu, Takashi; (Osaka, JP) ; Takahashi, Kenji;
(Osaka, JP) ; Inutsuka, Ryoji; (Osaka, JP)
; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; (Osaka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK, L.L.P.
2033 K STREET N. W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20006-1021
US
|
Family ID: |
26535244 |
Appl. No.: |
10/805407 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10805407 |
Mar 22, 2004 |
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10069401 |
Feb 26, 2002 |
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10069401 |
Feb 26, 2002 |
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PCT/JP00/05672 |
Aug 24, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
348/180 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/67271 20130101;
H01L 21/67144 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/180 |
International
Class: |
H04N 009/64 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 27, 1999 |
JP |
11-241410 |
Oct 27, 1999 |
JP |
11-305342 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for handling arrayed components, comprising: a
component receiving section for receiving and holding a supporting
body which supports components arrayed in two orthogonal
directions; a receiving section rotating device for rotating the
component receiving section about an approximately central position
of the received supporting body, and for positioning each unit
region of a plurality of regions set by dividing a component
supporting region of the supporting body about the approximately
central position of the supporting body into the regions at a
pickup standby position about the approximately central position of
the supporting body in a switching manner; and a two-direction
moving device that moves the component receiving section in the two
component array directions and moves the components in a unit
region positioned at the pickup standby position on the supporting
body to the pickup position in sequence for making the components
subjected to pickup operation by a component handling tool.
2. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
1, further comprising a component transfer device for picking up
the component moved to the pickup position with use of the
component handling tool and transferring the same to other
places.
3. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
1, further comprising: a component housing section which makes it
possible to handle the component in a packing style as being
received in a component housing member for next-step handling; and
a component transfer device for picking up the component positioned
at the pickup position with use of the component handling tool and
transferring the same to the component housing member in the
component housing section.
4. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
1, further comprising: an identifying device for imaging the
component at the pickup position and performing image recognition;
a reference position switching device for switching reference of
position recognition by the identifying device after a unit region
at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the
supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
5. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
3, comprising: a tool rotating device for rotating the component
handling tool about a center of the component to be picked up
thereby; and a control unit for controlling the tool rotating
device so as to correct a direction of the component picked up by
the component handling tool through rotation of the component
handling tool by the tool rotating device after a unit region
located at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of
the supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
6. An apparatus for housing arrayed components as defined in claim
4, comprising a control unit for controlling operation of the
component housing section and the component handling tool so that
the component housing section can provide a plurality of component
housing members side by side, and a plurality of the component
housing members are separately used properly depending on a type of
the component picked up by the component handling tool and
identified by the identifying device for transfer and housing
operation.
7. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
6, wherein the type of the component is quality rank defined by
electric characteristics and frequency characteristics of each
component.
8. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
7, wherein one of the types of the components is a defective
product, and the control unit controls operation of the component
handling tool so that the component handling tool disposes a
component identified by the identifying device as a defective
product in a disposal section.
9. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in claim
3, wherein the component housing member is a tape member.
10. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 1, wherein the unit region is a quarter region divided at an
angle of 90 degrees.
11. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 1, wherein the unit region is a half region divided at an
angle of 180 degree.
12. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 2, further comprising a component housing section disposed at
a position to be laid over a top of the component receiving
section, wherein the component transfer device picks up the
component and transfers the same to the component housing section
whenever the component is moved to the pickup position.
13. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 12, wherein the component housing section is disposed in a
plurality of rows at a position to be laid over the top of the
component receiving section, and the component transfer device
picks up the component and transfers the same to each component
housing section whenever the component is moved to the pickup
position.
14. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 12, further comprising a front-back inverting device disposed
between the transfer device and the component housing section, for
selectively performing operation of receiving the component from
the transfer device, inverting front side and back side of the
component, and housing the component in the component housing
section.
15. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 13, further comprising a second component transfer device for
receiving the component from the transfer device and separately
transferring the component to the component housing section
provided in a plurality of rows.
16. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 13, further comprising a front-back inverting device for
receiving the component from the component transfer device, moving
to the component housing section provided in a plurality of rows,
and separately transferring the component with front side and back
side thereof inverted to each component housing section.
17. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 13, wherein a concave section of each component housing
section disposed in a plurality of the rows is moved to a transfer
target position on the component receiving section, and the
component is transferred to the concave section of the component
housing section moved to the transfer target position by the
component transfer device.
18. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 13, wherein based on data identifying respective division of
each component arrayed on the supporting body, each component of
respective division is transferred to a plurality of the component
housing sections disposed by division of each component.
19. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 2, the components being a plurality of semiconductor elements
separated from a semiconductor wafer by dicing, further comprising:
a component feeding section for housing a supporting body that
supports the component in a state of being arrayed in the two
orthogonal directions and feeding the same to a feeding position; a
taping packaging section for housing the semiconductor elements in
array in an extending direction of the tape member and performing
taping packaging; and a front-back inverting device disposed
between the component transfer device and the taping packaging
section, for selectively performing operation of receiving the
semiconductor element from the component transfer device, inverting
front side and back side of the semiconductor element, and housing
the component in the taping packaging section, wherein the
component receiving section receives and holds the supporting body
extracted from the component feeding section, the two-direction
moving device moves the component receiving section in the two
component array directions for moving the semiconductor element in
sequence to a pickup position, and the component transfer device
picks up the semiconductor element and transfers the same in
sequence to the taping packaging section whenever the semiconductor
element is moved to the pickup position.
20. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 19, wherein the taping packaging section is disposed at a
position to be laid over a top of the component receiving
section.
21. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 19, wherein based on data identifying each semiconductor
element disposed in array on the semiconductor wafer by quality
rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency
characteristics of each semiconductor element, each semiconductor
element of respective quality rank is transferred to a plurality of
taping packaging sections disposed by quality rank.
22. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 2, further comprising: a component housing section which
makes it possible to handle the component in a packing style as
being received in a component housing member for next-step
handling; and a component transfer device for picking up the
component positioned at the pickup position with use of the
component handling tool and transferring the same to the component
housing member in the component housing section.
23. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 2, further comprising: an identifying device for imaging the
component at the pickup position and performing image recognition;
a reference position switching device for switching reference of
position recognition by the identifying device after a unit region
at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the
supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
24. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 3, further comprising: an identifying device for imaging the
component at the pickup position and performing image recognition;
a reference position switching device for switching reference of
position recognition by the identifying device after a unit region
at the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the
supporting body by the receiving section rotating device.
25. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 4, comprising: a tool rotating device for rotating the
component handling tool about a center of the component to be
picked up thereby; and a control unit for controlling the tool
rotating device so as to correct a direction of the component
picked up by the component handling tool through rotation of the
component handling tool by the tool rotating device after a unit
region located at the pickup standby position is switched with
rotation of the supporting body by the receiving section rotating
device.
26. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 13, further comprising a front-back inverting device disposed
between the transfer device and the component housing section, for
selectively performing operation of receiving the component from
the transfer device, inverting front side and back side of the
component, and housing the component in the component housing
section.
27. An apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined in
claim 20, wherein based on data identifying each semiconductor
element disposed in array on the semiconductor wafer by quality
rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency
characteristics of each semiconductor element, each semiconductor
element of respective quality rank is transferred to a plurality of
taping packaging sections disposed by quality rank.
Description
[0001] This is a divisional application of Ser. No. 10/069,401,
filed Feb. 26, 2002, which is the National Stage of International
Application No. PCT/JP00/05672, filed Aug. 24, 2000.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for
handling arrayed components that feeds arrayed components composed
of a plurality of components in array, and more particularly,
relates to a method and apparatus for handling arrayed components
including a feeding method and device of arrayed components, a
transfer device with use of the feeding device, and a housing
device. More specifically, the present invention relates to, for
example, a method and device for feeding arrayed semiconductor
elements so that a number of diced semiconductor elements arrayed
in vertical and horizontal direction are picked up one by one, a
transfer device for transferring picked-up semiconductor elements
to other places, and a housing device for housing the picked-up
semiconductor elements in various housing members in specified
packing styles. One example of the semiconductor elements includes
an individual IC chip separated by dicing from a semiconductor
wafer with a plurality of integrated circuits formed.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] A semiconductor wafer is fabricated to have a number of
semiconductor elements arrayed in vertical and horizontal
direction. Each semiconductor element is subjected to processings
such as checking of defective products and marking thereof, and
then separated by dicing processing for enabling individual
handling. Each semiconductor element is arrayed orderly and densely
on a dicing sheet. In order to ensure swift pickup of each of the
semiconductor elements one by one for enabling various handling
such as transfer to other places or housing, in the past as shown
in FIG. 18, the semiconductor elements have been collectively
handled by a supporting body 106 supporting the semiconductor
elements with held on the dicing sheet. With a movement of the
supporting body 106 at a specified position in X and Y two
orthogonal array directions of each semiconductor element, the
semiconductor elements are sequentially moved to a pickup position
where a push-up pin is provided to aid pickup operation by pushing
the semiconductor element up from the lower side, and after
semiconductor elements are separated from each other through
expanding of the dicing sheet and pushed up from the lower side by
the push-up pin, the semiconductor elements are subjected to pickup
operation by a component handling tool 103.
[0004] Consequently, in pickup operation, one semiconductor element
at the pickup position is in the state separated from other
semiconductor elements and pushed up higher than other surrounding
semiconductor elements, which enables the component handling tool
103 to sufficiently execute pickup operation such as suction
targeting the sole semiconductor element without being bothered by
surrounding semiconductor elements or causing displacement of
surrounding semiconductor elements, thereby achieving swift and
secure pickup of the semiconductor element.
[0005] The sizes of semiconductor wafers are becoming larger for
further increase of efficiency in manufacturing and handling of
semiconductor elements. Large wafer has a diameter as large as
about 200 mm. In the future, there is expected a wafer having a
diameter as large as about 300 mm. However, in manufacturing of
semiconductor elements, since all individual diced semiconductor
elements put on the supporting body 106 are handled with pickup
operation in the above-stated method, a travel distance necessary
for the supporting body 106 to bring all individual semiconductor
elements to the position of the push-up pin provided in a specified
position, i.e., the pickup position, corresponds to a diameter of a
semiconductor wafer both in two X and Y directions, i.e., the size
of a region that the supporting body 106 supports the semiconductor
elements, the necessary plane space of which is twice the diameter
of the semiconductor wafer both in X and Y directions as shown in
FIG. 18. As a result, an apparatus for handling semiconductor
wafers having a large diameter and picking up diced semiconductor
elements as shown above has larger plane space by necessity.
[0006] Larger-sized apparatuses cause not only increased cost of
the apparatuses themselves, but also causes higher running cost in
heating and electricity of a clean room in which the apparatuses
are used, which, in one example, equals as high as 30 million yen a
month in the case of a clean room with area of 600 m.sup.2,
bringing about a serious new issue of increased occupied area of
the apparatus.
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
and device for feeding arrayed components and a method and
apparatus for handling arrayed components using the method and
device for feeding arrayed components capable of handling all the
arrayed components in pickup operation within a movement range of a
supporting body against the size of a region for supporting arrayed
components subject to pickup operation such as diced semiconductor
elements smaller than that in the prior art.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention
is structured as described below.
[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the
arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions,
comprising: moving each component supported on a supporting body in
a state of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions to a pickup
position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the
two component array directions, and making the components subjected
to pickup operation by a component handling tool, wherein each unit
region set by dividing a component supporting region of the
supporting body about an approximately central position of the
supporting body into a plurality of regions is positioned at a
pickup standby position by rotation of the supporting body about
the approximately central position of the supporting body in a
switching manner; and
[0010] after each unit region is positioned at the pickup standby
position, positioning each component in the positioned unit region
to the pickup position in sequence with a movement of the
supporting body in the two component array directions, and
subjected to pickup operation in sequence.
[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the
arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as
defined in claim 1, wherein the component is subjected to the
pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up
operation by a push-up pin involved, and after each unit region is
positioned at the pickup standby position, the component in the
positioned unit region is moved to the pickup position in sequence
with a relative movement of the supporting body, the pickup
position, and the push-up pin in the two component array
directions, and subjected to the pickup operation in sequence to
feed the arrayed components arrayed in the two component array
directions.
[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components that feeds the
arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions as
defined in claim 1, wherein the component is subjected to the
pickup operation by the component handling tool with push-up
operation by a push-up pin involved, and when the component is
subjected to the pick-up operation,
[0013] further comprising corresponding each unit region set by
dividing a component supporting region of the supporting body about
an approximately central position of the supporting body into a
plurality of regions to the pickup position and the push-up pin,
and
[0014] after the pickup position and the push-up pin are
corresponded to each unit region, moving components in the unit
region corresponding to the pickup position and the push-up pin in
sequence to the pickup position with a relative movement of the
pickup position and the push-up pin, and the supporting body in the
two component array directions, and making the components subjected
to pickup operation in sequence to feed the arrayed components
arrayed in the two component array directions.
[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in
any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the unit region is a
quarter region divided by an angle of 90 degrees.
[0016] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components,
comprising:
[0017] a component receiving section for receiving and holding a
supporting body which supports components arrayed in two orthogonal
directions;
[0018] a receiving section rotating device for rotating the
component receiving section about an approximately central position
of the received supporting body, and for positioning each unit
region of a plurality of regions set by dividing a component
supporting region of the supporting body about the approximately
central position of the supporting body into the regions at a
pickup standby position about the approximately central position of
the supporting body in a switching manner; and
[0019] a two-direction moving device that moves the component
receiving section in the two component array directions and moves
the components in a unit region positioned at the pickup standby
position on the supporting body to the pickup position in sequence
for making the components subjected to pickup operation by a
component handling tool.
[0020] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the fifth aspect, further comprising a component transfer device
for picking up the component moved to the pickup position with use
of the component handling tool and transferring the same to other
places.
[0021] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as
defined in the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising:
[0022] a component housing section which makes it possible to
handle the component in a packing style as being received in a
component housing member for next-step handling; and
[0023] a component transfer device for picking up the component
positioned at the pickup position with use of the component
handling tool and transferring the same to the component housing
member in the component housing section.
[0024] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as
defined in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, further
comprising:
[0025] an identifying device for imaging the component at the
pickup position and performing image recognition;
[0026] a reference position switching device for switching
reference of position recognition by the identifying device after a
unit region at the pickup standby position is switched with
rotation of the supporting body by the receiving section rotating
device.
[0027] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the seventh or eighth aspect, comprising:
[0028] a tool rotating device for rotating the component handling
tool about a center of the component to be picked up thereby;
and
[0029] a control unit for controlling the tool rotating device so
as to correct a direction of the component picked up by the
component handling tool through rotation of the component handling
tool by the tool rotating device after a unit region located at the
pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the supporting
body by the receiving section rotating device.
[0030] According to a 10th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for housing arrayed components as defined
in the eighth aspect, comprising a control unit for controlling
operation of the component housing section and the component
handling tool so that the component housing section can provide a
plurality of component housing members side by side, and a
plurality of the component housing members are separately used
properly depending on a type of the component picked up by the
component handling tool and identified by the identifying device
for transfer and housing operation.
[0031] According to an 11th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the tenth aspect, wherein the type of the component is quality
rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency
characteristics of each component.
[0032] According to a 12th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 11th aspect, wherein one of the types of the components is a
defective product, and the control unit controls operation of the
component handling tool so that the component handling tool
disposes a component identified by the identifying device as a
defective product in a disposal section.
[0033] According to a 13th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in any one of the seventh to 12th aspects, wherein the component
housing member is a tape member.
[0034] According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in any one of the fifth to 13th aspects, wherein the unit region is
a quarter region divided at an angle of 90 degrees.
[0035] According to a 15th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in any one of the fifth to 13th aspects, wherein the unit region is
a half region divided at an angle of 180 degree.
[0036] According to a 16th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components that transfers
the arrayed components arrayed in two component array directions,
comprising:
[0037] feeding a supporting body that supports a plurality of
components in a state of being arrayed in the two orthogonal
directions to a component feeding position;
[0038] moving each component in sequence to a pickup position with
a movement of the supporting body at the component feeding position
in the two component array directions;
[0039] picking up, the component moved to the pickup position with
use of the component handling tool; and
[0040] transferring the picked-up component to a component transfer
target position set to be laid over a top of the supporting body
with use of the component handling tool.
[0041] According to a 17th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in
the first aspect that transfers the arrayed components arrayed in
the two component array direction, comprising:
[0042] picking up the component moved to the pickup position with
use of the component handling tool; and
[0043] transferring the picked-up component to a component transfer
target position set to be laid over a top of the supporting body
with use of the component handling tool.
[0044] According to an 18th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method for handling arrayed components as defined in
the first or 17th aspects, wherein the component picked up with use
of the component handling tool is transferred with front side and
back side of the component inverted.
[0045] According to a 19th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components,
comprising:
[0046] a component receiving section for receiving and holding a
supporting body that supports a plurality of components in a state
of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions;
[0047] a two-direction moving device that moves the component
receiving section in the two component array directions for moving
the components to the pickup position in sequence;
[0048] a component housing section disposed at a position to be
laid over a top of the component receiving section; and
[0049] a component transfer device for picking up the component and
transferring the same to the component housing section whenever the
component is moved to the pickup position.
[0050] According to a 20th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 19th aspect,
[0051] wherein the component housing section is disposed in a
plurality of rows at a position to be laid over the top of the
component receiving section, and
[0052] the component transfer device picks up the component and
transfers the same to each component housing section whenever the
component is moved to the pickup position.
[0053] According to a 21st aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the sixth aspect, further comprising a component housing section
disposed at a position to be laid over a top of the component
receiving section,
[0054] wherein the component transfer device picks up the component
and transfers the same to the component housing section whenever
the component is moved to the pickup position.
[0055] According to a 22nd aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 21st aspect,
[0056] wherein the component housing section is disposed in a
plurality of rows at a position to be laid over the top of the
component receiving section, and
[0057] the component transfer device picks up the component and
transfers the same to each component housing section whenever the
component is moved to the pickup position.
[0058] According to a 23rd aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in any one of the 19th to 22nd aspects, further comprising a
front-back inverting device disposed between the transfer device
and the component housing section, for selectively performing
operation of receiving the component from the transfer device,
inverting front side and back side of the component, and housing
the component in the component housing section.
[0059] According to a 24th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 20th or 22nd aspect, further comprising a second component
transfer device for receiving the component from the transfer
device and separately transferring the component to the component
housing section provided in a plurality of rows.
[0060] According to a 25th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 20th or 22nd aspect, further comprising a front-back
inverting device for receiving the component from the component
transfer device, moving to the component housing section provided
in a plurality of rows, and separately transferring the component
with front side and back side thereof inverted to each component
housing section.
[0061] According to a 26th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 20th or 22nd aspect, wherein a concave section of each
component housing section disposed in a plurality of the rows is
moved to a transfer target position on the component receiving
section, and the component is transferred to the concave section of
the component housing section moved to the transfer target position
by the component transfer device.
[0062] According to a 27th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 20th or 22nd aspect, wherein based on data identifying
respective division of each component arrayed on the supporting
body, each component of respective division is transferred to a
plurality of the component housing sections disposed by division of
each component.
[0063] According to a 28th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the sixth aspect, the components being a plurality of
semiconductor elements separated from a semiconductor wafer by
dicing, further comprising:
[0064] a component feeding section for housing a supporting body
that supports the component in a state of being arrayed in the two
orthogonal directions and feeding the same to a feeding
position;
[0065] a taping packaging section for housing the semiconductor
elements in array in an extending direction of the tape member and
performing taping packaging; and
[0066] a front-back inverting device disposed between the component
transfer device and the taping packaging section, for selectively
performing operation of receiving the semiconductor element from
the component transfer device, inverting front side and back side
of the semiconductor element, and housing the component in the
taping packaging section,
[0067] wherein the component receiving section receives and holds
the supporting body extracted from the component feeding
section,
[0068] the two-direction moving device moves the component
receiving section in the two component array directions for moving
the semiconductor element in sequence to a pickup position, and
[0069] the component transfer device picks up the semiconductor
element and transfers the same in sequence to the taping packaging
section whenever the semiconductor element is moved to the pickup
position.
[0070] According to a 29th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 28th aspect, wherein the taping packaging section is
disposed at a position to be laid over a top of the component
receiving section.
[0071] According to a 30th aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for handling arrayed components as defined
in the 28th or 29th aspect, wherein based on data identifying each
semiconductor element disposed in array on the semiconductor wafer
by quality rank defined by electric characteristics and frequency
characteristics of each semiconductor element, each semiconductor
element of respective quality rank is transferred to a plurality of
taping packaging sections disposed by quality rank.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0072] These and other aspects and features of the present
invention will become clear from the following description taken in
conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0073] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an apparatus for feeding,
transferring, and housing arrayed components according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0074] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the apparatus of
FIG. 1;
[0075] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a component receiving
section in the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0076] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a two-direction moving
device in the component receiving section in the apparatus of FIG.
1;
[0077] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an overall structure of
the apparatus of FIG. 1 as a housing device;
[0078] FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are explanatory views showing
change in position and direction of a supported semiconductor
element and a positional reference point thereof due to rotation of
a supporting body by the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0079] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a tape member for use in a
component housing section in the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0080] FIG. 8 is a front view showing a part of an apparatus for
feeding, transferring, and housing arrayed components according to
a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0081] FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing an external appearance
of the front side of a transfer device according to a third
embodiment of the present invention;
[0082] FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing an external appearance
of the back side of the transfer device of FIG. 9A;
[0083] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the internal structure
of the transfer device of FIG. 9A;
[0084] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of a
taping unit for use in the transfer device of FIG. 9A;
[0085] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a front-back inverting
device in another embodiment;
[0086] FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing transfer operation to a
plurality of tapes in another embodiment;
[0087] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the structure of
separate transfer to a plurality of tapes with use of a front-back
inverting device;
[0088] FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the structure enabling a
plurality of tapes to be moved;
[0089] FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing a unit region set to
be a half region divided in X direction at an angle of 180 degrees
as one modified example of the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0090] FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing a unit region set to
be a half region divided in Y direction at an angle of 180 degrees
as another modified example of the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0091] FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a region range in the
case of moving in conventional X direction and Y direction;
[0092] FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a relation between a
control unit and other devices in the apparatus for handling
arrayed components in the first and second embodiments of the
present invention;
[0093] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing a relation between a
control unit and other devices in the apparatus for handling
arrayed components in the third embodiment of the present
invention;
[0094] FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view showing a front-back
inverting device in the apparatus for handling arrayed component in
the third embodiment;
[0095] FIG. 22 is an enlarged plan view showing the front-back
inverting device of FIG. 21; and
[0096] FIG. 23 is an enlarged side view showing the front-back
inverting device of FIG. 21.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0097] Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it
is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference
numerals throughout the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
[0098] The following description discusses a method and apparatus
for handling arrayed components according to the first embodiment
of the present embodiment, and more specifically, a feeding method
and device of arrayed components, a transfer device of arrayed
components with use of the feeding device, and a housing device of
arrayed components, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, FIG. 16, FIG.
17, and FIG. 19 for understanding of the present invention. It is
noted that each operation of the apparatus for handling arrayed
components in the first embodiment is controlled by a control unit
48 as shown in FIG. 19.
[0099] The first embodiment exemplifies the case where a
semiconductor wafer 1 as mainly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is diced on
a dicing sheet 4 into individual pieces, and a semiconductor
element 2 in a state of being arrayed in two orthogonal directions
is treated as one example of an arrayed component, which is picked
up one by one by a component handling tool that holds or releases
components such as a suction nozzle 3 and is transferred to other
places. However, the present invention is not limited to this
embodiment, and a component handling tool with other holding
methods such as chucks is also applicable depending on the types of
components to be handled.
[0100] The dicing sheet 4 has non-oriented elasticity, and is
supported in an extended state by a ring-shaped supporting metal
fitting 5. The dicing sheet 4 exemplifies a supporting body 6 that
enables stable handling and feeding of a semiconductor element 2 as
a diced arrayed component obtained after dicing of the
semiconductor wafer 1. When handling components other than the
semiconductor element 2 (ex., substrate), the supporting body 6
suitable for the type of the component may be employed.
[0101] In a method for feeding arrayed components according to the
first embodiment, basically, each semiconductor element 2 supported
on the supporting body 6 in a state of being arrayed in the two
orthogonal directions is moved in sequence to a specified pickup
position C with a movement of the supporting body. 6 at a specified
position on a base 15, ex., a component feeding position, in X and
Y directions along the two component array directions, and is
subjected to pickup operation by the suction nozzle 3 with push-up
operation from lower side by a push-up pin 8. More specifically,
each unit region D1, D2, . . . set by dividing a component
supporting region D of the supporting body 6 about a central
position of the supporting body 6, or, for example, about the
pickup position C, into a plurality of regions is switched to be
positioned at a pickup standby position shown as a slanted area in
FIG. 1, i.e., a pickup standby position E, by rotation of the
supporting body 6 about the pickup position C, and after each unit
region D1, D2, . . . is positioned at the pickup standby position
E, each semiconductor element 2 positioned in the unit region D1,
D2, . . . , or within the range of a region shown as a slanted area
in FIG. 1 for example, is fed in sequence to pickup operation by
the suction nozzle 3 with a movement of the supporting body 6 in
the X and Y direction.
[0102] Thus, a range of the supporting body 6 moving in the X and Y
direction along which the semiconductor element 2 is arrayed and
feeding the semiconductor element 2 to pickup operation by the
suction nozzle 3 is the range shown with a maximum moving position
62 in the X direction, a maximum moving position 63 in the Y
direction, and a maximum moving position 64 in the X and Y
composite direction, each from a reference position 61 of the
supporting body 6 in FIG. 1. This is a size range seen in the two
component array directions in one unit region set by dividing the
component supporting region D of the supporting body 6 about the
pickup position C into a plurality of regions, which is smaller
than that in the case of using the whole component supporting
region D as a moving range (see FIG. 18).
[0103] For example, when the unit regions D1 to D4 are quarter
regions divided at an angle of 90 degrees as in the case of the
handling apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present
invention as shown in FIG. 1, the maximum moving range in the two X
and Y component array directions along the directions of one unit
region D1 being adjacent to a unit region D2 and D3 on both sides
thereof is reduced by half compared to the conventional case. As
shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, when unit regions are half regions
divided at an angle of 180 degrees, the maximum moving range in one
component array direction X or Y along the direction of two divided
unit regions being disposed side by side is reduced by half. More
particularly, FIG. 16 shows the case where unit regions are set as
half regions divided at an angle of 180 degrees in the X direction,
where the maximum moving range in one component array direction X
along the X direction in which two divided unit regions are
disposed side by side is reduced by half. FIG. 17 shows the case
where unit regions are set as half regions divided at an angle of
180 degrees in the Y direction, where the maximum moving range in
one component array direction Y along the Y direction in which two
divided unit regions are disposed side by side is reduced by half.
It is noted that although unit regions may take other division
numbers in theory, a moving direction of the supporting body 6 and
an array direction of the semiconductor element 2 are not matched
in other division numbers, which complicates position setting for
moving each semiconductor element 2 to the pickup position C. An
attempt to match the moving direction of the supporting body 6 not
only with the two X and Y directions shown in FIG. 1, but with the
array direction of the semiconductor element 2 increases necessary
moving directions of the supporting body 6, thereby causing
apparatuses to have complicated structure.
[0104] On the contrary, a plurality of unit regions D1, D2, . . .
dividedly set on the supporting body 6 are switched to be
positioned at the pickup standby position E, where each
semiconductor element 2 is fed to pickup operation by the suction
nozzle 3 with a movement of the supporting body 6, by rotation of
the supporting body 6 at a specified position about an
approximately central position of the supporting body 6 in the
component supporting region D, that is about the pickup position C
in the first embodiment, so that each semiconductor element 2 is
fed to the pickup operation. Consequently, it is not necessary to
move the supporting body 6 beyond the moving range shown with the
positions 61 to 64 for feeding all the semiconductor elements 2 in
each unit region D1, D2, . . . to pickup operation with the
movement.
[0105] Therefore, space can be saved commensurate with division of
the component supporting region D of the supporting body 6 about
the pickup position C, proving the effectiveness since considerable
reduction of necessary space can be achieved with small division
such as division at an angle of 90 degrees. In addition, the pickup
position remains unchanged. For example, in division at an angle of
180 degrees and 90 degrees, a relation between the component array
direction and the moving direction of the supporting body may be
kept unchanged. Consequently, positioning for feeding each
semiconductor element 2 to the pickup operation of the
semiconductor element 2 can be easily implemented by position
switching through rotation without taking extra time.
[0106] The feeding device of arrayed components in the first
embodiment that implements the above method is provided with a
component receiving section 7 on the base 15 as shown in FIGS. 1 to
3 and 5, which receives, holds and expands the supporting body 6
for supporting diced semiconductor elements 2 arrayed in the
orthogonal X and Y directions. The component receiving section 7
has a push-up pin 8 for pushing up one semiconductor element 2 at
the pickup position C from lower side to help pickup operation.
Accordingly, the feeding device of arrayed components is composed
of: a receiving section rotating device 9 as shown in FIG. 2 for
positioning in a switching manner each unit region D1 to D4 set by
dividing the component supporting region D of the supporting body 6
received in the component receiving section 7 about the pickup
position C into a plurality of regions at the pickup standby
position E around the pickup position C by rotating the component
receiving section 7 about the pickup position C; and a
two-direction moving device 10 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 for moving
the component receiving section 7 in the two component array
directions X and Y, and positioning the semiconductor elements 2 in
the unit region positioned at the pickup standby position E on the
supporting body 6 one by one at a specified pickup position C so as
to feed the semiconductor elements 2 to pickup operation by the
suction nozzle 3.
[0107] The component receiving section 7 is composed of a placing
base 12 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 for placing the supporting body 6
as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and a two-split pressing board 11
provided to press a supporting metal fitting 5 of the supporting
body 6 placed on the placing base 12 from its upper side. The
two-split pressing board 11 is combined so as to be ascended or
descended against the placing base 12, and ascending and descending
operation of the two-split pressing board 11 is achieved by an
actuator 13 such as solenoid. In the component receiving section 7,
in the state that the two-split pressing board 11 is ascended, the
supporting body 6 is received from the lateral side and placed on
the placing base 12. An inside portion of the supporting metal
fitting 5 of the supporting body 6, that is a portion of the dicing
sheet 4 exposed from the supporting metal fitting 5, is supported
by the placing base 12 from lower side. Also, the supporting body 6
supporting the dicing sheet 4 is extracted to the lateral side.
[0108] The pressing board 11 is descended after the supporting body
6 is received on the placing base 12 and the dicing sheet 4 is
supported, so that the pressing board 11 can depress the supporting
metal fitting 5 around the dicing sheet 4 supported by the placing
base 12 by a specified amount as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the
dicing sheet 4 is expanded equally in each direction from the
center thereof on the placing base 12, which extends array pitch of
each semiconductor element 2 placed thereon, and thus pulls each
semiconductor element 2 apart. In this state, each semiconductor
element 2 is subjected to pickup operation by the suction nozzle 3
as stated above. Upon completion of pickup operation of the
semiconductor element 2, the pressing board 11 is ascended to stop
expansion of the dicing sheet 4 and release the supporting body 6.
This makes the supporting body 6 with the semiconductor elements 2
picked-up ready to be extracted, and replacement with a new
supporting body 6 enables sequential pickup of necessary number of
semiconductor elements 2.
[0109] The push-up pin 8 is supported by a frame 16 provided on the
base 15 as shown in FIG. 2, and is structured to be moved upward
and downward at the pickup position C by an actuator 17 such as
solenoid. The push-up pin 8 is moved upward after one of the
semiconductor elements 2 on the supporting body 6, or in other
words, on the dicing sheet 4, is positioned at the pickup position
C, so that the push-up pin 8 can lift the semiconductor element 2
positioned at the pickup position C by a specified amount for
pickup operation and can position the same higher than other
semiconductor elements 2.
[0110] The separation of each semiconductor element 2 by expansion
of the dicing sheet 4 and the pushing-up thereof at the pickup
position C enable each semiconductor element 2 positioned at the
pickup position C to be easily and securely sucked and picked up
one by one by the suction nozzle 3 without being bothered by
surrounding semiconductor elements 2 or causing displacement of
surrounding semiconductor elements 2.
[0111] The two-direction moving device 10, composed of X and Y
tables, is disposed on the base 15 so as not to interfere with the
frame 16 of the push-up pin 8 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The
two-direction moving device 10 is composed of an X table 22 to be
moved on the base 15 in the X direction by an X-direction driving
motor 21, and a Y table 24 to be moved on the X table 22 in the Y
direction by a Y-direction driving motor 23. The component
receiving section 7 is supported on the Y table 24 so as to be
moved in these X and Y two directions.
[0112] The receiving section rotating device 9 is newly provided in
the feeding device of the arrayed components. As shown in FIG. 2,
the receiving section rotating device 9 supports the component
receiving section 7 on the two-direction moving device 10 via a
bearing 27 with a frame 26 provided so as not to interfere with the
frame 16, the push-up pin 8, and other supporting mechanisms even
with a movement of the two-direction moving device 10 in the X and
Y directions for enabling the component receiving section 7 to
rotate around the pickup position C, and also rotatively drives the
supported component receiving section 7 as necessary with a motor
28 and a gear mechanism 29 disposed on the two-direction moving
device 10 so as not to interfere with the frame 16, the push-up pin
8, and other supporting mechanisms even with a movement of the
two-direction moving device 10 in X and Y directions. More
specifically, a drive gear 29a is fixed to a rotation axis of the
motor 28. A turntable 38 of the component receiving section 7 to
which the placing base 12 is fixed is supported by the frame 26 in
a rotatable manner through the bearing 27, and is provided with a
gear 29b in a peripheral portion of the lower inside thereof, so
that the gear 29b is geared with the drive gear 29a. Consequently,
rotative driving of the motor 28 rotates the drive gear 29a of the
motor 28, which in turn rotates the gear 29b geared with the drive
gear 29a. As a result, the turntable 38 of the component receiving
section 7 rotates against the frame 26 via the bearing 27, which
makes the placing base 12 on the turntable 38 rotate.
[0113] The receiving section rotating device 9 rotates the
component receiving section 7 about the pickup position C, so that
the receiving section rotating device 9 can position in a switching
manner each unit region D1 to D4, which are in the component
supporting region D on the supporting body 6 received by the
component receiving section 7, in sequence at the pickup standby
position E for feeding the semiconductor element 2 to pickup
operation. By moving the component receiving section 7 in the X and
Y direction after each unit region D1 to D4 is switched to be
positioned at the pickup standby position E, the two-direction
moving device 10 can position all individual semiconductor elements
2, which are in one unit region switched to be positioned at the
pickup standby position E, at the pickup position C in sequence,
for sequential pickup by the suction nozzle 3.
[0114] In view of the forgoing, while extra plane space is not
necessary for providing the receiving section rotating device 9 for
rotating the component receiving section 7, all the diced
semiconductor elements 2 on the supporting body 6 received in the
component receiving section 7 can be fed to pickup operation under
conditions similar to conventional conditions without failing space
saving in the above method including expanding processing.
Therefore, the present invention is advantageous in coping with
larger-size semiconductor wafer 1 in terms of space saving of the
feeding device of arrayed components.
[0115] Such feeding device of the arrayed components is, as shown
in FIG. 5, combined with a component transfer device 31 for picking
up a semiconductor element 2 that are positioned at the pickup
position C with use of the suction nozzle 3 and transferring it to
other places, to constitute a transfer device of arrayed components
for executing practical operation of component transfer. As shown
in FIG. 5, the component transfer device 31 is structured to have a
suction nozzle 3 placed on a transfer head 33 such that the suction
nozzle 3 is moved upward and downward by an actuator 30 such as
elevating cylinders, and to be supported by a Y table 35 that
reciprocates the transfer head 33 in the Y direction between the
pickup position C and a component transfer target position F for
setting a component housing section 32 etc. with use of a
Y-direction drive motor 34.
[0116] Accordingly, each one of diced semiconductor elements 2 to
be arrayed on the supporting body 6 is fed to the pickup position C
while space saving is implemented. After the component transfer
device 31 picks up the semiconductor element 2 with use of the
suction nozzle 3 moving downward, sucking, and moving upward, the
picked-up semiconductor element 2 is carried to a specified
location, where the semiconductor element 2 is transferred to top
of the transfer target position F with use of the suction nozzle 3
moving downward, stopping suction, and moving upward, and is fed to
following handling.
[0117] Also, the transfer device of arrayed components in the first
embodiment is equipped with an identifying device 36 including an
identifying (recognizing) camera 36a that images the semiconductor
element 2 at the pickup position C and performs image recognition
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as well as a reference position
switching device 37 that switches reference of position recognition
by the identifying device 36 after the unit region positioned at
the pickup standby position E is switched with rotation of the
supporting body 6 by the receiving section rotating device 9.
[0118] Normally, semiconductor elements 2 on the supporting body 6
are arrayed in the same direction if they are the same components,
and have common position reference for recognizing direction and
position in various handling after pickup operation such as
processing, assembling, housing, and mounting. Examples of the
position reference include two points A and B locating on the
diagonal line of a semiconductor element 2 as shown in FIGS. 6A,
6B, 6C, and 6D. Regardless of whether the semiconductor element 2
has the shape of a square or a rectangle, the position reference is
used to identify direction and position around the center G.
[0119] For simplicity's sake of the explanation, the case of the
semiconductor element 2 with the shape of a rectangle is shown in
the drawings. Shown are semiconductor elements 2D1 to 2D4 that come
to almost the same position at the pickup standby position E in
each unit region D1 to D4 shown in FIG. 1. It is indicated that the
directions of these semiconductor elements when they reach the
pickup standby position E and the positions of the positions
reference points A and B are each different as shown in FIGS. 6A,
6B, 6C, and 6D. The difference is determined by a rotation angle of
the supporting body 6, so that depending on which of the unit
regions D1 to D4 is located at the pickup standby position E, the
rotation angle of the semiconductor element 2 at the position from
the positions reference points A and B is known.
[0120] By utilizing this structure, after the reference position
switching device 37 receives a position switching signal informing
that each of the unit regions D1 to D4 is switched to be positioned
at the pickup standby position E by rotation around the pickup
position C, the reference position switching device 37 switches
reference of position recognition of the identifying device 36 to
copy with gradual displacement of the direction of the
semiconductor elements 2 of each unit region positioned at the
pickup standby position E, i.e., gradual displacement of the
direction of the position reference points A and B, by a specified
angle around the center of the component, in response to a rotation
amount of the supporting body 6, thereby making it possible to
prevent failure of recognizing the direction or position of the
semiconductor element 2 as well as decrease of recognition
accuracy.
[0121] Also, in the first embodiment, there is provided a tool
rotating device 41, as shown in FIG. 5, for rotating the suction
nozzle 3 about the center of a semiconductor element 2 to be picked
up thereby. The tool rotating device 41 is composed of a motor.
After the control unit 48 receives a position switching signal
informing that each unit region positioned at the pickup standby
position E is switched with rotation of the supporting body 6 by
the receiving section rotating device 9, the control unit 48
corrects the direction of the semiconductor element 2 picked up by
the suction nozzle 3 based on known data on the direction and
position stored in a memory 300 connected to the control unit 48 by
rotation of the suction nozzle 3 as shown in FIG. 19 under the
control of the control unit 48. Therefore, if the direction of a
semiconductor element 2 in each of the unit regions D1 to D4
positioned at the pickup standby position E is displaced by a
specified angle around the center of the component in response to a
rotating amount of the supporting body 6 as described above, the
semiconductor element 2 can be aligned in a specified direction and
transferred to a transfer target position F, thereby causing no
inconvenience nor problems in handling the semiconductor element 2
in a specified direction after transfer.
[0122] The transfer device of arrayed components as stated above
further constitutes a housing device of arrayed components by
having a component housing section 32 as shown in FIG. 5 for
housing the semiconductor element 2 picked up by the transfer
target position F. The component housing section 32 can use various
housing members including pallet members and tape members that are
conventionally known as members for housing and holding components
in an arrayed state. In the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, as
an example of the component housing section 32, there is used a
tape member 42 that performs housing operation by receiving the
semiconductor element 2 as shown in FIG. 7 in a concave section
42a, and then covering it with a top tape 42b as shown in FIG. 5.
Consequently, the holder 32 is composed of a tap member feeding
section 43, a top tape feeding section 44, and a top tape attaching
section 45 for feeding the tape member 42 by drive control of a
motor or the like to a component housing position H where the tape
member 42 is guided so as to receive components for receiving
semiconductor elements 2, as well as a winding section 46 for
winding housed part of the semiconductor elements 2 by drive
control of a motor or the like.
[0123] As stated above, receiving the semiconductor element 2,
which is picked up by the suction nozzle 3 and transferred by the
component transfer device 31, in the concave section 42a of the
tape member 42 provided and fed by the component housing section 32
makes it possible to accomplish housing and feeding of the
semiconductor element 2 in a packing style as a taping component
suitable for next handling by the tape member 42, by utilizing each
necessary property in the above transfer operation.
[0124] For example, the tape member 42 is forwarded at a specified
pitch with high accuracy with use of perforations 42c provided on
one side shown in FIG. 7 by engaging with an unshown sprocket in
the component housing section 32, by which each concave section 42a
is positioned at a receiving position for receiving a transferred
semiconductor element 2, and there are set with high accuracy the
distance from the position of the perforation 42c to the central
position of the concave section 42a, and the position of the
concave section 42a in an advance direction. The semiconductor
element 2 is received in the concave section 42a with a space of
about 0.2 mm on both sides against the concave section 42a. This
minimizes a displacement amount of each semiconductor element 2
against the tape member 42 in high-accurate handling of the tape
member 42 for feeding of the semiconductor element 2 housed in the
tape member 42 in a packaged style to next operation such as
processing and mounting, thereby enabling easy handling of each
semiconductor element 2 with good positioning accuracy, besides
being in arrayed in a specified direction.
[0125] To support this structure, the component transfer device 31
is required to handle the semiconductor element 2 picked up by the
suction nozzle 3 with good positioning accuracy. Otherwise, the
semiconductor element 2 cannot be transferred and housed swiftly
and securely in the concave section 42a that has a size setting as
stated above. This requirement is satisfied by a switching function
of recognition reference by the reference position switching device
37 in the transfer device of arrayed components and an angle
correction function for the semiconductor element 2 by the tool
rotating device 41, as well as by the component transfer device 31
performing, under control of the control unit 48, correction of the
suction position by the suction nozzle 3, normally executed in the
component transfer device, based on recognition results about the
position and direction of the semiconductor element 2 that are
positioned at the pickup position C recognized by the identifying
device 36, or alternative correction of the position of the
semiconductor element 2 that are picked up by the suction nozzle 3
and transferred to the transfer target position F. The
semiconductor element 2, as one example, has about 1 to 20 mm
square, and in larger-sized components, a small angle displacement
can cause considerable displacement against the concave section 42a
as an issue. This issue can be solved by achieving position
accuracy of around + or -50 .mu.m. The semiconductor element 2 can
be handled with higher positioning accuracy if necessary.
[0126] The housing device of arrayed components in the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is further composed of three tape
members 42 disposed together in the component housing section 32 as
shown in FIG. 9A showing a third embodiment, and a control unit 48
as an example of a control means as shown in FIGS. 5 and 19, that
controls transfer and housing of the semiconductor element 2 picked
up by the suction nozzle 3 through separate usage of the three tape
members 42 depending on the type of the semiconductor element 2
recognized by the identifying device 36.
[0127] After semiconductor elements 2 are formed on a semiconductor
wafer 1 and diced and then it is generally determined whether the
semiconductor elements 2 are good or bad in quality, a
semiconductor element 2 defined as a defective product as a result
of quality determination is marked for indication of the
defectiveness as stated above. In this determination, quality rank
of each semiconductor element 2 may be defined and rank indication
may be made on each semiconductor element 2. The quality rank
herein refers to a rank defined by characteristic of the
semiconductor element 2, since there are cases that even if the
same circuit is formed from semiconductor elements 2 on the same
wafer, electric characteristics or frequency characteristics of
each semiconductor element 2 are different.
[0128] Accordingly, in the case where different components with
different quality rank are present in semiconductor elements 2 on
the supporting body 6 including the case where different types of
semiconductor elements 2 is formed on one semiconductor wafer 1,
the presence of different components is determined by the control
unit 48 based on the result of the identifying device 36, and the
component transfer device 31 and the component housing section 32
are driven under control of the control unit 48 so as to separately
use the different tape members 42 depending on the determined type
of each semiconductor element 2 for housing the semiconductor
element 2. This makes it possible to achieve feeding of each
semiconductor element 2 transferred to the component housing
section 32 for the application or handling conforming to the type
or the rank thereof by utilizing the recognition function of the
identifying device 36.
[0129] It is noted that although in the above description, quality
or quality rank of the semiconductor element 2 is determined by the
control unit 48 based on the result of the identifying device 36,
it is also acceptable that quality examination is performed by the
control unit 48 based on the result of the identifying device 36.
It is also acceptable that the identifying device 36 recognizes a
product whose quality rank is already marked in an examination
process in the previous step.
[0130] Also, in the case where one type of the semiconductor
element 2 is a defective product, the control unit 48 drives the
component transfer device 31 to dispose the semiconductor element
2, which is determined as the defective product by the control unit
48 based on the recognition result of the identifying device 36, in
a specified disposal section 49 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. This makes
it possible to achieve easy processing of defective products in the
transfer cycle, thereby saving a special operational step.
[0131] The supporting body 6 supporting diced semiconductor
elements 2 is typically housed inside a wafer housing cassette 50
in a specified number of rows and collectively handled per unit
number as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. Accordingly, the housing
device of arrayed components in the first embodiment shown in FIG.
5 is equipped with a feeding section 51 on one side face of the
base 15, that constitutes an elevating mechanism of the supporting
body 6 for holding and elevating the wafer housing cassette 50. The
feeding section 51 elevates the supporting body 6 in the holding
state by an amount corresponding to a housing pitch of the
supporting body 6 so that one supporting body 6 is positioned at an
inserting/extracting position to/from the component receiving
section 7. The supporting body 6 positioned at the
inserting/extracting position is extracted and forwarded to the
component receiving section 7 by an unshown inserting/extracting
mechanism (ex., a wafer extracting device 80 in the third
embodiment) for feeding of the semiconductor element 2. The
supporting body 6 that completes feeding of the semiconductor
element 2 is housed at a previous position in the wafer housing
cassette 50 by the inserting/extracting mechanism, and then next
supporting body 6 is positioned at the inserting/extracting
position. After all the supporting bodies 6 complete feeding of
semiconductor element 2 by repeating the above procedure, the wafer
housing cassette 50 is replaced with a new one, which is provided
with a necessary number of semiconductor elements 2 and housed.
[0132] In the case of a semiconductor wafer 1 having a diameter of,
for example, around 300 mm, if the semiconductor wafer 1 is housed
in the wafer housing cassette 50 in about 10 rows and collectively
handled in a conventional manner, the total weight thereof is about
20 kg, bringing potential difficulty to its handling. In this case,
it is preferable to simplify a flow line and operation of an
operator moving and operating around the device when he/she inserts
or extracts the wafer housing cassette 50 to be fed in/from the
feeding section 51. For example, in the case where housing devices
of arrayed components as shown in FIG. 5 are adjacently disposed
side by side seen from the front having an operation panel 52, a
transport line for feeding the wafer housing cassette 50 to each
device is in the direction and position shown with an arrow J
indicating the front side of the device. In this structure, if the
feeding section 51 is disposed on one of right and left side faces
of the base 15 as shown in the drawing, the operator can replace
the wafer housing cassette 50 that completes feeding of the
semiconductor element 2 in the feeding section 51 only by lifting
the transported wafer housing cassette 50 and stepping into the
area ranging from the transport line J to the position of the
feeding section 51, which is inconvenient for the operator. In
addition, there is required a space for the operator to step in
between adjacent devices, which is disadvantageous in terms of
space saving. These issues remain almost unchanged if adjacent
devices are different in types.
[0133] Accordingly, the feeding section 51 is disposed on the front
side of the base 15 as shown with an imaginary line in FIG. 5,
which enables the operator to facilitate replacement operation on
the transport line J or between the transport line J and the
device, and spares the stepping-in space for replacement operation
between adjacent devices, thereby contributing to space saving.
Second Embodiment
[0134] A method and apparatus for handling arrayed components
according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown
in FIG. 8, and more specifically, a feeding method and device of
arrayed components, a transfer device of arrayed components with
use of the feeding device, and a housing device of arrayed
components are structured such that a push-up pin 8 is supported by
a push-up pin two-direction moving device 71 which moves the
push-up pin 8 on the frame 16 in each X and Y direction, for moving
the push-up pin 8 in the X and Y two directions. The push-up pin
two-direction moving device 71 is composed of X and Y tables, and
is disposed on the frame 16 so as not to interfere with the
two-direction moving device 10 nor the frame 26 as shown in FIG. 8.
The push-up pin two-direction moving device 71 is composed of an X
table 73 to be moved on the frame 16 in the X direction by an
X-direction driving motor 72, and a Y table 75 to be moved on the X
table 73 in the Y direction by a Y-direction driving motor 74. The
push-up pin 8 and a push-up pin-use actuator 17 such as solenoid
are supported on the Y table 75 so as to be moved in these X and Y
two directions.
[0135] Consequently, for moving each semiconductor element 2 to a
pickup position by the component receiving section 7 moving the
supporting body 6 in the X and Y direction, the push-up pin 8 is
moved in a direction opposed to the moving direction thereof by the
push-up pin two-direction moving device 71. As a result, the
push-up pin 8 comes halfway to get the semiconductor element 2
during being moved, and a point in which both of them are met is
set as a pickup position C for feeding the semiconductor element 2
to pickup operation by the suction nozzle 3. This further reduces
by half a moving range and moving time necessary for the supporting
body 6 to feed the semiconductor element 2 in each of the unit
regions D1 to D4 to pickup operation with compared to the first
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. Although the pickup position C
changes, the changed position is known so that it is easy to cope
therewith. As other structures and effects to be implemented have
no particular change from those in the first embodiment, duplicated
illustrative description will be omitted here.
[0136] It is noted that in theory, space saving is achieved as with
the case of the first embodiment, by moving the push-up pin 8 in
sequence to a central position, that is a dividing reference point
in place of the pickup position C of each of the unit regions D1 to
D4 in the first embodiment, without rotating the supporting body 6,
setting the position as the pickup position C, and using one out of
each pickup position C set for each of the unit regions D1 to D4,
that is corresponding to each of the unit regions D1 to D4, for
feeding to pickup operation of the semiconductor element 2 with a
movement of the supporting body 6 in the X and Y two directions. In
this case, a method for moving the push-up pin 8 not only in the X
and Y two directions, but also in a turning manner around the
dividing reference point in each of the unit regions D1 to D4 is
also applicable. However, controlling the push-up pin 8 so as to
come to get the semiconductor element 2 being moved toward the
pickup position C with use of the movement in the X and Y direction
enables, in this modified method, further space saving and
reduction of time similar to the case of the second embodiment.
Furthermore, rotation of the supporting body 6, and therefore the
rotation mechanism of the component receiving section 7 are
saved.
[0137] According to the first and second embodiments of the present
invention, space saving commensurate with division of the component
supporting region of the supporting body around the pickup position
implements downsizing and cost reduction of the apparatus, as well
as reduction of expensive running cost of the clean room, thereby
making the present invention preferable for supporting larger
semiconductor wafers.
Third Embodiment
[0138] The following description discusses a method and apparatus
for handling arrayed components according to the third embodiment
of the present invention, and more specifically, a feeding method
and device of arrayed components, a transfer device of arrayed
components with use of the feeding device, and a housing device of
arrayed components, with reference to accompanied drawings for
understanding of the present invention. It is understood that the
third embodiment described below is one embodiment of the present
invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not
limited thereby. Since the third embodiment has many
characteristics in common with the first embodiment, it will be
described with reference to drawings and description of the first
embodiment in an appropriate manner.
[0139] Before description of the third embodiment of the present
invention proceeds, the background thereof will be described
first.
[0140] Semiconductor elements, such as IC chips, are formed in a
large number in longitudinal and lateral directions on a
semiconductor wafer as integrated circuits, and divided into an
individual integrated circuit by dicing. The IC chips are not only
processed to be an IC component packaged by such processing as
mounting, bonding, and molding, but also used for mounting as a
bear IC on a circuit board. In each case, diced IC chips need to be
transferred to other places to be processed so as to be suitable
for each application.
[0141] By the dicing shown above, the IC chips are in the state of
being held on a dicing sheet in array in the orthogonal X and Y two
directions on an XY plane, the dicing sheet constituting a
supporting body backed up by a backup member for enabling stable
handling of the IC chips. The supporting body is moved in the X and
Y direction along which the IC chips are arrayed, for moving each
IC chip in sequence to a pickup position, where the IC chip is
pushed up from lower side of the dicing sheet so that the dicing
sheet with non-oriented elasticity is expanded, thereby enabling
the pushed-up IC chip to be easily picked up by a component
handling tool. The IC chip is transferred to a specified position
by the component handling tool that picked up the IC ship.
[0142] As stated above, the IC chip individually separated from the
semiconductor wafer is in the state of a bear chip not yet coated
by resin molding or the like. Mounting the IC chip in this bear
chip state on a circuit board implements high density packaging.
Providing the IC chip for mounting on the circuit board requires
component packaging of the IC chip so as to be fed to an electronic
component mounting apparatus. Conventionally, the IC chip has been
typically fed to the electronic component mounting apparatus as a
tray pack to be housed in a tray provided with individual
partitions, or as a gel pack to be attached and disposed on the
surface of a low adhesive gel.
[0143] When the supporting body that supports a number of arrayed
IC chips as shown above is moved in an array direction of the IC
chips, and the IC chips are moved one by one to the pickup position
so as to be picked up and transferred to a transfer destination by
the component handling tool, a semiconductor wafer with larger
diameter increases the distance from the pickup position to the
transfer destination. Semiconductor wafers are getting larger in
size, and some of them have a diameter of as large as 300 mm. In
handling such a large semiconductor wafer, a moving distance of the
component handling tool becomes longer, causing degradation of
transfer tact for transferring a large number of IC chips.
[0144] Also, for mounting the IC chips on a circuit board, a taping
packaging is effective as a package style for providing the IC
chips to an electronic component mounting apparatus. As described
before, a conventional package style of the IC chips is typified by
a tray pack and a gel pack, and therefore provision by taping
packaging has been demanded.
[0145] Also, in packaging IC chips, there are demanded the IC chip
housed with an active plane thereof facing up and with an active
plane thereof facing down depending on mounting forms of the IC
chip on a circuit board. In order to package the IC chip in the
demanded housing state, it is necessary to selectively invert front
side and back side of the IC chip when it is transferred by the
component handling tool.
[0146] It is an object of the third embodiment of the present
invention to provide a method and apparatus for handling arrayed
components including a feeding method and device of arrayed
components, a transfer device using the feeding device, and a
housing device, capable of suppressing increase of plane space of
an apparatus in handling semiconductor wafers with a large
diameter, suppressing degradation of transfer tact, implementing
taping packaging of arrayed components such as semiconductor
elements, and enabling selection of back and front direction of the
semiconductor elements at the time of housing.
[0147] The third embodiment, similar to the first embodiment,
exemplifies the case where a number of integrated circuits formed
in longitudinal and lateral directions on a semiconductor wafer 1
are diced on a dicing sheet 4 into individual semiconductor
elements 2 such as IC chips as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and the
semiconductor element 2 in a state of being arrayed in two
orthogonal directions is treated as an arrayed component, which is
picked up one by one by a component handling tool for taping
packaging.
[0148] Taping packaging of electronic components is well known as a
packaging style of electronic components in which a tape that
accommodates chip components such as resistors and capacitors is
wound onto a reel. The taping packaging is regarded as a packaging
style suitable for feeding electronic components to an electronic
component mounting apparatus for manufacturing electronic circuit
boards by surface mounting. For the taping packaging, there is set
a taping standard, which is applied not only to the chip components
but also to IC components. Consequently, the taping packaging is
now regarded as the mainstream of the component packaging style for
mounting of electronic components. However, the semiconductor
element 2 obtained from the semiconductor wafer 1 and divided by
dicing is in a bear state without resin molding, i.e., in the state
of a bear chip, which is conventionally housed in a part tray or in
a gel pack when fed to the electronic component mounting apparatus.
The transfer method and device in the third embodiment enable
taping packaging of the bear IC chip.
[0149] FIGS. 9A and 9B show external appearance of a transfer
device 60 of arrayed components in the third embodiment, which is
provided with an operation panel 161 and a display 162 etc.
disposed on the front side for setting operation and monitoring of
the device operation, as well as a wafer housing cassette 50 (an
example of the component feeding section) that houses a plurality
of semiconductor wafers 1 disposed in a removable manner on the
back side. The wafer housing cassette 50, if structured to allow
replacement with use of a transport robot traveling in a transport
route provided on the back side of the device, facilitates handling
of large-size semiconductor wafers 1, and fulfils automatic
replacement of the semiconductor wafers 1. FIG. 10 shows the
internal structure of the transfer device 60 of the arrayed
components, according to which the transfer device 60 is structured
so that a plurality of semiconductor wafers 1 housed in the wafer
housing cassette 50 are extracted one by one, and from the
semiconductor wafer 1, semiconductor elements 2 are extracted one
by one and transferred to top of the tape member 42 for taping
packaging. It is noted that each operation of the apparatus for
handling arrayed components in the third embodiment is controlled
by the control unit 48 as shown in FIG. 20.
[0150] The semiconductor wafer 1 housed in the wafer housing
cassette 50 is diced on the dicing sheet 4 and divided into
individual semiconductor elements 2 in an arrayed state in the
orthogonal two directions. The dicing sheet 4 has non-oriented
elasticity, and is supported in an extended state by a ring-shaped
supporting metal fitting 5, thereby constituting a supporting body
6 that enables stable handling and feeding. A plurality of the
supporting bodies 6 housed in the wafer housing cassette 50 are
extracted to a specified position, where as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
of the first embodiment, each semiconductor element 2 is moved in
sequence to the pickup position C with a movement of the supporting
body 6 in the X and Y directions along the array directions of the
semiconductor element 2. With push-up operation by the push-up pin
8 provided on the lower side of the pickup position C, only a
semiconductor element 2 positioned at the pickup position C is in
the state of protruding from other semiconductor elements 2,
thereby enabling a suction nozzle 3 (an example of the component
transfer device) to pick up the semiconductor element 2. The
suction nozzle 3 that sucked the semiconductor element 2 moves to
the top of the tape member 42, and houses the semiconductor element
2 in the tape member 42.
[0151] As described before, the semiconductor wafer 1 is getting
larger in size. The semiconductor wafer 1 with a large diameter
increases a distance for moving each semiconductor element 2 to the
pickup position C, which causes decrease of production efficiency
due to increased necessary time for moving the semiconductor
element 2 in addition to increase in device size. To support such a
large-size semiconductor wafer 1, a moving distance of the suction
nozzle 3 is shortened by disposing the tape member 42 that is a
transfer destination of the semiconductor element 2 so as to
overlap with the supporting body 6, while a moving distance of the
supporting body 6 in the X and Y direction is shortened by enabling
rotation of the supporting body 6. In handling a semiconductor
wafer 1 with a small diameter, rotation of the supporting body 6 is
not necessary, though the tape member 42 is preferably disposed on
the upper side of the supporting body 6 so as to be closer to the
pickup position C.
[0152] As shown in FIG. 11, the tape member 42 is structured to be
fed intermittently by drive control of an unshown motor or the like
from a feed reel 173 to a take-up reel 174 in a taping unit 70 that
functions also as an example of a taping packaging section. On the
tape member 42, there are formed a concave section 42a for housing
the semiconductor element 2 and perforations 42C as shown in FIG. 7
of the first embodiment, where a distance between the position of
the perforations 42c to the central position of the concave section
42a is set with high accuracy. The perforations 42c engage with an
unshown sprocket of the taping unit 70 to feed the tape member 42
intermittently at a specified pitch with high accuracy. The concave
section 42a is formed so as to provide very small space conforming
to the size and form of a semiconductor element 2 to be housed
therein, so that a displacement amount is reduced in a housing
position for securing positioning accuracy in extracting the
semiconductor element 2. The tape member 42 is sent off from the
feed reel 173, and a semiconductor element 2 sucked by the suction
nozzle 3 is sent through a later-described front-back device 171 or
directly transferred to the inside of the concave section 42a. The
concave section 42a to which the semiconductor element 2 is
transferred is covered with a top tape 42b fed from a top tape reel
172 for secure housing and holding of the semiconductor element 2
in the tape member 42. The tape member 42 which houses the
semiconductor element 2 and is covered with the top tape 75 is
wound onto the take-up reel 174. Upon completion of housing of a
necessary amount of semiconductor elements 2, the taping unit 70 is
replaced.
[0153] In the third embodiment, the taping unit 70 is disposed in
three rows as shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10. A plurality of the
taping units 70 may be used for simultaneous execution of a
plurality of taping packaging operations. However, the main reason
why a plurality of the taping units 70 are disposed is for dividing
semiconductor elements 2 by quality rank thereof and transferring
them to each taping unit 70 per quality rank that is provided in
three degrees. The quality rank herein refers to a rank defined by
characteristic of the semiconductor element 2, since there are
cases that even if the same circuit is formed from semiconductor
elements 2 on the same wafer, electric characteristics and
frequency characteristics of each semiconductor element 2 are
different.
[0154] The quality rank and defectiveness of the semiconductor
wafer 1 is determined per individual semiconductor element 2 by an
examination. To identify the quality rank and defectiveness per
positional address, each semiconductor element 2 on the
semiconductor wafer 1 is subjected to mapping. The semiconductor
wafer 1 is equipped with an identification system such as bar
codes, by which mapping data per semiconductor wafer 1 is
identified and inputted in the transfer device of arrayed
components with use of a storage medium such as floppy disks.
Therefore, with reference to data on the quality rank and
defectiveness corresponding to a respective positional address
stored in mapping data of the semiconductor wafer 1 recognized by
the identifying device, a semiconductor element 2 moved to the
pickup position C is transferred to the top of a respective tape
member 42 corresponding to the determined quality rank. The
semiconductor element 2, if determined as a defective product, is
disposed in a disposal section 49 (see FIG. 1 of the first
embodiment).
[0155] Following description discusses a method for transferring
semiconductor elements 2 on the supporting body 6 housed in the
wafer housing cassette 50 to the tape member 42, as well as a
device structure thereof.
[0156] As shown in FIG. 10, as well as FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first
embodiment, the wafer housing cassette 50 is fed from the back side
of the device, and held by the feeding section 51 constituting an
elevating mechanism, so as to be ascended or descended. In the
wafer housing cassette 50, a plurality of the supporting bodies 6
supporting semiconductor elements 2 divided by dicing and arrayed
in orthogonal two directions are housed. The supporting body 6
ascended or descended to a specified height by driving of the
feeding section 51 is extracted by a wafer extracting unit 80, and
placed on the placing base 12 from a lateral side in the state that
the pressing board 11 of the component receiving section 7 is
ascended as shown in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. Ascending and
descending operation of the pressing board 11 is achieved by the
actuator 13. When the supporting body 6 is placed on the placing
base 12, the pressing board 11 is descended and depresses the
supporting metal fitting 5 around the dicing sheet 4 by a specified
amount as shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment. As a result, the
dicing sheet 4 is expanded equally in each direction from the
center thereof on the placing base 12, which extends array pitch of
each semiconductor element 2 supported thereon, and pulls each
semiconductor element 2 apart. In this state, the component
receiving section 7 is moved, and each semiconductor element 2
moved to the pickup position C is subjected to pickup operation by
the suction nozzle 3.
[0157] As shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, on the base 15,
there is provided the two-direction moving device 10 composed of
the X table 22 to be moved in the X direction by the X-direction
driving motor 21, and the Y table 24 to be moved on the X table 22
in the Y direction by the Y-direction driving motor 23. On the Y
table 24, there is supported the component receiving section 7,
thereby the two-direction moving device 10 constituting the X and Y
tables for moving in the X and Y two directions. Also, in order to
handle a large-sized semiconductor wafer 1, there is provided a
receiving section rotating device 9. The component receiving
section 7 is supported by the bearing 27 so as to be able to rotate
about the approximately central position of the supporting body 6
and is rotatively driven by the motor 28 and the gear mechanism 29
in an appropriate manner. More specifically, similar to the first
embodiment, the drive gear 29a is fixed to the rotation axis of the
motor 28. The turntable 38 of the component receiving section 7 to
which the placing base 12 is fixed is supported by the frame 26 in
a rotatable manner through the bearing 27, and is provided with the
gear 29b in a peripheral portion of the lower inside thereof, so
that the gear 29b is geared with the drive gear 29a. Consequently,
rotative driving of the motor 28 rotates the drive gear 29a of the
motor 28, which in turn rotates the gear 29b geared with the drive
gear 29a. As a result, the turntable 38 of the component receiving
section 7 rotates against the frame 26 via the bearing 27, which
makes the placing base 12 on the turntable 38 rotate.
[0158] In the above structure, a semiconductor element 2 is moved
in sequence to the pickup position C with movement of the
supporting body 6 in the X and Y two directions. On the base 15,
the push-up pin 8 is structured to be driven upward and downward by
the actuator 17 supported by the frame 16. The semiconductor
element 2 moved to the pickup position C is in the state being
pushed up higher than other surrounding semiconductor elements 2 by
ascendance of the push-up pin 8, and picked up one by one easily
and securely by the suction nozzle 3 without being bothered by
surrounding semiconductor elements 2 or causing displacement of
surrounding semiconductor elements 2. As shown in FIG. 10, the
suction nozzle 3 is operated by a transfer head 133 of a component
transfer device 131 so as to enable elevating and rotating
operation. The transfer head 133 may be moved on an X-axis rail 81
in the X direction by driving of an X-axis direction drive motor
81a, and may also be moved in the Y direction with movement of the
X-axis rail 81 in the Y direction by an unshown Y-axis rail.
[0159] As shown in FIG. 10, as well as FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first
embodiment, the taping unit 70 exemplifying the component housing
section is disposed such that the tape member 42 is located so as
to be laid over the component receiving section 7. The transfer
head 133 sucking and holding the semiconductor element 2 located at
the pickup position C with use of the suction nozzle 3 moves on the
X-axis rail 81 to move the suction nozzle 3 on the upper side of
the tape member 42. By descending the suction nozzle 3, the
transfer head 133 houses the semiconductor element 2 in the concave
section 42a formed in the tape member 42. By disposing the taping
unit 70 so that part of the tape member 42 is laid over the upper
side of the component receiving section 7 as stated above, a moving
distance of the transfer head 133 from the pickup position C to the
tape member 42 is shortened, thereby implementing improved transfer
efficiency in handling of a large-sized semiconductor wafer 1.
[0160] As mapping of each semiconductor element 2 with quality rank
determined by examination is already executed as stated above, the
quality rank of a semiconductor element 2 sucked by the suction
nozzle 3 is obtainable based on a mapping address thereof. In
conformity with the obtained quality rank, the control unit 48
controls the moving distance of the transfer head 133 in the X
direction, and houses the semiconductor element 2 in a respective
tape member 42 of the taping unit 70 corresponding to the quality
rank. If the quality rank is provided in three degrees: "a", "b",
and "c", the taping unit 70 is disposed in three rows in response
thereto. In controlling the moving direction of the transfer head
133 in the X direction in conformity with the quality rank, there
are housed a semiconductor element 2 with the quality rank "a" in a
taping unit 70a, a semiconductor element 2 with the quality rank
"b" in a taping unit 70b, and a semiconductor element 2 with the
quality rank "c" in the taping unit 70c, thereby enabling taping
packaging of the semiconductor element 2 by the quality rank.
[0161] As shown in FIG. 10, the taping unit 70 is equipped with a
front-back inverting device 171, which is operated for placing a
semiconductor element 2 on the tape member 42 with the front side
and back side thereof inverted. A semiconductor element 2 formed on
the semiconductor wafer 1 is basically in the state with an active
plane thereof facing up. When the semiconductor element 2 is
transferred to the tape member 42, it is housed with the active
plane facing up. Consequently, if the taping-packaged semiconductor
element 2 is mounted on a circuit board by the electronic component
mounting apparatus, it is mounted with its active plane facing up,
so that electrodes on the active plane are electrically connected
to circuit patterns of the circuit board by bonding. However, a
mounting method on the circuit board is determined by a user using
the semiconductor element 2, and therefore a method for mounting
the semiconductor element 2 with the active plane facing down may
be required. Housing of the semiconductor element 2 with the active
plane facing down is implemented by the front-back inverting device
171.
[0162] As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the front-back inverting device
171 is supported such that a front-back inverting device main body
171a can be inverted 180 degrees about a central axis 171r. At the
center of the front-back inverting device main body 171a, there is
formed a slot-type suction hole 171b, through which suction is made
via a suction passage 171g so that the plane opposite to the active
plane of the semiconductor element 2 held by the transfer head 133
is sucked and held by the front-back inverting device main body
171a. The front-back inverting device main body 171a is linked with
a pinion 171e disposed on the lateral side of the front-back
inverting device 171 so as to integrally rotate therewith. The
pinion 171e is geared with a large gear 171f, which is liked to one
end of a link 171h rotatable about a fulcrum 171p, while the other
end of the link 171h is connected to an end 171j of a driving rod
of an air cylinder 171k. Consequently, when driving of the air
cylinder 171k moves the end 171j of the driving rod to the left
side in FIG. 23, the link 171h rotates counterclockwise around the
fulcrum. 171p, thereby rotating the large gear 171f clockwise,
which in turn rotates the pinion 171e counterclockwise, and so the
front-back inverting device main body 171a is inverted 180 degrees
from a solid line position on the right side of FIG. 23 to a chain
line position on the left side thereof. Consequently, the
front-back inverting device main body 171a faces the concave
section 42a of the tape member 42 exposed to the inside of an
opening 171d of the inverting device 171. For bringing the
front-back inverting device main body 171a back to an original
position, the air cylinder 171k is reverse-driven to move the end
171j of the driving rod to the right side in FIG. 23, which rotates
the link 171h clockwise about the fulcrum 171p, thereby rotating
the large gear 171f counterclockwise. This rotates the pinion 171e
clockwise, and inverts the front-back inverting device main body
171a 180 degrees from a chain line position on the left side of
FIG. 23 to a solid line position on the right side thereof. In
inverting operation, when a proximity sensor 171m detects that the
front-back inverting device main body 171a is positioned at an
inverting position, sucking operation of the front-back inverting
device main body 171a is terminated so that the front-back
inverting device main body 171a stops suction and holding of the
semiconductor element 2, by which the semiconductor element 2 is
housed in the concave section with the active plane facing down. It
is noted that another proximity sensor 171n detects that the
front-back inverting device main body 171a is returned to an
original position and ready for transferring next semiconductor
element 2.
[0163] Hereinbelow, a method for using the front-back inverting
device 171 structured as above will be specifically described. When
a semiconductor element 2 is transferred to the tape member 42 with
the active plane facing up, the transfer head 133 is moved to an
area on the tape member 42 without the front-back inverting device
171 disposed. In this case, the semiconductor element 2 can be
housed directly in the tape member 42 at the position without the
presence of the front-back inverting device 171. When a
semiconductor element 2 is transferred to the tape member 42 with
the active plane facing down, the position of the transfer head 133
in the Y direction is set to be a position in the Y direction where
the front-back inverting device 171 is provided. Under this
condition, if the transfer head 133 that sucked the semiconductor
element 2 at the pickup position C is moved in the X direction, the
suction nozzle 3 is positioned on the upper side of the front-back
inverting device main body 171a of the front-back inverting device
171. By descending the suction nozzle 3, the semiconductor element
2 is transferred to the front-back inverting device main body 171a
on the front-back inverting device 171, and sucked through the
suction hole 171b via the suction passage 171g, so that the
semiconductor element 2 is sucked and held by the front-back
inverting device main body 171a. Next, after sucking and holding by
the suction nozzle 3 is stopped, the semiconductor element 2 is
ascended and moved from the upper side of the front-back inverting
device main body 171a to another position. Then, the air cylinder
171k is driven for inverting operation. Via the link 171h, the
large gear 171f, and the pinion 171e, the front-back inverting
device main body 171a of the front-back inverting device 171
rotates 180 degrees around the central axis 171r from a rotation
shaft supported by a tape supporting rail 76. Consequently, the
front-back inverting device main body 171a is inverted 180 degrees
from the a solid line position on the right side of FIG. 23 to a
chain line position on the left side thereof, and the active plane
of the semiconductor element 2 sucked and held by the front-back
inverting device main body 171a faces the concave section 42a of
the tape member 42 exposed to the inside of the opening 171d of the
inverting device 171. In this point, if the proximity sensor 171m
detects that the front-back inverting device main body 171a is
positioned at the inverting position, sucking operation of the
front-back inverting device main body 171a is terminated so that
the front-back inverting device main body 171a stops suction and
holding in the front-back inverting device main body 171a, by which
the semiconductor element 2 that has been sucked and held is housed
in the concave section 42a of the tape member 42 with the active
plane facing down. Thus, the semiconductor element 2 is front-back
inverted and housed in the tape member 42.
[0164] For using the front-back inverting device 171 with the
taping unit 70 movable in the Y direction, the front-back inverting
device 171 may be positioned on an extension line of the pickup
position C in the X direction. When the front-back inverting device
171 is not in use, the concave section 42a of the tape member 42
may be positioned on an extension line of the pickup position C in
the X direction.
[0165] Further, unlike the structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the
front-back inverting device 171 may be structured like a front-back
inverting device 78 shown in FIG. 12, in which a plurality of
sucking sections 78b are disposed around a cylindrical section 78a
that rotates intermittently and the sucking sections 78b are put on
each tape member 42. The suction nozzle 3 transfers the
semiconductor element 2 to the sucking section 78b positioned on
the upper side of the cylindrical section 78a. When the sucking
section 78b that sucked the semiconductor element 2 is positioned
on top of the tape member 42 by rotation of the cylindrical section
78a, the semiconductor element 2 is detached and housed in the
concave section 42a of the tape member 42.
[0166] To improve the efficiency of transferring the semiconductor
element 2 to each tape member 42 with use of the transfer head 133,
a second transfer head 90 exemplifying a second component transfer
device may be disposed as shown in FIG. 13. More particularly, the
transfer head 133 transfers semiconductor elements 2 to top of a
relay stand 91 disposed on the upper side of the supporting body 6,
and the second transfer head 90 separately transfers the
semiconductor elements 2 on the relay stand 91 to each tape member
42. In this structure, since a moving distance of the transfer head
133 is a constant short distance, and separate transfer to each
tape member 42 is performed by the second transfer head 90,
transfer tact may be improved, and larger the number of separate
transfers and number of taping units 70 become, more efficient
separate transfer may be performed.
[0167] As shown in FIG. 14, a front-back inverting device 92 can be
structured to function as the relay stand 91 and the second
transfer head 90. Such front-back inverting device 92 is structured
such that a main body thereof can reciprocate on a rod 93 running
across each tape member 42 by driving of a drive device 92a
provided with rod moving motor, air cylinder, and the like, as well
as rotation motor, air cylinder, and the like. When the main body
receives a semiconductor element 2 from the transfer head 133, and
the semiconductor element 2 is sucked and held by the main body by
driving of the suction device 92b, the main body is moved on the
rod 93 to top of a tape member 42 corresponding to the quality rank
of the semiconductor element 2 by driving of the drive device 92a.
By driving of the drive device 92a, the main body is inverted with
the rod 93 as a rotation shaft, and the semiconductor element 2
sucked and held by the main body is housed in the tape member 42.
This structure is effective for inverting the semiconductor element
2 and then housing it in the tape member 42. Larger the number of
separating operations and taping units 70 become, more efficient
separate transfer may be performed.
[0168] Also, enabling each taping unit 70 to move in the X
direction may decrease a moving distance of the transfer head 133
and improve transfer tact. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 15,
the taping unit 70 is moved in the X direction such that a tape
member 42 corresponding to the quality rank of a semiconductor
element 2 picked up by the transfer head 133 is positioned at a
specified position, and the semiconductor element 2 is transferred
to the corresponding tape member 42 from the transfer head 133
moved to the specified position.
[0169] In handling a large-size semiconductor wafer 1, it is
effective to position the tape member 42 on the upper side of the
component receiving section 7. In addition to this, decreasing a
moving distance of each semiconductor element 2 from the pickup
position C to the tape member 42 can implement further increase of
transfer efficiency.
[0170] As described before, the component receiving section 7 is
structure to be rotatable by the receiving section rotating device
9. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, each
unit region D1, D2, D3, D4 set by dividing a component supporting
region of the supporting body 6 about an approximately central
position of the supporting body 6, or, for example, about the
pickup position C, into a plurality of regions is switched to be
positioned at a pickup standby position E shown as a slanted area
in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment by rotation of the supporting
body 6 about approximately the central position thereof, and after
each unit region D1, D2, . . . is positioned at the pickup standby
position E, the component receiving section 7 is moved by the
two-direction moving device 10 so that the positioned unit region
D1, D2, . . . , are moved in the X and Y direction. If only the
unit regions D1, D2, . . . moved to the pickup standby position E
are moved in two directions by this rotative movement, for moving
the semiconductor element 2 to the pickup position C in sequence, a
moving distance of the component receiving section 7 in the X and Y
direction is shortened. Consequently, together with the effect of
disposing the taping unit 70 on the upper side of the component
receiving section 7, necessary time for transfer is further
shortened, thereby enabling increase of production efficiency due
to decreased transfer tact.
[0171] Also, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 2 of the first
embodiment, the transfer device of arrayed components according to
the third embodiment is equipped with an identifying device 36
including a recognizing camera 36a that images the semiconductor
element 2 at the pickup position C and performs image recognition,
as well as a reference position switching device 37 that switches
reference of position recognition by the identifying device 36
after the unit region positioned at the pickup standby position E
is switched with rotation of the supporting body 6 by the receiving
section rotating device 9.
[0172] Normally, semiconductor elements 2 on the supporting body 6
are arrayed in the same direction if they are of the same types,
and have common position reference for recognizing direction and
position when being picked up and transferred to the tape member
42. Examples of the position reference include two points A and B
locating on the diagonal line of a semiconductor element 2 as shown
in FIG. 13. Regardless of whether the semiconductor element 2 has
the shape of a square or a rectangle, the position reference is
used to identify direction and position around the center G.
[0173] For simplifying the explanatory, the case of the
semiconductor element 2 with the shape of a rectangle is shown in
the drawings. Shown are semiconductor elements 2D1 to 2D4 that come
to almost the same position at the pickup standby position E in
each unit region D1 to D4 shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment.
It is indicated that the direction of these semiconductor elements
when they reach the pickup standby position E and the position of
the position reference points A and B are each different as shown
in FIGS. 6A to 6D of the first embodiment. The difference is
determined by a rotation angle of the supporting body 6, so that
depending on which of the unit regions D1 to D4 is located at the
pickup standby position E, the rotation angle of the semiconductor
element 2 at the position from the position reference points A and
B is known.
[0174] By utilizing this structure, after the reference position
switching device 37 receives a position switching signal informing
that each of the unit regions D1 to D4 is switched to be positioned
at the pickup standby position E by rotation around approximately
the central position of the supporting body 6, the reference
position switching device 37 switches reference of position
recognition of the identifying device 36 to copy with gradual
displacement of the direction of the semiconductor elements 2 of
each unit region positioned at the pickup standby position E, i.e.,
gradual displacement of the direction of the position reference
points A and B, by a specified angle around the center of the
semiconductor element 2, in response to a rotation amount of the
supporting body 6, thereby making it possible to prevent failure of
recognizing the direction or position of the semiconductor element
2 as well as decrease of recognition accuracy.
[0175] Also, in the third embodiment, there is provided a tool
rotating device 141 (the tool rotating device similar to the tool
rotating device 41 shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment) for
rotating a suction nozzle 3 about the center of a semiconductor
element 2 to be picked up thereby. Upon reception of a position
switching signal informing that each unit region positioned at the
pickup standby position E is switched with rotation of the
supporting body 6, the control unit 48 corrects the direction of
the semiconductor element 2 picked up by the suction nozzle 3 based
on known data on the direction and position by rotating the suction
nozzle 3 with use of the tool rotating device 141 under the control
of the control unit 48. Therefore, if the direction of a
semiconductor element 2 in each of the unit regions D1 to D4
positioned at the pickup standby position E is displaced by a
specified angle in response to a rotating amount of the supporting
body 6, the semiconductor element 2 can be aligned in a specified
direction and transferred to a transfer target position F, thereby
enabling transfer of the semiconductor element 2 in a specified
direction.
[0176] In addition to increase of transfer efficiency, the above
described structure enables decrease of plane space for the
transfer device, decrease of installation space for the transfer
device installed in a clean room, as well as control of increase in
running costs of the clean room.
[0177] Further, the above structure enables taping packaging of the
semiconductor element 2, that has never been implemented before.
This makes it possible to select various feeding styles of the
semiconductor element 2 when mounting the semiconductor element 2
on a circuit board. In addition to the taping packaging, disposing
a part tray in the same position realizes a tray pack of the
semiconductor element 2, which is also applicable to a gel
pack.
[0178] Also, in the transfer device of arrayed components in the
third embodiment as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, feeding of the wafer
housing cassette 50 is set on the back side of the device. In the
case of a semiconductor wafer 1 having a diameter of, for example,
300 mm, if about 10 semiconductor wafers 1 are housed in the wafer
housing cassette 50 in the shape of the supporting bodies 6, the
total weight thereof is about 20 kg, making it difficult for an
operator to carry the cassette and set it in the device. It is
preferable that such replacement operation is automated.
Accordingly, setting feeding of the wafer housing cassette 50 on
the back side makes it possible to provide traveling space for a
transport robot and the like on the back side, thereby enabling
automatic replacement of the wafer housing cassette 50. The
operation flow line can be simplified by limiting it to the front
side, thereby enabling an operator to specialize in such operation
as operational setting of the device and replacement of the taping
unit 70.
[0179] In view of the forgoing, according to the present invention,
taping packaging of semiconductor elements is fulfilled, and
transfer thereof by selecting the active plane facing up or down is
enabled. Also, space for transfer may be decreased, and the
apparatus, if applied to handling of a large-size semiconductor
wafer, can be downsized, which enables suppression of installation
space for the transfer device of arrayed component installed in a
clean room, resulting in reduction of running costs.
[0180] More specifically, the method for handling arrayed
components of the present invention is characterized by comprising
moving each component supported on the supporting body in a state
of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions to a specified
pickup position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body
in the two component array directions at a specified position, and
feeding the same to pickup operation by a component handling tool,
wherein each unit region set by dividing a component supporting
region of the supporting body about approximately a central
position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions is
positioned at a pickup standby position by rotation of the
supporting body about approximately a central position thereof in a
switching manner, and after each unit region is positioned at the
pickup standby position, each component in the positioned unit
region is moved to the pickup position in sequence with a movement
of the supporting body in the two component array directions, and
fed to pickup operation in sequence.
[0181] In such structure, the moving range of the arrayed
components supported by the supporting body moving in the two
orthogonal directions for feeding each arrayed component to pickup
operation by the component handling tool is a size range in one
unit region set by dividing the component supporting region of the
supporting body around the pickup position into a plurality of
regions seen in the two component array directions, which is
smaller than the region in the case of setting the entire component
supporting region as the moving region. For example, when unit
regions are half regions set by dividing at an angle of 180
degrees, the maximum moving range in one component array direction
along the direction of two unit regions being disposed side by side
is reduced by half. When unit regions are quarter regions set by
dividing at an angle of 90 degrees, the maximum moving range in two
component array directions along the directions of one unit region
being adjacent to unit regions on both sides thereof is also
reduced by half. A plurality of unit regions dividedly set on the
supporting body are switched to be positioned at the pickup standby
position, where each arrayed component is fed to pickup operation
with a movement of the supporting body, by rotation of the
supporting body about an approximately central position of the
supporting body in the component supporting region, so that each
arrayed component is fed to pickup operation. Consequently, it is
not necessary to move the supporting body beyond the above-stated
moving range for feeding all the components in each unit region to
pickup operation. Therefore, space can be saved commensurate with
division of the component supporting region of the supporting body
about approximately the central position of the supporting body,
proving the effectiveness since considerable reduction of necessary
space can be achieved with small division such as division at an
angle of 90 degrees. In addition, the pickup position remains
unchanged. For example, in division at an angle of 180 degrees and
90 degrees, a relation between the component array direction and
the moving direction of the supporting body may be kept unchanged.
Consequently, positioning for pickup operation of each component
can be easily implemented by position switching through rotation
without taking extra time.
[0182] In the case of feeding the component to pickup operation
with push-up operation by the push-up pin involved, easy and secure
pickup of the component may be achieved without being bothered by
surrounding components or causing displacement of surrounding
components.
[0183] In this case, the method for handling arrayed components,
and more specifically the method for feeding arrayed components
further comprises moving each component supported on the supporting
body in a state of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions
to a specified pickup position in sequence with a movement of the
supporting body at a specified position in the two component array
directions, and feeding the same to pickup operation by the
component handling tool with push-up operation by the push-up pin
involved, wherein after each unit region set by dividing a
component supporting region of the supporting body about
approximately a central position of the supporting body into a
plurality of regions is positioned at a pickup standby position by
rotation of the supporting body about approximately a central
position thereof in a switching manner and each unit region is
positioned at the pickup standby position, each component in the
positioned unit region is moved to the pickup position in sequence
with a relative movement of the supporting body, the pickup
position, and the push-up pin in the two component array
directions, and fed to pickup operation in sequence. In such case,
despite the use of the push-up pin, the same effect as the above
method is implemented, and the relative movement of the supporting
body, the pickup position and the push-up pin in the two component
array directions, if executed in the direction of approximating to
each other, decreases the moving distance and moving time of the
components to the pickup position, thereby improving
productivity.
[0184] Alternatively, the pickup position and the push-up pin are
corresponded in sequence to, for example approximately a central
position of each unit region set by dividing a component supporting
region of the supporting body about approximately a central
position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions, and
after the pickup position and the push-up pin are corresponded to,
for example, approximately the central position of each unit
region, the component in the unit region corresponded to the pickup
position and the push-up pin is moved in sequence to the pickup
position with a relative movement of the pickup position, the
push-up pin, and the supporting body in the two component array
directions, and fed to pickup operation in sequence. This method
also implements the same effect and further saves rotation of the
supporting body.
[0185] The apparatus for handling arrayed components of the present
invention, and more particularly the feeding device of arrayed
components is provided only with: the component receiving section
for receiving and holding the supporting body that supports
components such as semiconductor elements arrayed in the two
orthogonal directions; the receiving section rotating device for
positioning in a switching manner each unit region set by dividing
the component supporting region of the supporting body about
approximately the central position of the supporting body into a
plurality of regions at the pickup standby position around
approximately the central position of the supporting body by
rotating the component receiving section approximately the central
position of the supporting body received in the component receiving
section; and the two-direction moving device for moving the
component receiving section in the two component array directions
and positioning the components in the unit region positioned at the
pickup standby position on the supporting body one by one at the
pickup position for pickup operation by the component handling
tool. Consequently, additional plane space is not necessary for
providing the receiving section rotating device for rotating the
receiving section, and all the components such as semiconductor
elements on the supporting body received in the receiving section
can be fed to pickup operation under conditions similar to
conventional conditions without failing space saving in the above
method, making it possible to advantageously handle a large-sized
semiconductor wafer as one example of the component in terms of
space saving.
[0186] The apparatus for handling arrayed components of the present
invention, and more particularly the transfer device of arrayed
components is provided with: the component receiving section for
receiving and holding the supporting body that supports components
such as semiconductor elements arrayed in the two orthogonal
directions; the receiving section rotating device for positioning
in a switching manner each unit region set by dividing the
component supporting region of the supporting body about
approximately the central position of the supporting body into a
plurality of regions at the pickup standby position around
approximately the central position of the supporting body by
rotating the component receiving section about approximately the
central position of the supporting body received in the component
receiving section; the two-direction moving device for moving the
component receiving section in the two component array directions
and positioning the components in the unit region positioned at the
pickup standby position on the supporting body one by one at the
pickup position; and the component transfer device for picking up
the component whenever it is moved to the pickup position with use
of the component handling tool and transferring the same to other
places.
[0187] In such structure, components such as semiconductor elements
arrayed on the supporting body are fed one by one to the pickup
position while the above-stated space saving is fulfilled, and the
components are picked up by, for example, the component handling
tool of the component transfer device similar to conventional one
and transferred to a specified location so as to be fed to
following handling.
[0188] In this case, the device may be further provided with: the
identifying device for imaging the component at the pickup position
and performing image recognition; and the reference position
switching device for switching reference of position recognition by
the identifying device each time a unit region at the pickup
standby position is switched with rotation of the supporting body
by the receiving section rotating device. If it is the case,
normally, components on the supporting body are arrayed in the same
direction if they are the same components, and have common position
reference for recognizing direction and position in various
handling after pickup operation such as processing, assembling,
housing, and mounting. When each of the unit regions is switched to
be positioned at the pickup standby position by rotation around the
pickup position, the direction of the components such as
semiconductor elements of each unit region positioned at the pickup
standby position, i.e., the direction of the position reference, is
displaced by a specified angle around the center of the component
in response to a rotation amount of the supporting body. Such angle
displacement may be compensated by switching reference of position
recognition of the identifying device whenever a unit region
positioned at the pickup standby position is switched, thereby
making it possible to prevent failure of recognizing the direction
or position as well as decrease of recognition accuracy.
[0189] Also, the device may be further provided with: the tool
rotating device for rotating the component handling tool about the
center of the component such as semiconductor elements to be picked
up thereby; and the control unit for controlling the tool rotating
device so as to correct a direction of the component picked up by
the component handling tool through rotation of the component
handling tool by the tool rotating device whenever a unit region at
the pickup standby position is switched with rotation of the
supporting body by the receiving section rotating device. In this
case, if the direction of a component such as semiconductor
elements in each of the unit regions positioned at the pickup
standby position is displaced by a specified angle around the
center of the component in response to a rotating amount of the
supporting body as described above, the component can be
transferred after the control unit controls the tool rotating
device so as to rotate the component handling tool that picked up
the component for correcting the displacement, thereby causing no
inconvenience nor problems in handling the component such as
semiconductor elements in a specified direction after transfer.
[0190] The apparatus for handling arrayed components of the present
invention, and more particularly the housing device of arrayed
components is characterized by being provided with: the component
receiving section for receiving and holding the supporting body
that supports components such as semiconductor elements arrayed in
the two orthogonal directions; the receiving section rotating
device for positioning in a switching manner each unit region set
by dividing the component supporting region of the supporting body
about approximately the central position of the supporting body
into a plurality of regions at the pickup standby position around
approximately the central position of the supporting body by
rotating the component receiving section about approximately the
central position of the supporting body received in the component
receiving section; the two-direction moving device for moving the
component receiving section in the two component array directions
and positioning the components in the unit region positioned at the
pickup standby position on the supporting body one by one at a
pickup position; the component housing section for receiving the
component in the component housing member for next-step handling so
as to handle the component in a specified packing style; and the
component transfer device for picking up a component with use of
the component handling tool whenever the component is positioned at
the pickup position and transferring the same to the component
housing member in the component housing section.
[0191] In such structure, receiving the component such as
semiconductor elements which is picked up and transferred to the
component housing member provided in the component housing section
makes it possible to accomplish housing and feeding of the
component in a packing style suitable for next-step handling
through selection of the component housing members in type such as
tapes and pallets, by utilizing each necessary property in the
above transfer operation.
[0192] In this case, the device may be further provided with the
control unit for controlling operation of the component transfer
device and the housing device so that the component housing section
can provide the plurality of component housing members side by side
and a plurality of the component housing members are separately
used depending on a type of the component picked up by the
component handling tool and recognized by the identifying device
for transfer and housing operation. Accordingly, in the case where
different components with different quality rank are present in
components such as semiconductor elements on the supporting body,
the components may be housed with separate use of different housing
members per type, which makes it possible to achieve feeding of the
components for respective application or handling by utilizing the
recognition function of the identifying device. If one type of the
component such as semiconductor elements is a defective product,
the control unit executes control so as to dispose in a disposal
section the component which is determined as the defective product
by the control unit based on the recognition result of the
identifying device, which makes it possible to achieve easy
processing of defective products in the transfer cycle, thereby
saving a special operational step.
[0193] The apparatus for handling arrayed components of the present
invention, and more specifically the transfer method of arrayed
components is characterized by comprising: feeding the supporting
body that supports a plurality of components in a state of being
arrayed in the two orthogonal directions to a specified position;
moving each component in sequence to the specified pickup position
with a movement of the supporting body at the specified position in
the two component array directions; picking up the component moved
to the pickup position with use of the component handling tool; and
transferring the picked-up component to a transfer position set to
be laid on top of the supporting body with use of the component
handling tool.
[0194] According to the transfer method, with a movement of the
supporting body in the component array directions, the picked-up
component is transferred to the transfer position set to be laid on
top of the supporting body with use of the component handling tool,
which makes it possible to decrease a moving distance of the
component handling tool. Larger supporting region of the components
on the supporting body increases the moving range of the supporting
body. If the transfer position is on the same plane, the maximum
necessary moving distance of the supporting body exceeds a diameter
of the supporting body. However, providing the transfer position on
the upper side of a moving direction of the supporting body
shortens the transfer distance, thereby implementing efficient
transfer operation with shortened transfer time.
[0195] In the transfer method, each unit region set by dividing the
component supporting region of the supporting body about
approximately a central position of the supporting body into a
plurality of regions is positioned at a pickup standby position by
rotation of the supporting body about approximately a central
position thereof in a switching manner, and whenever each unit
region is positioned at the pickup standby position, each component
in the positioned unit region is moved to a specified pickup
position in sequence with a movement of the supporting body in the
two component array directions. Consequently, if the supporting
body has a large diameter, more efficient transfer operation is
implemented. More particularly, divided unit regions are
transferred to a specified region by rotation and each unit region
transferred to the specified region is moved in two component array
directions. As a result, with transfer from the pickup standby
position, even a large supporting body can move each component to
the pickup position with a smaller moving distance. In addition to
providing the transfer position on the upper side of the moving
direction of the supporting body, the transfer distance is further
shortened, thereby implementing efficient transfer operation with
shortened transfer time.
[0196] Further, the component picked up with use of the component
handling tool may be transferred with front side and back side of
the component inverted, thereby enabling transfer operation
suitable for the handling state of the component after
transfer.
[0197] Further, the apparatus for handling arrayed components of
the present invention, and more particularly the transfer device of
arrayed components is characterized by being provided with: the
component receiving section for receiving and holding the
supporting body that supports a plurality of components in a state
of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions; the
two-direction moving device that moves the component receiving
section in the two component array directions for moving the
components to the pickup position one by one in sequence; the
component housing section disposed at a position to be laid on top
of the component receiving section; and the component transfer
device for picking up the component and transferring the same to
the component housing section whenever the component is moved to
the pickup position.
[0198] According to the structure, the component housing section is
disposed at the position to be laid on top of the component
receiving section, which makes it possible to shorten a moving
distance of the component transfer device from the component
receiving section to the component housing section. More
particularly, larger supporting region of the components on the
supporting body increases the moving range of the component
receiving section. If the component housing position is on the same
plane, the maximum necessary moving distance of the supporting body
exceeds a diameter of the supporting body. However, providing the
component housing section on the upper side of a moving direction
of the component receiving section shortens the transfer distance
of the component transfer device, thereby implementing efficient
transfer operation with shortened transfer time.
[0199] Further, the apparatus for handling arrayed components of
the present invention, and more particularly the transfer device of
arrayed component is characterized by being provided with: the
component receiving section for receiving and holding the
supporting body that supports a plurality of components in a state
of being arrayed in the two orthogonal directions; the
two-direction moving device that moves the component receiving
section in the two component array directions for moving the
components to the pickup position one by one in sequence; the
component housing sections disposed in a plurality of rows at a
position to be laid on top of the component receiving section; and
the component transfer device for picking up the component and
transferring the same to the respective component housing section
whenever the component is moved to the pickup position.
[0200] In this structure, the component housing sections are
disposed in a plurality of rows, so that the respective components
are separately transferred by division such as quality rank to the
corresponding component housing section.
[0201] In the above-described structure of the present invention,
there may be provided the receiving section rotating device for
positioning each unit region set by dividing a component supporting
region of the supporting body about an approximately central
position of the supporting body into a plurality of regions at a
pickup standby position about an approximately central position of
the supporting body in a switching manner. Consequently, if the
supporting body has a large diameter, more efficient transfer
operation can be implemented. More particularly, divided unit
regions are transferred to a specified region by rotation and each
unit region transferred to the specified region is moved in the two
component array directions. As a result, with transfer from the
pickup standby position, even a large supporting body can move each
component to the pickup position with a smaller moving distance. In
addition to providing the component housing section on the upper
side of the component receiving section, the transfer distance is
further shortened, thereby implementing efficient transfer
operation with shortened transfer time.
[0202] Further, there may be disposed a front-back inverting device
between the component transfer device and the component housing
section, for selectively performing operation of receiving the
component from the component transfer device, inverting front side
and back side of the component, and housing the component in the
component housing section. This makes it possible to select front
side and back side of the component to be transferred to the
component housing section, thereby enabling housing of the
component in a direction suitable for the state of using the
component housed in the component housing section.
[0203] Further in the structure of the present invention, there may
be provided a second component transfer device for receiving the
component from the transfer device and separately transferring the
component to the component housing sections provided in a plurality
of rows. This makes it possible to increase transfer efficiency for
separately transferring each component to a plurality of the
component housing sections.
[0204] Further, there may be provided a front-back inverting device
for receiving the component from the component transfer device,
moving to the component housing section provided in a plurality of
rows, and separately transferring the component with front side and
back side thereof inverted to each component housing section, which
makes it possible to improve efficiency of the transfer operation
with front-back inverting operation involved.
[0205] Furthermore, each component housing section disposed in a
plurality of the rows may be moved to a specified position on the
component receiving section, and the component may be transferred
to the component housing section moved to the specified position by
the component transfer device. This makes it possible to improve
transfer efficiency for separately transferring the component to
each component housing section.
[0206] Further, distribution of each component to a plurality of
the component housing sections may be implemented by transferring
each component of respective division to a plurality of the
component housing sections disposed by division of each component
based on data identifying respective division of each component
arrayed on the supporting body.
[0207] The apparatus for handling arrayed components of the present
invention, and more specifically the transfer device of the arrayed
components is characterized by being provided with: the component
feeding section for housing the supporting body that supports a
plurality of semiconductor elements separated from a semiconductor
wafer by dicing in a state of being arrayed in the two orthogonal
directions and feeding the same to a feeding position; the
component receiving section for receiving and holding the
supporting body extracted from the component feeding section; the
moving device for moving the component receiving section in the two
component array directions for moving the semiconductor elements
one by one in sequence to a pickup position; the taping packaging
section for housing the semiconductor elements in array in an
extending direction of a tape and performing taping packaging; the
component transfer device for picking up the semiconductor element
and transferring the same in sequence to the taping packaging
section whenever the semiconductor element is moved to the pickup
position; and the front-back inverting device disposed between the
transfer device and the taping packaging section, for selectively
performing operation of receiving the component from the transfer
device, inverting front side and back side of the component, and
housing the component in the component housing section.
[0208] According to the structure, the semiconductor element picked
up by the transfer device from the component receiving section is
transferred to the taping packaging section for taping packaging,
which makes it possible to deliver the semiconductor element in a
taping package style preferable for mounting on a circuit board. In
mounting a semiconductor element on a circuit board, there are
demands for mounting the semiconductor element with an active plane
thereof facing up and mounting the semiconductor element with an
active plane thereof facing down. In order to fulfill the demands,
the front-back inverting device is selectively operated so as to
freely set the front-back direction of the semiconductor element
housed in the component housing section.
[0209] In the above structure, providing the taping packaging
section at the position to be laid on top of the component
receiving section makes it possible to decrease a moving distance
by the transfer device, thereby implementing efficient transfer
operation even in handling of a large-sized semiconductor wafer.
Further, there may be provided the receiving section rotating
device for positioning each unit region set by dividing the
component receiving section about an approximately central position
of the supporting body into a plurality of regions at a pickup
standby position about an approximately central position of the
supporting body in a switching manner. This enables promotion of
more efficient handling of a large-sized semiconductor wafer.
[0210] Also, based on data identifying each semiconductor element
disposed in array on the semiconductor wafer by quality rank, each
semiconductor element of respective quality rank may be transferred
to a plurality of taping packaging sections disposed by quality
rank, thereby implementing separate transfer of each semiconductor
element by types such as quality rank to respective taping
packaging section.
[0211] The above-described each characteristic of the present
invention may be used independently or in various combinations.
[0212] Although the present invention has been fully described in
connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to
the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes
and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such
changes and modifications are to be understood as included within
the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended
claims unless they depart therefrom.
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