JP7550632B2 - Imaging method and imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging method and an imaging device for capturing images of the side of a chip using a camera.

Testing equipment has been proposed for measuring the flexural strength of individual chips obtained by dividing a wafer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2020-94833 A

The testing device shown in Patent Document 1 is equipped with an imaging camera for observing the chip, and for example, by imaging the side of the chip and detecting the size of chipping (chipping) on the outer edge of the chip from the captured image, it is possible to link the occurrence of chipping with the flexural strength and manage them.

However, if the chip is captured at an angle to the camera, some of the captured image may become unclear, making it difficult to detect the chipping size accurately.

The object of the present invention is to provide an imaging method and imaging device that enables accurate detection of chipping size.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the imaging method of the present invention is an imaging method for imaging the side of a chip having a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface extending from the front surface to the back surface with a camera, and is characterized by comprising: a holding step for holding the chip with a holder so that the side surface to be imaged is exposed; a first autofocus step for autofocusing the camera facing the side surface of the chip held by the holder on one end side of the side surface to detect a first focus position where the side surface on the one end side is focused; a second autofocus step for autofocusing the camera on the other end side of the side surface of the chip held by the holder to detect a second focus position where the side surface on the other end side is focused; an adjustment step for adjusting the orientation of the chip based on the first focus position and the second focus position so that the side surface is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera; and an imaging step for imaging the side surface with the camera with the focus of the camera on the side surface after the adjustment step is performed, to form an image.

The imaging method may also include a detection step of detecting chipping formed on the chip from the captured image.

In the imaging method, after carrying out the detection step, the method further includes a chip destruction step of supporting the underside of the chip with a pair of supports and pressing the chip from the top side with an indenter positioned at the center of the pair of supports and above the pair of supports, sandwiching the chip, to destroy the chip, and detecting the load acting on the indenter when the chip is destroyed, and the imaging step may involve imaging the center of the chip, and the indenter may be used to press the center in the chip destruction step.

The imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device that uses a camera to capture images of the side of a chip having a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface extending from the front surface to the back surface, and is equipped with a holder that holds the chip, a rotating part that rotates the holder around an axis parallel to the vertical direction, a camera that faces the chip held by the holder in the horizontal direction and is capable of capturing images of the side surface of the chip, a camera unit having a focus mechanism that can adjust the distance of the focal point of the camera from the side surface of the chip held by the holder, and a control unit that controls the components, and the control unit controls the focus mechanism to adjust the distance of the focal point of the camera from the side surface of the chip. The device is characterized by having a detection unit that adjusts to detect a first focus position where the focus is on one end of the side of the chip held by the holder and a second focus position where the focus is on the other end of the side of the chip held by the holder, an adjustment unit that controls the rotation unit to adjust the orientation of the chip around the axis based on the first focus position and the second focus position detected by the detection unit so that the side is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera of the camera unit, and an image formation unit that controls the camera unit to capture the side with the camera in focus on the side and form a captured image.

The present invention has the effect of enabling accurate detection of chipping size.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a configuration example of a test device including an imaging device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the testing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a chip unit including a wafer to be measured by the test apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the chip peeled off from the tape of the chip unit shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of an example of the configuration of the imaging device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of the imaging method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side view that illustrates a schematic representation of the holding step of the imaging method illustrated in FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the chip and side-imaging camera, illustrating a first focusing step of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the chip and side-imaging camera, illustrating a second focusing step of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the chip and side-imaging camera, illustrating a schematic of the adjustment step of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the chip and a side-imaging camera, which illustrates the imaging steps of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image formed in the imaging step of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a schematic state in which the back surface of the chip is placed on a pair of supports of a support unit of a strength measuring unit in the chip destruction step of the imaging method shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a side view diagrammatically showing a state in which the chips on the pair of supports of the support unit of the strength measuring unit are destroyed in the chip destruction step of the imaging method shown in FIG. 6.

The following describes in detail the form (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiment. The components described below include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
An imaging device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a configuration example of a test device including the imaging device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the test device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a chip unit including a wafer to be measured by the test device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a chip peeled off from the tape of the chip unit shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of a configuration example of the imaging device according to the first embodiment.

The test device 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 according to the first embodiment is a device that picks up a test piece, a chip 14 shown in Figure 4, from the tape 15 of the chip unit 17 shown in Figure 3, images at least the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1, and destroys the imaged chip 14 to measure the flexural strength of the chip 14.

(Chip unit)
3, the chip unit 17 is configured by attaching a plurality of chips 14 separated from the wafer 10 to a tape 15, and attaching the outer periphery of the tape 15 to an annular frame 16. The wafer 10 is a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer, an optical device wafer, or the like, with a substrate 11 made of silicon, sapphire, gallium, or the like.

The wafer 10 has devices 13 formed in areas partitioned by a plurality of planned division lines 12 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 11-1 of the substrate 11. In the first embodiment, the wafer 10 has a tape 15 with a frame 16 attached to its outer periphery attached to the back surface 11-2 behind the surface 11-1, and is supported by the frame 16 to form a chip unit 17.

The wafer 10 is cut along the planned division lines 12 and separated into individual chips 14. That is, the wafer 10 has cut grooves 18 formed between the chips 14, which penetrate the wafer 10 itself. As shown in FIG. 4, the chip 14 is composed of a part of the substrate 11 and a device 13, and has a surface 11-1 (corresponding to the top surface in the first embodiment), a back surface 11-2 (corresponding to the bottom surface in the first embodiment) on the back side of the surface 11-1, and multiple side surfaces 11-3 extending from the surface 11-1 to the back surface 11-2.

In the first embodiment, the wafer 10 has the devices 13 formed on the surface 11-1 of the substrate 11. However, in the present invention, when the test device 1 is used to evaluate the validity of the processing conditions of the so-called post-process in which the wafer 10 is divided into individual chips 14, the devices 13 do not have to be formed on the surface 11-1.

(Test Equipment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the testing apparatus 1 comprises a cassette mounting table 3 provided on an apparatus main body 2 and on which a cassette 4 containing a plurality of chip units 17 is mounted, an input/output unit 5 for loading/unloading the chip units 17 into/from the cassette 4, a pair of temporary placement rails 6 on which the chip units 17 removed from the cassette 4 or the chip units 17 before being loaded into the cassette 4 are temporarily placed, a frame fixing unit 7, a moving mechanism 30 for moving the frame fixing unit 7 in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction, a push-up unit 40, an imaging camera 50, a pickup mechanism 60, a holder moving unit 70 (shown in FIG. 2), an imaging device 100, and a strength measuring unit 200 which is a measuring unit.

The cassette 4 is a storage container that stores multiple chip units 17 at intervals in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction, and is provided with an opening 8 for inserting and removing the chip units 17. The cassette mounting table 3 has the cassette 4 placed on its upper surface and raises and lowers the cassette 4 in the Z-axis direction.

The pair of temporary placement rails 6 are provided on both ends of the width of the opening 8 of the cassette 4 placed on the cassette placement table 3 on the device main body 2, and extend linearly in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The pair of temporary placement rails 6 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other along the X-axis direction which is perpendicular to the Y-axis direction and parallel to the horizontal direction. The frame 16 of the chip unit 17 is temporarily placed on the pair of temporary placement rails 6.

The loading/unloading unit 5 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a moving mechanism (not shown). The loading/unloading unit 5 unloads the chip unit 17 from the cassette 4 and temporarily places it on the temporary placement rails 6, and then unloads the chip unit 17 to the upper surface of the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7 and places it on the upper surface of the frame support member 22. The loading/unloading unit 5 also unloads the chip unit 17 on the upper surface of the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7 into the cassette 4 via the temporary placement rails 6.

(Frame fixing unit)
The frame fixing unit 7 holds and fixes the frame 16 arranged around the wafer 10 on the tape 15 of the chip unit 17, i.e., the frame 16 arranged around the chip 14 to be picked up. The frame fixing unit 7 is installed on a moving table 21. The frame fixing unit 7 includes an annular frame support member 22, an annular frame pressing member 23 arranged above and fixed to the frame support member 22, and a lifting mechanism (not shown) for lifting and lowering the frame support member 22.

Before being raised, the upper surface of the frame support member 22 is positioned on the same plane as the upper surface of the temporary placement rail 6, and the frame 16 of the chip unit 17 is placed on it. When the frame 16 of the chip unit 17 is placed on the upper surface of the frame support member 22, the lifting mechanism of the frame fixing unit 7 raises the frame support member 22 and sandwiches the frame 16 between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22. The frame fixing unit 7 sandwiches the frame 16 between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22, holds and fixes the frame 16 arranged around the wafer 10 of the tape 15, and fixes the chip unit 17.

(Moving mechanism)
The moving mechanism 30 includes an X-axis moving mechanism 31 that is provided on the device body 2 and moves the moving table 21 in the X-axis direction, and a Y-axis moving mechanism 32 that is provided on the moving table 21 that is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 and moves the frame fixing unit 7 in the Y-axis direction. The X-axis moving mechanism 31 moves the moving table 21, i.e., the frame fixing unit 7, in the X-axis direction between a position aligned with the pair of temporary placement rails 6 in the Y-axis direction and a position separated from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. Each of the moving mechanisms 31, 32 includes well-known ball screws 33, 34 that are provided rotatably about their axes, well-known motors 35, 36 that rotate the ball screws 33, 34 about their axes, and well-known guide rails 37, 38 that support the moving table 21 or the frame fixing unit 7 movably in the X-axis or Y-axis directions.

(Thrust-up unit)
The push-up unit 40 is disposed below the frame fixing unit 7 which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. The push-up unit 40 is provided in the recess 9 of the device body 2, and pushes up any one of the chips 14 via the tape 15 of the chip unit 17 which is fixed by the frame fixing unit 7 which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6.

The push-up unit 40 is connected as a whole to a lifting mechanism (not shown) composed of a motor or the like, and moves up and down along the Z-axis direction. The push-up unit 40 has a tape holding part 41 formed in a hollow cylinder shape, and a square prism-shaped push-up part 42 arranged inside the tape holding part 41. The upper surface of the tape holding part 41 is formed flat and parallel to the horizontal direction, and multiple suction grooves are formed concentrically along the circumferential direction of the tape holding part 41. Each suction groove is connected to a suction source composed of an ejector or the like via a suction passage and an opening/closing valve formed inside the push-up unit 40.

The push-up portion 42 is formed in a rectangular shape with a planar shape of the upper surface that is smaller than the planar shape of the chip 14. The push-up portion 42 is connected to a lifting unit composed of a motor or the like, and moves up and down along the Z-axis direction.

With the chip unit 17 including the frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7 positioned above, the push-up unit 40 sucks the suction grooves on the upper surface of the tape holding part 41 with a suction source, and suction-holds the tape 15 around the chip 14 to be picked up on the upper surface of the tape holding part 41. The push-up unit 40 sucks and holds the tape 15 around the chip 14 to be picked up on the upper surface of the tape holding part 41, and as the push-up part 42 is raised, the chip 14 is pushed up above the tape 15, and the outer periphery of the chip 14 is peeled off from the tape 15. The dimensions of the push-up unit 40 are adjusted appropriately according to the size of the chip 14.

(Imaging camera)
The imaging camera 50 is disposed above the frame fixing unit 7 which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6. The imaging camera 50 images the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the chip unit 17 which includes the frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7 which is positioned by the X-axis moving mechanism 31 at a position away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6, and the surroundings of this chip 14, to form a captured image.

The imaging camera 50 has an imaging element (i.e., a pixel) that images the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the chip unit 17 including the frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, and the surroundings of the chip 14. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The imaging camera 50 captures the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 of the chip unit 17 including the frame 16 held by the frame fixing unit 7, and the surroundings of the chip 14, to obtain an image for aligning the chip 14 to be picked up pushed up by the push-up unit 40 of the wafer 10 with the push-up unit 40, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 400.

(Pickup mechanism)
The pick-up mechanism 60 picks up the chips 14 pushed up by the push-up unit 40 from the wafer 10 which is divided into a plurality of chips 14 and supported by the tape 15. The pick-up mechanism 60 includes a moving base 61 which is moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by the holder moving unit 70, an arm 62 which extends in the X-axis direction from the moving base 61 in a direction away from the holder moving unit 70, and a holder 63 which is connected to the tip of the arm 62 via a rotating part 64 and which holds the chips 14.

The holder 63 has a lower surface 65 that faces the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 across the chip unit 17 fixed by the frame fixing unit 7 that is positioned away from the pair of temporary placement rails 6 by the X-axis movement mechanism 31. The planar shape of the lower surface 65 is formed into a rectangle of the same size as the chip 14. The lower surface 65 has a suction groove that is connected to a suction source such as an ejector via a suction path and an on-off valve.

With the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 in contact with the underside 65 of the holder 63, the suction groove is sucked by the suction source, and the chip 14 is sucked and held on the underside 65 as shown in FIG. 5. The holder 63 sucks and holds the chip 14 pushed up by the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40 on the underside 65, and is raised by the holder movement unit 70 to pick up the chip 14 sucked and held on the underside 65 from the tape 15.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the test device 1 may be provided with a load cell as a measuring means for measuring the load applied to the chip 14 when it is picked up from the tape 15 on the upper surface side of the push-up unit 40. The load cell outputs the measurement result to the control unit 400. Note that in the present invention, the load cell as a measuring means may be provided on the lower surface 65 side of the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60.

The rotating unit 64 rotates the holder 63 around an axis 66 parallel to the Z-axis direction. The rotating unit 64 includes a rotating arm 67 and a rotating mechanism 68. The rotating arm 67 has the holder 63 attached to its lower end. The rotating arm 67 is provided at the tip of the arm 62 around an axis 66 parallel to the Z-axis direction. The rotating mechanism 68 rotates the holder 63 together with the rotating arm 67 around the axis. The rotating mechanism 68 may be configured by a motor attached to the arm 62, etc.

(Holder moving unit)
The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 along the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 between a pick-up position where the chip 14 is picked up from the tape 15, an imaging position where the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 is imaged by the side imaging camera 121 of the imaging device 100, and a measurement position where the chip 14 is placed on a pair of support parts 211 (shown in FIG. 13 ) of the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200 and the flexural strength of the chip 14 is measured by the strength measurement unit 200. The holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 between the pick-up position and the measurement position, thereby transporting the chip 14 picked up by the holder 63 to the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200.

As shown in FIG. 2, the holder moving unit 70 includes a second Y-axis moving mechanism 71 that is provided on the device body 2 and moves the moving table 73 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis moving mechanism 72 that is provided on the moving table 73 that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the second Y-axis moving mechanism 71 and moves the moving base 61, i.e., the pickup mechanism 60, in the Z-axis direction.

The second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 moves the moving table 73, i.e., the pickup mechanism 60, along the Y-axis direction from a pickup position where the upper surface of the tape holding part 41 of the push-up unit 40 and the lower surface 65 of the holder 63 face each other in the Z-axis direction toward the strength measurement unit 200. Each of the movement mechanisms 71, 72 includes well-known ball screws 74, 75 that are rotatable about their axes, well-known motors 76, 77 that rotate the ball screws 74, 75 about their axes, and well-known guide rails 78, 79 that support the moving table 73 or pickup mechanism 60 so that it can move in the Y-axis or Z-axis direction.

(Imaging device)
The imaging device 100 images and observes the front surface 11-1, rear surface 11-2, and side surface 11-3 of the chip 14. That is, the imaging device 100 images the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 positioned at the imaging position by the holder 63 with a side imaging camera 121 as a camera. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the imaging device 100 includes a lower imaging unit 101 arranged next to the push-up unit 40 on the device body 2 in the Y-axis direction, a chip inversion mechanism 110 that inverts the chip 14 up and down, a lateral imaging unit 120 as a camera unit, the holder 63 described above, a rotating unit 64, and a control unit 400.

The lower imaging unit 101 includes a lower imaging camera 102 that captures an image of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 from below. The lower imaging camera 102 is disposed at a position that overlaps with the movement path of the holder 63. In the lower imaging unit 101, the lower imaging camera 102 captures an image of the chip 14 from below, and outputs the captured image to the control unit 400.

The chip inversion mechanism 110 inverts the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 of the chip 14 upside down, i.e., turns the chip 14 upside down. The chip inversion mechanism 110 is aligned with the lower imaging unit 101 in the Y-axis direction and is positioned farther away from the push-up unit 40 than the lower imaging unit 101. The chip inversion mechanism 110 includes a columnar chip support base 111 that supports the chip 14, and an inversion mechanism 112.

The chip support table 111 extends upward from the device body 2 and is positioned in line with the lower imaging camera 102 in the Y-axis direction (i.e., overlaps with the movement path of the holder 63). The chip support table 111 has a flat upper surface that is parallel to the horizontal direction, and supports the chip 14 transported by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 on its upper surface. The chip support table 111 is also connected to a rotational drive source (not shown), and is rotated by the rotational drive source around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The inversion mechanism 112 is disposed above the chip support base 111. The inversion mechanism 112 is configured to be able to rotate the base portion 113 180° around an axis parallel to the X-axis direction while holding the chip 14 at its tip.

When the chip inversion mechanism 110 inverts the chip 14 upside down, it supports the chip 14 transported by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 on the upper surface of the chip support table 111, and rotates the base 151 180° from the position shown by the solid line in Figures 1 and 2 relative to the upper surface of the chip support table 111 supporting the chip 14 to the position shown by the dotted line in Figures 1 and 2. The chip inversion mechanism 110 suction-holds the chip 14 at its tip, and rotates the base 113 180° to invert the chip 14 upside down.

The chip 14 inverted by the chip inversion mechanism 110 is sucked and held by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60, and the suction holding of the tip of the chip inversion mechanism 110 is stopped. In this way, the chip inversion mechanism 110 inverts the chip 14 upside down.

The test device 1 has a chip support table 111 at a position that overlaps with the movement path of the holder 63, so that the holder 63 can place the chip 14 on the upper surface of the chip support table 111.

The lateral imaging unit 120 images the chip 14 from the side, i.e., the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14. The lateral imaging unit 120 is disposed next to the lower imaging unit 101 in the Y-axis direction, and in the first embodiment, is disposed between the lower imaging unit 101 and the chip inversion mechanism 110.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lateral imaging unit 120 has a lateral imaging camera 121 that captures an image of the lateral side 11-3 of the chip 14, a camera movement mechanism 122 that is a focus mechanism, and a camera position detection mechanism 123.

The side image capturing camera 121 is disposed at a position where it can capture an image of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction on the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. In the first embodiment, it is disposed at a position facing the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction on the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 in the X-axis direction. The side image capturing camera 121 has an image capturing element that captures an image of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14, and an optical system 124 that is composed of at least one optical component that guides light to the image capturing element. Note that FIG. 5 shows only the objective lens 125 of the optical system 124 that faces the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14, and the rest are omitted. The image capturing element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image capturing element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image capturing element. The optical axis 126 of the objective lens 125 of the optical system 124 (corresponding to the optical axis of the side image capturing camera 121) is parallel to the X-axis direction.

The camera movement mechanism 122 adjusts the distance from the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction to the holder 63 of the side imaging camera 121. In the first embodiment, the camera movement mechanism 122 moves the side imaging camera 121 itself in the X-axis direction to adjust the distance from the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 to the focal point of the side imaging camera 121. Note that in the present invention, the focus mechanism is not limited to the camera movement mechanism 122 that adjusts the distance in the X-axis direction from the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction to the holder 63 of the side imaging camera 121 itself, but may adjust the distance between the optical components constituting the optical system 124 of the side imaging camera 121 to adjust the distance from the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction to the holder 63 of the side imaging camera 121.

The camera position detection mechanism 123 detects the position of the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction. The camera position detection mechanism 123 outputs the detected position of the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction to the control unit 400.

The position of the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction is adjusted by the camera movement mechanism 122, and the camera focuses on the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60, captures an image of the side surface 11-3, and outputs the captured image 500 (an example is shown in FIG. 12) to the control unit 400. Note that being in focus means that the light that has passed through the optical system 124, such as the objective lens 125, is concentrated at one point on the image capturing element (light is concentrated within the tolerance of the image capturing element).

The lateral imaging unit 120 uses the side imaging camera 121 to image one side 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. After that, the holder 63 is rotated around the axis 66 by the rotating part 64, and the other side 11-3 of the chip 14 is imaged by the side imaging camera 121. In this way, the lateral imaging unit 120 images all the side surfaces of the chip 14 (for example, the side surfaces 11-3 on the four sides of the chip 14) using the side imaging camera 121, obtains an image 500 including the thickness of the chip 14 and the size of a chip 501 (hereinafter referred to as a chipping, shown in FIG. 12) formed in the chip 14, and outputs the obtained image 500 to the control unit 400. In addition, the lateral imaging unit 120 can adjust the horizontal orientation (angle) of the chip 14 when it is placed in the strength measurement unit 200 by adjusting the orientation of the holder 63 around the axis 66 using the rotating part 64.

In the first embodiment, the lateral imaging unit 120 uses the lateral imaging camera 121 to image the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction to the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60. This allows the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 to be observed without supporting the chip 14 on the chip support base 111, and therefore prevents the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14, etc. from being damaged by placing the chip 14 on the chip support base 111.

Using the above-mentioned lower imaging unit 101 and side imaging unit 120, the imaging device 100 images the front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 picked up by the holder 63. In the present invention, the side imaging camera 121 that images the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 may be provided in a position where it can image the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 supported on the upper surface of the chip support base 111, and may image the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 supported on the upper surface of the chip support base 111.

(Strength Measuring Unit)
The strength measuring unit 200 is a measuring unit that measures the flexural strength of the chip 14 picked up by the pickup mechanism 60. The strength measuring unit 200 is disposed next to the imaging device 100 in the Y-axis direction, and in the first embodiment, is disposed on the side farther from the push-up unit 40 than the chip inversion mechanism 110. In the first embodiment, the strength measuring unit 200 is disposed at a position overlapping with the movement path of the holder 63.

The strength measurement unit 200 includes a support unit 210 and a pressing unit 220. The support unit 210 supports the chip 14 that has been picked up by the holder 63 of the pickup mechanism 60 and whose front surface 11-1, back surface 11-2, and side surface 11-3 have been imaged by the imaging device 100. The support unit 210 is disposed at a position overlapping with the movement path of the holder 63. For this reason, the holder moving unit 70 moves the holder 63 from a position facing the push-up unit 40 in the Z-axis direction to a position facing the support unit 210 in the Z-axis direction.

The support unit 210 is provided with a pair of support parts 211 (shown in FIG. 13) that are arranged at a predetermined interval and support the rear surface 11-2 of the chip 14. The pair of support parts 211 are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other in the X-axis direction.

The pressing unit 220 presses the chip 14 supported by the support unit 210 with an indenter 221, measures the load acting on the pressing unit 220 when pressing the chip 14, and presses and destroys the chip 14 supported by the support unit 210. The pressing unit 220 is provided above the support unit 210.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressing unit 220 includes an indenter 221, an indenter moving unit 222, and a load measuring device 223.

The indenter 221 is disposed above the support unit 210 and between a pair of support parts that support the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14. The indenter movement unit 222 moves the indenter 221 along the Z-axis direction relatively closer to the chip 14 supported by the pair of support parts. The indenter movement unit 222 supports the indenter 221 at its lower end, positions the indenter 221 facing the space between the pair of support parts 211 of the support unit 210 along the Z-axis direction, and moves the indenter 221 up and down along the Z-axis direction.

The load measuring device 223 measures the load with which the indenter 221 presses the chip 14 supported by the support parts 211. In the first embodiment, the load measuring device 223 is moved up and down along the Z-axis direction together with the indenter 221 by the indenter moving unit 222. The load measuring device 223 is composed of a well-known load cell or the like, measures the load with which the indenter 221 presses the chip 14 supported by the pair of support parts 211, and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 400.

When the strength measuring unit 200 measures the flexural strength of the chip 14, the chip 14 is placed on a pair of supports 211 by a holder 63 or the like. At this time, both ends of the chip 14 are supported by the pair of supports 211, and the center overlaps between the pair of supports 211.

The strength measurement unit 200 lowers the indenter 221 using the indenter movement unit 222, presses the chip 14 with the indenter 221, measures the load (force in the Z-axis direction) applied to the indenter 221 pressing the chip 14 with a load measuring device 223, and destroys the chip 14 with the indenter 221 while outputting the measurement results to the control unit 400 as appropriate. The strength measurement unit 200 performs a three-point bending test using a pair of support parts of the chip 14 and the indenter 221, measures the bending strength (flexural strength) of the chip 14 through this three-point bending test, and outputs the measurement results to the control unit 400.

(Control Unit)
The control unit 400 controls each of the above-mentioned components of the imaging device 100 to cause the test device 1 to perform an imaging operation for imaging the front surface 11-1, the back surface 11-2, and the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14. The control unit 400 also controls each of the above-mentioned components of the test device 1 to cause the test device 1 to perform a measurement operation for each chip 14, such as measuring the flexural strength of the chip 14.

The control unit 400 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory), and an input/output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 400 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the test device 1 to each of the above-mentioned units of the test device 1 via the input/output interface device.

The control unit 400 is connected to a display unit 300 (shown in FIG. 1) which is a display means having a display screen 301 that displays the status of the measurement operation, images, etc., and a touch panel 302 (shown in FIG. 1) which is an input means used when an operator inputs information, etc., to the control unit 400 of the test device 1. The display unit 300 is composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like. The touch panel 302 is overlaid on the display screen 301 of the display unit 300.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the control unit 400 also includes a detection unit 401, an adjustment unit 402, an image forming unit 403, a chipping detection unit 404, and a measurement result storage unit 405.

The detection unit 401 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to adjust the distance of the focal point of the side imaging camera 121 from the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14, and detects a first focus position where the focal point of the side imaging camera 121 is at one end 19-1 (shown in FIG. 8, etc.) of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63, and a second focus position where the focal point of the side imaging camera 121 is at the other end 19-2 (shown in FIG. 9, etc.) of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63. Note that in the first embodiment, the first focus position and the second focus position are the positions of the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction when the focal point of the side imaging camera 121 is at one end 19-1 or the other end 19-2.

The detection unit 401 controls the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 of the holder movement unit 70 to make the side image capturing camera 121 face one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 in the X-axis direction. The detection unit 401 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to move the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction and focus the side image capturing camera 121 on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63. The detection unit 401 obtains the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63, that is, the position in the X-axis direction of the side image capturing camera 121, and detects the position in the X-axis direction of the side image capturing camera 121 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63, which is the first focus position.

The detection unit 401 also controls the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 of the holder movement unit 70 to make the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 face the side surface imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction. The detection unit 401 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to move the side surface imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction and focus the side surface imaging camera 121 on the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63. The detection unit 401 obtains the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123 when the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 is focused, that is, the position of the side surface imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction, and detects the position of the side surface imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction when the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 is focused, which is the second focus position.

The adjustment unit 402 controls the rotation unit 64 to adjust the orientation of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 around the axis 66 so that the side surface 11-3 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side imaging camera 121 of the lateral imaging unit 120, based on the first focus position and the second focus position detected by the detection unit 401. The adjustment unit 402 detects the distance in the X-axis direction between the first focus position and the second focus position, that is, the distance in the X-axis direction between the position of the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 and the position of the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63.

Based on the distance in the X-axis direction between the first and second focus positions and the distance in the Y-axis direction between one end 19-1 and the other end 19-2 of the chip 14 when in focus, the adjustment unit 402 calculates the rotation direction and rotation angle of the holder 63, i.e., the chip 14, around the axis 66 at which the distance in the X-axis direction between the first and second focus positions is zero. The adjustment unit 402 controls the rotation mechanism 68 of the rotation unit 64 to rotate the holder 63, i.e., the chip 14, around the axis 66 in the calculated rotation direction and rotation angle.

After the adjustment unit 402 adjusts the orientation of the chip 14 held in the holder 63 around the axis 66 so that the side surface 11-3 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side surface imaging camera 121, the image forming unit 403 controls the lateral imaging unit 120 to cause the side surface imaging camera 121 to image the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction in the holder 63 with the side surface imaging camera 121 focused on the side surface 11-3, thereby forming an image 500. After the adjustment unit 402 adjusts the orientation of the chip 14 held by the holder 63 around the axis 66 so that the side surface 11-3 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side surface imaging camera 121, the image forming unit 403 controls the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 of the holder movement unit 70 to make the center 19-3 (shown in FIG. 11) between one end 19-1 and the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction to the holder 63 face the side surface imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction.

The image forming unit 403 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to move the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction and focus the side image capturing camera 121 on the center 19-3 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by the holder 63. The image forming unit 403 causes the side image capturing camera 121 to capture an image of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 held by suction by the holder 63, and obtains an image 500.

The chipping detection unit 404 detects information about chipping 501 from the captured image 500 formed by the image forming unit 403. In the first embodiment, the chipping detection unit 404 detects chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides from the captured image 500 formed by the image forming unit 403 after the side image capturing camera 121 captures each side surface 11-3 of the chip 14. In the first embodiment, the chipping detection unit 404 detects, as information regarding the chipping 501, the position of each chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides of each side surface 11-3 (the center between the thickness direction of the chip 14 and the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces 11-1 and 11-2), the area of each chipping 501 in the captured image 500, the maximum chipping size 502 of each chipping 501 (the maximum distance from the front surface 11-1 or back surface 11-2 in the thickness direction), and the maximum chipping size 502 of the chipping 501 closest to the center 19-3 in the width direction of the chip 14.

The measurement result memory unit 405 stores information regarding the chipping 501 detected by the chipping detection unit 404 in association with the position on the wafer 10 of the chip 14 at which the chipping detection unit 404 detected the chipping 501. In the first embodiment, the measurement result storage unit 405 stores the position of each chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides of each side surface 11-3 detected by the chipping detection unit 404 (the center between the thickness direction of the chip 14 and the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces 11-1 and 11-2), the area of each chipping 501 in the captured image 500, the maximum chipping size 502 of each chipping 501 (the maximum distance from the front surface 11-1 or back surface 11-2 in the thickness direction, which corresponds to the chipping size), the maximum chipping size 502 of the chipping 501 closest to the center 19-3 in the width direction of the chip 14, the flexural strength measured by the strength measurement unit 200, the position on the wafer 10 of the chip 14 where the chipping detection unit 404 detected the chipping 501, and the captured image 500 of each side surface 11-3 in association with each other.

The functions of the detection unit 401, the adjustment unit 402, the image formation unit 403, and the chipping detection unit 404 are each realized by the calculation processing unit performing calculation processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device. The function of the measurement result storage unit 405 is realized by the storage device.

(Imaging method)
Next, this specification will explain the imaging method according to the first embodiment with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the imaging method according to the first embodiment. The imaging method is a method in which the chip 14 attached to the tape 15 of the chip unit 17 is picked up from the tape 15, and the test device 1 performs a measurement operation on the chip 14 picked up from the chip unit 17. That is, the imaging method is a method in which an image 500 of each side surface 11-3 of the chip 14 is formed, information related to chipping 501 of each side surface 11-3 is detected, and the flexural strength of the chip 14 is measured. That is, in the first embodiment, the imaging method is a measurement operation of the test device 1.

The imaging method according to the first embodiment is performed by the test device 1 when an operator places a cassette 4 containing multiple chip units 17 on the cassette mounting table 3, operates the touch panel 302 to input measurement content information to the control unit 400, and the control unit 400 receives an instruction from the operator to start measurement. The measurement content information includes the position of each chip 14 to be measured in each chip unit 17.

In the first embodiment, the test device 1 picks up the chips 14 to be measured one by one from each chip unit 17 in sequence. Note that in this specification, during the imaging method, the operator may operate a touch panel or the like to select the chip 14 to be picked up from the tape 15 each time a chip 14 is picked up. As shown in FIG. 6, the imaging method includes a holding step 1001, a first focusing step 1002, a second focusing step 1003, an adjustment step 1004, an imaging step 1005, a detection step 1006, and a chip destruction step 1007.

(holding step)
Fig. 7 is a side view diagrammatically showing the holding step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. The holding step 1001 is a step of holding the chip 14 with a holder 63 so that the side surface 11-3 to be imaged is exposed.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the loading/unloading unit 5 to load the chip unit 17 including the untested wafer 10 from the cassette 4 and temporarily place it on the pair of temporary placement rails 6, and controls the loading/unloading unit 5 to place the frame 16 of the chip unit 17 temporarily placed on the temporary placement rails 6 on the lowered frame support member 22 of the frame fixing unit 7. In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the frame fixing unit 7 to raise the frame support member 22, and sandwiches the periphery of the frame 16, i.e., the chip 14 to be picked up on the tape 15, between the frame holding member 23 and the frame support member 22, and fixes the chip unit 17 with the frame fixing unit 7.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the moving mechanism 30 based on the measurement content information to move the frame fixing unit 7, and positions the chip 14 (hereinafter, indicated by the reference symbol 14-1) to be picked up next after the chip unit 17 held by the frame fixing unit 7 above the push-up unit 40 and below the imaging camera 50.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 causes the imaging camera 50 to capture an image of the chip 14-1 and the surroundings of the chip 14-1 on the wafer 10 of the chip unit 17 fixed to the frame fixing unit 7, thereby acquiring an image. In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the moving mechanism 30 to adjust the position of the frame fixing unit 7, and controls the holder moving unit 70 to move the holder 63, thereby aligning the chip 14-1 on the wafer 10, the push-up unit 40, and the holder 63. Note that in the first embodiment, in the alignment, the center between the outer edges of the chip 14-1 and the push-up portion 42 are made to face each other in the vertical direction, and the outer edge of the chip 14-1 and the outer edge of the lower surface 65 of the holder 63 are made to face each other in the vertical direction.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the push-up unit 40 to raise the entire push-up unit 40 while lowering the push-up portion 42, bringing the upper surface 48 of the tape holding portion 41 of the push-up unit 40 and the upper surface of the push-up portion 42 into contact with the tape 15, suction-holding the tape 15 on the upper surface 48 of the tape holding portion 41 of the push-up unit 40, and supporting the chip 14-1 to be picked up via the tape 15 with the push-up portion 42 of the push-up unit 40.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the holder moving unit 70 to lower the holder 63 and bring the lower surface 65 of the holder 63 into contact with the chip 14-1, so that the chip 14-1 to be picked up is clamped between the holder 63 and the push-up unit 40. In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the push-up unit 40 to raise the push-up portion, and controls the holder moving unit 70 to raise the holder 63, peeling off the tape 15 from the outer periphery of the chip 14-1.

In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 suction-holds the chip 14-1 on the lower surface 65 of the holder 63, controls the holder moving unit 70 to raise the holder 63, picks up the chip 14-1 suction-held on the lower surface 65 of the holder 63 from the tape 15, and removes it from above the tape 15, while stopping suction of the tape 15 on the upper surface of the tape holding section 41. In the holding step 1001, the control unit 400 controls the holder moving unit 70 to move the holder 63 appropriately, and positions the holder 63 in a position where the side surface 11-3 determined by the measurement content information faces the side imaging camera 121 of the imaging device 100 in the X-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 7.

(First focus step)
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the chip and the side imaging camera, which is a schematic diagram of the first focusing step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. The first focusing step 1002 is a step in which the side imaging camera 121 facing the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63 is autofocused on the side surface 11-3 on one end 19-1 side of the side surface 11-3 to detect a first focus position where the side surface 11-3 on the one end 19-1 side is in focus.

In the first focus step 1002, the detection section 401 of the control unit 400 controls the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 of the holder movement unit 70 to make one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by suction to the holder 63 face the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction. The detection section 401 of the control unit 400 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to move the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction, and focus the side imaging camera 121 on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63, as shown in FIG. Based on the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123, the detection unit 401 of the control unit 400 obtains the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123, i.e., the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63, and detects the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63, which is the first focus position.

(Second focus step)
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the chip and the side imaging camera, which is a schematic diagram of the second focusing step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. The second focusing step 1003 is a step of autofocusing the side imaging camera 121 on the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63 on the other end 19-2 side of the side surface 11-3 to detect a second focusing position where the side surface 11-3 on the other end 19-2 side is in focus.

In the second focus step 1003, the detection section 401 of the control unit 400 controls the second Y-axis movement mechanism 71 of the holder movement unit 70 to make the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by suction to the holder 63 face the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction. The detection section 401 of the control unit 400 controls the camera movement mechanism 122 to move the side imaging camera 121 in the X-axis direction and focus the side imaging camera 121 on the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63. Based on the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123, the detection unit 401 of the control unit 400 obtains the detection result of the camera position detection mechanism 123, i.e., the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63, and detects the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63, which is the second focus position.

(Adjustment Step)
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the chip and the side imaging camera, showing the adjustment steps of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. The adjustment step 1004 is a step of adjusting the orientation of the chip 14-1 based on the first focus position and the second focus position so that the side surface 11-3 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side imaging camera 121.

In adjustment step 1004, the adjustment section 402 of the control unit 400 detects the distance in the X-axis direction between the first focus position and the second focus position, that is, the distance in the X-axis direction between the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63 and the position in the X-axis direction of the side imaging camera 121 when the focus is on one end 19-1 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63.

In the adjustment step 1004, the adjustment section 402 of the control unit 400 calculates the rotation direction and rotation angle of the holder 63, i.e., the chip 14-1, around the axis 66 at which the distance in the X-axis direction between the first focus position and the second focus position is zero, based on the distance in the X-axis direction between the first focus position and the second focus position and the distance in the Y-axis direction between one end 19-1 and the other end 19-2 of the chip 14-1 when in focus. The adjustment section 402 of the control unit 400 controls the rotation mechanism 68 of the rotation section 64 to rotate the holder 63, i.e., the chip 14-1, around the axis 66 in the calculated rotation direction and rotation angle, and adjusts the orientation of the chip 14-1 so that the side surface 11-3 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side image capturing camera 121, as shown in FIG. 10.

(Imaging step)
Fig. 11 is a plan view of a chip and a side-image capturing camera, which is a schematic diagram of the imaging step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an example of an image captured in the imaging step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. The imaging step 1005 is a step in which, after the adjustment step 1004 is performed, the side-image capturing camera 121 captures the side surface 11-3 with the side-image capturing camera 121 in a state where the side surface 11-3 is focused, thereby forming an image 500.

In the imaging step 1005, the image forming section 403 of the control unit 400 controls the second Y-axis moving mechanism 71 of the holder moving unit 70 to make the center 19-3 (shown in FIG. 11) between one end 19-1 and the other end 19-2 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by suction to the holder 63 face the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction. In the imaging step 1005, the image forming section 403 of the control unit 400 controls the camera moving mechanism 122 to move the side image capturing camera 121 in the X-axis direction to focus the side image capturing camera 121 on the center 19-3 of the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by the holder 63. The image forming section 403 of the control unit 400 causes the side image capturing camera 121 to capture the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 held by suction to the holder 63, thereby acquiring the captured image 500. Thus, in imaging step 1005, the imaging device 100 images the central portion of the chip 14-1, including the center 19-3.

In the imaging method according to the first embodiment, the control unit 400 repeats the first focus step 1002, the second focus step 1003, the adjustment step 1004, and the imaging step 1005 each time it images each side surface 11-3, thereby obtaining an image 500 of each side surface 11-3.

(Detection Step)
The detection step 1006 is a step of detecting information about chipping 501 formed on chip 14-1 from the captured image 500. In the detection step, the side image capturing camera 121 captures an image of each side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 of the control unit 400, and the chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides is detected from the captured image 500, an example of which is shown in Fig. 12, formed by the image forming section 403. Note that in the captured image 500 shown in Fig. 12, the chipping 501 is shown in black and the rest is shown in white.

In the first embodiment, in the detection step 1006, the chipping detection unit 404 of the control unit 400 detects, as information regarding the chipping 501, the position of each chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides of each side 11-3 (the center between the thickness direction of the chip 14-1 and the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces 11-1 and 11-2), the area of each chipping 501 in the captured image 500, the maximum chipping size 502 of each chipping 501 (the maximum distance from the front surface 11-1 or back surface 11-2 in the thickness direction), and the maximum chipping size 502 of the chipping 501 closest to the center 19-3 in the width direction of the chip 14-1.

(Chip destruction step)
Fig. 13 is a side view showing a state where the back surface of the chip is placed on a pair of support parts of the support unit of the strength measurement unit in the chip destruction step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 14 is a side view showing a state where the chip on the pair of support parts of the support unit of the strength measurement unit in the chip destruction step of the imaging method shown in Fig. 6 is destroyed.

The chip destruction step 1007 is a step in which, after the detection step 1006 is performed, the chip 14-1 is supported on its underside (backside 11-2) by a pair of supports 211, and the indenter 221 is positioned in the center of the pair of supports 211 and above the pair of supports 211, sandwiching the chip 14-1, to press the chip 14-1 from the top side (front side 11-1) of the chip 14-1 to destroy it, and the load acting on the indenter 221 when the chip 14-1 is destroyed is detected.

In the chip destruction step 1007, the control unit 400 controls the holder moving unit 70 to move the holder 63 to the measurement position, and places the back surface 11-2 of the chip 14-1 on a pair of supports 211 of the support unit 210 of the strength measurement unit 200, as shown in FIG. 13. In embodiment 1, in the chip destruction step 1007, the control unit 400 controls the strength measurement unit 200 to lower the indenter 221 using the indenter moving unit 222, and brings the tip of the indenter 221 into contact with the front surface 11-1 side of the center 19-3 of the chip 14-1, and presses the chip 14-1 with the indenter 221. Thus, in the chip destruction step 1007, the indenter 221 presses the central portion including the center 19-3 of the chip 14-1. In addition, in the chip destruction step 1007, the load (force in the Z-axis direction) applied to the indenter 221 by the pressure of the chip 14-1 is measured by the load measuring device 223, and the measurement result is output to the control unit 400 as appropriate.

In chip destruction step 1007, the control unit 400 controls the strength measurement unit 200 to further lower the indenter 221 and destroy the chip 14-1, as shown in FIG. 14. When the chip 14-1 is destroyed, the load measured by the load measuring device 223 goes from a maximum value to zero. Therefore, the strength measurement unit 200 can detect the timing at which the chip 14-1 is destroyed from the change in the value of the load measured by the load measuring device 223. In addition, the maximum value of the load measured by the load measuring device 223 corresponds to the flexural strength of the chip 14-1.

In the present invention, in chip destruction step 1007, the control unit 400 calculates the flexural strength value σ from σ = 3LW/2bh ² (L: distance between fulcrums (mm), W: load value (N) of the indenter 221, b: width (mm) of the chip 14-1, h: thickness (mm) of the chip 14-1) based on the maximum value of the measured load, the distance between the fulcrums 211-1 where the support part 211 contacts the chip 14-1, the thickness of the chip 14-1, and the width of the chip 14-1 (direction perpendicular to the direction between the fulcrums).

In the chip destruction step 1007, the measurement result storage unit 405 of the control unit 400 stores the position of each chipping 501 on the front surface 11-1 and back surface 11-2 sides of each side surface 11-3 detected by the chipping detection unit 404 (the center between the thickness direction of the chip 14-1 and the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces 11-1 and 11-2), the area of each chipping 501 in the captured image 500, the maximum chipping size 502 of each chipping 501 (the maximum distance from the front surface 11-1 or back surface 11-2 in the thickness direction), the maximum chipping size of the chipping 501 closest to the center 19-3 in the width direction of the chip 14-1, the flexural strength measured by the strength measurement unit 200, the position on the wafer 10 of the chip 14-1 where the chipping detection unit 404 detected the chipping 501, and the captured image 500 of each side surface 11-3 in association with each other.

When the control unit 400 of the test device 1 has picked up all the chips 14-1 specified in the measurement content information from the chip units 17 in the cassette 4, it ends the measurement operation, i.e., the imaging method according to embodiment 1.

In the imaging method of the present invention, the control unit 400 may control the imaging device 100 before and after repeating the first focus step 1002, the second focus step 1003, the adjustment step 1004, and the imaging step 1005 to capture images of the front surface 11-1 and the back surface 11-2 and obtain these images, and the measurement result storage unit 405 may store these images in association with information regarding chipping, etc.

As described above, the imaging method and imaging device 100 according to the first embodiment adjusts the orientation of the chip 14-1 so that the side surface 11-3 of the chip 14-1 is perpendicular to the optical axis 126 of the side surface imaging camera 121, and captures the side surface 11-3 with the side surface imaging camera 121 in a state where the side surface 11-3 is in focus, thereby preventing a portion of the captured image 500 from becoming blurred. As a result, it has the effect of enabling accurate detection of the chipping size of the chipping 501 of the chip 14-1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the embodiment, the test device 1 measures the flexural strength of the chip 14-1, but in the present invention, the strength of various test pieces may be measured, not limited to the chip 14-1. In addition, in the first embodiment, the imaging device 100 constitutes a part of the test device 1, but in the present invention, the imaging device 100 is not limited to this, and may be a standalone device without constituting another device such as the test device 1. In addition, the imaging method of the present invention does not necessarily have to perform the detection step 1006 and the chip destruction step 1007.

1 Test equipment 11-1 Surface (top)
11-2 Back side (bottom side)
11-3 Side surface 14, 14-1 Chip 19-1 One end 19-2 Other end 63 Holder 64 Rotating part 66 Axis 68 Rotating mechanism 100 Imaging device 120 Side imaging unit (camera unit)
121 Side imaging camera (camera)
122 Camera movement mechanism (focus mechanism)
126 Optical axis 211 Support section 221 Indenter 400 Control unit 401 Detection section 402 Adjustment section 403 Image forming section 500 Captured image 501 Chipping 1001 Holding step 1002 First focusing step 1003 Second focusing step 1004 Adjustment step 1005 Capture step 1006 Detection step 1007 Chip destruction step

Claims (4)

1. An imaging method for imaging a side surface of a chip having a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface extending from the front surface to the back surface, using a camera, comprising:
a holding step of holding the chip with a holder so that the side surface to be imaged is exposed;
a first autofocusing step of detecting a first focus position where the side surface of the chip held by the holder is focused on the side surface at one end side of the side surface by a camera facing the side surface of the chip held by the holder;
a second autofocusing step of autofocusing the camera on the other end side of the side surface of the chip held by the holder to detect a second focus position where the side surface on the other end side is in focus;
an adjustment step of adjusting the orientation of the chip based on the first focus position and the second focus position so that the side surface is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera;
and after carrying out the adjustment step, capturing an image of the side surface with the camera while the camera is focused on the side surface to form a captured image. The imaging method according to claim 1, further comprising a detection step of detecting chipping formed on the chip from the captured image. After carrying out the detection step, the method further includes a chip breaking step of supporting the bottom surface of the chip with a pair of supports, pressing the chip from the top surface with an indenter positioned at the center of the pair of supports and above the pair of supports across the chip to break the chip, and detecting the load acting on the indenter when the chip is broken,
3. The imaging method according to claim 2, wherein the imaging step images a central portion of the chip, and the chip breaking step presses the central portion with the indenter. An imaging device that uses a camera to capture an image of a side surface of a chip having a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface extending from the front surface to the back surface,
A holder for holding the chip;
a rotating part that rotates the holder around an axis parallel to the vertical direction;
a camera unit having a camera that faces the chip held by the holder in a horizontal direction and is capable of capturing an image of a side surface of the chip, and a focus mechanism that is capable of adjusting the distance of the focal point of the camera from the side surface of the chip held by the holder;
A control unit for controlling the components,
The control unit
a detection unit that controls the focus mechanism to adjust the distance of the focal point of the camera from the side surface of the chip to detect a first focus position where the focal point is on one end of the side surface of the chip held by the holder, and a second focus position where the focal point is on the other end of the side surface of the chip held by the holder;
an adjustment unit that controls the rotation unit to adjust the orientation of the chip around the axis based on the first focus position and the second focus position detected by the detection unit so that the side surface is perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera of the camera unit;
an image forming section that controls the camera unit to capture an image of the side surface with the camera in a state where the camera is focused on the side surface, and forms a captured image;
An imaging device comprising:

Images