Abrasive Wheel, Abrasive Member Replacement Device, and Abrasive Member Replacement Method

This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0040643, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 25, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Example embodiments of the disclosure relate to an abrasive wheel, an abrasive member replacement device, and an abrasive member replacement method.

A backgrinding process in a semiconductor package process may be a grinding process of adjusting a thickness by grinding a back side of a substrate using a grinder, and is aimed at reducing a chip thickness for the package.

A grit may refer to a part where a grinding wheel and the substrate come into contact with each other. The grit may be an abrasive member mounted on the grinding wheel to serve as a substantial grinder, and may be worn out as the backgrinding process progresses.

In related art, measuring an amount of wear of a grit may be performed based on an extent to which a descending distance of the grinding wheel relative to the substrate increases. This method has measurement errors depending on warpage of the substrate, thickness variations, and other conditions of the substrate. In addition, if the grit is worn out beyond a certain amount, an operator would have to manually replace the grinding wheel itself, reducing the operating time of the grinder and lowering efficiency.

Therefore, there is a need for a technology that measures an amount of wear of a grit, which a consumable in a grinder, and that automatically replaces the grit.

Information disclosed in this Background section has already been known to or derived by the inventors before or during the process of achieving the embodiments of the present application, or is technical information acquired in the process of achieving the embodiments. Therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to the public.

One or more example embodiments provide an abrasive wheel, an abrasive member replacement device, and an abrasive member replacement method, in which an abrasive member is detachably fixed, such that a worn abrasive member is capable of being replaced due to wear caused during a grinding process without requiring replacement of an entire abrasive wheel.

One or more example embodiments further provide an abrasive wheel, an abrasive member replacement device, and an abrasive member replacement method, in which a wear detector may be included to measure a degree of wear of each abrasive member.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

According to an aspect of an example embodiment, an abrasive wheel may include a wheel body configured to rotate about a rotary shaft, a holder fixed to the wheel body and comprising a plurality of electromagnets, and a plurality of abrasive members configured to grind a substrate, the plurality of abrasive members being detachably fixed respectively to the plurality of electromagnets, where each of the plurality of abrasive members is further configured to be independently replaceable.

According to an aspect of an example embodiment, an abrasive member replacement device may include an abrasive wheel including a wheel body configured to rotate about a rotary shaft, a holder on the wheel body and comprising an electromagnet, and an abrasive member attached to the electromagnet and configured to grind a substrate, and a replacement assembly including a conveyor belt adjacent to at least a portion of the holder and configured to provide abrasive members in one direction.

According to an aspect of an example embodiment, an abrasive member replacement method may include rotating an abrasive wheel about a rotary shaft, the abrasive wheel including a holder and an abrasive member attached to an electromagnet of the holder, separating a worn abrasive member from the electromagnet by setting, by a controller, the electromagnet to an off state, supplying, by a conveyor belt of supply assembly, a replacement abrasive member to a replacement assembly, attaching the replacement abrasive member that is on the conveyor belt to the electromagnet by setting, by the controller, the electromagnet to an on state, and collecting, by a collection assembly, the worn abrasive member from the conveyor belt of the replacement assembly.

Hereinafter, example embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The embodiments described herein are example embodiments, and thus, the disclosure is not limited thereto and may be realized in various other forms.

The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

In addition, the size and thickness of each configuration shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for understanding and ease of description, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, for understanding and ease of description, the thickness of some layers and areas is exaggerated.

As used herein, expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. For example, the expression, “at least one of a, b, and c,” should be understood as including only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “over,” “above,” “on,” “below,” “under,” “beneath,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly over, above, on, below, under, beneath, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly over,” “directly above,” “directly on,” “directly below,” “directly under,” “directly beneath,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.

Hereinafter, an abrasive wheel, an abrasive member replacement device, and an abrasive member replacement method according to one or more embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

is a diagram illustrating an abrasive wheel according to one or more embodiments.

As shown in, an abrasive wheelaccording to one or more embodiments may include a wheel bodythat rotates about a rotary shaft, a holderfixed to the wheel bodyand including a plurality of electromagnetsprovided along a lower surface of the wheel body, and a plurality of abrasive membersdetachably fixed to the plurality of electromagnetsand configured to grind an upper surface of a substrate. Each abrasive memberof the plurality of abrasive membersmay be independently replaceable.

The holdermay include seating portionseach having a groove shape of a size in which a portion of each abrasive membermay be seated, and the electromagnetsmay be arranged on an inner surface of the seating portion.

Each abrasive membermay include a coupling portionattached to the electromagnetprovided in the holderand an abrasive portionarranged on one side of the coupling portionto grind the upper surface of the substrate.

The coupling portionmay be configured to be attached to and detached from to the electromagnet, and may be made of metal. The electromagnetmay alternatively be a standard magnet (i.e., a magnet that is not configured between an off/on state by a controller), and a combination of electromagnets and standard magnets may be implemented.

Referring to, when a portion that is attached to the electromagnetof the holderis referred to as an upper end of the abrasive member, the abrasive portionmay be arranged at a lower end of the abrasive member.

Referring to, the seating portionin a state where the electromagnetis arranged may have a groove, and the groove may be large enough to allow the upper end of each abrasive memberto be seated.

is a diagram illustrating an abrasive member of an abrasive wheel according to one or more embodiments,are diagrams illustrating the abrasive member ofaccording to one or more embodiments.is a diagram illustrating an abrasive wheel according to one or more embodiments.

First, as shown in, an abrasive membermay include a coupling portionlocated at an upper end and attached to the electromagnetof the holder, a separatorarranged between the coupling portionand an abrasive portion, and the abrasive portionarranged at a lower end to grind an upper surface of the substrate. That is, the abrasive membershown inmay further include the separatorarranged between the coupling portionand the abrasive portion.

The abrasive membermay have a structure such that the coupling portionis arranged on an upper portion of the separator, and the abrasive portionis arranged on a lower portion of the separator. The separatormay be arranged between the coupling portionand the abrasive portionto serve to attach the abrasive portionto the coupling portion.

The abrasive portionmay be made of abrasive particlesand an adhesive. The abrasive portionmay be in a state in which diamond powder, which may correspond to the abrasive particles, is mixed with the adhesiveand sintered. The adhesivemay be a synthetic resin, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

illustrate a process of removing the worn abrasive portionfrom the abrasive memberin the abrasive memberofand attaching a new abrasive portionto the abrasive member.

First,shows the abrasive memberincluding the coupling portion, the separator, and the abrasive portion. A length in a vertical direction of the abrasive portionof the abrasive membermay be shortened. That is, the abrasive portionshown inis in a state of being worn to some extent after a grinding process.

is a diagram showing an aspect where the abrasive portionattached to the lower portion of the separatorinhas been removed. The separatormay serve to connect the coupling portionand the abrasive portionto each other while simultaneously and easily separating the abrasive portionfrom the coupling portion.

Accordingly, the separatormay be arranged on the lower portion of the coupling portion, such that in the process of removing the worn abrasive portionfrom the separator, the coupling portionof the abrasive membermay be prevented from being damaged as compared with a case where the separatoris not provided.

is a diagram showing an aspect where a new abrasive portionis attached to the abrasive memberfrom which the worn abrasive portionhas been removed as shown in. A length of the abrasive portionshown inis longer compared to the length of the abrasive portionshown in. As shown in, the new abrasive portionmay be attached to the lower portion of the separator.

is a diagram showing an abrasive wheelincluding the abrasive member, in which it may be seen that the abrasive memberincluding the separatormay be detachably fixed to the electromagnetof the holder.

As in, the holdershown inmay include a plurality of seating portionseach having a groove of a size in which an upper end of each abrasive membermay be seated, and a plurality of electromagnetseach arranged on an inner surface of each of the plurality of seating portions. A groove having a certain depth may be provided in a lower portion of the holder, and the coupling portionmay be arranged to surround an inner surface of the groove.

The abrasive membershown inhas a structure including the separator, and is different fromin that both the electromagnetand the separatorof the abrasive membermay be seated inside the groove of the seating portionof.

shows both the electromagnetand the separatorbeing seated in the groove of the seating portion, but the position where the abrasive memberis arranged in the seating portionis not limited to the shown position.

For example, only the electromagnetmay be seated on the seating portion, or the electromagnetand only a portion of the separatormay be seated on the seating portion. This may vary depending on a depth of the groove of the seating portionand lengths of the electromagnetand the separator.

However, the abrasive portionarranged at the lower end of the abrasive memberserves to grind the substratewhile being in contact with an upper surface of the substrateat the lower surface, so the abrasive portionmay not be seated in the groove of the seating portion.

In addition,shows an aspect where the electromagnetis surrounded by all inner surfaces of the seating portion. However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and the electromagnetarranged on the inner surface of the seating portionmay be arranged on at least one surface of the seating portion.

As the number of inner surfaces of the seating portionon which the electromagnetis arranged increases, a magnetic force generated between the coupling portionof the abrasive memberand the electromagnetbecomes stronger. Accordingly, the electromagnetmay be arranged on all inner surfaces of the seating portion.

is a diagram illustrating an abrasive wheel according to one or more embodiments.

is a diagram illustrates an abrasive wheelincluding an abrasive member. The abrasive memberincluding the separatormay be detachably fixed to the electromagnetof the holder.

In, the seating portionon which the electromagnetis arranged may have a groove. In, the electromagnetmay be arranged on the inner surface of the seating portion, and the groove of the seating portionmay be accordingly filled by the electromagnet.

In, the holdermay include the seating portionhaving a groove shape, and the electromagnetarranged on the inner surface of the seating portion. However, the electromagnetarranged on the inner surface of the seating portionmay have the same shape as the shape of the groove of the seating portion, and as the electromagnetis arranged on the seating portion, the groove of the seating portionmay be filled.

In this case, the coupling portionarranged on the upper portion of the abrasive membermay be attached to a flat lower portion of the electromagnet. In this case, the contact surface between the coupling portionof the abrasive memberand the electromagnetof the holdermay be only one surface. Therefore, the strong magnetic force may not generated between the abrasive memberand the electromagnetof the holder. That is, the magnetic force generated between the abrasive memberand the holdermay be stronger inthan in.

In addition, althoughshows the case where the groove of the seating portionis completely filled, the shape of the electromagnetis not limited to the shown example.

For example, the length (height) of the electromagnetmay be shorter than the depth of the groove of the seating portion. In this case, even after the electromagnetis seated on the seating portion, the groove of the seating portionmay remain unfilled partially. The upper portion of the abrasive membermay be partially inserted into the groove of the seating portion, and the coupling portionarranged at the upper portion of the abrasive membermay be inserted into the groove so that one surface is attached to the flat lower portion of the electromagnet.