Method and apparatus for slicing a work

A method of enhancing the accuracy of a wafer cut from a work comprising:

• rotating a blade member having an internal cutting edge in the form of a circle about a center of the circle at a reference revolution speed;
• axially positioning the blade member in an axial direction of the blade member, relative to the work at a reference axial position with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member;
• ejecting fluid to a side of the blade member at a preset reference pressure:
• detecting a reference blade position of an inner portion of the blade member in the axial direction with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member and the fluid being ejected to a side of the blade member;
• producing a relative movement between the blade member and the work in a radial direction of the blade member so that an end portion of the work is cut by the internal cutting edge of the blade member;
• detecting a deflected position of the inner portion of the blade member and calculating an axial displacement of the blade member from said reference blade position as said blade member engages and cuts the work by finding a difference between the reference blade position and the deflected position;
• multiplying the axial displacement by a first feedback gain value to obtain an ejection pressure correction amount;
• controlling the pressure of the ejection fluid by varying the pressure from the preset reference pressure by the election pressure correction amount, wherein the first feedback gain value is set to maintain the axial displacement at displacement levels corresponding to a position of advancement of the cut in the work;
• multiplying the axial displacement by a second feedback gain value to obtain an axial position correction amount;
• producing a relative movement between a spindle supporting the blade member and the work to effect relative movement between the blade member and the work in an axial direction of the blade member from the reference axial position by an amount equal to the axial position correction amount wherein the second feedback gain value is set so that an actual cutting position of the internal cutting edge with respect to the work is at a predetermined cutting reference position and thereby compensates for the axial displacement which remains due to a time delay in an effect of varying the pressure;
• and
• enhancing the accuracy of the cut wafer by repeatedly performing said steps of detecting a deflected position multiplying the axial displacement by the first feedback gain value to obtain the election pressure correction amount, controlling the pressure multiplying the axial displacement by the second feedback gain value to obtain the axial position correction amount;
• and producing the relative movement between the blade member and the work in the axial direction of the blade member throughout advancement of the cut through the work.

An apparatus for enhancing the accuracy of a wafer cut from a work comprising:

• a blade member having an internal cutting edge in the form of a circle and a spindle rotatably supporting the blade member;
• a first driver which rotates the blade member about a center of the circle of the internal cutting edge at a reference revolution speed;
• a second driver which produces a relative movement between the blade member and a work in a radial direction of the blade member so that an end portion of the work is cut by the internal cutting edge of the blade member;
• a third driver which produces a relative movement between the spindle supporting the blade member and the work in an axial direction of the blade member to effect relative movement between the blade member and the work;
• a displacement position detector which detects a position of an inner portion of the rotating blade member in the axial direction throughout cutting of the work;
• means for controlling the third driver to axially position the blade member relative to the work at a reference axial position with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member;
• means for controlling the position detector to detect a reference blade position of the inner portion of the blade member in the axial direction with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member;
• means for controlling the second driver to effect cutting of the work in the radial direction;
• means for detecting a deflected position of the inner portion of the blade member using the position detector and calculating an axial displacement D of the blade member from said reference blade position as said blade member engages and cuts the work by finding a difference between the reference blade position and the deflected position throughout cutting of the work;
• a first controller which controls said first driver to vary a rotational speed of the blade member by an amount .DELTA.f from the reference revolution speed wherein .DELTA.f is calculated by multiplying said axial displacement D by a feedback constant Kf limited by a time delay response of said first controller wherein the feedback constant Kf is set to maintain the axial displacement at displacement levels corresponding to a position of advancement of the cut in the work throughout cutting of the work;
• and
• a second controller for controlling the third driver to effect an axial relative movement between the blade member and the work based on the axial displacement D so that an actual cutting position of the internal cutting edge with respect to the work is at a predetermined cutting reference position, said second controller controlling the third driver to move the work in the axial direction of the blade member an axial relative movement distance .DELTA.Z from the reference axial position wherein .DELTA.Z is determined from multiplying said axial displacement D by a feedback constant Kz to compensate for said axial displacement D resulting from the time delay response effect on said feedback constant Kf to thereby enhance the accuracy of the cut wafer throughout cutting of the work.

An apparatus for enhancing the accuracy of a wafer cut from a work comprising:

• a blade member having an internal cutting edge in the form of a circle and a spindle rotatably supporting the blade member;
• a first driver which rotates the blade member about a center of the circle of the internal cutting edge;
• a second driver which produces a relative movement between the blade member and a work in a radial direction of the blade member so that an end portion of the work is cut by the internal cutting edge of the blade member;
• a third driver which produces a relative movement between the spindle supporting the blade member and the work to effect relative movement between the blade member and the work in an axial direction of the blade member;
• a fluid ejector for ejecting fluid to a side of the blade member, said fluid ejector initially ejecting the fluid at a preset reference pressure;
• a displacement position detector which detects a position of an inner portion of the rotating blade member in the axial direction throughout cutting of the work;
• means for controlling the third driver to axially position the blade member relative to the work at a reference axial position with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member;
• means for controlling the position detector to detect a reference blade position of the inner portion of the blade member in the axial direction with the work positioned out of engagement with the blade member;
• means for controlling the second driver to effect cutting of the work in the radial direction;
• means for detecting a deflected position of the inner portion of the blade member using the position detector and calculating an axial displacement D of the blade member from said reference blade position as said blade member engages and cuts the work by finding a difference between the reference blade position and the deflected position throughout cutting of the work;
• a first controller which controls the fluid ejector to vary an injection pressure of the ejected fluid by an amount .DELTA.p from the preset reference pressure wherein .DELTA.p is calculated by multiplying said axial displacement D by a feedback constant Kp limited by a time delay response of said first controller, and wherein the feedback constant Kp is set to maintain the axial displacement at displacement levels corresponding to a position of advancement of the cut in the work throughout cutting of the work;
• and
• a second controller for controlling said third driver to effect an axial relative movement between the blade member and the work based on the axial displacement D so that an actual cutting position of the internal cutting edge with respect to the work is at a predetermined cutting reference position, said second controller controlling the third driver to move the work the axial direction of the blade member an axial relative movement distance .DELTA.Z from the reference axial position wherein .DELTA.Z is determined from multiplying said axial displacement D by a feedback constant Kz to compensate for the axial displacement D resulting from the time delay response effect on said feedback constant Kp to thereby enhance the accuracy of the cut wafer throughout cutting of the work.