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PC-based control for precision micro-cutting of semiconductor products

New generation of fully automatic dicing saws makes wafer singulation more efficient

The demand for electronic components is steadily increasing worldwide. To remain competitive in this dynamic market environment, companies must deliver high quality at competitive prices. Leddo Technology, based in China, successfully achieved this balance by implementing its automatic dicing saws with universal PC- and EtherCAT-based control technology from Beckhoff.

Founded in 2010, Wuxi Autowell Technology Co., Ltd. (ATW) is a well-known intelligent equipment manufacturer in the PV, Li-ion battery and semiconductor industries, and currently has more than 4,000 employees. Leddo Technology is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATW specializing in the research, development, production, and sales of semiconductor dicing saws. With a laser focus on precision cutting technology for semiconductor materials, Leddo upholds a corporate spirit of “professionalism, unity, and relentless progress.”

HMI with a visualization of the dicing process and machine parameters

Recently, the company has successfully developed and launched the LAD5100 and LFD7100 series of high-precision dicing saws. These advanced solutions cater to a diverse range of product sizes, including 6-inch, 8-inch, and 12-inch wafers. The systems of Leddo Technology are primarily deployed in the fully automated dicing and processing of wafers and other semiconductor products, such as integrated circuits, power devices, compound semiconductor chips, optical communication devices, and LEDs. Leddo’s devices excel in versatility and are suitable for cutting various materials and products, including silicon, lithium niobate, ceramics, glass, quartz, alumina, and PCB boards. They are complemented by a comprehensive suite of wafer cleaning equipment, essential consumables, and tailor-made dicing process solutions.

As a leading semiconductor equipment provider in China, Leddo aims to leverage cutting-edge products and technology as well as extensive industry expertise to consistently provide customers with practical and efficient product solutions.

PC-based control technology

For automating the LAD5100 single-axis semi-automatic dicing saw and the LFD7100 dual-axis fully automatic dicing saw, Leddo Technology has selected the universal PC- and EtherCAT-based control technology from Beckhoff. For machine control, they employ the C6030 ultra-compact Industrial PC measuring only 132 x 133 x 76 mm in size. Despite its compact dimensions, the controller delivers exceptional computing power, featuring an Intel® Core™ i5-9500E processor capable of achieving minimum task cycle times of 50 μs. Additionally, the industrial PC for control cabinet installation provides four independent Gigabit Ethernet ports, meeting the requirements of EtherCAT real-time control while also supporting Modbus TCP and TCP/IP protocols. The PC-based control system runs on the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating system, with the HMI interface developed in C#. This approach of the PC-based control technology not only reduces equipment costs but also enhances communication capabilities and system stability.

The open EtherCAT fieldbus system and its advantages

EtherCAT is by and large the fastest Industrial Ethernet technology, but it also synchronizes with nanosecond accuracy. The rapid response times work to reduce the wait times during the transitions between process steps, which significantly improves overall application efficiency. EtherCAT offers virtually limitless freedom when it comes to network topology. Line, tree, star topologies and any combinations thereof are possible with a nearly unlimited number of nodes. Moreover, experience with customer equipment has shown that diagnostic capabilities play a major role in enhancing a machine‘s availability and commissioning time. In addition to error detection, fast error localization is vital for troubleshooting. Leddo Technology utilizes TcEtherCAT.lib in order to acquire the communication status of slave nodes, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of the equipment.

The compact I/O level equipped with EtherCAT Terminals saves space in in the machine-integrated control cabinet.

The equipment employs a complete set of Beckhoff I/O solutions, including digital, analog, and communication modules in the comprehensive portfolio of EtherCAT Terminals. Among them is the EL3702 analog input terminal with oversampling function, which meets the customers’ requirements for particularly high-resolution scanning of the measurement range.

Automation perfectly tailored to the application with TwinCAT

From Leddo Technology’s point of view, TwinCAT 3 software has redefined the well-known field of automation technology. TwinCAT 3 integrates all control functions, including TwinCAT PLC and TwinCAT NC, into a unified software platform that provides a development environment and a runtime environment. In this way, multiple task cycles can be set up for the equipment, with different tasks being assigned to different CPU cores. The software platform also offers flexible task priority settings for real-time multi-task processing.

For the high accuracy of the dicing saws, it is essential to achieve a well-coordinated and precise motion control of the cutting axes of the dicing blade as well as the spindle drive.

The NC control cycle time of the equipment reaches 200 μs, meeting the technical specifications of a single positioning accuracy of up to 0.002/5 mm for the Y-axis, a full-range positioning accuracy of 0.003/310 mm, a travel resolution of 0.00005 mm for the Z-axis of the dicing blade, a repeat positioning accuracy of 0.001 mm, a maximum spindle speed of 60,000 rpm, and a radial runout of less than 0.1 μm.

TwinCAT 3 Eventlogger manages target events and records customized alarm information, ensuring worry-free equipment maintenance.

TwinCAT 3 Scope Server automatically collects and stores real-time data, making data analysis effortless.

TwinCAT 3 Condition Monitoring analyzes vibration measurement data to enhance equipment stability and in that way avoid any impact on the cutting quality.

Conclusion

The accuracy of ±1.5 μm already surpasses the equipment’s accuracy of most small and medium-sized equipment manufacturers from China and, according to Leddo Technology, may even match the accuracy of machines from some leading international suppliers. The yield rate in the processing of the valuable semiconductor materials and products can exceed 99.9%, which benefits the competitiveness of end customers. From Leddo Technology’s perspective, diverse TwinCAT Functions and EtherCAT’s diagnostic capabilities also simplify maintenance and commissioning, enabling further optimization of the application during operation and ensuring high system availability. In addition, Leddo says that Beckhoff control technology saves space in the control cabinet and helps conserve costly floor space in cleanrooms.