Abstract: A singulation saw for sawing either substrate or wafers includes a pair of counter-rotating saw blades mounted for independent movement in a vertical direction for alternatively engaging with a substrate to be singulated. The singulation saw further includes a transport system including a pair of substrate carriers reciprocates the substrates. While the first substrate is being cut, the second substrate or other substrate carrier sequentially unloads a cut substrate, loads a new uncut substrate and then moves the uncut substrate to a vision system for determining the position of the substrate relative to the second carrier and then positions the second carrier and its substrate in a standby position ready to be cut by the pair of saw blades that are cutting the first substrate. As the first cut substrate is moved to an unload position, the new uncut substrate is moved into a cutting position.

Abstract: A sawing system (200) incorporates a vision zone (220) between a loading/unloading zone (115) and a sawing zone (210). This arrangement allows a dual spindle counter rotating saw assembly (230) to be more rigidly mounted, which reduces the displacement of the saw assembly during the sawing process. This, advantageously reduces the variation in the cut made by the saw blades of the saw assembly to comply with a predetermined required tolerance. In addition, with the vision zone (220) located between the loading/unloading zone (115) and the sawing zone (210), a semiconductor wafer or substrate is transported from the loading/unloading zone (115) to the vision zone (220) without passing the sawing zone (210). Consequently, exposure of a semiconductor wafer or substrate to water or debris from the sawing process is avoided, and imaging can be performed at the vision zone (220) without water or debris adversely affecting the imaging.

Abstract: In a singulation saw for sawing either substrates or wafers there is provided a pair of counter-rotating saw blades mounted for independent movement in a vertical direction for alternately engaging with a first substrate to be singulated. A transport system comprising a pair of substrate carriers reciprocates the first substrate under the pair of saw blades while alternate ones of the saw blades are engaged to cut the substrate. While the first substrate is being cut, the second or other substrate carrier sequentially unloads a cut substrate, loads a new uncut substrate and then moves the uncut substrate to a vision system for determining the position of the substrate relative to the second carrier and then positions the second carrier and its substrate in a standby position ready to be cut by the pair of saw blades that are cutting the first substrate.

Abstract: A sawing system (200) incorporates a vision zone (220) between a loading/unloading zone (115) and a sawing zone (210). This arrangement allows a dual spindle counter rotating saw assembly (230) to be more rigidly mounted, which reduces the displacement of the saw assembly during the sawing process. This, advantageously reduces the variation in the cut made by the saw blades of the saw assembly to comply with a predetermined required tolerance. In addition, with the vision zone (220) located between the loading/unloading zone (115) and the sawing zone (210), a semiconductor wafer or substrate is transported from the loading/unloading zone (115) to the vision zone (220) without passing the sawing zone (210). Consequently, exposure of a semiconductor wafer or substrate to water or debris from the sawing process is avoided, and imaging can be performed at the vision zone (220) without water or debris adversely affecting the imaging.