Processing equipment

Abstract

[Topic] To check for air leaks from the suction cups or suction path of the conveying mechanism in a simple and reliable manner, and to correctly determine the appropriate time to replace suction cups, piping, etc. [Solution] In the cutting apparatus (processing apparatus) 1 equipped with a transport mechanism 70 for attracting and holding the wafer (workpiece) W and a diagnostic unit 100, the transport mechanism 70 includes: a transport pad 74 having at least four suction cups 75; a lifting mechanism 71 for raising and lowering the transport pad 74; pipes (suction paths) 76A, 76B, etc., connecting the suction cups 75 to the suction source 78; a valve V1; and a pressure gauge 79 for measuring the pressure in the pipes 76A, 76B. When the suction cups 75 are in contact with the upper surface they can attract and connected to the suction source 78, if the absolute value of the negative pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79, |P|, exceeds a preset value, |P 0|, then the diagnostic unit 100 determines that the suction cups 75 and the pipes 76A, 76B are normal; if the absolute value does not exceed the preset value, |P|, then the diagnostic unit 100 determines that the suction cups 75 and the pipes 76A, 76B are normal. If 0|, then the diagnostic department 100 determines that suction cup 75 and piping 76A and 76B are abnormal.

Description

Processing equipment The present invention relates to a processing device with a conveying mechanism, wherein the conveying mechanism sucks and holds a workpiece such as a wafer by at least four suction cups and conveys the workpiece. For example, in a processing device for thin, circular wafers, the following operation is performed: a workpiece assembly consisting of a film adhered to a ring-shaped frame and a wafer is suctioned and held by a transport mechanism, and then transported to a predetermined location. The transport mechanism comprises a transport pad with at least four suction cups that attract the top surface of the wafer, the workpiece being processed; a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the transport pad; a suction path that connects the suction cups to a suction source; and a valve disposed in the suction path (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this transport mechanism, valves are opened to allow at least four suction cups to communicate with a suction source through a suction path, whereby each suction cup generates suction force (negative pressure) to suck and hold the workpiece group. However, if the suction cup deteriorates or air leaks into the suction path connecting the suction cup to the suction source, the suction cup may not generate sufficient suction force, causing the workpiece group to fall from the transfer pad during transport, and the wafers in the workpiece group that are adhered to the ring frame by the adhesive film may be damaged. Therefore, the suction cup is regularly replaced with a new one. [Conventional Technology Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-057618 [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, currently, there is no established method for detecting air leakage from suction cups, suction paths, and other connectors. This makes it difficult to accurately determine the appropriate timing for suction cup replacement, for example. Consequently, even if a suction cup is still fully usable, it may be wasted by replacing it with a new one. The present invention has been completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a processing device that can simply and accurately check the leakage of air from the suction cup of the conveying mechanism and the suction path, and accurately grasp the appropriate replacement timing of the suction cup, piping, etc. [Technical means for solving the problem] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention is a processing device, characterized in that it comprises: a chuck table, which holds a workpiece with a holding surface; a processing means, which processes the workpiece held on the holding surface; a conveying mechanism, which moves the workpiece into the holding surface or moves the workpiece held on the holding surface out; and a diagnostic unit, and the conveying mechanism comprises: a conveying pad, which has at least four suction cups for sucking the upper surface of the workpiece; a lifting mechanism, which lifts and lowers the conveying pad; a suction path, which connects the suction cup with a suction source; a valve, which is arranged in the suction path; and a pressure gauge, which measures the pressure in the suction path between the suction cup and the valve, and, when the suction cup is brought into contact with at least four upper surfaces that the suction cup can suck and the suction cup is connected to the suction source, if the absolute value of the negative pressure measured by the pressure gauge exceeds a preset value, the diagnostic unit judges that the suction cup and the suction path are normal, and if it does not exceed the preset value, the diagnostic unit judges that the suction cup and the suction path are abnormal. [Effects of the invention] According to the present invention, the diagnostic unit opens the valve to connect the suction cup with the suction source when at least four suction cups of the conveying mechanism are in contact with the upper surface that the suction cup can attract, and measures the pressure in the suction path by means of a pressure gauge. If the absolute value of the pressure (negative pressure) measured by the pressure gauge exceeds a preset value (absolute value of negative pressure), the suction cup and the suction path are judged to be normal; if it does not exceed the preset value, the suction cup and the suction path are judged to be abnormal. Therefore, the following effects can be obtained: it is possible to simply and accurately check whether there is any air leakage from the suction cup of the conveying mechanism and the suction path, and accurately grasp the appropriate time to replace the suction cup, piping, etc. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. [Configuration of Processing Device] First, the overall configuration of a cutting device, which is one embodiment of the processing device of the present invention, will be described below based on FIG1 . In the following description, the left-right direction in FIG1 is defined as the X-axis direction, the front-back direction is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the top-bottom direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. FIG1 is a perspective view of a cutting device according to the present invention. The cutting device 1 shown in FIG1 is a so-called dual cutting machine. 1 , which is a wafer processing apparatus, and includes the following elements as main components: a cassette stage 10 on which a cassette 11 is placed, the cassette 11 containing a plurality of workpiece sets WS (only one of which is shown in FIG1 ) including wafers W, which are workpieces to be processed; an extraction mechanism 20 for extracting a workpiece set WS from the cassette 11 placed on the cassette stage 10; a pair of frame guides 30 for temporarily holding the workpiece set WS extracted by the extraction mechanism 20; a chuck stage 40 for holding the workpiece set WS; a processing device 50 for cutting the wafer W held on the chuck stage 40; a first transfer mechanism 70 for loading the workpiece set WS onto the chuck stage 40 and a second transfer mechanism 80 for unloading the workpiece set WS from the chuck stage 40; a spin cleaning mechanism 90 for cleaning the wafers W after cutting; and a diagnosis unit 100 (see FIG2 ) for diagnosing the presence or absence of leakage (normal or abnormal) during leakage inspection by the first transfer mechanism 70 and the second transfer mechanism 80. Next, the main elements constituting the cutting device 1, namely, the cassette stage 10, the extraction mechanism 20, the frame guide 30, the chuck stage 40, the processing means 50, the first and second conveying mechanisms 70 and 80, the rotary cleaning mechanism 90, and the diagnosis unit 100 are described. (Cassette Stage) The dicing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a base 2 that supports its various components. A rectangular opening 3, elongated in the X-axis direction, is formed in the center of the base 2 in the Y-axis direction. A cassette stage 10 is positioned in front of the opening 3 (in the -Y-axis direction) and at the right (+X-axis direction) corner, which is elevated vertically (in the Z-axis direction) by a lifting mechanism (not shown). A rectangular box-shaped cassette 11 is positioned on the top surface of the cassette stage 10. This rectangular box-shaped cassette 11 accommodates multiple workpiece sets WS (only one is shown in Figure 1 ), each containing a workpiece, such as a circular wafer W. For ease of explanation, the outline of the cassette 11 is shown in Figure 1 only as chain lines. Here, the front surface (top surface in Figure 1) of a wafer W is divided into multiple rectangular areas by a grid of planned cutting lines called scribe lines. Components such as ICs and LSIs are formed in each rectangular area. The wafer W, with these components formed, is then cut along the scribe lines to form multiple semiconductor chips. Furthermore, by attaching a film T to the wafer W and the ring frame F, the two are integrated into a workpiece assembly WS. (Extraction mechanism) The extraction mechanism 20 is a mechanism for extracting a workpiece group WS from the cassette 11 in the +Y-axis direction (rearward), and comprises: a ball screw shaft 21 and a guide rail 22, which are arranged vertically parallel along the Y-axis direction (front-back direction) at the +X-axis direction end face (right end face) of the base 2; and an inverted L-shaped extraction arm 23, which moves in the Y-axis direction (front-back direction) along these ball screw shaft 21 and the guide rail 22. Here, an electric motor 24, serving as a driving source, is installed at one axial end (the left end in Figure 1) of the ball screw shaft 21. The other axial end (the right end in Figure 1) is rotatably supported on the base 2 via a bearing 25. The lower end of the vertical portion 23a of the extraction arm 23 is slidably inserted through the guide rail 22, and the ball screw shaft 21 is threadedly inserted through the middle portion of the vertical portion 23a in the height direction. Furthermore, a holding portion 26 for holding the workpiece set WS is installed at the front end of a horizontal portion 23b, which bends vertically from the upper end of the vertical portion 23a of the extraction arm 23 and extends horizontally in the -X-axis direction (leftward). (Frame Guides) The frame guides 30 are a pair of left and right members curved in an inverted L-shape. They temporarily hold the workpiece set WS extracted from the cassette 11 by the extraction mechanism 20. These frame guides 30 are movable in opposite directions in the X-axis direction (the horizontal direction) along slit-shaped guide holes 2a formed linearly along the X-axis direction (the horizontal direction) on the top surface of the base 2. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, each frame guide 30 has a vertical portion 30a inserted into the guide hole 2a. From the top end of each vertical portion 30a, a horizontal portion 30b extends horizontally and parallel to each other in the +Y-axis direction (the rearward direction). The pair of frame guides 30 are moved in opposite directions in the X-axis direction (the horizontal direction) by a movement mechanism (not shown) located within the base 2, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance between them. (Chuck Table) The chuck table 40 is a disk-shaped member that holds the workpiece set WS. It is positioned in the opening 3 formed in the upper surface of the base 2, with its holding surface (upper surface) exposed. Four clamps 41 are arranged around the chuck table 40 at equal angular intervals (90° intervals) in the circumferential direction. These four clamps 41 are used to secure the annular frame F (see Figure 1) of the workpiece set WS from all four sides. The chuck table 40 is rotatably driven about its vertical axis by a rotational drive mechanism (not shown) located below it, and is also movable back and forth in the X-axis direction (left and right) by an X-axis movement mechanism (not shown) located below it. Furthermore, the perimeter of the chuck table 40 within the opening 3 is covered by a rectangular plate-shaped cover 4 that moves with the chuck table 40. The X-axis sides (left and right) of the cover 4 are covered by accordion-shaped telescopic covers 5 that move and extend in the X-axis direction with the cover 4. Therefore, regardless of the position of the chuck table 40 along the X-axis, the opening 3 of the base 2 is always sealed by the cover 4 and the telescopic cover 5, effectively preventing foreign matter from entering the base 2 through the opening 3. (Processing Means) The dicing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, which is a twin-dicing machine, includes a first dicing unit 51 and a second dicing unit 52, arranged side by side on the left side (-X axis side) of the base 2, as processing means (dicing means). These first and second dicing units 51, 52 are arranged so as to face each other on the front and rear sides (-Y axis side and +Y axis side) across an opening 3 formed in the upper surface of the base 2. Each of these units is equipped with an imaging unit 53. Each imaging unit 53 captures an image of the wafer W held on the holding surface of the chuck table 40 and detects the position of the dicing streets. In addition, the first cutting unit 51 and the second cutting unit 52 can be moved up and down in the Z-axis direction (cutting feed direction) by a pair of front and rear Z-axis moving mechanisms 55, and can be moved forward and backward in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction) by a pair of front and rear Y-axis moving mechanisms 60. Each Z-axis movement mechanism 55 comprises the following components: a pair of Z-axis guide rails 56 arranged parallel to each other and perpendicularly positioned in front and behind a rectangular plate-shaped slider 61; a lift plate 57 capable of vertical movement along these Z-axis guide rails 56; a rotatable Z-axis ball screw shaft 58 perpendicularly positioned between the pair of Z-axis guide rails 56; and a forward / reversible pulse motor 59 that rotationally drives the Z-axis ball screw shaft 58. The first cutting unit 51 and the camera unit 53, and the second cutting unit 52 and the camera unit 53, are mounted on the lower portion of each lift plate 57. Furthermore, a nut member (not shown) protrudes from the back of each lift plate 57, and the Z-axis ball screw shaft 58 is threadedly inserted into this nut member. In the Z-axis moving mechanism 55 constructed as described above, if the Z-axis pulse motor 59 is driven and the Z-axis ball screw shaft 58 rotates forward and reverse, the lifting plate 57 protruding with a nut component (not shown) that is screwed into the Z-axis ball screw shaft 58 will move up and down along a pair of Z-axis guide rails 56, so the first cutting unit 51 and the camera unit 53 and the second cutting unit 52 and the camera unit 53 respectively installed on each lifting plate 57 will also move up and down along the Z-axis direction (cutting feed direction). In addition, each of the front and rear pairs of Y-axis moving mechanisms 60 is equipped with the aforementioned slider 61, but these sliders 61 can move along the Y-axis direction along the upper and lower pairs of Y-axis guide rails 63, respectively. The upper and lower pairs of Y-axis guide rails 63 are arranged parallel to each other along the Y-axis direction (front and rear direction) on the front side of the door-shaped column 62 vertically erected on the base 2. In the front and rear Y-axis moving mechanisms 60, a pair of rotatable Y-axis ball screw shafts 64 are positioned between upper and lower Y-axis guide rails 63 along the Y-axis (front-back) direction. Nut members (not shown) protruding from the backs of the front and rear sliders 61 are threadedly engaged with each of these Y-axis ball screw shafts 64. Furthermore, one axial end of each Y-axis ball screw shaft 64 is connected to a Y-axis pulse motor 65 (only one is shown in FIG1 ), serving as a rotational drive source. Therefore, in each Y-axis moving mechanism 60, when the Y-axis pulse motor 65 is driven to rotate the Y-axis ball screw shaft 64 forward and reverse, the front and rear pairs of sliders 61, each of which has a protruding nut member (not shown) that screws with the Y-axis ball screw shaft 64, can move in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction) along the Y-axis guide rail 63 along with the lifting plate 57. As a result, the first cutting unit 51 and the camera unit 53, and the second cutting unit 52 and the camera unit 53, respectively, mounted on the lifting plate 57, can move in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction) along the Y-axis guide rail 63. As described above, in the cutting device 1 shown in Figure 1, the chuck table 40 and the wafer W (workpiece group WS) held on the chuck table 40 can move along the X-axis direction (left-right direction), and the first cutting unit 51 and the camera unit 53 and the second cutting unit 52 and the camera unit 53 can move along the Y-axis direction (front-back direction) and the Z-axis direction (up-down direction), respectively. (First and second conveying mechanisms) The first conveying mechanism 70 attracts and holds the workpiece group WS extracted from the cartridge 11 by the extraction mechanism 20 and temporarily placed on a pair of left and right frame guides 30, and conveys it to the chuck table 40. It can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction (up and down direction) by the lifting mechanism 71 shown in Figure 2, and can be moved horizontally on the XY plane by a moving mechanism not shown in the figure. As shown in detail in Figure 2, this first conveying mechanism 70 has an H-shaped conveying pad 74 installed at the front end of an L-shaped support bar 73, and suction cups 75 are respectively installed at the four corners of the conveying pad 74. The L-shaped support bar 73 is installed at the lower end of the vertical rod body 72. As shown in Figure 2, each suction cup 75 is formed into a hollow, downwardly open truncated cone shape using an elastic material such as rubber. Flexible pipes (suction paths) 76A are connected to each of the four suction cups 75. These four pipes (suction paths) 76A merge at a joint 77 and connect to a single pipe (suction path) 76B. Pipe (suction path) 76B is then connected to a suction source 78, such as a vacuum pump. A valve V1 is provided midway within pipe 76B to selectively shut off the connection between each suction cup 75 and the suction source 78. Furthermore, a pressure gauge (pressure sensor) 79 is provided between the joint 77 and valve V1 of pipe 76B to measure the pressure (negative pressure) within pipes (suction paths) 76A and 76B. In addition, the valve V1 and the pressure gauge 79 are electrically connected to the diagnostic unit 100, and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge 79 is transmitted to the diagnostic unit 100. As described later, the diagnostic unit 100 diagnoses whether there is any air leakage (normal or abnormal) from the suction cup 75, the piping (suction path) 76A, 76B, etc. based on the measured value of the pressure transmitted from the pressure gauge 79. The second conveying mechanism 80 attracts and holds the workpiece group WS having the wafer W that has completed the predetermined cutting process by the first cutting unit 51 and the second cutting unit 52, and conveys it from the chuck table 40 to the later-described rotary table 91 of the rotary cleaning mechanism 90, and the basic structure of the second conveying mechanism 80 is the same as the basic structure of the aforementioned first conveying mechanism 70. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the second transport mechanism 80 can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) by a lifting mechanism 81 and can be moved horizontally in the XY plane by a moving mechanism (not shown). Furthermore, as shown in detail in Figure 6, this second transport mechanism 80 comprises an H-shaped transport pad 84 mounted on a stay 83, with suction cups 85 mounted on each of the four corners of the transport pad 84. The stay 83 is mounted on the lower end of a vertical rod 82. Here, flexible pipes (suction paths) 86A are connected to each of the four suction cups 85. These four pipes (suction paths) 86A merge at a joint 87 and connect to a single pipe (suction path) 86B. Pipe (suction path) 86B is then connected to a suction source 88. A valve V2 is provided midway along pipe 86B to selectively shut off the connection between each suction cup 85 and the suction source 88. Furthermore, a pressure gauge (pressure sensor) 89 is provided between joint 87 and valve V2 on pipe 86B to measure the pressure (negative pressure) within pipes (suction paths) 86A and 86B. In addition, the valve V2 and the pressure gauge 89 are electrically connected to the diagnostic unit 100, and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge 89 is transmitted to the diagnostic unit 100. As described later, the diagnostic unit 100 diagnoses whether there is air leakage (normal or abnormal) from the suction cup 85, the piping (suction path) 86A, 86B, etc. based on the measured value of the pressure transmitted from the pressure gauge 89. In the present embodiment, four suction cups 75 and 85 are provided on the conveying pad 74 of the first conveying mechanism 70 and the conveying pad 84 of the second conveying mechanism 80 , respectively. However, any number of the suction cups 75 and 85 may be provided as long as it is four or more. (Rotary Cleaning Mechanism) The rotary cleaning mechanism 90 is used to clean wafers W after dicing. As shown in Figure 1 , it is located on the base 2, further to the rear and right of the opening 3. This rotary cleaning mechanism 90 comprises a rotary table 91 that rotates while holding the workpiece set WS (wafers W) by suction; and a spray nozzle (not shown) that sprays a cleaning liquid from above onto the workpiece set WS (wafers W) held by suction on the rotary table 91. (Diagnostic section) The diagnostic section 100 shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6 checks whether there is any air leakage (leakage) from the suction cup 75, the pipes (suction path) 76A, 76B of the first conveying mechanism 70 and the suction cup 85, the pipes (suction path) 86A, 86B of the second conveying mechanism 80 based on the value (absolute value) of the pressure (negative pressure) in the pipes (suction path) 76A, 76B and the pipes (suction path) 86A, 86B measured by the pressure gauges 79, 89 installed in the first conveying mechanism 70 and the second conveying mechanism 80. If the measured pressure (absolute value) exceeds the preset set value (absolute value), it is diagnosed as normal because there is no air leakage. If it does not exceed the set value, it is diagnosed as abnormal because there is air leakage. The details of this diagnostic technique will be described later. [Function of Cutting Device] Next, the function of the cutting device 1 configured as described above will be described. When the wafer W is cut, the workpiece set WS is extracted from the cassette 11 placed on the cassette table 10 by the extraction mechanism 20 and temporarily placed on the pair of frame guides 30. At this time, as shown in FIG2, the pair of frame guides 30 move toward each other to reduce the distance between them. From this state, when the first transport mechanism 70 is moved above the workpiece set WS by a moving mechanism (not shown), the transport pad 74 of the first transport mechanism 70 is lowered in the -Z-axis direction by the lifting mechanism 71 (see Figure 2 ), and the four suction cups 75 attached to the transport pad 74 come into contact with the upper surface of the annular frame F (see Figure 1 ) of the workpiece set WS. Then, due to the opening of valve V1 (see Figure 2 ), the suction cups 75 and the suction source 78 are connected via pipes (suction paths) 76A and 76B. The suction cups 75 are then drawn by the suction source 78, generating a negative pressure within the suction cups 75. This negative pressure attracts the workpiece set WS to the suction cups 75. Afterwards, if the conveying pad 74 is raised in the +Z-axis direction together with the workpiece set WS by the lifting mechanism 71 and the workpiece set WS is separated from the frame guide 30, the pair of frame guides 30 are moved in the direction of separation from each other along the guide holes 2a of the base 2 by the moving mechanism not shown in the figure. As shown in Figure 1, the distance between the two frame guides 30 is expanded, so that the workpiece set WS can pass between these frame guides 30. Next, the chuck table 40 is moved below the workpiece set WS along the +X-axis direction by the X-axis moving mechanism (not shown). From this position, the transfer pad 74 is lowered in the -Z-axis direction by the lifting mechanism 71 (see FIG. 2 ), transferring the workpiece set WS held by the transfer pad 74 to the chuck table 40. The workpiece set WS transferred to the chuck table 40 is then attracted and held on the holding surface of the chuck table 40, and the chuck table 40, which is holding the workpiece set WS, is moved toward the -X-axis direction by the X-axis moving mechanism (not shown). Meanwhile, in the first and second cutting units 51 and 52 shown in FIG1 , when imaging the front surface of the wafer W using the imaging units 53 to obtain images, pattern matching processing based on these images is performed to detect the scribe lines to be cut. Once the scribe lines on the wafer W are detected, the Y-axis positions of the respective cutting blades 51 a (only one is shown in FIG1 ) of the first and second cutting units 51 and 52 are indexed and advanced by a pair of front and rear Y-axis movement mechanisms 60 , respectively, so that the Y-axis positions of the respective cutting blades 51 a are aligned with the positions of the scribe lines to be cut. Next, starting from this state, the cutting blades 51a of the first and second cutting units 51, 52 are driven and rotated at high speed while being lowered by a predetermined amount of penetration by a pair of front and rear Z-axis movement mechanisms 55. Furthermore, the chuck table 40 and the workpiece set WS (wafer W) held on the chuck table 40 are moved in the X-axis direction by an X-axis movement mechanism (not shown). The wafer W is then cut along the scribe lines by the cutting blades 51a of the first and second cutting units 51, 52. Once this operation is repeated for all scribe lines in one direction, the chuck table 40 and the workpiece set WS held on the chuck table 40 are rotated by only 90° by an unillustrated rotational drive mechanism, and the wafer W is similarly cut along scribe lines in another direction perpendicular to the previously cut scribe lines. Once all scribe lines on the wafer W are cut, multiple semiconductor wafers with individual components mounted thereon are obtained. When the dicing process of the wafer W is completed as described above, the workpiece set WS held on the chuck table 40 is transferred to the second transfer mechanism 80. Specifically, similarly to the first transfer mechanism 70, the workpiece set WS is transferred to the rotary cleaning mechanism 90 while being held by the four suction cups 85 of the transfer pad 84 of the second transfer mechanism 80, and is transferred to the rotary table 91 of the rotary cleaning mechanism 90. The workpiece group WS transferred to the turntable 91 is held by attraction on the holding surface of the turntable 91, and while rotating at a predetermined speed together with the turntable 91, it is cleaned by a cleaning liquid sprayed from a nozzle not shown in the figure, thereby removing cutting chips attached to the wafer W due to the cutting process. [Leakage Inspection of Conveying Mechanism] Next, a method of leak inspection (diagnosis of the presence or absence of air leakage) of the first conveying mechanism 70 and the second conveying mechanism 80 will be described. (First Transport Mechanism) First, a method of leak inspection of the first transport mechanism 70 will be described below based on FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 . The leakage inspection system diagnostic unit 100 of the first conveying mechanism 70 diagnoses whether there is air leakage in the four suction cups 75 provided on the conveying pad 74 and the pipes (suction paths) 76A and 76B connecting the suction cups 75 and the suction source 78. The following describes the diagnostic procedure according to the flow chart shown in Figure 3 and the timing chart shown in Figure 4. During leakage testing using the first transport mechanism 70, as shown in Figure 2 , the pair of frame guides 30 are moved toward each other, reducing the distance between them. The transport pad 74 is positioned above them. The lifting mechanism 71 is then driven (step S1 in Figure 3 ), lowering the transport pad 74 in the -Z direction. As described above, when the transfer pad 74 descends, it is determined whether the four suction cups 75 attached to the transfer pad 74 have contacted the upper surfaces of the pair of frame guides 30 (step S2). If the four suction cups 75 have contacted the upper surfaces (contact surfaces) of the frame guides 30 (step S2: Yes), the valve V1 is opened (step S3). Here, the width L1 of the upper surface (contact surface) of each frame guide 30 that the suction cups 75 contact is set to be greater than the maximum diameter φd of each suction cup 75 (L1>φd), so that the entire surface of each suction cup 75 is in contact with the upper surface of the frame guide 30. The transfer pad 74 continues descending until the four suction cups 75 have contacted the upper surfaces of the frame guides 30 (step S2 → step S1). As described above, when the valve V1 is opened (step S3), each suction cup 75 is connected to the suction source 78 via the piping (suction path) 76A, 76B, thereby generating a negative pressure in each suction cup 75. The time elapsed since the valve V1 was opened is measured (step S4), and the pressure (negative pressure) P in the piping (suction path) 76A, 76B is measured by the pressure gauge 79 (step S5). However, if valve V1 is opened, the pressure P within the pipes (suction paths) 76A and 76B gradually decreases. Here, consider the three patterns of pressure P decrease in Figure 4, represented by the solid line A, the dashed line B, and the chain line C. The pattern represented by the solid line A shows a rapid decrease in pressure P due to no air leakage from the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. The pattern represented by the dashed line B shows a slightly slower decrease in pressure P due to slight air leakage from the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. Furthermore, the pattern represented by the chain line C shows a very slow decrease in pressure P due to significant air leakage from the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. As described above, when the pressure P in the pipes 76A and 76B is measured by the pressure gauge 79, the diagnosis unit 100 determines whether the absolute value |P| of the measured pressure (negative pressure) P exceeds the preset value (absolute value) |P 0|(|P|>|P 0 |? ) (step S6). In the mode represented by the solid line A in FIG4 , at time t 1. The absolute value of pressure P |P| exceeds the set value |P at point a shown in Figure 4. 0|and decrease until the pressure P 1. And, in the mode indicated by the dotted line B in FIG4, at the time t 1 A little later time t 2. The absolute value of pressure P |P| exceeds the set value |P at point b shown in Figure 4. 0|and decrease until the pressure P 1 up to. Therefore, in the above two modes, the absolute value of the pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79 |P| is respectively 1 and t 2 Exceeds the set value | P 0| (step S6: Yes), so the diagnosis unit 100 respectively at time t 1. t 2 Close the valve V1 (step S7), and measure the time that has passed since the valve V1 was closed (step S8). When the valve V1 is closed as described above, the connection between the pipes (suction paths) 76A and 76B of the suction pads 75 and the suction source 78 is cut off, and the suction of the air in the pipes 76A and 76B to the suction source 78 is stopped. Then, it is determined whether a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) ΔT has passed since the valve V1 was closed. 1 (step S9), if the predetermined time ΔT has passed 1 (step S9: Yes), it is determined whether the absolute value of the pressure P in the pipes 76A and 76B measured by the pressure gauge 79 has exceeded the predetermined set value |P 0| (Step S10). In the mode indicated by the solid line A in FIG4 , even after the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, Time t1 3. The pressure P also maintains a fixed value P 1, so after the predetermined time ΔT has passed Time t1 The absolute value of the pressure P at 3 |P| is maintained above the set value |P as shown by point c. 0|value P 1. The result of the determination in step S10 is YES. This means that there is no air leakage from suction cup 75 or pipes 76A and 76B (actually, outside air is flowing into suction cup 75 or pipes 76A and 76B). Therefore, the diagnostic unit 100 diagnoses that suction cup 75 and pipes 76A and 76B are normal and can continue to use them (step S11), and then ends the series of diagnostic processing (step S12). On the other hand, in the mode indicated by the dotted line B in FIG. 4 , after a predetermined time ΔT has passed since the valve V1 is closed, Time t1 The absolute value of the pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79 of FIG. 4 does not exceed the set value |P| as indicated by point d in FIG. 4. 0|, so the result of the determination in step S10 is NO. This means that there is a slight leakage of air from the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. Therefore, the diagnosis unit 100 diagnoses that the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B are abnormal and need to be replaced (step S13), and ends the series of diagnostic processing (step S12). Unlike the pattern represented by the solid line A and the pattern represented by the dotted line B in FIG4 , in the pattern represented by the chain line C, the pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79 decreases very slowly, and it is considered that a large amount of air is leaking from the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. Assuming this situation, the diagnosis unit will check that the absolute value |P| of the pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79 after the valve V1 is opened does not exceed the set value |P 0| (step S6: No), it is determined whether the time elapsed since the valve V1 was opened has exceeded the predetermined time ΔT shown in FIG4. 2 (step S14), before the predetermined time ΔT has passed 2 (step S14: No), the processing of steps S4 to S6 is repeated, and even if the predetermined time ΔT has passed Time t2 5. The absolute value of the pressure P measured by the pressure gauge 79 |P| is also represented by point e in FIG4. 3 without exceeding the predetermined value | P 0| (step S14: YES), the diagnosis unit 100 diagnoses that the suction cup 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B are abnormal and need to be replaced (step S13), and ends the series of diagnosis processing (step S12). In addition, in this embodiment, although the predetermined elapsed time ΔT from the opening of the valve V1 is set to 2 is set to a predetermined time ΔT after closing the valve V1 1 longer (ΔT 2>ΔT 1), but this can also be set to the opposite (ΔT 2<ΔT 1), or can be set to the same value (ΔT 1=ΔT 2). As described above, in this embodiment, the diagnosis unit 100 opens the valve V1 to connect the suction cups 75 to the suction source 78 while the four suction cups 75 of the first conveying mechanism 70 are in contact with the flat upper surface of the frame guide 30. The pressure P of the pipes 76A and 76B is measured by the pressure gauge 79. If the absolute value |P| of the pressure (negative pressure) P measured by the pressure gauge 79 exceeds the preset value |P 0 | The suction cup 75 or the pipe (suction path) 76A, 76B is normal, if it does not exceed the preset value | P 0|The suction cup 75 or the piping (suction path) 76A, 76B is diagnosed as abnormal, so the following effect can be achieved: the air leakage from the suction cup 75, piping (suction path) 76A, 76B of the first conveying mechanism 70 can be simply and accurately checked, and the appropriate replacement time of the suction cup 75, piping 76A, 76B, etc. can be correctly grasped. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the four suction cups 75 of the first transport mechanism 70 are brought into contact with the flat upper surface of the frame guide 30 to perform a leak check on the suction cups 75 and the pipes 76A and 76B. However, as shown in FIG5 , the four suction cups 75 of the first transport mechanism 70 can also be brought into contact with the flat annular portion (contact surface) 40a on the outer circumference of the chuck table 40, and the suction cups 75 and the pipes (suction path) 76A and 76B can be leak checked using the same technique as described above. In this case, the width L2 of the annular portion 40a on the outer circumference of the chuck table 40 is set to be greater than the maximum diameter φd of each suction cup 75 (L2 > φd). In FIG5 , elements identical to those shown in FIG2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and further description of these elements will be omitted. In addition, the suction cup 75 may be made to contact the supporting surface of the support frame F of the fixture 41 instead of the annular portion 40a on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the chuck table 40, and leakage inspection of the suction cup 75 and the piping (suction path) 76A and 76B may be performed by the same method as described above. (Second Transport Mechanism) The leakage inspection of the second transport mechanism 80 can also be performed in the same manner as the leakage inspection of the first transport mechanism 70 . Specifically, during the leakage inspection of the second transport mechanism 80, as shown in Figure 6, the four suction cups 85 of the second transport mechanism 80 are brought into contact with the flat, annular portion (contact surface) 91a on the outer circumference of the rotating table 91 of the rotary cleaning mechanism 90. The suction cups 85 and the pipes (suction paths) 86A and 86B are then inspected for leaks using the same technique as described above. In this case, the width L3 of the annular portion 91a on the outer circumference of the rotating table 91 is set to be greater than the maximum diameter φd of each suction cup 85 (L3 > φd). In Figure 6, elements identical to those shown in Figures 2 and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and further description of these elements will be omitted. Furthermore, the first transport mechanism 70 can also transport the workpiece set WS from the chuck table 40 to the rotating table 91 of the rotary cleaning mechanism 90. Furthermore, although the above description has been made of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a cutting device, the present invention is also applicable to any other processing device including a conveying mechanism that sucks and holds a workpiece by a suction cup and conveys it. Furthermore, although the examples above have been given of using the upper surface of the frame guide 30 and the annular portion 40a of the upper surface of the chuck table 40 as the contact surface with which the suction cup 75 contacts during the leakage inspection of the first conveying mechanism 70, and using the annular portion 91a of the rotating table 91 as the contact surface with which the suction cup 85 contacts during the leakage inspection of the second conveying mechanism 80, any other flat surface may be used as the contact surface with which these suction cups 75 and 85 contact. Furthermore, the application of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claims and the technical concept described in the specification and drawings. 1: Cutting device (processing device) 2: Base 2a: Guide hole 3: Opening of base 4: Cover 5: Telescopic cover 10: Cassette base 11: Cassette 20: Extraction mechanism 21: Ball screw shaft 22: Guide rail 23: Extraction arm 23a: Vertical portion of extraction arm 23b: Horizontal portion of extraction arm 24: Electric motor 25: Bearing 26: Holding portion 30: Frame guide 30a: Vertical portion of frame guide 30b: Horizontal portion of frame guide 40: Chuck base 40a: Annular portion of chuck base 41: Clamp 50: Processing means 51: First cutting Cutting unit 51a: Cutting blade 52: Second cutting unit 53: Camera unit 55: Z-axis moving mechanism 56: Z-axis guide 57: Lifting plate 58: Z-axis ball screw 59: Z-axis pulse motor 60: Y-axis moving mechanism 61: Slider 62: Cylinder 63: Y-axis guide 64: Y-axis ball screw 65: Y-axis pulse motor 70: First conveying mechanism 71: Lifting mechanism 72: Rod 73: Stay 74: Conveyor pad 75: Suction cup 76A, 76B: Piping (suction path) 77: Connector 78: Suction source 79: Pressure gauge 80: Second transport mechanism 81: Elevator mechanism 82: Rod 83: Stay 84: Transport pad 85: Suction cup 86A, 86B: Piping (suction path) 87: Connector 88: Suction source 89: Pressure gauge 90: Rotary cleaning mechanism 91: Turntable 91a: Annular portion of the turntable 100: Diagnostic unit φd: Maximum diameter of the suction cup F: Annular frame L1: Width of the top surface of the annular frame L2: Width of the annular portion of the chuck table L3: Width of the annular portion of the turntable T: Adhesive film V1, V2: Valve W: Wafer WS: Workpiece assembly FIG1 is a perspective view of a cutting device, which is a state of a processing device of the present invention. FIG2 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which a leakage check of the first conveying mechanism is performed using a frame guide of the cutting device of the present invention. FIG3 is a flow chart showing a leakage check procedure performed by a diagnostic unit in the cutting device of the present invention. FIG4 is a time chart showing a time variation of the suction pressure of the first conveying mechanism in the cutting device of the present invention during a leakage check. FIG5 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which a leakage check of the first conveying mechanism is performed using a chuck table of the cutting device of the present invention. FIG6 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which a leakage check of the second conveying mechanism is performed using a rotary table of the cutting device of the present invention. 2a: Guide hole 30:Frame guide 30a: Vertical portion of frame guide 30b: horizontal portion of the frame guide 40: Chuck table 41: Clamp 70: First transport mechanism 71: Lifting mechanism 72: Rod body 73:Stabilizer 74: Transport mat 75: Suction Cup 76A, 76B: Piping (suction path) 77: Connector 78: Attraction 79: Pressure gauge 100: Diagnosis Department φd: Maximum diameter of the suction cup L1: Width of the upper surface of the ring frame V1: Valve

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table holding a workpiece with a holding surface; a processing means for processing the workpiece held on the holding surface; a conveying mechanism for conveying the workpiece into or out of the holding surface; and a diagnostic unit, the conveying mechanism comprising: a conveying pad having at least four suction cups for attracting the upper surface of the workpiece; A lifting mechanism that causes the conveying pad to rise and fall; An attraction path that connects the suction cup to the attraction source; A valve is located in the suction path; And a pressure gauge that measures the pressure in the suction path between the suction cup and the valve. When the suction cup is in contact with at least four upper surfaces that the suction cup can attract and the suction cup is connected to the suction source, if the absolute value of the negative pressure measured by the pressure gauge exceeds a preset value, the diagnostic unit closes the valve. If the absolute value of the negative pressure measured by the pressure gauge exceeds a preset value after a predetermined time has elapsed since the valve was closed, the diagnostic unit determines that the suction cup and the suction path are normal. If the absolute value does not exceed the preset value, the diagnostic unit determines that the suction cup and the suction path are abnormal.

2. The processing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The workpiece is an assembly of components formed by bonding an adhesive film to a ring frame and a wafer, and integrating them. The processing apparatus includes: a cassette stage for holding a cassette containing the workpiece assembly; an extraction mechanism for extracting the workpiece assembly from the cassette stage; and a frame guide for temporarily holding the workpiece assembly extracted by the extraction mechanism. The frame guide has a contact surface with an area wider than the suction cups. The diagnostic unit diagnoses whether the suction cups and the suction path are normal or abnormal when at least four suction cups are attracting the contact surface of the frame guide.

3. The processing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, It includes: a rotary cleaning mechanism that rotates a turntable holding the workpiece and sprays cleaning water onto the workpiece held on the turntable to clean it; the turntable has a contact surface with an area wider than the suction cups; and a diagnostic unit that diagnoses whether the suction cups and the suction path are normal or abnormal when at least four of the suction cups are attracting the contact surface of the turntable.

4. The processing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The chuck stage has a contact surface that is wider than the suction cup. The diagnostic unit diagnoses whether the suction cup and the suction path are normal or abnormal when at least four suction cups are aspirating the contact surface of the chuck stage.

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