PROCESSING DEVICE FOR REMOVING AN ANNULAR REINFORCEMENT SECTION IN A PROPOSED FORM FROM A WAFER

Abstract

A processing device (2) for removing an annular reinforcement section (24) in a projecting shape from a wafer (4), the reinforcement section (24) formed in the projecting shape being located on a portion of a lower surface (4b) corresponding to a circumferential excess area (20), the processing device (2) comprising: a wafer cassette table (8) to which a wafer cassette (6) is attached, which accommodates several wafers (4); a wafer unloading unit (10) configured to unload the wafer (4) from the wafer cassette (6) attached to the wafer cassette table (8); a wafer table (12) configured to support one side of an upper surface (4a) of the wafer (4) unloaded by the wafer unloading unit (10); a frame accommodation unit (66) configured to accommodate several ring frames (64). to accommodatein which an opening section (64a) is formed for accommodating the wafer (4); a frame unloading unit (68) configured to unload a ring frame (64) from the frame accommodating unit (66); a frame table (70) configured to support the ring frame (64) unloaded by the frame unloading unit (68); a belt attachment unit (98) arranged above the frame table (70) and configured to attach a belt (96) to the ring frame (64); a transport unit (100) for the frame (64') with attached belt (96), configured to transport the ring frame (64) to which the belt (96) is attached to the wafer table (12), the opening section (64a) of the ring frame (64) on the lower surface (4b) of the wafer supported by the wafer table (12) to position wafers (4) and to attach the frame (64') with attached band (96) to the wafer table (12); a band compression joining unit (102) which is designed,to pressure-connect the tape (96) of the frame (64') with attached tape (96) to the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4); a frame unit unloading unit (192) configured to unload a frame unit (U) from the wafer table (12), in which the tape (96) of the frame (64') with attached tape (96) and the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4) are pressure-connected by the tape compression joining unit (102); a reinforcement section removal unit (194) configured to cut and remove the annular reinforcement section (24) from the wafer (4) of the frame unit (U) unloaded by the frame unit unloading unit (192); an unloading unit (196) for an annular unit (U') configured to remove the annular unit (U') from which the ring-shaped reinforcement section (24) is removed from the reinforcement section removal unit (194); and a frame cassette table (200),a frame cassette (198) is attached to which a frame cassette is configured to accommodate the ringless unit (U') unloaded by the unloading unit (196) for the ringless unit (U'), the frame unit unloading unit (192) comprising: a frame unit holding unit (202) comprising a wafer holding section configured to hold the wafer (4) while all or part of a circumference of the wafer (4) is exposed, and a frame holding section configured to hold the ring frame (64), a transport unit (100) configured to transport the frame unit holding unit (202) to a transition placement table (204), an imaging unit (224) configured to image the circumference of the wafer (4) of the frame unit (U) held by the frame unit holding unit (202), and an illumination unit (400), which is directed towards the imaging unit (224) and is arranged at a position,where the wafer (4) is arranged between the illumination unit (400) and the imaging unit (224), and wherein the frame unit-unloading unit (192) actuates the transport unit (206) and maps at least three positions of the circumference of the wafer (4) through the imaging unit (224), obtains central coordinates of the wafer (4) and causes a center of the wafer (4) to coincide with a center of the transfer placement table (204).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the InventionThe present invention relates to a processing apparatus for removing an annular reinforcing portion in a projected shape from a wafer, wherein the reinforcing portion in a projected shape is formed at a part of a lower surface corresponding to a peripheral surplus region.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTA wafer in which a device region including a plurality of devices such as integrated circuits (ICs) or a large scale integration (LSI) divided by a plurality of crossing division planned lines and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region are formed on the upper surface of the wafer is formed by grinding the lower surface of the wafer to a desired thickness, and is thereafter divided into individual device chips by a grinding device or a laser processing device. Each of the divided device chips is used in an electrical device such as a mobile phone or a PC.The present applicant has proposed a technology in which an annular reinforcing portion is caused to remain on the portion of the lower surface corresponding to the circumferential surplus region to facilitate transport of the ground wafer, predetermined processing is performed, thereafter a dicing tape is attached to the lower surface side of the wafer and the wafer is supported by a ring frame, and the annular reinforcing portion is removed from the wafer (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open JP 2010-62 375 A).SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONHowever, it is difficult to perform a process of connecting the wafer to the ring frame by attaching the division tape to the lower surface of the wafer having the annular reinforcing portion formed in a protruded shape at the part of the lower surface corresponding to the circumferential surplus region, and it is difficult to remove the annular reinforcing portion from the wafer by cutting the annular reinforcing portion. Therefore, there is a problem of poor productivity.Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus that facilitates work of integrating a wafer with a ring frame by attaching a division tape to the lower side of the wafer, that has an annular reinforcing portion formed in a protruding shape corresponding to a circumferential surplus region at a part of the lower surface, and that facilitates removal of the annular reinforcing portion from the wafer by cutting the annular reinforcing portion.According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for removing an annular reinforcing portion in a protruding shape from a wafer having the reinforcing portion formed in the protruding shape at a part of a lower surface corresponding to a circumferential surplus region. The processing apparatus includes a wafer cassette table to which a wafer cassette that accommodates a plurality of wafers is attached, a wafer unloading unit configured to unload the wafer from the wafer cassette attached to the wafer cassette table, a wafer table configured to support a side of an upper surface of the wafer unloaded from the wafer unloading unit, a frame accommodating unit configured to accommodate a plurality of ring frames in which an opening portion for accommodating the wafer is formed, a frame unloading unit configured to unload a ring frame from the frame accommodating unit, a frame table configured to support the ring frame unloaded by the frame unloading unit, a belt attaching unit disposed above the frame table and configured to, to attach a tape to the ring frame, a tape-attached frame conveying unit configured to convey the ring frame to which the tape is attached to the wafer table, position the opening portion of the ring frame to the lower surface of the wafer supported by the wafer table, and attach the tape-attached frame to the wafer table, a tape compression bonding unit configured to press bond the tape of the tape-attached frame to the lower surface of the wafer, a frame unit unloading unit configured to unload, from the wafer table, a frame unit in which the tape of the tape-attached frame and the lower surface of the wafer are press-bonded to each other by the tape compression bonding unit, a reinforcing portion unloading unit, which is configured to cut and remove the annular reinforcing portion from the wafer of the frame unit unloaded by the frame unit unloading unit, a ringless unit unloading unit configured to unload the ringless unit from which the annular reinforcing portion is removed from the reinforcing portion removing unit, and a frame cassette table to which a frame cassette configured to accommodate the ringless unit unloaded by the ringless unit unloading unit is attached, wherein the frame unit unloading unit includes: a frame unit holding unit including a wafer holding portion configured to hold the wafer while exposing all or part of a periphery of the wafer, and a frame holding portion configured to hold the ring frame, a transport unit, which is configured to transport the frame unit holding unit to a transition placing table, an imaging unit configured to image the periphery of the wafer of the frame unit held by the frame unit holding unit, and an illumination unit that is directed toward the imaging unit and is disposed at a position where the wafer is disposed between the illumination unit and the imaging unit. The frame unit unloading unit operates the transport unit and images at least three positions of the periphery of the wafer through the imaging unit, obtains central coordinates of the wafer, and causes a center of the wafer to coincide with a center of the transition placement table.2Preferably, the wafer unloading unit includes a transport arm and a hand disposed at a distal end of the transport arm and configured to support the lower surface side of the wafer accommodated in the wafer cassette and turn over an upper side and a lower side of the wafer. Preferably, the hand is a Bernoulli pad configured to generate a negative pressure by ejecting air and to support the wafer in a contactless manner.Preferably, the wafer table includes an annular support portion configured to support the peripheral surplus region of the wafer and to leave a part on an inner side of the peripheral surplus region in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion disposed on a periphery of the annular support portion and configured to support the ring frame.Preferably, the band attachment unit includes a roller band support portion configured to support a roller band on which the band is wound before use, a band winding portion configured to wind the band already used, a band extraction portion configured to extract the band from the roller band, a compression connection portion configured to press-connect the extracted band to the ring frame, and a cutting portion configured to cut the band protruding from an outer periphery of the ring frame along the ring frame.Preferably, the tape compression joint unit includes an upper chamber disposed above the wafer table, a lower chamber configured to house the wafer table, a raising and lowering mechanism configured to generate a closed state in which the upper chamber is lowered and brought into contact with the lower chamber and an opened state in which the upper chamber is separated from the lower chamber, a vacuum portion configured to evacuate the upper chamber and the lower chamber in the closed state, and an atmosphere opening portion configured to open the upper chamber and the lower chamber to an atmosphere, and are positioned in a state in which the tape of the tape-attached frame is positioned on the lower surface of the wafer supported by the wafer table, the upper chamber and the lower chamber are evacuated while maintaining the closed state by operating the raising and lowering mechanism, and a pressing roller disposed in the upper chamber pressure-connects the belt of the belt-attached frame to the lower surface of the wafer.Preferably, the reinforcing portion removing unit includes a laser beam irradiation unit configured to form a cutting groove by applying a laser beam to a base of the annular reinforcing portion formed on the periphery of the wafer, a first raising and lowering table configured to hold and lift the frame unit temporarily placed on the temporary placing table and position the frame unit on the laser beam irradiation unit, and a separating portion configured to separate the annular reinforcing portion from the cutting groove, the first raising and lowering table includes a wafer holding portion having a small diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the wafer and configured to expose the annular reinforcing portion, a frame supporting portion including a permanent magnet configured to receive the wafer, In order to magnetically hold the ring frame and a space configured to scatter leakage light of the laser beam between the wafer holding portion and the frame supporting portion, the separation unit includes an ultraviolet ray irradiation portion configured to reduce an adhesive force of the tape by irradiating a tape corresponding to the cutting groove with an ultraviolet ray, a second raising and lowering table configured to suck and hold an inside of the wafer while the ring-shaped reinforcing portion is exposed to a periphery of the second raising and lowering table, and support the ring frame, a separation device configured to separate the ring-shaped reinforcing portion by acting on a periphery of the ring-shaped reinforcing portion, and a disposal portion to which the separated ring-shaped reinforcing portion is disposed, and the first raising and lowering table temporarily places the frame unit in which the cutting groove is formed on the transition placing table, the transition placing table is positioned on the partition portion by a transition placing table transport unit, and the second raising and lowering table supports the frame unit temporarily placed on the transition placing table.Preferably, the transition placing table includes a heater, and the first raising and lowering table holds the frame unit from the transition placing table, in which the tape is heated by the heater and the tape closely adheres to the base of the annular reinforcing portion.Preferably, the temporary placement table includes an annular support portion configured to support the peripheral surplus portion of the wafer and to leave a part on an inner side of the peripheral surplus portion in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion disposed on a periphery of the annular support portion and configured to support the ring frame, and the frame support portion includes a strong permanent magnet having a stronger magnetic force than the permanent magnet of the first raising and lowering table, and a removing portion configured to remove the ring frame magnetically supported by the strong permanent magnet.Preferably, the ringless unit unloading unit includes a reversing mechanism having a frame holding portion configured to face the ringless unit supported by the second raising and lowering table and hold the ring frame, the reversing mechanism configured to move toward the frame cassette table and to reverse the frame holding portion, a ringless unit supporting portion configured to support the ringless unit reversed by the reversing mechanism such that an upper surface of the wafer faces upward, and an insertion portion configured to move the ringless unit supported by the ringless unit supporting unit further and to be accommodated in the frame cassette attached to the frame cassette table.According to the present invention, at least three positions of the periphery of the wafer are imaged by the imaging unit, the central coordinates of the wafer are obtained, and the center of the wafer is made to coincide with the center of the transition placement table. Thus, it is easy to perform the work of connecting the wafer to the ring frame by attaching the division tape to the lower surface of the wafer having the annular reinforcing portion formed in a protruded shape at the part of the lower surface corresponding to the circumferential surplus region, and it is easy to perform removal of the annular reinforcing portion from the wafer by cutting the annular reinforcing portion. Excellent productivity is thus achieved.The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention and its mode of operation will be best understood by studying the following specification and appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, and the invention will be best understood thereby.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a perspective view of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wafer to be processed by the processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer cassette table and the like shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hand shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a frame accommodating unit illustrated in FIG. 1 and the like; FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a band attachment unit and the like in a state where a frame table illustrated in FIG. 1 is disposed at a lowered position; FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the band attachment unit and the like in a state where the frame table illustrated in FIG. 1 is disposed at a raised position; FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a band compression joint unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a state in which pressing of a tape by a pressing roller is started in a tape compression bonding step; FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating a state in which the pressing of the tape by the pressing roller is finished in the tape compression bonding step; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a reinforcing portion removing unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 11A is a sectional view of a frame support portion in a case where strong permanent magnets of a transition placing table illustrated in FIG. 1 are disposed at a raised position; FIG. 11B is a sectional view of the frame support portion in a case where the strong permanent magnets of the temporary placing table shown in FIG. 1 are disposed at a lowered position; FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the base of the wafer is irradiated with a laser beam in an amplification portion removal step; FIG. 13A is a perspective view of a first raising and lowering table of the reinforcing portion removing unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 13B is a perspective view of a holding member illustrated in FIG. 13A, as viewed from below; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a separator of the reinforcing portion removing unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a reinforcing portion is separated from the wafer in a reinforcing portion removal step; FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a disposal unit of the reinforcing portion removing unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a reversing mechanism of a ringless unit unloading unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a ringless unit supporting unit and a plug-in unit of the ringless unit unloading unit shown in FIG. 1 ; and FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an accommodation step of a ringless unit is performed.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTA machining apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.A description will be given with reference to FIG. 1, wherein the processing apparatus denoted by reference numeral 2 in its entirety includes a wafer cassette table 8 provided with a wafer cassette 6 that accommodates a plurality of wafers, a wafer unloading unit 10 that unloads a wafer from the wafer cassette 6 mounted on the wafer cassette table 8, and a wafer table 12 that supports the upper surface side of the wafer unloaded from the wafer unloading unit 10.FIG. 2 shows a wafer 4 to be processed by the processing apparatus 2. On an upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4, a device region 18 having a plurality of devices 14 such as ICs or LSIs thereon which are defined by planned dividing lines 16 in a lattice shape, and a peripheral surplus region 20 surrounding the device region 18 are formed. In FIG. 2, a boundary 22 between the device region 18 and the peripheral surplus region 20 is represented by a chain double-dashed line for simplicity. In reality, however, the line indicating the boundary 22 is not present. On a lower surface 4 bside of the wafer 4, an annular reinforcing portion 24 is formed in the peripheral surplus region 20 in a protruding manner. The thickness of the peripheral surplus region 20 is larger than the thickness of the device region 18.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cassette 6 accommodates a plurality of wafers 4 at intervals in an up-down direction in a state in which the upper surfaces 4 aare directed upward. The wafer cassette table 8 in the present embodiment has an upper surface 28 to be provided with the wafer cassette 6, and a support plate 30 supporting the upper surface 28. Meanwhile, the upper surface 28 may be freely raised and lowered, and raising and lowering means for positioning the upper surface 28 at an arbitrary height by raising or lowering the upper surface 28 may be provided.Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 3, the wafer unloading unit 10 includes a Y-axis movable member 32 movable in a Y-axis direction indicated by an arrow Y in FIG. 3, and a Y-axis feeding mechanism 34 movable the Y-axis movable member 32 in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis feeding mechanism 34 includes a ball screw 36 coupled to a lower end of the Y-axis movable member 32 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and a motor 38 that rotates the ball screw 36. The Y-axis feed mechanism 34 converts the rotational motion of the motor 38 into a rectilinear motion by the ball screw 36 and transmits the rectilinear motion to the Y-axis movable member 32. Meanwhile, an X-axis direction indicated by an arrow X in FIG. 3 is a direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction indicated by an arrow Z in FIG. 3 is an up-down direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. An XY plane defined by the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is substantially horizontal.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the wafer unloading unit 10 in the present embodiment includes a transfer arm 42 and a hand 44 that is disposed at a distal end of the transfer arm 42 and that supports the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 accommodated in the wafer cassette 6 and inverts the upper side and the lower side of the wafer 4. The transfer arm 42 is provided on the upper surface of the Y-axis movable member 32 and is driven by a suitable drive source (not shown) such as an air drive source or an electric drive source. This drive source drives the transport arm 42 to position the hand 44 at a selectable position in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, and vertically rotates the hand 44.Describing with reference to FIG. 4, the hand 44 is preferably a Bernoulli pad that generates a negative pressure by ejecting air and thus carries the wafer 4 in a contactless manner. In the present embodiment, the hand 44 has a C-shape as a whole. In a surface of the hand 44, a plurality of air discharge ports 46 are formed, which are connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown). A plurality of guide pins 48 are attached to the peripheral edge of the hand 44 at intervals in a circumferential direction. Each guide pin 48 is configured to be movable in the radial direction of the hand 44.As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wafer unloading unit 10 positions the hand 44 on the lower surface 4 b(lower side) side of the wafer 4 within the wafer cassette 6 mounted on the wafer cassette table 8, thereafter generates a negative pressure on a surface side of the hand 44 on the basis of a Bernoulli effect by ejecting compressed air from the air ejection openings 46 of the hand 44, and thus sucks and supports the wafer 4 through the hand 44 from the lower surface 4 bside in a non-contact manner. Horizontal movement of the wafer 4 which is suctioned and supported by the hand 44 is controlled by each guide pin 48. Then, the wafer unloading unit 10 unloads the wafer 4 suctioned and carried by the hand 44 from the wafer cassette 6 by moving the Y-axis movable member 32 and the transport arm 42.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the wafer unloading unit 10 in the present embodiment includes a notch detection mechanism 50 that detects the position of the notch 26 of the wafer 4. It is sufficient if the notch detection mechanism 50 has, for example, a configuration including a light emitting element 52 and a light receiving element 54 spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction, and a drive source (not illustrated) that rotates at least one of the guide pins 48 of the hand 44.The light emitting element 52 and the light receiving element 54 may be attached to the Y-axis movable member 32 or a transport path via respective brackets (not shown). In addition, when the guide pin 48 is rotated by the drive source, the rotation of the guide pin 48 causes the wafer 4 to be suctioned and supported by the hand 44. In order to reliably transmit the rotation from the guide pin 48 to the wafer 4, the outer peripheral surface of the guide pin 48 rotated by the driving source is preferably formed of a suitable synthetic rubber.The notch detection mechanism 50 can detect the position of the notch 26 by rotating the wafer 4 by the driving source via the guide pin 48 in a state where the wafer 4 is suctioned and supported by the hand 44 and the outer periphery of the wafer 4 is positioned between the light emitting element 52 and the light receiving element 54. In this way, the orientation of the wafer 4 can be set to a selectable orientation.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the wafer stage 12 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the wafer unloading unit 10. The wafer table 12 in the present embodiment includes an annular support portion 56 that supports the peripheral surplus region 20 of the wafer 4 and leaves a part on the inside of the peripheral surplus region 20 in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion 58 that is disposed on the periphery of the annular support portion 56 and supports an annular frame 64 (see FIG. 5 ) described later. In the upper surface of the annular support portion 56, a plurality of suction holes 60 are formed, which are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction. Each suction hole 60 is connected to a suction means (not shown). A radially inner part of the annular support portion 56 in the wafer table 12 is a circular recess 62 which is recessed downward.After the hand 44 inverts the top and bottom of the wafer 4 by inverting the wafer 4 by 180° and the wafer 4 is attached to the wafer table 12 in a state where the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 faces downward, the peripheral surplus region 20 of the wafer 4 is supported by the ring-shaped support portion 56, and the device region 18 of the wafer 4 is disposed at the recess 62. Therefore, even when the wafer 4 is mounted on the wafer table 12 in a state where the upper surface 4 awith the devices 14 formed thereon is directed downward, the devices 14 and the wafer table 12 do not come into contact with each other, so that damage to the devices 14 is prevented. In addition, after the wafer table 12 supports the peripheral surplus region 20 by the annular support portion 56, the wafer table 12 generates a suction force in each suction hole 60 by operating the operating means, and thus sucks and holds the peripheral surplus region 20. The wafer stage 12 thereby prevents positional displacement of the wafer 4.Describing with reference to FIG. 5, the processing apparatus 2 further includes a frame accommodating unit 66 accommodating a plurality of annular frames 64 in which an opening portion 64 afor accommodating the wafer 4 is formed, a frame discharging unit 68 discharging an annular frame 64 from the frame accommodating unit 66, and a frame table 70 supporting the annular frame 64 discharged from the frame discharging unit 68.As shown in FIG. 5, the frame accommodating unit 66 in the present embodiment includes a housing 72, a raising and lowering plate 74 which is disposed inside the housing 72 in a raisable and lowerable manner, and raising and lowering means (not shown) for raising and lowering the raising and lowering plate 74. A Z-axis guide member 78 extending in the Z-axis direction is disposed on a side surface on a side of the housing 72 away in the X-axis direction in FIG. 5. The raising and lowering plate 74 is supported by the Z-axis guide member 78 to be raisable and lowerable. The means for raising and lowering the raising and lowering plate 74 is disposed inside the Z-axis guide member 78. It is sufficient that the raising and lowering means has, for example, a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the raising and lowering plate 74 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor that rotates the ball screw. A door 76 to which a handle 76 ais attached is provided on a side surface on a side of the case 72 close in the X-axis direction in FIG. 5. At the frame accommodating unit 66, when the handle 76 ais gripped and the door 76 is opened, ring frames 64 can be accommodated inside the housing 72. In addition, an opening portion 80 is provided at an upper end of the housing 72.As shown in FIG. 5, the ring frames 64 formed of a ferromagnetic material are accommodated in the case 72 so as to be laminated on the upper surface of the raising and lowering plate 74. The frame discharge unit 68 discharges a ring frame 64 on the upper surface of the plurality of layered ring frames 64 from the opening portion 80 of the housing 72, and after the ring frame 64 is discharged from the opening portion 80, the frame accommodating unit 66 additionally raises the raising and lowering plate 74 by the raising and lowering means as necessary, and positions a ring frame 64 on the upper surface in such a position that it can be discharged from the frame discharge unit 68.Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 5, the frame discharge unit 68 includes an X-axis guide member 82 fixed to a suitable bracket (not shown) and extending in the X-axis direction, an X-axis movable member 84 supported by the X-axis guide member 82 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, an X-axis feed mechanism (not shown) that moves the X-axis movable member 84 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 86 supported by the X-axis movable member 84 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the Z-axis movable member 86 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient if the X-axis feeding mechanism of the frame unloading unit 68 has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the X-axis movable member 84 and extending in the X-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw. It is sufficient if the Z-axis feeding mechanism has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the Z-axis movable member 86 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor that rotates the ball screw.The Z-axis movable member 86 of the frame discharge unit 68 has a holding unit 88 that holds the ring frame 64. The holding unit 88 includes a rectangular plate 90 and a plurality of suction pads 92 disposed on the lower surface of the plate 90 in the present embodiment. Each suction pad 92 is connected to a suction means (not shown).The frame unloading unit 68 sucks and holds the ring frame 64 at the top, the ring frame 64 being accommodated in the frame accommodation unit 66 through the suction pads 92 of the holding unit 88, and thereafter moves the X-axis movable member 84 and the Z-axis movable member 86.As illustrated in FIG. 5, the frame table 70 is supported by a Z-axis guide member 94 so as to be capable of being raised and lowered between a lowered position indicated by a solid line and a raised position indicated by a chain double-dashed line. A suitable drive source (for example, an air drive source or an electric drive source) that raises or lowers the frame table 70 between the lowered position and the raised position is mounted on the Z-axis guide member 94. The frame table 70 is configured to receive the ring frame 64 discharged from the frame discharge unit 68 at the lowered position.As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the processing apparatus 2 includes a tape attaching unit 98 (see FIG. 1 ) disposed above the frame table 70 and attaching a tape 96 to the ring frame 64, a tape attached frame conveying unit 100 (see FIG. 5 ) conveying the ring frame 64 to which the tape 96 is attached (which frame may be referred to as a "tape attached frame 64'" hereinafter) to the wafer table 12, positioning the opening portion 64 aof the ring frame 64 on the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12 and attaching the tape attached frame 64' to the wafer table 12, and a tape compression bonding unit 102 (see FIG. 1 ), that pressure bonds the tape 96 of the tape attached frame 64' to the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4.Describing with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the tape applying unit 98 in the present embodiment includes a reel tape supporting unit 104 that supports a reel tape 96R on which the tape 96 is wound before use, a tape winding unit 106 that winds the already used tape 96, a tape removing unit 108 that removes the tape 96 from the reel tape 96R, a compression bonding unit 110 that compression bonds the removed tape 96 to the ring frame 64, and a cutting unit 112 that cuts off the tape 96 extending from the outer periphery of the ring frame 64 along the ring frame 64.As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the roller belt support unit 104 includes a support roller 114 supported by a corresponding bracket (not shown) so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the X-axis direction. The support roller 114 supports the roll tape 96R wound in a cylindrical shape so that a release paper 116 for protecting the adhesive surface of the tape 96 is attached to the adhesive surface of the tape 96.The tape winding unit 106 includes a winding roller 118 supported by a corresponding bracket (not shown) so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the X-axis direction, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the winding roller 118. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the tape winding unit 106 wraps the already used tape 96 in which a circular opening portion 120 corresponding to a part attached to the ring frame 64 is formed by rotating the winding roller 118 by the motor.Continuing the description with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the tape peeling unit 108 includes a peeling roller 122 disposed below the support roller 114 of the roll tape support unit 104, a motor (not shown) that rotates the peeling roller 122, and a driven roller 124 that rotates as the peeling roller 122 rotates. The tape draw-off unit 108 draws the tape 96 centered between the draw-off roller 122 and the driven roller 124 from the roller tape 96R by rotating the driven roller 124 together with the draw-off roller 122 by the motor.The release paper 116 is removed from the belt 96 passed between the release roller 122 and the driven roller 124. The peeled release paper 116 is wound by a release paper winding unit 126. The release paper take-up unit 126 in the present embodiment includes a release paper take-up roller 128 disposed above the driven roller 124, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the release paper take-up roller 128. In addition, the tape 96 from which the release paper 116 is released is guided to the take-up roller 118 via a guide roller 130 disposed at a distance from the release roller 122 in the Y-axis direction.The compression link unit 110 includes a press roller 132 disposed to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis feeding mechanism (not illustrated) that moves the press roller 132 in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis feeding mechanism of the compression link unit 110 may be configured by a suitable driving source (for example, an air driving source or an electric driving source).As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cutting unit 112 includes a Z-axis guide member 134 fixed to a suitable bracket (not illustrated) and extending in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 136 supported by the Z-axis guide member 134 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feed mechanism (not illustrated) that moves the Z-axis movable member 136 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient if the Z-axis feeding mechanism of the cutting unit 112 has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the Z-axis movable member 136 and extending in the Z-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw.In addition, the cutting unit 112 includes a motor 138 fixed to the lower surface of a distal end of the Z-axis movable member 136, and an arm part 140 rotated by the motor 138 about an axis extending in the Z-axis direction. First and second depending pieces 142a and 142b are attached to the lower surface of the arm part 140 at a distance from each other. A circular cutter 144 is supported by the first depending piece 142a so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. A press roller 146 is supported by the second depending piece 142 bto be rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the Z-axis direction.Before the frame table 70 that has received the ring frame 64 from the frame discharge unit 68 is positioned from the lowered position (position illustrated in FIG. 6A ) to the raised position (position illustrated in FIG. 6B ), the tape application unit 98 pulls off the tape 96 not yet used by the pull-off roller 122 and the driven roller 124. Then, the frame table 70 is positioned at the raised position to such an extent that the press roller 132 of the compression-connection unit 110 can press the belt 96 against the ring frame 64. The ring frame 64 is brought into contact with the press roller 132 via the belt 96. Then, the press roller 132 is rolled in the Y-axis direction while the press roller 132 presses the adhesion surface of the tape 96 against the ring frame 64. The tape 96 drawn from the roller tape 96R by the tape draw-off unit 108 can thereby be press-bonded to the ring frame 64.After the tape 96 is press-bonded to the ring frame 64, the tape applying unit 98 lowers the Z-axis movable member 136 of the cutting unit 112 by the Z-axis feeding mechanism, presses the cutter 144 against the tape 96 on the ring frame 64, and presses the ring frame 64 from above the tape 96 by the pressing roller 146. Next, the arm part 140 is rotated by the motor 138, and the cutter 144 and the press roller 146 are moved to describe a circle along the ring frame 64. This allows the band 96 extending over the outer periphery of the ring frame 64 to be cut off along the ring frame 64. In addition, since the press roller 146 presses the ring frame 64 from above the band 96, positional displacement of the ring frame 64 and the band 96 during cutting of the band 96 is prevented. Then, after the frame table 70 is lowered, the already used tape 96 in which a circular opening portion 120 corresponding to a part attached to the ring frame 64 is formed is wound up by the tape winding unit 106.As illustrated in FIG. 5, the belt-attached frame conveying unit 100 includes a Y-axis guide member 148 fixed to a corresponding bracket (not illustrated) and extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 150 supported by the Y-axis guide member 148 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis feeding mechanism (not illustrated) that moves the Y-axis movable member 150 in the Y-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 152 supported by the Y-axis movable member 150 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the Z-axis movable member 152 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient if the Y-axis feeding mechanism of the tape-attached frame conveying unit 100 has a configuration including a ball screw connected to the Y-axis movable member 150 and extending in the Y-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw. It is sufficient if the Z-axis feeding mechanism has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the Z-axis movable member 152 and extending in the Z-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw.The Z-axis movable member 152 of the tape attached frame transport unit 100 has a holding unit 154 that holds the tape attached frame 64'. The holding unit 154 includes a rectangular plate 156 and a plurality of suction pads 158 provided on the lower surface of the plate 156 in the present embodiment. Each suction pad 158 is connected to a suction means (not shown).The tape-attached frame conveying unit 100 sucks and holds, with each suction pad 158 of the holding unit 154, the upper surface of the tape-attached frame 64' supported by the frame table 70 in a state where the adhesion surface of the tape 96 is directed downward. By moving the Y-axis movable member 150 and the Z-axis movable member 152, the tape attached frame transport unit 100 transports the tape attached frame 64' suctioned and held by the holding unit 154 from the frame table 70 to the wafer table 12, positions the opening portion 64 aof the ring frame 64 on the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12, and attaches the tape attached frame 64' to the wafer table 12.The ribbon compression joint unit 102 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the belt compression joint unit 102 includes an upper chamber 160 disposed above the wafer table 12, a lower chamber 162 accommodating the wafer table 12, a raising and lowering mechanism 164 that generates a closed state in which the upper chamber 160 is lowered and fixed in contact with the lower chamber 162 and an opened state in which the upper chamber 160 is separated from the lower chamber 162, a vacuum unit 166 that evacuates the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 in the closed state, and an atmosphere opening unit 168 that opens the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 to the atmosphere.As shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the upper chamber 160 has a circular top 170 and a cylindrical side wall 172 depending from the peripheral edge of the circular top 170. The raising and lowering mechanism 164, which may be formed by a suitable actuator such as an air cylinder, is attached to the upper surface of the circular top 170. In an accommodation space defined by the lower surface of the upper surface 170 and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 172, there are disposed a pressing roller 174 for pressing the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' against the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12, a support piece 176 rotatably supporting the pressing roller 174, and a Y-axis feeding mechanism 178 that moves the support piece 176 in the Y-axis direction.The Y-axis supply mechanism 178 includes a ball screw 180 coupled to the support piece 176 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and a motor 182 that rotates the ball screw 180. The Y-axis feed mechanism 178 converts a rotational motion of the motor 182 into a rectilinear motion by the ball screw 180, and transmits the rectilinear motion to the support piece 176. The Y-axis feed mechanism 178 thereby moves the support piece 176 along a pair of guide rails 184 extending in the Y-axis direction.As shown in FIG. 7, the lower chamber 162 has a cylindrical side wall 186. An upper portion of the side wall 186 is opened. A lower portion of the side wall 186 is closed. A connecting opening 188 is formed in the side wall 186. A vacuum unit 166, which may be formed by a suitable vacuum pump, is connected to the connection port 188 via a flow line 190. The flow line 190 is provided with the atmosphere opening unit 168, which may be formed by a suitable valve that can open the flow line 190 to the atmosphere.The tape compression joint unit 102 lowers the upper chamber 160 by the raising-lowering mechanism 164 into a state where the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' is positioned on the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12. Thereby, the tape compression joint unit 102 brings a lower end of the side wall 172 of the upper chamber 160 into contact with an upper end of the side wall 186 of the lower chamber 162, fixes the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 in the closed state, and brings the press roller 174 into contact with the tape-attached frame 64'.Next, the band compression joint unit 102 evacuates the inside of the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 by operating a vacuum pump forming the vacuum unit 166 in a state where the valve forming the atmosphere opening unit 168 is closed. Thereafter, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the belt compression joint unit 102 rolls the press roller 174 in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis supply mechanism 178. Thereby, the tape compression bonding unit 102 pressure-bonds the tape 96 to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 to form a frame unit U.When the press roller 174 press-bonds the tape 96 to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4, a small gap is formed between the wafer 4 and the tape 96 at the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24. However, since the wafer 4 and the tape 96 are pressure-bonded to each other in a state where the inside of the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 is evacuated, the pressure in the small gap between the wafer 4 and the tape 96 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. When the atmospheric opening unit 168 is opened after the tape 96 is pressure-bonded, the atmospheric pressure presses the tape 96 against the wafer 4.As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10, the processing apparatus 2 further includes a frame unit unloading unit 192 that unloads the frame unit U from the wafer table 12, in which the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' and the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 are connected to each other by the tape compression connection unit 102, a reinforcing portion removing unit 194 that cuts and removes the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the wafer 4 of the frame unit U unloaded from the frame unit unloading unit 192, a ringless unit unloading unit 196 (see FIG. 1 ) that unloads the ringless unit from which the annular reinforcing portion 24 is removed from the reinforcing portion removing unit 194, and a frame cassette table 200 (see FIG. 1 ) provided with a frame cassette 198 that stores the ringless unit unloaded from the ringless unit unloading unit 196.As illustrated in FIG. 10, the frame unit unloading unit 192 in the present embodiment includes a frame unit holding unit 202 including a wafer holding unit 202 athat holds the wafer 4 while exposing all or part of the periphery of the wafer 4 and a frame holding unit 202 bthat holds the ring frame 64, and a transport unit 206 that transports the frame unit holding unit 202 to a temporary placement table 204.The wafer holding unit 202 aof the frame unit holding unit 202 includes a circular plate 208 and a suction piece 210 attached to the lower surface of the plate 208. In the lower surface of the suction piece 210, a plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed. Each suction hole is connected to suction means (not shown). The shape of the suction piece 210 may be, for example, a circular shape having a smaller diameter than the wafer 4. The frame holding unit 202 bincludes a plurality of protrusion parts (four protrusion parts in the present embodiment) 212 that protrude radially outward from the peripheral edge of the plate 208 of the wafer holding unit 202 aat intervals in a circumferential direction, and suction pads 214 attached to the lower surfaces of the protrusion parts 212. Each suction pad 214 is connected to a suction means (not shown).The transport unit 206 includes an X-axis guide member 216 fixed to a suitable bracket (not shown) and extending in the X-axis direction, an X-axis movable member 218 supported by the X-axis guide member 216 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, an X-axis feed mechanism (not shown) that moves the X-axis movable member 218 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 220 supported by the X-axis movable member 218 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis feed mechanism (not shown), the Z-axis movable member 220 moves in the Z-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 222 supported by the Z-axis movable member 220 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the Y-axis movable member 222 in the Y-axis direction. The plate 208 of the wafer holding unit 202 ais connected to a distal end of the Y-axis movable member 222. It is sufficient that the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis feeding mechanisms of the conveying unit 206 have a configuration including a ball screw and a motor that rotates the ball screw.The frame unit unloading unit 192 further includes an imaging unit 224 that images the periphery of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202, and an illumination device 400 that faces the imaging unit 224 and is positioned at a position where the wafer 4 is disposed between the illumination device 400 and the imaging unit 224. The imaging unit 224 is disposed between the wafer table 12 and the temporary placement table 204 in the present embodiment, and images the periphery of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202 from below the wafer 4.The frame unit unloading unit 192 unloads the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202 from the wafer table 12 by operating the transport unit 206 in a state in which the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 adrugs and holds the wafer 4 from the lower surface 4 bside (belt 96 side), and the suction pads 214 of the frame holding unit 202 bdrug and hold the ring frame 64. When the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 adrugs and holds the wafer 4, the suction piece 210 does not cover the entire side of the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4, i.e., the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 has a part not sucked by the suction piece 210, and all or a part of the periphery of the wafer 4 is exposed.In addition, in the present embodiment, the frame unit unloading unit 192 operates the transport unit 206 and measures the coordinates of at least three points of the circumference of the wafer 4 by imaging, by the imaging unit 224, at least three positions of the exposed part (part not covered by the suction piece 210) of the circumference of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202. The frame unit unloading unit 192 obtains the central coordinates of the wafer 4 based on the measured coordinates of the three points. In the present embodiment, since all or part of the periphery of the wafer 4 sucked and held by the suction piece 210 is exposed, the contour of the wafer 4 can be imaged clearly by illuminating the exposed part of the periphery of the wafer 4 from above the wafer 4 by the illumination device 400 and imaging the exposed part of the periphery of the wafer 4 from below the wafer 4 by the imaging unit 224. Thus, the central coordinates of the wafer 4 can be obtained accurately. Then, the frame unit unloading unit 192 brings the center of the wafer 4 into agreement with the center of the transition placing table 204, and temporarily places the frame unit U on the transition placing table 204.As illustrated in FIG. 10, the transition placement table 204 is disposed at a distance from the wafer table 12 in the X-axis direction. The temporary placement table 204 in the present embodiment includes an annular support portion 226 that supports the peripheral surplus region 20 of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U and leaves a part on the inside of the peripheral surplus region 20 in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion 228 that is disposed on the periphery of the annular support portion 226 and supports the ring frame 64. The frame supporting portion 228 includes strong permanent magnets 402 having a stronger magnetic force than the permanent magnets of a first elevating and lowering table 246 described later, and a removing unit 404 that removes the ring frame magnetically held by the strong permanent magnets 402.As shown in FIG. 10, the strong permanent magnets 402 are accommodated in an upper end of a frame body 406 of the frame supporting portion 228 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Describing with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a strong permanent magnet 402 in the present embodiment includes a main cylindrical portion 402 athat magnetically holds the ring frame through an upper end surface, and an annular flange portion 402 bthat extends radially outward from a lower end of the main portion 402 a. In addition, the strong permanent magnet 402 is accommodated in a receiving hole 406 aof the frame body 406 so as to be movable in the up-down direction between a raised position positioned in FIG. 11A and a lowered position positioned in FIG. 11B. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the upper surface of the strong permanent magnet 402 and the upper surface of the frame body 406 are flush with each other at the raised position, and the upper surface of the strong permanent magnet 402 is positioned at the lowered position, for example, about 5 mm below the upper surface of the frame body 406. Meanwhile, the frame body 406 is formed of a non-magnetic material.As illustrated in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a partition wall 408 is provided at an upper-lower direction middle portion of the accommodation hole 406 aof the frame body 406. The partition wall 408 partitions the accommodation hole 406 aof the frame body 406 into a housing chamber 410 on the upper side in which the strong permanent magnet 402 is accommodated and a housing chamber 412 on the lower side in which the detaching unit 404 is accommodated. A through hole 408 ais formed in a central portion of the partition 408.A protruding portion 410 aprotruding radially inward is formed on the upper end side of the housing chamber 410 on the upper side. As illustrated in FIG. 11A, when an upward force is applied from the removal unit 404 to the strong permanent magnet 402, an upper end of the flange portion 402 bof the strong permanent magnet 402 is held at a lower end of the protruding portion 410 a, and thereby the strong permanent magnet 402 is positioned at the raised position. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 11B, when a downward force is applied from the removal unit 404 to the strong permanent magnet 402, the lower surface of the strong permanent magnet 402 comes into contact with the upper surface of the partition wall 408, and thereby the strong permanent magnet 402 is positioned at the lowered position. In addition, an upper opening 412 aand a lower opening 412 bare formed in the housing chamber 412 on the lower side at a distance from each other in the up-down direction.Continuing the description with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the removing unit 404 in the present embodiment includes a rod 414 extending downward from a lower end of the strong permanent magnet 402 through the through hole 408 a, a piston 416 fixed to a lower end of the rod 414 and disposed in the housing chamber 412 on the lower side, a coil spring 418 disposed below the piston 416, and a compressed air supply source 413 connected to the upper opening 412 aof the housing chamber 412 on the lower side.The removal unit 404 applies an upward force to the strong permanent magnet 402 by stopping the supply of compressed air from the compressed air supply source 413 to the housing chamber 412 on the lower side and pushing the piston 416 upward by the coil spring 418. Consequently, the detaching unit 404 lifts the strong permanent magnet 402 with respect to the frame body 406 and positions the strong permanent magnet 402 at the lifted position at which the strong permanent magnet 402 can magnetically hold the ring frame 64 attached to the frame supporting portion 228. In addition, the removal unit 404 applies a downward force to the strong permanent magnet 402 by supplying compressed air from the compressed air supply source 413 to the housing chamber 412 on the lower side, thereby pressing the piston 416 downward. Consequently, the detaching unit 404 descends the strong permanent magnet 402 with respect to the frame body 406 and positions the strong permanent magnet 402 at the lowered position where the ring frame 64 attached to the frame supporting portion 228 can be detached from the strong permanent magnet 402. Meanwhile, air is discharged from the lower opening 412 bby pushing down the piston 416.As shown in FIG. 10, in the upper surface of the annular support portion 226 of the transition placing table 204, a plurality of suction holes 229 spaced in the circumferential direction are formed. Each suction hole 229 is connected to a suction means (not shown). In addition, the annular support portion 226 is configured to be raised and lowered between a raised position (position illustrated in FIG. 10 ) at which the upper surface of the annular support portion 226 and the upper surface of the frame support portion 228 are flush with each other, and a lowered position at which the upper surface of the annular support portion 226 is positioned below the upper surface of the frame support portion 228, for example, about 5 to 10 mm. It is sufficient that the raising and lowering means (not shown) for raising and lowering the annular support portion 226 is a suitable actuator such as an air cylinder. A radially inner part of the annular support portion 226 is a circular recess 230 which is recessed downward. It is preferable that the frame supporting portion 228 of the transition placing table 204 has a heater (not shown), and that the tape 96 is softened by heating the tape 96 of the frame unit U temporarily placed on the transition placing table 204 by the heater, so that the tape 96 is caused to adhere closer to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 due to the atmospheric pressure.The processing apparatus 2 in the present embodiment includes a transition placement table transport unit 232 that transports the transition placement table 204 in the Y-axis direction. The temporary placement table transport unit 232 includes a Y-axis guide member 234 extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 236 supported by the Y-axis guide member 234 to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis feed mechanism 238 that moves the Y-axis movable member 236 in the Y-axis direction. The transition placement table 204 is fixed to an upper portion of the Y-axis movable member 236. The Y-axis feed mechanism 238 includes a ball screw 240 coupled to the Y-axis movable member 236 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and a motor 242 that rotates the ball screw 240. The temporary placement table transport unit 232 converts the rotational motion of the motor 242 into a rectilinear motion by the ball screw 240, and transmits the rectilinear motion to the Y-axis movable member 236. The transition placement table transport unit 232 thereby transports the transition placement table 204 in the Y-axis direction together with the Y-axis movable member 236.As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10, the reinforcing portion removing unit 194 includes a laser beam irradiation unit 244 that forms a cutting groove by applying a laser beam to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 formed on the periphery of the wafer 4, a first raising and lowering table 246 (see FIG. 1 ) that holds and raises the frame unit U temporarily placed on the temporary placing table 204 and positions the frame unit U on the laser beam irradiation unit 244 by moving in the X-axis direction, and a separating unit 248 that separates the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the cutting groove.As illustrated in FIG. 10, the laser beam irradiation unit 244 includes a housing 250 disposed so as to be adjacent to the transition placement table 204 in the X-axis direction, a laser oscillator (not illustrated) accommodated in the housing 250 and oscillating a laser, a condenser 252 that condenses a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator and applies the laser beam to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 formed on the periphery of the wafer 4, a suction nozzle 254 that sucks debris generated when the wafer 4 is irradiated with the laser beam, and suction means (not illustrated) connected to the suction nozzle 254.The condenser 252 extends upward from the upper surface of the housing 250 so as to be inclined toward the suction nozzle 254 side. This reduces the dirt particles generated during application of the laser beam from dropping onto the condenser 252. In addition, the suction nozzle 254 extends upward from the upper surface of the casing 250 so as to be inclined toward the condenser 252 side.As shown in FIG. 12, the laser beam irradiation unit 244 applies a laser beam LB to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 formed on the periphery of the wafer 4 while rotating the frame unit U held by the first raising and lowering table 246. The laser beam irradiation unit 244 thus forms an annular cutting groove 256 along the base of the reinforcing portion 24 by ablation processing. In addition, the laser beam irradiation unit 244 irradiates the dirt particles generated by the ablation processing by the suction nozzle 254.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first raising and lowering table 246 is disposed above the transition placing table 204 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction and movable in the Z-axis direction. Describing with reference to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the first elevating and lowering table 246 includes an X-axis guide member 258 that is fixed to a suitable bracket (not shown) and extends in the X-axis direction, an X-axis movable member 260 supported by the X-axis guide member 258 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, an X-axis feed mechanism (not shown) that moves the X-axis movable member 260 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 262 supported by the X-axis movable member 260 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the Z-axis movable member 262 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient that each of the X-axis and Z-axis feeding mechanisms of the first elevating and lowering table 246 has a configuration including a ball screw and a motor that rotates the ball screw.A support shaft 264 extending downward is rotatably supported by the lower surface of a distal end of the Z-axis movable member 262. A motor 266 that rotates the support shaft 264 about an axis extending in the Z-axis direction is mounted on the upper surface of the distal end of the Z-axis movable member 262. A circular support member 420 is secured to a lower end of support shaft 264.As illustrated in FIG. 13B, the holding member 420 includes a small-diameter wafer holding unit 422 smaller than the outer diameter of the wafer 4 and exposing the annular reinforcing portion 24, a frame supporting portion 426 including permanent magnets 424 that magnetically hold the ring frame 64, and a space 428 that diffuses leakage light of the laser beam between the wafer holding unit 422 and the frame supporting portion 426.Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 13B, the wafer holding unit 422 is disposed at a central portion of the lower surface of the holding member 420, and the diameter of the wafer holding unit 422 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the device region 18 (part at the inner side of the annular reinforcing portion 24) of the wafer 4. The suction clamp 430 is connected to a suction means (not shown).The frame support portion 426 is disposed at a peripheral portion of the holding member 420. A plurality of permanent magnets (four permanent magnets in the present embodiment) 424 are provided at a lower end of the frame support portion 426 at intervals in the circumferential direction. The magnetic force of the permanent magnets 424 is weaker than the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402 of the temporary placement table 204. In addition, an upwardly recessed annular recess is formed between the wafer holding unit 422 and the frame supporting portion 426 on the lower surface of the holding member 420. This recess forms the space 428 which diffuses the leakage light of the laser beam.After the permanent magnets 424 of the frame support portion 426 hold the ring frame 64 of the frame unit U in which the tape 96 is heated by the heating means of the frame support unit 228 of the transition placing table 204 and the tape 96 thus closely adheres to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24, and the suction chuck 430 of the wafer holding unit 422 sucks and holds the wafer 4, the first raising and lowering table 246 raises the frame unit U held by the holding member 420 and moves the frame unit U in the X-axis direction by moving the Z-axis movable member 262 and the X-axis movable member 260. The first raising and lowering table 246 thereby positions the frame unit U on the laser beam irradiation unit 244.Meanwhile, when the holding member 420 of the first raising and lowering table 246 holds the frame unit U, the strong permanent magnets 402 are separated from the ring frame 64 by positioning the strong permanent magnets 402 of the frame supporting unit 228 of the transition placing table 204 at the lowered position, so that the magnetic force acting on the ring frame 64 attached to the transition placing table 204 from the permanent magnets 424 of the first raising and lowering table 246 that are in contact with the ring frame 64 is stronger than the magnetic force acting on the ring frame 64 attached to the transition placing table from the strong permanent magnets 402 of the transition placing table 204.In addition, the first elevating and lowering table 246 rotates the frame unit U held by the holding member 420 by operating the motor 266 when the laser beam irradiation unit 244 irradiates the wafer 4 with the laser beam LB. Further, the first raising and lowering table 246 temporarily places the frame unit U in which the cutting groove 256 is formed at the base of the reinforcing portion 24 on the transition placing table 204 by moving the frame unit U in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. Meanwhile, the dirt particles adhere to the periphery of the wafer 4 due to the application of the laser beam LB. Therefore, it is preferable to cause only the strong permanent magnets 402 to act and stop the suction of the annular support portion 226 of the transition placing table 204 when the frame unit U is transferred from the first raising and lowering table 246 to the transition placing table 204. This prevents the dirt particles from adhering to the suction holes 229 of the annular support portion 226. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing adhesion of the dirt particles to the suction holes 229, it is preferable to position the annular support portion 226 at the lowered position.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the separation unit 248 is disposed at a distance from the first raising and lowering table 246 in the Y-axis direction in a movable range of the Y-axis direction of the temporary placement table 204. Describing with reference to FIGS. 14 and 16, the separating unit 248 includes ultraviolet ray irradiation units 270 (see FIG. 14 ) that reduce the adhesive force of the tape 96 by irradiating a part of the tape 96 corresponding to the cutting groove 256 with ultraviolet rays, and a second raising and lowering table 272 (see FIG. 14 ) that sucks and holds the inside of the wafer 4 while exposing the annular reinforcing portion 24 at the periphery of the second raising and lowering table 272 and supports the ring frame 64, a separator 274 (see FIG. 14 ) that separates the annular reinforcing portion 24 by acting on the periphery of the annular reinforcing portion 24, and a disposal unit 276 (see FIG. 16 ) on which the separated annular reinforcing portion 24 is disposed.As illustrated in FIG. 14, the separation unit 248 in the present embodiment includes a Z-axis guide member 278 fixed to a corresponding bracket (not illustrated) and extending in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 280 supported by the Z-axis guide member 278 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feed mechanism (not illustrated) that moves the Z-axis movable member 280 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient if the Z-axis feeding mechanism has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the Z-axis movable member 280 and extending in the Z-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw.The lower surface of a distal end of the Z-axis movable member 280 supports a support part 282 and rotatably supports a support shaft 286. The above-described second raising and lowering table 272 is coupled to the support shaft 286. A motor 284 which rotates the second raising and lowering table 272 together with the support shaft 286 is mounted on the upper surface of the distal end of the Z-axis movable member 280. A pair of the above-described ultraviolet ray irradiation units 270 are attached to the support member 282 at a distance from each other in the Y-axis direction in the present embodiment.The second raising and lowering table 272 has a circular shape. The diameter of the second elevating and lowering table 272 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the device area 18 (part on the inside of the annular reinforcing portion 24) of the wafer 4. Each suction hole is connected to a suction means.In addition, the above-described separator 274 is mounted on the support member 282. The separator 274 includes a pair of movable parts 288 disposed on the lower surface of the support part 282 at a distance from each other so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the support part 282, and a pair of feeding means 290 for moving the pair of movable parts 288. Each of the two supply means 290 may be formed by a suitable actuator such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder.The separator 274 includes a pair of engaging rollers 292a and 292b supported by each movable member 288 at a distance from each other in the up-down direction, and a Z-axis feed mechanism 294 that moves the upper engaging roller 292a in the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis feed mechanism 294 may be formed by a suitable actuator such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder. Each of the engaging rollers 292a and 292b is supported by a movable member 288 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the Y-axis direction. A press roller 298 is attached to the upper engaging roller 292a via a support shaft 296.As described in FIG. 16, the disposal unit 276 includes a belt conveyor 300 that conveys the separated annular reinforcing portion 24, and a dust box 302 that houses the annular reinforcing portion 24 conveyed by the belt conveyor 300. The belt conveyor 300 is positioned by a suitable actuator (not shown) at a collection position where the belt conveyor 300 extends substantially horizontally (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 16 ) and a standby position where the belt conveyor 300 extends substantially vertically (position indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 16 ). A door 304 to which a handle 304 ais attached is provided on a side surface on a side close in the X-axis direction of the dust box 302 in FIG. 16. Inside the dust box 302, a crushing device (not shown) that crushes the collected annular reinforcing portion 24 is mounted. From the dust box 302, the crushed wastes of the annular reinforcing portion 24 accommodated in the dust box 302 can be taken out when the handle 304a is gripped and the door 304 is opened.When the temporary placement table 204 to which the frame unit U having the cutting groove 256 formed at the base of the reinforcing portion 24 is temporarily placed is positioned below the separating unit 248 by the temporary placement table transport unit 232 as illustrated in FIG. 15, the separating unit 248 sucks and holds the lower surface 4 bside of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U by the second raising and lowering table 272, and grips the ring frame 64 by the gripping rollers 292 aand 292 bof the separating device 274. The separating unit 248 thereafter reduces the adhesive force of the tape 96 attached to the annular reinforcing portion 24 by applying ultraviolet rays from the pair of ultraviolet ray irradiation units 270, and separates the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the frame unit U by rotating the frame unit U by the motor 284 together with the support shaft 286 and the second raising and lowering table 272 with respect to the separator 274 while pressing the annular reinforcing portion 24 downward by the pressing roller 298. The belt conveyor 300 conveys the separated reinforcing portion 24 to the dust box 302 where the separated reinforcing portion 24 is collected. Meanwhile, the separator 274 may be rotated with respect to the frame unit U when the reinforcing portion 24 is separated.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ringless unit discharging unit 196 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the reinforcing portion removing unit 194. Describing with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, the ringless unit unloading unit 196 in the present embodiment includes a reversing mechanism 308 (see FIG. 17 ) including a frame holding unit 306 facing the ring-shaped unit supported by the second raising and lowering table 272 and supporting the ring frame 64, the mechanism moving toward the frame cassette table 200 and reversing the frame holding unit 306, a ringless unit supporting unit 310 (see FIG. 18 ) supporting the ringless unit reversed by the reversing mechanism 308 such that the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 faces upward, and an insert unit 312 (see FIG. 18 ), This brings the ringless unit carried by the ringless unit carrying unit 310 into the frame cassette 198 mounted on the frame cassette table 200 and carries it.As shown in FIG. 17, the inverting mechanism 308 includes a Y-axis guide member 314 extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 316 supported by the Y-axis guide member 314 to be movable in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the Y-axis movable member 316 in the Y-axis direction, an arm 318 supported by the Y-axis movable member 316 to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a Z-axis feeding mechanism (not shown) that moves the arm 318 in the Z-axis direction. It is sufficient if both the Y-axis and Z-axis feeding mechanisms of the reversing mechanism 308 have a configuration including a ball screw and a motor that rotates the ball screw.The frame holding unit 306 described above is supported by the arm 318 so as to be vertically reversible, and a motor 320 vertically reversing the frame holding unit 306 is mounted on the arm 318. The frame holding unit 306 in the present embodiment includes a plate 324 rotatably supported by the arm 318 via a pair of rotating shafts 322, and a plurality of suction pads 326 attached to a surface of the plate 324. Each suction pad 326 is connected to a suction means (not shown). In addition, a rotating shaft 322 is coupled to the motor 320.The inverting mechanism 308 sucks the lower surface of the ring frame 64 of the ringless unit U' supported by the second raising and lowering table 272 and holds it through the suction pads 326 in a state where the suction pads 326 are directed upward. The inverting mechanism 308 thus receives the ringless unit U' from the second raising and lowering table 272. In addition, the inverting mechanism 308 directs the upper surface 4a of the wafer 4 upward by inverting the frame holding unit 306 by the motor 320, and thereafter moves the ringless unit U' held by the frame holding unit 306 toward the frame cassette table 200 by moving the Y-axis movable member 316.As shown in FIG. 18, the ringless unit supporting unit 310 in the present embodiment includes a pair of supporting plates 328 supported to be movable in the X-axis direction via suitable brackets (not shown), and distance adjusting means (not shown) for adjusting a distance in the X-axis direction between the pair of supporting plates 328. The distance adjusting means may be formed by a suitable actuator such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder.The pair of supporting plates 328 supporting the ringless unit U' is provided with a heater (not shown). In a state where the distance between the pair of support plates 328 is made narrower, the pair of support plates 328 heats the band 96 of the ringless unit U' by the heater, thereby removing a slack or a wrinkle in the band 96, the slack or the wrinkle being caused by removal of the reinforcing portion 24.Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 18, the insertion unit 312 in the present embodiment includes a Y-axis guide member 330 extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 332 supported by the Y-axis guide member 330 to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a Y-axis feeding mechanism (not illustrated) that moves the Y-axis movable member 332 in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis movable member 332 includes a base portion 334 supported by the Y-axis guide member 330, a column 336 extending upward from the upper surface of the base portion 334, and a pressing member 338 attached to an upper end of the column 336. It is sufficient if the Y-axis feeding mechanism of the insertion unit 312 has a configuration including a ball screw connected to the Y-axis movable member 332 and extending in the Y-axis direction and a motor that rotates the ball screw.As illustrated in FIG. 19, the ringless unit supporting unit 310 increases the distance between the pair of supporting plates 328 by the distance adjusting means before the ringless unit U' is accommodated, and thereafter accommodates the ringless unit U' held by the suction pads 326. Then, the insertion unit 312 moves the Y-axis movable member 332 in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis feeding mechanism, thereby continuing to move the ringless unit U' supported by the ringless unit supporting unit 310 and houses it in the frame cassette 198 mounted on the frame cassette table 200 by the pressing member 338.The frame cassette 198 shown in FIGS. 1 and 19 accommodates a plurality of ringless units U' at intervals in the up-down direction in a state where the upper surfaces 4a of the wafers 4 are directed upward. As illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, the frame cassette table 200 includes an attachment unit 340 to which the frame cassette 198 is attached, and a raising and lowering unit 342 that positions the attachment unit 340 at a selectable height by raising or lowering the attachment unit 340. It is sufficient that the raising and lowering unit 342 has a configuration including a ball screw coupled to the mounting unit 340 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor that rotates the ball screw.Next, a processing method in which the above-described processing apparatus 2 is used to connect the wafer 4 to the ring frame 64 by attaching the division tape 96 to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 having the annular reinforcing portion 24 formed in a protruding shape at a part of the lower surface 4 b, the part corresponding to the circumference, and removing the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the wafer 4 by cutting the annular reinforcing portion 24 will be described.In the present embodiment, first, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, a wafer cassette mounting step is performed that mounts the wafer cassette 6 accommodating a plurality of wafers 4 on the wafer cassette table 8. The cassette 6 accommodates the plurality of wafers 4 at intervals in the up-down direction in a state in which the upper surfaces 4 aare oriented upward.In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, a frame accommodating step that accommodates a plurality of annular ring frames 64 in which an opening portion 64 afor accommodating a wafer 4 is formed in the frame accommodating unit 66 is performed. The frame accommodating step may be performed before the wafer cassette mounting step or may be performed after the wafer cassette mounting step.In the frame accommodating step, the raising and lowering plate 74 of the frame accommodating unit 66 is lowered to a selectable position, thereafter the door 76 is opened while gripping the handle 76 a, and the plurality of ring frames 64 are accommodated stacked on the upper surface of the raising and lowering plate 74. In addition, a ring frame 64 is positioned at an upper end in such a position that it can be discharged by the frame discharging unit 68 by appropriately adjusting the height of the raising and lowering plate 74.After the cassette mounting step and the frame accommodating step are performed, a wafer unloading step that unloads a wafer 4 from the wafer cassette 6 mounted on the wafer cassette table 8 is performed.Describing with reference to FIG. 3, in the wafer unloading step, first, the Y-axis movable member 32 is positioned in the vicinity of the wafer cassette table 8 by operating the Y-axis feeding mechanism 34 of the wafer unloading unit 10. Next, the hand 44 having the upward air discharge ports 46 is positioned on the side of the lower surface 4b (lower side) of the wafer 4 inside the wafer cassette 6 by driving the transport arm 42. When the hand 44 is positioned on the lower surface 4 bside of the wafer 4, a gap is provided between the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 and the hand 44, and each guide pin 48 is positioned outward in the radial direction.Next, a negative pressure is generated on a surface side of the hand 44 based on a Bernoulli effect by ejecting compressed air from the air ejection ports 46 of the hand 44, and the wafer 4 is thus suctioned and supported by the hand 44 in a non-contact manner from the bottom surface 4 bside. Next, each guide pin 48 is moved inward in the radial direction, and thereby horizontal movement of the wafer 4 suctioned and supported by the hand 44 is controlled by each guide pin 48. Then, the wafer 4 sucked and carried by the hand 44 is unloaded from the wafer cassette 6 by moving the Y-axis movable member 32 and the transfer arm 42 of the wafer unloading unit 10.After the wafer discharging step is performed, a notch detecting step that detects the position of the notch 26 of the wafer 4 is preferably performed. In the notch detection step, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the outer periphery of the wafer 4 which is suctioned and supported by the hand 44 is positioned between the light emitting element 52 and the light receiving element 54 of the notch detection mechanism 50. Next, the position of the notch 26 of the wafer 4 is detected by rotating the wafer 4 by the drive source via the guide pin 48. Thus, the orientation of the wafer 4 can be set to any orientation.After the notch detection step is performed, a wafer supporting step supporting the upper surface 4 aside of the wafer 4 unloaded from the wafer unloading unit 10 by the wafer table 12 is performed.Referring to FIG. 3, in the wafer supporting step, first, the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 is oriented downward by vertically inverting the hand 44 of the wafer unloading unit 10. Next, the peripheral surplus region 20 of the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 suctioned and supported by the hand 44 is brought into contact with the annular support portion 56 of the wafer stage 12 by moving the Y-axis movable member 32 and the transport arm 42 of the wafer unloading unit 10. At this time, the device region 18 of the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 is disposed at the recess 62 of the wafer stage 12. Thus, the devices 14 and the wafer stage 12 do not come into contact with each other, so that damage to the devices 14 is prevented.Next, by operating the suction means of the wafer table 12, a suction force is generated in each suction hole 60, and thereby the peripheral surplus region 20 of the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 is suctioned and held. Next, the suction and the carrying of the wafer 4 is released by the hand 44, and the hand 44 is separated from the wafer stage 12. The wafer 4 is thus transferred from the wafer unloading unit 10 to the wafer stage 12. Since the wafer 4 transferred to the wafer stage 12 is sucked and held by each suction hole 60, the position of the wafer 4 is not shifted.In addition, after the wafer cassette mounting step and the frame accommodating step are performed, a frame unloading step that unloads a ring frame 64 from the frame accommodating unit 66 in parallel with the wafer unloading step and the wafer supporting step is performed.Describing with reference to FIG. 5, in the frame discharge step, first, the suction pads 92 of the holding unit 88 are brought into contact with the upper surface of a ring frame 64 on the upper side, the ring frame being accommodated in the frame accommodation unit 66, by moving the X-axis movable member 84 and the Z-axis movable member 86 of the frame discharge unit 68. Next, by operating the suction means of the frame discharge unit 68, a suction force is generated in the suction pads 92, and the ring frame 64 on the upper side is thereby suctioned and held by the suction pads 92. Then, the ring frame 64 on the upper side, which is suctioned and held by the suction pads 92 of the holding unit 88, is discharged from the frame accommodating unit 66 by moving the X-axis movable member 84 and the Z-axis movable member 86 of the frame discharging unit 68.After the frame discharge step is performed, a frame support step that supports the ring frame 64 discharged by the frame discharge unit 68 through the frame table 70 is performed. Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 5, in the frame supporting step, first, the ring frame 64 suctioned and held by the suction pads 92 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the frame table 70 by moving the X-axis movable member 84 and the Z-axis movable member 86 of the frame discharge unit 68. At this time, the frame table 70 is positioned at the lowered position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 ). Next, the ring frame 64 is mounted on the frame table 70 by releasing the suction force of the suction pads 92 of the frame discharge unit 68. Then, the holding unit 88 is separated from above the frame table 70 by moving the X-axis movable member 84 and the Z-axis movable member 86 of the frame discharge unit 68.After the frame supporting step is performed, a tape attaching step is performed in which the tape 96 is attached to the ring frame 64. Describing with reference to FIG. 6, in the tape applying step, first, before the frame table 70 is moved from the lowered position (position illustrated in FIG. 6A ) to the raised position (position illustrated in FIG. 6B ) at which the tape 96 can be attached to the ring frame 64, the tape 96 is peeled off from the roll tape 96R, and the tape 96 from which the peeling paper 116 is peeled off is positioned above the frame table 70. Meanwhile, the adhesive surface of the tape 96 disposed above the frame table 70 is directed downward.Next, the frame table 70 is raised to such an extent that the press roller 132 of the compression link unit 110 of the tape applying unit 98 can press the tape 96 against the ring frame 64 from above. Then, the press roller 132 is rolled in the Y-axis direction while the press roller 132 presses the adhesive surface of the adhesive of the tape 96 against the ring frame 64. The tape 96 drawn from the roller tape 96R by the tape draw-off unit 108 can thereby be press-bonded to the ring frame 64.Next, the cutter 144 and the press roller 146 of the cutter unit 112 of the tape application unit 98 are lowered, the cutter 144 is pressed against the tape 96 on the ring frame 64, and the ring frame 64 is pressed by the press roller 146 from above the tape 96. Next, the cutter 144 and the press roller 146 are moved to describe a circle along the ring frame 64 by rotating the arm part 140 by the motor 138. Thereby, the band 96 extending beyond the outer periphery of the ring frame 64 can be cut along the ring frame 64. In addition, since the press roller 146 presses the ring frame 64 from above the belt 96, positional displacement of the ring frame 64 and the belt 96 is prevented while the belt 96 is cut. Meanwhile, the already used tape 96 in which a circular opening portion 120 is formed is wound by the tape winding unit 106.After the tape attaching step is performed, a tape attached frame transporting step is performed that transports the ring frame 64 to which the tape 96 is attached to the wafer table 12, positions the opening portion 64 aof the ring frame 64 on the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12, and attaches the tape attached frame 64' to the wafer table 12.In the tape-attached frame transporting step, first, the frame table 70 is moved from the raised position to the lowered position. Next, the Y-axis movable member 150 and the Z-axis movable member 152 of the tape-attached frame transport unit 100 (see FIG. 5 ) are moved to bring each suction pad 158 of the holding unit 154 of the tape-attached frame transport unit 100 into contact with the upper surface of the tape-attached frame 64' (see FIG. 7 ) supported by the frame table 70 in a state where the adhesion surface of the tape 96 is directed downward.Next, by operating the suction means of the tape-attached frame transport unit 100, a suction force is generated in the suction pads 158, and thereby the upper surface of the tape-attached frame 64' is suctioned and held by the suction pads 158. Next, the tape-attached frame 64' suctioned and held by the suction pads 158 is unloaded from the frame table 70 by moving the Y-axis movable member 150 and the Z-axis movable member 152 of the tape-attached frame transport unit 100.Next, the tape-attached frame 64' suctioned and held by the suction pads 158 of the tape-attached frame transport unit 100 is transported to the wafer stage 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the opening portion 64a of the ring frame 64 is positioned on the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4 supported by the wafer table 12, and the tape-attached frame 64' is brought into contact with the frame supporting portion 58 of the wafer table 12. At this time, the adhesive surface of the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' is directed downward, and the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4 is directed upward and faces the adhesive surface of the tape 96.Next, the suction force of the suction pads 158 of the tape-attached frame conveying unit 100 is released, and thereby the tape-attached frame 64' is attached to the frame supporting portion 58 of the wafer stage 12. Then, the holding unit 154 is separated from above the wafer stage 12 by moving the Y-axis movable member 150 and the Z-axis movable member 152 of the belt-attached frame conveying unit 100.After the tape-attached frame transporting step is performed, a tape compression bonding step is performed that bonds the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' to the lower surface 4b of the wafer 4. Describing with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the raising and lowering mechanism 164 of the ribbon compression joint unit 102 first lowers the upper chamber 160 and brings the lower end of the side wall 172 of the upper chamber 160 into contact with the upper end of the side wall 186 of the lower chamber 162. As a result, the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 are placed in the closed state, and the press roller 174 is brought into contact with the belt-attached frame 64'. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, an upper end of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4 adheres to the adhesive surface of the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64'.Next, the inside of the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 is evacuated by operating the vacuum unit 166 in a state where the atmosphere opening unit 168 of the band compression joint unit 102 is closed. Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tape 96 is joined to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 by rolling the pressing roller 174 of the tape compression joining unit 102 in the Y-axis direction. Thereby, a frame unit U in which the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 and the tape 96 are pressure-bonded to each other can be manufactured. Next, the atmospheric opening unit 168 is opened, and the atmospheric pressure causes the tape 96 to closely adhere to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 along the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24. Then, the raising-lowering mechanism 164 raises the upper chamber 160. Meanwhile, the suction force applied to the wafer 4 by the wafer table 12 is lost by evacuating the inside of the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162. However, the position of the wafer 4 is not shifted in the tape compression bonding step because the upper end of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4 adheres to the adhesive surface of the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' when the upper chamber 160 and the lower chamber 162 are placed in the closed state.After the tape compression bonding step is performed, a frame unloading step is performed that unloads the frame unit U, in which the tape 96 of the tape-attached frame 64' and the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 are pressure-bonded to each other, from the wafer table 12. Describing with reference to FIG. 5, in the frame unit unloading step, first, the transport unit 206 of the frame unit unloading unit 192 is operated to bring the lower surface of the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 aof the frame unit holding unit 202 into contact with the belt 96 on the lower surface 4 bside of the wafer 4 and to bring the suction pads 214 of the frame holding unit 202 binto contact with the ring frame 64.Next, a suction force is generated in the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 aand the suction pads 214 of the frame holding unit 202 b. Consequently, in a state where all or part of the periphery of the wafer 4 is exposed, the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 adraches and holds the wafer 4 from the lower surface 4 bside (belt 96 side), and the suction pads 214 of the frame holding unit 202 bdraches and holds the ring frame 64. Next, the suction and holding of the wafer 4 by the wafer table 12 is released. Then, the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202 is unloaded from the wafer stage 12 by operating the transport unit 206.After the frame unit unloading step is performed, a transition placing step is performed in which the center of the wafer 4 is matched with the center of the transition placing table 204, and the frame unit U is temporarily placed on the transition placing table 204.Describing FIG. 10, in the transition placing step, first, the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202 is positioned above the imaging unit 224. Next, the transport unit 206 of the frame unit unloading unit 192 is operated, and the imaging unit 224 images at least three positions of the exposed part of the periphery of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U held by the frame unit holding unit 202. When the imaging unit 224 images the wafer 4 from below, the illumination device 400 illuminates the wafer 4 from above the wafer 4. Next, on the basis of the measured coordinates of the three points, the central coordinates of the wafer 4 are obtained. Since all or part of the periphery of the wafer 4 sucked and held by the suction piece 210 of the wafer holding unit 202 ais exposed, the contour of the wafer 4 can be imaged clearly by illuminating the exposed part of the periphery of the wafer 4 from above by the illumination device 400 and imaging the exposed part of the periphery of the wafer 4 from below by the imaging unit 224. In this way, the central coordinates of the wafer 4 can be obtained accurately.Next, the transport unit 206 is operated to position the center of the wafer 4 at the center of the annular support portion 226 of the transition placing table 204, bring the peripheral surplus region 20 of the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 into contact with the upper surface of the annular support portion 226 of the transition placing table 204, and bring the lower surface of the ring frame 64 into contact with the upper surface of the frame support portion 228 of the transition placing table 204. The ring frame 64 is held by the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402. At this time, each of the strong permanent magnets 402 and the annular support portion 226 is positioned in the raised position. Next, a suction force is generated in each suction hole 229 by operating the suction means of the temporary placing table 204. Thereby, the peripheral surplus region 20 of the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 is suctioned and held. In addition, at this time, the device region 18 is disposed at the recess 230 of the transition placement table 204 although the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 faces downward. Thus, the devices 14 and the transition placing table 204 do not come into contact with each other, so that damage to the devices 14 is prevented.Next, the suction and holding of the wafer 4 by the wafer holding unit 202 ais released, and the suction and holding of the ring frame 64 by the frame holding unit 202 bis released. Thereby, the frame unit U is transferred from the frame unit unloading unit 192 to the transfer placing table 204. Next, the heater of the frame supporting portion 228 is operated, and the heater heats the tape 96 of the frame unit U temporarily placed on the temporary placing table 204. As a result, the tape 96 is softened, and the tape 96 is caused to adhere closely to the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4.After the transition placing step is performed, a reinforcing portion removing step is performed that cuts and removes the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the wafer 4 of the frame unit U discharged from the frame unit discharging unit 192.Describing with reference to FIGS. 1, 10, and 13A and 13B, in the reinforcing portion removing step, first, the lower surfaces of the permanent magnets 424 of the holding member 420 of the first raising and lowering table 246 are brought into contact with the upper surface of the ring frame 64 of the frame unit U that is temporarily placed on the transition placing table 204 by moving the X-axis movable member 260 and the Z-axis movable member 262 of the first raising and lowering table 246 of the reinforcing portion removing unit 194, and the ring frame 64 is held by the magnetic force of the permanent magnets 424. In addition, the lower surface of the suction chuck 430 is brought into contact with the lower surface 4 bside (belt 96 side) of the wafer 4, and the wafer 4 is held by the suction force of the suction chuck 430. Next, the first raising and lowering table 246 that sucks and holds the frame unit U is raised after the strong permanent magnets 402 of the temporary placing table 204 are positioned at the lowered position and the suction force of the annular support portion 226 is released. As described above, the magnetic force of the permanent magnets 424 of the holding member 420 is weaker than the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402 of the temporary placing table 204. When the strong permanent magnets 402 are positioned in the lowered position, the strong permanent magnets 402 are separated from the ring frame 64. As a result, the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402 acting on the ring frame 64 is weakened. The frame unit U can therefore be easily detached from the transition placing table 204.Next, the X-axis movable member 260 and the Z-axis movable member 262 of the first elevating and lowering table 246 are operated, and as shown in FIG. 12, the frame unit U held by the holding member 420 of the first elevating and lowering table 246 is positioned above the laser beam irradiation unit 244. Next, a focal point of the laser beam LB is positioned at the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U.Next, the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4 is irradiated with the laser beam LB while the motor 266 of the first elevating and lowering table 246 rotates the holding member 420 and the frame unit U. Consequently, an annular cutting groove 256 can be formed by performing the ablation processing on the base of the annular reinforcing portion 24 of the wafer 4. Leakage light of the laser beam LB passing through the wafer 4 and the belt 96 is diffused in the space 428 between the wafer holding unit 422 and the frame supporting portion 426. An adverse effect of the leakage light on the devices 14 of the wafer 4 is thereby reduced. In addition, when the wafer 4 is irradiated with the laser beam LB, a suction force is generated in the suction nozzle 254 by operating the suction means of the laser beam irradiation unit 244, and the suction nozzle 254 sucks dirt particles generated by the ablation processing.Next, the lower surface of the ring frame 64 of the frame unit U held by the holding member 420 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the frame supporting portion 228 of the temporary placing table 204 by moving the X-axis movable member 260 and the Z-axis movable member 262 of the first raising and lowering table 246. Thereby, the ring frame 64 is held by the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402 positioned in the raised position. At this time, in order to prevent the dirt particles adhering to the periphery of the wafer 4 from adhering to the suction holes 229, it is preferable not to generate suction force in the suction holes 229 of the annular support portion 226, and it is preferable to position the annular support portion 226 at the lowered position in advance. Next, the suction force of the suction jig 430 of the first raising and lowering table 246 is released, and thereafter the holding member 420 is raised. As described above, the magnetic force of the permanent magnets 424 of the holding member 420 is weaker than the magnetic force of the strong permanent magnets 402 of the temporary placing table 204. The ring frame 64 is therefore transmitted from the permanent magnets 424 to the strong permanent magnets 402. Then, when the holding member 420 is raised, the frame unit U is held on the temporary placing table 204 and separated from the holding member 420 of the first raising and lowering table 246. The frame unit U is thus transferred from the first raising and lowering table 246 to the transition placing table 204.Next, the transition placement table transport unit 232 positions the transition placement table 204 accommodating the frame unit U below the separation unit 248 of the reinforcement portion removal unit 194 (see FIG. 10 ). Meanwhile, at this time, the tape conveyer 300 of the disposal unit 276 is previously positioned at the standby position. Next, the second raising and lowering table 272 of the separating unit 248 is lowered, and thereby the lower surface of the second raising and lowering table 272 is brought into contact with the belt 96 at the part of the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4. Next, a suction force is generated in the lower surface of the second raising and lowering table 272, and thereby the second raising and lowering table 272 sucks and holds the lower surface 4 bside of the wafer 4 of the frame unit U.Next, after the strong permanent magnets 402 of the transition placing table 204 are positioned at the lowered position, the second raising and lowering table 272 that sucks and holds the wafer 4 of the frame unit U is raised. Next, the transition placing table 204 is moved to a position below the first raising and lowering table 246. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15, the pair of feeding means 290 and the Z-axis feeding mechanisms 294 of the separator 274 are operated, and thereby the upper and lower engaging rollers 292 aand 292 bengage the ring frame 64 in the up-down direction. In addition, the belt conveyor 300 of the disposal unit 276 is positioned from the standby position to the collection position.Next, the adhering force of the tape 96 adhered to the annular reinforcing portion 24 is reduced by applying ultraviolet rays from the pair of ultraviolet ray irradiation units 270, and the motor 284 rotates the frame unit U together with the support shaft 286 and the second raising and lowering table 272 with respect to the separator 274 while the press rollers 298 press the annular reinforcing portion 24 downward. Thereby, the annular reinforcing portion 24 can be separated from the frame unit U. The belt conveyor 300 conveys the reinforcing portion 24 fallen from the frame unit U to the dust box 302 where the reinforcing portion 24 is collected. Meanwhile, the separator 274 may be rotated with respect to the frame unit U when the reinforcing portion 24 is separated.After the reinforcing portion removing step is performed, a ringless unit discharging step is performed in which the ringless unit U' from which the annular reinforcing portion 24 is removed is discharged from the reinforcing portion removing unit 194. In the ringless unit unloading step, first, the belt conveyor 300 of the disposal unit 276 of the reinforcing portion removing unit 194 is positioned from the collection position to the standby position. Next, the frame holding unit 306 of the inverting mechanism 308 (see FIG. 17 ) of the ringless unit unloading unit 196 is positioned below the ringless unit U' held by the second raising and lowering table 272.Next, the arm 318 is raised in a state in which the suction pads 326 of the frame holding unit 306 are directed upward, and thereby the suction pads 326 of the frame holding unit 306 are brought into contact with the lower surface side of the ring frame 64 of the ringless unit U' which is supported by the second raising and lowering table 272 and in which the upper surface 4 aof the wafer 4 is directed downward.Next, a suction force is generated in the suction pads 326 of the frame holding unit 306, and the suction pads 326 thereby suck and hold the ring frame 64 of the ringless unit U'. Next, the suction and holding of the ringless unit U' is released by the second raising and lowering table 272. Thereby, the ringless unit U' is transferred from the second raising and lowering table 272 of the reinforcing portion removing unit 194 to the frame holding unit 306 of the ringless unit unloading unit 196.After the ringless unit discharging step is performed, a ringless unit accommodating step accommodating the ringless unit U' discharged from the ringless unit discharging unit 196 is performed. In the ringless unit accommodation step, first, the ringless unit U' sucked and held by the frame holding unit 306 is vertically inverted by a vertical inversion of the inverting mechanism 308 of the ringless unit unloading unit 196. Consequently, the ringless unit U' is positioned below the frame holding unit 306, and the upper surface 4a of the wafer 4 is directed upward.Next, the ringless unit U' is brought into contact with the upper surfaces of the pair of supporting plates 328 of the ringless unit supporting unit 310 by moving the Y-axis movable member 316 and the arm 318 of the reversing mechanism 308. At this time, the distance between the pair of support plates 328 is reduced by the distance adjusting means, and the pair of support plates 328 is in close contact with each other. Next, the suction and holding of the ringless unit U' is released by the frame holding unit 306, and thereby the ringless unit U' is mounted on the pair of support plates 328. Next, the band 96 of the ringless unit U' is heated by operating the heater mounted on each of the support plates 328. This eliminates distortion or wrinkling in the strap 96 caused by removal of the reinforcing portion 24. Then, the frame holding unit 306 sucks and holds the ringless unit U' again and raises the ringless unit U'.Next, the ringless unit U' is mounted on the upper surfaces of the supporting plates 328 after the distance adjusting means increases the distance between the pair of supporting plates 328. Then, as shown in Fig. 19, the pressing member 338 of the tray unit 312 presses the ringless unit U' supported by the ringless unit supporting unit 310, thereby continuing to move the ringless unit U' and placing it in the frame cassette 198 placed on the frame cassette table 200.As described above, the processing apparatus 2 in the present embodiment facilitates the work of connecting the wafer 4 to the ring frame 64 by attaching the division tape 96 to the lower surface 4 bof the wafer 4 having the annular reinforcing portion 24 formed in a protruded shape at the part of the lower surface 4 bcorresponding to the periphery, and facilitates removal of the annular reinforcing portion 24 from the wafer 4 by cutting the annular reinforcing portion 24.

Claims

A processing apparatus (2) for removing an annular reinforcing portion (24) in a protruded shape from a wafer (4) having the reinforcing portion (24) formed in the protruded shape at a part of a lower surface (4b) corresponding to a peripheral surplus region (20), the processing apparatus (2) comprising: a wafer cassette table (8) to which a wafer cassette (6) accommodating a plurality of wafers (4) is attached; a wafer unloading unit (10) configured to unload the wafer (4) from the wafer cassette (6) attached to the wafer cassette table (8); a wafer table (12) configured to support a side of an upper surface (4a) of the wafer (4) unloaded from the wafer unloading unit (10); a frame accommodating unit (66) configured to accommodate a plurality of ring frames (64) in which an opening portion (64a) for accommodating the wafer (4) is formed; a frame unloading unit (68) configured to unload a ring frame (64) from the frame accommodating unit (66); a frame table (70) configured to support the ring frame (64) unloaded by the frame unloading unit (68); a tape mounting unit (98) disposed above the frame table (70) and configured to mount a tape (96) to the ring frame (64); a belt-attached frame (64') transport unit (100) configured to transport the ring frame (64) to which the belt (96) is attached to the wafer table (12), position the opening portion (64a) of the ring frame (64) on the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4) supported by the wafer table (12), and attach the belt-attached frame (64') to the wafer table (12); a belt compression bonding unit (102) configured to press bond the belt (96) of the belt-attached frame (64') (96) to the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4); a frame unit unloading unit (192) configured to unload, from the wafer table (12), a frame unit (U) in which the tape (96) of the tape-attached frame (64') (96) and the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4) are pressure-bonded to each other by the tape compression bonding unit (102); a reinforcing portion removing unit (194) configured to cut and remove the annular reinforcing portion (24) from the wafer (4) of the frame unit (U) unloaded by the frame unit unloading unit (192); a ringless unit (U') unloading unit (196) configured to unload the ringless unit (U') from which the ring-shaped reinforcing portion (24) is removed from the reinforcing portion unloading unit (194); and a frame cassette table (200) to which a frame cassette (198) configured to house the ringless unit (U') unloaded from the ringless unit (196) (U') unloading unit (192) includes: a frame unit holding unit (202) including a wafer holding portion configured to hold the wafer (4) while exposing all or part of a periphery of the wafer (4) and a frame holding portion configured to hold the wafer (4), to hold the ring frame (64), a transport unit (100) configured to transport the frame unit holding unit (202) to a transition placing table (204), an imaging unit (224) configured to image the periphery of the wafer (4) of the frame unit (U) held by the frame unit holding unit (202), and an illumination unit (400) facing the imaging unit (224) and disposed at a position where the wafer (4) is disposed between the illumination unit (400) and the imaging unit (224), and wherein the frame unit unloading unit (192) operates the transport unit (206) and images at least three positions of the periphery of the wafer (4) by the imaging unit (224, obtains and causes central coordinates of the wafer (4), a center of the wafer (4) coincides with a center of the transition placing table (204).The processing apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the wafer unloading unit (10) includes a transport arm (42) and a hand (44) disposed at a distal end of the transport arm (42) and configured to support the lower surface (4b) side of the wafer (4) accommodated in the wafer cassette (6) and turn over an upper side and a lower side of the wafer (4).The processing apparatus (2) according to claim 2, wherein the hand (44) is a Bernoulli pad configured to generate a negative pressure by ejecting air and support the wafer (4) in a non-contact manner.The processing apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wafer table (12) includes an annular support portion (226) configured to support the peripheral surplus region (20) of the wafer (4) and to leave a part on an inner side of the peripheral surplus region (20) in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion (58) disposed on a periphery of the annular support portion (56) and configured to support the ring frame (64).The processing apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the band attachment unit (98) includes a roller band support portion configured to support a roller band (96R) on which the band (96) is wound before use, a band winding portion configured to wind the already used band (96), a band extraction portion configured to extract the band (96) from the roller band (96R), a compression connection portion configured to press-connect the extracted band (96) to the ring frame (64), and a cutting portion configured to cut the band (96) protruding from an outer periphery of the ring frame (64) along the ring frame (64).The processing apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the belt compression connection unit (102) generates an upper chamber (160) disposed above the wafer table (12), a lower chamber (162) configured to accommodate the wafer table (12), a raising and lowering mechanism (164) configured to generate a closed state in which the upper chamber (160) is lowered and brought into contact with the lower chamber (162) and an open state in which the upper chamber (160) is separated from the lower chamber (162), a vacuum portion configured to evacuate the upper chamber (160) and the lower chamber (162) in the closed state, and an atmosphere opening portion configured to evacuate the upper chamber (160) and the lower chamber (162), In order to open the upper chamber (160) and the lower chamber (162) to the atmosphere, and in a state in which the belt (96) of the belt-attached frame (64') (96) is positioned on the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4) supported by the wafer table (12), the upper chamber (160) and the lower chamber (162) are evacuated while maintaining the closed state by operating the raising-and-lowering mechanism (164), and a pressing roller (174) disposed in the upper chamber (160) pressure-connects the belt (96) of the belt-attached frame (64') (96) to the lower surface (4b) of the wafer (4).The processing apparatus (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcing portion removing unit (194) includes a laser beam irradiation unit (244) configured to form a cutting groove (256) by applying a laser beam (LB) to a base of the annular reinforcing portion (24) formed on the periphery of the wafer (4), a first raising and lowering table (246) configured to hold and lift the frame unit (U) temporarily placed on the temporary placing table (204) and position the frame unit (U) on the laser beam irradiation unit (244), and a separating portion configured to separate the annular reinforcing portion (24) from the cutting groove (256), the first elevating and lowering table (246) includes a wafer holding portion having a small diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the wafer (4) and configured to expose the annular reinforcing portion (24), a frame supporting portion (426) including a permanent magnet (402) configured to magnetically hold the ring frame (64), and a space (428) configured to scatter leakage light of the laser beam (LB) between the wafer holding portion and the frame supporting portion (426), the separating unit (248) includes an ultraviolet ray irradiating portion configured to reduce an adhesion force of the tape (96) by irradiating a tape (96) corresponding to the cutting groove (256) with an ultraviolet ray, a second elevating and lowering table (272) configured to suck and hold an inside of the wafer (4) while exposing the annular reinforcing portion (24) to a periphery of the second elevating and lowering table (272) and support the ring frame (64), a separator (274) configured to separate the annular reinforcing portion (24) by acting on a periphery of the annular reinforcing portion (24), and a disposal portion to which the separated annular reinforcing portion (24) is disposed, and the first elevating and lowering table (246) temporarily places the frame unit (U) in which the cutting groove (256) is formed on the transition placing table (204), the transition placing table (204) is positioned at the separating portion by a transition placing table transport unit (232), and the second raising and lowering table (272) supports the frame unit (U) temporarily placed at the transition placing table (204).The processing apparatus (2) according to claim 7, wherein the transition placing table (204) includes a heater, and the first raising and lowering table (246) holds the frame unit (U) from the transition placing table (204), in which the tape (96) is heated by the heater and the tape (96) closely adheres to the base of the annular reinforcing portion (24).The processing apparatus (2) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the transition placing table (204) includes an annular support portion (56) configured to support the peripheral surplus portion of the wafer (4) and to leave a part on an inner side of the peripheral surplus portion in a non-contact state, and a frame support portion (58) disposed on a periphery of the annular support portion (56) and configured to support the ring frame (64), and the frame support portion (58) includes a strong permanent magnet (402) having a magnetic force stronger than the permanent magnet (402) of the first raising and lowering table (246), and a removing portion configured to remove the ring frame (64) magnetically supported by the strong permanent magnet (402).The processing apparatus (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ringless unit unloading unit (196) (U') includes a reversing mechanism (308) having a frame holding portion configured to face the ringless unit (U') supported by the second raising and lowering table (272) and hold the ring frame (64), the reversing mechanism (308) configured to move toward the frame cassette table (200) and to reverse the frame holding portion, a ringless unit supporting portion (310) configured to support the ringless unit (U') reversed by the reversing mechanism (308) such that an upper surface (4a) of the wafer (4) faces upward, and an insertion portion configured to support the ringless unit (U') reversed by the reversing mechanism (308), This is to move the ringless unit (U') carried by the ringless unit carrying unit (310) further and accommodate it in the frame cassette (198) mounted on the frame cassette table (200).

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