Inspection wafer storage cassette and processing device

Abstract

To efficiently collect a wafer to be inspected.SOLUTION: An inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the top of a cassette that stores a wafer 200, and is equipped with a cassette body 71 having a pair of opposing side walls 73 formed with a pair of storage grooves 76 for storing wafers 200, and having an opening 77 for loading and unloading the wafer 200 into the storage grooves 76, and a detectable plate 72 that is disposed on the cassette body 71 and can be detected by a wafer detection unit that detects the wafer 200 stored in the cassette.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection wafer storage cassette and a processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a processing device such as a dicer that cuts a plate-shaped workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, a wafer stored in a cassette placed on a cassette stage is transported from the cassette to a chuck table, and the wafer held on the chuck table is processed. The processed wafer is then cleaned by a cleaning means and then transported back to the cassette. In such a processing device, the quality of the processed wafer is inspected at a timing set by an operator (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0003] The wafer to be inspected is set in the equipment, for example, the 11th wafer after processing 10 wafers. The wafer set as the inspection target is not transported to a cassette, but to the inspection stage located below the cassette stage. The operator then retrieves the wafer transported to the inspection stage and inspects it with a different inspection equipment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-251356 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-142327 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the wafers retrieved from the inspection stage must be stored in a separate cassette for transport to the inspection equipment or for temporary storage, which is time-consuming.In addition, the inspection stage occupies a certain amount of space in the processing equipment, so there was a demand for an efficient method of retrieving wafers to be inspected that could replace the inspection stage.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection wafer storage cassette and processing apparatus that can efficiently collect wafers to be inspected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the inspection wafer storage cassette of the present invention is an inspection wafer storage cassette that is placed on a cassette that stores wafers, and is characterized by comprising a cassette body having a pair of storage grooves formed in a pair of opposing side walls for storing wafers, and having an opening for loading and unloading wafers into the storage grooves, and a detectable plate that is disposed on the cassette body and can be detected by a wafer detection means that detects wafers stored in the cassette.

[0008] The processing apparatus of the present invention is at least comprised of a holding table for holding wafers, processing means for processing the wafers held on the holding table, placement means for placing a cassette containing a wafer, wafer detection means for detecting the wafers contained in the cassette placed on the placement means, transport means for transporting wafers between the processing means and the cassette placed on the placement means, and control means, and the control means includes an inspection wafer setting section for setting a wafer to be inspected, and a control section for controlling the inspection wafer placed on the cassette placed on the placement means. a detection unit which detects a storage cassette using the wafer detection means, and a transport unit which, when the detection unit detects the inspection wafer storage cassette, transports the wafer to be inspected set in the inspection wafer setting unit to the inspection wafer storage cassette using the transport means, wherein the inspection wafer storage cassette has a pair of storage grooves formed in a pair of opposing side walls for storing wafers, a cassette body having an opening for transporting wafers into the storage grooves, and a detectable plate which is disposed in the cassette body and is the object of detection by the wafer detection means. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The present invention has an effect of enabling efficient recovery of wafers to be inspected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cassette placed on a cassette elevator of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view that illustrates a configuration example of the inspection wafer storage cassette according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view that illustrates a state in which the inspection wafer storage cassette illustrated in FIG. 3 is placed on the cassette. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a perspective view that illustrates a state in which the inspection wafer storage cassette illustrated in FIG. 3 is placed on a cassette. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view, partially in section, showing the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a state before starting a processing operation. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view, partially in section, that typically shows a state in which a wafer detection unit detects an inspection wafer storage cassette immediately after the start of a processing operation of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view, partially in section, that typically shows a state in which a first transfer unit of a transfer mechanism of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 places a wafer to be inspected into an inspection wafer storage cassette. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The form (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiment. Furthermore, the components described below include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0012] [Embodiment 1] A processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the processing device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cassette placed on a cassette elevator of the processing device shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] (Workpiece) 1 according to the first embodiment is a cutting device that cuts a wafer 200. In the first embodiment, the wafer 200 to be processed by the processing device 1 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer having a substrate made of silicon, sapphire, gallium arsenide, SiC (silicon carbide), or the like. The wafer 200 has devices 203 formed in areas partitioned in a lattice pattern by a plurality of planned dividing lines 202 formed in a lattice pattern on a surface 201.

[0014] The device 203 is, for example, an integrated circuit such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration), or a memory (semiconductor memory device).

[0015] The wafer 200 has a disk-shaped adhesive tape 205 having a larger diameter than the wafer 200 attached to a back surface 204 behind the front surface 201, and an annular frame 206 having a circular ring shape is attached to the outer edge of the adhesive tape 205, so that the wafer 200 is supported within an opening of the annular frame 206. In the first embodiment, the annular frame 206 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or an aluminum alloy.

[0016] (Processing equipment) The processing device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a cutting device that holds a wafer 200 on a holding table 10 serving as a holding means and cuts (corresponding to processing) the wafer 200 along a planned division line 202 with a cutting blade 21. As shown in Fig. 2, the processing device 1 includes the holding table 10 that holds the wafer 200 by suction on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that serves as a processing means that cuts the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10 with the cutting blade 21, an imaging unit (not shown) that images the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10, and a control unit 100 that serves as a control means.

[0017] The processing device 1 also includes a moving unit (not shown) that moves the holding table 10 relative to the cutting unit 20. The moving unit includes an X-axis moving unit that moves the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction, a Y-axis moving unit that indexes and moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction, a Z-axis moving unit that cuts and moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a rotational moving unit that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 1 is a so-called facing dual type cutting device that includes two cutting units 20, that is, a two-spindle dicer.

[0018] The X-axis moving unit moves the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, which is the processing feed direction, to relatively feed the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the X-axis direction. The Y-axis moving unit moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, to relatively feed the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis moving unit moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the cutting feed direction, to relatively feed the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 along the Z-axis direction. The rotation moving unit is moved in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 10 by the X-axis moving unit 41.

[0019] The X-axis movement unit, the Y-axis movement unit, and the Z-axis movement unit each include a well-known ball screw rotatably provided about its axis, a well-known motor that rotates the ball screw about its axis to move the holding table 10 or the cutting unit 20 in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction, and a well-known guide rail that supports the holding table 10 or the cutting unit 20 movably in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotation movement unit includes a well-known motor that rotates the holding table 10 about its axis.

[0020] The holding table 10 is disk-shaped, and a holding surface 11 for holding the wafer 200 is formed from porous ceramics or the like. The holding table 10 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction by an X-axis moving unit across a processing area below the cutting unit 20 and a carry-in / out area spaced from below the cutting unit 20 for carrying in and out the wafer 200, and is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a rotary moving unit.

[0021] The holding table 10 has a holding surface 11 connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) and is sucked by the vacuum suction source to suction and hold the wafer 200 placed on the holding surface 11. In the first embodiment, the holding table 10 suction-holds the back surface 204 of the wafer 200 via an adhesive tape 205. In addition, a plurality of clamp units 12 for clamping an annular frame 206 are provided around the periphery of the holding table 10.

[0022] The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit to which a cutting blade 21 for cutting the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10 is detachably attached. The cutting unit 20 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit and movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit with respect to the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10. The cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the X-axis moving unit, the Y-axis moving unit, and the Z-axis moving unit.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 20 has a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit and a Z-axis moving unit, a spindle 23 serving as a rotating shaft mounted on the spindle housing 22 and rotatable about its axis, and a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 23 about its axis.

[0024] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting grindstone having a substantially ring shape. In the first embodiment, the cutting blade 21 includes an annular cutting blade for cutting the wafer 200, and an annular base that supports the cutting blade at its outer edge and is detachably attached to the spindle 23. The cutting blade is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bond material such as metal or resin, and is formed to a predetermined thickness. In the present invention, the cutting blade 21 may be a so-called washer blade that is made of only the cutting blade.

[0025] The spindle housing 22 is supported by a Z-axis moving unit so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and is supported by a Y-axis moving unit via the Z-axis moving unit so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The spindle housing 22 accommodates a portion of the spindle 23 excluding the tip end thereof, a spindle motor (not shown), and the like, and supports the spindle 23 so as to be rotatable about its axis.

[0026] The cutting blade 21 is attached to the tip of the spindle 23. The spindle 23 is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown), and the tip protrudes from the tip surface of the spindle housing 22. The tip of the spindle 23 is gradually tapered toward the tip, and the cutting blade 21 is attached to it. The axes of the spindle 23 and the cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 are parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0027] The imaging unit images the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10 and acquires the captured image. The imaging unit is fixed to the cutting unit 20 so as to move integrally with the cutting unit 20. The imaging unit includes an imaging element that images an area to be cut of the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10 before cutting. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The imaging unit images the wafer 200 held by the holding table 10 and acquires an image for performing alignment between the wafer 200 and the cutting blade 21, and outputs the acquired image to the control unit 100.

[0028] The processing device 1 also includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and the Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, and a read head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction with motor pulses.

[0029] The X-axis position detection unit, the Y-axis position detection unit, and the Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction to the control unit 100. The angle detection unit outputs the angle from a reference position around the axis of the holding table 10 to the control unit 100. In the first embodiment, the position of each component of the processing device 1 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction is determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown).

[0030] The processing apparatus 1 also includes a cassette elevator 30, which is a placement means for placing a cassette 60 containing the wafers 200 before and after cutting and for moving the cassette 60 in the Z-axis direction, a cleaning unit 40 for cleaning the wafers 200 after cutting, and a transport mechanism 50, which is a transport means. As shown in Fig. 2, the cassette 60 is a container capable of storing a plurality of wafers 200 spaced apart in the Z-axis direction, and includes an inlet / outlet 61 for allowing the wafers 200 to be inserted and removed.

[0031] 2, the cassette 60 includes a rectangular bottom plate 62, a pair of side plates 63 standing from both edges of the bottom plate 62 in the X-axis direction, a back plate 64 standing from the outer edge of the bottom plate 62 and connected to the pair of side plates 63, and a ceiling plate 65 connected to the upper edges of the pair of side plates 63 and the back plate 64 and parallel to the bottom plate 62. The cassette 60 has an insertion / removal opening 61 surrounded by the bottom plate 62, the pair of side plates 63, and the ceiling plate 65. The cassette 60 also includes a plurality of mounting rails 66 on the inner surface of the pair of side plates 63, on which an annular frame 206 supporting a wafer 200 on its surface is placed, spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. The cassette 60 also includes a handle 67 at the center of the upper surface of the ceiling plate 65, which an operator holds to transport the cassette 60.

[0032] The cassette 60 has both edges in the X-axis direction of the annular frame 206 placed on the opposing mounting rails 66, and accommodates a plurality of wafers 200 spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. One of the plurality of wafers 200 accommodated in the cassette 60 is set as the wafer 200 to be inspected in order to check the processing quality. The position of the wafer 200 to be inspected in the cassette 60 is set according to the processing conditions, and the wafer 200 to be inspected is the same as the other wafers 200 accommodated in the cassette 60.

[0033] The cassette elevator 30 is positioned next to one side in the Y-axis direction of the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area, and the cassette 60 is placed on it with the loading / unloading opening 61 positioned on the side of the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area.

[0034] The cleaning unit 40 is positioned next to the other side in the Y-axis direction of the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area, and is positioned in line in the Y-axis direction with the cassette 60 and the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area.

[0035] The transport mechanism 50 transports the wafer 200 between inside the cassette 60, on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and the cleaning unit 40. That is, the transport mechanism 50 transports the wafer 200 between the cutting unit 20 and the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30. The transport mechanism 50 includes a first transport unit 51 and a second transport unit 52.

[0036] The first transfer unit 51 transfers the wafer 200 between inside the cassette 60 and the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10, and also transfers the wafer 200 from the cleaning unit 40 onto the inside of the cassette 60. The first transfer unit 51 includes a clamping section 53 that clamps an annular frame 206 supporting the wafer 200 and moves the wafer 200 in and out of the cassette 60, and a clamp detection sensor that detects whether the clamping section 53 has clamped the annular frame 206. The clamp detection sensor outputs a detection result to the control section 100.

[0037] The second transfer unit 52 transfers the wafer 200 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 to the cleaning unit 40 .

[0038] The processing apparatus 1 also includes a wafer detection unit 80, which is a wafer detection means for detecting the wafer 200 contained in the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30. In the first embodiment, the wafer detection unit 80 is provided between the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area and the carry-in / out opening 61 of the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30, and before the first transport unit 51 of the transport mechanism 50 carries the wafer 200 out of the cassette 60, the wafer detection unit 80 emits light toward the annular frame 206 supporting the wafer 200 to be carried out, and detects whether the wafer 200 to be carried out is contained in the cassette 60 based on whether the wafer detection unit 80 receives reflected light from the annular frame 206. The wafer detection unit 80 outputs the detection result to the control unit 100.

[0039] (Inspection wafer storage cassette) In the processing apparatus 1, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 shown in FIG. 3 is placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30. Next, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view that typically shows an example of the configuration of the inspection wafer storage cassette according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view that typically shows a state in which the inspection wafer storage cassette shown in FIG. 3 is placed on the cassette. FIG. 5 is a perspective view that typically shows a state in which the inspection wafer storage cassette shown in FIG. 3 is placed on the cassette.

[0040] The inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 that stores the wafers 200, and stores the wafers 200 to be inspected after cutting. The inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is configured separately from the cassette 60, and includes a cassette body 71 and a detection plate 72, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

[0041] The cassette body 71 has a pair of opposing side walls 73 formed with a pair of storage grooves 76 for storing wafers 200, and has an opening 77 for loading and unloading the wafers into and from the storage grooves 76. The cassette body 71 includes the pair of side walls 73, a connecting plate 74, and a handle 75.

[0042] The pair of side walls 73 extend linearly along the Y-axis direction and are spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction. The pair of side walls 73 have a storage groove 76 formed on the inner surfaces facing each other, which is concave from the inner surface and receives the outer edge of the annular frame 206 supporting the wafer 200 to be inspected, and supports the wafer 200 via the annular frame 206. The pair of side walls 73 also have an opening 77 formed at the end near the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area in the Y-axis direction, which communicates with the storage groove 76 and allows the annular frame 206 to be freely inserted and removed from the storage groove 76.

[0043] The connecting plate 74 is formed in a flat plate shape and connects upper surfaces of the pair of side walls 73. In the first embodiment, the connecting plate 74 is attached to upper surfaces of the central parts of the pair of side walls 73 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction, and connects the upper surfaces of the central parts of the pair of side walls 73 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction.

[0044] The handle 75 is gripped by an operator to transport the inspection wafer storage cassette 70. In the first embodiment, the handle 75 is provided on the upper surface of the connecting plate 74.

[0045] The cassette body 71 is placed on the cassette 60 with the handle 67 of the cassette 60 positioned between the pair of side walls 73. When the cassette body 71 is placed on the cassette 60, the opening 77 of the storage groove 76 is aligned with the loading / unloading port 61 of the cassette 60 in the Z-axis direction, and the opening 77 of the storage groove 76 faces the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area.

[0046] The detection plate 72 is disposed in the cassette body 71 and can be detected by a wafer detection unit 80 that detects the wafers 200 accommodated in the cassette 60. In the first embodiment, the detection plate 72 is made of the same material as the annular frame 206 and formed to the same thickness, and is provided at an end of the cassette body 71 near the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area when the inspection wafer accommodation cassette 70 of the cassette body 71 is placed on the cassette 60. In the first embodiment, the detection plate 72 is formed in a flat plate shape and connects the ends of the pair of side walls 73 of the cassette body 71 near the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area. The detection plate 72 is made of the same material as the annular frame 206 and formed to the same thickness, and can be detected by the wafer detection unit 80 that detects the wafers 200 accommodated in the cassette 60.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 having the above-described configuration is placed on the cassette 60 with the handle 67 positioned between a pair of side walls 73 of the cassette body 71 and the detectable plate 72 positioned next to the handle 67 near the holding table 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area.

[0048] (Control unit) Next, the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 will be described. The control unit 100 controls each component of the processing apparatus 1 and causes the processing apparatus 1 to perform processing operations on the wafer 200. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device having a microprocessor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device having a memory such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the processing apparatus 1 to each component of the processing apparatus 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0049] The control unit 100 is connected to a display unit 110 configured with a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays the status of the machining operation and captured images, an input unit (not shown) that is used by the operator to register machining conditions, and an alarm unit (not shown). The input unit is configured with at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit 110 and an external input device such as a keyboard. The alarm unit emits at least one of sound and light to alarm the operator.

[0050] 1, the control unit 100 includes a processing control unit 101, an inspection wafer setting unit 102, a detection unit 103, and a transport unit 104. The processing control unit 101 also controls each component of the processing device 1 to cause the processing device 1 to perform a processing operation on the wafer 200.

[0051] The inspection wafer setting unit 102 sets the wafer 200 to be inspected. In the first embodiment, the inspection wafer setting unit 102 stores the position of the wafer 200 to be inspected in the cassette 60, which is included in the processing conditions input from an input unit or the like.

[0052] The detection unit 103 detects the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30 using the wafer detection unit 80. In the first embodiment, when the processing apparatus 1 starts a processing operation, the detection unit 103 raises and lowers the cassette elevator 30 along the Z axis to position the cassette 60 at a position where the detection target plate 72 of the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 above the cassette 60 faces the wafer detection unit 80 along the Y axis direction. The detection unit 103 causes the wafer detection unit 80 to irradiate light toward the detection target plate 72 of the inspection wafer storage cassette 70, and determines whether the wafer detection unit 80 has received the light reflected from the detection target plate 72.

[0053] When the detection unit 103 determines that the wafer detection unit 80 has received the reflected light, it determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30. On the other hand, when the detection unit 103 determines that the wafer detection unit 80 has not received the reflected light, it determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is not placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30. In this way, the detection unit 103 determines whether or not the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30 depending on whether or not the wafer detection unit 80 detects the detection target plate 72.

[0054] When the detection unit 103 detects the inspection wafer storage cassette 70, the transport unit 104 transports the wafer 200 to be inspected set by the inspection wafer setting unit 102 to the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 using the transport mechanism 50. When the detection unit 103 determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30, the transport unit 104 causes the transport mechanism 50 to store the wafer 200 to be inspected in the cassette 60 set by the inspection wafer setting unit 102 after the wafer 200 has been cut and cleaned. In addition, when the detection unit 103 determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is not placed on top of the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30, the transport unit 104 causes the transport mechanism 50 to store the inspection target wafer 200 in the cassette 60 set in the inspection wafer setting unit 102 in the position set in the inspection wafer setting unit 102 of the cassette 60 after the wafer 200 to be inspected has been cut and cleaned.

[0055] The function of the inspection wafer setting unit 102 is realized by a storage device. The functions of the processing control unit 101, the detection unit 103, and the transport unit 104 are realized by an arithmetic processing device that performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device.

[0056] (Machining operation) Next, the processing operation of the processing apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. Fig. 6 is a front view, partially in section, that typically shows the state of the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 before the processing operation starts. Fig. 7 is a front view, partially in section, that typically shows the state in which the wafer detection unit detects the inspection wafer storage cassette immediately after the processing operation starts. Fig. 8 is a front view, partially in section, that typically shows the state in which the first transport unit of the transport mechanism of the processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 stores the wafer to be inspected in the inspection wafer storage cassette.

[0057] 6, in the processing apparatus 1, a cassette 60 containing a plurality of wafers 200 is placed on a cassette elevator 30, and an inspection wafer containing cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60. In the processing apparatus 1, the control unit 100 accepts and registers processing conditions input by an operator from an input unit or the like. The processing conditions include information indicating the position of the wafer 200 to be inspected in the cassette 60. In the processing apparatus 1, when the control unit 100 registers the processing conditions, the inspection wafer setting unit 102 stores the position of the wafer 200 to be inspected in the cassette 60.

[0058] The processing apparatus 1 starts a processing operation when the control unit 100 receives a processing start command input by the operator from an input unit or the like. When the processing operation starts, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 starts rotating the spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20, i.e., the cutting blade 21, and the detection unit 103 of the control unit 100 lowers the cassettes 60, 70 placed on the cassette elevator 30, so that the detected plate 72 of the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 faces the wafer detection unit 80 in the Y-axis direction, as shown in Fig. 7. In the processing operation, the detection unit 103 of the control unit 100 uses the wafer detection unit 80 to determine whether the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30, and stores the determination result in a storage device.

[0059] In the processing operation, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 controls the cassette elevator 30, the first transport unit 51, etc. to take out one pre-cut wafer 200 from the cassette 60 and place it on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area. In the processing operation in the first embodiment, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the processing apparatus 1 sucks and holds the wafer 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 positioned in the carry-in / out area via the adhesive tape 205, and clamps the annular frame 206 with the clamp unit 12. In the processing operation in the first embodiment, the processing apparatus 1 controls the moving unit to position the holding table 10 holding the wafer 200 in the processing area, and causes the imaging unit to image the wafer 200 to perform alignment.

[0060] In the processing operation, the processing device 1 controls the moving unit and the cutting unit 20 by the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 to relatively move the cutting unit 20 and the wafer 200 along the division lines 202, while causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the division lines 202 until it reaches the adhesive tape 205, and cuts the wafer 200 along the division lines 202 to divide the wafer 200 into individual devices 203. In the processing operation, when the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 cuts all the division lines 202 of the wafer 200 held on the holding table 10, the processing device 1 controls the moving unit to position the holding table 10 at the carry-in / out position, and causes the second transport unit 52 to transport the wafer 200 after cutting from the holding table 10 to the cleaning unit 40, and after cleaning, causes the transport mechanism 50 to store the wafer 200 in the cassette 60.

[0061] In the processing operation, when the detection unit 103 of the processing apparatus 1 determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 after cutting and cleaning the wafer 200 to be inspected, the transport unit 104 of the control unit 100 controls the cassette elevator 30, the transport mechanism 50, etc. to transport the wafer 200 from the cleaning unit 40 to the inspection wafer storage cassette 70, and stores the wafer 200 to be inspected after cutting in the inspection wafer storage cassette 70, as shown in Fig. 8. In the processing operation, when the detection unit 103 of the processing apparatus 1 determines that the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is not placed on the cassette 60, the processing control unit 101 of the control unit 100 controls the cassette elevator 30, the transport mechanism 50, etc. to transport the wafer 200 from the cleaning unit 40 to the cassette 60, and stores the wafer 200 to be inspected after cutting in the cassette 60. When all of the wafers 200 in the cassette 60 have been cut, the processing apparatus 1 finishes the processing operation.

[0062] After the processing operation is completed, if the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60, an operator or the like transports the wafers 200 to be inspected from the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 to the inspection device and inspects the wafers 200 to be inspected.

[0063] As described above, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 of embodiment 1 is constructed separately from the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30, and is placed on top of the cassette 60. Therefore, after the wafer 200 to be inspected after cutting is stored by the transport mechanism 50 of the processing device 1, the operator can remove it from the top of the cassette 60 and transport it to the inspection device.

[0064] As a result, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 does not require the trouble of re-transporting the wafer 200 to be inspected after cutting processing, making it easy for the operator to handle the wafer 200 to be inspected and transport it to the inspection device after retrieving the wafer 200 to be inspected.

[0065] As a result, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 has the effect of being able to efficiently collect the wafers 200 to be inspected.

[0066] Furthermore, since the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 in embodiment 1 is constructed separately from the cassette 60 placed on the cassette elevator 30 and is placed on top of the cassette 60, it is possible to eliminate the need to provide the processing equipment 1 with an inspection stage for storing the wafer 200 to be inspected.

[0067] The inspection wafer storage cassette 70 according to the first embodiment includes a pair of side walls 73 spaced apart from each other, a connecting plate 74 connecting the upper surfaces of the side walls 73, and a detectable plate 72 provided at an end of the cassette body 71, so that the handle 67 of the cassette 60 can be positioned next to the detectable plate 72 between the pair of side walls 73. As a result, the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 according to the first embodiment has the effect of being able to be placed on the cassette 60.

[0068] Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 100 includes the detection unit 103 that determines whether the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60, and therefore the wafer 200 to be inspected can be transported to the inspection wafer storage cassette 70. Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can prevent the wafer 200 to be inspected from being erroneously transported to the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 when the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is not placed thereon.

[0069] Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1, the wafer detection unit 80 detects the inspection wafer storage cassette 70, so there is no need to add any additional parts to determine whether the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed thereon.

[0070] Furthermore, the processing device 1 has a mechanism for enabling the cassette elevator 30 to rise and fall along the Z-axis direction, and is capable of lowering the cassette 60 to a deep position so as to accommodate two-tiered cassettes 60. However, in the processing device 1, it is rare for the cassettes 60 to be tiered, and when the cassettes 60 are not tiered, an extra lowering area exists under the cassette elevator 30.

[0071] In addition, since the processing device 1 has an inspection stage arranged under the cassette elevator 30 that has expansion space for additional modifications such as installing an ultraviolet lamp, the inspection stage tends to become larger, and the extra space under the cassette elevator 30 tends to increase.

[0072] For this reason, the processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 1 eliminates these unnecessary spaces and allows other functions to be installed in this space, so that an inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is installed on top of the cassette 60 that has been used conventionally instead of an inspection stage (assuming that cassettes 60 are not stacked two-tiered).

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the present invention, the processing device 1 may use a clamp detection sensor (corresponding to a wafer detection means) of the first transport unit 51 to determine whether the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60. In this case, the processing device 1 determines whether the inspection wafer storage cassette 70 is placed on the cassette 60 based on the detection result of the clamp detection sensor when the clamp unit 53 of the first transport unit 51 performs an operation of clamping the detection target plate 72 of the inspection wafer storage cassette 70.

[0074] In addition, in the present invention, the processing device 1 is not limited to a cutting device that cuts the wafer 200, but may also be a laser processing device that laser processes the wafer 200, a grinding device that grinds the wafer 200, or a polishing device that polishes the wafer 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Processing equipment 10 Holding table 20 Cutting unit (processing means) 30 Cassette elevator (loading means) 50 Conveying mechanism (conveying means) 60 Cassettes 70 Inspection wafer storage cassette 71 Cassette body 72 Detectable Plate 73 Side wall 76 Storage Groove 77 Opening 80 Wafer detection unit (wafer detection means) 100 Control section 102 Inspection wafer setting section 103 Detection unit 104 Conveyor 200 wafers

Claims

1. An inspection wafer storage cassette that is placed on the wafer storage cassette, a cassette body having a pair of accommodation grooves formed in a pair of opposing side walls for accommodating wafers and having an opening for loading and unloading the wafers into and from the accommodation grooves; a detection plate disposed in the cassette body and detectable by a wafer detection means for detecting the wafers contained in the cassette; 1. An inspection wafer storage cassette comprising:

2. A processing device comprising: A holding table that holds the wafer; a processing means for processing the wafer held on the holding table; a placement means for placing a cassette containing wafers; a wafer detection means for detecting a wafer contained in a cassette placed on the placement means; a conveying means for conveying wafers between the processing means and a cassette placed on the placement means; A control means; At least one of: The control means an inspection wafer setting unit that sets a wafer to be inspected; a detection unit that detects an inspection wafer storage cassette placed on the cassette placed on the placement means by using the wafer detection means; a transport unit that transports the wafer to be inspected, which has been set by the inspection wafer setting unit, to the inspection wafer storage cassette by using the transport means when the detection unit detects the inspection wafer storage cassette; Equipped with The inspection wafer storage cassette includes: a cassette body having a pair of accommodation grooves formed in a pair of opposing side walls for accommodating wafers and having an opening for carrying the wafers into the accommodation grooves; a detection plate disposed in the cassette body and serving as an object of detection by the wafer detection means; A processing apparatus comprising:

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