Processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a processing apparatus that enables the collection of wafers having different sizes or shapes.SOLUTION: A processing apparatus comprises: a chuck table which holds a single wafer that is either a first wafer or a second wafer having a different size or shape from the first wafer; a processing unit which processes the wafer held on the chuck table; a cassette stage on which a cassette storing at least one of the first and second wafers is placed; and a conveyance mechanism which carries the wafers into and out of the cassette placed on the cassette stage. The processing apparatus further includes a table 320 on which the conveyance mechanism is arranged so as to be able to carry in and out, on which either the first wafer or the second waferis placed and which comprises a first placement surface (placement surface 321) for placing the first wafer, and a second placement surface (placement surface 322) for placing the second wafer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A processing apparatus for performing processing such as cutting or grinding on a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer is known. The processing apparatus performs an operation of taking out a wafer from a cassette, processing it, and then accommodating it again in the cassette. However, for a part of the processed wafer, it is transported to a dedicated stage called an inspection stage and recovered for performing a sampling inspection for quality check.

[0003] The inspection stage is provided below a cassette table that can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism. A processing apparatus equipped with an inspection stage is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The processing apparatus desirably supports sampling inspections of wafers of various sizes or shapes that can be processed. Further, in order for an operator to be able to recover the wafer without directly touching the wafer transported to the inspection stage for the sampling inspection, it is desirable that the inspection stage be provided with a table that can be used as a tray on which the wafer can be placed and is detachable.

[0006] Prepare a table having a placement surface adapted to the size or shape of the wafer for each size or shape of the wafer, and by replacing the table arranged on the inspection stage according to the size or shape of the wafer, the processing apparatus can handle the extraction inspection of wafers of various sizes or shapes. However, in this case, an operator needs to replace the table according to the size or shape of the wafer.

[0007] Also, by configuring the table to have a placement surface wide enough to place wafers of various sizes or shapes, the processing apparatus can also handle the extraction inspection of wafers of various sizes or shapes. However, when using a table with a placement surface having a sufficient margin in width for the wafer, when removing the table from the inspection stage and recovering it in order to inspect the wafer, the wafer is not stable on the table, so the risk of the wafer falling or the like increases.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a processing apparatus capable of recovering wafers having different sizes or shapes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] A processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a chuck table that holds at least one of a first wafer and a second wafer having a different size or shape from the first wafer, a processing unit that processes the wafer held by the chuck table, a cassette stage on which a cassette containing at least one of the first wafer or the second wafer is placed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers wafers into and out of the cassette placed on the cassette stage, and the transfer mechanism is arranged to be capable of loading and unloading, and further includes a table having a first placement surface for placing the first wafer and a second placement surface for placing the second wafer, on which at least one of the first wafer or the second wafer is placed.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a processing apparatus capable of recovering wafers having different sizes or shapes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction shown in the drawing are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis direction and Y-axis direction are substantially horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction (substantially vertical direction). The processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0013] The processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a processing apparatus that cuts a wafer W. The wafer W processed by the processing apparatus 100 is not particularly limited. The wafer W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer such as silicon or gallium arsenide, but may also be a ceramic, glass, or sapphire-based optical device wafer. The wafer W processed by the processing apparatus 100 has various sizes or shapes. That is, the processing apparatus 100 is a processing apparatus that handles various wafers W having different sizes or shapes as processing targets.

[0014] The wafer W is formed in a substantially plate shape and is, for example, circular as shown in FIG. 1. However, in this specification, the wafer W is not limited to a circular wafer and may be a rectangular wafer. The wafer W is partitioned by a plurality of dividing lines to be formed in a grid pattern, and devices are formed in each of the partitioned regions.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 100 includes a base 101, and gantry support structures 12 and 14. A rectangular opening extending in the X-axis direction is formed in the upper surface 102 of the base 101, and the support structures 12 and 14 are provided on the upper surface 102 so as to straddle the opening. Further, the opening formed in the base 101 is covered with a bellows-shaped cover that is movable together with the chuck table 10 described later. Furthermore, below the cover of the base 101, an X-axis moving unit (not shown) for moving the chuck table 10 in the X-axis direction and a table rotating unit (not shown) for rotating the chuck table 10 around the Z-axis direction are provided.

[0016] An elevator 103 that can move up and down in the Z-axis direction is provided on the base 101. A cassette stage 104 is provided on the elevator 103. A cassette 4 for accommodating the wafer W is placed on the cassette stage 104. The cassette 4 accommodates any one type of wafer W among various wafers W having different sizes or shapes. That is, the cassette 4 accommodates at least the first wafer or a wafer different in size or shape from the first wafer, i.e., the second wafer. That is, the cassette 4 may accommodate, for example, any one of the first wafer, the second wafer, the third wafer, and the like. The cassette 4 placed on the cassette stage 104 is provided with a plurality of accommodation portions for accommodating the wafer W in multiple stages in the Z-axis direction.

[0017] The cassette 4 has an opening for loading and unloading the wafer W to and from the storage section, and is placed on the cassette stage 104 with the opening facing the transfer unit 60 described later. In the processing apparatus 100, the cassette stage 104 is moved up and down by the elevator 103, thereby moving the cassette 4 placed on the cassette stage 104 relative to the transfer unit 60, whereby any wafer W accommodated in the cassette 4 can be loaded and unloaded by the transfer unit 60.

[0018] Below the cassette stage 104, an inspection unit 301 is arranged. The inspection unit 301 accommodates the wafer W to be subjected to sampling inspection for quality check. The inspection unit 301 is removably accommodated in the space formed between the cassette stage 104 and the elevator 103. The inspection unit 301 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The processing apparatus 100 further includes a chuck table 10, a cutting unit 20, an imaging unit (not shown), a guide unit 40, a cleaning unit 50, transfer units (transfer unit 60, transfer unit 70), a Y-axis movement unit 17, a Z-axis movement unit 18, and a control unit 90 that controls the operation of the processing apparatus 100.

[0020] The chuck table 10 holds the wafer W by suction on the holding surface 11. The chuck table 10 has a disk shape, and the holding surface 11 for holding the wafer W is formed of porous ceramic or the like. The chuck table 10 is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown), and by being suctioned by the vacuum suction source, the wafer W placed on the holding surface 11 is suction-held. Note that the chuck table 10 holds any one of various wafers W having different sizes or shapes. That is, the chuck table 10 holds at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer having a different size or shape from the first wafer. In other words, the chuck table 10 may hold any one of, for example, the first wafer, the second wafer, the third wafer, ···, or may hold the first wafer, the second wafer, the third wafer, ··· one by one in order. Further, the chuck table 10 may be provided with partitions so that the size or shape of the holding surface 11 can be changed corresponding to the size or shape of the wafer W.

[0021] Further, the chuck table 10 moves between a loading / unloading position where the wafer W is loaded / unloaded with respect to the chuck table 10 and a cutting position where the wafer W is cut by the cutting unit 20 by driving of the X-axis moving unit described above. Also, the chuck table 10 rotates around the Z axis by the table rotation unit described above to change the orientation of the suction-held wafer W.

[0022] The cutting unit 20 cuts the wafer W suction-held by the chuck table 10, and is an example of a processing unit that processes the wafer W held by the chuck table 10. The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21 fixed to a spindle having a rotation axis in the Y-axis direction. The cutting unit 20 moves in the Z axis by a Z-axis moving unit 18 provided in the support structure 14 and moves in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 17 provided in the support structure 14, thereby cutting an arbitrary position of the wafer W held by the chuck table 10 along the X-axis direction.

[0023] The imaging unit is configured to image the wafer W held on the holding surface 11 of the chuck table 10, and includes an imaging device such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging device or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging device. The imaging unit is fixed to the cutting unit 20 so as to move integrally with the cutting unit 20, for example.

[0024] The imaging unit images the wafer W held on the chuck table 10 to obtain an image of the wafer W for use in aligning the planned division line of the wafer W with the cutting blade 21. The acquired image is output to the control unit 90.

[0025] The guide unit 40 is a temporary placement portion on which the wafer W is temporarily placed, and includes a pair of guide rails 41 provided along the Y-axis direction. The interval between the pair of guide rails 41 can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism (not shown), and when placing the wafer W, the interval is adjusted according to the size (diameter, size) of the wafer.

[0026] The cleaning unit 50 cleans and dries the wafer W cut by the cutting unit 20. The cleaning unit 50 has a spinner table, cleans the wafer W placed on the spinner table with cleaning water, and further dries the wafer W with air ejected from a nozzle.

[0027] The transfer unit 60 is for loading and unloading the wafer W with respect to the cassette 4 and is an example of an unloading mechanism. The transfer unit 60 includes a guide rail 61 provided along the Y-axis direction on the support structure 12 and a moving unit 62 movable on the guide rail 61. The transfer unit 60 transfers the wafer W between the cassette 4 and the guide unit 40 by the moving unit 62 holding the wafer W moving along the guide rail 61.

[0028] The transfer unit 70 transfers the wafer W into and out of the chuck table 10 and the cleaning unit 50. The transfer unit 70 includes a guide rail 71 provided along the Y-axis direction on the support structure 12 and a moving unit 72 movable on the guide rail 71. The transfer unit 70 sucks and holds the wafer W supported by the guide unit 40 with the moving unit 72 and moves it along the guide rail 71, thereby transferring it to the chuck table 10. Also, the transfer unit 70 sucks and holds the wafer W held by the chuck table 10 and transfers it to the cleaning unit 50. Further, the transfer unit 70 sucks and holds the wafer W held by the cleaning unit 50 and transfers it to the guide unit 40.

[0029] The control unit 90 controls each component of the processing apparatus 100 to cause the processing apparatus 100 to execute a series of processing operations on the wafer W. Specifically, the control unit 90 causes the processing apparatus 100 to execute a process of taking out the wafer W before processing from the cassette 4 and placing it on each component of the guide unit 40, the chuck table 10, and the cleaning unit 50. Also, the control unit 90 causes the processing apparatus 100 to execute a process of cutting the wafer W and a process of cleaning it. Further, the control unit 90 causes the processing apparatus 100 to execute a process of accommodating the wafer W after processing in the cassette 4. Additionally, the control unit 90 causes the processing apparatus 100 to execute a process of extracting a part of the wafer W after processing and accommodating it in the inspection unit 301 for inspection.

[0030] The control unit 90 is a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface device. By executing a computer program stored in the memory, the processor of the control unit 90 outputs a control signal for controlling the processing device 100 to each component of the processing device 100 via the input / output interface device, thereby causing the processing device 100 to execute the series of processing operations described above.

[0031] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection unit 301 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inspection unit 301 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the inspection unit 301 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0032] The inspection unit 301 is a unit for accommodating a wafer W to be subjected to extraction inspection. The wafer W accommodated in the inspection unit 301 is collected by an operator and inspected using a device separate from the processing device 100 for quality check. Also, inspections for scratches and dirt by human visual inspection are performed.

[0033] The inspection unit 301 is a drawer provided below the cassette stage 104 and is configured to move up and down by the elevator 103 together with the cassette stage 104. As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection unit 301 includes an inspection stage 310 and a table 320. The inspection stage 310 is a slider that slides along the Y-axis direction with respect to the cassette stage 104 by a slide mechanism (not shown). The table 320 is a tray on which three types of wafers W with different sizes can be placed, and is removably placed on the inspection stage 310 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Further, the table 320 is arranged such that the transfer unit 60, which is a transfer mechanism, can transfer the wafer W into and out of the inspection unit 301.

[0034] The table 320 has three placement surfaces (placement surface 321, placement surface 322, placement surface 323) formed at different heights (levels) with respect to the bottom surface 326 of the table 320, and the heights of these three placement surfaces are all lower than the upper surface 327 of the table 320. Further, the three placement surfaces each have a shape corresponding to a circular wafer W of a different size. Note that the placement surface 321 is an example of a first placement surface, and the placement surface 322 is an example of a second placement surface.

[0035] The three placement surfaces are formed at higher positions from the bottom surface 326 for placement surfaces corresponding to wafers W of larger sizes. That is, a wafer W of a larger size than the wafers W placed on the placement surfaces 322 and 323 is placed on the placement surface 321, and a wafer W of a larger size than the wafer W placed on the placement surface 323 is placed on the placement surface 322. Further, the three placement surfaces are formed such that placement surfaces of smaller sizes are accommodated inside the placement surfaces of larger sizes. That is, inside the placement surface 321, the placement surfaces 322 and 323 on which wafers W smaller than the wafer W placed on the placement surface 321 are placed are accommodated. Thereby, the three placement surfaces are efficiently arranged in a limited space to configure the table 320 compactly.

[0036] In Table 320, the centers of the three placement surfaces coincide with each other. That is, the placement surface 321, the placement surface 322, and the placement surface 323 form concentric circles in the table 320. In such an arrangement of the placement surfaces with the center positions coinciding, no matter on which placement surface the wafer W is placed, the center of gravity position will be approximately located at the center of the table 320. Therefore, when removing and carrying the table 320, the table 320 is less likely to tilt, and the operator can stably carry the table 320. Also, since the center positions of the three placement surfaces coincide, when the table 320 is placed on the inspection stage 310 in advance, the center positions of each placement surface can be made to coincide with the position in the X-axis direction of the transfer unit 60. As a result, no matter on which placement surface the wafer W is placed, the transfer unit 60 can transfer the wafer W to the optimal position along the same movement path, so that the wafer W can be surely placed on the table 320.

[0037] On the outer edge portion of each of the three placement surfaces configured in this way, side surfaces standing upright from the placement surface that approximately surround the placement surface are formed. Each side surface of the three placement surfaces serves to guide the wafer W to the placement surface when placing the wafer W of a size corresponding to the placement surface on which the side surface stands upright on the table 320. Also, each side surface serves to restrict the movement of the wafer W on the placement surface. Since the wafer W placed on the placement surface is maintained at a predetermined position by the placement surface and the side surface, the wafer W will not move on the placement surface even when the operator is moving the table 320 by hand, for example. Therefore, the risk of the wafer W popping out of the placement surface and falling off the table 320 can be significantly reduced. Note that the height (width) of the side surface standing upright from the placement surface is, for example, about the thickness of the wafer W, but it may be greater than or less than the thickness of the wafer W.

[0038] According to the table 320 having three placement surfaces configured as described above, each of the wafers W of three different sizes can be stably accommodated while avoiding an increase in size. For this reason, the inspection unit 301 capable of corresponding to wafers W of a plurality of sizes can be configured compactly without replacing the table.

[0039] Also, according to the table 320, in the process of collecting the table 320 from the inspection unit 301, for example, the operation of pulling out the inspection stage 310 from the cassette stage 104, the operation of taking out the table 320 from the inspection stage 310, and the operation of moving while holding the table 320 taken out from the inspection stage 310 by hand, etc., the risk of the wafer W falling from the table 320 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, wafers W of different sizes can be collected safely.

[0040] In the table 320, furthermore, two types of holes (hole 324 and long hole 325) penetrating the table 320 are formed. The hole 324 is formed at a position exactly above the sensor 313 when the table 320 is placed on the inspection stage 310 in order to detect the wafer W placed on the table 320 by the sensor 313 described later. Note that, in the table 320, a total of three holes 324 are formed, one on each placement surface, but the number of holes 324 is not limited to three. At least one hole 324 may be formed on each placement surface.

[0041] The long hole 325 is formed to lift the wafer W by inserting a finger or the like when taking out the wafer W placed on the table 320 from the table 320. Two long holes 325 are formed in the table 320, but the number of long holes 325 is not limited to two and may be one. However, it is more desirable that two (or more) long holes 325 are formed. Thereby, it becomes possible to stably support the wafer W at a total of three points, that is, two fingers or the like protruding from the long hole 325 and the placement surface.

[0042] Note that two or more long holes 325 may be formed for each placement surface. When removing the wafer W placed on each placement surface, two or more long holes 325 formed in the placement surface on which the wafer W is placed may be used. However, in order to insert a finger or the like, the long holes 325 need to be large enough for a finger to fit into each of them. Instead of providing the long holes 325 for each placement surface, a configuration in which the long holes 325 are formed across three placement surfaces as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is desirable in that long holes 325 of a size sufficient for inserting a finger or the like can be easily formed, and furthermore, it can be used when removing the wafer W placed on any of the plurality of placement surfaces. Note that the long holes 325 may reach the outer surface of the table 320, or may be notches (cutouts) that open to the outer surface, the upper surface, and the bottom surface.

[0043] The inspection stage 310 includes a rectangular flat plate 311 sized to fit below the cassette stage 104, four protrusions 312 protruding from the upper surface of the flat plate 311, and three sensors 313. The table 320 described above is placed on the flat plate 311 and supported by the four protrusions 312.

[0044] The four protrusions 312 are formed near the four sides of the flat plate 311. Each protrusion 312 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is parallel to the corresponding side. Each protrusion 312 functions as a fall-preventing member that prevents the table 320 placed on the flat plate 311 from slipping off the inspection stage 310 beyond the corresponding side when the inspection stage 310 is slid and pulled out from or pushed into the cassette stage 104. Each protrusion 312 also functions as a positioning member that restricts the movement of the table 320 on the flat plate 311 and positions the position of the table 320 approximately at the center of the flat plate 311.

[0045] The three sensors 313 are sensors that detect the wafer W placed on the table 320 in a state where the table 320 is placed on the inspection stage 310. The sensor 313 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor. Each sensor 313 detects the wafer W by detecting the light emitted from the sensor 313, passing through the hole 324 formed in the table 320, and reflected by the lower surface of the wafer W placed on the table 320. Further, by combining the detection results of the three sensors 313, it is possible to detect on which mounting surface the wafer W is placed, that is, what size of the wafer W is placed. For example, when the wafer W is detected by all three sensors 313, it is detected that the wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 321. When the wafer W is detected by two sensors 313, it is detected that the wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 322. When the wafer W is detected by one sensor 313, it can be detected that the wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 323.

[0046] According to the processing apparatus 1 including the inspection unit 301 configured as described above, it is possible to collect wafers W of a plurality of sizes without replacing the table 320, and further, it is possible to detect the size of the wafer W to be collected.

[0047] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection unit 302 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, differences from the inspection unit 301 according to the first embodiment will be mainly described for the inspection unit 302. The processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is the same as the processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment except that it includes the inspection unit 302 instead of the inspection unit 301.

[0048] The inspection unit 302 is a unit for accommodating the wafer W to be subjected to the extraction inspection, and includes an inspection stage 350 and a table 330 placed on the inspection stage 350.

[0049] The inspection stage 350 is similar to the inspection stage 310, except that it is provided with a sensor 353, which is of the same type as the sensor 313, instead of the sensor 313. The sensor 353 is disposed at a position different from that of the sensor 313 on the flat plate 311.

[0050] The table 330 is a tray on which three types of wafers W of different sizes can be placed, and is removably placed on the inspection stage 350. The table 330 has three placement surfaces (placement surface 331, placement surface 332, placement surface 333) formed at different heights (levels) with respect to the bottom surface 336 of the table 330, and the heights of these three placement surfaces are all lower than the upper surface 337 of the table 330. Also, the three placement surfaces each have a shape corresponding to a circular wafer W of a different size. The three placement surfaces are formed at positions higher from the bottom surface 336 for placement surfaces corresponding to wafers W of larger sizes, and further, a placement surface of a smaller size is formed so as to fit inside a placement surface of a larger size. All of these features are the same as those of the table 320.

[0051] The table 330 is different from the table 320 in that the centers of the three placement surfaces do not coincide. The center positions of the three placement surfaces of the table 330 are aligned in a straight line along the Y-axis direction in which the transfer unit 60 moves. Even in such an arrangement of the placement surfaces, by aligning the straight line on which the center positions of the respective placement surfaces are aligned when the table 330 is placed on the inspection stage 350 in advance with the position in the X-axis direction of the transfer unit 60, as in the case of the table 320, no matter on which placement surface the wafer W is placed, the transfer unit 60 can transfer the wafer W to an optimal position, and the wafer W can be surely placed on the table 330.

[0052] Also, the position of the holes 334 for detecting the wafer W placed on each placement surface of the table 330 is also different from that of the table 320. The holes 334 are formed one by one on each placement surface, which is the same as the table 320. However, since the positions of the placement surfaces are different between the table 320 and the table 330, the holes 334 are formed at different positions from the holes 324 accordingly. Note that the holes 334 are formed at positions that are exactly above the sensor 353 when the table 330 is placed on the inspection stage 350.

[0053] Furthermore, the table 330 has a hole (hole 335) formed for inserting a finger or the like to lift the wafer W when taking out the wafer W placed on the table 330 from the table 330. The number of the holes 335 is one, and the shape of the holes 335 is not a long hole but a circular shape. Even with such holes 335, they can be used to lift the wafer W.

[0054] Similarly to the table 320, the table 330 having three placement surfaces configured as described above can also stably accommodate each of the three different-sized wafers W while avoiding an increase in size. Also, similar to the table 320, the risk of the wafer W falling from the table 330 during the process of recovering the table 330 from the inspection unit 302 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, a processing apparatus including the inspection unit 302 having the table 330 can also safely recover wafers W of different sizes.

[0055] (Third Embodiment) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection unit 303 according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, the differences between the inspection unit 303 and the inspection unit 301 according to the first embodiment will be mainly described. Note that the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is the same as the processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment except that the inspection unit 303 is provided instead of the inspection unit 301.

[0056] The inspection unit 303 is a unit for accommodating the wafer W to be inspected by sampling inspection, and includes an inspection stage 310 and a table 340 placed on the inspection stage 310. The inspection unit 303 is different from the inspection unit 301 in that it includes a table 340 instead of a table 320.

[0057] The table 340 has three placement surfaces (placement surface 341, placement surface 342, placement surface 343) formed at different heights (levels) with respect to the bottom surface 346 of the table 340, and the heights of these three placement surfaces are all lower than the upper surface 347 of the table 340. This is the same as the inspection stage 310.

[0058] Also, the table 340 is formed at a higher position from the bottom surface 346 for the placement surface corresponding to a larger-sized wafer W, and is formed such that a smaller-sized placement surface fits inside the larger-sized placement surface, which is the same as the table 320. Also, the centers of the three placement surfaces coincide with each other, and the fact that two types of holes (hole 344, long hole 345) penetrating the table 340 are formed is also the same as the table 320.

[0059] The table 340 is different from the table 320 in that the three placement surfaces have shapes corresponding to wafers W with different sizes or shapes. Specifically, in the table 340, two circular wafers W with different sizes and one rectangular wafer W can be placed on the three placement surfaces. Two of the three placement surfaces (placement surface 341, placement surface 343) are circular, and the remaining one placement surface (placement surface 342) is rectangular.

[0060] According to the table 340 having three placement surfaces configured as described above, unlike the table 320, it is possible to accommodate wafers having different shapes in addition to different sizes. Other aspects are the same as those of the table 320. Therefore, according to the processing apparatus including the inspection unit 303 having the table 340, wafers W having different sizes or shapes can be safely recovered.

[0061] Note that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in another way by technological progress or another derived technology, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the scope of the claims covers all embodiments that can be included within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, a table having three placement surfaces and corresponding to three types of wafers was exemplified. However, the types of wafers corresponding to the table provided in the inspection unit are not limited to three types. The table only needs to correspond to at least two types of wafers having different sizes or shapes. That is, the table only needs to have at least a first placement surface for placing the first wafer and a second placement surface for placing a second wafer having a different size or shape from the first wafer, and it may be any one that can place at least one of the first wafer or the second wafer.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, a cutting apparatus was exemplified as the processing apparatus. However, the processing apparatus is not limited to the cutting apparatus. The processing apparatus may be other processing apparatuses such as a grinding apparatus or a polishing apparatus.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the inspection unit is provided below the cassette stage 104 was shown. However, the position of the inspection unit in the processing apparatus is not particularly limited. It may be provided at a position away from the cassette stage 104.

Industrial Applicability

[0065] As described above, the processing apparatus of the present invention has a plurality of mounting surfaces for mounting wafers having different sizes or shapes on the table, so that wafers having different sizes or shapes can be mounted without replacing the table. Therefore, it is useful for constructing an inspection unit together with the inspection stage on which the table is mounted, and can be used for sampling inspection for quality inspection of wafers of various sizes and shapes in a processing apparatus having an inspection unit.

Explanation of Signs

[0066] 4: Cassette 20: Cutting Unit 21: Cutting Blade 90: Control Unit 100: Processing Apparatus 103: Elevator 104: Cassette Stage 301~303: Inspection Unit 310, 350: Inspection Stage 311: Flat Plate 312: Projection 313, 353: Sensor 320, 330, 340: Table 321~323, 331~333, 341~343: Mounting Surface 324, 334, 335, 344: Hole 325, 345: Slot 326, 336, 346: Bottom Surface 327, 337, 347: Top Surface W

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table for holding at least one of a first wafer and a second wafer having a size or shape different from that of the first wafer; a processing unit for processing the wafer held by the chuck table; a cassette stage for placing a cassette containing at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer; and a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer into and out of the cassette placed on the cassette stage, wherein the transfer mechanism is disposed so as to be capable of loading and unloading, and further includes a table having a first placement surface for placing the first wafer and a second placement surface for placing the second wafer, on which at least one of the first wafer and the second wafer is placed.

2. The table has the center of the first placement surface coinciding with the center of the second placement surface. The processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The table does not have the center of the first placement surface coinciding with the center of the second placement surface. The processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

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