Processing device

Abstract

To provide a processing device capable of preventing a workpiece after being cleaned from being contaminated.SOLUTION: A processing device includes: a cassette installation unit (21) for installing a cassette (16); a processing region (Sc) for processing a workpiece (11) held on a holding table (23); an attachment / detachment region (Sb) for attaching / detaching the workpiece to / from the holding table; a cleaning region (Sd) for cleaning the workpiece by a cleaning unit (30); and a partition unit (46) installed at least above or on a side of the attachment / detachment region. A transport unit that transports the workpiece includes: a first transport arm (73) that is installed on an attachment / detachment region side relative to the partition unit transports the workpiece before being processed from the cassette to the holding table and transports the processed workpiece from the holding table to the cleaning region; and a second transport arm (83) that is installed on a transport region on an opposite side of the attachment / detachment region relative to the partition unit and transports the workpiece after cleaning from the cleaning region to the cassette through the transport region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In a processing apparatus used for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like, a workpiece accommodated in a cassette is transported to and held on a holding table, machining such as cutting is performed on the workpiece on the holding table, and the machined workpiece is washed by a washing unit and then accommodated in the cassette.

[0003] The holding table moves between a loading / unloading area for transferring the workpiece and a processing area for processing the workpiece. When the machining performed on the workpiece is cutting, cutting fluid is supplied to the machining point where the cutting tool cuts into the workpiece and its periphery to perform the machining. Then, when machining is performed, cutting chips and spraying of cutting fluid scatter in the processing area, and the cutting chips, spraying, etc. leak from the processing area to the loading / unloading area.

[0004] When the path for transporting the washed workpiece from the washing unit to the cassette passes through the directly overhead space of the loading / unloading area of the holding table, foreign matters such as cutting chips and spraying of cutting fluid that have leaked from the processing area to the loading / unloading area may adhere to and contaminate the washed workpiece.

[0005] Such problems are not limited to cutting apparatuses that perform cutting on workpieces, but also occur in grinding apparatuses that perform grinding and polishing apparatuses that perform polishing. Therefore, it is a problem common to all processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing on a workpiece, wash the workpiece after processing, and then accommodate it in a cassette.

[0006] In the processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a shutter is provided that closes to cover the loading / unloading area and opens to expose the loading / unloading area. When the workpiece washed by the washing unit passes above the loading / unloading area on the way from the washing unit to the cassette, the shutter is closed to control so as to cover the loading / unloading area with the shutter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] When the processing device of Patent Document 1 conveys the workpiece washed by the washing unit from the washing unit to the cassette, the attachment area is covered with a shutter to reduce the attachment of foreign matter to the workpiece. However, foreign matter may scatter and float in the upper space above the shutter before it is covered by the shutter, and foreign matter may adhere when the workpiece passes through the upper space after it is covered by the shutter. Also, if the conveyance is performed by the same conveyance unit whether the shutter is open or closed, foreign matter may adhere to the conveyance unit during conveyance, and the foreign matter may adhere to the workpiece via the conveyance unit and contaminate it. Considering such possibilities, there is a need for a processing device that can more reliably prevent the contamination of the workpiece after washing.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing device capable of preventing the workpiece after washing from being contaminated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece. The processing apparatus includes a cassette installation section where a cassette for accommodating the workpiece is installed, a processing area where the workpiece held on a holding table is processed by a processing unit, a loading / unloading area adjacent to the processing area for attaching and detaching the workpiece to and from the holding table, a cleaning area arranged in a direction different from the cassette installation section with respect to the loading / unloading area for cleaning the workpiece with a cleaning unit, a transfer unit for transferring the workpiece, and a partition section installed at least above or on the side of the loading / unloading area. The transfer unit includes a first transfer arm installed on the loading / unloading area side with respect to the partition section for transferring the workpiece before being processed by the processing unit from the cassette to the holding table and for transferring the workpiece after being processed by the processing unit from the holding table to the cleaning area, and a second transfer arm installed in a transfer area on the opposite side of the loading / unloading area with respect to the partition section for transferring the workpiece after being cleaned by the cleaning unit from the cleaning area through the transfer area to the cassette.

[0011] The holding table is connected to a moving mechanism movable between the processing area and the loading / unloading area. The processing area is preferably covered by a processing chamber cover having an opening through which the holding table can move between the processing area and the loading / unloading area.

[0012] The partition section is installed above the loading / unloading area. The transfer area is located above the partition section. The cassette installation section is connected to a lifting mechanism, and it is preferably possible to position the cassette installation section at a handover height corresponding to each of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm by the lifting mechanism.

[0013] It is preferable to further include a first shutter for partitioning the loading / unloading area and the cleaning area in an openable and closable manner.

[0014] It is preferable to further include a second shutter for partitioning the cassette installation section and the loading / unloading area in an openable and closable manner.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the above processing device, the workpiece is transported by the first transfer arm in the attachment / detachment area where the workpiece is attached to and detached from the holding table, and the workpiece is transported by the second transfer arm in the transfer area partitioned from the attachment / detachment area by the partition portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being contaminated when the workpiece after cleaning is transported by the second transfer arm.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the processing device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. The processing device 10 is a device that performs cutting on a workpiece 11 using a processing unit 12, and the processing unit 12 is a unit for cutting. The X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction in the processing device 10 are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are substantially horizontal directions, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction. The +Z direction side of the Z-axis direction is upward, and the -Z direction side is downward.

[0018] Note that the processing performed by the processing device is not limited to cutting as in the present embodiment. For example, it can also be applied to processing devices that perform grinding, polishing, laser processing, etc. on a workpiece. Even in these processing devices, since there is a problem of transporting the workpiece after processing and cleaning to the cassette without contaminating it, the processing device to which the present invention is applied is useful.

[0019] The processing device 10 has a control unit 100. The control unit 100 controls each part of the processing device 10 described below to cause the processing device 10 to perform processing operations, conveyance, etc. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface connected to each part of the processing device 10. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a program stored in the storage device, and outputs a control signal for controlling the processing device 10 to each part of the processing device 10 via the input / output interface. Further, a signal detected by each part of the processing device 10 is input to the control unit 100 via the input / output interface. The operations of each part of the processing device 10 described below are executed under the control of the control unit 100. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the control unit 100 is performing the control.

[0020] The workpiece 11 is a plate-shaped object to be processed capable of forming a processing groove by cutting with the processing unit 12. For example, the workpiece 11 is a disk-shaped wafer made of a material such as silicon, sapphire, or gallium. Chips, which are electronic devices, are formed in regions partitioned in a grid pattern by a plurality of division planned lines formed in a grid pattern on the surface of the workpiece 11.

[0021] Note that the type, material, and shape of the workpiece are not limited to the workpiece 11 of the present embodiment. For example, the workpiece may be a rectangular package substrate. Further, the workpiece is not limited to a wafer or a package substrate on which an electronic device is formed, and may be a material wafer before forming the device, or other substrates or plate materials.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the workpiece 11 is held inside the opening of the annular frame 13 via the support tape 14. The support tape 14 has a larger area than the workpiece 11, and the adhesive surface of the support tape 14 is adhered to the back surface of the workpiece 11 and the back surface of the annular frame 13. In the processing apparatus 10, processing, conveyance, and cleaning are performed in the state of the workpiece unit 15 composed of the workpiece 11, the annular frame 13, and the support tape 14.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the processing apparatus 10, with each of the covers 40, 44, 50, 55, 60 to be described later shown by a virtual line (dashed line), and showing the internal structure covered by each of the covers 40, 44, 50, 55, 60 in a perspective view. Also, in Fig. 1, the illustration of each of the shutters 48, 54, 59, 64 inside the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 to 4 is omitted.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the processing apparatus 10 and the conveyance unit taken out of the outside of the processing apparatus 10. The conveyance unit is composed of a first conveyance mechanism 70 and a second conveyance mechanism 80. As shown in Fig. 1, the first conveyance mechanism 70 and the second conveyance mechanism 80 are attached to predetermined positions inside the processing apparatus 10. In Fig. 2, each of the shutters 48, 54, 59, 64 inside the apparatus is shown with hatching.

[0025] Fig. 3 shows the layout on the upper surface of the base 20 of the processing apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the processing apparatus 10 has a cassette installation area Sa at the -Y direction end of the base 20, a detachment area Sb at a position adjacent to the +Y direction of the cassette installation area Sa, a processing area Sc at a position adjacent to the -X direction of the detachment area Sb, and a cleaning area Sd at a position adjacent to the +Y direction of the detachment area Sb. That is, the cassette installation area Sa is arranged on one side in the Y-axis direction with the detachment area Sb in between, and the cleaning area Sd is arranged on the other side, and only the processing area Sc is arranged with a different position in the X-axis direction.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the processing apparatus 10 along the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction at a location where the cassette installation area Sa, the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the cleaning area Sd are arranged. As shown in Figure 4, the processing apparatus 10 has an upper conveyance area Se above the attachment / detachment area Sb and the cleaning area Sd. Details of each area Sa, Sb, Sc, Sd, Se in the processing apparatus 10 will be described later.

[0027] Before the workpiece 11 is processed, the workpiece unit 15 is housed in the cassette 16 and carried into the processing apparatus 10. A plurality of shelves 17 are formed inside the cassette 16, and the workpiece unit 15 is placed and housed on each shelf 17. That is, a plurality of workpiece units 15 can be housed inside the cassette 16.

[0028] The cassette installation area Sa is an area in the processing apparatus 10 where the cassette 16 is installed. The cassette 16 carried into the processing apparatus 10 is installed on the cassette installation portion 21 arranged in the cassette installation area Sa on the base 20.

[0029] The cassette installation portion 21 is moved up and down in the Z-axis direction by a cassette lifting mechanism 22. The cassette lifting mechanism 22 is constituted by a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, etc., and operates by the driving force of a motor that rotates the ball screw, the air pressure from an air supply portion that constitutes the air cylinder mechanism, etc. When the cassette installation portion 21 moves up and down in the Z-axis direction, the height position of the cassette 16 placed on the cassette installation portion 21 changes (see Figure 4).

[0030] The processing apparatus 10 includes a holding table 23 that holds the workpiece unit 15 when processing the workpiece 11. The holding table 23 has a disc shape, and the holding surface for holding the workpiece 11 is formed of a porous material such as porous ceramics. The holding surface of the holding table 23 is connected to a suction source (not shown), and a suction force can be applied to the holding surface to suck and hold the workpiece 11. More specifically, the holding table 23 sucks the support tape 14 attached to the back surface side of the workpiece 11 and holds the workpiece 11 via the support tape 14.

[0031] The holding table 23 is provided with a plurality of clamp portions 24 at predetermined intervals around the holding surface. While the workpiece 11 is sucked and held on the holding surface, each clamp portion 24 clamps the annular frame 13 from above and below, so that the workpiece unit 15 is fixedly held with respect to the holding table 23. Each clamp portion 24 is operable between a state of clamping the annular frame 13 from above and below and a state of releasing the clamping of the annular frame 13.

[0032] The holding table 23 can fixedly hold the workpiece unit 15 by sucking the workpiece 11 onto the holding surface and clamping the annular frame 13.

[0033] The attachment / detachment region Sb is a region for attaching and detaching the workpiece unit 15 with respect to the holding table 23. On the upper surface of the base 20, a table movement opening 25 extending in the X-axis direction is formed on the +Y direction side of the cassette installation portion 21. The table movement opening 25 extends from the attachment / detachment region Sb to the processing region Sc. The holding table 23 is located inside the table movement opening 25 in a plan view, and is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement mechanism 26 and is located in the attachment / detachment region Sb and the processing region Sc. In the processing region Sc, the holding table 23 is located below the processing unit 12.

[0034] The X-axis movement mechanism 26 is a ball screw mechanism including a guide rail (not shown) extending in the X-axis direction and supporting the holding table 23 movably, and a ball screw (not shown) that is rotationally driven by a motor and transmits a moving force in the X-axis direction to the holding table 23. By rotating the ball screw by the motor, the holding table 23 is moved.

[0035] Further, the holding table 23 is supported by a rotational drive portion (not shown) driven by a motor so as to be rotatable about an axis in the Z-axis direction.

[0036] On the base 20, a moving plate 27 that moves in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 23 is provided. Bellows-shaped expansion and contraction covers 28 are provided on both sides of the moving plate 27 in the X-axis direction. The table movement opening 25 is covered by the moving plate 27 and the expansion and contraction covers 28.

[0037] The machining area Sc is an area where the workpiece 11 is machined using the machining unit 12. In the machining area Sc, a pair of machining units 12 are provided in an opposing arrangement in the Y-axis direction (see Fig. 3). Note that Fig. 1 shows only one of the machining units 12 arranged on the +Y direction side. As shown in Fig. 3, each machining unit 12 has a configuration in which a cutting blade 29 is attached to the tip side of a spindle extending in the Y-axis direction, and the spindle is rotationally driven by a spindle motor (not shown).

[0038] Each of the pair of machining units 12 is moved (index feed) in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis movement mechanism (not shown) and moved (depth feed) in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis movement mechanism (not shown). The Y-axis movement mechanism and the Z-axis movement mechanism are each composed of a well-known ball screw mechanism or the like. With the holding table 23 in the machining area Sc, each machining unit 12 can position the cutting blade 29 at an arbitrary position above the holding table 23 by the Y-axis movement mechanism and the Z-axis movement mechanism, and cut the cutting blade 29 into the workpiece 11 held on the holding surface of the holding table 23.

[0039] The machining apparatus 10 is provided with a cutting fluid supply mechanism (not shown) in the vicinity of the machining unit 12. The cutting fluid supply mechanism injects the cutting fluid sent from the cutting fluid source from the cutting fluid nozzle, and supplies the cutting fluid toward the machining point where the cutting blade 29 cuts into the workpiece 11 and the cutting blade 29 itself. The cutting fluid ejected from the cutting fluid nozzle washes away the cutting chips generated by the machining or cools the cutting blade 29 and its periphery.

[0040] The processing device 10 has a cleaning area Sd at a position adjacent to the +Y direction side with respect to the attachment / detachment area Sb. That is, the cleaning area Sd is arranged on the opposite side of the cassette installation part 21 (cassette installation area Sa) across the attachment / detachment area Sb in the Y-axis direction.

[0041] The cleaning area Sd is an area where the workpiece 11 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 30. The cleaning unit 30 includes a cleaning table 31 that holds and can rotate the workpiece 11, and a cleaning nozzle 32 that injects cleaning liquid and drying air toward the workpiece 11 on the cleaning table 31.

[0042] The cleaning table 31 is arranged inside a cylindrical recess 33 that opens on the upper surface of the base 20, and is supported by a rotation drive unit (not shown) driven by a motor so as to be rotatable about an axis in the Z-axis direction. Also, similar to the holding table 23, the cleaning table 31 can fixedly hold the workpiece unit 15 by sucking the workpiece 11 onto the holding surface and clamping the annular frame 13.

[0043] The outline of the processing performed on the workpiece 11 in the processing device 10 will be described. The configurations and operations of the respective transfer mechanisms 70 and 80, which are transfer units for transferring the workpiece unit 15, will be described later, so references to the respective transfer mechanisms 70 and 80 are omitted in this outline description.

[0044] Place the cassette 16 containing the workpiece unit 15 before processing the workpiece 11 on the cassette installation part 21 in the cassette installation area Sa. Pull out the workpiece unit 15 from the cassette 16 and move it in the +Y direction, and place it on the holding table 23 located in the attachment / detachment area Sb. The workpiece unit 15 is fixedly held on the holding table 23 as the workpiece 11 is sucked onto the holding surface of the holding table 23 and the annular frame 13 is clamped by the clamp part 24.

[0045] The holding table 23 is moved (-X direction movement) from the attachment / detachment area Sb to the machining area Sc by the X-axis movement mechanism 26. In the machining area Sc, the workpiece 11 is machined by the machining unit 12.

[0046] During machining, the cutting blade 29 is rotated by a spindle motor provided in the machining unit 12, the machining unit 12 is moved in the Z-axis direction (feed for cutting) by a Z-axis movement mechanism, and the holding table 23 is moved in the X-axis direction (machining feed) by the X-axis movement mechanism 26. By these operations, the cutting blade 29 cuts into the workpiece 11, and a machining groove extending in the X-axis direction is formed in the workpiece 11. Subsequently, the machining unit 12 is moved in the Y-axis direction (indexing feed) by a Y-axis movement mechanism, and then the next machining groove is formed. After forming all the machining grooves arranged in the Y-axis direction, the holding table 23 is rotated 90° by a rotation drive unit to form the remaining machining grooves on the workpiece 11.

[0047] During machining by the machining unit 12, cutting fluid is supplied by a cutting fluid supply mechanism, and the cutting fluid is used to wash the cutting chips and cool the vicinity of the cutting blade 29. When the cutting fluid hits the cutting blade 29 rotating at high speed, the cutting fluid scatters around, and the scattered cutting fluid becomes a mist-like spray.

[0048] After completion of machining, the holding table 23 is moved (+X direction movement) from the machining area Sc to the attachment / detachment area Sb by the X-axis movement mechanism 26. The suction of the workpiece 11 to the holding surface of the holding table 23 is released, the clamping of the clamp portion 24 to the annular frame 13 is released, and the workpiece unit 15 is made movable from the holding table 23.

[0049] The workpiece unit 15 is moved from the attachment / detachment area Sb to the cleaning area Sd (movement in the +Y direction) and placed on the cleaning table 31 of the cleaning unit 30. The cleaning table 31 fixedly holds the workpiece unit 15 and is rotationally driven. Cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 32, and the sprayed cleaning liquid hits the rotating workpiece unit 15 for cleaning. Foreign matters such as cutting chips attached to the workpiece unit 15 during the cutting process in the machining area Sc are washed away by the cleaning in the cleaning unit 30. After the cleaning with the cleaning liquid is completed, air is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 32 onto the workpiece unit 15 for drying.

[0050] The workpiece unit 15 that has completed cleaning and drying in the cleaning unit 30 is transported from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette installation area Sa and housed in the cassette 16. Note that the cassette 16 for housing the workpiece unit 15 before processing and the cassette 16 for housing the workpiece unit 15 after processing and cleaning may be the same cassette or different cassettes.

[0051] In the processing apparatus 10 that processes the workpiece 11 as described above, it is required to house the workpiece unit 15 after cleaning in the cleaning area Sd in the cassette 16 without contaminating it. In particular, in the machining area Sc, when the cutting blade 29 cuts the workpiece 11, fine cutting chips (machining chips) are generated. Also, when cutting water hits the rotating cutting blade 29, it scatters and becomes misty, generating a spray containing fine cutting chips and the like. Foreign matters such as cutting chips and spray generated in the machining area Sc will contaminate the workpiece 11 if they adhere to the workpiece unit 15 after processing. To prevent such problems, the processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has a structure that does not contaminate the workpiece unit 15 when the workpiece unit 15 after processing and cleaning is transported to the cassette 16.

[0052] The processing apparatus 10 has a box-shaped processing chamber cover 40 that surrounds the machining area Sc. The space of the machining area Sc covered by the processing chamber cover 40 is the processing chamber.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the processing chamber cover 40 has a side cover 41 and an upper cover 42. The side cover 41 includes a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The upper cover 42 is a substantially horizontal rectangular wall portion extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and connects the upper ends of the four wall portions constituting the side cover 41. By covering the processing area Sc with the processing chamber cover 40 including the side cover 41 and the upper cover 42, it prevents the spray of cutting water and the scattering of cutting chips generated in the processing area Sc during cutting from spreading to the surroundings.

[0054] However, in the side cover 41 of the processing chamber cover 40, in the wall portion at the position separating the processing area Sc and the attachment / detachment area Sb, a communication opening 43 penetrating in the X-axis direction is formed to allow the holding table 23 moving between the processing area Sc and the attachment / detachment area Sb to pass through. Therefore, foreign matters such as the spray of cutting water and cutting chips generated during cutting in the processing area Sc (inside the processing chamber) covered by the processing chamber cover 40 may leak from the processing area Sc to the attachment / detachment area Sb through the communication opening 43.

[0055] The processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a partition portion installed at least above the attachment / detachment area Sb, and conveys the workpiece unit 15 after being cleaned by the cleaning unit 30 from the cleaning area Sd through above the partition portion to the cassette 16, thereby preventing foreign matters leaking from the processing area Sc to the attachment / detachment area Sb from adhering to the workpiece unit 15 after cleaning and contaminating the workpiece 11. The details will be described below.

[0056] The processing apparatus 10 has a box-shaped attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 surrounding the attachment / detachment area Sb at a position adjacent to the processing chamber cover 40 in the +X direction. The space of the attachment / detachment area Sb covered by the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 is the attachment / detachment chamber.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 has a side cover 45 and an upper cover 46. The side cover 45 includes a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The upper cover 46 is a substantially horizontal rectangular wall portion extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and connects the upper ends of the four wall portions constituting the side cover 45. The portion where the processing chamber cover 40 and the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 are in contact with each other in the X-axis direction is such that one wall portion serves as both the wall portion on the +X direction side of the side cover 41 in the processing chamber cover 40 and the wall portion on the -X direction side of the side cover 45 in the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44, and a communication opening 43 is formed in the wall portion.

[0058] The processing apparatus 10 has a cleaning chamber cover 50 having a box-shaped structure surrounding the cleaning area Sd at a position adjacent to the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 in the +Y direction. The space of the cleaning area Sd covered by the cleaning chamber cover 50 is the cleaning chamber.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cleaning chamber cover 50 has a side cover 51 and an upper cover 52. The side cover 51 includes a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The upper cover 52 is a substantially horizontal rectangular wall portion extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and connects the upper ends of the four wall portions constituting the side cover 51.

[0060] The portion where the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the cleaning chamber cover 50 are in contact with each other in the Y-axis direction is such that one wall portion serves as both the wall portion on the +Y direction side of the side cover 45 in the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the wall portion on the -Y direction side of the side cover 51 in the cleaning chamber cover 50. A first opening 47 penetrating in the Y-axis direction is formed in the wall portion. The first opening 47 communicates the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd, and has a shape and size that allow the workpiece unit 15 and the first transfer arm 73 described later to pass through in the Y-axis direction. A first shutter 48 capable of opening and closing the first opening 47 is provided.

[0061] The first shutter 48 performs an opening and closing operation by an opening and closing mechanism composed of a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The first shutter 48 partitionably opens and closes the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd, closes the first opening 47 in the closed state, and does not block the first opening 47 in the open state.

[0062] A second opening 53 penetrating in the Y-axis direction is formed in the wall portion on the -Y direction side of the side cover 45 of the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44. The second opening 53 communicates the cassette installation region Sa and the attachment / detachment region Sb, and has a shape and size that allow the workpiece unit 15 and the first transfer arm 73 described later to pass through in the Y-axis direction. A second shutter 54 capable of opening and closing the second opening 53 is provided.

[0063] The second shutter 54 performs an opening and closing operation by an opening and closing mechanism composed of a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The second shutter 54 partitionably opens and closes the cassette installation portion 21 (cassette installation region Sa) and the attachment / detachment region Sb, closes the second opening 53 in the closed state, and does not block the second opening 53 in the open state.

[0064] The processing apparatus 10 further has an upper transfer region Se above the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd. The upper transfer region Se has a length in the Y-axis direction that combines the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd. The width of the upper transfer region Se in the X-axis direction is approximately the same as the width of each of the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd in the X-axis direction.

[0065] The upper conveyance area Se is covered by a conveyance area cover 55 having a box-shaped structure. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the conveyance area cover 55 has a side cover 56 and an upper cover 57. The side cover 56 includes a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The upper cover 57 is a substantially horizontal rectangular wall portion extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and connects the upper ends of the four wall portions constituting the side cover 56.

[0066] The upper conveyance area Se is partitioned from the attachment / detachment area Sb by the upper cover 46 of the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44, and is partitioned from the cleaning area Sd by the upper cover 52 of the cleaning chamber cover 50. In other words, the bottom of the upper conveyance area Se is formed by the upper cover 46 and the upper cover 52, and the upper conveyance area Se having a closed structure is configured by covering the upper portions of the upper cover 46 and the upper cover 52 with the conveyance area cover 55. The upper cover 46 and the upper cover 52 have a shape that is continuous in the Y-axis direction, and there is no step between the upper cover 46 and the upper cover 52.

[0067] A third opening 58 penetrating in the Z-axis direction is formed in the upper cover 52. As shown in FIG. 4, the third opening 58 communicates the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se, and has a shape and size that allow the workpiece unit 15 and a second conveyance arm 83 described later to pass through in the Z-axis direction. A third shutter 59 that can open and close the third opening 58 is provided.

[0068] The third shutter 59 performs an opening / closing operation by an opening / closing mechanism composed of a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The third shutter 59 partitions the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se so as to be openable and closable, closes the third opening 58 in the closed state, and does not block the third opening 58 in the open state.

[0069] The processing device 10 has a cassette chamber cover 60 with a box-shaped structure that surrounds the cassette installation area Sa at a position adjacent to the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the conveyance area cover 55 in the -Y direction. The space of the cassette installation area Sa covered by the cassette chamber cover 60 is the cassette chamber.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cassette chamber cover 60 has a side cover 61 and an upper cover 62. The side cover 61 includes a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a pair of substantially vertical rectangular wall portions located on both sides in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. The upper cover 62 is a substantially horizontal rectangular wall portion extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and connects the upper ends of the four wall portions constituting the side cover 61. The upper cover 62 and the upper cover 57 have a continuous shape in the Y-axis direction, and there is no step between the upper cover 62 and the upper cover 57.

[0071] The portion where the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the cassette chamber cover 60 are in contact with each other in the Y-axis direction is such that one wall portion serves as both the -Y direction side wall portion of the side cover 45 in the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the +Y direction side wall portion of the side cover 61 in the cassette chamber cover 60. The second opening 53 that communicates the cassette installation area Sa and the attachment / detachment area Sb is formed in the wall portion.

[0072] The portion where the conveyance area cover 55 and the cassette chamber cover 60 are in contact with each other in the Y-axis direction is such that one wall portion serves as both the -Y direction side wall portion of the side cover 56 in the conveyance area cover 55 and the +Y direction side wall portion of the side cover 61 in the cassette chamber cover 60. A fourth opening 63 penetrating in the Y-axis direction is formed in the wall portion. The fourth opening 63 communicates the cassette installation area Sa and the upper conveyance area Se, and has a shape and size through which the workpiece unit 15 and a second conveyance arm 83 described later can pass in the Y-axis direction. A fourth shutter 64 that can open and close the fourth opening 63 is provided.

[0073] The fourth shutter 64 performs an opening and closing operation by an opening and closing mechanism including a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The fourth shutter 64 divides the cassette installation section 21 (cassette installation area Sa) and the upper conveyance area Se in an openable and closable manner, closes the fourth opening 63 in the closed state, and does not block the fourth opening 63 in the open state.

[0074] The cassette chamber cover 60 has an external opening 65 (FIG. 2) communicating with the outside of the processing apparatus 10. Through the external opening 65, the cassette 16 can be taken in and out of the cassette installation area Sa. The external opening 65 is opened and closed by an external shutter having an opening and closing mechanism including a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in the attachment / detachment area Sb, a pair of temporary placement parts 66 extending in the Y-axis direction are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction. The pair of temporary placement parts 66 are provided so as to cross above the table movement opening 25. Each temporary placement part 66 has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape including a horizontal bottom surface part and a vertical wall part protruding upward from the bottom surface part. The interval between the pair of temporary placement parts 66 in the X-axis direction can be changed by the temporary placement part movement mechanism 67.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in the upper conveyance area Se, a pair of temporary placement parts 68 extending in the Y-axis direction are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction. The pair of temporary placement parts 68 are provided above the upper surface cover 42 (that is, above the attachment / detachment area Sb), and are arranged at a position closer to the cassette installation area Sa (position on the -Y direction side) in the upper conveyance area Se. Each temporary placement part 68 has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape including a horizontal bottom surface part and a vertical wall part protruding upward from the bottom surface part. The interval between the pair of temporary placement parts 68 in the X-axis direction can be changed by the temporary placement part movement mechanism 69.

[0077] As described above, the processing apparatus 10 has a loading / unloading area Sb (loading / unloading chamber), a processing area Sc (processing chamber), and a cleaning area Sd (cleaning chamber) in a lower layer close to the upper surface of the base 20, has an upper transfer area Se in an upper layer located above the lower layer, and includes a transfer space having a two-layer structure partitioned vertically. The upper covers 46 of the loading / unloading chamber cover 44 and 52 of the cleaning chamber cover 50 function as partition parts that partition the lower layer including the loading / unloading area Sb and the cleaning area Sd and the upper layer including the upper transfer area Se. The cassette installation area Sa (cassette chamber) is formed at the height of the two layers in the Z-axis direction so as to be connected to both the lower layer and the upper layer.

[0078] The processing apparatus 10 includes a first transfer mechanism 70 and a second transfer mechanism 80 as transfer units for transferring the workpiece unit 15. The first transfer mechanism 70 is responsible for transferring the workpiece unit 15 in the transfer space of the lower layer from the cassette installation section 21 (cassette installation area Sa) to the loading / unloading area Sb and from the loading / unloading area Sb to the cleaning area Sd. The second transfer mechanism 80 is responsible for transferring the workpiece unit 15 in the transfer space of the upper layer from the cleaning area Sd via the upper transfer area Se to the cassette installation section 21 (cassette installation area Sa).

[0079] The configuration and operation of the first transfer mechanism 70 will be described. The first transfer mechanism 70 has a guide rail 71 extending in the Y-axis direction and a slider 72 movable in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 71. The slider 72 supports the first transfer arm 73 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. That is, the first transfer arm 73 is supported via the slider 72 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The slider 72 is moved in the Y-axis direction by a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The first transfer arm 73 is moved in the Z-axis direction with respect to the slider 72 by a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. Although the illustration of these drive mechanisms for moving the slider 72 and the first transfer arm 73 is omitted, these drive mechanisms are also components of the first transfer mechanism 70.

[0080] The guide rail 71 is disposed from the attachment / detachment region Sb to the cleaning region Sd. More specifically, the guide rail 71 is supported by the side walls (-X direction side walls, i.e., side walls extending in the Y-axis direction) of the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the side covers 45 and 51 of the cleaning chamber cover 50 respectively. In addition, in addition to the first opening 47, openings for passing the guide rail 71 in the Y-axis direction are formed in the +Y direction side wall of the side cover 45 and the -Y direction side wall of the side cover 51 (see FIG. 4). The slider 72 can move between the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd without being blocked by the side cover 45 and the side cover 51. The length of the guide rail 71 in the Y-axis direction is capable of covering the movement range of the transfer arm 73 from the cassette 16 in the cassette installation region Sa to the cleaning unit 30 in the cleaning region Sd.

[0081] The first transfer arm 73 includes a suction pad 74 that sucks and holds the upper surface of the workpiece unit 15, and a gripping portion 75 that grips the edge of the workpiece unit 15.

[0082] The suction pad 74 is disposed on the lower surface side of the disk-shaped first transfer arm 73. The suction pad 74 is connected to a suction source (not shown), and the suction source can be operated to apply a suction force to the suction pad 74. A plurality of suction pads 74 are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the first transfer arm 73, and the upper surface of the annular frame 13 can be sucked and held by these suction pads 74.

[0083] The gripping portion 75 is provided at the -Y direction end of the first transfer arm 73 and is composed of a pair of upper and lower clamping blocks capable of changing the interval in the Z-axis direction, and can clamp and hold the annular frame 13 from above and below.

[0084] The first transfer mechanism 70 transfers the workpiece unit 15 before processing from the cassette 16 placed on the cassette installation part 21 to the holding table 23 located in the attachment / detachment area Sb. At the time of this transfer, the control unit 100 controls the cassette lifting mechanism 22 to set the height position of the cassette installation part 21 so as to position the cassette 16 at the delivery height corresponding to the first transfer arm 73. More specifically, the height position of the workpiece unit 15 taken out from the cassette 16 is adjusted to the height position of the temporary placement part 66 in the attachment / detachment area Sb. Also, the control unit 100 opens the second shutter 54.

[0085] The control unit 100 moves the first transfer arm 73 in the -Y direction to pass through the second opening 53, and grips the edge (+Y direction side end) of the annular frame 13 of the workpiece unit 15 accommodated in the cassette 16 with the gripping part 75. Subsequently, the first transfer arm 73 is moved in the +Y direction, the workpiece unit 15 gripped by the gripping part 75 is pulled out from the cassette 16, passed through the second opening 53, and the workpiece unit 15 is placed on the pair of temporary placement parts 66. At this stage, the gripping of the annular frame 13 by the gripping part 75 is released. The pair of temporary placement parts 66 are brought closer in the X-axis direction, and the annular frame 13 is sandwiched from both sides by the standing wall parts of each temporary placement part 68 to position the workpiece unit 15 in the X-axis direction.

[0086] The control unit 100 moves the first transfer arm 73 above the workpiece unit 15, and sucks and holds the upper surface of the annular frame 13 with the suction pad 74 of the first transfer arm 73. Subsequently, after separating the pair of temporary placement parts 66 in the X-axis direction, the first transfer arm 73 is lowered, and the workpiece unit 15 is placed on the holding surface of the holding table 23 located in the attachment / detachment area Sb. After placing the workpiece unit 15 on the holding surface of the holding table 23, the suction and holding of the annular frame 13 by the suction pad 74 is released.

[0087] In the above manner, the first transfer mechanism 70 transfers the workpiece unit 15 before processing from the cassette 16 to the holding table 23. When the transfer of the workpiece unit 15 from the first transfer arm 73 to the holding table 23 is completed, the control unit 100 closes the second shutter 54. Also, when the first shutter 48 is open, the control unit 100 closes the first shutter 48 as well.

[0088] The holding table 23 on which the workpiece unit 15 before processing is placed sucks and holds the workpiece 11 on the holding surface, and grips the annular frame 13 with the clamp portion 24, and is moved from the attachment / detachment region Sb to the processing region Sc by the X-axis movement mechanism 26. Then, the cutting process of the workpiece 11 is performed by the processing unit 12 in the processing region Sc.

[0089] When the cutting process in the processing region Sc is completed, the holding table 23 is moved from the processing region Sc to the attachment / detachment region Sb by the X-axis movement mechanism 26, and the suction holding of the workpiece 11 and the gripping of the annular frame 13 by the clamp portion 24 are released.

[0090] Subsequently, the first transfer mechanism 70 transfers the workpiece unit 15 after processing from the holding table 23 located in the attachment / detachment region Sb to the cleaning unit 30 in the cleaning region Sd. When performing this transfer, the control unit 100 opens the first shutter 48.

[0091] The control unit 100 moves the first transfer arm 73 above the workpiece unit 15, and sucks and holds the upper surface of the annular frame 13 with the suction pad 74 of the first transfer arm 73. The first transfer arm 73 holding the workpiece unit 15 is moved in the +Y direction to pass through the first opening 47. When the first transfer arm 73 is moved above the cleaning unit 30, the first transfer arm 73 is lowered to place the workpiece unit 15 on the cleaning table 31. The suction holding of the annular frame 13 by the suction pad 74 is released, and the workpiece unit 15 is transferred to the cleaning table 31.

[0092] In the above-described manner, the processed workpiece unit 15 is conveyed from the holding table 23 to the cleaning unit 30 by the first conveyance mechanism 70. The control unit 100 closes the first shutter 48 in a state where the transfer of the workpiece unit 15 from the first transfer arm 73 to the cleaning table 31 is completed. Further, when the third shutter 59 is open, the third shutter 59 is also closed.

[0093] Subsequently, the configuration and operation of the second conveyance mechanism 80 will be described. The second conveyance mechanism 80 includes a guide rail 81 extending in the Y-axis direction and a slider 82 movable in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 81. The slider 82 supports the second transfer arm 83 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. That is, the second transfer arm 83 is supported via the slider 82 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The slider 82 is moved in the Y-axis direction by a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. The second transfer arm 83 is moved in the Z-axis direction with respect to the slider 82 by a well-known ball screw mechanism, an air cylinder mechanism, or the like. Although illustrations of these drive mechanisms for moving the slider 82 and the second transfer arm 83 are omitted, these drive mechanisms are also components of the second conveyance mechanism 80.

[0094] The guide rail 81 is disposed in the upper conveyance region Se. More specifically, the guide rail 81 is supported by the side wall (-X direction side wall of the side cover 56 in the conveyance region cover 55, a side wall extending in the Y-axis direction). The length of the guide rail 81 in the Y-axis direction is approximately the same as that of the guide rail 71 of the first conveyance mechanism 70, and can cover the movement range of the second transfer arm 83 from the cleaning unit 30 in the cleaning region Sd to the cassette 16 in the cassette installation region Sa.

[0095] The second transfer arm 83 includes a suction pad 84 that sucks and holds the upper surface of the workpiece unit 15 and a gripping portion 85 that grips the edge of the workpiece unit 15.

[0096] The suction pad 84 is arranged on the lower surface side of the disk-shaped second transfer arm 83. The suction pad 84 is connected to a suction source (not shown), and the suction source can be operated to apply a suction force to the suction pad 84. A plurality of suction pads 84 are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the second transfer arm 83, and the upper surface of the annular frame 13 can be sucked and held by these suction pads 84.

[0097] The gripping portion 85 is provided at the -Y direction end of the second transfer arm 83 and is composed of a pair of upper and lower clamping blocks capable of changing the distance in the Z-axis direction, and can clamp and hold the annular frame 13 from above and below.

[0098] The second transfer mechanism 80 conveys the workpiece unit 15 after processing and cleaning from the cleaning unit 30 located in the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16 placed on the cassette installation portion 21. During this conveyance, the control unit 100 controls the cassette lifting mechanism 22 to set the height position of the cassette installation portion 21 so that the cassette 16 is positioned at the handover height corresponding to the second transfer arm 83. More specifically, the height position of a predetermined shelf 17 of the cassette 16 that is planned to accommodate the workpiece unit 15 is adjusted to the height position of the temporary placement portion 68 in the upper transfer area Se. Also, the control unit 100 opens the third shutter 59 and the fourth shutter 64.

[0099] The control unit 100 adjusts the position of the second transfer arm 83 in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 81 and positions the second transfer arm 83 above the third opening 58. Subsequently, the second transfer arm 83 is lowered to pass through the third opening 58, and the second transfer arm 83 is advanced from the upper transfer area Se into the cleaning area Sd. The second transfer arm 83 is brought close to the workpiece unit 15 placed on the cleaning table 31 of the cleaning unit 30, and the upper surface of the annular frame 13 is sucked and held by the suction pads 84 of the second transfer arm 83.

[0100] When the second transfer arm 83 sucks and holds the workpiece unit 15 by the suction pad 84, the control unit 100 raises the second transfer arm 83 to pass through the third opening 58, separates the workpiece unit 15 from the cleaning area Sd, and moves it to the upper transfer area Se. Subsequently, when the second transfer arm 83 is moved in the -Y direction and reaches above the pair of temporary placement parts 68, the second transfer arm 83 is lowered to place the workpiece unit 15 on the pair of temporary placement parts 68. At this stage, the suction and holding of the annular frame 13 by the suction pad 84 is released. The pair of temporary placement parts 68 are brought closer in the X-axis direction, and the annular frame 13 is sandwiched from both sides by the vertical wall parts of each temporary placement part 68 to position the workpiece unit 15 in the X-axis direction.

[0101] The control unit 100 moves the second transfer arm 83 to the +Y direction side of the workpiece unit 15 and causes the gripping part 75 to grip the edge of the annular frame 13 (the end part on the +Y direction side). Subsequently, the second transfer arm 83 is moved in the -Y direction, the workpiece unit 15 gripped by the gripping part 85 is passed through the fourth opening 63, and the workpiece unit 15 is made to enter the inside of the cassette 16 waiting on the -Y direction side of the fourth opening 63. When the workpiece unit 15 is placed on the shelf 17 of the cassette 16, the gripping of the annular frame 13 by the gripping part 85 is released.

[0102] As described above, the workpiece unit 15 after processing and cleaning is conveyed from the cleaning unit 30 to the cassette 16 by the second transfer mechanism 80. When the transfer of the workpiece unit 15 from the second transfer arm 83 to the cassette 16 is completed, the control unit 100 closes the third shutter 59 and the fourth shutter 64.

[0103] The cassette 16 containing the workpiece unit 15 after processing and cleaning is carried out to the outside of the processing apparatus 10 through the external opening 65 formed in the cassette chamber cover 60.

[0104] As described above, the processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a cassette installation unit 21 (cassette installation area Sa), a detachment area Sb, a processing area Sc, and a cleaning area Sd, and includes an upper cover 46 which is a partition portion installed at least above the detachment area Sb. By a first transfer arm 73 of a first transfer mechanism 70 installed below the upper cover 46, a workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) before being processed by a processing unit 12 in the processing area Sc is transferred from a cassette 16 to a holding table 23 in the detachment area Sb, and the workpiece 11 after being processed by the processing unit 12 is transferred from the holding table 23 in the detachment area Sb to the cleaning area Sd. Further, by a second transfer arm 83 of a second transfer mechanism 80 installed above the upper cover 46, the workpiece 11 after being cleaned by a cleaning table 31 in the cleaning area Sd is transferred from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16 through above the detachment area Sb (upper transfer area Se).

[0105] In the transfer path of the processing apparatus 10, an upper transfer area Se which is a clean side partitioned from the detachment area Sb by the upper cover 46 which is a partition portion is formed with respect to the detachment area Sb which is a dirty side where there is a risk of foreign matters such as spraying of cutting chips and cutting water leaking from the processing area Sc. And the second transfer arm 83 of the second transfer mechanism 80 moves the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) after being cleaned along a path from the cleaning area Sd through the upper transfer area Se to the cassette 16 without passing through the detachment area Sb. The second transfer arm 83 always moves in the upper transfer area Se without entering the detachment area Sb and enters the cleaning area Sd only when receiving the workpiece 11 on the cleaning table 31. Therefore, foreign matters leaking from the processing area Sc to the detachment area Sb are prevented from adhering to both the workpiece 11 after being cleaned and the second transfer arm 83 that transfers the workpiece 11 after being cleaned, and the workpiece 11 after being cleaned can be conveyed to the cassette 16 without being contaminated.

[0106] In particular, not only is the attachment / detachment area Sb simply partitioned from the upper conveyance area Se, but also a first conveyance arm 73 (first conveyance mechanism 70) for conveying the workpiece 11 before cleaning and a second conveyance arm 83 (second conveyance mechanism 80) for conveying the workpiece 11 after cleaning are provided. The conveyance through the attachment / detachment area Sb, which is the dirty side, is handled by the first conveyance arm 73, and the operation of conveying the workpiece 11 to the cassette 16 through the upper conveyance area Se, which is the clean side, is configured to be handled by the second conveyance arm 83. With this configuration, contamination of the second conveyance arm 83 is prevented, and when the second conveyance arm 83 holds the workpiece 11 after cleaning, there is no risk of the workpiece 11 being contaminated by foreign matter adhering to the second conveyance arm 83.

[0107] When viewed from above as shown in FIG. 2, in the processing apparatus 10, the cassette installation portion 21, the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the cleaning area Sd are arranged in a line in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the shortest path for conveying the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) after cleaning in the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16 in the cassette installation portion 21 is a route passing through the inside of the attachment / detachment area Sb. However, when the workpiece 11 after cleaning moves inside the attachment / detachment area Sb, foreign matter floating in the attachment / detachment area Sb adheres to and contaminates the workpiece 11. To prevent this problem, as described above, in the processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the conveyance path from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette installation portion 21 is configured to bypass the attachment / detachment area Sb.

[0108] Note that when configuring the conveyance path from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette installation portion 21 to bypass the attachment / detachment area Sb, unlike the above-described embodiment in which an upper conveyance area Se that bypasses above the attachment / detachment area Sb is provided, it is also possible to provide a conveyance area (side conveyance area) that bypasses the side of the attachment / detachment area Sb in the horizontal direction. That is, as a modification, it is also possible to install the conveyance path from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette installation portion 21 at a position shifted in the horizontal direction (particularly, the X-axis direction) with respect to the attachment / detachment area Sb.

[0109] A specific configuration example of this modification will be described. Among the side covers 45 of the detachable chamber cover 44, the wall portion on the +X direction side is set as a partition portion, and on the +X direction side of this partition portion (wall portion), a side transfer region, which is a space horizontally partitioned from the detachable region Sb via the partition portion, is provided. At a location on the wall portion on the +X direction side of the side cover 51 of the cleaning chamber cover 50, an opening (an opening corresponding to the role of the above-described third opening 58) that communicates the detachable region Sb and the side transfer region in the X-axis direction is provided. This opening may be configured to be openable and closable by a shutter corresponding to the role of the above-described third shutter 59. Further, the cassette installation region Sa is extended to the +X direction side, and after configuring the cassette installation region Sa and the side transfer region to be arranged in the Y-axis direction, the cassette installation portion 21 is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction. An opening (an opening corresponding to the role of the above-described fourth opening 63) that communicates the side transfer region and the cassette installation region Sa in the Y-axis direction is provided between the side transfer region and the cassette installation region Sa (the portion extended to the +X direction side). This opening may be configured to be openable and closable by a shutter corresponding to the role of the above-described fourth shutter 64.

[0110] In the processing apparatus of the modification example provided with the above-described side transfer region, the second transfer mechanism having the second transfer arm holds the workpiece 11 after the cleaning in the cleaning region Sd, moves it to the +X direction side, enters the side transfer region, and then moves it in the -Y direction side within the side transfer region. Since the side transfer region is partitioned from the detachable region Sb by the partition portion, the workpiece 11 after cleaning conveyed within the side transfer region is not contaminated by foreign matters leaking from within the detachable region Sb. Further, since the second transfer arm does not enter the detachable region Sb, the second transfer arm does not contaminate the workpiece 11 after cleaning. The cassette installation portion 21 is moved to the +X direction side, and the storage cassette 16 is positioned adjacent to the -Y direction side of the side transfer region. Then, the second transfer arm moves the workpiece 11 after cleaning from the side transfer region to the cassette installation region Sa (the portion extended to the +X direction side) at a position shifted to the +X direction side with respect to the detachable region Sb and delivers it to the cassette 16.

[0111] Therefore, when including the above-described embodiment including the upper conveyance area Se that bypasses above the attachment / detachment area Sb and the above-described modification including the side conveyance area that bypasses to the side of the attachment / detachment area Sb, the processing apparatus needs to include at least a partition part installed above or to the side of the attachment / detachment area Sb. The first conveyance arm is installed on the attachment / detachment area Sb side with respect to the partition part, conveys the workpiece 11 before being processed by the processing unit 12 from the cassette 16 to the holding table 23, and conveys the workpiece 11 after being processed by the processing unit 12 from the holding table 23 to the cleaning area Sd. The second conveyance arm is installed in the conveyance area (upper conveyance area Se or side conveyance area) on the opposite side of the attachment / detachment area Sb with respect to the partition part (with the partition part in between), and conveys the workpiece 11 after being cleaned by the cleaning unit 30 from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16 through the conveyance area (upper conveyance area Se or side conveyance area).

[0112] In the modification of providing a side conveyance area that passes through the side of the attachment / detachment area Sb, the vertical height of the processing apparatus can be suppressed. On the other hand, there is a possibility that the side conveyance path projects in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) and the installation area of the processing apparatus becomes large, or the second conveyance mechanism for conveying the workpiece 11 by bypassing to the side of the attachment / detachment area Sb may have a complicated structure. In contrast, the processing apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment has an advantage that the installation area of the processing apparatus 10 is not increased because the upper conveyance area Se, which is a conveyance path that bypasses the attachment / detachment area Sb, is provided above the attachment / detachment area Sb. Also, as a conveyance unit responsible for conveyance in the conveyance path that bypasses the attachment / detachment area Sb, there is an advantage that conveyance can be realized by the second conveyance mechanism 80 with few structural changes from the existing conveyance unit. For example, the second conveyance mechanism 80 performs the same operation as the first conveyance mechanism 70 except that the movement amount of the conveyance arm 83 in the Z-axis direction from the upper conveyance area Se to the cleaning area Sd is relatively large. Therefore, it is possible to make the structures common in many parts of the first conveyance mechanism 70 and the second conveyance mechanism 80. Accordingly, it is possible to keep the cost related to procurement and maintenance of the conveyance unit low.

[0113] Further, the processing apparatus 10 includes a first shutter 48 that divides the attachment / detachment area Sb and the cleaning area Sd in an openable and closable manner. When the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) is conveyed from the attachment / detachment area Sb to the cleaning area Sd by the first conveyance mechanism 70, the first shutter 48 is opened to allow the workpiece 11 to pass through the first opening 47. In other states, by closing the first shutter 48, foreign matter in the attachment / detachment area Sb is prevented from entering the cleaning area Sd, and the effect of keeping the inside of the cleaning area Sd clean is obtained.

[0114] Further, the processing apparatus 10 includes a second shutter 54 that divides the cassette installation section 21 (cassette installation area Sa) and the attachment / detachment area Sb in an openable and closable manner. When the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) is conveyed from the cassette 16 to the attachment / detachment area Sb by the first conveyance mechanism 70, the second shutter 54 is opened to allow the workpiece 11 to pass through the second opening 53. In other states, by closing the second shutter 54, foreign matter in the attachment / detachment area Sb is prevented from entering the cassette installation section 21, and the effect of keeping the cassette 16 and its surroundings clean is obtained.

[0115] Further, the processing apparatus 10 includes a third shutter 59 that divides the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se in an openable and closable manner. When the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) is conveyed from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16 via the upper conveyance area Se by the second conveyance mechanism 80, the third shutter 59 is opened to allow the workpiece 11 to pass through the third opening 58. In other states, by closing the third shutter 59, the upper conveyance area Se is partitioned from the cleaning area Sd, and the effect of keeping the inside of the upper conveyance area Se clean is obtained.

[0116] The cleaning area Sd can prevent foreign objects from entering the attachment / detachment area Sb when the first shutter 48 is closed and partitions the space between them. However, when the first shutter 48 is open, some foreign objects may enter the attachment / detachment area Sb from the first opening 47. Since the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) is cleaned by the cleaning unit 30, even if some foreign objects enter the cleaning area Sd, the possibility of returning the contaminated workpiece 11 to the cassette 16 is low. By providing a third shutter 59 between the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se, the entry of foreign objects from the cleaning area Sd into the upper conveyance area Se can be prevented, and the upper conveyance area Se can be made cleaner.

[0117] In the cleaning area Sd, when the cleaning table 31 is rotated and the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzles 32 to clean the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15), the cleaning liquid hitting the workpiece 11 becomes mist-like. The cleaning table 31 is arranged inside a recess 33 that is lower than the upper surface of the base 20, suppressing the scattering of the mist-like cleaning liquid around. Furthermore, by surrounding the cleaning area Sd with the cleaning chamber cover 50, the scattering of the mist-like cleaning liquid around is surely prevented.

[0118] In particular, the upper cover 52 of the cleaning chamber cover 50 partitions the space between the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se. And it is equipped with a third shutter 59 for opening and closing the third opening 58 of the upper cover 52, and the third shutter 59 is closed except when the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) is conveyed by the second conveyance mechanism 80. With such a structure, the mist generated inside the cleaning area Sd is prevented from entering the upper conveyance area Se. That is, the upper conveyance area Se is structured to be protected not only from foreign objects entering from the attachment / detachment area Sb into the cleaning area Sd but also from the entry of mist generated in the cleaning area Sd.

[0119] In addition, the processing apparatus 10 is provided with a fourth shutter 64 that divides the cassette installation section 21 (cassette installation area Sa) and the upper conveyance area Se in an openable and closable manner. As described above, the cassette installation section 21 is partitioned from the attachment / detachment area Sb by the second shutter 54, the upper conveyance area Se is partitioned from the cleaning area Sd by the third shutter 59, and both the cassette installation section 21 and the upper conveyance area Se are configured as clean sides that prevent foreign matter from entering from the attachment / detachment area Sb. However, by providing the fourth shutter 64 between the cassette installation section 21 and the upper conveyance area Se, the effect of keeping each other cleaner can be obtained.

[0120] In the processing apparatus 10, the cassette installation section 21 is connected to the cassette elevating mechanism 22, and the cassette elevating mechanism 22 positions the cassette installation section 21 at the delivery height corresponding to each of the first transfer arm 73 and the second transfer arm 83. With this structure, the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) can be smoothly transferred between the first transfer arm 73 and the second transfer arm 83, which have different height positions in the Z-axis direction, and the cassette 16. In addition, the first transfer mechanism 70 and the second transfer mechanism 80 and the surrounding structure can be made small and simple.

[0121] For example, when the cassette 16 is positioned only at the transfer height corresponding to the first transfer arm 73 and does not move to the transfer height corresponding to the second transfer arm 83, in order for the second transfer arm 83 to accommodate the workpiece 11 (workpiece unit 15) in the cassette 16, the entire second transfer arm 83 needs to move in the -Y direction and enter the inside of the cassette installation area Sa, the second transfer arm 83 needs to descend to the position of the cassette 16, and further the second transfer arm 83 needs to move in the -Y direction to insert the workpiece unit 15 into the cassette 16. Then, the structure for causing the second transfer arm 83 to perform such an operation becomes complicated, and the second transfer mechanism 80 becomes large-sized. Also, in the cassette installation area Sa, a large space is required for the second transfer arm 83 to move complicatedly, and the entire processing apparatus 10 becomes large-sized. Also, the time required for transferring the workpiece unit 15 from the second transfer arm 83 to the cassette 16 becomes long.

[0122] In contrast, in the processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, since the cassette installation portion 21 is positioned at the transfer height corresponding to the second transfer arm 83, the second transfer arm 83 can transfer the workpiece unit 15 to the cassette 16 by a simple operation of moving in the -Y direction as described above. Also, since the movement of the second transfer arm 83 in the -Y direction only requires a small movement amount such that the gripping portion 85 enters the cassette installation area Sa to a certain extent, the second transfer mechanism 80 does not become large-sized, and it is not necessary to expand the cassette installation area Sa in the Y-axis direction.

[0123] As described above, according to the processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 11 after cleaning from being contaminated. At least, by providing a partition portion (upper surface cover 46) installed above the attachment / detachment area Sb and using the conveyance of the workpiece 11 by the first transfer arm 73 installed below the partition portion and the conveyance of the workpiece 11 by the second transfer arm 83 installed above the partition portion separately, an effect of preventing contamination of the workpiece 11 can be obtained.

[0124] Further, by providing a first shutter 48 between the attachment / detachment region Sb and the cleaning region Sd, a second shutter 54 between the cassette installation portion 21 and the attachment / detachment region Sb, a third shutter 59 between the cleaning region Sd and the upper conveyance region Se, a fourth shutter 64 between the cassette installation portion 21 and the upper conveyance region Se, etc., it is possible to more effectively prevent contamination of the workpiece 11 until the workpiece 11 after cleaning is accommodated in the cassette 16.

[0125] Also, by positioning the cassette installation portion 21 at the transfer height corresponding to each of the first transfer arm 73 and the second transfer arm 83 by the cassette elevating mechanism 22, it is possible to smoothly transfer the workpiece 11 between each transfer arm 73, 83 and the cassette 16 using a transfer unit with a simple and compact structure.

[0126] As described above, the processing apparatus 10 of the above embodiment has various advantages, but it is not limited to the processing apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. As a modification different from the processing apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, a processing apparatus having a side transfer region configured to bypass the attachment / detachment region Sb in the horizontal direction (sideways) was described first, but a modification having still another configuration will be described below.

[0127] Instead of providing a conveyance area cover 55 that surrounds the side surface and the upper surface of the upper conveyance area Se as in the processing apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to apply an upper conveyance area Se having a structure in which only the bottom portion is partitioned into a loading / unloading area Sb by a partitioning portion (upper surface cover 46). At least if the loading / unloading area Sb and the upper conveyance area Se are separated by a partitioning portion (upper surface cover 46), it is possible to significantly suppress foreign matter in the loading / unloading area Sb from entering the upper conveyance area Se. Therefore, even in a configuration where the side surface and the upper surface of the upper conveyance area Se are not surrounded by the conveyance area cover 55, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect of preventing contamination of the workpiece 11 after cleaning to a certain extent. Further, a processing apparatus such as the processing apparatus 10 generally includes an exterior cover that constitutes the outer surface of the apparatus, and it is possible to give this exterior cover a role corresponding to the conveyance area cover 55 of the above-described embodiment (a role of covering the side surface and the upper surface of the upper conveyance area Se).

[0128] When applying an upper conveyance area Se having a structure in which only the bottom portion is partitioned into a loading / unloading area Sb by a partitioning portion (upper surface cover 46), the cassette installation area Sa and the upper conveyance area Se may have a structure in which they are always in communication without providing a portion corresponding to the fourth shutter 64.

[0129] It is also possible to select a structure in which a cassette chamber cover 60 that surrounds the side surface and the upper surface of the cassette installation unit 21 (cassette installation area Sa) is not provided. Further, similar to the case of the above-described upper conveyance area Se, it is possible to give the exterior cover that constitutes the outer surface of the apparatus a role corresponding to the cassette chamber cover 60 of the above-described embodiment (a role of covering the side surface and the upper surface of the cassette installation area Sa).

[0130] When there is an exterior cover that constitutes the outer surface of the apparatus outside the loading / unloading chamber cover 44 that surrounds the loading / unloading area Sb, it is also possible to select a structure in which the wall portion on the +X direction side of the side cover 45 is not provided and the X direction side of the loading / unloading area Sb is covered with the exterior cover.

[0131] Instead of providing a large cleaning chamber cover 50 that encloses the entire cleaning area Sd (the entire space between the attachment / detachment area Sb and the upper conveyance area Se) as in the processing apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to select a structure in which a small cover that encloses only the periphery (especially the upper part) of the cleaning unit 30 is provided. In the case of this modification, instead of providing the upper surface cover 52 of the partition structure that partitions the entire boundary between the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se, the cleaning area Sd and the upper conveyance area Se may be in a communicating structure. That is, from the structure shown in FIG. 4, it is also possible to adopt a structure in which the side surface cover 51, the upper surface cover 52, the third opening 58, and the third shutter 59 on the +Y direction side are omitted. In this modification, since the small cover provided around the cleaning unit 30 prevents the mist of the cleaning liquid from scattering to the surroundings, even if the upper surface cover 52 and the third shutter 59 are not provided, it is difficult for the mist of the cleaning liquid to enter the upper conveyance area Se.

[0132] In the processing apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, the processing chamber cover 40, the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44, the cleaning chamber cover 50, the conveyance area cover 55, and the cassette chamber cover 60 are provided individually. However, a box-shaped exterior cover that covers the entire upper part of the base 20 may be provided, and by partitioning the inside of the exterior cover partially, shapes corresponding to the respective covers may be configured.

[0133] In the processing apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, the guide rail 71 of the first conveyance mechanism 70 is attached to the side walls on the -X direction side of the side surface cover 45 and the side surface cover 51 in the attachment / detachment chamber cover 44 and the cleaning chamber cover 50, respectively. Further, the guide rail 81 of the second conveyance mechanism 80 is attached to the side wall on the -X direction side of the side surface cover 56 in the conveyance area cover 55.

[0134] Different from this configuration, the guide rail 71 of the first conveyance mechanism 70 may be attached to the side walls on the +X direction side of the side surface cover 45 and the side surface cover 51, respectively, or to the lower surface sides of the upper surface cover 46 and the upper surface cover 52, respectively. Further, the guide rail 81 of the second conveyance mechanism 80 may be attached to the side wall on the +X direction side of the side surface cover 56 or to the lower surface side of the upper surface cover 57.

[0135] Furthermore, when a box-shaped exterior cover covering the entire upper part of the base 20 is provided, the guide rails 71 of the first transfer mechanism 70 and the guide rails 81 of the second transfer mechanism 80 may be attached to the inner surface of the exterior cover instead of the wall portion partitioning the inside of the processing apparatus 10.

[0136] The configuration of the transfer unit is not limited to the first transfer mechanism 70 and the second transfer mechanism 80 of the above embodiment. For example, each of the transfer arms 73, 83 is of a type that selectively uses the adsorption pads 74, 84 to hold the upper surface side of the annular frame 13 and the gripping portions 75, 85 to hold the edge of the annular frame 13. However, during transfer, it is also possible to use a transfer arm of a type that constantly holds the upper surface side or the lower surface side of the workpiece unit 15. In this modification, since the workpiece unit 15 is not transferred during transfer by each transfer arm, it is possible to select a configuration that does not include the temporary placement portions 66, 68 of the above embodiment for temporarily placing the workpiece unit 15 during transfer.

[0137] In the processing apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, the workpiece 11 is transferred and processed in the state of the workpiece unit 15 held via the annular frame 13 and the support tape 14. However, it is also applicable to a processing apparatus that transfers and processes the workpiece 11 only without using the annular frame 13. In this case, the holding table 23 may not include the clamping portion 24, and each of the transfer arms 73, 83 may not include the gripping portions 75, 85.

[0138] As shown in Fig. 2, in the processing apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, when viewed from above, the cassette installation section 21, the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the cleaning area Sd are arranged linearly in the Y-axis direction. However, the present invention is also applicable when the cleaning area Sd is displaced in the X-axis direction as well as in the Y-axis direction with respect to the attachment / detachment area Sb. For example, the path for transporting the workpiece 11 from the attachment / detachment area Sb to the cleaning area Sd may not be a straight path in the Y-axis direction, but a path that changes the position in the X-axis direction as it advances in the Y-axis direction, or a path that bends in the X-axis direction after advancing in the Y-axis direction. Also, for the transport path (the space corresponding to the upper transport area Se in the above embodiment) for transporting the workpiece 11 after cleaning from the cleaning area Sd to the cassette 16, when viewed from above, it may be a path that changes the position in the X-axis direction as it advances in the Y-axis direction, or a path that bends in the X-axis direction after advancing in the Y-axis direction.

[0139] Therefore, it is sufficient that the cleaning area Sd is arranged in a direction different from at least the cassette installation section 21 with respect to the attachment / detachment area Sb. The different direction can include various directions including the Y-axis component and the X-axis component in the above embodiment. That is, it is not limited to the configuration in which the cassette installation section 21, the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the cleaning area Sd are arranged in a straight line in the Y-axis direction as in the above embodiment.

[0140] Also, the cleaning area Sd does not necessarily have to be adjacent to the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the attachment / detachment area Sb and the cleaning area Sd may be arranged at a certain distance apart. Similarly, the cassette installation section 21 does not necessarily have to be adjacent to the attachment / detachment area Sb, and the cassette installation section 21 and the attachment / detachment area Sb may be arranged at a certain distance apart.

[0141] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, the partition portions (the upper cover 46 and the side cover 45 of the detachable chamber cover 44) installed above or on the side of the detachable region Sb are partitions having a fixed structure that does not open and close. However, a structure in which the partition portions open and close is not excluded. The partition portions only need to partition the detachable region and the conveyance region (the upper conveyance region Se or the side conveyance region) so that foreign matter leaking from the detachable region does not contaminate the workpiece when the workpiece after cleaning is conveyed to the cassette. In other states, the partition portions may be opened to communicate the detachable region and the conveyance region.

[0142] Note that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples, 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, the method may be used for implementation. Therefore, the scope of the claims covers all embodiments that can be included within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0143] As described above, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to convey the workpiece after cleaning from the cleaning region to the cassette without contaminating the workpiece, and effects such as preventing a decrease in the quality of the workpiece due to contamination and saving the labor of re-cleaning the workpiece after housing it in the cassette can be obtained, contributing to an improvement in the processing quality and processing efficiency in the processing apparatus.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0144] 10: Processing apparatus 11: Workpiece 12: Processing unit 13: Annular frame 15: Workpiece unit 16: Cassette 17: Shelf 20: Base 21: Cassette installation portion 22: Cassette lifting mechanism (lifting mechanism) 23: Holding Table 26: X-axis Moving Mechanism (Moving Mechanism) 29: Cutting Blade 30: Cleaning Unit 31: Cleaning Table 32: Cleaning Nozzle 33: Recess 40: Processing Chamber Cover 41: Side Cover 42: Top Cover 43: Communication Opening (Opening) 44: Detachable Chamber Cover 45: Side Cover 46: Top Cover (Partition Part) 47: First Opening 48: First Shutter 50: Cleaning Chamber Cover 51: Side Cover 52: Top Cover (Partition Part) 53: Second Opening 54: Second Shutter 55: Conveyor Area Cover 56: Side Cover 57: Top Cover 58: Third Opening 59: Third Shutter 60: Cassette Chamber Cover 61: Side Cover 62: Top Cover 63: Fourth Opening 64: Fourth Shutter 65: External Opening 66: Temporary Placement Part 67: Temporary Placement Part Moving Mechanism 68: Temporary Placement Part 69: Temporary Placement Part Moving Mechanism 70: First Conveyor Mechanism (Conveyor Unit) 71: Guide Rail 72: Slider 73: First Conveyor Arm 74: Suction Pad 75: Gripping Part 80: Second Conveyor Mechanism (Conveyor Unit) 81: Guide rail 82: Slider 83: Second transfer arm 84: Suction pad 85: Gripping part 100: Control unit Sa: Cassette installation area Sb: Attachment / detachment area Sc: Processing area Sd: Cleaning area Se: Upper transfer area (transfer area)

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for processing a workpiece, wherein the processing apparatus comprises: a cassette installation section where a cassette for accommodating the workpiece is installed; a processing area for processing the workpiece held on a holding table with a processing unit; a loading / unloading area adjacent to the processing area for loading and unloading the workpiece with respect to the holding table; a cleaning area arranged in a direction different from the cassette installation section with respect to the loading / unloading area for cleaning the workpiece with a cleaning unit; a transfer unit for transferring the workpiece; and a partition section installed at least above or on a side of the loading / unloading area, wherein the transfer unit is installed on the loading / unloading area side with respect to the partition section, and includes a first transfer arm for transferring the workpiece before being processed by the processing unit from the cassette to the holding table, and for transferring the workpiece after being processed by the processing unit from the holding table to the cleaning area; is installed in a transfer area on the opposite side of the loading / unloading area with respect to the partition section, and includes a second transfer arm for transferring the workpiece after being cleaned by the cleaning unit from the cleaning area through the transfer area to the cassette; and is a processing apparatus having the above components.

2. The holding table is connected to a moving mechanism movable between the processing area and the loading / unloading area, and the processing area is covered by a processing chamber cover having an opening through which the holding table can move between the processing area and the loading / unloading area. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The partition section is installed above the loading / unloading area, the transfer area is located above the partition section, the cassette installation section is connected to a lifting mechanism, and can be positioned at a handover height corresponding to each of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm by the lifting mechanism. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further comprises a first shutter for selectively partitioning the loading / unloading area and the cleaning area.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further comprises a second shutter for selectively partitioning the cassette installation section and the loading / unloading area.

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