Processing device and processing method, and junction device and junction method

Abstract

To provide a processing device capable of simultaneously processing both faces of a tabular target and conveying the target while suppressing deformation, etc., even in a case where the target is thin, and a processing method.SOLUTION: A processing device 100 comprises: hold means 10 which includes a hold member 14 to which a magnet 12 is mounted which is movable while being interlocked with magnet control means 20 and holds a target W in a state where both faces of an inner region are exposed; the magnet control means 20 which fixes the magnet 12 while floating it in the air or in the vacuum and floats the hold means 10 in the air or in the vacuum; movement means 30 which moves the magnet control means 20 in such a manner that the target W held by the hold means 10 in the state where it is floated in the air or in the vacuum is disposed in a processing region by moving the magnet 12; and front face side processing means 40 which processes the exposed front face of the target W in the processing region and / or rear face side processing means 42 which processes the exposed rear face of the target W in the processing region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device and a processing method, and also to a bonding device and a bonding method. [Background technology]

[0002] Typically, semiconductor chips are manufactured by forming elements on one side of a semiconductor wafer, then grinding the backside to reduce the thickness of the wafer. Meanwhile, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for more sophisticated devices that use semiconductor chips, leading to an increasing demand for smaller and thinner semiconductor chips. This has led to a demand for wiring and other elements to be formed on the backside of the semiconductor wafer.

[0003] However, as the thickness of the wafer that constitutes the semiconductor chip is reduced, the strength decreases, and the wafer becomes more susceptible to deformation and defects, making it difficult to transport and process. Therefore, to enable automatic transportation and processing, the semiconductor wafer is bonded to a thick support substrate such as glass or hard plastic, and then thinned and subjected to semiconductor processing, and then the semiconductor wafer is peeled off from the support substrate (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-069946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the method of processing a wafer by bonding a thick support substrate to it requires peeling the semiconductor wafer from the support substrate, making it physically difficult to simultaneously process both the front and back sides of the wafer, which means that one side of the wafer must be processed first before the other side.

[0006] In this situation, the object of the present invention is to provide a processing device and processing method that can process both sides of a plate-shaped object simultaneously and that can suppress deformation and transport even when the object is thin. Another object of the present invention is to provide a joining device and a joining method that can suppress deformation, etc., transport, and join two plate-shaped objects even if the objects are thin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and have found that the following inventions meet the above objectives, thereby completing the present invention.

[0008] <1> A processing apparatus comprising: a holding means having a holding member with a magnet attached that can move in conjunction with a magnet control means, and which holds the outer region of a plate-shaped object, thereby holding the object with both sides of its inner region exposed; a magnet control means which fixes the magnet in a floating state in air or a vacuum, and causes the holding means to float in air or a vacuum; a moving means which moves the magnet control means by moving the magnet of the holding means so that the object held by the holding means in a floating state in air or a vacuum is placed in a processing area; a front side processing means which processes the exposed front surface of the object in the processing area, and / or a back side processing means which processes the exposed back surface of the object in the processing area. <2> The magnet control means has a superconductor and fixes the magnet in air or vacuum by a pinning effect in a superconducting state. <1> The processing device according to claim 1. <3> The magnet control means has a plurality of electromagnets and fixes the magnets in the air or in a vacuum by magnetic repulsion. <1> The processing device according to claim 1. <4> the plate-shaped object is a wafer, <1> from <3> 10. The processing device according to claim 9, <5> the front surface side processing means is a front surface side light irradiation means that irradiates the exposed surface of the object with light, a front surface side ion processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object with ions, a front surface side gas processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object with a reactive gas, a front surface side plasma processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object with plasma, a front surface side exposure means that exposes the exposed surface of the object, or a front surface side heating means that heats the exposed surface of the object; and the back surface side processing means is a back surface side light irradiation means that irradiates the exposed back surface of the object with light, a back surface side ion processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with ions, a back surface side gas processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with a reactive gas, a back surface side plasma processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with plasma, a back surface side exposure means that exposes the exposed back surface of the object, or a back surface side heating means that heats the exposed back surface of the object. <1> from <4> 10. The processing device according to claim 9, <6> the processing area has the front surface side processing means and the back surface side processing means, and the back surface side processing means and the front surface side processing means are different means from each other; <1> from <5> 10. The processing device according to claim 9, <7> The processing apparatus has a plurality of processing regions, and performs different processing on the object for each processing region. <1> from <6> 10. The processing device according to claim 9,

[0009] <8> A method for processing an object, comprising: a magnet control step in which a magnet control means fixes a magnet of a holding means, the holding means having a holding member to which a magnet that can move in conjunction with the magnet control means is attached, in a floating state in air or vacuum, and causes the holding means to float in air or vacuum; an object holding step in which the holding member holds an outer region of a plate-shaped object so that both sides of the inner region of the object are exposed; a moving step in which the magnet control means moves the magnet of the holding means that is floating in air or vacuum, and the object is placed in a processing area; and a processing step in which, in the processing area, a surface processing step in which the exposed surface of the object is processed, and / or a back surface processing step in which the exposed back surface of the object is processed.

[0010] <9> A joining device for joining the surfaces of two plate-like objects, the joining device having a first holding member to which a first magnet is attached that can move in conjunction with a first magnet control means, the first holding means holding one of the objects in a state where both surfaces of the inner region are exposed by holding the outer region of the one of the objects, a first magnet control means fixing the first magnet in a state where it is floating in air or a vacuum, and floating the first holding means in air or a vacuum, a first moving means moving the first magnet control means of the first holding means so that the one of the objects held by the first holding means in a state where it is floating in air or a vacuum is positioned in the joining region, and a second holding unit to which a second magnet that can move in conjunction with a second magnet control means is attached. a second holding means for holding the outer region of the other object with both surfaces of its inner region exposed; a second magnet control means for fixing the second magnet in a floating state in air or a vacuum and suspending the second holding means in air or a vacuum; a second moving means for moving the second magnet control means by moving the second magnet of the second holding means so that the other object held by the second holding means in a floating state in air or a vacuum is positioned above the one object in the joining region; and a position adjusting means for adjusting the height position of the one object and / or the other object in the joining region to bring the one object and the other object into contact. <10> The bonding method includes a first heating means provided on the back side of the one object in the bonding area, and / or a second heating means provided on the front side of the other object in the bonding area. <9> The joining device according to claim 1.

[0011] <11> A joining method for joining the surfaces of two plate-like objects, the method comprising: a first magnet control step in which a first magnet control means fixes a first magnet of a first holding means having a first holding member to which a first magnet is attached, the first magnet being movable in conjunction with the first magnet control means, in a state where the first magnet is suspended in air or a vacuum, and the first holding means is suspended in air or a vacuum; a first holding step in which an outer region of one of the objects is held by the first holding member so that both surfaces of an inner region of one of the objects are exposed; a first movement step in which the first magnet control means is moved to move the first magnet of the first holding means suspended in air or a vacuum, and the one of the objects is positioned in a joining region; and a second magnet control means is moved by the second magnet control means. a second magnet control step of fixing a second magnet of a second holding means having a second holding member to which a second magnet that can move in conjunction with the second magnet is attached in a floating state in air or vacuum, and floating the second holding means in air or vacuum; a second holding step of holding an outer region of the other object with the second holding member so that both surfaces of the inner region of the other object are exposed; a second movement step of moving the second magnet control means to move the second magnet of the second holding means that is floating in air or vacuum, and positioning the other object so that it is above the one object in the joining area; and a joining step of bringing the one object and the other object into contact with each other in the joining area and joining them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, there are provided a processing apparatus and a processing method that can process both sides of a plate-shaped object simultaneously and can transport the object while suppressing deformation, etc., even if the object is thin. Also provided are a joining apparatus and a joining method that can transport the plate-shaped object while suppressing deformation, etc., and join two objects together, even if the object is thin. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram of a processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view of a processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for specifically explaining processing (processing) performed on an object. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a processing device 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a processing device 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a processing device 130 according to another embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of a joining device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic side view of a joining device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 9 is a diagram for explaining the state during joining of the joining device 200 of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a bonding device 210 according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention, but the following description of the constituent elements is one example (typical example) of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content unless the gist of the present invention is changed. Note that when the expression "to" is used in this specification, it is used as an expression including the numerical values ​​or physical property values ​​before and after it.

[0015] <Processing Device of the Present Invention> The present invention relates to a processing apparatus (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "processing apparatus of the present invention") that includes a holding unit having a holding member with a magnet attached thereto that can move in conjunction with a magnet control unit and that holds the outer region of a plate-shaped object so that both sides of the inner region are exposed; a magnet control unit that fixes the magnet in a floating state in air or a vacuum and causes the holding unit to levitate in air or a vacuum; a moving unit that moves the magnet control unit so that the object held by the holding unit in a floating state in air or a vacuum is placed in a processing area by moving the magnet of the holding unit; a front-side processing unit that processes the exposed front surface of the object in the processing area, and / or a back-side processing unit that processes the exposed back surface of the object in the processing area. Note that in the present invention, the "fixing" in the "magnet control unit that fixes the magnet in a floating state in air or a vacuum and causes the holding unit to levitate in air or a vacuum" does not necessarily mean complete fixation. Some vibration or positional fluctuation is not a problem, taking into account the specifications of the processing apparatus and the processing precision of the object. Naturally, it is better to have almost no positional displacement.

[0016] The treatments carried out using the treatment apparatus of the present invention include processing, cleaning, etching, film formation, heating, etc. The treatment apparatus of the present invention can be an apparatus that carries out any one of the treatments of processing, cleaning, etching, film formation, and heating, or an apparatus that carries out two or more of the treatments of processing, cleaning, etching, film formation, and heating.

[0017] The processing device of the present invention has a holding means for holding the outer region of a plate-shaped object so that both sides of the inner region of the object are exposed, so that the front and back surfaces can be processed without flipping the object, the front and back surfaces can be processed simultaneously, and different processing can be performed on the front and back surfaces.

[0018] For example, in wafer processing, by simultaneously processing the front and back surfaces, it is possible to form multifunctional transistors, such as forming a CMOS sensor on the front surface and logic and memory on the back surface at the same time. Also, if the back surface of the wafer is in contact with the wafer, it has been difficult to fabricate delicate elements such as transistors on the back surface, but by using the processing equipment of the present invention, it is possible to perform gate processes and form semiconductor devices on the back surface of the wafer.

[0019] In addition, different chips can be processed simultaneously in back-end processes such as chiplets, and it can also be applied to TSVs.

[0020] Furthermore, the processing apparatus of the present invention uses a magnet control means to float the holding means that holds the object, and then moves the magnet control means using a moving means, thereby moving the floating holding means in conjunction with the magnet control means. Because the holding means and the moving means are non-contact, vibrations that could affect processing characteristics, etc., are not transmitted from the moving means to the holding means during movement, and even thin objects (for example, substrates with a thickness of 3 to 100 μm) can be automatically transported while suppressing deformation and curvature.

[0021] Furthermore, since the processing is performed with both sides of the inner region of the object exposed, when the object is heated by light irradiation or the like, heat does not escape to the support substrate used to support the object, and a high heating rate is expected.

[0022] Specifically, a processing method using the processing device of the present invention can be a method comprising: a magnet control step in which a magnet control means fixes the magnet of a holding means, which has a holding member attached to it, in a floating state in air or vacuum, and causes the holding means to float in air or vacuum; an object holding step in which the holding member holds the outer region of a plate-shaped object so that both sides of the inner region of the object are exposed; a moving step in which the magnet control means is moved to move the magnet of the holding means, which is floating in air or vacuum, and the object is placed in a processing area; and a processing step in which, in the processing area, a surface processing step in which the exposed surface of the object is processed, and / or a back surface processing step in which the exposed back surface of the object is processed.

[0023] In the processing method of the present invention, the "fixing" in "fixing the magnet while floating in the air or in a vacuum" does not have to mean complete fixation. Taking into consideration the specifications of the processing equipment and the processing precision of the object, there is no problem even if some vibration or positional fluctuation occurs. Naturally, it is better if there is almost no positional displacement.

[0024] <Joining device of the present invention> The present invention also provides a joining device for joining surfaces of two plate-like objects, the joining device comprising: a first holding unit having a first magnet attached thereto that can move in conjunction with a first magnet control means, and which holds an outer region of one of the objects so that both surfaces of an inner region are exposed; a first magnet control means for fixing the first magnet in a floating state in air or a vacuum and levitating the first holding means in air or a vacuum; a first moving means for moving the first magnet control means by moving the first magnet so that the one of the objects held by the first holding means that is floating in air or a vacuum is positioned in a joining region; and a holding unit having a second magnet attached thereto that can move in conjunction with a second magnet control means, and which holds an outer region of the other of the objects so that both surfaces of an inner region are exposed. a second magnet control means for fixing the second magnet in a floating state in the air or in a vacuum and suspending the second holding means in the air or in a vacuum; a second moving means for moving the second magnet control means by moving the second magnet so that the other object held by the second holding means in a floating state in the air or in a vacuum is positioned above the one object in the joining area; and a position adjusting means for adjusting the vertical position of the one object and / or the other object in the joining area to bring the one object and the other object into contact with each other in the joining area.

[0025] The joining device of the present invention floats each holding means for holding the object using each magnet control means, and then moves each magnet control means using each moving means, so that each floating holding means moves in conjunction with each magnet control means. Therefore, during movement, vibrations that could affect processing characteristics are not transmitted from each moving means to each holding means, and even thin objects can be automatically transported while suppressing deformation and curvature. Furthermore, by maintaining a floating state, contact between objects can be avoided as much as possible, limiting heat transfer and making processing easier.

[0026] Furthermore, because each holding means for holding the object holds the outer region of the object so that both sides of the inner region are exposed, the front and back surfaces of the laminate can be exposed even when two objects are stacked on top of each other, which allows heat to be easily transferred to the laminate and improves the efficiency of thermal bonding.

[0027] The joining apparatus of the present invention can join the surfaces of two plate-like objects. Specifically, a joining method using the joining apparatus of the present invention includes a first magnet control step in which a first magnet control means fixes a first holding member to which a first magnet is attached in a floating state in air or vacuum, and floats the first holding means in air or vacuum, a first holding step in which the first holding member holds an outer region of one of the objects so that both surfaces of an inner region of the one of the objects are exposed, a first movement step in which the first magnet control means moves the first magnet of the first holding member in a floating state in air or vacuum, and the one of the objects is placed in the joining region, and a second magnet control means moves the first magnet control means in a floating state in air or vacuum, and the first holding member moves the first magnet control means in a floating state in air or vacuum, and the one of the objects is placed in the joining region. a second magnet control step of fixing a second magnet of a second holding means having a second holding member to which a second magnet that can be moved is attached in a floating state in air or vacuum, and floating the second holding means in air or vacuum; a second holding step of holding an outer region of the other object with the second holding member so that both surfaces of an inner region of the other object are exposed; a second moving step of moving the second magnet of the second holding means that is floating in air or vacuum by moving the second magnet control means, and arranging the other object so that it is above the one object in the joining region; and a joining step of bringing the one object and the other object into contact with each other in the joining region and joining them.

[0028] In the joining device and joining method of the present invention, the "fixing" in "fixing the magnet while floating in the air or in a vacuum" does not have to mean complete fixation. Taking into consideration the specifications of the device and the processing precision of the object, there is no problem even if some vibration or positional fluctuation occurs. Naturally, it is better if there is almost no positional displacement.

[0029] The processing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Note that common parts in Figures 1 to 11 are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0030] <First Embodiment> [Processing equipment] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of processing apparatus 100 as viewed from the front, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of processing apparatus 100 as viewed from the side, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of processing apparatus 100 as viewed from above. Note that Figs. 1 to 3 show a state in which part of the chamber has been removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen.

[0031] 1 to 3 includes a holding means 10 having a holding member 14 to which a magnet 12 is attached that can move in conjunction with a magnet control means 20, a magnet control means 20 that fixes the magnet 12 of the holding means 10 in a floating state, a moving means 30 that moves the magnet control means 20, a front-side processing means 40 that processes the front surface of the object W, and a back-side processing means 42 that processes the back surface of the object W. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing apparatus 100 has a chamber 50 having a preparation chamber 50a and a processing chamber 50b (processing area), and the holding means 10 is arranged so that it can reciprocate between the preparation chamber 50a and the processing chamber 50b within the chamber 50. In addition, the magnet control means 20 and the moving means 30 that control the movement of the holding means 10 are provided below and outside the chamber 50. In the processing apparatus 100, by moving the magnet control means 20 with the moving means 30, the holding means 10 within the chamber 50 can be moved together with the magnet control means 20, and the holding means 10, magnet control means 20, and moving means 30 function as a transport means for the object W. Therefore, after the object W is held by the holding means 10 in the preparation chamber 50a, the magnet control means 20 is moved with the moving means 30, and the object W held by the holding means 10 is moved and placed in the processing chamber 50b, whereby the object W can be processed.

[0032] [Object W] The object W to be processed by the processing apparatus of the present invention is a plate-like object having a thickness of about 3 to 1000 μm. Examples include a single material having semiconducting or insulating properties, such as a silicon wafer, a SiC wafer, a metal substrate, or a silicon dioxide substrate, a laminated substrate formed by laminating multiple materials, a hybrid substrate formed by arranging and bonding substrates of different materials on a plane, and a composite substrate formed with at least one of an electrode or an electronic element on the surface or inside of a substrate.

[0033] [Holding means] The holding means 10 constituting the processing device 100 has four holding members 14 that hold the outer region of the object W, and the four holding members 14 hold the object W (see FIG. 3). The holding members 14 have legs attached at an angle to the upper surface of the magnet 12 and tips with an L-shaped cross section provided at the tips of the legs (see FIG. 1). The holding members 14 can support the object W at their tips and move in conjunction with the movement of the magnet 12 attached to the bottom end of the holding members 14.

[0034] The four holding members 14 are arranged so that no part of them except the tip overlaps with the object W in the vertical direction, with two on the left side of the object W along the front-to-back direction and two on the right side along the front-to-back direction.By supporting the object W at two locations on each side of the outer region of the object W, for a total of four locations, the object W is held horizontally with both sides of the inner region of the object W exposed.

[0035] The magnet 12 is fixed in a suspended state in the air or in a vacuum by the magnet control means 20 and can move in conjunction with the movement of the magnet control means 20. The magnet 12 is preferably a neodymium magnet, a samarium-cobalt magnet, an anisotropic ferrite magnet, or the like. The shape of the magnet 12 is not particularly limited and may be doughnut-shaped, disk-shaped, rectangular parallelepiped, cylindrical, or the like. The magnet 12 may also have two, four, or more south and north poles arranged on the same surface. Multiple magnets may be arranged on the same surface, and the mutual force between these magnets may be utilized. Alternatively, a doughnut-shaped or disk-shaped multi-pole magnet with north and south poles magnetized alternately in the circumferential direction may be used. The magnet may also be a single-sided magnet, with only one side magnetized, or a double-sided magnet, with both sides magnetized.

[0036] Although the holding means 10 has four magnets and four holding members, the holding means of the processing device of the present invention is not limited thereto. The shape of the holding members is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the object W, and may be rectangular, annular, or the like. The holding means basically has two or more magnets, one on the left and one on the right side of the object, but the number of magnets and holding members can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the object and the shape of the holding members. Furthermore, the holding means 10 is configured with one magnet attached to one holding member, but it may also be configured with multiple magnets attached to one holding member, or one magnet attached to multiple holding members. The holding member 14 has a tip with an L-shaped cross section and is configured to hold the object W, but it may also be configured to clamp the object W.

[0037] [Magnet control means] The magnet control means 20 constituting the processing device 100 are means for fixing the magnets 12 of the holding means 10 in a floating state in a vacuum or air, and are respectively arranged below the four magnets 12. The magnet control means 20 has a superconducting bulk box 24 and a superconductor 22 housed inside the superconducting bulk box 24. While the processing device 100 is operating, the inside of the superconducting bulk box 14 is filled with a coolant such as liquid nitrogen or cold gas, and the superconductor 22 is cooled to a temperature at which superconductivity occurs. Each magnet control means 20 can levitate each magnet 12 arranged above it in air or vacuum by using the pinning effect of each superconductor 22 in its superconducting state. Each magnet 12 is fixed in a floating state at a position approximately 10 mm above the top surface of the superconductor 22 of the magnet control means 20.

[0038] Superconductor 22 is a type-II superconductor. There are two types of superconductors: type-I and type-II, which differ in their response to magnetic fields. Type-II superconductors are characterized by a pinning effect that occurs when magnetic flux penetrates the superconductor. The pinning effect is a phenomenon in which magnetic flux is trapped by normal-conducting parts such as strain or impurities inside the type-II superconductor, preventing it from moving as if pinned. To utilize the pinning effect, known techniques include intentionally creating defects in bulk superconductors by irradiating them with heavy particle beams or introducing impurities, and then trapping magnetic flux in these defects. In superconducting thin films, techniques such as creating countless triangular lattice holes (anti-dots) using lithography and etching are also known.

[0039] A suitable superconductor 22 is a superconducting bulk containing yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO). A superconducting bulk containing YBCO can be produced by mixing and baking raw materials for the yttrium-based superconductor YBa2Cu3O7. It may consist of YBCO or may be impregnated with resin or the like. A superconducting bulk containing YBCO is preferred because it can be made superconductive using inexpensive liquid nitrogen. It is also possible to use superconductors made of alloys or compounds, copper oxide high-temperature superconductors, and type II superconductors such as niobium (Nb) and vanadium (V). Furthermore, the superconductor 22 may be composed of multiple superconducting bulks arranged side by side.

[0040] [Transportation] The moving means 30 of the processing apparatus 100 moves the magnets 12, which move in conjunction with the magnet control means 20, and moves the magnet control means 20 so that the object W held by the holding means 10 suspended in air or vacuum is placed in the processing chamber 50b. The moving means 30 is disposed on the left and right sides of the object W. The moving means 30 includes a stage 32 on which two magnet control means 20 can be mounted, a first driving means 34 that can move the stage 32 back and forth in the front-to-back direction, a second driving means 36 that can move the stage 32 back and forth in the left-to-right direction, and a third driving means 38 that can move the stage 32 back and forth in the up-to-down direction. The first driving means 34 and the second driving means 36 can control movement within the horizontal plane. Furthermore, the third driving means 38 can control movement in the vertical direction. The moving means 30 arranged on the left side of the object W can move the two magnet control means 20 on the left side of the object W, and the moving means 30 arranged on the right side of the object W can move the two magnet control means 20 on the right side of the object W.

[0041] The moving means may have any configuration as long as it can move the magnet control means so that the magnets can be positioned in the processing area. For example, each magnet control means may be configured to be independently movable. Furthermore, if adjustment of the height position is not required, the moving means may be configured to have only a driving means for movement within a horizontal plane, and may be configured to be movable in only one direction within a horizontal plane (either forward / backward or left / right) depending on the path taken when moving from the start position to the end position after processing in the processing area.

[0042] [Surface treatment method] The processing apparatus 100 is provided with a front-side processing means 40 in the processing chamber 50b for processing the exposed surface of the object W. The front-side processing means 40 can be a processing means appropriate for the processing to be performed on the exposed surface of the object W, and can include, for example, a front-side light irradiation means that irradiates the exposed surface of the object W with light, a front-side ion processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object W with ions, a front-side gas processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object W with a reactive gas, a front-side plasma processing means that processes the exposed surface of the object W with plasma, a front-side exposure means that exposes the exposed surface of the object W to light, and a front-side heating means that heats the exposed surface of the object W.

[0043] [Back side processing method] The processing apparatus 100 is provided in the processing chamber 50b with a backside processing means 42 for processing the exposed backside of the object W. The backside processing means 42 can be a processing means appropriate for the processing to be performed on the exposed backside of the object W, and can include, for example, a backside light irradiation means that irradiates the exposed backside of the object W with light, a backside ion processing means that processes the exposed backside of the object W with ions, a backside gas processing means that processes the exposed backside of the object W with a reactive gas, a backside plasma processing means that processes the exposed backside of the object W with plasma, a backside exposure means that exposes the exposed backside of the object W to light, and a backside heating means that heats the exposed backside of the object W.

[0044] [Processing method] By using the processing device 100, it is possible to simultaneously perform processing such as light irradiation, ion processing, and heating on both sides of the object W, and it is also possible to simultaneously perform different processing on the front and back sides of the object W. A processing method for the object W using the processing device 100 will be described below.

[0045] In a processing method using the processing device 100, first, in the preparation chamber 50a, the magnets 12 of the holding means 10 are fixed in a floating state in air or vacuum by the magnet control means 20 arranged below the magnets 12, thereby floating the holding means 10 in air or vacuum (magnet control step). At this time, the tips of the holding members 14 connected to the magnets 12 are adjusted so that they are at the same height. In the processing device 100, the magnets 12 are firmly fixed in a predetermined position away from the surface of the superconductor 22 by the superconductor 22. By moving the magnet control means 20 up and down, the magnets 12 move up and down in conjunction with the magnet control means 20, so that the vertical direction of the magnets 12 can be precisely controlled. Therefore, precise height adjustment is possible by controlling the third driving means of the moving means 30.

[0046] Next, the object W is placed on the tip of the holding member 14 of the holding means 10, and the outer region of the object W is held by the holding means 10 (object holding step). As a result, the object W is held horizontally in the air or in a vacuum with both sides of the inner region of the object W exposed.

[0047] In this embodiment, the magnet 12 is levitated and then the object W is mounted on the holding member 14, but the magnet 12 may be levitated after the object W is mounted on the holding member 14. This is determined appropriately taking into consideration the ease of mounting and the ease of handling the object W. In other words, the object holding step may be performed after the magnet control step, or the object holding step may be performed after the magnet control step.

[0048] Next, by moving the magnet control means 20 backward, the magnet 12 of the floating holding means 10 is moved backward, and the object W is moved and positioned in the processing chamber 50b (moving process), and in the processing chamber 50b, a surface treatment is performed to process the exposed surface of the object W, and a back surface treatment is performed to process the exposed back surface of the object W (processing process).

[0049] Examples of surface treatments in the processing step include front-side light irradiation, in which light is irradiated onto the exposed surface of the object W; front-side ion treatment, in which the exposed surface of the object W is treated with ions; front-side gas treatment, in which the exposed surface of the object W is treated with a reactive gas; front-side plasma treatment, in which the exposed surface of the object W is treated with plasma; front-side exposure, in which the exposed surface of the object W is exposed to light; and front-side heating, in which the exposed surface of the object W is heated. Examples of back-side treatments in the processing step include back-side light irradiation, in which light is irradiated onto the exposed back surface of the object W; back-side ion treatment, in which the exposed back surface of the object W is treated with ions; back-side gas treatment, in which the exposed back surface of the object W is treated with a reactive gas; back-side plasma treatment, in which the exposed back surface of the object W is treated with plasma; back-side exposure, in which the exposed back surface of the object W is exposed to light; and back-side heating, in which the exposed back surface of the object W is heated. The front-side treatment and the back-side treatment may be performed separately or simultaneously, and the same treatment may be performed on the front and back surfaces, or different treatments may be performed on each surface.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4(a), in the processing chamber 50b, the front and back surfaces of the object W can be exposed with different patterns. Also, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the back surface of the object W can be plasma-processed at the same time as the front surface of the object W is exposed.

[0051] After the processing of the object W is completed, the moving means 30 is moved forward so that the holding means 10 comes into the preparation chamber 50a, whereby the object W can also be returned to the preparation chamber 50a. In the preparation chamber 50a, the object W can be removed and used in the next process as appropriate.

[0052] The magnet control means 20 of the processing device 100 fixes the magnet 12 above the magnet control means 20 in a state where it is suspended in air or vacuum, but the magnet control means may also fix the magnet in a state where it is suspended in air or vacuum below the magnet control means, so that it is suspended in air or vacuum.

[0053] <Embodiment 2> FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of processing apparatus 110 as viewed from the front, with a portion of the chamber removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen. Processing apparatus 110 shown in FIG. 5 includes holding means 10a to which magnet 12 is attached, which can move in conjunction with magnet control means 20 and 21; magnet control means 20 disposed below magnet 12 and fixing magnet 12 in a floating state; magnet control means 21 disposed above magnet 12 and fixing magnet 12 in a floating state; moving means 30 for moving magnet control means 20; moving means 31 for moving magnet control means 21; front-side processing means 40 for processing the front surface of object W; and back-side processing means 42 for processing the back surface of object W. Processing apparatus 110 includes chamber 52 having a preparation chamber and a processing chamber (processing area) located behind the preparation chamber, and holding means 10a disposed so as to be able to move back and forth between the preparation chamber and the processing chamber within chamber 52. Furthermore, magnet control means 20 and moving means 30 are provided below and outside chamber 52, and magnet control means 21 and moving means 31 are provided above and outside chamber 52. In processing device 110, holding means 10a, magnet control means 20, 21, and moving means 30, 31 function as a transport means for object W.

[0054] The holding means 10a has two holding members 15 arranged along the front-to-rear direction on the left side of the object W and two holding members 15 arranged along the front-to-rear direction on the right side of the object W, and holds the object W horizontally with both sides of the inner region of the object W exposed. The holding members 15 have legs attached at an angle to the side of the magnet 12 and tips with an L-shaped cross section provided at the tips of the legs. The holding members 15 support the outer region of the object W at their tips and move in conjunction with the movement of the magnet 12 attached to the bottom end of the holding members 15.

[0055] The magnet control means 20 has the same configuration as the magnet control means 20 of the processing device 100. Furthermore, the magnet control means 21 has a superconducting bulk box 25 and a superconductor 22 housed inside the superconducting bulk box 25, and is disposed above each of the four magnets 12. While the processing device 110 is operating, the inside of the superconducting bulk box 25 is filled with a coolant such as liquid nitrogen or cold gas, and the superconductor 22 is cooled to a temperature at which superconductivity is exhibited.

[0056] The moving means 30 has the same configuration as the moving means 30 of the processing device 100. The moving means 31 are means for moving the magnet control means 21, and are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the object W. The moving means 31 has a stage 33 to which the two magnet control means 21 can be fixed, a first driving means 35 that can move the stage 33 back and forth in the front-to-back direction, a second driving means 37 that can move the stage 33 back and forth in the left-to-right direction, and a third driving means 39 that can move the stage 32 back and forth in the up-to-down direction, and the moving means 31 arranged on the left side of the object W can move the magnet control means 21 on the left side of the object W, and the moving means 31 arranged on the right side of the object W can move the magnet control means 21 on the right side of the object W.

[0057] In the processing apparatus 110, the magnet 12 is fixed in a floating state in air or vacuum due to the pinning effect of the superconductors 22, 22 of the upper and lower magnet control means 20, 21 in their superconducting states. The superconductors 22, 22 arranged above and below the magnet 12 provide a stronger pinning force, thereby increasing stability in the processing apparatus 110. By controlling the moving means 30 and the moving means 31 to simultaneously move the magnet control means 20, 21 backward, the holding means 10a holding the object W can be moved to a processing chamber within the chamber 52. In the processing chamber, the front surface of the object W can be processed by the front surface-side processing means 40, while the back surface of the object W can be processed by the back surface-side processing means 42.

[0058] <Third Embodiment> 6 is a schematic diagram of the processing device 120 as seen from the side, with part of the chamber removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen. Fig. 6(a) is a schematic diagram showing the state when objects Wa and Wb are being processed, and Fig. 6(b) is a schematic diagram showing the state when objects Wb and Wc are being processed.

[0059] 6 includes a holding means 10, a magnet control means 20, a moving means 30a, and a chamber 54. The chamber 54 has a processing chamber 54b (processing area) and a processing chamber 54c (processing area) between a preparation chamber 54a and an unloading chamber 54d. The holding means 10, the magnet control means 20, and the moving means 30a function as a transport means that sequentially moves the objects Wa to Wd from the preparation chamber 54a through the processing chamber 54b and the processing chamber 54c to the unloading chamber 54d. The holding means 10 is disposed in a movable state within the chamber 54, and the magnet control means 20 and the moving means 30a are provided below and outside the chamber.

[0060] The processing chambers 54b and 54c are equipped with front-side processing means and back-side processing means (not shown). The processing device 120 processes the objects Wa-Wd by sequentially moving them from the preparation chamber 54a to the processing chamber 54b, the processing chamber 54c, and the unloading chamber 54d, thereby performing multiple processing operations on each object. The front-side processing means of the processing chamber 54b and the front-side processing means of the processing chamber 54c are typically different from each other, but the same means may be provided and the processing conditions may be controlled for each processing chamber. Similarly, the back-side processing means of the processing chamber 54b and the back-side processing means of the processing chamber 54c are typically different from each other, but the same means may be provided and the processing conditions may be controlled for each processing chamber.

[0061] The moving means 30a of the processing apparatus 120 includes a first driving means 34a capable of simultaneously moving multiple stages 32 in the forward and backward directions, and a stage 32, a second driving means 36, and a third driving means 38 provided for each holding means 10, and is capable of handling multiple objects Wa-Wd. For example, in FIG. 6(a), object Wb is being processed in processing chamber 54b, and object Wa is being processed in processing chamber 54c. At this time, object We can be set in holding means 10 in preparation chamber 54a. Furthermore, after the processing of the object Wb in the processing chamber 54b and the processing of the object Wa in the processing chamber 54c are completed, the moving means 30a is controlled to move the object Wa to the unloading chamber 54d, the object Wb to the processing chamber 54c, and the object We to the processing chamber 54b, as shown in Figure 6(b), so that the object Wb can be processed in the processing chamber 54c and the object We in the processing chamber 54b can be processed in the processing chamber 54c. At this time, the object Wd can be unloaded in the unloading chamber 54d, and a new object Wd can be prepared in the preparation chamber 54a.

[0062] The number of processing chambers between the preparation chamber 54a and the removal chamber 54d is not limited to two, and may be three or more depending on the number of processes to be performed on the object. Also, as will be described later, a bonding process may be combined.

[0063] <Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the processing apparatus 130 as viewed from the front, with part of the chamber removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen. The processing apparatus 130 shown in FIG. 7 includes a holding means 11, magnet control means 20, 21, moving means 30, 31, a front-side processing means 40 for processing the front surface of the object W, a back-side processing means 42 for processing the back surface of the object W, and a chamber 50. The holding means 11 is arranged so as to be able to move back and forth between a preparation chamber and a processing chamber (processing area) within the chamber 50, the magnet control means 20 and moving means 30 are provided below the outside of the chamber 50, and the magnet control means 21 and moving means 31 are provided above the outside of the chamber 50. In the processing apparatus 130, the holding means 11, the magnet control means 20, 21, and the moving means 30, 31 function as transport means for the object W.

[0064] The holding means 11 is a means for sandwiching and holding the object W between the holding members 16 and 17. The holding means 11 has four holding members 16 and four holding members 17. The holding members 16 have legs attached at an angle to the upper surface of the magnet 12 and rectangular cross-sectional tips provided at the tips of the legs, and are configured to move in conjunction with the movement of the magnet 12 attached to the lower end. The holding members 17 have legs attached at an angle to the lower surface of the magnet 12 and rectangular cross-sectional bottom tips provided at the bottom ends of the legs, and are configured to move in conjunction with the movement of the magnet 12 attached to the upper end. The object W is held by sandwiching the outer region of the object W between the tips of the holding members 16 and the bottom ends of the holding members 17. In this way, the object W can be stably held by sandwiching it from two directions. The holding means 11 is not limited to the shape of the holding members 16 and 17, and may be configured, for example, so that the outer region of the object W is sandwiched between annular holding members having an axis in the vertical direction.

[0065] The magnet control means 20, 21 have the same configuration as the magnet control means 20, 21 of the processing device 110. Each magnet control means 20 fixes the magnet 12 attached to each holding member 16 in a levitated state, and each magnet control means 21 fixes the magnet 12 attached to each holding member 17 in a suspended state. This causes the holding means 11 to be floating in the air or in a vacuum.

[0066] In the processing device 130, the object W is held by being sandwiched between the holding members 16 and 17 of the holding device 11, and then the moving device 30 and the moving device 31 are controlled to simultaneously move the magnet control devices 20 and 21 backward, thereby moving the object W to the processing chamber. Next, in the processing chamber, the front surface of the object W can be processed by the front surface-side processing device 40, and at the same time, the back surface of the object W can be processed by the back surface-side processing device 42.

[0067] <Fifth Embodiment> [Joining equipment] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the bonding apparatus 200 as viewed from the front, and Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the bonding apparatus 200 as viewed from the side. Figs. 8 and 9 show the state in which part of the chamber has been removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen.

[0068] 8 and 9 is a joining device 200 that joins the surfaces of two plate-like objects W1 and W2. Examples of objects W1 and W2 include objects similar to object W. Objects W1 and W2 may be the same as or different from each other.

[0069] The bonding apparatus 200 includes a first unit having a holding means 10, a magnet control means 20, and a moving means 30; a second unit having a holding means 10b, a magnet control means 21, and a moving means 31; and a light irradiation means 44 that irradiates light onto the objects in a processing chamber 56b (bonding area). The bonding apparatus 200 also includes a chamber 56 that includes a processing chamber 56b, a preparation chamber 56a provided in front of the processing chamber 56b, and a preparation chamber 56c provided behind the processing chamber 56b. The first unit functions as a transport means that moves the objects W1 from the preparation chamber 56a to the processing chamber 56b. The holding means 10 is arranged so that it can move back and forth between the preparation chamber 56a and the processing chamber 56b. The magnet control means 20 and the moving means 30 are provided below and outside the chamber. The second unit holds the object W2 at a higher position than the object W1 held by the first unit, and functions as a transport means for moving the object W2 from the preparation chamber 56c to the processing chamber 56b. The holding means 10b is arranged so as to be able to move back and forth between the preparation chamber 56c and the processing chamber 56b, and the magnet control means 20a and the moving means 31 are provided above and outside the chamber.

[0070] [Unit 1] The holding means 10 (first holding means) constituting the first unit has a holding member 14 to which a magnet 12 that can move in conjunction with the magnet control means 20 is attached, and holds the outer region of the object W1, thereby holding the object W1 with both sides of the inner region exposed. The holding means 10 of the first unit has a configuration similar to that of the holding means 10 of the processing device 100, but the vertical length of the tip of the L-shaped cross section of the holding member 14 is thicker than the thickness of the object W1, and is long enough to stably hold the object W2 when it is placed on top of the object W1.

[0071] The magnet control means 20 (first magnet control means) constituting the first unit is a means for fixing the magnets 12 of the holding members 14 in a floating state in the air or in a vacuum, and for levitating the holding means 10 in the air or in a vacuum. The magnet control means 20 of the first unit has the same configuration as the magnet control means 20 of the processing device 100. Each magnet control means 20 levitates and fixes the magnets 12 of each holding member 14 arranged above the respective magnet control means 20 in the air or in a vacuum.

[0072] The moving means 30 (first moving means) constituting the first unit is a means for moving the magnet control means 20 by moving the magnet 12 of the holding member 14 so that the object W1 held by the holding means 10 in a state floating in the air or vacuum is placed in the processing chamber 56b. Each moving means 30 has the same configuration as the moving means 30 of the processing apparatus 100, and the third driving means 38 functions as a means for adjusting the position of the object W1 in the height direction (up and down direction) in order to bring the object W1 and the object W2 into contact with each other.

[0073] [Unit 2] Holding means 10b (second holding means) constituting the second unit is a means for holding the outer region of object W2, thereby holding object W2 with both surfaces of the inner region exposed. Holding means 10b has holding member 14b to which magnet 12 is attached that can move in conjunction with magnet control means 21, and holding member 14b has legs attached diagonally to the underside of magnet 12 and a lower end portion with an L-shaped cross section provided at the lower end of the legs. Holding member 14b can support object W2 at its lower end, and moves in conjunction with the movement of magnet 12 attached to the upper end of holding member 14b.

[0074] The magnet control means 21 (second magnet control means) constituting the second unit is a means for fixing the magnets 12 of the holding members 14b in a floating state in the air or in a vacuum, and for floating the holding means 10b in the air or in a vacuum. The magnet control means 21 of the second unit has a configuration similar to that of the magnet control means 21 of the processing device 110. Each magnet control means 21 fixes the magnets 12 of each holding member 14b arranged below each magnet control means 21 in a suspended state, floating in the air or in a vacuum, by using the pinning effect of each superconductor 22 in the superconducting state.

[0075] The moving means 31 (second moving means) constituting the second unit is a means for moving the magnet control means 21 by moving the magnet 12 of the holding member 14b so that the target object W2 held by the holding means 10b in a floating state is positioned above the target object W1 in the processing chamber 56b. Each moving means 31 has the same configuration as the moving means 31 of the processing device 110, and the third driving means 39 functions as a means for adjusting the position of the target object W2 in the height direction (up and down direction) so that the target object W1 and the target object W2 come into contact with each other.

[0076] [Light irradiation means] The light irradiation means 44 is a means for irradiating light onto the object W1 and the object W2 in the processing chamber 56b, and is also a heating means. By irradiating light and heating the object W1 and the object W2 while they are in contact with each other, the object W1 and the object W2 can be bonded together.

[0077] [Joining method] Two objects W1 and W2 can be bonded together face to face by using the bonding device 200. A bonding method using the bonding device 200 will be described below.

[0078] In bonding using the bonding device 200, the first unit moves the object W1 from the preparation chamber 56a to the processing chamber 56b, and the second unit moves the object W2 from the preparation chamber 56c to the processing chamber 56b, and in the processing chamber 56b, the light irradiation means 44 bonds the object W1 and the object W2.

[0079] The movement of the object W1 is carried out as follows: first, in the preparation chamber 56a, the magnets 12 of the holding means 10 are fixed in a floating state at a predetermined position away from the surface (upper surface) of the superconductor 22 by the magnet control means 20 arranged below the magnets 12, and the object W1 is floated in the air or in a vacuum (first magnet control step). Next, the object W1 is placed on the holding members 14 of the holding means 10, and the outer region of the object W1 is held (first object holding step). Then, the magnet control means 20 is moved to move the magnets 12 of the holding means 10 in a floating state, and the object W1 is moved and placed in the processing chamber 56b (first movement step).

[0080] To move the target object W2, first, in the preparation chamber 56c, the magnets 12 of the holding means 10b are suspended and fixed at a predetermined position away from the surface (lower surface) of the superconductor 22 by the magnet control means 21 arranged above the magnets 12, so that the target object W2 is suspended in air or in a vacuum (second magnet control step). Next, the target object W2 is placed on the holding member 14b of the holding means 10b, so that the outer region of the target object W2 is held. At this time, the target object W2 is held at a higher position than the target object W1 (second target holding step). Then, the magnet control means 21 is moved to move the magnets 12 of the holding means 10b in a floating state, and the target object W2 is placed above the target object W1 in the processing chamber 56b (second moving step).

[0081] The joining method of the present invention is not limited to performing the first object holding step after the first magnet control step. Depending on the ease of placing the object and ease of handling, the first object holding step may be performed after the first magnet control step, or the first object holding step may be performed after the first magnet control step. The same applies to the second magnet control step and the second object holding step; the second object holding step may be performed after the second magnet control step, or the second object holding step may be performed after the second magnet control step.

[0082] Finally, in the processing chamber 56b, the objects W1 and W2 are bonded. First, as shown in Fig. 10, the holding means 10b is moved so that the lower end of the holding member 14b is placed on the object W2, and the positions of the holding means 10, 10b in the height direction (up and down direction) are controlled to apply pressure to the objects W1 and W2. In this state, the light irradiation means 44 irradiates the objects W1 and W2 with light to heat them, thereby bonding the objects W1 and W2.

[0083] <Sixth Embodiment> The bonding apparatus according to the present invention may have an area in front of the bonding area where heat treatment, plasma treatment, etc. are performed. With such a configuration, it is possible to bond the objects as they are after treating both sides of them.

[0084] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of processing apparatus 210 as viewed from the side, with a portion of the chamber removed so that the components inside the chamber can be seen. Fig. 11(a) is a schematic diagram showing the state when object W1 is placed in preparation chamber 58a, Fig. 11(b) is a schematic diagram showing the state when object W1 is placed in processing chamber 58b, Fig. 11(c) is a schematic diagram showing the state when object W1 is placed in processing chamber 58c, and Fig. 11(d) is a schematic diagram showing the state when object W1 is placed in processing chamber 58d.

[0085] 11 includes a chamber 58 having a processing chamber 58b (processing region), a processing chamber 58c (processing region), and a processing chamber 58d (bonding region) between a preparation chamber 58a and a preparation chamber 58e, a first unit having a holding means 10, a magnet control means 20, and a moving means 30, and a second unit having a holding means 10b, a magnet control means 21, and a moving means 31. The first unit functions as a transport means that sequentially moves the object W1 from the preparation chamber 58a to the processing chambers 58b, 58c, and 58d, the holding means 10 is arranged so as to be movable among the preparation chamber 58a, the processing chambers 58b, 58c, and 58d within the chamber 58, and the magnet control means 20 and the moving means 30 are provided below and outside the chamber 58. The second unit functions as a transport means for holding the object W2 at a higher position than the object W1 held by the first unit and moving it from the preparation chamber 58e to the processing chamber 58d. The holding means 10b is arranged so as to be movable between the preparation chamber 58e and the processing chamber 58d within the chamber 58, and the magnet control means 21 and the moving means 31 are provided above and outside the chamber 58.

[0086] In the bonding apparatus 210, the surface of the object W1 can be treated by the surface-side treatment means 40a in the treatment chamber 58b, and the surface of the object W1 can be treated by the surface-side treatment means 40b in the treatment chamber 58c. Furthermore, in the treatment chamber 58d, the object W1 and the object W2 can be stacked and heated by the light irradiation means 44, thereby performing bonding. For example, the bonding apparatus 210 is provided with a heating means for heating the object W1 in the treatment chamber 58b and a plasma treatment means for treating the surface of the object W1 with plasma in the treatment chamber 58c. Therefore, the object W1 transferred from the preparation chamber 58a can be subjected to heat treatment in the treatment chamber 58b to form an oxide film on the object W1, and then plasma etching can be performed in the treatment chamber 58c. Finally, in the treatment chamber 58d, the plasma-etched object W1 can be bonded to the object W2 transferred from the preparation chamber 58e.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 11, the processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to processing apparatuses 100, 110, 120, and 130, and the bonding apparatus of the present invention is not limited to bonding apparatuses 200 and 210. In the processing apparatus and bonding apparatus of the present invention, for example, the magnet control means may have a plurality of electromagnets and fix the magnets in the air or in a vacuum by magnetic repulsion. However, it is preferable that the magnet control means utilize the pinning effect of a superconductor, as this allows for accurate control of the height direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] The processing apparatus or bonding apparatus of the present invention can be used in fields such as the semiconductor industry and is therefore industrially useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10, 10a, 10b, 11 Retaining means 12 Magnet 14, 14b, 15, 16, 17 Retaining members 20, 21 Magnet control means 22 Superconductors 24, 25 Superconducting bulk box 30, 30a, 31 Means of transportation 32 stages 34, 35 First driving means 36, 37 Second driving means 38, 39 Third driving means 40, 40a, 40b Surface side processing means 42 Back side processing means 44 Light irradiation means 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 Chambers 50a, 54a, 56a, 58a Preparation room 50b, 54b, 54c, 56b, 58b, 58c, 58d Processing chambers 54d Removal room 100, 110, 120, 130 Processing equipment 200, 210 joining equipment

Claims

1. a holding means having a holding member to which a magnet that can move in conjunction with a magnet control means is attached, and which holds an outer region of a plate-shaped object, thereby holding the object in a state where both surfaces of the inner region are exposed; a magnet control means for fixing the magnet in a floating state in air or vacuum and for floating the holding means in air or vacuum; a moving means for moving the magnet control means so that the object held by the holding means in a state of being suspended in air or vacuum is placed in a processing area by moving the magnet of the holding means; A processing apparatus comprising: a front surface processing means for processing the exposed front surface of the object in the processing region; and / or a back surface processing means for processing the exposed back surface of the object in the processing region.

2. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnet control means has a superconductor and fixes said magnet in air or vacuum by a pinning effect in a superconducting state.

3. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnet control means has a plurality of electromagnets and fixes said magnets in the air or in a vacuum by magnetic repulsion.

4. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped object is a wafer.

5. the front surface-side processing means is a front surface-side light irradiation means for irradiating the exposed surface of the object with light, a front surface-side ion processing means for processing the exposed surface of the object with ions, a front surface-side gas processing means for processing the exposed surface of the object with a reactive gas, a front surface-side plasma processing means for processing the exposed surface of the object with plasma, a front surface-side exposure means for exposing the exposed surface of the object to light, or a front surface-side heating means for heating the exposed surface of the object; The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the back surface side processing means is a back surface side light irradiation means that irradiates the exposed back surface of the object with light, a back surface side ion processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with ions, a back surface side gas processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with a reactive gas, a back surface side plasma processing means that processes the exposed back surface of the object with plasma, a back surface side exposure means that exposes the exposed back surface of the object, or a back surface side heating means that heats the exposed back surface of the object.

6. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing region has the front surface side processing means and the back surface side processing means, and the back surface side processing means and the front surface side processing means are different means from each other.

7. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing area is a plurality of processing areas, and different processing is performed on the object for each processing area.

8. a magnet control step of using magnet control means to fix a magnet of a holding means having a holding member to which a magnet that can move in conjunction with the magnet control means is attached in a floating state in air or vacuum, thereby floating the holding means in air or vacuum; an object holding step of holding an outer region of a plate-like object with the holding member so that both surfaces of an inner region of the plate-like object are exposed; a moving step of moving the magnet control means to move the magnet of the holding means floating in the air or in a vacuum, and placing the object in a processing area; A method for processing an object, comprising a processing step of performing a surface processing step of processing an exposed front surface of the object and / or a back surface processing step of processing an exposed back surface of the object in the processing region.

9. A joining device that joins the surfaces of two plate-shaped objects, a first holding means having a first holding member to which a first magnet is attached that is movable in conjunction with a first magnet control means, and which holds an outer region of one of the objects, thereby holding the one of the objects in a state where both surfaces of an inner region are exposed; a first magnet control means for fixing the first magnet in a floating state in air or vacuum and for floating the first holding means in air or vacuum; a first moving means for moving the first magnet control means so that the one object held by the first holding means in a state of being suspended in air or vacuum is positioned in a joining region by moving the first magnet of the first holding means; a second holding means having a second holding member to which a second magnet is attached that is movable in conjunction with a second magnet control means, and which holds the outer region of the other object, thereby holding the other object in a state where both surfaces of the inner region are exposed; a second magnet control means for fixing the second magnet in a floating state in air or vacuum and for floating the second holding means in air or vacuum; a second moving means for moving the second magnet control means by moving the second magnet of the second holding means so that the other object held by the second holding means in a state of being suspended in air or vacuum is positioned above the one object in the joining region; and a position adjusting means for adjusting the height position of the one object and / or the other object in the joining area, and bringing the one object and the other object into contact with each other.

10. 10. The joining device according to claim 9, further comprising: a first heating means provided on a back surface side of the one object in the joining region; and / or a second heating means provided on a front surface side of the other object in the joining region.

11. A joining method for joining the surfaces of two plate-like objects, a first magnet control step of using a first magnet control means to fix a first magnet of a first holding means having a first holding member to which a first magnet is attached, the first magnet being movable in conjunction with the first magnet control means, in a floating state in air or vacuum, thereby floating the first holding means in air or vacuum; a first holding step of holding an outer region of one of the objects with the first holding member so that both surfaces of an inner region of the one of the objects are exposed; a first moving step of moving the first magnet of the first holding means, which is floating in the air or in a vacuum, by moving the first magnet control means, and placing the one object in a joining area; a second magnet control step of using second magnet control means to fix a second magnet of a second holding means having a second holding member to which a second magnet is attached, the second magnet being movable in conjunction with the second magnet control means, in a floating state in air or vacuum, thereby floating the second holding means in air or vacuum; a second holding step of holding an outer region of the other object with the second holding member so that both surfaces of the inner region of the other object are exposed; a second moving step of moving the second magnet of the second holding means, which is floating in the air or in a vacuum, by moving the second magnet control means, and arranging the other object above the one object in the joining region; a joining step of bringing the one object and the other object into contact with each other in the joining region and joining them.

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