Position detection method for workpiece unit, and processing device

Abstract

To provide a position detection method for a workpiece unit and a processing device that appropriately locate a carrying-in and out unit while eliminating complicated operations for an operator.SOLUTION: In a position detection method for detecting the position of a workpiece unit stored in a cassette, in a processing device including a cassette table 4 that has a cassette 5 mounted thereon which can store a plurality of workpiece units U in multiple stages and that is movable up and down, a unit that carries in and out the workpiece units between the cassette and a temporary placement area of the workpiece units, and a control unit 100, the carrying-in and out unit includes a holding mechanism 31a that holds part of the workpiece unit and a motor for moving the holding mechanism between the cassette table and the temporary placement area, and the control unit detects a load applied to the motor when part of the moved holding mechanism is brought into contact with an outer periphery of the workpiece unit to detect the position of the workpiece unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for carrying out a workpiece unit from a cassette that accommodates the workpiece unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Silicon wafers (hereinafter referred to as workpieces) with multiple IC, LSI, and other devices formed on their surface are ground on the backside to a specified thickness, and then separated into individual devices using a cutting device or laser processing device (hereinafter referred to as processing device) for use in electrical equipment such as mobile phones and personal computers.

[0003] When transporting workpieces into a processing device, it is known that, for example, workpiece units are formed by adhering the workpieces to adhesive tape attached to an annular frame, and a predetermined number of workpiece units are stored in a cassette that contains the workpiece units and transported (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The cassette is placed on the cassette table of the processing device, and is carried in and out by a carry-in / out unit that carries workpiece units in and out of the cassette. There are multiple sizes of workpieces (e.g., 6 inches, 8 inches, 12 inches), and a cassette corresponding to each size is used. There are also multiple types and numbers of workpiece units that can be stored in a cassette. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-080989 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Although the above-mentioned cassettes are formed to roughly the same dimensions, they are not strictly standardized, and the spacing, height position, etc. of the storage grooves that store the workpiece units vary slightly depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, in order to properly position the loading / unloading unit relative to the workpiece units during processing, an operator must measure the spacing of the storage grooves of the cassette placed on the cassette table and the lowest or highest position of the storage grooves that store the workpiece units, and input this information into the control means. This is a complex and time-consuming process, and improvements have been sought.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a novel technique for enabling an operator to properly position a loading / unloading unit while eliminating the need for complicated operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a processing device comprising at least a cassette table on which a cassette capable of holding a plurality of workpiece units including workpieces at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction is placed and which can move the cassette up and down, a temporary storage area for temporarily placing the workpiece units and a transport unit for transporting the workpiece units in and out between the cassette, and a control unit, a position detection method for detecting the position of the workpiece unit contained in the cassette, wherein the transport unit is equipped with a gripping mechanism for gripping a portion of the workpiece unit and a motor for moving the gripping mechanism between the cassette table and the temporary storage area, and the control unit detects the position of the workpiece unit by moving the gripping mechanism and detecting the load on the motor when a portion of the gripping mechanism abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the stepwise raising and lowering of the cassette table and the movement of the gripping mechanism are alternately repeated until a part of the gripping mechanism abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, the cassette is formed with storage shelves for storing a plurality of the workpiece units in the vertical direction, and the position of at least one of the workpiece units is detected.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the gripping mechanism has a pair of claws that sandwich and grip the outer periphery of the workpiece unit.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus comprising at least a cassette table on which a cassette capable of holding a plurality of workpiece units including workpieces at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction is placed and which can move the cassette up and down, a temporary storage area for temporarily storing the workpiece units and a transport unit for transporting the workpiece units in and out between the cassette, and a control unit, wherein the transport unit comprises a movable body, a gripping mechanism for gripping a portion of the workpiece unit, and a motor for moving the gripping mechanism between the cassette table and the temporary storage area, and the processing apparatus detects the position of the workpiece unit by moving the gripping mechanism and detecting the load on the motor when a portion of the gripping mechanism abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention provides the following effects. That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, the control unit can recognize the height position (Z-axis direction) and horizontal position (depth position: Y-axis direction) of the workpiece unit U housed in the cassette 5. This eliminates the need for complicated work for the operator and also enables the loading / unloading unit to be positioned appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing apparatus for implementing the present invention; [Figure 2] Schematic diagram of the cassette and workpiece unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a cassette. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the cassette table. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a carry-in / out unit that moves the gripping mechanism. [Figure 6] 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the gripping mechanism is not in contact with the workpiece unit, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the gripping mechanism is in contact with the workpiece unit. [Figure 7] 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the jaws are closed and in contact with the workpiece unit, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the vertical surface between the jaws is in contact with the workpiece unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of a processing apparatus configured according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a processing apparatus 1, which is an example of a processing apparatus according to the present invention. Note that the present invention can be implemented not only in a cutting apparatus that performs cutting processing using a cutting unit equipped with a cutting blade as shown in Fig. 1, but also in a laser processing apparatus that performs laser processing using a laser processing unit, a grinding apparatus that thins a workpiece using a grinding wheel, and a polishing apparatus that polishes a workpiece using a polishing wheel.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows an overall perspective view of a processing apparatus 1 as an example of a processing apparatus configured based on the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece processed by the processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a semiconductor wafer W, and a plurality of devices are formed on the surface of the wafer W, which is partitioned by planned division lines. The wafer W is supported on an annular frame F via adhesive tape T, and is handled as a workpiece unit U. Note that the workpiece unit U is not particularly limited, and may be configured to support the wafer W, which is the workpiece, on the frame F, or may be, for example, a rectangular package substrate or a workpiece that is handled alone without requiring a frame.

[0018] The processing device 1 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped device housing 2, and is composed of a cassette table 4 on which a cassette 5 is placed, a lifting unit 41 that raises and lowers the cassette table 4, a loading / unloading unit 3 that transports the workpiece unit U from the cassette 5, a holding unit 8 that holds the workpiece unit U, a processing unit 9 that processes the wafer W held in the holding unit 8 with a cutting blade 91, and a control unit 100.

[0019] The carry-in / out unit 3 grips the frame F with a gripping part 3a that moves in the Y-axis direction, pulls out the workpiece unit U from the cassette 5, and carries it out to the temporary placement area 6. The temporary placement area 6 is configured with a table on which the workpiece unit U is temporarily placed.

[0020] The workpiece unit U carried out to the temporary placement area 6 is sucked by a transport unit 7 having a swivel arm, and is transported to and held by suction on a holding surface 82 of a chuck table 81 of a holding unit 8 positioned at a carry-in / out position. The wafer W of the workpiece unit U held by suction on the holding surface 82 of the chuck table 81 is moved together with the chuck table 81 by an X-axis feed mechanism (not shown), and an image is taken by an alignment mechanism 10, and the area to be cut is detected by the processing unit 9.

[0021] After alignment, the cutting blade 91 of the processing unit 9 is positioned at a predetermined cutting height, and the spindle 92 is driven by a motor (not shown) to rotate the cutting blade 91 at high speed. Then, the chuck table 81 is processed and fed in the X-axis direction, causing the cutting blade 91 to cut into the wafer W, thereby processing grooves in the wafer W along the planned dividing lines. After alternately repeating index feed in the Y-axis direction and processing feed in the X-axis direction, the chuck table 81 is rotated 90 degrees and similar processing is performed, thereby processing grooves along all planned dividing lines.

[0022] The processing device 1 is provided with a cleaning and carrying-out unit 12 that sucks and holds the processed workpiece unit U from the chuck table 81 and carries it to the cleaning device 11.

[0023] The processing device 1 is provided with a touch panel display monitor 13 that displays various information and allows input operations.

[0024] A control unit 100 for controlling the operation of various functions is provided in the processing device 1. The control unit 100 is configured by a computer, and controls the carry-in / out unit 3, the lifting unit 41, the transport unit 7, the holding unit 8, the processing unit 9, and the alignment mechanism 10.

[0025] 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the cassette 5 and the workpiece unit U. FIG. The cassette 5 is configured in a box shape, and has an internal storage space 50 formed therein, with an opening 51 formed therein to allow the workpiece unit U to be horizontally moved in and out of the storage space 50. In the cassette 5, a rear wall 52 is provided on the opposite side of the opening 51, and a pair of side walls 53, 53 are provided perpendicular to the rear wall 52, an upper wall 54 is provided connecting the upper ends of the pair of side walls 53, 53, and a lower wall 55 is provided connecting the lower ends of the pair of side walls 53, 53.

[0026] A handle 54a is provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 54 so that it can be grasped by an operator or a transport robot during transport.

[0027] A plurality of protrusions 53a are arranged at intervals D in the height direction (Z-axis direction) on the pair of side walls 53 so as to protrude toward the storage space 50. The protrusions 53a extend in the depth direction (Y-axis direction), and a pair of protrusions 53a facing each other in the width direction (X-axis direction) constitutes a storage shelf 56. A plurality of storage shelves 56 are formed at predetermined intervals in the height direction (Z-axis direction), and a storage groove 58 is formed between each storage shelf 56.

[0028] Then, the workpiece units U are inserted into the respective storage grooves 58, and the frame F is supported from below by the storage shelves 56 formed by the protruding portions 53a, 53a, so that the workpiece units U are stored in the cassette 5.

[0029] 3, the cassette 5 is configured to have 13 tiers, with a total of 13 storage grooves 58. The storage grooves 58 have a height Z1, and a gap S of height Z1 is also formed between each workpiece unit U placed in each storage groove 58, and the claws 3b (FIG. 4) of the gripping portion 3a, which will be described later, are inserted into this gap S.

[0030] In this manner, the cassette 5 is configured to accommodate a plurality of workpiece units U each including a wafer W as a workpiece, spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lifting unit 41 that lifts and lowers the cassette table 4. As shown in FIG. A cassette 5 is placed on the upper surface of the cassette table 4, and by raising or lowering the cassette table 4, the height position of the workpiece unit U in the cassette 5 is adjusted to match the height position 31h of the gripping portion 3a of the carry-in / out unit 3. The gripping portion 3a of the carry-in / out unit 3 is inserted through the opening 51 of the cassette 5, grips the outer periphery of the frame F, and pulls out the workpiece unit U.

[0032] The workpiece units U are successively pulled out by alternating between changing the height position of the cassette 5 and pulling out the workpiece units U by the carry-in / out unit 3. Furthermore, a workpiece unit U that has been processed and cleaned can be inserted into the storage groove 58 that has been vacated by pulling out the workpiece unit U.

[0033] The cassette table 4 is formed in a plate shape, and its upper surface forms a mounting surface for the cassette 5. A bracket 4a is connected to the underside of the cassette table 4, and a female screw portion provided at the lower end of the bracket 4a is connected to a ball screw 41a of an elevating unit 41 extending in the height direction (Z-axis direction). The cassette table 4 is guided by a guide rail (not shown) that extends vertically in parallel with the ball screw 41a.

[0034] The lifting unit 41 has a ball screw 41a, a motor 41b that rotates the ball screw 41a, and a control unit 41c that controls the motor 41b. The control unit 41c is connected to the control unit 100, and controls the driving of the motor 41b in response to commands from the control unit 100, thereby positioning the cassette table 4 at a predetermined height. The height position of the cassette table 4 is set so that it can be recognized by the control unit 100 during the initial setup work of the processing device.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the carry-in / out unit 3. As shown in FIG. The loading / unloading unit 3 has a gripping mechanism 31a that grips a part of the workpiece unit, a ball screw 31b that extends horizontally (Y-axis direction), a motor 31c that rotates the ball screw 31b, a control unit 31d for controlling the motor 31c, and a load detection unit 31e for detecting the torque of the motor 31c.

[0036] The gripping mechanism 31a is configured to open and close the gripping part 3a provided on the side by an actuator provided inside. The gripping part 3a in this embodiment is configured with a pair of upper and lower claws 3b, 3b, and by narrowing the gap between the claws 3b, 3b, it clamps and grips the outer periphery of the frame F, which is part of the workpiece unit U shown in Figure 2.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the gripping mechanism 31a has a bracket 31f provided at its lower part, the female screw portion of which is connected to a ball screw 31b, and is moved horizontally (in the Y-axis direction) in response to the rotation of the ball screw 31b by a motor 31c.

[0038] The control unit 31d is connected to the control unit 100, and controls the driving of the motor 41c in response to commands from the control unit 100, thereby controlling the horizontal position (Y-axis direction) of the gripping mechanism 31a and the opening and closing of the gripping part 3a (whether the frame is gripped or not gripped). The gripping mechanism 31a is configured so that the gripping part 3a located at its tip moves to a limit position where it can enter the cassette 5.

[0039] The load detection unit 31e monitors the value of the current supplied to the motor 31c and detects the torque of the motor 31c from fluctuations in the current value. As will be described later, this load detection unit 31e detects that the gripping mechanism 31a has come into contact with the workpiece unit (frame) when there is a large change in the torque, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 100.

[0040] As described above, as shown in FIG. 1, a processing apparatus 1 is configured, which includes a cassette table 4 capable of moving the cassette 5 up and down, a loading / unloading unit 3 that loads and unloads the workpiece unit U between the temporary placement area 6 for temporarily placing the workpiece unit U and the cassette 5, and a control unit 100.

[0041] With the above configuration, the position of the workpiece unit housed in the cassette is detected. As one example of a detection method, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the position of the workpiece unit U is detected by detecting the load applied to the motor 31c (Figure 5) when the claw portion 3b of the gripping mechanism 31a abuts against the outer periphery of the frame F of the workpiece unit U.

[0042] Specifically, for example, the control unit is set in advance to detect workpiece units U stored on the top shelf 56 of the cassette. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit stores in advance various information about the cassette 5, such as the height from the bottom of the cassette 5 to the top shelf 56, the vertical spacing between the shelves 56, and the number of shelves 56 (13 in this embodiment). For example, if the workpiece is a cassette that stores 8-inch wafers, the number of shelves is 25, and if the workpiece is a cassette that stores 12-inch wafers, the number of shelves is 13.

[0043] 4, a height position 31h of the gripping mechanism 31a is also stored in advance in the control unit 100. In this embodiment, an intermediate position that is equidistant from the pair of upper and lower claw portions 3b, 3b is stored as the height position 31h.

[0044] The control unit executes a sequence for detecting the position of the workpiece unit U. First, the control unit lowers the cassette table 4 in Fig. 4, for example, and positions the cassette table 4 so that the height position 56k of the top storage shelf 56 of the cassette 5 is higher than the height position 31h of the gripping mechanism 31a by the distance D (the distance between the storage shelves 56). Note that, in actuality, the height position 56k of the top storage shelf 56 of the cassette may not be lower than the height position 31h of the gripping mechanism 31a by the distance D, but this does not present any particular problem.

[0045] Next, as shown by the solid line in Figure 6A, the control unit moves the gripping mechanism 31a toward the inside of the cassette. Here, the control unit moves the gripping mechanism 31a toward the cassette to a predetermined position G, but the gripping mechanism 31a does not come into contact with the workpiece unit U, resulting in a so-called miss. As a result, the change in motor torque is not detected by the load detection unit 31e (Figure 5), and the workpiece unit U is not detected.

[0046] Next, the control unit temporarily retracts the gripping mechanism 31a in a direction away from the cassette 5, raises the cassette table by a predetermined distance (for example, a distance about half the thickness of the frame F or a distance 1 / 5 of the interval D), and moves the gripping mechanism 31a again toward the inside of the cassette. At this time, if the workpiece unit U is not detected, the same operation is repeated.

[0047] Furthermore, when the cassette table is positioned at a distance approximately half the thickness of the frame F, the thickness of the frame F is, for example, 1.0 mm or 1.2 mm when the wafer W (Figure 2) is 8 inches in size, and 1.2 mm or 1.5 mm when the wafer W is 12 inches in size, and the cassette table is moved based on these thicknesses.

[0048] As described above, the gradual raising (or lowering) of the cassette table and the movement of the gripping mechanism 31a are alternately repeated until a part of the gripping mechanism 31a abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit U. Then, when the claw portion 3b, which is part of the gripping mechanism 31a, abuts against the frame that forms the outer periphery of the workpiece unit U, a sudden change in the torque of the motor is detected by the load detection unit 31e (FIG. 5), and the presence of the workpiece unit U is detected. Note that the sudden change in the torque of the motor is a change that occurs when the torque, which was approximately constant until the gripping mechanism 31a abutted against the workpiece unit U, suddenly increases as the movement of the gripping mechanism 31a is restricted.

[0049] As another example of a detection method, when a part of the gripping mechanism 31a comes into contact with the outer periphery of the workpiece unit U and attempts to increase the torque, the torque cannot be increased due to a torque limit set on a motor shaft (not shown). By detecting the position at this time (when the torque limit is applied), the presence of the workpiece unit U can be detected.

[0050] The control unit then calculates the height position 56k (FIG. 4) of the top storage shelf 56 of the cassette from the height position of the cassette table when the workpiece unit U is detected, and defines the height position (position in the Z-axis direction) of the workpiece unit U based on the height position 56k of the storage shelf 56. For example, this height position 56k can be used as the height position of the workpiece unit U as is, or a predetermined distance (for example, the thickness of the frame F (FIG. 2)) can be added to this height position 56k to determine the height position of the workpiece unit U.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit acquires the horizontal position (position in the Y-axis direction) of the gripping mechanism 31a when the workpiece unit U is detected, and defines the horizontal position (position in the Y-axis direction) of the workpiece unit U based on the horizontal position of the gripping mechanism 31a. For example, the horizontal position of the gripping mechanism 31a may be used as the horizontal position of the workpiece unit U, or the horizontal position of the workpiece unit U may be determined by adding a predetermined distance (for example, the protruding length of the claws 3b) to the height position 56k.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7(A), the claws 3b, 3b may be brought into contact with the workpiece unit U in a closed state.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the workpiece unit U can be detected even when it comes into contact with the vertical surface 31s between the claws 3b, 3b on the exterior of the box-shaped gripping mechanism 31a. The control unit cannot directly determine whether the claws 3b have come into contact as in FIG. 6(B) or the vertical surface 31s has come into contact as in FIG. 7(B). However, for example, when the workpiece unit is detected in the state shown in FIG. 6(B), it is detected when the gripping mechanism 31a has moved less than in FIG. 7(B). Therefore, the position of the workpiece unit is detected at two locations with different amounts of movement of the gripping mechanism 31a. In this case, the detection at the smaller amount of movement can be recognized as the detection when the claws 3b have come into contact, and the detection at the larger amount of movement can be recognized as the detection when the vertical surface 31s has come into contact.

[0054] 4, by bringing the gripping mechanism 31a into contact with the workpiece unit U and detecting changes in the torque of the motor, the control unit can recognize the height position (Z-axis direction) and horizontal position (depth position: Y-axis direction) of the workpiece unit U stored in the cassette 5. This eliminates the need for complicated work for the operator and also enables the loading / unloading unit to be positioned appropriately.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the height position of the top shelf of the cassette is determined, but this is not particularly limited to determining the height position of the bottom shelf, or determining the height position of the shelf one or two below the top shelf, or the height position one or two above the bottom shelf. Furthermore, for example, workpiece units may be stored on the top and bottom shelves of the cassette, and the height position of each workpiece unit may be determined by calculating the heightwise distance between the two workpiece units from the height positions at which each workpiece unit is detected, and dividing this distance by the number of shelves (e.g., 13). Alternatively, workpiece units may be stored on all shelves, and the height position of each workpiece unit may be determined by detecting each workpiece unit.

[0056] The detection of the workpiece units may be performed when the processing apparatus is set up after installation or when the type of cassette used is changed, or may be performed for each cassette. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Processing equipment 2 Device housing 3 Loading / unloading unit 3a Gripping part 3b Claw part 4 Cassette Table 4a Bracket 5 cassettes 6 Temporary storage area 7 Transport unit 8 Holding Unit 9 Processing Unit 10 Alignment mechanism 11 Cleaning equipment 12 Cleaning and unloading unit 13 Display monitor 31a Gripping mechanism 31b ball screw 31c motor 31d Control section 31e Load detection unit 31f bracket 31h Height position 31s vertical plane 41 Lifting unit 41a ball screw 41b Motor 41c Control section 50 Containment Space 51 Opening 52 Back wall 53 Side wall 53a Projection part 54 Upper Wall 54a Handle 55 Lower wall 56 Storage Shelf 56k height position 58 Storage groove 81 Chuck table 82 Holding surface 91 Cutting Blade 92 Spindle 100 control unit D interval F Frame S Gap T-tape U Workpiece unit W wafer

Claims

1. a cassette table on which a cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of workpiece units including workpieces at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction is placed and which can move the cassette up and down; a carry-in / out unit that carries the workpiece unit in and out between a temporary placement area for temporarily placing the workpiece unit and the cassette; a control unit; A position detection method for detecting the position of the workpiece unit accommodated in the cassette in a processing apparatus comprising at least The loading / unloading unit comprises: a gripping mechanism that grips a part of the workpiece unit; and a motor that moves the gripping mechanism between the cassette table and the temporary placement area, The control unit the gripping mechanism is moved, and a load applied to the motor is detected when a part of the gripping mechanism comes into contact with the outer periphery of the workpiece unit, thereby detecting the position of the workpiece unit; Method for detecting the position of a workpiece unit.

2. The cassette table is raised and lowered in stages, and the gripping mechanism is moved. repeating this alternating process until a portion of the gripping mechanism abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit; 2. The method for detecting the position of a workpiece unit according to claim 1.

3. The cassette is formed with storage shelves for storing a plurality of the workpiece units in the vertical direction, and the position of at least one of the workpiece units is detected.

3. The method for detecting the position of a workpiece unit according to claim 2.

4. The gripping mechanism has a pair of claws, and the pair of claws grips the outer periphery of the workpiece unit by sandwiching it between them.

4. The method for detecting the position of a workpiece unit according to claim 3.

5. a cassette table on which a cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of workpiece units including workpieces at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction is placed and which can move the cassette up and down; a carry-in / out unit that carries the workpiece unit in and out between a temporary placement area for temporarily placing the workpiece unit and the cassette; a control unit; A processing device comprising at least The loading / unloading unit comprises: a moving body, a gripping mechanism that grips a part of the workpiece unit, and a motor that moves the gripping mechanism between the cassette table and the temporary placement area, the gripping mechanism is moved, and a load applied to the motor is detected when a part of the gripping mechanism comes into contact with the outer periphery of the workpiece unit, thereby detecting the position of the workpiece unit; Processing equipment.

6. The cassette table is raised and lowered in stages, and the gripping mechanism is moved. repeating this alternating process until a portion of the gripping mechanism abuts against the outer periphery of the workpiece unit; 6. The processing device according to claim 5.

7. The cassette is formed with storage shelves for storing a plurality of the workpiece units in the vertical direction, and the position of at least one of the workpiece units is detected.

7. The processing device according to claim 6.

8. The gripping mechanism has a pair of claws, and the pair of claws grips the outer periphery of the workpiece unit by sandwiching it between them.

8. The processing device according to claim 7.

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