Processing apparatus and cleaning method

Abstract

To reduce the number of foreign matters adhering to a workpiece due to positioning of the workpiece.SOLUTION: A transfer unit having a hand portion for holding a workpiece and for transferring the workpiece held by the hand portion; a support table for supporting the workpiece transferred by the transfer unit; a positioning mechanism for adjusting the position of the workpiece supported on the support table; and a holding surface for holding the workpiece, and a controller that controls operations of the conveying unit, the positioning mechanism, the holding table, and the processing unit, in which the controller positions the hand section of the conveying unit above the holding table and ejects gas from an opening provided in the hand section to the holding table of the positioning mechanism, thereby cleaning an upper surface of the holding table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device for processing a workpiece, the processing device having an alignment mechanism used to adjust the position of the workpiece, and a cleaning method for cleaning a support table of the alignment mechanism for the workpiece provided in the processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A grinding apparatus for grinding and thinning wafers having single crystal silicon substrates or the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The grinding apparatus includes a chuck table that holds the wafer by suction, and a grinding unit that grinds the wafer held by suction on the chuck table.

[0003] When grinding wafers with the grinding device described in Patent Document 1, an operator first loads a cassette containing multiple wafers into the grinding device. Next, a horizontal articulated transfer robot enters the cassette and removes the wafers from the cassette.

[0004] However, the transport robot does not transport the wafer directly to the chuck table that faces the grinding unit in the vertical direction, but transports the wafer to a support table (also called a position table) for aligning the wafer.

[0005] A plurality of alignment pins are arranged at approximately equal intervals on the outer periphery of the support table. After the wafer is supported by the support table, the alignment pins, which are positioned at equal distances from the center of the upper surface of the support table, move an equal distance toward the center of the upper surface of the support table, so that the alignment pins come into contact with the outer periphery of the wafer.

[0006] This aligns the center of the wafer with the center of the upper surface of the support table (i.e., the wafer is centered). The centered wafer is then transported from the support table to the chuck table while being held by suction by a transport unit such as a loading arm.

[0007] During this series of transport processes, minute foreign matter such as grinding dust present on the upper surface of the support table may adhere to one side of the wafer. If a resin protective tape of approximately the same diameter as the wafer is attached to one side of the wafer, minute foreign matter may adhere to the exposed surface of the protective tape located on the opposite side to the attached surface of the protective tape (i.e., the one side of the wafer).

[0008] In either case, if one side of a wafer is held by suction on the chuck table while foreign matter remains attached to that side, the foreign matter will remain sandwiched between the wafer and the holding surface. If the wafer is ground in this state, problems such as cracking of the wafer and grinding abnormalities will occur. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-141176 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to reduce the number of foreign particles that adhere to a workpiece such as a wafer due to alignment of the workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece, the processing apparatus comprising: a transport unit having a hand portion for holding the workpiece and transporting the workpiece held by the hand portion; a support table having a support for the workpiece transported by the transport unit and an alignment mechanism used to adjust the position of the workpiece supported by the support table; a holding table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece and being positioned using the alignment mechanism so that the center of the holding surface corresponds to the center of one surface of the workpiece; a processing unit having a spindle and processing the workpiece held by the holding table with a processing tool attached to the spindle; and a controller for controlling the operation of the transport unit, the alignment mechanism, the holding table, and the processing unit, wherein the controller positions the hand portion of the transport unit above the support table and cleans the upper surface of the support table by spraying gas from an opening provided in the hand portion onto the support table of the alignment mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the controller injects the gas from the opening of the hand unit toward the support table while moving the hand unit relatively to the support table.

[0013] Preferably, the transport unit has a rotation mechanism that rotates the hand portion around a predetermined rotation axis, and the controller adjusts the orientation of the opening so that the angle between the direction of the gas ejected from the opening of the hand portion and the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and ejects the gas from the opening onto the support table.

[0014] Also, preferably, the processing unit is a rough grinding unit, the processing tool is a rough grinding wheel and is provided adjacent to the rough grinding unit, the processing device further includes a finish grinding unit having another spindle and processing the workpiece held by the holding table with a finish grinding wheel attached to the other spindle, and the controller arranges the opening of the hand portion, the support table of the alignment mechanism, and the rough grinding unit in a straight line in a plan view, and then injects the gas from the hand portion to the support table.

[0015] Preferably, the processing apparatus further includes a suction duct, and the controller arranges the opening of the hand section, the support table of the alignment mechanism, and the suction port of the suction duct in a straight line in a plan view, and then injects the gas from the hand section onto the support table, and sucks in the gas injected from the opening of the hand section and reflected by the top surface of the support table through the suction duct.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning method for cleaning a support table of an alignment mechanism for a workpiece provided in a processing device that processes the workpiece, the cleaning method comprising: a positioning step of, in a transport unit having a hand portion that holds the workpiece and transporting the workpiece held by the hand portion, directing an opening of the hand portion, when not holding the workpiece, toward the support table of the alignment mechanism and positioning it above the support table; and a cleaning step of spraying gas from the opening of the hand portion toward the support table of the alignment mechanism to clean the upper surface of the support table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] In a processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the controller positions the hand of the transport unit above the support table and injects gas from an opening in the hand onto the support table of the alignment mechanism to clean the upper surface of the support table. This cleans the upper surface of the support table, thereby reducing the number of foreign particles that adhere to the workpiece due to alignment of the workpiece.

[0018] In a cleaning method according to another aspect of the present invention, the upper surface of the support table is cleaned by injecting gas from an opening in the hand unit onto the support table of the alignment mechanism (cleaning step). This makes it possible to clean the upper surface of the support table, thereby reducing the number of foreign particles that adhere to the workpiece due to the alignment of the workpiece. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a polishing unit and the like. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a cleaning method. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a diagram showing the positioning step, and FIG. 5(B) is a diagram showing the cleaning step. [Figure 6] 6(A) and 6(B) are diagrams showing various positions and orientations of the hand unit when gas is ejected from the hand unit. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the hand portion, the support table, the rough grinding unit, and the suction port of the suction duct are arranged in a straight line in a plan view. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a side view of FIG. 7 as seen in the direction of arrow H. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(A) is a diagram showing an alignment mechanism in the second embodiment, and FIG. 9(B) is a perspective view showing the process of measuring the center position of a workpiece. [Figure 10]10 is a diagram showing another transfer robot transferring a workpiece so that the center of the back surface of the workpiece coincides with the center of the holding surface of the chuck table. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] (First embodiment) An embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a grinding and polishing apparatus (processing apparatus) 2 that processes a workpiece 11 by grinding, polishing, etc.

[0021] 1 shows functional blocks of some of the components of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2. The X-axis (an axis parallel to the front-rear direction of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2) and the Y-axis (an axis parallel to the left-right direction of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2) shown in Fig. 1 are perpendicular to each other, and the Z-axis (an axis parallel to the up-down direction of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2) is perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis.

[0022] The XY plane is, for example, parallel to a horizontal plane, in which case the Z axis is parallel to the vertical direction. In this specification, the positive and negative directions of the X axis may be collectively referred to as the X axis direction. Similarly, the positive and negative directions of the Y axis may be collectively referred to as the Y axis direction, and the positive and negative directions of the Z axis may be collectively referred to as the Z axis direction.

[0023] For ease of explanation, the positive direction of the X axis (the direction of the X axis arrow in FIG. 1) may be referred to as "rear" and the negative direction of the X axis (the direction opposite to the X axis arrow in FIG. 1) may be referred to as "forward." Furthermore, the positive direction of the Z axis (the direction of the Z axis arrow in FIG. 1) may be referred to as "upward," and the negative direction of the Z axis (the direction opposite to the Z axis arrow in FIG. 1) may be referred to as "downward."

[0024] The grinding / polishing apparatus 2 includes a base 4 that supports or houses each of the components. Two cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b are provided at the front end of the base 4. A cassette 8a is mounted on the cassette mounting table 6a, and similarly, a cassette 8b is mounted on the cassette mounting table 6b.

[0025] The cassettes 8a and 8b accommodate a plurality of workpieces 11 to be processed by the grinding and polishing apparatus 2. Each of the cassettes 8a and 8b accommodates, for example, 25 workpieces 11, but the number of workpieces 11 that can be accommodated is not limited to 25.

[0026] The workpiece 11 is, for example, a disk-shaped wafer having a single crystal silicon substrate. However, there are no limitations on the type, material, shape, size, structure, etc. of the workpiece 11. For example, the workpiece 11 may be a single crystal substrate formed of a semiconductor material other than single crystal silicon (GaN, SiC, etc.), a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a resin substrate, a metal substrate, etc.

[0027] The workpiece 11 of this embodiment has a front surface (i.e., the other surface) 11a and a back surface (i.e., one surface) 11b, and a plurality of planned division lines (not shown) are set in a grid pattern on the front surface 11a. Devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) are formed in each of the rectangular regions defined by the plurality of planned division lines.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to reduce damage to the device, a resin protective member 13 is attached to the entire front surface 11a of the workpiece 11, and then the rear surface 11b is ground and polished.

[0029] The protective member 13 may be formed by attaching the adhesive layer of a circular tape having a laminated structure of a base layer and an adhesive layer, or by thermocompression bonding a circular sheet having only a base layer and no adhesive layer to the surface 11a to fix the sheet to the surface 11a.

[0030] However, there are no restrictions on the type, number, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of devices formed on the workpiece 11. Devices do not have to be formed on the workpiece 11. In other words, the workpiece 11 may be a so-called bare wafer.

[0031] If no device is formed on the workpiece 11, the protective member 13 does not need to be attached or fixed to the workpiece 11. In this case, the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 may be ground and polished, or the front surface 11a may be ground and polished.

[0032] A rectangular recess 4a is provided in the area behind the two cassette mounting stages 6a, 6b on the base 4. A transfer robot (transfer unit) 10 is provided in the recess 4a. The transfer robot 10 carries out workpieces 11 from cassettes 8a, 8b and carries workpieces 11 into cassettes 8a, 8b.

[0033] The recess 4a is provided with a Y-axis / Z-axis movement mechanism 12 that moves the transfer robot 10 along the Y-axis and Z-axis. The Y-axis / Z-axis movement mechanism 12 has a guide rail 12a whose longitudinal direction is set along the Y-axis.

[0034] A Y-axis direction moving plate 12b is slidably fixed to the guide rail 12a. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the Y-axis direction moving plate 12b, and a screw shaft 12c, whose longitudinal direction is aligned with the Y-axis, is rotatably fixed to the nut portion.

[0035] A drive source 12d such as a servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like is provided at one end of the screw shaft 12c. When the screw shaft 12c is rotated by the drive source 12d, the Y-axis direction moving plate 12b can be moved along the Y axis.

[0036] A pair of guide rails 12e, each with its longitudinal direction aligned along the Z axis, is provided on the surface of the Y-axis direction moving plate 12b. The base 10a of the transfer robot 10 is slidably fixed to the pair of guide rails 12e.

[0037] A nut (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the base 10a, and a screw shaft (not shown) whose longitudinal direction is aligned with the Z axis is rotatably fixed to the nut. A drive source (not shown), such as a servo motor or a stepping motor, is provided at one end of the screw shaft.

[0038] By rotating the screw shaft with this drive source, the base part 10a can be moved along the Z axis. Here, the transfer robot 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the transfer robot 10.

[0039] The transport robot 10 is a so-called horizontal articulated type robot having a multi-joint link with an open loop structure. The transport robot 10 has a first cylindrical portion 10b. A movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the first cylindrical portion 10b along the Z axis is provided at the bottom of the first cylindrical portion 10b.

[0040] The base end of a first link 10c is rotatably fixed to the top of the first cylindrical portion 10b. The first link 10c can rotate around the center of the top of the first cylindrical portion 10b within the XY plane. The base end of a second link 10d is rotatably fixed to the top of the tip of the first link 10c.

[0041] The second link 10d can rotate within the XY plane around a predetermined position at the tip of the first link 10c. A second cylindrical portion 10e is provided at the top of the tip of the second link 10d. The base end of the third link 10f is rotatably fixed to the top of the second cylindrical portion 10e.

[0042] The third link 10f can rotate around the center of the top of the second cylindrical portion 10e within the XY plane. The rotation of the transfer robot 10 is realized by using a motor, pulleys, belts, etc. as appropriate.

[0043] The base end of an arm rotation shaft (predetermined rotation shaft) 10g that extends along a straight line perpendicular to the Z axis is rotatably fixed to the tip end of the third link 10f. A motor (not shown) for rotating the arm rotation shaft 10g is provided within the third link 10f.

[0044] The base end of a rectangular parallelepiped arm 10h is fixed to the tip of the arm rotation shaft 10g. A hand unit 10j serving as an end effector is fixed to the tip of the arm 10h. The arm rotation shaft 10g and a motor in the third link 10f constitute a rotation mechanism 10i, which rotates the hand unit 10j around the arm rotation shaft 10g.

[0045] The hand portion 10j has a thin-plate-shaped wrist portion 14, a connecting portion 16, and a pair of finger portions 18. The wrist portion 14, the connecting portion 16, and the pair of finger portions 18 are each made of metal, ceramics, or the like.

[0046] The wrist portion 14 connects the tip end of the arm 10h to the base end of the connecting portion 16. Base ends of a pair of finger portions 18 are connected to both ends of the connecting portion 16. The pair of finger portions 18 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the connecting portion 16 in the width direction.

[0047] In particular, the pair of finger portions 18 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a predetermined line 10k that passes through the center of the arm rotation shaft 10g and is parallel to the extension direction of the arm rotation shaft 10g. A plurality of openings 20 are provided on one surface of the hand portion 10j.

[0048] In this embodiment, two openings 20 are provided in the connecting portion 16, and two openings 20 are provided in each finger portion 18, but the number of openings 20 is not limited to this example. However, the multiple openings 20 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the predetermined line 10k.

[0049] The size of each opening is, for example, 3.0 mm in diameter. Each opening 20 is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as a vacuum pump or an ejector via a predetermined flow path (not shown), and negative pressure is transmitted to each opening 20 from the suction source.

[0050] For example, a negative pressure of -95 kPa or more and -55 kPa or less (e.g., -80 kPa) in gauge pressure, which is a relative pressure with atmospheric pressure being 0 kPa (reference pressure), is transmitted to each opening 20. The workpiece 11 is transported while being suction-held by the hand unit 10j due to this negative pressure.

[0051] A gas supply source (not shown) is further connected via a switching valve (not shown), such as a solenoid valve, to a predetermined flow path connected to each opening 20. When an opening 20 is connected to a suction source by the action of the switching valve, a negative pressure is transmitted to the opening 20, and when an opening 20 is connected to a gas supply source, a positive pressure is transmitted to the opening 20.

[0052] The gas supply source is, for example, an air supply source, and supplies air as gas 20a to the opening 20. The air supply source includes a compressor that compresses and sends out air taken in from the atmosphere, a tank that stores the compressed air, a filter that removes foreign matter contained in the air, and the like.

[0053] Gas 20a (see FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B)) is sprayed from each opening 20 at a flow rate of 90 L / min under a positive gauge pressure of 10 kPa to 15 kPa, with atmospheric pressure being 0 kPa (reference pressure). In this embodiment, the spray direction of gas 20a is perpendicular to one surface of the hand unit 10j.

[0054] The direction of injection of gas 20a can be set to any direction and position by vertical movement of base 10a and first cylindrical portion 10b, horizontal and rotational movement of first link 10c to third link 10f in the XY plane, rotation of arm rotation shaft 10g, etc.

[0055] The gas 20a supplied from the gas supply source is not limited to air. The gas supply source may supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas as the gas 20a to the opening 20, or may supply another type of gas as the gas 20a to the opening 20.

[0056] Returning to Fig. 1, a description will be given of other components of the grinding and polishing apparatus 2. Behind the recess 4a, an alignment mechanism 22 is provided for aligning the workpiece 11. The alignment mechanism 22 is used to adjust the position of the workpiece 11 relative to a chuck table 44, which will be described later.

[0057] The alignment mechanism 22 has a disk-shaped support table 24. The workpiece 11 carried out (i.e., transported) from the cassettes 8a, 8b by the transport robot 10 is temporarily placed on the support table 24. The diameter of the support table 24 in this embodiment is smaller than the diameter of the chuck table 44 and smaller than the diameter of the workpiece 11.

[0058] A plurality of alignment pins 26 are arranged at approximately equal intervals around the periphery of the support table 24. The plurality of alignment pins 26 are configured to be movable the same distance from each other toward the center of the upper surface 24a of the support table 24, and the positions of the plurality of alignment pins 26 are always equidistant from the center of the upper surface 24a.

[0059] Therefore, by contacting multiple alignment pins 26 with the outer edge of the workpiece 11 supported by the support table 24, the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 can be approximately aligned with the center of the upper surface 24a (i.e., the workpiece 11 can be centered).

[0060] The workpiece 11, whose position has been adjusted by the alignment mechanism 22, is transported by the transport mechanism 28. The transport mechanism 28 has a gate-shaped support unit 30 provided on the side of the base 4. A moving block 32 is fixed to the support unit 30 so as to be movable along the X-axis.

[0061] The movement of the moving block 32 is achieved by, for example, a ball screw or linear motor (not shown). A base end of a first arm 34 is fixed to the moving block 32. The first arm 34 has a first region along the Z axis and a second region along the Y axis. A base end of a second arm 36 is fixed to the second region along the Y axis so as to be movable along the Y axis.

[0062] The movement of the second arm 36 is also realized by, for example, a ball screw or a linear motor (not shown). The upper surface of a disk-shaped suction unit 38 is fixed to the tip of the second arm 36 so as to be movable along the Z axis. The movement of the suction unit 38 is realized by, for example, an actuator such as an air cylinder.

[0063] The diameter of the suction unit 38 is larger than the diameter of the support table 24, and is, for example, approximately the same as the diameter of a chuck table 44 described later. One or more suction ports (not shown) are provided on the lower surface of the suction unit 38, and negative pressure is transmitted to each suction port from the suction source described above.

[0064] The transport mechanism 28 transports the workpiece 11 on the support table 24 to a turntable 40 provided behind the alignment mechanism 22 while holding the workpiece 11 on the support table 24 by suction with the suction portion 38 .

[0065] The upper surface of the turntable 40 is divided into four equal parts by partition plates 42 each having a cross shape in a plan view. Of the multiple fan-shaped areas divided by the partition plates 42, the area closest to the alignment mechanism 22 is the carry-in / carry-out area A.

[0066] The multiple sector-shaped regions include, in this order, a rough grinding region B, a finish grinding region C, and a polishing region D in a clockwise direction starting from the loading / unloading region A. A chuck table (holding table) 44 is provided in each of the multiple sector-shaped regions.

[0067] The chuck table 44 has a disk-shaped frame made of dense ceramic. A disk-shaped recess is formed in the radial center of the frame. A porous plate made of porous ceramic and having an outer diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the recess is fixed in this recess with an adhesive or the like.

[0068] The upper surfaces of the frame and the porous plate are substantially flush with each other and form a holding surface 44a that suction-holds the workpiece 11. Negative pressure is transmitted from the suction source to the upper surface of the porous plate via a predetermined flow path (not shown) connected to the frame.

[0069] Each chuck table 44 is rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis. The predetermined rotation axis is fixed to the bottom of the frame of the chuck table 44. A driven pulley (not shown) is fixed to the bottom of the rotation axis. Power is transmitted to the driven pulley from a drive pulley fixed to the output shaft of a motor (not shown) via an endless belt (not shown).

[0070] The workpiece 11, whose position has been adjusted using the above-mentioned alignment mechanism 22, is positioned on the holding surface 44a of the chuck table 44 so that the center 44b of the holding surface 44a corresponds to the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 (for example, so that the positions in the XY plane are approximately the same).

[0071] Specifically, the positional relationship on the XY plane between the center of the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 in the alignment mechanism 22 and the center 44b of the holding surface 44a of the chuck table 44 located in the loading / unloading area A is predetermined.

[0072] Therefore, by moving the workpiece 11, whose position has been adjusted on the support table 24, by a predetermined distance in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction using the conveying mechanism 28, the center 44b of the holding surface 44a and the center 11c of the back surface 11b can be made to approximately coincide.

[0073] The workpiece 11, which is held by suction on the chuck table 44 located in the loading / unloading area A, moves in this order to the rough grinding area B, the finish grinding area C, and the polishing area D as the turntable 40 rotates, and then is returned to the loading / unloading area A again.

[0074] Even when the turntable 40 rotates, the positions of the carry-in / carry-out area A, rough grinding area B, finish grinding area C, and polishing area D do not change; only the chuck tables 44 located in each area change.

[0075] An upwardly protruding rectangular parallelepiped first support structure 46 is provided at the rear end of the base 4. A pair of Z-axis direction movement mechanisms 48 are provided on the surface of the first support structure 46. Each Z-axis direction movement mechanism 48 includes a pair of guide rails 50 fixed to the surface of the first support structure 46.

[0076] The longitudinal direction of the pair of guide rails 50 is approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction. A Z-axis direction moving plate 52 is slidably fixed to the pair of guide rails 50. A nut portion (not shown) is fixed to the back surface of the Z-axis direction moving plate 52.

[0077] A screw shaft 54, whose longitudinal portion extends along the Z-axis direction, is rotatably fixed to the nut portion. A drive source 56, such as a servo motor or a stepping motor, is provided at the upper end of the screw shaft 54. When the drive source 56 rotates the screw shaft 54, the Z-axis direction moving plate 52 moves along the Z axis.

[0078] A rough grinding unit (processing unit) 60A is fixed to the surface of one of the Z-axis direction moving plates 52 via a support member 58. The rough grinding unit 60A is located above the chuck table 44 located in the rough grinding region B.

[0079] Similarly, a finish grinding unit (processing unit) 60B is fixed to the surface of the other Z-axis direction moving plate 52 via a support member 58. The finish grinding unit 60B is located above the chuck table 44 located in the finish grinding area C.

[0080] The rough grinding unit 60A and the finish grinding unit 60B each have a cylindrical spindle housing 62, and this spindle housing 62 is fixed to the Z-axis direction moving plate 52 via the support member 58 described above.

[0081] A portion of a cylindrical spindle 64 is rotatably housed within the spindle housing 62 using a hydrostatic air bearing (air bearing). The longitudinal direction of the spindle housing 62 and the spindle 64 is approximately parallel to the Z axis.

[0082] A stator (not shown) that constitutes a spindle motor is provided inside the spindle housing 62, and the spindle 64 is integrated with the rotor of the spindle motor or is the rotor itself.

[0083] The center of the upper surface of a disk-shaped wheel mount 66 is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 64. Of course, the spindle 64 of the rough grinding unit 60A and the spindle (other spindle) 64 of the finish grinding unit 60B are different.

[0084] A circular rough grinding wheel (machining tool) 68A is attached to the underside of the wheel mount 66 of the rough grinding unit 60A, and a circular finish grinding wheel (machining tool) 68B is attached to the underside of the wheel mount 66 of the finish grinding unit 60B.

[0085] That is, the rough grinding wheel 68A and the finish grinding wheel 68B are each mounted on the corresponding spindle 64. The rough grinding wheel 68A and the finish grinding wheel 68B each have an annular base made of metal, and a plurality of grinding stones arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the base on one surface of the base.

[0086] Each grinding wheel has abrasive grains made of diamond, cBN (cubic boron nitride), etc., and a binder for fixing the abrasive grains, such as a metal bond, a resin bond, a vitrified bond, etc. However, the average grain size of the abrasive grains contained in the grinding wheel of the rough grinding wheel 68A is larger than the average grain size of the abrasive grains contained in the grinding wheel of the finish grinding wheel 68B.

[0087] When performing rough grinding, the chuck table 44 holding the workpiece 11 by suction is positioned in the rough grinding area B, and then the chuck table 44 and the rough grinding wheel 68A are rotated in a predetermined direction, and the rough grinding unit 60A is lowered along the Z axis at a predetermined speed. As a result, the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is roughly ground (i.e., processed) by the rough grinding wheel 68A.

[0088] Furthermore, when performing finish grinding after rough grinding, the chuck table 44 holding the workpiece 11 by suction is positioned in the finish grinding area C, and then the chuck table 44 and the finish grinding wheel 68B are rotated in a predetermined direction, and the finish grinding unit 60B is lowered along the Z axis at a predetermined speed. As a result, the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is finish ground (i.e., processed) by the finish grinding wheel 68B.

[0089] A processing chamber cover 70 that covers the rough grinding area B and the finish grinding area C is provided on the base 4. The processing chamber cover 70 includes a top plate, a plurality of side plates, etc. For the sake of convenience of explanation, in FIG. 1, the processing chamber cover 70 is shown above the first support structure 46, but in reality, the processing chamber cover 70 is located below the support member 58.

[0090] A pair of cylindrical portions 72A, 72B are provided on the top of the machining chamber cover 70. The rough grinding unit 60A, which is positioned below the support member 58, is inserted into the cylindrical portion 72A, and the finish grinding unit 60B, which is positioned below the support member 58, is inserted into the cylindrical portion 72B.

[0091] The machining chamber cover 70, together with the upper surface of the turntable 40 and the partition plate 42, defines a rough grinding chamber 70a into which the rough grinding unit 60A is inserted and a finish grinding chamber 70b into which the finish grinding unit 60B is inserted (see FIG. 7).

[0092] The rough grinding chamber 70a and the finish grinding chamber 70b are substantially independent spaces. Suction ducts (not shown) are connected to the rough grinding chamber 70a and the finish grinding chamber 70b, respectively. Mist, grinding chips, etc. floating in the internal spaces of the rough grinding chamber 70a and the finish grinding chamber 70b are sucked and removed by the respective suction ducts. The mist is generated by the grinding fluid that is scattered during grinding.

[0093] A suction duct 76 constituting an exhaust structure 78 is provided at the top of the processing chamber cover 70 near the cylindrical portion 72A. A suction port 76a of the suction duct 76 faces forward of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 (i.e., in a plan view, in the direction from the first support structure 46 to the cassette mounting tables 6a, 6b).

[0094] In this embodiment, the suction duct 76 has a cylindrical shape and the suction port 76a is also circular, but the shapes of the suction duct 76 and the suction port 76a are not limited to this example. The suction duct 76 may have a cylindrical shape and the suction port 76a may be rectangular.

[0095] In this embodiment, the support table 24, the suction port 76a, and the rough grinding unit 60A are arranged in a straight line in a plan view (see FIG. 7). The exhaust structure 78 further includes a suction source (not shown), such as a fan, for transmitting negative pressure to the suction port 76a.

[0096] The suction port 76a is provided in the internal space of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 located outside the processing chamber cover 70, outside the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 and the accordion-shaped cover 116 (described later), and inside a housing (not shown) that is provided to cover the base 4. The exhaust structure 78 sucks in and removes dust and the like floating in this internal space.

[0097] The chuck table 44, which holds the finish-ground workpiece 11 by suction, is positioned in the polishing area D by the rotation of the turntable 40. In front of the polishing area D, a rectangular parallelepiped second support structure 82 is provided.

[0098] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the polishing unit (processing unit) 80 and other components. A Y-axis direction moving mechanism 84 that moves the polishing unit 80 along the X-axis direction is provided on the surface of the second support structure 82. The Y-axis direction moving mechanism 84 has a pair of Y-axis direction guide rails 86 fixed to the surface of the second support structure 82.

[0099] A rectangular parallelepiped Y-axis direction moving block 88 is slidably fixed to the pair of Y-axis direction guide rails 86. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the Y-axis direction moving block 88. A screw shaft (not shown) is rotatably coupled to this nut portion.

[0100] A drive source 90 such as a servo motor or a stepping motor is provided at one end of the screw shaft. When the screw shaft is rotated by the drive source 90, a Y-axis direction moving block 88 moves in the Y-axis direction. A Z-axis direction moving mechanism 92 is provided on the surface of the Y-axis direction moving block 88.

[0101] The Z-axis direction movement mechanism 92 has a pair of Z-axis direction guide rails 94 fixed to the surface of the Y-axis direction movement block 88. A rectangular parallelepiped Z-axis direction movement block 96 is slidably fixed to the pair of Z-axis direction guide rails 94.

[0102] A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the Z-axis direction moving block 96. A screw shaft (not shown) is rotatably coupled to this nut portion. A drive source 98 such as a servo motor or a stepping motor is provided on the upper end of the screw shaft. When the drive source 98 rotates the screw shaft, the Z-axis direction moving block 96 moves in the Z-axis direction.

[0103] A spindle housing 100 of the polishing unit 80 is attached to the surface of the Z-axis direction moving block 96. A portion of a cylindrical spindle 102 is rotatably housed within the spindle housing 100 using a hydrostatic air bearing. The longitudinal direction of the spindle housing 100 and the spindle 102 is approximately parallel to the Z axis.

[0104] A stator (not shown) that constitutes a spindle motor is provided inside the spindle housing 100, and the spindle 102 is integrated with the rotor of the spindle motor or is the rotor itself.

[0105] The lower end of the spindle 102 protrudes downward below the lower end of the spindle housing 100, and the center of the upper surface of a disk-shaped mount 104 is fixed to this lower end. A polishing tool (processing tool) 106 is attached to the lower surface of the mount 104.

[0106] The polishing tool 106 is made of metal and has a disk-shaped base 108. A disk-shaped or annular polishing pad 110 is fixed to the underside of the base 108 and is concentric with the base 108. The polishing pad 110 has a base made of foamed hard polyurethane or the like and abrasive grains fixed to the base.

[0107] The polishing area D is covered with a rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 including a top plate with an oval track-shaped opening 112a and a plurality of side plates. The top plate of the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 is located above the chuck table 44, and the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 defines a polishing chamber for polishing the workpiece 11.

[0108] Mist, polishing debris, etc. generated in the polishing chamber are sucked and removed from the polishing chamber through ducts 114 provided at the corners of the top plate of the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112. A bellows-like cover 116 made of a flexible material such as rubber or resin is provided between the upper surface of the top plate of the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 and the lower end of the spindle housing 100.

[0109] The opening 112a of the rectangular parallelepiped cover 112, the polishing tool 106, etc. are surrounded by a bellows-shaped cover 116. The rectangular parallelepiped cover 112 and the bellows-shaped cover 116, together with the upper surface of the turntable 40, define a space (i.e., a polishing chamber) in which the workpiece 11 is polished. The bellows-shaped cover 116 prevents mist, polishing chips, etc. from scattering into the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 through the opening 112a. Note that the mist is generated by the polishing liquid that scatters during polishing.

[0110] 1, we will now explain other components of the grinding and polishing apparatus 2. After undergoing rough grinding, finish grinding, and polishing in that order, the workpiece 11 returns to the carry-in / carry-out area A and is then transported to the spinner cleaning unit 120 by the transport mechanism 28.

[0111] The workpiece 11 cleaned in the spinner cleaning unit 120 is carried from the spinner cleaning unit 120 into the cassettes 8a and 8b from which it was taken by the transfer robot 10. The components of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 are controlled by a controller 122.

[0112] That is, the controller 122 controls the operation of the transport robot 10, the Y-axis and Z-axis movement mechanism 12, the alignment mechanism 22, the transport mechanism 28, the turntable 40, the chuck table 44, the pair of Z-axis movement mechanisms 48, the rough grinding unit 60A, the finish grinding unit 60B, the polishing unit 80, the Y-axis movement mechanism 84, the Z-axis movement mechanism 92, the spinner cleaning unit 120, etc.

[0113] The controller 122 is configured by a computer including, for example, a processor 122a represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 122b. The memory 122b includes a main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory.

[0114] The auxiliary storage device stores software including a predetermined program. The functions of the controller 122 are realized by operating the processor 122a and the like in accordance with this software.

[0115] When the workpiece 11 is transported from the transport robot 10 to the alignment mechanism 22, the protective member 13 (or the surface 11a of the workpiece 11 if the protective member 13 is not attached or fixed to the workpiece 11) comes into contact with the upper surface 24a of the support table 24.

[0116] At this time, minute foreign matter such as grinding dust generated in the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 may adhere to the protective member 13 or the surface 11a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the transfer robot 10 is used to clean the upper surface 24a of the support table 24.

[0117] 4 to 8, cleaning of the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a cleaning method. Cleaning of the upper surface 24a is performed, for example, after grinding and polishing of all 25 workpieces 11 contained in one cassette 8a has been completed, and before the start of the transport process for the next cassette 8b.

[0118] However, the timing of cleaning the upper surface 24 a is not limited to this example. Although the UPH (units per hour) will be lower than when cleaning is performed once for every 25 workpieces 11, cleaning of the upper surface 24 a may be performed every time grinding and polishing of one or more predetermined number of workpieces 11 is completed and before the start of transport processing of the next workpiece 11.

[0119] 5(A) is a diagram showing the positioning step S10. In the positioning step S10, the openings 20 of the hand unit 10j that is not holding the workpiece 11 by suction are directed toward the support table 24 and positioned above the support table 24. More specifically, the orientation of the hand unit 10j is adjusted so that one surface of the hand unit 10j on which the multiple openings 20 are provided faces downward (i.e., faces the support table 24).

[0120] 5(B) is a diagram showing the cleaning step S20. In the cleaning step S20, gas 20a is sprayed onto the support table 24 from the opening 20 of the hand unit 10j to clean the upper surface 24a of the support table 24.

[0121] 5(B), all of the openings 20 are located above the upper surface 24a of the support table 24, but depending on the orientation and position of the hand unit 10j, at least one opening 20 may be located above the upper surface 24a. However, in this case, the cleaning step S20 can also be performed.

[0122] The cleaning step S20 is not limited to the case where the gas 20a is sprayed from the hand unit 10j while the hand unit 10j is stationary. As shown by the dashed double-headed arrow E in Fig. 5(B), the gas 20a may be sprayed from the opening 20 of the hand unit 10j toward the support table 24 while the hand unit 10j is moving relative to the support table 24.

[0123] The relative movement of the hand unit 10j and the support table 24 is not limited to linear movement along straight lines such as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, but may be rotational movement or a movement form that combines linear movement and rotational movement.

[0124] By moving the hand unit 10j relative to the support table 24, the spray range of the gas 20a can be widened and the direction of the flow of the gas 20a can be diversified as the hand unit 10j moves, which can lead to an improvement in the cleanliness of the upper surface 24a of the support table 24.

[0125] Of course, while the gas 20a is being sprayed from the opening 20 toward the support table 24, the opening 20 of the hand unit 10j may be directed toward the support table 24 and positioned above the support table 24. That is, the positioning step S10 may be performed while the cleaning step S20 is being performed.

[0126] In this embodiment, the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 can be cleaned, thereby reducing the number of foreign matter particles that adhere to the workpiece 11 via the protective member 13 or that adhere directly to the workpiece 11 due to the alignment of the workpiece 11.

[0127] (Modification) The orientation of the hand unit 10j is not limited to the orientation shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B). Figures 6(A) and 6(B) are diagrams showing various positions and orientations of the hand unit 10j when the gas 20a is sprayed from the hand unit 10j.

[0128] As described above, the ejection direction of the gas 20a can be set to any direction and position by vertical movement of the base 10a and the first cylindrical portion 10b, horizontal and rotational movement of the first link 10c to the third link 10f in the XY plane, rotation of the arm rotation shaft 10g, etc. In Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the ejection direction of the gas 20a ejected from each opening 20 is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0129] 6(A) shows how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 from the front position F1, the obliquely upper front position F2, the directly above position F3, the obliquely upper rear position F4, or the rear position F5. Of these, the directly above position F3 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0130] When the hand part 10j is in the directly above position F3, the direction of the gas 20a sprayed and the downward direction along the Z axis form an angle of 0 degrees (i.e., are parallel), and when the hand part 10j is in the forward position F1 and the rearward position F5, the direction of the gas 20a sprayed and the downward direction along the Z axis form an angle of 90 degrees (i.e., are perpendicular).

[0131] The controller 122 may adjust the orientation of the opening 20 so that the angle between the direction of the gas 20a ejected from the opening 20 and the downward direction (i.e., vertical direction) along the Z axis perpendicular to the XY plane (horizontal plane) is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and may eject the gas 20a from the opening 20 onto the support table 24.

[0132] In this embodiment, the gas 20a is sprayed onto the support table 24 from the hand unit 10j positioned at the obliquely upper front position F2 or the obliquely upper rear position F4. This ensures that the gas 20a hits the upper surface 24a more reliably than when the hand unit 10j is at the forward position F1 or the rear position F5, and by utilizing the flow component of the gas 20a along the X-axis, foreign matter can be removed from the upper surface 24a more reliably than when the hand unit 10j is at the directly above position F3.

[0133] Figure 6(B) shows how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a from position G1 on one side in the left-right direction, how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a from diagonally above position G2 on one side in the left-right direction, how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a from directly above position G3, how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a from diagonally above position G4 on the other side in the left-right direction, and how gas 20a is sprayed onto the upper surface 24a from position G5 on the other side in the left-right direction.

[0134] In this case, the controller 122 may adjust the orientation of the opening 20 so that the angle between the injection direction of the gas 20a and the downward direction along the Z axis is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and may inject the gas 20a from the opening 20 onto the support table 24.

[0135] Next, an example of a preferable injection direction of the gas 20a in the modified example will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. As shown in Figure 7, the controller 122 adjusts the position of the hand part 10j so that the opening 20 of the hand part 10j, the support table 24, the rough grinding unit 60A, and the suction port 76a of the suction duct 76 are aligned in a straight line in a plan view.

[0136] 7 is a diagram showing an example in which the hand portion 10j, the support table 24, the rough grinding unit 60A, and the suction port 76a of the suction duct 76 are arranged in a straight line in a plan view. For ease of explanation, the suction duct 76 is shown in cross section on the XY plane in FIG.

[0137] Figure 8 is a side view of Figure 7 as viewed in the direction of arrow H. The hand unit 10j shown in Figures 7 and 8 corresponds to the diagonally upward front position F2 in Figure 6(A). However, the orientation of one surface of the hand unit 10j is different from the orientation shown in Figure 6(A).

[0138] The controller 122 positions the hand unit 10j at a diagonally upward forward position F2, and also faces one surface of the hand unit 10j toward the upper surface 24a of the support table 24, and faces one surface of the hand unit 10j slightly toward the polishing unit 80. In this way, the hand unit 10j, the support table 24, the rough grinding unit 60A, and the suction port 76a of the suction duct 76 are arranged in a straight line (positioning step S10).

[0139] Then, the gas 20a is sprayed from the hand unit 10j onto the support table 24, and the gas 20a sprayed from the opening 20 and reflected by the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 is sucked by the suction duct 76 (cleaning step S20).

[0140] In this case, foreign matter such as dust adhering to the upper surface 24a can be removed from the upper surface 24a, and foreign matter floating in the internal space located outside the processing chamber cover 70, outside the rectangular cover 112 and the accordion-shaped cover 116, and inside the housing of the grinding and polishing device 2 can be sucked and removed through the suction port 76a.

[0141] Simply injecting gas 20a to cause foreign matter adhering to upper surface 24a to float in the internal space may result in the foreign matter re-adhering to upper surface 24a, but this re-adhesion can be prevented by sucking and removing the foreign matter removed from upper surface 24a using suction duct 76.

[0142] Furthermore, even if foreign matter floating in the internal space were to enter the rough grinding chamber 70a through a gap between the partition plate 42 located in front of the rough grinding chamber 70a and the processing chamber cover 70, relatively large grinding chips are generated in the rough grinding chamber 70a, so the impact of the foreign matter on processing quality can be reduced compared to when the foreign matter enters the finish grinding chamber 70b or the polishing chamber. In other words, it is possible to more reliably remove foreign matter from the support table 24 while preventing a decrease in processing quality due to the removal of foreign matter.

[0143] Second Embodiment Next, an alignment mechanism 130 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9(A), 9(B) and 10. Figure 9(A) is a diagram showing the alignment mechanism 130 according to the second embodiment.

[0144] The alignment mechanism 130 does not include the multiple alignment pins 26, and has a disk-shaped support table 132 having approximately the same diameter as the chuck table 44. In other words, the support table 132 has a larger diameter than the workpiece 11. An upper surface 132a of the support table 132 is provided with one or more suction ports (not shown) for holding the workpiece 11 by suction with negative pressure.

[0145] The support table 132 can be rotated around a predetermined rotation axis 132b (see FIG. 9(B)) by a rotary drive source (not shown) such as a motor. A camera unit 134 is provided above the outer periphery of the support table 132 to capture an image of the workpiece 11 with light in a predetermined wavelength band such as visible light. The camera unit 134 includes a light source, a lens, a solid-state image sensor, etc.

[0146] The alignment mechanism 130 further includes another transfer robot 140 that is provided in the recess 4a, different from the transfer robot 10. The other transfer robot 140 is substantially the same as the transfer robot 10, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The other transfer robot 140 also has a hand unit 140j that is substantially the same as the hand unit 10j that suction-holds and transfers the workpiece 11.

[0147] Another transfer robot 140 transfers the workpiece 11 from the support table 132 to the chuck table 44 located in the loading / unloading area A. In particular, during this transfer, the other transfer robot 140 adjusts the position of the workpiece 11 so that the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 coincides with the center 44b of the holding surface 44a.

[0148] In the second embodiment, first, the transfer robot 10 suction-holds the workpiece 11 and places it on the support table 132. Then, the support table 132 rotates, for example, approximately once while suction-holding the workpiece 11 with negative pressure.

[0149] While the support table 132 rotates, the camera unit 134 captures images of multiple locations on the outer periphery of the workpiece 11. The transfer robot 10 transfers the workpiece 11 to the upper surface 132a of the support table 132 so that the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 approximately coincides with the center 132a1 of the upper surface 132a of the support table 132, but there may be a slight deviation.

[0150] 9(B), the workpiece 11 is rotated to capture an image of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11, and the coordinates of three points on the outer periphery of the workpiece 11 that are not on a straight line are obtained. Then, the coordinates of the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 are calculated from the coordinates of these three points.

[0151] 9(B) is a perspective view showing the process of measuring the center position of the workpiece 11. The coordinates used to calculate the coordinates of the center 11c of the back surface 11b are not limited to three points. Furthermore, if the front surface 11a is exposed upward, the coordinates of the center 11c of the front surface 11a may be calculated.

[0152] In this embodiment, after obtaining the deviation vector 136 from the coordinates of the center 11c of the back surface 11b to the coordinates of the center 132a1 of the top surface 132a, another transport robot 140 transports the workpiece 11 to the chuck table 44 located in the loading / unloading area A so as to eliminate the deviation vector 136 (see Figure 10).

[0153] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another transport robot 140 transporting the workpiece 11 so that the center 11c of the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 coincides with the center 44b of the holding surface 44a of the chuck table 44.

[0154] The controller 122 calculates a second vector 136b from the coordinates of the center 11c of the back surface 11b to the coordinates of the center 44b of the holding surface 44a, for example, by adding a first vector 136a from the coordinates of the center 132a1 of the upper surface 132a to the coordinates of the center 44b of the holding surface 44a and the above-mentioned deviation vector 136, and transports the workpiece 11 using another transport robot 140 so that the starting point and end point of the movement of the center 11c of the back surface 11b constitute the second vector 136b.

[0155] In the second embodiment, the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 is also cleaned by performing the positioning step S10 and cleaning step S20 using the transfer robot 10. Therefore, the number of foreign matters that adhere to the workpiece 11 via the protective member 13 or that adhere directly to the workpiece 11 due to the alignment of the workpiece 11 can be reduced.

[0156] In addition, the structures, methods, etc. according to the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. As another embodiment of the transfer robot 10, the hand unit 10j may have multiple edge clamp units (not shown) that each come into contact with the edge of the workpiece 11.

[0157] In this case, when the hand unit 10j holds the workpiece 11, the hand unit 10j holds the workpiece 11 by clamping the workpiece 11 between the multiple edge clamp units. When the hand unit 10j is not holding the workpiece 11, the hand unit 10j sprays gas 20a from the opening 20 of the hand unit 10j.

[0158] Furthermore, cleaning of the upper surface 24a of the support table 24 by the hand unit 10j is not limited to the above-mentioned grinding / polishing apparatus 2, which is a so-called three-axis type. It may also be applied to a grinding apparatus, which is a so-called two-axis type, which has a rough grinding unit 60A and a finish grinding unit 60B but does not have a polishing unit 80. [Explanation of symbols]

[0159] 2: Grinding and polishing device (processing device), 4: Base, 4a: Recess 6a, 6b: cassette placement table, 8a, 8b: cassette 10: Transport robot (transport unit), 10a: base, 10b: first cylindrical part 10c: First link, 10d: Second link, 10e: Second cylindrical portion, 10f: Third link 10g: Arm rotation axis (predetermined rotation axis), 10h: Arm, 10i: Rotation mechanism 10j: Hand part, 10k: Prescribed line 11: Workpiece, 11a: Front surface, 11b: Back surface, 11c: Center, 13: Protective member 12: Y-axis and Z-axis direction moving mechanism, 12a: guide rail, 12b: Y-axis direction moving plate 12c: screw shaft, 12d: drive source, 12e: guide rail 14: wrist part, 16: connection part, 18: finger part 20: opening, 20a: gas 22: Alignment mechanism, 24: Support table, 24a: Upper surface, 26: Alignment pin 28: conveying mechanism, 30: support part, 32: moving block 34: First arm, 36: Second arm, 38: Suction part 40: Turntable, 42: Partition 44: chuck table (holding table), 44a: holding surface, 44b: center 46:First support structure 48: Z-axis direction movement mechanism, 50: guide rail, 52: Z-axis direction movement plate 54: screw shaft, 56: driving source, 58: support member 60A: Rough grinding unit (processing unit) 60B: Finish grinding unit (processing unit) 62: Spindle housing, 64: Spindle, 66: Wheel mount 68A: Rough grinding wheel (machining tool), 68B: Finish grinding wheel (machining tool) 70: Machining chamber cover, 70a: Rough grinding chamber, 70b: Finish grinding chamber 72A, 72B: Cylindrical part 76: suction duct, 76a: suction port, 78: exhaust structure 80: Polishing unit (processing unit) 82:Second support structure 84: Y-axis direction movement mechanism, 86: Y-axis direction guide rail 88: Y-axis direction moving block, 90: drive source 92: Z-axis direction movement mechanism, 94: Z-axis direction guide rail 96: Z-axis direction moving block, 98: drive source 100: Spindle housing, 102: Spindle, 104: Mount 106: Polishing tool (processing tool), 108: Base, 110: Polishing pad 112: rectangular parallelepiped cover, 112a: opening 114: Duct, 116: Accordion-shaped cover 120: Spinner cleaning unit 122: Controller, 122a: Processor, 122b: Memory 130: alignment mechanism, 132: support table, 132a: upper surface 132a1: center, 132b: rotation axis 134: camera unit, 136: displacement vector 136a: First vector, 136b: Second vector 140: Another transport robot (transport unit), 140j: Hand unit A: Loading / unloading area, B: Rough grinding area, C: Finish grinding area, D: Polishing area E: Dashed double-arrow F1: Front position, F2: Front diagonally upward position, F3: Directly above position F4: Rear diagonal upper position, F5: Rear position G1: Position on one side, G2: Diagonally above one side, G3: Directly above G4: Diagonally above the other side, G5: Position on the other side H: Arrow S10: Positioning process, S20: Cleaning process

Claims

1. A processing device for processing a workpiece, a transport unit having a hand portion for holding the workpiece and transporting the workpiece held by the hand portion; an alignment mechanism having a support table for supporting the workpiece transported by the transport unit, the alignment mechanism being used when adjusting the position of the workpiece supported by the support table; a holding table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece, the holding table being positioned by utilizing the alignment mechanism so that the center of the holding surface corresponds to the center of one surface of the workpiece; a machining unit having a spindle for machining the workpiece held by the holding table with a machining tool attached to the spindle; a controller for controlling operations of the transport unit, the alignment mechanism, the holding table, and the processing unit; Equipped with The processing apparatus is characterized in that the controller positions the hand portion of the transport unit above the support table and cleans the top surface of the support table by spraying gas onto the support table of the alignment mechanism from an opening provided in the hand portion.

2. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller injects the gas from the opening of the hand unit onto the support table while moving the hand unit relative to the support table.

3. the transport unit has a rotation mechanism that rotates the hand unit around a predetermined rotation axis, The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the orientation of the opening so that the angle between the injection direction of the gas injected from the opening of the hand unit and a vertical direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and also injects the gas from the opening onto the support table.

4. the processing unit is a rough grinding unit, the machining tool is a rough grinding wheel; a finish grinding unit provided adjacent to the rough grinding unit, having another spindle, for grinding the workpiece held by the holding table with a finish grinding wheel attached to the other spindle; 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller arranges the opening of the hand portion, the support table of the alignment mechanism, and the rough grinding unit in a straight line in a plan view, and then injects the gas from the hand portion to the support table.

5. Further comprising a suction duct, 5. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller arranges the opening of the hand unit, the support table of the alignment mechanism, and the suction port of the suction duct in a straight line in a plan view, and then injects the gas from the hand unit onto the support table, and sucks the gas injected from the opening of the hand unit and reflected by the top surface of the support table through the suction duct.

6. 1. A cleaning method for cleaning a support table of a positioning mechanism for a workpiece provided in a processing device that processes the workpiece, comprising: a positioning step of directing an opening of the hand portion, which is not holding the workpiece, toward the support table of the alignment mechanism and positioned above the support table in a transport unit having a hand portion for holding the workpiece and transporting the workpiece held by the hand portion; a cleaning step of spraying gas onto the support table of the alignment mechanism from an opening in the hand unit to clean the upper surface of the support table; A cleaning method comprising:

Images