Processing device and processing method

Abstract

The processed workpiece is removed from the holding table and judged whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece without being transported to a measurement stage or a measurement device. [Solution] A processing device for processing a workpiece is provided, which includes a holding table for holding the workpiece, a processing unit having a spindle and processing the workpiece held by the holding table using a processing tool attached to the spindle to thin the overall thickness of the workpiece, an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece held by the holding table, and a controller having a judgment unit for judging whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece processed by the processing unit based on image data obtained through the imaging unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece and a method for processing a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] As a processing apparatus for thinning a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer by grinding, there is known a processing apparatus that sequentially grinds the workpiece with a rough grinding wheel, a finish grinding wheel, and a polishing wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When processing a workpiece with this processing device, one side of the workpiece is held by suction on the holding table, with the one side of the workpiece exposed upward. Then, the one side of the workpiece (i.e., the processed surface) is subjected to processing such as grinding and polishing.

[0004] However, if the processing conditions are not appropriate when processing a workpiece using a processing device, abnormalities in the processing quality may occur, such as chips, cracks, etc. on the outer periphery of the workpiece, or scratches on the processed surface of the workpiece.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to identify in which processing step the abnormality in processing quality occurred. However, even if the workpiece is inspected after going through a series of processing steps, it is usually difficult to identify in which processing step the abnormality occurred. Therefore, it takes time to take appropriate measures to prevent the abnormality from occurring.

[0006] Furthermore, in order to check for any abnormalities that have occurred in the workpiece after processing or to measure the extent of the abnormality, it is also possible to remove the workpiece from the holding table and transport it to a measurement stage located within the processing device where grinding, polishing, etc. was performed, or to transport the workpiece to a measurement device located outside the processing device.

[0007] However, since chips, cracks, scratches, etc. may occur in the workpiece during the removal process and transport process, it is still difficult to identify which process the abnormality occurred in. Furthermore, even when a workpiece is processed using a processing device that only performs one type of grinding or polishing, it is still necessary to transport the workpiece to a measuring device or the like in order to check for abnormalities such as chips, cracks, scratches, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-153090 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in a processed workpiece without removing the processed workpiece from the holding table and transporting it to a measurement stage or measuring device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing device for processing a workpiece, comprising: a holding table for holding the workpiece; a processing unit having a spindle and processing the workpiece held by the holding table using a processing tool attached to the spindle to thin the overall thickness of the workpiece; an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece held by the holding table; and a controller having a judgment unit for judging whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece processed by the processing unit based on image data obtained through the imaging unit.

[0011] Preferably, the processing device further includes a processing chamber cover that defines a processing chamber that accommodates the processing tool attached to the spindle, and a holding table moving mechanism that can position the holding table inside and outside the processing chamber, and the imaging unit is provided outside the processing chamber and has a first imaging unit that images the workpiece held by the holding table positioned outside the processing chamber.

[0012] Preferably, the processing device further includes an arm unit having an arm section that is provided above the holding table and has a tip that can swing along an arc-shaped path in a predetermined plane perpendicular to the height direction of the holding table, and a cleaning section that is fixed to the arm section and cleans the workpiece, and the imaging unit is provided on the arm section.

[0013] In addition, preferably, the processing device further includes a processing chamber cover that defines a processing chamber that accommodates the processing unit, and a holding table moving mechanism that can position the holding table inside and outside the processing chamber, and the imaging unit is provided above the holding table within the processing chamber and has a plurality of second imaging units that image the workpiece held by the holding table on the path along which the holding table is moved by the holding table moving mechanism.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing a workpiece, comprising: a holding step of holding the workpiece on a holding table; a first processing step of processing the workpiece held on the holding table with a first processing tool to thin the overall thickness of the workpiece; a first imaging step of imaging the workpiece held on the holding table with an imaging unit after the first processing step; and a first determination step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece based on image data or an image obtained in the first imaging step.

[0015] Preferably, in the first imaging step, an image of the workpiece held by the holding table is taken during the process of moving the holding table by a holding table moving mechanism.

[0016] In addition, preferably, the processing method further includes a second processing step of processing the workpiece processed by the first processing tool with a second processing tool to thin the overall thickness of the workpiece, a second imaging step of imaging the workpiece held on the holding table with the imaging unit after the second processing step, and a second determination step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece based on image data or an image obtained in the second imaging step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] A processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit that images a workpiece held by a holding table. Therefore, a controller of the processing apparatus can determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece while the processed workpiece remains held by the holding table. In other words, there is no need to remove the processed workpiece from the holding table and transport it to a measurement stage or a measurement apparatus.

[0018] A processing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes a first imaging step of imaging the workpiece held on the holding table after a first processing step, and a first determination step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece based on image data or an image obtained in the first imaging step.

[0019] Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece while the processed workpiece is still held on the holding table, meaning there is no need to remove the processed workpiece from the holding table and transport it to a measurement stage or measuring device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4]FIG. 4(A) is a side view of the arm unit, and FIG. 4(B) is a plan view of the arm unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a processing method. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a diagram showing the holding step, FIG. 6(B) is a diagram showing the rough grinding step and the like, and FIGS. 6(C) to 6(E) are diagrams showing the first imaging step. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(A) is a photograph showing an enlarged view of the outer periphery of the workpiece after finish grinding, and FIG. 7(B) is a partial enlarged view of the dashed square area in FIG. 7(A). [Figure 8] FIG. 8(A) is a diagram showing the finish grinding step and the like, and FIGS. 8(B) to 8(D) are diagrams showing the second imaging step. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a main part of a grinding and polishing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along the line DD in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] Figure 11(A) is a diagram showing the holding process, Figure 11(B) is a diagram showing the rough grinding process etc., Figure 11(C) is a diagram showing the first imaging process, Figure 11(D) is a diagram showing the finish grinding process etc., and Figure 11(E) is a diagram showing the second imaging process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] (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. In Fig. 1, some of the components are shown in functional blocks. In Fig. 1, the X-axis direction (left-right direction), Y-axis direction (front-back direction), and Z-axis direction (up-down direction) are perpendicular to one another.

[0022] The grinding / polishing device 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped base 4 that supports the components. A recess 4a is formed in the front of the base 4 (on one side along the Y-axis direction), and a transfer robot 6 that transfers the workpiece 11 is provided in this recess 4a.

[0023] The transport robot 6 has a multi-joint link structure. A fork-shaped hand unit called an end effector is provided at the tip of the topmost stage of the multi-joint link. Each hand unit is provided with a plurality of disk-shaped suction pads (not shown), and the hand unit can suck and hold the workpiece 11 without contact.

[0024] Two mounting tables 8a and 8b are provided in front of the recess 4a so as to protrude forward from the front end of the base 4. A cassette 10a containing one or more workpieces 11 is placed on the mounting table 8a, and a cassette 10b containing one or more workpieces 11 is also placed on the mounting table 8b. In Fig. 1, the cassettes 10a and 10b are simply indicated by dashed lines.

[0025] Each workpiece 11 has a disk-shaped single crystal substrate made of a semiconductor material such as silicon, silicon carbide, gallium nitride, etc. For example, a plurality of planned division lines are set in a lattice pattern on the surface of the workpiece 11, and a device such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) is formed in each of the rectangular regions defined by the plurality of planned division lines.

[0026] No such devices are formed on the back surface of the workpiece 11, and the single crystal substrate is exposed. The grinding and polishing device 2 performs grinding, polishing, etc. on the back surface of the workpiece 11 (i.e., processes the workpiece 11), thereby reducing the overall thickness of the workpiece 11.

[0027] A positioning mechanism 12 is provided diagonally rearward of the recess 4a (rear being the other side along the Y-axis direction) to position the workpiece 11 transported by the transport robot 6 at a predetermined position within the XY plane relative to the base 4.

[0028] The positioning mechanism 12 has a disk-shaped positioning table having a diameter smaller than that of the workpiece 11, and a plurality of positioning pins arranged at approximately equal intervals around the circumference of the positioning table on the radial outside of the positioning table.

[0029] Each positioning pin moves an equal distance along the radial direction of the positioning table and contacts the outer edge of the workpiece 11 placed on the positioning table, thereby adjusting the position of the workpiece 11 to a predetermined position in the XY plane relative to the base 4.

[0030] A disk-shaped turntable 14 is provided diagonally behind the positioning mechanism 12. A rotating shaft 14a (see FIG. 3) having a longitudinal portion disposed along the Z-axis direction is fixed to the underside of the turntable 14.

[0031] By rotating the rotary shaft 14a with a rotary drive source 14b (see FIG. 3) such as a servo motor, the turntable 14 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise in a plan view.

[0032] A drive pulley (not shown) is fixed to the output shaft of the rotary drive source 14b, and a driven pulley (not shown) is fixed to the rotary shaft 14a. An endless belt (not shown) is wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and the rotational power of the rotary drive source 14b is transmitted to the turntable 14 through the endless belt.

[0033] The turntable 14, the rotation shaft 14a, the rotation drive source 14b, etc. constitute a rotation movement mechanism (holding table movement mechanism) 14c for rotating and moving the chuck table 16 (described later) in the XY plane along a circular orbit around the radial center of the turntable 14 (see Figure 3).

[0034] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the turntable 14, and Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. For ease of explanation, Fig. 2 does not show the workpiece 11, but Fig. 3 shows the workpiece 11 being held by suction on each chuck table 16.

[0035] A plurality of linear partition plates 14d are provided in a cross shape on the upper surface of the turntable 14. The partition plates 14d divide the upper surface of the turntable 14 into four fan-shaped regions. The central angle of each fan-shaped region is approximately 90 degrees. Note that the partition plates 14d are omitted from FIG. 1 for ease of viewing. When the turntable 14 rotates, the partition plates 14d pass through a rectangular opening (see FIG. 1) provided in the processing chamber cover 34.

[0036] The sector-shaped area closest to the positioning mechanism 12 is a loading / unloading area A1 where the workpiece 11 is loaded onto the turntable 14 or unloaded from the turntable 14. The sector-shaped area approximately 90 degrees clockwise from the loading / unloading area A1 in a plan view is a rough grinding area A2 where the workpiece 11 is subjected to rough grinding.

[0037] The fan-shaped area approximately 180 degrees clockwise from the loading / unloading area A1 in plan view is a finish grinding area A3 for performing finish grinding on the workpiece 11. The fan-shaped area approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise from the loading / unloading area A1 in plan view is a polishing area A4 where the workpiece 11 is polished.

[0038] Each of the carry-in / carry-out area A1, the rough grinding area A2, the finish grinding area A3, and the polishing area A4 is provided with one chuck table (holding table) 16. Each chuck table 16 is selectively positioned in one of the carry-in / carry-out area A1, the rough grinding area A2, the finish grinding area A3, and the polishing area A4 by rotation of the turntable 14.

[0039] The loading / unloading area A1 is not covered by the processing chamber cover 34 described below, but is covered by a housing panel that constitutes the outer wall of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2. In contrast, the rough grinding area A2, the finish grinding area A3, and the polishing area A4 are covered by the processing chamber cover 34 and are located within the processing chamber 32 defined by the processing chamber cover 34, the turntable 14, etc.

[0040] As the turntable 14 rotates by an angle that is a multiple of 90 degrees, each chuck table 16 moves through a rectangular opening in the processing chamber cover 34 to a different area: the loading / unloading area A1, the rough grinding area A2, the finish grinding area A3, and the polishing area A4.

[0041] Therefore, each chuck table 16 can be positioned inside and outside the processing chamber 32 through the rectangular opening in the processing chamber cover 34. In other words, the turntable 14 can position each chuck table 16 inside and outside the processing chamber 32.

[0042] The chuck table 16 has a disk-shaped frame 16a made of non-porous ceramics. A disk-shaped recess is formed on the top surface of the frame 16a, and a disk-shaped porous plate 16b made of porous ceramics is fixed in this recess.

[0043] A suction source (not shown) such as a vacuum pump is connected to the frame 16a, and negative pressure generated by the suction source is transmitted to the upper surface of the porous plate 16b via the frame 16a. This suction source is housed within the base 4.

[0044] The upper surfaces of the frame 16a and the porous plate 16b are substantially flush with each other and function as a holding surface 16c that suction-holds the workpiece 11. The holding surface 16c has a conical shape with the center protruding slightly (for example, by a predetermined value of 10 μm to 30 μm) compared to the outer periphery. However, since the amount of protrusion of the holding surface 16c is minute, the holding surface 16c is shown as substantially flat in FIG. 4(A).

[0045] A rotation shaft 16d (see FIG. 4A) with its longitudinal direction aligned substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction is fixed to the underside of each chuck table 16. The rotation shaft 16d is tilted at a slight angle relative to the Z-axis direction so that a portion of the conical holding surface 16c is aligned substantially parallel to the XY plane. However, since the tilt of the rotation shaft 16d is slight, the rotation shaft 16d is shown in FIG. 4A as being substantially parallel to the Z-axis.

[0046] The chuck table 16 rotates by rotating a rotary shaft 16d using a rotary drive source 16e (see FIG. 4(A)), such as a servo motor. Returning to FIG. 1, a rectangular column-shaped first support structure (not shown) is provided behind the rough grinding area A2 so as to protrude from the upper surface of the base 4. A first grinding feed unit (not shown) is provided in front of the first support structure.

[0047] The first grinding feed unit has a movement mechanism including a motor and a ball screw. Specifically, the movement mechanism includes a pair of Z-axis guide rails substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis moving plate slidably attached to the pair of Z-axis guide rails, a nut portion fixed to the back surface of the Z-axis moving plate, a screw shaft rotatably connected to the nut portion via a plurality of balls, and a motor such as a servo motor connected to the upper end of the screw shaft.

[0048] A rough grinding unit (first processing unit) 20 is provided on the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate located in front of the first support structure. The rough grinding unit 20 has a holding member 22 fixed to the Z-axis moving plate and having a cylindrical cavity.

[0049] A cylindrical spindle housing 24 is disposed in the hollow portion of the holding member 22. The spindle housing 24 is fixed to the holding member 22. A portion of a cylindrical spindle 26 is rotatably housed within the spindle housing 24.

[0050] The longitudinal direction of the spindle 26 is arranged substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction. The spindle 26 corresponds to a rotor that constitutes a motor, and a stator that constitutes a motor is provided on the outer periphery of the spindle 26 inside the spindle housing 24.

[0051] The upper surface of a disk-shaped wheel mount 28 is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 26. An annular rough grinding wheel (first processing tool) 30 is fixed to the lower surface of the wheel mount 28 using fasteners (not shown) such as bolts. In this way, the rough grinding wheel 30 is attached to the lower end of the spindle 26 via the wheel mount 28.

[0052] The rough grinding wheel 30 has an annular wheel base made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. A plurality of block-shaped rough grinding stones are fixed to the underside of the wheel base. The plurality of rough grinding stones are arranged in a ring shape at approximately equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the wheel base.

[0053] The rough grinding wheel contains abrasive grains such as diamond or cBN (cubic boron nitride) and a binder such as ceramic or resin for fixing the abrasive grains. The annular grinding surface defined by the locus on the lower surface of the rough grinding wheel is approximately parallel to the XY plane.

[0054] Directly below the rough grinding wheel 30, a first grinding water supply nozzle (not shown) is provided to supply grinding water such as pure water to the contact area between the workpiece 11 and the rough grinding stone (that is, the area to be ground).

[0055] The rough grinding wheel 30 is mounted on the spindle 26 and disposed inside the first machining chamber cover 34a. The first machining chamber cover 34a is formed from a thin metal plate and has a top plate, a front plate, a rear plate, and a pair of side plates, each of which is substantially rectangular.

[0056] The first processing chamber cover 34a, together with the turntable 14 and the upper surface of the base 4, defines a rough grinding chamber (first processing chamber) 32a. The top plate is provided with a through opening 34a1 having approximately the same diameter as the wheel mount 28 and the rough grinding wheel 30 (see FIG. 3).

[0057] The rough grinding wheel 30 is inserted into the first machining chamber cover 34a through the through opening 34a1 and is housed in the rough grinding chamber 32a. Note that the through opening 34a1 is omitted in Figures 1 and 2.

[0058] When rough grinding the workpiece 11, the spindle 26 and the chuck table 16 are rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, and grinding water is supplied to the area to be ground from the first grinding water supply nozzle at a predetermined flow rate.

[0059] Then, the first grinding feed unit moves the rough grinding unit 20 downward at a predetermined processing feed speed, whereby the entire back surface of the workpiece 11 held by suction on the chuck table 16 is ground (i.e., processed) by the rough grinding wheel 30, thereby thinning the entire thickness of the workpiece 11 in a substantially uniform manner.

[0060] A square pillar-shaped second support structure (not shown) is provided behind the finish grinding area A3 so as to protrude from the upper surface of the base 4. A second grinding feed unit (not shown) is provided in front of the second support structure. The second grinding feed unit also has a movement mechanism including a motor and a ball screw.

[0061] A finish grinding unit (second processing unit) 40 is provided on the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate located in front of the second support structure. The finish grinding unit 40 has a holding member 42 that is fixed to the Z-axis moving plate and has a cylindrical cavity.

[0062] A cylindrical spindle housing 44 is disposed in the hollow portion of the holding member 42. The spindle housing 44 is fixed to the holding member 42. A portion of a cylindrical spindle 46 is rotatably housed within the spindle housing 44.

[0063] The upper surface of a disk-shaped wheel mount 48 is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 46. The configurations of the spindle housing 44, spindle 46 and wheel mount 48 are the same for the rough grinding unit 20 and the finish grinding unit 40.

[0064] An annular finish grinding wheel (second processing tool) 50 is attached to the lower surface of the wheel mount 48. The finish grinding wheel 50 has substantially the same structure, shape, and size as the rough grinding wheel 30.

[0065] However, the average grain size of the abrasive grains of the finish grinding stone that constitutes the finish grinding wheel 50 is smaller than the average grain size of the rough grinding stone. A second grinding water supply nozzle (not shown) is provided directly below the finish grinding wheel 50 to supply grinding water to the contact area between the workpiece 11 and the finish grinding stone.

[0066] The finish grinding wheel 50 is mounted on the spindle 46 and disposed inside the second machining chamber cover 34b. The second machining chamber cover 34b is also formed from a thin metal plate, and has a top plate, a front plate, a rear plate, and a pair of side plates, each of which is substantially rectangular.

[0067] The second machining chamber cover 34b defines a finish grinding chamber (second machining chamber) 32b together with the turntable 14 and the upper surface of the base 4. A through opening 34b1 having approximately the same diameter as the wheel mount 28 and the finish grinding wheel 50 is provided in the top plate.

[0068] The finish grinding wheel 50 is inserted into the second machining chamber cover 34b through the through opening 34b1 and is housed in the finish grinding chamber 32b. Note that the through opening 34b1 is omitted in Figures 1 and 2.

[0069] When finish grinding the workpiece 11, the spindle 46 and the chuck table 16 are rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, and grinding water is supplied to the area to be ground from the second grinding water supply nozzle at a predetermined flow rate.

[0070] Then, the second grinding feed unit moves the finish grinding unit 40 downward at a predetermined processing feed speed, whereby the entire back surface of the workpiece 11 held by suction on the chuck table 16 is ground (i.e., processed) by the finish grinding wheel 50, thereby thinning the entire thickness of the workpiece 11 in a substantially uniform manner.

[0071] A rectangular pillar-shaped third support structure (not shown) is provided in front of the polishing area A4 so as to protrude from the upper surface of the base 4 (see FIG. 2). An X-axis direction moving unit and a Z-axis direction moving unit (neither of which are shown) are provided on the front surface of the third support structure.

[0072] The X-axis direction moving unit has a movement mechanism including a motor and a ball screw, and moves an X-axis direction moving block (not shown) along the X-axis. This X-axis direction moving block is provided with a Z-axis direction moving unit.

[0073] The Z-axis direction moving unit has a movement mechanism including a motor and a ball screw, and moves a Z-axis direction moving block (not shown) along the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis direction moving block is provided with a polishing unit (third processing unit) 60.

[0074] The polishing unit 60 has a cylindrical spindle housing. A part of the columnar spindle is rotatably housed inside the spindle housing. A disk-shaped wheel mount is fixed to the lower end of the spindle.

[0075] A disk-shaped polishing tool (third processing tool) is fixed to the underside of the wheel mount using a fastener (not shown) such as a bolt. In this way, the polishing tool is attached to the lower end of the spindle via the wheel mount.

[0076] The polishing tool has a disk-shaped polishing wheel made of metal. A disk-shaped polishing pad is fixed to one surface of the polishing wheel. The polishing pad has a base made of hard urethane foam or the like, and abrasive grains are fixed to this base. A polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad through a flow path formed in the spindle and the polishing wheel.

[0077] When the workpiece 11 has a silicon single crystal substrate, an alkaline polishing liquid that does not contain free abrasive grains is supplied to the polishing pad through a flow path formed in the spindle and the polishing wheel.

[0078] The polishing tool is mounted on a spindle and placed inside the third processing chamber cover 34c. The third processing chamber cover 34c is made of a thin metal plate and has a generally rectangular top plate, front plate, rear plate, and a pair of side plates. The third processing chamber cover 34c, together with the turntable 14 and the upper surface of the base 4, defines the polishing chamber (third processing chamber) 32c.

[0079] The top plate is provided with an oval track-shaped through-opening (not shown). The polishing tool is inserted into the third processing chamber cover 34c through the through-opening and is housed in the polishing chamber 32c.

[0080] In this specification, the first processing chamber cover 34a, the second processing chamber cover 34b, and the third processing chamber cover 34c may be collectively referred to as the processing chamber cover 34, and the rough grinding chamber 32a, the finish grinding chamber 32b, and the polishing chamber 32c may be collectively referred to as the processing chamber 32.

[0081] When polishing the workpiece 11, the spindle and chuck table 16 are rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, and a polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad through the spindle at a predetermined flow rate.

[0082] Then, the Z-axis direction moving unit presses the polishing pad against the workpiece 11 with a predetermined pressure, and the X-axis direction moving unit moves the polishing unit 60 back and forth along the X-axis direction. This polishes (i.e., processes) the entire back surface of the workpiece 11, which is suction-held by the chuck table 16, and reduces the overall thickness of the workpiece 11 in a substantially uniform manner.

[0083] The grinding and polishing device 2 is provided with an arm unit 62 that protrudes from the upper surface of the turntable 14. The arm unit 62 has a cylindrical support member 62a. The support member 62a is inserted into a circular opening (not shown) provided in the center of the upper surface of the turntable 14, and is fixed to the base 4.

[0084] A block-shaped base 62b is fixed to the side of the support member 62a. The entire base 62b is arranged in the loading / unloading area A1. A bracket is provided so as to protrude from the inside of the base 62b to the outside of the base 62b, and a rotational drive source 62c such as a motor is fixed to this bracket.

[0085] A base end of an elongated, flat-plate-shaped arm 62d is fixed to the rotary drive source 62c. By operating the rotary drive source 62c, the arm 62d reciprocates (i.e., swings) within a predetermined angular range.

[0086] The bracket is provided with an actuator (not shown), such as a ball screw or an air cylinder, etc. By operating the actuator, the position of the arm portion 62d in the Z-axis direction is adjusted.

[0087] Such an arm unit 62 can operate independently of the operation of the turntable 14. Furthermore, the base 62b, the rotary drive source 62c, and the arm 62d are always disposed in the carry-in / carry-out area A1.

[0088] 1 and 2, the support member 62a is located close to the machining chamber cover 34 at the radial center of the upper surface of the turntable 14. The gap between the machining chamber cover 34 and the support member 62a is made as small as possible so as to prevent machining debris from scattering outside the machining chamber cover 34 while allowing the turntable 14 to rotate.

[0089] During operation of the grinding / polishing device 2, the inside of the processing chamber cover 34 is subjected to negative pressure because it is sucked by a suction source (neither of which is shown) via a duct. Therefore, processing debris does not generally scatter outside the processing chamber cover 34 through the gap between the processing chamber cover 34 and the support member 62a.

[0090] The arm portion 62d is always provided above the chuck table 16. By operating the rotary drive source 62c, the tip of the arm portion 62d can swing along an arc-shaped path 62e in an XY plane (i.e., a predetermined plane) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction (i.e., the height direction of the chuck table 16) (see FIGS. 2 and 4(B)).

[0091] Fig. 4(A) is a side view of the arm unit 62, and Fig. 4(B) is a plan view of the arm unit 62. The movement range of the arm portion 62d is limited to the inside of the loading / unloading area A1, and the swing angle is, for example, between 0 degrees and 90 degrees in the Y-axis direction.

[0092] A sponge 66 (i.e., cleaning part) is fixed to the underside of the arm part 62d. The sponge 66 is a cylindrical, elliptical, or oval-track porous body made of a resin such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). The length of the sponge 66 in the longitudinal direction of the arm part 62d is longer than the radius of the workpiece 11 to be cleaned.

[0093] In this embodiment, the length of the sponge 66 in the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 62d is equal to or greater than the radius of the holding surface 16c and equal to or less than the diameter of the holding surface 16c. Furthermore, the width of the sponge 66 in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction on the underside of the arm portion 62d is slightly smaller than the length of the arm portion 62d in the width direction.

[0094] A flow path 62f is formed inside the base 62b and the arm 62d to supply pure water from a pure water supply source 68 to the sponge 66. The arm unit 62 has a function of cleaning the back surface of the workpiece 11 that has been subjected to rough grinding, finish grinding, and polishing.

[0095] During cleaning, the arm portion 62d is lowered by the actuator described above, and the lower surface of the sponge 66 containing pure water is positioned at approximately the same height as the back surface of the workpiece 11. Then, the chuck table 16 is rotated in a predetermined direction and the arm portion 62d is swung. As a result, processing debris such as grinding debris and polishing debris adhering to the back surface of the workpiece 11 is cleaned by the sponge 66.

[0096] An imaging unit (first imaging unit) 70 is fixed to the side of the sponge 66. That is, the imaging unit 70 is provided on the arm portion 62d. The imaging unit 70 is also disposed in the carry-in / carry-out area A1, and is always provided outside the processing chamber 32.

[0097] The imaging unit 70 has an area sensor camera including a lens, an image sensor, etc., and captures an image of the workpiece 11 that is suction-held on the chuck table 16 positioned outside the processing chamber 32. The optical axis of the lens is arranged approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0098] In addition, the position of the imaging unit 70 relative to the arm portion 62d is adjusted so that the optical axis of the lens of the imaging unit 70 can pass through the center of the holding surface 16c (i.e., the radial center of the exposed surface of the chuck table 16) by rotating the arm portion 62d.

[0099] The imaging unit 70 can capture an image of the outer periphery (i.e., an annular region) or the entire back surface of the workpiece 11. The image data obtained by the imaging unit 70 is used for image display, image processing, image judgment, etc. The image data is digital data recorded in a predetermined format, and can be output as an image to a display device.

[0100] 1, we will now explain other components of the grinding and polishing apparatus 2. The workpiece 11 is transported between the positioning mechanism 12 and the chuck table 16 located in the load / unload area A1 by a first transport unit 72 having a disk-shaped holding portion.

[0101] In other words, when the workpiece 11 before processing is transported from the positioning mechanism 12 to the chuck table 16 in the loading / unloading area A1, and when the workpiece 11 after processing is transported from the chuck table 16 in the loading / unloading area A1 to the positioning mechanism 12, the first transport unit 72 transports the workpiece 11.

[0102] The workpiece 11 cleaned by the arm unit 62 in the loading / unloading area A1 is transported from the loading / unloading area A1 to the positioning mechanism 12 by the first transport unit 72, and then transported to the spinner cleaning device 76 by the second transport unit 74.

[0103] The second transport unit 74 includes a pair of plate-shaped gripping portions, and uses these gripping portions to transport the workpiece 11 along the X-axis along a guide rail (not shown). The spinner cleaning device 76 includes a spinner table 76a and a cleaning nozzle (not shown).

[0104] With the surface of the workpiece 11 held by suction on the spinner table 76a, the spinner table 76a is rotated at high speed and a cleaning liquid is supplied from a cleaning nozzle to the back surface of the workpiece 11, thereby cleaning the back surface of the workpiece 11.

[0105] During cleaning, cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning nozzle for a predetermined time, and then the supply of cleaning liquid is stopped. At this time, the workpiece 11 is dried by continuing to rotate the spinner table 76a. After drying for a predetermined time, the transfer robot 6 transfers the cleaned and dried workpiece 11 into the cassette 10a or cassette 10b from which it was taken out.

[0106] A touch panel display 78 is provided on the front surface of the housing panel that forms the outer wall of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2. The touch panel display 78 functions as a display device for displaying processing conditions, a GUI (Graphical User Interface), images obtained through the imaging unit 70, etc., and as an input device for the operator to input instructions.

[0107] Instead of the touch panel display 78, a display device without the function of an input device may be provided in the grinding and polishing apparatus 2. In this case, however, an input device (keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, digitizer, etc.) for the operator to input instructions to the grinding and polishing apparatus 2 is separately provided.

[0108] The operation of the grinding / polishing apparatus 2 is controlled by a controller 80. The controller 80 is configured by, for example, a computer including a processor 80a represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 80b.

[0109] The memory 80b includes a main storage device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. Software is stored in the auxiliary storage device.

[0110] The processor 80a and the like are operated in accordance with this software to realize the functions of the controller 80. The auxiliary storage device stores predetermined programs for performing image processing, image judgment, and the like.

[0111] Note that this predetermined program may be stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, an optical disk, an SD memory card, or an HDD (hard disk drive) instead of an auxiliary storage device.

[0112] By executing this predetermined program on the processor 80a, the controller 80 functions as a judgment unit 82 (see Figure 4(A)) that judges whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11 processed by the rough grinding unit 20, the finish grinding unit 40, the polishing unit 60, etc., based on image data.

[0113] The judgment unit 82 performs image processing such as image correction, image processing, image feature extraction, and image recognition on the image data obtained by the imaging unit 70 to identify chips, cracks, scratches, etc. that have occurred in the workpiece 11, and judges whether the size of the chips, cracks, scratches, etc. is within a predetermined threshold value.

[0114] In this embodiment, the controller 80 can determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece 11 while the processed workpiece 11 is still held on the chuck table 16. In other words, there is no need to remove the processed workpiece 11 from the chuck table 16 and transport it to a measurement stage or measuring device. Therefore, it is also possible to identify in which processing step the abnormality has occurred.

[0115] The entity that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11 is not limited to the controller 80. Although the speed and accuracy of the determination may be lower than when the controller 80 performs the determination, the entity that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11 may be an operator (i.e., a person).

[0116] When an operator determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11, the controller 80 displays the image data on the touch panel display 78, and the operator visually determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred based on the image obtained by the imaging unit 70.

[0117] Next, a method for processing workpieces 11 using the grinding and polishing apparatus 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7(B). Fig. 5 is a flow diagram of a processing method for one workpiece 11. The following mainly describes the processing method for workpiece 11c, but the grinding and polishing apparatus 2 also processes other workpieces 11 in parallel.

[0118] 6(A) is a diagram showing a holding step S10 in which the workpiece 11c is suction-held by the holding surface 16c of the chuck table 16. At this time, the workpiece 11b is subjected to rough grinding, and the workpiece 11c is subjected to finish grinding.

[0119] In the holding step S10, the first transport unit 72 transports the workpiece 11c to the chuck table 16 in the loading / unloading area A1 so that the back surface of the workpiece 11c is exposed upward, and the workpiece 11c is suction-held by the chuck table 16 using negative pressure.

[0120] In the example shown in Figure 6(A), the workpiece 11c is shown being transported to the loading / unloading area A1, but for ease of explanation, there is another workpiece 11b on the chuck table 16 in the rough grinding area A2, there is another workpiece 11a on the chuck table 16 in the finish grinding area A3, and there is no workpiece 11 on the chuck table 16 in the polishing area A4.

[0121] However, there may be a workpiece 11 on the chuck table 16 in the polishing area A4. Furthermore, when the workpiece 11c is transported to the carry-in / carry-out area A1, the workpieces 11a and 11b that are already held by suction on the chuck table 16 may have already been subjected to processing, imaging, etc., as described below. However, the processing is performed in the order of rough grinding, finish grinding, and polishing.

[0122] After the workpiece 11c is suction-held by the chuck table 16 in the carry-in / carry-out area A1, the turntable 14 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise, whereby the workpiece 11c moves to the rough grinding area A2, the workpiece 11b moves to the finish grinding area A3, and the workpiece 11a moves to the polishing area A4 (see FIG. 6(B)).

[0123] Then, the workpiece 11c is ground (i.e., processed) with the rough grinding wheel 30, the workpiece 11b is ground with the finish grinding wheel 50, and the workpiece 11a is polished with a polishing tool. As a result, the overall thickness of each of the workpieces 11c, 11b, and 11a is reduced.

[0124] 6(B) is a diagram showing a rough grinding step (first processing step) S20 for workpiece 11c, a finish grinding step for workpiece 11b, and a polishing step for workpiece 11a. At this time, another workpiece 11d is loaded onto chuck table 16 in load-in / load-out area A1 and is suction-held by holding surface 16c.

[0125] After the rough grinding step S20 for the workpiece 11c, the finish grinding step for the workpiece 11b, and the polishing step for the workpiece 11a, the turntable 14 is rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, so that the workpiece 11c returns to the carry-in / carry-out area A1, the workpiece 11b returns to the rough grinding area A2, and the workpiece 11a returns to the finish grinding area A3 (see FIG. 6(C)).

[0126] 6(C) is a diagram showing a first imaging step S30 in which the workpiece 11c in the carry-in / carry-out area A1 is imaged by the imaging unit 70. In the first imaging step S30, the position of the arm unit 62 is adjusted so that the imaging unit 70 is located directly above the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c, and then the imaging unit 70 images the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c while the chuck table 16 is rotated.

[0127] The imaging area of ​​the imaging unit 70 is, for example, a rectangular area with each side measuring 10 mm to 20 mm, and image data corresponding to a plurality of images, approximately 50 to 100, is acquired while rotating the workpiece 11c for a predetermined time of 10 seconds or less. When the image data is output to the touch panel display 78, an image of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c is formed.

[0128] After the image of the workpiece 11c is captured, the turntable 14 is further rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and the outer periphery of the workpiece 11b is similarly captured (see FIG. 6(D)). FIG. 6(D) is a diagram showing a first imaging step S30 in which the image of the workpiece 11b is captured by the imaging unit 70.

[0129] After the image of the workpiece 11b is captured, the turntable 14 is further rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and the outer periphery of the workpiece 11a is similarly captured (see FIG. 6(E)). FIG. 6(E) is a diagram showing a first imaging step S30 in which the image of the workpiece 11a is captured by the imaging unit 70.

[0130] In this way, in the first imaging step S30, the workpieces 11 that have been rough ground, finish ground, or polished are successively imaged by the imaging unit 70 while being held by suction on the chuck table 16. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the processed workpiece 11 from the chuck table 16, and it is possible to identify in which processing step the abnormality occurred.

[0131] The controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the roughly ground workpiece 11c, the finish ground workpiece 11b, and the polished workpiece 11a based on the image data obtained in the first imaging step S30 (first determination step S40).

[0132] Figures 7(A) and 7(B) show examples of images of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c. Figure 7(A) is a photograph showing an enlarged view of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c after finish grinding, and Figure 7(B) is a partial enlarged view of the dashed square area in Figure 7(A).

[0133] 7(B), the chip length B1 in the circumferential direction of the workpiece 11c is approximately 750 μm, and the chip length B2 in the radial direction of the workpiece 11c is approximately 110 μm. Also, the chip length C1 in the circumferential direction of the workpiece 11c is approximately 70 μm, and the chip length B2 in the radial direction of the workpiece 11c is approximately 30 μm.

[0134] The length of the chipping is calculated, for example, based on the ideal outer periphery of the workpiece 11c (i.e., the arc of a perfect circle). However, without being limited to this, the controller 80 may calculate the length of the chipping from the difference between an image of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11 before processing and an image of the outer periphery of the workpiece 11 after processing.

[0135] The controller 80 determines whether the size of chips, cracks, scratches, etc. that have occurred in the workpiece 11c is within a predetermined threshold value. If the size exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred due to processing, and if the size is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that no abnormality has occurred.

[0136] After the first determination step S40, the workpiece 11a is removed from the chuck table 16 in the carry-in / carry-out area A1, and another workpiece 11e is carried in its place (see FIG. 8(A)). The workpiece 11e is also held by suction on the chuck table 16 so that its back surface is exposed upward.

[0137] Then, the workpiece 11c is ground (ie, processed) with the finish grinding wheel 50, the workpiece 11b is polished with a polishing tool, and the workpiece 11d is ground with the rough grinding wheel 30 (see FIG. 8(A)).

[0138] FIG. 8(A) is a diagram showing a finish grinding step (second processing step) S50 for the workpiece 11c, a polishing step for the workpiece 11b, and a rough grinding step for the workpiece 11d.

[0139] After the finish grinding step S50 for the workpiece 11c, the polishing step for the workpiece 11b, and the rough grinding step for the workpiece 11d, the turntable 14 is rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees.

[0140] As a result, workpiece 11d returns to carry-in / carry-out area A1, workpiece 11c returns to rough grinding area A2, and workpiece 11b returns to finish grinding area A3 (see FIG. 8(B)). FIG. 8(B) is a diagram showing a second imaging step S60 in which workpiece 11d is imaged by imaging unit 70. The imaging itself is substantially the same as the first imaging step S30.

[0141] After the image of the workpiece 11d is captured, the turntable 14 is further rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and the outer periphery of the workpiece 11c is similarly captured (see FIG. 8C). FIG. 8C is a diagram showing a second imaging step S60 in which the image of the workpiece 11c is captured by the imaging unit 70.

[0142] After the image of workpiece 11c is captured, turntable 14 is further rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and the outer periphery of workpiece 11b is similarly captured (see FIG. 8(D)). FIG. 8(D) is a diagram showing a second imaging step S60 in which workpiece 11b is imaged by imaging unit 70. Of course, workpieces 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e remain held by chuck table 16.

[0143] Next, the controller 80 performs image processing. Based on the image data obtained in the second imaging step S60, the controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the roughly ground workpiece 11d, the finish ground workpiece 11c, and the polished workpiece 11b (second determination step S70).

[0144] Thereafter, a polishing step (third processing step) S80 is performed on workpiece 11c, a finish grinding step is performed on workpiece 11d, and a rough grinding step is performed on workpiece 11e in the same manner. After that, images of workpiece 11e, workpiece 11d, and workpiece 11c are sequentially captured by imaging unit 70 (third imaging step S90).

[0145] The controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the workpieces 11e, 11d, and 11c based on the image data obtained in the third imaging step S90 (third determination step S100). Note that the processing method of this embodiment is not limited to the above example.

[0146] Since the image data obtained in each imaging step is sequentially stored in the auxiliary storage device, the first determination step S40, the second determination step S70, and the third determination step S100 may be performed all at once after the third imaging step S90 is completed.

[0147] In addition, by moving the imaging unit 70 in a spiral pattern relative to the holding surface 16c, the imaging unit 70 may capture an image of the entire back surface of the workpiece 11, or may capture only the imaging area specified by the operator via the touch panel display 78.

[0148] Moreover, instead of the area sensor camera, a line sensor arranged along the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 62d may be used as the imaging unit 70 to image the outer periphery or the entire back surface of the workpiece 11.

[0149] However, if the turntable 14 is always rotated in one direction (for example, counterclockwise), pipes, cables, etc. may be stretched and damaged. Therefore, when the turntable 14 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, the turntable 14 may also be rotated 270 degrees clockwise.

[0150] When rotating the turntable 14 90 degrees clockwise, the turntable 14 may also be rotated 270 degrees counterclockwise. The timing of rotating the turntable 14 270 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise is determined appropriately by the grinding / polishing apparatus 2.

[0151] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11(F). The grinding and polishing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment does not have the arm unit 62, and therefore does not have the imaging unit 70 of the first embodiment.

[0152] Fig. 9 is a plan view of the main parts of the grinding and polishing apparatus 2 in the second embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along line DD in Fig. 9. In the second embodiment, a plurality of line sensors (second imaging units) 90a, 90b, 90c, and 90d are provided on the processing chamber cover 34. For ease of explanation, each of the line sensors 90a to 90d is shaded in Fig. 9.

[0153] Each of the line sensors 90a to 90d has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a line. The line sensors 90a to 90d are provided in the processing chamber 32 above the chuck table 16.

[0154] For example, the line sensor 90a is fixed to the rear surface of the front plate of the first processing chamber cover 34a or to an edge of the front plate that contacts the upper end of a rectangular opening formed in the front plate. The line sensor 90b is fixed to an edge of a side plate that is located at the boundary between the first processing chamber cover 34a and the second processing chamber cover 34b and that contacts the upper end of a rectangular opening formed in the side plate (see FIG. 10).

[0155] In addition, the line sensor 90c is fixed to the edge of the side plate that is in contact with the upper end of a rectangular opening formed in the side plate located at the boundary between the second processing chamber cover 34b and the third processing chamber cover 34c.

[0156] The line sensor 90d is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel that contacts the loading / unloading area A1 of the third processing chamber cover 34c and is located on the polishing chamber 32c side, or to the edge of the side panel that contacts the upper end of the rectangular opening formed in the side panel.

[0157] That is, each of the line sensors 90a to 90d is provided directly above a circular movement path 92 along which the chuck table 16 passes when moved by the turntable 14, and captures an image of the workpiece 11 held by suction on the chuck table 16 along this movement path 92. This is what makes the second embodiment different from the first embodiment.

[0158] In the second embodiment, the workpiece 11 is also processed according to the flow chart of Fig. 5. Fig. 11(A) is a diagram showing a holding step S10 of the workpiece 11c. At this time, the workpiece 11b is subjected to rough grinding, and the workpiece 11c is subjected to finish grinding.

[0159] FIG. 11(B) is a diagram showing a rough grinding step (first machining step) S20 for the workpiece 11c, a finish grinding step for the workpiece 11b, and a polishing step for the workpiece 11a.

[0160] After the rough grinding step S20 and the like are performed on the workpiece 11c, a first imaging step S30 is performed. Fig. 11(C) is a diagram showing the first imaging step S30. In the second embodiment, the first imaging step S30 is performed by rotating the turntable 14 counterclockwise by 270 degrees at a substantially constant speed using the rotational movement mechanism 14c.

[0161] As a result, when the first imaging step S30 is completed, the workpiece 11a can be returned to the carry-in / carry-out area A1 (see FIG. 11(D)). However, the rotation of the turntable 14 is not limited to this example. The first imaging step S30 may be performed by rotating the turntable 14 90 degrees clockwise.

[0162] In the first imaging step S30, while each chuck table 16 is being moved directly below the line sensors 90a to 90d, the line sensors 90a to 90d capture images of each workpiece 11 held by suction on the chuck table 16.

[0163] In one example, workpiece 11a is imaged by line sensor 90c, workpiece 11b is imaged by line sensor 90b, workpiece 11c is imaged by line sensor 90a, and workpiece 11d is imaged by line sensor 90b.

[0164] The controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the roughly ground workpiece 11c, the finish ground workpiece 11b, and the polished workpiece 11a based on the image data obtained in the first imaging step S30 (first determination step S40).

[0165] After the first determination step S40, the workpiece 11c is subjected to finish grinding, etc. Fig. 11(D) is a diagram showing a finish grinding step (second processing step) S50 for the workpiece 11c, a polishing step for the workpiece 11b, and a rough grinding step for the workpiece 11d. At this time, the workpiece 11a is removed and a new workpiece 11e is carried in.

[0166] After the finish grinding step S50 and the like are performed on the workpiece 11c, a second imaging step S60 is performed. Fig. 11(E) is a diagram showing the second imaging step S60. In the second imaging step S60, the turntable 14 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to perform the second imaging step S60.

[0167] In one example, workpiece 11e is imaged by line sensor 90a, workpiece 11d is imaged by line sensor 90b, workpiece 11c is imaged by line sensor 90c, and workpiece 11b is imaged by line sensor 90d.

[0168] The controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the roughly ground workpiece 11d, the finish ground workpiece 11c, and the polished workpiece 11b based on the image data obtained in the second imaging step S60 (second determination step S70).

[0169] Thereafter, a polishing step (third processing step) S80 is performed on workpiece 11c, a finish grinding step is performed on workpiece 11d, and a rough grinding step is performed on workpiece 11e in the same manner. After that, images of workpiece 11e, workpiece 11d, and workpiece 11c are sequentially captured by imaging unit 70 (third imaging step S90).

[0170] The controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the workpieces 11e, 11d, and 11c based on the image data obtained in the third imaging step S90 (third determination step S100).

[0171] In this embodiment, too, it is possible to image each workpiece 11 held by suction on the chuck table 16, so there is no need to remove the workpiece 11 from the chuck table 16 after processing, and it is possible to identify in which processing step the abnormality occurred.

[0172] In the second embodiment, the image data obtained in each imaging step is also stored sequentially in the auxiliary storage device, so the timing of the determination step is not limited to the above description. The first determination step S40, the second determination step S70, and the third determination step S100 may be performed together.

[0173] The direction of rotation of the turntable 14 in each imaging step is not limited to the example described above. The structures, methods, etc. according to the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0174] In the above description, the controller 80 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11 based on the image data obtained in the first imaging process S30, the second imaging process S60, and the third imaging process S90, but the worker may also determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece 11 based on the images obtained in each imaging process.

[0175] In addition, in the above description, the workpiece 11 is imaged each time each of the rough grinding process, finish grinding process, and polishing process is performed, but the workpiece 11 may also be imaged only when a specific processing process is completed.

[0176] The timing of imaging is specified by the operator via the touch panel display 78. For example, the operator can set the workpiece 11 to be imaged after the rough grinding step is completed and before the finish grinding step, but not to be imaged after the finish grinding step is completed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 2: Grinding and polishing equipment (processing equipment) 4: base, 4a: recess, 6: transport robot 8a, 8b: mounting table, 10a, 10b: cassette 11, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e: Workpiece 12: Positioning mechanism 14: turntable, 14a: rotation shaft, 14b: rotation drive source 14c: Rotation movement mechanism (holding table movement mechanism), 14d: Partition plate 16: chuck table (holding table), 16a: frame, 16b: porous plate 16c: holding surface, 16d: rotating shaft, 16e: rotation drive source 20: rough grinding unit (first processing unit), 22: holding member 24: Spindle housing, 26: Spindle 28: Wheel mount, 30: Rough grinding wheel (first processing tool) 32: Processing room, 32a: Rough grinding room (1st processing room) 32b: Finishing grinding room (second processing room), 32c: Polishing room (third processing room) 34: Processing chamber cover 34a: first processing chamber cover, 34a1: through opening 34b: second processing chamber cover, 34b1: through opening 34c: Third processing chamber cover 40: Finish grinding unit (second processing unit), 42: Holding member 44: Spindle housing, 46: Spindle 48: Wheel mount, 50: Finishing grinding wheel (second processing tool) 60: Polishing unit (third processing unit) 62: arm unit, 62a: support member, 62b: base 62c: rotation drive source, 62d: arm portion, 62e: path, 62f: flow path 66: Sponge, 68: Pure water source 70: Imaging unit (first imaging unit) 72: First transport unit, 74: Second transport unit 76: Spinner cleaning device, 76a: Spinner table 78: Touch panel display 80: Controller, 80a: Processor, 80b: Memory, 82: Determination unit 90a, 90b, 90c, 90d: line sensors (second imaging units) 92: Travel route A1: Loading / unloading area, A2: Rough grinding area A3: Finish grinding area, A4: Polishing area B1, B2, C1, C2: length S10: Holding process S20: Rough grinding step, S30: First imaging step, S40: First determination step S50: finish grinding step, S60: second imaging step, S70: second determination step S80: Polishing step, S90: Third imaging step, S100: Third determination step

Claims

1. A processing device for processing a workpiece, a holding table for holding the workpiece; a processing unit having a spindle, the processing unit processing the workpiece held by the holding table with a processing tool attached to the spindle to reduce the overall thickness of the workpiece; an imaging unit that images the workpiece held by the holding table; a controller having a determination unit that determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the workpiece processed by the processing unit based on image data obtained through the imaging unit; A processing device comprising:

2. a machining chamber cover defining a machining chamber for accommodating the machining tool attached to the spindle; a holding table moving mechanism capable of positioning the holding table inside and outside the processing chamber, 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit includes a first imaging unit that is provided outside the processing chamber and captures an image of the workpiece held by the holding table positioned outside the processing chamber.

3. The apparatus further includes an arm unit having an arm section provided above the holding table and having a tip section that can swing along an arc-shaped path in a predetermined plane perpendicular to the height direction of the holding table, and a cleaning section fixed to the arm section for cleaning the workpiece, 3. The processing device according to claim 2, wherein the imaging unit is provided on the arm portion.

4. a processing chamber cover that defines a processing chamber that accommodates the processing unit; a holding table moving mechanism capable of positioning the holding table inside and outside the processing chamber, 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit is provided above the holding table in the processing chamber and has a plurality of second imaging units that image the workpiece held by the holding table along a path along which the holding table is moved by the holding table moving mechanism.

5. A method for processing a workpiece, comprising: a holding step of holding the workpiece on a holding table; a first machining step of machining the workpiece held by the holding table with a first machining tool to reduce the overall thickness of the workpiece; a first imaging step of imaging the workpiece held by the holding table with an imaging unit after the first processing step; a first determination step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece based on the image data or the image obtained in the first imaging step; A processing method comprising:

6. 6. The processing method according to claim 5, wherein in the first imaging step, an image of the workpiece held by the holding table is taken during the process of moving the holding table by a holding table moving mechanism.

7. a second machining step of machining the workpiece machined by the first machining tool with a second machining tool to reduce the overall thickness of the workpiece; a second imaging step of imaging the workpiece held by the holding table with the imaging unit after the second processing step; a second determination step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the processed workpiece based on the image data or image obtained in the second imaging step; The processing method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

Images