Method for processing a workpiece, and a processing device for a workpiece.

Abstract

This provides a method for easily detecting the state of a workpiece. [Solution] The system includes a processing step (S10) in which a workpiece (W) is processed in a processing unit (post-peeling and cleaning unit 90), and an inspection step (S20) in which the condition of the workpiece (W) is inspected by a sensor (214) located on a transport arm (21) that transports the workpiece (W) from the processing unit (post-peeling and cleaning unit 90) after the processing step (S10).

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor wafer (workpiece), after grinding the outer periphery of a single crystal ingot, a sliced wafer (hereinafter referred to as "workpiece") is cut out by a cutting device such as a wire saw. Since undulations occur in the workpiece during slicing, both surfaces of the workpiece are ground to remove the undulations (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When grinding both surfaces of a workpiece, when grinding one surface of the workpiece, a protective member is formed on the other surface of the workpiece by spreading and curing a liquid resin on the other surface of the workpiece, and the workpiece is held on a chuck table through this protective member. Then, when grinding of one surface of the workpiece is completed, the protective member is peeled off from the other surface of the workpiece.

[0004] Since the protective member is formed so as to wrap the other surface and the outer edge of the workpiece, when the protective member is peeled off from the workpiece, a part of the protective member remains as a broken piece on the outer edge of the workpiece. In order to remove this broken piece, a method and an apparatus for cleaning the outer edge of the workpiece after peeling the protective member have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0005] However, even after cleaning, there may be a case where the protective member cannot be completely removed from the workpiece and remains. If the subsequent process is performed with the protective member adhering to the workpiece, it may have an adverse effect on the quality in the subsequent process. For this reason, an apparatus for detecting broken pieces of the protective member remaining on the workpiece has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, the apparatus described in Patent Document 4 uses an imaging device to capture one side of the workpiece and determines whether or not the protective member remains by image analysis, thus requiring an imaging device and an image analysis device. Furthermore, the apparatus described in Patent Document 4 does not specifically mention the detection of protective members remaining on the outer edge of the workpiece.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a method for easily detecting the state of a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A method for processing a workpiece according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a processing step of processing the workpiece in a processing unit, and an inspection step of inspecting the condition of the workpiece after the processing step using a sensor located on a transport arm that transports the workpiece from the processing unit.

[0010] A workpiece processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a processing unit for processing a workpiece and a transport arm for transporting the workpiece from the processing unit, wherein the condition of the workpiece is inspected by a sensor positioned on the transport arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, since the state of the workpiece is detected by the transfer unit that transfers the workpiece from the processing unit, a dedicated space for inspection is not required, and the state of the workpiece can be easily detected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the workpiece processing method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart for explaining the detailed procedure of the processing steps shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining the protective member forming step. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the double-sided grinding device. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the processing step. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the peeling step. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the post-peeling cleaning step. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the inspection step. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the inspection step. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining the inspection step. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining another example of the sensor. [Figure 12] It is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the center of the holding surface and the center of the workpiece. [Figure 13] It is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle of the holding part and the transfer arm coordinates. [Figure 14] It is a graph showing another relationship between the rotation angle of the holding part and the transfer arm coordinates.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the workpiece processing method according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece processing method according to the present embodiment includes four steps. Hereinafter, each step will be specifically described.

[0014] First, in the processing step, a predetermined process is performed on the workpiece (S10). In the present embodiment, taking the case of double-sided grinding of a workpiece cut from an ingot as an example, the specific procedure of the processing step will be described below. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed procedure of the processing step shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing step includes four steps (protective member fixing step, processing step, peeling step, post-peeling cleaning step).

[0015] First, in the protective member fixing step, a protective member is formed and fixed on the first surface of the workpiece (S11). FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the protective member forming step. In the protective member forming step, a resin layer SL (see FIG. 5) is formed as a protective member on the entire first surface Wa of the disk-shaped workpiece W. The protective member forming step is performed, for example, by the protective member forming apparatus 1. In the following description, the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 3 are taken as the X-axis direction (left-right direction), Y-axis direction (front-back direction), and Z-axis direction (up-down direction), respectively.

[0016] In the protective member forming step, first, a circular film F having a diameter larger than that of the workpiece W is placed on the flat holding surface 12 of the holding table 11 of the protective member forming apparatus 1, and a predetermined amount of liquid resin S is supplied from the resin supply apparatus 13 onto this film F. This liquid resin S has, for example, the property of being cured by ultraviolet irradiation. Then, the second surface Wb of the workpiece W is sucked and held by the holding means 14 communicating with a suction source 15 such as a vacuum generating apparatus at the holding surface 16. By pressing the workpiece W against the liquid resin S from above on the film F disposed to face the first surface Wa of the workpiece W, the liquid resin S is spread, and the entire first surface Wa is covered with the liquid resin S.

[0017] Next, the coated liquid resin S is irradiated with ultraviolet light from, for example, an ultraviolet irradiation mechanism 17 located inside the holding table 11 to cure the resin layer SL. As a result, the workpiece W becomes a state in which the film F is fixed to it via the resin layer SL formed on the entire first surface Wa of the workpiece W, as shown in Figure 5. In addition, an overhang portion FP is formed where the film F extends beyond the outer peripheral edge Wd of the workpiece W.

[0018] Next, in the processing step, the second surface Wb of the workpiece W is ground (S12). The processing step, the peeling step, and the post-peeling cleaning step are performed, for example, by a double-sided grinding device 2. The configuration of the double-sided grinding device 2 will be explained using Figure 4.

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a double-sided grinding apparatus. As shown in Figure 4, the double-sided grinding apparatus 2 comprises a grinding apparatus 3 and a resin peeling apparatus 4. The grinding apparatus 3 comprises a cassette placement table 10, a transport unit 20, a temporary placement unit 30, a workpiece cleaning unit 40, a grinding unit 50, a post-processing cleaning unit 60, and a turntable 70. The resin peeling apparatus 4 comprises a peeling unit 80 and a post-peeling cleaning unit 90.

[0020] The cassette mounting table 10 has a cassette (not shown) on which it can store multiple workpieces W. For example, one cassette mounting table 10 has a cassette for storing workpieces W before processing, and the other cassette mounting table 10 has a cassette for storing workpieces W before processing.

[0021] The transport unit 20 transports the workpiece W between units. For example, it transports the workpiece W from the cassette placement table 10 to the temporary storage unit 30, or from the post-stripping and washing unit 90 to the temporary storage unit 30. The transport unit 20 is equipped with a transport arm 21 for holding the workpiece W.

[0022] The temporary storage unit 30 is a unit that holds the workpiece W to be processed next by the workpiece cleaning unit 40. The temporary storage unit 30 may have not only a workpiece W holding function but also a workpiece W positioning function. The workpiece cleaning unit 40 is a unit that cleans the workpiece W before grinding, which is held on a chuck table 351 positioned on a rotatable disc-shaped turntable 70. For example, it cleans the top surface of the workpiece W by spraying a two-fluid mixture of liquid (e.g., water) and gas (e.g., air) toward the workpiece W. By rotating the turntable 70, the position of the chuck table 351 holding the workpiece W can be moved from the workpiece cleaning unit 40 to the grinding unit 50.

[0023] The grinding unit 50 is a unit that grinds the workpiece W held in the chuck table 351. The post-processing cleaning unit 60 is a unit that cleans the workpiece W after grinding. In the post-processing cleaning unit 60, for example, spinner cleaning is performed. A spinner table (not shown) holding the workpiece W rotates, and cleaning water is sprayed onto the workpiece W, so the workpiece W is spinner cleaned. After that, drying air is blown onto the workpiece W to dry the workpiece W. The peeling unit 80 is a unit that peels the resin layer SL from the workpiece W. The post-peeling cleaning unit 90 is a unit that cleans the workpiece W from which the resin layer SL has been peeled off.

[0024] In the double-sided grinding apparatus 2, the first surface Wa and the second surface Wb of the workpiece W are ground one side at a time. In the first process, the surface of the workpiece W to which the film F is not attached (for example, the second surface Wb) is ground. In the subsequent second process, the surface from which the resin layer SL and film F have been peeled off (for example, the first surface Wa) is ground. In Figure 4, the transport path of the workpiece W in the first process is shown by a thick line with an arrow.

[0025] Returning to the detailed explanation of the processing steps in Figure 2, we will now describe the procedures from the machining step (S12) onward. The machining step involves grinding the upper surface (second surface Wb) of the workpiece W to remove undulations. The machining step is performed, for example, in the grinding unit 50. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the machining step.

[0026] In the processing step, first, the workpiece W is placed on the holding surface 352 of the chuck table 351 of the grinding unit 50 with the film F facing downwards. Then, the grinding wheel 353 is lowered from above the workpiece W, and grinding is performed while the rotating grinding wheel 354 comes into contact with the second surface Wb of the workpiece W.

[0027] Next, in the peeling step, the resin layer SL is peeled off from the workpiece W (S13). The peeling step is performed, for example, in the peeling unit 80. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the peeling step. First, the workpiece W is held by the holding means 81. The holding means 81 comprises an arm portion 811 and a holding pad 812 disposed on the lower surface of the other end of the arm portion 811 on the +X direction side, which holds the workpiece W by suction. The circular plate-shaped holding pad 812 comprises a suction portion 813 made of a porous material that adsorbs the workpiece W, and a frame 814 that supports the suction portion 813. The suction portion 813 is in communication with a suction source (not shown), such as a vacuum generator. The suction force generated when the suction source operates is transmitted to the holding surface 815, which is the exposed surface of the suction portion 813, so that the holding means 81 adsorbs and holds the second surface Wb of the workpiece W with the holding surface 815.

[0028] Next, the gripping means 82 grips the protruding portion FP. The gripping means 82 comprises a spindle 821 whose axial direction is the X-axis direction, and a gripping clamp 822 disposed at the tip of the spindle 821 on the +X direction side. The gripping clamp 822 grips the protruding portion FP. Subsequently, the spindle 821 rotates 90 degrees clockwise when viewed from the +X direction side (the side facing the paper). As a result, the resin layer SL and the film F are gently bent along the side surface of the rotating roller 83, and the film F is pulled in the -Z direction by the gripping clamp 822, causing a portion of the outer circumference of the resin layer SL to peel off from the first surface Wa of the workpiece W.

[0029] Next, the peeling means 84 moves the gripping means 82 and the holding means 81 radially relative to each other, from the outer peripheral edge Wd of the workpiece W toward the center, thereby peeling the resin layer SL from the workpiece W. That is, the peeling means 84 moves the gripping means 82 toward the -Y direction, while, for example, the Y-axis direction moving means 85 moves the holding means 81 toward the +Y direction. As a result, the rotating roller 83 rotates around its axis in the X direction, and while the film F and the resin layer SL are kept gently bent along the side surface of the rotating roller 83, the resin layer SL is peeled off from the outer peripheral edge Wd on the +Y direction side of the workpiece W toward the -Y direction.

[0030] Finally, in the post-exfoliation cleaning step, the second surface Wb of the workpiece W is cleaned to remove foreign matter such as fragments of the protective member (S14). Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the post-exfoliation cleaning step. In the post-exfoliation cleaning step, the second surface Wb of the workpiece W from which the resin layer SL has been peeled off and the outer edge of the workpiece W are cleaned. The post-exfoliation cleaning step is performed, for example, in the post-exfoliation cleaning unit 90.

[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the post-peeling cleaning unit 90, which functions as a processing unit, includes a holding section 91 for holding the workpiece W to be cleaned, a rotating mechanism 92 for rotating the holding section 91, and a cleaning section 93 capable of cleaning the outer edge of the workpiece W. The holding section 91 functions as both a cleaning holding section and a rotating holding section.

[0032] The holding portion 91 is a cylindrical member with a smaller diameter than the workpiece W, and at the center of its upper end The device incorporates a disc-shaped porous member 911 made of porous ceramic or the like. The upper surface of the porous member 911 forms a circular retaining surface 912, and the porous member 911 is selectively connected to a suction source (not shown), such as a vacuum pump.

[0033] Therefore, when the center of the lower surface of the workpiece W is placed on the upper surface of the holding part 91, and the porous member 911 of the holding part 91 is evacuated by the suction source, a negative pressure is generated in the porous member 911, and the center of the lower surface of the workpiece W is attracted and held by the holding surface 912 by this negative pressure. In this way, the workpiece W, with its center of the lower surface attracted and held by the holding surface 912 of the holding part 91, is held horizontally with its outer circumference protruding radially outward from the holding part 91.

[0034] The rotating mechanism 92 rotates the holding surface 912 and the workpiece W held by attraction to the holding surface 912 at a predetermined speed, around a rotation axis 921 that passes through the center TO of the holding surface 912 and extends in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface 912.

[0035] The cleaning unit 93 comprises a nozzle arm 94 and an outer edge cleaning unit 95. The nozzle arm 94 is connected to a water source (not shown) and sprays cleaning water from above the rotating workpiece W. The tip of the nozzle arm 94 is located above the center TO of the holding surface 912. The outer edge cleaning unit 95 comprises a water seal nozzle 951, a reflector 952, and a spray nozzle 953.

[0036] The injection nozzle 953 is installed diagonally downward on the radially outer side (right side in Figure 7) of the workpiece W, and its injection port 954 opens toward the outer edge of the workpiece W. A water source 971 and an air source 972 are connected to the injection nozzle 953, and two fluids, water and air, are injected from the injection port 954.

[0037] A reflector 952 is installed above the outer edge of the workpiece W, and has a reflective surface 955 that curves in an arc-shaped concave curve. This reflector 952 is positioned perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 7, and both of its longitudinal ends are fixed to the drain cup 98. A small gap is formed between the lower end of the reflector 952 and the upper surface of the workpiece W.

[0038] A water seal nozzle 951 is installed above the radially inward side of the outer edge of the workpiece W (left side in Figure 7). A water source 96 is connected to the water seal nozzle 951, and water is sprayed vertically toward the upper surface of the workpiece W. Liquids such as cleaning water supplied from the cleaning unit 93 toward the workpiece W are collected in a drain cup 98 and discharged from a drain port 981 located at the bottom of the drain cup 98.

[0039] In the cleaning step, first, the workpiece W is placed on the holding unit 91 so that its first surface Wa faces the holding surface 912, and then held by suction. Next, the rotating mechanism 92 rotates the holding unit 91 and the workpiece W held therein at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) shown in the diagram, around the rotation axis 921. Then, cleaning water is sprayed from the nozzle arm 94 onto the workpiece W, pushing away foreign matter such as fragments of protective material adhering to the upper surface of the workpiece W radially outward.

[0040] Furthermore, water and air are supplied to the injection nozzle 953 from the water source 971 and air source 972, and water is supplied to the water seal nozzle 951 from the water source 96. As a result, water is sprayed vertically downward from the water seal nozzle 951 toward the upper outer surface of the workpiece W, and a mixture of water and air is sprayed from the injection nozzle 953 toward the outer edge of the workpiece W.

[0041] As described above, the water sprayed from the water seal nozzle 951 flows radially outward due to the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the workpiece W, passing through the gap between the workpiece W and the reflector 952 and sealing the gap. In addition, two fluids, water and air, are sprayed from the spray nozzle 953 toward the outer edge of the workpiece W, and foreign matter such as fragments of protective material adhering to the outer edge of the workpiece W is removed by the spraying of the two fluids. After being used to clean the outer edge of the workpiece W, the two fluids collide with the curved reflective surface 955 of the reflector 952, and their flow direction is changed to diagonally downward and toward the outside of the outer edge of the workpiece W.

[0042] At this time, the gap between the reflector 952 and the upper surface (second surface Wb) of the workpiece W is sealed by water sprayed from the water seal nozzle 951. Therefore, the two fluids used to remove foreign matter and the removed foreign matter can be prevented from blowing through the gap radially inward of the workpiece W and from re-adhering to the workpiece W. Note that if it is possible to prevent the two fluids and foreign matter from blowing through with the cleaning water supplied from the nozzle arm 94, it is not necessary to spray water from the water seal nozzle 951.

[0043] Finally, the supply of cleaning water from the nozzle arm 94, water seal nozzle 951, and spray nozzle 953 is stopped, and the rotational drive is continued for a predetermined time to dry the workpiece W, thereby ending the post-stripping cleaning step and completing the series of procedures of the processing step.

[0044] Returning to Figure 1, in the inspection step following the processing step, it is checked whether or not foreign matter is attached to the workpiece W (S20). Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate the inspection step. In the inspection step, when the workpiece W is transported from the holding unit 91 to the next unit, a sensor 214 provided on the transport arm 21 is used to detect foreign matter. In Figures 8, 9, and 10, the sensor 214 in the state where reflected light is not detected (off state) is shown with shading, and the sensor 214 in the state where reflected light is detected (on state) is shown in white.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8, the transport arm 21 has a fork shape in which the base ends of a pair of support plates 213 are connected by a connecting portion 212. On the side opposite to the direction in which the support plates 41 of the connecting portion 212 extend, there is an arm portion 211 which is connected to an arm drive unit (not shown). A sensor 214 is provided on the upper surface of the connecting portion 212. The sensor 214 is, for example, a limited reflection type photoelectric sensor and comprises a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. The sensor 214 emits light perpendicularly (upward in Figure 8) from the sensor surface. If there is an object that reflects light, such as a foreign object, in the optical path and the sensor 214 receives reflected light from the foreign object, the sensor 214 turns ON.

[0046] In the inspection step, the transport arm 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8, and a pair of support plates 213 are inserted below the workpiece W placed on the holding unit 91. At this time, the transport arm 21 is driven so that the tips of the support plates 213 are in the set position. In the following, the position of the transport arm 21 may also be referred to as the "transport arm coordinate." The "transport arm coordinate" corresponds to the amount of extension of the transport arm 21, and the larger the transport arm coordinate, the greater the extension of the transport arm 21, and the more the tips of the support plates 213 are located on the +Y side.

[0047] Prior to inspection, the above position is set as follows: When a clean workpiece W free of foreign matter is placed on the holding unit 91, the position is set based on simulation or actual measurement such that the tip side of the sensor 214 (the +Y direction side in Figure 8) does not overlap the periphery of the workpiece W when viewed from above (the +Z direction in Figure 8).

[0048] Once the position of the transport arm 21 is determined, the rotation mechanism 92 rotates the holding part 91. When the center WO of the workpiece W coincides with the center TO of the holding surface 912, the position of the outer edge of the workpiece W does not change regardless of the rotation angle of the holding part 91. If no foreign matter such as fragments of the protective member is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W, as shown in Figure 9, there is no object obstructing the optical path of the light emitted from the sensor 214, so no reflected light is detected. Therefore, the sensor 214 is in the off state.

[0049] On the other hand, if foreign matter such as fragments of the protective material is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W, as shown in Figure 10, when the foreign matter comes into the optical path of the light emitted from the sensor 214, reflected light from the foreign matter is detected. Therefore, the sensor 214 turns ON.

[0050] In the inspection step, if the sensor 214 does not turn on while the holding surface 912 is rotated once around the rotation axis 921, it is determined that no foreign matter is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W (S30, NO). In this case, the workpiece processing shown in Figure 1 (the first processing in double-sided grinding) is completed. After this, for example, in order to perform the second processing in double-sided grinding, the workpiece W is picked up from the holding surface 912 by the transport arm 21 and transported to the temporary storage unit 30.

[0051] On the other hand, during the inspection step, if the sensor 214 turns ON while the holding surface 912 is rotated once around the rotation axis 921, it is determined that foreign matter is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W (S30, YES). In this case, the post-inspection cleaning step is performed.

[0052] The post-inspection cleaning step involves re-cleaning the workpiece W and removing any foreign matter detected in the inspection step (S40). The post-inspection removal step is performed, for example, in the post-peeling cleaning unit 90. In the post-inspection removal step, it is preferable to clean the area where foreign matter was detected in the inspection step with pinpoint accuracy. That is, the rotation angle of the holding surface 912 is adjusted and the rotation is stopped so that the two fluids sprayed from the spray nozzle 953 hit the area where foreign matter was detected.

[0053] Next, water and air are supplied to the injection nozzle 953 from the water source 971 and air source 972, and the two fluids are injected from the injection nozzle 953 to clean the area on the outer edge of the workpiece W where foreign matter has been detected. At this time, injecting water from the water seal nozzle 951 prevents the two fluids used to remove foreign matter, and the removed foreign matter, from blowing out radially inward through the gaps of the workpiece W. Finally, after stopping the supply of water and the two fluids from the water seal nozzle 951 and the injection nozzle 953, the holding unit 91 is rotated for a predetermined time to dry the workpiece W. This completes the post-inspection cleaning step and the processing of the workpiece shown in Figure 1. After this, for example, in order to perform the second processing in double-sided grinding, the workpiece W is picked up from the holding surface 912 by the transport arm 21 and transported to the temporary storage unit 30.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, a sensor 214 is provided on the transport arm 21, and when picking up the workpiece W held in the holding section 91 of the post-peeling and washing unit 90, the outer edge of the workpiece W is inspected by the sensor 214. Since the diameter of the holding surface 912 is smaller than the diameter of the workpiece W, the sensor surface of the sensor 214 is positioned on the upper surface of the transport arm 21. This allows the light from the sensor 214 to be shone on the periphery of the workpiece W during the normal pickup operation in which the transport arm 21 is inserted under the workpiece W. In other words, the condition of the workpiece W (for example, whether or not foreign matter is attached to the outer edge) can be easily detected without requiring a dedicated space for inspection.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the condition of the workpiece W can be inspected during the transport operation in which the workpiece W is moved from the post-peeling and washing unit 90 to the next processing unit (for example, the temporary storage unit 30). Therefore, there is no need to set aside time to inspect the condition of the workpiece W, and the processing time can be shortened. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if foreign matter is detected adhering to the workpiece W, the area where the foreign matter was detected can be intensively cleaned in the post-peeling and cleaning unit 90 without transporting the workpiece W. Therefore, the detection and removal of foreign matter can be performed in a short time, and the introduction of foreign matter to other processing units can be suppressed.

[0056] Note that the sensor 214 installed on the transport arm 21 is not limited to a limited reflection type photoelectric sensor. Figure 11 illustrates another example of the sensor. The sensor 214 shown in Figure 11 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor that detects transmitted light, and consists of a light-emitting unit EE including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving unit PE equipped with a light-receiving element, which are independent of each other. The light-emitting unit EE is positioned in approximately the same location as the limited reflection type sensor 214 shown in Figure 9. The light-receiving unit PE is positioned in a sensor mounting section 215 provided above the light-emitting unit EE, and the sensor surface (light-receiving element surface) of the light-receiving unit PE is positioned vertically above and parallel to the sensor surface (light-emitting element surface) of the light-emitting unit EE. That is, the light-emitting unit EE and the light-receiving unit PE are positioned so that transmitted light emitted from the light-emitting unit EE is incident on the light-receiving unit PE. The sensor mounting section 215 is connected to the connection section 212 by a second connection section 216. The height of the second connecting portion 216 in the Z direction is sufficiently greater than the thickness of the workpiece W to be inspected, allowing the workpiece W to be sandwiched between the light-emitting portion EE and the light-receiving portion PE in the Z direction.

[0057] When a transmissive photoelectric sensor is used as the sensor 214, light of a wavelength that can pass through the workpiece W is used. Alternatively, a workpiece W made of a light-transmitting material is used. When inspecting for the presence or absence of foreign matter using the same procedure as the inspection step described above, if foreign matter such as fragments of the protective member is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W, the light transmittance changes and the amount of light detected by the light-receiving unit PE decreases. By detecting this change in light amount, the presence or absence of foreign matter and the location where the foreign matter is attached can be identified.

[0058] Furthermore, the inspection steps described above explain the procedure when the center WO of the workpiece W and the center TO of the holding part 91 are approximately coincident. However, if their positions are misaligned, for example as shown in Figure 12, the inspection can be performed using the following procedure. First, while rotating the holding part 91, the transport arm coordinates are measured as the sensor 214 changes from the off state to the on state. Figure 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle of the holding part and the transport arm coordinates. If no foreign matter is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W, the state of the sensor 214 changes at the outer edge of the workpiece W. Since the workpiece W is approximately circular, plotting the measured transport arm coordinates against the rotation angle of the holding part 91 results in a sinusoidal curve graph. In contrast, if foreign matter is attached to a part of the outer edge, the transport arm coordinates at that position will be smaller by the amount by which the foreign matter protrudes radially outward from the outer edge. For example, in the graph shown in Figure 13, the transport arm coordinates in the range IR enclosed by the dotted circle are smaller than those of the sinusoidal curve. Therefore, it can be determined that foreign matter is attached at the position where the range IR corresponds to the measured rotation angle.

[0059] Alternatively, the inspection can also be performed using the following procedure. First, while rotating the holding unit 91, the transport arm coordinates are measured at set rotation angle intervals, at which point the sensor 214 changes from the off state to the on state, and these coordinates are plotted against the rotation angle. Figure 14 is a graph showing another relationship between the rotation angle of the holding unit and the transport arm coordinates. Figure 14 shows the case where the transport arm coordinates are measured at 60° rotation intervals. A sine curve is fitted to the plotted measurement points to estimate the relationship between the rotation angle of the holding unit 91 and the transport arm coordinates when no foreign matter is attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W. Next, the holding unit 91 is rotated again, and the position of the transport arm is changed at each rotation angle using the estimated relationship between the rotation angle and the transport arm coordinates, while detecting the state of the sensor 214. That is, the position of the transport arm is adjusted according to the rotation angle so that the sensor 214 is always positioned to detect foreign matter attached to the outer edge of the workpiece W. By making such adjustments, it is possible to determine that foreign matter is attached to a position corresponding to the rotation angle at which the sensor 214 turns ON, just as if there were no misalignment between the center WO of the workpiece W and the center TO of the holding part 91.

[0060] Furthermore, if the center WO of the workpiece W and the center TO of the holding part 91 are approximately coincident, the transport arm coordinates will be constant regardless of the rotation angle of the holding part 91, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 14. Therefore, prior to executing the inspection step, it is possible to easily check whether the center WO of the workpiece W and the center TO of the holding part 91 are coincident by measuring the transport arm coordinates at set rotation angle intervals, such as the method described above, when the sensor 214 changes from the off state to the on state.

[0061] Furthermore, the inspection target for foreign matter adhesion in the inspection step is not limited to the outer edge of the workpiece W. When using light of a wavelength that can penetrate the workpiece W, by changing the position of the transport arm 21 while performing the inspection, it is possible to identify the presence or absence of foreign matter and the location of foreign matter adhesion not only on the outer edge but also on the area of ​​the workpiece W that protrudes radially outward from the holding surface 912. In addition, after holding the workpiece W with the transport arm 21, a wider area of ​​the workpiece W can be inspected by shifting the area in contact with the holding surface 912 and re-stacking it. Moreover, if the holding part 91 is not cylindrical but has a structure that holds the outer edge of the workpiece W, such as a cylindrical shape, it is also possible to inspect a wider area including the center WO of the workpiece W. By appropriately combining the above methods, it is also possible to inspect almost the entire surface of the workpiece W.

[0062] Furthermore, this embodiment can not only detect the presence or absence of foreign matter on the workpiece W, but also detect abnormalities in the workpiece W itself, such as scratches or chips. For example, if foreign matter is determined to be present in the inspection step and the workpiece W is subjected to the post-inspection cleaning step, the inspection step is performed again. If the sensor 214 turns on at the same position on the workpiece W in both the first and second inspection steps (or, if a transmissive photoelectric sensor is used, if the light intensity of the sensor 214 decreases at the same position), it may be determined that the workpiece W itself has scratches or chips, rather than foreign matter being present at that position. In addition, the inspection step and the post-inspection cleaning step may be repeated multiple times, and in this case, if the sensor 214 turns on at the same position on the workpiece W in all the inspection steps performed, it may be determined that the workpiece W itself has scratches or chips.

[0063] Furthermore, although the above description explains the process of inspecting the condition of the workpiece W after cleaning with the post-peeling cleaning unit 90, it is not limited to the post-peeling cleaning unit 90, but any processing unit capable of transporting the workpiece W with the transport arm 21 is acceptable. Moreover, it is not limited to the double-sided grinding apparatus 2, but can also be applied to processes that inspect the condition of the workpiece W after processing in, for example, plasma processing apparatus, cleaning apparatus for cleaning objects to be processed, imaging apparatus, inspection apparatus, film deposition apparatus, etc.

[0064] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] As described above, according to the workpiece processing method of the present invention, the condition of the workpiece is detected by a transport unit that transports the workpiece from the processing unit, thus eliminating the need for a dedicated space for inspection and allowing for easy detection of the workpiece's condition. For this reason, it is useful in all processing units in the workpiece manufacturing process, and is particularly useful when detecting residue adhering to the outer edge of a workpiece after cleaning. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1: Protective member forming apparatus 2: Double-sided grinding machine 3: Grinding equipment 4: Resin peeling device 10: Cassette mounting table 11: Holding Table 12, 16: Holding surface 13:Resin supply device 14: Holding means 15: Suction source 17: Ultraviolet irradiation mechanism 20: Conveyor Unit 21: Transport arm 30: Temporary placement unit 40: Workpiece cleaning unit 50: Grinding Unit 60: Post-processing cleaning unit 70: Turntable 80: Peeling Unit 81: Holding means 82: Gripping means 83: Rotating roller 84: Peeling means 85: Y-axis movement means 90: Post-stripping cleaning unit 91: Holding part 92: Rotation mechanism 93: Cleaning Department 94: Nozzle Arm 95: Outer edge cleaning unit 96: Water source 98: Drainage cup 911: Porous material 912: Holding surface 921: Rotation axis 951: Water seal nozzle 952:Reflector 953: Spray nozzle 954 :Injection port 955: Reflective surface 971: Water source 972: Air source 981: Drain port F: Film SL: Resin layer W: Work Wa: Front page Wb: Second side Wd: outer edge

Claims

1. Processing steps for processing a workpiece in a processing unit, After the processing step, A sensor positioned on the transfer arm that transports the workpiece from the processing unit An inspection step to inspect the condition of the workpiece, A method for processing a workpiece, characterized by having the following features.

2. The inspection step is, The condition of foreign matter adhering to the workpiece is inspected, The method for processing a workpiece according to claim 1, further comprising a post-inspection cleaning step of cleaning the area in which foreign matter is determined to be attached during the inspection step.

3. The processing unit includes a cleaning and holding section for holding the workpiece, A cleaning unit for cleaning the workpiece held in the cleaning and holding unit, The inspection step is performed while the workpiece is held in the cleaning and holding section. A method for processing a workpiece according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that...

4. The processing step is, A protective member fixing step for fixing a protective member to the first surface of the workpiece, A machining step for machining the workpiece, following the step of fixing the protective member, A peeling step is performed to remove the protective member from the workpiece after the processing step, It further includes, In the inspection step, The method for processing a workpiece according to claim 2, characterized by detecting the adhesion of the protective member.

5. The sensor includes a light-emitting unit that irradiates light onto the workpiece, It comprises a light-receiving unit that receives the light reflected by or transmitted through the workpiece. The inspection step is, The light receiving unit is characterized by determining the state of the workpiece based on the light information it acquires. The method for processing a workpiece as described in claim 1.

6. The processing unit has a rotating holding section that holds the workpiece so that it can rotate along the axis of rotation, The inspection step is characterized by being performed while the rotating holding part is rotated. The method for processing a workpiece as described in claim 1.

7. A processing unit that processes the workpiece, A transport arm that transports the workpiece from the processing unit, Equipped with, The condition of the workpiece is inspected by a sensor positioned on the transport arm. A workpiece processing device characterized by the following:

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