Processing apparatus and processing method

Abstract

It is possible to position disc-shaped workpieces with multiple diameters. [Solution] The processing apparatus is a processing apparatus for processing a disc-shaped workpiece, comprising a positioning unit 80 having a block 83 that defines the position of the workpiece, a holding unit that holds the workpiece on a holding surface, a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the holding unit, and a controller that controls each component, the block 83 having a pair of support parts 831 that are spaced closer together from the entrance 811 side into which the workpiece is inserted to the back side where the workpiece abuts.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There is a cutting apparatus that aligns only a disk-shaped wafer not mounted on a ring frame and directly conveys and cuts the wafer with a Bernoulli pad (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cutting apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 defines the position of the wafer by bringing the edge of the wafer into contact with a positioning block.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the cutting apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is troublesome for an operator because the positioning block must be replaced according to each wafer diameter when there are a plurality of wafer diameters.

[0006] Therefore, in a processing apparatus for processing a disk-shaped workpiece, there is a problem that the positioning of a disk-shaped workpiece having a plurality of diameters should be performed without bothering the operator.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method capable of positioning a disk-shaped workpiece having a plurality of diameters.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a processing apparatus for processing a disc-shaped workpiece, comprising: a positioning unit having a block that defines the position of the workpiece; a holding unit that holds the workpiece with a holding surface; a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the holding unit; and a controller that controls each component, wherein the block has a pair of support parts that are spaced so that the distance between them narrows from the entrance side into which the workpiece is inserted to the back side into which the workpiece abuts.

[0009] In the aforementioned processing apparatus, the block may have a connecting portion that connects a pair of support portions.

[0010] In the above-mentioned processing apparatus, the surface of the connecting portion facing the outer edge of the workpiece may be formed in the shape of an arc with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of the workpiece.

[0011] The present invention relates to a processing method for processing a disc-shaped workpiece, comprising: a positioning step of defining the position of the workpiece with a positioning unit having a block that defines the position of the workpiece; a holding step of holding the workpiece with a holding surface of a holding unit; and a processing step of processing the workpiece held by the holding surface in the holding step with a processing unit, wherein the block has a pair of support parts that are spaced closer together from the entrance side into which the workpiece is inserted to the back side where the workpiece abuts; and the positioning step is characterized by defining the position of the workpiece by abutting the side of the workpiece against the support parts of the block of the positioning unit, and positioning the workpiece so that the center of one circular surface of the workpiece coincides with the center of the holding surface of the holding unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention provides the advantage of being able to position disc-shaped workpieces having multiple diameters. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the object to be processed by the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the object to be processed by the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example configuration of the positioning unit of the processing unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the support plate and block of the positioning unit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing the support plate and block of the positioning unit shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic plan view showing the positioning step of the processing method shown in Figure 7. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. In addition, the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0015] [Embodiment 1] The processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the workpiece to be processed by the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the configuration of the workpiece to be processed by the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1.

[0016] (Workpiece) The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 1 is an apparatus for processing the workpiece 200 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The workpiece 200 to be processed by the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer having a substrate made of silicon, sapphire, gallium, or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece 200 has a lattice-shaped planned division line 202 on the surface 201, and has devices 203 formed in each region partitioned by the planned division line 202 on the surface 201.

[0017] The devices 203 are, for example, integrated circuits such as IC (Integrated Circuit) and LSI (Large Scale Integration), image sensors such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), or semiconductor memories (semiconductor storage devices).

[0018] Also, in Embodiment 1, chamfers at the outer edge portion of the workpiece 200 are removed. For this reason, among the workpieces 200 to be processed by the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, even those of the same type may have different diameters. For example, in Embodiment 1, the diameter of the workpiece 200 is 296 mm or more and 302 mm or less. FIG. 2 shows a workpiece 200-1 having a diameter of 302 mm, and FIG. 3 shows a workpiece 200-2 having a diameter of 296 mm.

[0019] Note that FIGS. 2 and 3 omit the planned division line 202 and the devices 203. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the workpieces 200-1 and 200-2, they are described with reference numerals 200-1 and 200-2, and when not distinguishing between the workpieces 200-1 and 200-2, they are described with reference numeral 200.

[0020] (Processing apparatus) The processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a cutting apparatus that holds a workpiece 200 with a holding unit 10 and forms a processing groove on a planned division line 202 of the workpiece 200. As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 comprises a holding unit 10 that holds the workpiece 200 by suction on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 that cuts (equivalent to processing) the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 with a cutting blade 21, an imaging unit 30 that images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10, and a controller 100. As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 is equipped with two cutting units 20, that is, a two-spindle dicer, a so-called facing dual type cutting apparatus.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a moving unit 40 that moves the holding unit 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other. The moving unit 40 includes at least an X-axis moving unit 41, which is a machining feed unit that feeds the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction; a Y-axis moving unit 42, which is an indexing feed unit that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction; a Z-axis moving unit 43, which is a cutting feed unit that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions; and a rotational moving unit 44 that rotates the holding unit 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0022] The X-axis movement unit 41 is installed on the main body 2 of the apparatus. The X-axis movement unit 41 moves the holding unit 10 together with the rotational movement unit 44 in the X-axis direction, which is the machining feed direction, thereby feeding the holding unit 10 along the X-axis direction relative to the cutting unit 20. The Y-axis movement unit 42 is installed on a gate-shaped support frame 3 that is erected from the main body 2 of the apparatus. The Y-axis movement unit 42 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction relative to the holding unit 10 that holds the workpiece 200. The Z-axis movement unit 43 is installed on a movement frame 4 that is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis movement unit 42. The Z-axis movement unit 43 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction relative to the holding unit 10 that holds the workpiece 200 by moving the second movement frame 5 in the Z-axis direction.

[0023] The X-axis moving unit 41, the Y-axis moving unit 42, and the Z-axis moving unit 43 each include a well-known ball screw rotatably mounted around its axis, a well-known motor for rotating the ball screw around its axis, and a well-known guide rail for supporting the holding unit 10 or the cutting unit 20 so that it can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotary moving unit 44 includes a well-known motor for rotating the holding unit 10 around its axis.

[0024] The holding unit 10 is disc-shaped, and a suction groove 12 connected to a suction source is provided on the outer edge of the holding surface 11, which is parallel to the horizontal direction and holds the workpiece 200. The holding unit 10 is also provided to be movable in the X-axis direction by an X-axis movement unit 41, spanning from the machining area below the cutting unit 20 to the loading / unloading area where the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded, separated from below the cutting unit 20, and is also provided to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction by a rotational movement unit 44. The holding unit 10 holds the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11 by suction, which is achieved by the suction source suctioning the suction groove 12, thereby suctioning and holding the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200.

[0025] The cutting unit 20 is a processing unit that performs cutting (equivalent to processing) on ​​the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10. Each cutting unit 20 is attached to a second moving frame 5 that is movable in the Z-axis direction by a corresponding Z-axis moving unit 43, and is provided to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 42 and also movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit 43 relative to the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10. The cutting unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 by the Y-axis moving unit 42 and the Z-axis moving unit 43.

[0026] The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21 for cutting the workpiece 200, a spindle housing 22 attached to the lower end of the second moving frame 5 and provided to be movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 42 and a Z-axis moving unit 43, a spindle (not shown) provided in the spindle housing 22 so as to be rotatable around its axis and having the cutting blade 21 mounted at its tip, a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle around its axis, and a cutting fluid supply nozzle 24 that supplies cutting fluid to the cutting blade 21.

[0027] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting wheel having a substantially ring shape for cutting the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 is a so-called hub blade having an annular cutting edge for cutting the workpiece 200 and an annular base on which the cutting edge is provided at the outer edge. The cutting edge contains abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin, and is formed to a predetermined thickness. In this invention, the cutting blade 21 may also be a so-called washer blade consisting only of a cutting edge.

[0028] The spindle housing 22 is attached to the lower end of the second moving frame 5 and is supported so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis moving unit 43, and is also supported so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving unit 42 via the Z-axis moving unit 43 and the moving frame 4. The spindle housing 22 houses the portion of the spindle excluding the tip and the spindle motor, etc., and supports the spindle so as to be rotatable around its axis.

[0029] The spindle has a cutting blade 21 that is detachably fixed to its tip. The spindle is rotated by a spindle motor (not shown), and the cutting blade 21 is mounted on its tip. The axes of the spindle and cutting blade 21 of the cutting unit 20 are parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0030] The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 and acquires the image. The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the cutting unit 20 so as to move integrally with the cutting unit 20. The imaging unit 30 is equipped with an image sensor that images the area to be cut on the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 before cutting. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held by the holding unit 10 to acquire an image for performing alignment, such as aligning the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21, and outputs the acquired image to the controller 100.

[0031] Furthermore, the processing unit 1 includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and the Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, and a reading head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses.

[0032] The X-axis position detection unit, the Y-axis position detection unit, and the Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding unit 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or Z-axis direction to the controller 100. The angle detection unit outputs the angle of the holding unit 10 around its axis from a reference position to the controller 100. In Embodiment 1, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis positions of each component of the processing device 1 are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown).

[0033] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 includes a cassette mounting table 50 on which a cassette 6 containing the workpieces 200 before and after cutting is placed and which moves the cassette 6 in the Z-axis direction, a cleaning unit 51 for cleaning the workpieces 200 after cutting, and a transport unit 60 for transporting the workpieces 200 between the cassette 6, the holding unit 10, and the cleaning unit 51. The cassette 6 contains the workpieces 200 with its surface 201 facing upward. In the embodiment 1, the cassette 6 also contains workpieces 200 that are not held in a ring-shaped frame.

[0034] The transport unit 60 includes an loading / unloading unit 61 for loading and unloading the workpiece 200 into and out of the cassette 6 and the positioning unit 80 (described later), a first transport unit 62, and a second transport unit 63. The loading / unloading unit 61 holds the workpiece 200 by suction on the back surface 204 side so that the front surface 201 side is exposed upwards. The loading / unloading unit 61 transports the held workpiece 200 to below the first transport unit 62.

[0035] The first transport unit 62 and the second transport unit 63 are supported by lifting units 73 and 74, which are moved in the Y-axis direction by moving units 71 and 72 on a second support frame 7 located on the loading / unloading area side of the support frame 3. The first transport unit 62 and the second transport unit 63 are raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction by the lifting units 73 and 74.

[0036] The first transport unit 62 and the second transport unit 63 each include suction plates 64 and 65, which are formed in a disc shape and are raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction by lifting units 73 and 74, and a suction pad (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the suction plates 64 and 65 for non-contact suction of the surface of the workpiece 200. The suction pad is a so-called Bernoulli chuck, which sprays air toward the workpiece 200 located below it, creating an airflow between the bottom of the suction pad and the workpiece 200, thereby generating negative pressure for suctioning the workpiece 200. The first transport unit 62 and the second transport unit 63 hold the workpiece 200 by non-contact suction using the suction pad at a position where the suction force due to the negative pressure, the air pressure sprayed from the suction pad, and the gravity of the workpiece 200 are in equilibrium.

[0037] The first transport unit 62 suction-holds the workpiece 200 that has been held by the loading / unloading unit 61 and places the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10. The first transport unit 62 suction-holds the workpiece 200 that has been washed by the washing unit 51 and hands over the workpiece 200 to the loading / unloading unit 61.

[0038] The second transport unit 63 suction-holds the machined workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 located in the loading / unloading area, and transports the machined workpiece 200 to the washing unit 51.

[0039] Furthermore, the processing device 1 includes an loading / unloading position detection unit that detects the Y-axis position of the loading / unloading unit 61 and outputs the detection result to the controller 100, a first transport position detection unit that detects the Y-axis position of the first transport unit 62 and outputs the detection result to the controller 100, and a second transport position detection unit that detects the Y-axis position of the second transport unit 63 and outputs the detection result to the controller 100.

[0040] Furthermore, the processing unit 1 includes a positioning unit 80, as shown in Figure 1. Next, the positioning unit 80 will be described. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the positioning unit of the processing unit shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the support plate and block of the positioning unit shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing the support plate and block of the positioning unit shown in Figure 4.

[0041] In Embodiment 1, the positioning unit 80 is located below the cassette mounting base 50. The positioning unit 80 is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction by the cassette mounting base 50 together with the cassette 6. As shown in Figure 4, the positioning unit 80 has a flat, box-shaped case 81, a support plate 82, and a block 83. The case 81 has an entrance 811 on the wall facing the loading / unloading unit 61 that allows the workpiece 200 to be loaded into and unloaded from the case 81.

[0042] The support plate 82 and the block 83 are housed within the case 81. The support plate 82 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. The block 83 defines the position of the workpiece 200. The block 83 is provided on the upper surface of the support plate 82 and contacts the workpiece 200 housed within the case 81 through the entrance 811, thereby defining the position of the workpiece 200.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, block 83 includes a pair of support parts 831 that are spaced apart in the X-axis direction and whose spacing narrows from the entrance 811 side to the back side where the workpiece 200 abuts, and a connecting part 832 that connects the pair of support parts 831. The pair of support parts 831 come into contact with the workpiece 200 housed inside the case 81 through the entrance 811.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the entrance 811 of the pair of support parts 831 and the connecting part 832, i.e., the surface 833 facing the outer edge of the workpiece 200, are formed in an arc shape with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of the workpiece 200-2 in a plan view. For this reason, even when the outer edge of the workpiece 200-2 (shown by a dashed line in Figure 6) comes into contact with the pair of support parts 831, the aforementioned surface 833 maintains a gap between itself and the outer edge of the workpiece 200.

[0045] The controller 100 controls each component of the processing unit 1 to cause the processing unit 1 to perform processing operations on the workpiece 200. The controller 100 is a computer that has an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the controller 100 performs arithmetic processing according to the computer program stored in the storage device and outputs control signals for controlling the processing unit 1 to each component of the processing unit 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0046] The controller 100 is connected to a display unit (not shown) which consists of a liquid crystal display device that displays the status of the machining operation and captured images, an input unit (not shown) used by the operator to register machining conditions, and a notification unit (not shown). The input unit includes a touch panel provided on the display unit. The notification unit notifies the operator by emitting at least one of sound, light, and / or a display, and may also function as the display unit.

[0047] (Processing method) Next, the processing method according to Embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to Embodiment 1. Figure 8 is a schematic plan view showing the positioning step of the processing method shown in Figure 7.

[0048] The processing method according to Embodiment 1 is a method of forming a processing groove on the planned division line 202 of the workpiece 200 by cutting the workpiece 200 as described above. The processing method according to Embodiment 1 is carried out by the processing device 1 with the configuration described above. In other words, the processing method according to Embodiment 1 is also a processing operation of the processing device 1 with the configuration described above.

[0049] The processing device 1 has a cassette 6 containing multiple objects to be processed 200 placed on a cassette mounting base 50, and a controller 100 receives processing conditions input from an input unit or the like and stores the processing conditions in a storage device. In this embodiment 1, the objects to be processed 200 are not supported by an annular frame and are placed in the cassette 6 with their surfaces 201 facing upward.

[0050] When the processing device 1 receives a processing start instruction from the controller 100, etc., from an input unit, it starts a processing operation, that is, a processing method according to the embodiment. The processing method according to Embodiment 1 comprises a positioning step 1001, a holding step 1002, and a processing step 1003, as shown in Figure 7.

[0051] (Positioning step) The positioning step 1001 is a step in which the position of the workpiece 200 is defined by a positioning unit 80 having a block 83 that defines the position of the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, in positioning step 1001, the processing device 1 has a controller 100 that starts the rotation of the spindles, i.e., the cutting blades 21, of each cutting unit 20 and starts supplying cutting fluid to the cutting blades 21. In Embodiment 1, in positioning step 1001, the processing device 1 has a controller 100 that controls the cassette mounting table 50 and the loading / unloading unit 61 to remove one workpiece 200 before processing from the cassette 6 and insert the workpiece 200 into the positioning unit 80 through the inlet 811. The controller 100 of the processing device 1 has in advance stored the diameter of each workpiece 200 stored in the cassette 6 and knows the diameter of the workpiece 200 to be removed from the cassette 6 and inserted into the positioning unit 80.

[0052] In Embodiment 1, during the positioning step 1001, the processing device 1, as shown in Figure 8, uses the controller 100 to control the loading / unloading unit 61 to insert the workpiece 200 into the case 81 of the positioning unit 80 until it contacts the pair of support parts 831 of the block 83. Thus, in Embodiment 1, the positioning step 1001 defines the position of the workpiece 200 by bringing it into contact with the pair of support parts 831 of the block 83 of the positioning unit 80. The controller 100 of the processing device 1 stores the position information of the center 205-1 (shown in Figure 8) of the workpiece 200-1, which has a diameter of 302 mm, when it is pressed against the block 83, as a block reference value. Furthermore, the system stores correction values ​​corresponding to the distance 300 (shown in Figure 8) from the center 205-2 of the workpiece 200-2 when each workpiece 200-2 of each diameter (for example, 296 mm) is pressed against the block 83.

[0053] (Holding step) The holding step 1002 is the step of holding the workpiece 200 with the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10. In Embodiment 1, in the holding step 1002, the processing apparatus 1 controls the loading / unloading unit 61 with the controller 100 to load the workpiece 200 before processing out of the positioning unit 80. In Embodiment 1, in the holding step 1002, the processing apparatus 1 controls the loading / unloading unit 61 and the first transport unit 62 with the controller 100 based on a block reference value or a value obtained by adding a correction value to the block reference value, according to the diameter of the workpiece 200 held in the loading / unloading unit 61, to position the workpiece 200 held in the loading / unloading unit 61 and the suction plate 64 of the first transport unit 62 in a coaxial position.

[0054] In Embodiment 1, during the holding step 1002, the processing apparatus 1 controls the loading / unloading unit 61 and the first transport unit 62 via the controller 100 to transfer the workpiece 200 from the loading / unloading unit 61 to the first transport unit 62. In Embodiment 1, during the holding step 1002, the processing apparatus 1 controls the first transport unit 62 via the controller 100 to place the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area. At this time, the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 and the workpiece 200 are positioned coaxially.

[0055] In Embodiment 1, during the holding step 1002, the processing apparatus 1, with the controller 100 controlling the holding unit 10 to operate the suction source, suction-holds the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200 to the holding surface 11 of the holding unit 10 positioned in the loading / unloading area. Thus, in Embodiment 1, the processing apparatus 1 places the workpiece 200 at a position coaxial with the holding surface 11 based on a block reference value or a value obtained by adding a correction value to the block reference value, according to the diameter of the workpiece 200 held by the loading / unloading unit 61, and suction-holds the workpiece 200 to the holding unit 10.

[0056] (Processing step) Processing step 1003 is the step of cutting the workpiece 200 held on the holding surface 11 by the holding step 1002 with the cutting unit 20. In Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1 has the controller 100 control the moving unit 40 to position the holding unit 10 holding the workpiece 200 in the processing area, has the imaging unit 30 image the workpiece 200, and performs alignment based on the image acquired from the imaging.

[0057] In Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1 controls the controller 100 to move the moving unit 40 relative to the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 and the workpiece 200 along the planned division line 202, causing the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 to cut into the planned division line 202 up to the center of the thickness direction of the workpiece 200, thereby forming a processing groove in the planned division line 202 of the workpiece 200. In other words, in Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1 performs a so-called half-cut of the workpiece 200.

[0058] In Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1, with the controller 100 controlling the moving unit 40 to form machining grooves on all planned division lines 202, moves the cutting unit 20 away from the workpiece 200 and moves the holding unit 10 to the loading / unloading area. In Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1, with the controller 100 controlling the second transport unit 63 and the washing unit 51, transports the workpiece 200 after machining from the holding unit 10 to the washing unit 51 and has the washing unit 51 wash the workpiece 200.

[0059] In Embodiment 1, in processing step 1003, the processing apparatus 1 controls the first transport unit 62, the loading / unloading unit 61, and the cassette mounting table 50 via the controller 100 to load the workpieces 200 from the washing unit 51 into the cassette 6. The processing apparatus 1 performs cutting on each workpiece 200 in the cassette to form processing grooves along all the planned division lines 202 of the workpieces 200 in the cassette 6.

[0060] As described above, the processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to Embodiment 1 include a positioning unit 80 having a block 83 that defines the position of the workpiece 200, with a pair of support parts 831 provided so that the spacing between them narrows from the inlet 811 side into which the workpiece 200 is inserted to the back side where the workpiece 200 abuts. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the processing apparatus 1 and processing method place the workpiece 200 at a position coaxial with the holding surface 11 based on a block reference value or a value obtained by adding a correction value to the block reference value, according to the diameter of each workpiece 200, and hold the workpiece 200 in the holding unit 10 by suction.

[0061] For this reason, the processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to Embodiment 1 can hold the workpieces 200-1 and 200-2 in a position coaxial with the holding surface 11, even if the centers 205-1 and 205-2 of workpieces 200-1 and 200-2, which have different diameters, are shifted by a distance of 300 units in the Y-axis direction, as shown in Figure 8, when they come into contact with the pair of support parts 831 of the block 83. Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to Embodiment 1, since the distance between the pair of support parts 831 narrows towards the back, the position in which the workpiece 200 is positioned in contact with the back side of the pair of support parts 831 is specified to differ for each of the multiple diameters.

[0062] As a result, the processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to Embodiment 1 eliminate the need to replace the positioning block that positions the workpiece 200, and have the effect of being able to position disc-shaped workpieces 200-1 and 200-2 with multiple diameters without bothering the operator.

[0063] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core principles of the present invention. For example, in the present invention, the processing apparatus 1 is not limited to cutting processes that cut the workpiece 200, but may be various processing apparatuses such as a grinding apparatus for grinding the workpiece 200, a polishing apparatus for polishing the workpiece 200, or a laser processing apparatus for laser processing the workpiece 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Processing Unit 10 Holding Units 20 Cutting Units (Processing Units) 80 Positioning Unit 83 blocks 100 controllers 200, 200-1, 200-2 Items to be processed 811 Entrance 831 Support part 832 Connecting part 833 sides 1001 Positioning step 1002 Holding step 1003 Processing Step

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for processing disc-shaped objects, A positioning unit having a block that defines the position of the object to be processed, A holding unit that holds the object to be processed on a holding surface, A processing unit for processing the object to be processed held in the holding unit, It includes a controller that controls each component, The block is, A processing apparatus characterized by having a pair of support parts arranged such that the distance between them narrows from the entrance side into which the object to be processed is inserted to the back side where the object to be processed abuts.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the block has a connecting portion that connects a pair of support portions.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the surface of the connecting portion facing the outer edge of the workpiece is formed in an arc shape with a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of the workpiece.

4. A processing method for processing a disc-shaped object, A positioning step in which the position of the workpiece is defined by a positioning unit having a block that defines the position of the workpiece, A holding step in which the object to be processed is held on the holding surface of the holding unit, A processing step in which the object to be processed, which is held on the holding surface by the holding step, is processed by a processing unit, Equipped with, The block has a pair of support parts that are arranged so that the spacing between them narrows from the entrance side into which the object to be processed is inserted to the back side where the object to be processed abuts. The positioning step is characterized by defining the position of the workpiece by abutting the side of the workpiece against the support portion of the block of the positioning unit, and positioning the workpiece so that the center of one circular surface of the workpiece coincides with the center of the holding surface of the holding unit.

Images