Processing device and information transmission method

Abstract

To facilitate the registration of information from the processing unit to the communication terminal. [Solution] The operator can appropriately select the information they want to register on the communication terminal by pressing the selection buttons 311 and 312 corresponding to the information displayed on the display screen 91 of the touch panel 9, and transmit it to the communication terminal via the communication line. Therefore, the operator does not need to memorize or write down the information they want to register and go from the grinding machine to the communication terminal, or transmit the information to other operators on the communication terminal side. As a result, the operator can easily register information and reduce registration errors (including errors in information transmission).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device and an information transmission method.

Background Art

[0002] There are known processing devices such as a processing device that processes an object to be processed held in a holding table using a processing unit, and a cleaning device that cleans using a cleaning unit. When a plurality of processing devices operate in a manufacturing factory, by using a communication system that receives operation information (operation status) and monitoring information transmitted from each processing device at a communication terminal and remotely manages each processing device, efficiency has been improved (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the operation of this communication system, various types of information transmitted from the processing device to the communication terminal are distinguished by IDs (VIDs (Variable IDs)) assigned to each type of information. Therefore, the operator registers the VID of the necessary information in the communication terminal. However, since the VIDs of each piece of information are summarized in a list, the operator has to search for the necessary VID from a huge number of VIDs in the list, which is troublesome.

[0005] Also, when the operator discovers information that needs to be newly registered during the operation of the processing device, each time, the operator has to go back to the communication terminal for registration, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, since the operator performs the registration at a location away from the processing device, there is also a possibility of making a registration mistake.

[0006] The objective of this invention is to facilitate the registration of information from a processing device to a communication terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus (this processing apparatus) that performs arbitrary processing on an object to be processed, comprising: a holding unit for holding the object to be processed; a processing unit for performing processing on the object held by the holding unit; a display unit that displays information managed by the processing apparatus and selection buttons for individually selecting said information; and a transmission unit that transmits the information selected by the selection buttons to a communication terminal via a communication line.

[0008] The processing device may include a storage unit that stores identifiers for individually identifying the information, and the transmission unit may transmit the identifier corresponding to the information selected by the selection button to a communication terminal.

[0009] In this processing device, the display unit may display the information and the selection button on the same screen.

[0010] In this processing device, the display unit may display an information list containing multiple pieces of information and selection buttons for individually selecting the information on the same screen.

[0011] The present invention provides an information transmission method (this information transmission method) which includes a display step of displaying information managed by a processing device that performs arbitrary processing on an object to be processed, and selection buttons for individually selecting said information, on the display unit of the processing device, and a transmission step of transmitting the information selected by the selection buttons to a communication terminal via a communication line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] With this processing device and information transmission method, the operator can select the information they wish to register on the communication terminal using the selection buttons corresponding to the information displayed on the display unit, and transmit it to the communication terminal via the communication line. Therefore, the operator does not need to memorize or write down the information they wish to register and go from the grinding device to the communication terminal, nor do they need to transmit the information to other operators on the communication terminal side. As a result, the operator can easily register information and reduce registration errors (including transmission errors). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the grinding device. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a touch panel display. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the list of selection information transmitted from the grinding machine to the communication terminal. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the list of information displayed on the touch panel. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The grinding apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a processing apparatus that performs arbitrary processing on a workpiece. This grinding apparatus 1 is equipped with a rough grinding mechanism 25 and a finish grinding mechanism 26, and grinds a wafer 100 held on a chuck table 4 using the rough grinding mechanism 25 and the finish grinding mechanism 26.

[0015] Wafer 100 is an example of a workpiece, such as a circular semiconductor wafer. In Figure 1, the surface 101 of wafer 100, which is facing downwards, is the device formation surface and is protected by the attachment of protective tape 105. The back surface 102 of wafer 100 is the workpiece surface that will be ground.

[0016] The grinding device 1 has a device base 10. On the front side (-Y direction side) of the device base 10, a first cassette 14 and a second cassette 15 for accommodating a plurality of wafers 100 are arranged. The wafers 100 before processing in the first cassette 14 and the second cassette 15 are taken out by a robot 13 and placed on a temporary placement mechanism 16.

[0017] The temporary placement mechanism 16 aligns (centers) the wafer 100 at a predetermined position.

[0018] The wafer 100 aligned in the temporary placement mechanism 16 is placed on the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4 located at the transfer position 45 near the temporary placement mechanism 16 by a transfer mechanism 17. The transfer position 45 is the position of the chuck table 4 when loading and unloading the wafer 100 to and from the chuck table 4.

[0019] The chuck table 4 is an example of a holding unit that holds the wafer 100 as the object to be processed. The upper surface of the chuck table 4 serves as a holding surface 40 that sucks and holds the wafer 100 by being connected to a suction source (not shown). The chuck table 4 sucks and holds the wafer 100 via a protective tape 105 by the holding surface 40.

[0020] In the present embodiment, three chuck tables 4 are arranged on the upper surface of a turntable 6 disposed on the device base 10. The three chuck tables 4 are arranged at equal intervals on a circle centered on the center of the turntable 6.

[0021] The turntable 6 is configured to rotate about a central axis extending in the Z-axis direction passing through the center of the turntable 6. By the rotation of the turntable 6, the three chuck tables 4 revolve. Thereby, the turntable 6 can move the chuck table 4 in the horizontal direction and position the chuck table 4 at the transfer position 45 near the temporary placement mechanism 16, the rough grinding position 46 below the rough grinding mechanism 25, and the finish grinding position 47 below the finish grinding mechanism 26.

[0022] A first column 11 is erected behind the device base 10 (on the +Y direction side). On the front surface of the first column 11, a rough grinding mechanism 25 for rough grinding the wafer 100 and a rough grinding feed mechanism 20 for feeding the rough grinding mechanism 25 for grinding are arranged.

[0023] The rough grinding feed mechanism 20 feeds the rough grinding mechanism 25 for grinding along the Z-axis direction.

[0024] The rough grinding mechanism 25 is an example of a processing unit that processes the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 4. The rough grinding mechanism 25 includes a spindle housing 31, a spindle 30 rotatably held by the spindle housing 31, a spindle motor 32 that rotationally drives the spindle 30, and a rough grinding wheel 34 attached to the tip of the spindle 30.

[0025] The spindle housing 31 is held by the rough grinding feed mechanism 20 so as to extend in the Z-axis direction. The spindle 30 extends in the Z-axis direction so as to be orthogonal to the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4 and is rotatably supported by the spindle housing 31.

[0026] The spindle motor 32 is connected to the upper end side of the spindle 30. By this spindle motor 32, the spindle 30 rotates about a rotation axis extending in the Z-axis direction.

[0027] The rough grinding wheel 34 is attached to the lower end of the spindle 30. The rough grinding wheel 34 includes an annular wheel base 35 formed of a metal material. On the lower surface of the wheel base 35, a plurality of rough grinding abrasive grains 36 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape are arranged and fixed in an annular shape over the entire circumference. The rough grinding abrasive grains 36 are rotated by the rotation of the spindle 30 and grind the back surface 102 of the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 4. The rough grinding abrasive grains 36 are abrasive grains containing relatively large abrasive grains.

[0028] During grinding, grinding water is supplied to the contact area between the rough grinding wheel 36 and the back surface 102 of the wafer 100 via an internal nozzle (not shown) or via water channels provided inside the spindle 30 and the rough grinding wheel 34.

[0029] A first thickness measuring instrument 50 is positioned adjacent to the chuck table 4, which is located below the rough grinding mechanism 25. The first thickness measuring instrument 50 calculates the thickness of the wafer 100 being roughly ground.

[0030] The first thickness measuring device 50 has a first contact element 51 for measuring the height of a frame surface 41 that is flush with the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4, and a second contact element 52 for measuring the height of a wafer 100.

[0031] The first thickness measuring instrument 50 uses the first contact 51 and the second contact 52 to determine the height of the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4 and the height of the wafer 100, and measures the thickness of the wafer 100 based on the difference between these heights.

[0032] Furthermore, a second column 12 is erected at the rear of the device base 10, adjacent to the first column 11 along the X-axis direction. A finishing grinding mechanism 26 for finishing grinding the wafer 100 and a finishing grinding feed mechanism 21 for feeding the finishing grinding mechanism 26 are arranged on the front of the second column 12.

[0033] The finishing grinding feed mechanism 21 feeds the finishing grinding mechanism 26 along the Z-axis direction.

[0034] The finishing grinding mechanism 26 is also an example of a processing unit that processes the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 4. The finishing grinding mechanism 26 has the same configuration as the rough grinding mechanism 25, except that it is equipped with a finishing grinding wheel 38 instead of a rough grinding wheel 34. The finishing grinding wheel 38 has a wheel base 35 and a finishing grinding wheel 37. The finishing grinding wheel 37 is a grinding wheel containing relatively small abrasive grains.

[0035] A second thickness measuring instrument 60 is positioned adjacent to the chuck table 4, which is located below the finishing grinding mechanism 26. The second thickness measuring instrument 60 measures the thickness of the wafer 100 being finished grinding.

[0036] The second thickness measuring device 60 has a first contact element 61 for measuring the height of the frame surface 41 which is flush with the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4, and a second contact element 62 for measuring the height of the wafer 100 which is in contact with the wafer 100.

[0037] The second thickness measuring instrument 60 uses the first contactor 61 and the second contactor 62 to determine the height of the holding surface 40 of the chuck table 4 and the height of the wafer 100, and measures the thickness of the wafer 100 based on the difference between these heights.

[0038] After finish grinding, the wafer 100 is transported by the unloading mechanism 18 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 19 for cleaning. The cleaned wafer 100 is then loaded by the robot 13 into either the first cassette 14 or the second cassette 15 (the cassette from which the wafer 100 was removed).

[0039] Furthermore, the grinding apparatus 1 has a control unit 7 inside for controlling the grinding apparatus 1. The control unit 7 is equipped with a CPU that performs calculations according to a control program, and a storage medium such as memory. The control unit 7 executes various processes and comprehensively controls each component of the grinding apparatus 1. For example, the control unit 7 controls the aforementioned components of the grinding apparatus 1 to perform grinding on the wafer 100.

[0040] Furthermore, the grinding device 1 is connected to a communication terminal 200 managed by the operator via a communication line NW. In the grinding device 1, the control unit 7 is configured to communicate with the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW. That is, the control unit 7 functions as a transmitting unit that sends information to the communication terminal 200 and a receiving unit that receives information from the communication terminal 200.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 7 includes a storage unit 71. The storage unit 71 is used to store various information used in the processing of the control unit 7.

[0042] The grinding device 1 also includes a housing 8 that covers the device base 10. A touch panel 9 with a display screen 91 is installed on the side of the housing 8. Various information such as processing conditions related to the grinding device 1 is displayed on the touch panel 9. The touch panel 9 is also used to set various information. Thus, the touch panel 9 functions as an input component for inputting information, as well as a display unit for displaying information managed by the grinding device 1.

[0043] Figure 2 shows an example of the display on the touch panel 9 during the grinding operation of the wafer 100 by the grinding device 1. As shown in Figure 2, for example, during the grinding operation of the wafer 100, the control unit 7 displays information indicating the status of the grinding operation on the display screen 91 of the touch panel 9. This information includes, for example, status, parameters, and events.

[0044] For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, the first display area 301 and the second display area 302, which show the information "Z2 IN" and "Z2 OUT," are displayed in the center of the touch panel 9. In this regard, "Z2" refers to the second thickness measuring instrument 60 located near the finishing grinding mechanism 26 shown in Figure 1.

[0045] The "Z2 IN" displayed in the first display field 301 indicates the height information of the second contact 62, which is the inner contact of the second thickness measuring instrument 60. The "Z2 OUT" displayed in the second display field 302 indicates the height information of the first contact 61, which is the outer contact of the second thickness measuring instrument 60.

[0046] In the example shown in this figure, the heights of the first contactor 61 and the second contactor 62 are shown to be 1000 mm. From this height value, it can be seen that the first contactor 61 and the second contactor 62 are raised and in a standby state.

[0047] Furthermore, the information displayed on the touch panel 9 can be switched to any information desired by the operator through their operation. This information is then registered in the communication terminal 200 as needed. The content (numerical values) of the registered information is transmitted to the communication terminal 200, for example, sequentially or periodically, and managed by the communication terminal 200.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the various types of information that can be displayed in the grinding device 1 are distinguished by a VID (Variable ID), which is an identifier assigned to each piece of information. Therefore, if an operator wants to register information, they register the VID of that information in the communication terminal 200. Note that the VID includes the SVID (Status Variable ID). The SVID corresponds to the status (information that is constantly updated, such as current values) within the VID.

[0049] In this embodiment, the VID of each piece of information is stored in the storage unit 71. That is, the storage unit 71 is configured to store identifiers (VIDs) for individually identifying information.

[0050] Here, we will describe the information transmission method (information registration method) in the grinding apparatus 1 of this embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, the control unit 7 displays information managed by the grinding device 1 and selection buttons for individually selecting information on the touch panel 9, which is the display unit of the grinding device 1 (display step).

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the control unit 7 displays a first selection button 311 adjacent to the first display field 301 on the display screen 91 of the touch panel 9, and a second selection button 312 adjacent to the second display field 302. The first selection button 311 is a button for selecting the information displayed in the first display field 301 (i.e., "Z2 IN"). The second selection button 312 is a button for selecting the information displayed in the second display field 302 (i.e., "Z2 OUT").

[0053] In this way, during the display process, the touch panel 9 displays multiple or single pieces of information managed by the grinding machine 1, along with selection buttons for individually selecting this information, on the same screen.

[0054] In this embodiment, the operator can select information displayed in the first display field 301 (second display field 302) by pressing (touching) the first selection button 311 (second selection button 312). In this embodiment, the control unit 7 places a check mark on the first selection button 311 (second selection button 312) pressed by the operator.

[0055] In this embodiment, when a worker presses a selection button to select information, the control unit 7 displays a transmit button 305 on the touch panel 9. When the worker presses this transmit button 305, the control unit 7 creates a selection information list 320 containing the selected information, as shown in Figure 3, and transmits it to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW (see Figure 1) (transmission process). Note that the strings "Z2 HG Inner" and "Z2 HG Outer" in the selection information list 320 shown in Figure 3 mean "Z2 IN" and "Z2 OUT," respectively.

[0056] Thus, the control unit 7 functions as a transmission unit that performs a transmission process to send the information selected by the selection button to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW. Furthermore, when transmitting this information, the control unit 7 uses the VID corresponding to each piece of information stored in the storage unit 71. That is, the control unit 7 reads the VID that identifies the information selected by the selection button from the storage unit 71, creates a selection information list 320 including the read VID, and transmits it to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, the selection information list 320 includes "1600001" and "1600002", which are VIDs corresponding to "Z2 HG Inner" and "Z2 HG Outer".

[0057] After this transmission process, the operator who transmitted the VID, or another operator, registers the information in the communication terminal 200 using the VID transmitted from the grinding machine 1 by the control unit 7.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, the operator can appropriately select the information they wish to register with the communication terminal 200 by pressing the selection button corresponding to each piece of information displayed on the touch panel 9, and then transmit it to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW. Therefore, the operator does not need to memorize or write down the information they wish to register and then go from the grinding machine 1 to the communication terminal 200, nor do they need to transmit the information to other operators on the communication terminal 200 side. As a result, the operator can easily register information and reduce registration errors (including errors in transmitting VIDs).

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 7 reads the VID, which is an identifier corresponding to the information selected by the selection button, from the storage unit 71 and transmits it to the communication terminal 200. Therefore, the operator does not need to search for the necessary VID from a list of VIDs for each piece of information in order to perform registration using the VID. As a result, the operator can perform information registration more easily.

[0060] The touch panel 9 displays various information managed by the grinding machine 1. In this regard, the information displayed on the touch panel 9 along with the selection buttons includes, for example, information regarding the VID (Virtual Identifier) ​​setting.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the VID of the information selected by the operator using the selection button is transmitted from the grinding device 1 to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW. At this time, the communication terminal 200 (the control unit of the communication terminal 200) may be configured to register the received VID to itself (automatic registration). In this configuration, registration of information by the operator is not required, making information registration even easier and reducing registration errors more effectively.

[0062] Furthermore, in the transmission process of this embodiment, when a selection button is pressed by the operator to select information, a transmit button 305 is displayed on the touch panel 9, and when the operator presses this transmit button 305, the VID of the selected information is transmitted to the communication terminal 200. In this regard, the transmit button 305 is not required to be used in the transmission process. In this case, for example, when a selection button is pressed by the operator to select information, the VID of this information may be transmitted to the communication terminal 200.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the information display area may also function as a selection button. For example, the first display area 301 and the second display area 302 shown in Figure 2 may also function as selection buttons for the information "Z2 IN" and "Z2 OUT" displayed therein. In this case, the operator can select the information they wish to register by pressing the corresponding display area. In this configuration, the display format (e.g., color) of the information display area may be changed by the operator pressing the button.

[0064] Furthermore, the selection buttons for the information displayed on the touch panel 9 do not necessarily have to be displayed on the touch panel 9 at all times. For example, the control unit 7 may display a mode switching button (not shown) on the touch panel 9, and when this mode switching button is pressed by the operator, the display mode of the touch panel 9 may be set to VID selection mode, and the selection buttons corresponding to each piece of information may be displayed on the touch panel 9.

[0065] Furthermore, the touch panel 9 may display an information list containing multiple pieces of information and selection buttons for individually selecting each piece of information on the same screen. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 7 may display an information list (information display area) 400 containing multiple pieces of information, a VID display area 401 that displays VIDs corresponding to these pieces of information, and a selection button display area 402 that displays selection buttons (selection buttons associated with these pieces of information) that allow for individual selection of these pieces of information on one display screen 91 of the touch panel 9.

[0066] In this configuration, for example, when a mode switching button (not shown) is pressed by an operator, the control unit 7 sets the display mode of the touch panel 9 to VID selection mode and displays an information list 400, a VID display field 401, and a selection button display field 402 on the touch panel 9, as shown in Figure 4. The operator then searches the information list 400 for the information they want to register with the communication terminal 200 and selects it using the selection buttons displayed in the selection button display field 402. Furthermore, when the operator presses the transmit button 403 displayed on the touch panel 9, the control unit 7 creates a selection information list 320 containing the selected information, as shown in Figure 3, and transmits it to the communication terminal 200 via the communication line NW.

[0067] In this configuration, the operator can send the information they want to register to the communication terminal 200 by pressing the selection button corresponding to each piece of information displayed on the touch panel 9. Therefore, the operator can easily register information and reduce registration errors.

[0068] In this configuration, the control unit 7 may limit the information displayed in the information list 400 so that the number of items in the information list 400 does not become too large. For example, the control unit 7 may be configured to display the information displayed on the touch panel 9 (and information closely related to this information) in the information list 400 when the mode switching button is pressed by the operator.

[0069] Furthermore, the processing apparatus according to this embodiment is not limited to the grinding apparatus 1, but may be any processing apparatus having a holding unit, a processing unit, a display unit, and a transmitting unit. Examples of processing apparatuses according to this embodiment include, for example, a cutting apparatus for cutting the wafer 100, a laser processing apparatus for laser processing the wafer, a plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing the wafer, a polishing apparatus for polishing the wafer 100, a tape application machine for applying tape to the wafer 100, a measuring instrument for performing measurements on the wafer 100, and a cleaning machine for cleaning the wafer 100. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1: Grinding device, 4: Chuck table, 6: Turntable, 7: Control unit, 8: Enclosure, 9: Touch panel, 10: Device base, 11: First column, 12: Second column, 13: Robot, 14: First cassette, 15: Second cassette, 16: Temporary storage mechanism, 17: Loading mechanism, 18: Unloading mechanism, 19: Spinner cleaning mechanism, 20: Rough grinding feed mechanism, 21: Finish grinding feed mechanism, 25: Rough grinding mechanism, 26: Finishing grinding mechanism, 30: Spindle, 31: Spindle housing, 32: Spindle motor, 34: Coarse grinding wheel, 35: Wheel base, 36: Coarse grinding wheel, 37: Finishing grinding wheel, 38: Finishing grinding wheel, 40: Holding surface, 41: Frame surface, 45: Conveying position, 46: Rough grinding position, 47: Finish grinding position, 50: First thickness measuring instrument, 51: First contact element, 52: Second contact element, 60: Second thickness measuring instrument, 61: First contact element, 62: Second contact element, 71: Storage section, 91: Display screen, 100: Wafer, 101: Front side, 102: Back side, 105: Protective tape 200: Communication terminal, 301: First display field, 302: Second display field, 305: Send button, 311: First selection button, 312: Second selection button, 320: Selected information list, 400: Information list, 401: VID display field, 402: Select button display area, 403: Send button, NW: Communication line

Claims

1. A processing apparatus that applies arbitrary processing to an object to be processed, A holding unit for holding the object to be processed, A processing unit that performs processing on the object to be processed held in the holding unit, A display unit that displays information managed by the processing unit, and selection buttons for individually selecting such information, A transmission unit that transmits the information selected by the selection button to a communication terminal via a communication line, A processing device equipped with the following features.

2. It includes a storage unit that stores an identifier for individually identifying the information, The transmitting unit is characterized by transmitting the identifier corresponding to the information selected by the selection button to the communication terminal. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The display unit is characterized by displaying the information and the selection button on the same screen. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The display unit is characterized by displaying an information list containing multiple pieces of information and selection buttons for individually selecting the information on the same screen. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. A display step in which information managed by a processing device that performs arbitrary processing on an object to be processed, and selection buttons for individually selecting said information, are displayed on the display unit of the processing device. A transmission step in which the information selected by the selection button is transmitted to a communication terminal via a communication line, A method of transmitting information that includes this.

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