Method for replacing wafer processing equipment and sealing components

Abstract

This technology provides a way to reduce the labor required for replacing sealing components. [Solution] The grinding apparatus comprises a chuck table 10 disposed on a turntable 50, a grinding unit for processing a workpiece held on the chuck table 10, a partition plate 51 disposed on the turntable 50, a processing chamber cover having a partition wall 32 facing the partition plate 51, and a sealing mechanism for sealing the space between the partition plate 51 and the partition wall 32 when the chuck table 10 is positioned in the processing area. The sealing mechanism includes a sealing fixing part 53 that fixes a plate-shaped first sealing member 55 made of an elastic material to the partition plate 51 by clamping it from both sides of the first and second surfaces such that a part of each of the first and second surfaces of the first sealing member 55 is exposed from the upper end, and a plate-shaped second sealing member 54 made of a plastic material that is fixed to the partition wall 32 so that its fixing position can be changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus and a method for replacing a seal member.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a processing apparatus having a structure in which a plurality of chuck tables are arranged on a rotatable turntable, and a workpiece on the chuck table can be sequentially moved to each processing area. In the processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a partition plate provided on the turntable, a side wall of a cover covering the processing area facing the partition plate, and a sealing mechanism for sealing between the partition plate and the side wall can prevent splashes during processing from entering an adjacent area.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An elastic member such as rubber may be used for the sealing mechanism. Generally, an elastic member deteriorates due to usage conditions and aging, so replacement is necessary. Therefore, reduction of the man-hours associated with the replacement work of a member (hereinafter referred to as a seal member) used for such sealing is expected.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing the replacement man-hours of a seal member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A wafer processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a movable table, a chuck table disposed on the movable table and having a holding surface for holding a workpiece, processing means disposed in a processing area where the chuck table is positioned and for processing the workpiece held by the chuck table, a partition plate disposed on the movable table and formed to separate the processing area from the outside of the processing area in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the movable table when the chuck table is positioned in the processing area, and a wall disposed on the processing means and facing the partition plate when the chuck table is positioned in the processing area The device comprises a bar means and a sealing mechanism that seals the space between the partition plate and the wall of the cover means when the chuck table is positioned in the processing area, the sealing mechanism having a sealing fixing portion that fixes a plate-shaped first sealing member made of an elastic material to the partition plate by clamping it from both sides of the first surface and the second surface opposite the first surface such that a portion of each surface is exposed from the upper end, and a plate-shaped second sealing member made of a plastic material that is fixed to the wall of the cover means so as to be able to change its fixing position, the first sealing member and the second sealing member coming into contact with each other to fill the gap between the partition plate and the wall of the cover means.

[0007] A method for replacing a sealing member according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for replacing a sealing member using a wafer processing apparatus according to the above aspect, comprising: a moving step of moving the moving table to move the partition plate to a predetermined position where it does not face the wall of the cover means; a removal step of removing the first sealing member fixed to the sealing fixing part; and an installation step of installing a new first sealing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the man-hours required for replacing sealing members. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a grinding apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2]This is a perspective view of the interior of the processing room. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the sealing mechanism. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the sealing mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the partition plate and the seal fixing part. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the partition plate and the seal fixing part. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for replacing the sealing component. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart for the process of replacing sealing components. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of a modified grinding apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grinding apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions shown in Figure 1 are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis and Y-axis directions are approximately horizontal, while the Z-axis direction is vertical.

[0011] Grinding apparatus 1 is a processing apparatus that performs grinding on a workpiece. Grinding apparatus 1 is configured to perform a series of processes on the workpiece, including loading, grinding, cleaning, and unloading, for example, fully automatically. The workpiece is, for example, a wafer, which is loaded into grinding apparatus 1 in a loading cassette 46. The wafer processed by grinding apparatus 1 is, for example, a semiconductor wafer such as silicon or gallium arsenide, but it may also be a ceramic, glass, or sapphire-based optical device wafer. In other words, grinding apparatus 1 is an example of a wafer processing apparatus that processes wafers.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the grinding apparatus 1 includes a turntable 50, a chuck table 10 mounted on the turntable 50, a grinding unit 20 mounted in the processing area where the chuck table 10 is positioned, a partition plate 51 mounted on the turntable 50, a processing chamber cover 30 mounted on the grinding unit 20, and a sealing mechanism 52 (omitted in Figure 1, see Figure 3), which will be described later. As shown in Figure 1, the grinding apparatus 1 may further include a transport unit 40, a cleaning unit 60, and a control device 70.

[0013] The turntable 50 is a disc-shaped table provided on the upper surface of the main body 2 of the device. It is a table that can rotate freely around the Z-axis and is equipped with a chuck table 10 and a partition plate 51. The turntable 50 is an example of a movable table that is arranged to be movable. Three chuck tables 10 are arranged on the turntable 50 at 120-degree intervals.

[0014] The chuck table 10 is a holding table having a holding surface 101 for holding a workpiece, and it holds the workpiece placed on the holding surface 101 by suction. The material constituting the holding surface 101 is made of porous ceramic or the like, and the chuck table 10 generates a suction force on the holding surface 101 by a suction source (not shown) performing a suction operation, thereby holding the workpiece by suction.

[0015] When the chuck table 10 is positioned closest to the transport unit 40 due to the rotation of the turntable 50, the workpiece is loaded and unloaded at that loading / unloading position. As the turntable 50 rotates, the chuck table 10 moves sequentially from the loading / unloading position to the rough grinding position, the finish grinding position, and back to the loading / unloading position. The rough grinding position and the finish grinding position are located below the two grinding units 20.

[0016] One of the two grinding units 20 performs rough grinding on the back surface of the workpiece before grinding held by the chuck table 10 positioned at the rough grinding position, thereby thinning the workpiece. The other of the two grinding units 20 performs finish grinding on the back surface of the workpiece that has been rough-grinded and held by the chuck table 10 positioned at the finish grinding position, thereby thinning the workpiece. That is, the two grinding units 20 are arranged in the processing area where the chuck table 10 is positioned, and are an example of processing means for processing the workpiece held by the chuck table 10.

[0017] Each of the two grinding units 20 includes a grinding wheel 23 in which a plurality of grinding stones are annularly arranged, and a moving unit 21 that moves the grinding wheel 23 in the Z-axis direction. Each grinding unit 20 grinds the back surface of the workpiece by moving the moving unit 21 to move the grinding wheel 23 in the Z-axis direction so that the grinding stones of the rotating grinding wheel 23 contact the back surface of the workpiece held by the chuck table 10.

[0018] The partition plate 51 is formed radially by extending in the radial direction of the turntable 50 from the center of the turntable 50 through the space between the turntable 50 and the chuck table 10. That is, the partition plate 51 is formed to partition the processing area and the outside of the processing area in a direction intersecting the moving direction (i.e., the circumferential direction) of the turntable 50 in a state where the chuck table 10 is positioned in the processing area. Note that three partition plates 51 are provided on the turntable 50 at intervals of 120 degrees according to the number of chuck tables 10.

[0019] The processing chamber cover 30 is cover means for covering a processing chamber (processing chamber KA, processing chamber KB), which is a processing area where a workpiece is processed by the grinding unit 20. More specifically, the processing chamber cover 30 covers two chuck tables 10 respectively positioned at the rough grinding position and the finish grinding position, and the grinding wheels 23 of each grinding unit. On the upper surface 35 of the processing chamber cover 30, a through hole 31 and a door 33 are provided. The through hole 31 is for passing through the spindles of each grinding unit 20. The door 33 opens an opening 34 to replace the grinding wheel 23 attached to the flange of the spindle.

[0020] The processing chamber cover 30 further includes three partition walls 32 facing the partition plate 51 with the chuck table 10 positioned in the processing area, and side walls (side walls 36, 37, 38) forming the sides of each processing chamber. The processing chamber cover 30 forms a gap below the partition wall 32 when placed on the apparatus main body 2. The chuck table 10 moves from the loading / unloading position through the gap formed below the partition wall 32 by the rotation of the turntable 50 into the processing chamber KA in the processing chamber cover 30, from the processing chamber KA to the processing chamber KB, and further from the processing chamber KB in the processing chamber cover 30 to the loading / unloading position outside the processing chamber cover 30. Three partition walls 32 are provided at 120-degree intervals on the processing chamber cover 30 according to the number of partition plates 51.

[0021] The conveying unit 40 conveys the workpiece in the grinding apparatus 1. It conveys the workpiece before grinding to the chuck table 10 positioned at the loading / unloading position and collects the workpiece after grinding positioned at the loading / unloading position from the chuck table 10. The conveying unit 40 includes an unloading cassette 41, a conveying mechanism 42, a temporary placement part 43, a loading arm 44, an unloading arm 45, and a loading cassette 46.

[0022] The loading cassette 46 and the unloading cassette 41 are identical cassettes, and each contains a workpiece before grinding and a workpiece after grinding, respectively. The transport mechanism 42 transports the workpiece between the loading cassette 46 and the temporary storage section 43, and between the unloading cassette 41 and the washing unit 60. The temporary storage section 43 positions the center of the workpiece at the center of the temporary storage section 43 using a plurality of positioning pins that can move forward and backward relative to the center of the temporary storage section 43. The loading arm 44 transports the workpiece from the temporary storage section 43 to the chuck table 10, and the unloading arm 45 transports the workpiece from the chuck table 10 to the washing unit 60.

[0023] The cleaning unit 60 cleans the workpiece after grinding. The cleaning unit 60 has, for example, a spinner table that rotates at high speed, and cleans the workpiece by supplying cleaning fluid to the workpiece held by the spinner table.

[0024] The control device 70 controls the operation of each part of the grinding machine 1. The control device 70 is composed of, for example, a processor that performs various processes and a memory that stores various parameters and programs.

[0025] In the grinding apparatus 1 configured as described above, the processor of the control device 70 executes a program to perform a series of processes for processing the workpiece. Specifically, the transport mechanism 42 removes the workpiece before grinding from the input cassette 46 and transports it to the temporary storage section 43. The workpiece positioned in the temporary storage section 43 is held by suction by the input arm 44 and placed on the chuck table 10, which is pre-positioned at the input / output position by the turntable 50. The workpiece placed on the chuck table 10 is held by suction by the holding surface 101 of the chuck table 10 and is positioned below the grinding unit 20 for rough grinding by the rotation of the turntable 50. Subsequently, the grinding unit 20 rough grinds the back surface of the workpiece while supplying grinding fluid to the workpiece which is rotating by the rotation of the chuck table 10. When rough grinding is completed, the turntable 50 rotates to position the workpiece below the grinding unit 20 for finish grinding. Furthermore, the grinding unit 20 finish grinds the back surface of the workpiece while supplying grinding fluid to the workpiece as it rotates due to the rotation of the chuck table 10. When the finish grinding is complete, the turntable 50 rotates to position the workpiece at the loading / unloading position. The ground workpiece, positioned at the loading / unloading position, is held in place by the unloading arm 45 and transported to the washing unit 60, where it is washed. The washed ground workpiece is then placed in the unloading cassette 41 by the transport mechanism 42.

[0026] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the interior of the processing chamber. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sealing mechanism. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the sealing mechanism. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the partition plate and the seal fixing part. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the partition plate and the seal fixing part. The configuration of the interior of the processing chamber will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 6.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the grinding apparatus 1 is equipped with a sealing mechanism 52 that seals the space between the partition plate 51 and the partition wall 32 of the processing chamber cover 30 when the chuck table 10 is positioned in the processing area. The first sealing member 55 and the second sealing member 54, which will be described later, are in contact to fill the gap between the partition plate 51 and the partition wall 32 of the processing chamber cover 30. This prevents splashes and other debris generated in each processing chamber from entering adjacent areas when the chuck table 10 is positioned in the processing area, without hindering the movement of the chuck table 10 due to the rotation of the turntable 50.

[0028] Figure 2 shows the turntable 50 with its upper cover removed. By attaching the upper cover to the turntable 50, the partition plate 51, the lower part of the seal fixing part 53, the lower part of the first seal member 55, and the lower part of the chuck table 10 are covered by the upper cover. Grinding is performed with the upper cover attached, that is, in the processing chamber, with the upper part of the seal fixing part 53, the upper part of the first seal member 55, and the upper part of the chuck table 10 exposed from the upper cover.

[0029] The sealing mechanism 52 includes a sealing fixing part 53 attached to the partition plate 51 and a second sealing member 54 attached to the partition wall 32. The sealing fixing part 53 fixes the plate-shaped first sealing member 55, which is made of an elastic material such as rubber, to the partition plate 51 by clamping it from both sides of the first and second surfaces of the first sealing member 55. More specifically, the sealing fixing part 53 fixes the first sealing member 55 to the partition plate 51 by clamping it so that a portion of the first and second surfaces of the first sealing member 55 are exposed from the upper end of the sealing fixing part 53. The first sealing member 55 is a consumable item that is replaced according to the degree of deterioration due to use or aging, and the sealing fixing part 53 clamps the first sealing member 55 in a replaceable manner.

[0030] The seal fixing section 53 includes a first support member 531 attached to the partition plate 51 and a plate-shaped second support member 532. The first support member 531 and the second support member 532 are made of, for example, a metal material. In the seal fixing section 53, the first seal member 55 and the second support member 532 are arranged on the upper surface of a recess in the first support member 531, which has an L-shaped cross-section, as shown in Figure 4, for example, and the first seal member 55 is sandwiched between the first support member 531 and the second support member 532, and the first support member 531 and the second support member 532 are fastened together with bolts. With this configuration, the first seal member 55 can be removed from the seal fixing section 53 by removing the bolts and replaced with a new first seal member 55.

[0031] The second sealing member 54 is a plate-shaped member that is fixed to the partition wall 32 of the processing chamber cover 30 in a manner that allows its fixed position to be changed. Unlike the first sealing member 55, it is made of a plastic material such as metal. The fixed position of the second sealing member 54 relative to the partition wall 32 can be adjusted by the position of the screws used when fastening the second sealing member 54 to the elongated holes formed in the partition wall 32. The fixed position of the second sealing member 54 should be adjusted so that, with the chuck table 10 positioned in the processing area, the first sealing member 55 and the second sealing member 54 come into contact and fill the gap between the partition plate 51 and the partition wall 32.

[0032] In the grinding apparatus 1 configured as described above, the position of the seal fixing part 53 that holds the consumable first seal member 55 can be arbitrarily adjusted by rotating the turntable 50. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to replace the first seal member 55, the first seal member 55 can be easily replaced without removing the machining chamber cover 30 by rotating the turntable 50 so that the first seal member 55 is positioned outside the machining chamber cover 30. Specifically, by rotating the turntable 50 by, for example, 60 degrees from the state in which the chuck table 10 is positioned in the machining area, the first seal member 55 can be positioned outside the machining chamber cover 30 and easily replaced. Thus, the grinding apparatus 1 can reduce the man-hours required to replace the seal member.

[0033] As described above, the grinding device 1 is configured such that the first sealing member 55 and the second sealing member 54 come into contact with each other to fill the gap between the partition plate 51 and the partition wall 32. Therefore, when the turntable 50 rotates, the first sealing member 55 moves against the second sealing member 54. If, for some reason, an excessively large force is applied between the first sealing member 55 and the second sealing member 54 at this time, there is a risk that the second sealing member 54 or the partition wall 32 to which the second sealing member 54 is fixed may deform. Repairing these is generally a time-consuming task, and it may be necessary to replace the entire processing chamber cover 30.

[0034] Therefore, the grinding apparatus 1 is configured to allow replacement of the seal fixing part 53 in addition to the first seal member 55. When a large force is applied between the first seal member 55 and the second seal member 54, the seal fixing part 53 will tilt, preventing the large force from being continuously applied to the second seal member 54 (processing chamber cover 30) and thus avoiding damage to the processing chamber cover 30. The configuration for avoiding damage to the processing chamber cover 30 will be described in detail below.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the seal fixing portion 53 is plate-shaped overall and has a notch 535 at the connection point between the lower surface 534 of the seal fixing portion 53 (first support member 531) that contacts the partition plate 51 and the side surface 533 of the seal fixing portion 53 (first support member 531) that connects to the lower surface 534. The presence of the notch 535 in the seal fixing portion 53 makes it easier for the seal fixing portion 53 to tilt relative to the partition plate 51 when a large force is applied between the first seal member 55 and the second seal member 54.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the partition plate 51 is fastened to the turntable 50 by a first bolt, bolt 56, and the seal fixing part 53 (first support member 531) is fastened to the partition plate 51 by a second bolt, bolt 57, as shown in Figure 6. Here, the nominal diameter of bolt 56 is larger than the nominal diameter of bolt 57, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, if a large force is applied between the first seal member 55 and the second seal member 54, and stress is applied to both bolts as a result, the bolt 57, which has a smaller nominal diameter, is more likely to break before bolt 56.

[0037] As described above, by configuring the seal fixing part 53 to bend easily against the partition plate 51, and the bolt 57 to break more easily than the bolt 56, if a large force is applied between the first seal member 55 and the second seal member 54 in the grinding device 1, the bolt 57 or the seal fixing part 53 will break, causing the seal fixing part 53 to bend against the partition plate 51. Therefore, with the grinding device 1, damage to the processing chamber cover 30 can be avoided. In addition, if the seal fixing part 53 bends, the grinding device 1 can be easily repaired by replacing the seal fixing part 53 and then re-fastening it with a new bolt 57.

[0038] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for replacing the sealing member. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the sealing member replacement process. The following explanation will describe the work performed by the operator and the processing performed by the grinding device 1, using the case of replacing all three first sealing members 55 as an example, with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

[0039] The operator performs the operation shown in Figure 7. First, the operator operates the grinding device 1 to move the turntable 50 to a predetermined position (step S1). The predetermined position is any position where the partition plate 51 does not face the partition wall 32. For example, the turntable 50 may be moved so that the first seal member 55 is in the loading / unloading position. This allows the operator to touch the first seal member 55 without being obstructed by the processing chamber cover 30. After that, the operator removes the first seal member 55 from the seal fixing part 53 (step S2) and attaches a new first seal member 55 to the seal fixing part 53 in place of the removed first seal member 55 (step S3). After that, the operator determines whether all first seal members 55 have been replaced (step S4) and repeats steps S1 to S3 until all first seal members 55 have been replaced. Once all the first sealing members 55 have been replaced, the operator operates the grinding device 1 to move the turntable 50 to its initial position (step S5), thereby completing the series of replacement operations. The initial position is the position in which the three chuck tables 10 are positioned at the loading / unloading position, the rough grinding position, and the finish grinding position.

[0040] In response to the operator's input, the grinding device 1 performs the process shown in Figure 8. First, when the operator switches the operating mode of the grinding device 1 to the replacement mode in step S1, the grinding device 1 detects that the operating mode has been switched to the replacement mode (step S11 YES) and rotates the turntable 50 by a first predetermined angle (step S12). The first predetermined angle is, for example, half of the distance between the chuck tables 10 (120 degrees) (60 degrees). This moves the first sealing member 55 outside the processing chamber cover 30, allowing the operator to touch the first sealing member 55. After that, the grinding device 1 monitors the completion of the replacement work (step S13). In step S13, the grinding device 1 may detect the completion of the replacement work by, for example, detecting a predetermined operation on the grinding device 1 by the operator (for example, pressing a predetermined button). When the grinding device 1 detects the completion of the replacement work, it determines whether all first seal members 55 have been replaced (step S14). If it determines that there are still first seal members 55 that have not been replaced (step S14NO), it rotates the turntable 50 by a second predetermined angle (step S15). The second predetermined angle is, for example, the distance between the chuck tables 10 (120 degrees). The process from steps S13 to S15 is repeated until all first seal members 55 have been replaced. When it determines that all first seal members 55 have been replaced (step S14NO), the grinding device 1 rotates the turntable 50 by a first predetermined angle (step S16), switches the operating mode to normal mode, and ends the series of replacement processes.

[0041] The method for replacing the seal member shown in Figures 7 and 8 includes a moving step (steps S1, S12, and S15) in which the turntable 50 is moved to a predetermined position where the partition plate 51 does not face the partition wall 32, a removal step (step S2) in which the first seal member 55 fixed to the seal fixing part 53 is removed, and an installation step (step S3) in which a new first seal member 55 is installed. By performing the work in Figure 7 and the process in Figure 8, all first seal members 55 can be replaced while reducing the workload. In addition, the grinding device 1 automatically returns to the state in which the three chuck tables 10 are positioned at the loading / unloading position, rough grinding position, and finish grinding position. This minimizes the downtime of the grinding device 1 due to the replacement of the first seal member 55.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be realized in a different way by advances in the art or by other derived arts, it may be implemented by that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0043] In the embodiments described above, a grinding apparatus 1 was exemplified as the wafer processing apparatus, but the wafer processing apparatus is not limited to a grinding apparatus. The wafer processing apparatus may be other processing apparatuses such as polishing apparatuses or cutting apparatuses. Also, in the embodiments described above, a grinding apparatus 1, which is a multi-axis machine having multiple grinding units, was exemplified as the wafer processing apparatus, but the wafer processing apparatus may be a single-axis machine as shown in Figure 9.

[0044] The grinding apparatus 3 shown in Figure 9 differs from the grinding apparatus 1 in that it has a movable table 90 that moves in the X-axis direction instead of a turntable 50, a partition plate 91 instead of a partition plate 51, and a processing chamber cover 80 instead of a processing chamber cover 30. Other aspects are the same as the grinding apparatus 1. In the grinding apparatus 3 as well, a sealing mechanism that seals the space between the partition plate 91 and the partition wall 82 of the processing chamber cover 80 is provided with the same configuration as in the grinding apparatus 1, thereby reducing the man-hours required to replace the sealing member. The upper surface 85 of the processing chamber cover 80 is provided with a through hole 81 and a door 83 that opens the opening 84. The processing chamber cover 80 further includes one partition wall 82 that faces the partition plate 91 when the chuck table 10 is positioned in the processing area, and side walls (side walls 86, 87, and 88) that form the side surface of the processing chamber K. [Industrial applicability]

[0045] As described above, the wafer processing apparatus and sealing member replacement method of the present invention make it possible to reduce the man-hours required for replacing the sealing member, and are therefore useful. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1, 3: Grinding equipment 2, 4: Main unit of the device 10: Chuck Table 20: Grinding Unit 21: Mobile Unit 23: Grinding Wheel 30, 80: Processing room cover 31, 81: Through-hole 32, 82: Partition wall 33, 83: Door 34, 84: Aperture 35, 85:Top surface 36~38, 86~88: Side wall 40: Conveyor Unit 41: Export Cassette 42: Conveying mechanism 43: Temporary placement section 44: Loading arm 45: Exhaust arm 46: Delivery Cassette 50: Turntable 51, 91: Partition plate 52: Seal mechanism 53: Seal fixing part 54: Second sealing member 55: First sealing member 56, 57: Bolt 60: Washing Unit 70: Control device 90: Mobile Table 101: Holding surface 531: First support member 532: Second support member 533: Side view 534: Bottom surface 535: Notch KA, KB, K: Processing room

Claims

1. A movable table that is arranged to be easily moved, A chuck table is provided on the mobile table and has a holding surface for holding the workpiece, A processing means is provided in the processing area where the chuck table is positioned, and for processing the workpiece held on the chuck table. A partition plate is provided on the movable table and is formed to separate the machining area from the area outside the machining area in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the movable table when the chuck table is positioned in the machining area. A cover means provided for the processing means, having a wall facing the partition plate when the chuck table is positioned in the processing area, The chuck table is positioned in the machining area and includes a sealing mechanism that seals the space between the partition plate and the wall of the cover means, The sealing mechanism is A seal fixing part that secures a plate-shaped first seal member, made of an elastic material, to the partition plate by clamping it from both sides of the first surface and the second surface opposite the first surface, such that a portion of each surface is exposed from the upper end. It comprises a plate-shaped second sealing member formed of a plastic material, which is fixed to the wall of the cover means so as to be able to change its fixed position, The first sealing member and the second sealing member come into contact to fill the gap between the partition plate and the wall of the cover means. A wafer processing apparatus characterized by the following:

2. The partition plate is fastened to the movable table by the first bolt, The seal fixing portion is fastened to the partition plate by a second bolt. The nominal diameter of the first bolt is larger than the nominal diameter of the second bolt. The seal fixing part is replaceable. The wafer processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The seal fixing part is, It is in the form of a plate, The lower surface of the seal fixing part that contacts the partition plate and the side surface of the seal fixing part that connects to the lower surface have a notch in the connection part. The wafer processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. A method for replacing a sealing member using the wafer processing apparatus described in claim 1, A moving step of moving the movable table to move the partition plate to a predetermined position where it does not face the wall of the cover means, A removal step of removing the first sealing member fixed to the seal fixing part, Installation process for installing the new first sealing member, A method for replacing a sealing component, including the above.

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