Processing apparatus and workpiece processing method

Abstract

To easily and accurately adjust the point at which treated water enters the workpiece. [Solution] The processing apparatus (cleaning apparatus) 1 according to the present invention comprises a holding table 10 for holding a wafer (workpiece) W, a rotating mechanism 20 for rotating the holding table 10, a central nozzle 30 and an outer peripheral nozzle 40 for spraying cleaning water (processing water) onto the wafer (workpiece) W held on the holding table 10, and a cleaning chamber (processing chamber) S that houses the holding table 10 holding the wafer W, the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40, and an adjustment mechanism 50 is provided outside the cleaning chamber S that allows the position adjustment of the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 so that the processing water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 lands at a predetermined position on the wafer W. Furthermore, the workpiece processing method according to the present invention includes a landing point adjustment step of adjusting the landing point of the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 so that it lands at a predetermined position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus such as a cleaning apparatus or a wet etching apparatus, and a method for processing a workpiece using the processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices such as ICs and LSIs used in various electronic devices, the back surface of the wafer is ground to thin the wafer to a predetermined thickness in order to miniaturize and lighten the semiconductor device. The thinned wafer is cleaned by spraying cleaning water with a cleaning apparatus to remove the grinding debris adhering to the back surface. Then, after the surface of the wafer thinned by grinding is cut along the grid-like division planned lines into a plurality of chips, the grinding debris and cutting debris adhering to the surface are removed by spraying cleaning water with a cleaning apparatus.

[0003] Further, as a method of dividing a wafer along a division planned line, a method (plasma dicing) of dividing a wafer into individual chips using plasma etching is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this method, while protecting the device portions that are not etched with a resist film, only the division planned lines are subjected to plasma etching to form division grooves. Then, after the plasma etching is completed, the resist film is removed to expose the device.

[0004] Here, Patent Document 2 proposes removing a resist film for protecting the device portion of a wafer by cleaning using a chemical solution such as alcohol or dimethyl sulfoxide in plasma dicing. Hereinafter, cleaning water and chemical solutions are collectively referred to as "processing water".

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Incidentally, in cleaning equipment, when treated water (cleaning water) is sprayed from a nozzle toward the wafer to remove grinding debris and other materials adhering to the wafer after grinding, or when treated water (chemical solution) is sprayed from a nozzle toward the wafer in plasma dicing to remove the resist film covering the device portion, the point at which the treated water lands on the wafer changes depending on the thickness of the wafer. Therefore, the nozzle mounting position is adjusted to control the point at which the treated water lands on the wafer. In some cases, this adjustment of the nozzle mounting position is performed by spraying water from the nozzle instead of treated water.

[0007] As described above, when adjusting the nozzle mounting position while spraying water from the nozzle, the cleaning process involves removing (releasing) any remaining water in the nozzle and piping before spraying treated water from the nozzle. Therefore, there is a problem in that it takes time to adjust the position of the treated water's landing point, as time is required for the treated water in the nozzle and piping to switch to cold water, and for the remaining water in the nozzle and piping to switch to treated water.

[0008] Furthermore, the cleaning apparatus has a cleaning chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "processing chamber") that houses a holding table for holding wafers and a nozzle for spraying the processing water, in order to prevent the processing water or its splashes from scattering into the surrounding area. Therefore, it is not possible to directly confirm the landing point of the processing water sprayed from the nozzle. For this reason, the adjustment of the landing point of the processing water is performed with the processing chamber open. Consequently, water is used instead of processing water, and this water is sprayed from the nozzle to adjust the position of the landing point. However, in this case, there is a problem that the processing water remaining in the processing chamber will scatter. And because there is a possibility that the processing water remaining in the processing chamber will scatter, workers are required to wear protective equipment. Consequently, for workers, the adjustment work is not easy, and there is a problem with poor work efficiency.

[0009] Furthermore, because water and treated water have different viscosities, if the landing point of the treated water is adjusted with water before spraying the treated water from the nozzle, there is a problem that the landing point of the treated water may deviate from the target position, resulting in an undesirable cleaning effect.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a processing apparatus and a workpiece processing method that can easily and accurately adjust the point at which treated water enters the workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The invention described in claim 1 is a processing apparatus comprising: a holding table for holding a workpiece; a rotating mechanism for rotating the holding table; a nozzle for spraying treated water onto a workpiece held on the holding table; and a processing chamber for housing the holding table and the nozzle holding the workpiece, characterized in that an adjustment mechanism is provided outside the processing chamber to allow adjustment of the position of the nozzle so that the treated water sprayed from the nozzle lands at a predetermined position on the workpiece.

[0012] The invention described in claim 2 is a method for processing a workpiece using the processing apparatus described in claim 1, characterized by performing a holding step of holding the workpiece on the holding table; a landing point adjustment step of rotating the holding table and spraying processed water onto the workpiece from the nozzle and adjusting the position of the nozzle by the adjustment mechanism so that the landing point of the processed water is at a predetermined position; and a workpiece processing step of spraying processed water onto the workpiece held on the holding table after the landing point adjustment step to process the workpiece. Here, the workpiece processing step includes cleaning the workpiece or wet etching the workpiece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the workpiece processing method described in claim 2, carried out using the processing apparatus described in claim 1, the landing point of the treated water sprayed from the nozzle onto the workpiece is adjusted by adjusting the position of the nozzle using an adjustment mechanism provided outside the processing chamber, thus enabling the adjustment work to be performed easily, accurately, and with good workability. In this case, the nozzle position adjustment can be performed while spraying treated water from the nozzle inside the processing chamber, so the treated water does not scatter into the surroundings. Furthermore, since there is no need to spray water from the nozzle instead of treated water, the adjustment work can be performed efficiently in a short amount of time, and there is no deviation in the landing point of the treated water due to the difference in viscosity between water and treated water, allowing for accurate adjustment of the landing point of the treated water. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the main part of a cleaning device, which is one embodiment of the processing apparatus according to the present invention, as seen from the top side. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of the cleaning device. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the change in the point of water landing on the workpiece when the central nozzle is rotated horizontally by the adjustment mechanism in the cleaning apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the change in the point where the cleaning water hits the workpiece when the vertical height of the central nozzle is changed by the adjustment mechanism in the cleaning device shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, and below, a cleaning apparatus as one form of the processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

[0016] [Configuration of the cleaning device] First, the basic configuration of the cleaning device will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. The illustrated cleaning device 1 is a device for cleaning a thin disk-shaped wafer W as a workpiece, and includes a holding table 10 for holding the wafer W, a rotation mechanism 20 for rotating the holding table 10, nozzles 30 and 40 for injecting cleaning water, which is treated water, onto the wafer W held by the holding table 10, a cleaning chamber S, which is a processing chamber for housing the holding table 10 holding the wafer W and the nozzles 30 and 40, and an adjustment mechanism 50 that enables adjustment of the positions of the nozzles 30 and 40 as main components.

[0017] Here, in the present embodiment, the wafer W as a workpiece is composed of a single crystal silicon base material, and its back surface (the upper surface in FIG. 1) is being ground by a grinding device (not shown). Then, by grinding the wafer W, the grinding surface (the upper surface in FIG. 1) of the wafer W is cleaned by the cleaning device 1, and grinding chips and the like adhering to the grinding surface are washed away and removed by the cleaning water.

[0018] Next, the configurations of the holding table 10, the rotation mechanism 20, the nozzles 30 and 40, the processing chamber S, and the adjustment mechanism 50, which are the main components of the cleaning device 1, will be described respectively.

[0019] [[ID=I2]](Holding Table) As shown in FIG. 1, the holding table 10 is a disc-shaped member, and its upper surface constitutes a holding surface for holding the wafer W. The holding table 10 is horizontally attached to the upper end of a rotating shaft 11 extending vertically downward from the central portion thereof, and the holding surface on its upper surface is composed of a porous porous member, and is selectively connected to a suction source 12 such as a vacuum pump or an ejector as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the holding surface of the holding table 10 is formed at the central portions of the holding table 10, the rotating shaft 11, a servo motor 21 described later that constitutes the rotation mechanism 20, and a rotary joint 22 fixed to the lower end of the servo motor 21, which are not shown, and is connected to the suction source 12 via a pipe 13 that is connected to the communication path and extends from the rotary joint 22. Here, an electromagnetic (solenoid type) on-off valve V is provided in the pipe 13, and the holding surface of the holding table 10 is selectively connected to the suction source 12 by the opening and closing operation of this on-off valve V.

[0020] By the way, the periphery of the holding table 10 is surrounded by a cylindrical splash prevention cover 14. Here, the splash prevention cover 14 is installed in a state of standing vertically on the bottom plate 60A of a case 60 described later, and its upper end portion is reduced in diameter by a tapered portion 14a. And, the upper surface of this splash prevention cover 14 is opened in a circular hole shape as an opening 14A with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the holding table 10, and the holding table 10 is exposed in this opening 14A.

[0021] (Rotation mechanism) The rotation mechanism 20 is for rotationally driving the holding table 10 at a predetermined speed around the axis center of the rotating shaft 11. In this embodiment, it is constituted by a servo motor 21. As shown in FIG. 2, this servo motor 21 is attached to the lower end of a rotating shaft 11 that penetrates the central portion of the bottom plate 60A of a case 60 described later and is provided vertically. Here, the portion of the rotating shaft 11 that penetrates the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 is sealed by an annular seal ring 23. As described above, a rotary joint 22 is attached to the lower portion of the servo motor 21.

[0022] (Nozzle) In this embodiment, the nozzles for spraying cleaning water, which is the processing water, onto the wafer W held on the holding table 10 include a central nozzle 30 that sprays cleaning water with the center O of the wafer W as the landing point, and an outer peripheral nozzle 40 that sprays cleaning water with the outer peripheral part of the wafer W as the landing point P. Pure water is preferably used as the cleaning water.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the central nozzle 30 is attached to the upper end of a support column 31, which is a hollow shaft that stands vertically within the cleaning chamber (processing chamber) S described later inside the case 60, passing through a circular hole 60a formed in the bottom plate 60A of the case 60, and the nozzle 30a at its tip opens toward the center O of the wafer W. The portion of the support column 31 that passes through the circular hole 60a formed in the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 is sealed by a bellows-shaped sealing member 32. Furthermore, at the lower end of the support column 31 that passes through the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 and extends downward toward the case 60, a handle portion 31A is formed for the operator to grip in order to rotate the support column 31 around a vertical axis and move the support column 31 up and down.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, a supply passage 31a is formed inside the hollow support column 31. One end of this supply passage 31a is connected to the central nozzle 30, and the other end is connected to the washing water supply source 34 via piping 33, as shown in Figure 2.

[0025] Furthermore, the outer peripheral nozzle 40 is attached to the upper end of a support column 41, which is a hollow shaft that stands vertically within the cleaning chamber S inside the case 60, passing through a circular hole (not shown) formed in the bottom plate 60A of the case 60. At its tip, the nozzle 40a opens toward the landing point P on the outer peripheral part of the wafer W.

[0026] Furthermore, the portion of the support column 41 that penetrates a circular hole (not shown) formed in the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 is sealed by a bellows-shaped sealing member 42. In addition, a handle portion 41A is formed at the lower end of the support column 41 that penetrates the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 and extends downward toward the case 60, for the operator to grip in order to rotate the support column 41 around a vertical axis and move the support column 41 up and down.

[0027] Furthermore, a circular, not-shown, supply passage is formed inside the hollow support column 41. One end of this supply passage is connected to the outer nozzle 40, and the other end is connected to the cleaning water supply source 34 via piping 43, as shown in Figure 2. The central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 are positioned radially outward from the outer circumference of the wafer W, even when the nozzles 30a and 40a are pointed towards the water landing point P in a top view.

[0028] (Washing room) The washing chamber S, which is the processing chamber, is configured as a sealed space formed by a rectangular box-shaped case 60 with an open top and a low rectangular container-shaped cover 61 that covers the top opening of the case 60. The washing chamber S houses a holding table 10, a part of a rotating shaft 11, a splash-proof cover 14 surrounding the holding table 10, a central nozzle 30 and an outer nozzle 40, parts of support columns 31 and 41 that support the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 respectively, and sealing members 32 and 42.

[0029] The cover 61 is movable up and down by a cover lifting mechanism 70 provided on the outside of the case 60. As shown by the solid line in Figure 2, it closes the top opening of the case 60 to form a sealed cleaning chamber S inside the case 60, and as shown by the dashed line in Figures 1 and 2, the cover lifting mechanism 70 moves upward to open the top opening of the case 60, allowing wafers W to be inserted into and removed from the cleaning chamber S.

[0030] Here, the cover lifting mechanism 70 is composed of an air cylinder mechanism, consisting of a rectangular block-shaped cylinder 71 attached to the outer surface of the side wall of the cover 61, and two movable piston rods 72 extending vertically upward from the cylinder 71. The upper ends of each piston rod 72 are attached to a fixed block 62 attached to the cover 61. Therefore, by supplying and discharging compressed air to the cylinder 71 of the cover lifting mechanism 70 configured in this way, the piston rods 72 can be moved up and down together with the cover 61, thereby closing the top opening of the case 60 with the cover 61 as shown by the solid line in Figure 2, or moving the cover 61 upward from the case 60 to open the top opening of the case 60 as shown by the dashed line in Figures 1 and 2.

[0031] In this embodiment, the cover lifting mechanism 70 is configured with an air cylinder mechanism, but it may be configured with a hydraulic cylinder mechanism or a ball screw mechanism instead.

[0032] In this embodiment, the cover 61 is made of a transparent material such as transparent resin, and as shown by the solid line in Figure 2, when the cover 61 closes the top opening of the case 60 and a cleaning chamber S is formed inside the case 60, the worker can visually observe the condition of the cleaning chamber S inside the case 60 from the outside through the transparent cover 61.

[0033] Furthermore, the splash-proof cover 14 housed within the case 60 has a circular exhaust port 14b, and the inside of the splash-proof cover 14 is in communication with the outside of the case 60 through the exhaust port 14b, the pipe 15 (see Figure 1), and a circular hole (not shown) formed in the case 60. In addition, a circular drain port 60b is formed in the bottom plate 60A of the case 60.

[0034] (adjustment mechanism) The adjustment mechanism 50 is a mechanism that allows the position adjustment of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 so that the cleaning water sprayed from the nozzle 30a of the central nozzle 30 and the nozzle 40a of the outer nozzle 40, respectively, lands at the center O and outer edge landing points P, respectively, which are the landing points on the wafer W. In this embodiment, it is composed of a rectangular slotted block 52 attached by bolts 51 to the outside of the processing chamber S, specifically to the lower surface of the bottom plate 60A of the case 60. Specifically, each adjustment mechanism 50 allows adjustment of the horizontal rotation angle and height position of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40. Since the configuration and operation of both are the same, only the adjustment mechanism 50 that adjusts the position of the central nozzle 30 and its operation will be described below. For the other adjustment mechanism 50 that adjusts the position of the outer nozzle 40, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as the other adjustment mechanism 50, and its configuration and operation (adjustment of the outer nozzle 40) will not be shown or described.

[0035] In the slotted block 52 that constitutes the adjustment mechanism 50, as shown in Figure 3, a circular hole 52a is provided in the center of the block running vertically (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 3), and a circular bolt insertion hole 52b is provided vertically at the left end of the slotted block 52a in Figure 3. Furthermore, a slotted portion (slit) 52c is formed in the center of the width direction (vertical direction in Figure 3) of the right side of the slotted block 52a in Figure 3, extending linearly from the circular hole 52a along the right side of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 2, a vertical support column 31 that supports the central nozzle 30 is inserted through the circular hole 52a formed in the center of the slotted block 52.

[0036] Furthermore, in the portion of Figure 3 divided vertically by the slotted section (slit) 52c on the right side of the circular hole 52a of the slotted block 52, one side (the lower part of Figure 3) and the other side (the upper part of Figure 3) have circular bolt insertion holes 52d and screw holes 52e formed concentrically in a straight line, perpendicular to the slotted section (slit) 52c. The bolt 53 inserted through the bolt insertion hole 52d is then screwed into the screw hole 52e.

[0037] The slotted block 52, configured as described above, is attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 60A of the case 60, as shown in Figure 2, by screwing bolts 51, which are inserted from below into bolt insertion holes 52b, into the bottom plate 60A of the case 60.

[0038] Incidentally, in the slotted block 52, before the bolt 53 is screwed into the screw hole 52e and tightened, the width of the slotted portion (slit) 52c is widened, and in this state, the inner diameter of the circular hole 52a formed in the center is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the support column 31. Therefore, in this state, the support column 31 that supports the central nozzle 30 is inserted into the circular hole 52a of the slotted block 52 so as to be able to move up and down. However, when the bolt 53 that is screwed into the screw hole 52e of the slotted block 52 is tightened as shown in Figure 3, the width of the slotted portion (slit) 52c of the slotted block 52 is narrowed, the diameter of the circular hole 52a is reduced, and the support column 31 inserted into this circular hole 52a is tightened and fixed to the slotted block 52, preventing the rotation of the support column 31 around its axis and also preventing the up and down movement of the support column 31. Therefore, in this state, the horizontal rotation and vertical movement of the central nozzle 30 provided at the upper end of the support column 31 are prevented, and the mounting position of the central nozzle 30 is fixed.

[0039] [Workpiece machining method] Next, as a workpiece processing method according to the present invention, a method for cleaning a wafer W performed in the cleaning apparatus 1 configured as described above will be explained.

[0040] One form of the workpiece processing method according to the present invention is the cleaning of a wafer W, 1) Holding process: 2) Water landing point adjustment process: 3) Cleaning process (workpiece processing process): This is accomplished by carrying out the following steps in order. Each step will be explained below.

[0041] 1) Holding process: The holding step involves holding the wafer W on the holding table 10 of the cleaning apparatus 1. In this holding step, the wafer W, whose back surface (the side opposite to the side on which the device is formed) has been ground by a grinding device (not shown), is supported by a transport means (not shown) and transported to the cleaning apparatus 1. Then, the cover 61 is raised by the cover lifting mechanism 70 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, opening the top opening of the case 60, and the wafer W is placed on the holding surface of the holding table 10 housed in the cleaning chamber S inside the case 60.

[0042] Then, the on / off valve V shown in Figure 2 opens, and the holding surface of the holding table 10 is connected to the suction source 12 and vacuumed by the suction source 12. As a result, negative pressure is generated on the holding surface of the holding table 10, and the wafer W is attracted and held on the holding surface of the holding table 10 by this negative pressure. In this embodiment, a method of holding the wafer W by vacuum suction is adopted, but a method of holding the wafer W on the holding surface of the holding table 10 by an edge clamp method, in which multiple points on the outer edge of the wafer W are gripped by clamps, may also be adopted.

[0043] As described above, when the wafer W is held on the holding surface of the holding table 10, or before or simultaneously with the wafer W being held, the cover 61 is lowered by the cover lifting mechanism 70 and the top opening of the case 60 is closed by the cover 61 as shown by the solid line in Figure 2, a sealed cleaning chamber S is formed inside the case 60.

[0044] 2) Water landing point adjustment process: In the water landing point adjustment process, the positions of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 are adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 50 as follows, so that the cleaning water sprayed from the respective nozzles 30a and 40a of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 lands at the central landing point O and the outer landing point P of the wafer W, respectively. Here, only the position adjustment of the central nozzle 30 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that the position adjustment of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 is performed with the holding table 10 stationary without rotation. However, if the landing point of the cleaning water shifts due to the airflow generated on the upper surface of the wafer W caused by the rotation of the holding table 10, it is advisable to adjust the positions of the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 with the holding table 10 rotated.

[0045] To adjust the position of the central nozzle 30, the bolt 53 that is screwed into the slotted block 52 shown in Figure 3, which constitutes the adjustment mechanism 50, is loosened. This widens the width of the slotted portion (slit) 52c of the slotted block 52, and consequently the diameter of the circular hole 52a in the slotted block 52 through which the support column 31 is inserted expands. As a result, the tightening of the support column 31 by the circular hole 52a is released, allowing the support column 31 and the central nozzle 30 supported by it to rotate around the axis of the support column 31 and move up and down. As a result, the horizontal rotation angle and vertical height of the central nozzle 30 can be adjusted.

[0046] The position of the central nozzle 30 is adjusted by spraying cleaning water from the central nozzle 30 toward the wafer W. In this embodiment, since the cover 61 is made of a transparent material, the position of the central nozzle 30 can be adjusted while observing the landing point of the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 from the outside through the cover 61.

[0047] In other words, as described above, when the bolt 53 that screws into the slotted block 52 is loosened and the tightening of the support column 31 by the circular hole 52a is released, the worker operates the handle portion 31A of the support column 31 to rotate the support column 31 around its axis, causing the central nozzle 30 attached to the upper end of the support column 31 to rotate horizontally around the axis of the support column 31, thereby adjusting the direction of the spray of cleaning water in the horizontal plane from the spray port 30a that opens at the tip of the central nozzle 30.

[0048] Here, if the central nozzle 30 is adjusted to the position shown by the solid line in the horizontal plane in Figure 4, the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 will land on the target center point O of the wafer W. However, if the central nozzle 30 is shifted by angles α and β from the solid line position in the horizontal plane, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 will land on landing points a and b, respectively, which are shifted from the target center point O. Therefore, in such cases, the central nozzle 30 should be rotated horizontally by angles α and β, respectively, from the dashed line position to the solid line position, so that the landing point moves to the center point O.

[0049] Furthermore, when the central nozzle 30 is adjusted to the height position shown by the solid line in Figure 5, the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 will land on the target center point O of the wafer W. However, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, when the height position of the central nozzle 30 is shifted by heights h1 and h2 from the solid line position, the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 will land on landing points c and d, respectively, which are shifted from the target center point O. Therefore, in such cases, the central nozzle 30 should be moved vertically by heights h1 and h2 from the dashed line position, respectively, so that the landing point moves to the center point O.

[0050] As described above, once the angular position of the central nozzle 30 in the horizontal plane and its height position in the vertical plane are adjusted so that cleaning water lands on the center point O of the wafer W from the central nozzle 30, the bolts 53 of the slotted block 52 shown in Figure 3 are tightened. As a result, the width of the slotted portion (slit) 52c of the slotted block 52 is reduced and the diameter of the circular hole 52a is reduced, so the support column 31 is tightened by this circular hole 52a, and the positions of the support column 31 and the central nozzle 30 are fixed in the adjusted positions.

[0051] Although not explained in detail, the position of the outer nozzle 40 is adjusted in the same way as the central nozzle 30, so that the cleaning water sprayed from the outer nozzle 40 lands at the landing point P on the wafer W. The outer nozzle 40 is used to clean the processing area of ​​the wafer W after edge trimming, which processes the outer periphery of the wafer W.

[0052] 3) Cleaning process: The cleaning process, as a form of workpiece processing, involves rotating the holding table 10 and the wafer W held therein around a vertical axis at a predetermined speed, while spraying cleaning water from a central nozzle 30 and an outer peripheral nozzle 40 toward the wafer W, thereby removing grinding debris adhering to the back surface (grinding surface) of the wafer W by cleaning.

[0053] In other words, in this cleaning process, the servo motor 21 is activated to rotate the holding table 10 and the wafer W held therein at a predetermined speed around the axis of the rotation shaft 11, and in this state, cleaning water is sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40, respectively. In this case, in the preceding landing point adjustment process, the positions of the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 are adjusted so that the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 lands at the central point O and the outer peripheral landing point P, respectively. Therefore, the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 lands precisely at the intended landing point (center point) O and landing point P, respectively.

[0054] Therefore, the grinding surface of the wafer W is cleaned by this cleaning water, and grinding debris and other materials adhering to the grinding surface are washed away by the cleaning water. The cleaning water used for cleaning falls onto the bottom plate 60A of the case 60 and is discharged to the outside of the case 60 through a drain port 60b formed in the bottom plate 60A. In addition, the splash-proof cover 14, which houses the holding table 10 that rotates at high speed during the cleaning of the wafer W, has an exhaust port 14b that is connected to a mist collector and pipe 15, and discharges the mist of the cleaning water during cleaning of the wafer W or during the drying of the wafer W after cleaning to the outside of the cleaning device 1.

[0055] When the cleaning of the wafer W by the cleaning device 1 is complete, the servo motor 21 stops, the holding table 10 that holds the wafer W also stops, and the suction source 12 releases the wafer W from the holding table 10. Then, the cover 61 is raised by the cover lifting mechanism 70 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, and the top opening of the case 60 is opened, so the cleaned wafer W is removed from the holding table 10 by a transport means (not shown) and transported to a cassette (not shown) and stored in the cassette, thus completing the series of cleaning operations on the wafer W.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the landing point of the cleaning water sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 onto the wafer W is adjusted by adjusting the positions of the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 using an adjustment mechanism 50 provided outside the cleaning chamber S. Therefore, the adjustment work can be performed easily, accurately, and with good workability. In this case, the position adjustment of the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 can be performed while cleaning water is being sprayed from the central nozzle 30 and the outer peripheral nozzle 40 inside the cleaning chamber S, so the cleaning water does not scatter into the surroundings.

[0057] Furthermore, since there is no need to spray water from the central nozzle 30 and the outer nozzle 40 instead of cleaning water, the adjustment work can be performed efficiently in a short time, and the landing point of the cleaning water does not shift due to the difference in viscosity between water and cleaning water, allowing for accurate adjustment of the landing point of the cleaning water.

[0058] The above describes a cleaning apparatus as one embodiment of the processing apparatus according to the present invention, and a method for cleaning a wafer in the cleaning apparatus as one embodiment of the workpiece processing method according to the present invention, particularly a method for adjusting the position of the nozzle. However, the present invention can also be similarly applied to any other processing apparatus and workpiece processing method using such apparatus, including, for example, a processing apparatus that cleans a wafer W with an acid or alkaline solution after grinding, dry polishing, CMP, wet etching, or plasma etching as a workpiece processing step, and a wet etching apparatus that sprays an acid or alkaline solution onto a workpiece to remove unwanted parts by a chemical reaction as a workpiece processing step.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, specification, and drawings. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1: Washing device (processing device), 10: Holding table, 11: Rotating shaft, 12: Suction source, 13: Piping, 14: Splash-proof cover, 14A: Opening of the splash-proof cover, 14a: Tapered section of the splash-proof cover, 14b: Exhaust port, 15: Pipe, 20: Rotating mechanism, 21: Servo motor, 22: Rotary joint, 23: Seal ring, 30: Center nozzle (nozzle), 30a: Spray opening, 31: Support column, 31A: Handle section, 31a: supply channel, 32: sealing member, 33: piping, 34: washing water supply source, 40: Outer nozzle (nozzle), 40a: Spray nozzle, 41: Support column, 41A: Handle section, 42: Seal member, 43: Piping, 44: Cleaning water supply source, 50: Adjustment mechanism, 51: Bolt, 52: Slotted block, 52a: Circular hole, 52b: Bolt insertion hole, 52c: Slit, 52d: Bolt insertion hole, 52e: Screw hole 53: Bolt, 60: Case, 60A: Bottom plate of case, 60a: Circular hole, 60b: Drain port, 61: Cover, 62: Fixing block, 70: Cover lifting mechanism, 71: Cylinder, 72: Piston rod, O: Center point of the wafer (water point), P: Water point of the wafer S: Washing room (processing room), V: On / off valve, W: Wafer (workpiece)

Claims

1. A holding table for holding the workpiece, A rotating mechanism for rotating the holding table, A nozzle for spraying treated water onto a workpiece held on the holding table, A processing chamber housing the holding table that holds the workpiece and the nozzle, A processing apparatus comprising, A processing apparatus comprising an adjustment mechanism located outside the processing chamber that allows for adjustment of the position of the nozzle so that the treated water sprayed from the nozzle lands at a predetermined position on the workpiece.

2. A method for processing a workpiece using the processing apparatus described in claim 1, A holding step of holding the workpiece in the holding table, A landing point adjustment step is performed by rotating the holding table and spraying treated water onto the workpiece from the nozzle, and adjusting the position of the nozzle by the adjustment mechanism so that the landing point of the treated water is at a predetermined position. After the water landing point adjustment step, a workpiece processing step is performed in which treated water is sprayed onto the workpiece held on the holding table to process the workpiece. A method for processing a workpiece, which is used to perform this process.

3. The workpiece processing method according to claim 2, wherein the workpiece processing step includes cleaning the workpiece.

4. The workpiece processing method according to claim 2, wherein the workpiece processing step includes wet etching of the workpiece.

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